Chapter Seven

"You can look around if you want," Mrs. Kim said while smiling. She looked awfully similar to somebody Sehun knew, but he couldn't remember exactly who.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kim," Sehun replied with a smile just as warm as hers was. He stood up and looked around at the photos of a baby girl hung up on the wall, and chuckled at her adorableness. His eyes kept wandering but then stopped immediately on one particular family photo. The two adults that he just met, Mr. and Mrs. Kim were in the picture while smiling brightly in front of a dark blue background color. But the thing that caught his attention was not them but rather, the person that sat in front of the two in a small chair. She was dressed in a black dress that was a more sheer black fabric at the sleeves and above her chest, her hair holding beach waves until it stops at her waist. And not to forget her eyesmile being super cute, like always.

"No, this is her house!?" 

Haru sighed. How did she get put into this position: her and Sehun feeling nowhere near close to each other and then all of a sudden, she would have to work with him almost every day for the Autumn Joy project?

Haru's posture slackened as she walked back home from school after Angel Wings ended at around six. She trudged under the dull, cloudy sky and was already about halfway done with the walk until she had a sudden urge to go somewhere. She walked back to the school briskly, but she didn't stop at the school. She kept walking in a fast pace until she felt the cool breeze of the lake and heard the chattering from the night market that she could see from far away.

Haru leaned against the railing of the bridge, and sighed. "Hello Mrs. Lee," she said with curved into a small smile. "It's been a while, huh?" She thought about it for a minute and remembered the last visit being around a month ago. She used to go everyday and had hopes whenever she went there, hopes to see a particular someone, but this time she came just to go back home with a clear mind. The lake was soothing and comforting, like Sehun had said it was.

Haru mumbled, "At least he didn't lie about that."

She turned around, leaning her back on the railing, and watched the city lights on the other side with cars zooming by below. It took a bit of time for her to come out with what she really wanted to say. "In all honesty, Mrs. Lee, I don't even know if your name is Mrs. Lee." She swiftly turned back to the lake in annoyance with a pout on her face. "Did you know your son had been lying to me all this time?"

She stopped talking when she came to a realization and sighed. What was this even supposed to do for her? If anything, it would make Haru feel even more frustrated and sick inside. The best thing for her was to just stay away from anything related to Sehun.

"It was nice talking to you today, Mrs. Lee," Haru smiled, for real. "I'll be headed home now." 

She suddenly remembered three years ago when Sehun walked her home because he stated girls shouldn't walk around alone at night.

"Don't worry," she assured. "I'll be careful walking home."

And the sad part was that in all honesty, she didn't know if what she said was meant for Sehun or his mother.

Ringing the doorbell to her house, she looked at the tiny piece of paper with Sehun's phone number scribbled on it one last time before shoving it in her coat pocket.

"Haru, you're home!" Haru's mom cheered when she opened the door to a tired looking Haru. Mrs. Kim wanted to worry for her exhausted looking daughter, but all she could say was: "Come, come. I've already set up dinner."

Haru nodded with a weak smile and let her mom drag her to the dinner table.

"Haru, we have guests," Mr. Kim told her when she was looking down at the floor, sincerely wanting to go to sleep i