“Luhan!” Ji Eun exclaimed and quickly went towards him, mentally cursing herself for being lazy to open the gate a while ago.

Seeing the girl in front of him made him shock. “Ji Eun? What’re you doing here?”

Opening the gate, she made a reply. “I live here.”

He wrinkled his brow as he tried to process what he had just heard. “You live here…with Chanyeol?”

Ji Eun nodded with a smile and gestured him to walk inside.

“You’re his what?”

Remembering her conversation with Soo Ri weeks ago, she managed to answer him. “I’m the daughter of his mom’s friend.”

He somehow didn’t get her answer but he just shrugged it and took a seat on the couch.

With sparkling eyes, she sat beside him. “What’re you doing here? Wait, how did you know Chanyeol?”

Luhan rubbed his hands on his lap. “Oh that’s why I’m here. He’s my partner in our English project. He told me to just go at his house today right after the dismissal time.”

Ji Eun widened her eyes and tapped her chin using her fingers. “You’re his classmate? Chanyeol’s still not here by the way…”

Luhan nodded and gave her a smile.

Suzy just went downstairs and saw a boy with golden hair. She wrinkled her brow. “Luhan?”

Hearing her voice, he spun around and waved at Suzy.

“What’re you doing here?” She asked, rubbing her hair.

“I have a project with your brother.” He replied.

Suzy scrunched her nose as if she found it unbelievable. “Oh really…”

Ji Eun has this excitement brewing inside her because even though she didn’t go to school today, she saw Luhan.

Suzy went inside the kitchen to get a glass of water and Ji Eun was somehow uncomfortable that she can’t even make a conversation with him. Maybe because of this feeling towards him makes her abash.

Ji Eun clasped her hands together. “You want an orange juice?”

“Yeah sure,” Luhan replied and Ji Eun quickly stood up and went towards the kitchen.

“Uhh…Suzy?” Ji Eun mumbled, fiddling her fingers.

Suzy gave her a questioning look.

“Can you make an orange juice?” Ji Eun asked and to her relief, Suzy happily accepted her favor and started to make an orange juice.

While she’s pouring some powder in the pitcher, Suzy wrinkled her nose. “Having Luhan here today is somehow unusual…”

Ji Eun raised her eyebrow. “Why?”

Suzy just shrugged and poured water inside the glassed pitcher. “It’s just that…He and Chanyeol somehow distant themselves from each other since…” She stopped and reached for a spoon to mix it.

Ji Eun waited for her to continue but Suzy didn’t.

“I don’t get it.” She murmured.

Suzy clicked her tongue. “Ahh it’s too complicated. Here, it’s done now.”

The topic quickly faded like a popping balloon and Ji Eun smiled at Suzy before getting the pitcher from her.

“Luhan, here…” Ji Eun said and handed a glass of orange juice to him.

Luhan muttered a thank you after getting the glass from Ji Eun.

It’s already been an hour and Chanyeol still wasn’t there and Luhan was somehow getting uncomfortable.

“By the way, I heard what happened to you yesterday at school.” Luhan said just to break the silent atmosphere.

Hearing his words, Ji Eun pursed her lips and nodded. “I’m bad huh?”

Luhan just shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to judge quickly.”

Ji Eun just smiled at him, completely relieved of the fact that Luhan somehow didn’t care too much about what happened yesterday because if he is, she's afraid that maybe Luhan will find her as a lousy girl but however, she knew that Luhan is not that kind of a person at all.

~:~

Suzy dialed Chanyeol’s number on her phone and pressed it on her ears when it started to ring.

He picked it up at the fourth ring. “Suzy?”

“Hey where are you?” She asked.

“Uhhm…this not a good time to call.”

“What? Look, Luhan’s here.” Suzy pointed out and she heard a grunt on the other line.

“Oh crap,” he muttered. “I forgot. Ugh, Mr. Kang gave him as my partner…”

“Hard huh? Just go over here and do your project. He’s waiting for you.”

“Look, just tell him I’ll send the file through email by tonight.” Chanyeol said.

Suzy rolled her eyes as if she’s standing right in front of him. “Is that just an excuse to not talk to him?”

“Look Suzy, not now. I’m having a hard time. Bye.”

“Wai—“

Suzy grunted and put back the phone in her pocket before proceeding to the living room.

Luhan and Ji Eun were having a conversation when she suddenly interrupted.

“Hey Luhan, Chanyeol said he’ll just send you the file through email. He’s still not sure if he could get here on time.” She stated.

