After having take-out Chinese food as their dinner, Sehun decided to call it a day. He thought that both of them needed rest, plus he had other plans for them the next day. It would be a school day, but Sehun had other things that he thought to be more important for him to handle. He was determined to get Hana into his school for her to continue her educations. Sehun knew that Hana was always enthusiastic about learning but she just did not have the luck to experience school like other girls of her age. How he would get an unknown girl into a prestigious school would be decided in the morning. Right then, they needed to sleep.

                Saying that it was awkward when Sehun said good night was an understatement. Sehun internally cursed himself when he remembered that he had not even assigned a room or told Hana where she would be sleeping. The apprehensive stare that Hana gave him was also not helping. They could not possibly sleep together. Although they were friends, they were still a fully-grown boy and a fully-grown girl.

                Although Sehun’s penthouse had four spacious bedrooms complete with personal bathrooms excluding his, he could not ask Hana to sleep in one of them. Sehun had always been nonchalant about everything; therefore the other bedrooms had nothing other than a queen bed in each of them.  He was fortunate that every two days a housekeeper would come and tidy everything up or else the other rooms would be covered in dust already.

                Sehun had never been the one who liked to share things. The only person who had been on his bed was Jongin, and that was because that guy himself was persistent in annoying every fibre of Sehun’s being. Even when his parents came over, he would ask them to stay in the nearby hotel. So he himself was shocked when he found himself saying, “You can take my bed, I can sleep in another room.”

                “It’s okay, really. I can even sleep on the couch,” Hana said with guilt laced in her tone.

                “No, you are sleeping in my bedroom. It’s much more comfortable. Don’t worry about me, I’m a heavy sleeper, I can sleep anywhere.”

-

                Sleep did not visit Sehun that night. He spent the night counting sheep, playing games on his phone and even observing his hands in the dark. Sehun had always been the person who could not sleep well unless he was in his own bed. He contemplated on calling Jongin to accompany him through that long night, but he still had a little bit of sympathy towards his best friend so he decided against it when he saw the clock on his phone stating 3:47a.m.

                He tossed and the unfamiliar bed, but he still could not sleep. However, he regretted nothing if him not sleeping meant that Hana had a nice rest. He was worried that she would not get used to her new surroundings but judging by the silence in his house, he could tell that she was sleeping peacefully. He hoped that she would open up to face a new, brighter life, but at the same time he was also worried about the consequences of his actions. He still had his parents that he had to worry about. He was still their child; there was no way that everything would be concealed for a long period of time. Determined on getting all the stress out of his head, he finally fell asleep.

-

                “Ladies and gentlemen, wake the up because Kim Jongin is here! Rise and... !”

                Jongin stood frozen in his spot when he saw a girl sleeping on his best friend’s bed instead of his own best friend because obviously, it was his best friend’s bed. He stared at the sleeping figure, unblinkingly with his jaw dropped to the floor. What had happened in the last 18 hours since he last saw Oh Sehun?

                Sensing that everything was too odd to make sense, he shouted with all his might.

                “OH SEHUN!!!”

                The scream awakened both Hana, and Sehun who was in another room. Hana rubbed her eyes that were still heavy with sleep but immediately stood straight on the bed when she noticed the stranger. She tried to explain, but nothing came out of . What was she going to say? That she was bought by Sehun? That she was then living with him? She settled for nothing so ended up closing without uttering a word.

                Sehun then walked into the room while rubbing his eyes, hair sticking everywhere. “What the hell Jongin? It’s 7 in the morning!”

                “Yes, which is a school day which completely turns the table so WHAT THE HELL SEHUN? IT’S 7 IN THE MORNING!”

                “Relax, I want to stay at home today. You better get going now before you get detention.”

                “Uh, I’m not moving unless you tell me WHY THE HELL IS A ING GIRL SLEEPING ON YOUR BED?!”

                Only then that Sehun’s brain started working completely. He side-glanced the bed and saw Hana staring at both of them with an unreadable expression.

                “Jongin, language.”

                “Ha-ha. Very funny. Now, spill.”

                Ignoring Jongin, Sehun turned to Hana. “Hana, take a shower and get dressed. We’re going somewhere today.”

                “Hey, I’m still here you know!” Jongin flailed his arm with exasperation evident on his face.

                “I know, let’s go talk in the living room,” Sehun stated while walking out of his bedroom with Jongin in tow, leaving Hana alone in confusion.

-

                “YOU DID WHAT?!”

                “Stop shouting, you’re making my head hurt.”

                “SO WHAT?! YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY “OH CONGRATULATIONS MY FRIEND, YOU JUST GOT YOURSELF A GIRL IN YOUR HOUSE!” IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!”

                “No, but the truth is, even I don’t know what I’m doing or how I’m supposed to feel,” Sehun replied while burying his head in his palms.

                Noticing the crestfallen expression on his best friend’s face, Jongin sat beside Sehun on the spacious couch.

                Putting his arm on Sehun’s shoulders, Jongin asked, “So, what’s going to happen next?”

                “I don’t know.”

                “Did your parents know about this?”

                “What – of course not! They would kill me if they do.”

