“Lulu~,” Eun Mi sang as she stepped into the chicken store.

“Here again?” Luhan sighed, throwing one of the towels into the sink.

“Hey, you need me okay?” Eun Mi scoffed.

“Don’t you have work?” he smiled.

“Nope,” Eun Mi shook her head as she sat down.

Luhan came over and gave Eun Mi a glass of water. She watched Luhan interact with the customers as she slowly slipped on her drink. Soon, when the customers didn’t need any more assistance, Luhan walked over to Eun Mi and sat opposite her.

Eun Mi placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on the palm of her hand. Slowly leaning towards Luhan, she gave him a suspicious look. “Luhan, we’re best friends right?” she questioned.

“Eun Mi, what are you up to now?” Luhan raised a brow, not knowing that schemes would this girl do. Every time she acted differently to how she normally acts, Luhan knew that she is either up to no good or will do something that will shock people.

“What do you think of Yeomin?” Eun Mi grinned.

“She’s nice, pretty and is fun to be around with,” Luhan answered.

“Is that all? What do you feel when you’re around her or when she’s around you?” her eyes widened.

“I feel happy?” Luhan said in a tone meaning he wasn’t certain of his answer.

Eun Mi rolled her eyes and when she couldn’t take in anymore of Luhan’s answer, she blurted, “Do you like Yeomin?”

*I knew it,* he thought. “As a friend.” Luhan showed his deer-like eyes.

Eun Mi groaned as she banged her forehead down the table. “No you stupid idiot, as a lover,” Eun Mi whacked his head.

Luhan unfortunately didn’t dodge from her hand in time and got hit, hard. “YAH!” He yelled.

“Answer my question would you?” Eun Mi her teeth.

“Luhan, can you please deliver this?” the boss came out from the kitchen holding a box and placed a small paper with the address of the house on top.

Immediately, Luhan rose from his seat and grabbed the box. “Of course, I’m going now!” He yelled and headed out the door.

Eun Mi scoffed at his behaviour and ran out after him. “You haven’t answered my question yet!” Eun Mi declared.

“I like her as a friend, well I think I do,” he muttered the last part.

However, due to Eun Mi’s sharp ears she caught what he said. “You think?” she said in a high pitched voice.

“I don’t know, why are you asking me? I need to work,” Luhan put the helmet over his head.

“Why did you take her out on a date last time?” Eun Mi cocked her head towards the side, confused. She doesn’t even know about dating and yet she is asking her best friend about a girl. What is she doing really? *Just follow your guts Eun Mi.*

“What date?” Luhan questioned.

Eun Mi’s eyebrows creased and finally Luhan knew what Eun Mi meant.

“Ah! That wasn’t a date. It’s just a mini outing or something?” he smiled, recalling the moments.

He didn’t know why but every time he saw Yeomin smile, he found himself smiling along with her. Even with just the image of Yeomin in his mind could make him smile, not that he always frowns but his smile seemed brighter and wider than usual.

“Why did you take her on a ‘mini outing’?”

“Because last time when I saw her, her eyes felt so sad and distressed. I felt bad for her so I took her out to have fun, she seemed like she had a lot going on. I wanted her to relax,” he paused.  “Besides, before meeting Yeomin, I called you the night before I hung out with Yeomin to see if you were free the next day but you weren’t,” Luhan finished off his explanation.

Eun Mi was shocked and disappointed at the same time. She opened to say something but nothing would come out. As a friend, she felt bad for Yeomin because Yeomin opened up to Eun Mi yet Luhan is here saying something that he ‘thinks’ he likes her as a friend and he only took her out because he pitied her?

“Anyways, I need to go and deliver food,” Luhan hoped on his motorcycle.

Eun Mi took a step back so she wouldn’t get crashed by the motorcycle –not that she can. “Alright,” she uttered.

“Oh, oh, Eun Mi,” Luhan called.

“Yeah?”

“Why did the cat sit on the computer?” he asked.

Eun Mi froze. *This is another one of his lame jokes again, oh god.* “Why?” she faked a smile. She knew that Luhan knew she won’t be interested in his jokes. Still he told her anyways.

“To keep an eye on the mouse!” He chuckled then sped off.

Eun Mi scoffed and shook her head, making her way back in the store.

Little did she know that someone was just standing a few meters away from the chicken store and heard everything that Eun Mi and Luhan was talking about.

Yeomin grasped tightly onto the strand of her shoulder bag and took small steps backwards.

So the reason why they ran down the road holding hands, ate dukbokki, tried on different accessories, bought phone charms and went into steam rooms was all because he pitied her?

Yeomin didn’t know how to react as she felt her heart twitch. She was in pain and tears threatened to fall out of her eyes. If anyone would see her right now, they would notice the crystal tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

“All that because of pity?” she croaked.

She hated the feeling of being pitied on. It’s already hard enough when Yeomin felt trapped ever since she was little but it was even harder when someone pitied her. She just hated the feeling of pity.

Turning her heels, she slowly walked away. Sweeping her hand across her cheeks to get rid of the tears, she thought of the moments which meant everything to her ever since she met Luhan. A bitter smile plastered onto her face as more tears rolled down her cheek.

She hated this. She hated it so bad.