19 years earlier

“Appa where are we going?” 8-year old Luhan asked his father in gritted teeth. He was angry because his dad didn’t allow him to watch a soccer match and dragged him to somewhere he wasn’t interested about instead. “We’re visiting a an old friend of mine Luhan-ah so be a good boy.” His father replied not tearing off his eyes from the road ahead. Luhan grunted. It was the last thing he could care about and he couldn’t see how he how he has something to do with it. Luhan didn’t say anymore and just shifted his gaze outside the side window. He noticed how buildings were slowly replaced by trees. They were heading out of the city. About an hour later, they stopped in front of a medium-sized wooden house that had a huge lawn before it and low white fences. There were no other houses so Luhan immediately assumed that the wooden house was the place. Just by looking at it, Luhan knew that his father’s friend was a simple person. Not to mention close to nature as his lawn had varieties of flowers at the sides. “Don’t you think the place is nice my boy? If only we can live far from the city.” Luhan nodded in agreement. When it comes to taste, him and his dad are totally on the same page. If only not for their business that required them to be in the capital cities wherever they go, Luhan and his father would surely pick a place like this: away from noise and free from stress.

“Lu!!!!” A tall middle-aged man came running out the main door. “Seo!!” Mr. Lu replied. Luhan was quite shocked to see his dad running like a kid and jumping while hugging the other person. Losers. He thought. Luhan didn’t understand the importance of having a friend since he never had one for knew everyone in school only wanted to be friends with him either because of his looks, money or both and Luhan wasn’t stupid to fall for their idiotic games. “It’s been years……

Luhan just stood there spacing out while his dad and his equally pathetic friend chatted. Before he even realized that he was standing there for more than fifteen minutes already, he was suddenly dragged by his father by his side to introduce him to the other man. As usual, he was praised for his face and he could only smirk. Luhan trailed behind the two as they walked their way to the house. The man who introduced himself as Seo Inguk, an engineer made them sit on the couch. Luhan eyed the house as his dad refused to sit properly and went to his friend. “I never thought he could be this embarrassing.” He said to himself after seeing his dad skipping to where Mr. Seo went. Back to observing the house, he immediately felt coziness and comfort that he never felt in his own house. It was obviously smaller than their modern-looking house but it was full. Like a real family home. There were picture frames everywhere and some magazines spilled out from the rack. By the staircase, he could see oil paintings of girls that were obviously done by a child. He’s child maybe. He thought. He also acknowledged a grand piano behind the staircase and few brushes and paint tubes scattered on the floor. Even though the house was slightly disarranged, he somehow wished that they lived like this. His father was too busy in the office that he barely has time to be home and it made Luhan become like him. His father was a workaholic while he was busy fooling around. Practically, the servants lived in their house more than they did.

Luhan stood up and looked around the house more. As he reached a hallway, he caught sight of the backyard through the French windows. He used the door that led to the backyard. There he saw a soccer ball and basketball lying still on the green grass. He picked up the soccer ball and kicked to the side the basketball. He decided to play with it as the two elders were busy chatting. He only stopped when his father called him for snacks. Luhan sat quietly on a chair by the side of the porch and munched on his newly-baked cookies and tea. He admitted to Mr. Seo that it tasted really delicious to which the older guy smiled to him.

“Appa!” Luhan almost spilled the tea he was drinking when he heard a feminine voice yell. He looked up and saw a girl wearing a pink dress and doll shoes. Her straight hair was let down and she had a hat that had a pink ribbon tied around the brim. He also noted the backpack she carried. His brows furrowed as he saw the pissed off look from the girl’s face.

“Seo Juhyun how can you just shout like that?! You startled us.” Mr. Seo acted mad at his daughter who was running to him. Seohyun bowed as she greeted and apologized to the guests. “Aigoo. Seohyun-ah you’ve grown really pretty like your mother.” Mr. Lu commented as Seohyun sheepishly smiled feeling awkward. Pretty like mother? LOL. She thought.

“HAHAHAHAHAH!” Seohyun and the guests were startled by Mr. Seo’s sudden outburst. “Seohyun-ah I bet you feel awkward right now.” Seohyun crossed her arms. She had enough of her father that morning when he secretly replaced her changing clothes to a dress and girly shoes. Not to mention because of that everyone pinched her cheeks and made her wear the stupid hat. “Appa I hate you. Why did you make me wear this funny dress?!” She glared at her father. “Aigoo. We have guests Seohyun-ah so I wanted you to be presentable when you reach home. Look at you now if not for your grumpy face you’re perfect.”

Seohyun excused herself and immediately dashed to her room. Feeling the openness of the dress made her worried. What was dad even thinking? She thought as she kicked the dress outside her room and rummaged her closet for something “proper” to wear. She picked her favorite jersey shirt that had a fan sign from her idol Cristiano Ronaldo at the back and a pair or cream-colored loose shorts. She tied her hair in a ponytail before heading out.

