Track no. : 03

Main character : Luhan and Seulgi

Cameo : Suho

“Hyung, really. Don’t be like this. Come back. It’s cold outside,” Suho persuaded Luhan through the phone. The youngest member, Sehun had picked a fight with Luhan and that made him angry. He didn’t want to make things worse by getting physical, so Luhan decided to walk his anger off.

“I just need a walk,” Luhan coldly replied.

“Sehun bought bubble tea as an apology,” Suho added.

“Bubble tea is his favourite, not mine,” Luhan’s words were harsh, he knew that. But his heart was still uneasy after being told off by younger person for being too full of himself. It was just an assignment discussion for goodness sake but he was particularly not in a good mood today and Sehun had just pushed too far in making fun of me. Luhan didn’t like that.

Luhan entered a coffee shop and order for tea.

“We don’t have tea,” the cashier replied to his order.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking of it. Latte, please. Almond infused cream.”

“Name?”

“Luhan.”

“Thank you, please wait for your order,” the cashier gave him is receipt and Luhan left the counter to take a seat. He sat near the window, wanting to see people passing by. Hoping his mind would wander off to them and not into his own problems.

A girl in a plain white dress caught his eyes. Her hair moving like velvet in brown as wind ran through it. Her pale skin almost illuminated like the moon, perhaps street lights were being kind to her. As if she was Lily the deer, Luhan was captivated by her utter presence like Harry. But what was a girl doing in this cold weather with such thin outfit?

“Oh gosh, that was cold. Hey, sorry I’m late,” the girl entered the coffee shop and quickly went behind the counter. After putting on the apron, she asked something to the cashier before her. A few words and gestures, a finger pointed to Luhan, the girl was now the cashier.

“Mister, your order’s ready,” the girl called out but he was still in a daze.

“Mister….Luhan, your order is ready,” the girl repeated. Luhan liked the way his name was called by her. The same name called out by many people but somehow it was different coming out from . Luhan finally snapped out from his thoughts and went to the cashier to collect his order.

“Here you are. Thank you and please come again,” the girl recited her lines, memorised as a closure for every parting of a customer.

“What happened to the cashier before?” Luhan found the courage to ask.

“Her shift’s over,” the girl simply replied.

“Why are you wearing such thin clothing?” Luhan was being quite rash at this point. He realised his question came out a bit weird.

“I mean…it’s really cold huh?” Luhan corrected himself and the girl simply nod.

“I’m Luhan,” he extended his arm for a handshake.

“Seulgi,” she wasn’t really comfortable doing this with a customer but she shook his hand as she introduced herself. Late-night comers don’t flirt because they’re consumed by fatigue, that’s why she had chosen to work the shift. Except for tonight. But to be honest, Seulgi thought he was kind of charming.

“I’ll get going now,” Luhan told her, not that it was really important to.

“Thank you. Please come again,” Seulgi slightly bowed. Luhan flashed a smug smile and left.

“Oh, I will come again,” a smile turned into a silly grin as Luhan walked out and into the cold streets once more.

* * *

“Do you actually drink coffee every night? Don’t you go to sleep?” Seulgi asked Luhan. He has been to the café every day for three weeks now. Every single day, after midnight of course. As usual, 1am is not really a time when the coffee shop is busy. So Seulgi had sat with Luhan to have a chat.

“Well…” Luhan tried to find words to reply her but nothing popped up in his head.

“Nevermind. Just pretend I never asked. So, how was the concert? Did you do the fanchant perfectly?” Seulgi was interested in knowing Luhan’s fanboying life. And she’s a fan of A Pink herself.

“Missed a few words but it’s not like B,” Luhan replied, sipping his drink.

“Cool,” Seulgi started to feel awkward. She ran out of things to ask and say, so she just sat there, her gaze fixed on the oriental decorations on the wall behind Luhan. Luhan thought she was staring at him.

“What are you staring at? Am I really that good looking?” Luhan cleared his throat and sheepishly smiled. Seulgi softly tittered after.