Hearing her words, Luhan somehow sighed deep inside since his wait was just a waste but of course, he managed to just keep it behind his façade. “Okay then, thanks by the way,”

Suzy just nodded and let Ji Eun accompany him outside.

Heaving her shoulders, Ji Eun wanted Luhan to stay but just by looking how the sun is slowly dropping somewhere in the horizon, she knew that it’s time for him to go.

“Farewell Luhan,” She said, waving her hands. Luhan turned to her and smiled and bade his goodbye before walking away from her.

~:~

It was already eleven o’clock in the evening when taciturnity enveloped their house together with silence and their calm breathing as the only sound. However, Ji Eun was still wide awake, looking at the dark sky that seems like a black ink that spilled to the ends of the earth. She was wondering what the people are doing in Fantasia right now as well as her sister. She somehow thought if the people there was completely jubilant for her disappearance and it made her cringe so she just shrugged it away.

Ji Eun knew deep inside that she needs to come back there and getting back there could happen if she would just make a move. Nodding to herself, she sat up and took out a notebook and a pen from her bag. She was about to open the lights when she looked at Suzy who was sleeping safe and sound just like a baby being cradled by her mother. It would seem absurd if she interrupted her sleep so she decided to go downstairs.

She twisted the knob with great care and tiptoed towards the stairs. When she finally wounded her way to the first floor, she was somehow surprised that the light was on.

Ji Eun looked around and just shrugged before plopping herself on the couch.

She quickly flipped open her notebook and stared at its vast blankness. Using her lips, she removed the cap of the pen and started to write.

Things to do

She stopped and let herself think deeply while scratching her head using her pen. Ji Eun decided to recall what happened to her a few weeks ago and her conversations to other people.

• Bade a goodbye to a person if she/he will leave
• Say hi to the person being introduced to you and shake her/his hand
• Don’t roll your eyes to people
• Always smile even if your cheeks hurt
• Say please if you want someone to do something for you
• Know how to say thank you
• Control your temper

​

She tapped her fingers on her chin as she pursed her lips, thinking of some ways on how to be a person with a good attitude. It took her a while to ponder and ended up sighing. She went to the kitchen to have a glass of water just to refresh her mind.

She was taking her steps towards the living room while taking a sip from the glass when she realized that the door was open. Wrinkling her brow, she placed the glass on the center table and decided to close it. Just as she was about to shut it, the night breeze touched her skin in a nonchalant way as it beckoned her to admire the stillness of evening. She nodded to herself and decided to take a look outside even just for a couple of minutes to refresh her mind more.

To her surprise, she saw the boy with bronze hair sitting on one of the stairs of the balcony while his head was buried on his arms. It was Chanyeol.

She bit her lower lip and slowly made her way towards him. “Hey,”

His body tensed when he heard a feminine voice but he didn’t even have to ask who it is since he knew that that voice belongs to Ji Eun. He looked at her for a few seconds and went back in burying his head on his arms.

However, Ji Eun was taken aback when she just saw right before her eyes that tears were forming on the corner of his eyes. She widened her eyes and found it unusual but despite how odd it is, she quickly took a seat beside him. “Hey are you alright?”

“I don’t know…” He muttered without even averting his gaze to her.

Ji Eun puffed her cheeks. “You’re not okay.” She pointed out.

Chanyeol let out a deep sigh and didn’t reply.

“What’s the matter?” She asked in a nonchalant tone.

“It’s none of your business.” He responded stiffly.

“I know but I’m just asking.”

“Get back inside. Leave me alone.” He ordered making Ji Eun scrunched up her nose.

“Oh who do you think you are…a king? I don’t want to.”

“Ji Eun, just go.” He muttered under his breath.

She crossed her arms on her chest. “No, what’s the matter with you?”

“I told you…it’s none of your business.” He said and throughout their conversation, Chanyeol never looked up and continued to bury his head on his arms.

“What? Is it absurd to ask?” She said with a furrowed brow.

He didn’t reply, making Ji Eun huffed in disbelief.

“Every question deserves an answer.” She muttered.

He sighed deeply in defeat and for the first time, he looked at her and held her gaze intently.

Ji Eun wasn’t surprise though but what made her astonished are the tears forming on his eyes.

“We broke up okay?!” He shouted, completely pissed off that Ji Eun is being pushy beyond belief.

Hearing his raised voice, she somehow flinched but however, she didn’t get what he meant.

