Lu Han smiled and then he laughed. He banged the table so hard, his hands could be bloodied from it.
It turned into a monstrous screech immediately, before sounding like a horribly suffering hyena echoing in the night of the desert.

But it was all in his head.

"Bro, what the !" Lu Han shouted at the top of his lungs.

His half best friend's eyes were begging for things to rewind back as the girl beside him darted beneath the bed sheet, hands gripping it tightly, eyes wide in horror. It did not have to cost Lu Han such a horrific reaction if the things and persons weren't what they are.

"What the ..." Lu Han repeated again, slapping his hands and rubbing his face uncontrollably. "What the have you done? Min Joon!" He pointed at the girl beside him accusingly, unable to retain his disbelief. "That's ing Yoo Hae Ri! Hae Ri! Se Hun's girlfriend!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Oh...my god." Kim Min Joon covered his face, his voice shivered low. "Don't...don't tell Se Hun about it."

Lu Han turns to Hae Ri, not daring to utter a single word as she hugged the bedsheets close to her body, up to . Her face was however, flushed in red.

"This is Se Hun's room, guys." Lu Han frowned with frustration, they were beginning to sore his eyebrows.

The two on bed had their lips closed shut, they were unable to retaliate.

Lu Han looked up to the ceiling, trying to calm himself, his hands unconsciously rubbing his temples as his sighs loudly escaped to the stiffled room.

It took awhile for him to finally muster up his mind, and look at the two person.

"I won't tell him." Lu Han replied, he was guilty of not revealing the truth, but this person is Min Joon afterall, his childhood best friend! But Se Hun...

A glint flashed before Min Joon's eyes as he hopped off of bed.

"God! How far have you all went!" Lu Han stared at the completely bare Min Joon coming over to hug him before Lu Han avoids to the right, letting Min Joon embraced air instead. "I don't want anything dirty on me." Lu Han raised his hands.

------

Lu Han retreats back into his room, just next door to Se Hun's as those two starts to wear their clothes, or Min Joon even said to shower.

He sat on the bed, putting his face in his hands.

Along with Kim Min Joon and Oh Se Hun, the trio had grown up together in the same neighborhood, attending the same school and graduating from the same university. Practically, their whole life, up till now, was about each other. Every one of them were compromising of one another, they were the kind of friends the entire public or even schoolmates were envy of, holding each other's backs under rough times, and stood all tests to make sure the other doesn't get hurt.

They had moved together to the city and stayed in the same apartment for almost 5 years now, everything had been the same.

But somehow, it has changed.

Somewhere, Lu Han felt things and people being amiss.
What was once an unbreakable bond, seem to cripple away slowly. Now this.

When Se Hun had a girlfriend, he started to skip meals with Min Joon and Lu Han often. It was understandable at first, for their world had been each other - guys. But it gets overboard when his presence was hardly in the house anymore.
Min Joon on the other hand, goes on to frequent company alcohol parties. Something the trio never experienced together.

And Lu Han didn't like it.

He would spend dinner and watch television alone, then go to sleep with empty bedrooms beside his.

To him, as long as they still remembered him, remembered each other, it's fine.

[knock knock]

Lu Han looked up from his hand and realised he had not closed his door.

Hae Ri stood there, before Lu Han hears the sound of shower head splattering water against the ground, Min Joon's bathing.
She took a deep breath before uttering. "I'm sorry." She said. "I know what I've done is wrong, and I never meant to do this with Min Joon, but I was really drunk."

She looked like she was about to cry, her whole face felt remorse, her eyes were unbale to swallow tears back.

Lu Han looked away. He did not want to look at the face of a girl who did something wrong, yet looked like she is wronged. It would have been easier, if she was stuck up, if she actually had any true intention to cheat on Se Hun purposely, but her face, it was hard to see.

"Why were you with Min Joon?" Lu Han asked, without looking at her. 
He knew Min Joon would go to clubs or pubs and pick on girls to flirt around lately, but Min Joon had never once decided to go anywhere into bedrooms with any girls. No matter how pretty they were. At least, Min Joon was the type who would say, 'I won't do it if they aren't my type.'

Argh, why did he have to remember that?

"We met coincidentally, and he invited me for dinner."

