PRINCESS AND THE FROG

From his hidden corner in the library, Minho tried not to become obvious about his curiosity over the disturbance near the library’s entrance. Minho touched the thick glasses covering his large eyes as he stared at the boy in a princess costume who was being pushed into the library by the school seniors. The very same senior boys Minho was hiding from.

Minho pushed himself deeper into the corner as he watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes, glad that it was not him the boys were picking on, and a part of him feeling the pain of the other boy. He saw the boy attempt to walk out the door in floor-length princess dress with its hood covering his head, giving him a feminine appearance.

As the oddly dressed boy tried to get out of the library, the bullies pushed him in again, harshly instructing him, “Just do as you are told princess, or it will be worse for your brother.” The boy looked fearfully around the library, afraid to take a step in any direction.

Minho briefly wondered why the librarian was not taking any action against the bullying boys, only to realize that everyone in school was scared of the kingkas, giving the said boys a free run over the school and its students. Minho shrunk himself even more into the corner, hoping to avoid visual detection. His bespectacled eyes getting larger by the minute in fear. He started sweating profusely and toyed with the idea of hiding under the table.

“Aargh!” A pained sound brought his attention back to the boy in the dress. Minho saw the boy sprawled on the floor, rubbing his nose. “Get up princess and get to work,” the kingkas shouted from the door. Other library occupants quietly got up and left the room, not wishing to invite the attention or wrath of the kingkas.

Minho silently observed as the boy stood up and began to walk carefully, his eyes darting to all parts of library. The bullies started instructing once more, “Remember princess you cannot leave till you kiss the froggy.”

Minho quaked on hearing the words. His mind could only process three words ‘kiss the froggy’ as his eyes widened in shock. He was given the name by the very same bullies. What did they mean by those words? Minho touched his lips and dived under the table. He watched in fear as the dress-covered legs got nearer to his hiding place.

The other boy squeaked for help as his feet got tangled in the hem of the dress once more and he fell flat on his face exactly in front of hiding Minho. The hood of the dress fell back revealing the clumsy boy. Minho inhaled sharply. It was Onew who had to kiss him. Minho’s mind went blank all over again.

Onew in the meantime had located his target. It was impossible not to, since his face was only a hand span away from exactly where Minho was hiding. Onew peered at the cowering boy who was only a few months younger to him. Minho’s shaking hand was covering his lips and his large frightened eyes did remind Onew of a frog.

“Come on princess, find him quickly. We don’t have all day. That dress needs to be returned to the drama department. Don’t tear it with your clumsiness,” the voices from the doorway teased Onew further, making him flush redder than he already was.

Slowly getting up from his fall, Onew whispered, “Please Minho. Let me complete my punishment. They are holding my little brother hostage. They will not let Taemin go till I do as they say.” Onew’s eyes pleaded with the younger boy to help him. “Please help me save my brother. They said they will break his legs. I will do whatever you want. I will be forever in your debt. Please. I will take another round of the library to give you time to decide.”

Minho dared not come out of his hiding place as he considered Onew’s request. He had heard rumors about the students who were driven to attempting extreme steps to get away from the kingkas. He observed ‘clumsy’ Onew trip over the long princess robes twice more while pretending to continue his search for Minho.

Minho tried to remember whatever he knew about Onew’s younger brother. It was very little, as Minho spent most of his school time hiding from the bullies. But he did know that Taemin was considered the best dancer of the school. He wondered if he had the strength to bear the guilt if the boy could never dance again. All he had to give up was his first kiss. If he didn’t, could he live with the thought of the boy never dancing again.

Onew fell down once again and this time he took longer to get up, constantly rubbing his elbows and knees. He struggled to hold back his tears as he feared for his brother. He pulled the hood over his head to hide his face from the bullies. If they realized he knew where Minho was, everything would be over for Taemin. His breath hitched and he felt a tear trickle down his cheek. Quickly turning his back towards the door, Onew discreetly wiped the wetness away.

“Hurry up princess and find the frog. We don’t have all day. You have five more minutes. If we don’t have the proof of the kiss, you can pick up your brother from the school’s main dumpster.” The shouted threat made Onew lift up the lower part of his princess robes to extract a small camera from his school pants’ pocket. Minho was out of time, whether he agreed or not, Onew was determined to take the kiss and its proof.

