After a few minutes of talking (more like whining and complaining) to her mom, Minji ended the call. She sighed as she recklessly dropped down onto the couch, receiving some ing from Kris. (Something about being careful because they just got new furniture.) You laughed at the scene, Kris and Minji down at each others' throats because of a trivial matter. Soon, the two burning flames subdued, out of fuel to keep fighting. You sat beside Minji, “Hey it's alright, how bad can your cousin be? It's not like he or she is a psycho planning revenge, right?" 

Minji had an unreadable face," Well he kind of is..." You stopped patting her shoulder and stared at her. *She's joking with me right? She has to be!* 

"A-are you serious?" You asked, afraid to know the truth. Minji simply nodded her head and sighed.

"He wasn't always like that, you know? He was actually a really considerate, sweet guy. Not until 'she' came...." 

You waited for Minji to continue.

“This was years ago…He-he was really hurt, he thought he had done everything to appease this girl, he truly loved her unconditionally. I don’t know a lot about the girl…

Before he was crest-fallen, he used to compose songs and rap, really good at it too. I remember him telling me a story about how he wrote his girlfriend a song and performed it to her on their anniversary.”

You listened intently; you felt a pang of guilt in your heart. You weren’t sure why…

“Their whole relationship was a secret, but soon the girl’s parent’s found out. At first, the parents were okay with it, but then they worried about the future of their business. If they let her marry my cousin, who doesn’t make a lot, how will their business flourish? This was the thought inside the girl’s parents’ mind. A week later, the girl and her family moved away. Not one word was exchanged. The worst part is, the girl never even said she loved him once.

My cousin couldn’t handle it, it sounds ridiculous but he was really heartbroken, and he felt like he was being taken for granted. He felt like he lost everything, he fell into a deep abyss of despair; ever since, he just saw the world differently….. I heard he was getting better after going to therapy, but what really helped him is composing his songs.”

Your eyes started to become cloudy with tears trying to escape into the world; you couldn’t control your feelings at this moment. You felt confused, guilty, and regretful, the distinct feelings overwhelming you.

“What happened?” Kris asked, he had been so quiet that no one seemed to notice him. You tried answering but all you got out was a choked yes. Minji carefully hugged you, being your friend. Kris was unsure what to do; he had never really dealt with crying people except with the crying fans (he would tease them, making them cry more). *I’ll just leave, Minji seems like she can handle it.*

Kris stood up, thinking about checking on Tao but his legs started moving before his command. The next second, Kris found himself sitting adjacent to your curled up frame.

He gingerly enveloped you, carefully your head.

It seemed only right to Kris for him to console you. You felt Kris’s steady heartbeat and evenly paced breathing, it helped you calm down. Your mind turned into a clear transparent glass, unlike the one blotted with doubts and thoughts from before. You felt no kind of emotion, just an empty happiness. It was like you were inside a protective fort.

Minji was just by the sidelines, admiring how Kris cared for you, well at least for now. Once Kris had let go and moved on, you felt that sense of empty happiness fly away, feeling like a helpless prey. You tightly hugged the couch cushions, trying to escape the reappearing negativity.

Kris had gone to the bathroom, feeling strange. Kris breathed out, *Calm down!* He looked into the mirror,* You’re not going crazy, you’re still intact. You’re devilishly handsome, smart, and girls are willing to die for you. Focus!* He exited the bathroom and walked into the shared room. It wasn’t a mess as it usually was, probably because Xiumin organized it when he came to visit the dorm. On the floor sits a lanky boy, diligently folding clothes and neatly placing them inside a duffel bag.

“Tao, I need your help. I think I’m in love."

I AM SO TERRIBLY SORRY!! I know it really but I just forced myself to write it even though I had writer’s block. There’s a lot of commotion goin’ on in my life. There was no power for 9 days and there were severe damages from the hurricane. School is really stressing and sometimes I just want to die T~T  Please forgive me!