Chapter 23

It had happened two days before Kyungsoo's 19th birthday.

Kyungsoo was at work.

The café had been relatively empty throughout the day, people choosing to stay indoor instead of braving the cold. Jongin and Sehun were waiting on the few costumers inside while Minseok and he made chocolate croissants at Kyungsoo request. Krystal and him didn't get to see each other very much so Kyungsoo wanted to surprise her with the pastries and strawberry milk. Thinking back to their walks to and from high school Kyungsoo smiled fondly at the memory. Playfully, Minseok shoved Kyungsoo with his hips, asking what had become of his stone-faced dongsaeng. Putting on a 'I don't give a ' expression, Kyungsoo turned to Minseok.

"He never left. Oh and by the way. How's Luhan? Gay yet?" A flour covered hand was pressed hard against his mouth.

"Will you keep it down, you brat?!"  

Luhan, a 'good friend' of Minseok who was clearly smitten with his hyung, had made it his life's quest to turn Minseok gay for him. They had met through a culinary class Minseok had taken after graduating high school. Luhan hadn't been able to tell a pot from a pan. Also he had burned everything he was to touch. After a lot of scolding, Minseok had taken pity on the poor guy. He'd asked if Luhan wanted to work together while holding out a whisk for him to take. The blond beauty had torn it from his hand and hugged him in front of an astonished on-watching class. They had become great friends after that. Well, mostly because Luhan was very insisting on taking him out for dinner, even though they had spent an entire cooking class gulping down food. It had been later in their friendship that Luhan confessed to Minseok that he  had no interest in cooking. He had only signed up for the lessons because he had been stalking Minseok the past month or so. Much like Kyungsoo, Luhan was very blunt not bothering to 'gift-wrap' his words, preferring to be as honest as possible. That was also why Minseok knew Luhan was gay. Luhan, had in front of Minseok, come out of the closet. Literally.

Luhan had texted him to say something big had happened, demanding he come to his apartment a sap. When Minseok had arrived the door had been open and the place empty. He had ventured further inside, opening the door to his bedroom, whispering his name.

"Ta-da!" Luhan was wearing a cone-shaped, multi-colored party hat and holding a bottle of champagne in his right hand,  as he jumped out from his closet. Startled, Minseok reached for his chest, afraid it would pop out.

"It's your turn!" Happy Luhan put a party hat on Minseok as well, pushing him towards the closet.

"My turn to what?"

"Why, to come out of the closet, silly." Putting down the champagne he fumbled with his jeans pocket, pulling out a small confetti canon, popping it over Minseok's head.
"Come out of... Whoa, Luhan. I'm not gay." He took off his hat, handing it to a sad Luhan.

"You're not?" Luhan gave him a skeptical elevator look. "Are you sure? You don't exactly scream heteroual. Or maybe bi, but we don't use that word."
"We? Are you... gay?"Minseok whispered.

"Honey. I am definitely 101 percent rainbow."

Luhan hadn't allowed it to become awkward after that. At least if you disregarded his passionate plea to turn Minseok ever as much unicorn as he was himself.

"He's fine. And no I'm not."

Kyungsoo patted Minseok's behind.

"I'm telling you, one of these days, you are going to give in to the gay. I just know it."

Before Minseok could pummel him, Jongin entered the kitchen, looking grim.

"Kyungsoo..." Jongin's voice trailed off.

"What is it Jongin?"

"Your phone." Jongin bit his lip. "Your phone kept ringing for the past few hours so I picked it up... Your girlfriend..."
Kyungsoo's heart stopped beating momentarily.

Kyungsoo was running as fast as the slippery pavement would let him. On top of that it was snowing heavily, making it almost impossible to see. 'Your girlfriend... She was in an accident." Jongin's words kept playing in his head as he ran for the nearest subway. She had been taken to a hospital not far from his work but the train ride there had gone on forever.

Barely able to breathe, Kyungsoo entered the hospital. He grabbed the first nurse passing him, yelling out 'Where is she?!'

After clearing who 'she' was, Kyungsoo stood outside Krystal's hospital room. Scared to enter, Kyungsoo knocked his head hard against the door. The door was promptly flung open by a frantic Mrs. Jung. As soon as she saw who it was she encircled him in a bone-crushing hug that would have even given his mother a run for her money. Mrs. Jung cried hard into his shoulder. Suddenly she grabbed him hard holding him at an arm's length. 

