[Eng] Not Like the Fairytales

Not Like the Fairytales

Growing up, I imagine my life would be like a fairytale, with a prince in his white horse to sweep me off my feet and then we would live happily ever after…

But doesn’t it make you wonder what happens beyond the happily ever after?

What happens when someone else comes along and sweeps you off your feet and maybe, even snatched you away from your prince?

I, myself, am not too sure about anything besides that life was not like the fairytales.

At least, my life was not.

I.
Nickhun, the Prince

I had my happily ever after when my childhood friend and high school sweetheart proposed to me during senior prom in front of the entire school. And that very same summer I got married to him, before him and I went off to college.

He and I were happy. He and I were at the top of the world madly in love with each other.

He was everything I dreamed my prince to be, except without the white horse of course, but his silver BMW more than made up for it.

He always protected me, took care of me and showered me with love.

But it was his smile that had me swooning over him. His smile that appeared shy, but a look into the mirth of his smiling eyes, told you otherwise.

I was his everything and he was everything to me. I was so sure then that he was the one for me. He was my happily ever after.

At least that was what I thought.

It was funny how they always say that distance makes the heart grows fonder, for if that was the case, shouldn’t I be missing my husband more? Love sick and miserable to be far away from him?

But instead, I found independence.

For once, I was known as Yuri and Yuri alone. Not Yuri, his best friend or Yuri his girlfriend or Yuri his wife. I was for once just Yuri. And truth be told, I rather like the sound of it.

Funny how that works, I was married to him and he and I should be joined by it, but here I am feeling free and very much independent for the first time in my life, slowly, I realized just what I have given up and that there were so much more to experience.

I loved him…I truly did…

But this freedom I am feeling must have clouded that…because for the first time I was enjoying myself and this freedom that I have discovered.

II.
The Ice Princess

Jessica Jung a.k.a. The Ice Princess.

I have heard of you here and there all throughout high school. Your cold demeanor was a topic often talked about. Underclassmen fear you and for those of us who were in the same grade as you, we chose to deny your existence. It was better off that way. It was better to pretend you did not exist than to constantly be on our toes waiting for your little cold outburst, that rumors have it, had many running, crying and wounded by your venomous cold remarks.

In truth though, you secretly fascinated me.

You are beyond pretty, with your blonde hair and exotic features, especially those dark almond shape eyes that seem to always hold me captivated when our eyes would lock with each other.

If I would be completely honest with myself, I think you have always been at the back of my mind. For no matter what I was doing, I would still be able to sense your presence, my ears perked up at the mention of your name or at the sound of your angelic voice and my nose tingled as the smell of magnolias and acai berry lingers in the air— they were your distinct smell. They were signs that you were nearby. Signs I should not be picking up, for we were but mere strangers to one another.

But I could not control it. I could just easily pick them up. I was familiar with you just like how familiar I am with the back of my hand.

And distant did not do anything to dull that feat, for I can still pick up the sign whenever you were near me…

Entering the café for my early fix of Grande extra skim latte, my eyes darted towards you as I heard you yelled out “Venti Caramel Macchiatto for Minho”, before you handed the coffee to this lanky tall boy who was obviously trying to make you notice him.

I was eagerly waiting for you to call out my order, wanting to hear you say my name…

“A Grande extra skim latte for Yuri”

Like how I pictured it in my head, your voice sounded so nice to my ears, I especially like how the ‘R’ in my name was sounding a lot more American. In truth, that made my day more than the phone call I got from Nickhun that morning.

And that scared and thrilled me at the same time.