Slipping on his Gucci sunglasses, Lu Han strutted out of the exit wheeling his lone suitcase as he scanned the area for his friend. He hadn’t been to Korea ever since he left, 7 years ago. Somehow, the familiar scenery warmed his heart in a way he thought it never could. Being nationally Chinese, he was taught to practice Chinese tradition and culture, but deep inside, he’d always felt of Korea as his real home, a place where he truly belonged. With a warm smile grazing over his lips, he quietly excused himself from the bunch of people that hovered near the taxi stand and stood under the huge sign board that read ‘Gate no.4’.

Sliding his iphone 5 black diamond from his pocket he contemplated whether to just call his friend and tell him that he can just grab a cab. As soon as he dialed the number, he heard a familiar ringtone ringing somewhere next to him. Turning around, he found his friend waving his phone in the mid air with a cheeky grin.

“Xiao Lu!” the slightly tanned man sprinted forward and gave a bro hug to the man who lifted his sunglasses and squinted.

“Hyunjoon!” he exclaimed, ecstatic, it’d been years since he’d seen his best buddy from his high school days in Seoul, Apgujeon. “Hey man!” Lu Han pat the man’s back, dressed in a dapper suit as opposed to his style; a Pigalle jumper, black jeans and a snap back. Hyunjoon chuckled and turned around to snap his fingers and soon enough a boy, probably in his early 20s came sprinting from behind as he grabbed Lu Han’s bag and headed on forward towards a Black Bentley continental GT.

“Did you wait long?” Hyunjoon asked as he swung his arm over Lu Han’s shoulder, who stood a little over 5 centimeters taller. “Got caught up at the traffic.. You know how it is here.” He smiled. Lu Han couldn’t help but notice the bags under friend’s eyes and how much he’d matured, unlike him. He was just like the old Lu Han 7 years ago who spent hours at the arcade and bicycled near the Han river at 2 in the morning.

“Ah! It’s nothing.” Lu Han waved it off, entering through the car door that was held by the same man who fetched his luggage. “It’s great to be back.” He added.

“It’ great to have you back Lu.” Hyunjoon pat his friend’s shoulder as he settled himself in the back seat beside him. “You haven’t aged at all man. You look exactly the same, if not even younger!” Hyunjoon shook his head in disbelief as he gave a good look at his friend. “And look at me!” he exclaimed with a mortified expression. “I probably look like your father.”

Lu han only snorted and shook his head, turning his head around to look at the sea side as they passed through Incheon. “I missed this place..” he muttered quietly. However, with all the excitement he felt at spending the rest of the summer at his friend’s place, he was somehow feeling anxious and nervous because of some reason he couldn’t really put a finger on.

“Wait till you get to our place..” Hyunjoon smirked. “I have a surprise waiting for you.”

Lu Han smiled brightly, not knowing what was waiting for him.

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

“I want you to meet my wife.” Hyunjoon stated as he pushed the slightly shaking lady in front of his friend and motioned her to bow respectfully. “My darling–“

“Jaeah…” Lu Han completed his friend’s sentence as he stared at the girl with unwavering eyes as she bowed 90 degrees.

 

 

My Jaeah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"L-Luhan.." Jaeah spoke timidly as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Avoiding eye contact at all cost. Her husband had told her his friend would be coming over, she spent so many days trying to calm herself; saying that everything will be normal. But seeing him in flesh, right before her eyes, she could barely keep her voice straight, let alone her mind.

 

 

After all, he was her first love.

 

 

"I bet you're surprised eh, Lu?" Hyunjoon wiggled his eyebrows, placing his palm behind Jaeah's waist. Hearing the question, Luhan immediately snapped back to reality and feigned a smile and nod. "I knew it!" Hyunjoon exclaimed, placing a soft kiss on his wife's temple. "If it weren't for you, I would've never met her."

