Chapter 23: Out Of The Woods.

Kai

Meeting each other... it was so beautifully planned, and I never realized that it had been the greatest plan ever being made for me. I made some journey all alone. But when you tried prying into my journey like that rebel you are, I fall into defeat. Not because I'm not willing to put up a fight against you but because I feel you're the change I needed.

Falling in love with each other... those time when I can't decide if I hate you or I like you. I come to be so annoyed with you when we first met - your rascal attitude made me not just annoyed by your presence but came to be obsessed with you. With the way you gave your attention towards me, I didn't understand that. I thought I hated that. But it came to know that I was falling into so many holes of loving you that it came to be a permanent fall.

Growing up together.... time flies, and it is as magical but nonetheless very much sceptical. In times when I hate, I felt insecure and anxious about our relationship, you'd seem to come to make me feel that if a boulder came into our way... you'd lead me to dodge the obstacle and make it all better again. Growing up to learn that you'd be there for me, and I'd be there for you. Knowing each other and wear each other's initial like it's the trophy of our hearts.

I spent these past years like that. What about you?

I have been thinking... while sitting in the kitchen - my fingers tapping onto the marble counter table. I have been thinking about telling Stan the truth about our relationship. The whole truth. It was a stupid intention of mine to keep him here for too long. He needs to go back, and I need to move on. All I knew is the memories of him are haunting me, and it will still after.

The heart that I would be breaking the most would be my own.

Sounds of the door opening and closing indicate the return of the man I have been waiting for more than hours. I skipped work even if it would cost me my whole career. But fuck that.

He walks inside with some plastic bags in his hands - some vegetables and raw meat in plastic wrappings can be seen through them. He said he would cook for us tonight... and it was around four in the evening. I can't bear to look at his happy smile when he comes into the kitchen then smile even more when he saw me sitting there with my hand covering my mouth.

"Kai? You're back early," He grinned, putting the grocery bags onto the counter table. My legs began to move up and down quickly - agitated but at the same time scared. "Yeah... had some few works at the office...," I lied, standing up to lean beside the counter.

"Yeah? Well then, I better get cooking then. Wanna help?" He offered, putting out the items he bought.

I can't hold this much longer.

Ignoring his question... I began with a grave face. "Stan... I have something to tell you," When my words pierced into his ears, he stops what he was doing and turns to me with a waiting and surprised look.

When I didn't say anything and continued to stare at him with the same solemn expression, he blinked his eyes. "Oh...? Look like it's something important,"

"Yes... it is something important," I agreed, my hands were sweating excessively and all the heat that began to cover up my whole body starts to become into that state of a boiling pot. He began to walk towards me, taking my hand and feeling the nervousness that I wear then he moves up to my arm then ending cupping my cheek into his big palm.

"What's the matter? Did something bad happen at work?" asked the man with a worried timbre. But I didn't answer him. Instead, I charge straight into the battlefield without considering the enemy in front, the enemy in hiding on my both sides and the enemy that was chasing me from behind. Into the valley of death just like the light brigade, I go without any doubt at all.

"We broke up,"

The statement made his pupils constricted, and I could see how shocked he was. How all the leaves he described falls down into a much more witted way. The man back away from me, scared and almost clueless to what he was hearing. Even his hand starts to shake and is uncertain whether he wants to touch me or not.

"What did you say?" He asked, trying to sound calm.

"A month ago... before you came here. We broke up,"

Then he started to back away further. "What's with that... so suddenly...," Waves of emotions from sadness to confusion began to cover his face. A look of unbelief became so strong that he had to asked me again. That he had to confirmed what he had listened. Because to him, it felt like the greatest story ever made.

"You're just joking, right?" There was so much hurt coming from just a simple sentence, and it couldn't be broken more.

"Kai... please... you're joking, right?"

If I was joking... I wouldn't even try to tell you this from the first place. I wouldn't even dare to even tell you because I know it would hurt you so bad! It's cruel... it's so cruel...

When I didn't reply to him, anger was now written on his handsome face. "Why didn't you say anything?! Why aren't you saying anything?! You....?!" He paused, trying to recollect himself in the more calming way ever, but it wasn't working. It was beginning to grow worse.

"Were you having fun watching how clueless I was?!" He bellowed, clenching his hand into the hardest fist that was shaking uncontrollably yet could break through a wall. "Were you happy getting back at me for what I have done to you years ago?!"

"What? Don't be ridiculous! I'm not trying to do that!" I yelled back. I never even thought of getting revenge towards you. Not only that, but I couldn't. "How am I supposed to tell you in this kind of situation?! Where would you go then?! Run to nowhere?!" I continued.

I wanted to tell him... to explain to him why we break up but with how we were arguing right now, how could I? There was so much truth to be told and only one could get out at this moment.

"I'd rather stay with one of my friends!" He snapped, his eyes starting to get redder and redder and pools of tears were hanging at the corner of his eyes - trying to rush out like those poignant waterfalls. "You know what? If you hate me that much for staying here, then I would rather die than ever set a foot in here! Why are you so heartless? Why...?" He cried. Tears were running, feelings are broken, but I just stood there watching him with nothing on my face.

"Why would you make me this miserable...?" He mumbled.

I tried to speak. I tried to tell him that it wasn't my purpose to do so.

"Why were you telling me this now, huh?! So that I'll get out of this fucking house?" He added, which then had me snap out of my silent daze - my freaking haze of what I know was blurring the image of what I see in front of me.

"No! I...," I started, denying all of his remarks. "I thought... letting you know that we broke up will let you go back to your timeline...,"

He frowns. "What are you talking about?" Now he started to become curious why I said that. The disoriented look I wore had him to touch my hand back again.

"It's been a month since our last contact with the present you. What... W- What if," I paused, lips quivering in fear to even think of his face being in that state of permanent unconsciousness. "What if he didn't go back to the past...,"

"Kai?"

I hate to think that he was lying in that deathbed. It's just I can't... I don't want to think of him like that. He can't be. My mind became a swirling ocean vortex that had me terrified if he was... if he was dead and that I was coming back and forth to him with all of our memories.

I reach to grab his hand, bring myself closer to him with wide eyes fuelled panicked and fearful. "What if something happened to him?!" I stare into his eyes, trying to search for any security but all I see was the same expression he wore as mine. I had to do something. And if telling him that we broke up didn't make him go back... then he must be here.

"I need to go and find him!" I scrambled off. The adrenaline I had in my veins was pumping blood in an inconsistent manner that somehow I felt dizzy. How stupid was I to not go and find for him? How I thought that maybe calling him a dozen times of texting him would make him say he's fine... he didn't even reply to my messages.

It didn't matter if he answered or not. All I know is that I am on pins and needles about him.

- - -

Hey!! If you observed carefully, the name of this chapter had been out there before this chapter came out, written as the name of three other chapters before. Could you guess what chapters they are?