It would have been better if he asked her now. It would have been better if he told her he’s simply concerned for her. It would have been better if he stopped thinking now and start moving. If would have been…

A large shattering sound echoed inside the kitchen and Kai rushed outside to check if Seyoon was all right. She was nowhere in sight until he walked further and found her crouching on the floor, trying to pick up the pieces of the broken plate.

Seyoon stared at it for a moment. She was surprised that the glass slipped from her hands. She knew it was an accident but things couldn’t get out of her mind. Her ‘group date’ with Luhan would be in two days from now. But she felt something was not right. She wanted to let go of hapless thoughts in her mind as she picked the scattered shards on the floor. This was not a bad omen, she thought. 

“Ah,” she cried when a piece stung her finger.

“Are you alright?” Kai asked as he quickly went beside Seyoon and grabbed her bleeding finger. Just then, he saw a long ‘forgotten’ scar on her palm. He regarded at it for a while. How long has it been since the last he held her hand and observed it this long? His contemplation stopped when Seyoon quickly pulled her hand away from him.

“It’s alright,” she stammered in a low husky voice.

“Let me get the first aid kit. Wait for me here,” said Kai as he stood up and went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Kai look at Seyoon from time to time as he carefully removed the glass splinter from her fingertip. Seyoon instinctively removed her hand from the pain she felt but Kai quickly grabbed and held it in place. Kai felt it. There was something different from her hands and Krystal’s. He held Krystal’s hands a lot of times and he always admired it for it was the hands of someone perfectly fit for producing sweet melody on any instruments she played. But there was something odd when he held Seyoon’s hands. It was different. Her hands weren’t as soft as Krystal but whenever he felt her touch, it was tender, a tingling caring sensation traversed on his senses. And it was not the first time that he felt this difference. He had already felt ever since he could remember.

Seyoon stared at him but whenever he moved his head; she would quickly avert her eyes somewhere. But she missed this, this closeness between the two of them. How long has it been since she was this close to him? Since he held her hand like this? Seyoon dismissed recalling that thought because she knew it would just hurt her more. After Kai was finished, she quickly withdrew her hand from him.

“Thank you,” she expressed shyly.

“No problem. I’ll just finish what you were washing. And…don’t touch the broken glass, I’ll be the one to clean that up,” he said to her.

“You don’t have to. I…”

“No. We live her together. I should…I should help sometimes,” he said with the guilt that he was staying in his room all this time while Seyoon prepared their dinner.

“Then, I’ll just prepare the dinner table,” she said as she quickly went to arrange their dinner for the night.

~*~

“I knew it. I knew he was a bad guy,” Chanyeol exclaimed on top of his lungs. Everyone in the classroom looked at him as his deep-tone voiced echoed throughout.

“Shh, I told you to tone your voice down. And what did you say? You knew? If it wasn’t for Sehun or Kai, you wouldn’t suspect a thing. You’re just spreading your happy virus around the vicinity,” Baekhyun said to him.

“So what happened to Tao?” asked Sehun.

“I heard he’s imprisoned right now. Even I never thought that he would do such thing,” said Kyungsoo.

“My Seyoon,” said Chanyeol. But he quickly withdrew that when all eyes stared at him, “I mean my friend, our friend Seyoon, I wonder if she’s okay,” he mumbled.

“Don’t worry. She’s probably resting now. She’s staying at our house. She really wanted to go to school today but my mom stopped her and told her to rest for a while. Besides, she can’t walk properly,” Kai said to them. “Well, I have to go home now. I still have things to do.”

“Wait. Let us come with you. We wanted to visit Seyoon,” said Chanyeol.

“Uhm…Not now. Probably tomorrow since we don’t have class. See you!” Kai quickly left the room before Chanyeol or his friends made another protest.

---

When Kai went home, Seyoon was laughing with his mother in the living room as they leisurely watched an afternoon sitcom. He didn’t know what they were watching but their laughter seemed contagious as a smile formed in his lips.

“Oh Jongin-ah, you’re home,” said her mother as he stood up and kissed him in which Kai protested.

“Stop it…it’s embarrassing,” he said shyly.

“Why? Ahh…I understand. You’re a man now,” her mother gave her a grin. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll prepare our dinner for tonight,” she said as she left.

When Seyoon heard Kai’s mother as she called his son’s name, she found herself wide-eyed in anxiety. She had never seen Kai since last night when she cried on his shoulder and he said to her those heartfelt words. She was still asleep when Kai left earlier for school. She felt another throbbing sensation in her chest. It was worse now since just hearing his name would make her heart beat faster.

“Hi,” Kai greeted her.

“He—he—hello,” she stammered. She didn’t know why even her speech was affected by the feelings she felt. She hoped that Kai wouldn’t notice.

“Are you alright?” Kai asked her concernedly.

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I?” she replied, still with her eyes fixed somewhere.

