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Love. He said, love.

Kai smiles goofily as he remembers Eden's reply earlier. The boy has already long gone back into the orphanage but Kai takes his time inside the vehicle, still not moving out of the front yard yet.

Call him cheesy, but Kei, successfully made Eden smile and feel like he had won a lottery or some kind. Not that he will be happy to receive more money as he's already rich anyway, but the feeling of victory it gives for sure is similar to this.

Eden's smile, it's so endearing. He's so cute.

Kai bangs his head on the steering wheel, still with the goofy smile of his.

God, so cute.

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Kai's acting strangely. Really strange.

Usually, Kai will throw ridiculous tantrums first and leave Eden standing alone in the field. Then, the older will sulk on the front porch of the house before glaring back at him. 

But today, Kai patiently wait for Eden at the said front porch,  sitting at one of the chairs while drinking coffee casually. Then when Kai sees him, the older will creepily smile and wave to the bewildered Eden in such a super friendly way.

Well, not that the smile is creepy. It's dazzling as always, but Kai's sudden change of attitude is what made it creepy.

These sudden changes in behaviours already happened a few days and it confuses Eden greatly. Kai will do anything that Eden asks and complete the given tasks of the day. Kai had stopped the constant rap of complaints which is quite weird in Eden's opinion.

Is it because of that day at the bookstore? Eden admits they have a good time together. But, how come someone so rude changes his attitude so fast?

What is this guy scheming? Eden curiously looks at Kai's face to try catching any odd emotions that might accidentally slip out from the handsome face as if it'll be able to give clues to whatever in the latter's mind.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Kai wonders as he rubs his right cheek, thinking that Eden might gaze at him because there's some kind of dirt stick on his adonis's face. 

Eden squints his eyes in suspicion, "You're planning something, aren't you?"

Kai laughs at the younger boy's statement and softly knocks the latter on the forehead, "What's gotten into you? Isn't this what you want? Me helping gramps?" 

Eden pouts and slowly backs away while rubbing his forehead. Then, he points his own doe eyes with his index and middle fingers, back and forth from him to the older guy, "I'm watching you." He whispers loudly in hopes the older guy heard it.

The tanned boy expression is amusing to Kai. Never thought the soft-spoken boy can cutely threaten him like this, "I'm not scheming anything. I just want to help gramps and befriend you."

Hearing the unexpected statement, Eden can't help but to shows a surprised expression, earning another laugh from Kai along the way, "Wow, you're one weird guy. First, you look like you want to murder me. Now, you want to befriend me. Don't tell me you just finish your period or something?"

Kai giggles, "I just don't want to have a bad holiday. Might as well enjoy it am I right? Gramps took my phone, I can't go anywhere, I'm penniless. So, what else can I do? I only have you to fill the time." He points out.

Eden's heart suddenly leaps out of his chest. He understands Kai doesn't mean like that, but the way he said it makes it sound like that. Calm down heart, he means as a friend. Eden glances at the older guy who's playfully smirking back at him. He silently curses for the fact that the older look like an Adonis isn't helping him at all.

"Mm. Okay, understand. We're finished for today by the way. I'm going first." Eden answers as he still shows crept out a face. Well. Whatever. He then waves his hands to Kai and turns back to the farmhouse.

"Wait!" Kai quickly grabs Eden's wrist, making the boy flinches in surprise at the sudden skin contact. Eden turns his head to look at him with a confused face.

"Accompany me. It's still 4 pm. Don't you have something fun to do here?" Kai begs, "Come on, Eden. I'm bored here." he continues before pouting.

Oh. My. God. Why does he need to pout? Didn't he realize how cute he looks when he pouts like that? Eden can feel the heat on his neck as it continues rising to his cheeks. He put his free hand to his face and let out an exhale to calm himself.

Eden, stop your delusional mind. He's 21 for God sake. You're 14.

But, should I? Eden contemplating whether to accompany this big baby or not. Eden doesn't want to deal with the complaint raps that will for sure come out later on. But on the other hand, he will see Kai every day for the next few weeks, anyway. So it's kind of inevitable as he might need to get used to hearing those raps sooner or later. Plus, he got nothing to do after this.

"Okay, what do you want to do?" Eden asks.

