!

                I remembered what happened before we left. 

                “Oh, Sehun-ah!  Where are you going all of a sudden?”  The landlady leaned over the front desk as she eyed the suitcases in our hand.

                “Oh… Mrs. Jung, Luhan and I have to go to China.”

                “Aw, Sehunnie, I’ll miss seeing you every day when you go to dance practice.”  She whined and I just rolled my eyes.

                “I have to go, we’re roommates after all.”  Sehun pouted and gave her puppy eyes.

                “Sehun-ah~ come back to noona soon, okay?”

                “Yah, ahjumma, we have a plane to catch.  Stop flirting with a man that’s thirty years younger than you, okay?”  I shoved Sehun out of the door.

                I now completely regret letting Sehun be so open about our living arrangements.

                “Ahjumma told you that?”  I asked my boyfriend innocently.

                “Yeah, do you seriously live with someone, Luhan?  I’ve never seen this person before.” 

                “I think she’s mistaken.  Minki comes over so much that she thinks he lives with me.”  I added a fake chuckle.

                “Minki?  Why did you take him to China?”  I gulped at his upset tone.

                “No, no.  He was helping me with my bags.  The landlady isn’t exactly sane, she’s getting pretty old.”

                “Hm, okay.  I believe you.  This is only because I love you and trust you.”  His tone softened and I breathed a sigh of relief.

                “Thank you, Yixing.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

                “I love you.”

                “Me too.”

                “What is ‘me too’?  Luhan, why don’t you ever say it to me first or at all for that matter?”

                “It’s embarrassing.  I’m not good at… expressing my feelings.”  I admitted.

                “You don’t have to be embarrassed, it’s okay.  Don’t force yourself.  I understand.  Bye.”

                He hung up and I was so extremely happy that I was in the clear. 

                “Luhan.  How can you say you’re not good at expressing feelings?  You do it in front of me all the time.”  Sehun entered the room and I almost had a heart attack.

                “Hey!  Why were you listening?”  I frowned and stared up at him.

                “You were talking pretty loud and I could hear you from my room.”  He sat down next to me and I rested my chin on my hands.

                “Yixing almost found out about us.” 

                “I’m sorry, it was because I’m too open, right?  I make it too obvious that I live with you.”  He rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand.

                “No, it’s my fault.  I’m just a liar who can’t say to his boyfriend.” 

                “You’re not a liar.  It’d just be weird if people knew that I was your pet.  They don’t understand us like we do.  We have a special relationship.”  He smiled and patted my shoulder.

                “I’ll tell him one day, I haven’t been going out with him long.  It’s only been over a month.  I’m sure he wouldn’t be mad, though.  I mean, it’s not like we kiss…”  I trailed off, remembering how I did kiss Sehun when I was upset.  I ruffled my hair with one hand in frustration.  “…except that time when kissed you.”

                “It wasn’t you fault, I started it.  Wait, what is that on your arm?”  He reached for my arm and pulled down the sleeve, revealing the scabs from when I dug my nails into myself.

                “It’s nothing, I accidentally scratched myself.”  I averted my eyes and studied my shoes.

                “This deep?  These many marks?  Luhan, were you purposely scraping at your arms with your nails?”

                “Yes but Honey, I was upset.”  I tried to defend myself.

                “Luhan!   You can’t do this to yourself no matter how upset you get.  Where was I?  Why didn’t you call me in to comfort you?”

                “You were asleep in my bed.  I didn’t want to bother you since you looked so peaceful.”

                “But-” 

                “It was only one time.  I won’t do it again.” 

                “If I catch one cut on your arm again, I’ll… I’ll kiss you for punishment.”

                “No, I don’t want you to kiss me!” I stuck my tongue out in disgust.

                “Then, don’t do it.”

                “I already told you it was one time.” 

                “Okay, fine.”  He got up and left.

                The next day, we got home at around five o’clock in the morning and I was getting ready for work.  I know I got no sleep but I felt bad for not telling them about my absence.  As soon as we got back, Honey was out like a light on the couch.  I didn’t have the time to tell him to go on his futon, so I just covered him with a blanket. 

