The week dragged on and after what seemed like an eternity, it was finally Friday. I hadn’t talked to my Mother and thankfully, she didn’t try to make any conversations with me either. I apologized to my friends for not hanging out with them enough and they shooed our previous misunderstandings away. So, things were back to normal—sort of. That Saturday, I was taking Haneul shopping as promised.

○●○●○

“Are you guys sure you don’t want to come?” I asked the guys while waiting for Haneul to change her clothes.

“Nope,” Sungyeol popped the p. “I don’t go shopping, Sehun.”

“Me either,” Hoya agreed.

I nodded my head miserably, upset that I had to go as shopping was not one of my favourite past times. I sat on the bed and swung my legs back and forth waiting for Haneul who had been gone for a while now. It always amazed me how long girls took to get ready. Even Sun Hi at her little state takes a long time to get dressed.

“Sehun, Haneul takes a very long time to get dressed. You might wana do something else for now,” Dongwoo advised.

“I have an idea,” Mrs. Lee said as she put away her supplies. She was giving Sungjong a needle that he needed to take once a week. “Clean up.”

I let out a big sigh while taking the cleaning supplies out of her hand. The hospital decided it was best to take all the supplies I would need and put them inside one bucket.

I looked around the room and decided to do what was necessary.

○●○●○

“I’m ready, Sehun,” Haneul spoke as she tapped my back.

I looked down at her and nodded my head. Just like last time, she looked different. But I was more used to it now. Her hair was tied up nicely with a red bow. She wore a blue wool sweater with black pants that complimented her very nicely.

 “Let’s go now, finally,” I said as I opened the door. Swinging my bag on my back, I began walking with Haneul following behind me.

“So what mall do you want to go to?” I asked Haneul as we boarded the bus. Thankfully, the bus was empty and there were seats for us. I made sure to look around for any little boy; luckily, there was none.

“I don’t know. Is there one that has a bookstore?” She asked.

“Uh,” I paused as I thought. I had never actually been to a bookstore just seen them from afar before turning away. “Well, I don’t actually know.”

Haneul sighed, “Why did I even ask you?”

“I’ll check,” I said as I took out my phone to search for any nearby bookstores. After a while, I found one in a nearby mall and informed Haneul who excitedly looked through their book collection.

“Are you planning on spending the entire day at the book store?”

“Maybe,” She smiled.

○●○●○

“Hold this one for me as well,” She said as she handed me a fourth book.

We had only been in the bookstore for ten minutes but Haneul had found four books she “absolutely had to read”.

“Oh! This one is amazing I heard,” She said before waving the book in the air for me to grab. Instead of holding them separately, I stacked them up one by one on both my hands.

“Haneul, how many are you going to get?”

“As many as I want,” She said proudly.

“But what if you don’t like the book!?”

“I’ll find a way to like it. There’s always something to like.”

I sighed before following her to the next aisle. I was glad I didn’t take her to the bookstore that had two floors. It was quite close as well but I chose this one randomly.

“Sehun, why don’t you get a book as well?” She said as she pulled out a hard covered one from a shelf. “This is great. I think you’d like it.”

“I’d look at it if I had free hands,” I muttered.

○●○●○

“One hundred and seventy dollars is your total, miss,” The lady at the counter spoke. I gaped at the amount of books she ended up buying. I never knew she was this obsessed with reading.

“I’d like them to be sent to my home, please,” Haneul said while paying. I expected her to give the hospital’s address but she gave her home address instead.

That was when it hit me that everyone in the hospital actually had a home outside of the hospital. Sure, I knew that but I never actually bothered to think about it. So where exactly was everyone from?

“Let’s go,” Haneul said in her soft voice. I followed her out of the bookstore and took a breath of relief; that store was suffocating me with all the words.

“Where do you want to go now?” I asked.

“Um,” She put a finger to her chin and thought. “I want some new clothes for summer.”

I nodded my head and took her to a mall map. She picked out the stores that she wanted to go to the most. We decided to stay on one side of the mall only just so that she didn’t have to walk much.

○●○●○

“Hm, what colour jeans are nicer?” Haneul asked me as she held up a light blue and a navy blue pair.

I stared at her awkwardly, completely unsure of what to say or do, “Uh, well, I mean, they’re both nice.”

Haneul giggled and sarcastically said, “Thanks, Sehun. You’re so much help.”

She put the two pairs back and took out a light peach coloured one instead, “I like this one.”

“Me too,” I nodded.

