I sat quietly in my seat at the head table. My parents were hosting a party for the joining of our company; Oh Cooperation and the Han Dynasty. In my opinion the Han Dynasty was a very clever name indeed, it was considered a golden age in Chinese society and was an age of economic prosperity. But it won’t last long, even though my mother is very enthusiastic each time of the joining of our company with another, it all ends in splits. It , but I myself have to endure it each time. My mother forces me to act like the charismatic gentleman that I’m not, and she makes me act like the golden boy to the other company’s daughter if they had one. Yet the daughter of the Han Dynasty founders is not like other girls. She attends the same school as I do, Opulent Preparatory or “Rich School” in fact, she is in all my classes. My best friend, Park Chanyeol has an oblivious infatuation with her friend Byun Baekhyun who is also in all of our classes. Along with Jongin, my other best friend, who seems to hate Do Kyungsoo, the “uptight” as he calls it, friend of Luhan. The company's daughter, Luhan is a somewhat timid girl, she doesn’t speak out in class unless spoken to and hardly talks at all. She has a small build; only reaching up to my neck and long straight black hair. I try to make some sort of eye contact with her, as a way of greeting or a sign of kindness, but her eyes never meet mine and she focuses entirely on her food. I noticed how she kept fiddling with her hands once the meal was over, and how uncomfortable she seemed wearing a dress. She glanced up at me for a short second and looked away immediately. I smiled, looks like my mother is not going to get what she wants tonight.

I walked around the small dance floor, where the older men and women danced elegantly to a slow song and stood in the middle not knowing what to do. My mother had just yelled at me for not dancing with Luhan and I had absolutely no idea how to counter the wrath of Mrs. Oh. I didn’t know what exactly to do, Luhan was nowhere in sight, and I wasn’t planning on going into stalker mode and running around trying to find her.

Ten minutes passed, and all of a sudden Luhan was being pushed by her mother in my direction, Luhan lost her footing and stumbled, almost crashing into the ground. I caught her immediately. Instead of feeling secured in my embrace she seemed very embarrassed and quickly pulled away. Her mother yelled at her in what seemed to be Chinese. With my broken Chinese that I learned from a friend, I could make out the words dance. NOW. I felt bad for Luhan for being forced to dance with me when it was obvious that she didn’t want to dance at all. Luhan replied with an angry groan and a glare sent in her mother’s direction before facing me again.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, “Let’s just dance shall we?” We interlocked fingers awkwardly and began to slow dance to the current song. Luhan kept her head down and didn’t look up at all, completely ignoring my gaze.

“I’m sorry you have to dance with me.” I blurted out, it sounded harsh but I wasn’t trying to be, I was just being, well, Sehun.

She looked up at me for the first time. Her brown eyes piercing my own. “It’s not that, it’s just that I don’t like these parties.”

How come?” I could completely understand. The loud music. The annoying rich people. It’s too much.

“I’ve been dragged to all of the parties with my parents so they can flaunt me around like I’m a porcelain doll that people are going to admire and awe at.” Luhan explained with a frown, “I’m just sick of it.”

“I know,” I agreed, “I have to pretend I like the family and act all charismatic towards them.”

Luhan nodded, we spoke no more after that. Just dancing to the calm music of the song and when it ended Luhan left as well. I looked at her retreating image before returning to my own parents.

I stumbled upon a little dinky bar in a very ghetto area. The only reason why I went inside was because my curiosity got the best of me. It’s wrong to think of myself of such a higher class that I am superior to everyone, but I wanted to see how a regular teenager would live their lives. Wasting their time at bars and getting drunk. But of course, I had no real intention of getting drunk at all. I ignored the strange pungent smell as I entered the musky bar. You could literally see dust mixed in with the dimly lit room. But there was no backing out, anyone who saw me just go in and go out would think I was a chicken. Everyone stared at me, how I was so strangely dressed. All I was wearing was a black sweater and jeans but they must’ve saw the brand I was wearing. Or the fact that I didn’t have any facial hair or big rips in my clothes.

I sat down at the bar counter and ordered a dry martini. The bartender chuckled at me as he prepared my drink. What was so funny? I had no clue because the rest of the bar seemed to be laughing at me as well, silently of course.

“You from around here boy?” The bartender asked in a heavy Southern accent.

“Not really from these parts.” I answered truthfully.

“Good because this is the first time I had to prepare such a small drink.” The bartender said handing me the dry martini. I eyed him but remained silent. So what if I didn’t order a bunch of shots? I’m not a stressed college student.

A bunch of what seemed to be high school students entered the bar. I looked over at them from my spot on the bar counter, they seemed to be preparing for a fight. I couldn’t make out their faces but it seemed to be all guys and one girl.

