~C h a p t e r  3~

-August 21^st 2007- Kris is seventeen.

Aish, that stupid rain, Kris glanced at his watch, a frown appearing on his face as the time was displayed to him: 7h30. Great, he was going to be late to this family dinner, and no way would his mother spare him this time, she wasn’t someone who could forgive and forget easily, and he was certain that he would get a good whack on the head when he would be arriving. Which is why, he preferred lingering about since he was already late instead of rushing, hoping that the family invited would go early so that his parents would be going to bed. Although he had already told her that he was now having many basketball practices and teamwork, she didn’t want to take no for an answer and insisted that he come everyday for dinner as she said that he was getting much too thin for his own good.

Let me take a detour around the neighborhood instead, he thought as he zipped up his hoodie and lowered it on his head to prevent unexpected fan girls from squealing their hearts out. he started walking around, taking the long detour to his house when suddenly something hit him in the shin from behind. He looked back, and although he got hurt, he didn’t show it. Near his leg was a small skateboard, pink and frilly with a Barbie insignia in the middle. What the heck? He thought, and his eyes lifted up to the shadow cast upon it. There, as small and fragile as a trembling leaf, was a girl. A small girl.

‘ Hello’ She said, timidly, bowing her head and avoiding his gaze. This boy was just so tall that she felt intimidated by his presence. Why! He was even taller than her father! The boy raised a brow at her, and scanned her appearance. Disheveled and dirty, she reminded him of a poverina who stole things to satisfy her, like a stray puppy that could do what she liked. He had a feeling she was an orphan, seeing how she was traipsing around the neighborhood without an adult’s consent.

She had a tiny pixie face and cute features; big round eyes, small button nose and rosebud shaped mouth.

Oh my, so cute. Where did she get those cute and adorable eyes of hers- yah! Kris Wu! That’s so wrong checking out a KID! He mentally face palmed himself for his shallowness and almost forgot that the girl was still watching him, her unmoving gaze latched onto his without flinching.

He crouched down to her height and spoke softly as to not scare her away. ‘ Hello, kid, what are you doing here at this time of night?’

The child shuffled before him, seeming like she was uncomfortable with the question. But then she opened to speak ‘ I ran away’

It took all of his will not to burst out laughing in that child’s face, and he struggled to keep his calm expression as he quirked up an eyebrow. The child giggled at that, and approached him, no more scared.

‘Why? I’m sure your Umma and Appa are worrying about you’ He replied seriously. He drew up again, and the girl flinched at his harshness. He chuckled softly. She was all too cute for her own good, he told himself.

He tried to smile the gentlest smile and held out his hand to the dirty child, who looked at it, then at him, her big eyes widening slightly. Kris frowned. ‘ What’s wrong?” He asked as she shuffled, a look of confusion on her face.

‘Umma told me never to go off with any strangers’ She replied seriously.

‘ And did your Umma also tell you that you shouldn’t run away from her ever?”

She looked at his hand and timidly reached out her tiny palm to his, then grasped it tightly. Kris enclosed his, feeling her soft hand, so small, so fragile that he could crush it in a blink of an eye. She is just so cute.

‘Where do you live?” He asked while he swung his hand along with hers. She put a finger t her lip and thought, a wondering look on her face and for a moment, Kris thought that she looked just like a replica of an adult. She had to copy that from someone, he thought comically.

‘______’ she recited and he nodded in understanding. That’s where he lived too, and so he brought her along with him, his legs striding ahead, picking up a fast pace. He didn’t want this child’s parents to worry more than they are. The child stumbled and when he spared a glance, he noticed that she had some hard time keeping up. Chuckling, he swopped her up in his arms and gave her a piggyback. She laughed in delight and poked Kris’s cheeks.

‘Yah, kid, whatcha doing?” He asked as she poked it again.

‘ What is your name please, mister?’ She avoided his question. Although Kris hated when people did that, there was just something about this particular girl that made him soften like butter.

‘ I’m Kris Wu’

“My name is Janice Feng and I’m 10 years old’ She pronounced proudly like she had done something extraordinary, with such pride that Kris laughed.

He watched the sky darken in the horizon and frowned. He quickened his pace so that they could reach her home faster, and as he did, he bumped every now and then, and the child would squeal in delight, hugging his neck.