“No. I was staring at the decorations, really enchanting,” Luhan had given an embarrassed ‘Oh’.

“But you are good looking. Your fans on weibo are your witnesses,” Seulgi then complimented. He deserved it.

“Do you think I’m good looking?” Luhan asked.

“Of course,” Seulgi replied with a welcoming smile. Luhan felt his pulse accelerating, his heart could jump out of his ribcage right now, blood rushed to his face and he was bright red instantaneously. The girl that he has been falling for said he was good looking. That was the best compliment he could ever receive, ever.

* * *

Luhan had showed off to all of his friends that he was dating someone; of course it was a self-proclaimed relationship.

“You should introduce her to us. Or just me. That’s fine too,” Suho told Luhan one day.

“I showed you the photos. Why do you need to see her?” Luhan protested in introducing Seulgi to any of them face to face. He didn’t want anyone else to flirt with her. Especially Suho.

“Well, I need proof that she is real and not just a girl from cyber space. Or is she? Oh my god hyung, you’ve been lying to us about your girlfriend! She doesn’t exist,” Suho’s voice was too loud for Luhan to content he practically shoved a towel in his mouth to shut him up.

“Fine. We’ll go to the coffee shop later and I’ll show you that she’s real,” Luhan was dead serious because he will never lie about someone he likes. But he has one problem. How does he make sure that Seulgi doesn’t tell Suho that they’re not dating?

* * *

He didn’t found a way before it was too late. During a very interesting and enjoyable chat between the three, Suho had asked how long Seulgi has been dating Luhan.

“What? That’s ridiculous. I’m single. How in the world would I be dating him?” Seulgi let out a very loud laugh then. Suho shot Luhan a very deathly look.

“So you were lying!” words pierced through his eyes and Luhan swallowed the lump in his throat. Luhan was anxious throughout the lasting conversation. He kept thinking about what will happen once they get back to the dorm. Suho will tell everyone that he lied. Suho will tell everyone that Seulgi was actually just a cashier in a coffee shop. Suho will-

“You’re really pretty Seulgi,” Suho’s words halted Luhan’s hectic thoughts. The showers of compliments coming out from Suho’s mouth later on made Luhan boiled.

“That’s really nice of you, Suho. Luhan on the other hand, never even said I have a nice smile even though he comes every day and see me smile as I say goodbye. Ungrateful,” Seulgi hissed playfully. Suho faked a laugh. He’s wholly happy that Seulgi was making fun of Luhan but he didn’t like that she was talking about him now. Because, he had simply fall for her. In just that short amount of time, Seulgi’s charms flowed and Suho was smitten.

“Oh please, you don’t have a nice smile. You have a beautiful one,” it was Luhan’s turn to make Seulgi happy. He had missed several timings to compliment her due to Suho’s endless chatter, but now he was contented he finally said something. And Seulgi smiled ear to ear to his words.

* * *

“Anyone wants coffee? It’s on me,” Suho announced after their midnight discussion on Christmas night. Harsh but it's reality. Everyone rushed to him and wrote down what they want. It was weird that he would buy everyone coffee instead of food. Luhan felt something was off and followed Suho out.

“What do you intend to do Suho?” Luhan muttered under his breath when Suho entered the coffee shop where Seulgi works. There are several other coffee shops nearer to their university and it would be way much easier to order somewhere near considering he has lots to.

“Seulgi~” Luhan pretended to puke when Suho called out in a horrible cutesy sing-song.

“Hi oppa,” Seulgi greeted back.

“I’m ordering for the others today, so here’s the list,” Suho handed her the paper.

“Woogyeong would feel burdensome if I told him my good friend is drinking his coffee,’’ Seulgi giggled when she imagined the barista’s shocked expression if she told him. Woogyeong, her best friend and colleague, always wanted to help Seulgi the best he can.

“Go on, tell him,” Suho dared her to.

“That would be mean,” Seulgi shook her head.

Luhan had listened to them the whole time. He put on a simple disguised with a hat and woven scarf, none of them knew thankfully, and sat on the nearest seat to the counter. His hands balled into fists, wanting to punch Suho’s face.