“Ahh it’s time for the daily fights.” The bartender smiled as he cleaned a cup.

“Daily  fights?” I echoed.

“Yeah, every day at 12 midnight there is a daily fight and all the people in the bar can bet on who they think will win. It’s pretty cool. Students come and compete against the reigning champion all the time whenever they choose to show up. If the champion is defeated, a new person takes their place. It’s kind of like a live show but the blood is real.”

“Do people die in these fights?”
 

“Nah, these kids are out once they hit the ground, it’s like a martial arts class without an instructor or a dojo.” The bartender explained, “The champion that’s been ranked first has been here for a couple of months, which is rare because it’s always changing.”

I looked at the people sparring, it seems to be a short looking girl and a burly boy. The burly boy, who I assume is the champion throws a punch at the girl. I’m shocked because the girl dodges it and lands a hard kick to the boy’s side, causing the boy to double back a bit. She follows up with a kick to the knees and a punch in the leg for good measures and the boy is down on the ground. He tries to get back up but someone already called him as out and he’s exiting the ring.

“Our reigning champion!” I hear, the girl must be very skilled to be the champion of a fight club in a bar.

“That was too easy.” I hear the girl say, her voice is somewhat very familiar but I can’t place where I’ve heard it before. “Next time, someone else at least put up a fight.” Her figure retreats and plops itself onto the bar stool beside me.

“Water, with cubed ice.” She tells the bartender. She turns to me with an icy glare, “Sehun, why the heck are you here?”

It’s Luhan. The shy timid girl that I thought she was.

“Why can’t I be here?” I retorted, it’s not exactly a private bar.

“For starters, you stand out like a white rose in the bouquet of red roses, who orders a dry martini in a place like this?” Luhan growls throwing off her fingerless gloves before drinking the water that the bartender has set in front of her, “And second. Did my parents send you here? Do they know?”

“Nope,” I popped the P sound for emphasis.

“Don’t ever order a dry martini in a place like this.” Luhan advised, “You just attract too much attention, and your clothes! Why are you dressed like some rich boy?”

“Well I kind of am one.” I blankly answered. “Besides the dry martini wasn’t even that good, where’s the vermouth? I couldn’t even taste it.”

Luhan slapped her forehead and I laughed, “Is it that bad that I know of your secret little life?”

“Yes.” Luhan groaned, “If my mother ever found out about this I’d be shipped off to some fancy school with prissy girls.”

“So is the shy timid you just sort of a personality mask?” I questioned.

“Not exactly well, I’m just quiet, I have a lot to say but I’m supposed to hold my tongue.”

“And where did this martial arts master come from?”

“Self defense class. My parents took me out when I started to become good enough for real competing when I made it to Nationals.”

“Do any of your friends know?”

Luhan leaned in really close, “No. If you tell anybody, I will kill you Oh Sehun. I’m serious. Don’t tell.”

“EY Luhan is this your boyfriend?” I looked to the side, a lanky skinny boy with a deep voice asked. I looked back at Luhan who was only inches apart form my face.

"No Yongguk this is Sehun my school friend.” Luhan sighed as she bent back into her bar stool.  

“Hey there.” Yongguk smiled, “Luhan never brings anyone she knows to the bar.” He gave me a look over, “Especially her little rich friends.”

I looked at Luhan, I thought she didn’t tell anyone her heritage. “He’s my friend since kindergarten.” Luhan explained. “Gukkie here and I have been through a lot of trauma.”

“Yeah, Luhan’s a little brat but I still tolerate her.” Yongguk laughed.

“We’re practically brother and sister.” Luhan added, “Except I’m an only child.”

“And I’m more good looking.” Yongguk added, earning a smack to the head from Luhan.

“Who ever said that?”

“My mother.” Yongguk exclaimed, feigning a hurt appearance, “And she’s never wrong.”

“Your mother loves me,” Luhan rolled her eyes, “She told me she’d drop you off at the next orphanage to adopt me.”

“She would never!” Yongguk fake gasped. “ANYWAYS, why did you bring good ol Sehun here?”

I almost laughed, good ol Sehun? He referred to me as if we were long time friends.

“I didn’t he found the bar himself.” Luhan frowned, “And he is not good ol Sehun, he’s just a boy that is in all my classes at school.”

“Is Luhan smart?” Luhan slapped him in annoyance.

“Nope.” I answered with a small smile. “She’s the lowest in our classes.”

“I KNEW IT!” Yongguk exclaimed.

Luhan glared at me angrily before slapping Yongguk again, “I’m almost top of the class!”

“Almost.” I added cockily, “I’m on top, so you have to go through me first honey.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Luhan rolled her eyes, “See you at school I guess.” She waved as she walked out of the bar.