“MIA KWON!” Sehun yelled on top of his lungs as he stopped on serving balls to Mia. “Mia, are you on Earth?”

Mia snapped back to reality, realizing that Sehun has already started serving. “Ah… I’m sorry Sehunnie…”

He showed his pearlies and announced, “Let’s call it a day. You seemed tired, that’s why you’re spacing out.”

As Mia packs her things, Sehun turned his head to where Mia was staring at. He witnessed the new ulzzang Nurse Luhan conversing with some giddy female students.

Is she…jealous? She really likes that new nurse, huh. Why him? Why can’t it be… he said to himself as he observes him cap-a-pie. Then he looked at himself. Bah, he’s just a nurse. Not much of a rival.

He travelled to the restroom for a break. As he went outside of the male restroom, Nurse Luhan was talking to Mia. The nurse was obviously comfortable with her, add the fact that they’re having some skinship while Mia tried her best to hide her feels, acting like she’s totally unaffected by his presence.

“You’re not having cramps anymore, Mia-nim?” Luhan queried.

She nodded cheerfully.

He ruffled her hair fondly and said, “That’s good. You need to balance school, sports and health. How long do you practice now?”

She scratched her chin while trying to estimate her hours of practice. “I think two to three hours a day. Before, four to five hours. I’m a perfectionist, you see. It runs in the blood.”

“I see. That’s why you can easily do a hard move like backspin so well. It’s a perfect amalgamate of physics and prowess,” he commented.

“My nose is bleeding…ugh, too much science,” she joked while wiping her wiping her philtrum.

He checked her face to see if she’s having epis taxis. “D-Do you wana go to the clinic? –takes her hand– Are you alright?”

Before they both stare into each other’s eyes, Sehun barged in and disdained Nurse Luhan,  “So you’re the new nurse, huh? Do nurses have to FLIRT with students?”

Mia came to the rescue, placing herself in between the two boys and explained, “It’s not like that.  –waves hands– Nurse Luhan just asked me about my cramps…”

“Why would you ask about her cramps? It’s not as serious as a sprain!”

Nurse Luhan gave Mia a reassuring smile and explicated his side, “Her feet and her arms and neck had craps all at the same time. That’s something to worry about. It means that her body is over fatigued. I’m just making sure she won’t encounter that again. Are you perhaps… –looks at Mia– her boyfriend?”

“No,” he sternly answered. “You’re a school nurse and you should know your limitations. You don’t FLIRT with students then get away from it.” He pulled Mia by the wrist and dragged her away from him.

“S-Sehun… Why are you doing this? I-It hurts…” Mia softly whispered as she struggled following Sehun’s fast pace.

He stopped from walking and scold her with his coldest voice, “That’s guy flirting you. Isn’t that obvious? He’ll just toy with your feelings. Mia Kwon, wake up.”

Mia freed her wrist and defended, “And so? It’s my first time to like someone. If he’s just flirting with me, let him be. He might not like me and he’s just playing games with me, but let him be. If this is the only way for us to communicate, it’s okay. It’s better to be than this than nothing.

“You said you’re gonna support me. Now where’s your word?”

“Why won’t you just fall for someone who loves you back? Why won’t you just like someone who won’t toy with your feelings? Why does it have to be him? You know I’m your friend and I have supported you in all things you do, I don’t think I can this time. You’ll just gonna hurt yourself in the end. And I don’t wanna see you cry. That will hurt me down to the inner depths of my soul. I’m sorry Mia, not this time,” he replied with shaky voice and teary eyes, then left.
 

A rainy afternoon followed the drama. Sehun was already home, on his bed, under his blanket, curled and crying. Mia was in the tennis court sitting while hugging her knew, drenched wet and weeping.

I’m a bad friend. I should’ve listened to him. I was selfish. All I ever cared for was myself. Sehunnie just wants what’s the best for me. It’s just a crush. Just a crush. And I won’t let that crush ruin my friendship with Sehun. Maybe I should…

Mia’s train of thoughts were interrupted when she felt the cold rain has stopped. She looked upward and found herself being screened from the rain by a black umbrella. “Sehunnie, is that you?”

