15 years later..

“Qian!”

               Song Qian, a young fine lady in her age of 27, turned around from where she was seated to find her best friend waving at her from the door. She waved back, letting her friend know she acknowledge him, then turned to bid goodbye to her band-mates. They agree to have another practice in two days, so Qian can go straight home tomorrow after her classes. After saying another goodbye to her friends, she went to Luhan who now was leaning to the door frame, learning his best friend’s slender figure approaching him.

               “Luhan-aaaaah!” Qian called him out, with a hop she lunged forward and circled Luhan’s shoulder with her arms. “I got your text. What is it you wanna talk to me?”

               “Umm.. can we talk while walking home?”

               Qian looked at Luhan with a worried expression on her face. “Are you okay, Lulu? Did somebody bother you again?”

               Hearing Qian’s worried tone, and the nickname she called him with, Luhan chuckled. He shook his head, making his pink hair shuffle cutely on top of his head. “Come on, let’s go.”

               Qian was genuinely worried for Luhan. Her best friend had grown from the awkward-crooked teeth-nerd teenage boy into one beautiful being. Well, to Qian he was always pretty, but not much people can see through the glasses and the awkward demeanor Luhan always had back then. Right now, Luhan was nothing but perfect. He was a bit small for a male, but his muscles grow just on the right places on his body. His face held a feminine feature but still a lot of people fell in love with his unique button nose, full but small kissable lips tainted with a natural pink color, and his smooth white skin without any beauty product. He had a long manly fingers yet so delicate. It was the fingers that creates magic every time it held a pen, a pencil, or touches a keyboard on any gadget he can use to type. Those fingers was his magic wand, the wand that distributes his genius ideas in writing lyrics and composing music into wonderful pieces. Wonderful pieces Qian was lucky to enjoy because her best friend let her sing all those magic he creates. Luhan was a definition of a genius beauty. But all that comes with a cost. While he was bullied for being nerd and awkward in junior high, high school was a total hell because anywhere Luhan went, people harassed him. Being in college are quite relieving since a lot of the college students act more mature or pretty much don’t care about others, and now that they had entered the world of grownups, it all gets better. Luhan can stand a few whisperings at his office, but back then, high school has its toll on Luhan. Luhan had come to Qian’s doorstep one day, all beaten up by a group of naughty boys in their high school, just because they think he was too pretty for a guy. Luhan was called names: , gay, girlie, pretty boy, are some of a thousand names they made up for Luhan. Qian was the one protecting him all the time. Being the popular girl she was, she is respected, and no one messed with Luhan when she’s around. But when Qian’s not with Luhan, that’s what made her worried.

               Now, no one uses that kind of harassment to bully Luhan anymore, but the trauma didn’t only scarred Luhan, but Qian too. She gets over protective and find herself worried about Luhan all the time

               “Luhan?” Qian tried again when they’re halfway home. Luhan hasn’t spoken a word since they left the band’s practice room even though he said he wanted to talk about something. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

               Luhan didn’t answer. He kept walking until the both of them reached the bus station. This was a habit for them. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Luhan would come to Qian’s band practice studio just a few blocks from his office, and then the both of them will take the bus home together. Qian purposely choose the practice studio near Luhan’s office. The both of them spent their childhood together even until graduating college, and Qian is still not used to not being with Luhan every day since they had different workplace. Now Qian worked as an accountant at a small insurance company just around their neighborhood while Luhan worked as a researcher for one of China’s top university.

               Seeing no other people were there, Luhan threw himself to the bench, letting out a long sigh. Qian could only look at her friend in confusion. After a couple minutes of silence, Qian huffed, turning around to examine the road. Beijing’s traffic can be pretty crazy, especially when it’s cold like now and people thought using their cars with heaters are more convenient than using the public transportation.

               “He’s coming back, Qian,” Luhan suddenly said when Qian was still looking out at the road, seeing if their bus is anywhe