Luhan is strolling across a silent park somewhere in Seoul when he meets the love of his life for the second time…

…Hanging on a branch of a tree.

“Help! Ohmygod I’m going to fall! Somebody heeeeelp!!” The look on her face is that of complete horror, and she tightens her grip on the branch when she feels that she is going to fall. “I’M GOING TO FALL SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP MEE!!!”

Luhan is statued onto his position. His second encounter with her is in such a… unique case scenario, but nonetheless, he is utterly dumbfounded because…

The lady Luhan has vowed to himself that he would find in Seoul even if it costs his life, she is right there in front of him…

…Hanging on a branch of a tree.

“HELP MEEEEEE!!!!” She screams out, and it seems as if she’s already in tears.

Luhan doesn’t know what to do. He is so nervous and dumbstruck right now, but she is crying for someone’s help and Luhan can’t just stand there like some wax figure, but it’s really her and Luhan’s legs feel like they’re screwed onto the ground.

Yoona keeps on shouting, and suddenly she sees Luhan standing there stupidly, wide eyes glued onto her. She blinks twice, before screaming out at him on top of her lungs.

“HEY, YOU RIGHT THERE!” She yells, and Luhan’s heart skips a beat (although she sounds absolutely angry, she is still looking right at him with those pleading eyes of hers and she’s talking-screaming at him!) “WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR, DON’T YOU SEE THAT SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO FALL?! IF YOU HAVE A HEART YOU’LL NEVER BE JUST STANDING THERE WATCHING A GIRL WHO IS YET TO BECOME 21 YEARS OLD FALL OFF A FREAKING TREE AND DIE!”

That’s when it strikes Luhan.

He has to help the love of his life.

She cannot die, not when he has finally found her after an entire year.

But she always seems to be in trouble whenever Luhan sees her.

“I’m coming!” He shouts out at her with the biggest grin plastered on his face, and one of her hands has already slipped off the branch. She cries out once again as Luhan runs over to the tall, tall, tree.

He squints at her. “How did you even end up there in the first place?” Luhan asks curiously, and the girl bites her lips unhappily.

“I climbed, but I don’t know how to get down…” She mutters, looking abashed. “Does that even matter right now HOW DO I GET DOWN?!” Luhan has never thought that her voice could be this deafening.

“Okay, okay I’ll get you down. You need to calm down first.” Luhan says, but he can’t help grinning out of joy.

“What are you grinning about? Just do it already.” She frowns deeply at him.

Wow. Rude. Luhan thinks. As always.

The boy gasps, and walks a bit closer to the tree before extending his arms. He looks up at her with a smile and she stares at him as if he’s an unknown type of weird creature.

“What are you even doing?” She snaps in frustration. Luhan smiles. “Jump.”

“WHAT?”

“I said jump. That’s all you need to do.” Luhan says calmly. She makes a face of disbelief. “Are you kidding me, you crazy weirdo? You’re not trying to save me, you’re trying to kill me!” She shouts.

“This is the only way I can help you.” Luhan shrugs. “Now jump.”

“There’s no way in hell I’m-AAAAAHHH!!!!” The other hand that has been supporting her body on the branch slips away and she falls.

She falls into his arms that are welcoming her.

When she opens her tight-shut eyes after releasing the long held breath, the first thing she sees is Luhan’s beaming face and his sparkling eyes.

She has no idea what is happening to Luhan’s heart at the moment.

He is smiling at her, holding her so securely that even she is lost for words for a while until Luhan carefully puts her down on the ground. “I’m your hero, aren’t I?” There’s a hint of mocking in his playful remark, but the truth is that he really means it.

Luhan has never seen her smile that day, and what she does next is also frown, to his biggest disappointment.

“Oh, please, don’t flatter yourself.” She mutters with an eye roll, dusting off her palms, the back of her shorts and T-shirt from the struggle on the tree. “You’re not a hero or anything, but you’ve saved me, so thanks.” She says so very randomly, raising an eyebrow and turning away from him.