Somehow, the phrase made Luhan uncomfortable. Hyunjoon— His best friend since his early teenage years went behind his back and married the only one person he loved most in this entire world. What disturbed him the most was that Hyunjoon was well aware of the relationship he and Jaeah shared. As a matter of fact, everybody in their school knew it. Yes, they'd broken up way back but... It didn't mean the feelings were all gone. He came in high spirits of spending a good time with his friend and possibly, rekindling the love he'd lost, only to find out that it would never come true.

Then why would he do such a thing to his own friend? And most of all.... Why did Jaeah marry him of all the people she could've? How could she?

"Are you alright Lu?" Hyunjoon swung his arm around Luhan's shoulder and nudged him. "Let's get in. You must be tired."

"Ah! Y-yeah..." Luhan managed to say. For now, it was the best to move past everything and pretend like he didn't care.

 

Pretend.

 

"Ah, Beautiful!" Hyunjoon clapped his hand as the maids placed the dishes before them. "As always.." he smiled, tilting his head to find the chef standing behind them in a line. "Thank you, Youngmin-sshi."

Luhan watched as his friend praised his employees and how much they respected and admired him. Ever since he knew Hyunjoon, he'd been a gentleman. Always on point, attentive, responsible and mature. He'd always wondered how such different people could be best friends. Maybe it was their differences that made their bond much special and made their understanding level much higher. Despite Luhan’s horrible contacting skills, Hyunjoon always made sure to give him a call once in a while or send him greeting cards on Christmas or thanksgiving.

Aware of the Korean traditions, Luhan waited until Hyunjoon (the eldest among them) picked up his chopstick and tore it apart with a phrase that the eldest around the table must say before the others could divulge. "Let's eat well."

"You're going to love it." Hyunjoon smirked as he glanced at Luhan who tore his chopsticks and appreciated the food on his plate. "Jaeah recommended all the dishes and even helped Chef Youngmin, right boo?” He turned to his wife who pressed a smile as she placed the cloth on her lap and quietly rearranged the spoon and fork beside her plate. A smile unwittingly appeared on Luhan’s face as he remembered a fond memory of their date one time when he tried to teach her how to eat with a chopstick but ended up horribly butchering the food that the people who sat next to their table winced with disgust.

"It looks delicious." Luhan commented as he glanced around the table. Vegetable bosam, Daeji bugogi, sundae, samgyupsal, budae chigae, mandooguk and yookjaejang. All of his favorite dishes. She still remembers. He thought, bittersweet. As much as he appreciated all of it, he somehow felt she did it as an act of apology for marrying his best friend. As if a table full of dishes could compensate for his shattered heart.

"Wine?" Hyunjoon asked as he poured some into his own glass. "Stored this for a special day." he said as he poured the Romanée-Conti(1945) into Luhan's glass. "Got is as a gift from one of the clients from France." slowly he turned to the other side and poured into Jaeah's glass while she sat, with her eyes closed, hands intertwined before her chest. Luhan realized she was saying her Grace. Something she used to do even back when they were together. But, something seemed a little off, he didn't know why Hyunjoon poured the wine for her since she didn't drink. Unless—

"I'll eat well." she said as she grabbed the fork on her left and the salad knife in her right hand. Soon, sipping the wine. Luhan at least expected her to make a face or at least scrounge up her nose at the bitter taste, but to his surprise, she made no funny expression and drank the wine like she'd been drinking ever since.

The Jaeah he knew hated alcohol and even disliked it when he drank it; refusing to kiss him whenever he was infused with it. She hated it to such a point that Luhan too gave up drinking, unless it was absolutely necessary, like an important event. And for smoking, he quit not because she asked him to. He quit because he came to believe that to be with someone like her, he’d have to stop his bad habits and try being a better person.

The rest of the dinner, Luhan and Hyunjoon chatted, talking about their school life; Luhan's mischievousness and the amount of times he ended up in the principal's office, their work, how to expand their companies and so on. All the while, Jaeah silently munched on her dinner, occasionally smiling when they talked about their school life, reminiscing the times silently on her own.

 

Mostly, of her memories with her soul mate.

 

Luhan

 

 

 

 

 

First Chapter! *hoot hoot*