The door slid opened accompanied by a loud bang. Everyone in the class room and everyone in the hallway near the class room flinched in response. They looked at one person – Hana – the person who opened the door with such force and stood there without moving.

Xiumin, who sat in a seat that faced directly in front of Hana, hissed to his friends, “Oi, what’s gotten into – “

“Luhan.” Hana said the name monotonously.

Everyone waited.

Luhan took a long time to respond because he didn’t think Hana would speak to him ever again, not after what he did. He stood up nervously and gulped.

Whispers began and the friends knew the whispers were related to what was happening. They knew that everyone had been talking about the weird relationship between Luhan and Hana since they hadn’t been speaking to each other for four days since the incident.

Two days ago, when Luhan walked home with Xiumin and bumped into a third-year student, a girl, she asked, “What’s wrong with the sweet denial couple? No more lovey-dovey to show us anymore?”

Luhan responded with a deep sigh because even though they weren’t a couple in a romance sense, they were no longer a couple in friendly terms.

Not only that, but yesterday, a bunch of first-year girls swarmed around Luhan and questioned about the development of the denial couple, saying that they hadn’t seen Luhan and Hana hanging out as much as they did before, or that they weren’t bickering at each other.

“They really did get into an argument!” Student A said to another.

Student B responded, “But, wasn’t Hana and Jongsuk sunbae going out? That’s what I heard from the upperclassmen.”

“Pabo, everyone knows that Hana and Luhan are the denial couple. It’s not possible-“ Student A’s comment halted when a running Hana ran passed by them. With their eyes wide open, something more shocking happened.

Hana hugged Luhan in front of everyone. She sniffed, “I’m sorry, Luhan! I’m sorry!”

“Oi, what’s – what’s wrong?” Luhan asked, flustered.

“Luna…”

“Luna…?” Luhan repeated after Hana couldn’t continue explaining. She’s quivering. Is she scared? When he felt something wet on his arm and chest, he realized that she wasn’t scared, but she was crying.

Xiumin and Lay worriedly asked, “Luna, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

She continued, “…Woobin sunbae…and…Jongsuk sunbae”

Putting the particular names and the scene of Hana crying made Luhan thought that Jongsuk had probably done something bad to Hana, or at least had the intent of doing something bad again to her and maybe she needed his help. Wrath overcame him and he pulled Hana away but rested his hands at her arms, “What did that bastard do to you?! Why did he make you cried?! Tell me and I’ll get him for laying his hands on you!”

“Luna!" It was Luna who had just entered in the room. She was chasing Hana after Hana ran off. She hoped Hana hadn't gotten to Luhan but she was too late. Upon seeing the scene, she whispers, "Luhan..."

Now, all eyes were on Luna who came panting through the door.

Lay walked over to his girlfriend and asked, “What’s going on, Luna?”

Everyone gave Luna time to breathe.

her dried lips, she explained while looking down because she couldn’t look at both Luhan and Hana at the same time. “Luhan…she knows."

“Huh…?” The boys uttered.

“Know…what?” Luhan asked.

“About everything.” Hana answered. “About why you were there… About why you hit him…About why…you protected me.”

Hearing those confessions, Luhan slowly drifted his hands down her arms in disbelief. He had wanted to protect his reasons for his actions from her so bad. He didn't want her to know what her first boyfriend was going to do and he absolutely didn't want to tarnish her respect towards Jongsuk as a sunbae. Besides, after that day, he had accepted to become the devil in her love life. He had accepted not having her as a friend, as a family, or…as a virtual wife. He had accepted to never be able to pinch those cheeks or to call her ‘man-girl’ or to hug her like how he wanted to do at the moment. He just wanted her to be happy, even if she were to be a princess living in ignorance.

Thanks to Hana’s confession, it was as if Luhan got pulled back into his desires of wanting to keep his friend to himself, volunteering to guard her innocence until someone righteous and fitting for her came along the way – the one man who would be willing to walk the miles-long staircase up to the highest tower and would fight him for the security and love of his friend, Hana. Luhan had yet to meet a man whom he could pass the ‘you can have the princess for eternal life’ judgment.

