EIGHT : IS IT REALLY HER?!

“Why won’t you ever contact me? I’m like waiting and waiting like an idiot, you know?” Luhan said aloud in his car while he drove from the entrance. He was out in the afternoon to meet with the guys and drove back right after their lunch. Passing by G-Hall, Luhan slowed down at the zebra crossing as a group of students passed by. Looking up, he stared at the girls’ dormitories. Okay, he’s not a erted guy, but, oh well, occasionally. Hey, girls do that too. Luhan thought and smirked to himself. Eyes searching wildly for nothing, his brown irises stopped around the 3^rd floor.

The curtain to that certain room swayed slightly tothe spring’s breeze. A girl was sitting close to the window, with a painting stand and it appeared as if she was painting something. When Luhan looked at the girl, he was unimaginably captured by girl’s quite subtle beauty. Her long black hair was dancing a gentle grace as the breeze passed through the open window, her glasses framing her face that Luhan could not see and her posture relaxed, almost dancing as well while she painted a drawing that Luhan couldn’t comprehend. A finger rose to push a wild strand of hair out of her vision and Luhan gaped.

Why does she look so familiar yet like a stranger? The girl was probably done seeing as the once blank paper was filled with the girl’s finished work. If Luhan wasn’t mistaken, there seemed to be a large four-leaf clover protruding from one side of the painting with many other smaller leaves raining down from the main one. The girl then traced something at the bottom right corner of the painting; four , as if a signature of some sorts. The girl finally stopped, nodding a few times perhaps in approval as he also saw her fingers twirling the wooden brush in between her fingers like an expert. She got up from her sitting position and stretched her arms. I’ve seen those habits before but…

Squinting his eyes and stretching his neck to take a better look, Luhan’s focus was interrupted when suddenly another car honked from behind then the driver decided to zoom pass Luhan. Blinking rapidly at the sudden interruption, Luhan finally noticed that he had been immobilized in his car, at the middle of the road. He was thankful that traffic wasn’t heavy at that time of the day and finally he got his focus back on the road ahead of him. Shaking his head from his imagination – and probably stalking – he stepped on his own car’s accelerator after pushing the gear to drive mode.

♦

Nana was satisfied as she breathed a sigh of relief and a good stretch of her arms. Placing the wooden brush on the table beside her, she gazed at the four-leaf clover painting she finished a few seconds ago. That was one of the pieces she did whenever she felt her heart doing weird things when it came to a subject called: Luhan. It was weird really, he never did anything, yet among all the people she knew, he gave her a sense of safety; protection. She would always caught herself staring at her phone, her heart and brain battling against one another about whether if she should contact him or not.

Be mine.

She didn’t mean to draw such a thing but it was beautiful, to her. Peering over her phone, there were no notifications from Luhan. It was usually one of the evenings that Luhan would ask her to go to the dojang to spar and she already had her bag packed in case he asked. Her shoulders dropped as she thought that Luhan doesn’t even think about her when he has a fan club despite being just a 2^nd year student. Picking up her art supplies, she steadied them in her hands as she headed to the washroom to clean them. Still stretching her body every now and then, she was done cleaning her art supplies.

Suddenly, she heard her phone rang from her room and quickly, she rushed back with her art materials juggled clumsily in her arms. The name that appeared got Nana’s heart rate increase as she pressed ‘answer’ on the screen. “Luhan,” she said first and the person on the other end answered. “Nana, you free this evening?” “Yeah. spar?” She asked and he hummed in reply, “hmm, of course, why else would I call you, right? There’s no other reason, so don’t think too much,” he blabbered and Nana nodded at particularly no one. “Erm, okay, I guess? What time are you coming?”

“In 15 minutes?” “Okay, see you, bye,” she rushed to answer and quickly ended the call. Her breathing became irregular and Nana could feel her heartbeat quickening. What is this? This is not real, it’s not happening. Putting her stuff back on the table, she let them dry off while she got ready for practice. Changing her clothes and stuffing an extra shirt, a pair of pants and undergarments, she got ready to head out after using the 15 minutes given to her. Hopping down the few final stairs, she saw the gleaming red Turbo cruising by and she fastened her steps.

♦

Panting hard and slumped on the floor beside the equally ragged breath coal-black haired girl, Luhan could not believe that he lost focus while sparring with Nana when he suddenly imagined her letting her hair fall from the usual tied up braid hair fashion she always had on. She had kicked him and grappled him to the ground. Despite her light weight, Luhan found himself falling deeper and that the floor swallowed him whole. “You kick like a girl, Luhan,” she smirked between pants. He looked at her and she stared back at him, “I just made it easy for you, Shim. Don’t be so full of yourself.”

