And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.

1^st October 2020

“The weather is perfect.” A lady walked down the sidewalk of the park. She swung her arms slightly as she kicked the golden crisp brown leaves under her feet, a smile hung on her demure face. “I really love autumn.”

“I love summer though.” The blonde male replied as he watched how she turned around and looked at him, “Why?”

“Because it’s the season of love.”

Summer was the season when he first met her. It was also the season where he fell in love with her character, her gentleness, her smile and her company. The past 2 summers was the best summer he ever had for the past 26 years of his life. Her presence in his life was like the first drop of water dripped on the dry and cracked ground in a desert; calming yet addicting. Because she’s the one that’s going to save him from this harsh world. That was what he meant when he told her she had the key to his lock that night.

With Aleyah, Sehun felt safe enough to open his securely guarded heart and let his truest self stepped out; he could completely and honestly be who he was. He doesn’t need to pretend who he was not. No matter what else goes wrong around him, with her, he knew he’s safe in that paradise consisting of her and him only. Because she’s the one that makes his life comes to life

Unable to read Sehun’s mind, Aleyah replied him with a nod and a small smile before walking towards the bench and took a seat. Season of love. Was there a season dedicated specially to love? She recalled how she first fell in love with Kai in winter and subsequently, they fell in love with one another in fall. And if it considered, Sehun’s confession was in fall too. Love was something so unpredictable; unlike seasons. We can predict seasons but we can’t foresee who we will be in love with. Just like how Kai had swept her off her feet and made her fall in love with him so unexpectedly, so suddenly and so deeply.

“What do you like about Autumn?”

“Other than the common things like the colours of the leaves, stormy skies and temperature, I like how we can light candles in the evening, start thinking about Christmas presents and also the fat pines on those pine trees.” She chuckled as she pointed to the nearest the pine tree.

Coincidentally, the leaves danced behind her as they dropped to floor. Sehun stared at her hardly, trying to remember every single detail of how she looked now. Because she was beyond beautiful, indeed, she suits this season perfectly. “I guess I’m starting to like Autumn too.”

“Why?”

“I love the time I spent with you ever since this Autumn started.” He admitted.

Aleyah gave him another smile before looking onto the maple leaves under her feet. She wasn’t stupid to not realize his words were related to his confession last week. Truthfully, his sudden declaration of love caught her offguard. As much as she had been denying in front of Kai that Sehun likes her, she knew it herself that it was nothing but the truth. The time and effort he spent on her was definitely not something a friend would do for one each other. But she hadn’t expect him to confess, at least not under that circumstance. For the past few nights she had been shrugging it off, convincing herself that it was nothing but a drunk man’s words because she didn’t know what to do. She had never seen Sehun in that way. He was her friend, one of the closest friends she ever had in Seoul.

“Aleyah?” Sehun called her lightly.

“Yeah?” She looked up at him to be greeted by his soft and loving gaze. Those that she had always seen in Kai’s eyes.

“I just want you to know that you are very special and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.” Sehun spoke slowly, letting his thoughts flow.

Somehow, he was glad that he admitted to her under the influence of alcohol or he would never have the courage to. For the past week he had been busy, busy thinking about how to fight for her. He did not want to pretend that the confession never took place, he was old enough to be responsible for his drunk actions. More importantly, all he said was the truth because he craved for her in the most innocent form. He craved to say goodnight and give her forehead kisses and to say that he adores her when she’s at her worst. He craved her in ways where he just want to be next to her and nothing more or less in their small paradise. He was determined to have a taste of what he craved. And in order to do that, he had to be a man and do whatever he had done again. But this time, sober.

“I know I’ve confessed to you when I was drunk. I’m not here to say that whatever I’ve said that night is not true because it’s definitely the truth. I was really at a loss after I told you all those. I did not know what to do, but Kyungsoo hyung told me to either fight for something I want or lose it. Guess what’s the something?”

“You.”

“I chose to fight for you.”

“Aleyah, I’ve been fighting to be who I am all my life. What’s the point of being who I am if I can’t have the person who was worth fighting for?”

“I know it’s kind of sudden now that I’m saying all these to you again but chances are I will never get a moment like this anymore. I just want to tell you that no one has ever gotten me like you. I’ve never found anyone who makes me smile like you do. Often, I picture us holding hands and watching movies, sitting on benches beneath the oak tree by your favourite spot hearing your laugh throughout the day and catching you smile when you think I don’t see. Honestly, you’re the only person I can see myself happy with now and in the future.”

“The definition of love to me is you, Aleyah.”

“I love you.”

******

“Kai, you should go.” Aleyah looked up and was met with his alluring eyes peering down at her. He stubbornly shook his head before pulling her closer to his chest. They had just made love for the second time and the feeling was just as overwhelming as the first. There was no way he would leave now. A part of him wanted more of her but the bigger part that refused him from leaving was stranding her after their love-making. It was something he had no heart to do; he just wanted to cuddle her till the morning breaks. 

“Remember our promise?”

“Of course I remember.” He would never forget the promises he had made to her. But this promise he agreed was one that she forced him to, something that was very much against his will. The lady allowed him to linger in her shop, agreed to let him send her to and from work everyday and even gave him the passcode to her house; granting him permission to be with her. But the only thing he was not allowed of was spending the night at hers. He has to go home, back to Solbi. As much as he did not want to agree, he had no choice because she would not agree to any of the first three things if he said no. “Make tonight an exception please?”

