No One's POV

Since when did a new and fresh start matter? Since when did wanting a new fresh start matter?

It just didn’t appeal to Luhan that a new start was what he wanted, until he had blurted that yesterday night. Sure, if he had thought about it before blurting it out like an idiot, he’d be honest, he didn’t care about a new and fresh start between him and Soyoung. But last night, it just felt so right to say those words to her. It just felt so right to wanting a new start and so he had asked her. Now that he thought about it, he really was an idiot to even say that to her. But then again, deep down inside, he wanted a fresh new start anyways. He just didn’t know it yet.

“Huh…” Luhan sighed for the umpteenth time that morning.

He had slept rather well after the talk with Soyoung. He didn’t even realize how exhausted he was until he crashed onto his bed and knocked out right away. And just when he thought he will get to sleep in, there comes that little girl that had jumped on him and woke him up.

Mei Lien does this often though, so of course, Luhan was used to it. If anything, it only brought a smile onto his face, no matter how tired he was.

“What are you thinking about?” That sweet voice. Luhan was so engrossed by it. He loved the sound of her voice and he was sure that he would never get tired of it.

“Nothing,” Luhan murmured before turning around to face Yun Yi. “What are you thinking about?”  

“I’m thinking about what you’re thinking about,” she replied as she poked his chest.

He laughed at her response. She never failed to bring a smile onto his face in the past and she won’t fail now either. He crossed his arm across his chest and appeared bold. “Are you sure you’re thinking about what I’m thinking about?”

She scoffed before shoving him causing Luhan to stumble backwards. “Don’t try to appear smart.” She leaned against the kitchen counter and tilted her head. “So, what’s really bothering you?”

At the question, Luhan pursed his lips. What was he supposed to reply? He thought of many things and many things are bothering him.

“School,” he lied briefly. Knowing Yun Yi, she would buy that excuse easily.

Yun Yi laughed, “Awe, our Luhan doesn’t want to go to school.”

*She still can’t tell when I lie. How adorable.* Luhan grinned. “School’s a pain in the . Who does want to go to school?”

“Who knows? Maybe here, in Seoul, it’s different from Beijing. You might like it here,” she suggested.

Yet, Luhan shook his head. “I already know it. I won’t like it as much as being in Beijing.” *Because being here means that I’m away from you. What is fun is that, if I’m not with you?*

“And you’re so sure because?” She lightly punched his arm. “Give it a try first. I guarantee you that you’ll love it here.”

“Hopefully,” Luhan responded with a shrug. “Say, do you want to do anything today? We should really do something before you go back. Who knows when you’re gonna come back to Seoul.”

“Hmm… I can’t think of anything at the top of my head,” she thought about it rather hard. “Why don’t you suggest places?”

He grinned softly and nodded. “Okay. Go get dressed. I’ll take you somewhere.”

“Yes sir!” Yun Yi saluted with a bellow before noticing that her little sister was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Mei Lien?”

Luhan’s expression became more relax than ever. “She wanted me to take her to Soyoung’s place earlier, so I took her there.”

Upon hearing Soyoung’s name, Yun Yi’s face darkened. “Why?” The tone of her voice sounded rough and it bothered Luhan. He never did like when Yun Yi found someone to dislike. It’s as if she turns to a completely different person.

He frowned slightly, “Because she wants her fun too. I’m sure they will take good care of her.”

“Do you really trust that family that much?” Her voice was of poison.

What bothered Luhan wasn’t the fact that Yun Yi sounded so hateful, but because she had called them ‘that family’. Mr. and Mrs. Kim weren’t just any family. They were the family. They were the family that his parents had befriended for so long now. Even though Luhan didn’t know them well, he knew how important the Kim’s were to his family and that was enough to say that they were important to him.

“If my parents have trusted them for so long, why shouldn’t I?” he questioned. “They’re not bad people, Yun Yi. Please don’t use that tone.”

She rolled her eyes before pursing her lips. “Fine,” she replied, short and serious before faltering back to her old state. “Because you trust them, I’m going to trust you that they’ll take care of Mei Lien.”

A smile finally brought itself upon Luhan’s face once again. He was glad she had returned to her normal state. “I won’t disappoint you on that one and I’m sure they won’t disappoint me. Come on, I really want to go out today.”