“B—broke up? Huh? What do you mean?” She questioned naively.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes and hid his face again on his arms. “Why are you so slow…”

*It’s because I’m not from your world silly!* She thought but managed to just keep it inside her so instead, she pouted. “I’m serious. What do you mean ‘we broke up’?”

Sighing, Chanyeol looked at the vast dark sky that has stars that seem like unreachable fireflies.

“Minah left me. She doesn’t want me anymore.” He pointed out and he swore to himself that his throat somehow became clogged when he let out those words from his mouth.

It took a while for Ji Eun to process what he had just said and when she had enough sense to realize it, she widened her eyes. “Preposterous! That’s impossible!”

He somehow smirked at her sudden outburst but his sadness quickly covered it up. “Sadly, it’s possible.”

Furrowing her brow, she shook her head. “She’s your princess while you’re her prince and breaking the two of you is somehow impossible.”

Chanyeol just kept quiet and looked at the sky, somehow wanting their conversation.

Ji eun huffed in disbelief. “Seriously Chanyeol…that’s just imprudent. In my worl—I mean, once two people were combined, they deserve a happy ever after.”

He found her words childish but the fact that Ji Eun wants him to be with Minah made him smile despite the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes.

“C’mon Ji Eun, grow u—“

Ji Eun didn’t give him the chance to talk and continued to her explanation. “Just like the story of Cinderella and Aurora. When they met their princes, they married and then faced their happy ending with the guy they love. Never in my life I heard that a couple split but not until now.”

For the first time, Chanyeol let out a chuckle. “Look, this is reality. Fairytales aren’t welcome.”

“This world is unbelievable.” She muttered under her breath and scratched her head.

After a minute of silence, Ji Eun looked at him again. “How does it f—feel…like?”

Hearing her words, he felt the breaking of his heart and gave up, letting the tears fall from his eyes. It seems childish and ludicrous that a boy like him cried as if he’s just a two year old who just got a scrape on his knee but this wound that he’s feeling right now is somehow incurable.

“It…hurts of course.” He replied.

Ji Eun didn’t look at him and glued her eyes on the sky, unaware that the boy beside her is crying quietly together with his heart. “What kind of hurt?”

Pursing his lips, he made a reply. “It’s like you’re being stabbed by an invisible knife.”

Not getting his words, she averted her gaze to him and widened her eyes when she saw the trace of tears on his cheek.

She didn’t find the right words to say so she quickly patted his back in a gentle way, making Chanyeol even cry more. “Hey don’t cry I’m patting your back now. See?”

When a person cries in front of another person, sometimes, when they expressed their pity towards that person by patting their back, it made them even cry more. 

Chanyeol buried his face again on his arms for the nth time. “It hurts Ji Eun…it really hurts.”

She worriedly looked at him as she continued to pat his back. “Where?”

Sniffing, he sealed his eyes shut, feeling how his heart shattered. “Somewhere in my chest…”

Wrinkling her brow and being a girl who’s completely naïve when it comes to relationships, she let out a stupid reply. “Take a medicine then.”

In the middle of his crying, he chuckled again.

They stayed like that for a while and when his tears got tired from falling, he wiped his face using his hands.

Ji Eun pursed her lips. “I completely didn’t get what you’re feeling right now but…don’t worry…everything will be okay.”

 He didn’t respond at her since he’s wondering if everything will be okay again without Minah.

“Everyone deserves a happy ever after.” She continued, hoping to enlighten his mood…it did but she didn’t notice it.

He smiled at her and the both of them stood up.

Chanyeol brushed his pants even though there aren’t visible dusts.

Ji Eun tucked a strand of hair at the back of her ear. “You know, I wonder what you’re feeling right now.”

He chuckled at her words and ruffled her hair. “Don’t even wonder. It’s hard to bare it.”

When they finally went inside, Chanyeol was the one who locked the door while Ji Eun grabbed her notebook and pen on the couch.

They left the light open and together, they went upstairs.

The two of them went to their rooms without even saying good night and once Chanyeol met his comfortable bed, he sink into his own abyss, trying to fight the pain as his conversation with Minah at school made him cringe.

We need to stop…

Can’t you see we’re not going well…?

Besides, I don’t like you anymore…

Ji Eun, on the other hand, perched herself on the side of the bed and rested the notebook on her lap.

Before getting lost in her dreamland, she added something on her list.

• Comfort someone who’s crying (as much as possible, don’t let a single tear fall from her/his eyes)

​