I found myself hurling chunks into one of the restaurant’s toilets before the check could even reach our table. Kneeling over a toilet wasn’t exactly part of my plan and I began to hate myself for ruining the whole night with Luhan. Disgusted at utterly everything, I picked myself up and flushed the toilet with my foot. Staggering to the sink, I turned the tap on to wash the residue from my mouth. I lifted my head to see myself in the mirror.

Gross. I looked absolutely haggard. I was sure I didn’t even have a mint in my bag. I began to speculate that maybe who ever went out with Luhan was doomed for bad luck. Like Hyejung did, I managed to mess things up within the span of an hour.

“Do you need this?” Luhan’s arm stuck in through the bathroom door. He held out a water bottle.

“Yes, thank you.” Reaching for it, I uncapped it and gargled all the horrible things from my mouth and spat into the sink. I thought that Luhan had enough patience for all of the country. He’d been standing out there while I was emptying myself over the toilet. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he made up an excuse and left me to myself.

As I left the bathroom, Luhan pushed himself from leaning on the wall and stared at me with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” His eyes were pooling with concern that could turn my legs to jelly.

“I’m okay. My throat is burning though.” I managed to let out a laugh. “Maybe I am allergic to something, huh?”

He reached out to pat my back, rubbing soothing circles as he began to lead us out. “I’m so, so sorry. If I knew I would have picked somewhere else.”

“Really, I’m fine though.” He was blaming himself for nothing. It was stupid I didn’t tell him about anything, when in fact I should have been the one apologizing.

Luhan frowned, not looking to be completely satisfied with the situation. “Do you want grab a bite somewhere else then? Before all the stores close?” he suggested when we were out on the sidewalk. “Your stomach must be empty.”

Looking over the menu, I was arguing with myself whether to get a burger or a hotdog meal. Luhan directed us to a little diner he knew of. It was nothing special like the other restaurant with its out-of-this-world theme, but rather the diner felt homey and more welcoming. We arrived forty-five minutes just as it was scheduled to close. After the family of four left, it was just Luhan and I eating. The waitress wearing a sort of plastic looking uniform and had greeted us with tired eyes.

“Jinah, are you okay?” Luhan asked, half of his face covered by the menu he stuck his nose in. He was still acting as if he was in fault when I was the one who decided to eat spicy food. It had been a while since I reacted to spice like that. I thought by now that I might have outgrown it at least.

“I’m better now. Don’t worry about it.” It was safe to say he wasn’t internally making fun of me because he checked over me practically every ten minutes. Or maybe he was just scared I’d blow chunks all over his car or our table.

“Eat a lot,” he reminded.

My plate of fries, a cheeseburger and a milkshake on the side was delivered to me soon after we had ordered. Luhan had in front of him just a can of Pepsi. I figured he must have been full from the soup we both devoured earlier. I didn’t have to worry about anything this time as I began to eat.

I heard Luhan laugh as soon as I popped a fry dipped in vinegar into my mouth. “What are you doing?”

“French fries in vinegar, duh,” I answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the planet.

“I thought you were dipping it in water at first. It makes more sense now.” He sipped his Pepsi. “I’ve heard of it, but you’re the only one I know who actually does that.”

“It’s good, okay? Here.” I pushed my plate slightly to his side with the small cup of vinegar.

Luhan paused for two seconds before silently picking off a fry from my plate and then submerging it into the vinegar.  I watched as he chewed it. When he smiled in approval, I was satisfied. “It’s not bad,” he said, passing my plate back to me.

“We’re even now.” I swirled the straw of my milkshake.

He folded his arms on the table. “What do you mean?”

“You let me try the coffee cake and I let you try vinegar on fries.”

“We do have similar taste buds.” Luhan nodded thoughtfully. “Wait, do you like apple pie?”

We were launched into a conversation of foods we liked and disliked, and just about any topic for who knows how long. At one point, we somehow went from talking about prices of shoes to vacationing at Hawaii. My meal left me full and happy. The waitress had already begun flipping the chairs over the tables by the time we left and called it a night.   

