❝chapter two
_______________________________________________________________________________
                                   Lay's POV

From the moment she woke up from the coma, it took another three days before Krystal could finally be discharged of the hospital. Throughout those three days, she had been agonizingly silent, different from the outgoing and loud buddy I was used to. Her eyes were most of the time gazed at the window, almost drowning in deep sentiments. Very few took visit of her, provoking the loneliness in her eyes. Aside from her Aunt Inna, myself, a handfew of colleagues and relatives, nobody took initiative of seeing her condition.

None of them could have mattered anyway, even myself. Krystal need not speak of it. All she needed was her family. Sadly, it was impossible to grant such plea.

Every night, she would wake up at the middle of a tight sleep, panting and sweating nonstop. Nightmares haunted her endlessly, preventing such weak soul to get relief nor peace. Krystal, contrary to being at loss, never wept nor let out a single drop of tear. She never cried, yet deep inside, was in deep painful mourning. She never vented her grievances out, and it was exactly how I worried even more.

I could not help but wonder what nightmare she had. Were her memories clear? Was it exaggerated? I could not tell, nor had the courage to ask. I thought it would be better not to. I doubt if she would elaborate anyway.

That tragedy was misplaced - happened at the wrong time, place and to exactly the wrong people. The Jungs have always been the nicest and warmest people I have ever met. They treated me like family and even took me in at many instances when I ran away from home. I was not lucky to have such emotionally-attached family, unlike Krystal. Mine was too busy for earthy possessions to even bother for my welfare. The Jungs never thought of me as such mindless being though. I felt in them the family I never had - a family which seemed to be a loss to me as well.

I could vividly remember how Sooyeon-unnie ran to me, telling me to find her sister and keep her safe. I could still clearly hear Mr. Jung's loud commands for everyone's safety without regarding his own, and Mrs. Jung's faint cry for helpless prayer. I could still recall how terrible the storm was and how much struggle I was caught in just to grab Krystal away from the danger of enormous waves. I could still remember the feeling of floating on that single safety vessel, not knowing where it was heading to. I wanted to forget everything and bury them under some memoir of a nightmare. If only I could, not for myself, but for Krystal. I couldn't, and it sadenned me.

"Krystal." I finally spoke, facing her back as she sat by her bed, facing the window yet unready to face the outside world. "Time to go."

She nodded, then finally turned to face me. "It's today, right?" She weakly asked. "Aunt Inna told me it's today. Hmm?"

I immediately knew what she was meaning to say. Her family's funeral, that is. Truth was, she was supposedly still not permitted to be discharged. Aunt Inna just signed a waver to the doctor. Krystal needed closure; she needed to bid her farewell. It clenched a pain in me to see her fearful of facing her family for the first time after the tragedy - and the last time for her life.

I nodded as I reached out for her bag and gripped it tight. "It's today."

She nodded as well, expressionless and blank. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course." I said, taking a seat next to her. "Anything, Krystal. Anything."

She opened her palm and extended it to me. "I'm afraid. Aside from my best friend, I don't think I can face anybody else." Her voice shook. "Can you promise me to be beside me all throughout today?"

I grabbed her hand and enclosed it with mine. "Of course. Not just today. You have me unlimited, okay?" I flashed a weak smile. Somehow, it pained me to hear it from her. Trusting me too much felt painful. I have demons encrypted on my very filthy name, and I was in grave fear that someday, she might find out about it.

Throughout the funeral, from the mass to the burial, Krystal never spoke of a word nor shed a tear. I have never let go of her hand as she squeezed it tight everytime something challenged her remaining strength. I would rather see her mourning through sobs than through silence though.

"Condolences." Every breathing lung spoke of these as they passed by Krystal. From time to time, Krystal would let out a weak nod, yet at majority of instances, she did not respond.

When it was time to finally bid her last farewell, everybody fixed their eyes on her. She went on each of her departed loved ones and spoke of them in a message nobody but herself have heard.

All eyes stared at her as she took each step. All minds were in wonder how she never let a tear fall.

After a few more rituals, people eventually left and took everything into flight. Aunt Inna and my parents were the last to leave.

I saw my parents whisper inaudible conversations, and it annoyed me. They should at least show some respect and scram if they had nothing else to do but elicit annoyance.

"You can leave first." I told them. "I'll be staying with Krystal until..." I paused to take a breath. "I don't know. You're used to not have me at home, anyway, so yeah, I won't go home tonight. You can go ahead."

"Tell Krystal of our condolences, son." My mother patted my arm. "She could stay at home if she wants to."

"I believe she'd rather keep her silence than stay under one roof with..." I looked at my father's eyes intently, as if in deep scrutiny. "...with business-centered people like you."

My father was obviously annoyed, but I turned my back before he went on his nonsensical speech again.

"You're tired, dear." Aunt Inna caressed Krystal's back. "Let's go home, shall we?"

"Home?" Krystal uttered before she shook her head and hang it low.

"Oh, dear." Aunt Inna hugged her. "I know it's hard and painful, but I'm here." The older woman began sobbing again. "Lay and I are here, and a lot more people who love you. We'll face everything together, okay?" I was glad her aunt came back from San Francisco to accompany Krystal on such a hard time. Without her, Krystal could have felt worse.

At a far end, beside a black sedan car was a recognizable persona - one I have been searching for to be present, yet did not appear for a trace until such time. He was in black suit, obviously in acordance to the funeral. In his hand was a single white rose. It was Kris, a person Krystal and I once considered as a lifelong companion in eveyrthing.

Without disturbing Krystal and Aunt Inna, I headed to him.

"Hey." I greeted. "Krystal's there, and I can see you want to give condolences, but I don't think she wants to see you right now."

"She doesn't want to see me?" Kris smirked. "Or you don't want her too see me because I might tell her your mysteries I have mended to solve?"

"This is not the right time for such issues, Kris." I told him, almost desperate for him to leave distanced with Krystal.

"As far as I could remember, I have the same right with her, just like you do." He snapped. "Or maybe I even have more rights."

"Kris, you don't..."

"Look, Zhang Yixing." He impatiently cut me off. "Didn't you ever think that maybe, Krystal needs me with her right now?"

His words stabbed an invisible dagger right into my pride. I was stabbed in bullseye, because I know... He may be right. Afterall, perhaps Krystal needed more than just a mere best friend... she needed more than me.

_______________________________________________________________________________

✉(A/N).

Hello there! How was the second chapter?
Comment your thoughts, okay?
Kris' POV shall be next!
Please subscribe, comment and upvote :3
               -xoxoyixing
 

( layout credit: h a r l e q u i n. )