“Don’t you think it is a little bit weird? I mean, think about it. Have you ever met anyone else his age like that?”

Jong Ok stared the man down, but in the sweetest way possible. Her face always seemed to hold an innocent, wide eyed expression, no matter her mood. As she had aged her girlish features had gained a wrinkle here and there, but they did little to mitigate her expressive eyes and slightly upturned mouth. She had a difficult time looking angry, which made her anger that much more unexpected when it was unleashed.

“If you are here to call my son weird, I suggest you get the hell out.” Her voice really didn’t help. It was perpetually soft, calming even. Even with spite it sounded like a mild scolding from a lovable grandmother.

Dong Wook grew a bit pale at her words, even if they had been delivered with a sweet candy coating. He hadn’t expected his Aunt to be so defensive “I was just showing my concern.”

“Then show your concern somewhere else.” Jong Ok smiled, then took a small sip of her tea. She placed the teacup gingerly in its saucer, folded her hands and tilted her head “How is your Mother doing? I heard that she was having some financial trouble.”

Dong Wook bit his bottom lip. He should have known better than to provoke his Aunt.

****

Luhan had turned 26 the day before. His Mother had wanted to throw him a giant party, but he had declined. Instead he spent the day in his room, playing video games with his best friend.

“You missed seeing everyone yesterday, didn’t you?” Minseok mused.

“Nooooooo.” Luhan smiled at Minseok, only turning away from his television screen for a split second. He was on the last level of his game, he couldn’t afford to look away.

“You seriously like sitting here…with me?” Minseok asked as he began to idly play with his hands.

“You know I do. Ow-HELL I didn’t see him coming! Aish!” Luhan tossed his controller to the floor, flopping back on the couch as the words “Game over” flashed on the television screen.

“Was I distracting you?” Minseok asked, worried.

“No, no. I just .” Luhan sprang up, “Hey, you said you had something to show me on the guitar.”

“Yeah!” Minseok stood up and practically skipped to the sunburst electric guitar, sitting on a stand in the corner of the room.

Luhan clicked the television off and followed his best friend. Sitting on the edge of the bed, the guitar in his lap he asked “So where do I put my fingers?”

“There and there.” Minseok stared at his friend’s finger placement carefully. “Nope, move that one a little bit to the left. Okay…good.”

Luhan began to strum the instrument, only to have Minseok correct him “No – like this.” He made a movement with his hand that Luhan quickly copied.

***

“You cannot tell me this is normal.” Dong Wook commented. He was standing in the doorway of Luhan’s room, his Aunt standing next to him.

“Then tell me what normal is, huh?” Jong Ok asked, smiling at her child.

Luhan was oblivious to their presence. He was too busy with his best friend, figuring out the new chords.

Dong Wook shook his head sadly as he looked at his cousin, sitting on the edge of his bed, trying to play a guitar while he talked to someone who wasn’t there.

“So what does Minseok look like? Since all I can see is air…” Dong Wook asked, his consistent disbelief at the situation making him bold with his words

“I don’t know….” Jong Ok said slowly, “I have wondered that myself. It has been a long time since Luhan was drawing crayon pictures of his best friend.” Jong Ok remembered the pictures of Minseok, Luhan was so proud of them when he was a child.

“Mom! Hyung!” Luhan finally noticed their arrival. He waved at them, smiling “Minseok was just showing me some new chords.”

“I’m sure he was…” Dong Wook muttered, earning a scowl from his Aunt.

“That is great!” Jong Ok walked to the bed, sitting next to her son she smiled sweetly “How is Minseok today, Luhan?”

“I wish you would ask him that.” Luhan rolled his eyes, pointing in front of him “He is right there after all.”

Jong Ok turned to the empty space where Luhan had gestured, asking her question to whatever Luhan saw there.

Luhan suddenly giggled, dropping his guitar “Yah! You can’t answer my Mom like that!” He slapped at the air playfully.

“It’s okay Luhan, Minseok.” Jong Ok laughed, trying to play along with whatever humorous antics had just been played by Luhan’s best friend. “I have pretty tough skin.”

“He still shouldn’t have!” Luhan shook his head at his friend.

“Luhan…do you think we could talk. Alone?”

“Oh, sure.” Luhan looked in front of him “Sorry Minseok, I’ll let you know when we are done.”

Luhan laughed “Yeah, don’t worry. I won’t.”

Jong Ok waited. She was used to this – to seeing her son talk to something she could not see. She waited until Luhan turned to her, asking her what the matter was. She knew that she had his full attention then.

“Dong Wook, please leave us.” Jong Ok wanted to talk to her son without the meddling judgment of her nephew. Dong Wook slinked back to the hall, closing the door behind him. Turning back to her son, Jong Ok spoke carefully “Dear, I know you aren’t the most….how should I say it.” Jong Ok looked at the ceiling, as if she was searching for her words somewhere above her head “Social person in the world.”

“What do you mean?! I am almost never alone.” Luhan scoffed.

“True, true.” Jong Ok continued “I was thinking it might do you some good to get out of the house and meet a new friend.”

Luhan frowned.

“Just hear me out. One of my friends from committee has a son that I think you will get along with swimmingly.”

“What about Minseok?” Luhan asked, genuinely concerned.

“Minseok can come too. If he wants too, I mean.” Jong Ok patted her son on the back lightly, “Just think about it, please.”

Luhan sighed “Fine, I will think about it. For you.”

“Thank you dear.” Jong Ok hugged her son tightly, “Now I better get back to your taciturn cousin.”

Luhan nodded. “Can you tell Minseok to come in on your way out?”

Jong Ok looked at her son, really looked at him. He was everything to her. Sure he was a bit strange, with the imaginary friend and all. Sure, it was unusual for the 26 year old heir to an electronics empire to spend almost every day in his Mother’s house, talking to someone that wasn’t there. Sure, people talked – their family talked. But he was still her child, her beloved son, and she would do anything for him. Including talking to his friend who was, by all accounts, some kind of hallucination. “I’ll let him know.”

“Thanks Mom.” Luhan bent down to retrieve the guitar from the floor, excited to continue his lessons with Minseok. He quickly forgot about his Mom’s request, it was hard to focus on anything but Minseok and his gentle instructions, crooked smile, and bright eyes. Minseok always made it hard to focus on anything else.

***

Luhan stared at the door. This was definitely not a coffee shop, or someone’s house or…

“Please, dear, just give it a try. Okay?” Jong Ok had a hand on her son’s lower back, urging him forward.

The sign next to the door read, in no uncertain terms “Dr. Park Joon Hyung, Psychiatrist.”

“Mom…” Luhan said slowly, wanting to turn and run away. His Mother had bated him out of the house under the pretense they were going to go meet that “new friend” she had mentioned before. Luhan had only gone along with it because Minseok urged him to, following him out the door.

“Dear, just go this one time. If you don’t’ like it I won’t make you come again. Besides, that friend I was telling you about is here.”

Luhan felt like crying. He looked beside him. Minseok was there, eying the door suspiciously.

“Just go ahead, we can go home after this is all over.” Minseok urged Luhan forward as well “Just make your Mom happy.”

Well…if Minseok said so…