“I saved you twice.” She is about to walk away, but stops. “You don’t remember?”

She once again turns to him, her eyebrows creased. “What?”

Luhan sighs internally, realizing that of course, why would she remember just a few minutes’ encounter with a stranger that has happened a year ago?

It is just the same moment from a year ago, but a different situation and a different place. She hasn’t changed, and he hasn’t changed either.

The only thing that has changed is Luhan’s heart.

Even though it’s hard to believe, he really had fallen from her since their first encounter. It is just very normal that she doesn’t remember him, but it is definitely abnormal for Luhan to remember every bit of detail from those few moments for all those months; and every little detail of her.

So, the only conclusion here is that Luhan likes this girl, but this girl doesn’t like him back.

Luhan smiles nonetheless.

(Flashback)

Luhan hasn’t been the biggest fan of strolling, but when his parents are out shopping and having fun by themselves, that’s probably the only thing the only son in the family could do to relieve his own boredom.

Seoul seems like a fun place, but only if he would be able to make some new friends.

Maybe he’ll be able to have fun in Seoul next year when he transfers to Seoul College for his studies.

He is walking alongside the riverside walk when he sees a girl coming his way on a bike. He squints and sees that she is having quite a struggle holding an amazingly massive box with one hand while balancing the bike with the other. Well, she has been struggling in both balancing and holding.

Luhan finds her effort amusing, so he stops and folds his arms, watching her. The first thing he notes is the beauty that isn’t easily hidden even behind that frown on her face.

She is going right past him when she turns to a side and gives him an unfriendly look, probably because she has thought that Luhan has been judging her. What Luhan gives in return is an attractive smile, and before the girl could even look away, the bike has already toppled and she has landed on first onto the ground with a shocked screech.

Better not even talk about the big box and the contents in it that have flung out and are scattered everywhere. All toys.

“Woah, there, are you okay?” Luhan immediately runs over to the girl who is rubbing her back with the intense pain. She looks up at the hand extended towards her. “I’m fine.” She says with a frown. “And I can stand on my own.” She says and attempts to get up immediately, but once again lands on the ground with a wince.

Luhan can’t help but break into a grin and shake his head, but since this girl doesn’t seem the type to accept his help, he turns to the toys that are scattered around.

“These are what you played with when you were a kid?” Luhan sits and picks up a toy duck, raising an eyebrow. “Not bad.” He smiles, and the girl rolls her eyes, managing to stand up albeit with difficulty.

“Are you trying to help me or mock me?” She questions, walking over and starting to pick up the toys. “And these aren’t mine. I’m taking them to my cousin’s house.”

Luhan his head to a side and examines her as she flips the box over, picking up toys one by one and throwing them into it.

This girl is beautiful.

She looks at him when he’s lost into her, and folds her arms when Luhan shakes himself away from the thought and smiles. He picks the toy up and proceeds onto helping her pick up the rest of the toys as well.

When they’re done, the girl reaches for the box and takes it to her arms once again. She looks at Luhan and holds her gaze for quite a while, and no matter how cold that look is, it is still enough to slowly melt his heart.

He has never felt this way to a stranger ever before.

“I could have actually picked all the toys by myself, but since you got in my way, thanks for helping me.” She says, and a small smile creeps up her lips. She looks beautiful when frustrated, but that’s nothing compared to the charm that her smile has given off.

Luhan smiles back at her, keeping the things she’s doing to him aside. “That’s a very interesting way of communicating people.” He says. “Everything you’ve said sounded rude and impolite, but they’ve still made me flattered enough. You’re most welcome.” When Luhan finishes, she ignores his remark and climbs onto her bike, angling the box extra carefully this time.

“That’s the reason why I don’t have many friends, but you’re the first one to find it interesting.” She says. “Goodbye, stranger.” And she just leaves like that without another word.

