Chapter 10

The year he turned 20 was also the year Kris had his heart broken. It had been two weeks and the image of his ex-best friend and ex-girlfriend was still the last thing he saw before falling asleep and the first he saw when waking up. He knew their relationship had been rocky for the past 2 years, what with her spending more time with her friends, leaving him alone. He hadn't spoken to Mark in what felt like a lifetime except for the casual 'How you doing'.

He had become so accustomed to having company that he didn't know how to be on his own anymore. He was lonely and angry and hurt.

He started skipping classes in fear of running into either of them. Why did they have to go to the same college, again? Kim had been against it but Kris hadn't given two s before applying to the same colleges as her.

In the beginning he had been so happy getting into the same college as his girlfriend and best friend, thinking they would have a great time. Boy was he wrong.

Kris was lying in bed not bothering to get up even though it was 10 AM and he had already missed his first two lectures of the day. A loud knock on his door made the image of them temporarily disappear. He sighed before slowly getting up, covering himself with his duvet. If you hadn't guessed already, Kris preferred sleeping . And too lazy to put on sweats just to interact with other human beings in the morning.

"You're alive."

An awkward Mark stood outside his door fumbling with his fingers. A grumpy Kris with blonde spikes for hair took crap from no one in his time of grief.  He took one look at his former friend before slamming the door in his face. Kris, rather pleased with his actions made for his bed before
the loud knocking returned. He really, really wanted to just ignore it, but grumpy Kris slowly disappeared and he went back to 'I'll take your crap' Kris, as his spikes seemed to deflate and the Kris who desperately craved company, resurfaced.

He opened the door again, this time greeted by a 'bloody nose, serves you right' Mark.

"Before you break my nose a second time, I'm sorry." Of course Mark's words had been muffled by his hands clasping his nose in a tight grip, hoping it wouldn't fall off. Kris stepped out of the way to let Mark in. He even went as far as throwing a towel in Mark's general direction. Mark once again catching it with his face. He carefully dried off the blood. Luckily his nose wasn't broken but he didn't mention that to Kris. At this point he needed all the sympathy points in the world.
After a rather pregnant pause, Mark deemed it some-what safe to open his mouth.

"... What happened between me and..."

Because Kris was a drama queen, instead of a manly fist fight he reckoned it more fitting to slap Mark instead. The former best friend sported a disbelieving look on his face along with a large, red handprint, nicely decorating his left cheek.
Kris had seen it done so many times in the Korean dramas he loved to watch, but actually getting to slap someone in real life, was pretty scary and he immediately regretted it.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you want to punch me? Here, punch me! Just try not to get my good side..."

An incredulous Mark starred at his friend apologizing to him for something he more or less had the right to do. It was so absurd that Mark started to laugh. Apparently being laughed at slapped some sense into Kris.

Or maybe not.

Because Kris started laughing as well.
Honestly, they looked pretty insane. Laughing out loud as if their lives depended on it.

Eventually the laughter died down, resulting in yet another pregnant pause.

Kris took a deep breath before slumping down on his bed, defeated.

"You could have had any girl on campus. Why'd you choose mine?"

Kris hid his face in his hands suppressing the tears threatening to spill.

"I'm sorry..."
"Stop saying you're sorry! You shouldn't have to be sorry at all! You were supposed to be my best friend!"
"...I was supposed to be your best friend?  Then what about you?"
Kris looked up, confused.

"Weren't you supposed to be my best friend as well? This. Right now, is the most I've talked to you in 4 years."

Mark clutched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Every time I asked you to hang out, you always, always had plans with Kim. It was always Kim. And I was lonely without you. And angry."

Kris swallowed, trying his best to ignore the hurt look on Mark's face.
"So you slept with her to what? Get back at me? Well, you sure showed me."

"No!" Mark fell to his knees in front of Kris, grapping his hands.

"You don't know what it's like. To be in love with someone who'll never love you back. Because that... someone already has someone else."
Kris tightened their grip. Not out of anger, but from passion.
"I understand."

Mark dared looking up into Kris's beautiful eyes. Hope evident in his own.
"You are in love with Kim."

'Oh Kris', Mark thought. 'Thank God you're pretty'.
"It's okay. Her and I hadn't exactly been the perfect couple for a long time. I mean. We never even slept together."
That, Mark hadn't expected.  

"You were together 4 years!"
"Yeah, so? I wanted our first time to be special and I just wasn't ready. Unfortunately, when I finally was... she wasn't."

"When were you ready?" A still disbelieving Mark asked.

"Half-way through our third year as a couple?"

"Wasn't that when you got your first tattoo?"

Kris looked at his friend with narrowed eyes.

"I am scared less of needles. Why do you think I got all this crap done to me?"

Mark suppressed a smile, patting  Kris's hand sympathetically.

"You know. That story about Tony scoring 5 phone numbers in two hours. That story goes a little bit different."
Kris tensed at his words. Not really wanting to know where this was going.

"What he didn't get 5 numbers? Did he get less?"
"Oh he got 5 numbers alright. Except they weren't from chicks. But dudes."    
Kris's face fell, letting out a girly whine. He definitely regretted ever listening to Big Fat and his 'Chicks dig bad boys' and 'Trust My Little Pony'.
 

A/N
It has been 10 chapters now and I am happy to announce that Krisoo will finally happen in the next chapter!