Christmas Passed.
(Some day in between Christmas and New Year)

Lay was strolling around the mall when he suddenly bumped on to someone. The things of the person he bumped fell on the ground, so he went to pick it up.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking my way. Here are..." Lay stopped talking as he realized who the person in front of him.

Eunji.

"Lay" Eunji called, snapping Lay back to reality. Lay didn't know what to do.

*Should I talk to her? Or pretend like I didn't saw her?* Lay thought.

"Lay" Eunji called again but this time she was looking down at her feet, avoiding Lay's eyes.

"Neh?" Lay asked.

"Uh... my bags, can I have it now?" Eunji answered with a low voice that Lay almost didn't hear her. He looked at his hands and sure there were bags in his hands, bags he picked up earlier.

"I'm sorry, here are your bags." Lay handed the bags to Eunji. Eunji accepted it but she tried not to brush her hand to Lay's hand.

"I'm going. It's nice to meet you." Eunji immediately excused herself after she successfully got her bags but before she finally get away, Lay grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"C- can we... talk?" Lay asked. Lay mentally cursed himself for acting abruptly but he knew deep inside that he and Eunji need to talk and sort things out. Their relationship is awkward and he doesn't want his friends to notice that.

"But..." Eunji wanted to decline. She's in the stage where she's learning to forget her feelings for Lay and she doesn't know if it's good to see the face of the man she truely like.

"Please" Lay plead. He wanted to clear the awkwardness between them.

"Fine" Eunji agreed. Lay carried Eunji's bags and lead them to a restaurant located inside the mall.

"Eunji, do you eat chinese food?" Lay asked as he stared at the different restaurants.

"Yeah I do." Eunji softly answered.

"Hmm... Is it okay if we eat there?" Lay pointed to some Chinese restaurant. Eunji nodded and they entered the restaurant.

"What are we going to talk?" Eunji straightforwardly asked as they wait for their orders.

"Eunji about..."

FLASHBACK

"Yeobseyo?" Lay answered without looking the caller ID.

"Lay oppa" Eunji said on the other line. Lay's heart race rapidly at Eunji's voice. Same as his Luhan hyung, Lay like Eunji, love even but he kept it a secret to everyone. He knew Luhan was planning on courting Eunji and he doesn't want to interfer.

"Neh, Eunnie?" Lay asked and hoped Eunji won't hear the loud pounding of his heart that's cause with just the sound of her voice.

"Can you meet me at **********. I want to tell you something." Eunji answered nervously but she tried not to show it in her voice. Luckily Lay didn't notice, he was busy controlling his own feeling.

"Sure what time?" - Lay.

"In thirty minutes oppa if it's okay with you." - Eunji.

"Okay Eunnie, I'll meet you there." Lay agreed but he was wondering what was the important thing that Eunji wanted to say in person that she can't tell over the line.

"Thank

you oppa." Eunji said with a smile although Lay wouldn't see it then she ended the call.

Thirty minutes later at **********.

"Annyeong Eunnie what do you want to tell me?" Lay greeted as he arrived at their meeting place.

"Annyeong, thank you oppa for coming." Eunji smiled and motioned Lay to take a seat. Lay did as told.

"So what's the important thing you wanted to tell me?" Lay asked again.

"Can we order our drink first?" Eunji suggested. She was still mastering all the courage to tell Lay the important thing that she wanted to say.

"Yeah sure." Lay agreed and call a waiter to get their orders. "Eunnie, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm full but I'll get strawberry bubble tea." Eunji answered, not opening her menu.

Lay looked at Eunji then to the waiter, "I'll get watermelon bubble tea then." He said dismissively. The waiter nodded and left to get their orders. The waiter came back after a couple of minutes and handed them their orders.

"So?" Lay started. He didn't know why but he was eager to know what Eunji wanted to say. He had these weird feelings inside him except of course love he feel for the girl in front of him.

"Lay o-oppa... I..." Eunji stuttered.

"Neh?" Lay urged.

Eunji took a deep breath in and, "I like you oppa." she confessed.

"What?" Lay asked. Did he hear it right? Is he halucinating? Is he drea...

"I like you, oppa." Eunji clearly repeated for Lay even if she was already as red as tomato.

*Eunji likes me...

I like you too* Lay thought but he said differently, "Eunnie, are you practicing that line for Luhan hyung? You should tell him that. I know he would be very happy."

Eunji shook her head, "No, it's not Luhan oppa. It's you. I like you, Lay oppa." She said, serious.

