“Kage, wait,” Kris said, following her outside into the cold night. Her reaction had taken him completely by surprise. He could see the tears falling down her face. Kris felt a pang of guilt. Why was she crying? What did he do that hurt her so much? He never meant to hurt her.

                “It doesn’t matter Kris. It no longer matters,” she said through her tears. She started running to her car.

                Kris ran after her. “Kage hold on, what did I do wrong?” he reached out and grabbed her arm.

                “NO!” she shrieked, yanking her arm out of his grip. She looked at him through tear filled eyes. “No” she said again, softly. “Just…please…don’t…I can’t…I can’t do this anymore...” she chocked.

                Kris watched in despair, eyes wide in shock as she got in her car and drove away. What had just happened? Kris grabbed at his hair in frustration. What was going on?

                Xiumin got out of his car, having witnessed the entire scene. He strode up to Kris and pushed him.

                “What the hell is wrong with you,” he hissed. Kris gawked at him. Xiumin never got mad. Never. “Why would you make her cry? Why Kris? Why?”

                “I-I don’t know,” Kris stuttered, “I don’t even know why she was crying.”

                “What did you do to her?”

                “Nothing! I didn’t do anything. I was in the practice room with Krystal and we started to kiss and then Kage walked—“

                “What?” Xiumin interrupted, “YOU WERE KISSING KRYSTAL? IN FRONT OF KAGE? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

                “WHY DOES IT MATTER? IT’S NOT LIKE I’M HER BOYFRIEND. KRYSTAL SAID HER BOYFRIEND WAS OVERSEAS.”

                “WHAT” Xiumin raged, “She told you Kage had a boyfriend? Overseas?..... THAT ”

                Kris gaped in shock at Xiumin. “WHAT IS GOING ON.”

                Xiumin’s expression suddenly changed. His eyes were filled with sorrow and pity as he looked at Kris. “Kage loves you, man” he said quietly, “and you loved her too.”

                Kris stared at Xiumin unable to get words out of his mouth as he watched his friend turn and walk away, leaving him alone in the quiet night with the cold blowing wind.

                Kage had managed to keep from crying until she got home. She tumbled out of the car and fell to her knees. She cried. Cried because her parents were gone. Cried because the man she loved had forgotten her. Cried because she had made him upset. Cried because she was alone again. Tears were falling, hitting the soil beneath her. It was time. She had been putting it off, hoping, praying even that maybe he would remember. But he didn’t. Despite this, he was happy. Kage had woken up every morning for the last six months, seeing Kris smile every day, oblivious of who she was. He was happy without her. Kage stood up, her legs shaking, and brushed herself off.  She could remember his upset face, full of disbelief. She had seen it when they had lost fought. And now she had seen it in the SM parking lot. This was the first time he had been upset since the accident. What right did she have to make him upset? What right did she have to make him struggle just to remember her? What right did she have to take away his happiness just because she couldn’t have hers? It was time. Time to leave. Time to walk out of his life.