Prompt 3: Letters.

Kris doesn’t hate writing letters; he just hates writing their format, that’s all. And because he has ugly words. So when he found out that everyone in class must have one pen pal that writes letters formally, he could have burnt the teacher alive.

It was the last period when this horrible news was passed to everyone in his class. He buried his face in between his awkwardly large palms, praying that what he heard was all a big fat joke. And apparently he was the only one complaining since everyone in class looked excited, well from his point of view where everyone’s back is facing towards him (who needs logic anyway especially Kris). As the teacher passed an address to each person in class, he tried begging her but all was in vain as she still stuffed a piece of paper in his hand.

“Kris, just take it as a nice experience. You’ll need to make more new friends anyway.” She gave a slight pat on his arm as he lie face flat on his table.

“But you know how I hate writing letters and the format-“ He complaint but she was already long gone from the class.

Devastated, he packed his bag before walking back home. He slowly trailed along the housing area before realizing something. He didn’t look at the paper the teacher gave him yet. He quickly squatted at the sidewalk before rummaging through the pile of messed up in his bag. As he dug around, he saw the small yellow paper sticking out of his literature book before pulling it out.

“Lay? What is with that name? Wait a minute, ohhh Zhang Yixing. Is this guy Korean or Chinese? I can’t speak Ching Chong!” Kris muttered while looking at paper.

He scratched his head, wondering how to communicate while looking at the address and to his surprise; it’s also at America. Looks like he doesn’t need to worry about the language barrier then. He crumpled the paper in his hand and zipped his bag before slipping into his house. The house was empty, just as he expected since his parents went out for a holiday. He took of his shoes and stomped his way up to his room before locking it (cause he was convinced by his older cousin that someone might come in and kill him any minute).

Should he write or not. Should he write it or not. Should he write it or not. And in the end, he decided to write it. Just, a very short one since that person might find him as an unknown ert.

<                                                                                                                                                                             30572 Southfield Rd
Southfield,

MI 48076-1226
(248) 594-3015

To my new pen-pal (we’re friend’s now!) Lay:

  I’m not sure if you know how to read English but hi and how are you doing?

  I am now your new pen pal because my teacher introduces me to you since I don’t have many friends. I hope we can be good friends and also sorry for the ugly handwriting, I tried my very best.

  Hope you stay healthy!再见! (Did I get it right?)

 Take care,

  Kris                                                                                                                                                                                                                            >

--

It was a week (of worrying and checking the mailbox every minute) until his pen pal sent his letter back. Kris, as usual, was rushing back home and once he opened his mailbox, he saw a thin green letter inside printed with his address on the cover. He was beyond relieved to found out that his new pen pal doesn’t find him as a weirdo or anything. He touched the letter softly as he traced through the cursive writing at the front. He walked in and took off his shoes but this time, he just sat at the sofa before softly, and I mean really softly (which is so weird coming from the giant) opening the envelope.

The first two words were in Mandarin. .

 <                                                                                                                                                  4209 San Pedro Dr NE, Apt 239
Albuquerque,

NM 87109-2057
(505) 881-2735

致我的新朋友：Kris

  Just joking. I won’t write the whole letter in Chinese. Thank you for picking me as your new pen pal anyway.

  I hope you’re feeling fine too cause I’m feeling fine. You probably don’t know anything about me so I’ll just briefly introduce myself then. My name-wait you already know that. I’m 16 this year (Kris is totally happy now to know that they’re both the same age) and I’m Chinese. Surprise, surprise, I guess?

  I moved here since two years ago and I’m happy to know a new friend that’s so far away. I don’t find your words ugly and I hope you reply soon.

Take care,

Lay

P.S: The few words up there reads “I’ll kill you.”

P.S: Nah it means “To my new friend”

P.S: And I know you’re doing this for homework. So if you need a more appropriate letter to show the teacher, inform me at the next letter.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 >

This guy is too smart for Kris. Or maybe Kris is just bad at lying.

--

Kris thinks he’s falling in love with this guy.

He knows that he hasn’t seen him before but he just thinks that he’s in love with him. He loved how every sentence in Lay’s letter has a splash of fun inside. He loved how there are at least 10 jokes in one letter. He loved how easy-going Lay still is even after their 100^th letter between each other. He loved how Lay’s fake letter that was shown to Kris’s teacher was oozing with sarcasm.

He just loved Lay.

It was at their 550^th letter when Kris finally confessed. He poured his heart and all the feelings out on that one letter with the prettiest writing he’d ever wrote. And exactly one week later, the green letter slipped into his white mailbox, waiting for him to open. And when Kris reached felt the letter in the mailbox, his heart skipped a beat as he rushed up in his room with the letter in his hand. (“You should at least say hi to me”, Kris’s mom yelled from the kitchen)

<                                                                                                                                                  4209 San Pedro Dr NE, Apt 239
Albuquerque,

NM 87109-2057
(505) 881-2735

Dear Kris,

  I hope you’re still doing well. And yeah…to the main topic.

  I usually am able to read a letter all by myself but this time, my sister read it for me. You say…you like me? I wasn’t expecting that from you actually. Why do you like me? What do you like about me? We never met before, you know, except for exchanging letters for the past two years.

  I still don’t know how to answer your request but please reconsider; we are both strangers that have been only talking through black and white ink. You don’t know how do I look like and so do I not know how do you look like. I might be lying to you and you might not know either.

  Erm…take care?

Please,

Lay                                                                                                                                                                                                                             >

Kris what first dumbfounded, then he was infuriated. Why did he show his sister? A confession isn’t something you show to your family like a certificate! And come on, he’s a guy. What if his parents told his parents that he’s gay and they should be disgraced? Is there no privacy to things like this?

Kris wanted to tear the letter, chuck it into the dustbin and never see it, but somehow his fingers aren’t moving at all. He couldn’t bear tearing it anyway since he kept every single one of them (and also since he’s a big giant with a fragile heart). Kris sighed and folded it back together before tracing the cursive writings on the envelope again. Will this be the last time that he’ll see these cursive writings?

And he couldn’t send a letter back cause he can’t make up his mind, or to be exact, he couldn’t accept another letter of reject.

--

“Mom I’m back- wait what is with the extra pair of shoes?” Kris asks tiredly as he walked in.

It was the third month since he stopped sending letters to Lay and well, he’s getting depressed by the day. Everyday, he still stared at the mailbox and stuff his hands inside, knowing very well he won’t feel the thin letter inside. He tends to lock himself in his room still wondering if he should write a letter back. But now he looked so depressed that he looked unhealthy.

“Oh Kris! Your pen pal is here! He came all the way here and waited for you to come back since 12 o’clock.” His mom yelled from the kitchen.

Wait.

My pen pal?

Lay?

He’s here?

Kris dashed to his living room, hoping to see him for the very first time. He has so much to tell him, so many he wanted to express, so many things he wanted to show him. But as he finally faced him, he stood still as he body froze.

A boy who’s 18 this year, with white milky skin and a small body frame.

A walking stick.

A dazed expression.

“Hi, Kris. Never guessed I would be blind right?”

A/N: ahahahahahahahahahahah idk what to say so hahahahahah

main pic: harrysinmyveins