You stared at Luhan's fake happy face and felt like running away from there but somehow, you just couldn't move your legs. 

"Why haven't you been answering my calls and replying my messages since Friday?" Luhan's eyebrows furrowed. "I was so worried, I thought you ditched me for our date that day." 

I didn't answer because I was busy bawling my eyes out thanks to you. You wanted to reply but you didn't. 

"W-what are you doing here?" You managed to ask instead. 

"I'm here to enjoy myself at the beach, what else?" Luhan chuckled. 

How can you act so nice and innocent when really you're just a cheating playing ? 

"Oh. Right."

"I wanted to ask you out to the beach today, actually." Luhan said.

Right, I'm sure you did.

"But you wouldn't pick up your phone so I came here with my friends." He explained even though you never asked for it. 

Is "friends" codeword for that whose face I saw you on last week?

 

Luhan noticed that you seemed off and started to feel awkward. What's wrong with her today? She's not clingy like she usually is. 

 

"Haerin? Are you okay?" Luhan asked as he cupped your face with his hand. 

 

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine." You said but you slowly took his hand away from you. 

 

From not far away, Chen was walking back from the washroom when he saw you talking to some guy. He noticed your distressed expression and grew worried. Is that guy bothering her? He thought and walked over. 

 

The closer he got, the more he could see the face of the guy and realized that it was Luhan. Xiumin said that they're together, so why does she look so uncomfortable to be with him?  

 

Just then, you turned your head to look away from Luhan and unintentionally locked eyes with Chen. Please help me. You thought as you looked straight into Chen's eyes, hoping that he would get that message. 

 

Fortunately for you, he saw the look on your face and understood. Being the nice guy he was, he casually walked up to you and Luhan. 

 

Luhan opened his mouth to ask you if you were feeling okay the second time but before he could say anything else, Chen interrupted.

 

“Here you are, Haerin!” Chen said as he slung his arm over your shoulder and gave you a reassuring squeeze. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

 

Luhan looked at Chen in disgust. “Who the hell are you?” I've seen him before, haven't I? 

 

You looked at Chen and his eyes were telling you to play along.

 

“R-really? What for?” You asked, both of you ignoring Luhan’s question.

 

“Baekhyun and the others got worried when you didn’t come back from the toilet after a while.” Chen said.

 

“You’re here with your brother and your friends?” Luhan asked, a little shocked. The last time he remembered, you were having a cold war with your clique.

 

“Oh, sorry. I was just looking around the shops when I bumped into..” This thing. “Him.” Only Chen noticed that hint of hatred when you said the last word.

 

Chen looked at Luhan and raised his eyebrow. “Aren't you Luhan?”

 

“Yes, that's right and I’m Haerin’s boyfriend.” Luhan growled as his eyes turned into tiny slits. “Who are you?”

 

Doesn't really look like it. Chen thought. He looked at you and you subtly shook your head. “Well, I’m just a friend.” Chen said. “But her brother’s looking for her and I don’t think it’d be smart to keep Baekhyun waiting especially when he’s really worried right now.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” You said. “Let’s go.” You tugged on Chen’s arm and the two of you started walking away from Luhan.

 

“Bye, Luhan.” You bid goodbye to a fuming Luhan.

 

Who in the world does that guy think he is to take my own girlfriend away from me like that! He shouted in his head. Wait, what in the world am I thinking? Haerin’s not even my real girlfriend, why am I getting so worked up on this?

 

Luhan inhaled and exhaled until he was calm. But when he looked back to you and Chen walking away, he started to get irritated again.

 

 

*

 

 

“Thank you for saving me.” You softly said to Chen.

 

“It’s no problem.” Chen shrugged. “Can I ask one thing, though?”

 

You hesitated since you knew he was going to ask something about that scene but nodded anyways.

 

“If that Luhan kid really is your boyfriend, why did you look so frightened to be with him?”

 

You were silent for a while as Chen waited patiently for your answer.

 

“Because he’s not my boyfriend.” You said. “Not anymore anyways.” You mumbled the last part as you walked away from Chen before he could start asking anymore questions but he caught it.

 

Not anymore? Chen thought. I wonder what happened between them. He snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that you were walking in front of him. “Hey, wait up! Let’s walk back together!”