Luhan suddenly feels really disappointed. This girl has spent just a few minutes with her, has carved something really deep in his heart within moments, and has suddenly left him without any hopes of meeting again. She is different and unique, maybe that’s what has left such a deep impression in Luhan about her.

Suddenly feeling really sad somehow, Luhan starts walking again, wanting to go back home. Something has happened to him after he had seen her, but he himself cannot describe what it is or how it feels like. He just really wants to go back home and just lie down somewhere.

When he takes a certain step, he feels something under his shoe so he halts for a moment and looks down. It’s a piece of hard paper, and there’s something written down on it with black ink. Luhan wonders for a while before bending down and picking it up, trying to make out the neatly noted words dirtied by his footprint.

“From Im Yoona to cousin Jung Eun Mi”

‘Im Yoona’, the name unconsciously slips from his lips.

That is the day Luhan has fallen for Im Yoona who he has vowed he will find again.

(End of Flashback)

“Im Yoona.” Luhan says her name aloud, and she narrows her eyes at him. “That’s my name, and I don’t think you should know that.”

“How unfortunate.” He smiles. “I still have that piece of paper you’ve written your name down on. From Im Yoona to cousin Jung Eun Mi”.

She folds his arms. “We met a year ago and since then we haven’t met till today, but you remember me well and everything that happened back then and you remember my name and my cousin’s name too.” Luhan nods in agreement. “I feel it’s quite strange.”

“There’s nothing strange about it.” Luhan answers almost immediately. “I want to talk to you. I want to know you more.” He says, and this makes Yoona’s jaw open a little.

“Excuse me? You want to what?” She isn’t sure if she has heard it right. Luhan just shrugs and this makes her scoff and roll her eyes.

“I don’t understand. I’m rude, and you know it too. Why would you want to… do those things you just told me?” She questions, obviously curious.

“Because I want to be your friend.” Luhan says and there’s a moment of silence before it is broken by her loud laughter. She places a hand on her tummy and points the other one at Luhan while she continues laughing while Luhan just stares at her dumbly.

“That’s the most hilarious joke I’ve heard in years!” She snickers, and then eventually stops when she sees Luhan’s expression change. “I can’t believe you actually pulled that crap on me.” She pauses.

“But I-“

“Goodbye, stranger.” She is smiling. “It was a nice joke, but I ain’t falling for it.” Then she sticks out her tongue and turns to leave.

“You study in Seoul College, right?” She immediately stops when Luhan shouts out. “Then I’ll see you there tomorrow, Im Yoona.”

She stays still for seconds like that, but in the end, she doesn’t even turn around and walks away.

One step closer. Luhan congratulates himself with a grin.

…………………………………………….

First day at Seoul College doesn’t seem to be that bad. Luhan has gotten familiar with half of the class by lunch, and all of them are extremely outgoing- especially Byun Baekhyun, Park Chanyeol and Kim Jongdae who’re like the ‘The Clown Trio’ of the class.

Lunch breaks in and Baekhyun is ready to drag Luhan outside for a college tour. “I’ll be your tour guide today, Luhan-ssi.” He exclaims excitedly.

Luhan is more than happy to take a tour around the college with a very good new friend, but ever since he has stepped into the building, he has been pondering deeply about a certain thing.

A certain very cold girl.

“What are you waiting for, Luhan-ssi?” Baekhyun pouts. “Let’s go.”

“Uh, I’d really enjoy a tour… but I have somebody that I have to see.” Luhan says apologetically. “I’m sorry, Baekhyun. I promise we’ll do it tomorrow, okay?” The latter looks displeased, but he nods anyway. “What a disappointment.” He sighs. “Do as you wish. Who do you want to see? Do you know someone from this college apart from us?”

Luhan purses his lips. Baekhyun seems like a guy who is pretty familiar with students in the college so he decides to ask him about Yoona.

“Um, Do you know a girl named Im Yoona?” Baekhyun almost chokes on his soda with the mention of her name.

“Im Yoona? You know Im Yoona?” He asks in bewilderment, to which Luhan nods blankly.

