Growing up being cursed to always look dorky passed the age of five is almost a talent. As I hit puberty, it just seemed to get worse. I had to wear glasses, I sweat when I was nervous and sometimes for no reason at all, I was a bit more blubber than anything else, and to top it all off, I had asthma. I had one friend, though, Xiumin. Out of all the bullying, the taunting, the teasing, the cruelness that came along with being different, he stuck by me. He held me when I cried, he handed me a towel when I was basically dripping sweat and gave me my asthma puffer when he saw I was becoming short of breath. He was my best friend, well, my only friend. He was the only one that didn’t find me gross.

Or so I thought.

His name was Wu Yifan, an exchange student from China. He was smart, popular, handsome, etc., etc. He was perfect, everyone loved him and all I could do was drool from afar. The problem with being a complete dork/nerd/geek (yes, there is a difference) is that nobody really wants to know your because you come off as too weird. It was a curse... And a blessing? It weeded out the fake people as my mother says.

“Close your mouth or you’ll actually drool again,” Xiumin gently shut my mouth with his finger and I had to adjust my glasses to look at him properly.

“I wasn’t going to drool,” I whispered and glanced back to Yifan who was... So utterly handsome, it took my breath away. Wait- My inhaler was in my face.

“You’re about to choke,” I took it gratefully and took a couple of puffs.

“Thank you, you’re the only reason I don’t choke all the time.”

I smiled and we continued to eat our lunch before I got up and collected our rubbish as per routine. Except my routine was interrupted from what it usually was when I ran right into a large person. People weren’t usually larger than me! I gasped and stumbled and dropped everything. I averted my eyes and quickly started to pick it all up.

“Here, let me help.” A large set of hands joined mine as the rubbish was collected up off the floor and that voice... It was deep and sounded like what chocolate tasted like. I slowly looked up and saw Yifan.

Kill me. Or maybe I was already dead?

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you,” He offered a charming smile and all I could do was stare. Wu Yifan was actually... talking to me? Apologising at that? “You okay? I didn’t run into you that hard.”

Yep. Mhm. I was pretty sure I was dead at this point, especially the way he laughed at the end. I glanced down and slowly made my way to the rubbish bin and threw it in, Yifan followed close behind and it made me go red.

“So what’s your name?” He asked.

I looked up to make sure he was talking to me before I opened my mouth, only to be cut off by Tao. Oh no.

“Don’t trouble yourself with him, he gets a bit weird if you get too close.”

He could have easily said that in Chinese, spare my feelings at the very least, but no. He had to say it so I could understand his cruel words and I could hear the underlying threat of, Stay away from Yifan.

I nodded and ducked off as Yifan argued something in Chinese to Tao and I sat down at the table where Xiumin just gave me a sympathetic look. He was gorgeous, to be perfectly honest. Everything about him, I knew he’d find someone just as perfect as he was one day. But he’d never find that in this school. I tensed as suddenly someone sat next to me. Typically, it was either about school work or to taunt me so I was always on guard.

“You didn’t tell me your name.”

I looked up in surprise to see the handsome and charming Yifan sitting next to me with a patient smile. I gaped at him and made a pained noise when Xiumin kicked me under the table.

“K-K-Kim Junmyeon... My name is Junmyeon.” I said shyly and pushed my glasses up my nose to see his smile become more charming and... flirtatious?

“Junmyeon,” I swallowed thickly at the way he said my name. “That’s a lovely name, I could say it all day.” I must have given him this look that just said everything I was feeling because he dropped the charm immediately and actually became rather shy. “Sorry, sorry, from the things I’ve heard you aren’t a favourite around here but, I’m interested. No jokes, no dares.”

“I... I don’t-“

“One date,” He held up a finger and I looked at it and then at his face in worry. “Please?”

He was so hot, and I was here as the gross boy.

“Okay... But if this is a trick, my mama will kick your .” I said quietly and he looked confused which made me smile. “She’s a police officer.”

The look of understanding that crossed his face was almost comical. “Ah, I better get you home before curfew then. Tomorrow? I’ll pick you up from your place at six.”

All I could do was nod in response and he just grinned, booped the tip of my nose and left. Right after my inhaler was shoved into my face again.

That afternoon, Xiumin went home with me and helped me pick out the perfect outfit and for the first time in forever... I was incredibly self-conscious about my weight. But, with a quick pep talk and a light slap in the fact I was ready for my date. My mum was bubbling with joy as she helped me get ready the next day. Yifan talked to me once or twice and smiled so damn charmingly, I swear I used half of my puffer in one day.

The date was an actual date. For the whole time, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop or for him to tell me the joke was over. But he took me out to a nice dinner, we walked along the beach and he took me home before curfew. He even gave me a kiss! A real proper kiss that fogged up my glasses! He kindly took them off, cleaned them up and then handed them back before wishing me a goodnight.

I wasn’t too sure where we stood as relationships go but it was the best date I had ever been on, being the only date that wasn’t completely phoney. I called up Xiumin immediately and stayed up an extra hour, just talking about the date.

When I went to school next, I was almost expecting Yifan to kind of ignore me. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders with a large grin and told me good morning. I glanced around, waiting to see the sniggering boys or the smirks from nasty girls but... There were nothing but disgusted or envious stares.

“Yifan, are you sure you want to hang around me?” I asked in a whisper but he just hushed me and pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing at my forehead with it.

“Now, have you eaten breakfast?” I nodded and he pulled out two choc chip muffins. “Damn...” My eyes widened and he just gave me a smile. “Make sure I didn't just waste my money?” He handed one to me and I took a bite. He was so kind, maybe this was a good thing after all!

Yifan was the type of boyfriend that noticed everything, he noticed when I needed my inhaler when I’d stare at something a little longer because I wanted it. For example, the piece of cake at the bakery we went to for one of our dates, but I was too embarrassed to order it because I didn’t like people just assuming things about me. So he ordered it and shared about three-quarters of it with me, those type of things he did for me warmed my heart. But there was one thing in particular that he did that almost made me cry.

I was a er for the whole steal-your-boyfriend’s-stuff. But I had tried on one of his shirts and due to my weight, we were basically the same size and I didn’t get that warm protected feeling you were supposed to. One day it was particularly cold and I was freezing my off because I forgot to bring a sweater, so Yifan offered me his. I had a little debate with him about it before he handed it over and I put it on, only to find it was a bit big on me. Later on, I found out he was buying him sweaters two sizes larger so I could feel small.

Boyfriend goals.

A few weeks passed, and then a couple of months and the rumours grew and spread, comments got nasty again but now I had two people on my side! But it still got to me and when I was having a quiet moment with Yifan, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Why did you go out with me?” He just looked at me confused. “Why would someone like you, who is just so incredibly hot and could have anyone, go out with me? I’m just... gross. Everyone says so.”

He was quiet for a moment, but what he said, in the end, I wasn’t expecting at all. Yifan gently took my hands into his and gave a fond smile. “Junmyeon, I have only spent a couple of months with you but just you giving me your time of day makes me so incredibly happy, I can’t begin to describe the warmth I feel when you even just look at me. Sure, you’re not perfect. But I love the fact when I hug you, it’s like hugging a big, stuffed teddy. Or that even after everything that’s been thrown at you, you’re still this positive and beautiful person who can still make my heart feel like it’s going to beat right out of my chest when you smile.” He moved his hands to cup my cheeks, making my heart pound and a smile bloom on my face. “You make my world a bit more complete.” Then he kissed me. And I kissed him back.

That was all I needed to hear.