#####

Luhan stared at the jacket on the ground then toward Namjoo’s clothes from earlier. He kicked the bed to release the remaining of his tantrum before sitting down.

He hated it so much when other men touched her. He wanted to do the worst of worst things to all those men that had put their hands on his ex-wife. Even if Namjoo was her own person, he still felt like he had the jurisdiction over her.

Why couldn’t she understand that he didn’t like what she was doing; putting herself out there in danger’s eye? Because what if she got hurt? What if she’d gotten hit with that wrench instead of him?

Luhan was just overly worried he had to put up a fight with her because he didn’t know of any other way to do it better. She didn’t listen to him; she wouldn’t take his words into consideration. Namjoo would always think her own way, do her own things.

If he told her he worried, Namjoo would try to walk away from him because she didn’t want to go back to ‘them’, because she would know how he really felt. Namjoo had been the first to walk away from ‘them’. He knew she didn’t want his display of emotions now.

He was angry, disappointed, and sad. They were the worst emotions to have all at once.

Luhan was most disappointed with how Namjoo had tricked him. He thought back to waking up in Namjoo’s arms and felt it hurt somewhere.

With an upset grunt he threw himself back onto the bed.

After a long shower he paced around the room, staring outside as often as every minute. He didn’t know where Namjoo had gone, but he was certain she hadn’t gone back to the club.

Was she alone? Was she having a piece of mind?

The night was too quiet and the stars didn’t twinkle anymore. They looked kind of faded, old, and distanced. The dark clouds hovering over the moon had now disappeared. His emotions had cleared, but he wanted Namjoo to apologize first. He wanted her to know what she’d done wrong before he would give her his apology.

A car drove up to the side of the ghostly hotel and Namjoo stepped out, but even when the car disappeared down the street she didn’t take the initiation to come inside. Luhan turned away from the window and walked toward the door. Should he leave it unlocked or purposely leave her out?

After quite a debate he unlocked the door and walked back, but paused by the bed. Namjoo wouldn’t share the bed with him tonight, instinct told him that. Instead of allowing her to sleep on the couch, he turned the lights off, and sat down to wait for her.

#####

Namjoo waited outside for a few minutes before she saw Sungjae’s car coming toward her. When she got in he looked at her surprised before handing her the jacket she’d asked for.

“Oh…hold on,” he added and grabbed something in a plastic wrap from the back seat.

She watched him rip it apart before handing her the picnic tablecloth.

“Why don’t you wear the jacket and put this around your legs instead?” he suggested.

Slipping into the jacket and placing the tablecloth over her legs she turned to thank him. The city lights shone through the windows of the car covering her in a blanket of darkness before the glow landed on her again.

“Did you go to the club?” Sungjae asked. “I thought we said we’d go together.”

Pressing her lips together she stared down at her hands.

“As a kid,” she started, “have you ever told anyone you hate them?”

“Actually, I was a really nice kid, so no. What about you?”

Twisting her head she glanced through the side window and watched a bright billboard go by as Sungjae slowed down. The music from the radio quieted when he turned the volume down while waiting for her answer. The silence was as heavy as the weight on her shoulders.

“I said it to my dad once when he forbid me from going out with friends,” Namjoo explained, “but he’s my dad.”

“Parents tend to be forgiving over such matters. Children get upset, but they usually get over it after a while,” Sungjae sympathized.

For a moment Namjoo wondered if Mi Yun might say those words to her one day and felt her heart sink.

“He’s my dad after all,” Namjoo quietly said, “but what if he’s not my dad?”

Sungjae raised a brow, “Did you have an argument?”

Grabbing her wet hair she asked, “You can guess, right?”

“It must’ve been an ugly fight,” Sungjae commented. “Is everything ok, though?”

The gaze in Namjoo’s eyes became forlorn and she leaned against the chair. Truth be told, nothing had been ok for a while now. She just felt so emotionally sick at the moment.

Mi Yun’s cries for her daddy had burdened her, the trip away from home, the search for Luhan, Mario and his gang, her mom, and Luhan himself made her weary. The spiteful words he’d spat at her earlier made her blood boil.

“Should we stop somewhere?” Sungjae wondered.

“It’s ok, sorry for bothering you,” Namjoo apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. I tend to sleep late,” he smiled. “A late night drive calms my nerves.”

As he turned back toward the ghostly hotel Namjoo turned to him, “Sungjae, you must know quite a few good places here.”

“Why?”

