✒ Chapter 50 : Remember those memories?

One month later...

"I wanna eat white chocolate" Ethan said while clinging unto Center's arms. The two of them were sitting on the sofa while looking out for Rei. Khein had to go home to tell his mother about Rei's condition.

"Sure, how many bars do you want?" Center asked Ethan, looking inlove. Rei just watched the two flirting with each other in front of him.

"Hey Ethan baby, since when did you became so shameless?" Rei scoffed and smirked. Both Center and Ethan laughed as they remembered how Rei said the question exactly as Khein.

"Now you even start to think and talk similarly with Khein." Ethan said and smiled. Rei felt dizzy and the tiny red spots on his skin multpied evenly. Center would badmouth him just for a little bonding and didn't mean it in a rude way. He just wanted to maintain the small fights he had with Rei for fun and memories. The two would just laugh it off and it often ended up with Center taking care of Rei some other time.

AT HOME

"Honey, how's Rei?" Khein's mom asked him. Khein replied with a bitter smile. He looked at his mother and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"Mom, please tell the teachers that I won't be going to school for awhile. I will be with Rei 24/7 and I'll be home very often. Mom, please cook nutritious food for Rei at least everyday. And also-"

"Honey" Khein's mother's word interrupted him from talking.

"I understand that Rei is the only person you see as your true friend. I know you'd been around him most of the time. I assumed that he is the closest person to you. But hon, do you really have to go this far for the sake of a friend? Please don't drop school. I won't stop you from visiting him everyday and I'll come with you if I have time. But please don't stop going to sch-"

"He is dying." Khein said while looking at his mother's eyes. Khein's mom saw those dead eyes reflecting on his son.

"What would you do if I tell you that I'm doing all these because I'm inlove with him?" Khein asked. His lips twitched as he saw the reaction of his mother. He knew it would be useless to hide it from her if she wouldn't approve his decision.

"Mom, he's dying and I love him. School can wait but he can't. He's getting weaker and weaker everyday. I want to make the last moment of his life the happiest. Mom, please, I'll never demand for anything starting from now on. Please, allow me this time." Khein begged as he hugged his mother tightly. His face burried under his mother's shoulder while feeling the comfortable carress on his head.

"I understand, honey. Okay, okay, we'll do it your way. I'll talk with the school. I'll definitely cook for Rei. You must be missing him already, why don't you go back there now?" Khein's mom said with a gentle voice. Khein knew that he had such a great mother for giving him uconditional love and accepting him for who he is.

Khein headed towards the hospital and saw Rain sitting on the bench outside Rei's room.

"Rain? Why are you here? Why don't we get inside?" Khein asked with a forced smile as he held the door knob.

"I don't want to get inside for now. I can't take it." Rain said and bowed his head. He looked exhausted and depressed. Khein twitched the side of his lips and opened the door, only to see Rei kissing Ethan's hand. Center on the other hand was leaning against the wall, frowning.

"What's going on here?" Khein asked. Confused as he saw Rei devotedly kissing Ethan's back of the hand, Khein pulled Ethan's hand away from Rei gently.

"He was having an odd behavior since you left. He kept looking for you and won't calm down. I tried to persuade him that you're on your way. Then, he started calling me by your name." Ethan said and Center immediately held his lover's arm. Khein looked at Rei as he sat on the bed. He smiled at Rei who was now frowning at him like a child having a tantrum for not giving him the toy he wanted.

"I'm right here, baby" Khein said and carressed Rei's face. Rei got mad and slapped Khein's hand with all his strength, yet weak enough. He looked confused as he stared at Khein and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

Khein smiled bitterly and said, "It's Kheiny."

Rei frowned as he looked at Khein with disgust, "You're not Kheiny. Kheiny's right there" pointing Ethan. Khein nodded at Center for them to leave first. Rei started to panic when Ethan walked away, Khein immediately stopped him from struggling.

"Kheiny! Kheiny! Where are you going?! You said you're not gonna leave me again! Kheiny!" Rei's cracked voice broke Khein's heart. He was hugging Rei who was desperately begging Ethan to stay.

"He's not going to leave you. Kheiny's not going to leave you. He'll just buy you white chocolate. Khein's never leaving you." Khein said while rubbing the back of Rei smoothly. Rei calmed down a bit and it took longer for him to recognize Khein. Khein was rubbing Rei's hand with soft towel sealed in warm water.

"How are you feeling, baby?" Khein asked. Rei looked at him, eyes filled with affection.

"Kheiny, what happened to me earlier?" Rei asked and carressed Khein's tired face.

"You've mistaken Ethan as me. Center was really jealous when he saw you kissing his boyfriend's hand." Khein pouted. Rei chuckled as he could not recall what he had just done.

"And I'm jealous too." Khein said and bowed his head. He decided to lift up his head or his tears might fall again. Khein remembered what the doctor told them: When a person is dying, it's common to have confusion about time, place and identy of people, that includes family members and close friends.

Khein sighed and remembered what his friend Kyle said to him once when the guy was broken hearted.

"Kheinbabe, when you're inlove and confident enough that the person is already the one you want to spend your life with, and then suddenly, she's starting to get away from you. You suddenly feel that she doesn't love you anymore, you'll probably look back to the times where you used to be so happy alongside with each other. You'll began to savor the moments you shared once."

He remembered Kyle smiling bitterly at him while saying, "The moment you start to look back and miss those times is the moment that you began to feel that the person isn't really capable of maintining his levelness of love for you. Then, you'll realize, she wasn't really meant for you."

Khein sighed and thought, 'I can't believe I'm remembering every little thing you did to me in the past right now'

"Kheiny, I'm starting to forget the times I wanted to remember forever when I'm with you. Can you start recalling them for me every single day? I'm scared I'll forget about everything." Rei asked and patted Khein's head softly. Khein chuckled bitterly and bit his bottom lip. He looked at Rei and said, "Sure"

"Remember those memories? When we were..."