Chapter 2: Xixixixixiluhan

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry. You just told me that you came to Beijing not for a business, indirectly,” Luhan chuckled. I rolled my eyes, “Does it really matter? You keep repeating that.”

Luhan shook his head, “No.”

“Nice.”

“Not for a holiday either, right?” guessed him. I gave him a look, “I came for study.” He laughed so hard, almost covered his mouth but he failed, “Are you kidding? Study? With such ability to communicate?”

“Continue your laugh, Mr. Xi,” I stepped out from the apartment and leaving him. Luhan followed me, “Don’t get mad, Minjoo. It just….”

“Too funny, I know.”

“No. I mean, yes. No, I mean, that’s good,” added Luhan. I furrowed my eyebrows, “What’s good?” Luhan didn’t answer but to threw me another question, “How long are you going to stay here?” I shrugged, “As long as I want.”

Luhan smiled, “Nice.”

I turned my head to see him and said, “What’s nice about that?” he refused to answer and again, threw me another question, “What do you want for dinner? Roasted duck? Spicy fried rice?”

I shrugged, “Anything.”

I knew it sounded ridiculous, asking stranger which I just knew hours ago to go on a dinner together. I barely know people here but him. That was why after I had deliberated with myself for an hour, I decided to make a call. Knowing he didn’t mind was great.

“What do you do in Korea?” he asked, after we arrived to the restaurant and got a table for two. I puffed my cheeks, “I draw.” Luhan’s eyes widened, “What do you draw?”

“Everything. It depends on what people want me to draw.” 

“Buildings? Designs? Sketch? People?” Luhan asked. I took a sip of my mineral water, “All of them. They pay, I draw.” Luhan nodded his head repeatedly, amazed. Our orders were coming and we stopped talk while eating.

The foods are not that bad—they’re yummy to be quiet honest. Luhan gulped his watermelon juice, “Do you like to draw me something. Someday?” he asked. I shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“I pay!” he stated.

I laughed, “It’s not about the money, Luhan. But I’m trying to not draw for a while, sometimes drawing gets into my nerves because—well, I don’t have to tell you why.”

Luhan looked understand, “Okay then. Tell me if you’re ready to draw again.”

“Sure.”

He took his phone out from his pocket and staring at the screen with narrowed eyebrows. I turned my head to the window, looked up to the sky. It was dark, with no stars but I could feel the warmth and somehow it dried my throat. I grabbed my water and drank it immediately.

“You are not escaping from a crime, right?” Luhan looked at me.

I whimpered, “Perhaps.”

“Because you look like you have lot of problems,” he commented. I grinned, “Mr. Xi, are you always being this witty and too expressive toward people?” He stirred his juice and replied, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s you, too cold to new people.”

He glanced to his wristwatch and I responsively said, “You can go if you have another plan, I’m totally okay. Thank you for the companion.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. I nodded as his phone rang out of loud. He swept the screen and picked the call, “Hello?” and he were talking in Mandarin. I wiped my lips with the napkin. Luhan sighed, “Seems that I really have to leave you, Minjoo. She needs me right now and I can’t make her waiting. I’m sorry.”

“I told you I’m okay,” I smiled, reassuring him.

He got up and tapped the table, “Bills on me, don’t worry.” I hissed to hear that, “No, Luhan, don’t. I can pay it for myself.” but he already left. I let another sigh out—felt so weird.

Of course he had a girlfriend, I mumbled to myself, smiling. He was a young entrepreneur with a bright future, nothing to worry about finance. He was tall, and cute—he had small nose, pure doe-eyes and beautiful eyelashes which I believed would be the first thing girls would envy in whisper to themselves. I hope that I didn’t jump into the picture of the two, because he was a good guy after all.

I puffed my cheeks and finished the foods. Minseok would be really happy if he was here, eating this roasted duck with spicy stirred vegetables. He would brag out the taste and left me laughing because he talked with mouthful of foods if he was here. He would feed me this and that, asked me to try every food served and told me to not worry about my weight because he loved me and he wanted me to eat delicious food. Once again, it would only happen if Minseok was here.

Luhan was right.

I was trying to esca