‘hey! Slow down!” She shrieked as Kris slightly grinned. Then, not listening to her, he decided to sprint and she cried, hung on to him for dear life as her eyes blurred at the fast pace the boy was going. No, she didn’t want to die, and so she yanked Kris’s hair back.

“OW!’ The boy stopped abruptly and tilted his head to look at his attacker. Minha smiled back angelically. ‘ Sorry Kreese, but can you slow down?”

Kris’s lips curved into a small smile, a teasing one. He especially liked the way she mispronounced his name.‘ And what if I don’t?”

She stuck out her bottom lip, which was trembling and put-on a good show of a small damsel in distress ‘ But Kreeese~~~”

he rolled his eyes at her small act ‘ Aish fine, you annoying brat’

‘Yah’ the girl protested.

He grinned and returned to his regular pace, the small girl hanging on like a small monkey. She dangled her legs forward and backward, kicking him in the stomach sometimes. But Kris didn’t mind, there was just something particular about that little girl that he found so endearing that he could do anything for her, anything.

 Oh god, I’m getting paranoid now, he almost facepalmed himself. How could he even think of this small child this way? What in the world was wrong with him? He even couldn’t understand. He sounded like some sick ert!

He reached the small girl’s house, Janice’s house and he set her down, gently, afraid that the little girl wouldn’t be able to catch herself on her feet. But to his surprise, she merrily jumped down from his broad back and scurried into the house, calling “MAMA! MAMA!!”

A lady in her mid-thirties darted out from the kitchen and shock travelled across her face in the blink of an eye. She didn’t hesitate to rush to her child, enveloping her in her soft embrace and cuddling her close.

“Where were you Janice?! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Her mother cradled Janice’s head, kissing her temple.

“Mama, I’m really sorry for running away. But Kris gege brought me back” Janice motioned towards the long-legged and lean boy standing by the front door, a hesitant expression on his face.

 He cleared his throat loudly and bowed respectfully to the older “Hello Mrs. Feng, I’m Kris”

“Oh my, thank you so much for bringing my Janice back!” The woman rushed towards him, patting him respectfully on the shoulder. He could see utmost devotion written in her eyes, as they sparkled with renewed joy. His heart swelled up at the memory of his mother smiling with the same gentle expression on her face, yes, he was very deeply attached to his mother, and wouldn’t know how to live without her.

He bowed again upon remembering that he was daydreaming in front of the lady. “it wasn’t a problem, auntie”

“Why, please stay and have dinner!”

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From then on, those two had become inseparable and were known for their sincere friendship around the neighbourhood, even with their 7 year age difference, it didn’t matter to Kris. He felt the most joyful and happy when he was playing or teasing her.

Kris shook his head, shaking away the dim memories that were once so vivid in his mind as he stared in front of him now, the girl that had grown so much. He knew for a fact that Janice liked him. No, not liked, like liked him for real. She had confessed to him the day he was departing for Korea, the day he had left his hometown once and for all. She had been 14 at that time and her childish hands had grabbed onto his, and the look of sadness etched across her tear-strained face was so obvious that Kris was even tempted to stay.

“Kreese, do you really have to go?” Janice sniffled, looking down and afraid of meeting Kris’s gaze.

Kris chuckled softly and tilted up her chin with one hand. Looking deeply into her eyes, he murmured “ Hey, you aren’t going to cry, are you?”

Janice sniffled but didn’t say anything else.

He crouched down to her level and hugged her impulsively, although he wasn’t one for skinship. “Kreese will miss you too. Don’t ever forget me kay? Cause I’m coming back” He winked jokingly. She giggled and caressed his face with her soft, lithe hands, cocking her head to the side and blinking the tears away.

“Kreese, you better not have a girlfriend when you get back, okay?” She said childishly.

He raised a brow at her “ And why’s that?”

‘Because I love Kreese, and nobody has the right to touch him, but me” She said proudly.

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“Yah, Jan dwaeji, aren’t you asking me for a drink?” He smirked. She whipped around and gave him the most piercing glare ever, that could melt ice popsicles.

“What do you want to drink, Kreese?” She hissed.

“I want coke”

She sighed, whipped around and slammed a soda on the countertop next to him, her fingers denting the aluminium with the strength she had exerted. “is that all, Kreeese?”

“yes, that’s all” He popped it open and took a sip, still eyeing her as she popped her own iced tea, taking a huge gulp in a very unfeminine manner.

“You know, I wish that your teeth would rot with the excess of sugar you take everyday” Janice played with her soda, casually tilting her head back to get better access.

