FATE

 

 

The sun was idly shining red in that Tuesday’s evening when Lu Han strolled his way down the street before he finally landed his feet on his most favorite place in the world: Oh’s Bubble Teashop. The small cafe was always less crowded on weekdays, and fortunately today, the place was fully clear from the customers. Lu Han’s eyes immediately scanned the entire room, searching for the person he’d been waiting to see all day.

 

“Sehunnie!” Lu Han called, singing his name as he jumped playfully on his feet to meet the person who was currently standing behind the cashier desk.

 

“Hyung!” Oh Sehun’s lazy eyes suddenly grew wide and filled with excitement—a rare look of him, really. He was in the middle of counting how much the cafe had earned till that hour of the day, but as soon as his eyes glued to the figure that was currently approaching him, Sehun abandoned his task right away. “Hyung, you came again!”

 

“Of course,” Lu Han chuckled, “I promise to keep you company everyday, right?”

 

Sehun grinned in the way that made other workers around him cringe because he wasn’t usually like this. He was usually cold, spoiled, and came off to be slightly arrogant for most of the time. Being joyful and thrilled like this was like a one time thing, really.

 

“Hold up a sec, Hyung, let me get someone to take over my shift,” the blonde-haired boy said, quickly leaving the older one to go look for some bulliable co-worker to do the rest of his work.

 

“’Kay~” Lu Han responded, turning on his heels to sit in his usual table—the one that was now unoccupied on the corner of the room.

 

About ten minutes later, Sehun moved toward his table, still wearing his shocking pink apron around his waist. His flamingo colored nametag—“Hello, my name is Sehun, how may I help you?”)—was threatening to come loose from his matching pink v-neck shirt. Lu Han had to wince—just like he did every time—when he saw the pink fat panda winking at the bottom of his nametag. Lu Han could never understand the shop’s mascot pictures.

 

“Last time I checked,” the older boy said, “Pandas still have black-and-white fur on their bodies.”

 

“Yeah, well...” Sehun shrugged and slid a large cup of taro milk tea with extra pearls to Lu Han’s direction. “According to my mother, this—” Sehun pointed his cafe’s icon on his shirt (another similar-looking pink fat panda) “—isn’t the usual panda like you know of.”

 

Lu Han smiled gratefully as he took his icy drink and dipped his straw into it. “Then what the hell is it?” he asked, taking a sip and sighed in delight as the sweet fluids bursts in his mouth.

 

“A Pandee.” He said it as if everybody already knew about it.

 

Lu Han gave him a look while he repeated, “A Pandee.”

 

“Yep, a girly panda that’s in love,” Sehun answered, gulping on his own drink (Choco flavored milk tea—his favorite) and he looked so relaxed and calm as if he didn’t just explain the most bizarre thing in the world.

 

Lu Han grimaced. “Your mother has weird tastes.”

 

He shrugged again. “I think it’s cute.”

 

Lu Han held up a hand. “Okay, I’m just gonna pretend that I did not just hear that coming out of your mouth and just—”

 

“Hey, Lu Han,” a feminine voice came to his zone of hearing before Lu Han felt a hand slipping smoothly to touch his nape. The boy almost jumped on his seat in his surprise.

 

“What the—” Lu Han immediately turned his face up to confront the standing stranger. He furrowed his eyebrows as he took in her figure. She seemed somewhat familiar—hot body, long y legs, and wearing ty clothes. The first thing that came in his mind was ‘Did I sleep with this girl last night?’

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, voice sultry and raspy—as if she’d been screaming all night. Lu Han’s thought went ‘ah yes, I definitely slept with her last night. Ha, almost didn’t recognize her with her clothes on’.

 

“What’s up?” Lu Han asked, even though he just wanted her to get away from him.

 

“I was just passing this place with my girlfriends when I saw you, so I thought that I’d stop by to say hi.”

 

“Well, hi,” Lu Han simply answered, looking bored out of his mind.

