Light Years Away

Story of best friends, Kang Sola and Xue Guangxi, as they traverse their journey through adulthood, amidst conflicting choices and internal issues within themselves and from their past. Will they be able to resolve their personal struggles and find a common ground towards happiness? Will they have to compromise to achieve it? Will they end up together and overcome the threshold of their friendship into lovers or remain as platonic friends and each other's family? ---- She balled her fists, getting ready to punch the man in the face if the situation requires. They are, after all, alone in the room. Sometimes she forgets that Xue Guangxi was of the opposite gender – a man more than capable of beguiling innocent women when he sets his mind to the task. ‘Perhaps he had been gone for too long that I had forgotten how his charms work. That fact never left my head, but experiencing it firsthand… Well, Nah!!!’ She tried to shake whatever silliness her mind entertains despite her prudence. But what her neutral poker face could hide, her berserkly widened eyes could not conceal. Nevertheless, even if he noticed, the young man did not point it out. He was more concerned and occupied by other matters. Matters of far greater importance… …For example, her safety. She blinked several times, trying to disrupt the connection their locked gazes somehow managed to forge. She bowed her head, still blinking, and darted her lowered gaze to the floor. She straightened up her sitting position and swatted both of the man’s hands on her shoulders without force. But Xue Guangxi held her in place. “Look at me.” “What is it now, Guangxi?” She whispered. Her voice, thin and fragile and barely audible. Perhaps more from the earlier adrenaline pushed a blush on her face. Perhaps, it wasn’t the adrenaline to be blamed. She tried to swat his hands for the second time, but his grip only tightened, making his point more pronounced. Either he obeys or she does. Most of the time, Xue Guangxi always gave in to Kang Sola’s whims. Even when his temper wasn’t too great to be proud of, at the end of every argument, he lets the girl win. But in this instance, he wanted to be more assertive. “You always make me worry, Sola.” He breathed with all solemnity, like a prayer. The clasp of his hands on her shoulders tightened. She could feel it. She winced. Then, without further ceremony or introduction, he pressed her into a tight embrace, full of concern. Any person would be able to discern if a form of skinship was of sincere nature or not. Kang Sola could tell his was of genuine care and concern for her. “You are far more delicate than you think. God, Sola!” He cradled her head with his right hand placed just above her nape. Some of her balayage locks laced his manly fingers. ---- Other Info: Light story about friendship, family, love, and adulting. No offensive, dark themes (just the backstory, hehe), **Can be considered the second book after Milady's Fine Gentleman, but the story is stand-alone. Reference to the first novel is minimal if not only shown in the backstory. BUT THERE WILL BE SPOILER FOR MILADY'S FINE GENTLEMAN (It's inevitable, sorry)** "You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars" -E.E. Cummings "Just like the moon, I go through phases." -Angie Weiland Crosby "Only in the darkness can you see the stars." -Martin Luther King Jr. ----- The author has a discord server and Instagram! Follow, connect, and share your thoughts. IG : author_midnight_bloom email : authormidnightbloom@gmail.com For kind appreciation efforts to the aspiring writer, please go to the following sites: https://www.patreon.com/midnight_bloom Ko-fi.com/midnight_bloom Disclaimer : Cover credits to Pinterest

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233 Chs

THE FIGHT

"You're having fun, aren't you?" He attacked Kang Sola non-stop even if the young lady had not answered his first question yet. He seated himself across the lady beside Chen Lihua. The young boy occupied the seat on Kang Sola's right side.

He nodded his head at the direction the two boys had gone to. "You laugh with them and chit-chat with them and even took photos with them as if they are your closest friends! Are they?"

"Stop it." Kang Sola hissed in annoyance. She glared at him, this time failing to wear her mask of a poker face. Her countenance said how she felt at the moment – irritation provoked by Xue Guangxi's baseless aggressive interrogation.

"What's your problem? Those boys are harmless. They just want to meet with me because it's not every day that they get to see in real life the people they follow on the internet. How hard is it for you to understand that logic?"

"I understand it completely well! What I cannot understand is your behavior!"

"Omo, omo, omo!!!!" Kang Sola could not believe her ears. "My behavior? What's wrong with it? Did I act inappropriately? As far as I'm concerned, I did not break any rules of etiquette! You're the one who's being rude here! And illogical! And childish!"

They were on staring – no, glaring – contest. Chen Lihua and Chen Lingtian's heads went back and forth from their Aunt Sola to their Uncle Guangxi and back.

The waitress returned with their ordered food. "Excuse me, Sir. Excuse me, Miss."

"What?!"