“You’re ugly and I’d be happy to make you uglier,” Luhan thought out of hatred.

“It’s going to take a while. Have a seat,” Seulgi told Suho.

“I’d rather stand forever if I could talk to you,” Seulgi frowned at his cheesy words.

“Since there are no other customers, I’ll sit with you. I don’t my name to be uttered as the reason you can’t go back to deliver those drinks because your legs hibernated,” Luhan giggled but quickly covered his mouth afterwards. He didn’t want his disguise to go bust.

“How was your day?” Suho started the conversation.

“It’s already a new day so I just worked a few minutes in,” Seulgi replied with a laugh. Luhan smiled. Not only Seulgi is pretty, she’s definitely full of wits too.

“Okay, I mean yesterday,” Seulgi was still laughing.

“Went for an early Christmas shopping with my sister, read a new book and visited a new bubble tea shop. It was called Yehet Bubble,” Luhan had gone to the bubble tea shop too, with Sehun. His mind went into thinking about that shop. The endless list of bubble tea flavour. He remembered something about chilli and chocolate. What on earth was the owner thinking about?

“I swear, Sehun is getting more famous than me in campus,” Suho was not really happy with the latter’s rising fame, even though they are close friends. Luhan denied that strongly of course. He is more famous than both of them put together.

 “Both of you are famous, no doubt about that,” Seulgi always know what to say to make people feel better. She didn’t know how famous they are but she didn’t want to make Suho feel down.

“Are you free next weekend?” Suho asked with the intention of asking her out for a date. Luhan’s not her real boyfriend, and she is single, so why not?

“Early evening…I should be free I guess. Why?”

“Do you want to watch a movie together?” Suho was shameless, Seulgi was shocked and Luhan was purely enraged. He immediately stood up, walked towards them and dragged Seulgi out from the coffee shop. Suho was dumbfounded to even move.

* * *

“What are you doing?” Seulgi pulled her arm from Luhan’s grasped.

“Did you have a ‘yes’ in mind?” Luhan’s voice was stern, filled with anger.

“To what?” she was clueless.

“To Suho,” Luhan made it clear. Seulgi nodded meekly.

“What?! Don’t you see Seulgi?” Luhan raised his voice.

“See what? I want to watch a movie anyways,” everything that Luhan was doing was making her mad. He was just being rash for whatever reason, she doesn’t know.

“I’ve been going to the coffee shop every day to see you. I can be there at any time of the day but I waited after midnight just to see you. Girl, you have a crazy working shift. But I did all that just to see you. I like you Seulgi. The first time I see you, you were the only thing I could see. Like a star, a star walking towards me. I know this sounds cheesy, but you were like a star that dropped from the sky and came into my life as a ray of love. But Suho had to come around and made everything so hard. You need to know, I really like you. Ahh what the hell? I would love you if you’ll give me the chance,” Luhan breathe deeply after saying all that. He didn’t realise the stunned look on Seulgi’s face but he has a tiny fragment in him regretting the thing he just did, and he just wanted to turn and run away.

“Well, you should have asked me earlier. Suho was being creepy. I just met him like…three days ago? And he just asked me out. Gosh, that was scary,” Seulgi heaved a sigh. Luhan quickly shifted his head to her.

“Say what?” Luhan couldn’t believe his ears. Not the Suho part, but the earlier part.

“What,” Seulgi was joking again, to which she had giggled to herself.

“I mean…wait. You like me too?” Luhan asked, but it sounded stupid when he replayed it in his head.

“You’re really nice. If you asked me out, I would say yes. Immediately,” Seulgi looked down, perhaps shy because of what she said.

“Then, make yourself free tomorrow afternoon because I’m bringing you out for lunch,” Luhan was pleased with everything and what he did later was probably the most to be happy about. Besides, it is Christmas Day, everything should be of happiness and joy.

He held Seulgi’s face, leaned in and plant a kiss on her lips. A kiss on his wonderful star’s lips; simple, sweet, perfect.