Be With Me

Chapter 23

Kelvin woke up bright and early, feeling full of life as he got ready for the day. After saying his goodbyes to his family, he immediately went out to visit Leslie.

"How's your ankle?"

"It's fine. I'm recovering fast, Kel. You don't have to worry."

"I see. That's great. Uhm… Les, I have something to tell you…" Kelvin said with hesitation while looking down on the floor, afraid to looked at his friend's face.

Leslie frowned, confused with her friend's actions. "Hmm? What is it?"

"I'm… I'm going to live with Cris Yoon."

Leslie choked. "C-cough..W-what?! What the hell, Kel! What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry for telling you just now."

"Kelvin, look… why… why? Why do you need to live with him?!"

"Kelvin requires his lovers to live with him."

"Oh my god!! What nonsense is that?! Did he mistake dating as marriage?!"

"Leslie… I know it's outrageous. I know why you're worried. But this is my choice. I am going to live with him for a month."

Leslie was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She knew Kelvin never joked about these things and she knew her friend was deadly serious and determined from the sound of his voice. But no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't comprehend why. She held Kelvin's hands and knelt before him, with worry clearly written on her face.

"Kelvin, listen to me. I don't know why you suddenly decided this but this is too sudden. D-did Cris Yoon do something to force you?"

Kelvin shook his head and then his face became more serious than before. Kelvin knew he had no choice now but to tell Leslie about his illness. He had hidden this from her for years because he didn't want his friend to look at him with pity, like everyone else. Kelvin wanted Leslie to treat him just the same and he didn't want his friend to worry about him. But now, Kelvin had no choice but to tell her the truth.

"Leslie… I'm sorry that I hid this from you for so many years. I… I tried many times to tell you but I'm always scared. I'm always been a coward until I met Cris Yoon. When I met him, I suddenly became daring. It was as if I became braver since that night I encountered him. I was afraid to tell you because I don't want you to worry about me. And I didn't want you to treat me differently once you found out about my condition."

"Kelvin… what are you saying? What condition?"

"Leslie … I'm sick. I was diagnosed with the same illness that killed my mother. And… and my time is running out."

"Kel… you're lying. H-how could that be? You're healthy and…" she bit her lips. She suddenly remembered all those times when Kelvin had to go and visit the hospital. This was a total bombshell being dropped on her lap right now. And she's having a hard time accepting it.

"That..that couldn't be... please tell me you're just joking. Please!"

"I'm sorry for hiding this from you, Leslie… But I'm not joking. Everything I said is the truth. Please forgive me."

Leslie was silent for a while and she felt like her world is crumbling down. Leslie's tears started to fall like rain. She couldn't believe that her friend had kept this life changing news from her!

She didn't know how to feel or react at the thought that she could be losing her best friend soon. She was utterly devastated. Why? Why did it have to be Kelvin? There are so many bad people in this world. So why did it have to be her? This nice angel? Was it really true that… that nice people were always the first to…

It took a long while, but Leslie was able to calm down. She was still hurt that Kelvin didn't tell her earlier but knowing the kind of guy her friend was, she knew that his reason was pure and he was just thinking about her.

"So this is why you're suddenly determined to experience the things you never experienced before?"

Kelvin nodded and Leslie felt like crying again. Kel was the nicest guy she had ever met. He's the kind of guy who shone like the sun and could infect everyone around him with his enthusiasm and kindness. And yet, this young man was actually sick and running out of time? Leslie couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"And… because you want to experience everything, you agreed with everything that Cris Yoon said?"

"The truth is, Cris kept refusing me. He tried to scare me away many times, telling me that he wasn't the one for me but… Les, he's the only man I have ever wanted. I want to experience how it feels to fall in love. That is my only wish before I… I know I sound crazy but this is my choice, Leslie. Don't worry, I know Cris won't hurt me… physically."

"You know you'll get hurt… emotionally?"

"Mm… I at least know that falling in love isn't just sunshine and unicorns. But I still want to experience it," he smiled and Leslie can feel her heart clenching. God, why did you have to do this to him.. She’s cursing Kelvin's unfair fate but she knew the only thing she could do for him is to support him.

"Fine… so I presume you told your family that you'll be living with me for a month?"

Kelvin nodded.

"Sigh… I don't know what to feel right now, Kel. You're messing with my emotions."

"I know. I'm sorry…"

"So? When will you go to Cris Yoon's place?"

"Umm.... Now."

Leslie gasped. "Kel!" she wailed.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to waste any more of the little time I have left."

Leslie was speechless.

"I'm sorry. Please let me be selfish and unreasonable just for a month, okay?"

Leslie could only sigh. No one ever made her so emotional like this before. It was painful but she knew Kelvin had been secretly suffering for so many years.

"Fine… you know I can't resist you. You just have to promise me one thing. Please make sure to take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will, don't worry. I'll call you lots and actually, I will still go to work and I'm also planning on going back home on weekends."

"As you should!"

"Mm. I'll come visit you in the morning before I go to work."

"Geesh Kel… I… just take care, that's all I can say."

"I will. But can you do me another favor? Can you please not tell anyone about me being sick? I don't want anyone else to know, okay? Promise me."

