Lay sat on the couch with his second cup of coffee in his right hand. It was early and he impatiently waited for his daily dose of caffeine to kick in. He's been awake for about an hour now. He rubbed his eyes and took in the sight of his disheveled living room. Pieces of his yesterday’s art work were scattered on the floor.

He bends to pick up one crumbled paper. It wasn’t perfect, but he managed to scribble the bits of details of her face.

Lay was starting to miss Haru’s presence in his life a bit. He wasn’t interested in her initially, but when she comforted him in his time of despair, he actually grew fond of her. But now, that all her attention seemed to solely focus on Sehun, he realized how much he’s left out. Every time he sees her with Sehun, he felt longing for a yearning. It was supposed to him in Sehun’s place. She liked him first.

And that thought pains him, it feels like someone took a hold of his heart, and refused to let go. The indifference he felt with Sehun quickly turns into something else.

Sehun is his childhood friend, and he did nothing wrong but being kind to Lay. Lay later realized that he was envious of him. But Lay wasn’t one to complain, he simply forced a smile, whenever he sees them together. Pretending he’s genuinely happy for their relationship.

He didn’t know what he was thinking when he send her those flowers. All he knew was he wanted to see and talk to her. There aren’t many people in this world who sees you in your lowest, and still sense the good in you. She did. 

He walked towards his wardrobe and sees the handsome black suit he plans to wear tonight at the dinner. He took his phone from his pants, and search for the best florist in town to place an order of a beautiful bouquet of white flowers tonight.

//

Sehun emerges from his second shower of the day, momentarily blinded by the thick steam that rises in the bathroom, fogging up the large three-way mirror and giving the black marble countertops a stony look.  He wraps the thick crimson towel tighter around his waist as he brushes his teeth and stares at his smoggy reflection, waiting for a clearer image of himself to materialize.

These weren’t new thoughts, and these weren’t vague ones either. Truth to be told, he missed the times when he had no emotions or feelings. It was much simpler. Now that he has a bunch of those only towards one girl, he feels overprotective of her. He reminded himself several times to control himself, not to suffocate her. She doesn’t like that, he remembered. She’ll run away, he thought.

Haru had made him so happy and fond. He is unrecognizable if he were to compare how he was in the past. Yes, he had done some unfair things, and those will make her feel angry and betrayed. But at least he'd been feeling. What he wouldn't give, to get that again. To get the heady rush of mixed emotions he always got around her, to get butterflies again, as he stared into a familiar pair of dark eyes.

When he saw Lay’s flowers in her house, he had it coming. It was just a matter of time. He knew Lay would fall for her too.

But what if Haru reciprocate Lay’s feelings? What if Haru likes him back? What if she leaves him for Lay?

The what’s and ifs messes his mind. There is a 98% percent she won’t, but the remaining 2 % bothered him too much.

Perhaps 'scared' wasn't the word he wanted to use, it was more apprehensive. What if things weren't the same?

//

Lay squinted his eyes, to see the alignment of the candles on the grand dinner table. He booked the entire restaurant for tonight, wanting it to be special. The table was decorated with white roses, and he ordered the best dishes on the menu.

Everything had to be perfect.

She walked in right on time, but that didn’t surprise Lay. She was with someone else. Lay’s smile soon faded, knowing where this might lead to, only hoping he saw wrong. But he didn’t.

He saw Sehun, along her, his hands tangling in hers.

Can a rejection hurt even before it took place? He wonders. Maybe he should back out, telling himself to stop. But bros don’t keep secret from bros.

But something was strangely different. Sehun is different.

His eyes looked menacingly cold. He didn’t smile or greet Lay like he usually does, instead he kept staring at him, as if he knows something he shouldn’t. Sehun has always been sharp. 

“This looks expensive!” Haru beamed, looking at the surroundings, her hands gently touching the table. She looks down at herself, and muttered, “I’m not sure if I’m properly dressed.”

“You look nice,” Lay commented truthfully and Sehun glared at him almost a second later.

//

The dinner went painfully awkward. Haru turns to Sehun, and noticed he barely touched his food. He seemed cold and stand offish since yesterday. His face were void of expression, and he only looked like that when something is troubling him. She then turns to see Lay who mirrors somehow the same expression.

“So what’s the occasion?” she asked, hoping to clear the thick air between them. Truth to be told, she wasn’t having an appetite either.

“I have something important to say,” Lay announced. Sehun looked up almost immediately.

“I’m going to London,” he said, somehow it sounded a bit like an sad excuse rather than an announcement.

Haru dropped her fork on her place loudly, clearly not expecting it to be a farewell dinner, “What?” she asked.

“I’m going to London and I’ll come back as a successful man. I’ll make my father proud,” Lay smiled.

“You're kidding.”

