COURAGE ft. Huang Zitao

 

“Cha!”

 

“Hiya!”

 

“Heu!”

 

That morning, the training area was filled with the loud war cries of young adolescents, trying their best to kick as high as they can, just like how their Wushu coach, Huang Zitao, did before them. Zitao was circling around his class like a vulture waiting for its prey—they all feared him.

 

“Sheo!” Zitao shouted a crisp battle cry as he made his way to the front of the training studio.

 

“Sheo!” The students all shouted in unison and assumed battle stance.

 

As he got to the front, Zitao surveyed the room, looking at his students with a cold and stern look that had always struck fear in all of them. After a while, Zitao positioned his arms in front of him, and the students stood straight and did the same. Then Zitao bowed, while the students followed.

 

“Happy holidays,” Zitao smiled as he dismissed the students.

 

They all scrambled to get water, fix their belongings, and started leaving.

 

Zitao sighed as he sat on the seat in front of the gym secretary. “Finally, my last class… I can start sleeping in now.”

 

The secretary giggled. “Zitao, you finally have free time.”

 

“I know,” Zitao groaned. “When’s the company Christmas party again?”

 

“Sir said it was on the twenty-seventh,” she replied as she checked the schedule.

 

“Oh right, right… have you bought for the secret santa thing?”

 

“Not yet,” she pouted. “You?”

 

“Me neither… are you sure you’re not my secret santa?” He joked.

 

“Waa,” she laughed. “No. I promise, it’s not you. If it were me, I would’ve asked you.”

 

“Alright then.”

 

“Since you’re free,” the secretary leaned forward and said in a whispery tone. “Will you finally ask…”

 

“Ask..?”

 

The secretary motioned her head outside.

 

“Wu?!” Zitao exclaimed in a quiet manner. “I don’t think I have the courage to do that.”

 

The secretary raised her eyebrow as she doubted Zitao. “Tss… you? Give me a break, Zitao.”

 

“You know me,” Zitao explained.

 

“Well if you put it that way…” She looked outside for a while and peered through the two glass windows and into the studio next door. “When do you plan to?”

 

Zitao gave a good couple of seconds before he was able to reply, “I don’t know.”

 

“Just ask, Zitao.”

 

“I’ll wait for the right time.”

 

Ever since the training studio Zitao had been working in transferred to their current location, he’s been crushing on the guy who worked next door—photographer-slash-model, Kris Wu. They talk once in a while, but they never got to sit down and talk. He also didn’t have the courage to confess about his feelings because, of course, Kris was a model. Zitao found himself not up-to-par with Kris.

 

Maybe this Christmas would be different for him.

 

----------

 

“Zitao,” The secretary peeked inside of the training studio’s trainers’ lounge.

 

Zitao quickly put down his hot cup of tea. “Yep?”

 

“Kris Wu is looking for you,” she replied with a cute smile.

 

Zitao’s eyes widened. “What?”

 

The secretary just giggled as Zitao stood up and followed her to the studio’s receiving area. She wasn’t joking. There Kris was, standing tall, while looking at all the medals the trainers have been awarded with.

 

“Hey Kris, what’s up?”

 

Kris turned to Zitao. “Oh, hey Zitao. Nothing, really.”

 

“W-what brings you here..?” Zitao thought he sounded cocky, but he really was curious as to why Kris was there. He then realized that he was thankful none of his students were there to hear him stutter and speak so shyly.

 

“Do you want to accompany me today?”

 

Zitao then thanked the spirits of Christmas for giving Kris as an early Christmas gift. He wanted to scream out to the highest heavens for bringing Kris inside his domain, looking really handsome and groomed. But Zitao then felt sorry for himself by looking so ill-prepared.

 

“If it’s not trouble,” Kris added. “Lunch time has passed anyway.”

 

“Err…” Zitao hand combed his still wet hair roughly (he just took a bath). “Where exactly will we be going?”

 

“Just at the mall. I’m just killing time before heading to the Christmas Tree-lighting ceremony. Wanna come with?”

 

Zitao didn’t want to make his blushing more obvious than it is so he didn’t bother covering his face anymore. “Sure.”

 

Kris suddenly smiled. “Awesome. I’ll just fix my stuff. You can wait for me out here.”

 

As Kris headed back in his studio, Zitao looked immediately at the secretary and exploded in a huge smile. As she gave Zitao a thumbs up, he headed back to the lounge, finished his coffee, and grabbed his coat.

 

----------

 

While the ride going to the mall was still quiet, this gave Zitao more time to ponder on his confession.

