“What??? She’s confessing to you? Why did I know nothing about this?” Hyemi step back and sit on the damaged desk behind her. She looks down as she could not find any words to this situation. Why did she never heard anything about this from Hyeri? 

“I have no idea.” Luhan turns his head towards Hyemi. “But I feel sorry...” He proceeds. He deeply worried about this since the day Hyeri confessed to her. He can’t get it out of his brain while he was in Hawaii. He doesn’t know what to do. He feels like he gonna lose Hyeri because of this. Also, at the same time he feels like there’s a tendency of losing Hyemi too. He was so afraid of any consequences. It feels like everything was fine and suddenly a wave comes and hit three of them. While he was staying in Hawaii, he keeps on thinking of how he life might be without both Hyeri and Hyemi. There was a emptiness he cannot even imagine. 

When he received a text from Hyemi back when he was in Hawaii, he thought that Hyeri already told Hyemi about those confession and he thought things were all okay even after that happens. However, when he first heard about Hyeri through Hyemi on the day Hyemi returned home, he realizes that Hyemi knows nothing about the confession. So, he decided to tell her the situation between them. 

“I’m sorry.... I’m very sorry.” Luhan stares with a guilty. He looks down and proceeds, “Can you.... not leave me alone? I don’t want you to leave me. I know you probably gonna say how disappointed you are on me because I just hurt your precious cousin.” 

Hyemi chuckles. “What’s with ‘do not leave me’ thing?” Hyemi asked. Luhan looks at Hyemi with a confusion. Why did she laugh for? 

“I heard your conversation with Yoonjung earlier. That you gonna leave the guy alone if your friend likes him. And I feel like, you gonna do it to me too.....” Luhan explained. 

Hyemi laugh out loud and stood up. “Hyeri decided to confess to you without telling me first. It means that she wanna face it heads-on without worrying me. The decision is all on you. You, who make the decision. I’m not being disappointed over anyone. It’s not like I can force you to accept her. It will hurt her more.” Hyeri smiles. 

Luhan nodded as he understand of what Hyemi tries to say. 

“And, why would I leave you? The story that Yoonjung and Seonghwa share earlier has nothing to do with this situation. It’s not like you reject her because you like me?” Hyemi laugh out loud while shaking her head. 

Luhan stares at her. He didn’t say anything in response to what Hyemi said. 

“Don’t worry, okay? Let’s go back. Mr. Sam will be in the class soon!” Hyemi waves her hand to Luhan and walks towards the door. 

Luhan is left in confusion. He watches Hyemi walk through the door. 

“I guess?” He mumbles and walks back to the class too. 

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Luhan only got his eyes on Hyemi throughout Mr. Sam's class. Hyemi sometimes glances back at him with confusion. However, that doesn't stop Luhan from staring deep into Hyemi. He is lost in his own thought. He cannot even focus in class. He did not even know what he is thinking of.

"Luhan, you're scaring me. Why are you looking at me like that?" Hyemi whispered while her eyes fixed into the whiteboard. 

"I'm confused." Luhan answers. He then turns his head to the front to see what Mr.Sam is writing on the board.

"About this phrase? Yes, I am a little confused too." Hyemi is still in a low tone voice as she doesn't want to disturb the other classmates. She scans Mr.Sam's handwritten on the whiteboard and starts jot down the notes. 

"No. I am a little confused about myself. Is there any way to solve your own confusion and curiosity?" Luhan asked Hyemi. Hyemi turns her head to him and raises her eyebrows. 

"Oho! Mr. Xi, mind sharing what you're talking about with the class?" Mr.Sam calls for Luhan. Luhan's voice must have Mr. Sam's attention because he's being too loud. Luhan quickly gets back to his textbook before he checked Hyemi's textbook for the pages. The other students in the class just laugh out and stop when Mr. Sam told them to go back to the topic for today. Luhan is now free and seems a little more focused than before.

"Solving math needs working to it. If you're confused, you need to start doing some observation and experiments," said Hyemi.  

Luhan glances at Hyemi. She's right. In order to solve this mess and be full of curiosity in his head, he needs to observe it himself. 

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Hyemi is walking towards her house with her eyes fixed into her phone’s screen. She can even close her eyes if she wants to because it seems like her legs knows this neighbourhood well and memorize where is she heading to. She scrolls through the phone. Today too, there’s a lot of society’s news. She then stops at an article that received many reactions on it. 

