And so Tao is a man of stories. I resented him so much, I didn't even know if I should have been happy or sad if he died. But I don't care anyway. He deserves it. Tao's words about his father are harsh and Kris wondered if he would be happy if his own son said things like that about him. But it's true that the doctor acted without hesitation. He should have at least listened to what the family member had to say first before reviving the patient of his own will.

It's a fresh new day at Kris' café and Kris hopes that Tao will come again with his iPad and read a fragment of his current book to him. Though Kris didn't take Tao seriously when the latter predicted that what happened to his father would happen to himself in the future, an aching feeling lay in the deepest corners of Kris' heart. What if Tao is right? But Tao didn't seem like one of those who was afraid of death. Thinking about fear, all sorts of memories hit Kris. He wasn't the one who was scared, rather the one, whoever, was with him was always scared. You say you're afraid of heights, but you're actually afraid of falling. You say  you're scared of the dark. But you're actually scared of what is in the dark. Isn't that all true? That fear is often mistaken for something else, rather that it's true meaning?

Kai pinches Kris out of his reverie and points to the table by the window. Tao is seated there, reading glasses on and eyes swiftly following the words behind the screen of his iPad. Kris prepares a bagel and a cup of coffee and heads to Tao's table.

"Tell me more," Kris says, sliding the breakfast to Tao and taking a seat on the opposite side.

"He died in the end," Tao replies, taking a bite off the bagel. "Cardiac arrest one night... turned out the coronary artery was blocked. I told them there was no need for surgery because he didn't want to be resuscitated anyway. Pulled the plugs the next day. And he was also brain dead. What's the use of paying for life support if the machine is just supporting his shell? It's like the same as a caterpillar wearing back all the skin it shed off as it was growing. So... I guess, that's it. The end."

"Noo... that's not the end right?" Kris grips onto the table cloth with his nails.

"He really died. See?" Tao pulls a locket hidden underneath his shirt. "Died 8 December 2013. Or do you mean... the end is always only the beginning or... what?"

"Ahhh, screw that. Do you have another story?" Kris asks.

"I do. I have many. But don't ever screw anything ever again," Tao meets Kris' confused gaze.

"What do you mean... don't screw anything ever again?"

"I said to my father once. Once. I just wanted to know what it meant. But all I got was a tight slap. The sound of it was so crisp and the bruise remained for two months. As an adult now, I do know what it means. But I've learnt my lesson well. Never cuss for the rest of my life," Tao explains.

"So you don't want me to cuss when I'm with you? Okay," Kris shrugs, earning a smile and a thumbs up from Tao.

"Do you want to hear a story now?"

"Yes, please."

There was once a boy who lived in Qingdao, China, with his mother. He didn't know who and where his father was but he was content with the way of life with his mom now so what's there to know? His mother was a skilled weaver and she weaved fine clothes for a living. But weaving took time and patience and the more time she spent weaving, the more sickly she got. She started to cough but her son thought it was normal, since she was quite old already. But it was obvious over time, that she had tuberculosis. She stayed up longer each day, weaving non stop. Until one day, when she was at the trade center, did her son find out a lead to her endless coughing. He found a cupboard. A cupboard full of her clothes. They were all stained with blood. He brought her to the village doctor but he was too under qualified to prescribe any medicine or even diagnose her illness. So they left her be. One day on her death bed, she called for her son and held his hand. "Er-zi ah, promise me you'll remember this for the rest of your life. If you love something, let it go. Let it slip through your hands like ash, like it's nothing but water. And then watch closely. If it returns, then it is yours to keep. But if it doesn't, then it was never yours to keep. I loved him so much, your father. The reason he is not here today is because I let him go. This it can be anyone or anything so treasure what you have and leave what you have to. Just like how you have to leave me. Even if you came from me." Her voice fades away and her gaze locks onto something else in the room. Her chest rises for the last time and she was gone, like a candle snuffed out by darkness.

"You wanna know something?" Tao asks, to which Kris nods. "That boy in the story, that's me. I still remember her words now and I don't think I'll ever forget."

Kris takes Tao's hands in his. "I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you. I was blessed with parents who would be with me until I became an adult but I never really appreciated them. Never really understood the meaning of the term parental love, I guess. My condolences to your loss."

"Don't be sorry. Death given by the motherland is something you have to be ready for. The date for it cannot be changed and has been established on the day you were born. I have to go now. See you tomorrow morning," Tao places his plate at the counter and exits the café.

