Hong Kong x Iceland ~The First Steps~ 8

~The First Steps~ 8

The rest of the days go by like clockwork. Wake up, go to school, go home, study, sleep, repeat.

Even when he spends time with Leon, there’s barely enough time to talk in the few classes they have together. Final exams are underway, and with Leon being grounded, he doesn’t have time to do anything but focus on his schoolwork. It’s as if all life has slipped away from him.

One day, Emil catches him in the hall before class. The days they spent walking together seem so long ago in the past despite not even being a week. The lack of technology has gotten to his friend along with his conflicting situation with senioritis. He’s genuinely concern about him.

“Leon.” His call is ignored. “Leon!” he says a little louder.

“Huh?” He turns around to face him. “Oh, it’s you, Ice. What’s up?”

“Um…” Emil’s voice freezes up. What was it he wanted to talk with him about again? “I was just…How is everything?”

His friend wears a blank look. Emil knows him enough that he’s really confused underneath.

“You’ve been kind of out of it lately. I was worried about you.”

“Oh.” He rubs his neck. “I’m fine. Just a little tired. So anything new with you? You talked with Lukas, right?”

“Yeah.” Emil swallows. “A lot of things happened. We cleared up our fight, though. And Lukas bought me a new phone.”

“That’s nice.” His voice is unreadable. Emil isn’t sure if he’s hiding jealousy or if he doesn’t care. Either way, he doesn’t sound too enthusiastic about it, and because of this, a looming silence grows between the two.

Emil decides to break it. “Um, anyway, I was wondering if maybe after graduation, we’d be able to do something together—seeing as how we aren’t able to go to the ball.”

“Oh.” His eyes waver. “Sure. That’d be cool.” He checks his watch. The model is nice since it’s a present from Cheng, but Emil knows he’d rather have his phone. “I’ve gotta go, Ice. Talk later?”

“Y-Yeah…”

On that note, he disappears down the hall. Emil is left alone again. He feels conflicted. There’s something that’s missing that should have been there. Even in the beginning, on the first day they met, it was there.

Without thinking, his legs are carrying him through the hall straight for his friend. His bright red jacket is completely distinguishable. Reaching out, he seizes hold of his hood and pulls him back. Leon falls backwards, uttering a short gasp of surprise. A few students stop to see if it’s a fight, but when Leon sees it’s his friend, they continue to move on.

“What’s gotten into you, Ice?” he growls and pulls his hood away.

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?” Angry, he gives Leon a push. “Just because you’re grounded doesn’t mean you’re banned from me!”

“What?”

Emil opens his mouth to speak, but the bell to the next class rings.

“Sorry. I'm really sorry about that. C-Can I talk with you after school?”

Leon looks hesitant for a second, but he finally gives him a short nod before heading off.

“And promise you won’t ditch me!” he shouts.

“Don’t be late then,” his friend waves. Emil knows he says this because he’s always the one waiting for him.

The halls are nearly empty now. Leon disappears around the corner, and before long, Emil heads off in the opposite direction thinking of what excuse to give his teacher for being late.

-----

To his relief, Leon is waiting by the front gate after the last bell rings. There is a shallow ditch where the heel of his foot is. Emil suspects he was digging his foot into the dirt out of impatience.

“Sorry if I kept you waiting,” he apologizes. He follows after his friend who begins the walk home.

“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” He cuts himself off in the middle of his interrogation. “Your brother knows you’re here?”

Emil shakes his head. “I’ll tell him later. I wanted to talk to you about us.”

“What about us?”

Emil presses his lips together. “It’s like we’re not even friends anymore.”

Leon, one to mask his emotions, turns to him in a look of innocent astonishment. “We are, though, aren’t we?”

“I want to think we are.”

“Then why the doubt?”

“Because…” Emil chokes. “I can’t put it into words, but I get the felling that we’re drifting apart.”

“No. I wouldn’t say that.”

“Huh?”

To his relief, Leon cracks a smile, not just one of his sly smiles, but one that he only saves for Emil. He feels selfish for thinking this, but he particularly enjoys being able to see this rare side of him.

“Just because we don’t talk all of the time doesn’t mean we’re not friends anymore, Ice.” He pats his shoulder and sighs. “I shouldn’t blame you. I’m your only friend, after all, right?”

Emil’s lips twist. “Gee. Thanks for that.”

“We don’t have to know what’s on each other’s mind to be friends all of the time. I think it’s more like being able to know you’ll be there for a friend. Though…” He lets out another sigh. “I guess if you’re going to be clingy, I should hold off until we go to college. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Uh…” As in he’s been investing more time with me because I don’t have friends?

“Ice?” Leon snaps him from his thought.

“Erm…Yeah. Whatever it was you said. Thanks…”

“Ah, that reminds me,” Leon says all of a sudden, “you’re going this way, but your home’s over there. Did you mind?”

“I’ll be fine,” Emil assures him. “I’m just glad I was able to clear some things up.” He takes a step back to leave when he notices a car pulling up from behind. From the white finish and the pink air freshener dangling on the rearview mirror, he knows it’s Mei.

The car stops, and the passenger seat window rolls down.