 

In the end, Chen caught up with you and you only hoped that he wouldn’t ask any more questions.

 

As if Chen could read your mind, he didn’t bring up Luhan anymore but kept quiet throughout the walk back to where your brother and friends were.

 

 

*

 

 

“Oh yeah, we won!” Baekhyun and Xiumin cheered as he scored the final point in their friendly beach volleyball game.

 

The winners were jumping around in glee and hugged each other.

 

Baekhyun turned around just then to see you and Chen walking back together and was about to start teasing you that you were warming up to Chen but then he noticed the look on your face and immediately knew that something had happened.

 

At first he thought that Chen was the cause of the sad look on your face but then he doubted it. The only reason she would look this upset would be because of…Luhan? He thought. He couldn’t have been here, could he? Baekhyun looked around the beach and admitted to himself that it was possible for you to have bumped into Luhan here where there were already so many people.

 

Wordlessly, you sat back down on the towels and took your water bottle from your bag and drank it. Baekhyun watched you and grew concerned.

 

Baekhyun wanted to ask you what was wrong but knew that he would only get an “It’s nothing, I’m fine,” answer so he tried his luck with Chen.

 

“Did something happen?” Baekhyun went up to him. “To my sister, I mean.”

 

“I’m not sure what happened actually,” Chen admitted. “But when I saw her, she was with that Luhan kid.”

 

“Luhan?” Baekhyun stiffened. “What did he do?!”

 

Chen was taken aback by his sudden hostility. “Woah, man.” He held out his hands. “I really don’t know, I swear.”

 

Baekhyun realized he had scared his friend a little and apologized. “It’s just that Luhan…he’s done really mean things to Haerin.” He sighed. “Actually, ‘mean’ would be an understatement.”

 

Chen just stared at Baekhyun, his eyes full of curiosity. He wanted to ask him what on earth had happened between you and Luhan but he thought it wasn’t his business to know.

 

Baekhyun turned to look at Chen in the eyes with seriousness.

 

“Can you promise me something?” Baekhyun asked. “I know it’s not really nice of me to ask you this especially since we’ve just become friends and you barely know my sister but it’s really important.”

 

If he’s this serious… “Sure, I guess.” Chen said. “What is it?”

 

“Can you make sure Luhan doesn’t get close to Haerin?” He asked. “If you ever see him talking to her again, just get her away from him.”

 

“That’s it?” Chen asked. “Just keep Haerin away from Luhan?”

 

Baekhyun nodded.

 

“Yeah, sure. I’ll help you out.” Chen gave Baekhyun a small smile.

 

“Thanks, Chen.” Baekhyun said.

 

I wonder why it’s so important that Luhan stays away from Haerin, though. Chen wondered. He was about to ask Baekhyun for an explanation but Baekhyun cut him off.

 

“I know you’re curious and you want an explanation.” Baekhyun said. “I would tell you. But I can’t.”

 

“You can’t? Why not?” Chen asked, feeling a little bit offended. Do they not trust me? I mean, that’s understandable I guess, since we knew each other for not long. But if he’s asking me such a favour, shouldn’t I get an explanation for it too?

 

“It’s not my story to tell. And I don’t know if Haerin will be okay with someone she’s not exactly close with to know about it.” Baekhyun explained. “You understand, right?”

 

Chen slowly nodded.

 

“It’s not because I don’t trust you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Baekhyun smiled. “You already seem like a great guy to me and the fact that I’m asking you to take care of my sister is already a huge thing.”

 

“Haerin’s like the princess, isn’t she?” Chen smiled a little, understanding now why Baekhyun couldn’t tell him the back-story. “I can tell that you and your friends are all extremely protective over her.”

 

Baekhyun sighed, but it wasn’t a distressed kind of sigh. “Yeah, we are. But that’s just because a lot of things has happened to Haerin and because it has happened so many times, I have a feeling she might change a little.” He frowned.

 

“Change?” Chen asked. “In what way?”

 

“Let’s just say that she might be very distant towards you.” Baekhyun sighed, this time being a distressed sigh.

 

What? Why? Chen thought as he watched you trying your best to seem happy in front of the others.

 

Something about that girl makes me want to protect her too. He thought.