“Y-yes were coming” Hyun Ae blinked a few times and followed Kris to the table ‘Did…did Luhan just touch my cheeks?’ she thought and smiled.

“Are you happy?” Kris looked at her. His face showed no emotion at all.

“Yes, of course I’m happy oppa, why would I be sad?” Kris just turned away from her gaze.

“But I’m not the reason right?” He blurted all of a sudden

“W-what?” Hyun Ae stopped walking in confusion while Luhan who was walking behind her stopped too.

‘What did Kris tell her?’ He leaned in but he couldn’t hear anything.

“Nothing” Kris went ahead of Hyun Ae leaving her dumbfounded.

“Hey are you alright?” Luhan suddenly came to her side displaying a worried look.

“Of course sunbae” they finally reached the table and distributed the food. Luhan’s eyes were still on Hyun Ae and back to Kris.

‘Could he have asked her out on a date?’ Luhan’s throat suddenly went dry. The thought of it pained him, but what could he do?

‘He hasn’t, but he will…soon’ a strange voice echoed through Luhan’s thoughts.

‘Leeteuk hyung, leave me alone’ he said in his mind. Since Leeteuk’s appearance just a while ago, he had been bugging Luhan. He was seriously creeped out when Leeteuk suddenly spoke to him in his thoughts. Telepathy was great, but he preferred Telekinesis, at least he would be able to move an object though his mind than someone constantly talking…more like annoying him in his thoughts.

“It’s the weekend tomorrow!” Chen suddenly stood up and danced making everyone laugh.

“Do you guys want to go somewhere?” Lay asked the rest of the gang “I’m going to be alone this weekend and it to be a loner”

“I’m free” Tao said while raising his hand.

“Nado” Suho exclaimed in excitement

Kris nodded and ate his food again. Hwa Young and Hyun Ae gave a thumbs up while the rest except Luhan said they were free. All of them waited for his response but he was somewhat into his own world.

“Earth to Luhan!”Sehun yelled into his ears making Luhan drop to the floor while everyone laughed at his despair.

“Yah! How dare you! And did you just call me by my name?” he pointed to Sehun.

“Merong!” Sehun stucked his tongue out and offered Luhan a hand so he could get up.

“Well, let’s go to the beach then!” Kris said finally “Gwangalli Beach”

“Busan?” Hyun Ae asked

“Ne”

“Yes! We should totally go!” they exclaimed in joy and started planning what they would do for tomorrow’s outing.

Her facial expression fell. How was she going to get to Busan? Even if she does get there, how was she going to feed herself? Although she did have money, it wasn’t much, it was only enough for her miscellaneous in school and her rent for the boarding house that was sheltering her, she thanked God that she was a scholar, or else, where would she be? The school she was currently in, offered high standard opportunities for students going into university so Hyun Ae didn’t want to let this chance slip off her hands. At the same time, she had two part time jobs, delivering newspapers and milk before school and working at a coffee shop at night. If she was going to Busan, she would have to spend all her earnings because it’s a high class beach, and there was no way she was going to let any of the boys or even Hwa Young to pay for her. Hyun Ae had always been independent and she wants to keep it that way. No one knew about her personal life except Hwa Young. Although others were curious, specifically Kris, she would divert the topic and she was relieved that he fell for it. As prideful as it was, she didn’t care. She was tired of being looked down at, tired of being pitied. Tired of being worthless to anyone. Tired of being ignored by him. Tired of being ignored by Luhan, the man she’d always wanted, and the man she could never have… ever.

Luhan could see Hyun Ae’s face. She managed to smile even though she was going through a lot. He knew her problem. He remembered the day he first knew of Hyun Ae’s situation. The day he wished he could take all the responsibilities off her shoulders and the day he promised to be by her side from then on.

“You useless kid! Pay up or you’ll get your kicked out from this house tomorrow!” the angry and drunken land lady yelled at Hyun Ae who just came back from work. Her face was sweaty; her body over-used and was on the verge of breaking.

 “Annyeong ahjumma” she said while panting. Hyun Ae walked for 30 minutes and she was still trying to catch her breath “Jwesongheyo, but you clearly stated in the agreement that you will collect the rent at the end of the month, it had only been fortnight. So it is not time for me to pay yet. Don’t worry ahjumma, I will pay for the rent once it has reached its deadline” she explained sincerely.

“Do you think I’d believe insignificant teenagers like you? I know you probably wasted your money on night clubs that’s why you can’t even pay in advance! Do you think I don’t know? Arasseoyo! Teenagers do this nowadays! You all are the same! I don’t have any time for your useless crap! Besides, who do you think you are? I am the owner of this house and I demand you to pay up now or pack your bags and leave this instant!” she started to go in carelessly and took Hyun Ae’s belongings. The ahjumma threw all her things one by one outside.