“Hey, Mei,” Leon says, kneeling over to greet her.

“Leon! Emil!” she smiles. “Ah…What are you doing over here? You remember Yao said Emil’s not supposed to come over, right?”

Emil rapidly shakes his head. “No, this isn’t what it looks like! I just wanted to talk with him before going back. I was just about to leave, actually.”

“Oh..” Mei pauses. “I know! I’ll drive you home, Emil!”

“What?” the boys say.

“I have something of yours you forgot, anyway,” she giggles. “It’ll be quicker this way, don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t…” he refuses, but something nudges him from behind.

“Go on,” Leon smiles. “She’s trying to make up for what happened back then.”

“Ah—”

“Go on,” he repeats. He then directs his attention to his cousin. “I’m going on ahead, then.”

“See you!” she replies as he walks the rest of the distance to his house. Afterwards, she looks back at Emil. “Well, you heard him. Get in!”

Knowing he can’t escape, Emil bears with it and gets into the passenger seat. “I appreciate it,” he says in a bashful voice.

“Don’t worry about it,” she giggles and continues to smile. At this point, Emil’s wondering if he made a mistake getting inside. She’s not driving anywhere, but now that he thinks about it, he remembers she’s never been to his house.

“O-Oh! Directions!” he cries out. “U-Um, just get on Main Street, and I’ll tell you were to go from there.”

Leon’s cousin stifles a small laugh and drives in accordance to his directions. Moments later, they arrive in front of his house. To his relief, Lukas isn’t waiting at the front door like a brotherly stalker.

“Thank you, again, Mei,” he says as he gets out. He’s about to close the door when she calls him back.

“Wait, wait, wait, Emil!” she hurriedly says. “In the trunk, the top one with the white covering is yours! The white box, too!”

He blinks, confused. “Mine?”

“I’m not leaving until I see you going inside with them,” she says and pops the trunk open.

Emil reluctantly goes to the back where there is, in fact, a white casing covering something long and flat. It’s covered with a separate layer of plastic wrapping. Upon closer inspection, he realizes what it must be and carefully takes it out along with the box on the side.

“You actually got it finished?” he breathes after he closes the trunk.

“Yup!” She lets out a chuckle. “By the time Yao told me to stop production, it was too late, so you still get one.”

“Thank you,” he smiles.

“No problem!” she beams. “Just remember to take pictures on your big day, okay?”

His smile falls into a frown at that confusion. “My big day…? What do you—?”

“Would you look at the time?” she cuts him off. “I need to be back before Yao finds out. See you later, Emil!”

Before he can ask her another word, she pulls out of the driveway and heads back to the Wang residence. Dumbfounded, he looks at his gifts and takes them inside.

Lukas is waiting for him in the kitchen having prepared a light meal of buttered bread topped with cheese and smoked mackerel. “You’re home unusually early,” he says.

Emil doesn’t bother hiding the truth. “I was talking with Leon for a while, and then Mei dropped me off just now.”

His brother rubs the bottom of his chin. “Hmm. So that’s what I heard outside.” He then points to his packages. “What are those, then? Looks like a suit and shoes.”

“They are,” he grimaces. “Too bad I won’t be able to wear them for the intended occasion.

Lukas looks oddly interested in the contents. “Well? Aren’t you going to try them on?”

“Huh? Right now?”

“Might as well before you eat,” he suggests. “She made them just for you, didn’t she?”

“Yeah...” He sighs and unwraps the protective casing around it. Unlike the clothes in Mei’s studio, this one is fresh from the tailors and lacks any specific smells. When he takes off the last casing, he pulls out a silky smooth ivory-white suit. Dangling from a separately attached coat hanger is a lavender tie that exactly matches the color of his irises. It’s beautiful. Even Lukas is impressed.

“She did a nice job on the colors,” he notes, running two fingers down a sleeve. His eyes gravitate to the box.

Emil looks at the box, too. From the size of it, it looks like it holds shoes. Sure enough, when he opens it, there is a pair of matching dressing shoes bleached white to match the color of his suit. Everything looks lovely.

He feels a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “She really went all out,” he breathes. “I wonder what I can wear this for.”

“I wonder,” his brother sighs. “Want me to help you put it on?” He has some former experience with suits after meeting with executives from various programs in Eliatha University.

“No, I’ve got it,” Emil says. “Leon showed me back at his place.” He removes his school clothes down to his undergarments and slips over the suit and pants. The shoes and tie are the last things that go on. Thankfully his friend taught him how to tie a tie, too. He doesn’t want Lukas showing him how.

When everything is in place, his brother asks him to turn around a few times like a fashion editor.

“Yes, she did do a nice job. You should check yourself out in the mirror before taking it off. Be sure to put it back in the sleeve so it doesn’t get dusty.”

“Okay, Brother,” Emil mockingly replies and heads to the upstairs bathroom. There is a body mirror there, and when he approaches it, he’s astonished to find how genuine his brother was. Every stitching to the arch of his back and shoulders matches him down to the millimeter. Along with the design, the colors go well together, so much so that he isn’t sure if he just robbed Mei of her time and efforts. It’s too beautiful a thing to go to waste over a silly grade. However, he cannot imagine dancing in this thing, either. Special fabric or not, he thinks he can only wear this to completely formal events.