She blinked and stared at her aching feet, “Would you mind looking for a place where I can stay? Some place that’s not too expensive, but has good utilities?”

“You don’t like where you’re staying?”

“Just…I feel don’t feel comfortable there,” Namjoo told.

He nodded enthusiastically, “Sure, I can do that. When do you want to move out?”

“The sooner the better.”

“I know some places near the terminal,” Sungjae explained. “You want to go check them out tomorrow?”

“Yea, I’d like that,” Namjoo nodded.

When she got back she bid him farewell and watched him drive off into the distance. Allowing the hollow darkness to envelop the silence around her she tilted her head up to look at the full moon. Not a thing was in sight, a soul, a bird, or a car. The surrounding environment was almost as blank as a sheet of paper.

Turning around she walked inside and paused outside of the door to their room, eyes on the doorknob. Namjoo’s hand hovered in midair in front of it for a few minutes. Why did she need to come back? Why was she even there when she knew who was inside? A night spent out would have done her some good; it would have made her feel better.

Of course it was only because she had no choice. Her belongings were inside and she really despised the fact that she’d stayed in the first place just because Luhan had told her to. Namjoo was still so angry that she almost turned around to walk away, but then recalled she’d been first to trigger his fury.

She hadn’t meant it. Even if she hated Luhan that much, she’d never wish death upon him. But Namjoo wasn’t up to apologizing, not unless he apologized for dragging her around first. She wanted his apology before she’d give him hers.

Finally opening the door she stepped in. The room was dark, but thanks to the hue of the moon she spotted Luhan sitting in the chair, his eyes closed. The urge to snort at how well he knew that she wouldn’t want to share the bed with him almost made her do so.

Grabbing her pajamas she walked into the bathroom, scrubbed the makeup off, and finally stepped into the shower.

When she got up and dressed the next morning she sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Luhan. At this point she was feeling an urge to act on her anger again. She didn’t want to be here with him and she wanted him to know it. In due time, it wouldn’t even matter because she’d be in her own place. So keeping quiet she waited for him to wake.

“Lets go have some coffee,” Namjoo forced herself to say when he started toward the bathroom to wash up a few minutes later.

Luhan turned to look at her, but said nothing. They finally set out and walked into a vintage styled coffee house a few blocks down from the ghostly hotel.

After seating themselves a waiter walked over to them with menus, “Would you like to order right away or take a few minutes to look over our specials?”

“We’ll order in a bit,” Namjoo replied before picking up the menu.

She could feel Luhan gazing at her curiously, wondering if she had something up her sleeve from across the table. In fact, she did have something up her sleeve and she couldn’t wait to get away.

The imitations of pink roses and vines hung around the café gave it a sort of garden feel and Namjoo ran her eyes along the sight. They traveled along the walls before landing on the large screened window by her side. The day was starting and the streets were bustling with strangers all ready for work and school. How she yearned to be one of them instead.

Out of the corner of her eye she recognized Tina dressed up in a skirt and blouse happily heading for the door of the café. Namjoo expected a smile to waver over her lips, but there was no movement on her face.

Placing the menu down on the table she listened to the door open and knew she’d probably have to deal with Luhan’s wrath later. Tina stopped behind the chair between her and Luhan with a bright smile chiming on her face. This foolish girl and her crush on Luhan would only be turned down in the long run. How stomped she’d be then, but Namjoo honestly had no sympathy for her.  

“Morning!” she greeted.

Luhan’s head shot up in surprised when he heard her. Tina overconfidently invited herself to sit down and Namjoo handed the menu over to her.

“Enjoy your date,” was all she had to say before walking out.

#####

Luhan should have known Namjoo was up to something the moment she talked to him that morning. Although he’d suspected her all morning, he hadn’t expected this. He was almost too dumbfounded to show any reaction of his exasperation.

Instead all he did was laugh bitterly and bit his tongue. Namjoo had tricked him once again, deserting him. The worst of it was that he’d fell for it.

“Oh?! What happened to your head?” Tina exclaimed and reached a hand over to touch the band-aid on his forehead.

“Nothing,” he said dodging her.

“You got hurt…” she mumbled.

“It’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt.”  

“What kind of coffee do you like?” Tina asked after heaving a sigh and browsed the menu. “What about this one?”

But Luhan’s eyes were glued to the window where Namjoo was climbing onto the bus ready to disappear into the distance. Seriously, who did she really think she was?

Pressing his lips together he gently gritted his teeth.

