"hey venti. how are you? it's been months since i last came to visit. hope you didn't miss me."
after confirming with the kid that the venti she talked about was his venti , he visited his grave , every single week. then every single month. as time went by , he got busier , and busier. he picked up music , just as venti had encouraged him to a long time ago. however, xiao never went on dates, or had a relationship.
because his heart only had him.
venti had died around 3 years ago. xiao assumed that he'd been wandering around , and being attracted to music , just as he was younger , was able to appear infront of xiao. he had spent that time getting to know him. and he figured out that was the reason why he wouldn't hold hands , or let any physical contact happen.
this was also the reason why venti couldn't love him back.
tracing the 2019 on his grave , he sighs as he continues to talk.
"hey , i had a collaboration with barbara the other day. our music styles are so..different , y'know? it turned out well. i miss you."
_ 5 years later , october 15,2023_
"hey venti.. how are you? i brought flowers.. can i tell you something?"
xiao slowly places the flowers into the vase , staring at the gravestone.
"i'm dying. i don't know how, or why. the doctors don't know as well. i'll be bedridden starting next week, so this is my last visit. i also brought my guitar.. one last song , okay?"
"I pulled you close, just to let you go
We built our love, just to watch it fall
You gave me joy, now I feel nothing at all
Is my heart made of stone, or are we drifting apart?
The sting of October snow, of October snow
Is drifting down into my bones, oh my bones
In your heart I built my home, oh my home
I should've known, yeah I should've known, I'd let you go
I'd let you go .
I pulled you close, just to let you go
We built our love, just to watch it fall
You gave me joy, now I feel nothing at all
Is my heart made of stone, or are we drifting apart?
The sting of October snow, of October snow
Is drifting down into my bones, oh my bones
In your heart I built my home, oh my home
I should've known, yeah I should've known, I'd let you go
I'd let you go"
" hey venti , you wanna realize what i discovered about love ?"
"you don't stop ever , even if people call you crazy , even then , especially then. you don't give up. because if i give up ,if i could just take the whole worlds advice , and move on and find someone else , that wouldn't be love. that would just be , some other disposable thing.. not worth fighting for."
wiping his tears away , he speaks up again , trembling.
" can i ask you something? one last thing? "
"why did you decide to appear ? why did you let me fall in love with you?"
suddenly , it starts snowing . the occurrence of snow in october is rare , so as snow starts falling , xiao looks up and closes his eyes. smiling to himself , he chuckles quietly.
"its snowing. october snow. hah. ironic , isn't it?"
" i best get going. i can't stay out any longer. venti? when i take my last breath , you better be by my side. i love you."
