"Kris!"

Kris turned around to see Luhan, his best friend, running up to him

"Luhan! What's up?" he asked happily.

"You know the art show that the school is hosting?" Luhan asked, panting.

"Yeah?"

"Well," he breathed. "Tao, Huang Zitao, entered it, and man, can he draw! Let's go see! But I got to warn you! It's kinda depressing. . ."

"Sure," Kris smiled, and followed Luhan down the hallways to the art department.

"Look." Luhan pointed to a crowd of people huddled around a painting. "It's really popular."

Kris & Luhan walked over, and tried to get a glimpse.

"So sad. . ." whispered one of the viewers. "Such emotional power," commented another.

Kris heard everything about it and so desperately wanted to see it.

Finally, the crowd moved on, and Kris got to see it.

Then, he wished he could unsee it.

It was a black-and-white painting. In the center was a small boy. Everywhere on the canvas around it, there was a gray fire, with disturbing images. A woman and a man crying out in dispair, half in mist. A girl with footsteps that left ice, going to a different boy. A skull being struck by a baseball bat. It was so masterfully done, all almost flame-like, blending in with the fiery background.

"It's good, isn't it?" asked Luhan quietly.

"Yes," Kris said.

"Thanks," replied a voice.

They turned around, and saw Tao behind them.

"Tao," Kris said.

Tao looked shocked, and immediately ran away.

"Kris, why do you look so. . . amazed? Was the painting really that good?" Luhan asked afterward, when they left the art hall.

"No. That's not it," Kris replied. "It's just. . ."

"Just what?" asked Luhan.

"Go Eun told me that. . .

Tao hasn't talked in years, and yet he said "thanks" to me."