"...How do you know how much my job pays?" Kai started to become defensive.

Hana sighed and plonked down on the seat in front of him. The chair made a big screeching noise but she didn't care. "Look," she sighed. "You look like you're still in high school..." *So am I, she thought.*

"And there is no way you should be able to afford a big Tiffany bag like that without emptying your account... and you look like you've just stepped into a load of debt, so I'm just offering you something."

He was still quiet.

"I'm not a druggie and I'm not into prosititution. I'm also a high school student," she winked when he looked at her, startled. "Yes I am, and I have a..." she paused. "A steady... boyfriend."

Kai wasn't dumb. He caught the hesitance in her voice when she said steady, and immediately perked up. "So... you want me to date you so you can break up with your boyfriend?"

Now it was Hana's turn to gape. "Uhm... yeah. Well, not really in that sense but I kind of need you to be friends with my boyfriend." 

Kai's eyebrows shot up to his forehead. "And that's it?" 

She didn't want to tell him that Kyung Jae was gay. That would just ruin everything. But she knew her conscience would get the better of her so she went to tell him, but instead, what slipped out was. "Yes. That's it."

His smile was so wide, she almost felt like crying. She wasn't supposed to feel so guilty. *Come on Hana, it's the best. It's the best for the both of you.*

"Here's my number, just text me whenever you want." He grabbed her phone and quickly typed in his.

Hana hesitated once more. "We have to get to know each other before though." She quickly added, "To build up a rapport." when she saw his sceptical gaze. "It'll be weird if you became friends with my boyfriend and not me."

"So..." he stood up and tucked his mobile back in his pocket. "I'll see you soon?"

Hana nodded quietly.

He left without another word, and unbeknownst to each other, they both turned back to glance once more at their new friend.

-

"Hey." Kyung Jae poked Hana. 

They were eating dinner and she wasn't loud like she usually was. In fact, she was dead silent. She wasn't even eating; poking her food more like it.

"Are you okay? Hana?" she was still out of it so he loudly put his chopsticks down. "CHOI HANA!" she jolted and snapped,  "What?"

He chuckled. Being shouted at was something Hana hated the most. "Are you going to eat?" he glanced at her food and she shook her head, sighing.

"I'm feeling... weird." The chair loudly scraped the linoleum floor and she went to place her dish on the kitchen table. "Going to sleep."

All he did was simply stare at her when she walked to the bedroom. Kyung Jae felt so bad. He loved Hana with almost all of his heart, but his head did the ruling in his body. He didn't want to break up with her and have her be sad and mopey about it. Now, it was more like he slept with his sister.

He shuddered at the thought. "No, I'm doing the right thing." he tapped his chopsticks on the table to align them and kept on eating.

Behind him, Hana disappeared into the darkness of their room, wiping away her angry tears and softly clicking the door to a close.

"No, I'm doing the right thing." Hana mocked her boyfriend's tone and grumbled. "Right thing MY !" she didn't bother to change and climbed straight into bed.

She pulled her bear - the one she had since preschool - into her arms and cooed to it. "Joo, do you think I'm doing the right thing? I need a change. You know? I can't keep faking for everyone like this and I really really need to leave." She started to cry.

"But he's a good friend, if not a brother to me. Kyung Jae has been with me for a long time. I don't want him to leave... but it's something I need to do. He needs to come out."

"I hope Kai-ssi can change things..." her eyelids drooped. "I want...change..."

"Please."