*chapter two;

Soah ran out of the school building as fast as her feet could carry her. She felt the urge to cry and yell, letting everything out, but the thought of Luhan gave her the strength to quicken her pace, to focus on the road and to bear down the tears rising behind her eyes. It was close to 7pm now, because it had taken her almost an hour to clean the classroom – too late to go home, shower and dress. Maybe even too late for Luhan to still be there. It was too late for everything. Why was she even on her way to the mall? He wouldn’t be there anymore. No one would wait for someone so long, it was impossible, he never would..

But he did.

He stood there at the spot where they were supposed to meet. His eyes wandered nervously around from time to time while he was listening to music on his phone. He had changed his clothes and had pushed his blond hair back, looking fiercer than before at school.

Soah stopped to check her outward appearance in a shopping window and just ended up pitying herself. She didn’t even carry a brush or anything with her. The only thing to make her look different from before was the lip-gloss she had put on in school.

***

Luhan looked at his watch several times. But to say 'several times' only was understated. He looked at his watch almost every minute. In his mind, he came up with the most hilarious reasons why Soah would cancel the date. Was he that boring? Did he rush her? Did she even like sushi? Did she even like him? But she hadn't looked bored, disgusted or anything when he asked. In fact, she had looked happy. Or had she only said yes out of simple politeness?

He was about to go after an hour, because waiting for that long was enough. After an hour, it was sure that the date wouldn't come anymore. Just a few minutes more, he kept telling himself. Just a few minutes, then he would go. But what if something had happened to her? Too many questions, yet still no answers and it drove him crazy. Luhan grabbed his headphones, shut his eyes and jammed to the beat of the music from his phone.

He didn’t see Soah when she came, standing directly beside him.

“Uhm.. Lu—“ She wanted to touch his arm, giving him a sign that she had arrived since he couldn't hear, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so and only stepped closer. Luhan turned his head and flinched when he saw a figure right beside him.

“Soah!” he blurted in surprise and took his headphones off. Luhan’s slightly shocked face was replaced with a smile instantly and he sighed, relieved. “You came!”

“I’m so sorry!” Soah gesticulated wildly with her hands and tried to explain everything which had held her back from coming earlier. “... and suddenly, he wanted me to clean the whole classroom by myself and it took me an entire hour. I couldn’t get home to change and I’m just like this while you are- ... I’m so sorry.” She looked down at her uniform that she had already worn in school and touched her hair which she hadn't been able to style properly. Luhan was perfectly dressed. He looked so good while she felt like she had just run a marathon.

Luhan laughed and shook his head. “That’s okay. I would’ve waited anyway.”

“I’m still sorry you had to wait for so long. I wouldn’t have been surprised if you have left already.”

“Somehow I knew you would come,” he smiled. Sure, there were moments when he had thought she would never appear, but deep inside, he knew that either something bad had happened or something was holding her back. There was no way that Soah would cancel it without saying anything. “Are you hungry?”

She nodded and pressed her lips against each other, feeling the