"Ahem. Ahem." I didn't know if it was V or Sungjae who cleared his throat intentionally, but it was enough to pull my thoughts back to the situation at hand.

Lunar Sages was in the room! Sehun was Lu Han's brother! Sungjae, V and L were his friends! I couldn't believe it. Omg Yeona, don't freak out. Don't freak out. Don't freak out.

Lu Han suddenly chuckled and he shifted to sit more comfortably beside me.

I let go of his arm and grimaced at him. "What?" The good thing was he was still blocking the view of the boys.

Now Lu Han looked like he was holding back laughter. "I didn't think it was possible for a single face to show so many expressions all at once."

My face! Omg, I didn't even know if I looked proper enough. That's it. I was getting out of there.

I punched Lu Han's arm. "This is your fault," I barked as I gingerly got of bed. Ugh, I couldn't believe the boys were meeting me in such an embarrassing fashion.

They were all still sitting on Lu Han's carpet when I awkwardly faced them. "Hi." I wanted to act all prim and proper so I gave a small wave. But then they smiled, and I couldn't take four glorious smiles directed at me at the same time. "Bye!" I bowed 180 degrees and practically ran out of the room.

I caught laughter, a curious "Is she leaving already?" and a disappointed "Aww, I had a lot of questions for her." as I was rushing out. Omg omg omg. I pressed my palm to my chest, trying to calm my wildly beating heart. Except that now that I was out of Lu Han's room, I didn't know where to go. That wasn't calming at all. Thankfully, Lu Han followed me out into the hallway outside his room. I couldn't be happier seeing him. Then I remembered I was supposed to at least be annoyed at him for dropping that bomb of a secret without so much as a slight warning.

It didn't help that the first thing he did when he saw me was laugh. Can I punch him again?

"What were you thinking?" I almost yelled. "How could you let me meet them like that?"

He made an effort to keep the grin off his face but there was no hiding his amusement. "Hey, I asked if you were ready, remember?" He shrugged innocently. "Not my fault you weren't, after all."

"Because I didn't know your secret involved LS! I can't believe I met them like that." I paced back and forth in front of Lu Han.

"Aww stop pouting, Yeona. You're making me feel guilty." The guilty boy still looked amused as he said this.

I glared at him with all the coldness I could muster. "A simple 'Yeona, you're about to meet the most awesome people on Earth so take a deep breath and remember to look pretty, okay?' would have sufficed."

Lu Han was laughing again and yup, I punched him in the arm. "Sorry, sorry. I just can't understand what you're so worried about."

I gestured to all of me. "Duh?"

Lu Han stopped laughing and genuinely looked confused for a second. "What's wrong with-" he gestured from my head to my feet.

"My hair is probably a mess. My dress is probably not good enough. My-"

"Yeona." Lu Han took a step closer to me, cutting off my litany. "You look beautiful." He brushed my hair with his palm. "You have nothing to worry about."

He looked so serious, his eyes so intense, as if making me understand that my worries were unnecessary was the only thing that mattered. I think my lungs just took a vacation because I suddenly couldn't breathe as I returned Lu Han's gaze.

Then Lu Han coughed awkwardly, laughed awkwardly, and said awkwardly, "And besides, the last time you met them, you were wearing our school uniform. What you're wearing now is definitely an upgrade." He gave me a weak thumbs up along with a shy grin.

And just like that, I couldn't even pretend to stay annoyed at him. Here I was being a brat as usual but Lu Han was his adorable flustered self again.

And really, what right did I have in the first place to know his secret? Zero. His family and friends were his own business to mind, but he chose to share it with me. Aww did that mean I was part of that family and friends now? I think that thought sent me even more to cloud nine.

There was no way I'd let him know that though. "Hmph. Fine. So I look beautiful enough. Uhh." Now that that issue was settled... "Am I gonna meet them again?" I asked, suddenly shy.

"You're the one who ran out on them, you know." The twinkle in Lu Han's eyes was back. But oh my goodness, he was right. First I fainted on them, and then I ran away. What kind of a fan was I? "They're actually curious about you."

I tried to keep the sudden excitement off my face. "Me?"

He shrugged. "Yes, you." Lu Han started walking towards the stairs.