 

She didn’t notice the disgusted look on his face, and instead of being insulted with it, she just smirked and leaned even closer to his ear. “Last night was fun,” she whispered, warm breaths touching the tip of his earlobe.

 

Lu Han exhaled heavily, trying to control his temper and struggled to ignore the temptation to kick her aside with his old school converse.

 

Sehun made another loud slurping noise as he stared at his Hyung’s ear being molested by the girl’s tongue.

 

“Sure,” Lu Han carelessly responded although he was shouting ‘no, it was not, you . I got scratched marks all over my back because of you. And get the away from my ear, eew God, we’re in public!’ inside his head.

 

“So I was wondering,” she stopped to give a breathy moan as she gave another on his earlobe. “Maybe I’ll see you later again? Tonight, my place?”

 

Lu Han clicked his tongue in annoyance and shoved her away, none too gently. She was taken aback, completely shocked at his sudden reaction and stared at him with a scowl.

 

The Chinese boy cleared his throat, not looking at her and instead, pointed his finger to the boy who was sitting across him. “He’s underage to see what you were doing to me,” Lu Han said, casually explaining. “I think you should stop.”

 

“Hi,” Sehun said, raising a hand to wave at her with nothing written on his face. He took another gulp of his drink, creating the same slurping sound.

 

Her face grew red in anger. “Aren’t you going to apologize to me?”

 

“For what?” Lu Han asked, smiling innocently at her. “For sleeping with a like you, or for shoving you away because you disgusted me?”

 

The girl’s jaw dropped down so low on her face. “You did not just say that to me!”

 

“Oh wow, let me ask our witness here, then.” Lu Han brought his gaze back to Sehun’s. “Sehun-ah, did I just call her a disgusting ? Because I think I did.”

 

Sehun nodded and slurped some more.

 

The said girl just lost it. She screamed harsh, insulting words, which Lu Han didn’t bother to hear or care. She clutched her purse tightly to her body as she took Sehun’s drink from his hands, yelling, “Stop with that annoying slurping sound, you freak!” and threw it down to the floor before she stomped her heels furiously out of the room.

 

The minute she was gone, Lu Han broke out into laughter. “Oh my God, that was hilarious!”

 

“Hyung,” Sehun pouted, looking at his favorite drink that was spilled all over the floor. “I haven’t finished my drink yet.”

 

“Did you see her face?” Lu Han was still laughing. “Holy , I think I’m tearing. Oh God.” He wiped a tear with his thumb from laughing too much.

 

Sehun not so secretly took Lu Han’s drink and brought it to his hands, taking a large sip to pay for the one he just lost. “That was mean, Hyung.”

 

“No,” Lu Han replied, still grinning widely. “That was hilarious.”

 

“Girls just don’t mean anything to you, huh?” Sehun questioned, tilting his head in wonder. “I’ve seen you done this before too. You treat them like they’re not even human.”

 

“That’s rude of you, of course they mean something to me, Oh Sehun.” Lu Han wiggled his finger in front of his face. “They’re my source of entertainment. My toys for pleasure, you may say.”

 

Sehun shook his head and gnawed at the straw. “You’re a bad role model for me, Hyung.”

 

“I’m the best hyung you’ll ever have, Sehunnie.” Lu Han chuckled and grabbed back his drink from the younger one’s hand. “And let me tell you, I’m not the only one who treats girls like this. Take Baekhyun, for example, he’s just as worse as I am.”

 

“My mother believes in this thing called Karma,” Sehun said, pouting when he tried to reach Lu Han’s drink but the boy told him no. “She says that when a person does something bad, the same bad thing will happen to him soon in the future.”

 

“Yeah, so?” Lu Han asked nonchalantly, chewing on the straw just like what Sehun did.

 

“One of these days, Hyung,” Sehun said, eyes serious. “You’ll love someone so much and she’s just going to throw you away like dirt. Just like what you did to that girl.”

 

The older boy was actually laughing so hard; he almost choked on his own drink. “Don’t worry about that then, Sehun-ah,” Lu Han said, smirking. “Just like how I don’t believe in Karma; I also don’t believe in love.”