“Really? Let’s see.” Kai suddenly grabbed Seyoon’s hand, the one wounded, and squeezed it lightly.

“Ah! What was that for?” she, surprised, asked curiously.  

“I thought you already are all right. I guess not,” he said jokingly.

“Of course it would hurt if you squeezed my hand,” she scowled.

“Sorry. But I know how to make you feel better,” he said to her smiling.

Seyoon felt another confusing yet heating feeling going up her body. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s go outside.”

“Huh?” Seyoon frowned at him. “Are you kidding me? Haven’t you seen this?” she said as she pointed at her bandaged ankle.

“Why? I didn’t say we will walk,” he said with a smirk on his face which confused Seyoon. There’s something wrong with him, she thought.

---

“Ah!!!!!!” Seyoon screamed endlessly as she tried to spare her life, clinging tightly into Kai, locking her arms securely in his waist. “What is this?”

“Why? Haven’t you ridden a bike before?”

“I did. But not as fast as this! Make it stop!” she pleaded him.

“What? I can’t hear you. You want me to go on?” he said, teasing Seyoon as if he didn’t hear her. But the truth was, he did and he could feel her fear as she hugged him tightly with her trembling hands.

Finally, after reaching a cul-de-sac, Kai stopped the bike. Seyoon was still clinging to him. “It’s okay. We’re here now.”

Seyoon noticed that they weren’t moving anymore. But she also noticed that she was still hugging Kai tightly which made her cheeks tinted rose. She immediately withdrew from him with her one hand still holding his shoulder for balance.

Kai went down the bike and help Seyoon went down by holding her hand. “Hop on my back,” he said to her.

“What?” she asked confusedly.

“We’re not there yet. We still have to walk. But you can’t walk so I’ll just carry you on my back. Hop on,” he told her.

“Where exactly are we going?” Seyoon asked Kai as they continued walking on a steep hill.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Seyoon looked at the sky. It was already getting dark. But the sun had yet to set. Kai was carrying her for five minutes now and all she did was pray. She was extremely close to him now and she hoped that Kai wouldn’t feel her beating chest on his back. But maybe he won’t because he seemed tired from carrying her on a steep hill towards somewhere she didn’t know.

---

It was wonderful once they got there, Seyoon thought. She’s been living in Seoul for almost a year and she’s never been to this kind of place before. She was sure they were still in the same neighborhood but she never thought there was a place like this near their house. At the end of the hill was a breathtaking view of the city. The sun was already setting, and she felt like she was too close to it, like she could grab the sun with just a reach of hand. It was beautiful.

Kai didn’t let go of her, not until they reached the view deck at the top. He slowly put her down and immediately held Seyoon’s hand for balance.

“I don’t know that this place exists.”

“Yeah, I didn’t tell you. I’m always finding the right time to bring you here. It’s my favorite place,” he told him as he looked at the setting sun.

Seyoon observed him, his facial features, everything about him. She noticed how she liked it when he smiled. Or even when he showed her his plainest expression, she liked it. She observed his facial lines as it was outlined by the sunlight and how his eyes glimmered as the sun reflected on it. He was beautiful, she thought.

“Do you like it?” Kai met her eyes and smiled at her.

She was surprised but quickly nodded and pulled her brightest smile. Maybe her smile could hide the feelings she felt inside. Maybe it won’t be too evident to him. Maybe it was too early for him to know what she felt.

Suddenly he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. But he was surprised when she showed no reaction. “Hmm? Are you okay now? I never thought that bringing you here would instantly heal your wound,” he jokingly said to her.

“Huh? What are you saying?” she blushed. And it was true. It didn’t hurt but maybe because her mind was preoccupied by his presence beside her, by his lenient smile that was getting more and more sincere as the day passed by, by his soft touched in her hand. And he didn’t let go of it.

“This hand saved my life. So I’ll protect it with all my life,” he said but with a hint of pun as he poked it again. But she liked it. And she will take his word for real. And maybe it was real.

She would like to take things slow in the meantime. She wanted to enjoy his company longer. She would just like him…secretly, for now.

~*~

Seyoon and Kai had their dinner for the night. It was too quiet except for the clashing chopsticks and metal bowl and nothing else. Until, Kai broke the silence and asked a question the send anxiety in Seyoon’s body.

“Are you and Luhan…” he held back for a moment, not knowing if he would like to blurt the last word but he did, “dating?” Kai looked at Seyoon who gave him a surprised expression. He must’ve been crossing the borders now, he thought. But, even if he didn’t want it, the question still came out of him all of a sudden. And he couldn’t turn back the time now. “Sorry, it’s just that I saw him a while ago and you two seem close. And there’s a rumor in school so I thought I should ask…”

“We are…"

Oh well, here's the view of the place I imagined Kai and Seyoon went... It's Mt. Ansan in Seoul, of course. ^^

credit to the owner: here. Nice shot by the way ^____^