Namjoo was indifferent to his answer whether she knew he was telling the truth or not.

Switching the subject he asked, “Is that your nephew?”

“Ah…” Namjoo glanced at Yunu who was struggling to open the candy bag, “my older sister’s son.”

“Is your family big?”

Namjoo seemed to think before answering, “I guess. Are you an only child?”

“Yes.”

She smiled and asked, “Does it feel different?”

Luhan’s attention shift to Namjoo’s right when Chae Yoon sat down on the empty chair. A smile first appeared on her face and noticing his gaze purposely avoided returning it.

“What are you talking about?” Chae Yoon asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

She looked around a bit before sighting the bag Namjoo had set on the table. Without asking she grabbed the bag to look inside.

“What’s this?”

Luhan watched Namjoo turn her eyes innocent to Chae Yoon’s swayed interest.

“A gift.”

“From who?”

“Kai.”

“Really? This is cute,” Luhan watched Chae Yoon pull out a pink blouse. “He really knows style doesn’t he?”

“So what’s going on?” Ki Chan asked joining them at last.

Luhan turned wondering why Ki Chan had taken the seat beside him instead of the one beside Chae Yoon.

“Namjoo’s brother bought her some clothes,” Chae Yoon explained showing them to him.

Luhan thought she was being innocent till she smugly smiled.

“I wish my brother bought me clothes,” Chae Yoon side eyed Namjoo, who was too busy unwrapping a candy for her nephew.

“I think that’s really nice,” Ki Chan commented.

“You think?” Chae Yoon looked at Ki Chan as if he should be thinking otherwise.

Luhan didn’t understand what she was trying to get at.  

“Chae Yoon, are you coming to my sister’s wedding? Did Namjoo talk to you about it?” Ki Chan wondered.

“Of course, I’ll be there.”

Luhan didn’t have to take into account that he didn’t know these people; that these people were from Namjoo’s social world, they weren’t his people. His people though, were no longer around him. None of it mattered much anyway.

“Luhan, you should come too,” Ki Chan invited.

Surprise fluxed through Luhan at the sudden mention of it.

“Uh...but I don’t know your sister.” Luhan managed as a weak excuse.

“It’s ok, don’t worry about it,” Ki Chan assured. “Namjoo’s friends are also my friends, so don’t feel uncomfortable.”

Was it really like that? Did it work like that so easily?

“I was going to mention,” Ki Chan started again, “my uncle’s building a private resort in Haenam. When it’s completed, want to go stay a few nights?”

“Really!?” Chae Yoon sounded excited.

“Would that be ok? It’s your uncle’s,” Namjoo said.

“He’ll lend to us for the weekend and officially open it up next year,” Ki Chan explained. “Want to go? Construction should be completed some time after the wedding.”

“Sure.” Both girls agreed.

“What about you, Luhan? Want to come?” Ki Chan offered.

Luhan returned the glance unsure why they were being so openly nice to him when they were all mere strangers to each other.

“It’d be fun,” Namjoo added. “You should have a break once in a while.”

Everything would be ok, but the thing was Chae Yoon would be there. Could he…would he be able to bear facing her just because she would be everywhere Namjoo was?

“We’ll see,” Luhan neutrally answered.  

They chatted for the next two hours with Luhan droning in and out of the conversations. Namjoo and Ki Chan tried to make him feel welcome, especially when laughter broke out as Yunu fell asleep with noodles in his mouth. Luhan did feel partially comfortable for a short while until he caught Chae Yoon sneering his way. He was comfortable then uncomfortable in her presence.

Cake was cut and Namjoo’s brother, who didn’t come by, was forced to say a few words. The whole time he spoke Luhan caught that smile and the gleam in her eyes saying that her brother was the absolute best. The proudness she felt for him were all there.

Chae Yoon’s earlier words to him about them suddenly appeared in his head. If Namjoo and Kai were only siblings in name did it mean they didn’t share a mother or father?

Luhan finally realized what Chae Yoon was trying to make clear a while ago. She was trying to tell him – everyone – about how abnormally close the two were.

Why?