“Dammit, Luhan! Dammit!” he wanted to scream at himself, but could only sit there in restriction.

Namjoo had set him up. Never once in his whole life had he been set up like this.

“You don’t like it?” Tina’s voice entered his ears and he slowly turned to look at the young girl, who was far too young for him.

Pulling on a small smile so that he wouldn’t hurt her feelings he said, “Tina, right?”

The girl brightly smiled and eagerly nodded. Oh how innocent she was with not a clue of the world. She probably had no clue about how human emotions could distort one’s reality or how love can tear a person’s life apart and how evil real people could be.

When he was her age, he had no clue of it.

“I’m married, you know that.”

“But Namjoo says you aren’t.”

Luhan placed his hand on the table so she’d see his ring. “I’m not lying.”

Tina’s eyes landed on his ring, but she didn’t seem moved. “Anybody can wear a ring on that finger. I do it sometimes.”

Luhan kept his face serious with expression, “I don’t like playing around, I’m a person like that.” Reaching into his pocket he dug out Namjoo’s ring and let it sit on the table. “This is Namjoo’s.”

A look of shock and surprise spread over Tina’s face before she shook her head in denial. “That’s a lie.”

Luhan watched her silently and slid Namjoo’s ring back into his pocket.

“If Namjoo doesn’t wear the ring then that means she doesn’t like you! You’re just being stupid!” the girl lashed out.

“No,” Luhan calmly refuted, “I’m not being stupid. The stupid one out of us all is Namjoo herself.” There was a moment of silence as hurt came over Tina’s face, “Do you know where she went?”

Tina pressed her lips together and seemed to bite her lower lip through it. Then she shot up from her chair surprising Luhan.

“Even if I knew I wouldn’t tell you!” She raised her voice. “Even if you’re not lying, I know she doesn’t like you! I’m going to come after you and make you take that ring off!”

His brow slightly deepened and he watched the girl run out of the coffee house. Turning away from the stares he bit his lower lip. Namjoo was dead set on getting on his nerves, wasn’t she? Just thinking about how she’d led him to that coffee house to set him up with Tina made his heart pump with madness.

#####

“It’s too expensive,” Namjoo muttered as she walked out of the apartment complex.

“Is it?” Sungjae scratched the back of his head as they walked through the gates and turned to look back at the building towering over them. “I thought it was pretty nice.”

“Nice, but expensive,” Namjoo stated turning down the cracked sidewalk.

“I can talk to my manager. She’ll know more than me about these things. She has lots of connections so don’t worry,” Sungjae comforted.

“Connections, huh?” Namjoo repeated in a lowered voice. “I feel like I need a lot of connections right now too.”

“Huh?”

She turned to him, “Nothing.” After a step she stopped bringing Sungjae to a quick halt beside her. “Say, how long have you been working here?”

“This is my second year,” Sungjae answered. “Why?”

Namjoo seemed to think before shifting to him, “All this time here, have you ever heard of gang fights or any of that sort?”

“Gang fights?” he repeated. “Things appear in the news every now and then, but why are you asking about it?”

“Just…” Namjoo stammered, “never mind. Thanks for bringing me out. I appreciate it.”

“You don’t have anything planned for later?”

“No.”

A broad smile etched itself onto his face, “Then come out with me. I’m going sight-seeing with a crew of foreigners at the hotel. I’m sure you haven’t been around much.”

“Sight-seeing?” Namjoo raised her brow. “I guess that sounds fun.”

After lunch she met up with Sungjae at his hotel and cruised around with him. For majority of the day she forgot about Luhan and their argument last night. The exhilaration of the cool breeze traveled down her lungs through the rest of her body washing away the worst of worst thoughts out of her. She was free with no burden on her shoulders and the weight on her feet had long disappeared.

Her heart was still stammering inside her chest when she climbed out of the cab in front of the ghostly hotel. Her feet no longer ached from last night and every step taken felt like she was floating on some sort of magical platform. Namjoo was lightheaded in a good way. A light seemed to sparkle around her as she headed up the stairs. Her eyes were glowing and shimmering with the fun she’d earlier had. She felt so good that she thought nothing of the person waiting for her inside.

Upon opening the door the shimmering inside her eyes quieted. The bells tingling in her ears silenced when Luhan turned around from the window to send her a penetrating glare. 

***Namjoo wants out of the hotel and into a place by herself, oh the wrath of Luhan when he finds out heh~ Luhan carries her ring with him!

***And the so the silent treatment begins! When will they ever get along, right?