 

“Should I tell him now? Should I wait? Maybe next time…”

 

Zitao thought that if he told Kris about his true feelings, he might start avoiding him, or he might get turned off. He assumed beforehand that Kris doesn’t like him the same way, and he really wants to get it off his chest, but he’s just really scared of the outcome.

 

Zitao also started to observe Kris’ face up close. Kris was very fair-skinned, had sharp features, and was just really handsome all-in-all.

 

“This is how a model looks like…”

 

They were finally near the mall, and Zitao still couldn’t believe that this was happening. The person he really liked asked him out—during Christmas too. It was only then that he realized Kris had been talking for a while now.

 

“Zitao,” Kris interrupted Zitao’s train of thought. “Have you seen any of my works?”

 

Zitao felt so embarrassed. “What if he knew I wasn’t listening to him?”

 

“Ah… yes, I have… I saw some of them displayed outside your studio.”

 

“Oh those,” Kris replied. “They’re not that good.”

 

“R-really?”

 

“Well, even though they’re worth a lot, they’re still not good,” Kris replied in a cocky tone.

 

Zitao chuckled. “What are the good ones then?”

 

“You know, the ones that were praised by the mayor,” Kris added in the same tone.

 

Zitao nodded as they finally reached the mall.

 

“The picture I took of the Kim Yumi? You know, Miss Korea-Universe 2013? Of course, she approached me to take her glam shots.”

 

“Oh really? That’s… awesome!” Zitao smiled.

 

“Yes,” Kris saw a reflective glass and instantly fixed his hair. “Of course, she had to go to the best right?”

 

They both laughed.

 

“You’re really good, Kris,” Zitao replied as he waited for Kris to finish up. “You kno—”

 

“What do you think of my hair?” Kris interrupted Zitao. “Is it fixed?”

 

Zitao approached Kris and fixed a small part of his hair. “There you go.”

 

“Thanks, Zitao. Anyway, where was I? Oh right—”

 

Zitao smiled and replied at all the things Kris has been saying and as the time went by, he realized that he hasn’t even said anything about himself. This was when Zitao thought that there was something wrong, especially since Kris was the center of his own topics.

 

He pondered on the idea of Kris talking about himself and came up with a conclusion that Kris really wasn’t a person who doesn’t know what humility means. Kris was full of himself and Zitao got tired of listening to Kris.

 

“Do you want some coffee? I want some coffee.”

 

“Sure,” Zitao replied, this time, in a relieved way. At least coffee might take his mind off everything and make him relaxed.

 

As Kris and Zitao entered the coffee shop, Kris saw a person going out of the barber shop right outside the shop.

 

“I like his light blue dress shirt,” Kris mentioned as they fell in line. “He’s also good-looking. Do you think I can make him my model?”

 

“Whatever you want, Kris.”

 

After ordering, Kris insisted that he pay for Zitao. He thought that at least, something good came out of Kris.

 

“You know, Zitao,” Kris mentions as they sat down. “I like you.”

 

Zitao’s expression changed and he suddenly took back everything he thought about Kris.

 

“Y-you do?”

 

“Yeah, you’re nice. You know, I asked you because no one else couldn’t come along. You’re the only one there so…”

 

“This heartless person!” Again, Zitao took back his quick change and reverted back to disliking Kris. He was hurt that Kris didn’t ask him because he wanted to be with him, but rather because no one else was available…

 

“And you didn’t want to be alone,” Zitao uttered to himself.

 

“Do you want to model for me, Zita—”

 

Zitao stood up and shouted. “I can’t believe you!”

 

Kris gave a very confused expression. “Zitao?”

 

“You are so full of yourself! I can’t believe I even liked you!” Zitao shouted and attracted the attention of the people in the coffee shop.

 

Kris looked like he was caught off-guard when Zitao suddenly exploded in anger in front of him. “Like me?”

 

“Yeah, I did. And poor, pathetic me for even liking you,” Zitao flailed his arms outward. “You seemed nice… you were handsome, talented… you were perfect.”

 

Kris was quiet the whole time Zitao was scolding him.

 

“I guess I was wrong…” Zitao glared at Kris. “Why are you suddenly quiet, huh, Kris? Someone finally stood up for himself and had the courage to confront you?”

 

Zitao grunted and shook his head slowly as he looked away. “And no, I wouldn’t even want to model for you. Not ever.”

 

Zitao stormed out of the coffee shop and took all his pride with him. He smirked as he left the coffee shop with his head held high.