Luhan pulled the car over the familiar curb in front of my apartment building. He stepped out of the vehicle with me to stand beside the black gates. Luhan had his hands in his pocket. I felt the odd stare of one of Ms. Choi’s giant dogs looking out at us from her window.

“So thanks for bringing me to Bucheon. I would have been bored in my room all night.” I dared to meet him in the eyes. “I had lots of fun.”

“Me too.” Luhan offered me a smile. “I’ll still see you around, right?”

“You will.”

“Why don’t you come and talk to me at school, huh?” He playfully nudged me in the rib with his elbow.

“I go when I feel like going!” My arms wound around myself to protect me from further attack.

Luhan snickered. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

I wasn’t exactly expecting it when Luhan stepped forward to wrap his arms around my shoulders in a friendly hug. I automatically reacted and lifted my own arms to drape them around his middle. I was at the height where my nose was just below his shoulder. Wow, he smelled really nice. It wasn’t one of those awkward farewell hugs that seemed like someone had forced us to do it. It was... warm.

“I’ll text you okay?” he said before pulling away.

“And I’ll reply.”

I waved as I watched him get in his car and back away. I saw that he returned my gesture through his windshield. Heading through the gates, I only realized how my face was burning. My throat felt hot, but not the I-just-threw-up kind of hot. I was still in a daze as I punched in the passcode to my room and let myself in.

Hyejung was sitting on one of the bar stools in our kitchen. She looked up from the piles of paper in front of her. “How was it?” she asked with a cheeky grin.

“I threw up.”

She burst into laughter that I might have been offended at expect I was laughing right with her. Luhan was just the type of person I could have fun with during a tornado. I thought we would end on a bad note, but it turned around for the better.

“That is so great! I’ll call him and ask if he had a horrendous night. And then I’ll ask if we can hang out to make up for it.” Hyejung hopped off the stool to launch herself at me in a hug. “Thank you so much!”  

“You—!”

She had already been rushing to her room before I could object and say that we actually had a good time. Glancing over the papers Hyejung left on the table, they were of applications for her school labeled AFTER HOURS CLASSES.

Trudging to the bathroom after changing in shorts and a t-shirt for bed, I brushed my teeth over the sink, making sure to do it thoroughly. My mind had ended up wandering over to Luhan. I wondered if he’d even text me again like he said. My subconscious knew I was too chicken to ever text or call him first. If he did text, it said that he meant it when he told me he had fun too. I’d very much love to stay in contact with him. Otherwise I’d have to hunt him down if I really wanted rights to that car out by the curb and win the bet.

But we did have fun, I thought, nodding to myself in the mirror.

Rinsing my mouth and washing my face, I yanked my fingers through my hair while I made my way back to the bedroom. I overheard Hyejung speaking in her room as I passed by. Shaking my head, she was probably on the phone with Luhan like she had said. I imagined that she was probably painting her nails with the phone on speaker. I could hear Luhan’s mumbling voice over her door.

“...worst night of my life,” he said.

My foot froze before I could take another step, though my brain was screaming at me to just move. The worst night... of his life? Hyejung and Luhan broke into laughter that frazzled my brain. Picking up my pace again, I headed to bed feeling absolutely worn out and tired. Wow, I had to admit that it hurt a little to hear him say that. Then again, I could have heard wrong. But I was so certain. Sure my plan was to make our small hangout perfect because of the bet, but I guess I’d just have to try harder next time... and not puke.

Closing my eyes, I fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, I made my way into the kitchen just before the clock struck 11:00AM. I slept longer than I’d like. Anyway, I wasn’t an alarm clock kind of person. Hyejung was already finished eating her breakfast or maybe an early lunch, I assumed as she was washing dishes in the sink. I settled down on one of the stools and thought that she seemed not as happy as I’d imagine if she scored a hangout with Luhan after the apparently worst night of his life.

Hyejung looked over her shoulder to point me with an accusing stare. “Jinah!”

“What?”

“He said he had a good time with a friend last night and