“Finally! We have some girl bonding time!” Lauren throws me a random hug as we sit in the cafeteria, munching on chicken nuggets.

“Hey! What about me?” Kai frowns and we just laugh at him.

“You can be an honorary girl for now,” Lauren slaps Kai’s arm lightly and we both broke out laughing. Lauren is like my other half. We don’t meet a lot in school because she’s my junior, but when we do, we instantly reconnect. I’m glad she ended up with Kai.

“Fine, only for you,” he pouts and pretends to look unhappy, but when Lauren looks away, I can see him looking at her while smiling. It’s like they’re meant to be.

“So, update me now. How’s Kris? And Luhan?” she immediately jumps into interrogation time even when we are both busy munching on the nuggets.

“Wait, lemme finish,” I hold my finger up at her to signal ‘stop talking until I finish my food’. She rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue impatiently.

“Okay. Kris is good. Mai asked him out and he turned her down. I know right. Wow. And Luhan is same as always,” I say it all in one go. Lauren taps her chin thoughtfully.

“Hmm… Maybe they both like you!” she half shouts. Kai immediately covers and she retaliates.

“Kai! We are in the most climatic part of our discussion!” Lauren whispers loudly.

“Sorry, but people are looking,” Kai looks around with a worried look on his handsome boy face. I laugh at the sight of the silly couple.

“No way, Kris is like my brother. And Luhan…um, he’s my friend,” I declare.

“Yeah right, a friend who I think has a big crush on you.”

“No way. Why would he?”

“You’re pretty. And smart. And all cool like that. And need I say more?” Lauren gives me a smug look and I cringe.

“Ew, no. Don’t even start with this again.”

“If Luhan asked you on a date… would you go?” Lauren blinks innocently at me, and I know right then and there that she has something in mind. Most likely I’m not going to like it.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Because I don’t want to ruin my friendship with Luhan,” Kai imitates my voice in a false high pitched horror of a noise. Lauren looks at him in disgust and he just shrugs.

“Yes! That! That’s why,” I grin satisfied. Thank you Kai.

“No. No way. You have to go. You haven’t had a date in…” Lauren taps her finger on her chin as she tries to recall.

“Yeah yeah, I get it. In like forever,” I mumble.

“Yes, exactly. I mean it won’t hurt to give it a try right?” Lauren is still desperate in trying to persuade me. Her cheeriness is hurting my mind.

“Fine, but he won’t even ask me anyways, so there’s really not point of you asking me to agree with you.” I eat the last piece of the nuggets and walks to a trash bin to chuck the box away. When I come back to my seat, Lauren and Kai just finished bickering or engaging in a ‘lover’s spat’. I laugh at my own words.

“What’s so funny?” Kai says in a demanding tone.

“Nothing,” I press my lips to stop myself from laughing.

“Let’s go Kai, we are going to be late for music class,” Lauren hooks her arm in Kai’s and Kai happily complies.

“See you later, Kimmy!” Both of them wave at me and I wave back. I grudgingly trudge my way to math class where I’m sure Luhan is waiting for me as usual. I try to push my conversation with Lauren just earlier out of my head. I don’t want things to be awkward with Luhan… although when I think about it, he does seem extremely attached to me.

Maybe I’m just imagining it. It can’t only be me. He’s probably the same to the other girls he is friendly with. But is he even friendly to other girls? I watch him as he stares blankly at the board in front of us. He is quite adorable…

“Kimmy? Hello?” he waves his hands in front of me as he whispers loudly.

Wow, now it’s my turn to get laughed at. Sure enough, he snickers and his nose and lips are pinched together. I wish I can just pinch his cheeks and not look awkward doing it.

“Kimmy? Let’s go, class is over,” he is packing up already.

“What? Oh right,” I gather my things and throw them in my purple bag. When I finish, I see Luhan waiting for me at the door, with a nervous smile. I wonder what he’s thinking of.

“Let’s go, I’ll walk you this time,” I smile and elbow him lightly.

“Finally!” he does a silly dance in the middle of the hall, earning strange looks from people around us. I just laugh at him. I like how he can make me feel so carefree. He’s like… aspirin. For people with migraine, that is.

“Luhan, let’s go. They’re staring,” I hiss.

“Yes, ma’am,” he salutes to me and I shake my head. He’s really one of a kind. But I have to say that if I am ever down, he’s probably the one of the few people who can cheer me up.

“Kimmy, this is it.” We stop by an empty class, but students are beginning to find their seats already.

“Bye, Lulu,” I turn around to walk, but something is stopping me.

“Wait, Kimmy,” Luhan holds my wrists so I have to turn back.

“Hm? What is it? Need a pencil or something?”

“Um, Kimmy, listen,” he looks at me with … glassy eyes.

Uh oh. This can’t be good.

“You’re cute. And pretty. And smart. And funny. And … do you want to go on a date with me?” He looks at me expectantly, with his round brown eyes and hair slightly falling over them.

What do I do now? To refuse or not to refuse?

“Um, Lulu? Thanks, but… I think you can find someone better than me,” I start to say, and almost immediately regret it. His face falls and his shoulders slump in disappointment.

“Okay,” his hand slips from my wrist and he walks, defeatedly, to his class.

“Wait,” I couldn’t stop myself. I had to. Lulu is one of the most important people in my life too. He’s been with me since we started in SHS (Seoul High School) together. Through the bullying and all that…

He deserves better. But the question is: better treatment from me or a better girl than me? I shake it out of my head and focus on what I was about to tell him, hoping that somehow it’ll make him feel better.

“If you ask again next time… and in the right time… I might say yes,” I choose my words carefully, trying to think of any ways he might find a loophole. He seems to be thinking the same. But his face lights up like the sun again, and he grins. His eyes perk up and his mouth opens in joy. He’s one of those people whose face expression is … easily read to say the least. I chuckle. Silly Luhan, maybe I need to play matchmake with him.

“Okay Kimmy! Promise?” he holds out his small pinky and I put mind up so they intertwine and that was it.

It’s a promise. We both walk away, each with different feelings and emotions. He could be overjoyed and happy.

Me? I don’t know what to think. Isn’t this going to be awkward and weird? I never knew he thought of me that way. Without realizing, I am smiling to myself as I walk back to my room. Compliments are not cheap for me. When they come, it’s like angels are singing in heaven for me. Luhan’s sweet and nice. I trust him not to make things awkward between us.

I sit down and spread my books and assignment on the table. Despite the prospect of hours of work, I start doing my homework happily, a first in a few weeks.