Luhan waits until the bar closes down and he is thanking whoever he needs to that he doesn't have any classes tomorrow because it is pass two in the morning.
He spotted Jinah walking out from the employees door wearing a worn out jeans, a bit oversized hoodie and a converse shoes. Luhan thought twice if that is really her, Jinah looks up to him and he's pretty sure it's really her.
Both of them didn't know where to go, so Luhan is thankful they passed by a cafe and go in.
Jinah is fiddling with the keys and it adds to the sounds of the faint radio echoing inside the cafe.
Luhan isn't sure what to say, because he isn't sure himself if they can be called acquiantance or just merely strangers that happened to know each others name the second time they met. He takes a sip of his coffee and looks at Jinah whose eyes are trained outside. "What happened?"
Jinah turns to look at him, confusion visible on her features. "What happened to what?"
"To your sister. To your bruised cheek." To us. Luhan bit his tounge. There is nothing like that. Nothing like 'us'.
Jinah stays silent as she return her gaze away from him. Luhan stares at her and thought, as he continues to stare at her, Jinah is probably having a hard time trying not to cry judging by how she keeps on swallowing something and biting her lower lip ever so slightly to maybe prevent it from quivering.
"What happened?" he repeats.
"Nothing." and it almost convinced him if it isn't for the choke sob.
"My friends asked me what happened. Why I become silent. Why I didn't get a perfect score like I always did. What am I up to about you. And I said the same thing you just told me and I know myself I'm lying."
"I live with lies anyway."
"Tell me the truth then."
"You wouldn't want to." Jinah wipes a few tears, "I wouldn't want you to."
"Please."
Luhan ended up in his bed by thirty after four in the morning still daze. Still wondering what happened. Still unsure of his feelings. Still wearing the shirt wet of Jinah's tears.
Luhan wakes up the next day feeling exhausted even his clock reads 12:02PM. He got up from bed and hears his phone beep. 2 new message/s.
From: Baekhyun
Received: August 7th; 12:03PM
Hey. Have you talked to her?
He replied a simple yes then checks the other message and frowns,
From: Unknown Number
Received: August 7th; 4:57AM
Back off. Stay away. Don't bother to see her anymore.
Luhan is a bit too sure it has something to do with Jinah.
Later that night, he went to the club and waits for Jinah to go take his order. Jinah is absent. The other barista told him.
Luhan didn't get sleep that night.
"Hyung. Seriously your eyebags are ugly." Sehun bluntly told him.
"What did she say?" Baekhyun asked.
"She said I wouldn't want to know anything about her."
"Maybe she is an alien?" Chanyeol said and everyone sitting at the table looks at Chanyeol like he just said a turtle is the fastest animal in the world. "What?"
"I don't know anymore."
"If she doesn't want then stop. Maybe she has her own personal reason-" Baekhyun was cut off.
"Or maybe he doesn't trust you."
Luhan thinks, it's probably the first thing Jongin said that makes sense. "Maybe. We merely know each other. But."
"But?" Baekhyun asked.
"She just cried a bucketful when we talked and I don't know. Not trusting me. But crying. It's just." He knows he's rambling and he sighs in defeat.
"Try again." Chanyeol suggests.
"I will." He answers and something flashes in his mind. "Someone sent me a message saying I should back off and stop seeing her."
"You mean Jinah?"
"Well I assume the sender refers to her."
There is a moment of silence and Sehun is the one to break it, "There's something wrong. It's probably best if you stop, hyung. Since she told you that you wouldn't want to know and a message like that is creepy enough."
But Luhan just can't.
Luhan is back in the club and again,
"Jinah is absent, you want a drink?"
"No, thank you."
"Luhan, right?"
"Yeah. Do I.. do we know-"
"No. No, we don't. You've been visiting Jinah a lot. I just noticed."
Luhan nods with a sound of understanding.
"I'm not.. I'm not suppose to say this. But it would be better if you stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop what you are doing. Stop it now. The sooner the better."
Luhan is speechless in a moment. "Why?"
She sighs, "Maybe if you two meet in another place, another time, and in a rather nice circumstances, you two will end up together."
Luhan opens his mouth to say something. Anything. But nothing comes out.
"It was nice talking to you Luhan. I have other customers to attend to."
"Who are you?"
"I'm a friend of hers."
