And separate ways they went. No longer did they interact with one another – Kai and Luhan were back to being strangers. Cold, distant… heart-broken strangers.

1 week later.

It was now the end of the day and Luhan walked out of the school building, getting ready to walk home.

“Yah, Luhan!” Seung Gi called as he ran up to him and grabbed his hand.

“Oh… it’s you,” Luhan said quietly, not looking at him.

Luhan was never the same since that last Monday. His once beautiful sparkling eyes grew dim with depression and his once round, full cheeks were sunken in from weight loss. He didn’t want to eat… he couldn’t sleep… he couldn’t pay attention… he just wasn’t the same Luhan anymore.

“It’s our 2 week anniversary, if you count the time during the hospital, and I… I want to take you out to dinner,” Seung Gi said with a smile and pulled him towards his car. Luhan didn’t refuse him – he never did anymore. He did whatever Seung Gi wanted and expected of him. ‘What’s the point in refusing anyway?’ Luhan thought hopelessly and climbed in the car with Seung Gi.

“It’s a really nice restaurant uptown,” Seung Gi said and stole a glance at Luhan while he drove.

“That’s nice,” Luhan replied simply and forced a small smile.

Seeing that small smile made Seung Gi smile brightly – too bad he couldn’t tell that it was fake. “You’ll love it, I promise!” Seung Gi said cheerily and sped up.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay at home alone?” Kris asked Kai.

Suho and Kris stood before Kai who was getting in his car to go home after a long day at school.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? Have fun on your date,” Kai said with a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

Kai had grown bitter towards Suho and Kris’s relationship… why couldn’t he be happy like them? Why couldn’t he find someone who actually cared about him? He hadn’t felt cared for until Luhan… he never knew what love was until Luhan showed him… it was always Luhan. Being abandoned at birth and having to learn how to raise himself on the streets, caused him to never experience love. The only thing he knew was that the world was a cruel place… and the world never cared about him. Therefore, he taught himself to never care for the world.

Before Kris could respond, Kai shut the car door and drove out of the parking lot. The couple exchanged looks of worry for Kai.

‘Aigoo… poor hyung,’ Suho thought sadly while watching Kai drive away.

Luhan was getting ready to open the car door but Seung Gi hurriedly opened it for him with a bow. That gesture put a small smile on Luhan’s face as he got out of the car and Seung Gi shut the door behind him.

“Shall we?” Seung Gi said and bowed again with his hand out, ready to take Luhan’s hand in his. Luhan nodded and slowly put his hand in Seung Gi’s hand and Seung Gi held it gently.

Seung Gi escorted Luhan into the restaurant and handed his car keys to a valet, who rushed off to park his car somewhere. The couple walked hand-in-hand to check on their reservation.

“Anneyonghaseyo,” the woman greeted them polite bow and the couple returned the bow.

“Yes, I reserved a table a few days ago under the name Choi Seung Gi,” Seung Gi said courteously.

“Ahh ne, I see your reservation right here. I’ll show you to your table,” the woman said before grabbing two menus and walking into the dining area with the young couple following closely behind her.

“Here you are,” she said and placed the menus on the table, “a waiter will be with you shortly.” The couple bowed and she bowed back before heading back to her podium.

Luhan looked around uncomfortably – he didn’t feel right being in fancy places anymore… not after losing all his money. Seung Gi was watching Luhan look around the restaurant and he smiled to himself. Somehow… he felt himself truly beginning to love Luhan. He knew that Luhan didn’t love him back but he wished that he would someday. And he refused to give up until that day came.

Kai went home and immediately went to his room, locking himself in. He had the house all to himself, as his adopted parents weren’t home as usual. All they ever did was go out and party all day and then act like role model parents when other people were around. It was sickening but Kai just accepted it… they were the closet things he had to a real family.

Kai flopped down on his bed and ended up landing on something hard. He rolled over and found that it was Suho’s phone. ‘He must’ve left it here this morning,’ he thought and shoved the phone in his pocket, ‘I should take it to him… I know they’re in some restaurant uptown.’

Seung Gi tried every trick in the book to get Luhan to laugh and… it was working. Luhan’s sweet laughter lit up the atmosphere of the restaurant and that made Seung Gi happy – he wanted to see Luhan happy too.

They were laughing and joking around when suddenly Seung Gi snapped his fingers and a group of 5 guys came over to their table and began to sing a romantic song. Luhan blushed from being slightly embarrassed and partially covered his face with his hands.

The whole restaurant was facing their direction now and some fellow diners were even singing along to the song. Seung Gi slowly rose up out of his chair and walked towards Luhan, who was looking at him like a deer caught in headlights.

Kai was driving cautiously around the uptown area due to the heavy pouring rain and also because he was looking in restaurant windows to see if he could find Suho and Kris. ‘I’ll get in a wreck if I keep driving around in this weather,’ Kai thought and parked his car. He got out of the car and ran around looking into restaurant windows until…

Seung Gi slowly leaned in and placed a gentle kiss upon Luhan’s lips but Luhan was too stunned to return it. The restaurant erupted into cheers for the couple but there was someone who wasn’t so thrilled… that someone was Kai.