Leslie agreed and after a long hugging and coaxing session, the two finally parted.

Of course, the first thing Leslie did once Kelvin left was to call the damned prince to make sure that Cris Yoon was not going to harm her best friend while he lived in his house.

When Kelvin finally stopped in front of a huge mansion. His jaw immediately dropped as soon as he saw how big it is. He didn't know what to call it, but a house it was not! It was way more bigger than their mansion! Did idols make a lot of money?

Kelvin slowly walked towards it as he looked around. The garden in the spacious front yard wasn't that colorful; it was quite simple and the design looked like it was purposely made that way to not attract people's attention.

As Kelvin walked closer to the entrance, he felt that the huge house wasn't as simple as it looked outside. Now that he was closer, he noticed the exquisite white marble steps on the front door, and slowly took everything in. Kelvin could now see that everything, from the walls to the window to the glass, all looked like a magnificent work of art. 'What on Earth would the inside look like?!'

After pressing the bell, Kelvin held his breath while he atood by the bronze and glass double door as it creaked open. An old man in a butler suit stood before him with a smile. The butler had been told by his master when he came home this dawn that a young man named Kelvin Faustino might arrive in the mansion in the future. But he actually came just after a few hours afterwards? His master shouldn't have used the word future… it should be later, sigh.

"Good morning, Sir. Are you Mr. Kelvin Faustino?" he immediately greeted and Kelvin nodded.

"Please follow me," he then said and the moment Kelvin stepped inside, he was absolutely amazed. He never thought that the interior would actually look like this.

The white, marble floor beneath his feet seems to stretch out for miles and miles. The enormous, beautiful chandelier that welcomed him dangled elegantly from the high ceiling. The hallway had large and beautiful molded panels which looked very expensive but tasteful.

While he walked through, he also saw small receiving rooms that must have been rooms where people waited when they came to visit. Kelvin was sure that this interior was definitely like those small ancient chateaus, the kind of dwelling one expected to see in Europe. He could even bet that this house might be built in the 1800's or possibly even earlier than that.

As the butler led him further inside, the hallway opened up to a larger space, with a large staircase in the center of it. The white marble steps, the bronze handrails on either side swept grandly towards the upper floor, made Kelvin gape. He even started envisioning men in tailcoats and women in evening gowns walking up and down those stairs.

But it didn't stop there. There was another gigantic chandelier of an incredibly vast scale, far prettier and breathtaking than the first one he saw. There was also a gigantic fireplace on one side with exquisite marble mantles and mirrored panels.

Kelvin had never seen extravagance like this. Maybe in some of the parties his father and brothers went to, because they have a lot of wealthy friend's but not him. He usually just stay home.. Actually the party that Cris Yoon took him was the first party he attended in his lifetime. And that place couldn't even compare to the scale of this place! It was like comparing a mouse to an elephant. This place was built with money and prestige and the fact that everything was still in a magnificent state, despite its age, was testimony on how rich Cris Yoon was. Just imagine the cost of maintaining everything in this place!

He remembered reading something about places like this but he thought that these places didn't exist anymore in this millenia. He couldn’t help but feel like he was suddenly transported back to hundreds of years ago.

Kelvin was utterly impressed. He thought he would only see a place as beautiful as this in his imagination.

"Please wait here, Mr. Faustino. I'll tell the master that you're here." The butler led him to a sofa and Kelvin quietly sat there. He was still looking around with great curiosity and wondering. 'Why is Cris Yoon living in a place like this? Is he actually from old money, that's why he retired from the Entertainment World early? How many of them were living here? Did his entire clan live here?'

Kelvin thought about what Leslie had told him; that Cris Yoon was actually very-rich but also very-mysterious. It seemed she was right. Kelvin couldn't even imagine what was on the next two floors. This place was absolutely fit for royalty. But for some reason, Kelvin felt an odd, eerie sensation the moment he entered the house.

Time passed and Kelvin finally heard some noise coming from the grand staircase.

And then, Cris Yoon appeared. He was wearing dark toned trousers and a simple white shirt. His dark hair was tousled and he obviously looked like he just woke up and had rushed down to see him.

His eyes were wide open, obviously in shocked, while he peered down at him.

Kelvin's heart raced wildly the instant he saw him. He wasn't wearing a tailcoat or a suit but he was still so breathtaking as always, so breathtaking that Kelvin thought that he would believe him if he told him he wasn't human but actually a god or something. Because he had this aura about him that made him so incredibly mesmerizing that he was afraid he would pop out and disappear from Earth to whatever heaven he came from.

The man's shoulders dropped as he ran his fingers through his hair before putting his hands inside his pockets. Then he walked elegantly towards him.

"Kelvin… you're really unbelievable, do you know that?" he said as he stop infront of him. He looked like he couldn't believe that he was actually there. It was obvious he never expected Kelvin to come the very next day!

Kelvin told him just last night that he would think about it but he actually showed up at his house in less than 24 hours?! He was damn speechless. That was some damned fast thinking on his behalf!

"Did you even take the time to think about all the things I said to you last night? Are you in such a rush? Huh? Kelvin?"

"I-I did think about it and I'm not in a rush. It's just that… today is the first day of the month."

". . ."

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