 

***

 

Lu Han’s eyes snap open from a soft touch on his shoulder, shaking him awake from his slumber. It takes a long time for him to adjust his vision to the light of the room and to wake himself from the dream—no, not dream. He had gone through that before. It's a piece of his memories.

 

“The plane has landed, Sir,” the airhostess says, coming into Lu Han’s line of view. She’s dressed sharply in her maroon-colored uniform and a smile is displayed brightly on her lips. “Did you get a good sleep?”

 

Lu Han blinks his eyes twice before he rubs them with his fingers. He stifles a yawn and instead just smiles back to the flight attendant. “Yes, thank you.”

 

“Thank you for flying with us,” she says and Lu Han doesn’t miss the way she bats her eyelashes at him. Her eyes linger way too long on the shape of his face and if he meets someone like this four years ago, he probably would just take her by the hand and have a dirty, lust driven in the plane’s closet.

 

But he’s changed for good now. Thanks to her.

 

“Do you need help with your belongings?” she asks, bending her body slightly to show her cleavage at him, but the twenty-seven years old man just looks away and clears his throat.

 

“No, thank you,” Lu Han replies coldly and stands up before she can do more than trying to shove her s up his face. “I’ll manage on my own.”

 

“O-okay,” she answers, looking rejected and confused. “I’ll be around here if you need some help, okay?”

 

Lu Han just smiles back, although he’s sure as hell his face doesn’t look like he’s pleased with her presence. As soon as she goes her way, Lu Han takes his suitcase out of the cabin and smoothens down his clothes. His dark denim button-up shirt is now a bit wrinkled at the end from one hour long of sleeping. Without having to look at his reflection, he knows his hair must look like a bird's nest right now. He runs a hand through his seal brown locks and tries to fix it as best as he can. The Chinese man eventually sighs, giving-up on trying, and reaches up to grab his iPhone back from lying feebly on his seat.

 

The phone’s screen is still on and it shows the same picture Lu Han had been staring on before he went to sleep.

 

It’s the picture he took with Cara—The Algebra Girl—on the night of Minseok’s wedding. The photo shows a bright-eyed boy with light pink hair and a grin so wide, it’s practically blinding everyone who sees it. There’s another person there: a girl in a beautiful white dress with wide, shocked hazel eyes, and rosy pink lips parting in surprise.

 

Lu Han smiles again at the sight of the picture, just like he always does whenever he stares at it. It’s been three years since that night but he just can’t seem to move on from her. Even after spending two years studying on his homeland, finishing his master degree, Lu Han still can’t stop thinking about her. He still remembers the way she smiles, the way her voice sounds, or the way she lets out this tiny laugh whenever he states something random.

 

It’s not healthy, he knows. It’s been too long, and he has to move on. That is why Lu Han has been spending his time working as a full time professional lawyer and also the very reason why he’s now back in Seoul. His client just called and asked him to meet him there, ready to start the first phase in solving the case.

 

But even then, Lu Han just still can’t forget her, no matter how busy he is. He just fell asleep from staring non-stop at that one picture, just like what usually happens every time he goes to bed. He knows that if he wants to move on, then the very first thing he should do is by erasing every proof of her existence in his life.

 

The memories won’t fade, no matter how much he tries. But this picture can disappear from one click of his thumb.

 

The problem is, he never tries.

 

Lu Han closes his eyes and breathes out heavily.

 

Come on, Lu. It’s time to move on, he tells himself.

 

He moves his head in agreement, but he can’t even lift a finger.

 

After a while, he gains more courage to do what he has to do.

 

Delete photo?

 

Lu Han stops and stares at the question being displayed on the screen. A flashback comes running through his eyes. In that few seconds, he gets reminded back of her and every little thing she did back then.

 

That moment when she bit the cap of her pen.

 

That moment when she walked down the hallway with her hair beautifully tied up.

 

That moment when she stared back at him with a cold gaze when she just noticed that he’d been looking at her.