Noticing that Eden has agreed to accompany him makes Kai smiles wide, showing his perfect white teeth to the now blushing younger, "I heard from Gramps there's a place to see the ocean. Do you know where it is?"

A place to see the ocean? Does he mean the cliff that is not far from here? "Yeah, I know where it is. It'll only take around 20 minutes from here to there on foot. Do you want to go there?"

Kai excitedly nods at him. The way the onyx eyes sparkles makes it hard to say no. Eden just sighs and nods at him. "Alright, let's go then."

Kai immediately let out a bigger smile, making the tanned boy blush deeper. Then Eden realizes Kai's still holding onto his wrist, "are you going to let me go now?" Eden asks as he tries to suppress his beating heart. 

The older seems to realize the stagnant gesture and releases the younger's wrist with an apologetic smile, "Oops. Sorry."

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The sun was about to set as they reach the location. The once vast blue sky has now slowly turn into an orange and pink tint gradient. The waves have become darker with the sun slowly hiding at the edge of the horizon. Both of them decides to sit at a large stone near the cliff to look at the darkening scenery in front of them. Both keep quiet to comfortably enjoy the view and each other's company.

And within the silent time, Kai's mind begins to ponder, wondering why he has a sudden urge to get closer to Eden.

It's weird. Kai is not really a friendly person and doesn't like to make new friends. This is because of the way his father taught him since little. Leeches are everywhere, therefore he must be careful about choosing friends. He only has Bright and Mike as his best friend who always stands by him.

But this kid weirdly makes Kai want to open up his heart. Spilling all the bottled up emotions that already drowned him in an invisible ocean that had been numbing his heart. Eden's soft voice became one of the things he wants to hear.

Kai keeps on relieving the time where they spent together. That time when Eden sat at the bottom of the tree showed a smile to him. That time when Eden was at the bookstore and traced the old books with gentle slender fingers. The calming images of Eden somehow bring fuzzy and warm feelings to Kai's heart, making him have the urge to be closer to this soothing boy.

"My mother used to come here." Suddenly Kai broke the silence between them. The sudden one-sided conversation makes the younger looks at the older confusedly.

"I once saw this place in a picture. Gramps told me this is where my name came from." Kai explains as he continues to gaze at the ocean.

"My mother... she got pregnant with me out of wedlock," Kai starts to reminisce an old story about how his parents, "My father... he already had another woman as his wife. My current stepmother," Kai explains before pausing as the onyx eyes are briefly mesmerized by the dark waves that seem to violently hit the rocks on the seashore, "My stepmother couldn't have any children of her own due to some illness. So my father, who appeared frustrated as he wants to have a biological child, slept with my mother."

Kai's eyes look distant, reliving the story that he always heard from his stepmother's mouth. "At that time, my birth mother didn't know that he was a married man. But, when she did, she quickly left and lived here with her parents, Gramps and his late wife." The older sighs and continues telling the story, "Then, when my father heard that she's pregnant with his child, he decided to suddenly reappear in her life to fight for custody over a baby that's not even yet been born." 

The younger boy keeps silent, paying attention as the older continues to tell the story, "Eventually when I was born, she got complications, and died after giving birth to me."

"Because he is my biological father and my mother's parents couldn't afford a lawyer to fight for custody, they eventually let him have me." Kai looks at Eden, his onyx eyes show sadness, "my birth mother named me Kai so that my grandparents can look at the ocean if they miss me."

Kai takes a pause and looks back at the dark water beneath the cliff. Hypnotizes by it, his thin lips continue to let out whatever is on his mind, "Sometimes, just once, I would like to meet her. It would be nice to know how she liked as a person. To feel what it's like to have the warmth and affection of a mother. A real one." Kai says as he shifts his gaze towards the stars in the sky as if talking to his late mother who's now unreachable above the sky, "I want to get to know her. But I guess I ask for the impossible."

Eden keeps quiet as he let Kai takes the time to reminisce, silently accompanying and waiting for the older one who seems to be trying to engrave the scenery into his memory. The scenery had a special meaning after all, as it is the same one Kai's mother used to like.

"I became Kai when I came here." Kai continues and closes his eyes to inhale the salty wind as if trying to keep the taste inside his lungs.

