There were a lot of admirable things about Kris Wu. He was tall and lean but not too thin, with just the right amount of muscle. He had brown hair that screamed “I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-two-seconds-ago” which accompanied his “don’t-talk-to-me” stares perfectly. His walk, the way he slings his school jacket and bag over his shoulder with one hand in his slacks, those piercing dark eyes - such a simple move dominated the hallways. And yet he was the most popular guy in school.

He walked with two other boys around his height that one could only consider his best friends Tao and Chanyeol. Watching from the window of the library, Luhan could see the three making their way to the courts probably to practice. He frowned and then sighed into the books clutched to his chest.

Luhan envied Kris; the shorter boy was a 5-foot-10 visually impaired twig who didn’t even have friends. He was just a nerd who practically lived in the library, making minimum wage by organizing books and checking out what few left.

Nudging his thick glasses up the bridge of his nose, he proceeded to the counter and scanned the stack of books from his arms until the head librarian told him he could leave. Sending her a soft smile as a thank you, he picked up his bag and headed home, but remembered he had to pass the basketball courts on his way. Not because he wanted to or anything, it was the only easy route to get off campus.

As he continued down the path, the caged court became more visible and with it, the residents. Approaching it though, he could only see one person through the fence shooting hoops. Kris. Not a single person in sight, just him.

Eyes widening just slightly, Luhan immediately wondered where everyone else had gone. He briefly checked his wristwatch and read, “6:13pm” before turning his attention back to the other boy. He made every shot he banked and Luhan watched with utmost idolatry. How could no one else be there to see this perfection? It was almost if it was his own private show. He blushed at the thought.

Then something occurred to him. He could say something to him. Even a small little hello or nice shot. Upon realization, Luhan’s breath hitched in his throat. Would he dare? His small hands shook with adrenaline at the thought, instantly dampening. He had the opportunity to make an impression on Kris. Was he willing to take it?

He was.

“Uh nice-” “Getting lazy there, huh, Wu!” And then he was silenced one more time.

From wherever Tao and Chanyeol had gone to, they had returned and replaced Luhan’s voice. The latter turned into a beet red, embarrassed, even more so when three pairs of eyes landed on him. He never wanted more to just disappear, something he’d been subconsciously doing for the past three years.

“What are you doing, shortie?” Chanyeol asked him.

“Aw, he looks so embarrassed! Is he going to confess to you, Kris?” Tao smirked.

Luhan was horrified. Without another word, he began to sprint across the court, hoping to just get out of there but his legs became jelly and he tripped over them. Face planting into the ground had only erupted laughter from the two boys, as if his failed compliment wasn’t shameful enough.

Finally finding his feet, he darted away, knowing he must have dropped something but not caring what he left behind. He just wanted to be away from them. He had never felt more mortified in his life.

“Did you see his face-” Laughter. “Did you see him fall?” Doubling over in fits of outburst. Sending them a silencing glare, Kris said, “You two are annoying.”

Seeing that the boy had dropped something, he picked it up and discovered it was a leatherette notebook. Debating whether to open it, he convinced himself that maybe he’d find the owner’s name or address and so he did. Blonde hair swept back and Coke-bottle glasses shielding his eyes - there was a name to accompany the school picture. It was Xiao Luhan.

Kris couldn’t place where he had seen the boy’s face or where he’d heard the name. He ran his eyes over the ID maybe six more times and then scratched the back of his head with irritation. The last glance made him smile.

What a pretty name, he thought.

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edit on 04 may 2013: thank you for reading. ps. my tumblr account is now here.