I was fifteen that time, first year high school student with full scholarship. My grandpa made enough money for us as a teacher, but I had to do something to less his burden and I believe by keeping my scholarship will help him a little. It’s the only thing I could do after all the things he did for me.

I was home after the all day study in the library and I believed we had a guest that afternoon because there was a pair of shoes which didn’t belong to me or grandpa.

“Grandpa, I’m home.”

“Oh, Minseok. Look who come..”

That boy sat with a cup of tea in his hand. I bet he was here for a quiet long time already because everyone knew how long it need for my grandpa to make a cup of tea. He takes forever. ‘It should be perfect, Minseok.’ That’s what he always told me every time I complained about the amount of time he took.

“Emm.. Sorry.. But emm.. I.. don’t.. know.. him?” I asked, turning my head to grandpa.

“Take your time Minseok. I’ll leave both of you to talk.” And he went back to the kitchen.

“Sorry.. I don’t want to sound rude, but, do I know you?”

He looked kind of familiar to me, but I really don’t have an idea who he is. He kept quiet and smiled. He looked really creepy. Then he took out a piece of paper and there was our address written in the paper with green color pencil. I was really confused at that time. He started to freak me out like this.

“Uhh.. Do I owe you something in the past? I really have no idea if you don’t tell me, you know? What’s your name?”

“Luhan..”

“I never had a friend name Luhan. Maybe the neighbor, but I think I know all of them. Or maybe I missed some of it, but it— ”

“You can call me Lulu if you want, although it sounds like a girl, or that’s how I heard about it from a little friend.”

“—can’t be that. Wait what? Lulu? As in a little boy who was crying because he was lost at the park for chasing balloon?”

“Yes”

“The young master?”

“Em.. Yeah.. I am..”

“Omo.. I can’t believe it. You are all grown up Lulu.”

“So are you Minnie.. But I think you like your chubby cheeks so much huh? You still keep it that way till now.”

“This is my asset you know? I treasure it so much, mind you. Why are you here by the way?”

“Well, I was—”

“Boys, foods ready. Luhan, let’s eat together.” grandpa came out from the kitchen while removing his apron.

“Thank you grandpa. But my mama is on her way here to pick me up. Ah! She is here..”

That woman, Luhan’s mom, looked so lovely and kind. And at that brief moment, I knew why Luhan is so pretty, he resembled his mom, a lot. The time she met my grandpa, her expression changed. I didn’t know what it was exactly. Shock, fear, sadness, I didn’t know. At the same time, my grandpa grabbed my shoulder tightly and he had this same expression as Luhan’s mom. But there was something more. Anger. I know it well after spending all these years with him. It’s the same expression as that time when he knew someone bullied me in the kindergarten. He told me to check the foods in the kitchen and I did after I greet Luhan’s mom. When I went back to the front door, Luhan and his mom were gone.

I didn’t know why and how, but after that day. Luhan and his mom came to visit me and grandpa at least once a week. They even brought foods sometimes and we ended up eating together.

It was a week after my graduation day. I was preparing hard for college’s entry exams. I need to pass it with scholarship, then get some work and let my grandpa rest. He often got sick these past days and can’t go to the school to teach. He was so old and now is the time for me to take care of him. And that was the biggest regret in my life because I was too late. He passed away before I could do anything. I didn’t know what to do. The world crushed in front of me.

My grandpa looked like he was having a good sleep. But I knew he’ll never wake up. He won’t call me Minnie anymore. I can’t complain him about his tea addiction anymore. No one will sneak to my room every night to tug me to the blanket anymore. The only person I had was gone.

I didn’t remember telling Luhan about it, but he was there with his mom. I cried in his shoulder, and he cried too. I never cried this much. The only time I cried was when I though grandpa leaves me while he was only have an extra class to teach at night and forget to tell me. I tried to not cry in front of grandpa’s gravestone. He hated it the most when I cry. He said I look so ugly, uglier than the auntie in front of our house when she didn’t have make-up on. No one will tell me that anymore.

I rented my house for a pregnant woman in a cheap price and ended up living in Luhan’s house. His mom brought me there because she thought that I’ll be safer that way. I really didn’t know how to repay her, but I will find a way one day, I will make sure of it. Luhan’s house is big. There were so many housemaids, chauffer, gardener and such. She gave a big room for me. A room that was twice bigger than what I had before. And since that day I promised myself to serve Luhan’s family in a way and another.

“I didn’t take you here to let you serve me Minseok. I told you I’ll took care of you and I promised your grandpa to do my best. You are not a burden.”

“But I can’t do it this way, Mrs. Lu—”

“It’s auntie for you, Kim Minseok.”

“But I can’t do it this way, auntie. I can’t just live in your house and do nothing. You did too much for me. I will find a job soon and move out, and I’ll try to pay you back what I owed you. But it won’t be too soon I think.”

“You know that it’s not the option right?”

“Then the only option for me is doing some house chores or something in here. To ease my guilt of course”

 “I don’t have a chance of winning this argument, do I?”

“I guess so mam.. auntie” I said before she can protest.

“Huh.. It’s still not an option Minseok. But I have a better option for you.”

“May I know what is it?”

“To repay what you called as my kindness, you have to tutor Luhan. You know that he doesn’t have good relationship with ‘academic’ right? But he has to go to the university soon. You’ll go with the same university as him. Help him study, past the test and graduate with a good results. He can’t be a successor with his barely-past grades.”

“Luhan is not that stupid auntie.”

“Of course he is not. But he needs someone to keep reminding him about his falling grades. And you should do it because I gave up since a long time ago.” she said calmly.

“Okay then. I’ll try to get the scholarship for that university and tutor Luhan, make sure he has good results when he graduate. I’ll serve him as best as I can.”

“Wait. Why do you have to have scholarship? I will pay all the fees Minseok.”

“That’s not how it should go auntie..”

“Fine.. Anyway you want Minseok.. And don’t use the word ‘serve’ because you are not his butler. You are his friend and friend doesn’t serve their friend.”

“Yes.. Auntie..”