Approaching the table where Minho was hiding, Onew tripped and hit his forehead on the table’s edge as he fell down. Minho looked at the prone body a few centimeters away from his hiding place. He waited for the boy to get up. But when there was no movement for a minute, Minho began panicking. He touched his lips and thought about Taemin. Squaring his shoulders, Minho removed his glasses to put them in his shirt pocket.

Finally, Minho crawled out from under the table. Down on the floor, he looked at the door and realized that the bullies couldn’t see him and Onew, because he couldn’t see them either. That was why he’d carefully selected that particular corner of the library as his hideaway. He looked at the darkening bruise forming on the side of Onew’s forehead.

Minho took the camera from Onew’s unmoving fingers. He focused the camera and bent down over a clearly-unconscious Onew. Hesitating for a moment, he took a deep breath and determinedly moved his head lower. He touched his lips to Onew’s for a fraction of a second and his finger clicked the camera. Straightening up, he checked the camera and found the photograph showing only their hair.

Minho groaned soundlessly, and tried one more time. It took three more attempts before Minho was able to capture the kiss on camera. He re-donned his glasses and walked to the library door to give the camera to the bullies. Lowering his head, Minho whispered, “Here is your proof. Please, let Taemin go now.”

The leader of the bullies smirked, checked the photograph and passed the camera to others. He motioned one of the boys to release their hostage. The boy rushed to the bathroom opposite the library and returned pulling behind him a much-bruised Taemin whom he pushed towards Minho. Minho caught the younger boy in his arms and rushed back to his corner in the library.

When Taemin saw his older brother lying motionless on the floor, his sobs broke out. He crouched next to Onew’s prone body and began weeping uncontrollably, “Hyung, you can’t die and leave me alone here.”

From the door, bullies shouted for Onew’s princess costume. Minho looked at Taemin but didn’t find any help forthcoming. Minho struggled and managed to remove the outer robes, leaving Onew dressed in his school uniform. Panting for breath, he ran to the bullies and handed them the clothes. They laughed loudly and went away crowing at their victory.

Minho checked the area before quickly crossing to the bathroom and wetting his handkerchief with cold water. He rushed back to the brothers. Onew still had to make any movement. Minho rubbed the wet piece of linen on the older boy’s face. Onew slowly opened his eyes and peered like an owl at Minho. Minho used his forefinger to push his glasses up. They made his eyes look larger than normal. Onew blinked soundlessly at him, not breaking the eye contact.

Taemin sobbed and shook Onew’s shoulders, “Hyung, you are awake. Thank god you are awake. I thought they had killed you.”

Onew’s gaze instantly moved away from Minho’s to check his brother. Minho helped Onew sit up and muttered in his ear, “Your brother is only a little bruised. They didn’t harm him any further.” His voice fell lower and Onew had to strain to hear the next words, “I gave them the proof.”

Onew eyes moved away from the visual inspection of his brother and he focused his attention on Minho. His small eyes silently questioned the larger ones. Minho gave a quick nod to confirm and then forgot to breathe. Onew captured him in a tight hug and mumbled repeatedly, “Thank you Minho. Thank you. Thank you so much for saving him. Thank you. I am forever in your debt. I will do anything you want. Thank you, thank you.”

Minho turned red in embarrassment and squirmed to get free, “It’s alright. There is no debt. Just keep yourself safe.”

Onew let him go and nodded his head, “Thank you, thank you.”

Minho hurriedly stood up and sat down at the table again, hiding his red face in the books. Onew looked at him and then turned his attention to his brother. He went out and took Taemin for a checkup in the hospital to tend to his wounds. On their way home, he purchased a boxful of pepper sprays for tiny Taemin to use in school. Thinking hard, he also bought protective covering for Taemin’s legs, just like the kinds different sportsmen used to prevent injury.

Next morning, Onew woke up earlier than usual and prepared a large boxful of food. He cleaned the kitchen to hide his cooking activities from his mother. When the school was over, he made sure that Taemin was safely on his way home. Then he went to the library to seek out the hiding boy.

That day, library after school was no different from the school hours and classes. Since Onew had entered the school premises, he had heard teasing laughter about princess kissing the frog. He knew the reason for the open snickers. The kingkas had messaged the kissing photograph to other students the day before and by that morning there was not a single student, including himself, who had not seen the photograph with its caption – Princess and The Frog.