“Yeah, right,” she snorted and rubbed her thumb to her nose. Luhan caught the action and kept staring at her fingers. Suddenly, he saw some green stain on her nose, exactly at the spot where she wiped with her thumb. Green and purple paint? “You have something on your nose, Nana,” he said and chuckled. She frowned, and wiped the bridge of her nose and looked up. “Not there,” he said and she cleaned the unaffected area. “Look here,” he said as he sighed at her. Reaching out, Luhan saw how she flinched a little at his touch. He wondered why, it happened every time when they actually shared skin ships.

He wiped her nose clean and she was rigid at the touch. For a few seconds of Luhan wiping the bottom of her nose, she moved away and did it on her own. He laughed at her and stared at the ceiling too. “Thanks man, I bet I’d look like a clown and chase everyone away,” she said as she punched him on the shoulder. She got up first and started walking off silently, without a single warning. “I’m heading off to the showers. I might be long, you could go ahead if you have something else to do,” she said without turning back and her figure disappeared through the double doors. Luhan sighed once again.

I don’t know what to think anymore. That thing on her nose, smelled like paint. But she might be doing something else. She punched me to thank me, she insulted me to thank me, and she grappled me to congratulate me. She couldn’t be the same girl as the one I saw just a few moments ago. Ugh, I hate this. I hate being curious and all. But, I have to know. No, no, it’s not her. It’s impossible. Shut up, Luhan. Stop! He shook his head and brought his fingers to his nose, sniffing on the faint paint scent he wiped off of Nana’s nose. Luhan decided to give her the benefit of doubt.

Maybe it’s a coincidence that the paint used was of the same colour. It’s impossible that the uptight girl could be the same lady-like girl he saw in the afternoon. Shrugging the thought off, he got up and grabbed his lonely bag that lost the presence of Nana’s purple bag. Putting on a pair of slippers, he headed off to the showers as well to clean himself off. After a little while of having his head under the huge shower head, Luhan slowly forgot the thought of some purple paint, twirling brush on fingers and black hair.

♦

After the weekdays ended, Nana prepared for her Arts club meeting and Hapkido later on. She handed over the recent painting she finished to Yixing whom accepted it with his adorable dimpled smile. Nana felt so comfortable with him that she was able to talk through things with him easily. They discussed on her painting before they began their activity for that day, waiting for the other members to arrive. He pointed out a few points on her painting, praises mostly and Nana thought that he was just being nice. He gave her a pat on the head and she smiled brightly at him, something which Nana hardly did.

That day, they did sketching on a few sculpted figures. It was amazing how Yixing found interesting materials for them to practice their skills. She enjoyed sketching and the meeting ended faster than she thought. Luhan then arrived just on time to fetch Nana and the two guys talked to each other for a little while. Heading off to the dojang, Luhan initiated a few conversations, asking her about her club meeting with Yixing. Nana was really thankful that he didn’t request to see any of her sketching or paintings or even drawings before. He did try once and Nana shot him a glare with a big NO!

Training went as per usual on that day, but after it ended, Siwon wanted everyone to gather before going back. Once showered and changed, they approached their President and waited for him to begin. Looking down at everyone, he asked them to sit comfortably as he began, “for those of you who were around since last year, you would remember that we have inter-university Hapkido tournament. Well, this year they decided to organize it again, of course it’s actually a yearly competition. So, the tournament would take place in another 2 weeks, which would be around end of May. Then activities would come to a halt for the exams.”

Chatters began among the members and they were all excited with the news. Well, they mostly talked about Luhan’s and Siwon’s achievements last year then their club’s growth. “Settle down, people. Okay, so now, I’d like for those who are interested in joining to come forward so that we could sign you guys up and send it in for registration later. Oh, and main participants; Luhan, Chunji, Nana and Kyungmi, you guys are on the list already, got it?” Three out of four of the names mentioned nodded their heads while Nana stared into blank space. Oh dear God

Eighth chapter and still going. Oh goodness me. A lot has been going on eventhough it's just the first few weeks of the new semester. 

Anyway, dedicating this chapter to my family who will never know what kind of stuff I write here. Kekeke >.< Well my sister did saw this chapter once when she suddenly decided to use my laptop and I was like WHOA HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, OLD SPORT! LOL XD

Okay, enough nonsense from me. Imma be off to write the next chapter ;)

Updated; October 5
Edited; Feb 18