Luhan was on his way to meet his best friend, Sehun, at their favorite bubble tea shop near the school. He was wearing the usual: a pair of skinny jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers. After a couple of minutes, he was at the door of the shop, waving frantically at a schoolmate he just bumped into.

Luhan opened the door, causing the bell at the top to jiggle. He nodded at the cashier and smiled. She looked like she was in her 40’s, so she acted like Sehun and Luhan’s mother, making them feel welcome at the shop letting them stay at the shop for as many hours as they want without even ordering anything.

Luhan walked to their favorite spot, a table in the back corner. There, he saw Sehun sitting with his legs crossed and shuffling through his phone.

Luhan walked up to Sehun and took the seat in front of him. "Hey," he greeted.

Sehun looked up and gave Luhan a sly smile as he removed his earphones. He nodded at Luhan as he muttered a quick, "What would you like?"

Luhan looked at Sehun. Sehun wasn't his usual self. He should be loud, obnoxious, and arrogant yet charming and funny. Instead he was silent and all.

'Ah, maybe he's just tired,' Luhan thought to himself as he smiled at Sehun.

"Ah, Sehun, you're tired, aren't you? Here, this'll be my treat. I'll go and order something," Luhan stood up as he tapped the younger's shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Whatever's bothering you will go away."

Luhan walked to the counter as he looked up at the menu. He was always tied up with the flavors of the sweet drink - and so was Sehun.

▼▽▼

Sehun tsk'ed as he glanced at Luhan ordering drinks and food for him. Nothing was surely bothering him - if confessing his feelings for his best friend was considered "nothing".

He shook his head off and played SNSD's "Gee", as he wrote something on his phone's notepad.

'Luhan-hyung is silly.'

He then tapped his fingers on the table as Gee's chorus blared in his ears. He had always liked this song.

He closed his eyes for a minute or two, and as he opened his eyes, he saw two large sized cups of the sweet drinks and a basket of his favorite cookies.

Sehun opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. He was speechless - the food here isn't cheap, and neither are the drinks! This is probably the best bubble tea shop in town, and Luhan had to buy its best-selling drinks and cookies.

'Luhan-hyung is silly.' He thought, as he remembered the note he saved on his phone's notepad.

"You look sad, Sehun. I had to buy this for you." Luhan smiled as Sehun's jaw fell to the floor.

'Luhan-hyung bought all of these for me…' he was flattered at the thought. Luhan never usually had the money, because he was in Korea and his parents were in China, and they barely send him his pocket money.

"Luhan-hyung, you should save your money instead." Sehun snapped, still flustered at the thought of Luhan buying such things for him.

"Mom just sent me my pocket money, and besides, it's my pleasure." Luhan flashed Sehun a smile, which the younger had returned.

"But still-"

"Just drink the bubble tea and eat the cookies," Luhan laughed as Sehun rolled his eyes. "I bought this because you're my best friend."

'Well, that hurts.' Sehun thought, left eye twitching. He had always liked Luhan, not as a best friend - but something way more than a friend, to be exact, more than a best friend. He wanted Luhan to be with him so badly, but the thought of Luhan rejecting his love and avoiding him made his heart clench. He couldn't risk their friendship, it was better than everything in the world.

As Sehun's mood went down the drainage, he grabbed a cookie or two from the basket and started gobbling them down. He was pissed at the thought of Luhan being his best friend, because, he wanted their relationship to be so much more than that.

"Woah, tiger, you should've told me you're hungry." Luhan giggled like a 5 year old child being tickled by his mother.

"I'm not that hungry. I just wanted to eat a couple of these." Sehun joked as Luhan broke into a fit of laughter.

'God, his laughter is like a melody to my ears.' Sehun thought as Luhan took a sip of his own drink. He his lips and looked at Sehun.

"How's it with your sister?" Luhan asked as Sehun gritted his teeth. Luhan sensed that something was clearly wrong with his question and apologized over and over and over again.

"No, it's okay. It's just that -" Sehun paused, heaving a sigh of disappointment. "She's unbearable."

"She must be, at the sight of you sighing here and there at the thought of her. She must be really unbearable," Luhan tapped Sehun's hand which set the latter's stomach on fire.

"She truly is, I don't know how her boyfriend has stuck up with her for so long." Sehun muttered as Luhan chuckled.

"You surely don't know about that thing called 'love', eh?" Luhan asked as Sehun's ears perked up. Luhan had brought the topic 'love'.

"I do know that feeling, hyung." Sehun defensively said as Luhan broke into a million guffaws.

"Okay then," Luhan mocked him as Sehun gobbled up another cookie. It tasted so good that it sent warmth through his fingers.