"You know Luhan hyung likes you, right?" Lay purposely asked. He need to make things clear for Eunji.

Eunji nodded, "Luhan oppa confessed to me the other day." She revealed that shocked Lay. His hyung didn't tell them anything about him confessing to Eunji.

"What..."

"I walked away because it's you that I like." Eunji reasoned. She knew that it wasn't right when she suddenly left Luhan but what can she do? She was shocked and didn't know how to react. She didn't know if she can bear to break Luhan's heart.

"I'm sorry Eunji but I can't return the feeling. You should give Luhan hyung a chance. He really likes you. Thank you for drink but I'll go first, bye." Lay said and left. He lied at his first sentence. God knows how much he likes Eunji but can't do anything. Luhan is like a brother to him and Luhan was the first one to saw Eunji. He didn't want to take the happiness of others espicially his friends.

*Eunji, why does it have to be you?* Lay asked himself as tears wanted to well from his eyes but he controlled it.

END OF FLASHBACK

"... the confession. I'm truthfully sorry that I can't return the feeling but I don't want that to be the reason for us to be awkward to each other." Lay sincerely stated. He too was tired with the awkward

feeling in surrounding them. He wanted the times where at least talk and laugh with each other. He wanted those time to come back.

"I perfectly understand oppa. I also didn't want us to be awkward but I'll hope you will understand that I can't bring the old me. I like you and now I'm moving on with Luhan oppa. I'm not promising anything but I'll try not to be awkward around you oppa." Eunji said as she looked down on her untouched food.

"Thank you Eunnie." Lay cupped Eunji's hand on instinct. He can feel Eunji stiffened as she slowly pulled back her hand out of his grasp. "I'm sorry" Lay uttered.

*Eunji, I'm sorry for hurting you but I can't love you. You deserve someone better. One that can fight for you, unlike me. I know Luhan hyung would take good care of you." Lay thought as he stared at Eunji, lovingly.

(A/N: This part is in a different day with the Lay and Eunji's meeting. This scene occured several days after the New Year started.)

"Umma, Appa I'm leaving." __________ bid goodbye to her parents after she visited them at their house.

__________ nodded and gave her a hug while her mother, "Take care honey. Bring Luhan with you next time." She reminded and gave her daughter a hug.

"Neh umma, I'll bring Luhan next time. Both of you should get inside the house now. It's still cold outside. I can manage myself from here." __________ assured and kissed her parents' cheeks and finally went out of the house to her car.

__________ was driving on her way home when she remembered that she placed her laptop in her room. She swiftly and skillfully made a U-turn back to her parents' house. Not too long she reached her parents' house. Without knocking, she directly went in but she stopped when she neared the living room where her parents were talking.

"Honey, do you think we made the right decision of making our daughter and Luhan believed that they are married?" Mrs. Kim warily asked her husband.

*What does  umma mean by making me and Luhan believed that we are married?* __________ thought as she hide herself at the back of the wall.

"I trust our daughter. I know she would make the right decision and she would understand why we faked her marriage." __________ heard her father said, followed with a worried sigh.

She was shocked, *Our marriage is fake? How? But we signed the papers.*

"But shouldn't we tell __________" Mrs. Kim insisted. She felt guilty for leading her daughter to a lie that they made. It was true that __________ and Luhan was engaged to be married and they still are, only with the thought that they're married which is all a lie.

"Honey, I promise we will tell them the truth after their one year of (fake) marriage and Mr. Xi would help us explain." Mr. Kim assured and caressed his wife's back.

Without a word __________ left with the shocking truth, forgetting her main reason of going back to her parents' house.

When she reached home Luhan was already there. Luhan

greeted her but she was spacing out to reply his greetings.

"Hey hubby, why didn't you greet me?" Luhan whined as he stopped __________ from going any further.

"Luhan" __________ softly mumbled and stare at Luhan.

*Should I tell him?*

Luhan let go of her wrist that he grabbed when he stopped her. He was taking aback with the way __________ said his name. His heart raced rapidly.

"Hubby, is anything fine? Are you hurt somewhere?" Luhan worriedly asked and scanned __________ from head to feet. No cuts, no bruise or wound was found. __________ just look tired, sad and confused. He was worried it was rare to hear __________ call him in his real name.

"I'm fine just tired. I'm not eating dinner today. I'll go to my room and sleep. Good night." __________ said and left without waiting for Luhan's answer.

*I'm sorry Luhan but not today* __________ thought.