Today was really not Ari’s day. Her elder brother had recently returned from overseas study, and he has been acting cold towards her the whole time in favor of her demon sister. Ari didn’t even get to give him the gift she had made for him. Having taken up embroidery as a hobby, she wanted to make something for her older brother whom she hadn’t seen for quite some time. Sure she wasn’t that good yet, but she still wanted to try and gift him a hand-made gift. And so Ari spent days working on the gift for him, she really missed her elder brother.
After finishing the gift, Ari looked it. She grinned as she sat down. Sure, it wasn’t that great or impressive but she hoped he liked it, It was her first embroidery design for another person. She kissed the design, she knew he would like it. Her elder brother was one of the kindest people she knew, she remembered how they would play with each other before Bong-cha was born and how he appreciated every little gift she gave him. She was really excited to see him and give him the gift.
Things didn’t go as expected when her elder brother returned. Hearing some voices, Ari stirred from her nap and gradually got up. She walked downstairs and saw a tall lean figure carrying bags, ‘huh?’ Ari thought, was it an intruder? She was about to slowly walk out to call the guards before the intruder noticed her when a voice said, “Ari?” Ari’s eyes widened now wide awake- she recognized that voice anywhere. “LEO!” She screamed excited as she ran towards him. Leo chuckled and wrapped his younger sister in a hug, “Missed me?” Ari nuzzled in the hug “More than you can imagine.” She had wanted to tell him all about their annoying brat of a sister and how unfair mom and dad have been towards her ever since the birth of the baby, when he asked, “Where’s Bong-Cha?” Ari told him that bong-cha where in their parents room sleeping and how she had a gift for him. “I’m really tired, so can you give me the gift tomorrow?” Ari nodded excitedly, “I hope you like it.” She said shyly, “I like everything my sister makes for me.” He ruffled her hair.
The next day, Ari had woken up and the first thing she grabbed was the gift she had made for Leo. She went to the sitting room and saw Leo tossing Bong-cha in the air, Ari hopped he dropped accidentally dropped her. “LEO!” Ari screamed, startling Leo, he managed to catch Bong-cha just in time though, unfortunately. “What is it?” He asked coldly, ‘huh?’ Ari shook her head and maintained her smile, “I have your gift” she hid his gift behind her back. “Can’t you give it to me another time? You made me almost drop Bong-Cha, geez be careful you’re no longer a child.” Leo held Bong-Cha closer, “B-but b-but” Ari stammered, “No buts, you’re really careless, what if Bong-cha got hurt?” Well that would have been a blessing. “I just wanted to give you the gift.” Ari said sadly, Leo rolled his eyes, “Can’t you give it to me when i’m not with Bong-cha?” Ari sighed “Fine.”
After that… Ari had tried to find a perfect time to give Leo her gift, but never seemed to be a perfect time. He was always glued to Bong-cha and rarely spoke to her, except if it is to gush about how amazing and smart bong-cha was. She wanted to scream, what was up with him? He didn’t even look at her with the same warming familiar brown eyes like when she was younger.
Ari stopped trying to find a perfect time to give him her gift, she threw the handkerchief in the mini-trashcan inside her room. She never wanted to do embroidery again, it was too tiring.
Back to present
Like she said, today was really not her day. It was the day of the tiring annual gift-exchanged party at school. Filled with all the cheesy games, music that made her ears bleed and a bunch of kids who wished they were somewhere else. “F*ck this” Ari said out loud. Last week, she drew the name of a kid named ‘Andrew’ he was one of the ‘uglies’ as Ari liked to call them and was really annoying. He also had the personality of a wall. She wasn’t going to put that much thought in his gift, after all the last time she put effort into someone’s gift, it ended up badly. She had cut a strand of her hair and placed it in a ziplocked bag, he seemed like the type of weirdo to collect hair strands from girls- of course she was just exaggerating but whatever. The loser better enjoy the gift, it was a strand from the hair of a goddess, her.
It was Ari’s turn to open her gift and she grimaced, what had the loser given her? She wondered. If it was something like a finger clip, Ari swore- Anyways, she opened the gift and her eyes widened at what she saw. It was a beaded bracelet with her name in it, it looked so similar to the one Ari and her brother made together as a child but lost while playing in the park. It was the first thing her brother and her made together and Ari had felt bad, Leo had comforted her that it didn’t matter but she couldn’t help the guilt eating her up. Ari licked her cheeks, they were surprisingly salty… weird. She rubbed her eyes and they felt watery, huh? Was she crying, nah that can’t be the case. “Is everything ok Miss. Lee?” The teacher asked, Ari coughed “Uh, yeah.” Ari looked at the gift again and saw a note, weird, how had the note escaped her eyes?