Soyoung’s POV

My mom woke me up earlier than I expected instead of letting me sleep in. I was irked, but I didn’t say anything. She told me that I had a special guest, so I guess that was why I didn’t protest or anything.

The next thing I know, Mei Lien came running in and jumped onto my bed in which I was quite shocked. She was my special guest. I didn’t see that one coming, but it didn’t make me frown. It only brought a smile onto my face.

It’s been hours since she’s been here, and we both had nothing but fun. Although she was just a little girl, she’s one true speaker.

We just got done eating lunch and cleaning up the dishes and table.

Now, we’re in my room, on my bed, drawing.

One thing I found out about Mei Lien today was that she loves to draw, just like me. We both love art.

She told me about what she does at school during free time. Guess what she said she mostly did in her free time? Draw or paint. I couldn’t help but adore her so much. I’ve never met anyone with so much passion in art as me and to think the first person would be a sweet little girl.

“Soyoung jie jie, what is love to you?” Mei Lien suddenly asked me out of the blue, catching me off guard.

What kind of question is that?!

I abruptly stopped drawing to glance at her direction only to see her concentrated on drawing her master piece, in which she wouldn’t allow me to see just yet. She had said that a great master piece can only be a master piece if no one else but the artist themselves see the art piece until its final touches. I agreed with her. Meaning that I can only see it after she’s fully done with her drawing.

“Um… Why do you ask?” I tried to laugh it off and I returned to my drawing.

“Because I want to know what your definition is!” she beamed, giving me that bright, beautiful smile of hers. “Can you tell me?”

“Hmm… okay then,” I agreed on telling her. She did say my definition, right? I, myself, do not know the real definition of love, but from what I’ve heard and seen, that’s what I know. “Love is… an affection.”

I realized that the moment I stopped talking, Mei Lien had also stopped drawing.

“Don’t you have anything else to add onto it?” the little girl questioned.

Right… I have such a lame ‘explanation’ for what love is.

“Well, love isn’t something that can be explained,” I tried to make my point. I then figured what should be said to make sense. “You see, Mei Lien, love is an affection. You can’t necessarily explain it. You have to feel it to know it.”

Again, the little girl blinked before I saw the glitter of shock in her eyes.

“Whoa,” she whispered.

I almost laughed. Almost. Because she is just too adorable.

“What is it?” I chuckled then. Her smile grew wider.

“You and Luhan ge ge said the exact same thing!” she beamed.

Wait, whut? Hold up --

“What?” I was utterly confused with what she was saying.

“I asked ge ge that question too when we were still in Beijing. Luhan ge ge said that love isn’t something that people can explain and it is something that people have to feel in order to understand it.”

“Really, now?” I was just as surprised. Maybe it was the fact that she managed to remember what he had said about love. Or maybe it was just the fact that Luhan had answered that question before… to a little girl.

She nodded her head rapidly. Mei Lien’s smile never left her face. “You and Luhan ge ge are the only people I asked and answered like that. Everyone else says something else.”

“So, mind telling me why you’re asking this?” I questioned the petite girl.

“Because I want to love too,” Mei Lien gave an eye smile, taking me by surprise. “Luhan ge ge told me that being in love feels very good, so I want to fall in love too and be in love.”

“He said that?” My eyes widened. Not once in my whole life -- Okay, not once this whole time of coming to knowing Luhan have I ever thought that he would say such things. It sounds quite cheesy, to be honest. He just didn’t seem like the type, know what I mean?

Once again, Mei Lien nodded. “Is it true?”

I nodded without hesitation. Of course it’s true. It’s love that revolts around the world and one of the main purpose of why so many of us are living. Many people would say that they’re living so that they can get a good paying job to support their family. Some would say others. And there is us, the people who lives to find their other half.

Hear me out, I’m one of those few, I’ll admit. I want to find my prince charming, not that I technically believe in fairy tales, but I believe in soul mates. I believe that everyone has a destined half that they are meant to find and be with for the rest of their lives. But I would never admit this out to anyone. No one knows this about me.

“Jie jie, have you ever been in love?” she perked up another question.

Wow. She really knows her way around.

“Not… really,” I replied hesitantly. “I mean, I just haven’t met the right person yet.”

“The right person? You mean like a soul mate?” Mei Lien’s curiosity is amazing. By far, she’s surprised me with so much of her questions.