I quickly followed him. "And?"

He chuckled. "And I'll tell you later. Let's go down for now. I told the guys to come out five minutes later. Unless you're ready to meet them again now, I'll be happy to leave you alone with them."

I scrunched my nose. "You're enjoying this too much, aren't you?"

Lu Han's grin was wide. "So far."

"Tch."

There were more people in the living room when we reached downstairs.

"How long was I out?" I asked Lu Han who was now frowning.

"Just twenty minutes maybe? Huh, why are there so many people?"

I surveyed the room. Most of the guests were our age. "Don't you know them?"

"I do," he said but his tone was grave. "They're my classmates from middle school."

That earned a raised brow. "Then aren't you happy to see them?"

Lu Han winced. "I am."

That deepened my frown. "Then why-"

"Happy birthday, Lu Han," a girl suddenly said, popping out of nowhere. "Long time no see."

Lu Han's face stiffened before breaking into a small smile. "Long time no see, Aeri."

Aeri? Where did I hear that name? I scanned my memory and remembered Lu Han briefly mentioning her name on our video call. She was the girl whom he thought liked him but actually liked his brother. My eyes widened. Lu Han's brother was Sehun. I eyed the girl from head to foot. She was pretty. I could see how Lu Han developed a crush on her. Tch. He must be happy to see her agai-

Lu Han's face looked pained. Did he still like her?

"That's it?" The girl smiled teasingly. "No hug? I missed you."

Lu Han wore a poker face but his eyes couldn't be any more sad and angry. I thought he was over her considering how easily he told me their story.

The girl opened her arms and stepped closer to Lu Han. Lu Han didn't move but his face was wavering, a flicker of several emotions threatening to show all at once.

I didn't know what came over me but I pulled Lu Han back for just an inch. When he looked at me, I blurted out randomly, "I'm hungry."

Lu Han blinked at me a few times, seeming to process the ridiculousness that I was saying. Then, surprising me, the storm in his eyes disappeared and he chuckled.

"I'll see you later, Aeri," Lu Han said to the pretty girl whose arms were still outstretched. Then Lu Han took my wrist and towed me to Mei's room.

Mei was nowhere to be seen when we entered. Lu Han closed the door and went to open one of Mei's drawers.

"Didn't you say Mei doesn't want any of you going through her stuff without permission?" I asked, eyeing him warily. I haven't witnessed Mei's wrath firsthand but I actually feared the girl.

"Melon bread is always an exception," Lu Han said, plucking out one and tossing it to me. Then he collapsed on the chair in front of Mei's desk. Lu Han let out a big sigh.

"Are you okay?"

Lu Han nodded and smiled at me. "Thanks, Yeona."

I raised a brow. "For what?"

"For getting me out of there."

I shook the melon bread at him. "When did I do that? I just told you I was hungry."

He snorted. "Yeah, right."

I didn't know if I wanted to ask my next question. I did anyway. "It's that girl, right? Your first love?"

Lu Han stood up suddenly, startling me. "She's not my first love."

"Denial much?" I said as nonchalant as I could but there was a sting somewhere in my heart. "If she wasn't then you shouldn't have frozen like that."

"She did break my heart, you know. Be fair. I think I had the right to be caught off guarded like that."

"So she broke your heart but she's not your first love?" I scoffed.

Lu Han nodded. "My feelings for her then were nothing compared to-" Lu Han paused abruptly and blinked as if surprised at himself.

I frowned, curious at what he had to say. "Compared to what?"

Lu Han bit his lips, the edges of his ears starting to turn noticeably red. "Compared to what I feel when I'm with you."

My heart skipped a beat.

"And I don't even like you that way," he continued.

"What way?"

Lu Han looked nervous. "Uhhh, romantically?" His voice went high-pitched on the last syllable.

"Oh." It felt like someone splashed me with water.

"I mean I like you a lot, but not in that way. So if I like you more than I ever liked her and I don't even like you romantically, then she couldn't be my first love for sure," he explained, unable to look at me.

Was that supposed to comfort me? Because I felt worse.

"Oh," I just said again, because really, what could I say to that?

"I mean," Lu Han continued, "I like talking to you. I like