Through the Looking Glass

To meet a person named ‘water’ in the midst of pouring rain? What an amusing coincidence. Guang thought that the man might be pulling his leg, but something told him that the man wasn’t lying.

“The weather must be because of you, then,” Guang joked.

Sheepishly, Sui scratched his cheek. “Such is the case.”

“Huh?” Was this guy serious, or was he following up on Guang’s joke?

Guang cleared his throat, shaking his head. “Nevermind.”

Through the corner of his eye, he noticed that Sui was completely dry, right down to his fluffy coat. As if there were an invisible barrier, water bounced off him, just like how it was for Guang now. Come to think of it, he became waterproof the moment he met this man. Could it be that…

“Mister, are you protecting me from the rain?”

Sui smiled. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Guang felt as if he was staring right into the sun. So dazzled he was that he didn’t realise Sui was rubbing his head. “You’re quite the observant child, aren’t you?”

Guang blushed. Suddenly, he felt extremely nervous, as if he had an image to keep. “I-it wasn’t anything. I just said the obvious.”

Sui chuckled. “Say, Guang, shall we go and get you some dry clothes? I can’t imagine what you’re wearing to be comfortable, and at this rate, you’re going to catch a cold.”

Guang lit up upon hearing that. These clothes were wet and heavy. While he could tolerate it, it was true that it was causing him some discomfort. To notice this and to offer to buy him new clothes - this person, he’s too nice! 

Guang nodded fervently. “Yes, please! If it’s not a bother…”

While he knew it was bad to take advantage of a kind stranger, Guang found himself unable to reject Sui. Rather than wandering alone by himself in an unfamiliar place, he’d rather stick with someone he can trust, that person being Sui. So if it meant that he could spend more time with Sui, Guang would happily do just about anything.

Sui led the way down the street. Beside him, Guang trotted along like a cute, small puppy. Sui, like the kind man he was, walked at a slower pace so that Guang’s little legs could keep up. Guang giggled, reaching out to hold Sui’s hand.

What he wasn’t expecting was for the man’s hand to be freezingly cold. He winced, restraining himself from pulling away. Sui’s hand lacked all the warmth that a normal person should have. In fact, his hand was frosty to the touch, almost like ice. Sui, conversely, seemed surprised but happy with the gesture.

“Do you want me to carry you?” 

“C-c-carry me?! I wouldn’t- no, it’s OK, it’s fine.”

Guang’s heart nearly leapt out of his throat when Sui asked that. His face felt uncomfortably warm. Why was he reacting this way? His mother had asked him the same question and he had felt nothing but pure disgust, but when this man asked the same thing, he’s feeling…what, flustered? Guang couldn’t meet Sui’s eyes. No, not after that. He felt like he might explode if he did. Instead, he averted his eyes to the side. 

They passed by all sorts of shops. Restaurants, pet shops, souvenir shops, shops filled with humans, shops filled with enticing food and shops filled with intriguing things. Whenever Guang spotted something interesting, he would enthusiastically point it out and pull Sui towards it. 

“Look, look! That box, it can talk!”

“Wow, what a shiny toy!”

“Why does that creature look like that…Sui, do you think it bites? Oh, it’s a dog, huh. Can I pet that dog?”

No matter what it was that caught his attention or what he rambled about, Sui would give him the utmost attention, listening to his every word and genuinely replying back. Unlike the doctors and his parents, Sui didn’t take him for granted nor treat him as a kid, but rather, he saw Guang as an actual living, thinking person. 

Being with Sui, Guang felt that he was actually understood. Such sentiment only made him more attached to Sui. He was grateful for the heavy downpour too. With everyone huddled in shops for shelter, it was like only he and Sui existed in this large, large world. He felt like he could go anywhere just with Sui as his companion.

Suddenly, Sui stopped. Guang looked around, wondering why they halted, when he realised that they were standing before a clothing shop. Oh, right, they were going to get some clothes for Guang in the first place.

He huddled closer to Sui. “We’re going in there?”

Noticing his discomfort, Sui suggested, “Unless you don’t want to? You can stay out here while I pick out some clothes.”

Guang shook his head. He tightened his hold on Sui’s hand despite the coldness biting into his skin. Humans…he still can’t stand the thought of being around humans, but with Sui, he may be able to gain some courage. 

Sui patted his head. “Alright, then. If you feel like you want to come out, just say the word.”

The door tinkled merrily with their entry. Guang jumped, startled by the sudden sound, but quickly composed himself when he realised it was nothing. He hoped Sui didn’t see his embarrassing reaction. 

Guang gave the shop a quick sweep of his eyes. He had expected a bunch of humans and for the air to reek of humans, but the shop was astoundingly empty. There wasn’t a single human in sight. At most, there were a few model figurines showing off their fashionable attire, but other than that, the shop was filled with racks and piles of all sorts of clothes.

“Master Sui! I didn’t expect you’d be visiting.”

Guang hid behind Sui at the unexpected entry of a human woman. He knew it! The shop being empty was too good to be true. 

Sui chuckled at the woman. Confused, Guang looked at Sui. Was he not wary of this human? Does he, perhaps, even trust her?

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No, of course not!” the woman insisted. “You’re always welcome on our premises, Master Sui! And may I ask…”

The woman directed her gaze at Guang. Guang shrunk away, gripping Sui’s jeans in his little fists.

“...who is that?”

Sui rubbed Guang’s head, as if telling him to not worry. He didn’t force Guang to stand up, but allowed him to stay where he felt safe. 

To the woman, Sui said, “He’s my companion.”

Guang’s eyes sparkled at that. Did Sui think of him the same way as he did about Sui? 