 

That moment when she was standing on the aisle, looking thoroughly heartbroken when the love of her life exchanged rings with his future wife, but she covered all of that with a smile—one that was almost too painful for him to watch.

 

That moment when he hugged her goodbye. That time when he almost couldn’t stand the pang of sorrow in his heart but he masked it perfectly with a joke.

 

He remembered the way her body went rigid as he told her he loved her.

 

“You said you loved me but you’re leaving tomorrow, how does that make me feel?”

 

Lu Han immediately clicks the ‘delete’ option and that picture is gone forever, leaving no trace behind.

 

“I’m sorry, Cara,” he whispers to himself as he picks up his suitcase and walks his way out of the plane. “I have to move on.”

 

Today will be a better day.

 

***

 

“Kris, where are you?” Lu Han asks, shouting to his phone because the crowd surrounding him is deafening. The moment he lands his feet in Incheon Airport—one of the busiest airports in the world—he can’t seem to hear a thing because there are a lot amount of fans waiting with their posters (of some boy band Lu Han doesn’t know nor care) and they’re screaming after every little thing, probably mistaking normal people as the artists they’ve been expecting to show up at that moment.

 

Trying to find Kris among this crowd would feel like trying to find a needle in haystack, and Lu Han is so not up for that.

 

“I’m in my office,” Kris answers from the other line. His deep accented voice still sounds the same as he remembers. “Where are you? You’re late for our meeting. Like, four hours late.”

 

“The plane got delayed. Wasn’t my fault.”

 

“Well then, hurry up and come here. I’ve grown bored of waiting.”

 

Lu Han scoffs, “You haven’t given me your address, you !”

 

“Goodness, Lu Han. Still like to curse, huh?” Kris lets out a chuckle in response. “And oh yes, my bad, I haven’t texted you the direction, have I? Just a sec.”

 

Lu Han sighs. “I’m still in Incheon, right now. Please tell me it’s not that far away from here. I still have my suitcase with me and it’s ing heavy.”

 

“I told you not to bring too much stuff. I can buy you everything you need here.”

 

“Shut up, Kris, I’m not your little princess.” The Chinese man rolls his eyes childishly despite his current age. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

 

“Suit yourself.” Lu Han can actually imagine the taller boy shrugging. “And relax, you’re only a couple of blocks away. Just take a cab and you’ll be here in ten minutes,” Kris casually says, “Oh and Lu Han? Don’t you ever talk to me like that when you’re around me. I have a status to uphold. People respect me here as their boss.”

 

“But you’re still younger than me and I took care of your sorry when we were kids, so stop thinking like you’re more superior than me,” Lu Han bites back. Sitting on the lounging room for four hours waiting for the plane to come because it had been delayed is finally taking its toll on him. “And it’s Lu Han-Hyung to you, Kris.”

 

“But we were born in the same year—”

 

“I’m still months older than you—”

 

“That doesn’t mean—”

 

“If you don’t call me that, Kris Wu,” Lu Han threatens, “I’ll start calling you Ben Ben again.”

 

“You did not—”

 

“How are you, Ben Ben? Did you sleep well, Ben Ben? Where’s your mother, Ben Ben?” Lu Han rambles rapidly, playing with each syllable on his tongue. “Ben Beeeen~”

 

“Fine, Hyung,” Kris says, emphasizing the last word even though he obviously sounds irritated.

 

Lu Han smiles smugly. “That’s a good boy.”

 

“Hey, by the way, turns out I have a meeting in about five minutes,” Kris adds, “It’s probably going to last for a while.”

 

“What?!” Lu Han complains loudly. “You said you weren’t busy!”

 

“It’s an emergency meeting,” he explains. “Well, why don’t you just check in to your hotel? Go to Vendome and just tell my name to the receptionist. I already got it all sorted out.”

 

“Then what am I supposed to do, wait for you there like a pregnant woman? Yeah, sounds pretty fun!” Lu Han says sarcastically. “Do you want me to prepare your bath, Hubby? Maybe even a massage? I’ll let you do me afterwards too.”