After passing pieces of the cake around, the crowd finally began to disperse slowly. Chae Yoon and Ki Chan both left together and Luhan expected to leave shortly after, but it didn’t seem like Namjoo was planning to do just that. Since he’d come with her he was stuck with her for as long as she wanted to stay.

At least that was what he’d expected until Namjoo asked, “I’m going to help clean up, so it might be a while. Are you in a hurry? If you are, I can ask one of the butlers to drop you off.”

Butlers…

Luhan thought about sitting in one of those expensive foreign imported cars, but the picture didn’t sit right in his mind.

“No, it’s ok.”

“Are you sure?”

“Auntie! I want juice! Get me juice!” Another younger boy who looked like Yunu ran up to Namjoo, grabbing her hand.

“Alright, just a moment,” Namjoo cooed and turned to him, “it might be a while. If you grow tired, you can go rest in one of the living rooms. I’ll come find you later.”

“Auntie Joo!!” The little boy cried out tugging even harder on her hand.

Luhan watched her fall off balance before catching herself again.

“Alright, alright,” Namjoo turned to the little boy.

He watched her lead him away before looking around to see the maids sorting all the dishes outside before heading in. There were other men stacking the chairs off and drawing the table clothes off the tables. Again, he was standing in the middle of a crowd that didn’t belong to his world.

“Excuse me,” one of the maids said as she scurried by to gather the plates on their table.

Luhan watched her do so before he quickly turned to walk into the manor for the first time. Its insides were decked with thick wood and broad lights from above. As he passed through the hallway he caught the sole picture of Namjoo hanging in the hallway before heading by the empty kitchen. A large two door fridge was standing beside the wall. The kitchen was exquisite, large and clean, perhaps on a daily basis.

There was a little counter in the center with a sink. Its tabletop overfilled with napkins and miscellaneous kitchen necessities. Walking further down the hall brought him to a large empty space. On his left was a wide staircase leading to the second floor, on his right was the large living room Namjoo had spoken about, and further down his left probably led to another resting room.

Glancing around him made him realize that he was probably the only soul on the first floor at the moment. Inviting himself into the living room brought him to an extending soft leather couch that stretched throughout the room like a snake. There was a traditional fireplace underneath the TV hanging off the wall with large windows on either side of him. Behind him hung a picture of the prestigious Kim family on the wall.

Luhan felt his eyes scan every one of the siblings taking note of how different some of them looked from the others. Namjoo’s parents were sitting in the center with the little ones while the rest of the children stood outside. He caught sight of Namjoo standing beside her brother and stared at them for a bit before turning away.

Unable to sit down in Namjoo’s home without her there to make sure he wouldn’t get in trouble he walked back down the hall. When he neared the door he saw that Namjoo was back outside chattering happily away with laughter while she helped the maids clean up. He didn’t see any of her siblings outside with her and wondered if Namjoo was really this nice.

She couldn’t be so perfect, he thought.

No one from a wealthy family was that nice.

The longer he stared, the more he thought Namjoo was probably made up of lies. Yet, she’d come when he requested and had been utmost patient with him. Instead of joining the family business like the cliché, she’d become a nurse.

What exactly was she and her family?

“Excuse me, who are you?” A woman in her late forties with thickened makeup eyed him from the side. “I saw you playing with Yunu earlier, are you one of Kai’s friends?”

Dumbfounded from the sudden surprise Luhan found his mind blank. The woman stared back, waiting for his inquiry.

“Mom, someone is on the phone for you,” a voice appeared from behind.

When Luhan turned he spotted bright eyed Kai standing there.

“There you are, I was wondering where you were.”

“I went upstairs to rest a bit.” Kai replied.

“You shouldn’t leave your friend alone like this. What did I teach you about being a good host?” His mother lightly scolded.

Kai smiled before saying, “Luhan’s actually Namjoo’s friend, but I guess he could be my friend too.”

“Whatever you say. You two are always up to something,” his mother said before walking by.

Luhan glanced at Kai before he brushed passed.

“You’re waiting for Namjoo?” Kai asked leading him out.

“Well…”

“Namjoo!” Kai called out loudly anyway then lowering his voice turned to him, “we should tie her up someday so that she can stop helping out when she isn’t even needed.”

