He doesn’t know when it all started. He cannot remember exactly when he opened his heart to her. He has always been a cold person, he never knew he could actually love someone. He cares less about people around him, but he cannot overlook Hana. Hana is different from the others. Her eyes sparkle with excitement every time they meet, and in there he sees a fragile and naïve girl whom he should protect at all cost. Is that love? Maybe it is. If it is indeed love, then he learns that loving a person is not an easy task. It’s not all about romantic gestures, all sweet and fluttery moments, but tolerance, acceptance and making the person happy with everything that he has. Being in love with Hana makes him sees her as the most beautiful and perfect person. He cannot see any flaws in her, and won’t ever to.

Her brightness lit up across the room. She just has this positive aura that will make people love and care for her. Maybe it comes from her inner self that always prioritize other before herself, her honesty and innocence. He specifically sees this in the recent incidence with Gina. Hana should feel upset at Gina, or at least feel hurt by what Gina did to her. Instead, she was worried about Gina getting hurt and continues to blame herself. He is the opposite of her. He is being cold for reasons. He is hurt and is in a lot of pain, so he tried to shift the emotional burden to others. He distrusts people and only thinks of himself, he doesn’t want to get hurt. So, he hurt others unintentionally in order to defend himself.

They are so different, yet are similar. They are both hurt, and what differs is how they counter their pain. Hana heals her pain by embracing others, while Sehun heals his pain by turning his back on people.

Thinking back, Sehun guessed that his heart might soften on her during that one incident.

That time, they weren’t that close yet. Sehun was picking his favourite snacks at the mart when he saw a boy with primary school uniform was stealing snacks from the mart. The boy took small snacks and hid it in his uniform pocket. Sehun gazed over to the cashier who completely wasn’t aware of this. Sehun contemplated on what he should do and decided he shouldn’t interfere in other’s matter. Therefore, he turned a blind eye of what the boy are doing and continues to pick his own snacks. After a while, the boy leaves quietly without nobody noticing him and Sehun goes over to the counter to pay his things. On his way, he recognized Hana was at the counter so he halted on his track and hid between the shelf. He thought it was ridiculous to hid from her, but it was awkward for him to meet her, as she had confessed to him before that. He turned a cold shoulder on her after the incidence, and he avoided her at all cost.

“Ahjussi, I’m really sorry but my younger brother stole some snacks from your mart. I felt very bad for that, so I came to pay instead.” She handed an amount of money to the cashier, who looked dumbfounded by her sudden statement. Sehun frowned at her statement. I thought she is the only daughter. I’ve never seen her siblings.

“Ah..alright.” The cashier awkwardly received the money as she bowed 90 degrees to him several times, asking for forgiveness.

“It’s okay, girl. You paid already then it’s fine.”

She then rushed outside and Sehun went over to the counter. He placed all the snacks he chose on the counter.

“I’ll come back in a while. I’ll put these here first.”

Sehun went outside the mart, looking for her but she wasn’t there. He walked further and spotted her at the corner of the mart. He approached her, and saw that she was talking to the boy earlier. He went closer to them and hid by the wall.

“Did you repent or not? You do know what you’re doing is wrong, right?” Hana bends herself to match the boy’s height and points to the boy who stared back at her wide-eyed.

“Do you have any proof to say that?”

“Aishh this boy. Are you going to be like this?” Hana said as she pulled him closer by his sweater and she took out those snacks he stole.

“What is this?” She held the snacks toward him.

“I paid for that!” The boy turns red in frustration.

“Really? Should we go back to that ahjusshi and ask him to show us the CCTV?”

The boy lowered his head and fidgets his fingers in guilt. He does not answers immediately, and he keep his head low.

“Should we do that?”, Hana repeated and suddenly drops of tear fall to the ground from the boy.

“Are..are you crying?” Hana bent her body to peek on his face.

The boy looked up to her with flushed cheeks and tears all over his face.

“I want to eat that so much but I don’t have any money. My mother just won’t give me extra money because we are so poor.” He said between tears and Hana crouched down to match his height. She looked up to him as she sighed slowly. Sympathy was written all over her face.

“Noona did this not because Noona wants you to be caught. Noona just want you to reflect on your wrongdoing. No matter what is the reason, stealing is wrong. Can we agree on that?” She gently said as she wiped away his tears. The boy nodded slowly.

“Good boy. If you want something, you must work for it. Think about the ahjusshi, if you keep stealing, his employer will get angry at him. It wasn’t a good thing to do that to someone, right? Being kind to others, and live decently will give you happiness. Got that?”

“Yes, Noona. I’m sorry. Do we have to return this?”, the boy stopped crying and he pointed to snacks in her hand.

“It’s all yours. Noona had paid for it already. Consider this as a treat for you. But next time, don’t do thing like this. Promise?”

The boy’s face lightened up at her words and he delightly took the snacks from her hand.

“I promise! Thank you, Noona!”

Hana got up and she smiled at they boy, ruffling his hair.

“Study hard, and grow up to be a good boy, alright?”

Sehun who was listening to them spun away from the scene and returned to the mart to pay for his things. He could not stop thinking of the incident. The scene was very heartwarming for him. Her consoling voice tone, her expressions, her actions; it was affectionate and gentle. Only if someone would give that kind of treatment to him. Only if. People around him left, and no one told him what’s wrong or what’s right. His heart clenched at the thought.

