100% Miss

 

 

 

 

It was one clear April evening at sunset, I had been aimlessly walking around in Gangnam mourning the loss of my beloved dog when I happened to blink away the tears, and in that instant was when I saw it.

 

 

 

The bright red tie around his neck, peeking through the top of his jacket. The vibrancy of the color reminded me of the collar my dog had once worn.

 

 

 

And for that reason, I thought, perhaps I should go talk to him. The seemingly endless streams of tears down my face had ceased the moment I saw the man with the red tie. He was quite a ways away at first, but his figure became more clear as he drew closer from the east heading west. As he was heading into the light of the setting sun, his figure seemed to shine a lot more than anyone else on the street.

 

 

 

I should talk to him, I played with idea of accosting this stranger and talking to him even for a little bit. I'd say thank you, for lifting the tears and brightening up my day. He might wonder why, but I'll just compliment his tie and be on my way. No harm in a short dialogue with this stranger.

 

 

 

He gets closer and I think I may have stopped walking completely, we seem to watch each other for a second. Neither of us turn away. But then I realize we're both too far to determine where the other's eyes are focused.

 

 

 

He's quite tall with a slight build, though there was probably more to him than I could see at the time. I think of the muscles hidden by the cloth of his wear. He could be dangerous. The possibility presents itself suddenly, he could be a thief and a murderer, he's certainly got the body for an intimidating criminal. My eyes a drawn from his body to the red cloth around his neck and I felt myself relax. That couldn't be possible.

 

 

 

The way the morning sun lights up his face makes him seem more angelic, magical even. He could be my dog. After he died, he came back in this form to comfort his grieving master. That's certainly romantic, I catch myself smiling. Or he could simply be a heaven sent angel with the same purpose. Once he's fulfilled his duty, he'll return to heaven probably.

 

 

 

But I didn't want him to go away. I should say something.

 

 

 

“Excuse me, sir. But you remind me of someone, would you happen to have time for a cup of coffee?” Surely he'd run away. I'm suddenly asking fro a date when a minute ago I just wanted to say thank you. He'd run away in either case.

 

 

 

Or maybe he'd stay and say, “I just finished drinking a cup of coffee. Since it's about that time, how about we get a proper lunch instead? My name is...” And we would have pasta at the Italian restaurant across the street. I would order the wrong thing and he'd laugh when he sees the weird face I'll make after tasting it. He'd switch lunches with me and begin telling me about himself. He's surely unmarried, but employed at a decent enough company. He's a few years older, but just a few. Then next time, we'd see a movie together, a romantic comedy. The time after that we'd have fun at an amusement park. A picnic under the stars has always been a dream, we could go back to his place once the night got too cold. How would it be to wake up with him by my side—.

 

 

 

I shook my head but the thought is still there. It seemed to make no sense, but the closer he got, the more the man coming from the east seemed to be my ideal guy.

 

 

 

His black hair, tossing in the wind as he walked, a worn, but not unfashionable jacket shrouding the muscle of the arms and torso beneath—his face was perfectly sculpted by angels.

 

 

 

*

 

 

Life had not been particularly good to him thus far. 28 years old, unmarried and Korean. His memories stolen by a sickness awhile back, he woke up one day with nothing but his name fresh in his memory.

 

 

My name is Do Kyungsoo. Who are you?

 

 

The first words he said to his parents after his fever broke 104 degrees and he out. It was a few weeks after the doctors reported that the amnesia was indeed permanent. The doctors had said to not mourn as if they had lost a son, but to look forward to raising the same one again. Any parenting regrets they may have had before were reset. His father took the doctor's words to heart; this time he would make his son a proper man. He would not allow his son to dance ballet and fallen in love with another man. He would not make the same mistake twice. Kyungsoo's father made sure that the mother understood how they were to raise their reborn son. The right way.

 

 

My name is Kyungsoo, let's be friends!

 

 

 

And they gave him a dog to love and care for, to have as his friend while his parents worked hard to reeducate him at home. They would take no chances, Kyungsoo was not to befriend any boys. And like that he was home schooled until he had relearned all that they taught in elementary, middle and high school.

 

 

 

He had but one friend, he had named him Kai though his father had strongly expressed how much he despised the name. For what reason, Kyungsoo couldn't understand, but his mother stood up for him and pleaded to let him just name the damn dog. So, Kai and Kyungsoo became friends when he turned 16, one year after the epidemic. Kyungsoo hadn't be the only one victim to Memory Fever; most people that caught it died not knowing who they were. Kyungsoo had been lucky.

 

 

 

His dad never let him forget it. Whenever he even so much as hinted at going outside to make friends with at least the neighbor's kids, his father strictly forbade it. “That's how you got sick in the first place! From some dirty kid you called a friend. What did he do, huh? He took your memories! You're lucky he didn't kill you.” Kyungsoo would start crying by this time and his father would sigh, “Kyungsoo, don't cry. Man up and go play with the dog.”

 

 

 

“His name is Kai!” Kyungsoo would yell in defiance and run out of the dining room so seek comfort in Kai's soft black fur.

 

 

 

It was always like that. Kai was there for Kyungsoo when his parents couldn't be and after awhile Kyungsoo was fine with things being that way.

 

 

 

Until the day Kai fell ill. He had been less energetic these days, but Kyungsoo figured it was just because he wasn't a puppy anymore. Even he felt like just laying on the floor and just mope all day. But then, Kai wouldn't eat his food. They tried changing what the fed him for a few days and his condition just worsened from there. They finally took him to the vet but only after they discovered the bloodstains on the carpet.

 

 

 

It was too late though. The had said there was nothing they could do. It wasn't anybody's fault. Kai was just old and dying. That was the day Kyungsoo lost his only friend.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

He's so close now. His naturally tan skin complimented his darker than black eyes beautifully. Thick lips that I could tell were going to be the subject of my dreams for months to come. Have we met before? I think but I know we haven't. I should really say something. But what could I say?

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

The light from the east eventually passed me without so much as a glance in my direction. The time for action went with him. My ideal man had slipped away from me. It was suddenly quite dark—when had the sunset—and the raindrops on my face felt a lot like tears.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Like this we let opportunity get away and let people walk out of our lives forever. And everything we had wanted to do when we got the chance is another dream dead.

 

 

 

 

A/N:

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