𝐄𝐔𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 ★彡[xɪᴀᴏ, ᴋᴀᴢᴜʜᴀ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇɪᴢᴏᴜ​]彡★

𝗫𝗜𝗔𝗢'𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗘 - 𝗖𝗛𝗫𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟱

You walked down the street hand-in-hand, the warmth of his palm spreading through your body and filling you with nostalgia. When you were children, you had held hands all the time, yet somehow it felt different now that you had grown older.

    Unfortunately, the walk home wasn't very long, so you reached the house you lived in before either of you could form the courage to speak.

    "Thank you," you smiled, pulling your hand away from his somewhat reluctantly. "You really didn't have to do this, though."

    "No, I did it because I wanted to," Xiao mumbled. "It's nice, being able to spend time together with just the two of us. It reminds me of the past."

    "Yeah, it really does, doesn't it?" you nodded. "I miss when our lives were so carefree. Now you're such a big star and I'm completely swamped in work. Sometimes it can make me feel a little isolated..." Your eyes widened as you realized what you had just admitted, and you turned around to make a desperate break for your house to avoid the embarrassment.

    Xiao's hand caught your wrist once more, his amber eyes flaring with sincerity. "It's my duty to protect you, I would never leave you behind. If my idol job makes you lonely, then I will try my best to quit."

    "Huh? Nonono, don't do that." Shaking his hand off, you glared at him. "You've worked so hard to be an idol. How could you even suggest just throwing it all away for me? That sort of thing would make both of us miserable."

    "You're right," he glanced downwards, "I'm sorry. I spoke too brashly."

    He really didn't get it.

    "I'm not angry," you reassured him, feeling guilty. "I didn't mean for it to come off that way. Honestly, I'm just being childish, and I'll get over it soon enough."

    You gave him your best smile, although somewhat disingenuous, and headed inside.

    Xiao stared after you with eyes full of indescribable regret. No. She doesn't understand. To me, she's the one I've always...

    It was cold. He shivered under the cold light of the streetlight, left alone in the darkness. He wore a black hoodie that concealed his body, curled up into a ball with his head buried deep into his knees. To any passerbys, he looked like a creep. After all, who would mope alone on a cold winter night?

    Everyone either shot him looks or ignored him entirely, even though he couldn't see it, he could feel their gazes boring into his skin. Digging through his flesh like nails, they judged him eternally.

    Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. The boy's head shot up to see who had dared to confront a random suspicious stranger, but it was none other than a little girl around the same age as him. Her warm, gentle eyes seemed to probe into his soul, seeing through his angst, his pent-up anger, and his self-hatred.

    "Are you alright? You're shivering," she spoke, her sweet voice ringing through his ears like a bell.

    Oh. He hadn't even realized that he had been shaking. Turning his gaze away, he tried to reject her kindness. It was most likely a falsity, a stupid dare enforced on her by one of her friends. There was no one who would have the gaul to approach a kid all alone in a hoodie on a cold winter night. That's right, no one would. No one would.

    "Uhm, I'm not really sure if this will help," she placed the drink she was holding down, "but it tastes nice and sweet. It's iced tea! O-oops, I'm sorry if I'm being a nuisance."
    When the boy met her gaze again, he saw that in her eyes there was nothing but sincerity and concern. He felt a small breath leave his mouth as he was overcome with sadness.

    "Oh my gosh!" she began to panic as tears started to fall down my face. "I'm sorry, do you not like iced tea? Is there anything else I can get you? I think I have an extra buck on me somewhere..."

    The boy shook his head and grabbed the bottle of iced tea. It was cold against his palm, but somehow it was the warmest thing he had experienced in his whole life. "No. It's fine."
   

He said nothing more than that, and yet her face brightened up instantly. "I'm glad! Do you need to go someplace warm? I can see if my parents will let me take you to their home if you'd like. They wouldn't mind-"

    "No!" his refusal was harsh and abrupt, louder than intended. "I don't want to go. I can't go. I..." His voice trailed off. 'Monster!' 'Monster!' The shouts of his parents rang through his mind. His existence was a curse. Tainting this innocent girl with his evil personality would be atrocious. "I'm a monster. You should leave."

    "A monster?" the girl's face turned stern. "You look nothing like a monster! If you were one, I'm sure you wouldn't have accepted the iced tea!"

    What a flimsy reason. The boy let a bitter smile fall over his face. "Why are you even talking to me? Do you feel sorry for me, that I'm all out in the cold by myself?"

    She shook her head. "You seemed lonely, and I know what it's like to feel that way." A flicker passed through the girl's eyes, but it was gone just as quick as it came. "So please, at least accept this." She pulled the scarf around her neck and placed it over his shoulders. "I know there isn't much that I can do since we don't know each other, but everything's going to be okay-at least, I think that's what I'm supposed to say..." The girl looked conflicted for a moment, before she stepped away from him, the warmth of her presence leaving his. "Well, if we ever meet again, my name's (Y/n). Maybe then we could get an iced tea together when you're feeling a little better!"

     She gave one final wave before running over to what looked like her father. He gave her a stern expression, but the boy hardly noticed. He stared blankly at the iced tea in his hands as a small blossom sprouted in his otherwise melancholy heart.

Xiao smiled at the memory. When he had met her again, he had become friends with her without her knowing that he was the kid she had given the iced tea to. In fact, Xiao was positive that she probably had forgotten all about it.     She was the first person to show me kindness.

    He had to protect her.

    It was his duty.

    No, more than that...

    It was his heart's wish.

    Maybe one day, she would realize that the specific iced tea he asked for every day was the one she had given to him that snowy night. One day...

And so, Xiao's feelings are finally explained...

Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been busy and for some reason just failed to get the motivation to finish this chapter. Now that I think about it, this route will probably only take up around thirteen chapters worth of plot, but there will probably be some fluff in between. This might be the shortest route because the plotline is the most simple out of all of them. Hope you all are doing well, and thank you so much for almost 10K reads!! I love all of you, mwah<33