“We met a couple of times and I promised her to see her today.” The Chinese boy says, which is true. He did tell her that he’ll see her at college. “You know her too, right?”

“Everybody knows her.” Baekhyun says, still in a little bit of shock. “The straight ‘A’ girl who has rejected all the guys who asked her out. Girls don’t talk to her because they think she’s rude. Teachers love her and so does the head teacher, but she never talks about her grades or teacher’s remarks to anyone. She’s one weird person.” Baekhyun frowns at Luhan. “Out of all people, why are you searching for her?”

“She interests me.” Luhan is unhesitant. “So, do you have an idea where she might be at lunch time?”

Baekhyun is very helpful, and just as expected, he knows fairly much about the rarest girl in the college.

So there Luhan is, at the back garden of the college where students don’t usually go. And he sees Im Yoona, sitting on a bench cross-legged, scribbling down something on a book. There is a text book open beside her, and she takes looks at it once in a while as well. Luhan smiles to himself, she looks so peaceful right now.

The picture makes her look like a shy, studious and innocent girl.

He knows that the picture will be shattered when she sees him.

That does happen.

Luhan slowly walks over to her, and the latter just ignores him without a word and continues her work.

“May I take a seat here?” He requests, but is ignored again so he just invites himself to sit a feet away from Yoona. He looks at her eyes that are glued only to the book she’s holding, and he is sure she’s really good at pretending he’s not there.

Luhan clears his throat.

Silence.

“Nice to meet you for the third time, Im Yoona.” Luhan begins. “I am Luhan, a transfer student from China. I’m very new to this college and I need a friend to accompany me.” He turns to Yoona and looks at her face. “Will you help me, Im Yoona, the straight ‘A’ student?”

Yoona’s pen stops moving, but she doesn’t look elsewhere. “Luhan, was it?” She asks quietly. “Why didn’t you directly ask me to go out with you?” This makes him chuckle.

“Good idea, but I heard it’s not easy to approach you. So I thought I’ll start from friendship.” Luhan says, and Yoona snaps her head towards him.

“Good plan, but you can keep it to yourself, because I am not interested.” Yoona says bluntly. “And considering that you want to be my friend, what you are doing right now is something I really detest.” Luhan raises an eyebrow.

“You’ve invaded my privacy, and on top of that, you’re wasting my precious time.” She says and closes the book, capping the pen. Luhan knows that she’s preparing to leave, and he wonders if talking to people is that bothersome to her, much less getting along with people.

“Where are you going?”

“In search of another place where people like you won’t find me.”

“Fine, but before you go…” Luhan stands up, and she looks properly at him for the first time that day. “Go home with me today.”

Yoona stares at him for a while, and he could see that she suddenly has a look of confusion and shock mixed together. The gaze lasts just for a while before she tears it away. “I go by bus.”

“Then we’ll take the bus together.”

“I have to go with another girl today.” Luhan could detect the lie, but he doesn’t give up.

“Tomorrow?” Yoona once again looks at him.

“Why are you-“

“It’s settled then. Tomorrow, meet me at the gate at the end of class.” Luhan says with a bright smile, and Yoona opens to say something, but doesn’t. She lets out a gasp and just walks away.

………………………………………..

Luhan doesn’t know why he isn’t surprised when Im Yoona does not show up at the gate of the college after about thirty minutes the next day.

Maybe she had to wait after class. Luhan convinces himself. I’ll wait for a few more minutes.

The few more minutes count up to fifteen, and Luhan’s stomach warns him that it’s really time for him to go home before he starves to death. He takes a quick look around, and sees just a few groups of people staying back to study together or just discuss stuff.

Im Yoona is nowhere to be seen, and it turns him down more than ever.

Although she has never agreed for it, Luhan has really hoped that she would be nice enough to at least meet up with him and say whatever she wants to say to him, even if she has wanted to make an excuse.

Way to go, Luhan.

He decides not to wait longer and heads home.