"Hyung. Do you even sleep?" Sehun asked in annoyance. "That's not healthy. I thought you always sleep by ten or nine if lucky."
"It's ruined Sehun."
"What?"
"I don't know what I should do anymore."
Luhan still go every night. Hoping Jinah will show up. But then Jooyeon, the other barista, will always sigh and tell him Jinah isn't here, Luhan.
It wasn't after three weeks that Luhan finally able to get a glimpse of Jinah. "Jinah."
"L-Luhan."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Luhan. Please. Leave." Jinah almost pleaded.
"What- Why? I waited- I worried for about a month and you are asking me to leave?"
Jinah stays silent and looks she about to start crying anytime soon.
"You guys talk. Jinah. Please do something. I'll take cover here. Now go." Jooyeon said and waves them off.
Luhan waits for Jinah and they just walk. And walk. And walk.
"Jinah.."
"Hm?"
"Do you trust me?"
Jinah didn't answer.
"Luhan.."
"Hm?"
Jinah stops and looks at him. "I really like you."
He's not sure what to say, Jinah didn't make it hard though because she continues,
"And I really, really missed talking to someone like you. Someone who knows when I am lying or not. You know what?"
Jinah is crying and he doesn't know what is happening. But Luhan is sure it's far from pleasant.
"I always tell myself I'm happy. But I'm not. But then you showed up and then showed you care. And now.. I'm happy. I truly am this time."
"Jinah- Hey-"
"I.. honestly want to go to school. I love waking up early, essays due, loads of homeworks, and grumpy professors.
"I'm always scared. But I can't. No one's there for me so I should stand up for myself and for my sister.
"I don't hate my parents. I miss them so much.
"And. I trust you. I really do."
Luhan doesn't know who was the first to reach out but he decided he doesn't care.
"Help me. Please." Jinah grips the back of his shirt harder as she sobs, "Please. Don't come back anymore. Please, Luhan, promise me this will be the last time you are going to see me."
Luhan, again, doesn't understand what is happening.
Jinah cups his face, "It's for the better."
Jinah kisses him. Softly, he kisses back. He can taste the salty tears and Luhan is not sure if it is Jinah's or his own.
Luhan did his promise. Maybe, just maybe, Jooyeon is right, if things were different, maybe they would end up together. The thing is that, he's not sure (doesn't know, to be honest enough) what are the things that are wrong.
"Mr. Magician!"
He turn to his left and saw Lenny. "Hi." he smiled.
"Who is that?" Sehun asked.
"Jinah's sister."
"Mr. Magician, what are you doing here in my school?" Lenny asked curiously.
"Oh. This is where you go? I am here for a survey for my school project. How do you do?"
"Ohhh. I'm fine, I guess. Who is he?"
"He's my friend. Oh yeah. Just call me Luhan okay? And this friend here is Sehun. And you?"
"It's Yoojin. But call me Lenny. That's what my mom call me."
"Hi Lenny. You want to have lunch with your new friends?"
"Really? It's our family day today and unnie will come- unnie!"
"Hey Lenny-"
The two of them stared at each other. It was a mixed of feelings Luhan doesn't know exist until then. He swallowed a lump and muster up a smile, "Hi."
"..Hi."
Lenny pulled him and Sehun using her tiny hands, barely covering their wrists, "Unnie. Unnie! Remember Mr. Magician? His name is Luhan and he bring his friend Sehun and he said they can have lunch with us!" Lenny talked with too much enthusiasm but they never break the eye contact. "So? Let's go eat now? Please unnie?"
"I- Lenny. Okay." Jinah replied a bit breathlessly.
Sehun remains quite and decides to pull Lenny, "Hey Lenny, I can do magic tricks too!"
"Really? Hey. Hey. Hey you two let's gooo!!"
Sehun and Lenny walk ahead of them and they follow suit. Luhan said again to himself he really likes Jinah in floral dresses.
"I.. I didn't know. I'm sorry. I-"
Jinah holds his hand and interlaces her fingers with his. "Can I hold you like this?"
Luhan swears he can feel his heart cracked. Because all of these are temporary.
Maybe Luhan likes the pain after, because these moments won't last, "Of course."
They stayed more than they should be. Luhan is a bit sure Sehun is enjoying himself a bit too much playing with Lenny in the playground with some other kids.