Lu Han froze. Dinner? At a bar? Drinking?

He finally turns to see Hae Ri, "Is this reason sufficient for you to do this to Se Hun?"

Her eyes started to swell, and her tears burst out from his eyes. She covered her face and sobbed loudly, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Lu Han looked at her, sliding herself slowly to the ground with so much pain. Lu Han wanted to pity her, he could imagine how much shame and guilt she was balling in her head, her mind and her undeniable betrayal to a faithful boyfriend of 3 years.

But he couldn't, and yet, a jarring thought struck his mind instead.

------

The smell of freshly cooked eggs knocked on Lu Han's mind.

He sits up from his bed and scratched his bed hair, eyes half opened before yawning. Pushing the bedsheets off him, he sat at the side of his bed, facing the window as the warm sun rays hit his face. He remembered he had a bad dream, that Se Hun's girlfriend was caught sleeping with Min Joon in Se Hun's room, Min Joon had passionately called Hae Ri and the latter was providing erratic moans as Lu Han paced towards the source of the sound when he came home.

And then, he realised, it's reality.

 

Lu Han walked out of his room and sees the dining table filled with breakfast. Min Joon was at one of the seat, watching videos on his phone, as if nothing happened.
It was a very typical morning, and although they'd miss lunch and dinner often, breakfast was the one time they could eat together.

And Se Hun, would be just at the kitchen counter to cook for them.

Lu Han heads over to the dining table and pulls out a chair, flopping on the seat as he checks on today's breakfast menu.

Plain white bread, eggs and a sausage resting on top.

His appetite stopped. His mind picturing the food completely off what it looks like.

The bread was a room, and the egg and sausage, he looked up at Min Joon. Probably the same size or something.
As he turns to see Min Joon, hoping the dream to remain as a dream, he notices a fourth plate on the table. Immediately, he cast a glare at Min Joon who timidly avoided, staring abnormally hard at his phone.

Didn't you say she would be gone after she's done?

Min Joon blinked nervously, his grip on his phone tightened, but still gives in for his eyes to reply Lu Han.

I can't just let her go when it's 11pm right? You know she far stays from here. And what if I send her back and we met Se Hun downstairs?

Lu Han twitched his eyes before scrubbing his head annoyed.

"Beef noodles." Se Hun placed four fully cooked meal beside each plate on the table.

A room door opens but Lu Han was distracted by the tasty smell instead. This must be some premium Beef, Lu Han slurped in thought.

"Good morning, Se Hun."

Lu Han's hair stood immediately, the voice completely caught Lu Han off guard as Hae Ri walked over.

Se Hun welcomed her with open arms, hugging and kissing her gently on her lips.

Disgusting.

He turns back to his breakfast but caught Min Joon looking shocked at him.

Why? What face did he pull just now?

------

"You're unusually quiet today." Kris smiled as he watches his doctor.

"Haven't I always been?" Lu Han checks his medical checkup for today, his liver seemed better after 2 months since his surgery.

"Well." Kris leaned back. "I'm just hoping you could speak more."

Lu Han ignores and prescibed him the needed change in his medicine before passing to his assistant nurse who leaves the room.
A thought came to his mind.

"What was your job again?" Lu Han asked.

Kris lifted his eyes, amused his doctor was finally making progress after his comment. He bothered.

"In nice words, Director of a Finance company." Kris replied. "In bad words, Loan Shark boss."

Lu Han nodded but a little surprised he was this honest about his job. Still, he just wanted to confirm something. "Alright, so you have a bunch of guys working under you."

Kris grinned. "Why are you asking?"

"Quote me a price for 5 of them. With a special request."

------

Lu Han closes the door behind him as he takes off his shoes.

The sound of television playing an 8pm drama - You who came from the Stars.

Lu Han turned away and decides to head for a shower.

"Do you know how much she missed you?" The lady's agitated voice sounded from the television. "Even if I said not to appear again, how can you seriously not appear? Not even once! The one who's more tenacious than me, is you."

He stopped on his tracks, standing at the center of each bedroom entrance, the bathroom towards his right.
Lu Han sinks the words into his head.

He turns his head and looked towards Min Joon, sitting on the sofa munching away on potato chips.

