"Good people.
None of that matters because they all ended up dead by me," [Blind] said mockingly.
"And so will you," Noi Karn retorted as he sank into their embrace.
"You think you can stop me?" [Blind] choked out another mouthful of blood.
"Don't forget that these people also have to face the same thing you did.
Do you dare to think they would choose to die just like you?" [Blind] said with a bloody smile.
"Naturally, I do not desire anything from them.
It was my choice to make and so it is theirs to choose.
Whatever decision they make is what I support.
Simply because I have enough loyalty to stay on their side no matter what.
Now it is time for you to leave," Noi Karn smiled softly at [Blind].
"You—" [Blind] wanted to retort.
But his words were halted by a black cat.
The shadow cat had appeared at this time and slapped [Blind] with its paws.
Which caused [Blind] to immediately turn into ash, swept away by the breeze.
Noi Karn coughed out another lump of blood and turned to the others.
He could feel his life slipping away and the numbness of his heart slowing down.
"Just hold on to me and we'll take you to a hospital," Shae Harris trembled.
She tried to drag him away but that aggravated his condition and Noi Karn spat out blood again.
"Why aren't you guys helping?" Shae Harris said, frustrated at the others staring.
"He's dying and you guys are just standing there!" Shae Harris shouted.
She wanted to glare at them but the tears kept flowing.
So she had to blink them away because her hands were full of the boy's bloody body.
"Help me!" Shae Harris said hysterically.
"That's enough," Wei Zhi said slowly, but his body was still trembling.
"What are you saying?" Shae Harris looked like she wanted to tear him apart.
"It's not going to work," Ming Jun spoke at this time.
He was sobbing but stepped forward at this moment to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Shut up," Shae Harris said, shaking his hand off her shoulder.
"He's… he's not going to make it," Mori Aoi said, not even looking in that direction.
Her body was shaken with the force of her sobbing.
"I said shut up!" Shae Harris roared.
Mori Aoi shriveled and buried her body deeper into herself.
"Give it up, he's going to die!" Wei Zhi shouted even louder.
"Just accept it," Ming Jun said, grabbing both her shoulders.
Shae Harris choked while looking at the boy in her arms.
"Why him? Why does he have to die?" she asked, sobbing.
"Can you lay me down for a minute," Noi Karn spoke at this point.
Shae Harris nodded amidst tears and carried him to a safe patch of grass still intact.
She lay his body down and sat beside him.
The others circled around his body, leaning in to look at his face.
"First of all, it was my choice to die for your sake," Noi Karn coughed and said weakly.
"Did we ask you to?" Shae Harris said harshly.
"You know that dying isn't that scary to us," Ming Jun glared at him.
"You should have asked us what we thought," Wei Zhi said.
"I really can't bear that answer," Mori Aoi said in tears.
"It was selfish of me but I just wanted to be able to be selfish.
Can you guys forgive me?" Noi Karn said, smiling a little but there was too much blood around his lips.
"Are you giving us a choice?" Ming Jun retorted.
"It's kind of hard to keep a grudge now," Shae Harris said.
"Maybe your spirit might come to haunt us if we dare to," Wei Zhi chuckled.
"We can't bear not to," Mori Aoi said.
Silence.
Then the five of them burst out laughing.
"Are we crazy?" Shae Harris asked, dumbfounded after she finished laughing.
"No, it's only you," Ming Jun retorted on instinct.
"I think she might actually be right this time," Wei Zhi put on a thinking expression.
"That she is crazy?" Mori Aoi asked, confused.
"Don't learn bad words," Shae Harris said, glaring at the two boys.
Ming Jun and Wei Zhi: So mean.
Then she chuckled at the two who were almost hugging each other.
Suddenly they were all laughing once again.
"You guys, I have a surprise for you," Noi Karn said, smiling brightly at them.
"You miraculously have a cure?" Shae Harris said with hopeful eyes.
"No, but I am now able to see," Noi Karn said happily.
"Eh? Really!!" they all chorused in shock.
"Come to think of it, his eyes really are blue," Shae Harris said, pointing at Noi Karn's eyeballs.
The others observed curiously.
"Then how do I look?" Shae Harris said, pointing at herself.
Noi Karn examined her and found that her looks did not seem to fit her voice and personality.
"Are you sick?" Noi Karn asked.
"Wow, he really can see," Shae Harris said, clapping her hands.
"Or he might have been insulting you," Ming Jun rolled his eyes.
"What about this guy?" Shae Harris said, pointing at Ming Jun.
Noi Karn also turned to examine the person who would fight for them against an excited Shae Harris.
Ming Jun felt uncomfortable and shy so he looked away.
"Like a typical otaku who never leaves his house or exercises in any way," Noi Karn said mercilessly.
Ming Jun held a hand to his heart and gasped from the metaphorical pain.
No, why are you so observant???
And what is with that covered way of calling him fat??
No need to hide because he's heard worse, okay??
"Next is Wei Zhi," Shae Harris snorted at Ming Jun then smirked evilly at Wei Zhi.
Wei Zhi resisted the urge to run and faced the grass solemnly.
But his red face betrayed him.
"It's hard to say with all his hair hiding half his face," Noi Karn pursed his lips.
"So that means he is a coward," Shae Harris said, pointing at Wei Zhi.
Wei Zhi: No, why are you more excited than I am??
And secondly, how does long hair relate to cowardice??
Wei Zhi complained in his heart and glared at Shae Harris.
"Then what about me?" Mori Aoi spoke, pointing at herself.
Noi Karn looked at the timid girl up and down.
"Well, you might be the only normal girl here," Noi Karn said, then sighed.
