she really wasn’t expecting things to turn out the way they had.

kim minseok’s life was normal. average. simplistic. a typical suburban life with a nice house, nice neighbors,  a nice school, and nice friends. except the suburbs are a lot less nice underneath the surface.

“unnie! my mom’s shoot is running later than expected and luhan can’t stay with me tomorrow night, so i was wondering if you’d like to spend the night?” kim jinwoo said with her beautiful smile and a flourish of silky brown hair. they said kim jinwoo was the most beautiful girl in town, and they weren’t kidding - rumors said that she ate a cigarette for breakfast, but minseok knew otherwise.

minseok herself was also considered to be beautiful, and years of playing soccer and being a strong athlete led to a wonderfully fit body.

“sure, jinwoo,” minseok answered coolly, slinging her backpack over her shoulder as they walked to the cafeteria. “why can’t luhan stay, though?” she inquired, curious about her boyfriend.

“oh, i don’t know. auntie said something about a trip? i don’t know why they wouldn’t take me along, too, i’m her niece…” jinwoo pouted as they sat down at their lunch table.. minseok laughed. “it’s strange, though, it’s only march, why would they leave in the middle of the year?” jinwoo shrugged. “maybe early spring break. oh, there’s luhannie! oppa!” she called, waving wildly at her cousin that possessed the same doe-eyes.

luhan smiled, walking over to their lunch table. “hello, jinwoo, baozi,” luhan said, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek as he sat down next to her. “hello, xiao lu,” minseok greets back, leaning onto his strong shoulder. they were the power couple of their school - everybody admired the two’s perfect relationship. “you guys are adorable, but please, not while i’m eating,” jinwoo said, pretending to gag. the couple laughed at their dongsaeng.

“we’ll be saying the same when you get a gorgeous boyfriend of your own,” minseok said back, and was rewarded with an affectionate peck to her nose. jinwoo just rolled her eyes, picking at her salad. “that won’t happen anytime soon. mom wants me to date someone rich. she’s so superficial,” jinwoo said with disgust.

“don’t say that, she’s your mother,” minseok sighed, and jinwoo just shrugged. “it’s not like she’s around that much anyway.” luhan and minseok exchanged looks and sighed. “i think i’m going to go now,” jinwoo said, standing up, “i’ll see you guys later.” the couple didn’t fail to notice the salad still sitting untouched on the tray that jinwoo dumped into the trash.

“i was wondering, luhannie,” minseok said nervously, “jinwoo said something about you going on a trip? what’s that about?” luhan sighed. “well, my mom mentioned a trip, but i don’t really know the full details...she just doesn’t want me going over to jinwoo’s tomorrow night, and i don’t think she wants anyone else in the house, either. it’s a little strange, admittedly,” luhan said. minseok nodded. “alright. tell me if anything comes up, okay?” she says with her signature gummy smile, and luhan can’t help but kiss her again.

“you’re so perfect, kim minseok. did you know that?”

-

the dismissal bell rang throughout the school, and shortly after the trio met up at jinwoo’s locker.

“so, just to make sure, i’m going over to your house tomorrow, right?” minseok asked, and jinwoo nodded, shutting her organized locker. “unless i can stay over at your house...i don’t really have much to eat,” jinwoo said, smiling sheepishly. “fine. but later we’re going grocery shopping, okay? you need to eat more,” minseok scolded. “i’ll take her later tonight,” luhan offered, and minseok nodded. “good. buy lots of food!” she said, kissing luhan on the lips before leaving.

luhan and jinwoo walked to jinwoo’s apartment building, sharing earbuds. jinwoo took hers out, and luhan looked down in confusion.

“what’s really going on tomorrow?” jinwoo asked. “its not like auntie to suddenly propose a vacation in the middle of march.” luhan groaned, running his hands through his hair. “i really didn’t want things to end this way,” he muttered, and jinwoo stopped walking, yanking luhan back through the earbuds. “yah!” he shouted, frustrated and pulling out the earbud. “what was that for?”

“luhannie, where are you going?” jinwoo said softly.

“to your house, silly,” luhan chuckled nervously.

“stop playing around, oppa! what’s going on?” jinwoo exclaimed, voice raising.

“...we’re moving,” luhan muttered, avoiding jinwoo’s doe eyes, “back to china. and we’re not coming back anytime soon.”

jinwoo’s eyes widened. her long eyelashes blinked streams of tears down her cheeks. luhan frowned and enveloped his cousin in a hug. she buried her face into luhan’s shoulder and cried harder.

“luhan-oppa, you idiot!” she sobbed, weakly hitting his back. “what about minseok-unnie?”

“i know, i know, i’m the worst,” he sighed.

“you can’t leave us! i won’t let you!”

“jinwoo...i have no choice.”

“please, don’t leave…” she said, voice fading into a whisper.

“i’m sorry, jinwoo, i really am.”

-

jinwoo and luhan sat inside jinwoo’s room on her pristine, white bed.

“how are you going to tell her?” jinwoo says quietly, hugging her knees to her chest. luhan groans.

“i have no idea. i waited too long...i feel terrible,” luhan said, lying down on the bed. “i don’t want to hurt her. it’s the last thing i wanted, i love her so much...we were supposed to win our championship games together, then go to the same university. then we’d become doctors, and when we’re rich and middle-aged, she’ll own a coffee shop and i’ll become a soccer coach. we were going to have two sons and a daughter.” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands. “it was perfect.”

the two cousins were silent for a little until jinwoo reached out and grabbed luhan’s hand.

“however you let go of unnie, make sure you do it right...i don’t want to pick up her pieces when you’re gone.”

-

minseok was concerned. luhan had been avoiding skinship the whole day and hardly interacted with her. he seemed awfully unfocused and uncomfortable. she left her fourth period class immediately after the lunch bell rang and waited patiently at her lunch table. jinwoo joined her shortly after, and when she saw luhan entering the cafeteria she took a deep breath before approaching her boyfriend, whose eyes widened as he caught view of the pretty soccer star.

“luhannie, is everything alright? you looked a little...antsy during class today,” minseok said, reaching out to brush the silky soft hair out of her beloved’s face. they walked back to their table, where jinwoo watched silently. luhan put down his lunch tray, but didn’t sit down.

“minseok-ah...i need to talk to you about something,” he mumbled, “in private.”

minseok frowned. “sure, lu,” she said, giving jinwoo a confused look before being pulled along into the empty hallways.

“minseok, i love you a lot, and these past few years have been the best of my life. you’ve taught me so much and impacted my life so greatly and positively...i wouldn’t regret a single moment we spent together,” luhan said, looking minseok straight in the eyes.

“the same goes for me, luhan...but why all of a sudden?” she said hesitantly.

“minseok...i have to break up with you.”

-----

a/n

ahh i'm so nervous! i hope you guys enjoy this.

feedback is greatly appreciated! feel free to leave me a comment about your opinion on this story. thank you so much <3