They retorted in unison without tearing off their glares from each other's scrunched faces.

"Ahh, uhm…" The waitress trailed off, racking with nervousness. "Here's your order." She recited each item on her list. "Is there anything else?"

"It's good. Thanks."

"Enjoy your meal…" She trailed off with an even softer voice and awkwardly turned around. She could read the situation and feared for her life for interrupting a war.

"Why do you have to entertain every single male fan of yours?" Xue Guangxi commented on rhetoric as he picked up his chopsticks. He turned to the twins and said, "Children, you have to remind your Aunt Sola that it's not a good practice to talk and laugh with strangers."

He gently poked Chen Lihua's button nose with his index finger. "Do you agree, Xiao Lihua? Would you be comfortable if a stranger approaches you? You shouldn't. It's dangerous."

"Mhmmm…." Xiao Lihua stared at the ceiling while thinking deeply. Her feet dangled from the chair. "I don't want people to talk to me."

"Yes, we're not allowed to talk to strangers." Chen Lingtian chimed in.

"That's right." Xue Guangxi responded to the kids but he glued his eyes at Kang Sola.

"GUANGXI." Kang Sola glowered even harder than before. "Don't use the kids." She clenched her right fists, chopsticks in hand.

"I'm not." He sneered, then took a noisy slurp of his udon.

Kang Sola couldn't even take a bite even if she's starving. She laid down her chopsticks then crossed her arms across her chest.

Xue Guangxi could imagine smoke coming from her ears and flared nose. The sight and idea were funny. He almost laughed.

Seeing that he seemed to be enjoying an inside joke, Kang Sola grew even more furious. Yet, she remained silent, and almost taciturn, if not for the flushed color of her face. She wanted to grab his hair and drag him out of the restaurant and do a face-off.

"Eat, Sola." Xue Guangxi urged her with a much gentler tone. His face also reflected sincerity and a little bit of repentance.

She harrumphed and crossed her arms even tighter. "I'm not hungry."

Just as she declared it, her stomach protested against her and growled loudly.

Xue Guangxi laughed and it irked her. However, the twins laughed, too. The sweet little boy, Xiao Lingtian, picked up a piece of tempura with his chopsticks and placed it onto Kang Sola's empty plate, beside her bowl of udon. "Aunty, I saved this piece for you. That's the tastiest."

"Aw, Xiao Lingtian… Is it for me?" Her voice broke. She was nearing tears. Tears from fury, and nothing else. She was enraged but she couldn't show it.

'Later.'

'Later, Guangxi. We will settle this.' She threw him that look which said it all.

The young man just shrugged his shoulders and resumed eating.

Kang Sola ate the piece of tempura that was Xiao Lingtian's gift to her, "Wow, you're right. It's sooo delicious! Yummy!!!"

"Eat more, Aunty~" Xiao Lihua advised her with a cute facial expression, too. She tilted her head quite adorably so.

"Listen to the kids. Don't waste the food that we order." Xue Guangxi whispered in a truce. "Listen to your stomach as well." He nearly chuckled by the end of his sentence.

Kang Sola kicked him under the table. She glared in the lines of, 'Will you not stop? Just eat, will you?'

"Ow!" Xue Guangxi jerked from the pain on his leg.

"I'm okay! Hahahaha!" He said in response to the twins' quizzical look. "Hahahaha! The dining experience is quite unique here."

Finally, Kang Sola dug into her udon. She slurped nonstop until no udon was left on her bowl.

Even at stardom, some habits never changed. Xue Guangxi recalled that it was the same way Kang Sola ate her food since day one when they shared a meal at the university's corner fast food restaurant.

She literally inhaled the food.

"There's more." He pushed some of the serving plated near her.

She pursed her lips, still in disdain, but fell prey, nonetheless, into her cravings.

After their meal, they drove in silence.

Kang Sola realized that once her hunger was satiated, she's better in tolerating her rage. She did not utter a word on their way to the Chen house.

The twins slumped into the back seat and succumbed into slumber the moment the car was in motion.

Carrying one sleeping twin each, Kang Sola and Xue Guangxi entered the Chen dream house.

Xue Guangxi whispered almost inaudibly, "I'm just concerned for your safety. For the twins' safety."

"Keep it to yourself. I don't need it. And I won't put the twins on harm's way ever!" She hissed and passed by him up the stairs.

Before her foot landed on the first plight of stairs, she turned her body towards Xue Guangxi who was still near the door and uttered, "If you have had a bad day, please don't rub off the negativity onto the people around you. If you're truly concerned like you said, please do us that favor. Thanks!"

She turned sharply then disappeared onto the second floor.

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