“Your companion…” Recognition dawned on the woman’s face as she gasped. “Do you mean-?”

Sui waved his hand with a placating smile. “His name is Guang, so please refer to him as such. Do you mind helping me find a suitable set of clothes for him? Ah, if you have children’s size, that is…”

“Of course, I’ll get it right away! You may head to the changing rooms at the back of the shop first. I’ll find Master Sui and Master Guang in a while.”

“Thank you.” Turning to Guang, Sui said, “Let’s go to the changing rooms, shall we?”

Around a minute later, the woman returned with a few sets of clothes for Guang to try on. But really…what were these? Guang was no fashionista, but he could tell from the materials and their designs that they were nothing short of the finest clothes. 

“I wasn’t sure which one you would like, Master Guang, but don’t worry, I picked out the best of the best!”

Guang was speechless. He really would have been happy with just a shirt and shorts. With all these varieties, he didn’t know which one to pick.

Seeing how he was lost, Sui chipped in, “Can’t decide?”

Guang stayed silent. He didn’t want to admit to Sui that he couldn’t make a simple decision by himself. Sui, however, took his silence as a ‘yes’ and hummed thoughtfully. After a few thoughtful seconds, he pointed at the set with a white collared shirt and shorts. 

“What do you think about trying out that one first?”

“OK.” Then, thinking he was being too easy, Guang added defensively, “I was already thinking of picking that one.”

Sui chuckled. “Yes, yes.”

“It wasn’t because I couldn’t pick.”

“Is that so? I’m glad you picked one, then.”

Satisfied, Guang headed into the changing room. It was a small, tiny room with hooks on the walls and a small chair in the corner, but what attracted Guang’s attention was the full length mirror. A mirror so big and long that he could see himself in its entirety. Cautiously, with his breath held, he approached the mirror. The little boy in the mirror did the same as well. As if hypnotised, he raised a hand, touching the cool surface of the mirror. In that moment, his fingers and his reflection’s fingers connected. He was the little boy in the mirror, and the little boy in the mirror was him.

For the very first time, ever since he woke up, he got a proper look at himself. Before this, he had never really thought about what he looked like, but now…

Long, unkempt bushy hair like flames, large, liquid gold eyes that quivered with wonder…was this him?

A knock at the door brought him back to reality. Startled, Guang leaped back. The little boy in the mirror appeared spooked, as if he had just seen a ghost.

From behind the door came Sui’s concerned voice. “Guang, are you alright?”

There was no way in hell Guang would let Sui know he was staring at his own reflection like a narcissist. Hastily, he yelled, “Y-yeah, I’m changing!” 

Hurriedly, he peeled off the soggy clothes and wore the white-collared shirt and shorts. He instantly felt lighter, fresher and freer, as if heavy weights had been removed from his shoulders. Perhaps he had undermined how heavy his previous clothes were. Not to mention, he quite liked his current outfit. Clothes that were chosen by Sui, not those given to him by those disgusting humans, were obviously a hundred times better. He can’t wait to show Sui how good he looked!

With his head held high, he left the changing room.

Sui, who had been engaged in a conversation with the human woman, paused upon his entry. Sui clapped with an ‘oh’, while the woman nodded approvingly. Though he didn’t ask for the woman’s opinion, it made him feel somewhat smug. 

Sui commented, “It looks good. What do you think, Guang? Do you like it?”

“Yeah!” Guang beamed. 

“Alright then. Miss, we’ll buy this one.”

The woman bowed. “You can have it for free, Master Sui, Master Guang. It’s already an honour for me to be able to serve you.”

“Is that so…then, I shall remember this favour,” Sui said with gratitude. “Guang, remember to thank the nice miss.”

Him? Thank a human? That would be akin to placing himself below these repulsive creatures, but since it was Sui who asked him to, and he doesn’t want to lose face…

Quietly, he murmured, “Thank you.”

The woman’s hands flew to cover her face as she gasped dramatically. “So cute! I-I mean, thank you for your patronage, Master Sui, Master Guang! I hope you’ll have a pleasant day!”

As they left the shop, Guang decided to spare the woman a tiny wave. For a fraction of a second, Guang saw the woman swoon joyously before the door closed behind them. 

And they were back again under the heavy rain. But just like before, the rain dared not graze even an inch of his being. It was a wholly different sensation, though, when he was wearing dry clothes. Even when he raised his hand, he could not feel a single drop of water hitting his palm. The entire experience felt utterly unreal. A part of him even wondered if he was in a dream.

“Do you like it?”

Sui was watching him with an odd expression. An expression that made Guang’s nerves tingle. 

“Y-yeah. How exactly do you do it, mister?”

Sui hummed, gazing longingly at the dark, cloudy sky. “I suppose it’s like a superpower. Water always bends to my will.”

“A superpower…” Guang repeated, awestruck. How much cooler can Sui get? Not only was he pretty, kind and a good listener, but he also has superpowers!

“If you could have a superpower, what powers would you want, Guang?”

“Me? Hm…I guess, I’d want the power to stick with you forever!”

Sui appeared taken aback. Then, he laughed. A soft, beautiful sound that blessed his ears. “You haven’t changed at all, have you?”

What…what was that supposed to mean? However, before Guang could ask, Sui said, “As thanks, let me treat you to some food. Is there anything you’d like to eat, Guang?”

Is there anything he’d like to eat…even though Guang had lost all his memories, his hungry stomach apparently hadn’t, for he immediately knew what he wanted.

“Kung pao chicken. Can we get kung pao chicken? Please, mister?”

“Alright, alright, kung pao chicken it is,” Sui smiled. “I know just the place.”