 

“Lu Han, you’re on loudspeaker,” Kris says uneasily, his voice tense and ashamed. “And the meeting has already started.”

 

“Oh,” Lu Han laughs awkwardly. “So, like… Everybody’s there?”

 

Kris does not sound happy. “Pretty much, yeah.”

 

“H-hey everyone~” Lu Han greets, giving out a forced chuckle.

 

There are soft murmurs on the other side of the line before he hears Kris sighs tiredly. “I’ll call you later.”

 

“Kris, wait!” he hurriedly shouts before he hangs up the phone. “I still have an announcement to make. It’s about our business, so perhaps everybody should hear it now.”

 

“Does it have to be now?” Kris sighs deeply. “Fine. What?”

 

Lu Han takes a deep breath before he screams, “KRIS WU USED TO MY IN HIGH SCHOOL!”

 

 Then Lu Han cuts off the line, chuckling and looking quite sated.

 

“That’ll serve him right,” Lu Han mutters to himself, “Status to uphold, my . He thinks he can just ditch me like that?”

 

His phone’s screen blinks with a new message. Lu Han actually giggles when he sees the name Kris Wu written on his screen.

 

You’re so dead, HYUNG – Kris

 

Lu Han chuckles as he types back:

 

AND AAAAAAAEEEAAAAEEEEAAAAA WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUUUUU – Whitney Han

 

He turns off his phone and starts walking away, dragging his suitcase behind him.

 

Yes, today is a good day.

 

***

 

When Lu Han finally takes a step inside the Vendome Hotel, he has a hard time in trying to keep his jaw perfectly still on his face. The hotel is huge and just too fancy for a twenty-seven year old Chinese boy but Lu Han’s sure not complaining about it. Instead of featuring the sleek and shiny modern architecture that most urban hotels go for these days, Vendome Hotel (despite its name) is a more traditional take on the Korean luxury hotel. The hotel’s pavilion and interior designs are reminiscent of traditional Korean house ceilings and window frames, and Lu Han just feels like a tourist having his first visit in South Korea—despite the fact that he had actually lived here for most of his life.

 

Slowly, while still gaping at the how wonderful the lobby is (there’s a fountain in the middle of the room, and the marble floor shines like gold under the yellow lights), Lu Han approaches the hotel’s concierge service.

 

 “May I help you, Sir?” A woman—possibly not older than thirty years old—who is dressed neatly in the hotel’s uniform asks politely.

 

“Uhh, yeah,” Lu Han tries to not look like he doesn’t belong in this kind of place. “I’ve made a reservation for a room.”

 

“Ah, yes.” She smiles and immediately runs her hand on the computer’s screen, making gentle taps with her index finger to check the guest list. “May I have your name, please?”

 

“Umm,” Lu Han swallows, “It’s under the name Kris Wu.”

 

It comes out more like a question than an actual statement, and Lu Han wants to slam his own head because of how lame he sounds, but the woman suddenly raises her head and blinks before she panics.

 

“Oh my—umm—” Her hands scramble to smoothen down her uniform, even though Lu Han can’t spot any wrinkle on it. “We’ve been waiting for you, Sir,” she immediately says, bowing her head. “I’m deeply sorry for not recognizing your face right away. Mr. Wu has been informing us that you would arrive here in Seoul today.” Her smile grows wide but utterly nervous when she stands up straight again. “Did you have a safe trip, Sir?”

 

“Y-yes,” Lu Han nods, feeling a bit left out and awkward.

 

“Oh gosh, am I making you uncomfortable?” she rapidly asks, voice shaking. “My deepest apologize, Sir. I—I’ll just—umm, here is your card key,” she hastily says, placing a slim, white card on his hand. “And do you need help with your suitcase? Do you want me to make a call and set your dinner early?”

 

“N-no, thank you,” Lu Han answers, still confused of her sudden change of attitude. “Are you okay?”

 

“Ah, yes,” she gives a weak less-intense laugh. “I’m just nervous. Mr. Wu has been one of our most precious guests, and he puts a lot of faith on us to make your stay in Seoul comfortable, so I... I’m sorry, I’ve been rambling like this.”

