LEATHER AND LACE

 

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Kris opens the large yearbook. It’s big and dusty, worn away by age. Kris is reaching towards the end of his twenties now and high school were like 10 years ago. He missed Canada. Now that he had his own little family in Seoul, he rarely—almost never—went there. But he missed them dearly. The school especially.

 

He flips through pages until he found a page with big bold letters at the top.

 

XII-1

 

 It was where he met his pal, Mark. And future colleagues Ki Bum, Henry and Amber. It’s also a place, where he met his first and eternal love.And he loves the class with all the things inside—even though it didn’t include math, physics, and geography. He was engulfed with chills just by looking at the pictures. He remembers clearly. Everything. He remembers every single little detail about them.

 

 

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It was sunny, and bright. The class. It was like that back then. Kris remembers clearly his chair. It was in the veeeery back, in the very left corner, near the big window. He would sleep at most classes—especially math, physics, and geography. He would be in a long satisfying nap. The sun rays would shine into his face, lulling him into a deep slumber.

 

His personality in high school was not good. He was cold, he was straight. His expression would either be plain poker, or cold and sinical. His close friends would call him Angry dragon. What makes him wonder—until now—is why he had heaps of fans. There would be girls, trailing behind him, chanting his name, filling his locker with candies and love letters. He paid them with icy stares and glares yet they never gave up. There would occasionally young teachers or juniors, sometimes senior, and a few times people with the same gender as him—boy---that confessed to him. And he would say no and left.

 

What makes him pity himself, is that the girl that catches his mind never paid any attention to him.  That girl was—and still—bubbly and cheerful, and she sat right in front of him. She loved to sit near the big window as well. If Kris spent his time sleeping, she spent her time sketching. The trees outside, canary singing, people walking by, the teacher in the parking lot, cars... Everything outside the window that catched her attention.

 

She was—and still—pretty with fair complexion. She had—and still have—soft brown hair that falls perfectly in her back. Sometimes, Kris just wanted to reach out his fingers and brush that hair. She had—and still have—a  nice eye smile. She rarely smiled to anybody. And she rarely talked. That’s why everybody called her ‘The Mute Girl’. She would just look down at these words.

 

Both Kris and her were Asian, but they lived in Canada. To be present in a world of foreigners scared both of them. The difference was, Kris can maintain his strength, and shrugs off things. But she.. She was timid and soft, that she approached nobody in school, had no lab partner, no friends, no boyfriend. And the fact that she was like that, attracted Kris.

 

One day, she slept in class. And the teacher suddenly asked Kris to answer a question. And so, he walked to the white board and finishes the task. When he turned his body to walk back to his seat, he saw her face. Her eyes were closed, and she was sleeping like a princess. When Kris was a kid, his mother would read him bedtime story and that included Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. When he saw that girl sleeping, finally Kris knew how Aurora might look. Since then, Kris fell for her.

 

Every since then, he tried his best to approach her. Nudging her when she was studying, unconsciously tugging her hair, throwing paper airplanes, poking her with pen. She was annoyed. There was once when she turned back and punched his nose with all her might. And he bled.

 

Then they graduated 11th grade and proceed to the last stage of high school. And they were in the same class again, sitting in the same point. Kris couldn’t be any happier. He would come early and wait in the gate. And when she came, he would follow her around.

 

Until one day.

 

She bursted out, saying she hated Kris and everything about him and told him to back off and get lost. Kris felt offended. And he did. He backed off and got lost. He went back to his ice prince personality. He grew cold to everybody. He prisoned himself from outer world.

 

Then one of his friend, Mark, told him. That girl’s name was Yunhee. She was timid and weird. Because she had painful past. She went to the same junior high as Mark. She was bullied because she was Asian. She grew timid and soft. Too vulnerable to be true, as if she will crumble in every single touch.

 

And Kris kept his feet on the ground. He chose not to care. She rejected him. Why became worried? And then she kept missing from classes. After a few weeks, he remained okay without her presence.But then he can’t help but to feel worried. And that afternoon was raining. After school, he went in search for her.

 

He almost rummaged the whole city just to find her. And he did. She was hiding in a pitch black alley. She was on the ground, bringing her knees to her face, as she sobbed. Kris couldn’t help himself from embracing her. And she didn’t complain. It was as if she was far too weak for things. She just cried.

 

She told him, her family went on bankruptcy. She would return back to her hometown—some city in Korea. Kris didn’t know it and couldn’t pronounce the name correctly. He should’ve paid more attention in geography.

 

But the next morning, she came to school. And it was music lesson. And guess what, the teacher told them to pair up and sing a ballad together for the final scoring. A bunch of girls begged him to partnered them. And Kris sent them his famous Not Amused Angry Dragon Glares. He then walked to Yunhee and slightly tapped her shoulder. He asked her to partnered him. She rejected at first.But Kris insisted on being her partner. And so she said yes.

 

2 weeks flew really fast. They were about to perform their duet. It was a ballad that Mark advised him. He said it suited him even though he didn’t know why. Kris was more like a rapper slash beatboxer. He couldn’t sing nor harmonize. But for Yunhee, he would learn to. Kris and Yunhee never practiced together. But Kris was okay with this. As long he could perform with her, no matter what score he was going to get at that time, he would be grateful.

 

Then the teacher called their name. And so they sang. Kris thought the song portrayed them well. About him—being cold and icy like, and her—being fragile and timid. And the moment they hit the stage, he felt like butterflies in his stomach were growing from butterflies, to bats, to eagles, to pterodactyls. And they spooned around inside of him. But when he heard her voice, it felt like heaven. Her voice was soft and silky, and remembers it clearly till now.

 

Is love so fragile
And the heart so hollow?
Shatter with words
Impossible to follow

Saying I'm fragile
I try not to be
I search only
For something I can't see

I have my own life
And I am stronger
Than you know

But I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won't be walking out the door

Still I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won't be walking out the door

Lovers forever, face to face
My city or mountains
Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace

You in the moonlight
With your sleepy eyes
Could you ever love a man like me?

And you were right
When I walked into your house
I knew I'd never want to leave

Sometimes I'm a strong man
Sometimes cold and scared
And sometimes I cry

But that time I saw you
Knew with you to light my nights
Somehow I'd get by

Lovers forever, face to face
My city or mountains
Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace

Lovers forever, face to face
My city or mountains
Stay with me, stay

I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather
Take from me my lace

Take from me my lace
Take from me my lace

 

 

And dammit. Right after her voice trailed off, the bell rang. She quickly bid farewell and left. And since then, she never showed up in school.

 

 

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“Kris? Aren’t you going to eat dinner? The kids are waiting.” His wife called. Kris snapped back to reality. “Ah, yeah..” he said, closing the yearbook and stuffing it into the nightstand. “Having a small reunion?” His wife squeeze his hand. “You could say that.” He replied and smile. “Now, let’s eat before the kids whine.” She chuckles and walks toward the door. And Kris suddenly runs to her, gripping her wrist, and pulling her into a hug. He held her tight in his embrace, and let her head leans on his chest. She winced in shock and confusion.. “K-kris..?”

 

“Sshhhh.” He whispered.

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“I’m glad that I found you again and you didn’t reject me.... Yunhee.” He smiled. Yunhee nuzzled the tip of her nose into his chest and replied sweetly. “I’m glad you did.”

 

 

 

 

THE END.

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They did end up together. Satisfied now? Kekeke. Presented for those Angry Dragon’s Fans. And exotics around the world. And one of my exo fangirls right there in Lia. There you go, a Kris FF!