                At work, everyone was scrutinizing me.  Spreading rumors like wildfire.  I had to admit, I didn’t like being hated but it was something I had to deal with.  Yixing ran up to me as soon as I stepped into the building, saying how much he missed me.  I saw Junmyeon staring at us with some unreadable emotion.  I was confused but I started to prepare for another interview.

                Until Junmyeon called me in.

                “Luhan, I need to ask you a question.”  He was wearing the same look as last time and it kind of freaked me out.

                “What’s the matter, sir?”

                “What is your relationship with Zhang Yixing?”  The piercing stare intensified as I paused for a second.

                “He’s my lover, sir.”  I stated.

                “I have… received complaints about your PDA.  I’m afraid I have to separate you two.  You will no longer be allowed to see each other during working hours.”

                “But we’re coworkers, wouldn’t that be impossible?” 

                “I’m demoting you, Luhan.”

                “Wh-what?!”  I was shocked.  I didn’t do anything wrong.

                “You are now going to work as my assistant again.”

                “But… Okay, sir.  I understand.”

                “Bring me coffee, I’ll talk to Yixing while you’re out.”  He dismissed me and I walked out with a heavy heart.

                How could this happen?  I was his prized possession and he just dropped me like that.

                Now all I’ll do is write small sections and answer ing phone calls.  Why was all of this happening right now?  Is it karma?  Did my parents die to teach me a lesson?  Did I get demoted because I’m a lying prick?  Is this God punishing me? 

                What am I thinking?  This is how the world works.  You get screwed over and you have to deal with it.  I’m just trying to blame my misfortunes on everyone but myself.  I deserve it all.

                Work was awful.  I had to do everything for Junmyeon.  Even make him food.  I feel like some kind of slave as opposed to an employee.  Just because of PDA that Yixing initiated?  Yixing got sent to another wing of the company and got promoted. 

                I thought it was unfair but I didn’t speak up.  I’m a weak person, I can’t win with anything and I can’t just quit.  I need money to support me and Honey and the house.  I face planted into the couch when I walked through the door.  Sehun wasn’t home yet.  He was practicing for that play or something he had in two months.

                After an hour, I was still in the same position, feeling sorry for myself. 

                A couple hours later, I was still there.

                Finally, the puppy returned home and found me in that position.

                “Luhan?  Why are you lying face down on the sofa?” 

                “I got demoted to Junmyeon’s assistant, I’m upset.”  I mumbled, my words muffled by my mouth being pressed against the sofa.

                “Demoted, why?” 

                “Junmyeon doesn’t like Yixing and me doing PDA and wanted to separate us.”

                “That’s bull.  He obviously did it because he’s jealous.”

                Was that the emotion that I saw earlier?

                “How do you know?”

                “If I could, I would separate you and Yixing, too.  I know how jealous people think.”  He laughed softly but I took him seriously.

                “Why are you jealous of Yixing?” 

                “I was kidding.  I know you… love him.  But it’s so totally obviously he’s jealous.  There’s no other reason for him to demote you randomly like that.  He was pissed so he wanted you by his side so that he could keep an eye on you.”

                “Oh and he also promoted Yixing and moved him to another wing of the company.”

                “What?!  Okay that’s ing messed up.  Who the hell does he think he is?  Just quit!” 

                “I can’t quit, I have to support the both of us.”

                “Come on, I’m sure you could get another job at a better magazine.”

                “No, I can’t.  Even if I did get another job, I would have to start at the bottom and work my way to the top.  At least at my job right now, I’m an assistant to the boss so I have higher pay than regular assistants.”  I explained and he simply nodded in agreement.

                “I see, just don’t let it get you down.  Maybe you should break up with Yixing and let Junmyeon have him.”

                “No!  Yixing is my boyfriend.  I can’t just dump him for a stupid reason like that.” 

                “Can’t you ever take a joke?” 

                “No, it wasn’t funny.  Just drop it.”

                “Fine, I’m going to take a bath.  You don’t have to wash my hair this time.”  He huffed and made his way to the bathroom.

                Didn’t I promise I was going to be nicer to him?  What’s wrong with me?