In another life, maybe I will be happy with who I am.

But in another life, I won't meet you. You and I don't exist as whole. We're broken people, pretending to be okay.

How long will it take before we break completely?

Vernon stopped, almost reaching for the eraser and wipe all the words away like they never existed in the first place, just like dried leaves the colour of autumn being blown by the merciless wind, but ultimately decided against it. Damn it, nobody would ever know anyway.

He would never know.

---

"I want to tell you a story," Seungkwan started in an inquiring and careful tone, his eyes faraway as if speaking from his unconscious thoughts. Vernon cocked his head, nodding hesitantly. The brunette wasn't looking at him, instead seemingly so interested on the texture of the peeling paint on the wall.

"I used to have a pair of neighbours. Really friendly and nice people. They always cooked a lot just so they can give the leftovers to us. I remember how they ask me about my day in a daily basis, giving me advices and words of motivations because they know what I'm going through. They were almost considered a family for me. But despite this, my parents hated them," the story started off quite peculiarly, but Vernon didn't expect any less.

"Do you want to know why?" It was a rhetorical question, thus Vernon stayed silent and waited patiently for the whole story to unfold. Seungkwan then chuckled bitterly, his gaze falling to his hands, still attached with needles and IV drip.

"Because they're gay. That's it."

Vernon was befuddled. So Seungkwan's old parents were homophobic. Was this all this is about? Because it definitely sounded like Seungkwan was coming out to him without outright saying it.

"So they kicked you out because you're not straight or something?" Vernon asked curiously, wanting to actually solve the mystery now.

Seungkwan had kept his past life under locks and keys, Vernon would be lying if he said he wasn't curious but just as he said when Seungkwan first moved in, their privacy were to each their own. It seemed so faraway, words without any actual meaning because they were still strangers at that time.

"No," Seungkwan shook his head, looking dejected and so, so small that it managed to capture a sliver of symphaty from the honey haired boy sitting at the chair next to him.

Vernon's curiosity was at full peak, but somehow he had a bad feeling of whatever the brunette was going to say.

"Listen, you don't have to say anything if you're not ready-" Seungkwan seemed to not hear him as the brunette cut him off bluntly.

"They kicked me out because I'm gay and could die at any given moment. I'm not worth their time."

The words were so easily delivered, as if mere meaningless words that Vernon had a hard time convincing himself that yes, he's indeed hearing the right thing. The sinking feeling came fast, just like taking a ride on an extreme roll