“So, before you invite anyone, tell me first.” Luhan ordered. “That way, I can know how much to get of what.”

“Isn’t there only going to be like…ten people then?” Lay asked.

Xiumin started counting on his hands, “There’s five of us, Gayoon, maybe your brother, maybe your brother’s friend, and maybe Luna’s father and step-mother, and…yeah, that’s ten.”

“I’m planning to invite her other friends, too.”

“Her other friends?” Xiumin and Lay questioned.

“Uh, the girl who used me and her boyfriend.”

Xiumin glared at Luhan, “You forgot their names, didn’t you? Like always, you’d remember their name during dating, but right after dumping them, you go back to never knowing her.” He scoffed, “Huh, guys.”

“You’re a guy, too!” Luhan said, “You do the same things I do.”

Xiumin snorted, “I am a changed man. I will always be Gayoon’s shining knight. I will never ever leave her side!”

“Ha! I’d like to see you keep your word!”

“I will!”

“Wait, I still don’t understand what we’re doing with these…books.” Lay interrupted. “And, if I’m caught with them, people are going to assume that Luna’s pregnant.” He cowered away at the thought of Luna with a baby.

Xiumin exclaimed to Lay, “What? You two haven’t done it?”

Lay pouted at him, “That’s a personal question, Xiumin.”

Xiumin cackled, “You are the only cherry boy between the three of us!”

“No. Luhan is one, too.” Lay seriously said, not minding.

“EH!” Xiumin yelled. His voice was too loud that it made Taeyang cried out of fear.

Luhan immediately went over to calm Taeyang down who fell flat on his onto the floor at the kitchen. He panicked, but he stayed composed by mentally persuading himself that it would be alright, just like how Hana had always told him to do. Seeing the spoons on the ground, he grabbed Taeyang’s crying attention by hitting the floor with it, making a ‘ding’ sound.

Intrigued, Taeyang slowly stopped crying and Luhan gave the spoon to Taeyang to play with.

“There, there.” Luhan patted Taeyang’s head and after confirming that Taeyang was happy again, he stomped over to Xiumin, “You were too loud you scared him.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to.” Xiumin apologized. “But, seriously, you’re also a cherry boy?”

“Th-that’s a personal question.” Luhan tried to say it as natural as it can be but failed. His stutter gave the answer away.

Xiumin wheezed and laughed at how a guy like Luhan who was well-known for his player days in middle school didn’t actually lose “it”. “You got us. You got us good, you know.”

“Whatever.” Luhan said. “It’s better this way. I can be her first and she can be my first.”

This made Xiumin laughed even harder. “What’s wrong with you, Luhan? I can’t believe you’re spouting such nonsense! You actually care about firsts?”

Luhan nodded. “Yeah. I mean isn’t that…what a relationship is for?” As he slowly spouted those words, a familiar but unrecognizable scene popped into his mind. Someone was speaking to him in a dark room. They were alone. He wanted to do something to her, but whatever she was saying…stopped him. Déjà vu? Luhan mentally questioned. He had seen this once on the night when his friends slept over to celebrate the new house and life of the virtual family. It can’t be déjà vu. I know this happened before…but when? With whom?

“Oi, guys. Luna texted and said that they’re coming back.” Lay said as he read off from the text on his cell. He looked up at Luhan, “I’m assuming you want this to be a secret from the girls?”

“No, not from the girls.” Luhan smirked, “Just from Hana.”

*

“Food!” The boys exclaimed when they saw the girls carrying bags. They ran over and swarmed around them.

“Wait,” Hana said, “Let us put them over at the table.”

Luhan looked up from a bag that Hana was holding on her hand, “No dresses? You guys went shopping and no dresses?”

“No complaints! We got food!” Xiumin said, slightly drooling. “Luhan’s lame and bad scrambled eggs weren’t enough.”

“Hey, at least I made something, k.” Luhan defended.

Lay took the bags from Mrs. Park and she went over to sit on the couch. She said, “I’m sorry that I took the girls out and came back empty handed.”

At the kitchen, Hana took out the contents out of the bag, “Luhan, take out plastic plates.” She then said to Mrs. Park, “Don’t worry. We still have a few months before the wedding. I’m sure we’ll come to a conclusion by then.”

Luna inhaled. Walking over to Mrs. Park and standing, she declared, “The reason why we keep failing and not succeeding is because of you!”