 

Se Hun was not home yet, he won't be until late night since Fridays were days he would choose to spend time with his girlfriend.

Lu Han to take the chance to switch off the television and sat down beside a startled Min Joon on the couch. His bag of chips, now empty, lies at the corner of the sofa.

"Why did you do it?" Lu Han confronted.

Min Joon pushed himself forward, his fingers touched each other as he laid his elbows on his knee. He knew somehow this would come.

"I..." He stuttered. "I like her."

Lu Han guessed it right. Min Joon would never touch a girl unless it's this case, but his face was dwelling in confusion. He frowned and shook his head. "I know, she's Se Hun's girlfriend but..." He sipped his saliva. "But, she's really kind and nice, to be honest, the first time I saw her, I know I shouldn't feel this way, yet, it doesn't go away. The more I avoid, the more I wanted her. And, she seemed...willing to."

"If you could have Hae Ri, would you be happier than you are now?" Lu Han managed to ask.

"I..." Min Joon fidgeted with his hands, rubbing at the other. "I...perhaps. I think so." He looked up. "I will, be happy."

There was nothing Lu Han could say, he looked long into Min Joon's wary eyes. They were fileld with guilt, yet love.
Lu Han dropped his gaze, and exhaled lightly before finally finding his voice again.

"I hope our friendship doesn't get affected, no matter who you love." It was subtle, but Lu Han emphasized on 'you'. "Come clean to Se Hun." His gaze directed serious into Min Joon.

"What? You just said, not to affect our friendship."

"That's why you should be honest."

Min Joon did not know how to counter that.

Lu Han gulped a throat of pain, he stood up and walked away. "Please don't let me be the one to tell Se Hun." With that, he closed his room door.

Min Joon leaned his head on the couch's back rest, looking up at the ceiling before closing his eyes to think.

Since when have the house become so quiet?

------

Lu Han paced through the hospital's rooftop garden before finding a quiet corner to sit down.

He wanders up at the air above him, and wonder if what he's doing is right.

Min Joon may have been a jerk, but he was deeply in love.
Se Hun may have been extremely loyal to Hae Ri, but his girlfriend, could be easily tempted.

Will telling Se Hun, be alright? Is this the right choice for their friendship to stay? Or will Se Hun move out, feeling betrayed?
The most important thing in a friendship is just like any other relationships - honesty and communication.
It was what Lu Han firmly holds true to his belief, it was also why Se Hun and Min Joon were transparent for Lu Han throughout these years.

But perhaps, none of them had been giving enough time to bond with each other. Se Hun is a Hotel Manager and worked on shifts, Min Joon is a Leasing Manager, dealing with client meetings, which developed his drinking habits. And Lu Han, on the other hand...their jobs just doesn't match as much as they want.

"Good afternoon Doctor Lu." There was a fine playful tone to the person's voice.

"Good afternoon, Doctor Baek." Lu Han replied without turning back.

The doctor laughed, "Alright, call me by my normal name will do."

A shadow hovered beside before sitting down next to him.

"No matter how many times I see you, I keep wanting to praise how good you are. There are job roles you do, that a fresh graduate could not, and look how far you've come in such a short time. I really admire you!" Doctor Baek said.

"Thanks." Lu Han replied, but his minds were up at the clouds, thinking about his housemates. Hm, 'housemates' now?

"Anyway, I got what you wanted." Doctor Baek takes out a bottle and puts it in on the seat space between him and Lu Han. 

He took the bottle up and reads the label. Exactly what Lu Han wanted. He keeps it inside his white coat.

"Baek Hyun."

"What?"

"How do you cure a friendship, if it's falling apart?"

Baek Hyun thinks for a while before replying. "Things fall apart, sometimes, you need to erect it again so that it can stand up. Usually by stimulants, for example, if someone's peni..."

Lu Han closed his ears. "That's your specialty, not mine."

"You are asking an Andrologist this question, so respect me and listen to me." Baek Hyun raised his index finger, about to nag at Lu Han when the latter stood up.

"Thanks for the pills." Lu Han said and left.

Baek Hyun flopped his shoulders. "You always need something to make it erect and stand up again isn't it? That's why aphrodisiac pills right?"

------

It was rare, but tonight, it was Lu Han and Se Hun alone in the house.