Lay only smiled. She took a shuttering breath and but the stiffness in her shoulders hasn't disappeared.

The truth was, she had no reason to be surprised.

She turned her attention away from him and drank what was left in the glass. Then she put it in front of her and continued to fill it with water again.

Sehun’s brow furrowed, and he stilled for a moment.

Lay felt disgusted with himself when Sehun looked at him questioningly. His felt as if his face muscles were stiff that he couldn’t even muster a smile at him.

I’m terrible, I know, Lay thought.

Hundreds of questions was on queue but none of them spoke anything.  Haru’s non existing appetite had completely vanished, and only silence filled the entire space.

Haru quickly finished what’s left in her place, and bid her goodbyes to Lay. The corner of her eyes teared a little, and she sped walked to the exit.

No, she shouldn’t discourage him. He's chasing his dream. She shouldn’t burden him with her tears.

Sehun and Lay watched her go. Seconds later, Sehun took a deep steadying breath and nodded at him before walking away.

Disappointment filled Lay’s heart, and he couldn’t help but to call his name out, “Sehun, we're still friends, right?”

Sehun didn’t turn, instead he lifted his hand for a neglected wave, “Come back home soon, you bastard.”

//

It was silent as a crypt. Sehun looked out of the car windows but his mind was everywhere. Thousands of thoughts came up in his mind.

Should I let her know?

Maybe I shouldn’t.

It doesn't matter.

It does matter.

Sehun had taught himself to hide his emotions since he was a teenager. Never show what you are thinking or feeling was protocol, and it was a skill he excelled at. However, in this moment he could feel his chest tighten and as sense of uncertainty filled his heart. He turned to look at her, her small black eyes staring back at him. She smiled a little, gauging for any expression in his eyes. He held her small hands in his, pushing behind all thoughts at the back of his mind.

“Lay likes you,” he croaked finally. “You’re free to choose. I won’t say anything.”

He grimaced, unafraid of her seeing his expression. Should he have said that? He wasn’t sure.

He made no sense, Haru thought. She wanted to laugh it out, but seeing how grim he looked, she kept silent, making no comment. He chuckled, seeing her staring blankly at him, “You have nothing to say?”

She gulped hard before answering, "You don’t have to ask, Sehun."

There was something in the way she pronounced his name that made it different from the others. 

“Hmm,” he muttered, tugging her hair behind her ears. She caught his icy cold hand, and for a moment she thought she touched a block of ice.

“We're Haru and Sehun. Sehun and Haru. I will always stand by you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I like you, Sehun,”

//

The day was postcard perfect; blue skies, no wind, and an ambient temperature; downtown, the skyscrapers shone silver and bright in the afternoon sun, highlighting themselves against the blue backdrop of the sky. Students and other locals walked like shoals of fish in every direction. The week long storm had washed every sidewalk and gutter, clean and the tincture of freshness still lingered – thought the traffic fumes were highly overpowering it again but it was still noticeable. The vibrancy of the city had bounced back in the instant when the clouds cleared.

She was dressed in a formal white blouse and a sleek pair of navy blue trousers. She carried a small pink handbag, and walked briskly towards the huge building.

She stopped momentarily in front of it, feeling immensely proud of herself. She saw a few employees heading towards the same direction as her, all of them wearing the same tag around their neck. She’ll soon wear those.

She walked towards the lobby, slightly gaping how grand that building looked. She then glanced towards left, and saw a beautiful receptionist already smiling at her.

“Kim Haru,” she said timidly when she walked towards the receptionist.

The beautiful lady nodded wordlessly and typed in her computer. Seconds later, she glanced up, her smile never leaving her oval face, “Level 30.”

//

Haru practiced her intro speech at least 50 times in front of her mirror, and yet she felt a swish of nervousness sweeping across her. Her sweaty palm fisted into balls, as she reminded herself to stay calm. This isn’t really her forte.

“My name's Kim Haru. 22 years old.” She started. Many employees didn’t bother to focus, some even yawned. But what surprised her the most is when a few ladies, probably around her age or maybe a bit older glared strangely at her.

She looked perturbed at their irritated reaction. They were clearly talking about her, she could sense that. She looked at herself several times, wondering if there’s anything wrong for her to receive such stares from them.

After the introduction session, she was taken into a tour around the office before a middle aged lady brought her to her work station.

It wasn’t an open space workstation, instead she had her own room with her name on it. While she was touching her chair and the table fondly, the lady’s eyes were hard, accessing her.

“A very close acquaintance to the Oh’s, I take it,” she said, while walking, her eyes still on her.

Before Haru could speak, the lady cleared , interrupting her. “Mrs Park was with us for almost 12 years. A very hard working lady. It was sad to send her off,”

Haru furrowed her brows, not knowing exactly on how to respond. “Oh,” she appropriated a reply. The lady’s left eyebrow shoot up displeasingly before she left the room without another word.

