New Life : A Second Chance

"Team Zero?" Kyle repeated, still reeling in from the surprise.

"Yes. You know, your so-called Elite Team. I mean, yeah, they are your Elite Team but it's so obvious that they're much more than what you said they were," Xing Han replied.

Kyle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at Xing Han seriously and those dark hazel eyes stared back at him, unperturbed.

"Not here," Kyle said finally as he called for the bill.

Xing Han watched as Kyle paid the bill, feeling excited as he thought of what Kyle would be telling him. This had been something he had been wondering about ever since the lift accident, but he never had the guts to ask.

BFF or not, there were things he knew Kyle didn't tell him. That wasn't such a big deal since being BFFs didn't mean one needed to share every single thing. He figured that Kyle would tell him one day but honestly, as time went on ... he was slowly losing that confidence.

Perhaps the doubt began when Sam became Kyle's PA. The more Sam worked with him, the more there seemed to be this 'secret communication' and connection between the two that Xing Han couldn't understand. Or be a part of.

It ate up at him slowly and his desire to be by Kyle's side intensified.

He felt like he was slowly losing ground as Kyle's BFF. No, not so much losing ground but that Kyle was slowly drifting away from him. Kyle was already improving so fast that it felt like he had strapped himself on a rocket and was zooming away; while he, Xing Han, was struggling to catch up.

Xing Han wasn't a fool.

He knew comparing himself to Kyle was simply asking for trouble. He could use Kyle as a benchmark, and as a person to strive to be - but not as one to beat. People may think lowly of him for thinking that, but Xing Han was a realist. No matter how hard he worked, he wouldn't be able to catch up.

He is who he is. He is not Kyle. He will pave his own path, his own way. He will be the best in what he does so that he can stand beside Kyle with pride (though he knew Kyle would never look down on him, no matter what).

However, this wasn't about being successful.

This was about the bond that they shared. The more he realised that Kyle was keeping things from him, the more he felt like he was losing his friend. No, losing his BFF.

They would always be friends, but he was deathly afraid of losing Kyle as his BFF. People change, right? People drift apart, right? People get busy and lose touch, right?

Xing Han never wanted that to ever happen. So when Kyle finally popped the question and showed his willingness to share, Xing Han pounced on it.

Why waste this opportunity, right?

Right now, as he followed Kyle out of the restaurant, he could see that Kyle wasn't being the normal 'Kyle'. He wasn't carefree and playful, but was actually serious. Almost as serious as when he was working. The whole atmosphere appeared heavy.

Xing Han couldn't help feeling extremely nervous, his heart beating rapidly.

Kyle, who was walking ahead, was thinking hard about what to say and how to bring the matter up. He had been so engrossed in that, that he failed to realise how it affected Xing Han - whose steps were getting slower and slower as he trudged behind Kyle.

The normally bright Xing Han couldn't find the strength to fight the negative thoughts that were starting to fill his mind. Watching Kyle walk off in front of him, oblivious to his surroundings - which included him, Xing Han - made his fear become real. It looked as if Kyle was, literally, walking away from his Life.

Just then, Kyle stopped, looked about and turned around. When he saw how far Xing Han was, he frowned.

"Why are you all the way over there? Come on, Xing Han," Kyle called out.

Just those words made the clouds over Xing Han blow away. With a huge grin and a shout, Xing Han bounced over and glomped Kyle.

Kyle's heart went out to Xing Han, for this sudden display of affection. True, Xing Han was always the affectionate type but this was different. When he had turned and seen Xing Han just now, there had been this indescribable sadness within his eyes that just hit Kyle in a way that the Kylie in him rose up.

The words were Kyle's, though. If Kylie had taken over, he would have gone over to Xing Han and start consoling him like a little kid. That wouldn't do.

Right now, the way Xing Han was hugging him, it felt like Xing Han was afraid of letting him go. As if, he would disappear? So, Kyle hugged him back, squeezing him tightly as he let Xing Han settle down. He didn't care that people were staring at them as they walked by, some laughing - though most were in disdain.

If two girls were hugging tightly in public, no one would bat an eyelid. Guys, however, weren't allowed. To show any sort of affection - worse, to do so in public - was akin to 'social death'. Kyle found that so toxic. Right now, Xing Han needed him so the public be damned.

After a few minutes, Xing Han finally let go. Kyle didn't say a word but simply smiled, turned and bumped his shoulder with Xing Han's and said, "Let's go back to the hotel."

✿ Hotel ✿

Xing Han just sat there on the couch, frozen.

His mind was reeling with the insane thing Kyle had told him. MIB? Sam was part of it as well? The whole secret organisation was that big?

He looked at Kyle with wild eyes, who was looking at him calmly. Xing Han tilted his head as he looked at Kyle, who appeared as if he was waiting for something.

A reaction of some sort perhaps? Denial? Rejection? Xing Han had no idea. All of that wasn't important.

The moment he heard that Kyle had created this MIB, his heart just ached.

Putting aside the fact that a 4-year-old actually would think of such an organisation, what exactly could have been the reason to push one to do so? Xing Han had a feeling that it wasn't as simple as 'protecting the Smith' and his heart just ached thinking about it.

"Why?" he asked worriedly.