Philia /ˈfɪliə/ 
friendship or brotherly love

"The first contact children have after a family is usually with other children," Jongin said as he rolled on his bed to look at Luhan who sat on the floor, poetry books scattered around him.

"A binging called friendship?" Luhan asked and Jongin nodded.

"Once I was travelling in one of those old metros they have downtown. There were two girls sitting opposite me and one with spiky blonde hair was on the phone, talking to someone and crying. The girl sitting next to her, a brunette, continuously patting her friend's thigh to reassure her."

"No one's ever done that to me when I cry," Luhan said, "But I only cry at night anyway where no one can see."

"I understand," Jongin said, "But as I watched those two girls I somehow felt jealous. It's hard to find real friends."

"Or friends at all," Luhan said looking at the book he was holding, a rare first edition of Emily Dickinson's poetry collection.

"You're rich aren't you?" Luhan asked then to Jongin who was playing with the fresh flowers Luhan had brought him that morning. They had decided to meet in Jongin's apartment as not to be seen together by the other students. After all both Luhan and Jongin had a reputation of 'invisible' to protect.

"My parents throw money at me every week," Jongin said, "They're rich. I am not. All the money they gave me I've filled this room with. But recently, as I stopped collecting books, I saved up all the money in this very room. It's a secret."

Luhan laughed at the Jongin said that with a touch of malice in his voice.

"If anything goes wrong," Jongin said suddenly getting serious, "Everything is yours. You take the money, any book you want and the cello and you live the rest of your life somewhere happier. Promise me you'll do that."

Luhan was shocked. No one had ever done anything for him so this made Luhan feel more than grateful. Some emotion he couldn't give a name to because he had never felt it.

" I feel like my heart is bursting with a feeling by hearing you say that but I'm not sure what name to give to it," Luhan said making Jongin laugh.

"Promise me, Luhan," he said.

"But Jongin, I have nothing to give you," Luhan said sadly.

"You don't have to worry about me," Jongin smiled getting up and putting the yellow flowers in a pot he took from the kitchen.

"It's not fair though," Luhan said, "You promise me you'll stay till the end, Jongin." 

"I promise, until the very end," Jongin said smiling. 

"I promise what you ask me too then," Luhan said. 

"It's the thirds day already and no one has made a fuss about anything yet," Jongin said. 

"Why don't we take them all in one day?" Luhan asked. 

"I prefer this countdown," Jongin answered, "the anticipation."

"Is friendship our next kind of love?"

"Yeah, so do you-" 

"Kim Minseo