Don't kiss me right now
Don't tell me that you need me
Don't show up at my house
All caught up in your feelings
 

Don't run me round and round
Don't build me up just to let me
Down, just to let me
Down, down, down (eh)

-Mean it, Lauv

“I like you very much. Can’t you tell?”

I have never met someone like Hendery before. So blatantly honest, so authentic with what he felt that it made me question everything I was feeling. No mixed signals, no acting like he didn’t actually like me when he did—It was new, fresh, and everything I have never experienced.

But then came the confusion. What if he didn’t mean it that way? What if he meant it in a way where he liked me as a friend? This was Hendery and if there was anything, I learned about him the past few days, it was that he was overly friendly. To strangers, even.

Who was I to think that he liked me? Hendery smiled at me, his eyes twinkling while I stood frozen by the side of the street. What was I supposed to say to that? Was I supposed to just pretend I didn’t hear him—

“I like you too,” I blurted out when my eyes widened at what I just said. “I-I… I mean…”

“Great!” Hendery concluded, stepping closer to grin at me. He didn’t seem at all fazed by what I said, the male grabbing me by the elbow. “And this is why we need to go for ice cream.”

I was still in a state of shock, wondering how he could brush what I said away so easily. I didn’t know if I liked him but Hendery saying what he did made me feel so cornered. I chewed on my bottom lip, Hendery tugging me along with him.

We slowed down our pace and I remained silent, Hendery humming to himself.

“Where do you think my wallet is, Gucci?” he asked his eyebrows knitting, his hand dropping from my elbow. “Do you think it’s gone?”

“I think if it’s meant for you to find it, you’ll be able to find it,” I told him, Hendery chuckling. “Or you can always buy a new one.”

“Will you go with me? If I wanted to go shopping?” he asked and I absentmindedly played with the keychain of my bag.

“And after that, you’ll finally get your wallet back and won’t come around anymore?”

I don’t know why I said it. I also don’t know how it sounded. I did want Hendery to come around—Today was the second day I’ve been out with him, yet I already felt so comfortable with him…. If you looked past the state of confusion I would battle once in a while.

But Hendery’s face fell for a moment.

“Are you hoping that would be the case?” he asked carefully, unlike his usual carefree demeanor.

“No,” I replied. “I actually think I can get used to this. You being friends with me.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hendery could hardly keep himself from looking too ecstatic, the male’s eyes shining from the words of the female beside him. Sure, she said friends. Sure, she might not have meant it when she said she liked him too. Gucci always had that flustered look on her face and Hendery absolutely adored it.

His friends knew about her, of course. Lucas WongYuKhei didn’t understand why he was so interested in her. He thought it was another one of Hendery’s experiments but Hendery had to tell him that it wasn’t a Wattpad story. He wasn’t someone to sleep around.

Hendery had an idea of romance in his head that it should always come easy.

That it would come to you when the time was right.

Friends, she said. You being friends with me. Hendery thought of it in his head, the female walking silently beside him.

That was how it worked. Friends to lovers. Treat a girl with respect and maybe one day, it’ll turn into something more.

Hendery wanted to step up into love, not fall into a pit hole and drown in it.

It was funny how he could read her. He remembered the look of fear on her face when she spotted Wonwoo. Panic when she thought that she had slept with him. Happiness when she was in that premium shopping cart. She was an open book.

A book he’d read over and over again.

“I need to head home,” she said and he jumped, almost forgetting that he had once again, gotten lost in her presence. “I forgot that I have a report to write. Is it okay that I buy you ice cream tomorrow?”

“Mhm? Sure,” he answered and she looked relieved. Did she think that he would get mad that she couldn’t buy him ice cream?

“Do you need money to buy ice cream?”

Her question almost made him burst out in laughter. Her innocence, Hendery thought, shaking his head and lifting the phone up to show it to her.

“Money banking—”

“Here’s money, anyway,” she told him, her cheeks flushing red. “I’m so sorry. I know I promised ice cream and all.”

She had shoved a couple of crumpled bills into his hand, Hendery blinking at her.

“I guess I’ll see you some other time?” she asked, looking up at him, Hendery staring back into her eyes.

Hopeful eyes, Hendery thought. Did that mean she wanted to see him? He smiled, Gucci stepping away and giving him a final wave before rushing towards her apartment, leaving him standing there.

He had never felt this way before. So enamored over a single person. Over what? Lucas once asked him. Over a single kind action?

But Lucas didn’t understand. Not many people did it with ease, especially to a stranger. A simple action could lead to an impact. 

With that, Hendery got a text message. A string of letters in Mandarin from Lucas, the best friend. He was more of a right hand to Lucas, Hendery knowing that Lucas was broken beyond repair. He hoped that if he showed enough loyalty and love to Lucas, he would slowly regain his self-confidence and finally lead a normal life.

But a part of Hendery knew that the only way for that to happen would be for Lucas to finally someone to reform him into a better person.

“I’m at home.”

And if that wasn’t an order for Hendery to come to see him, he didn’t what was. Hendery pocketed his phone, heading straight to WayV street.

