Sometimes Kevin (Yifan if you wanted to get really, really technical about it) was glad he was tall. He never had to ask for help reaching for something and he never had even gotten on a ladder. At amusement parks he never had to press his body against a cardboard cut-out telling him he couldn’t ride the roller coaster. He never had to tip-toe to see what was going on somewhere. He supposed that being tall came with a lot more advantages than being short.

Taller people were even able to breathe better in higher altitude places than short people. Kevin had lost count of how many times he encountered struggling freshmen during the first week of classes at SFU. SFU should really put that on the website somewhere. ‘If you are below average height be warned that this school will put a toll on your health’

Of course, breathing problems wasn’t the only health problem that affected the fine students of Simon Fraser University. Kevin’s mental health was weak during his first week as a first year. Simon Fraser University had one too many creepy statues on campus. Kevin couldn’t even catch the bus without his mind wondering if he should ask an Art and Culture Studies major about what the was on their campus.

Kevin was running through the Academic Quadrangle (honestly, it wasn’t even a quadrangle. It was a square. Or at least Kevin thought so. Where were the Math majors in this school) thankful that for once the grass wasn’t wet and that it hadn’t rain in three days (although to be fair it was only September) when he noticed someone was sitting right next to Terry Fox’s statue with a sketchpad. He looked young, a freshman probably with a major in Art and Culture Studies, Kevin tried to discreetly peak at what he was drawing. To his surprise it wasn’t Terry Fox but instead the buildings in the Academic Quadrangle.

“Can I help you?” The freshman spoke up.

Kevin stumbled backwards a bit and cleared his throat. “No, just looking at your drawings. You’re very good. Art and Culture Studies major?”

The freshman closed his sketchbook and stood up, turning around to face Kevin. The freshman was Asian, he looked Chinese, and short. Kevin wondered how he was managing to breathe. “No, I’m a Pre-Architect major.”

Kevin racked his brain. There wasn’t a Pre-Architecture major at the school.

The freshman spoke up. “I don’t go here. I go to UBC.”

! Kevin made himself look like an idiot in front of a UBC kid. No doubt this freshmen was going to go back and say ‘Oh yeah, all those rumours about SFU kids were right. They really are a bunch of UBC rejects that were too stupid to get in.’ “Why is a UBC freshmen at SFU?”

The freshmen seemed amused by this a little. “I’m not a freshman. I’m a third-year. I’m here because I like your buildings.”

“Our buildings?” There were a lot of things to like about SFU but the buildings at the school were ugly. It was concrete x100.

“Your buildings are all done in Brutalism. Some find the style to be ugly and concrete but I think there’s a sort of efficient grey charm to them.” The junior’s English carried an accent. Kevin figured he was a Chinese international student.

This would probably be a good time to introduce himself. “I’m Kevin Wu, also a junior. I major in Languages.” Languages was what he says but everyone at SFU knew that Kevin Wu’s real major was basketball.

“My name is Minseok. Minseok Kim.” So he was Korean. “And I really should get going before I miss the bus.” Minseok Kim began to walk away with his sketchbook held tightly against his chest. 

“Wait!”  Kevin called out. Minseok stopped and turned his head around. “I have an extra U-Pass. Do you want it?”

Minseok gave a soft close-lipped smile and shook his head before continuing walking away.

Kevin was pretty sure if he were to walk into Archaeology of Food right now, he would probably be eaten alive, but there was no way he could go back to his dorm. Not with those mono-lids, close-lipped smile and round chubby cheeks swimming around in his head.

Instead he went back to his dorm room, flopped on his bed, hit his head off the headboard and pulled his laptop close to him and opened up Skype.

Skyping with Tao was something he learned could be an adventure. Back when Tao was still in China, he was always running off to martial arts or the mall and Kevin more often than not caught him in some dressing room or lying on the floor spread eagle after an intense work-out. After Tao had arrived in Canada, more specifically New Brunswick, Kevin caught him in the middle of having . Apparently, Tao was hiding some maniac traits from the world that were awaken only by maple syrup.

As he waited for Tao to pick up, Kevin tried to calculate what time it would be in Sackville. It was 11:45 in the morning in Burnaby so that must mean it would 3:45 in Sackville. Kevin hoped Tao wouldn’t be in a class.

Tao picked up and Kevin came face to face with him. Tao was lying on his bed in his dorm room; he was looking good, BB cream applied and some designer top on. “Gege, how are you!” Tao said in Mandarin.  

“I’m good. Did you finish your classes?” Kevin responded back in Mandarin. He always spoke Mandarin with Tao. There was something so strange about the idea of speaking English with him.

Tao nodded animatedly. “I did. I have my Intro to Biochemistry class at 8 and then at 9:30, I have my Intro to Art History class.”

“You’re taking BioChem?” Kevin asked.

“It fulfills a requirement! And why? You don’t think I’m smart enough, Gege?” Tao said it with the tone that always got Kevin to buy him something.

“I do. And I’m glad you have early morning classes because then I know you won’t hook up with someone the day before.”

“Silly Gege! You don’t just hook up at night. You can do it in the afternoon. I’m a freshmen and I know this. What have you been doing for the past three years? Also, I thought you had a class.”

Kevin sighed. He had called to talk about Minseok but now that the topic was approaching he suddenly didn’t want to. “I do. But I met someone on the Academic Quadrangle.”

Tao looked at first like he wanted to ask what the Academic Quadrangle was but decided not to. “Was it someone cute?”

“Yeah, a guy.” Kevin felt himself sinking further into his mattress. Minseok was too attractive, even in the brief moment he saw Minseok, Kevin would have flown directly into the sun if he wanted to. That man could lead a harem.

“What’s with the long face? I was under the impression that being biual made you attracted to both genders.”

“I’m not upset about the fact that he’s a man, I’m upset about the way I acted around him.”

“Did you act like yourself? Because trust me that is what kills all of your relationships. It’s why we didn’t even officially date.”

Kevin groaned. Many a moon ago (fifteen months ago) he had admitted to Tao that he was attracted to him. Tao admitted the same thing. They went on five dates and made out twice before realizing that friendship worked just fine for them.

“You did act like yourself, didn’t you? Honestly Gege I’m expecting more from you. I want to see you with a boyfriend.” Tao said.

“Why is it so important to you that I get a boyfriend? It’s not like I’m a or anything! I’ve been in romantic relationships before.”

“Yes, but you’re getting towards the end of your university career. If you don’t find a boyfriend or girlfriend now then the chances of you being single until you’re forty-five increase dramatically.”

“Did you enrol in university just to get married?”

“No. I don’t know what I want to do with my life but I’m sure I’ll think of something. In the meanwhile I have to do my readings for History.” Tao logged off before Kevin had the chance to ask what type of history class he was taking.

Kevin sat cross-legged on his bed and thought about Tao’s words. He also thought about how lovely Minseok looked near Terry Fox and that smile when he rejected Kevin’s U-Pass.

He hoped that Minseok would go back the mountain or that Kevin would find an excuse to go down from it.