The streets were dark as the man aimlessly walked down them. It was his last night in his hometown and he had mixed feelings.
It had been five years since he had left Beijing for good. A part of him wanted to stay like it always did but a larger part of him wanted to go back to Seoul where his life now was.
Lu Han had left his parents’ house to take a walk so that he could soak in the city and take it back with him. But he was now beginning to regret it.
His breath rose up in puffs of steam in the cold November night and he longed for the warmth of being indoors. Winter seemed to have arrived early.
Lu Han shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and started hurrying towards a familiar, quaint restaurant that he frequented when he was a teenager.

A vague smile crossed his features when he stepped into the restaurant. The smell of food greeted him immediately, accompanied by warmth that was nothing but homely.
He bowed when he saw the owner standing behind the counter; her smile didn’t seem to have lost its lustre.
The place was exactly like he remembered it to be. The smaller tables lined the walls on every side while the only one large enough to accommodate more than six people was situated a few feet from the counter. A staircase led to the top floor of the restaurant. They weren’t allowed up when they were kids, now he knew it was because they served alcohol on the floor which had been a mystery for years.
Lu Han shook his head as he sat at a table in the far corner of the restaurant. The memories of how he and his friends noisily imposed their presence on the place invaded his mind, he couldn’t help but smile.

Lu Han wasn’t aware of the woman approaching him and was startled when he heard her say his name. He looked up at her with wide eyes, not exactly sure how to react.
Her presence was one he often associated with the place; after all, she always accompanied him after his football practices.

Song Quan-yin smiled brightly at Lu Han, leaving him speechless for a few moments. The possibility of running into her had not occurred to him the entire time he had been in Beijing. But it had happened and he did not know how he was supposed to deal with it.
After a short moment of gaping though, Lu Han smiled almost as brightly as Quan-yin did. The fact that he was able to do so surprised him too.
Lu Han had expected to feel...he didn’t know what he had expected to feel but he certainly had not expected to feel nothing. But here he was, smiling at his ex-girlfriend like he didn’t even care.

The woman was quick to notice how carefree his smile was and a part of her sank. She loved her husband, she truly did, and there were no lingering feelings for her first love anymore. But when Quan-yin had seen Lu Han walk in, she had wanted to show him what he had left behind. She had wanted to show him that she was doing much better without him, that he was just a chapter from the past.
It irked her that his face reflected no regret, nothing that she wanted to see in him.

“I didn’t expect to run into you,” Lu Han said, his eyes incredibly sincere.

Quan-yin tried to fight off a frown. That was supposed to be her line!
“How is Korea treating you?” she asked.

“It’s been good.”
He noticed her eyebrows slightly rising.
“I love it there,” he added.

“I’m glad,” Quan-yin smiled again, “I wish we could talk more but I need to leave.”
She almost found herself bowing but she stopped herself. With a wave that gave him a good view of her wedding ring, she turned and left. Her husband was waiting outside in the car.

Lu Han chuckled once he was alone again.
She had not even let him speak much, let alone allowed him to apologise for not being able to attend her wedding. He supposed it was okay. It looked like she didn’t mind. He didn’t care either.
The realisation left him feeling extremely light.

When the owner came up to him to take his order, his smile was extra bright.
“You look better than ever, young man,” t