“that’s very kind of you” Kris pointed out.

She smirked “ I know right”

“Don’t flatter yourself” Kris looked around. The tiny kitchen hadn’t changed one bit, and the family photos were still displayed around. There was one he had taken a particular liking to. It was a photo of Janice at the beach when she was five. She had been in the process of eating an ice-cream when the shot was taken. was covered in ice-cream, and it was dripping down her chin in an unflattering way.

He snorted, “remember the last day at the airport, when you threatened me not to bring a girlfriend back home?”

Janice froze. He couldn’t know right? True, she still liked him over all those years, but a love between this much distance of an couldn’t exist, as much as she yearned for it. Seriously though, he would look like some kind of e next to her, and she was pretty certain that there were much more beautiful girls in that SM ent, much prettier than her, with straight noses, big eyes and cupid’s mouth. Damn.

She cleared loudly and looked away “No, I don’t..” She murmured, even though the memory flashed into her mind, fresh and vivid.

“Liar” Kris stated.

She flushed red with embarrassment, and partly from having been found out. “I’m not a liar!”

“So are”

“How would you know?!” She scowled, clenching her fists.

“This” He pointed towards her face, and started blinking his eyes really rapidly. It would have made Janice burst into fits of laughter at his imitation if not for the serious information he had just uttered from his mouth.

“W-what?” She blinked.

“You always blink very fast when you’re lying” He noted, drawing away, but not before she caught on the smell of boy perfume lingering in the air.

“I do not!”

“Anyway,” Kris cut her off before steam could come out of her ears. Literally, she was fire engine red, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she would burst into flames then. “I’ve kept my promise to you”

“eh?” She blanked out.

Kris chortled “And she says ‘eh’. So ke ai” Pinching her cheek impulsively, he made his way to the trash bin and dropped his soda in, his back facing her.

She touched her red cheeks. *Ke ai? Ke ai?! What the hell does that mean?! Screw you and your Chinese words Kris!* “what do y-you mean?”

“I’ve never went out with anyone before” Kris was still back facing her, focusing his gaze on the trashcan instead.

Her eyes bulged out at his comment. *Wait..what? what does that mean?! What…*

“I don’t get it” Janice blinked, again and again. Somehow, him not wanting to turn and look her in the face made her all the more confident. “What about-“

Ding-dong!

The two turned to face the door. Furrowing her brows and a little aghast that the person behind the door had interrupted her, she walked to the door and opened it, her eyes widening at the person behind the glass frame.

“A-Angela. W-what are you doing here?” Janice stuttered.

The Chinese orange-colored hair girl looked her up and down. “well, hello there Janice. But it’s not you I came to see” the elder girl poked her head around Janice’s figure with no manners whatsoever, and her expression brightened upon seeing Kris, like one a small pups who had found it’s mom. Janice could almost imagine her tail wagging and thumping against the floor. Gosh, can’t she be even more obvious? She thought as she turned reluctantly to let Angela pass.

“Hey Kris! Long time no see!” She waved in an overenthusiastic manner while Kris broke into a smile. He had been close friends with Angela too since primary, and still remembered her two cute pigtails she used to wear everyday because of the summer heat during their childhood.

“Hey Ange, what’s up?” he got interrupted when the girl suddenly hugged him impulsively, her body a bit too close for comfort. Kris let his arms hanging by his sides, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

Finally, he wriggled out of her grasp and made sure that there was at least a large space between them as they talked, and he was too caught up in catching up with his childhood friend that he hadn’t noticed Janice’s fuming face.

Janice scoffed half-heartedly. *Why the hell did I even think I had a chance? I mean, Angela’s a babe * stomping upstairs to her room, she slammed her door shut by accident, throwing herself onto her bed and letting her eyelids fall shut. The mixed feelings that had been burrowed deep inside her were resurfacing again; this time stronger. It seemed that her emotions for Wu Fan hadn’t changed over the years, but had even intensified. It was weird right? She was a moody teenager and he was a mature, independent adult; why the heck would he look her way? Her arms fell limply at her side in the sudden realization that the Kris she had dreamed of; being the perfect husband that would wait for her at the foot of the chapel where they would be newly weds would never even happen.

*I’m so pathetic. So ing pathetic *

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this is getting long for a twoshot :P ooops, i think i've gone overboard. Oh well, did you guys like this chappie? Comment and subscribe!