Yixing woke up in bed. His head was about to burst. He remembered taking a shower, but he didn’t know if he came back to the bedroom or not. He also had a feeling he forgot something. Something important. Yixing waddled to the wardrobe and picked the first clothes he could find. It consisted of a white tank top and sweatpants. His back went against the wall as he tried to put some socks on. Yixing then walked to the kitchen. He almost hid behind the curtains like a vampire from the strong light. Instead, he turned around and returned to the bedroom.

He was very sure there was something he should have taken care of, but he wasn’t sure exactly what. Instead, he called Daiyu’s name over and over again. The brunette didn’t answer or appear. He shrugged it away and tried, again, to get to the kitchen. He wanted some water and medicine badly, before his head exploded for real.

He took a sit again on the bed and grabbed the photo on the stand nearby. He smiled at their wedding awkward smiles.

Yixing met Daiyu in University. She was his senior at a different major. He would always admire her in the campus as she read under a tree or intensely prepare for an exam. He wanted to have her determination. Most of all, he wanted to know the girl better. He didn’t know exactly why. There were plenty of other girls around and one colleague frequently flirted with him every time the small group of friends went out. Yixing only had eyes for the mysterious brunette and her books.

So, after one month of hesitation, he finally gathered enough courage and greeted her. He lied about wanting to share the spot with her as it had the best shade around. Daiyu willingly scooted over and let the boy rest at the tree. Unknowingly, Yixing could rarely focus at his studies. He kept on glancing behind at Daiyu.

After two more months of being separated by a tree, Yixing finally invited her out for a date. Without knowing much about each other, Daiyu promptly refused. She never came again near the tree. Yixing was so upset, he wanted to find her again and apologize for the sudden proposal.

The clock read 10 AM. That is when it hit him.

Yixing was late for his first day of work.

Almost dropping the photo, he put it back and rushed to the bathroom. He took another shower and brushed his teeth before he returned to the bedroom and changed in his suit. He combed his hair with his fingers and fixed a pair of sunglasses on his eyes. He didn’t want for his headache to worsen when he’d go out.

He rushed to the car and fumbled with the door. He forgot the keys. Moreover, he forgot to lock the house’s front door. Slapping his forehead, he dashed back inside and almost knocked Daiyu off.

“Woah!” she said when the man brushed past her and frantically touched every spot around. The keys had to be somewhere, lost between boxes over boxes. “What are you looking for?”

“My keys!” he answered and turned upside down another box. “I swear I had them yesterday.”

“Have you checked your pockets?”

Yixing did just that, digging with the same hurry. He moved on to do the same to his coat’s pockets without success. He stopped for a second, looked blankly ahead and an ‘oh’ escaped his mouth.

“Where are my clothes?”

“What clothes?”

“Last night’s clothes.”

“Oh,” Daiyu pondered the question before she nodded “I washed them.”

“Did I have something in the pockets?”

Daiyu shook her head as a ‘no’. Yixing frowned, unable to hold his frustration anymore.

“I don’t think you drove back here…” she mused as she followed Yixing in the bedroom. He also forgot his mobile phone which rested near the framed photo and clock. He grabbed it and checked his messages along with the last dialed numbers. He froze when one message urged him to appear in one hour or there would be consequences. He turned around to speak when Daiyu waved a key in front of his face.

“Eh?”

“I made a spare. Take mine.” she smiled and gave his dimple cheek a kiss. Yixing grabbed the small silver object and silently thanked her. “You’re always so forgetful, I had to…”

“You’re the best.”

“I know!” Daiyu proudly said before she took his hand and forced Yixing to the kitchen. “Now, grab a bite and drink some coffee before you leave.”

“Can’t,” he hugged her, kissed her lips and took his glasses off enough to wink. “I need to run.”

Disappointed, Daiyu simply nodded and let her husband leave with a final ‘take care’.

Her hands went over her heart as she giggled. The memory of when Yixing first asked her out came flooding back. Daiyu was so flustered, she had to turn down the offer. It was her that later found Yixing again, apologized for not taking into consideration his sincere feelings and asked to start over.

That’s when they first exchanged names.