Hana quivered again and her sobs became loud enough for everyone near to hear. “….I’m sorry, Luhan.”

The apologies Luhan heard from her stung him. He didn’t want this from her. He didn’t want this to happen.

He wanted her to be happy, not apologetic, damn it.

Slurring her speech now, Hana brought her hands to cover her eyes and discreetly wiped the overflowing tears that were encompassing her hot pink face, “…Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“…nymore.”

The friends looked at Luhan because they heard him whispered something. Seeing Luhan’s fallen head who didn’t dare to look at Hana while she was sincerely apologizing, they knew Luhan was also hurt alongside Hana.

Luna grabbed onto her boyfriend’s arm and shook. She blinked the tears away because she knew how much Luhan was a better friend to Hana than her. She thought back to the day when the three of them were running around the streets in haste to find Jongsuk and Hana. It was then when she realized how much Hana meant to him more than anything. It was then that she began to come back to her doubts that Luhan didn’t just see Hana as a friend…but more than a friend.

The friends met up at the intersection as promised after an hour of searching at each love hotel district they could think of. Before this, they did the research on where La La Hotel was at, but found out that there were at least seven chains of them around the area. They decided to check the nearby ones first. Now, they had four more to go.

Luna leaned on her boyfriend and put a hand at her waist where pain throbbed due to lack of air, “…why…do we need….to interrupt…their date…?”

Luhan wiped the sweat on his forehead, “Because they’re going…to a…love hotel.”

“…and…what’s wrong…with that…?”

Luhan glared at Luna. After a couple of minutes and finally gathering enough air, he growled, “Are you serious, Luna? You’re not going to give a care about what’s going to happen to your friend? It’s Hana for crying out loud!”

Luna got offended for getting yelled at for something she believed she didn’t deserve, so she shouted back, “Oi, why are you getting mad at me for? I’m not the one taking Luna to a love hotel.” She rolled her eyes and came forward, “Who are we to stop them from having fun? They are a couple and if they want to spend Valentine’s Day like this, let them. It’s time Luna becomes an adult.”

“Then this is a sick way of making her become an adult.” Luhan retorted. “You’re no friend if you’re going to let Luna go through whatever that bastard’s going to do to her.” He raised a finger at her, “You were the one who were against Hana and me sleeping in the same room and bed because it’s before marriage, yet you’re okay with Hana getting played over by her boyfriend?” He pointed his thumb at his chest, "Any guy who thinks he could mess with Hana in any despicable way will have to go through me. I don't care if he's a guy I know or like or respect. If he isn't going to treat my princess like one, he's going to get the wrath of this devil!"

Luna’s eyes widened in response when she realized the contradiction and that her friend had a point and he was right. She tried to mutter a defense, “I-I…I just want her…to be happy…with her…first.”

“Do we know if he is going to stay with her forever? Or is he going to be one of those bastards who uses her and then throws her like garbage?” He didn’t wait for Luna to give an answer because he had more to add, “Luna doesn’t deserve a bastard. She deserves her prince - a man worthy of her.” He walked away, ready to continue his search, “Luna, you’re more girly than our man-girl, so you should know that firsts mean a lot, something we guys don't get or care.” He stopped walking and in a lower and calmer voice, he said, “I don’t want her beautiful first to be of something like this. Especially if she does love him.”

Arriving last at the scene was Jongsuk and Woobin. They were ignored because the scene of Hana crying and apologizing to Luhan was much more of a sight than seeing two sunbae on the second floor.

Jongsuk looked at Hana who was crying in front of a guy she wasn’t supposed to cry in front of - her guy friend. He knew it'd be like this because she, like always, only showed those kinds of expressions to Luhan.

Woobin, nearby, comforted his friend by patting him on the back.

