After what happened earlier, Kai was blown into disarray and nothing seemed to be back to its original state, mentally and emotionally. Like there was some kind of turmoil building inside his head – a battle that he couldn’t figure a way out.

It was all because of one person.

And then, there she was, brushing his shoulders as she ran past by him. Or maybe she just didn’t notice him.

“Oh, sorry,” Seyoon turned around and bowed at him. But she acted differently, Kai noticed, because she didn’t look straight into his eyes. “By the way, have you seen Kris?”

Kai never felt more insecure as he was now when she asked that question.

Kris, Kris, Kris. Does it always have to be him?

“I saw him—”

“Princess!”

Kai turned around to see Kris waving at Seyoon. He smiled. She smiled. And Kai wished he didn’t see that exchange of rainbows and glances.

“I was looking for you,” she said to him.

They were talking casually as if Kai wasn’t standing there. What was he even doing there when his presence seemed not important to the two of them at all? How he wished he was invisible right now or at least, teleport somewhere far.

“I just went to the restroom,” Kris approached them, rolling his eyes when he saw Kai.

“Ah…we’re going to the cafeteria now. Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

“See you,” Seyoon gave Kai a half smile before holding to Kris’ arm and dragged him with her.

The two passed by him without Seyoon asking him if he would join them for lunch. Like she didn’t expect him to be there anymore. Kai wouldn’t blame her. He rarely joined them. In fact, it seemed like he was not part of their group anymore - just an occasional friend, to be exact.

He watched as the two left with Seyoon holding tightly to Kris’ hand.

Because she’s my first girlfriend. Kris’ words repeated inside Kai’s head again.

If it wasn’t for her, there was really no reason for him to feel intimidated of Kris’ presence – the way he talked to her, smiled at her, treated her, and kissed her.

But it was Seyoon. All because that person was Seyoon

Feelings piled up in mount of complication – anger, fear, insecurity and a sense of possessiveness that he shouldn’t have but still felt like he didn’t want to let her go away. And this only summed up to one and Kai was not too idiot not to know what it was.

Jealousy.

---

"You can stop dragging me,” said Kris as they reached the hallway.

“I am not—Am I?”

Kris lifted their joined hands and Seyoon’s grip really seemed tighter.

“Yes you do. See. And you held my hand so tight. I think you’ll leave marks here.”

“Sorry,” she said as she massaged Kris’ hand. “I’m just hungry you know.”

“Hungry? Or is it because of Kai?”

“What does Kai have to do about it again?” Seyoon complained.

Seriously, Kris had been inserting Kai’s name every time like Kris was implying that everything that Seyoon thought of was Kai. Obviously not, that was what she thought.

But she didn’t notice that her actions spoke louder than words and Kris were keen to every detail she was showing. Body language was everything that Kris’ needed to read and unfortunately both Kai and Seyoon were weak in hiding what they felt. They might not say anything but they definitely show something.

“What is it? Let’s see,” Kris, tapping his chin as if thinking deeply, stepped forward to Seyoon, the latter backing up until she reached the wall behind her. His hands pinned on the wall behind her, trapping her in between.

“Yah, what are you doing? We’re in the hallway. They might misunderstand.”

“Let them misunderstood. All I want is to understand what’s inside that head of yours.”

Kris drew his head closer. Seyoon looked at him, not in fear, but with wrinkled eyebrows in confusion and pouted lips.

“What do you want?” she asked irritably.

“Fourteen times…”

“Fourteen times?”

“There were exactly fourteen times that you turned your head towards the stage to gaze at someone.”

Seyoon’s eyes grew wider.

“Coincidentally, the number of times that Jongin and that girlfriend of his had to repeat the kissing scene was also fourteen times.”

Seyoon’s mouth opened to protest but no words escaped from it.

“And fourteen times that you have to turn your head away to avoid seeing the kiss. What could’ve been the reason, Seyoon?”

There it was. He called her again by her first name. It only meant one thing. Kris was serious and if he was, it also meant that he demanded an answer, the true answer.

It was Kai – the person she was most concerned of after Kris kissed her, the person she didn’t know if she could still look straight into his eyes, the person who, after Kris kissed her, looked at her with eyes full of shock and anger as if he was judging her with cuts running deeper to her soul.

The person she bumped into earlier, the person she wanted to avoid at all cost but also the same person she failed to erase her feelings for. Obviously…

“It’s because of…”

“What are you doing to Seyoon?” said someone whose deep baritone voice surprised Kris. Not that he didn’t know who that person was but because he didn’t expect him to be there. He turned around to see a pair of glaring eyes. Nonetheless, the boy still looked cute rather than threatening.