The friends stopped. They looked at Luna in horror. They had seen this countless times, but they felt that this wasn’t no ordinary “Luna just verbally shouting at Mrs. Park.” It seemed to be much more than that.

Luhan hissed to Hana, “I just got Taeyang to sleep in his room. I don’t want him to wake up yet!”

Hearing this, Hana became desperate to let Taeyang nap. “Luna—”

“—what you need is a person who could deal with this!” Luna said. She put her hands on her hips, “I guess I have no choice but to help you.” She waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Not liking the atmosphere and already embarrassed enough by what she said, Luna shouted, “I SAID THAT I WILL HELP YOU! AT LEAST RESPOND!”

“Y-yes!” Mrs. Park stood up, army-style, just without the salutations.

And just like that, Taeyang was heard crying.

“He woke up.” Luhan heaved a sigh. He was about to get him but Hana stopped him.

“I got him.” Hana flashed him a smile. “His Daddy did a good enough job watching him for me already.”

Luhan’s heart fluttered. She called me…his daddy. I’m…I’m Taeyang’s Daddy! As he stayed there lost in his own thoughts, his friends moved on, not caring.

Xiumin and Lay focused on putting foods on their plates and Luna was sitting on eye-level with Mrs. Park, conversing with her about bridal arrangements.

When Hana stepped in the kitchen again with Taeyang’s head on her shoulders, who is going back to sleep, Luhan found himself mesmerized at how efficient and diligent Hana was handling Taeyang and putting the food away single-handedly.

No other girl…could ever be as awesome as her.

*

Although shopping was over, Mrs. Park was spending the day with the gang. It seemed that Luna was opening up to her as they had spent two to three hours planning and talking about the wedding in the kitchen while everyone else watched movies in the living room.

Lay whispered to Hana, “Ne, what’s up with Luna?” He was sitting next to Luhan on the couch.

Xiumin, sitting on the floor, nodded, “Yeah, did you guys bring the wrong girl, or what?”

Luhan laughed at the thought of Xiumin’s joke and added, “Luna wouldn’t be talking this long to Mrs. Park.”

Hana shrugged, “I don’t know either. She was like this right after we got home.”

Taeyang’s toy fell on the ground and she picked it up and gave it to him. He was sitting in between her and Luhan.

Hana sneaked a peek at the two girls behind her, “They’re getting along much better now.”

“Yeah, but it’s totally weird not seeing her being disrespectful to her step-mother.” Xiumin acknowledged. “It’s just not Luna.”

“Hana!” Luna said from the kitchen. “Your phone’s vibrating.”

Hana’s phone was charging in the kitchen outlet, so Hana ran over to get it.

“Hello?”

“Hey.” Said a guy’s voice.

“Jongsuk Sunbae?”

“Jongsuk Sunbae!” Luna exclaimed. She rushed over to the phone and made a ruckus. Shouting near Hana’s ear, she said, “Hello! I’m Luna! Are you going to ask Hana out today?”

Hana signaled Luna to hush and Luna giggled at the shy sight of her friend.

Back in the living room, Xiumin blinked. “Jongsuk Sunbae? As in our Jongsuk Sunbae?”

“There’s only one Jongsuk Sunbae that we know, Xiumin.” Lay said.

“Hana’s boyfriend.” Luhan blankly said with no sense of emotion. What’s he calling for? To channel his curiosity, he started flicking the toy Taeyang was chewing on.

Jongsuk chuckled through the phone, “Your friends are with you?”

Hana nodded. “Yes, they are.” Why is it that she could never speak or say more than three words to him? It was as if someone had their hands at , not allowing her.

“Am I bothering you right now? I guess it’s not a good time, right?”

Hana sensed the slight disappointment and she immediately explained the situation, “Ah, no. You’re not disturbing anything. We finished shopping for dresses and just got home.”

“Shopping for dresses?”

Luna gasped and whispered, “Oh! Why didn’t I think of that?” She tapped Hana, “Invite him to the wedding as your date!”

Hana pulled the phone away from her ear, “I can’t do that! I’m not the host.”

“I’ll take care of it! He’ll be under my care like you guys.” She gave Hana a threatened glare, “Do it.” She headed back to Mrs. Park and before continuing on their conversation, she did an ‘ok’ sign for Hana.

