Kris huffs, a cloud of mist forming after he exhales. He trudges slowly to his café, his bones stiff from the cold windy winter. Snow has been falling these past few days, little by little. The shadow of short and stout buildings loom in the distance and Kris reaches his café, a small unit sandwiched between other shops at a park. The door trembles when the cold wind blows and the sign that reads Sorry! We are closed! hits against the field of glass. Behind the poorly tinted glass, Kris sees two figures moving about, arranging the tables. Oh right, the two employees, Kai and Chanyeol, who live in his café. Those two unfortunately live far, far, away from their workplace. Where exactly, the United States. It's a long story why they decided to return to South Korea and work in a café of all other things they could do.

The clock switches from 0759 hours to 0800 hours and the closed sign switches to open. Within minutes, there is a long line at the counter and all the big tables are being occupied by families or colleagues having breakfast, leaving behing the two seater tables. Kris' heart skips a beat when his favorite customer walks through the doors of his café and stands at the back of the queue.

"A bagel, coffee and the reserved table for the blondie, Kai," Kris says. His nickname for his favorite customer is blondie and it seemingly sounds so gay because blondie is a guy.

"Hyung, let me man the counter and you go serve him yourself," Kai replies, to which Kris agrees reluctantly. He steps away from the counter and fetches a cup and a plate. He warms the bagel and makes the coffee within two minutes and sets the tray on one of the reserved tables by the window. Then, he walks to where his favorite customer, Tao, is and taps on his shoulder.

"You don't have to queue. I've already prepared your breakfast," Kris points to the table by the window.

Tao looks at Kris' face, not believing a word. "You know what I want?"

Kris shrugs and leads Tao to the table. "You don't miss a morning and you always order the same thing. It's not hard to remember what you want."

Tao slips Kris some money for the meal once he is seated but Kris pushes it back. "It's on the house. You don't have to pay."

"And the other people out there have to? Come on, just take it," Tao says, pushing the money back to Kris.

"Fine, if you insist," Kris takes the money to and stuffs it into the pocket on his apron. "What's your name?"

"Huang Zitao, obvious my roots aren't Korean. You?" Tao answers.

"Kris, right here," Kris points to his name tag, where he had scribbled KRIS unglamourously.

"I mean, your real name. Kris hardly seems like your real name, just like how the name of the guy over there isn't really Kai," Tao says simply.

Something Kris can't comprehend into words strikes him about how Tao thinks. It's like he has a dual mind. One that allows him to analyse a person inside and out and another that tells him what to say. So far, he has convinced Kris that a phrase like It's on the house doesn't exist, because other people still have to pay anyway and he has figured out that Kai's real name isn't Kai. Maybe Tao's just exceptionally smart.

"Right. It's Wu Yifan, and just like you, I'm not Korean," Kris answers.

Tao has in front of him an iPad, placed upright sideways and reading glasses balancing precariously on the tip of his nose.

"What are you reading?" Kris asks.

Tao shifts his eyes from the screen to the contours of Kris' face. "A story. I like the way the author has written it, because this describes exactly what happened to my father last year. I resented him so much, so much I didn't  even know if I should be happy or sad. And I have a gut feeling that I will go through this in my life as well."

"Read it out," Kris says.

Time and tide waits for no man. The clock ticks. Seconds pass. They turn into minutes, hours, days, months, years. But it never stops. Never has, never will. His condition gets worse by the second. It won't be long before the line on the cardiac monitor is straight and both systolic and diastolic numbers hit zero. Emergency will be called for and his heart will be in an attempt of resuscitation.That's what happens, actually. Comas are unpredictable. You might open your eyes one day or the last time you would ever do so was before you came to the hospital. Life support sounds like a great thing because, look, machines are able to support human life, but having multiple wires hook you up to one machine merely keeping your shell alive doesn't sound too good, right? Your brain is already long dead. Even, I am not sure if that's considered living...

Emergency is called for  to the room where the cardiac monitor has stopped registering heart beats. The patient is still, unmoving with nurses surrounding him, pumping oxygen through his mouth and the doctor massaging his heart.

"Defibrillator," the doctor orders, to which the nurse hands him two iron like things. "200 joules. Charge!"

No response.

"Charge!"

No response.

"Char—"

"—Stop! It says here that the patient signed the Do Not Resuscitate form," the head doctor says. "Did you know of this?"

The doctor looks down. "Yes. But I couldn't just let him die like that..."

"And why is that?"

"He is one of my close friends and I owe a lot to him," the doctor admits.

"This is the patient's decision. Who are you to change it?" The head doctor questions. "Because of this, your position can be jeopardized, do you know that? It all depends whether or not I report this to the Chairman of the Hospital."

But it is too late. The patient's heart had already started beating.

"Move him to the ICU."

"That's all that I will read to you. Maybe tomorrow I'll continue. I have work now," Tao says. "I sued that doctor because he acted without hesitation. He didn't even hear what the family member had to say first."

Kris waves goodbye as Tao leaves the café,  his laptop bag slung across his torso and iPad in his hand. As he watches the latter leave, he feels himself being pulled away back to the counter.

"Yes hyung. Say bye. Time's up for talking. We need you now. Because, that damned Kim Jongin spoilt the coffee machine again and now he's giving them free drinks as a result. And you, just sat there for thirty whole minutes and did not notice a single thing," Chanyeol says firmly, his grip on Kris' arm tight.

Kris just sighs.

 (Present)

Kris looks at the still figure and laughs to himself. It's all over now. All that fun and happiness, it's gone. He feels the tears well in his eyes but he blinks them back. What's the use of crying when he's gonna die anyway? All these memories, they should just leave him and Tao alone. The fun they had together, how happy they were when they were together, it's gone. The time for that is up. What do these memories want? Tomorrow will be Tao's last operation for his faulty lung. If he doesn't wake up, then he's gone. Forever. Kris sniffs, looking at the unconscious Tao once more. It's sickening, watching him lay unmoving, drugged to the core. Machines beeping here and there, let's just say he's already dead, shall we? Well, his brain is dead, and the thing that is alive now is his body. He can't talk, or walk, or even eat. What's a body good for, without its ultimate controller, the brain? Kris just sighs, looking at Tao for the third time. He has fulfilled the favour asked by those up above by letting Tao go. What more do they want? What more does life want? It's a harsh reality, he  gets it, but can't it just relax, take it easy on him? I'm sorry, no. Life is called a harsh reality for a reason.

A/N: I think I watched too much Korean drama hahahaha anyways, remember to comment and upvote! :D