No one is at the apartment when Luhan arrives home but the mess inside shows that someone has been here for most of the day. He puts his stuff down and tidies up the place, throwing a few pairs of socks into the laundry and putting the TV remotes back in their basket by the game console. Now, mind a little clearer because he can actually see the floor, he sits down and takes a short moment to relax in the comfort of his own home.

There is a sticky note on the coffee table and he peels it off and laughs while he reads ‘I got laid.’

It’s written in all caps and he wonders who wrote it and how truthful it was. Oh well. He sticks it back onto the shiny wooden surface and stretches out his legs, sinking further into the old second-hand couch.

He must have drifted off because before he knows it Kris is coming in through the door behind him and creating a racket. He rubs his eyes and looks around “Wh…what time is it?”

“I dunno, not too late.”

“Seriously, though…” Luhan gets up and peeks out the window. The sun is already going down and he thinks about Minseok, sick and probably alone at home. He gives in to the pull of his phone and sends the other a text.

Do you need me to get you anything? Dinner, maybe? You shouldn’t be doing that on your own while you’re sick.

-L

He waits for a reply. Kris comes over and peers over his shoulder, trying to get a look at the screen. Luhan elbows him “Give me space, you creeper.”

“Who’re you talking to? You usually don’t text.”

“Er, no one in particular.”

“Geez, man, why so cryptic?” Kris flumps down on the couch “Regardless, I bet it’s someone important.”

“Mhm…” Luhan wanders into the kitchen, waiting for a reply from Kris or Minseok. Minseok’s comes first.

I’m okay. Don’t want to get you ill!

-M

Luhan’s fingers practically fly as he writes his reply.

I don’t have anywhere to be other than school, I’ll live :) What do you want for dinner?

-L

The next reply takes longer and Luhan expects that Minseok is convincing himself to just roll with the situation.

Hm…maybe just some soup? Is that okay?

-M

Luhan smiles to himself and turns to Kris who is still on the couch “Do you know where I can quickly get soup?”

“What? Uh…why?”

“I’m playing nurse for a sick kid.”

“Uh…sure. Whatever floats your boat, man.” The basketball player tosses Luhan the takeout menu that normally lies on the coffee table and Luhan snatches it out of the air “Thanks.”

He chooses a place that has wonton soup on-delivery and orders via the phone.

I’ll be over asap, He writes Minseok, What’s your address?

He gets the reply sooner than he had expected and then waits for the soup to arrive. It does after around fifteen minutes, wrapped in a plastic bag and smelling of sweet-and-sour sauce from the restaurant. Having places that have soup on hand right around the corner is always nice.

Luhan takes Kris’s bike out into the growing darkness with the bag of boxed soup tucked safely into the basket on the handlebars. It’s a  ten minute ride to where Minseok lives and he hopes he can get there before the sun goes down completely or the soup becomes cold and so he sets off immediately.

The streets are surprisingly slick from rainfall that must have happened while he was asleep and he’s careful to avoid piles of leaves and puddles that could result in tipping the bike. The street lights and headlights from cars and motorbikes on the road prevent him from having to squint in the near darkness and he arrives in Minseok’s neighborhood without too much hassle.

There are an abundance of places to lock up the bike and so he chooses one, unwinding the cheap bike lock from around the handlebars and clipping the bike to a stop sign in front of the apartment building. It’s a small place, with two duplexes downstairs and three apartments with little balconies on top. Cute, he thinks. It fits Minseok’s personality.

He enters the main lobby which is more of a coat room and takes the stairs up, carrying the soup bag which is starting to leak just a little.

At the top of the stairs there are three doors, one for each apartment, and Luhan checks his phone again to make sure he’s got the right one. The door is unlocked, Minseok has written, you can let yourself in. I’ll probably be in the bedroom which is through the door on the right of the main room. Thanks again.

He finds the correct door and turns the knob. Thankfully, it swings open easily and he steps into the small flat and closes it behind him.

The walls are a creamy pale yellow and the furnishings are simple yet comfy-looking. It has a relaxing atmosphere and Luhan feels suddenly at-home. Gazing around at the décor he suddenly realizes that he’s dripping wonton soup all over the floor and that he is here for a reason.

Luhan locates the bedroom door and tentatively peeks in, feeling very awkward about coming into someone’s room without knocking or anything, although he suppose