Pain could be felt all over his red-blemishing face. Small dots of crimson blood scattered all over his face. A damp, cotton wool touched his face and it was being forced circling around his whole entire face. Then, he felt this smooth paste being spread evenly around his face. It brought about fragrance. A strong one. He wasn't able to open his mouth, let alone his eyes. He then heard footsteps walking away and faded away eventually. He was left all alone in the small, brightly lit room, left to lie down on the bed without granted permission to move. He had no other choice but to let sleep envelope him. 

"Sir, wake up. Your facial is done!" a high pitched voice said. It must be a woman's.

It must have taken a great deal of strength to fully open my eyelids because I had them closed for God knows how long. I slowly opened them, adjusting to the brightness in the room. Sitting up, I found myself staring into a squarish mirror in front of me.

"You look stunning," she commented, with a tinge of enthusiasm towards the end. My eyes focused on the reflection in the mirror. My face. It was somewhat shining. My cheeks were radiant and bright. My skin is smoother and it was free from blemishes and pimples. And wait... my whole face was white again! Well, after the colour on my face started deteriorating a little, my sister urged me to go for facial. Thankfully, I listened to her advice! A family advice is always good advice! But anyway, I smiled from ear to ear and checked myself out in every angle possible. Those weekly facial during the summer break really has done me good! Moreover, I even took extra care of what goes into my mouth.

After all those payments, setting an appointment date and everything, I stepped outside and I was very confident of my face. I held my head up high and walked across the street (when it was a green man, of course). I felt like I was on top of the world! Oh, I had to dart a little because I think I was walking too slowly. Even a taxi driver honked at me. He really needs to take a chill pill, man. Damn it...

If only time doesn't pass this fast... It was already Monday and yes, s-c-h-o-o-l. One whole month of vacation from school has ended. I bet everyone will be shocked to see my nearly pimple-free face, and a white skin colour as its finishing touches. I didn't have any friends in school because I have this pimple face. It when people don't accept you just because of something minor. I mean come on, everyone else has pimples. It becomes a common thing but why can't they accept people with pimples? These people really have issues...

When I stepped into class, everyone looked at me. There were like thirty pairs of eyes staring at me, Some had their eyebrows raised, some whispering stuff to their friends and some were just speechless. Maybe it's because of my face. I went to my seat and got myself settled down, waiting for my homeroom teacher whom I assumed to be in the office preparing for class. Just then, the door slid sidewaysa dn the guy everybody judged as 'fierce-looking' stepped in. Also, everyone remembered him as the guy who nobody approaches. Maybe it was because he threw his table out of the window when his teacher told him off. Gosh, this guy is really something. All of us were afraid of him ever since that day. The 'guy' I've been talking about is none other than Lee Joon. He walked through the aisle, with his head down and everyone blocking his way immediately gave way for him to walk. He looks like the boss of the class. He then sat next to me because that was where he supposed to sit. I hoped he, too, wouldn't judge me either. Perhaps I was wrong. 

He was staring at me. With those tiger eyes. Even though I was facing forward, but at the corner of my eyes, he was indeed staring at me. I gulped and turned to him.

"Y-y-you have been s-s-staring at me for a while now. I-I-Is there a problem?" I asserted, stammering in between words. I couldn't really tell if he was glaring at me or just making a simple stare. I would definitely lose in this staring contest so I had to turn away sheepishly.

"You look handsome today," he remarked in his low and expressionless voice. It sounded dead. Hearing that, my eyes were so close to popping out. I hope he wasn't being sarcastic! I couldn't believe my ears! That was his first time walking to other person in this class, and his first words were a compliment! Wow that's surprising for someone who hardly talks.

"Really?!" I asked, apparently engulfed by the wonders of his compliment I felt like I could fly!

"Are you not going to thank me?" he asked. Ouch. I was trying to lighten up the mood and get the ball rolling, Obviously I failed.

"I'm sorry. Thank you very much..." I answered, hanging my head down.

He scoffed and flipped the pages on his books boredly. Seriously? Since when did being so euphoric become a huge deal? Gosh... I just want to have a happy start. No wonder nobody dares talking to him. What a snob!

This is getting on my nerves. Why are people looking at me strangely? Did I do something wrong? Am I on the newspaper making headlines? I did not, of course! But still, why am I getting these glares and death stares. They're giving me the creeps.

I finally reached my classroom. What a relief! But that relief in me went down the drain when I picked up a note on the floor on top of my desk. I was shocked to my skull when I read the message written in a messy scrawl on the paper. "OMG SANGHYUN HAD PLASTIC SURGERY DURING THE HOLIDAYS" it says. My heart sank to the depths of hell. This is not fair. When it comes to other people, they find it 'cool' or a high status when they go under the knife to rectify a flaw on their face but when I make a simple transformation I get all sorts of insults and slanders. Why does it always have to be me? I tried my very best to fit in with the other kids by going for a weekly facial treatment just to remove those pimples and make friends but my efforts had all gone to waste. People are starting to hate me more...

"Who wrote this?!" I couldn't take it anymore. All the people in the classroom stopped to momentarily look at me and then ignored me and did their own things. A whole bunch of arrogant and ignorant people, I'd say. 

"I said who wrote this?" Still, nobody listened. My voice was drowned by the noise accumulated by the other kids. Little did I know that a bun came flying and hit me, a straight bulls eye to my face. 