“I hope you like the gift, I didn’t know what you liked so uh I tried. Sorry if you don’t like it. PS: turn the bracelet, there’s a moon design… The moon reminded me of you, kinda. It has two sides and it feels like you, I hope I can know you better and see you other side. Anyways ha ha hope you like.” And Ari did. Hmm, she guess losers weren’t all that bad. She looks around the room to see Andrew holding the gift she had given him, she grimaced- well he still hasn’t opened it, Ari felt bad imagining his reaction. Andrew turned to her with a smile and mouthed ‘did you like it?’ she turned away with a blush, ‘idiot’ she thought, how dare him ask her that question? Was he that stupid, didn’t he see the look on her face when she opened the gift. Of course she liked it, why was he asking the obvious. Stupid She thought.
“Oh Well, it’s Mr. Yendo’s turn to open the gift.” Ari winced, “D-does he really have to?” She asked the teacher. The teacher blinked, “Well of course.” The teacher put a hand on Ari’s shoulder’s, “You don’t have to worry if your gift is good or not. I’m sure he would like it and you put effort into it.” The thing was she didn’t. And she surprisingly felt bad, what the f!ck was going on with her?
Andrew opened the gift and he grimaced at what he saw, Ari winced at his reaction. He grabbed the letter she had written and frowned. She turned away, she knew what was in the letter and at that time when she wrote it she didn’t feel bad… but now?
"Look loser, you seem like a weirdo who likes collecting girl’s hair as a hobby so whatever hopes this feels your trashy taste. Honestly why did I have to get stuck with someone like you? Why the f!ck has my life gone downhill? My brother doesn’t even feel like the guy I used to know, my parents and his attention is on the demon child and I got stuck with you? God might have well wrote something on my arm that says ‘you’re being punished lol’ cuz being stuck with someone like you is a f!cking punishment. And even if you don’t enjoy collecting hair as a hobby you better be happy with my gift, i’m a f!cking goddess and I have graced you with my hair as a gift. "
“So what do you think of the gift Mr. Yendo?” The teacher asked him and Andrew forced a smile, “It’s unique” He said, Ari bit her lips… he knew what he meant was awful. He turned his gaze from the teacher and towards her and Ari looked down at her shoes.
Ari spent all night embroidering a gift for Andrew, yes she swore to never embroidery again but she had to make up for that gift and this would be her last time embroidering. Anyways, she hoped he liked it. It was a rose design, she had read somewhere that it symbolized courage and he seemed well… quite courageous.
“Hey, Loser.” She called out seeing Andrew walking down the halls. He turned to her, “Yes?” Ari coughed, “I have a gift for you.” She blushed. Andrew blinked, “No, it’s ok.” He said grimacing, what was she planning to give him now? A toenail, Andrew thought. Ari frowned, “I spent all night making this, so take it.” She told him. She handed him the design and Andrew’s eyes widened. “Wow” He said, the gift wasn’t an awful one. He smiled at her, he was right about her, she did have a good side. Well now his friends owned him 50 bucks. “Yeah it’s whatever, it’s not much. After all you don’t deserve much.” She crossed her arms, she looked down at her shoes. “Anyways there thing about wanting to see the other side of me… I guess I will grant you that wish, tomorrow , 5 o’clock at Joe’s restaurant.” Andrew smiled, “So a date?” Ari was taken aback by that, “Eww noo, why would I go out with someone like you?” She said her face red, “I’m just giving you the opportunity to see the other moon side of me or whatever corny sh!t you wrote.” Andrew smiled again, “Sure. See you tomorrow.” He waved at her, clutching the gift she had given him tightly.
Ari concluded something after spending some time with Andrew, he wasn’t all that bad for a ‘loser’ and he actually had personality. She smiled, he was fun. When she would rant about what’s going on in her life, he would listen and comfort her. The loser was a great friend.
Andrew wrapped his arms around Ari, “I’m sorry I’m leaving you, but we’ll keep in touch no?” Ari felt tears threatening to fall, “Of course Andrew.” She brought him even closer. He was leaving to study abroad, he was leaving her- no, Ari shook her head, he wasn’t leaving her. They would still talk together on the phone, she would still rant to him about her problems. Andrew released himself from the hug and stared at Ari, “Can I kiss you?” He asked. Ari blinked, ‘what? the hell no’ she thought, why would she kiss a loser. “Yes.” The words escaped her lips. Andrew leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss, the kiss was shockingly good.
Another thing Ari concluded, Andrew wasn’t a loser and if he was… he was the best loser she had ever seen.
“That was amazing.” Andrew said, “Amazing.” Ari repeated. She pinched her cheeks and shook her head. “Again?” She asked with a smirk.
Ari concluded another thing yet again:
She loved kissing Andrew.
After some time, they still kept in touch. And Ari did quit embroidery but she did realized another thing: Andrew was still a loser, an amazing loser.
That’s what she does in these hard times. Taking off all of her clothes, only staying in pink lingerie, Elodie climbed into bed next to Riker. Before resting her head on his chest, she gently placed a kiss on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around him.