"How's work?" Lu Han asked as he washed the vegetables.

"As usual." Se Hun replied as he chopped the onions.

"Okay, so...aren't you having dinner with Hae Ri tonight?"

There was a short silence but as Lu Han was about to check if Se Hun heard him, there came the reply.

"She's, not free tonight." 

Lu Han glanced blankly at him, expecting Se Hun to continue.
It would have been an acceptable answer if Se Hun had not made that pause.

And he did add on.

"Am I lacking in loving her lately?" Se Hun asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"She's been avoiding me for some time. Usually, she calls back if she missed my calls after a few hours, but these few days, she doesn't return the call."

Lu Han puts the washed vegetables bowl beside Se Hun and heads over to the stove to open the lid for their steam fish.
Smoke rose up to the air vent.

Lu Han watches as the smoke fades away, picturing if Hae Ri could be gone just like these smoke.

"Give her some time. Sometimes people would go through changes in their life and wnat to overcome them alone."

"Is that how it is?" Se Hun turned to Lu Han with a hopeful look. "I would've noticed if something is bothering her though?"

Lu Han simply nods with an assuring smile with no further comments before using a long wooden chopstick to move the steamed fish around the pot.

"Anyway, don't you think, our friendship, has sort of changed over the years?" Lu Han asked.

Se Hun turned back to slicing the vegetables this time as Lu Han takes the chopped onions and scatters it around the fish.

"Have we? We are still the same, cooking together, talking about our issues together. Maybe we lost out on hanging out." Se Hun stopped and thought for a while. "We should hang out when every one of us is free, together with Hae Ri."

Lu Han agrees but something tells him it was a half hearted remark. He looks down at the sizzling onions, which looked like they are shivering.

------

The night was chilly and Lu Han takes out the pill bottle he had gotten from Baek Hyun.

He sits on his bed and studied the prescription method before throwing it back into his bag, then heads out of his room.

"You aren't asleep yet?" Se Hun asked as the warm steam from the bathroom trailed his torso, the bottom half covered by the towel.

"Can I ask you something?" Lu Han started.

"Go ahead." Se Hun replied as he went back into his room, Lu Han followed behind.

As Se Hun change, Lu Han tries to look away. Se Hun puts on his shirt, and all dressed, grabbed the towel to rub his hair.

"Can you, take a break from your girlfriend?"

Se Hun stopped. He looked at Lu Han as if he was demanding overdued rent.

"Why?"

Lu Han didn't want to see that kind of face reflecting back at him, so he darts his eyes to Se Hun's bed, but it irked Lu Han's memory a little.

"We, should plan a trip together. Do you have any days off left?"

Se Hun heaved, he thought he had mistaken Lu Han's motive for asking him to take a break from his girlfriend. He understands why Lu Han asked now.

"Haha, yea, we should hang out like I said just now." Se Hun said. "Alright, give me a date and I'll apply for my leave. I got to inform Hae Ri first though." He takes out his phone immediately to text her.

------

It was a short lived promise when Lu Han receives a call from Se Hun saying Hae Ri wanted to go on a couple vacation with Se Hun.

"Ditching our vacation for your girlfriend?" Lu Han asked, trying to sound it as a joke.

"I'm sorry. I've never gone on a vacation with her. So, just this time? I promise I'll make it up to you guys some weekend."

Some, weekend, huh.

 

"You wanted to plan a trip for us?" Min Joon asked.

"Yea, but Se Hun called and said he will be going with Hae Ri for a vacation." Lu Han sat on the couch beside him.
The television was not switched on today.

Min Joon patted Lu Han's back. "It's fine, you still have me."

"But you like Hae Ri too." Lu Han blurts out before realising what he just said, Min Joon looked at him curiously. "I mean, my plan included Hae Ri, and since you like her, it might be a good chance to develop a friendship, instead."

Min Joon goes silent.

Lu Han was sure it was a good cover story, but he turns to see Min Joon's face, frowning in deep thought as he crossed his arms.

"I've been thinking." Min Joon said. "How to amend this friendship, how to make sure Se Hun would forgive me if I told him the truth."

"What's your plan?"

"I want to talk to Hae Ri first."

