Word count: 1783 words

Rating: pg-13

Summary: Kris likes his neighbour, Xiumin but just when he was going to act on his heart, its too late. 

Everyone has a story when it comes to love. Kris has one too but its not all sugar coated and happy. He once had a love, an unrequited love, a love with whom he had loved with all his heart. But he guessed that maybe it wasn’t meant to be. He really hopes one day his love will return to his side, but he is satisfied when he sees that smile, even when it isn’t reserved for him.

He first met Xiumin outside of his house, Kris never really socialised with most of his neighbours but how was he supposed to not see him when the boy was carrying one big bouquet of brightly coloured flowers and almost tripping because the bouquet was too large. Kris offered to help carry the other bouquets in the car and Xiumin gladly accepted. It made Kris feel a little bit happier that day than any other day and he felt just a tiny little spark from the depths of his heart when Xiumin smiled at him with those lovely flowers framing his face.

Kris and Xiumin immediately became the closest of friends, what with their passion for beautiful things, Xiumin with flowers and Kris with Xiumin. Kris of course, never told Xiumin how beautiful he was and how he wished that he was the one making him smile every day instead of the stranger.

After a couple of days, Kris finally knew the name of the stranger, it was Zitao. Kris thought long and hard that maybe, just maybe if he was a little quicker in his actions, then maybe the arms holding Xiumin right now would be his and not the dark haired Zitao.

 Xiumin would always welcome him into his house with a big smile and freshly made stuff from the kitchen. There was once when Zitao was away for a couple of days, and Xiumin called him and asked him to stay over. Kris knew that he couldn’t say no, his heart was telling him no but he kept saying yes because it was Xiumin who was asking him. Xiumin could ask him to drown in a sea and he would do it in a heartbeat because the reason was clear, he wanted Xiumin so much.

He found out Xiumin liked flowers more than anything in the world, well maybe Zitao, but second in line were flowers. Kris also found out Xiumin couldn’t sleep without someone there next to him. Kris feels more at home with Xiumin than at his own home. He found himself unable to think of anything other than Xiumin from the day he met him. He always found Xiumin unintentionally asking for a puppy so one day Kris took a day off from his job at a coffee shop just to head to a pet shop nearby to find one for Xiumin. He found one, that had eyes so bright, just like Xiumin’s and he knew it was the one.

He won’t ever forget the way Xiumin’s eyes lit up when he saw the animal, or how Xiumin immediately wrapped his arms around his neck. Kris doesn’t know what came over him when he kissed the crown of Xiumin’s head. He sat and watched as Xiumin won’t stop playing with the puppy whom he named ‘’Sarang” which means love. Xiumin snorted when he heard the name and said that it was tacky to name a puppy that but Kris would never tell him that the puppy symbolised his love for Xiumin, pure and without judgement.

Kris didn’t know what to do when he opened the door of Xiumin’s house one day and saw him and Zitao hugging in the living room. They didn’t seem to notice him but just as Kris was going to close the door, he saw Zitao smiling softly at Xiumin, all crinkly eyes before tipping Xiumin’s chin with his long fingers and kissing him softly. Xiumin grinned before looping his shorter arms around Zitao’s neck and kissing him again. Kris thought he faintly heard the sound of something breaking in the distance but it was just his own heart. He closed the door as silently as possible and swiftly trudged his way back home. The bouquet of flowers he had brought together to give to Xiumin was left on his kitchen countertop where it wilted slowly.

No matter how much Kris pretends he’s alright, he’s not. He can see how Xiumin eyes light up just a little bit brighter and how his smile is a little more bigger when he is with Zitao. Kris tried to muster up his courage to tell Xiumin his feelings before it was too late but before he could do it, he received  a wedding invitation from Zitao.

“I know how close you are with Xiumin, so I’m sure he would be delighted if you showed up” Zitao said with a small smile.

“I’ll try and make it” Kris said before forcing a smile, but it felt more like a grimace before turning away from Zitao and heading to his own house. He didn’t know how tightly he was gripping the invitation until he saw the invitation card had already torn a little due to how tightly his nails were scraping against it. As he sat quietly in his living room with the lights down, Kris looked at the night sky. It was beautiful tonight with a light purple hue painting the horizon and small bright twinkling stars adorning the otherwise blank purple canvas. That was what Xiumin was to him, small but shining so brightly, lighting up his otherwise boring life.

