Tea Stains [EXO Kpop Fanfiction]

oo2

Luhan waited in his sister’s car as she pulled on her coat and locked their apartment. It was another repetitive routine, he already knew that his sister would take the two flights of stairs down to the lobby, greet anyone who was there before giving her collar or sleeves a tug and stepping confidently outside. He also knew that she’d smile at every stranger that she passed - she was the epitome of ‘bright and sunny’. Luhan understood his sister as well as the back of his hand.

The driver’s door opened and his sister stepped inside, flashing a toothy smile his way. She started the car, easing into the traffic before she spoke, only to say “You look as gloomy as ever.” She chuckled and saw his lips slide into an almost imperceptible pout. “Cheer up. Should I tie your wig up today?”

“Ugh, no. I don’t want them to see my face,” he grumbled, pulling the hood of his jumper over his head. Luhan stared out the window instead of looking ahead, effectively cutting off conversation with his sister.

They arrived at the shopping centre, making their way quickly towards their store. His sister unlocked the doors, pushing Luhan inside before locking the door behind them. Then Luhan’s morning routine began as he changed into clothes his sister picked out and had his makeup and hair done to complete his alternate identity. Only when she finished the final touches did Luhan dare to look into a mirror. He could see a beautiful girl with curled brown tresses in a navy blue blazer and plain white blouse matched with dark blue jeans. Not the ‘gloomy’ boy he had woken up as. Luhan slipped on a pair of black flats to complete his outfit.

He thanked his sister, receiving a warm hug from her as she unlocked the doors and let him out. Luhan waved then turned and hurried out of the building; he was lucky his school was only a few hundred metres away and the road to it was flat. Luhan’s morning commute often left other pedestrians dazed by his looks and some had fainted in the past, believing they had seen an angel or something close to one. He’d become accustomed to such encounters that he had learnt to avoid eye contact at all times and to keep his head ducked slightly to avoid trouble.

Luhan arrived at school just as the bell rang for the start of school; he watched as students beginning to hurry to avoid being scolded by patrolling teachers but he only shrugged and made his way to homeroom at a leisurely pace. People passed him, some greeting him with a “Good morning, Lily!”, others sending him indecent stares or cat-calls much to the amusement of their friends. Not once did he reply.

Since his sister had put the long strands of his wig into a half up-do after a compromise for not putting it all into a ponytail, the other students could see Luhan’s face more clearly and obviously see the twist of his glossed lips in the form of a grimace. But in the rose coloured eyes of all the boys, they only saw their precious ‘Lily’ shyly biting her lips. The girls were all disgusted at the boys behaviour but even they themselves could not help but follow Luhan’s movements like bees to nectar.

The one person who did not turn their head nor their eyes nor made any movement to acknowledge Luhan’s presence was Kris. Luhan sat at his usual desk in the far corner of the class room, waiting patiently for the teacher’s arrival and also ignored the same person; but ignored the entire school population anyways. Kris had felt Luhan’s presence, the little hairs on his arms standing up in goosebumps. But after what had happened the previous day, he felt ashamed? and pathetic. His heart still seemed to skip a beat, but now that he knew about such a huge secret, Kris didn’t know what to do.

The unease that rolled off of Kris in waves could be felt by Luhan. It felt to Luhan, as if the other boy was holding something back, but with his personality as a kind and compassionate person, he was evidently struggling with an internal debate. Seeing the pathetic state of the male, Luhan sighed and flicked a rubber at the other boy’s back, making sure that no one else saw. Kris jumped in his seat, undoubtedly startled by what Luhan had done. He turned in his seat, eyes wide with shock, muttering, “Did... You just do that?”