CHAPTER 007

I yawned.
Another day, almost gone. School just ended--it was 3'oclock. I turned around and noticed Kai, who was dozing quietly in his desk, his hair a mess.

"Psst. Kai." I tried to stir him. "School just ended...you should wake up now!" I started to shake him.

"AUGH!" Kai jumped to his feet, his eyes wide. "Oh, it's just you..." He sighed. "Couldn't you have let me sleep a bit longer?" Kai suddenly looked at his watch. "Oh my goodness, actually it's good you woke me up! I'm almost late for the Art Committee Meeting.  Do me a favor, Hyo?" He cocked his head to the side, his soft brown hair brushing his face. 

"Yeah, what is it?" I bit my lips, hoping it wasn't anything too big. Last time Kai asked me to climb a tree to get his paintbrush he dropped from the third floor.

"Can you get my portfolio? I think I left it on my desk. It should be in my art room, though. Just don't touch anything else." Kai suddenly became serious, his eyes looking downward at me. "Promise."

"...I promise." I started to walk out of the classroom. "Does that mean I can finally see the painting that you've done? You've never shown me the one you've been working on for the past few weeks!" It was so unusual for Kai to exclude me from his gallery. 

However, instead of an answer, he stepped out of the room. He probably didn't hear me.

I stepped into the Art Room. Kai had his little portion of the classroom to himself; the left corner of the room. I stared at the art he created, lightly smoothing the delicate papers in my hand. The explosion of colors, the vast expressiveness of the work--that was so Kai of him to do. Gently smiling, I reach down, find the portfolio he wanted me to get, and picked it up.

CRACK!

Something huge sounded--and caught me off guard. I tripped forward, and while trying to steady myself, grab the nearest thing I could. A cloth, covering a huge canvas. Pulling the white cover off the canvas, I hardly notice the work underneath it. 

My head hurt, my arm hurt. I rubbed my head, slowly getting off the ground. 

And that's when I saw it. 
A picture. Of me. Under the beautiful sakura trees. My hair, blowing to the rhythm of the wind, my eyes two glassy sparkling stones.

But it wasn't the picture that shocked me. It was the words underneath it that did.
 

"Hyo, ever since we met on the train 10 years ago, you have been the only person out there who sincerely cares about me. And I appreciate that. You've always been there for me; at the times where I was at my weakest. You were always here to cheer me on.

I've been through so much. So. Much. My family--my friends--my past. You know all that, but you still care for me. I won't even ask why--or how. I don't even deserve all this...or anything. But can you allow me at least one thing? Can you allow me to keep looking at you, to see how you are? To continue you love you even from the sidelines? I know you think me as a friend. But I can't help but love you..."