"A hungry man is an angry man. So shut up and eat!" Yang Seungho shouted from the other end of the classroom and the whole class laughed. Do I mean so little to them? Seems like it. I came all the way from the Philippines doesn't mean they can treat me like a joke, or an outside. Come on, I'm like one of these guys, I'm Korean too!

"That's right you plastic surgery boy!"

"So desperate to keep up with your looks!"

"I bet you stole some money from your mum to pay for it!"

Those were all I heard from a few who had mocked me. My heart shattered into a million pieces. My think of plastic surgery and not facial?! Seriously stupid idiots! Always get the wrong idea! I couldn't control the tears in my eyes that were about to fall and I stormed out of the classroom and ran to the nearest toilet I could find. Still unable to contain them, I cried. I just burst into tears. I bawled. I wailed. I looked into the mirror. All I saw was an ugly face with tears streaming down his cheeks. They weren't radiant anymore. Eyes. They were bloodshot. He just didn't look 'handsome' like what Lee Joon mentioned earlier on. Will I be unaccepted in this society forever?

I saw Sanghyun run out of the classroom with an upturned face. Those damn kinds... Can't they just leave him alone and compliment his looks? He tried so hard to fit in with the others but everytime he tries to do so, he would be rejected, time and time again. I really think that I should do something. 

I barged in and everyone turned to me and noise subsided really fast. I strided to Yang Seungho's side and grabbed his collar aggressively and brought his face dangerously close to mine. I gave a very close death stare and he was trembling. Oh hell yeah, he'll remember this stare for a lifetime. I guess I'm his fear factor.

"What did you do this time? WHAT?!" I bellowed into his face, my saliva raining out of my mouth but I don't really care. Everybody who witnessed it gasped. Even the students from the other classes came to watch this 'free show'. 

"W-w-what I didn't say anything!" he exclaimed. Even Seungho is afraid of me. He should really see the look on his face in the mirror because it's hilarious! I looked around and I could see scared, remorse looks on their faces. Haha! 

"Hurt Sanghyun one more time and I'll-" and I raised right hand up high, curled into a fist indicating a punch but of course I didn't do it. It was meant to scare him. He shrieked and I scoffed. That's right. Messing with Sanghyun means messing with me. I released my tight grip off his collar. "And this includes the rest of you!" my voice boomed throughout the classroom and my index finger pointed out to everyone. I went out of the classroom to look for Sanghyun. Knowing his character, he definitely will not run away from school so he should be near from the classroom, I said to myself. I went to check the toilet nearest to our classroom first. True enough, he was there. I could clearly hear sobs in the toilet. I slowly approached him.

"Hey.. are you okay?" I asked even though apparently he didn't seem like it. It somehow breaks my heart to see him in this state. I don't know why but this situation reminds me. Two years ago, one of my classmates also got into a similar situation and he endured all those torments and insults, basically all those verbal torture because of his looks. It was not as fantastic as the other boys. One day he couldn't tolerate it anymore and he took his own life away. Nobody stood by him to be his shoulder or friend to lean on. Now, I regretted not helping him and it raised awareness regarding bullying and such. I have got to step up and help him this time. He didn't answer me and just continued crying, ignoring my presence. A few seconds later, he said something that really crushed me.

"It's okay. You don't have to be so nice to a loser like me. I'm a nobody in this school and you know it. Plus, no one will ever hold my hand in times of pain and despair. I deserve to die and everyone will be glad that I'm gone."

His words blew my mind. I was really hurt by his statement. It took so much pain for him to say that. My throat was starting to get dry and I could feel tears forming. His words felt like daggers pierced straight into my heart. Those lines kept repeating and it couldn't stop. Subconsciously, I brought his cold, pale body closer to mine and hugged him tightly. It was a really awkward position, considering the fact that we were both sitting on the dirty toilet floor. But we didn't care anyway. Even though we stayed at that position for a few minutes, it felt like forever. It somehow felt like my world slowed down when we embraced. He nuzzled into my shoulder, crying his heart out. Soon, his cries died down a little and I reckoned that he felt better. I loosened my grip and faced him. Then I took his hands in mine. Subconsciously, again, I caressed the top of his hands with my thumb. It felt smooth and soft. Like gently moving your fingers on a flower petal. But, on the downside, I felt the bones and I guessed his wasn't eating well. I should monitor his eating habits after today. 

"If no one holds your hand, then I will hold your hand." I soothed him.

He looked at me, shocked and at loss for words. Maybe he was surprised that I could handle such skinship, even though it's with a guy like me. 

"Thank you. Thank you very much. You're my hero." he said before my arms welcomed his torso. He felt so grateful for having a friend. His first friend.

"And that was how the both of us met and he still holds my hand as we speak! Look!" the camera pointed down, showing Lee Joon's left hand holding Sanghyun's right hand. They both look so sweet together. Both were elegantly adorned with winter clothing and were sitting on a couch next to a fire pit. 

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Sanghyun joyfully wished and the two waved into the camera before it slowly zoomed out, capturing the moment where Lee Joon tickled Sanghyun and laughed heartily. The camera then pictured the exterior of a high rise building before showing the landscape of Seoul with the first snow that goes along with it. 

THE END