“Yeah, something like that,” I laughed. “Do you believe in soul mates?”

Mei Lien hesitated before nodding. “I do. Luhan ge ge said that soul mates  exist and if you find them, your love will last forever with them so if I believe it and find my soul mate, he will love me forever.”

I laughed, once again. She’s so adorable! How do you not love this kid? Even though her Korean was a bit broken when she speaks to me, she still made perfect sense and it never fails to amaze me how fluent she is in it. Learning both Chinese and Korean must be tough on her.

“Luhan’s right. I believe that, too, about soul mates,” I agreed once more.

I don’t see a reason not to agree. I believe it that way also. Soul mates exist for a reason and this is the reason I believe in. You are meant to find your soul mate and share love with your soul mate for the rest of your life. Soul mates are meant to be with you forever, whether it’s physically or mentally. Soul mates are soul mates.

“I know,” her smiled softened by lots.

Like many times today, Mei Lien had once again got me by surprise. Her answers and the things she says aren’t easy to predict and rather unique for someone her age.

“I know that you agree with Luhan ge ge,” she continued. “You are a lot like him, so I can tell.”

“I am?” I questioned unknowingly. Before I knew it, the words had flew out between my lips. Mei lien didn’t hesitate to answer a ‘yes’.

“When Luhan ge ge talks, sometimes, he doesn’t take interest in the topic. You are the same.” I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel insulted or what, yet, Mei Lien continued before I could say anything. “You both may know what the topic is, but you both don’t seem to take interest in it as much as other things. It’s not a bad thing,” the little one assured. “I mean, since I’ve been here this morning, I’ve noticed that when you’re really interested in a topic, your eyes light up and you become more alert. Luhan ge ge does the same.”

“Our eyes light up when we talk?”

I felt like a kid all over again, and I felt as if Mei Lien was the older one. It felt like I was being taught something important by an elder. Except, she wasn’t an elder. She was a little girl, who is years younger than me.  I didn’t know whether I should feel embarrass about this or not.

“Mhm! And you aren’t an obvious person, jie jie, but when you lose your guard, you become obvious. When you lose your guard, your eyes often show different emotions,” Mei Lien reasoned in which. “You only lose your guard when you become sensitive to what is being talked about. Luhan ge ge is no different. Even though ge ge can be so full of pride, when I talk to him about some things, his eyes become softer.”

Again, I wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed or what. It’s not a bad thing, actually. I found it quite amusing about how Mei Lien knows all of these things.

*She’s an observer… A very good observer.* I thought. How do I know that she’s one good observer? Because Mei Lien had said something that was right about me.

Mei Lien was the first person to ever tell me that I become obvious after losing my guard, after Zico, that is. In the past, Zico has mentioned that once before. I remembered clearly. Zico had told me that right after seeing me hang out with a boy from his class.

Back in middle school, I used to have a crush on this kid, who was the same age as Zico and was in his class. The guy asked me to hang out with him after school in which I didn’t hesitate to reject and did so. Zico was invited along and as he felt like a third wheeler, he had observed my reaction towards the kid’s actions to me. To be honest, he was one cool kid. It’d be hard for girls not to fall for that guy. I don’t clearly remember how I came to forget about him, but for all that matter, he moved and yeah. It was then that Zico noted how obvious I had become at that time. Zico always reminded me of how I had a mental breakdown for a whole week after he told me that the kid had moved. The last time I saw him, I remember only waving to him, saying that I’ll see him tomorrow. Never saw again.

Back to the point, that wasn’t even that only observation that Zico had made. He had made plenty more. I just know that Zico doesn’t voice them.

“I think it’s a cute thing though,” Mei Lien softened as she went back to her drawing. “When people have things in common with other people. It’s almost like they’re a couple.”

I raised my brows. “You must really like lovey-dovey things, don’t you?” I mused with a laugh, letting her comment about couples slide. I don’t want to think about Luhan and me as an item. I barely know the guy.  

Mie Lien couldn’t help but blush as she nodded.

What can she say? She’s one girl with a huge imagination. Except, she’s bound to make her imagination into reality.

“If you really believe, I’m sure you’ll find the right one just for you, Mei,” I smiled warmly. “You’ll find your destined lover, your soul mate.”

Just like me, Kim Soyoung. I believed and still believing now.