It rained that night.

The internet connection was never good in his old country house so he couldn’t check the weather; as a result, he forgot to bring an umbrella. How convenient. Because now he was soaked to the bone and shivering like crazy.

Teeth shattering from the cold, he clenched his shuddering hand into a fist and rang the doorbell for the third time. Come on… I’m dying out here.

Finally, he could hear footsteps coming to the door – and then a voice.

“Appa!”

Luhan closed his eyes in vex.

“He's here!”

The door swung open and standing before him was a girl with short black hair, wide curious eyes, and light complexion, dressed in sailor moon pyjamas. He grimaced involuntarily.

“Hi, welcome!” she said with a friendly voice. But then her eyes did a double take on his appearance and her expression changed to surprise. “Woah… you’re soaked.”

Yeah, Luhan thought with a sarcastic of his brow.

A big jolly man appeared behind her. “Minju, go help him with his things!”

“On it!” The girl zipped past Luhan and out into the rain to grab his things.

Luhan looked back. “No it’s okay, I can – “ he stopped when he saw the girl already walking past him heaving his big yellow suitcase across the threshold and down the hall.

“Holy, what’s in this?” he heard her mumble before she looked up. “Appa, where am I taking this?”

“Just take it to the living room for now.”

“Okay.”

As the girl, probably in her teens, disappeared down the hall, the father looked at Luhan with a keen eye. “You’re lucky you’re our first customer. You get first pick at rooms. I’d suggest upstairs, the air is better up there. But it’s your choice.” He smiled a big rugged smile that made Luhan feel appreciative but then slightly uneasy because that smile lead to his arms opening wide; and before Luhan could step out of the way, the man had grabbed him into a big bone-crunching hug.

“Welcome to the family, boy. I have a feeling we’re going to get along just fine!”

Once released from the hug of death, Luhan felt that his body had been cracked in places he didn’t even know he had bones in. He offered the father the best (weak) smile he could muster before inquiring about a bathroom. He remembered he hadn’t used the bathroom since before the train ride – 8 hours ago –and his clothes were completely soaked, making him want to take a nice warm bath and put on some dry ones.

 “Just down the hall and take a right. It’s beside the kitchen,” the man replied.

“Thank you.” Luhan bowed, and was just about to go when the man grabbed his wrist, making Luhan freeze in his tracks.

He examined Luhan’s small-town get-up – bleach-blond hair that plastered itself onto his light-skinned face, a black, soaking-wet Nike t-shirt that clung to his torso and a pair of deep-blue jeans – with a critical eye.

“I’ve seen boys like you,” he said. “Ones that dye their hair, run away from home, and do things that their mothers would be ashamed of…” he paused to get a good look at Luhan’s eyes that were staring directly at the floor. “You see my daughter just now?”

Luhan nodded uneasily.

“Stay away from her. She’s not like other girls with whom you can mess around to satisfy your temporary cravings, you hear me?” The grip on Luhan’s hand tightened.

“Y-Yes, sir,” Luhan answered quickly, not wanting to get on this man’s bad side.

“Good.” A grin broke out on the man’s lips and his grip loosened. “I have to tell everyone that just in case. Now go take a shower. My wife left some dry clothes and a towel in the bathroom. You can meet us in the living room when you’re ready." Patting Luhan on the back, the man departed downstairs.

When the man was gone Luhan exhaled in relief. Not that he ever planned on ‘messing’ with that girl in the first place, but now that his life was more or less on the line, he was determined to stay away from the daughter of this house no matter what.