//

Two weeks had passed and Haru still failed to make a single friend. She ate her lunch alone, and had no one to talk about her work day too. She tried to make conversation with a fellow office mate today, but she was ignored deliberately by that lady.

She was at her breaking point, when the same lady entered her room again after a few hours, to pick up some new files. Haru learned not to talk to her this time, guessing she will ignored again if she did.

“Are you going to fire me too?” that lady asked, her features clouding in anger.

‘What?”

“I asked are you going to fire me too?” She sounded hateful.

“What are you talking about?”

“Enough with your innocent act.” She spat. “What you did to Mrs Park was despicable. They had to fire her for you,” she continued. “Who did you seduce?  The father or his son?”

Haru felt as if she was slapped across her face. Her hot angry tears were pooling in her eyes, but she refused to cry. She stood up hastily and walked out of her room, ignoring the usual stares and chatters about herself. She got in the elevator and pressed the rooftop.

//

She felt her hot tears drop on her cheeks as she stared the view. She walked towards the edge, the back of her hand wiping away her tears.

“If you're going to jump, I’ll suggest a ten storey building.”

Haru turned to the familiar voice and saw Luhan, dressed in a white formal shirt, almost as white as snow. He too, wears the same tag around his neck. He looks at her, partially curious and partially amused. “Are you stalking me?” he accused playfully.

“I’m not.” She defended herself quickly.

He let out a small carefree laugh, before noticing her wet eyes. “What's wrong?”

She said nothing but her turn her back on him, and stare the light blue sky. “I always thought people who works here sparkle. They stand out. They look superior.” She said softly. “Now I know what it takes to be like that, to look like that. And I’m not sure if I have it in me,”

“If you pray for the rain, you got to deal with the mud too,” Luhan smiled then realizing she probably won’t be in the mood for jokes. “Your co workers are hard on you?” he asked, guessing correctly.

She said nothing at him, and continued to stare at the sky. “Got to deal with the mud too, huh?” she muttered.

“But you have to admit, it is unfair,” he said, walking towards her before stopping by her side. “You can’t just come and take things that wasn’t yours,”

She turned to look at him, a flash of irritation passed her face, “Is this about Mrs Park?” she asked him, slightly annoyed. “What do I have to do with her?”

“You took her place,”

“I was offered too! I applied just like everyone else. Why is it fair for you and unfair for me?”

Luhan looked at her sharply, “You applied?” he asked dubiously. He was gauging for her expression and he was surprised to notice that she was telling the truth. “But –“

“You have to take it up with the HR if you’re not satisfied with they way they employed me. And I wasn’t accepted right away. I got rejected at first,”

Luhan’s brows furrowed even deeper. She’s not making any sense, he thought.  He recalled their first conversation.  “How much do you pay for your rent?” he asked.

“Higher than yours,”

“How much?”

“548 000 won,” she answered, not exactly knowing where this conversation is heading.

He gasped, “You must be kidding me.” His eyes ran wildly for a few seconds, trying to connect the dots. He then lift up his eyes to her, his expression looking indefinable, “You don’t know anything, do you?”

She looked at him, unsure on whether to laugh or to scold him, “Don’t know what?”

He casually put both of his hands in his pocket, laughing softly at the entire situation. “I’m so sorry, I thought so lowly of you,” he apologized suddenly.

Haru looked clueless, not getting any hint of what he meant.

“Lets start with a simple quiz,” he said, as he pointed a tall, huge hotel within sight. It had a large Z stamped on it. “The letter Z you see everywhere in Seoul, do you what does it stands for?”

“Zeus?” she answered, looking as if he’s an idiot, “What-“

“Do you know the president of Zeus?”

“Oh Kim.”  She answered impatiently. “I don’t have time to answer your silly quizzes.” She said, trying to move past him.

“Here’s the important question.” He said, a little bit sullenly. “Do you know he has a son?”

“Everyone knows that.” She answered, irritated.

Luhan looked steadily at her, keeping his face and tone serious. “What do you know about your boyfriend?”

“Sehun?” she asked him, “What about Sehun?”

“Does it ever occur to you that he might not be the person you think he is?” he  echoed, as he walk towards the edge.

His words uttered like they meant a thousand things, a thousand things Haru didn't know, a thousand things she didn't understand, and she desperately wanted to.

“What do you mean?” she asked him, mildly surprised by her own doubt. She realized at that moment that she don’t know anything about him.

Yes she knew him. His personalities, his attributes but she hardly know who he was.

All this time, he entered her life. It was always about her. And it was never the other way around.

He cleared his throat, giving himself an extra beat of time to formulate his answer into a more confident-sounding one. 

“Your boyfriend is the son of Oh Kim, and the heir of Zeus Company.”