Kai’s POV

“Umma and Appa,” she whispered.

My eyes widened and I glanced back toward the couple. I looked at them closely. The woman looked similar to her, with the pretty smile and cute gestures like running a hand through her hair the way I’ve seen Eun Hae do. I guess there’s where she got her looks from. The dad looked tall and sturdy, with a strong jaw and he was drumming his fingers on the table, something Eun Hae does too.

Lu Han had his arm invisibly around her. “Let’s go somewhere, then, if you don’t want to be here,” he murmured into her ears, pressing his lips to her hair.

I frowned, annoyed. “Yah, you can’t just tell someone what to do!”

She was shaking her head anyway and pushed him gently away. “A – Andwae,” she said but she looked reluctant. “Boss will be mad at me.” She took a deep breath. But then she frowned at him. “Wait, Lu Han, I never told you about my parents before. How did you —?”

“I’ve got my sources,” he said smoothly.

His leader told him. After all, our leaders would know what there is to know about her.

I looked at the couple and back at her. “Do you want me to take over for you instead, then?” I asked her.

Annoyance flickered over Lu Han’s face. “How do you know about it?” he asked. “Let me guess —” He stopped when he realized that if he mentioned Suho, then we would have to explain what he meant and that would have been messy because there was no way we could tell her about it without revealing the Game to her.

“What?” she said innocently.

“Anniyo, Eun Hae told me about it. I knew about it days ago,” I replied smugly, glad that she told me yet he had to find out and from the expression on his face, something tells me that he only just found out about it. He grimaced and rolled his eyes at me.

Behind her back, he stuck his tongue out at me.

What a baby.

She smiled gratefully at me. “Thanks for the offer.” She looked at them and sighed. “But I think I’ll do it,” she went on.

“Are you crazy?” Lu Han said incredulously.

“Will you be okay?” I asked her with concern.

She ignored Lu Han and nodded at me. She took the notebook and pen back from me and walked over to them, looking nervous. I went to my table. Lu Han the Idiot followed her behind. He was now visible and had slipped into a table just next to them so that he could watch over her.

I was worried.

Would her parents recognize her? I mean, even though they had thrown her out years ago, surely they would at least still have some memory of her? I looked at her and I knew that even though she was afraid, I knew deep down she hoped that her parents would recognize her and see how well she’s been brought up without them.

“Hello, how may I take your orders?” I asked the customers I was serving and I could hear her asking her parents too. While focusing on the orders my customers were giving with one ear, I turned my other ear toward Eun Hae.

Her parents looked up to her from the menu and I could feel in this room, three of us held our breath as we waited for them to recognize her.

“Ah, yes,” her dad said, not recognizing her, “I would like to have . . .”

I sighed inwardly, Lu Han shook his head and I saw the disappointment in her face.

Lu Han stood up and walked over to them. “Excuse me,” he said and Eun Hae gave him a panicked look while her parents looked up to him with confusion.

I shot him a warning look, but I tried to stay focus on my customers. What the hell does he think he is, stirring up trouble like that? He shouldn’t meddle!

“Do you have any kids?”

“Excuse me?” her mother said.

“I ask, do you have any kids? Would you be considered parents?” he asked.

“No. We do not consider ourselves parents for we have no kids. What’s in it for you?” her dad asked, annoyance creasing his face.

Lu Han held Eun Hae by her shoulders. “You dare say that you don’t have kids in front of your own daughter?” he hissed.

“Lu Han!” Eun Hae exclaimed, aghast.

Her parents looked at her properly and did a double take when they realized that she was, indeed, their daughter.

But then her mom looked at her and narrowed her eyes. She eyed Eun Hae up and down with disdain. “I don’t have a daughter,” she scoffed. “If I do, I doubt that my daughter would be that ugly.”

“Or . . . working when she should be in school,” her dad added. “Our daughter wouldn’t be that stupid.”

Eun Hae looked down. She began wringing her fingers and tapped her pen with her notebook.

I clenched my fist around the notebook and pen. I hope my customers didn’t see my hand shaking. “I’ll place your orders right away and I hope that you will enjoy your meal,” I said, quickly bowing. I went to place their orders before I hurried over to Eun Hae’s side. “Lu Han, I think you should leave.”

“I see no improvement after we’ve kicked you out,” her dad said, shaking his head. “Well, I guess your mother and I made the right choice that night when we threw you out of the house.”

 “And who are these boys that you hang out with?” her mother went on, scrunching up her nose with displeasure. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you turned into a e.”

These were words a parent should ever say to their child. I knew that each word was a punch and a slap in Eun Hae’s face. She was feeling nauseous and if Lu Han hadn’t said anything, nothing would have happened.

Eun Hae turned and ran to the back room.

“Lu Han —” I started to say.

