At exactly 4pm, Luhan was expected to be waiting by the entry hallway, ready to take Sehun's jacket from his shoulders and rub his aching back muscles. Not a moment he could be late, lest Sehun "became angry" and punished Luhan severely. Luhan always hated those days the most, but he knew that the punishment was fitting for his act of impertinence.

            However, on that particular day, Sehun didn't walk through the door at 4pm. Even at 5pm, the door remained shut tightly, all drafts of the cold wind firmly removed from the house. Luhan waited and waited, shifting from one foot to another nervously. He twisted his hands anxiously and debated whether he should have sent a text message to Sehun. In the end, like always, he remained in silence- this way, there would be less of a chance for punishment.

            Time flew by and the hands on the clock managed to circumscribe the edges twice, then a third time. Yet, throughout the entire duration of his wait, Luhan remained standing at attention for his boyfriend to walk through the door. He would show Sehun that he wasn't a bad boy- rather, he could stand to wait for his lover to return. That's what true boyfriends do, Sehun always said. Luhan could only aspire to be an adequate boyfriend- he strove everyday to be good enough for Sehun. He knew that he would never be as admirable, as brave, as popular as Sehun; but Luhan could only try.

            Sehun stumbled into the door at round 7:15pm, brain fogged with the stress from his long day at work and mind clouded by the evils of alcohol.

            "Where's dinner, hon?" Sehun called out to Luhan, voice thick with an unidentifiable emotion. Along with the scent of Sehun's cologne, a mysterious scent swirled into the room with the cold winter gale- however, the piercing gaze of Sehun's eyes was enough to preoccupy the trembling boy and force him into submission.

            Luhan shook with anxiety and desperately tried to analyze Sehun's tone. He couldn't find any identifiable emotion that would signify anger, but then again, Sehun had always been a stoic individual. Luhan tentatively answered, "I... didn't have time, Sehun-ah. I'm sorry- I'll do better tomorrow."

            Sehun merely released a frustrated sigh and carelessly deposited his worn jacket into Luhan's hands. He ran his fingers through his hair roughly and spun on his heel towards the kitchen.

            "It's okay, Luhan. I'll handle dinner tonight," Sehun called over his shoulder, already halfway into their kitchen. "Though I would have appreciated it if you could actually make dinner, you know."

            Luhan relaxed visibly and turned robotically to hang the jacket on the coat rack. As he placed the jacket on the hook, Luhan caught a whiff of cologne, one not worn by either Sehun or Luhan. Rather than spend time worrying over the scent, Luhan turned around and shuffled back into the living room. His shoulders were hunched with the fragility of a hundred year old man- the stress and apprehension he had been experiencing would certainly age any individual.

            Outside, in the hallway, and deep within Sehun's overcoat pocket, a cellphone lit up with the name, "Kkam-Jjong~!"

~*~

            A few days later, Luhan found himself eating dinner alone; the silence surrounding the solitude serving as a sick and twisted paradox that almost ate him up. His boyfriend had called ahead and told him not to wait up as he was staying late for "extra assignments (assigned) by that of a boss". Luhan knew that these "extra assignments" were growing more frequent in appearance and innocently questioned the validity of Sehun's pathetic excuse. However, during his self-reflection time, Luhan found himself horrified at the thought of mis-trusting his boyfriend and threw himself deeper into the relationship. 

            On the surface, Sehun's and Luhan's relationship must have seemed trivial and casual to all individuals who merely glimpse at the couple- but the complicated web of lies and deceptive actions was far more intricate than any could imagine. In an ideal world, Luhan would have a supportive best friend who would encourage him to remove himself from the abusive relationship and urge him to seek help; sadly, as Sehun's demeaning and obnoxious behavior steadily infiltrated into his public appearance, all friends and acquaintances of the couple gradually excused themselves from the couple's lives. 

           
            Thus, Luhan found himself alone at the dinner table, staring into a lukewarm pot of homemade porridge with nobody to share it with. He got up slowly and moved to clear off the dinner table lest Sehun showed up and found the kitchen in a chaos; the last time Sehun had discovered the messy countertops, Luhan could barely stand to walk a few steps without doubling over in pain.

            But the throbbing pain was merely self-inflicted, Luhan reflected. It was my fault and I should have known better than to pollute the pure sanctuary of our lives.

            Luhan mused over his thoughts as he finished clearing the dishes off the tables and properly labeling and storing the leftovers. As he gently closed the refrigerator door with a resounding slam that reverberated through his soul and simultaneously echoed into the next room. He bounded around the corner with an eager yet tense smile, which immediately froze into a grimace when he noticed two individuals stepping into the room.

            The leading individual and the man who Luhan loved dearly was recognized as Sehun, but the stranger, half-hidden in the shadows in the corners of the room, flashed an awkward smile to Luhan coupled with an equally self-conscious wave. Rather than acknowledging the greeting, Luhan's eyes flickered downwards to where the man's hand was joined with Sehun. He was certainly startled to see their blatant affection expressed through a physical touch and assumed that the two boys were closer than he had expected.

            The stranger quickly noticed Luhan's eyes innocently staring at their interconnected hands and roughly nudged Sehun in the side. Previously preoccupied with dropping his keys into the basket placed by the front door, Sehun whirled around suddenly and quickly dropped their hands. Luhan held his breath as he waited for the onslaught of harsh words dripping with sarcasm, but none was present. Instead, Sehun merely smiled at the other male and winked suggestively. Needless to say, Luhan was captivated by the emotions prominent on Sehun's face and felt comforted by the simple visual.

            "Oh, Luhan! I didn't see you there," Sehun muttered as he attempted to slip by his lover. "We're just going to-"

            He suddenly winced and rubbed his ribs when the stranger elbowed him in the side again. Stepping forwards, the man confidently smirked. "Annyeonghaesayo. Kai-imnida. But you can call me Jongin."

            "Annyeonghaesayo, Jongin-ssi. We welcome all individuals at all times in our home," Luhan tentatively said, the formalities slipping out automatically. He was educated by Sehun to use formalities at all times, even if the other was older than him. It's the politeness that counts, Luhan. He recalled Sehun scolding him earlier for slipping up. You'd do it if you were a decent human being.

            "My name is Luhan. We are honored that you have graced us with your presence this evening."

Author's Note:

How'd you like it so far? Comments and reviews are not necessary, but are certainly appreciated! 

For my non-EXOtic friends- Kkamjong is the nickname of EXO-K member Kai! He's known as the Dancing Machine of EXO, so check him out!

And here's some Romanized Korean to English Translations:

Annyeonghaesayo: Hello (Formal)

Kai-imnida: My name is Kai.

Jongin-ssi: Mr. Jongin (formal, as opposed to Jongin-ah which is familiar and friendly)