---

Kai sat beside him and grabbed the can of coke he was holding. He drank it all and crushed the can with his foot. Luhan had been waiting for him at the front of the convenience store near his house. The agreed time was supposed to be 2 hours ago but Kai just showed up.

‘Tough day?’, Luhan  asked even though he knew the answer.  Kai made a face at him. ‘Pregnant women are the worst’

Luhan laughed and stood up. ‘How should I know? I didn’t get anyone pregnant’. He strapped his bag and tapped Kai’s head ordering him to stand. ‘Come on’. Kai took a deep breath before he scooped his bag and followed him.

Today they were meeting the rest for a game of ball. Most of the time they were professionals, donned in their suites and corporate facade, but oftentimes they just liked to be themselves and be boys.  

The court was a block away from where they were so they didn’t bother bringing a car along.

Kai’s phone buzzed and he grabbed it in an instant almost as if the one calling had him in a tight leash. ‘Kim Jongin! What did I tell you about going out? Are you meeting your ? I hate you!’

Luhan pretended to not hear the conversation. He was trying his best not to laugh as his friend tried to calm his wife down.

‘Baby I’m with my friends we’re headed to the court near our place’

‘Shut up! Stop lying. You were so eager to go out and you tell me you’re meeting your friends?’

Kai sighed. ‘Luhan’s with me right now. You wanna talk to him?’ Kai looked at him and he shook his head furiously.

‘Talk to him? Why would I talk to him? You just don’t want to talk to me so you’re letting me talk to your friend. You know what? Fine! I hate you!’ Krystal ended the call and Kai cringed at the sound of her voice as she shouted the last part. He placed his phone inside his pocket and looked at Luhan over his shoulder.

‘Wish me luck when I get home’

Luhan laughed and patted his back. ‘You need more than that’

--

Luhan reported to his office that afternoon. He didn’t need to but he didn’t want his work to pile up. His phone buzzed and he saw his sister calling. ‘Hello’

‘Mom! You need to buy me some mufflers’

He frowned and looked at the screen. ‘Hello?’, he repeated unsurely. His sister must’ve pressed call by accident.

‘Honey, winter is over but that back’ He felt himself grin. He could imagine how his niece looked right now. ‘Hey Lu, you there?’

He cleared his throat. ‘In here’

‘Sorry about that. Your niece had this notion that mufflers should be worn all year round. Anyway, are you free this evening?’

He tried to remember if he had any plans this evening but nothing important came up. He turned towards a corner before answering. ‘I’m not sure, I’ll ask Amber’. Amber was his secretary. He was sure he didn’t have any personal plans but he wanted to make sure before confirming.

‘Oh’, he heard his sister’s voice fell.

‘I’m sure I can accommodate you’, he said instantly. He did promise he’d make it up to them. Guess I won’t have to confirm anything.

‘Perfect! Spend the night at home, okay? I’ll cook a decent meal’

He pushed the door of the bathroom open and nodded even though his sister couldn’t see him. ‘Alright. And tell Yoojung I said hi’

Tiffany relayed the message to Yoojung. And in between his niece screaming ‘Hi Uncle Lu’ someone also screamed in front of him.

And a bag hit him square in the face.

‘ert!’, the girl screamed. She grabbed her bag in haste and stepped on his foot before she stormed out of the bathroom.

Luhan stood there for moment without moving. He looked at the interior of the bathroom and realized that he entered the girl’s bathroom. He felt a moment of embarrassment. That employee would surely spread the news by now. He examined his reflection in the mirror and rubbed his neck.

Then it dawned on him. The girl looked familiar. It could have been her.

It didn’t take a second for him to run out the door and follow the girl. His employees all pointed out that the girl went inside the elevator and was headed out of the company. And just as he thought he had her. A taxi drove off without him getting a second glance at the girl.

--

He parked his car in the driveway of their house. He hadn’t been here for a long time. After college he started to live on his own. There was no reason to. Not even when his sister pled for him to go back during those times.

He was late. Dinner started at 6:30 but he arrives an hour later. Inside, he could hear his sister’s laughing, his niece’s occasional interruption and a man’s voice.

‘The bastard is finally home’, he muttered to himself.

Yoojung was the first one to see him. She jumped out of her chair and hugged him. ‘Hi Uncle Lu’, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the seat next to her.

‘Mom and dad are talking about weddings’

He looked at his sister and Donghae. Donghae just grinned at him and Tiffany was a bit flustered.

‘Ah! Let me guess. This dinner was supposed to break the news to me. But the little one spoiled the fun’

He looked at Yoojung who was oblivious to what was going on. She just sat there and ate her food.

Donghae confirmed it by laughing. ‘Well it all boils down to you knowing it’  

Tiffany hadn’t said a word. She was just looking at him. He smiled at her. ‘Congratulations’. And that’s when he saw her relax. Luhan looked at Donghae. ‘You know the drill you hurt her I hunt you down’

Donghae smiled and nodded. ‘Noted’

Luhan nodded as well. ‘Alright. I’m starving’

Tiffany laughed and started serving him. Something she’d always done ever since he was a kid. ‘Oh and by the way. I saw your friend today. She agreed to become my coordinator’

‘Now we’re talking about coordinators. That fast, huh?’

Donghae shrugged and pointed to Tiffany. ‘It’s all on her’. Tiffany just gave him a glare and turned back to him. ‘I didn’t even know it was her. She used to be really cute back then but now she’s just gorgeous’

‘Are you talking about Ms. Pretty,  mom?’ Yoojung said as she chewed her food. ‘Yes honey, now please close your mouth’. His niece did as she was told. He smiled at her and she gave a cheeky smile in return.

He was about to ask her who it was but she beat him to it. ‘You remember Seulgi? That’s who I’m talking about’

His actions were put on a standstill. I knew it! It was really her.

---