                “So what can I do to help?”

                This was one of the many reasons why Sehun really treasured Jongin as his best friend. He would scold and curse him all the way if he made mistakes but at the end of the day, he would still be there. He had always been the person giving him the shoulder and laughing with him through everything. He seriously could not ask for a better best friend.

                “You know how I spent 100000000won buying her that night when -”

                “Yeah which was really stupid,” Jongin interjected.

                “She’s my friend! I had to help her.”

                Jongin only rolled his eyes. He knew that Sehun had always been an unreasonable person. “Yes, continue please.”

                “So, sooner or later my parents would definitely find out about the missing 100000000won. I have been thinking yesterday, and the only thing that came to my mind that makes sense of me spending 100000000won is me… buying a new car.”

                Realization hit Jongin later than Sehun expected. “No, no, no, no, a thousand times no! I’m not getting involved in this catastrophe and neither my brother.”

                “Please Jongin, just ask your brother to let me borrow one of the cars. I just bought my car from his store a month ago; consider this as a… thank you gift?” Sehun tried with an unconfident smile.

                Jongin knew that he could never win with Sehun so he ended up asking, “What am I supposed to tell him?”

                “Just tell him that I want to borrow a car for a few months, and I will definitely return it with the exact same condition that it’s given to me,” Sehun replied with hope in his eyes.

                Exhaling an annoyed breath, Jongin uttered, “Fine, but this is it. I’m not helping you anymore.”

                “Actually…”

                “WHAT?! JUST SAY IT OH SEHUN! SAY EVERYTHING THAT YOU ING WANT!”

                “Jeez, relax. I’m just asking you to maybe... umm… do you think that you could register Hana as one of the students in our school? You’re close with the principal, right?”

                “Yeah he’s my ing uncle.”

                “Right, so help me with this, will you?”

                Standing up and walking towards the front door, Jongin yelled, “I can’t believe that I’m still friends with you.”

                “Thanks buddy. I love you! And oh, make sure she’s in the same class as us, by the way!”

                “Whatever, loser. I’m late for school already!”

-

                Sehun hurriedly went to his room to get his clothes and his personal belongings. Thankfully, Hana was still in the shower when he entered. After choosing a baby blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, he quickly went out of his room. Although they needed to talk, having a conversation with Hana in a towel was not an ideal one.

                Sehun quickly went into the bathroom of his temporary bedroom to take a shower. Thankfully, all the bathrooms in his house had extra toothbrushes in them in case that anyone decided to stay the night (not that anyone really had, the only friend he had ever brought into his house was Jongin and even that bastard slept in his room). After dressing himself up and fixing his hair until he thought that he at least looked decent, he went out to the living room.

                Sehun was in for a pleasant surprise when he caught Hana in the kitchen trying to find some ingredients in the cupboards. He could not help but stand at the doorway, leaning at the door while scrutinizing Hana’s every movement. She looked like a lost puppy trying to find its mother. Sehun definitely did not miss the triumphant smile on Hana’s face when she found a box of pancake mix in the upper drawer.

                “Make sure you check the due date.”

                “What -” Hana turned around with a shocked expression but smiled when she saw Sehun. “Good morning.”

                “Good morning. I said check the due date. I don’t even know since when that thing have been there.”

                Hana squinted her eyes to see the tiny writings at the base of the box. Sehun thought that she looked cute like that.

                “Yeah, it’s still fine. Are pancakes for breakfast okay for you?”

                “Couldn’t be better.”

                Sehun spent the next fifteen minutes watching Hana. Hana mixing the flour, Hana scooping the mixture, Hana frying the pancake. It was lucky that that day was the day which the housekeeper would not come, as she was the one who served him breakfast every two days. On the days which she did not come, he would just barge into Jongin’s house to have some breakfast before going to school together.

                Taking out his phone, he wrote:

                Ahjumma, you don’t need to come over for the next few weeks. I don’t know until when, but I will tell you if I need you. Thank you!

                Sent.

                “Milk or juice?”

                Hana’s voice made Sehun jump a little. He quickly put his phone back into his pocket.

                “Milk, please.”

                “Tch, such a baby,” Hana said while pouring the milk into a glass while juice into another.

                Sehun watched Hana with amusement. Hana definitely changed a lot in just one night. Sure she still did not engage in a full conversation with him, but her responding and making jokes are more than enough.

                “Why?”

                “Why what?” Hana asked while taking a seat in front of Sehun. The hot pancakes are already served in front of both of them.

                “Why do you talk so much today?”

                Sehun did not mean for it to sound that way, but it looked like it did sound that way by the way Hana’s face fell. She started fidgeting with the fork in her hand and casted her eyes towards her plate.

                “Well…”

                Sehun waited for her to finish her sentence, but she did not. Sehun thought that he really deserved to jump off a 99-floor building, get hit by a truck then eaten by a group of cheetahs for making Hana go back to how she had been when she voluntarily tried to change herself.

                “Let’s eat,” Sehun croaked out.

                They ate their breakfast in complete silence. Only the sound of forks clanking with the plates can be heard. Sehun occasionally glanced at Hana, but she just kept her face down. Sehun did not even stop cursing himself the entire time.