It’s probably not coincidence, Luhan thinks that he bumps into Im Yoona at the college gate the following day at the beginning of the session. Luhan can’t think of a conversation when the latter begins.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.” Yoona apologizes, but Luhan could sense the terrible mockery behind her words. “But I think it’s no big deal, since I know you wouldn’t have waited for me in hopes of me coming.”

Luhan just smiles for a while and nods. “Yeah, you didn’t turn up. But seriously, it’s no big surprise.” He says. “You’re the type to not show up when people ask you to meet them. I wasted forty five minutes falling for my instincts telling me that you’d come.”

Luhan sees Yoona’s face change in an instant. She still has the face of disbelief pulled out, but she definitely is taken aback. “You’re lying.”

Luhan shrugs, he doesn’t have the mood to argue with her pointlessly when he knows that even if the dead comes alive, she probably wouldn’t believe him. “Yeah, I am. He says calmly before heading his way to class.

Luhan isn’t the type to show his emotions and pour his heart out. His face still shows calmness and all the cool, but inside he really has been hurt by being ignored by her last time.

However, he’s not the type to suddenly change, either. He still likes Im Yoona, and no matter how rude or unkind she is, he still likes her and he cannot hate her. He wishes her to change that blunt personality into a nicer one, but he definitely cannot hate her.

In fact, the closer they have come after all those days of waiting, the more Luhan falls for the girl.

He can’t get himself to believe it, either.

………………………………………

Two days later, they meet at the college library…

…and ends up going for the same book coincidentally.

Luhan an eyebrow. “Hey there, Im Yoona.”
Yoona sighs. “Hey, Luhan.”

“Do you want to hang out?”

“No.”

“Then this book is mine.” He pulls it towards him, puzzling the latter as she grabs onto the book tighter.

The librarian frowns at them from the counter.

“What the hell are you doing, I touched it first!” She hisses in a whisper, and this makes the latter smile.

“How selfish.” Luhan shakes his head. “You don’t have to say all that. I can give this to you.”

Yoona grits her teeth. “Then why are you still holding onto it?”

Luhan’s face is the definition of mischief. “Because I have a condition.”

Yoona is sure as hell fed up.

“Listen. This is a library, we can’t quarrel over a freaking book. I can already sense the electricity from the librarian’s piercing eyes.” She whispers, leaning closer to Luhan angrily. The said guy nods, faking a thought and smiles. “Okay, then let’s agree on the condition and quickly get it over with.”

“I don’t want to agree on anything, just give me the freaking book!”

They could see the librarian glaring their way while standing up.

“Excuse me, you two over there.” She says. “If you’re going to argue, do it outside. This is a library, you should observe silence here.”

They both bow in apology, and Yoona lets go of the book first. However, the look she gives to Luhan later is enough to kill him if it has lasted longer.

“Okay, now to the condition.” Luhan whispers. Yoona just rolls her eyes.

“Tonight, seven thirty, the riverside walk.” He says shortly, and Yoona creases her eyebrows. Luhan just stares at her with that grin on his face.

After quite a while, she sighs heavily.

“Fine.”

Luhan gladly hands the book over to her.

The sad part of is that, Luhan is the only one who keeps promises when it comes to them both.

When the big clock on the side of the road strikes ten minutes forward, Luhan slowly begins to lose his hope.

No, I’ll wait. Luhan promises himself. He will wait and wait and wait until Im Yoona shows up. If she doesn’t, he is going to shout it out at her the next Monday so that everyone could hear him.

That's even more pointless than wasting time waiting for someone who’ll never come.

Luhan doesn’t understand why out of all people, his heart had to choose the most difficult one. If only she has been a little friendly with him, he doesn’t have to be feeling down in the dumps like right now, and Yoona would have come out of her shell and opened up to him.

The fact that Luhan is the only one trying is totally depressing.

Then comes the story of the cold lady Yoona.

