The previous thoughts and daydreams that were clouded in her mind before immediately vanished as she quickly became aware of the seriousness in her best friend’s tone. “It’s about Ami.” Luhan’s ears perked up from a few metres away. Aileen frowned. She shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to talk about a friend behind her back.

“What’s wrong?” Aileen raised a sceptical eyebrow. “What about Ami?”

“Well, she made Kai go out with you to ‘break your heart’. I don’t know why, but she’s spreading rumours behind your back and—”

“Wait, what?” Aileen stood up from the bench. Crap, Sooyeon panicked. Maybe I went a little fast. “What do you know about Kai?” Her face hardened.

“That you asked him out and you didn’t tell me?” It was a question out. Sooyeon wanted to know why. Weren’t they best friends? Weren’t best friends supposed to tell each other everything?

“How did you—” Aileen ran a hand through her hair, growing frustrated. “How do you know about him?”

“Well, what shouldn’t I know about him?” Sooyeon retorted, turning on the defensive.

“You should know that he did not go out with me nor did he ‘break my heart’,” replied Aileen coolly, halting the maddening line of endless question-for-a-questions. “It seems that Ami’s not the one spreading these ‘rumours’.” Sooyeon’s mouth became a small ‘o’. She couldn’t believe Aileen could ever suggest that. Aileen suddenly realised what she said. Not wanting Sooyeon to get the wrong idea, she added, “but I’m not saying you are either,” she exhaled, trying to control her temper. “Just get rid of those thoughts, okay?” She didn’t want to hide anything from her best friend, but the thing that happened with Kai was in the past and she didn’t want to bring it up now. She didn’t want to think about it herself.

Sooyeon didn’t forget. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Um, guys, I’m gonna go now.” Luhan shuffled away sheepishly, not wanting to witness the girl drama. They didn’t notice his swift departure.

Aileen grew impatient. She might as well tell the truth now. “Look, I asked him out a couple months ago. Three. It’s in the past; he didn’t ‘break my heart’,” she sneered at the false words. Who the hell came up with that? “Because I didn’t like him.”

“Then why the heck did you ask him out if you didn’t?” Sooyeon gestured to nowhere, more confused than angry. Her words took a wrong turn, though. To Aileen, she looked more angry than confused. If it were possible, Aileen’s steely face hardened even more. Not this. Because she wanted to get over Kris? By dating someone else, even if it was just using them? She couldn’t say that. It made her feel guilty, and although that was the truth, it was in the past and those words kept repeating in her mind. There was no point in telling now. She didn’t want to forget the question. She wanted to forget herself.

“Well, don’t act as if you’re not keeping something from me.” Sooyeon froze at this. Did she know? About Luhan? Sooyeon didn’t dare to look back at Luhan (not realising he made a dash for quite a while now). Was she going to say it in front of him? Aileen’s voice was as hard as her look. If Sooyeon was going to bring up that tone of voice then so was she. “I don’t give a about Kai and I hope you don’t spread what you think happened around.” Sooyeon was ready to relax as Aileen didn’t suspect the Luhan thing, but what Aileen said was like a blow to the chest. Sooyeon’s eyes stung, threatening to tear up. No, I won’t cry.

“Fine!” She yelled. “If you don’t want to listen to me then fine!”

“You’re not telling me anything apart from asking me what happened! Can’t you tell that I don’t want to talk about it?!” Aileen was right. But anger wouldn’t let Sooyeon see that right now. She was right on her own accord.

“Go run to Kris when you’re in trouble, because you’re not letting me tell you.” Sooyeon’s voice was icy, and Aileen was left standing in the frost of the words as her best friend left the garden.

I can’t run to Kris now, Sooyeon. She didn’t even know where he was right now. So it all ends, just like that? She stood standing there for a long time, wondering what just happened. More importantly, what happens now? Aileen groaned out loud and slumped on the bench. She and Sooyeon were best friends for ages. It all ended because of some boy drama? What the ? No, it’s not that. It was because they kept secrets from one another, she realised.

But it was too late now. And Aileen wasn’t one to apologise first. Plus, she didn’t know how Sooyeon knew about Kai in the first place.

On the contrary, she didn’t know that it was her own stubborn self who didn’t let her best friend explain in the first place.

♥

She was walking home when the most unexpected thing occurred. And she was not happy to meet it after having a gloomy day.

