Kai felt like a wreck.

When was the last time he'd smiled?

He sighed, kneeling on the wet morning grass.

With his eyes closed, he just let his mind rest.

Not thinking, not wondering, just...being.

When he finally opened his eyes, he noticed another kneeling figure beside him.

Jae?

The other boy gave him a sideways glance, then closed his eyes again.

Kai cocked his head.

Okay....

"Who were you to Soo Jin, exactly?" He heard himself asking.

Jae breathed in.

"Who are you to be asking that?" He said, bitterly.

Kai was a little bit taken aback by his answer and scoffed, opening his eyes.

"I'm the guy who was enjoying a perfectly good, peaceful morning until some conceited country bumpkin came and ruined it with his presence."

With lighting quick reflexes, Jae leapt to his feet. Kai unfolded himself calmly and rose also.

"Who are you calling a country bumpkin?!"

Kai smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "There's only one of us here,"

"Why, you-" Jae growled.

"I asked you a question."

Jae's face flashed in confusion, then recollection, then back to a scowl. Suddenly, he yanked Kai's collar up to his chin and pressed him against the wall of the house.

"Kim Jongin. You have no place to ask me questions like that. You weren't there for her when she needed you; I was. You made her cry more times than I can count- and it wasn't because you didn't come; it was because she was your number one fan and saw the pain you were going through when everyone hated on you for your dark skin and how you were the main focus from the start. But you know what I think, Kai?"

He paused, his grip on Kai's collar tightening, even though the tears were threatening to fall.

"I think all that popularity really got to your head, and I think that's why you couldn't bring yourself to see her in the hospital." He hissed.

Kai let an agaonizing scream pierce the otherwise quiet air and socked Jae soundly in the jaw.

"You know nothing!" He yelled.

Jae keeled over on the ground, clutching at his face in pain.

"You know nothing of the hours on endless hours I trained and danced and sang! You know nothing of what I've gone through- it wasn't my choice, okay? You know nothing of being a block away from your best friend and the only girl you ever loved and not being able to see her because if they knew, they'd hurt her! YOU KNOW NOTHING!" He panted, punching the ground, hard. 

"Don't pretend like you do," He whispered, brokenly, then ran off towards the lake.

~*~

Sia stood in the doorway of the house, mouth open wide in shock and fear.

"Sia," Jae gasped, from the ground.

She turned her tearfull eyes to him, then bit her lip in dissapointment.

"You're too quick to judge," She muttered, in disbelief.

The sorrow in her eyes was almost too much for Jae to take as she turned and walked back into the house.

The one girl who had staid by his side all this time...

The one girl who he thought would never leave...

The one girl who he had perhaps taken for granted...

Turned around, and left him.