"Why didn't you pick up your phone?!" she cried out. "I tried calling you for  three hours!"

Feeling guilty, Kyungsoo let his head fall down. "I'm sorry." Mr. Jung took hold of his wife and pulled her towards the bed their unconscious daughter was lying in.

Hesitantly Kyungsoo went to stand next to Krystal's sleeping frame. Apart from a few bruises she didn't look hurt. A relived breath escaped his lips.

"What happened to her? I was only told she was in an accident."

"She fell down an escalator."

"What?"Kyungsoo asked incredulous.

"She was hurrying down the stairs when she lost her footing. She was lucky. There's no internal damage or anything except for a concussion." His mother's face fell.

"But that's good right?"

"Yes." Mrs. Jung bit her lip as she removed the blanket from Krystal's upper body, revealing a bandaged hand.

"Except, the nerve in her right hand is completely ruined."

Kyungsoo's mouth fell open.

"But they can fix that, can't they?"

"They can. But it will never be the same. She won't be able to play the piano anymore."

Kyungsoo could feel the dread running through his entire body, he thought he was going to be sick. This was her dream. In a matter of seconds it had been washed down the drain along with every long hour of practice, every hope of standing on a stage. Gone.

"Does she know?"

"No."

"Please don't tell her. I'll do it." He leaned over her, not caring about her parents watching, as he left a soft kiss on her forehead.

Kyungsoo didn't go to school or work the following days. He stayed by Krystal's side, making sure she was comfortable and happy. They tip-toed around the subject of her hand, both trying their best to avoid that conversation. He would baby her and she would keep telling him to go home but Kyungsoo was stubborn, only leaving when forced to by an impatient nurse. At home he would sit at the piano, slowly recalling the piece she had composed all those years ago.

On the day Krystal was allowed to go home she had refused anything remotely close to a party. She just wanted to go home and sleep in her own bed for once.  Kyungsoo didn't argue. When they entered their little home it was lit up by candlelight.

Already knowing what she was gonna say, Kyungsoo told her that he had made Chanyeol light the candles minutes before leaving the hospital. Sighing a breath of relief she playfully nudged his ribs.

"Still. Candlelight. You know what happened last time." Even if it was her joke, she still blushed at the memory.

Kyungsoo, ignoring her words, led her to the piano and sat her down. Kyungsoo plopped down next to her, in his hands a brown paper bag. He pulled out two chocolate croissants, two steam cakes and two cartons of strawberry milk. He sheepishly opened the milk for her before taking a deep breath. His hands flew gracefully over the piano keys. Each delicate and immersed with emotion. Krystal easily recognized it as her first composition ever.

"You remember?" she turned her eyes towards him.

"Of course I do. This was the moment I realized you weren't just an annoying, awkward, plain creepy kid who did nothing but stare at me."   

Krystal rolled her eyes at him but smiled none the less.

"Do you know what it's called?"
"Perfection?" a playful smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Close. 'Do Kyungsoo'.
Kyungsoo stopped playing. His face unreadable.
"Krystal I..."    

"I'm never gonna play again, am I?" her eyes were watering, lips trembling.

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew. It was obvious from the look on my parents faces. On your face. All the pity evident in your eyes poorly masked by a fake smile." Her voice was void of any emotion but her words were more than reproachful. She put her right hand on the keys, trying to move her fingers. When nothing happened she finally let herself break down. Kyungsoo slowly pulled her towards him, holding her tight. Krystal had responded by crying even harder into his chest. The tears slowly dispersed. Sniffing once she leaned her head back up, surprising him with a kiss. She quickly deepened the kiss. 

"I. I need you," she whispered.

"I'm right here."

"No. I need you. Please. Just..."

Not getting the hint, Krystal kissed him, leaving her hand on his crotch, rubbing him through his jeans.

Kyungsoo bit back a moan, removing her hand.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Please Kyungsoo. Please," she begged him.

Battling with his better judgment of not sleeping with someone in an unstable state of mind, Kyungsoo softly pressed his lips against her lips. He moved around her before picking her up and carried her to their bedroom.

Krystal was crying the entire time but had begged for him not to stop.

When they were done, Kyungsoo felt like the most horrible person in the whole world.        

A/N
Only 2...ish chapters left of Kyungsoo's very short introduction :p
I hope to post another chapter later tonight if possible:D