After enjoying the abundant memory, Kai turns back at Eden with a genuine smile on his face, "The end. Thank you for listening to my story."

With his heart beating erratically and butterflies fluttering inside his stomach, Eden clears his not-itchy throat while trying to shove the odd feeling away while tearing his gaze back to the ocean, "Why are you telling me this?"

Kai shrugs as his expression quickly changes into a playful grin, "Just want to share. Figured a kid who I barely know might care."

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They silently walk back to the orphanage as Kai insists to drop Eden off first since it's quite late. They slowly walk along the side road, illuminates by a row of warm colour street lights that has a few steps distance of darkness in between them.

"So, Does your name have meaning?" Kai randomly asks out of the blue. It has been in his mind since the first time he met the pretty boy, about the meaning behind Eden's name. This is because Kai never met someone in this country named Eden before. It's quite unique, even though sounds a little too feminine for a boy.

 Eden keeps his gaze on the darkening path and walks while reminiscing the past, "It's actually pretty simple. Sister Maria named me. It is based on The Garden of Eden from the story of Adam and Eve. Do you know that story?" He asks as Kai gives a nod to answer.

"She hopes I can be a safe haven for the people around me. The time I was born, I was abandoned at the dumpster with my umbilical cord still attached to me." He explains and moves his gaze downward, looking at his moving pair of feet, "And long story short, Sister Maria found me there and eventually took me to the orphanage to raise me with the other children." He adds.

"She always told me how lucky she is to have me. Always thank God for letting me out to this world. Even though it wasn't the best scenario for someone to be born like that." Eden then turns his head towards Kai, smiling at the older, "Now, she became like a mother to me."

Eden then sighs as he continues, still with a smile on his face, "I don't have a full name. People know me as Eden. And I'm glad to have that name though. People said it suits me perfectly."

Kai thinks the way of the latter said his own name sounds so endearing. Even though at the same time, he feels pity towards the younger. But it seems, the one being pitied doesn't notices and even looks happy in the latter's own peaceful world.

As Kai silently walks alongside the boy, his mind seems to have a hard time replying to the story. For him, it seems rude to say it's okay. Because for Kai, at least he still has his family even though it is a broken one. But for Eden, the boy didn't even have the chance to have one since the start.

But even so, Kai also notices that never once has seen Eden complain about life. The boy always smiles while continue moving forward. Nobody will be able to guess that such a beautiful boy has a rough and pitiful background. Because of this, Kai suddenly felt ashamed of himself.

He's 21 years old, and a student at a prestigious university. He was given almost everything since birth. Money, power, and love, all are easily attained for someone like him. Eden however, is just a 14-year-old boy who got nothing but a simple name. The boy has no blood relatives that can be called family. Used donation books as companions.

Yet Eden seems to glow brighter than Kai.

Eden chuckles at Kai's silence, lightly nudge his shoulder to the latter as both of them stops underneath the street light. The younger boy turns his body towards the older with an endearing smile, "Don't feel bad about it. Even though my past is like this, I'm happy. I have brothers and sisters at the orphanage around me. I'm not lonely."

The cascading warm light made Eden look more beautiful than before. it mesmerized Kai, hypnotizing him and successfully trap inside Eden's charm. The fuzzy and warm feelings suddenly come back as he feels an overwhelming pulse to protect Eden's smile. 

A smile that is beautiful as a dandelion, dancing on the summer breeze.

Kai let his feelings overflow to the surface, giving him more fuel to be braver than before. He allows his heart to step in and leave all rationality behind. He then unconsciously wraps his left arm to Eden's waist to the latter closer to his embrace. Chest to chest, heart to heart. Then, Kai softly holds the younger's chin, tilting the boy's head up and brushes his thin lips towards the younger's chestnut ones.

The sudden intimate gesture made Eden freeze on his feet. This is new to him and therefore, he doesn't know what to do or how to respond. But one thing is for sure he knows that Eden has to push Kai away from him. But as his heart beats his rationality, with the butterfly on his stomach finally reaching and flocking in his heart, Eden closes his eyes.

Instead of following logic, Eden chose to follow his heart. He let Kai pulls him deeper, finally closing the distance between their lips.

And that is how Eden got his first kiss.

It was an innocent kiss. With a 21-years old handsome man. Underneath the warm street light.

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