Haneul walked around the entire store and picked out what she liked while handing me the pieces of clothing to hang on to. Her way of shopping was quite interesting. She would stare at the piece of clothing while tapping her chin to decide whether or not she should take it. She wouldn’t hold the piece up to her and look at it in the mirror nor would she try it on.

“What are you looking at?” She asked me.

I shook my head as I realized I was staring at her, “Nothing, I zoned out.”

Haneul let out a small laugh before taking the pieces of clothing from me. She walked over to the counter and took out her wallet to pay. This time, though, the total was under one hundred dollars. I was a bit surprised that she spent more on books than she did on clothes. Don’t girls like clothes more?

“Can we have lunch?” Haneul asked me while patting her stomach. I nodded my head and we walked to the nearby food court. I looked around at the different fast foods and was uneasy about the food options. I couldn’t let her eat something that was too unhealthy.

“What do you want?” I asked her.

“Truthfully, a burger with fries,” She smiled while staring at a big burger stuck to one of the signs. “But I can’t, right?”

I bit my lip and shook my head, “How about some salad?”

“I don’t like salad. There’s enough of that at the hospital,” She said as she slumped down in her seat.

“Then what?”

She suddenly shot up, “I know! Sushi! Please? It’s okay, right?”

I contemplated it for a bit before nodding my head and getting sushi for us.

○●○●○

"Ah, I’m so full,” Haneul patted her stomach. “I feel re-energized, Don’t you?”

“I guess.”

“I never feel this free in the hospital. It’s nice. But I am a bit tired right now.” She giggled.

“Haneul,” I called.

“Hm?”

“Where are you from?” I asked. This answer had been clouding my mind all day long. I knew it would be rude to ask her too much so I tried to ask something not too personal.

“I’m from Seoul. You are as well, right?”

I nodded my head.

“My parents own a restaurant. I have an older brother and two younger sisters. They’re twins.”

“Oh,” I nodded my head. I was satisfied with the answer she gave me. Yes, I did want to know why she was in the hospital or how long she had been there for but I decided to leave that to later. A little bit at a time was how I was going to find out where everybody was from. My little bit started with Haneul’s family.

I grabbed her shopping bags and stood up, “Let’s go then.”

We walked out of the food court and to the side of the mall that had a bus stop. It was a pretty far walk and I was afraid that Haneul wouldn’t be able to go for that long.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I am, Sehun. I just told you that I felt re-energized,” Haneul smiled.

I nodded my head still a bit unsure but we kept walking anyway. She pointed out a couple of items she thought were cute or pretty. I nodded my head or gave a small response to her excitement. I was glad that she was happy. I felt that I had done something well that day.

“Hey, Sehun, will you take me shopping again?” Haneul asked with hopeful eyes.

I looked down at her and chuckled. So she enjoyed my company. I was about to reply to her when a guy came running towards us—mainly Haneul— without looking where he was going. I put my arm around Haneul and moved her to the side. She got hit a bit but that was okay.

I turned around and glared at the guy, “Watch where you’re going!”

He turned around saying, “Hey I’m sorry guys.”

I was shocked when he guy fully turned around. There he was wearing his favourite black jeans and white hoodie. He called that outfit his trouble making outfit.

“Kai?” I blurted, bewildered.

“Sehun?” A voice from behind called out. I turned around to see Baekhyun who I assumed was the one chasing after Kai.

“What are you doing here?” I asked the two who were standing in front of us.

“We always go out. What are you doing here?” Kai asked as he eyed Haneul.

I took my arm off her immediately coughed awkwardly. This was not a good situation.

“I thought you had to go to the hospital today. Did you ditch us?” Baekhyun asked.

“No, I did go today. Um, I brought her from the hospital.”

“Oh, so you’re coupling up with the hospital girls, eh?” Kai said with his eyes getting darker by the second.

“Kai,” I said sternly.

“Kai what? You keep going around and leaving us. You could have invited us today as well. What’s wrong with that?” Kai said as he came closer to me.

I could feel Haneul get a bit scared so I put her a bit behind me. I knew Kai wouldn’t back down now but I couldn’t let Haneul see where this was going.

“Kai, we’ll talk later. Let’s go, Haneul,” I said as I began taking her with me.

“No, Sehun. There is no later. You clearly don’t want to be friends with us so whatever then,” Kai shrugged and walked away. I stared at the two as their figures disappeared.

“Sehun, are you okay?” Haneul asked me while pulling on my sweater.

“Not really.”