He was lurking in the shadows when she walked past. Aileen rolled her eyes. “I know you’re there so come out!” She yelled.

Suho emerged from the alleyway, wearing almost nothing. Aileen’s eyes bulged. He was clothed in his usual black pants—and that looked normal enough on its own without the usual metallic stuff—but on top, he wore a single open hoodie with nothing underneath. He didn’t look like a cosplayer for once, but he didn’t look normal either. He was the only person on the street who was half-. Aileen diverted her gaze from his obvious, toned abdomens, choosing to glare at his eyes instead. “Are you here to bother me?” Her voice was breathy. She was not in the mood after everything today, and a scam wasn’t going to make her feel any better.

“Be patient, Aileen-sshi. S&M Heaven shall not fail.”

“You’re still on about that freaking fake?!” She laughed unbelievably. She was having a bad day. Suho raised his eyebrows. “You pranked me! I can’t believe it.” She shook her head. “After saying I ‘saved your life’ and all—like those three annoying, little green aliens in Toy Story—which I didn’t really, you know?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He blinked, looking genuinely innocent. He was surprisingly calm, as others who were listening to their conversation might’ve thought she’d gone mad.

“And why the heck are you not wearing a proper shirt?” Aileen pointed to his bare chest, not wanting to believe anything right now. She was usually very polite, but recent events have made her mind tip a little. And you can’t blame her.

“Oh, I wanted to blend in...” Suho scratched his neck.

“What? You’re practically blending out!” Aileen furrowed her eyebrows. “It’s November! Why are you half-?”

“I... I saw some guys wearing this a few months ago, when I came here and met you,” he stated like it was normal, fiddling with the ring that had the weird symbol on it, teardrop-shaped, on his finger. It was there the last time she met him, she noted. “I thought this would make me look normal.” What, was he not from around here? She wanted to cry out.

“That was in the summer!” She scolded him, taking off her jacket (it was for both men and women) and throwing it to him. “Here, have this. You don’t have to return it.”

“I don’t understand...” Geeze, does he live on another planet, or something? “Thank you, Aileen-sshi! How can I ever repay you?”

“Oh my God.” Not this again. “You don’t have to give me anything!” Then she contemplated it for a moment. “All I want in return...” She looked at him seriously. “Is for you to leave me alone.” She turned her back to him, sighing.

“We shall see.” He ran off before she turned back around. What the heck just happened, Aileen? She asked herself. Then something hit her.

“Hey, how do you know my name!” She called after him, but it was no use. He was gone again.

♥

The morning light streamed through the bedroom window and called Aileen awake. I can’t wait to see Sooyeon and the others, she thought excitedly, grinning with eyes closed. Then she remembered. She was like this yesterday night, too. Last evening she had reached for her phone, ready to text her best friend and call it a night by sending the usual “sweet dreams”. Of course, just when she was about to, then she’d remembered too. Today was going to be different without Sooyeon. The aftermath of the argument was already taking its toll. Sighing heavily, she heaved herself up.

The phone rang.

It startled her. “Coming!” she cried in a croaky voice. She bet they didn’t hear her at all, and they didn’t obviously because it was a phone call. Throwing the blanket to the side, she scrambled to the living room and picked up the receiver.

“Yoboseyo?”

“Delivery.” The voice on the other line tickled her memory, but her early-morning-bird mind couldn’t process it. Groaning, she grabbed a hoodie and put it on sloppily, opening the front door and slamming it behind her.

By the time she got down, the truck was firing up to go. A huge cardboard box stood upright on the wall. It was almost twice the size of her. She blinked. She didn’t remember ordering anything since... she swallowed. Maybe mum sent an early souvenir or something... She couldn’t bet on it. Her family probably forgot about her already. She peered over at the truck, already on the move.

“Kamsahamnida!” She called. If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, she caught a flash of light on the driver’s wheel, something that must’ve been shiny, like jewellery.

It was a ring on a man’s hand, in the shape of a teardrop.

▌A/N: I’m sorry about the break in Aileen’s and Sooyeon’s friendship. The moral here is; don’t be idiots! ^O^
Ah, and I hope you liked the new poster! I worked on it for about an hour. ;A; Although it looks really simple (complicated to make tho) there’s a little symbolism in there which gives away a little of the story. ‘Cause symbolism rocks.
If you wanna see more of my edits, visit my tumblr. ^^
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER EEP~