Flawed Perfection

|➵of messed up mascara and nutella

*･゜ﾟ

❝baby, you and I
were born to rise. ❞

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Exhaustion. 

That is all that Zuki could perceive as she stayed laying on her bed with her face buried into the pillows that smelled of detergent. Memories of yesterday flashed behind her closed eyes which fueled her determination to lock herself up and hibernate. After coming home from school yesterday, Zuki had been over the skies, tripping on air out of giddiness. She had considered her mission, which was making Taehyun's first day an unforgettable one, successful-at least to her- thanks to her exceptional interpersonal skills and adoration for the guy. 

To be honest, it had been a lot of work. Taehyun was not the lost child who would follow her around, much unlike her imagination, and had his own plans for his first day there. That was the tricky part. Despite Felix's nagging over how she should let him be and go through the day at his pace, Zuki was a woman on a mission. No way in hell would she let her plans crumble. Thus, the game began. Zuki running on her toes to match her scheduled surprises and tours with Taehyun's scheduled visits to teachers' offices, libraries and even the abandoned gymnasium. His thought process baffled Zuki because who the heck goes around to greet and talk to all their teachers? And why would a person try to decide on club activities on their very first day? This all just proved her point, Taehyun had definitely been homeschooled. 

By the end of the day, she was sure every walking creature on the campus knew him, or least could identify him, for it was hard to miss his yellow hair that bounced on his head as he ran from one side of the ground to the other. And also the fact that he was the only monkey springing around in a crowd of lazy half asleep zombies. 

Among those zombies was one with the same hair as his but taller than him. Felix sat on the ground, trying to balance a football on his finger with Zuki right beside him, huffing and puffing over how Taehyun had permanent springs glued to his ass.

The walk home was silent, at least for Zuki and Felix. Some of their classmates had decided to follow their new member and while they were chattering among themselves, both Felix and Zuki had steered themselves to the sidewalk, trailing the group from behind. Zuki was sulking throughout the walk, comparing them to a cult and what not while Felix tried his best to keep her company.

Exhaustion, indeed.

But that was the past and it didn't hold any power over the present. Or so you would think. Because for Zuki who laid on her bed, cladded in her uniform, stalling the time to go to school as much as possible, a new day had brought with itself only hopelessness and even more exhaustion. Although it shouldn't, Taehyun's indifference towards her efforts annoyed her. His new set of worshipers infuriated her. Her pride had been taken a critical hit and now, she did not want another day of chasing Taehyun around the campus.

 And so she decided,

'I won't even see him today. I will do what I always do and go through my day. Fuck him'

With a renewed mindset, she stormed off after packing her lunch and gulping her cereal. It was a warm morning with the sun glowing with its happiness and the grass was softer with morning dews sliding on them. The birds were out of their nests, cars out on the roads. Everyone was going out to get their day started. Zuki brisk walked for a while to pump her system up while listening to central cee, cringing at some of the lyrics. The song wasn't a great one but it was the way the rapper sang his words that made it an addictive one. Without realizing it, she had reached Felix's place and began her torturous ritual: ringing his ugly bell until he came out.

To her disappointment, Felix was ready early today and she didn't get the chance to wake his whole house up with her constant punching the bell. The two then started walking, each eating the chocolate crepes Felix had made for breakfast. 

"To be honest though, you overdid it yesterday", Felix said in between chewing. "I dont know why you're so bent on managing his day but personally, I think you should just let the guy breathe."

"You talk as if I have him in a chokehold. And yes, you are kinda right. Im done with being his manager. That job is too tiring for me." Zuki took another big bite of her rolled crepe, spreading chocolate over the corners of her mouth.

"A self-assigned manager at that. Not your fault though. After all, how can one expect a monkey to manage timetables." Felix chuckled, his hand raising up.

Zuki was compelled to overlook his insults thanks to his hypnotizing deep voice, eyes trained on the boy's fingers that flew up to her face. Unlike her expectations, his fingers were gentle as they wiped the chocolate off of the side of her lips.

Zuki was left in a trance. 

Until he went on to smear it on her forehead.

"Now you look like the Simba you were born to be."

Felix's sorry attempt to stop his giggles from pouring over his speech only added gasoline to the now erupting volcanos on top of Zuki's head.

"Lee bitchy Felix, I had put on mascara today!"

They broke into a chase that very second, ditching their half eaten crepe rolls on the road. Zuki panting and swinging her bag like the monkey she was accused of being and Felix running with his tongue out and eyes closed.

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It was no wonder that upon seeing the duo charging towards his doorstep, Taehyun considered, for a moment, going back in and locking his doors. But it had been too late because he could see Felix, who was running ahead with his arms waving, and know that he had unmistakably spotted Taehyun's gold hair, making him sigh internally.

'Maybe I should just dye my hair black.'

And so, he stood there, hands clutching the straps of his bag and face morphed in his default smile as he waited for his crazy friends to reach his house.

Felix was the first to arrive, immediately wrapping his arms around the boy and using him as a shield as Zuki followed him, fire steaming off from her ears.

"Hey Taehyun. A pleasant morning, ain't it?" 

Taehyun barely got the time to form a reply to his accented greeting before Zuki screeched, "Fucking Felix, today is the day you die!"

Taehyun only then got the opportunity to properly look at the girl's face and everything made perfect sense. There were small patches of brown around her chin and lips and a huge swipe of the same across her forehead.

"Seriously, you guys. I did not sign up for wrecked mornings with y'all. Stop."

Zuki halted her hunt for the devious minion and looked at Taehyun. "Shut up. Whose side are you on, seriously? Can't you see my face? That banana peel deserves an execution."

"In your dream, mutated simba", Felix retorted, resting his head on Taehyun's shoulder arms still holding him in place.

Taehyun stopped Zuki's flying hands and Felix's shuffling feet as he stood between the two, tall as a wall.

"I am on 'reaching school on time's' side." He said, rolling his pretty eyes as he ushered them towards his door. "Come on, now. Me and Felix will wait inside while Zuki can go wash her face."

At his command the two friends fell silent and entered Taehyun's house, slightly guilty and embarrassed but mostly just curious as to what their rich friend's house looked like, still glaring at each other.

'Just as I thought, being blonde is too much trouble.' 

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