Ming Jun sprung up and, along with Wei Zhi, gave Shae Harris a smirk.
Shae Harris gasped and wanted to quarrel, but then she looked at Noi Karn.
In the end, she couldn't refute the person who said so.
And the final conclusion was that she sat pouting and acting aggrieved to Mori Aoi.
"Yi Zheng, come here," Shae Harris said, diverting attention.
She beckoned Yi Zheng, who was standing a step back.
Yi Zheng glanced at the dying boy and said nothing.
"I thought you would be more handsome," Noi Karn said, chuckling.
"No, he's more grumpy and stern," Shae Harris said, pointing at Yi Zheng who was frowning.
As if to say: see, I have a point.
"Do you want to hear my story?" Noi Karn suddenly said.
Without waiting for a response, he began to tell his story.
From being abandoned in the slums.
To being picked by the orphanage.
Then losing his sight.
And all the hypocritical care he was shown throughout the years.
At the end of the story, each person had a gloomy expression.
Yi Zheng narrowed his eyes but his face was a lot calmer.
Mori Aoi was disgusted but felt that the situation was even sadder.
Wei Zhi was also very calm but his hands clenched hard on grass stalks.
The other two looked like they wanted to beat someone up.
"I am not asking you to go on revenge for me," Noi Karn said, amused at the two who looked like they were about to erupt.
"I wanted you guys to know all about me so that I wouldn't be buried as a nameless face in history," Noi Karn smiled.
"And to also make you understand how happy I have been since we met," Noi Karn smiled at the memory.
"Thanks to you guys, I learned how to live again," Noi Karn nodded in appreciation.
"So don't be sad," Noi Karn reached out a hand to wipe a tear on Mori Aoi's face.
"Not listening to you," Shae Harris hiccupped.
"I want to write you guys a song, will you help me next time?" Noi Karn said.
"Absolutely," they chorused.
"I want to play the drums for you, will you listen next time?" Noi Karn whispered.
"No matter how bad it sounds, we will always listen," Shae Harris said with eyes blinded by tears.
"I want to paint a picture of us, will you hold the brush for me next time?" Noi Karn said even quieter.
"We will even mix the colors for you," Ming Jun said with a sad smile.
"I want to watch a movie, will you go with me next time?" Noi Karn said softly.
"We will even book front-row seats and buy you all the popcorn you want," Wei Zhi whispered with a calm face and endless tears.
"I want to make my own movie, will you help me direct next time?" Noi Karn said.
"We will even act if you want us to," Mori Aoi whispered while holding his hand.
Her tears flowed freely and her whole body wilted.
"Will you always watch over us?" Noi Karn asked Yi Zheng.
"Good," Yi Zheng said after a few seconds of silence.
But his eyes were slightly red at the end and his face was completely still.
"Will you always want to be with me even though I'm blind?" Noi Karn asked.
"Of course," they all shouted while sobbing heavily.
"Will we always be together?" Noi Karn asked, sighing.
"Never be apart from each other again," they chorused back.
"Then I will wait for you guys at the other side.
No matter how long it takes.
Goodbye."
Noi Karn whispered one last time as his breath ceased.
He lay there motionless, eyes closed, breathing still, and a soft, happy smile on his face.
"We'll meet you at the other side," they replied back.
Then the tears could no longer be restrained.
They clung onto each other and shed tears on that grass for a long time.
"We need to leave," Yi Zheng spoke amidst their sniffles.
"We need to bury him properly," Yi Zheng said softly.
The others nodded and stood up.
Shae Harris and Ming Jun leaned on each other.
Mori Aoi, attached to Wei Zhi's arm, still wept, but this time silently.
Yi Zheng held Noi Karn's body and walked to the van.
Then he placed the corpse in the familiar seat beside him while the others got in.
The drive was silent and they were all in a daze.
Eventually, they reached the place they had just left.
They walked into the art exhibit, feeling like a century had passed and hadn't at the same time.
The shadow cat led them to a coffin that was open.
It lay at the center of the art exhibit, elevated by a rectangular slab of cement.
The coffin was made of wood and the inside lay a familiar splash of colors.
It was a white fabric which had their painting etched on it.
Yi Zheng walked forward holding the body and placed it inside the coffin.
Noi Karn lay there amidst the wild splashes.
He no longer had any blood on him as it disappeared once he was put in the coffin.
Along with his previous injuries, so now his skin was the smooth color.
Peaceful—that was the impression Noi Karn gave.
Especially with the headphones placed on his ears which made it seem like he was calmly listening to music.
A wooden stand appeared beside the coffin.
It was as tall as the cement elevation and had a plaque on it.
Written on that plaque was:
{The greatest masterpiece}
Seeing that, the five smiled softly and left the entire building.
The next few days involved staying in one apartment in silence.
While also visiting the art exhibition once a day.
....
Noi Karn, who had appeared in the dark space, looked at [Death].
"I guess it's time," Noi Karn said gently.
[Death] nodded.
"Then I'm ready," Noi Karn said
"Will it hurt" Noi karn asked nervously.
[ Death ] shook his head.
"Will I really see them at the other side?" Noi karn asked.
"It as you promised" [ Death ] said.
"That's a relief" Noi karn relaxed completely and his expression was bright.
[Death] stretched out a hand.
But Noi Karn was faster.
He directly hugged [Death] and let himself dissolve in his embrace.
"I feel bad just leaving like this because this cage looks lonely" Noi karn whispered as he faded away.
[Death] paused in surprise as Noi Karn's figure melted into him until he disappeared.
He also stood blankly as the section he stood in had now transformed into a movie theatre.
"Well, who would have thought," [Life] appeared out of nowhere and sat on a seat.