Chapter 101 Valentines Day is a Nightmare (1/2)

It started off like any other day. A normal day. The sun was shining, the birds were tweeting ... but it was not to be. It was the dreaded V-Day. The day when girls are somehow transformed like how the full moon transforms one into a werewolf. The day -

Xing Han whacked Kyle at the back of his head, ”Oi. Can't you even start off normally?”

Kyle rubbed the back of his head dramatically, ”That IS normal!! Seriously, the day was created by evil people.”

”It's supposed to be the most romantic event ever,” Xing Han protested, ”People exchanging gifts, declaring their love, secret passion and so forth.” He then sighed dramatically.

”Only single people will understand,” Xing Han said with a flourish, putting the back of his hands on his forehead to complete the dramatic act of his.

Kyle rolled his eyes at that, ”Excuse me? I am single too you know.”

”You don't count,” Xing Han complained with a pout, ”I'm talking about the real single people. Who has no one. Who is alone. Like me. Or Sam. You and Ali are hot potatoes so you have never known what it's like to be truly single.”

”Don't put me in the same shoes as you, Xing Han,” Sam retorted, ”It never bothered me.”

”Okay. FINE,” Xing Han huffed, ”Real, NORMAL single people then.”

”The Forever Alone Man?” Kay teased.

”Oh man, Kay. Not YOU TOO,” Xing Han groaned.

”Why be so bothered anyway, Xing Han? Valentine's Day is overrated, commercialised and its history has nothing to do with romance!” Kyle continued.

”There are just SO many theories about its origins though two stand out the most. One, that it is to commemorate the death of St. Valentine, who was a priest supposedly going against the decree of a Roman Emperor that outlawed marriage for all young men serving in the army. He married the couples in secret.

”So the tradition of giving gifts purported to be from the act of those secretly married couples giving him flowers and letters when imprisoned. Another version was that he fell in love with his jailor's daughter and sent her a letter signed 'Your Valentine' on the card.

”Or the other popular version was that it is a Roman festival called Lupercalia, that was celebrated on February 15. It was to ward off the danger of wolves to their flocks and honouring their God Lupercalia. The St. Valentine's version is more aggressively pitched since it is based on 'Catholic' virtues while the Lupercalia festival is considered 'Pagan',” Kyle explained.

”Er, okay Kyle,” said Xing Han with a yawn, ”What's with this history of Valentines Day got to do with anything?”

”It's EVERYTHING!” Kyle said with a huff, ”How on Earth did the stupid tradition of 'giving gits' to your crush or what-not come from? One version had couples giving gifts of gratitude to a person condemned for death, another version had Stockholm Syndrome* and yet another was about warding off wolves??”

”And the girls ... when Valentine's Day comes along, they transform! Perhaps it truly is a Lupercalia Festival. Since it's not celebrated properly, instead of warding off wolves, they become wolves!” Kyle finished his argument with a flourish as he opened the final present on his desk.

”Oh, Kyle. There's more near the pantry. There wasn't any more space on your table,” Ingrid told him.

Kyle banged his head on the table in resignation. This is going to take a while.

”So what DID happen last year?” Natasha prompted.

”Let me tell it,” Xing Han said, ”Kyle is probably going to go into another horror story or lecture about Valentines Day instead.”

Kyle mumbled something incoherently while his head was still on the desk. He then turned his head and laid his cheek there, sighing, ”Girls are monsters. Really. No offence.”

Kay patted his cheek, ”Only to you, dear brother. So you're the monster creator.”

”Okay, so it's like this. You all know that were are all from Retsu Primary School, right?” Xing Han said as he looked at his rapt audience.

His classmates nodded.

”Well, generally, Valentine's Day at Retsu wasn't bad. I mean, we were all just kids, right?”

”We're still kids,” Kyle butted in, ”And those weren't kids. They were like gremlins ...”

Xing Han covered Kyle's mouth and shushed him, ”Quiet, Bearer of Doom. I am speaking.”

Kyle moved his lips but Xing Han wouldn't budge. With a smirk, Kyle then stuck out his tongue and thoroughly wetted Xing Han's palm.

Xing Han screeched and wiped the drool off with Kyle's shirt, ”Man, Kyle! Why the heck did you have to do THAT? So disgusting!!”

Xing Han shuddered while Kyle just laughed, not taking his head off the table.

”Anyway, as I was saying,” Xing Han said after he glared at the laughing Kyle, ”Normally, Valentine's Day would come and go without much of a problem. But last year, it was our final year at school. It was as if suddenly, it hit them, that we wouldn't be around anymore.”

”So they took the opportunity to send their love and thoughts on Valentine's Day.”

”What's so bad about that?” asked Beatrice curiously, ”Isn't that quite normal?”