She is eating pancakes at home while watching her favorite TV show. It’s not like she has forgotten that she has been invited to a date on the riverside walk, but she’s already too tired of people joking her and pulling pranks on her.

And faking interest towards her like a certain transfer student from China is doing these days to get her attention.

Everyone she has talked to wants a piece of her, but she isn’t going to let anyone make fun of her again.

Screw them all. She forgets about everything and just immerses herself into the show.

Though, the entire time, something has been bothering her. She doesn’t know what, but something is really bothering her and she thinks it is about Luhan and his stupid date.

As more and more moments pass, the feeling of her brain being painfully squeezed increases to the level that she cannot tolerate it anymore.

When the show ends at eight thirty, Yoona gets off from the couch, turns the TV off and goes to her room.

After putting on her jacket and looking at herself in the mirror, she purses her lips tightly together.

If you go and he isn’t there, you just pretend that nothing happened. She speaks to herself. If he isn’t there, don’t even bother getting involved with him anymore. You’ve wasted enough time with him anyway.

It is already past 8.45 when Yoona reaches the riverside walk in a cab. Before she realizes it, she’s running through the crowd of people, searching for that blob of black hair nervously.

Her instincts are telling her that he is there somewhere, waiting for her.

She is turning around helplessly when she sees that familiar figure sitting on the ground with his back leaned on the railing. He is wrapping his jacket around his body tightly and Yoona suddenly feels like the ground has come up and swallowed her.

He is there. She feels like screaming.

He is still there, just as I thought.

Feeling like a ruthless criminal, Yoona musters up her courage from wherever she drags it out from and slowly starts making her way over to him.

“L-Luhan…” His closed eyes slowly opens at the unexpected voice beside him. At first, he thinks he’s imagining things, and his eyes slowly close again before Yoona calls his name again, this time sitting down and leaning towards him.

“Luhan. Open your eyes.” This is the first time he’s hearing her real, genuine voice. His eyes open and meet up with hers.

“How long have you been waiting here?” Yoona asks softly, a frown etched across her face. Luhan gasps, and even his breath feels cold.

“Before seven thirty…” He whispers. “I’m really cold.”

Yoona wants to cry out. How can this person be so stupid to be waiting for her for almost two hours out in the cold?

She has seen the temporary sacrifices the previous guys have done for her years ago, but she has never seen something as absurd as this.

With widened eyes, Yoona stares at Luhan’s orbs.

“You… Y-You were serious about this?”

Luhan smirks. “You thought… I wasn’t serious?” Then the smirk quickly disappears.

“I just-“

“I shouldn’t have waited.” Luhan says, voice full of despair. “You’ve turned me down twice.”

“I’m sorry.” Yoona bites her lip and apologizes. She feels so bad that she could feel bile rising up . She really does. “I’m sorry, Luhan.”

“I’ve wasted a lot of time.” Luhan stands up slowly, and places his hands on the railing as he looks ahead into the river. “It’s okay. I’m going home now. You go too.” He doesn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but he can’t help himself to smile sheepishly when he knows he has been waiting for something so futile for so long. It’s maybe a little too late to realize it, but Luhan knows that Im Yoona is the most difficult thing life has given him.

And it sure as hell annoys him and frustrates him to the core.

He turns around to leave, but Yoona lightly grabs the back of his jacket, making him halt.

“Can you meet up with me tomorrow morning at nine, right here?” She says in a voice so soft that it is barely audible.

There is a horribly long moment of silence. Luhan doesn’t move, and Yoona doesn’t see his face that is covered in complete alarm. However, as much as he wants to answer, Luhan chooses to walk away without answering her, while she watches him leave, confused and distressed.

.....................................................

A/N:

Yoohoo!!!! :D

My very first ;-; Did you like it? ;-;

It's actually supposed to be a one shot, but I feel like it'll get too long and boring that way so I've decided to split it into 2 or 3 parts.

Hope you all enjoy this and will be anticipating the next part! 

Thank yooou~ 

~Exo-Hime27~