-TEN YEARS FLASH FORWARD-

We all finally arrive to Kai’s grandmother’s house. After his mother died, he moved here to live with her. Suho knocks on the door a few times. After a moment, the door opens, and we were all greeted by Grandmother Kim’s aged, yet bright smile, very similar to Kai’s.

“Ah! You all came very early! Come come inside! It must be cold walking here.” Grandmother Kim said as she bowed and stood away from the door, allowing everyone inside. We all thanked her and gradually went inside the house. Everyone stood in the living room.

“Thank you for having us Grandmother Kim” Suho thanked her.

“No worries at all. Please, stay as long as you want while visiting Kai.” she said with a sweet tone in her voice.

This is the second time we’ve been to her house. The first time was for Kai’s funeral.

“I still remember all of your names.” she told us. She then proceeded to point at each of us, calling out our names. All of us dropped our jaws in surprise. 

“You still remember?...Even if it has been 10 years?” I said to her in disbelief.

“That’s right….Kai talked much about all of you. Especially you. Kyungsoo.”

“I see…” I replied, looking down.

There was so much I wanted to say to Kai. But I never got to say it personally. I really wanted to talk to him more. I really wanted to know him better. But I never got the courage to.

Grandmother Kim had us wait in the living room while she made everyone tea.

“You know. I really wanted Kai to join the performing arts club. I wish I continued making him a lunch, even though he was dating Yoona at that time. I wanted to bring him much more happiness. There’s just so much…I regret.” I tell my friends. They only looked at me with sadness in their eyes.

“We regret it too Kyungsoo. If only we could really change the future, right?” Chanyeol tells me.

A few short moments before Kai died, he sent me a text. His final text.

“Kyungsoo, I am so sorry.

I made a mistake and I hurt you.

This feeling of guilt and sorrow is making me go mad. I’ve been feeling depressed and emotionally unstable lately. It’s really driving me crazy.

So much that I can’t take it anymore.

I’m really sorry Kyungsoo. I just have one more thing to say to you:

Thank you.”

-FLASHFORWARD END-

I return from the bathroom, where I was washing my face after I cried in front of my friends.

I guess I can’t help heal future Kyungsoo’s world after all. I can’t control these cruel parallel worlds.

But I can’t lose hope either. Future Kyungsoo sends me these texts for a purpose. He’s trying to prevent his worst mistakes from happening again in my world. He’s trying to prevent me from experiencing the great pain and sorrow he felt. He’s trying to prevent Kai from disappearing from the world again. It’s not like I can back down now and disappoint him. Although it’s a huge responsibility and there’s much pressure in my shoulders, I feel like I can do it.

As soon as I return to the hallway, I see Kai, leaning against a wall, waiting for me.

“Hi…” he says to me.

“Hey…” I awkwardly reply to him. It must have been weird for Kai to see me randomly break down like that.

“Are you okay?” he asks me in concern. “I suddenly just saw you crying when you walked out of class.”

“Yeah. I wasn’t feeling very well haha. But I’m perfectly fine now.” I lied.

“Listen Kyungsoo. If you ever feel unwell, please tell me right away.” Kai lectures me. “It almost gave me a heart attack to see you suddenly be upset like that.” My face turned red at Kai’s worry over me.

“I’m sorry….” I apologized, with my head slightly facing down.  I felt Kai’s hand rub my head.

“Don’t be sorry! Anyways, let’s make you feel better by eating lunch together okay?”

I nodded, agreeing to his request.

---------------------------------------------

“-After Science class, Kai and I went outside to eat together

-I then told him about the upcoming school’s festival and how they always blew up fireworks at the end.

-Kai wanted to see them”

I handed Kai’s lunch, which he was of course, always so ecstatic to see. He thanked me brightly like always and began eating. I wonder if future Kyungsoo misses Kai’s bright smile.

“Ahh~ The finals are finally over and then school will be over too! All we have to do is the cultural festival now.” Kai sighed.

“Mhm! The best part is seeing the fireworks they shoot at night. It’s really pretty.”

“Oh really? That’s cool!” he exclaims. “By the way, Kyungsoo. I have a question.”

I cocked my head to the side, wondering what he wanted to ask about.

“If you had a choice, would you go back to the past or go to the future?”

“…Well…I would go to the future, because you can’t change the past. I can know what happens in the future and use that to my advantage to change the present instead.” I answered him. He only nodded in response.

“I see. For me, I would like to go to the past. To erase my regrets.” Kai tells me.  Regrets?.... ”Because even though the past can’t be changed, I would at least relieve of my regrets and make the pressure on my shoulders lighter. That way, I wouldn’t have to carry a lifetime of regrets.”

Kai looked at a distance, with a serious look on his face. The wind blew, causing his hair to blow in the direction of the wind. Kai was beautiful. But why did he look so sad? Kai looked in my direction, and gave me a small smile.

“Thank you for the lunch Kyungsoo!” he suddenly enthusiastically said.

“Oh! No problem…”

“Let’s head back to class, shall we?” Kai stood up, walking ahead of me.

“Kyungsoo, please be aware that as you’re erasing regrets, you may be erasing good memories too. However, I want you to at least keep one certain memory. A memory that I still treasured for the last 10 years.

My memories of watching the fireworks with Kai.

-Please don’t lose that memory.”

“K-Kai!” I called out to him.

“Hm?” he turned slightly around to face me.

“The cultural festival….let’s…let’s go watch the fireworks…Together.” I stuttered. Kai then chuckled a bit.

“Okay! Let’s invite the others—“

“—No. I want it to be only us. If you don’t mind.” I said, keeping my head down, trying to avoid eye contact so he won’t see my flushed face. Kai then covered his face with his arm.

“Huh?...O-Okay…”

Obviously, we were both embarrassed about the situation. I have no idea about Kai, but,

I was so excited that my heart could’ve burst at any moment in front of Kai.

a/n: short update i am so sorry ;-; Finals at school is in a few days!

HOWEVER

how would you guys feel if I added a BaekYeol chapter? I mean, they are hinted to have a love-hate relationship O u O

BaekYeol yes yes no no?