Lu Han slams the door of the apartment he shares with his friends. He doesn’t care if the rest of the tenants on the floor files a complaint. He’s never been this mad with anyone for a long time. How can someone who has no idea about everything judge him like that. Those accusing words, they keep repeating inside his head. He knows that the person doesn’t know the whole story.  Lu Han finally figures out that the other guy was propositioning him to do services other than stripping, which makes said person out of line because Lu Han was never a stripper to begin with. He just lost a bet and he kinda hates his housemates (again) for making him do that.  He feels disgusted with himself (again), he thinks he is partly at fault for agreeing to it. He could have done something else, sold the new pair of high cuts he bought from that expensive store or something. But since it already happened, all he feels now is regret. He tries to recall if he’s seen anyone familiar but he never dared look at anyone. He didn’t even take a glance at the bride to be. He wasn’t interested in anything other than finishing the ordeal as soon as possible.

                “Back so soon?” Jong In questions. Still lounging around the living room. One arm lazily hanging on the side of the sofa.

                “I didn’t feel like hanging out so I went home…” Lu Han decided that he wants to mope but the urge to let out steam is strong.

                “Is there something wrong, hyeong… You look… pissed…”

                He ponders if he should tell Jong In or just stew over it. He thinks that Jong In is not the right person to talk to about this. But Yi Xing is probably angry at him for blowing him off or worst he might be with that toddler.

                “Hyeong?”

                Lu Han sits down on the floor across from Jong In, a frown marring his face. “Remember that bridal shower stint you insisted me to do to pay the rent?”

                Jong In has an apologetic look on his face. “Yeah… What about it?”

                “Some teenager just up and propositioned me for services…”

                “Is she, oh sorry, is he cute?” Lu Han ponders Jong In wants to break the tension (well, Lu Han's tension) with humor.

                “Jong In-ah… I’m pretty pissed off right now… I wasn’t even able to get a punch or two… if I had a chance that teenager would be losing all his baby teeth and his pretty mouth would be swollen right now. I bet the bruises would be visible since he’s so pale…”

                “Hyeong, you said you got insulted but you were definitely checking this teenager out…  I thought you weren’t into boys, or do you want to be 'manly man'… That would explain everything…”

                “Ya! Focus… I’m mad… And you’re one of the reasons why I ended up doing that thing in the first place. I should punch both you and Se Hun… Nevermind…” Lu Han stands up. “You’re clearly not the right person to talk to… I’m going to sleep…”

                Lu Han hears Jong In laugh and maybe sneak in a (not so sincere) apology.

               His mood doesn’t improve. He’s sure he wouldn’t be able to sleep. And true enough, he lays in bed but sleep doesn’t take over. The scene from earlier keeps repeating in his head everytime he closes his eyes. How can someone with the face of his favourite delicacy spill such cruel words. He would’ve been Lu Han’s type if he weren’t such an .  Lu Han shakes his head yet again, he shouldn’t be thinking that way. The infant insulted him. He could’ve defended himself, what would he say though? He did that to pay the rent? Can he be more pathetic?

                He wanted to clear his name, no one has the right to think of him that way. But the more he thinks about the teenager the more sulky he gets. He decides he doesn’t want anything to do with dumpling boy. He should just forgot about everything and maybe scold Yi Xing for wrong life choices.

xoxo

               Zhang Yi Xing finds two of his friends standing near the bar. The older of the two looks abysmally pissed, he has no idea why. And he thinks, he doesn’t want to find out. The other person he invited is still MIA. “Hey, you’re early… Good…” Yi Xing looks around and frowned when the person he seems to be looking for is nowhere in sight. “I guess Lu Han hasn’t arrived yet… You’ll like him, hyeong… I remember you’re the same age…”

            “Actually Lu Han already left…” Jong Dae fills in.

            “Left? Why? Did he get to meet Min Seok-hyeong? You probably hit it off the first time, right? Well Lu Han’s busy with exams so maybe next time he’ll be here longer…” Yi Xing thinks it odd for Lu Han to just up and leave without waiting for him, this was after all the reason he invited Lu Han to Black Pearl.

              "They 'hit it off' alright..." Kim Jong Dae inserts, sarcasm evident in his tone.

           “Do you want to explain to me why on earth you’re friends with a stripper?”

            “Huh?” A stripper? Yi Xing has been working at Black Pearl as a musician and this club is not like that. “Hyeong… I’m a musician, an artist… You do know that right? I hang out with yuppies and weird people. I don’t think strippers fit in my circle…”

            “Don’t play dumb with me Yi Xing… I’m not in the mood…” the venom in his hyeong’s voice is real but he really has no idea what the latter was talking about.

            “I think he was talking about Lu Han…” Jong Dae mumbled.

            “Lu Han? He’s a senior in college just like hyeong, we both went here to study.  He works part time at the record store near that coffee shop hyeong really likes. He doesn’t even like going to clubs, not unless his roommates asked him to go…” He doesn’t remember Lu Han working at places like those, if it was a problem about money Lu Han would’ve told him and he doesn’t think his best friend would resort to that. Well there was this one time when his roommates commissioned him to― “Oh…”

            “Have you remembered? I told you earlier over the phone about Min Young being in Myeong Hee’s bridal shower…”

            Yi Xing laughs. He knows that it’s not the best thing to do right now but he can’t help it. And here he was trying to introduce them to each other. That was such a bad first impression, maybe that’s why Lu Han left. He looks back at his two friends. Jong Dae looks panicked, his Min Seok-hyeong is so still you’d think he was a wax figure.

            “Sorry, hyeong… Let me explain…” clearing his throat. The elder doesn’t say anything and just keeps a blank face. “I think you might’ve misunderstood something. Lu Han’s not really a stripper…”