Jinah is silently sitting beside her, hand still clutch in his palms and he doesn't care if they didn't let go since they held hands while following Sehun and Lenny. Luhan is fine with that, never letting go.
"Luhan.."
"Hm?"
"Nothing. I just like saying your name."
"Jinah?"
"Hm?"
"Nothing. I just like saying your name."
He sees Jinah smiles from his peripheral vision and turns to look at her.
"Did I already told you're pretty? And maybe more than beautiful?"
Jinah turns to him and smiles again. "You just did."
"Ah. I see."
"Luhan?"
"Yeah?"
"Did I already told you I like you?"
"Yes. The other day." He smiles and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.
"How about I love you?"
Luhan stares at Jinah and smiles painfully this time, “Not yet.”
“I’ll.. tell you that someday. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Luhan hears Sehun laughing before he leans to kiss Jinah on her forehead, “Jinah.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll be waiting. Promise me you will?”
“I promise.”
Luhan tells himself it’ll do.
“Jooyeon?”
“Lu..han.”
“What- What happened? What’s wrong?”
“Jinah. Jinah..”
Luhan lives his life scheduled because it is how his mom told him so to avoid forgetting important things to do.
By six in the morning, his alarm clock will blare on in his room and he would struggle to get up and leave the comfort of his bed.
By seven, he’ll be riding his car to his office.
Thirty minutes passed seven, he’ll be walking inside a tall building, greeting the security guard Shindong and go inside the elevator to his personal office. Spend his hour-length lunch break in the cafe accross the building with Kyungsoo and Hyunsik. Get back to his work office to face loads of papers. He doesn’t use overtime if it’s not necessary, his salary is good enough.
So normally, by five, he will be on his way to Sehun’s house for an everyday visit.
“Luhan!”
“Hello there beautiful.”
Lenny will scrunch his nose at him everytime he’ll say that but will smile nonetheless after. Always.
“How’s school?”
“I am doing my best!”
“Yeah?” Sehun said while he brings food for them.
“Shut up Oppa. I’m not talking to you!”
“Why are you two fighting now that you are grown ups? Seriously?”
“Sehun oppa is mean but I love him, okay Luhan?”
“Yoojin is weird but I love her. She’s my sister after all.”
A moment of silence.
“Ewww~” the two both said at the same time and acts as if they are about to puke. But Luhan knows they love each other dearly.
“Where are your parents?”
“They left for a vacation.” Lenny answers and start digging in on the food Sehun brought.
It was seven years after everything. Lenny is 13 now. Now in high school. Sehun is 25. Working on a dance school as an instructor along with Jongin and Yixing. Luhan is already 27. Working in a big company, earning more than enough money for him and his family he visits for two weeks thrice a year in China.
After the visit at the Oh’s residence, he will drive at the flower shop near Lenny’s elementary school.
“Hey Luhan.. What can I get you today?” Taeyeon will always greet her with a smile.
“Lavenders, Noona. Thank you.”
Luhan will buy Asters sometimes because it’s Jinah’s birth flower and it reminds him of Jinah in floral dresses.
He will drive to the path already familiar to him, locks his car and walks, and walks, clutching the flowers in his hands. He will stop in front of a marbled rectangular in shape stone and he will smile. “Hi.”
He will place the flowers down next to the Lavenders he brought yesterday.
Lavenders are pretty like Jinah.
Lavenders means serenity like what he felt when he was with her that one afternoon, when they ate lunch for the first and last time together, and later watching Lenny play with Sehun on the playground.
“I’m still waiting.” Is what Luhan will say before he leaves to get back home.
The history repeats itself the next day. Or maybe forever.
A/N:
Gaaaah ~ what is this. ;~;
So. Okay. I expect atleast 10 subscibers but then. ;~;
I honestly enjoy writing this fic because, I don’t know, I just really love them and.. maybe because I love them?
And, Hi to Shida if you ever stumble on this! I really like to dedicate this to her (she’s the one to blame why I’m writing this Hanana fic, ermergerd) simply because she’s so friendly talking to me sometimes and simply because she has the power to add her ships to my endless (crack)ship list and simply because she’s there to supply me with mixed feels and all. We’re not that close Shida but I reallyyyyyy like youuu and I reallyyyyyy look up to you!
Okay I’ll stop now because I sound creepy. OMG
Lastly, This is all for you too who loves these two ~ ♥
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