He didn’t leave me alone that night.

I knew mom was okay already, but I was still scared, and he understood me.

We could just go home. He could go to his, I to mine, or we could both sleep at mine.

But he thought it wouldn’t be appropriate and told me my mom might be bothered by it in case she learned.

They arranged us a guest room at the hospital, a room with two single beds.

I guess we were just too innocent to think of any other arrangement.

It was reasonably hard to leave that bank, especially for me since I was clutched to his t-shirt with all my power.

We went to the hospital room, not uttering a single word during the process. I was never good with words; I always expected my actions to speak instead of me. And he was the opposite of me. Opposites. He could always tell what he meant so effortlessly, a feature of him I always envied.

He closed the door behind us, and I tucked myself in the bed. The room smelled like detergent; it felt ridiculously clean which I thought was ironic. I watched him as he got in his bed, pulled the layers on him. The only source of light was the window as he switched off the light on his nightstand.  He turned to me, just like how I was turned to his side.I couldn’t see his eyes, so I thought they were closed. I started watching his figure under the dim light. I had this huge urge to touch him, hug him if possible. The more I looked at him, the more I realized how much I missed him.

“I love you.” His delicate voice from before ringed in my head. It soon became my lullaby.

“I love you.” “I love you.” “I love you.”

I smiled to myself, forgetting my mom’s situation for a moment.

stopped my college entrance exam that was dangerously near. 

Overlooking my dad.

Just embracing what life had for me.

Kai.

“What are you thinking?” I heard Kai quietly say.

“You.” Slipped out of my mouth bluntly before I could even consider what he asked.

He chuckled.

A comfortable silence filled the room after that, which made me think he was asleep.

“Lia?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you talk?” I was startled by his question.

“What?”

“I want to go to sleep hearing your voice; can you do that for me?”  He asked sweetly; he was unbelievably cute, and I wanted to run and jump on top of him that moment.

“W-what do you want me to say?.”  I said rigidly while feeling my face heat up.

“Tell me a memory from our summer in Japan, your favorite one.” His voice was noticeably tired and sleepy.

“I guess my favorite is the day you took me to your uncles’ house for dinner.”

He lightly laughed, “Oh yes I remember that.”

 “You know, I love that man,”  I said teasing him.

He groaned into his pillow “He totally embarrassed me that day.”

“Why do you think it’s my favorite?” I said, a smirk taking its place on my face.

“But seriously, it was my first time meeting people related to you.” I realized that he opened up to me more than he needed to that moment and decided to get rid of the filter of my mouth and tell him what I think straightforwardly. “ It made me feel special, like your girlfriend.” I cleared my throat, sensing his attention to be fully on what I was saying.

“You know you are more than..”  he interrupted.

“Shh. I know, you requested me to talk, don’t cut it.”

“Okay.” He said I could make out his smile through