“How dare you say something like that to Eun Hae!” Lu Han fumed, looking positively mad. “She’s your daughter! Your own flesh and blood! How dare you call her stupid and a e? You have no idea how much she tries her best! She tried her damnest to prove you wrong! So what if she doesn’t have an IQ of a freakin’ genius? She has a heart! And that is more than what you two would ever be. Do you not have the slightest bit of conscience of what you did to her all those years ago?”

“She stopped being our daughter the night we threw her out,” her mother said coldly. “And besides, what business is this of yours?”

“She’s my friend!”

“So why aren’t you comforting her then?” her dad smirked.

I was starting to get irritated with her parents but I don’t think what Lu Han was doing was very wise. He’s just stirring conflict even more. And I’m pretty sure Eun Hae would have preferred to stay mum.

Lu Han shook his head in disgust, obviously not done with his speech. If he thinks that doing this will impress her, he’s wrong.

“You don’t deserve to live,” he spat out.

He has stepped over the line.

Eun Hae’s dad’s face darkened and he stood up to face Lu Han. Lu Han was taller, but Mr. Jung looked so much fiercer. “Did your mother never teach you to respect your elders?” he asked furiously.

“She did, but I don’t give respect to people who don’t deserve it.”

“Omo!” Eun Hae’s mother gasped. “You rude, young boy! How dare you accuse us of such! We were just trying to enjoy our lunch together when you came and started to interrupt us. And you say we don’t deserve respect. Tsk.”

“You talk like you’re very rich,” he said bitterly, “but that’s just words, right? What a snob-wannabe.”

Mr. Jung glared at him. “Who the hell are you do you think you are to be talking such words like this?” he asked, raising his voice but low enough not to attract attention.

I tugged on his shirt but he shrugged me off, shooting me a dark, cold glare.

“Oh leave him,” Mrs. Jung said dismissively. “He’s just a boy who isn’t worth our time. Just ignore him.”

I saw her glass of water slightly shaking and I knew that Lu Han was going to move it up to splash water in her face. Thank goodness the restaurant was busy and no one was looking over here so I grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face me. Before he could say anything, I slapped him.

“Be reasonable, you ! Do you honestly think Eun Hae would want this sort of confrontation?” I shouted in his face as shock registered in his eyes. “Do you think that she wants to hear all this thrash talk again? Hasn’t she got her own troubles already without you stirring things up for her?”

He opened his mouth to say something and I slapped the other side of his face. He glared at me. “You dare slap me?” he hissed angrily.

“Keep this up and not only will you make Eun Hae lose her job,” I snarled, grabbing him by his collar, “but you will end up being hated by her and Changjo will be after your hide. And I don’t think that will help you in your case.” I was referring to the Game and he knew I meant that.

He glowered at me.

Her parents stood up. “Let’s go, yeobo,” Mr. Jung said to his wife. “I am not eating a place where we are rudely disrespected.” They grabbed their stuff and left.

Lu Han glared after their backs as though he was trying to drill a hole in their backs with his piercing eyes. Then he rounded up to me. I threw him a scathing look and said, “Nice job, ,” before running to the back. I knew that Eun Hae would be outside.

Sure enough, she was there.

I sighed. I was quickly by her side and scooped her up in my arms, bridal-style. She looked up to me, tears streaming down her face like a waterfall. I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

She clung onto me and I teleported her to her house, knowing that she’s had enough drama for the morning and that she wasn’t fit enough to go back to work. I’ll just call and explain to our boss that she became sick on the job.

It was a good thing I’ve been to her house before so I was able to teleport us inside without her having to open the front door. I carried her inside her room and laid her down. As she cried, I sat next to her, her hair, letting her cry her frustrations out. “That’s it,” I said softly, her hair. “Let it out.”

“Eun Hae.”

We looked up to see an ashen-face Lu Han standing by the door. I could tell that he regretted what he said out there but it was far too late.

“How could you have done that to me?” she wailed.

“I’m sorry.” He looked deeply troubled.

I frowned. He didn’t sound sorry because he knew he might have caused him his chances for the Game, but he actually sounded genuine, like he actually cared that he had hurt her so badly.

“Sorry?” she hissed. “Didn’t you care about me? Do you think I like hearing those words again? Didn’t you ever stop to think that maybe I would rather them not recognize me than to throw those vicious words back at me like I was twelve all over again? Why, Lu Han, why did you do that?”

“I was angry,” he said pleadingly.

She shook her head. “Go away. I don’t want to see you now.”

He nodded, looking down. “I’ll be outside.” He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I was despondent as Eun Hae cried uncontrollably in my arms, hopelessly wishing there was something I could do to make her feel better.

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Wo-oh D: Kai's stepping up to his game and Lu Han is stepping down ._.

Hahaha. I had to give Kai equal chance, right? It's only right PLUS there need to be a point for this whole competition. (: (: