Eun Hae’s POV

Monday again.

I can’t believe I made it passed the weekends with that alien in my house. It was not easy, I tell you.

Since I took evening work shifts, I had the whole morning and afternoon. I usually spent it just lazing about in front of the television but Lu Han wanted me to take him out exploring Seoul. So that was what I did on both Saturday and Sunday when I had time.

And it was a torture.

I didn’t know where to take him so I just took him to random places. And sometimes the buildings were freakin’ huge. Lu Han dragged me here and there and everywhere. Then around in the afternoon, we went to this big shopping mall. It was HUGE. So guess what the idiot did.

He ran off.

I panicked. I wasn’t really familiar with the shopping mall since I don’t normally go shopping. So I wandered around aimlessly, having no clue where I was going, therefore getting lost in the midst of shoppers. I spent hours walking here and there, looking for him but there was no sight of him. Then when it was almost time for me to go to work, I got even more anxious that I literally broke down and cried.

Then Lu Han appeared out of nowhere with an arrogant smirk and it hit me — he didn’t run off.

He was invisible.

I threw my bag at him and it hit him square on the head. Good. I hope he gets a bruise. He deserved it for giving me a shock. I was really scared.

On Sunday, he promised he wouldn’t do it again when I took him to a park where there were people selling stuff in the stalls lined up down the streets. But he was gone. I wasn’t worried. He was invisible. So I just did my thing, buy a couple of things, take a few pictures of things.

I was peering over a jewelry stall when I heard someone calling my name. When I turned, I saw Lu Han running over to me with a worried look on his face. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” he said, shaking his head.

I frowned, confused, dropping the necklace that I was holding. Does this mean he really wandered off?

People were starting to notice us. Girls stared, not believing he was so cute. Aunties and uncles snickered, muttering comments about how ‘cute the couple’ were. That got my face red and I looked down.

Then Lu Han hugged me and said, “Dear, you know you shouldn’t wander off by yourself. The doctors said you’re not well enough. You’re still ill. You had me worried sick! What if you explode and lose control again? I don’t want to have to sent you to the hospital where they’d put you in the mentally ill ward again!”

People started backing away from me.

That fathead.

When I pushed him away, he smirked. Then I took off one side of my shoes and chased him down the streets, proving him right.

Idiot.

Later, since my work called saying that I could come in later because they had enough workers until eight o’clock so I decided to take Lu Han to Hans River and also to take a couple of pictures. Lu Han strayed around but was in view so I wouldn’t worry about him running off again.

The sun was going down and I had the perfect view. So I decided to take a picture. Just as I clicked on the shutter, Lu Han appeared with a ‘bbuing~bbuing’ expression, ruining the beautiful picture.

Aish, photo bomber.

He ran off before I could chuck my shoes at him, laughing gleefully.

Later, when I managed to get a passerby to help take a picture of me with the sunset, he strolled by and put his arms around me, convincing the guy to take a picture of the two of us. I tried to protest but he just smirked at me and we took the picture.

It was, I have to admit, a nice picture.

The person who took the picture and later the person who developed the film later told us that we looked like a cute couple, thus making two copies instead of one; one for me and one for Lu Han.

Speaking of that idiot, Lu Han must have felt guilty because when I came home from work, the house was clean and everything was organized and I’d find him sitting quietly in the living room watching TV.

So he does have a soft spot.

But anyway, now it’s Monday again, and I’m worried about what Teacher Yong would say about my disappearance from the field trip the other day and what torture Yongguk would make me do today.

I got up earlier because I was nervous so I decided to go to school early. Before I left, I crept into Lu Han’s room and found him sleeping. He looked like an angel. How can someone who is such a jerk, who gets on my nerves, look so angelic like this? I shook my head and walked out of the room. I left a note, telling him that I’m going to school and what time I’ll be back so he should find his own breakfast and lunch. Then I left the apartment.

I was thinking of how I’d spent my weekend with the nutcase with the coffee shop in the view when suddenly I bumped into someone who was walking in front of me. When I looked up, I froze.

Daehyun, one of Yongguk’s friend, looked just as startled to have bumped into me.

Wait . . .

If Daehyun was here, that means Yongguk would be here somewhere. Oh ! I can’t let Yongguk see me!

Daehyun must have sensed my panic because he quickly motioned for me to go to school. I nodded and speed-walked beside him but then someone grabbed my shoulder and whirled me around.

And I was face-to-chest with none other than a smirking Bang Yongguk.

He laughed evilly. “Well, well, what do we have here? Teacher Yong isn’t pleased that you missed the bus the other day during the field trip,” he crooned and my heart sank. “And that means detention again. . . .”

I hung my head low as Yongguk grabbed my bag, giving it to Himchan who took it and began emptying everything that was inside. Yongguk shoved me, making me fall to the ground. When my bag was emptied, laughing, the two of them ran off. I looked up, tears in my eyes, and found Daehyun hesitating in front of me. I think he was about to bend down and help me when Yongguk called him.

He turned and ran toward his hyung.

Daeseul’s POV

When I went inside the coffee shop to order the usual for Eun Hae and I, I saw Changjo buying three coffees. When he turned, he smiled and handed mine. “Here you go,” he said. “My cousin not here?”

I shook my head. “She’s always late.” I waved my hand offhandedly and he nodded. “Why are you so nice, suddenly buying for us?” I asked him curiously.

He sighed. “I heard that Yongguk purposely made my cousin miss the bus from the stadium last Friday,” he replied. “I have a feeling she might be feeling pretty miserable so I thought I could try cheer her up.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I heard about that too. Yongguk is such a jerk. I wonder why he messes with her all the time.”

He shrugged uncomfortably and I have a feeling he knew. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Changjo, what’s going on between her and —?”

“Daeseul-sshi!”

I looked up and saw Kai behind the cashier counter. I wandered over there. “Hey, what are you doing here? Are you working here now?”

He nodded, beaming. “Yeah, I am,” he replied. “I need to earn money and I saw that they were looking for people to work here that day I met you here so I decided, why not? And I got the job!”

I laughed. Then I noticed Changjo was behind me. “Uh, Changjo, this is Kai-sshi. I met him the other day during lunch. Kai-sshi, this is Changjo, a good friend of mine and my best friend’s cousin.”

The boys shook hands. Changjo smiled warmly at Kai, who smiled just as warmly. The two of them were similar in a lot of ways. I always thought that if Changjo wasn’t Eun Hae’s cousin, he’d be right for her. And now that Kai is similar to Changjo, maybe he could be the one for Eun Hae.

I smiled, thinking how great I am, playing Cupid.

Suddenly Changjo frowned. “Oh ,” I heard him mutter. “Sorry, I gotta go. It’s nice to meet you, Kai-sshi.” Then he took off, Eun Hae’s coffee in his hands. But he had to make sure it doesn’t spill so he was quite slow.

I turned to him quizzically. Then I saw Eun Hae’s figure walking past the coffee shop. I couldn’t see her face properly but I managed to catch a glimpse of her face — and she did not look happy.

Don’t tell me Yongguk messed with her again.

I turned back to Kai apologetically. “Sorry about that,” I said. “I think my best friend had a rough start, so if you don’t mind —”

Kai nodded sweetly, waving his hand. “Sure, I understand,” he replied sincerely, smiling warmly. “Go cheer her up. And it was nice seeing you.”

I smiled. “I’ll definitely come back and bring my friend over so you can meet her. You’ll like her,” I promised. “Bye!” I rushed off to see if Eun Hae was all right.

Changjo’s POV

I ran as fast as I could after my cousin sister without spilling her coffee but it was really hard. Damn, if I hear that Yongguk has been messing with her again, I’m going to make sure he wished he was never born.

Eun Hae was a little ahead of me.

I ran faster until I’d caught up with her, just as we reached the school gates. I grabbed her wrists and spun her around. She gave a startled cry and cringed in fear. When she saw that it was me, her facial expression softened.

“Changie,” she said, hanging her head low, letting her fringe cover her pretty eyes.

I hugged her. “Yongguk?”

She nodded.

I clenched my fist as she sighed into my arms. “What did that do to you this time?” I asked, trying to control my anger.

“Daehyun tried to help me . . . but Yongguk came . . . and pushed me on the ground while Himchan emptied my bag,” she whimpered, avoiding eye-contact.

I shook my head. I pulled apart, kissed her forehead and handed her coffee into her hands before I walked off, stomping toward her class where I found Yongguk and Daehyun were hanging about. Yongguk looked up when he saw me and smirked. I walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar.

And punched him in the face.

He staggered back, crashing into some of the desks in front. “What the hell?!” he spat out angrily. He tried to take a swing at me but I punched him again, causing him to fall on the floor.

“Touch my cousin again and you die,” I threatened Yongguk. “You can report me to the teachers for threatening and expel me but I can sue you for harassing her. So help me, I will.”

“Changjo . . .” Daehyun called out.

I glowered at him and he shrank back. I pointed a finger at him. “You, shut up. Tell your friend to control himself. If I hear that she’s being harassed one more time, he’s done for.” With that, I walked out of the classroom, leaving the two of them stunned.