They both fell silent as the cold breeze of winter brushed past them. Sehun choked on a cookie which made Luhan laugh as hard as he could.

"Damn, you're funny." Luhan finally said after laughing at Sehun for so long. Sehun rolled his eyes at the older and chuckled at his own actions.

▼▽▼

It was half past ten in the evening as they bid good bye and good night to Mrs. Lee, the cashier.

Luhan and Sehun walked for a while at the park near their dorm and were talking about how beautiful the stars are until Luhan's phone rang.

"Excuse me," Luhan excused himself and answered the phone.

"Yes, Minseok?" At the sound of the name of the person on the other line, Sehun's shoulders slumped and the boring sensation wandered through his soul again, and he wanted to get away of that scene of his life. He wanted to.

"Yes, I'll meet you tomorrow."

Sehun wanted to bring his hands up to cover his own ears; but a part of him doesn't want to. There's a part of him that wanted to hear the whole conversation out.

"Yes, of course I do care for you."

The words stung like poison. Sehun was actually planning on confessing to Luhan about his feelings. Now he didn't want to. Their friendship was Sehun's only hope now.

"Okay then. I love you so much, Minseok."

The whole day Sehun was all happy, and now there were tears of disappointment and hurt are on his eyes. Minseok. How he hated that guy.

"Hey, Sehun?" Luhan nudged the younger.

Luhan wanted to look at Luhan's sparkly eyes but he couldn't find the courage to. "Yes, Luhan-hyung?"

Sehun's voice cracked a bit as he said 'hyung'. Luhan didn't seem to notice, though.

"Minseok and I are gonna go to Paris, France." the sentence made Sehun's heart clench.

He wanted to take Luhan to Paris. It was what he wanted all his life. To bring Luhan to Paris; to make his hyung smile.

And now someone else is going to do it.

How he hated that feeling.

He somehow had the courage to answer, "Wow, your dreams are happening, hyung."

He wanted that sentence to come out cheerfully, but it was a fail. It sounded wrong, it sounded sarcastic, but Luhan was way too happy and excited about the trip with Minseok to even notice.

"Yeah, me too!" Luhan chuckled as Sehun turned away and wiped the tear that trickled down his cheek.

"I'm happy for you, hyung." Sehun said as they entered the dorm without any other words.

▼▽▼

Luhan woke up at the sound of Big Bang's "Haru Haru". He snorted as he took his phone from the bedside table and glanced at the screen.

Kim Minseok was calling.

He pressed the phone in his ear as he grunted. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Luhan!" Minseok's cheery voice said from the other line. Oh, how Luhan wished it was Sehun who was greeting him in the morning with that tone.

"Good morning, Minseok."

"You just woke up, Lulu?"

"Yes, Minseok. Sorry if I'm a bit grumpy."

Minseok suppressed a laugh. "No, it's okay!"

"Say, is it okay if I just call you later? I'll just cook breakfast," Luhan said as he removed the blanket and immediately, the warmth disappeared. He shivered at the winter breeze as he stood up and stretched his arms.

"Sure, sure! Eat well, Lulu~ I love you!"

Luhan ended the call with a quick, "Yes". He stretched for a bit more as he opened the lights with a flick at the switch.

He dropped his phone as he saw Sehun's bed arranged beautifully, yellow tulips surrounding it.

Yellow tulips. Luhan thought as he remembered Sehun telling him that yellow tulips means "hopelessly in love".

He saw an album propped on the pillow, with a bar of chocolate and a box of cookies.

"Oh, no no no no no…" he trailed off as he ran to Sehun's closet and opened it. It was empty. Empty like his heart.

He walked to the bed, tears starting to form on his eyes.

He opened the album, which is filled with all their photos, everything and anything. It was made of pure passion and love. He hugged the album as a piece of paper fell.

He picked it up and opened it.

Dear Luhan-hyung,

      I'm sorry for leaving you just like that, hyung. I just couldn't bear the thought of you being with Minseok. I had to leave because I have a lot of things to deal with; and you being with the guy I hate amongst all makes me feel worse. I'm sorry for acting all immature.

      I know I asked you to not give up on me. I know I'm vile but hey, this vile beast here loves you. Yes, you have read it right, I love you, hyung.

      This may sound all cliche, that I fell for my best friend who doesn't even like me back. My life , right?

      I'm sorry for leaving you just like that. From this day forward, you're free.

      I'll be back, when we can face each other already.

      Take care.

      I love you.

           ALWAYS,

              Sehun.

 ◆◇◆

A/N;

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    Nathalie ♡