That was when he felt something drop onto his cheek, he traced it with his fingers and found a tear, before wracking sobs shook his entire body. He gripped his shirt near his heart and cried even more. The once quiet living room was filled with the broken sobs of a man who had loved but wasn’t loved back. He could feel his eyes getting puffier and his face getting warmer with each tear that was rolling down his face, but he couldn’t stop. Why was the world so unfair he thought. Why did he meet Xiumin and had to fall in love with him?

The next day, Kris dug his wardrobe for his old but still clean looking suit and put it on. He coiffed his hair and polished his oxford shoes until he could see his reflection. He may not be the groom but he can at least he can make an effort for Xiumin. Just before he left, he took one last look at the mirror and before he could stop it, a lone tear rolled down his face. Kris quickly rubbed it away and tried to force a smile out. He got into his car and drove towards the banquet hall. Xiumin’s family members all smiled at him and welcomed him in and Xiumin’s mother had even led him to his seat, her hands clasped tightly around his wrist.

Kris felt even more out of place then, he didn’t know anyone there and he couldn’t stand the happy atmosphere anymore, he wanted to leave as soon as possible. Just as he was about to stand and leave, the wedding march started playing softly before becoming louder. The audience all stood up and applauded while looking at the couple coming in from the entrance.

Kris always thought Xiumin was the most beautiful creature on Earth, but tonight Xiumin looked even more beautiful, almost ethereal like in his white lapel suit and a beautiful crown of colourful flowers on his crown. Just as the couple passed by him, Xiumin flashed him a happy smile before turning back to Zitao. Kris felt a sob already gathering in his throat, he got up and left the hall as quickly as he could and into his car.

“Mom, I’m coming home” Kris recorded the voicemail before sending it to his mother and turning off his phone. He undid the tie around his neck before starting up the car engine. Everything in his house had been packed by him the night before, there wasn’t much since he came to Seoul just for travelling but time is up for him now. There was no reason for him to stay in Seoul anymore, no reason for him to hurt his heart everyday living so close to the one he couldn’t have. He gave a lingering stare at the banquet hall before driving away to the airport.

Xiumin was beyond happy at this point, he and Zitao had worked so hard to get here, fighting for Zitao’s parents’ approval and he had never felt happier standing next to his groom and saying their vows to each other while everyone cheered and clapped for the beautiful couple. Xiumin looked over at Kris’s seat and found it was empty. Xiumin didn’t think much about it and thought maybe he had left earlier but that was okay, Xiumin would go over to his house later to hand him some of the cake and food.

The next day, Xiumin walked over to Kris’s apartment block and knocked on his door and waited for a response. He tried it again before he heard a doorknob turn and a door creaking, he smiled thinking it was Kris but it was an old lady who told him that the young man he was looking for had left yesterday in the morning with a luggage in his hand. The old lady said that the young man was always quiet but yesterday he had even smiled and greeted her before saying that he was leaving.

“I think he left something in his mailbox, I saw him place something inside” the old lady said before going back into her home and shutting the door.

Xiumin pried open the mailbox with shaky fingers and felt his breath hitch when he found a few stalks of cyclamen and daffodil tied together with a black ribbon. Attached was also a small note that said “Goodbye 我会永远记得你和你给我的友情”. When Xiumin had translated the message, he didn’t know what to feel but he pushed it all away and tried to forget everything. The puppy disappeared one day too never to be seen just like Kris. Everything Kris had given him were gone and soon, Xiumin forgot about him as well. 

Kris guessed he would never have a chance to tell Xiumin his love for him. As he got on the plane bound for New York, he wiped away the tears that kept coming to his eyes, he had come to Seoul with a happy heart and excitement but he was now leaving with a broken heart and sadness. 

P.S  Kris wrote "Goodbye I will never forget you or the friendship you have given me", I'm a native Mandarin speaker so I thought it would be nice to squeeze some mandarin in there. I re-typed the whole story and made it what I wanted, and I am very pleased with the outcome, :D