“Hana? Are you still there?” Jongsuk asked. “I can call later if you want.”

“Uh, no. Now’s fine.” Hana said. “Sorry. Luna had something she wanted me to do.”

“What is it?”

Should I ask him? Hana hesitated. She hastily converse with herself about the situation. There is no reason why I should ask him to go. He only attends the same school as us, doesn’t know the Park, has had no direct contact with them whatsoever. If I were to take him, how would I explain his relationship with us?

“S-sorry. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Jongsuk said. He stuttered, “Just-just because I’m your boyfriend, it doesn’t mean that you have to tell me everything, so don’t worry.”

Boyfriend.

Hana found the answer.

Jongsuk wasn’t related to the Parks. He didn’t need to know whose wedding it was. He didn’t need to know the Parks at all. And if someone were to ask her who he was…all she had to say was, “he’s my boyfriend”.

That was the special privilege and reasonable reason why he would be able to attend a stranger’s wedding.

Although it was her first time having a boyfriend, she couldn’t believe how much the word “boyfriend” was actually being a hassle to her. It tied her down. It suffocated her. It made her his.

“GO WITH US TO THE WEDDING!” Luna shouted. Hana, you have to be more assertive to the guy you like. Your relationship with Sunbae will only stay the same if neither of you two don’t do things together.

The boys and Hana perked up. Hana even flinched and turned around in shocked as she immediately covered her cell phone, hoping Jongsuk didn’t hear.

“Was that Luna again?” Jongsuk asked.

“Y-yes.” Hana instantly answered. “By the way, did-did you hear anything?”

“I didn’t. Why?”

“Nothing.” Hana nervously laughed. She unplugged the charger, “Can you give me a moment?” Running out of the kitchen, she headed up the stairs, leaving everyone downstairs.

“This is actually the first time I’ve seen her so flustered.” Xiumin said. “She really likes Sunbae.”

“Why do you say that?” Luhan asked.

“Don’t girls usually get all shy and girly when they’re with the guy they like?”

Luhan scoffed and pointed at the stairs, “Our man-girl is not girly. And, she’s not a girl, remember.”

“To you she’s not.” Xiumin said. “But, to some other guys, like Sunbae, the complete opposite of you, they might see her as one.”

Mrs. Park included herself in the conversation. “Who is this sunbae?”

“Hana’s boyfriend.” Luhan caught himself saying it disappointedly, so he tried to clear it up. “A man-girl with no appeal like her getting a gentleman like him…it makes no sense, right?” He covered his rude tone of voice regarding Jongsuk with a light laugh. “One-one day, he will realize she’s not the one for him.”

That’s because she’s the one for you. Mrs. Park smiled as she made an internal comment to herself. She walked over to the boys, “Are you okay, Luhan?”

“About what?” Luhan innocently asked.

“Her boyfriend attending my wedding.”

Luhan paused. For a slight moment, he wanted to say ‘no’ but knew that wasn’t an answer he could say. Because even if he did wanted that, he wouldn’t be able to explain why if asked. “Of course I’m okay.” He lied. “It’s not like we have to be together twenty-four seven. We’re not a couple. She is a couple with Sunbae.”

Xiumin pointed to Luhan, “Hey! You’re going to need a date!”

Eh? A date? Luhan chuckled to himself sadly. After hearing Xiumin’s comment, he realized he had been assuming that Hana would be his partner like how they always were whenever the gang split up into teams. Even for this wedding, he thought Hana would be in his team.

Xiumin covered his mouth and his laughter provoked Luhan. “Ha! Now you’re the one who needs to find someone! It was always me, but I have Gayoon!” He stood up proudly with his hands at his hips, “Feel the wrath of my revenge of solitary!”

Solitary, eh? Luhan glanced at Taeyang. You’re lucky, Taeyang. At the wedding, you’ll be in someone else’s care, not in Hana’s. You won’t know that she’ll be smiling, dancing, and loving someone else. Ignorance…really is bliss.

“Luhan?” Lay asked. “What happened?”

I don’t have to be so depressed! I can get a date whenever for whatever! I don’t need that man-girl anyway. She’s just for my entertainment. Luhan stood up and challenged Xiumin, “I can get a date.”

*

The gang was eating dinner together in the living room since it was dinnertime. Mrs. Park left in the evening and she will call for their personal driver to pick up Xiumin, Lay, and Luna whenever they were ready to return home.

