ღ Chapter Twenty-five ღ

 

Agitation was probably the right word. I wasn't a foot tapper, or a leg shaker, yet here I was, tapping away on the tiles of the cafe. I only worked one shift now because of the internship and grad school, and today, I had been left to close up shop.    I was waiting for Lu Han.    Tap. Tap. Tap   My foot movements were starting to annoy even me.    I got up, mostly just so I would have something to do, and started to heat some milk. The door to the shop opened just as I finished mixing the last of the cocoa powder with the milk. Lu Han stepped inside, shivering from the cold.   "Here." I handed him the hot chocolate in a Styrofoam cup, and he took it gladly, letting his hands hover over the top in an effort to warm them up.    "Thanks, Jae," he replied with a small smile. It was one that I could not bring myself to return.    Quietly, I took a seat in one of the many empty round tables. I reached under my chair into my bag, and pulled out the cube.    "And...here," I said, pushing it across the table at him.   Lu Han's brows knit in confusion. "What do you mean? That's yours."   "I...I think you should have this back," I said, pushing it more insistently.    Lu Han's eyes darkened, and he knew. We were best friends for a reason after all. He knew immediately what that really meant.   “Why him?" he asked, simply. "Why Kris, and why not me?”   I shook my head. “I can’t explain it, Hanhan.”   He was silent for a moment, eyes down cast, staring into the brown depth of his drink. When he looked up, his eyes were slightly glazed, lips pursed tight.   “Did you like me, Jae-in?" he questioned. "Yixing said that everyone could tell except for me. Did I really make you cry a lot?”   I couldn't lie. “At one time,” I replied.   "And I...I made you set me up with-oh my god. That must have been..."   Lu Han bit his lip, and I knew he was blaming himself.   "It's not your fault!" I added, hurriedly. "It's the past; don't think too much about it."    Lu Han shook his head, as if shaking away bad thoughts. “Is Kris good to you?” he asked, then stopped. "Wait, what am I saying? Of course Kris is go