[Present]

"Don't cuss when I'm near you...," Kris mumbles. "Ha. You know something? this, all of it. all the time I spent with you. that decision that I made to go talk to you. This life is so messed up."

A nurse runs out of the operating theater and after her, Tao's bed follows. Another nurse follows by, holding the oxygen pump, pressing it every few seconds. The air enters through a pipe taped to Tao's mouth. A few minutes later, the main surgeon exits the theater. He takes out his mask and lets it hang from his neck.

"He's fine. Just... have a little faith. He should wake up soon, once the anesthesia has worn off," the surgeon says.

Kris bows. "Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Oh. I'm sure Tao will be thankful as well."

"Ah," the surgeon smiles. "But you must thank her as well. She is the new head anesthesiologist and she has done a great job preparing him for the surgery," the surgeon continues. The new anesthesiologist stands beside him. Once Kris straightens himself, it is something closely related to all hell breaks loose.

"Bom? You're the..."

"Yifan, what on earth are you doing here?" She asks, a frown knitted onto her face.

"Didn't you see? They just wheeled him away five minutes ago. That's what I'm here for," Kris says.

Bom grabs his wrist in her trademark pincer grip and drags him in the direction of the cafeteria. "We need to talk."

Kris pulls his wrist away and massages the area where she held him. "No we don't. Our conversation ends here." He stalks off, back in the direction they came from, trying to find the Intensive Care Unit.

"Wu Yifan! Tell me, what business do you have with Huang Zitao?" Bom asks.

Kris turns around after some hesitation. "That business doesn't concern you. All you need to know is, he's my fiancé. Lay a finger on him and I'll kill you."

"Oh..." Bom pouts. "Is that how you treat an ex who is only merely trying to attain peace?" She caresses his cheek with her hand but Kris slaps it away.

"Yes. Isn't that why we broke up? And stop bothering me. Go find someone your age," Kris turns away.

Aish. Did he really have to bump into that here? And did her dirty hands have to touch Tao's petite and beautiful body? Aish, aish, aish... Kris slaps his forehead a few times.

Once in Tao's room, Kris takes a tissue. He wets it a little and starts to clean Tao's body.

"What are you doing?" One of the nurses ask.

"I'm cleaning him," Kris replies hastily.

"Stop it. You can't do that. Step away from the patient this instant before I call for security to you out of this hospital personally," the nurse threatens.

Kris reluctantly backs away. And Tao opens his eyes at the moment as well. He blinks and turns to the side. Kris turns back to look at the nurse who just threatened him.

"What are you standing there for? Take off the tape! Since I cannot touch him, why don't you do it instead?" Kris commands the nurse and lifts a middle finger behind her back.

She slowly pulls off the tape and takes out the mask. Then she adjusts a new tube which runs under Tao's nose, providing oxygen and taking up the job of the mask earlier. Tao feebly holds Kris' hand with his skeleton like one.

"You're warm," Tao says softly with a smile. Kris drags a chair by the side of Tao's bed.

"Are you okay?" Kris asks, caressing Tao's cheek. He brushes some of Tao's fringe away from his eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. My chest doesn't hurt now. Tell Doctor Oh that I am very thankful that he operated on me," Tao says. He presses a button on the bed so that he can easily sit up.

"Here, drink some water," Kris holds a glass at Tao's mouth and the latter drinks slowly, with Kris tipping the glass every now and then.

"I met Bom today," Kris says just so suddenly and out of the blue. Although Kris and Bom's relationship doesn't concern Tao, the younger male is still interested to know what happened during their "meet up". Because he knows the pain Kris endured for three years in a forced one sided relationship. Their parents were such annoying brats then. And he knows how much of a cold hearted Bom is.

"Once you recover, we need to get out of here straight away," Kris face only shows annoyance and disgust. "That Bom, she works here as an anesthesiologist. I told her that if she ever dares to lay a finger on you, I will kill her. And that dumb elephant even dares to ask me if that is how I treat an ex. Of course! If not, then how do I treat her? We broke up for a reason. She's not a goddess and she really needs to keep her damned head out of the clouds."

Tao chuckles, seeing Kris rant about his unfortunate bump into Bom. "You're so funny." Kris pinches the tip of his nose with a smile.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep," Tao presses the button and the bed goes out of its upright position.

"Yes, you should rest." Kris smiles, and pulls the blanket up over Tao's body. He places a light kiss on the latter's forehead. "Rest well."

A/N: hehe nooooo I don't hate Bommie, she's like my bias in 2NE1. But that's how the story's gonna go I guess. Hahaha hope you like it. Remember to upvote and comment if you want karma points!  <3