CHAPTER 59

Hana stood her ground as his lips part away from hers. A painfully long five-second kiss. She doesn't make a sound nor does she make a single move, she just stares back at him with widened eyes as her heart raced inside her aching chest. He hung his head low, hands falling on her shoulders.

Snow continues to fall. Kai keeps his eyes on the ground while Hana keeps her eyes on him. He... kissed me. Kai... kissed me.

She expected an apology from him. It only seemed to be in order, after all. Atleast if not for her, for Kris because from what she knows, the two happen to be good friends and last time she checked on both drama and reality, it's always in the bad section when a friend kisses his friend's girlfriend.

For what seemed like a long time, she swallows hard. “Kai...” it comes out in a mere whisper, the volume was lower than intended “Why did you --”

“Kris knows so you won't have to explain anything to him” he turns his head to the side as he runs his thumb on the side of his lips. Her eyes widen more and Kai's words didn't help ease the pain she felt on her chest at all. It only hurt more. A sigh escapes Kai's lips and he finally turns to look at her with a smile “You can slap me if you want to; I just...” he ran his hand on the back of his neck “I have to forget you, don't I? I promise you that's the first and last”

She didn't know what to say; a lot of things were running through her mind. Kris... knows? He allowed him? Why? She knew how Kris never liked the idea of Kai even going near her But how come he... and as much as she hated to admit it: she felt used.

Hana.

How do I face him after this? I feel something boiling inside me and it's not the good kind at all. How can he know and allow this to happen? He's a selfish guy, isn't he? Didn't he tell me that I was his and his alone? So what's all this about?

“Hana” I lift my head and look at Kai. Why? “I really do like you. I always have and maybe I always will, who knows, right? Please don't think badly of this situation... of what just happened” he smiles at me and my lips quiver at the sight. It hurts. “Hana, Kris won't love you any less after this”

My eyes close and the tears fall off the edge. “And you should know that he was not pleased at all when I talked to him about this but I'm willing to take a blow or two, I just want to say goodbye to my feelings for you the best way I could think of”

He wipes off the stains of tears on my face and gives me the most genuine smile.
“As I promised, it's the first and it's the last”

I take a deep breath and bit back my lip “Thank you... atleast” he smirks “Let's get you home”

The drive was quiet; no further words were exchanged between the two of us. I inwardly sigh as I see the building of my home up ahead but Kai didn't slow down. He just kept going. “Kai” I spoke for the first time amidst the long silent drive and before I could further continue, he zooms past the building “Kai, my apartment's back there”

“Is it?” he continues driving and I felt undeniable uncomfortable all of a sudden, as if the air in the car was growing thin with every passing second. “Y-Yah, Kai stop the car”

“I can't”

“Stop it” my brows knit together. “Hana, relax”

“No! Kai stop the car!”

A sigh escapes his lips “Hana, please just let me take you where the others are then we'll let you go for the night”

Gulp. Sigh. I sit back “Fine”

Kai holds the phone against his ear, his back pressed onto the back rest of his leather office chair and patiently waits for the other line to pick up the call.

“Yeoboseyo?”

Kai takes a quiet breath and breaks his mouth open to speak “Hyung, can I talk to you?” “What is it?” “A favor... if I can call it”

There was silence on the other line. “What favor?”

“You'll probably punch me for this” he runs a quick on his lower lip as he stands up and faces the view behind his chair “I wanna say goodbye to Hana... my way”

He heard a sigh on the other line “Kai... I swear --”

“All I'm asking for is just one kiss, hyung”

Silence.

“No” came the firm answer and he expected it but he wasn't gonna give up that easily “I swear, you can punch me for it but I just want to do this, just one time and never again; I'll even go as far away from her as possible afterwards if you deem it be”

“Hana is mine. You know that.”

“That's why I'm asking for your permission, I'm also gonna ask for hers. I swear on my soul that this is goodbye to everything I feel for her”

“No. Do anything funny and I'll kill you with my own two hands. Don't test me, Jongin” and the call ends.

The car stops at an unfamiliar place and Kai opens the door for me. I took off his jacket and hand it to him as I step out; honestly, I'm tired tonight. I just want to go home and rest but at the same time, I'm feeling curious and when I'm curious... sleep gets scratched off my list until I feed it.