 

“No, no, it’s...” Lu Han waves a hand and bows his head too when she does. “It’s fine, really. I’ll just, you know, go back to my room now.”

 

She does the ninety-degree bow again. “Have a good day, Sir.”

 

“Damn you, Kris,” Lu Han mumbles to himself as he drags his feet to the elevator, “You one rich son of a .”

 

***

 

If he got shocked when he saw the lobby, he did not expect to get this kind of view in his room. Kris gave him the presidential suite, on the top of the freaking fifty floors building, and Lu Han doesn’t know what to do about the indoor pool and the traditional-designed Jacuzzi, the fully equipped kitchen, and the goddamn expensive toilet, which plays music and has an inbuilt seat warmer, massager and deodoriser.

 

He turns on the music and it shuffles to one of Beethoven’s legendary songs.

 

“Who the hell wants to listen to Beethoven while he poops?” Lu Han grumbles to himself. “Damn you, Kris.”

 

Lu Han grabs his iPhone from his pocket and throws himself on the custom-made bed that is considerably larger than a king size bed. And when he presses his cheek against the sheet, he can almost literally drown himself in the smoothness of the silk. He doesn’t want to sleep, but his body betrays him and he closes his eyes as the exhaustion takes him over to his dreamland.

 

Lu Han took a deep breath before he suddenly slammed his hands on the table. “SEHUN-AH! I’M IN LOVE!”

 

Sehun flinched from the sudden scream and almost choked on his bubble tea. “Hyung, what the—” He coughed, slapping a hand on his chest to keep himself breathing. “You surprised me!”

 

“Well, that was kind of the whole point, otherwise I’m hurting my hands for nothing,” Lu Han replied, grinning widely. “Sehunnie, you don’t know who I just saw in front of your shop today!”

 

The boy just made annoying slurping noises. “Who?”

 

Lu Han’s smile wavered a bit. “Well, I still don’t know her name, but she was carrying these big—possibly—math books in her arms, so let’s just call her Algebra Girl.”

 

Sehun didn’t seem to be amused with the nickname. “So you’re in love with someone you don’t know? Not even her name? So basically just from her looks?” He sighed dramatically. “I feel like I’m in high school all over again.”

 

“You are in high school, you retard,” Lu Han responded meanly, making a face at him. “But yes, maybe I am. I just saw her helping a kid outside your shop and holy , she’s like a whole new level of pretty, dude!”

 

“A pretty dude?” Sehun frowned. “I thought we were talking about a girl?”

 

“No, it’s—” Lu Han exhaled impatiently, face palming. “Look, what I want to say is that this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone like her.”

 

“What, a nice rack, huge booty, and able mouth?” Sehun sighed. “Hyung, you meet and sleep with that kind of girls every ing night.”

 

“Oh my goodness! Oh Sehun!” Lu Han winced at the younger’s rude words, dramatically covering his heart with his hands. “Who taught you to speak like that? I am absolutely shocked! You’re tainting my ears with those sinful words!”

 

Sehun gave him a blank look. “You.”

 

“Well, stop, you’re still underage. Your mom would kill me if she knew you got that foul mouth from me,” Lu Han scolded. “Anyway, about this girl. I’m not attracted to her the way I am with other girls. It’s like, she’s so ing beautiful, but I don’t feel like banging her to the wall, you feel me?”

 

“No, I don’t feel you, Hyung,” Sehun responded, pouting a bit, “I haven’t even had yet.”

 

“Aaw, poor baby,” the older one said, leaning in to pat his head. “Won’t little Sehunnie come out and play?”

 

“Hyuuung,” Sehun whined and slapped his hand away. “Stop talking to my like that.”

 

Lu Han laughed and drank his own taro milk tea. “Ugh, I’ve grown bored of this , already,” he commented, sticking his tongue out at the taste.

 

“Then go try another flavor.”

