Two tall men walked along the beach. Their shoes made contact with the golden sand. Sometimes, the waves were too bold. They bravely touched the shoes before going back to the ocean.
It was already afternoon. The sun was about to set in the west, leaving an orange tint that graced the vast sky. Some birds flew past them. They hurriedly went back to their nests in the trees.
"Hey, Jack! You haven't answered my question!" Kris called out the other man who was walking two meters in front of him.
His speedboat had been docked in the dock, and now they were heading to a certain place.
"Stop the nonsense and let's hurry to your father's house!" The tattooed man replied in a rather harsh tone.
Kris scoffed and ran a little to catch up with the other man. "Let's go to the hill first. I want to see the damage made by Professor Selena," he said as he walked past the man.
Jack looked at Kris's back in disbelief. "You crazy, Kris!" He shouted out loud.
Kris only smirked and didn't say anything to the one who just shouted. His long legs strolled on the beach before it brought him to a dense forest on the island. His tall body walked past so many big trees without hassle as if it was his own playground.
"You sure you don't want to go to your father's house directly?" Jack decided to ignore his annoyance and asked a question. The tattooed man was walking right behind the caramel-haired man.
"I'm sure," Kris answered without hesitation. "Kevin originally wanted me to bring him here to see the exploding hill, but I think his mentality is not stable enough, so I didn't let him come here. At least now I will see the hill for him."
Jack silently observed how the other man moved in front of him. 'It's all about Kevin again,' he thought bitterly.
After they walked for a while, they finally arrived at the crime scene. The police lines were surrounding the area. The police used to monitor this area after the war ended, but now they were no longer doing that for some reason. The police lines were still there, though.
Kris lowered his body to walk past the yellow police line, and Jack followed the lead behind them. The two handsome men then stopped walking to examine the crime scene.
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom The hill had collapsed because of the explosion, so now the area was almost at the same level as the surrounding ground. There were burn marks everywhere, and nothing was in the original color. The investigating team concluded that the site was caught on fire after it exploded.
Kris's brownish eyes stared blankly at the ruin. There was no way their parents could escape the tragedy. Their bodies must be destroyed by the explosion and crushed by the boulders, and then burned by the fire. It was no wonder that their corpses could not be found.
"Professor Selena Beischel indeed used a high explosive bomb," Jack commented as his eyes kept examining the area.
"Indeed," Kris beside him replied. "It seems like she didn't want to give Professor Joseph a chance to escape."
Jack silently peered at the man beside him. "Your father..." He carefully spoke again. "He could've been escaped if he wanted to. He was strong and fast enough to run away before the bomb exploded. Why do you think he didn't do that at that time?"
The taller man didn't answer right away. That question also came to his mind before, but he had never voiced it out.
"I think my father was just tired," he then answered after a few seconds. "Or maybe he already found out the truth and decided to pay for his sins. I don't know why, but I believe that my father had realized his mistake before he died. That thought alone makes me feel better."
The blonde remained silent for a moment. He was still silently gazing at the man beside him, but he said nothing. Kris looked tough and indifferent, but Jack knew that the latter was woebegone.
"Let's go to my father's house," Kris suddenly spoke again as he turned around and was ready to leave the scene. He was about to take his first step when he heard Jack speaking.
"I also believe that your father had realized his mistake before he died, Kris."
Kris was a bit stunned when he heard Jack's tender voice. It was the first time he heard such a tender voice coming out of the latter's mouth. He was a bit touched, but he didn't say anything. He just smiled a little and finally took his first step to leave the area.
Jack sighed sorrowfully and followed closely behind the taller man. The atmosphere around them suddenly turned gloomy.
They finally arrived at a house where Kris's father used to live. The house was quite far from the hill, so it wasn't affected by the explosion. The humble wooden house was still standing strong just like the last time Kris saw it with Kevin.
The tan-skinned man pushed the door and his legs moved to bring him past the doorway. Jack closely followed him without saying anything.
Kris and Jack stopped walking and looked at every corner of the simple house. There were only four rooms: a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. The living room didn't even have a chair because his father put the chairs on the veranda. His father said that he preferred to sit facing the sea every day.
"This place is still the same," Jack commented as his eyes roamed around the living room.
"Yes, I can still smell my father's scent here," Kris replied.
The reply stunned the blonde man. Once again, he could sense the other man's sadness just by hearing the short response.
"Kris, if you're sad, then you can cry. You don't need to hide your true feelings all the time. Be true to yourself at least for once, Kris!"
Now it was Kris's turn to be surprised by Jack's words. The latter was staring at him with his sharp eyes, and the black irises boldly challenged his brownish irises.
They were silent for a while before Kris drawing his gaze from Jack and sighed. "I need to be strong for Kevin," he replied softly.
It seemed that invisible fumes started emanating from Jack's body. He then strode toward Kris and harshly grabbed the latter's collar. "Just stop thinking about him all the time, for God's sake!" He screamed at Kris's face.
Kris was shocked because of the sudden scream. He looked at Jack, and the latter panted so hard in front of him. It was the first time Kris saw Jack this angry.
After a few seconds, Jack finally realized what he did and let go of Kris's collar. He ran one hand through his hair and disheveled it roughly. "Just stop thinking about him for now, will you?" He asked in a softer voice. "And, if you really love him, then you should be true to him. You should show him your true feelings, whether it's a happy or sad feeling. Don't you feel tired lying to him all the time?"
The caramel-haired man fell silent after hearing Jack's sudden lecture. He didn't expect Jack could read him easily like this. He didn't expect Jack would understand him like this. He then laughed sadly while shaking his head.
"I can't believe that you will be the one who can understand me at a time like this, Jack."
Jack was a bit moved by the unexpected statement. He then shifted his eyes to leave Kris's and faked a cough. "If I'm really the one who can understand you, then please be true to yourself now, Kris. There's only me and you on this island, and Kevin won't know if you cry now."
Again, Kris laughed weakly at the order. He admitted that Jack was right this time.
Kris then lamented and walked to another room. It was his father's bedroom.
He took a pillow and hugged it. His father's scent still lingered in the old pillow. Old memories started to appear in his mind. Twenty-seven years with his dad was not a short time. Even if they were not ideal father and son pairing, but Kris loved his father so much. Even if he had never voiced his love to his father, but the feeling in his heart was real.
Kris now realized that his father had gone for real. He wouldn't see his father again in this world, and he felt guilty now.
He regretted that he didn't spend more time with his father when he was still alive, he regretted that he couldn't be a filial son when his father was still alive, and he regretted that they had a different point of view in the past that made them oppose each other.
Kris regretted so many things. He had lost so many things, and he had lost his parents as well. Yes, he didn't have parents anymore, and he was an orphan now. Tears started to fall from his hooded eyes.
Kris cried miserably, and Jack silently watched him from the doorway.
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