“Here” Kai holds out a shiny card to me; I look at it for a second or so before accepting it. I read the numbers: 1950 printed on the back of the card and turn to Kai with questioning eyes. He nods his head towards the building before us and I look up at the tall structure “Nineteenth floor, just go” Kai smiles at me once more.

Taking a deep breath, I turn on my heel and walk into the large architectural structure. I enter one of the four elevators and press the button for the designated floor; each passing level, my curiosity grew.

DING.

I step out of the four walled compartment. The halls were dimly lit and quiet, the floor was carpeted and doors lined up on the sides, each door having a number of their own. I walk down the hall and make a turn at the end. 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948... Here. I stop infront of the door and take a deep breath.

I slid the card and beeping sound followed, the small red light flashed green. I turned the knob and pushed the door open; Relax Hana. I tell myself and went inside. It was dark.

“H-hello?” I call out into the emptiness. The door shuts and I was engulfed in the dark; a small shriek escapes my lips. It's not that I'm afraid of the dark, it's the suffocating feeling that bothers me. I don't move from my spot. “Is anyone here?” I call out once again but still get no answer.

Beep. My phone lights up and my eyes squint as I read the message:

Take five steps forward, three steps to the left and stand still.

- UNKNOWN

I raise a brow at the strange message but do as it says. Mentally I count as I take steps according to the instructions; I come to a stop and stand still. Okay... what now? I stood there awkwardly in the silence. Gulp.

From the corner of my eye, I almost jump as faint light flickers somewhere like a candle or candles if you put it. I squint my eyes and make out a door way. Then... singing.

“Happy Birthday to you ~”

Wait...what? I'm dumbfounded as people began to appear, face lit up by the candles on the cake that they were holding together. My eyes widened as I recognize the faces; Xiumin was the one holding up the cake and they were all approaching me.

What day is it today?

“Happy Birthday to you!” they end the song and lights go on. The place was lavish; I look around me in great surprise and shock, everything looked expensive. My eyes fall back onto the group before me and my mouth opens but no words come out.

“Omona...” were the words that came out of . At a distance she saw Kai smiling at her with the rest. How he managed to get here before her, she didn't know. “Blow your candles, Hana” came a voice from behind her.

Her eyes widen and she spun herself around, eyes widened and lips quivered. She wraps her arms around his neck and he immediately returns the gesture. Kris! Hana doesn't utter any word, too grateful and a bliss by the fact that Kris was indeed here in the flesh. He was back. Kai's smile turns small, Baekhyun gives him a pat on the back and he turns to the latter with a nod.

“We're still here you know!” Chen yells in the background. Kris gives him a glare as Hana doesn't let go of the embrace; rolling his eyes, he allows the couple two more minutes. When Hana pulls away, Kris took notice of her tear stained face. Her quivering lips, her watery eyes and her pouted lips.

He cups her face and wipes off the waters with his thumbs and gives her a small smile “Blow your candles, Hana” he repeats his previous words. Returning the curved gesture, she turns around and Xiumin advances a few steps, stopping just before her, holding out the cake.

Hana closes her eyes for a moment and blows the candles. The boys clap their hands and greets her once more, some even giving her embraces.

“So, how do you like your gift?” Suho asks. Hana sniffles a bit before smiling brightly, she was about to break open to speak when Lay added “And we don't mean Kris”

She blinks her eyes “Then...”

“This” Baekhyun raises his hands as if presenting the room. Her eyes widen almost immediately and she looks around the room once more, she takes notice of some personal things such as photographs and her books were on the shelf. What the – “We took courtesy of moving your stuff here, your old apartment is complete empty” Xiumin chimes, smiling like a kid as he puts down the cake on the coffee table.

Sehun puffs out a breath at her astonished look, he turns to Luhan “I told you this was a bad idea”

“Tch. Yah, this was under Chen's orders” Luhan says looking at Chen; Chen raises his hands up in defense “Yah, I was under orders too! Kris, you set this all up!”

Hana looks at Kris and he looks at Chen with a small frown “Trust me, it's all for good reason”

Tao claps his hand “So, who wants cake?!” and everyone else raises their hand.