CHAPTER 12

Y o u   A r e   P e r f e c t

It’s been 2 days since JongIn has last seen the shorter boy. KyungSoo seems to have shut himself inside their house. JongIn would stay in front of their gate for most parts just to see if he’s even going to peer out his window, but nothing. He knows the pale boy is inside because he’s seen the lights inside the room turn off and on. All his calls were routed to the voicemail. Even KyungSoo’s voice was replaced by a generic one, asking him to leave his message at the sound of the tone.

“Hey, what’s up KyungSoo? Uhm, just wanted to see how you’re doing. This is JongIn by the way. Call me if you get this message okay? I’m worried about you. And,” he pauses. Contemplating if he’ll say it, “I miss you.”

Click.

KyungSoo lets his phone slide down his pillow as he listened to the last of the other boy’s fifteen messages. He stares inanely at his wall drawing imaginary circles with his mind. He bites his lips as he stifles a yawn. He’s been crying in between naps, or napping in between cries. He’s isn’t sure which is which anymore. His parents were out of town so no one’s there to check up on him.

He closes his eyes and a familiar sound echoes through his head. Growl. He’s hungry. The last thing he’s eaten was the steak he and JongIn ate 2 days ago. He sits up on his bed and meanders down to the kitchen. It’s dark. He looks at the wall clock and it tells him that it’s half past eight in the evening. He opens the lights and makes his way to the kitchen

He absent-mindedly reheats left-over food in their fridge as he gapes at the turning bowl inside the microwave.

Ting.

The food is ready. He shoves a spoonful in his mouth, but he can’t get himself to swallow it. His throat is dry and it doesn’t want to cooperate at all. He finishes it nonetheless, not even remembering what he ate or how it tasted.

Clank.

He hears noises from upstairs. Must be the cat. He brushes his teeth as he looks at himself in the mirror. Has he been a coward all this time? Was BaekHyun right all along? He washes himself quickly and makes his way back to his room.

He turns the knob to his door and opens it warily. He’s eyes have been fixed on the floor all along so he didn’t notice a pair of arms extend to grab him. His instinct tells him to scream and run, but like his sense of taste, they’ve all abandoned him.

Oddly, the arms that grip and hug him didn’t scare him at all. He feels a warm body press their own against his back. If he were to die tonight, he wishes it would be quick.

But instead of pain, he feels comfort as the person hugging him rests his chin on his shoulders. Affection spreads all over his body as a familiar scent fills his nostrils. He gives in as the tears he’s been holding for quite some time suddenly erupts. His knees weaken and buckles as the boy behind him tenderly lets him kneel on the floor.

JongIn’s heart starts to ache at the sight of the dishevelled boy. He faces himself in front of KyungSoo. They were kneeling face to face. The darker male cups KyungSoo’s face as he rubs his thumbs to soothe away the tears that were pouring from the poignant boy’s eyes. He drinks in KyungSoo’s feature and wonders when this strong-willed person become so vulnerable. His heart struggles as pain twists his emotions.

“I’m not crying.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not. I just, just have something in my eyes.”

“I know, I know. That’s what I do too when I feel sad. I put something in my eyes, like dust or a pebble.” A weak fist punches JongIn’s side as he hears a soft chuckle from the other. JongIn shifts their position as he sits on the floor and balances both of them by backing up on the bed frame. KyungSoo rests his head on the crook of the other boy’s neck. He lets JongIn’s arms encircle his tiny frame. He feels two heartbeats but they were beating at the same time.

“You’re really getting used to wrapping your arms around me huh?” The pale boy mutters, more of a statement rather than a protest. He isn’t laughing but his body reverberates with laughter. He looks at JongIn thoughtfully as the other male chuckles foolishly.

They lock gaze and let the inane moment discourse words that they so wanted to say to each other. Somehow wordlessness eases their bemused emotions, not until one breaks the silence.

“JongInah?”

“Hmm?”

“Am I a bad person?”

“It depends.”

“Depends on what?”

“Depends on who you’re asking.”

“Well, I’m asking you.”

JongIn sighs deeply and closes his eyes. For a brief moment, the other boy holds his breath anticipating the reply. He cups the doe-eyed KyungSoo’s face once more and lovingly locks his gaze on him. JongIns eyes are filled with sentiments that are almost telling him what is on the other guys mind.

“I always found myself wandering aimlessly in unfamiliar places. Wherein I’d just let my feet drag me to wherever it wanted to lead me. Most of the time I just felt like drowning in a faceless crowd.”

KyungSoo nods, encouraging the other to continue. He breaks from the gaze and rests his head on the taller guy’s chest.

“Just when I thought I’ve been forsaken to blend with this-- throng of mindless individuals, I suddenly discovered myself looking at a lone flower. A single yellow flower fighting to survive amidst this busy world that seemed to have neglected its existence.”

“Am I that flower?”

“No.”

“Oh.” KyungSoo sounds disappointed.

“You’re that person who decided to stop. You’re that person who picked the flower up and gave it to me.” JongIn soothes a smile. “And then suddenly, I didn’t feel faceless anymore. At that one instance, the loneliness that almost consumed me washes away. Just because someone was unselfish enough to share something so simple yet, so beautiful with me.”

KyungSoo’s ears begin to redden. He can feel a blush starting to cross his faded cheeks.

“But won’t the flower die?” KyungSoo asks.

“It will, eventually. But at least once in its existence, someone appreciated the beauty that it was trying to fight for. And when it does wither, I’m sure that its purpose in life would’ve been fulfilled.”

KyungSoo is speechless. He didn’t realize the profundity that JongIn is keeping to himself until now.

“I can’t see anyone trying to fight for their own happiness to be anything less than absolute. And when I look at you,” JongIn holds onto the others boy chin and gently tugs it so their face to face once again, “all I see…”

The distance between their faces soon lessens. They start to breathe each other’s warm breaths.

“…is perfection.”

Their lips touch and everything around them didn’t matter anymore. Like that beautiful yellow flower, striving in its radiance, unnerved to leave the earth that nurtured it. Knowing fully that its beauty will reassure someone that life doesn’t have to be lonely, anymore.

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Am I conceited if I tell you that this IS a beautiful chapter? kkk~

I don't care, for me it is.

Finally, KyungSoo and JongIn *indirectly* admits their feelings for each other.

Will BaekYeol follow suit?

I won't tell :p

Anyway I have a total of 30 subs for this stories. Yay!

A tremendous feat for me as a newbie writer.

I just wish to hear from you guys. What are your thoghts so far?

I said last weekend that I might not be able to update during the weekdays.

But here I am updating almost everyday.

I just wanted to spoil my readers.

I REALLY love you guys!

Sarang sarang sarang~