Mirae’s POV

“What?” I asked.

“Yup, we were best friends from third grade up to the first year of high school, and that’s when he changed and became a douche bag,” Sehun confirmed. “You might want to close your mouth soon, sweetie,” he chuckled. I covered my mouth with both hands, and the heat went straight up to my cheeks, making them a pinkish colour.

“Sorry. I’m just very...taken aback. How did you know I was married to him?”

“Don’t you remember anything from that night?” Sehun asked gently. I shook my head. I did not think I wanted to remember anything from that night either. “Oh, well... After we’d sat down and I told you my name, Luhan sort of saw us. He screamed at you that you shouldn’t talk to me and then at me for talking to you. His behaviour doesn’t really astonish me, it’s very like him, and I’m used to it.”

“What happened?” I inquired curiously. There was no doubt Sehun intrigued me, and his story, I felt certain, would help me in the long run as well.

“It’s a long story. I’m not sure I should be the one to tell it. Although, I reckon Luhan hasn’t changed, right? But I assume he could’ve kept his promise... How does he treat you? Is he nice or does he tell you ‘you’re not his style’, that you’re ‘nothing compared to him’ and that you ‘don’t deserve him’?” I bit my bottom lip hard.

“He has told me all of those last things. He also said love isn’t for us and that I should give up on that. He’s not very nice to live with.” I felt that it was going to be better for me to be perfectly honest with Sehun from the start, thinking I would benefit so much more from that than if I chose to lie.

“Ah,” Sehun said, “Is he still friends with two guys called Tao and Kris perhaps? Because I can guarantee that will not make your situation better.”

“It hasn’t,” I chuckled weakly, finding it almost ironic how spot on Sehun was in his statements. “They’re worse than Luhan. I fled from them just now. I don’t even know why I’m laughing about this when it’s not funny at all...”

“Mm...” Sehun lowered his head. He looked like he was pondering over what he should do. I leaned over the table.

“Sehun? Please, if there’s anything you know that could help me then tell me, I beg you. I can’t live like this anymore. I’ve noticed something is terribly wrong with Luhan and I’m willing to, for both our sakes, take the step of confronting him. But in order to do so, I need facts. Why’s he the way he is now?” Sehun lifted his head.

“What do you know so far?” Sehun asked. I smiled brightly. He was going to help me. I couldn’t be happier. Now I could figure out what Luhan’s problem was and I might even be able to help him, or help myself at least.

“Not much. His mother told me that he became like that because he was bored with school and the fact that his parents weren’t home a lot made him hang out with the wrong people, which made him the way he is today. If you asked me, that does not sound too accurate,” I explained to Sehun. He huffed, followed by an ironic chuckle.

“It’s not, by far.” Sehun took a deep breath. “Luhan and I were the smartest kids in school up until we came to the ninth grade. That’s when he met a girl.” Sehun chuckled, shaking his head. “It sounds so cliché but that girl became Luhan’s everything. He would spend every single second with her, by her side or talking to her in some way. I liked her too, very much. She was perfect for him. Li Jing was her name, by the way. You could tell that they were going to stick together for the rest of their lives. It took Luhan less than a month before he told her he loved her, and she felt the same for him, of course. Then in our second year of high school Luhan realised that he would turn eighteen in the spring. He told me when it was about half a year left that he really wanted to marry Li Jing. She was, I think, one or two months older than him. We’ll get to why that was important later. Anyway, I told him he should definitely go for it, they’d been a couple for two years and it didn’t seem like they would find anyone better for themselves. Anyhow, that same month, Luhan proposed to Li Jing who gladly said yes. I’ve never seen Luhan happier than he was that day, so for me it didn’t come as a shock that he really wanted to tell his parents. Though, it didn’t go according to plan... that little detail.”

“Why? Didn’t their parents approve?” I wondered.

“Her parents did, Mrs Lu did. It was just Mr Lu who didn’t quite approve.”

“What happened?” I urged. It was obvious Sehun felt uncomfortable talking about this, but I needed to know what had happened.

“He told them no, basically. Said she wasn’t worthy him and that he should find a gi