Lin LaiMing 30, and Huan FeiMin, 29

“We didn’t like each other. She punched me. We were stuck in the same schools.”

“We hated each other. He bullied my brother. We caused trouble. We somehow even ended up in the same university.”

“I was studying martial arts, and she was the school’s top ballerina.”

“He came to watch one of shows I was in. He approached me with flowers after the show, and said I looked beautiful. It was the first thing he said to me, something nice.”

“Later, she came to one of my martial art competitions. She was sitting exactly where I planned on facing when I won the match. Well, I lost, and after the competition, she came up to me and hugged me. She said that I made losing look really cool.”

“It was after a few more shows and two competitions we came on friendly terms, enough to be friends for a year.”

“It changed when we were at a Lunar New Year’s festival. I was wearing a simple tee and jeans, and she walked out wearing a traditional short red dress. I thought she looked gorgeous under the lanterns. We spent the whole night at booths, playing games and eating foods.

“Before the fireworks started, he kissed me. Just kissed me.  No warning, no words. He just stopped walking, pulled me into him and kissed me. I didn’t bother pushing me away. I was secretly hoping he would kiss me.”

“We got married five years later after college, me as master and teacher at a local gym, and her as a ballet teacher.”

2012

Kris looked around his apartment. He had only a TV, and a blanket on the living room floor, the kitchen barley empty, ramen stacked up the wazoo in the cupboard. He didn’t bother picking up his phone as he looked at the blank TV. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone. He didn’t want to talk to anyone.

He just wanted to wallow in his own self-depression and be alone.

“Honestly, you can’t even pick yourself up,” a new voice was heard, and Kris barely had to look up to know it was Baekhyun, who bent down to poke the younger man, “Get up. Come on. You’re going to the book store with me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Kris, you said you need a book for your class,” Baekhyun said, “Now get up. I’m taking you to the book store.”

“No…”

Baekhyun let out a loud sigh of annoyance, and grabbed the taller man’s hand, pulling him up, “You are going to the book store, whether you like it or not!”

Kris got up unwilling, practically , “But what if Lu Han is there?”

“Lu Han is thousands of miles in China, and you're here in Korea! He’s not going to be at the bookstore!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yifan!”

“What do you mean you broke up with SeHun?” ChanYeol asked as he and Tao were walking through Gucci, looking at bags, “You were just telling me how much you were so in love with him!”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” the boy simply stated as he picked up a wallet, “What do you think? Your sister will like this one?”

“You know for a fact my sister is queen of bargain hunting.”

“Then what are we doing here?”

“I thought you might need a pick me up. You’ve been pretty depressed, so I thought I would cheer you up to your favorite store,” ChanYeol shrugged, giving him a smile. Tao felt moved, and hugged him there in the store, as shoppers stared. ChanYeol gave an uncomfortable smile, before he slowly pushed Tao away. He gave the tall boy a smile and decided he was gonna buy the three hundred dollar men’s wallet that matched the one he picked up.

“Ah, I need to go to the bookstore,” ChanYeol said at the register, “My girlfriend is saying that we’re having relationship problems and need to read one of these self-help books together.”

Swiping his card, Tao said, “Why don’t you just marry her? You’ve been dating for three years now; I bet she’s expecting some sort of ring.”

“I think I’m gonna break up with her,” ChanYeol shrugged, walking alongside the other as they left the store, “I mean, I feel like she’s cheating on me. If she is, then I’m not the most faithful boyfriend either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I met this guy at a club once,” ChanYeol said as he fished out his sunglasses, “He was pretty average, nice smile, awesome dance skills. I was watching him dance, since he danced pretty cool, but he kept eye contact with me. We practically stared at each other the whole night.”

“So?” Tao shrugged, “How is that being unfaithful?”

“Because when he stopped dancing, he came up to me, bought me a drink, got me on the dance floor and practically had me grinding on him,” ChanYeol said, “It was hot, and I felt great. But I freaked out when he suggested going further and left.”

Tao chuckled, “When was this? Was I with you?”

“I think it was when I asked her to go steady with me.”

“Ah, so before I met you.”

“Exactly,” ChanYeol mumbled, “I might be gay. Or bi. I don’t know, but it has to be something if I’m by some guy dancing than my own girlfriend, right?”

Tao just gave a helpful smile, quite enjoying the bit of anxiety from his friend. It made him think less of his own issues.

“When did you discover you were bi?” ChanYeol asked, ignoring the odd looks on the street, “I mean, you said you were bi in college, so it had to be earlier, right?”

Tao shrugged, “I was one of those kids who were proud of who they were and didn’t care if others thought it was weird I like boys or if I liked girls. I don’t think I had a specific age I suddenly realized it, but I kissed my best friend on a dare and like it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

ChanYeol groaned in frustration, “Why does it feel like everyone else seems to be cool with their uality but me? I’m thirty-three, godammit!”

“Well, since we’re heading to the book store, you might want to get a book to help with your uality. I’ll be looking at cookbooks and novels.”

“Kris!” Baekhyun whispered-yelled as he ran towards the man, who was looking at some lesson books, “Kris, I met him! I met the man I’m gonna marry!”

Kris looked up, confused, “I thought you were into women?”

“ them!” Baekhyun yelled, earning looks. He lowered his voice and looked back at Kris with big dreamy eyes, “He was so perfect! I was in the self-help section, and saw him on the other end near the questioning-uality section and I was about to die when I heard his voice!” he leaned in closer to Kris, “I felt his voice deep in my balls, Kris.”

Kris gave a disgusted look and placed one of the lesson books in his arm, “So you’re attracted to his voice, big deal?”

“He’s also taller than me!” Baekhyun said, “And he has this great smile! You know what I said; I’ve always liked a person with a great smile!”

“That’s great and all, but did you get his name?”

Baekhyun’s smile vanished as he leaned against the book case in distraught, “Crap. He probably left by now! My dream man was just here and I didn’t even take the initiative to ask him out? How could I be so stupid?”

“And you call me dramatic.”

“This isn’t the same!” Baekhyun continued to wail, “Lu Han moved back to ing China! God gave me a chance! And I didn’t take it! Why? Am I bad person? Am I just so naïve and scared that I – Kris. Someone is staring at us.”

“Hmm, where?”

“He’s literally at the end of the aisle, hiding behind the children’s novella section.”

Kris looked around, seeing that there was indeed a person at the end of the aisle. He knew instantly who it was, surprised to see him here in Korea, “Oh, I know him.”

Baekhyun looked at him questioningly, “You know other people?”

“Shut up, I get out too, you know,” Kris nudged the man as he looked at his books in his arms and decided he had enough, “Why don’t you go try to find your dream man? I’m gonna talk to Tao.” Without even hearing Baekhyun’s answer, he met the other half-way, where they stopped in front of the teen’s novel section.

“Wow,” Tao said, “The red is different.”

“And your brown is nice,” Kris commented, “How’s life with you Tao?”

The boy shrugged, “It’s alright. I was just eavesdropping on the conversation. You were too busy looking at the lesson books to notice me walk by on the other side of the bookcase.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know you’re probably depressed over your ex,” Tao gave a small smile; “I know we haven’t been on good terms, but do you want to talk about it?”