“So my dear friend is having a problem with her daughter I see.” Mr. Lu nudged his friend after seeing the crestfallen face of Mr. Seo. “I don’t know anymore. I just want her to be more lady-like but she detests the idea like it’s some kind of poison.” Luhan listened intently to the two’s conversation. So the girl is a tomboy. How sad. He admitted that he found Seohyun really pretty. “Don’t be too hard on her. Let her have her style. She’s just turning seven next month. She’s not 20 for goodness sake.”

Seohyun joined them and sat on a rocking chair beside her dad. “Say Seohyun-ah, what do you do in your free time?” Mr. Lu asked. Seohyun hurriedly finished her brownie to answer the question. “A lot uncle. I paint, read books, play the piano, play the guitar, play the violin or have some fun with my friends. We play basketball and soccer most of the time.” She replied while holding out each finger to count her hobbies. “Really? So you must have a lot of friends.” Mr. Lu commented and she nodded as a reply. “We will play soccer later that’s why I’m with my jersey and soccer shoes.” She pointed to her feet. Luhan confirmed his suspicion as he already noticed her attire as soon as she went out. “Would you mind taking my Luhan with you?” Mr. Lu asked earning a nod from her father. Seohyun turned to Luhan who had his gaze on the tea he was enjoying. It was his fourth cup. “Is that really okay with her?”

Her??? Luhan abruptly met her gaze. “Her?” he asked. Seohyun gasped and covered with her fist. “You’re a guy?” She innocently asked making the two elders roll on the floor in laughter. “Are you blind?!” Luhan spat as he glared at her. He hated it when people mistake him as a girl. “Well I’m sorry. You look more feminine than me.” Seohyun glared back totally turned off by his attitude. “Now now. Huhuh….Don’t fight.” Mr. Lu calmed the two in between his laugh and tears. “Hyunie let Luhan borrow your other jersey shirt and shoes.” Her father said.

Seohyun crossed her arms while heading to her room at the second floor of their house while Luhan was glaring and cursing her in his mind while following her. Seohyun angrily pushed her door and went in. Luhan stomped his feet in anger. “Sit and don’t touch anything.” She ordered him as she pointed on her chair. But instead of following, Luhan decided to annoy her by climbing on her bed and jumping up and down on it. “Yahh!!” She yelled at him and pulled him out of her bed with all the force she got but Luhan was stronger and he just pushed her like feather. “You were asked to lend me your things so go get it now.” Luhan smirked at her as he continued to jump up and down her bed and kicked her pillows off it.

“Here!” Seohyun slammed the uniform on Luhan’s face hardly that the boy yelped in pain. “Why you- Oooww!!” He was cut off when Seohyun intentionally dropped the shoes on his bare feet. She smirked. “Hurry up. We’ll be late.” She said as she sat on the edge of her bed. Luhan turned to her and gave her a suspicious look. “Aren’t you gonna leave. I will change you know.”  Seohyun grimaced at him. “So? You’re too much like a girl.” She commented as she eyed him judgmentally from head to feet. Luhan gritted his teeth and abruptly removed his shirt. He threw it on Seohyun’s (annoying) face. “Oh no I was mistaken. Not a girl but an ahjumma!” She commented not really fazed by how his shirt landed on her face. Luhan glared at her before wearing her jersey shirt.

Seohyun stood up ready to leave the room as soon as Luhan was finished wearing the soccer shoes. Luhan followed her from behind and noticed the huge pentelpen mark on her jersey. As an avid fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, he couldn’t be mistaken that it was his signature on her jersey. “Wait!” He called and Seohyun turned to him with an annoyed look. “What now?” she asked. “Is that a legit fan sign from Cristiano Ronaldo on your jersey?” He gulped. He really wanted to have his fan sign but unfortunately he hasn’t gotten for himself yet. Seohyun saw the spark on Luhan’s face and so she decided to brag it. With her chin up and hands on her hips, she proudly declared “Yup. I got it when he happened to be around the same place my father was assigned one time. My dad got it for me.” Luhan’s eyes burned in awe and envy. Why can’t he be that lucky? “Let’s exchange. I’ll wear that.” Without paying any attention to her reaction, he removed his jersey and handed it to Seohyun. “Excuse me but this is mine and only mine. I shall only be the one to wear this.”  Seohyun pointed to her jersey and spelled each word with stress. “I don’t care.” Luhan said and went to Seohyun and curled his hands on the hem of the shirt. He pulled it upwards so it would be detached from her. “Yah!!” Seohyun gave an opposing force to Luhan’s hands and pushed her shirt down. “I said I’ll wear this. I’ll buy this from you.” Luhan said while trying to pull the shirt up. “Over my dead body!!” Seohyun retorted.

The two continued to push down and pull up the shirt until they heard a ripping sound. The sight of the precious shirt being torn apart stopped their worlds. Cristiano Ronaldo signed shirt was destroyed. Seohyun just stood there eyeing the torn shirt that exposed her milky-white right shoulder while Luhan totally lost grasp of the world. His consciousness was regained when he heard a beastly grunt. “What the hell??!!” Seohyun yelled and punched Luhan’s pretty face. “I will not forgive myself if I let you get out of this room alive!!” She grabbed Luhan’s arm and slammed him on to the bed. She jumped over him and threw heavy punches on his face. “Yahh!! It hurts!!” Luhan covered himself with his hands. Luhan really wanted to fight back but punching a girl seemed too much and unmanly so he just pulled her hair with slight intensity. (A/N: So let’s just say that pulling hair is manlier than punching someone.)