Even he had received it on his phone. He had made the photograph as his home screen, to remind him of Minho’s unexpected bravery. He ignored the taunts as they were nothing new to him, just one more in the series that he’d heard since transferring to the school a few months ago.

In the library, Onew easily located the younger boy who had his head buried in books. Minho’s red face and neck gave evidence of his embarrassment at the teasing of their schoolmates that day. Onew sat down silently next to Minho and took out the food from his bag. He checked to make sure no one could see them before opening the box and putting it on top of the book that Minho was concentrating on.

Minho immediately looked up and around. His shock at finding Onew sitting next to him made the older boy smile. “You must be hungry. I saw those boys throw away your lunch again today. Please accept the food. I prepared it myself for you,” Onew whispered low enough for only Minho to hear.

Minho continued to stare at Onew for a few minutes. Then he looked at the food and accepted the chopsticks offered to him. He took one mouthful and smiled shyly at the older boy, “Thank you. I was really very hungry. But, you didn’t have to do this. There really is no debt. In fact, I am sorry for kissing you when you were unconscious.” Minho pushed the box towards Onew, who looked at it for a moment before fishing out another pair of chopsticks from his bag.

Onew spoke again with his cheeks full of food, “I don’t mind. You saved Taemin.” He looked at Minho admiringly.

Minho chuckled. When Onew raised an eyebrow in question, he explained, “You look like a chipmunk, princess.”

Onew joined him in softly laughing, “Don’t croak like a frog. Eat up and study. I like competing with you in class.”

Minho laughed more as he ate another large mouthful, resembling a chipmunk himself, “I am going to ace the tests next week. Then we’ll see who will croak.”

“Ha, frog prince, keep dreaming. It will be my name on top of the grade list.” Onew ate and replied nonchalantly.

“Yeah yeah, that will happen in the next century.” Minho felt happy sharing Onew’s food.

“Has anyone seen the Princess and the Frog? If you do, tell them to meet us in the gym right now.”

Both boys fell silent as they heard the harsh bark from the entrance of the library. They rushed to hide under the table with the food. Minho whispered, “Do you think they will make us kiss again?”

Onew pondered the question for a moment and responded with one of his own, “Was it so bad to kiss me?” He stared at his hands to hide his blush.

Minho sniffed the food, “Thankfully, you did not add any garlic to the food.”

Onew looked at him morosely, “My first kiss and I have no memory of it.”

Minho poked Onew’s pink-tinted blushing cheeks, “Kisses. I had to try six times before I got the proof. Camera was bad quality.”

“Don’t blame your ineptitude on the camera.”

“Says the boy who had fainted and has no memory of it.”

“I have photographic memory for your information.”

“First you need a memory of the photograph. Did you see it by the way?”

“All I saw were your pouty lips, as red as your face.”

“Ha, my lips are way better than yours. You are jealous because you cannot pout.”

“Who wants to look like a frog with a pout all day long?”

“So says the princess in dress. By the way, you are heavy. It was so difficult to get it off you.”

Onew took the food away from Minho and pouted his full lips, “Just for that, no more food for you.”

Minho pulled at the box to satiate his hunger. In the ensuing tug-of-war, Onew managed to slip and fall down. He let the box go and took hold of Minho’s shirt to maintain his balance. Gravity and his klutziness won and he fell flat on his back, managing to pull the younger boy with him.

Minho couldn’t help laughing at how cute Onew looked with a pout and bewildered eyes. Only Onew could have managed to fall down while sitting. Onew too noticed the absurdity of the situation and joined Minho’s laughter. He lifted his head just a little to touch his lips to Minho’s. A flash went off just as their lips collided.

“There they are. Here, you can send the photograph to everyone. Caption it as ‘Two Nerds Who Don’t Know How To Hide’. Let’s pull them to the soccer ground and have some fun.”

Onew and Minho turned their heads to see many pairs of legs standing near their table. They looked at each other and smiled. Minho stood up first and helped Onew up.

Both boys continued to smile as they ran laps round the field till nightfall. They didn’t mind it, but. Their misery loved company.

They were together at least.

And ready to be bullied happily ever after.

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