 

“But I like this one.” Lu Han pouted. “It makes me feel weird if I suddenly change the flavor. It doesn’t feel right.”

 

Sehun exhaled impatiently. “Hyung, you change girls everyday, but you’re loyal to things like this? I don’t understand you.”

 

“Yeah, well, I always find myself to be a fascinating, but utterly complicated guy,” he chuckled lightly and Sehun rolled his eyes. “But seriously, I think I’m gonna be loyal to one girl for the rest of my life, if I’m sure she’s the one for me. If I love her and she loves me, then I’ll do anything for her.”

 

“I thought you said you didn’t believe in love,” Sehun muttered, chewing on the jelly bits in his drink.

 

“Well I mean, I don’t know, Sehunnie.” Lu Han shrugged his shoulders and leaned back to his seat, smiling. “Maybe I’ll fall in love with this Algebra Girl someday. Who knows, right? Only fate can decide.”

 

Sehun stopped and stared, before he shook his head in disbelief. “I think you’re drunk, Hyung. Too much taro.”

 

“Well, you’re a .”

 

Lu Han’s eyelashes flutter as his eyes move slowly behind his eyelids. With an involuntary sigh, he sinks deeper to his sleep. When he opens his eyes, he notices that the room is slightly dimmed because the sun is already setting. The man sighs and places his wrist above his forehead.

 

Leave me alone, Lu Han screams inside his head, trying to shove the memories away. I’m trying to forget her. Leave me alone.

 

He’s sinking deep in his own thoughts when he feels something painful at the back of his head, as if someone is hammering his skull. “, I forgot to get my dose of caffeine for today,” he groans, rubbing his temple. Being a coffee addict tends to do to that to you.

 

Exhaling loudly, Lu Han sits up straight on his bed and stretches his arms wide above his head. He realizes he can just call the hotel’s service and order some brewed coffee, but he doesn’t want to be treated like earlier. He’s not going to spoil himself with Kris’ money.

 

I better go downtown and get some coffee before I passed out. Ah, a bluberry muffin sounds nice too.

 

 

***

 

“Sehunnie?” Lu Han calls, waiting for the person on the other line to answer.

 

“Hyung?!” Sehun’s voice comes through the speaker. He sounds breathless as if he just runs a mile to pick up the phone. “Luhannie-Hyung?! Oh my God, Hyung! Where are you? Are you okay? I’m so glad you called—”

 

“Yah!” Lu Han yells, chuckling a bit. “Slow down a bit, will you?”

 

“Hyung, I missed you!” The other boy confesses and Lu Han wants to shake his head because wow, Sehun hasn’t changed at all. He’s still the whiny, spoiled brat like the last time he remembers. “Where are you now, Hyung?”

 

“Actually in Seoul,” Lu Han replies, smiling. “I just arrived this morning and—”

 

“SERIOUSLY?!” Sehun shouts so loudly on the phone that the other boy has to remove his cell away from his ear. “Wh-where are you staying? Can we meet? Hyung, please Hyung, I want—”

 

“Sehun-ah, you’re not letting me talk—”

 

“Bubble tea, Hyung! We have to go and get some bubble tea toget—”

 

“YAH!” Lu Han screams just as loudly. “Sehun-ah listen, I’m not here to play, okay? I got a job to do.”

 

“A job?” Sehun asks. “Oh right, you’re a lawyer now, huh? Do you have a case to solve over here?”

 

“Yep.” Lu Han unconsciously nods his head even though Sehun can’t see it. “Kris hired me to be his lawyer and he has this trouble with—”

 

“Who’s Kris?” Sehun abruptly cuts him off, sounding a bit possessive. “He sounds like a jackass.”

 

“You sound like a jackass.” Lu Han rolls his eyes. “I’ve been gone for three years and you’re still a brat. Aren’t you a second-year college student now?”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

“Grow up, will you?”

 

“Hey, I am growing up, okay? I’m an adult now. Call me Odult, if you must.” The younger boy adds a greasy chuckle.

 

“Wow, just—” Lu Han is left speechless. “Wow.”