“It’s okay. We’re just talking,” said Seyoon as she put Kris' hands down from trapping her and hook an arm on Chanyeol’s. “Let’s go. I wonder what's good to order in the cafeteria today?”

Kris watched as the two walked ahead of him.

“Are you sure he’s not doing anything?”

“I’m sure. Everything’s okay.”

Somehow their relationship reminded him of his and Seyoon’s relationship. Close enough like siblings but he knew that Chanyeol saw Seyoon more than that. If there was anyone as interesting to watch as the tan skinned boy, in Kris’ opinion, it would be this elfish giraffe in front of him. But unlike Kai, Chanyeol was the total opposite. The way he show his affection was way too obvious. Kris wondered if Seyoon had noticed how much the tall boy likes her especially as evident as this.

---

“How is it?”

“Huh?”

“You’re spacing out again. The director already accepted the kiss. There’s nothing you should worry about.”

Kai looked at Krystal in the eyes. The two were sitting together in front of the piano in the music room.

“I’m sorry if it took fourteen times before I got it.”

Krystal smiled and swayed her head. “No. You don’t have to apologize. It’s okay. What’s important is that it’s over. All we have to think of is the final presentation.”

Kai tried to pull a smile and nodded. “You’re right. By the way, can you play the piece again?”

“Ey. That’s why I told you to listen,” Krystal pouted.

“Sorry. I will.”

Kai noticed how this particular piece sounded different from the rest of the musical pieces that Krystal had played for him before. It was enticing. There was something about it that was nostalgic in some way. There was no doubt that Krystal was perfecting her craft as a pianist.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Really?”

Kai nodded. “I wonder if you can make a song out of it.”

“A song?”

“Yes, something like putting words…”

“But it’s hard to write lyrics for it.”

“Hm…I know what to do,” Kai claimed. Krystal eyes him surprisingly.

“You’ll write for me?”

“No. But I’ll let you remember something.”

“What is it?”

“I may not give it to you right now but when I find it, I will,” Kai smiled.

“Oh, alright. I’ll wait for it then.”

It might have been hard for Kai to reassure what he was feeling but he wasn’t devastated enough to forget important things in his life. It might have been difficult for him lately to face his relationship with Krystal but he would never forget this one special thing for them. A few days from now would be their second year anniversary. And maybe it was time for him to rethink things over and to focus on it more than any other things.

At least, that was what he tried to do to avoid thinking of other things…

Of Seyoon.

---

“Hey kid?” Kris called Chanyeol.

Everyone was already home because tomorrow would be the final rehearsal for the play so Kris asked them to take a beauty rest. The student council was busy having their final preparation for the festival. Seyoon and Chanyeol were left at the theater to practice but Seyoon had to excuse herself for a while because Sehun needed her help. And all that was left inside the theater were the two towering guys.

“Me?”

“Yes you, the tall guy but still shorter than me,” Kris smirked as he approached Chanyeol.

“What do you want?” Chanyeol asked uninterestedly.

“Still practicing for the festival? You never lose energy, do you? Or is it because you’re practicing with Seyoon?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Kris sat beside Chanyeol on the piano seat. “None of my business?” Kris rested an arm on Chanyeol’s shoulder which the latter rolled his eyes in shock. Chanyeol could feel Kris’ hot breath on his right ear. “But everything about Seyoon is my business.”

Chanyeol tried to move his head to the left but Kris’ arm holding him was still stronger as the taller guy pulled him closer.

“Tell me, boy with elfish ears,” Kris’ fingers traveled on Chanyeol’s ear which cause shiver down the younger’s spine. “How long have you had likings for my princess?”

Chanyeol straightened his body while his hands felt the ivory keys of the piano. “Since the day that I met her,” he said with straight face.

Kris’ mouth gaped for a second before he let out a light chuckle.

“What’s funny? It’s not like I’m not telling the truth.”

“Haha. I know you’re telling the truth. It’s just that I never thought you’ll be honest to me. Very straightforward in fact.” Kris let go of Chanyeol and started hitting the black keys.

“Well, there’s no point in hiding it. Seyoon knows about it anyway.”

Kris stopped playing the keys for a while, thinking that maybe he hit the keys in a way that it created some words of illusion that traveled to his ears. He looked at Chanyeol again. “What did you say?”

“What did I say?”

“The last thing you said, what is it?”

Chanyeol saw Kris’ eyebrows furrowed. It was not anger but something like irritation.

“I said that Seyoon knows about it.”

“About you…liking her?” Kris eyelashes fluttered in surprise.

Chanyeol nodded.

"How?" Chanyeol noticed the confusion in Kris' face. The first time he saw the older looked at him like that.

“I said it to her. Why? There’s nothing wrong liking her, is there?”