Luhan glanced him, but he’d already turned away.

“Kai!” Namjoo called out. “I heard you went to sleep. You’re finally up?”

“What are you doing? You should be leaving. Everyone has left already,” Kai told. “Didn’t you say you have a full shift tomorrow?”

Namjoo smiled guiltily before finally dropping the table cloth in her hand and walked over. “I could at least do this much.”

“Don’t worry about it. Get going, come on I’ll walk you out.” He offered.

Luhan watched them turn in sync before heading out front. Without word he followed and quickly found himself in the spot of a third wheeler.

“What are you planning to do now?” Namjoo asked. “Are you going to join mom’s branch?”

“We’ll see. I still need to go see the company,” Kai replied. “Take care of yourself more. You lost some weight. You haven’t been dieting, have you?”

“Of course not, but you know Aunt Jin; she wants me to gain some and then lose some.”

Kai laughed and Namjoo laughed in return as if they’d just pulled off an inside joke. Luhan didn’t understand them.

In the end Kai rubbed Namjoo’s head with his hand, but she didn’t complain about it.

“Has anything changed here since I’ve been gone?” He asked taking to readjusting her hair.

“They took down the arcade, there’s a café there now.”

“Should we go there sometime?” He asked.

“We should.”

They smiled at each other and in no time reached the front door.

“My car’s not far. We can go from here,” Namjoo suggested.

“Alright then,” agreeing Kai paused in step too.

Luhan shot them a glance before stepping to the side and first started down the stairs. For one thing, he’d forgotten Namjoo had her own important people in her life. He’d also forgotten that she had her own story to tell, but wasn’t greedy about sharing it. However, he also thought that compared to anyone else he’d seen Namjoo with; when she was with Kai it was different. The feeling there…was indescribable.

His eyes focused on the empty drive before he slightly turned back to see the two hugging ever so slightly. Placing a hand onto her hand he waved before Namjoo started toward him with an elated smile, unable to hide the happiness too much for her to handle. After two steps she’d stop again to wave back and she continued until she reached him.

“Should we go?” Namjoo asked and without waiting for him headed toward her car.

Even her back seem to be smiling with joy. When Luhan turned back to look at the top of the staircase Kai was already gone.

“Did you have fun?” Namjoo asked starting the engine.

Pulling the seatbelt over him Luhan listened to it click and thought about it. He hadn’t fully enjoyed himself, but he didn’t think negatively about it. Although there were times when he really wished he was in the sanction of his home, he at least enjoyed the food.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Luhan replied.

“You’re quite honest,” Namjoo told quite positively. “Next time, can I meet your friends?”

Luhan’s eyes trailed up the gates as they drove by, “I don’t know.”

Namjoo glanced at him quietly.

Luhan lowered his head a bit, “I ditched them for my girlfriend. I’m not in touch with them anymore.”

He suddenly felt nervous as if the whole car was suddenly filled up with Namjoo’s driving pity for him. Luhan assumed she was seeing him in a pitiful light and would continue to treat him with sympathy. It was only normal for someone to do that after hearing his story.

“It’s ok, you can always meet new people,” Namjoo told. “You just gotta see things from a better perspective. Real friends will always stick around.”

Luhan glanced at her and wondered if she had any friend other than Chae Yoon.

“You seem pretty close to your brother,” Luhan started.

“He’s a great person.” Namjoo sweetly smiled at the thought of Kai.

“Is he really your brother?”

“He’s from my father’s previous marriage,” Namjoo explained and Luhan thought of all the little intimate moments he saw them having throughout the day.

Once more he heard Chae Yoon’s words of contradiction ringing inside his head. Luhan remembered one of his old pals who had a younger sister. Even though they were close, they never clung onto each other or hugged. Not like how Namjoo clung onto Kai right away when she saw him and how Kai placed an arm around her shoulders. They never hugged with such unanimous feelings as he’d seen Kai and Namjoo earlier.

Without thinking he blurted, “Do you like him?” 

***At this point we have to keep in mind that Luhan really doesn't know what kind of person Namjoo is, so it'll be be logical for him to doubt her nature. He'll definitely learn more about her as the story goes on.