Lu Han smiled and then he laughed. He banged the table so hard, his hands could be bloodied from it.
It turned into a monstrous screech immediately, before sounding like a horribly suffering hyena echoing in the night of the desert.

But it was all in his head, again.

He didn't know how to get Hae Ri without Se Hun, and this time, someone offered the hook for him.

------

Lu Han is acceptable of bars, the jazz music had a much more professional ambience was more suited for his class than the clubs.

"It's a good place." Lu Han commented to Min Joon.

"It has a unique ambience." Hae Ri agreed.

Min Joon smiled, glad that Hae Ri likes it too.

"Thank you for giving me a second chance with Se Hun." Hae Ri smiled at Lu Han. "I've been trying to reconcile my mistakes."

Min Joon turns to Lu Han, "Yea, he's a great guy isn't he? Lu Han's the top of our cohort since high school and nobody could beat him. And you know he's a doctor?"

Hae Ri lifted her eyes. "That's amazing."

Lu Han gently punches Min Joon. "You don't have to tell her." 

"Why? I'm proud of you! His seniors respects him just after a few months after he started work."

"Se Hun never told me."

Lu Han turns back to his red wine, twriling the liquid inside.

"Haha, Se Hun talks more about you than any of us." Min Joon replied. "You don't know how much he puts you on his mouth. Sometimes I even forgot what topics to talk about other than you."

"We are here for that." Lu Han cuts in, his voice low.

Min Joon immediately kept his smile and turns to Hae Ri. He seemed regretful of his decision right now.

"Min Joon, will tell Se Hun about it." Lu Han said.

"What?" Hae Ri exclaimed, "Why?" She turns to Min Joon who immediately stared at his glass of tequila before drinking it all up, startling both Lu Han and Hae Ri.

"Because, I value our friendship." Min Joon confessed. "And I love you Hae Ri...I really..." He dropped his head on the table and started snoozing.

Lu Han tried to shake Min Joon up, but he doesn't move, snoring instead. Hae Ri, however, looked as astonished at Lu Han.

"If Se Hun, someone you loved for 3 years cheats on you one day because his heart left for someone else. Would you forgive him?" Lu Han asked after making sure Min Joon is gone into his dreamland.

Hae Ri understood where Lu Han was going, but took the question seriously to think. "I don't know...I know I love Se Hun a lot. Answering my calls whenever I need him, puts a lot of effort into our dates, checks up on me every once in a while, plans surprises whenever he can, thesse all make me feel I'm the luckiest girl to have him as my boyfriend." She cupped the champagne glass. "I don't know, you are a doctor right? Do you know why I'm suddenly drawn to Min Joon now?"

"Do you like Min Joon?" Part of Lu Han was despising the question she asked, a doctor does not mean a psychiatrist.

Her fingers stopped fidgeting the glass, before she turned to the man snoring on the bar counter.

"I..."

"You don't know who you really love and who is the one you are seeking to fulfill a void in your heart that you don't understand." He turned back to his red wine, but doesn't take a sip. He was disappointed, if there were reasons to justify her actions, in some way or another, if at all reasonable, it would not have come to this. Then again, people do things they regret sometimes, and it could take years to realise what they were feeling at that point of time. Like why she had to cheat.

But Lu Han has no patience.

"Can you, help to stop him?" Hae Ri asked, Min Joon's fringe.

"It's his choice." Lu Han replied. "He wanted to tell you first, so you don't get a shock when Se Hun knows."

"But, why, now? Se Hun might hate him, he might abandon the both of you." Hae Ri could not understand. "Isn't this going to destroy your friendship more? What is he thinking?"

"What makes you think Se Hun wouldn't hate you instead?" Lu Han casually remarked.

It earned Hae Ri to cast a sudden cold glare at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Lu Han sighed. "Se Hun's love for you is undeniable, stronger than our 18 years of friendship. So as his best friend, if he chooses to go with you, we will respect his decision. Afterall, it was Min Joon's fault, if he hadn't love you, he wouldn't have done that with you. Causing you so much distress and confusion about this."

Hae Ri softened her eyes a little, as if heaving a sigh of relief by mistaking Lu Han's understanding.

Lu Han jumps down from the stool and grabbed Min Joon by his arms, lifting him up. "But, if Se Hun chose us..."