Hana continued apologizing because she knew it would never be enough for all the Luhan did for her, and for what she did to him. She hoped Luhan wouldn’t be angry and would find it somewhere in his heart to forgive a friend like her, a friend who doubted him. She removed one of her hands from her face and slowly and fearfully extended it towards Luhan to clench onto his white buttoned dress shirt. “I…I’m really…I’m really sorry, Luhan!” Her sobs finally turned into loud cries as she hiccupped because she hadn’t heard anything from Luhan during the entire time of her apologies. She succumbed to the fear that he might never forgive her and started to speak in a shivering, nervous tone, “I- I don’t want to lose you! I’m sorry that *hiccup* I didn’t know! * hiccup* Lu— *hiccup* —han…I’m sorry…*hiccup* I’m-“

Again, to everyone’s but the friends’ astonishment, Luhan instantly pulled Hana into an embrace, placing a hand around her shoulders and another on her head. “-don’t say it anymore!” He couldn’t take her depressing cries because they hurt him. He hated hearing them. Her cries scared him more than Taeyang’s because her cries meant that she was hurt and he could never bare to accept that, even if that person who made her cry was him – just like when Taeyang was diagnosed with the disease. “Ssshh.” He held back his tears and while he was comforting her, he felt their heartbeats beating at the same pace and he realized she was as scared as him, as sad as him…as tormented as him.

“What’s going on?” A teacher asked who stumbled upon the ruckus in the hallway as students had suddenly filled the classroom door. He panicked, “Is there a fight?” He tried his best to squirm through.

“Songsaenimi, the denial couple are just making up.” A student said.

Jongsuk and Woobin heard this and listened to their conversation.

“The denial couple?” The teacher asked, “Ah, Hana and Luhan?” The teacher chuckled, “What do you mean they made up? They’re always fighting.”

“It seemed that this fight was a big one.” The student pointed inside the classroom and excitedly explained, “Hana cried in Luhan’s arms and then he shoved her and then now he holds her again.”

The teacher sighed, “Well, now that it’s solved, EVERYONE HEAD BACK TO CLASS! LUNCH IS ENDING IN TEN MINUTES!” He raised a hand in the air, “I need to get to my class, too, so please make way.”

And just like that, the huge crowd outside slowly dispersed while the students in the classroom had the advantage of staying at their respective spots because it was their classroom after all. As for Jongsuk and Woobin, they stayed near the door for a while, wondering at how things were going to end for the denial couple.

With the silence slowly being filled with noises and talks, Xiumin found this as a chance to celebrate the peace between the two friends. He came over unexpectedly and wrapped his arms around Hana and Luhan. “Don’t worry us like that again!”

Luna sniffed and wiped a fallen tear and also joined in on the party hug, “Let’s stay friends forever until the end!”

Lay smiled as he engraved the beautiful scene of his four friends group hugging before he included himself. “Always.”

Being in the middle of the hug, Hana had to breathe, so she looked up and her forehead bumped into the chin of Luhan’s and they stared at each other for a long time. She finally gave him a smile and whispered, “Friends forever, okay?”

Luhan pinched her cheeks and bumped his head against hers and then whispered in response, “Forever.”

*

Hana and Luhan were in trouble for causing a huge ruckus in the classroom and for making the staffs worried that it was a fight of some sort. So, for punishment, they had to clean the entire classrooms on their floor for a week. Although Hana and Luhan believed it was something they didn’t deserve, they were happy because at least they were given time together to make up for the four days they lost together. As for Taeyang, Hana and Luhan gave their friends their house key to pick up Taeyang and take him home to wait for them. They fear that they might not make it in time before the day care closed.

“We can go now.” Hana said as she held Luhan’s and her bag in her hands. “It’s getting dark now.”

Luhan, standing at the white board, came over and reached for the bags, “I’ll carry it.”

“No, I want to.” Hana said, grinning. “You carry the trash bags.”

Luhan frowned, “Hey, I can’t. They’re too heavy for me. You’re a man-girl, so you do it.”

“No!” Hana shrieked as she ran out the door but stopped to wait for him.

Blowing a raspberry, he headed to where the two trash bags were and picked them up. “Ugh, they stink!”