‘Beware of Cheondam-dong streets’

As it sounds familiar, Hyemi scrolls through the article to read further. Oh? The address is exactly same as the address of her neighbourhood. She feels a little goosebumps while scrolling to the article. 

“Mum needs to read this.” Hyemi mumbles. “But she ain’t gonna let me go out at night to the convenience store anymore.” She proceeds. 

“Oi, Jung-ssi.” A male voice calls from behind. Hyemi turns her head and of course, if’s Luhan. Luhan jogs a little to catch with Hyemi’s footstep. 

“You’re going straight to your house, right? Let me accompany you.” Said Luhan. He grins a little. Hyemi nods her head as she answers to Luhan.

“What a world we’re living in. Have you read about this?” Hyemi shoved her phone to Luhan. Luhan raises his eyebrows and check Hyemi’s phone.

“Woman beware of Violence? Waitㅡ isn’t this your neighbourhood?” Luhan stares at Hyemi demand for an answer. 

“Uhm, that was two or three corners away from my house. Oh god, how do I sneak out to eat ramyeon again at that convenience store? I can’t live without that routine.” Hyemi looks away. 

“Then, tell me if you want an accompany. Call me. I’ll be there.” Luhan gives back Hyemi phone. He acts a little cool.

“No way. Your house is in the opposite way from mine. You even need to take 20 minutes bus to here. It’s fine.” Hyemi rejects. There is no way she wants to take her obsession with night’s food to the extend of troubling her own friend. But she cannot deny how upset she is. She hopes that the culprit of those violence case got caught later.

“Well, that’s not a problem actually.” said Luhan.

“The pain of not having a boyfriend. If I were to have a boyfriend in this neighbourhood, isn’t that safer?” Hyemi looks at Luhan. 

Luhan shakes his head. “No way. Why do you need a boyfriend? That’s a no-no. Boyfriend will sometimes even scarier than the actual crime. Just... just call me. Call me when you need to go out. Tell me if you’re going anywhere. Tell me if you’re going to sleep. Tell me every minutes of your daily life.”  Luhan cannot help but looks away. He does not even know why did he spit such words. 

“Why are you trying to police me?” Hyemi chuckles. “Come to think about it, you have been single for quite long time since the summer break. It’s new. But you do like you need a girlfriend now.” 

“Whatㅡ but, Hyemi.”  Luhan stares at Hyemi. They are almost at her house now. 

“What? Are you trying to say that.... you find another new girl now? I got a goosebumps whenever you call my name.” Hyemi jokes. Luhan shakes his head. 

“Is that... bothering you if....” Luhan take a deep breath. “....I like you?” proceed Luhan. 

Hyemi feels a little there’s a real huge stone falls on her head and she feels like she can faint anytime soon. Luhan’s question gives off a vibe that she thinks she need to run back home now. What a sudden question? Why did he ask about it? Don’t tell me he’s.......? No way. It does not even make sense. 

“Eo? ....Why... are you asking about this? It’s so sudden.” Hyemi awkwardly laugh. “Ah! You mean... what if? As an example, right?” Hyemi guess. 

Luhan knows there’s an awkward atmosphere between them now. But he doesn’t help to shut his curiosity. He has been wondering since the school session. No, he actually has been wondering for so long. He kept wondering why does at times, he feels something off towards her. Is this a new feeling? Or it has always been there from the first place? 

“Yes... as an example.” Luhan speaks. He makes an excuse to it. He cannot bare to see how awkward it is for him and her now. He afraid too if Hyemi starts to change because of this unsure feeling of him. Upon hearing that, Hyemi smiles. 

“I thought you meant it. I almost got a goosebumps.” Hyemi giggles and then proceeds, “Well, the male one need to know first if he’s really into her. Imagine you broke your friendship with her, but at the end you realize you aren’t actually in love with her? You just need her because she has always been there for you. It’s like you have never romantically want her though.” 

“So... how do you know you romantically want her?” Luhan asks innocently. Hyemi grins.

“It’s not like I know? You’ve been dating so many girls before. You sure know better, right?” Hyemi turns her back as she reach her house gate. “Thank you for accompany me. I’m going first! See ya.” Hyemi smiles and walks inside. 

Luhan scratch back of his head. Am I romantically want her? He turns his back and walks back home.