With all five of them together, they finished their homework and managed to play a few games here and there. After being physically exhausted at running around so much, they decided to enjoy their last moments of the day together by watching films.

“What time does Taeyang usually sleep?” Luna asked, eyeing Taeyang who was on his bottle.

“Around ten or eleven. Sometimes twelve.” Hana answered.

“That late?”

Hana pointed at Luhan with her spoon in her hand, “It’s all this guy’s fault. Because I leave the lights on, he’d play games on the TV in the room. So every time he does an attack, he jumps and the mattress moves, so Taeyang can’t go to sleep.”

“Are you starting over?” Xiumin asked Luhan.

“I have to!” Luhan said, expressing his lost. “She tripped over the cord when I was playing and I didn’t save.”

Hana glared at Xiumin, “Stop trading games with Luhan. You’re making him even lazier than ever.”

Luhan smirked, “You’re just annoyed that you couldn’t get out of the first level.”

“You played?” Luna asked. “Is it hard?”

Hana let out a laugh in response to Luhan’s comment, “That level is just stupid. It’s made for stupid people.”

“So, you’re calling Xiumin stupid? He passed, too.” Luhan said, smirking.

Xiumin frowned, “I’m not stupid.”

“You have the highest level of stupidity, Xiumin.” Luhan said as he circled his hands among the friends.

“You have the highest level of stupidity.” Hana claimed to Luhan. “Xiumin’s coming in close, though.”

“HA?” Xiumin and Luhan stood up to defend their names. They pointed to each other, “If anyone’s stupid, it’s him!”

Luna clapped, remembering something, “Ah! I forgot to ask you! What did sunbae called you for?” She eagerly tugged Hana for an answer. “Tell us!”

Hana forced a smile and scratched her jawline.

She’s uncomfortable. Luhan mentally noted.

“He called for a confirmation regarding the double date with Woobin sunbae and his girlfriend.” Hana answered.

Luna hugged Hana, “Oh, that’s so cute!” She pulled away, “You guys couldn’t make it last time, right?”

“Double-date?” The friends asked.

“Woobin sunbae has a girlfriend?” Xiumin asked.

“I didn’t know about it until recently, too.” Hana clarified. “She doesn’t attend our school that’s why.”

“Oh.” The friends commented.

Lay put his bowl down on the table, “You don’t look excited. Or sound happy.”

Hana scratched her jawline again, “Honestly, I’m a bit uncertain about this… ‘date’.”

“Don’t be.” Luhan instantly said.

Everyone looked up at how serious Luhan looked as he stared deeply into Hana’s eyes. He assured her, “If it’s Sunbae, everything will be fine.” He placed a firm hand around Hana’s shoulders, “Go. Go and be a girl.”

All of Hana’s concerns and hesitations flew away. Just one touch, one comment, and one gaze from Luhan were always the magic to her safety and worries.

“Thank—”

“—Nah, I take that back.” Luhan broke the tension as he inserted a joke, “I think you should be worried— you might pounce on him!!!”

Enraged at how Luhan was making light of this matter and especially at how dumb she felt for always falling for his stupid words, she got up and started pinching his cheeks, “Say that again! Who would pounce on who?”

Luhan held Hana's wrists and backed away. Grinning, he continued, "Oh, don't worry! If anything happens, I'll come to save him, okay?"

"YOU JERK!"

*

It was almost midnight and the friends had left home since an hour ago. Taeyang was already asleep and Hana was lying on the bed looking up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. As for Luhan, he entered the room after changing into his pajamas from his own room.

“Hey…” Hana began cautiously.

“Hmm?” Luhan responded. He headed into the bathroom and picked up his gray toothbrush from the cup.

Although he and Hana decided to share the same bedroom, only his toothbrush, his shoes, and a few loads of his clothes were in the room since the bedroom didn’t fit everything of his.

Luhan rinsed his toothbrush and squeezed out the toothpaste onto his toothbrush, “I already checked the doors and windows.”

Hana sat up straight on the bedside, “On-on a d-date…what…w-what do you…do…?”

Luhan poked his head out of the bathroom with the toothpaste foam around his mouth, “You date, duh.”

Hana made a face at him, “I know that!”

She fidgeted. She knew what dating was, but what she was having a problem with was what to do during a date. For