Seoul, Korea.

14 February 2013

7.18 a.m

Thanks to her eerie superpower for knowing the time the moment she awoke, Krystal know she had a couple minute before the alarm clock ringing. She shut her eye tight again mutinously clinging to the night. Her bedroom still in dark, the world outside still moodily silent except for bird gossiping in the big bare tree outside her window.

        Today was, what, a Tuesday?  Krystal groaned .Tuesday meant P.E. Thirty one, seven years old ,hoping from foot to foot on attic tarmac ,red of nose and knee, whining  Can we go back yet Miss Jung?  Krystal wound herself tighter in the duvet, deep in denial. She smiled to herself, remembering her last night Skype session with Suho.

Decorative, easy going , happy to flirt with the plain girls and fuss geriatric ladies ,Suho laughed easily but Krystal felt proud when she made Suho giggle. She knew the real thing when she heard it, meatier than the police, diplomatic laugh he employed in his relentless one-man mission to charm the world. Krystal loved Sim’s giggle .She missed it.

After years of studying till midnight, her boyfriend finally manage to further his master at his dream university at London. Krystal had been overjoyed when she heard the news .She had jumped up and down, clapped and cheered and kissed him over and over-until she realise he would be moving to London for five years.

“Come!” It had seems obvious to Suho. He never read the fine print of life.

“My job , “ Krystal had said. “My home, My family,”

She refuse to be a spare part and, despite his histrionic pleading, she stood by her decision .Even a woman in love has to be pragmatic and Krystal couldn’t deny there were advantages to Suho’s study .She dint miss the schlep to Seoul twice or thrice or week, and she certainly dint miss Suho’s grumbles about the car when he drove out to meet her in Yongin.With Suho in London, Krystal could plan her evenings to please herself, watch TV drama ,wear shapeless pyjamas( he declared passion killer) , and eat toast for dinner.

They were measly, though, these advantages, compared to all things she missed .The cute eye smile. The way he naughtily pinch her cheek. The alarm danced on its bedside tower of book. Krystal reached out a hand and hushed it, eyes still shut. Krystal concentrate on holding back of her life, stopping it from flooding in and ruining her nest. She would have quick shower and toast as breakfast. That was fifteen embezzled minute to spend dreaming of her upcoming trip.

Four whole days in London with Suho. She would ride a big red bus and visit Buckingham Palace and have a great deal of spending time with each other. Krystal had underestimate the effect of separation of their relationship .They hadn’t see each other since New Year.................Krystal hurriedly shooed away memories of that reunion.

She recoiled.

The doorbell rang with the distinctive sing-song of the postman.

The phone rang.

Apparently the world comprised to drag Krystal out of bed.

A thought, muddy and indistinct , took shape. There was something about today, wasn’t there? She lay still, lashes glued together ,trusting  her waking brain to sniff it out.

It was Valentine Day .That cancelled PE altogether.

Krystal opened her eye.

*

London

14 February 2013

6.05 A.M

Never a morning person, Suho had resented being wrenched from his warm , wide bed. The hard edge of the early morning street seems designed to assault his senses and be longed to rewind, shrug his clothes and fold himself  back in between covers.

This promised to be a busy day but not the sort of busy day he relished –studying for his upcoming exam and rehearsing for the drama club next musical.

Was it normal, the way his thought slid away from him like this?

He put the confused, flu like feeling down to his sleepless night, and yawned.

“Ouch.”  Suho staggered flu like feeling down to his sleepless night and yawned.

Had he drunk more than he’d realised last night? No. It had been restrained, civilised sort of evening .He even recalled writing his journal. Krystal always rolled her eyes at him for keeping a journal. She claimed it was pretentious but she was just peeved that he won’t let her  read it.

Anyway, Kris wouldn’t let him overindulge the night before. There, had been a dinner at Kris’s family club, just the one post meal brandy, then home alone. He shouldn’t feel this rough, this........

Limbs shaking. Suho reminded himself of the long professional life drought of his Korea life, his fantasies of studying at high profile university. Now that his dream comes true he mustn’t gripe. But giving himself a good talking wasn’t the same as having Krystal there to do it for him, with her particular sweet and cute tone.

This was no time to think of Krystal. Today would pan out in one of two ways, and he had resolved to let it take its course without fretting.

Easier said than done.

The nausea passed, giving way to light-headness. Stopping to lean against a lamp post ,Suho blinked rapidly ,ran a hand over his face and waited for sensation to pass.

Tea. Krystal always prescribed tea and she was right .It had magical properties. He’d asked tea when he arrived.

It only when Suho tried to walk on that he realised he couldn’t .The bone in his leg replaced with jam. He hugged the lam post. His scalp was drenched with sweat, yet he felt brutally cold. This was beyond just queer or hangover.

A busybody dustcart trundle past and receded into the distance, its lonely roar ringing in Suho’s ears. He knew he couldn’t shout for help so he dint try. With almighty effort he took a step, then regretted it as his body rebelled and crumpled.

Reaching out his hands, Suho felt only air, nothing to break his fall . The last, strange noise he heard was the unique gargle startled out of him by the pain in his chest.

His check pressed in to the pavement.

Suho closed his eyes.