The story is set in 1st person. You are "Hana" :)

Lonely mornings… empty rooms…. goodbye pecks…. and lifeless smiles. 

This is what I’ve been experiencing for the past two weeks: silent treatment from my boyfriend, Kris.

I wished he would just get angry; just lash out and make a scene instead of ignoring me like this. It’s been two weeks since I told him that I would be moving to New York. I've been accepted at my dream college, NYU, where I plan to take up my masters. It was such a wonderful surprise and I couldn't wait to study there.

The only downside to it was that I'd have to leave him... Leave Kris, behind. 

"How long?" He asked flatly, the night I told him about the news. The look on his face was neither happy nor upset. It was simply stoic, which scared the hell out of me. 

"About three years?" I said as I played at the hem of my shirt, the conversation making me nervous. Kris stared at me unmoving and I couldn’t help wondering what’s going on in that head of his.

After what felt like years, Kris finally looked at me and gave a slight smile, "Congratulations. I know you've been dreaming of going to NYU since forever and I'm happy for you." 

I smiled at what he said; releasing the breath I've unconsciously been holding. "Thank you, oppa." I said as I stepped toward him and gave him a hug. I was a very petite girl and Kris was a whole lot taller than me; my head reaching only up to his chest. As I wrapped my arms around his waist, he automatically wrapped his arms around me but I noticed that he didn't hold me tightly like he usually does. I scrunched my eyebrows as I felt his hands on my arms, prying them from his body and pushing me off gently. "I have to go," he said. "I have an early practice tomorrow." 

"Oh, okay." I smiled weakly, hiding the feel of rejection and unable to get over the fact that he didn't return my hug. I stepped closer to give him a kiss, like I always do whenever he would leave, but before I could even, Kris had already retreated for the door, leaving me there standing alone in the hallway.

 

The days passed swiftly and I was only a few days away from leaving. I spent most of my time packing and arranging the papers I would be needing. It should've been a very busy week for me but everything seemed to move in a slow pace. It’s like I didn’t even want to go—and it was mostly because of Kris.

Kris had a tendency to be cold but never towards me. When we fought, he never turned to silent treatments and was more vocal, surprisingly. We talked until things got settled and he’s always the one who apologizes first, despite who was truly at fault. This is why I was surprised at the current situation: Kris becoming cold and distant. He didn't talk to me unless it was of something practical like, "Do you need help packing?" Thinking of it as a way to spend time together, I say yes to his offer but end up packing in silence for a couple of hours before he would ask to leave again since he has practice. It broke my heart whenever I'd see him out and he would just give me a small smile and walk away. He didn't even say hello or give me a wave. My presence was altogether unacknowledged and it hurt. I miss the way he’d approach me and give me a hug, whispering how much he missed me although we’ve just seen each other a few hours ago. I miss that gum-smile of his and the way his gaze softened whenever he’d look at me. It was agonizing to have him visit me at home, only to eat dinner without really talking to each other. My last week was awfully quiet and felt like I've already left because my boyfriend acted as If I didn't exist anymore. 

 

As the days to my departure came closer, the silence grew and it came to a point when Kris didn't talk to me for a whole day nor did he answer any of my texts or calls. I was terrified and thought maybe that this was a sign. Maybe he had been thinking about the state of our relationship for the past few days and maybe… he came to the conclusion that it'd be better if we end it since I would be far a way for quite some time and long distance relationships often failed.  I couldn't even think about letting him go. We had been dating for almost four years now and I have fallen in love with him completely; and to have him break up with me would shatter my world into pieces. Kris—Yifan—was everything to me. And maybe, that just might be my downfall.

The night before my departure, we were having our usual dinner at my apartment when Kris asked, "When's your flight again?" 

The question caught me off guard and I cleared my throat, "Tomorrow morning." I said, not looking at him, staring at my food as if afraid that it would runaway.

The sound of utensils hitting against the plates stopped and I looked up to see him looking down at his plate, frozen. "What time?" He asked quietly, his eyes remaining on his plate.

"About 10:30." I held my breath for his answer. After several days, I was finally getting some emotion from him. But then Kris stabbed his fork onto a piece of meat and continued eating. I waited as he chewed and swallowed his food. "I'll take you to the airport." He said, nonchalantly.

"But Kris, you have prac—" I knew of his schedule and didn't want to be a burden, seeing that maybe I already am from the way he's acting around me. 

"I'm taking you." he said firmly as he looked at me. We stared at each other for while and I tried to read his face, to see whether he was upset, angry, or relieved. But his face gave nothing away. He was as emotionless as a statue and it drove me insane. I nodded and Kris went back to eating his food. 

Okay, I sighed to myself, wondering if it was a good idea to have him set me off tomorrow morning.

 

I woke up early the next day and got ready. I was finally leaving for New York, which would have been exciting if it weren’t for the fact that Kris would be breaking up with me anytime soon. Last night after dinner, Kris gave me a kiss at the crown of my head and left without another word. I cleaned up and went straight to bed, lying there and convincing myself that everything will be fine; but another part of me thought otherwise. How can everything be fine? I was leaving and Kris made it clear that the idea doesn’t set well with him. A part of me was a bit irritated of that. He left me to go on tours all the time and I’ve never complained, no matter how much I didn’t want him to go. I never said a word about how lonely I get when he performs outside the country or even when we couldn’t see each other for weeks because of his busy schedule. I endured through all of that because I loved him. So why couldn’t he be the same with me?

I went out of my bedroom and was surprised to see Kris, his back facing me, in my living room wearing a black coat and a red scarf, which I vaguely recall buying for him last winter. I smiled at the memory: holding hands as we stroll through the cold streets, window-shopping at the night markets, and drinking hot cocoa at a nearby café. The sight of him made my heart wrench and I tried to hold back tears that threatened to come out. 

At the sound of my footsteps he turned around with an expression I couldn’t read. He didn’t smile. "Good morning."

I nodded, "Hi."

"Are you ready? Your bags are in the car already." He pointed his head towards the door.  I nodded and he went out first and I followed, a soft sigh escaping my lips.

 

The ride to the airport was quiet. As expected, Kris didn't speak a word to me and the silence was deafening. I wanted to reach over the console to hold his hand, but I opted not to, afraid that he might pull away and that would only make me more upset than I already am.

When we arrived, I thought he was just going to leave me at the drop-off but he didn't. Surprisingly, Kris walked through the entrance with me, got my luggage checked in, and ev