❝chapter five
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                                   Lay's POV

I did not know why I did such thing, but I found myself dragging my feet to a tormenting torture. All I wanted is to ensure her safety, just like what I have always done, but it was different at that moment. I was trying to protect her from the man I once considered as a friend, somebody who have held a special spot in Krystal's heart.

From afar, I watched them being enveloped with silence, one that I myself could not bear for such a long time. Knowing both of them for such a long time, however, I knew they were not bothered of such absence of any word. Krystal once told me about what she called the Kris' effect.

"I always feel comforted whenever he's beside me, even though he seldom speaks a word." Krystal's exact words echoed in my mind.

Krystal stood up from her, and I readied myself to back her up. To my surprise, however, Kris held her into an embrace. The next thing I knew, she was crying. She was pouring her heart out to him.

I felt terrible. I felt disregarded. I have always been by her side, yet never did she look at me like she did to Kris. She never cried her heart out, like how she trusted Kris with her tears. There was no point in denying to myself that I was envious.

With fast strides, I jolted out of such sight before me. Seeing them in that embrace triggered my insecurity. It made me feel like I was the odd one out - the third persona who was only seen as replacement when one left the other. I felt out of place.

Kris left without any word to me. He did not even accompany Krystal back to the mansion. Perhaps it was better that way. I did not desire to see another scene I despised to catch sight of anyway.

I was seated on the living room, pretending to watch some television news. My mind, however, was glued to a lot of things - the tragedy, the mystery behind it, the vague echoes that haunted me the past nights, Krystal's pains and my dilemmas.

As soon as she entered the mansion and saw me, she paused and seemed to look at me for a few seconds. I wondered what was on her mind. I pretended not to see her as my eyes kept glued on the television.

She sat next to me and leaned a bit. The sudden touch of her skin to mine triggered a certain feel inside me. For the first time since the tragedy, it was her first time to initiate such close contiguity.

"How was your conversation with him?" I asked, pretending I did not see anything.

Knowing me since who knows when, Krystal read me most of the time. He predicted my ever move and thought most of the time. Sometimes it was creepy, yet most of the times, it was amusing. "I know you were there." She flashed a weak smile. "And I know why."

"Really?" I raised a brow. "And why do you think so?"

She leaned her head on my shoulder before speaking. "As usual, you always want to protect me. I know you just wanted to be there in case something goes wrong." She began. "But you did not need to do that, Lay. I know you're in a big fight with Kris, but we've all been friends since the start, right? You know what, I was glad he came to help me through."

"Sorry. I could have kept your privacy." I hung my head low.

She linked her arms to mine and gripped it tighter than usual. It was still weak though, considering she had not eaten any decent meal since she was hospitalized. "You don't need to apologize for anything, Lay. In fact, I feel like I should be the one doing that. I've been causing you too much burden."

"That's not true." I told her as I rested my head on hers. Having a close frienship with her for a fact, such intimate acts were not novel for us. At that time, however, when both of us had our own piece of worries and grievances, it was more than comforting. "You're never a burden."

"Kris told he says thank you, by the way. For helping him convince me to talk to him." I did not expect that coming, but I was not very surprised. After all, I knew Kris like an open book as well. "You know what, I feel somehow better after crying. I should have taken your suggestion from the start. You told me to do so a lot of times, right? I don't know. Maybe it's the Kris' effect. Do you remember that?"

I nodded. "Of course. I'm glad you feel better now. It's a pain to see you supressing all your sadness."

"Kris made me realize I just earned three angels." She started tearing up again, soaking my shirt's sleeves. "They might be there, watching me over. And I realized another thing."

"What is it?" I asked, wiping her tears.

"That I have two other angels aside from mom, dad and unnie." She weakly smiled - another first after the tragedy.

I smiled back. "Who's the lucky two then?"

"Kris..." She paused to look at me. "And you."

It was bittersweet to hear those words coming from her. I did not know how to feel, and I feared I might not be deserving of such impression on her. After all, my demons have been haunting me the past few days.

"You've always been my angels from the start." She said. "And I'm glad both of you are still with me. It matters a lot, and I would have just given up if not for both of you." She continued sobbing.

We spent the next couple of hours reliving her memories with her family. She sobbed endlessly until her eyes were bloodshot red, yet I let her be. It was better than seeing her turn her sadness into grudges.

She was holding my hand and fidgeting with my fingers when she said something that made me somehow happy - a little utterance that knew I was of importance to her. "Have I told you how much I thank you?"

"A lot of times today." I replied.

"I hope someday we can go out as three again. You know, me, you and Kris. I missed those times. It had been a while."

"Maybe. Someday." I was not sure if that could still happen, but I was hoping for the same thing as well. "Can I ask you something? Well, the answer is kind of obvious already, but you..."

"What is it?" She cut me off.

"Do you still love Kris?" I blurted out almost in fast speed of words before I started stammering. "I mean... you... well... you forgave him today... almost just like that.... and he has that effect on you... you know...."

"Of course." She replied, stabbing daggers into me. I thought I was putting myself into a torture I built with my own curiosity, until she continued. "But not as much as before. I mean, maybe we were too much of in a rush. Right now... I think..." She paused an intertwined her fingers into mine. "I think you should fine a love for yourself before I do."

As if by default, my mouth spoke of words without my mind's consent. "I already have."

"You do?" She asked. "And who's the lucky girl?"

"Someone who loves someone more." I replied.

She gripped on my hand tighter. "She might not know your worth for now. But that's okay. You have my company anyway. You know what, Lay?" She looked at me with a smile - the kind of smile that seemed to reminisce something. It looked genuine and gleaming. "My family... Oh, if they see us now, they'd be happy."

"Really? Why do you think so?" I asked.

"They wanted us to end up together." She giggled.

I did not know if it was meant to be rhetorical, or hypothetical or even just a point of reminiscing her family. I was not sure. All I was sure of was I took it seriously. If only she knew my heart...

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✉(A/N).

OMG I don't even know which to choose.
Laystal or Kristal?
Let's just see for ourselves in the coming chapters.
I bet everyone is curious of Lay's mysteries.
Comment your feedbacks, okay? ^^
               -xoxoyixing
 

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