And how many of those will I go to in my lifetime? he tells himself with a bitter smile.  

After inspecting and admiring the suit for a little while longer, he returns it to its casing and brings it and the shoes to his closet. Lukas joins him in the kitchen for a light meal, discussing the events of their day. Of course, since Lukas is on a short summer break, there isn’t much to talk about on his behalf other than the brief phone call from Mathias.

“You need to get a girlfriend, Lukas,” Emil frowns when he finishes the last of his bread.

“My priorities are on studying, little brother,” he sighs and cleans up the table. “I hope you do the same when you go to college. Try not to get caught up in too many emotional relationships. They’ll weigh your performance down.”

Emil raises an eyebrow. “Where’s your experience there?”

“I’ve had my share of stories from Mathias,” he replies and continues to wash the dishes.

“Whatever. I’m going to do homework.”

“Call me if you need help.”

“Fine, fine.”

-----

The halls soon buzz into excitement with the coming of the senior ball. Emil has seen guys ask girls out in their classrooms, either showering them with flowers and stuffed animals or bringing in student-formed choirs for a musical number.

He smirks at the idea of going all out. With Leon, all he needed to do was drop a little sudden surprise, pull some convincing, and that was it. It was definitely different how they decided to go as friends rather than as a couple. Others have done that in the past, but considering how close they’ve become, he won’t be surprised if some of his classmates think he and Leon are a couple.

Soon, when the last exams finish, an ordinary Wednesday afternoon rolls by without a second’s thought. The school chooses to host the senior ball on an obscure weekday before the seniors graduate so they won’t make poor choices. Other than the manor, it’s likely that all restaurants and social entertainment centers will be closed early tonight.

Conversations with Emil’s fellow seniors consist of limousines and dresses, games and their friends. Even if he and Leon were going, they wouldn’t waste time on those little things. At the end of homeroom, Emil catches a longing gleam in his friend’s amber eyes when the teacher finishes with “Have fun at senior ball!”

“We’re like two Cinderellas,” Leon laughs when they head to class.

“You mean because our ‘evil’ family members won’t let us go to the ball?” Emil chuckles. “We have the rides and the clothes, just not the permission.”

“True,” Leon acknowledges. “Cinderella technically had permission to go. And even when she didn’t think she could go, she still went.”

Emil rolls his eyes. “Yao is going to kill you.”

“I’d like to see him try,” his friend smirks. “It’d give me a legit reason to beat him black and blue.”

“Don’t.”

“I won’t. I wish I could. Graduation’s just a ‘been there, done that’ kind of deal. I saw Mei’s and Cheng’s graduations. I don’t remember that much about Cheng’s, but it’s just a bunch of walking and announcing names. The speeches are so forgettable, and like, you just stand there and do nothing. Really boring.”

“Huh. Yeah, I remember Lukas’ being something like that. His valedictorian speech was really short, thank the gods. I think he would have put everyone to sleep with that voice of his.”

Leon laughs. “Well, I’ll see you around, Ice.”

“Uh-huh,” he faintly smiles and parts ways.

The buzzing excitement of the senior ball doesn’t leave Emil even when he returns home. The rest of the day passes by like an unrecalled dream. He sits at his desk and runs his fingers though his bangs. Boredom and desire take ahold of him. He has no homework in his classes with graduation approaching. His teachers have checked out along with the students. His high school days might as well be over.

“Just a few more hours…” he exhales while the orange glow of twilight approaches. He suspects the limousine drives are approaching his classmates’ houses. They must be posing for group photos and laughing with one another. The girls must be complimenting each other’s dresses and attaching rose pins to their partners’ suits.

Two hours float by. In that time, his parents are still out at work. It’s only natural since it’s in the middle of the weekdays. Lukas pops in his room once to see if he’s alright. A short reply later, he returns to his room to brush up on his medicinal studies.

The sun has disappeared over the horizon at this point. The senior ball must have started. Emil doesn’t recall what time the ball started, but he suspects his classmates must be eating or playing games, whatever it was people did at the senior bal.

All he knows is that he feels a sense of longing, like he isn’t supposed to be here. He’s supposed to be among those people he’s stuck with throughout high school. That quiet boy everyone thought they knew is supposed to be surprising them right now with his coordinated dance alongside his best and only friend through these years at Academy W. They are supposed to remember him and talk about him the next day at school with flustered smiles and look at him differently when he will walk up to receive his diploma at graduation.

I’m not supposed to be here, he thinks with longing thoughts.

Suddenly, his phone rings, startling him from his seat. When he fumbles for it, he reads the contact information, and his heart freezes.

“Leon…” he breathes.

With a shaky finger, he presses the “Answer” button on his new phone and holds it to his ear.

“Hello?” he answers.

Sure enough, it's Leon, panting and sounding nearly out of breath, but he recognizes the shrewd sharpness of his friend's voice.

“Get dressed, Cinderella," he wheezes through the speaker. "We have a ball to go to.”