The figure holding the umbrella squatted and answered, “No, it’s me, Nurse Luhan. What are you doing here all alone and soaking wet? You’re gonna catch a cold or something worse. Let’s go to the clinic to get you warm.”

Nurse Luhan carried her in his arms to the clinic. As her body laid down on the bed, he immediately threw her a towel, prepared mug with coffee and checked Mia’s temperature. “Where are your things?” he questioned as he fix her coffee.

“Umm… I think I left it in our locker room. W-Why Nurse Luhan?”

He gave her the cup of coffee and replied, “I’m gonna get them, of course. Drink that to get warm, okay?”

Before his foot could make a move, Mia tugged the back of his uniform. “N-Nurse Luhan…p-please don’t go. J-Just…s-stay with m-me…”

He seated beside her and asked, “Why? There are no ghosts here. Is your locker oom locked already? Why, what’s wrong?”

She held grip on his arm and shook her head. She wanted to say something but she just bit her lip.

“What are you afraid of?” he queried, looking into her eyes.

She lowered her gaze from Luhan’s beautiful eyes and confessesd, “I’m afraid of being alone,” then chewed her lip in fear. She looked at Luhan’s face and he gave her an I-will-listen-to-your-story look.

“This fear started when I first entered elementary. I was happy on my first day of school because I had a lot of classmates there. But after class, I became sad because I don’t wanna go home alone. I was wailing like a lost child, so my teacher called my parents. Unfortunately, both of them were busy at work. Luckily, my oppa came to the rescue. He was in fifth grade that time, and a member of the tennis club. My parents decided he’ll fetch me home every day. I joined the tennis club as well, just to be with him. But when he reached college, I was left alone again. I tried hard to stop my irrational fear of being alone, but it didn’t work. I don’t wanna bother my parents or my oppa.

“One day, I decided  to go home by myself but I got lost. Then, there’s this boy  who approached me and asked me what was wrong. I told him I was lost and he helped me. Then we go home together. But now…”

“Now what?”

Tears flow on her face as she continued, “He’s mad at me because I have a crush on a flirt and I forced him to support me. I’ve been too selfish. Maybe he’s right. He just wants what’s best for me.”

Luhan fished in his pocket a hankerchief and wiped Mia’s tears. “Maybe you can talk this out.”

She nodded lightly, feeling sheepish all of a sudden. “I-I better get going Nurse Luhan… I-I’ll…”

Luhan leaned his face closer to her and emphasized, “I said maybe YOU can talk this out.”

“I-I… –pushes Luhan away lightly–  Yes, I’ll talk to h-him later that’s why I’m going home–”

“You can talk this out with the FLIRT –pulls Mia to him– you like, Mia Kwon.”

Mia’s eyes were filled with horror and her cheeks were colored with pink as she saw Luhan’s smug smile. “You know that I like you? H-How?!?”

He whispered to Mia’s ear, “Well, you were good at hiding it, not avoiding me or doing anything ridiculous. But that friend of yours named Oh Se Hun made it too obvious. There’s a reason why I gave you my phone number.”

“I-I was… I was planning to call you… for umm… a… some tea time at my favorite coffee shop my father owns… but then, umm… I got shy and…”

He took her hand and declared, “Go out with me tomorrow at your favorite coffee shop. I’ll call you after class.”

“That was fast. Wait, you know my number?!”

“I’m the school nurse, remember? –pulls Mia to stand up–  Let’s go, I’m taking you home.”

“You know where I live?! Am I on the brink of insanity?!?”

“Mia! What took you so long to go home?!” Mia’s mother questioned her as she and Luhan enters home.

“She got caught in the rain so I brought her to the clinic to get warm, ma’am,” Luhan answered as he helps Mia change footwear.

Mia’s brother barged in, surprised to see his sister with another boy. “Who are you?”

Luhan showed his radiant smile and answered, “I’m her boyfriend.”

Mia, her mother and her brother stared at him, screamed in chorus, “WHAT?!?”

Mia’s father heard the commotion and entered the sence. “You’re Mia’s boyfriend?” he asked , pointing at Luhan.   

Luhan nodded with a grin.

“Come, let’s have dinner together.”

When her family left to the dinner room, Luhan backhugged her and uttered, “I fixed your cramps, now I’m gonna heal that monophobia of yours.”