Chapter 3: Autumn

 

 

"Psychologically; Lunacy

Emptiness, Panic

 

 

 

Delusion that the moment will last

Forever "

 

The leaves were falling from trees, like burning tears- the wind howled. Krystal seemed to be mimicking them. 

 

Things were dying; their relationship was dying.

 

It was September. Kai had stopped going to Krystal's house. Whenever Krystal suggested for him to come over he would use the excuse that he had dance practice or a performance; or even just because he was tired. Krystal finally noticed that they was distancing themselves from each other more and more each day. 

 

"Hey, um i know you're probably busy- but could you-" Krystal was sitting on bed in her cozy sweater, dialling Kai.

 

"No, sorry, I can't. Dance practices are on Wednesdays remember?" Kai's voice was monotoned, it seemed like he had no interest in talking to her. 

 

"Oh. Right, sorry. I forgot." Krystal mumbled. Yet another dull conversation with Kai, her boyfriend.

 

Kai sighed for a second and then said,"You have to start trying to remember things, Soo Jung."

 

"It's Krystal." She snapped.

 

"Why can't I call you Soo Jung? I'm your boyfriend, for goodness sake." Kai sounded annoyed.

 

"Then act like one." Krystal hung up.

 

 

September dragged on with quarrels, frustration and anger. They weren't loving each other anymore; they were tolerating each other.

 

This hung up till October. Where the bubble finally burst. 

 

"Krystal, are you free for dinner?" Kai asked.

 

"No, vocal classes." Krystal replied unemotionally.

 

"You could at least look at me while talking." Kai mumbled. They were in a park in the morning before going to school. But this wasn't just any park, it was the park where they had their first date.

 

"Hey let's sit here for awhile." Kai held Krystal's hand and both of them sat on the cozy green grass.

 

"You see this tree?" Kai tapped the huge camphor tree's trunk that they were sitting by.

 

"Yeah?" Krystal smiled and replied.

 

Kai smirked and took out a penknife. He carved their names on the trunk, it wrote,'Kai + Krystal'.

 

Kai smiled again, holding her hand once again. "For our anniversary let's come here again." 

 

The present couple was nothing like that memory.

 

"Look Krystal. I don't think we're anything like when we started. I don't know why or how it happened, but I think-" Kai looked at her sincerely, with sadness in his eyes.

 

"We should break up." Kai and Krystal said at the same time.

 

Both of them didn't say anything after that, they stared at the ground and let the situation sink in. Before they stood up and left, without saying anything. 

 

They both went their separate directions, nobody turned around. 

 

But both of them had tears in their eyes.

 

Soon, November settled in. The weather was starting to get chilly, and sweaters came in handy.

 

The two of them were strangers, again. After that night, they never spoke to each other again. But they knew that missed each other dearly. 

 

Different people handle break-ups differently. Krystal was the kind to trap herself in her own bubble and involve herself in nothing about the outside world. Kai was the kind to distract himself from the truth, by loving someone else.

 

He found a girl named Jieun. She was a vocalist as well, almost the exact copy of Krystal.

 

"Kai?" Jieun waved her hand infront of Kai.

 

"Hmm?" Kai smiled.

 

"You seem dazed." Jieun chuckled,"Anyway, what do you want to do now?" She asked.

 

"Anything you want to do." Kai smiled again, but he felt as if his smile wasn't genuine.

 

"Hmm, treat me to a movie?" Jieun joked.

 

"Sure." Kai pat her head.

 

"I love you." Jieun hugged him.

 

"I love you too, Krys- Jieun." Kai replied.

 

Jieun's face fell, he hadn't gotten over her, hasn't he?