"Okay so I was thinking about our project, and I think we should spend some time together this weekend and play around with recipes and flavors. What do you think?" Karly asked and the two of them walked home after school. 

"I mean, yeah absolutely. Whatever you think we should do. I'm free. Should I meet you somewhere?" Luhan asked. 

"Kris and Yeol are going to ride motorcycles this weekend so I won't have babies to tend to for once. How about we go to the farmers market together and then we can test out some recipes at my place?" Karly offered. 

"Yeah that sounds great. I haven't been to the farmers market since I was a little kid" Luhan said smiling at the ground. 

"It's been a while for me too. It's a date then." Karly said as she smiled sweetly at Luhan. 

"Oh, well alright then. I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Luhan asked as they got to the front of his apartment complex. 

"Yeah, I'll text you the address for the market and we can meet up at 10am." Karly said. 

"I'll be there."

*Next Morning* 

"Morning! It's such a nice day out today, I'm so excited!" Karly exclaimed as she ran up to Luhan at the entrance to the farmers market. 

"Yeah the weather today is perfect. Oh, here. I picked up some steam buns and soy milk for you. I didn't know if you already had breakfast. You don't have to eat it if you don't want to." Luhan said shyly. 

"You got me breakfast?" Karly asked while smiling curiously at him. 

"Well yesterday you said this was a date, and I know the guy usually will take the girl out to eat, but considering the time of day and we'll be cooking later, I figured I should at least buy you breakfast." Luhan answered. His hand was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

"Luhan you're so cute! I was just joking about this being a date. I just wanted to see how you would react." Karly explained. 

"Oh....um well I.." Luhan wasn't sure what to say now. 

"But I didn't have time for breakfast so this is just perfect. Thank you for being so thoughtful." Karly added quickly as she grabbed the food and drink from him. 

The two of them walked through the market, looking at fresh veggies, different kinds of fish, about a million different kinds of local honey, and handmade goods like soaps. Karly picked out most of the produce that they ended up buying, and Luhan was just happily following her like he use to do with his mom. Finally when Karly felt like they had a good enough haul, she suggested that they stop by the lake to sit and rest for a bit. 

"Okay have you ever had one of these peaches?" Karly asked and she grabbed two peaches out of one of the bags and rinsed them with her bottled water. 

"Hmm I don't think so. Is it a special type of peach?" Luhan asked, handing her a paper towel to dry off the peaches. 

"Take a bite. This reminds me of the peaches I use to eat every summer in China at my grandparents house." Karly explained with a bright smile. She handed one of the peaches to Luhan and waited for him to try it. 

Luhan took a bite and after a second, his eyes sparkled. 

"Wait, you're right. This tastes just like what I had one of the last times I was there." Luhan said. 

"It's only in season around this time of year, so I always get these when I can. It reminds me of home." Karly said looking out at the water. 

"What brought you to Korea anyway?" Luhan asked. 

Karly looked at him for a moment and sighed. "It's a long story really."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to talk about it." Luhan responded quickly seeing the change on Karly's face. 

"No no, it's okay. I don't mind telling you, I just don't usually talk about that part of my life anymore." Karly explained. 

She took a sip of her water and began talking. 

"I grew up in China with my parents and my grandparents. I was always a daddy's girl and also really close with my grandparents. My mom however, was a total nightmare. She was very mentally and verbally abusive to me, and my dad. Sometimes she would try to get physical, but her small frame didn't help her in that sense. My dad and grandparents saw how damaging it was for me to live in that environment, so they started saving money in a secret account for me. Once they saved up enough, they sent me here to Seoul to live with my Godfather and his two sons, Kris and Chanyeol. That's why we're always together. They're my godbrothers, and my best friends here. Since I'm a senior now, my Godfather finally let me get my own apartment, with the rule that Kris and Yeol have to come over often to check on me and make sure I'm safe." Karly paused to drink more water. 

"So what about your dad? Does he ever come to visit? Or do you go back and see him or your grandparents?" Luhan asked. 

"The last time I went back was for my grandfather's funeral. My mom made a big scene. She said I was a traitor. She said she sacrificed her freedom and youth to be a mother and I didn't even appreciate her. She said I was heartless was just leaving the family and that I shouldn't even bother to go back anymore. I decided then that I would cut off ties with the family. It was just too heartbreaking to try so damn hard to please her, and never be good enough. I just hope that with me out of the picture, she's nicer to my dad." Karly said softly. A single tear rolled down her cheek. 

Luhan wiped the tear away gently with his finger. 

"I'm so sorry that she made you feel that way, Karly. You didn't deserve that. You're exceptional. Amazing. Talented. I hate that she ever made you doubt that about yourself." Luhan said genuinely. 

Karly smiled at him for a moment before she spoke again. 

"Things got a lot better for me once I found Kris and Yeol. They've rebuilt my confidence and brought so much joy to my life." Karly said. 

"Well I'm glad that you came here. Otherwise I would've never met you." Luhan said looking at Karly. 

"Luhan, will you tell me about your mom?" Karly asked softly. 

Luhan looked at Karly deeply for a moment and smiled. 

"You shared your painful past with me, of course I will share mine with you. My mom met my dad through a work conference in China. They were long distance for a while before my mom got a promotion and moved here to Korea. After they got married, my mom quit her job to be a housewife because that's what my dad wanted. Not long after that, she was pregnant with me. I'm not sure if my dad was ever a normal man, but for as long as I can remember, he's always been a drunk. He would come home late from "work socials" all the time, and he was almost always drunk. He also had a bad temper, and the drinking didn't help. Whenever he got mad or frustrated, he would take it out on us by yelling at me, or yelling and hitting my mom. Some nights I would get so worried that all I could do was listen to music and pray that he wouldn't beat her to death. I was so worried that he would killed her one day" Luhan paused and looked up at the sky and signed deeply. 

"Oh my god, Luhan. He didn't....did he?" Karly asked as she reached out and held Luhan's hand. 

"No, no. My mom got tired of it one day and sent me to the neighbors for a sleepover. Then she ran away and never came back. Then right before Junior year of high school, I got a call from an overseas number. I could tell it was a number from China so I answered it. It was one of my uncles. He called to let me know that my mom had cancer and didn't have much time left. They bought me a plane ticket to go back there and see her one last time. She passed away just a few weeks after I came back and started school." Luhan said and bit his lip, as if to hold back some tears. 

Karly looped her arm through Luhan's and rested her head on his shoulder. She gently traced his forarm with her finger in an effort to comfort him. 

"Luhan.... I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine how painfull that was for you. It's like you lost her twice, That must've been so hard to go through." Karly said as she teared up. 

Just as Luhan was about to say something to Karly, her phone started ringing. 

"Kris? What's going on?" Karly answered 

"Hey Karls, meet us at the apartment in 15 minuets. We need your help." Kris said on the other end of the line.

"Wait what? No, I'm on a date." Karly said and glanced at Luhan again to see his reaction. He sat up a little straighter. 

"Date? With who?" Kris questioned. 

"None of your business. I thought you guys were riding today. What happened?" Karly questioned him back. 

"We were. Yeol took a turn too fast and took a hard fall. He's got a nasty cut on his leg and we really need some first aid. Please?" Kris begged. 

"Ugh, I told you he wasn't ready to go yet. Fine. We'll meet you guys there." Karly answered and hung up the phone. 

"Alright so a little change in plans. We're going back to my apartment a little earlier than planned. Come on, follow me" Karly said as she grabbed Luhan's hand and pulled him along towards her apartment complex.