“No.” Her tone of voice was firm, making Kai sigh in response.

To push a man you love into another woman’s embrace was one of the hardest things in life but she still had to do it. Because she knows that if she doesn’t do this, he would definitely spend every night at her place. Lying to Solbi in every way possible just to be with her. And she doesn’t want him to live in guilt, most importantly, she doesn’t want anything to happen to them.

“Aleyah, you know what.” The man turned her around so she was facing him. “I want to make things official between us as soon as possible. I don’t want to hide you from the world anymore. I want to tell everyone that you are mine so Sehun wouldn’t come near you because you are taken. By me.”

Aleyah sighed. She regretted telling him about what Sehun did for her during Chen’s birthday party. Not only so, he got really jealous when he knew Sehun brought her to so many places in Europe and even bought her the painting that was hanging in her store. She had a hard time pacifying him before he cooled down so there was no way she would tell him about his confession to her earlier.

“Kai, I don’t need labels in our relationship.”

“But I want to be labeled. You don’t know how much it hurts to watch Sehun courting you so openly. And how I have to hear my members about being in love with you in front of me. I don’t like it Aleyah. I really don’t.”

“Just give me a little more time. I will end things with Solbi and we can make our relationship official. There will be no need to date secretly or leave halfway because another woman is waiting for me at home. And you can also stop pushing me to someone I don’t love anymore.” She doesn’t understand how he was constantly struggling not to hold her hand in public, how he had to refrain himself from shouting at s for pairing her with Sehun and how cruel it was for him to hug a woman he doesn’t love to sleep every night.

“Tell me, what do you intend to do?”

The man looked into her hazelnut eyes seriously, “Break the engagement.”

The lady blinked a few times, processing his answer. “No. You can’t.”

Her calm voice made Kai angry. He didn’t understand why she would stop him from ending an unhappy relationship? And won’t she yearn for him to stay by her too? Because he wishes for that every single moment when she’s not around him. “Why can’t I?”

“Because it will be a game over for you Kai.” Aleyah emphasized on his staged name, “You should know better what SM will do to you. The company you are in is cold and ruthless. If you do that, they will freeze you in every way possible. You won’t be able to dance, you won’t be able to sing and you won’t be able to perform. They are all the things you love the most. And maybe in this life you won’t get to do those anymore.”

“Then I can still be Kim JongIn! We can migrate to somewhere and start anew again. I can set up a dance school wherever we are, I can still dance. Dance is all I need.” He replied agitatedly.

“Yes you can do that.” Her voice was still very calm, “But what about Exo? The 11 other brothers you have?”

“You really think that by putting an end to everything like this, we can live happily ever after? What will happen to Exo after you leave? They would lose their main dancer, their member and they would never be one again. And do you really think that Exo won’t be affected by your decision? SM will probably halt all their activities too.”

“Not only are you crushing your own dream, you are destroying the 11 other’s too.”

“Kai, you can’t be so selfish.”

Looking at the man who was in deep thoughts, Aleyah knew that her words were working on him. She doesn’t deny that she was very touched when she heard him willing to give up everything just to be with her. Which woman wouldn’t be? But this lady loved him too much so she would never allow him to do that. She will never let him destroy his own dream, his career. Even if their relationship would not be known to public in this lifetime, it was fine. His dream means too much to her. Probably more than himself.

“But… you…”

“Kai, I’m happy with what we have right now." Aleyah reached out to straighten his furrowed brows with her thumbs gently, “I have your heart with me, what more can I ask for?”

Her words left Kai speechless. He did not know what else to say; he thought by breaking an engagement would make everything easier but he didn’t realize it will bring about more problems. Because on his shoulders laid 11 people’s dreams. How can he not remember that? She had broken down everything and laid it in front of him because he knew she doesn’t want him to regret. And she also understood how much Exo meant to him. He had to spare a thought about them too.

Pulling her into his embrace, he hugged her protectively. Circumstance had once again forbid him from making things better between them. After sacrificing his family, freedom and friends, now he had to exchange her happiness to sustain his dream. And Exo’s dream. He really hated his idol life right now. How he wished that he was just a commoner and maybe he would make her happier then. Simplicity had never been so appealing. This lady in his embrace definitely deserved more than what he could give her right now. But there was no way he would let her go, he would do whatever it takes to make it up to her. Even if it meant giving up his everything; including dance.

“I’m sorry.” For being so useless, the man finished his sentence mentally.

However, the lady just shook her head. “Don’t be. Just don’t be so reckless anymore.”

“I won’t.” Kai patted her head and tugged the both of them into the sheets. Neither of them has the mood to have another round of ecstasy because they were both too distracted by their own little secret they are hiding from one another to protect each other. “I will leave after you sleep.”

******

Okay, I'm going to organize a little game with you guys. And the prize to game would be..... Exo's poster! I will be mailing Exo's posters to whoever who guessed it right! Yes it's open to everyone around the world. First 2 person who gets it right will get Exo's posters from me! If there's only one person who got it right, she will receive 2 posters.

The question to the game is, what do you will be the main keypoint in my next chapter? *Hint: Take note of the dates as well as contents in this chapter.*

Comment below! Winners will be notified via PM.

If you've been paying close attention to my FF, this question is not difficult. To make things easier, you all can post as many questions as you all like at http://ask.fm/RedLolita and I will answer to them. So yupp, you all have till Sunday to guess! Goodluck!