 

“Hyung, can I see you? Pleaseeeee,” Sehun begs, voice whiny and emphasizing every syllable. “Please, please? For old times’ sake?”

 

“Fine, Kris is still working anyway. Where do you want to meet?”

 

Sehun makes a ‘yaaaay’ sound before he asks back, “Where else would we meet?”

 

And Lu Han grins to himself because he knows exactly where. “I’ll meet you there in an hour, okay?”

 

“Can’t wait to see you, Hyung~” Sehun sing songs, leaving Lu Han smiling a bit to himself as he hangs up and brings his phone back to his pocket.

 

Now, about that coffee, Lu Han hums in his head as he looks around. The streets in Seoul somehow seem much less crowded than what he saw earlier this morning. The night’s a bit chilly and Lu Han has to tighten his long, navy blue coat around his body.

 

As he walks down the street, he spots a small pastry house. The walls are covered with the soft color of caramel, and he smiles weakly to no one in particular because it reminds him about a particular girl who has the same nickname with the color of that place.

 

Goddammit, Lu Han, I thought you said you moved on.

 

The guy huffs and shakes his head, making his previously styled hair fall apart in a shaggy mess. He breathes in and out a couple of times before he finally opens the door and walks inside.

 

The place seems even more comfortable than how it appears outside. There are a few cozy couches placed in every corner of the room, combined with small, wooden coffee tables. The room smells like cinnamon and as he takes a look to the side, he can see some cutely shaped cupcakes and muffins lining neatly in the pastry’s display case. He can feel himself drooling at the sight of them—Lu Han has always been known to have a sweet tooth.

 

There’s nobody in the room right now—no guests, no buyers, and the baker or the patisserie is nowhere to be seen either.

 

“Hello?” Lu Han calls, taking full use of the liberty bell that’s placed on the top counter to send a signal. “Hey, you got a customer’s here!”

 

Only silence comes to answer him.

 

Lu Han frowns. “Hmm, weird.” He notices well that the door isn’t unlocked, so someone must be here, right? “Hello! Mister? Miss patisserie? Anyone? Hellooooo~”

 

“Great.” Lu Han scoffs, throwing his hands in the air. “Just right when I’ve found what I’ve been—”

 

The guy cuts his line short as he hears soft creaking sound of a door. He looks up to see a girl, shyly opening the back door—the one that’s located on the opposite of the room, about two meters away from where Lu Han is standing. She still has half of her body hidden behind the door as she asks with a shaky voice, “Y-yes?”

 

“Finally!” Lu Han says, moving closer to the girl so she can hear his words clearly. “Hey, do you by any chance sell some—”

 

Lu Han suddenly loses his voice.

 

It feels like there’s a huge lump on his throat and he can’t swallow it. He feels a little breathless and his entire body felt like burning and his head throbs even more because it’s her.

 

He’s looking at her.

 

“Ca...” Lu Han has to stop and breathe properly. “Cara...”

 

The girl blinks, looking surprised and terrified as she hides herself even more. Her voice is just as frail and as delicate as Lu Han remembers, when she softly asks him back.

 

“Who are you?”

 

***

Hello, hello! Okay, since many of you are devastated seeing Lu Han's sudden departure on my baekhyun's story, I decided to upload this chapter to fulfill your Lu Han needs hahahaha. I wasn't planning to post it this early--I kind of wanted to finish baek's story first but what the hell, I'll post it anyway. hahaha

ANYWAY this chapter is just the beginning of the story. I just wanted to let you meet the new characters in here. Lu Han's story isn't going to be all fluffy or cheery--you might want to go to chanyeol's side story if you want to read something like that haha

So if you feel sorry for Lu Han now, just wait till you know what I have in store for him hahahhaa

I'm sorry for making you like this, Lu Han-ge, saranghae~ hahhaa

OH AND I WANT TO THANK ETERNALLEYLOVE FOR CREATING A POSTER FOR MY STORY OMG YOU ARE SUCH A NICE PERSON THANK YOU *cries happy tears*