“That’s why you have to do it. You will smell great with it.” She sarcastically said. "You even look good with your two friends right beside you."

He stuck out his tongue at her and then they both headed downstairs to the school garbage disposal outside. Their bickering ended when they caught sight of what was behind the silver gates - the baseball field. They paused for a moment but after they gave each other a look, they started walking again, ignoring what had happened between them four days ago.

"You stay here in case the janitor comes and locks the gate." Luhan said to Hana. "I'll throw these away myself."

"You sure?" Hana asked as she observed the dark field around her. "H-hurry up, okay?"

He chuckled, "I will." He turned around and paced to the garbage disposal. Almost halfway there, he to a corner and bumped into Jongsuk who happened to exit out of the changing room. He was sweating like crazy and had on a black t-shirt. "Sunbae."

"Hey...Luhan."

"I won't apologize for what I did." Luhan immediately said. "I choose to take Hana's side as a friend. I really thought you were good enough for her."

"I know. They told me."

"They?"

Jongsuk exhaled, "Ah, Luna. She confessed everything to us and I also think Hana deserved the prince you want her to be with."

Luhan blinked. Prince? What prince? With a straight face, he said, "Um, Hana is not a princess, Sunbae."

Jongsuk broke into a laugh, "Yes, I know that...but she said Hana's a princess because you called her one."

"I did? When?" Luhan couldn't recall it.

"I don't know either. I wasn't there." When he saw the two black trash bags, he knew it was because of the punishment. The commotion of what happened between the denial couple was big news in the school so he heard about it. "Where's Hana? Aren't you supposed to do that together?"

Luhan perked up, "Ah, I've got to hurry! That girl's a scaredy-cat. Sunbae, talk to you later!"

"Wait." Jongsuk stopped Luhan from continuing further. He turned around and with a satisfying smile, he said to Luhan, "Please...please watch over Hana for me. I leave her in your care."

"Eh..."

And just like that, Jongsuk left while Luhan stuttered to ask a question.

*

Luhan stepped down from the stairs after his shower and saw that Taeyang was the only one in the living room clashing his toys against one another like always and mumbling to himself. I miss this brat.

“…put it?”

Luhan heard Hana’s voice from his left, the kitchen, and knew that she was doing something in there. And I miss that brat. Chuckling at his own thoughts and heading to where his man-girl was, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Hana’s upper body was inside the refrigerator while her lower body stuck out. Her right hand extended to hold out the refrigerator door. When she heard Luhan’s voice, she instantly flinched and bumped her head against the top. “Ouch!” She massaged her head and winced.

“You’re stupid.” Luhan came over with a grin. He patted her head and saw how she cutely pouted after he called her that. “What are you doing?”

“I’m organizing the fridge.” Hana answered. Seeing Luhan’s wet hair and change of clothes, she asked, “You took a shower?”

Luhan nodded. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Your hair. Clothes…and your smell.” Hana smiled at her last answer.

“My smell?” He raised his shirt and sniffed it. I thought I put on cologne? That trash smell hasn’t left?

She placed a hand on his hand, stopping him from sniffing, “I’m saying you have a nice scent, idiot.”

Loving her comment, he beamed a smile and put on a conceited sluggish face. He closed the fridge door and extended his hand on it, leaning. With a so-called charismatic voice, he said to Hana, “Oh…is that so?” Scoffing, he added, “Of course I’d smell good. It’s the Great Luhan, you pabo.”

Frowning because his conceited role had come to light, she sighed and walked away, “Yeah, yeah.”

Putting his eyebrows together, Luhan turned back and declared, “How dare you walk away? You need to be charmed by me!”

She let out a laugh, “Pabo. Charm, schwarm, whatever it is, posing like that near a fridge is funny looking.”

Luhan instantly removed his hand and stood straight, clearing his throat. “Wh-what are you talking about? I’m here to-to check something in the fridge.” He opened the fridge again.

“WAIT!” Hana exclaimed and rushed over. Pulling Luhan back, she ordered him to not open or