"He's extremely loyal to me!" Hae Ri practically shouted at him.

Lu Han felt his heart tinge in pain as he looked at Hae Ri for a long time, the strength of voice in her and the words she said, they were what Lu Han wanted to shout back from the bottom of his heart.

"Can you stop Min Joon if he ever tells Se Hun? I don't want to be separated from him. I...it was Min Joon!" She pointed at him. "Like you said, if he didn't like me, I wouldn't...I wouldn't have betrayed Se Hun."

Lu Han thought about it before replying. "I can try."

"Please, you have to!"

"I...will." Lu Han said. "I promise." He smiled.

"Thank you." Hae Ri placed her hand on Lu Han's. "Thank you very much." She beamed.

After that, when he brought Min Joon home, Lu Han dashed to the bathroom and washed his hands constantly.

But it's okay, all this will end soon.

------

"Why did I pass out so fast last night?" Min Joon mumbled as he dragged himself to the bathroom.

Lu Han's door bedroom door opened, and he simply replies him, "Firstly, you drank your alcohol in one shot. Secondly, that was your fifth glass." With that, he heads into the bathroom.

"Hmm, you're right. I was too anxious." Min Joon admits, whenever he gets nervous, he would drink anything in one shot. That, Lu Han knows more than anyone else.

[beep beep]

Since Lu Han had already entered the bathroom, Min Joon decides to pick up the phone instead.

"Hello. Yep Se Hun...what...what the...which hospital is she at?"

 

Lu Han closed the bathroom door, holding his gut, trying hard to not burst out his laughter.

"Lu Han! Something horrible happened to Hae Ri! Oh my god, oh my god."

He tried his very best, covering his mouth shut to stop any giggles from churning out.

------

[A month later]

"From next month onwards, you won't see me." Lu Han said as he reviewed Kris' checkup results.

"Why?" Kris looked upset at him. "I'd prefer you over anyone else."

Lu Han closed the file and puts it on the table. "Told you before, I've already loved someone else."

"But not together."

"What if we are?"

Kris raised his eyes. "Congratulations." He smiled.

Lu Han eyed him before writing the prescriptions again. "Wouldn't believe I just heard that from you."

"If I like someone, and they love someone else, I respect their choice. That's true love you know."

Lu Han stopped writing, sinking the words into his mind.
Kris notices it,but chose not to say anything, taking it as a form of accepting his way of showing his love.

"But I guess, I know who you like.' Kris grinned. "My guys told me she kept screaming something like 'Se Hun come in more' when they were teasing her, she was a..."

Lu Han stabbed a pen between Kris' fingers on the table, as he darts to the nurse at the other side of the room, filing documents in a certain order, then back at Kris, glaring the living hell out of him.

"I mean, it sounds so wrong right?" Kris tried to laugh it off.

"Jae In, have you gotten the medicine I've requested?"

"I'm on my way now. Just finished with the documents." With that, the nurse left the room.

"Gang while videoing it down and posting it on all her social media accounts, then your guys gets caught. I'm impressed with your underlings. Still, it would have been good if her disgusting part was scraped and she bled to death."

Kris turns back to Lu Han, "Does Se Hun know this side of you?"

------

"Yoo Hae Ri, time of death, 12.30pm, cause of death, hanging."

She committed suicide.

Was what Lu Han processed.

Lu Han smiled and then he laughed. He banged the table so hard, his hands could be bloodied from it.
It turned into a monstrous screech immediately, before sounding like a horribly suffering hyena echoing in the night of the desert.

But it was all in his head, again, and again.

He turns to Se Hun, grieving for the lost of Hae Ri, desperation and suffocation in his eyes.

Min Joon was equally the same, as they sat at the funeral assembly.

Lu Han raised his hands to pat Se Hun's shoulder, along with Min Joon. One day, perhaps, Min Joon might come clean to Se Hun about that night he had with Hae Ri, but at least for now, he will keep his mouth shut, and at least, salvage this friendship.

Till then, he will slowly wait until the world, has no one else but him, and Se Hun.

He puts his hand together and prayed that Yoo Hae Ri should burn in hell for testing their friendship like that. Afterall, she was the most tenacious.

-The end-