Unknowingly, his heart softened on her.

Remembering that, Sehun smiles by himself.

Now that he keeps her close by him, he felt reassured. He hoped things will stay like this for a long, long time.

..

Meet me at the gate after school.

Hana read a note that was placed between her books. She found that as soon as she returns from the canteen. She wondered why Sehun would ask her to meet him after school because he said he was going to stay at school for some works. She shrugged anyway, grinning because she cannot wait for the school to end. Sehun was nice to her nowadays, and he has softened a lot. He wasn’t the cold Sehun anymore, at least when he’s with her.

As soon as the bell rings, Hana quickly packs her bag and waved Gina goodbye before she dashed away outside. She practically runs to meet Sehun, she doesn’t want him to wait for her. While going down the stairs, she spots Sehun who is talking to his friends outside his class. He saw her and she points towards the school gate, telling him she would wait there first. Sehun frowned at her but she misses that because she doesn’t want to disturb him talking. She arrives at the gate and bends over her knees to catch her breath.

“That was fast. It took me like 30 seconds to come here. Wow, that is a new record.” Hana talks to herself while breathing heavily.

“Hana.”

She thought Sehun’s voice is somewhat funny today, but she still turns to the voice. She locked eyes with the owner of the voice. But it wasn’t Sehun. She froze on her spot, unable to move. The world is spinning before her eyes and she goes blank for a moment. She recognizes the person, that was the person whom she had erased from her life. The person who gave her first heartbreak. A man that she once loved with all of her heart. The man whom once made her heart fluttered at the mere sight of him but disappeared one day without any goodbyes. He just turned into a thin air, leaving her alone without any definite answer.

“Hana?”

His voice pulls her into the reality and she unconsciously took a step backwards.

“What are you doing here? “, that is the first question that comes out from her lips.

“Do you recognize me?”, the man asks in doubt, seeing her awkward reaction.

Hana blinks in response. How could she forget his face? And his name. Lay. That was the name she called endlessly in her nightmares, but he never appeared. She can only call out his name in her mind, but she cannot bring herself to say it with her own mouth. The painful memories of that time came alive in her and it makes her heart aches. Tears are forming in her eyes. She took another step backwards but Lay grabs her hand to stop her.

“Please, let me explain everything. I get that you’re shocked with my sudden appearance, but please. Let me talk.”

Hana stares at his grip, trailing to his face.

“Let me go this instant. I don’t want to hear anything. I don’t need your explanations, it is no use anymore. You’re dead in my memories. “

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting for so long. I’m back. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Hana snorted at his remarks.

“Who said that I waited for you? You disappeared into thin air 4 years ago, without any words. You left me hanging, blaming myself every night because I thought you left because of me. I thought you were angry at me for something. I’m worried to death and the feeling tortured me for years. And now you dare to say that so easily? You’re dead, you no longer exist in my memories. I had moved on and buried away all about you. So please, let me go.”

Hana pulls her hand from his grip but unexpectedly, he pulls her into his embrace. Hana is taken aback by his sudden act and struggles to free herself from him. She tried to push him away but he tightens his grip around her, apologizing to her for his wrongs. Hana’s face turns red as she struggles to escape. Students nearby are staring at the unexpected scenario and she can’t be more embarrassed than this. The words gonna spread like a fire and she knew she will be the talk of the school tomorrow. Like, who freaking got hugged by a random man by the school gate? That is just entirely an evening drama.

Hana almost drowns in his embrace before she hears a firm sound, an arm grabs onto her and Lay was thrown away breaking the hug. It happened so fast, the next thing she saw, Lay was already on the ground, lying. She turns to her right side, Sehun is standing there holding on to her arm. He turns her to him and checks on her with panic written on his face. His face was flushed and the veins on his neck popped out.

“Are you okay?’, he asks and Hana coughs out from the impact of intense hug before. She manages to nod as an answer.

“Who are you?”, Lay stands up on his feet, rubbing his sore jaw from Sehun’s blow.

“I should be the one asking that.”, Sehun stares at him in anger. He thought it was weird when Hana signaled him to meet him outside because he certainly told her he would be staying at school. He went to look for her when he spotted the man was holding on to Hana. He thought that was weird because he had never seen the man. When the man suddenly hugged Hana, he became furious and the next thing he knew, his fist had already landed on the man’s jaw.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

Hana slaps Lay almost instantly after he said those words. Both Sehun and Lay was left speechless by her act. Sehun, on the other hand felt a tug on his heart when the man confessed as her boyfriend. Who is he and what happened between them? This is the first time he sees Hana like this. She was trembling and her eyes were red and wet with tears.

“Don’t you dare to say something like that again. Don’t come to look for me anymore.”, Hana said as she turns around and runs back to her home, without looking back even for once. Sehun glares at the man, there’s a lot he wants to know, but he needs to check on Hana first.

“I don’t know who you are, but I’m sure Hana doesn’t want you to be here. I hope we won’t be seeing each other anymore.”, Sehun said as he glared intensely to the man. Lay, on the other hand remained calm.

“That would be hard. I need to take back what's mine. And you standing in between won’t help.”, Lay answered with a confident look on his face.

Sehun glares at Lay’s words and his face turns red in anger, Lay slyly smile to provoke Sehun.

This is going to be an interesting match to look forward.