Seohyun didn’t hold back though. She punched, kicked and choked Luhan totally not minding the boy’s clawing and pulling of her hair.

“Die!!”

“Witch!!!”

“I’m going to burn you afterwards!!!!!!!”

“Let go of me!!!”

The two elders were startled when they heard the two kids cursing each other. “What’s happening there?!” Mr. Seo bellowed as he and Mr. Lu ran upstairs to check on Seohyun and Luhan.

When they opened the door, they were shocked to see the room wrecked with the bed disarray, the lampshade broken on the floor, clothes all over the place and most alarmingly, the two literally killing each other.

“Seohyun!!”

“Luhan!”

The two fathers shouted as they ran and separated the two.

Seohyun kicked the soccer ball forcefully as she was so mad at the boy named Luhan. “I missed the game because of him!!” She shouted not minding that there were people that can hear her inside the house.  She went to a bench and sat crying. “And he destroyed my favorite shirt!!” She wiped her undying tears with the back of her hand as she cursed Luhan in her mind. It was a good thing that Mr. Lu promised her that he will get her another fan-signed shirt from her idol. “Yah!” An annoying voice called her and she just rolled her eyes. “You really want to die don’t you?” She asked not looking at him. “My dad told me to ask forgiveness from you.” Luhan fidgeted in his place. After being reprimanded by his dad, he realized his mistake and was honestly sorry to her. “You can’t ask forgiveness in behalf of others. Why bother asking it from me when you’re not even sorry !” Luhan crossed his arms after hearing her call him . “Waahh!! Well for your information miss grumpy cat, I was honestly and sincerely asking for your forgiveness.” He said and walked to her direction. Seohyun didn’t know what to reply so she just remained quiet. Luhan sat beside her and waited for a proper timing.

“So?” he asked softly. After how many minutes, Seohyun replied with, “I’ll forgive you but I’ll never forget what you did.” Luhan grimaced at her reply. “How can you forgive when you don’t intend to forget?”

“I’ll forgive what you did but I won’t forget that you’re a jerk.” She replied coldly. “Je-jerk? Me?” Luhan pointed to himself. Seohyun looked at him and saw the bruise on his face. “Yes a big idiotic jerk that fights back like a girl.” Luhan gritted his teeth. “Yah! If you were a boy, I swear I could have punched you as well.” “So you just decided to pull my hair and scratch me like a cat because that’s manlier?”

Luhan furrowed his eyebrows. It was really impossible talking to her.

Seohyun was getting ready to go to bed and when she was about to turn off her table lamp, Luhan barged in her room with a pillow in hand startling her. “What are you doing here?” She asked crossing her arms over her chest. Luhan walked nearer. “How can your bed be softer than mine?” He asked with a pout. “Of course because it’s my bed. You don’t expect my father to buy me less comfy bed than the other beds in the guest rooms.”

Luhan threw his pillow on her bed and slipped himself under her comforter. “Then we’ll share. Appa and uncle are sharing a room as well.” He said coolly. “I would let you if we’re friends but we aren’t so shooo!!” Seohyun kicked Luhan’s off the bed.

“Then I now officially declare us friends.” He smiled as Seohyun just gaped. That is not how you make friends. She thought. She pouted before saying, “Don’t you know how to make friends Luhan-ssi?” Luhan faced her and answered “I never tried.” Seohyun gasped. “Why not?”

“No one wants to sincerely make friends with me.”

“That’s because you’re a bad child.”

“No not because of that. Even bad children have friends but me I don’t.”

“Then why?”

“They ask me to become friends with them because I’m the richest in school and the most handsome. So why bother?”

“Who told you that lie? You? handsome?”

Luhan chuckled. He didn’t see that coming. “If you want to be friends with someone then ask and act nicely.” Luhan nodded. “Well then, Seo Juhyun-ssi can we be friends?” 

For the first time, Luhan wanted to have a person as a friend. He wanted Seo Juhyun to be his friend for the reason that she’s the real her when she’s with him. Seohyun tapped her chin with her index finger and acted as if she was weighing the consequences. She shook her head to Luhan’s disappointment.

“I don’t like you……. but since you’re pathetic, I will pretend to be your friend.” Seohyun laughed hardly at what she said as Luhan wondered whether or not she really didn’t like him. “So you really don’t like me?” He was tearing up and he knew he was embarrassing himself but who cares, he was really let down.

Seohyun smacked him in the head and he let out a pained cry. “Pabo!! I was fooling around. Tsk tsk.” Luhan’s tears ran down his cheek as he smiled brightly at her. “Well then you should start calling me oppa since I’m a year older than you.” Seohyun nodded and they both hugged each other to sleep.