Hyun Ae ran inside to stop the owner “Hajimayo!” she cried in desperation. Then she covered in shock as the ahjumma raised the picture frame and smashed it into the ground. She watched with sorrowful eyes as their family portrait broke into pieces.

It was the only family picture that she had retrieved, the rest were thrown in the bin by her relatives who were now running the business that her parents were going to inherit. No one cared about Hyun Ae since the accident. Her existence disgusted the rest of her family members, they blamed her for everything. For surviving. From then on, Hyun Ae was left to fend for herself at the early age of 13, but good thing there was this one man who helped her. She couldn’t remember his face at all but he was the one who offered her a scholarship. He provided her shelter for 2 years but he never came back afterwards and thus she chose to forget that man although she was thankful to God at the same time for sending her a man that helped her enter the school she was in. Luhan replayed the memories in his mind. Hyun Ae had told him everything, but he didn’t know who that man was neither did Hyun Ae. Whoever he was, Luhan was thankful that he existed, if it weren’t for him, he wouldn’t have met Hyun Ae either.

“Geumanhaseyo!” a voice shouted from behind making the two girls look towards his direction.

“Luhan sunbaenim” tears streamed down Hyun Ae’s exhausted face.

“You don’t have the right to treat your tenant like that” he pulled Hyun Ae to his side and urged her to stay on that spot while he stepped forward to face the lady.

“Oh? Your boyfriend Hyun Ae sshi? Wow! When the damsel is in distress the prince comes right after! Such a touching love story. A fairy-tale indeed”

“And you’re the witch” he smirked. Luhan stared down to her soul, challenging her into some serious argument.

“I-sasig-a!” she and pointed to him and tried to balance herself. “You’re just like her right? Teenagers who have no life! Leaving us older people to clean up your mess!”

“Aren’t you the one making the mess right now?” he rose a brow “If anything, you don’t have the right to tell Hyun Ae that she’s wasting her life. How about you look at the mirror and compare yourself to Hyun Ae. You’re older but she’s definitely more mature than you are” he pulled Hyun Ae close to him now “She is working her hardest to pay for this house and even if you are the owner, you should stick to what laws you have given her. Yeah sure she makes mistakes, but you are worse”

“Yah!” she shouted. Her voice echoing through all the corridors of the house

“What? Did I touch a nerve of your being? It’s true right? You tell Hyun Ae that she’s clubbing but who’s drunk and wasted right now huh?” his voice started to rise intensely “Why don’t you fix yourself first before correcting others! Also, I’m pretty sure you need Hyun Ae more than she will ever need you!”

She couldn’t reply at his response. It was true, Hyun Ae was the only tenant she had and the only way she could ever make money. “Shut up!” she stormed through the door and walked outside “Do whatever you want! You better pay up at the end of the month!”

Hyun Ae could only break down in silence. She went to the shattered family photo and gathered the broken glasses. “Umma, Appa” she sobbed. “Ah!”

“Hyun Ae!” Luhan ran towards her and reached to her hand. It was bleeding. He immediately ran to the nearest first aid kit and helped Hyun Ae cover her wound.

“Don’t do this, I’ll do it” Luhan escorted her to the sofa bed while he started to clean up the mess that was surrounding the whole house.

“Are you alright?” He caressed Hyun Ae’s back.

“Oppa!” she cried and buried her face to Luhan’s shoulders “I can’t take it anymore. I can’t, I wish I was never born, I wish I just died. No one cares about me! No one!”

“Shhh” he embraced her back and kissed her forehead “I’m here, I’ll always be” he pulled her back and rubbed away the tears that were still forming in her eyelids “I’ll be there for you whenever you need me and don’t ever hesitate to tell me your problems. If I didn’t follow you from the coffee shop, what could’ve happened to you? What if that lady did anything to you? I seriously won’t be able to forgive myself”

“But oppa, I don’t want you to get involved with my problems. You already have a lot to go through. I don’t want to cause any inconvenience” she shook her head, refusing Luhan’s suggestion.

“Nan neggeoya, neo neun neggeoya so your problem is my problem” he pulled her into a hug once again “Your pain is my pain” 

Glossary for today:

Merong - A Korean word for the action or the sound of sticking out one's tongue

Ahjumma - Auntie/A married woman/midle-aged woman or older

Jwesongheyo - I'm Sorry

Hajimayo - Don't

Geumanhaseyo - Stop it/ That's enough

I-sasig-a - Bastard

Umma - Mom

Appa - Dad

Nan neggeoya - I'm Yours

Neo neun neggeoya - You're Mine

Hi guys! I've updated :) Hope you enjoy and do leave me some comments ^^ 

See youse!

~lovelyndgrey2230
  17/04/14