                After finished eating, Sehun proposed to wash the dishes, but Hana insisted she wanted to saying that it would be one of the ways for her to feel less guilty for living with Sehun for free. He just let her and waited for her in front of the TV. Flipping through the channels, he found that nothing was interesting so he just laid on the couch without even bothering to turn off the TV.

                Just when he thought he was falling asleep, Hana came while whispering a quiet, “I’m done.” Haphazardly, Sehun stood up and almost fell by the sudden movement. He saw Hana chuckling a little bit, so he felt relieved. At least she was better than a few minutes ago.

                “Let’s go.”

                “Where to?” Hana asked, looking puzzled.

                “To get you a school uniform.”

-

                Sehun parked his car outside a store that sold school uniforms and necessities. Just as he was getting out, Hana softly tugged his sleeve.

                “Why?”

                “I… don’t even go to school.”

                “Don’t worry; you are going to my school.”

                Hana looked at him with glassy eyes and he could tell that she was baffled. “Listen Hana, you are my friend so I want the best for you. I know how much you want to continue your studies, I could see it. Starting from tomorrow, or maybe the day after, you are coming to school with me. Is that okay?”

                “But I don’t even have any certificates or anything…”

                “Just trust me, okay?”

                She nodded slightly and both of them went out of the car. Sehun walked a little bit slower to match Hana’s pace, but no matter how much he tried, Hana still insisted on walking slightly behind him, though she did not mention it verbally so Sehun let her be.

                They entered the store and Hana could see it was not like normal stores which sold uniforms. This place looked like it was a place for people to go to get their wedding or evening dresses. It was that luxurious-looking. But instead of dresses adorning the windows, sleek-looking school uniforms were displayed. Hana continued to stare around in awe until her face directly met Sehun’s wide back. Only then did she realise that she was not looking straight while walking and that Sehun had stopped abruptly.

                Sehun just glanced backwards and gave her a smile before turning his head back to the front.

                “Excuse me, miss. I want to buy some school uniforms for this lady right here. Can you bring her to try the right size?” Sehun casually talked to one of the promoter.

                The promoter had to move a little to take a look at Hana as she was directly behind Sehun, as if she was trying to hide. “Sure, which school are you from?”

                “Dugeun High.”

                “This way, please,” she replied with a sweet smile.

                Hana looked at Sehun as if she was trying to ask for help, but Sehun just laughed and pushed her a little. “Go.”

-

                Sehun waited on the couch provided while fumbling with his phone. He saw that he had six missed calls and three new messages from Jongin. Opening them, he read them one by one.

                All done. She can come tomorrow.

                Come to my brother’s store whenever you like to take the car.

                You ing owe me your life.

                Sehun was really grateful that he had Jongin. Smiling a bit, he replied, “Thanks honey! YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU! MUAH!!!”

                Within a few seconds, he got an “EWWWWW!” as a response.

                He quickly kept his phone when the door of the fitting room opened and Hana walked out. Sehun had always thought that his school uniform and even the girls’ were hideous, but Hana proved it wrong. Sehun thought that she looked very pretty in the uniform. From her black shoes, to the short skirt, fitting blazer and even the little pin on her hair, she made going to school looked appealing, contrary to the truth.

                “You look pretty.”

                She did not reply and just stared everywhere except at Sehun.

                He turned towards the promoter and said, “Give me five of those.”

                When the promoter led her to change back to her clothes, Hana froze and looked at Sehun. “Can’t I stay in this? I really like it,” she whispered in a small voice.

                Sehun could see that Hana was really excited to be in the uniform. After all, she was a girl who was denied access to much-deserved education and free life.

                “Please pack her clothes from before too.”

-

                After paying for the uniform, they went to the stationary section, with Hana still in a school uniform. Hana was like a little child in Sehun’s eyes. Although it was not obvious, he could see the way she would skip once in a while, indicating that she was really happy.

                “Just pick anything that you would like. But make sure you also take the important stuffs like pens and notebooks. Wait for me at the counter.”

                “Okay.”

                While Hana was busy picking the stationaries, Sehun went to the bag section. He already knew which bag he would like Hana to own. Making a beeline towards the ‘Limited Edition’ section, he quickly took a bag that was exactly the same design as his; the only difference was it being pink while his was black. The same went for the pencil case, he picked the exact same one as his but pink in colour.

                Walking leisurely towards the counter, he could see Hana waiting with a basket that looked too heavy for her fragile body. She only looked down while holding the basket filled with stationaries.

                “Are these okay?”

                Hana looked up and her eyes shone when she saw the bags. Although the designs were simple, she really liked them.

                “I love them.”

                Sehun paid for all the items using his credit card. He could see Hana staring at her soon-to-be backpack while the cashier was packing it, so he told the cashier to leave the backpack out.

                Carrying all the plastics using one hand, Sehun used his other hand to hand Hana the backpack.

                “Here, wear this.”

                Sehun really liked the bright smile that Hana showed him, so he figured that it was okay for the cashier to look at them weirdly.

                “Well, looks like you are ready for school, student Ji Hana.”