Lucas was at Kun’s home, the male in the living room while Qian Kun was probably upstairs studying. Hendery didn’t know when Qian Kun didn’t actually study, Kun wanting to be a doctor and all. The overachieving gene in Kun was strong.

“Sup?” Hendery greeted, falling back against the couch when Lucas spoke.

“Seventeen called.”

Hendery flickered his eyes over at the screen of the television. He expected as much. He knew what he was getting himself into the moment he decided to approach Gucci the night of the party. He knew it when he helped her hold her hair and rubbed her back to give her comfort from the side effects of the drug.

“They said you overstepped boundaries.”

“Did you tell them that we aren’t dating?”

“You know it doesn’t work like that. Gucci… Or whatever you call your female friend, was fresh out of a relationship. I could explain but I explain better with my fists.”

“If any of you get into a fight, I will make sure both of you end up homeless.” Kun’s voice rang out and Hendery jumped at the older male’s sudden presence. Kun stared pointedly at them. “I thought all this gang business was done since high school. Ever since Shanghai and Johnny fought—”

“This is different,” Lucas said softly. “Hendery here, has taken a liking to a girl. And that girl happens to be an ex of a gang member—”

“And why?” Kun demanded suddenly, throwing his hands up in the air. “Why do you both always go for the ones that will most likely give you trouble?”

Because she’s worth it, Hendery thought. But he wouldn’t say that. Hendery knew they didn’t think of love the same way he did. Lucas thought that love could fade any time, resulting in countless women on his bed every night. Kun… Kun thought that love was hard.

Any person who thought that love was hard would shy away from it to protect themselves.

And if they had a love to fight for, the mindset that it was hardly meant that he was already fighting a losing battle.

“I’ll handle it,” Hendery told Lucas, his best friend not saying anything.

Lucas trusted Hendery. Hendery had a good head on his shoulders and knew how to survive. Sure, both of them were on opposite ends of a spectrum, but that was what made them fit so well.

“Don’t worry,” Hendery assured them, leaning back on the couch.

“Call us if you need us. I know Johnny is itching to get into a fight.” Lucas looked amused, a smirk on his features. “Just give him a reason and that guy will pounce.”

Kun didn’t say anything, shaking his head and retreating back to his bedroom with a grumble.

“You know what you’re doing?” Lucas asked. He wouldn’t ask Hendery what he had planned but he knew he would support whatever his best friend chose to do.

“I do.”

As a matter of fact, Hendery didn’t know. He just knew that he had one goal and that was to make sure Gucci was going to be taken out of that goddamn list.

Unlike Wonwoo, Hendery knew he thought differently of the girl.

To him, being with Gucci was a luxury.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday classes were the worst and I dragged myself out of bed and to class. My roommate had put out breakfast for me in the morning and I was thankful for her hospitality. She had also left a note telling me that she would cook dinner for me when I came back because she could tell that my studies were slowly burning me out.

I went to class, sat through a three-hour lecture, and turned in my report when my phone dinged and I looked down to see that Hendery had sent me a photo. He was flashing his pearly teeth to the camera with a thumbs up in the air.

H.W: Classes over?

Gucci Wallet Stealer: Almost.

I wondered what to say next, slowly typing down a short message to ask him if he got ice cream the day before.

H.W: I’m in YG gym. Came to say hi to the coach!

H.W: Met your roommate :D

Gucci Wallet Stealer: How many people did you meet today?

H.W: Beats me. They aren’t that important.

H.W: I want to see you.

It was funny how a simple message could make my heart beat faster. I dragged my tongue over the bottom of my lip, another message coming up.

H.W: I need to change your nickname. ;-;

H.W changed your nickname to My One & Only Gucci.

H.W: There you go. Text me after class.

I stared at the nickname, not being able to hide a smile when the bell rang and I texted him that I was done with class. He texted back and told me that he was waiting at the same place, the center of YG University and I made my way to him.

Hendery had always been a casual dresser but he looked different today. A long-sleeved green shirt and normal jeans. His hair flopped over his forehead and despite not having styled his hair, Hendery looked gorgeous.

Or was it because I began to look at him differently?

“Hey,” I greeted and he smiled, reaching out to pinch my cheek casually. This would be the third day in the row I had seen him. “How are you?”

“Good. Now that you’re here,” he answered and blood rushed to my cheeks. “I’m heading over to a nursing home. A friend is working there. You want to come?”

“Isn’t that why you wanted me here?”

“Not at all. I wanted you here simply because I wanted you to bless me with your face. But come now, now that we both know that you’re free, off we shall go!”

Things with Hendery typically happened really fast and in less than thirty minutes, we had commuted to a nursing home that looked like a normal house. Hendery explained that he came here once in a while to see a friend and see… Alberto.

“Who is Alberto?” I asked, Hendery telling me that I’ll meet him soon enough. We were greeted by a smaller framed male by the front of the door. He looked gruntled at Hendery’s presence.

“Hey, drop out.” Hendery tapped on his shoulder. I guessed this guy would be the friend. “Gucci, this is Renjun. Renjun, this is Gucci.”

“Pleasure all mine, Gucci.” Renjun shook my hand before passing a glance at Hendery. “Here to see Alberto?”

“Of course,” heHe answered and Renjun nodded. While we walked down the hallway, I leane