Between the lines

Part 1

Krist braves through the rush hour, walking briskly through the crowd and into the MRT carriage moments before it closes.

His legs shakes nervously while holding unto the overhead hand grips and his other hand pushes up the headphones from around his neck and let the loud music drowns the chatters around him and at the same time lulled the loud thrumming of his heartbeats.

It's been awhile since they met.

Well, he looks as good as ever with easy smiles and bright eyes and Krist scoffed with the unfairness of the whole thing. How is it possible for Singto to be happy when he broke Krists heart months ago. But the irony is why do krist agrees to meet him up, at the very place they have had their first date.

He can't tell whether it's because of his pride or he had hoped to a certain extent, if singto as miserable or regretful as him and that a tiny part of him wants, wishes in fact that they could start over.

"You look great." Singto said while he took a sip of his beer. "So, what you been up to?" he crosses his legs, and leans into his seat.

"Nothing much. Same 'ol same 'ol. I'm interning at this small marketing firm. About 2 months ago." Krist sniffed, took a bite into his burger before asking the same about Singto. He ignores the pang in his chest as Singto turns down the face of his phone when it lights up with new LINE messages.

He pretends that his heart didn't throbs painfully or the drop in his stomach when he scrolled through Singto IG earlier, smiling and grinning with his friends and going for trips all without Krist. He didn't expect that it was easy for Singto to moves on.

"Why did you call me out today?" Krist finally asked, the cafe quieten down towards midnight.

"I wanted to see you." "You've been ignoring my calls, my LINE messages, and -" Singto breathes, eyes darting towards a couple huddled together at the bar.

"Are you joking with me?" What do you expect me to say then,P'?" Krist snapped, eyes turn to slits and face contorts in anger.

Krist hands folded in lap balled into a fist, "You can't just expect me to be fine. For fuck sake, it's only been 4 months. I still need -" softly then, deflated with how the break up still weighs him down.

Singto gave him a wry smile before adding, "Time?".

Krist flicked a finger to his half emptied glass, "Are you happier now? More than you were ever with me?" He asked, face went blank though his gaze gives it away.

Singto knows that look, the deep pain as if krist whole world is crumbling around him. Singto has seen it before, and it felt as if he was gutted with a dull knife, and suddenly he's back to that night when he carelessly said things that he hadn't meant to and effectively breaking both of their hearts.The guilt continues chipping away at his conscience.

Singto bit his lips lightly before straightening his shoulder, and explains "You want to know why we broke up? It's not that we stop loving each other, hell i still care 'bout you but it's just not working out." Singto eyes flickers to Krist, he swallows. "I realize one day, that both of us want different things, we stop listening and we fight and then we just stop talking to each other."

Krist interrupts, "It happens alot, didn't it?. The fighting and we just can't stop. We even fought over the littlest things." He murmurs, "Sometimes i can't even remember what we were fighting about."

Singto offers a small smile, " but we always made up in the end. Until we can't anymore."

Krist sigh. His eyes shine. "I did seen it coming. The break up. We were just circling around it for weeks. But it doesn't make it hurt less, back then or even now."

Singto closes his eyes and bites down the urge to reaches out his hand for Krist's. He hurts both of them, to last for a lifetime but then Krist leans over the table and encircling Singto hand with his, instead.

Krist took a breath, suddenly finding the strength to say it. " i don't want us to be friends, that's for sure." Singto laughs at that, humorless but Krist continues with " - because i am still very much in love with you. I can't pretend that what we have for the past 3 years is ending."

Krist tilts his head, gives a little smile. "- and because you are the very best thing that ever happen to me. I can't promise that it will be better this time around but please give us another chance."

Singto blinks at him, does not reply immediately before his handsome face lights up and finally a grin breaking out from his face. " Yeah. I would like that".