“Are you close with that guy?” Sehun was the first to talk during the car ride. The couple had just left the orphanage after having dinner with the kids and sehun was driving shereen back home.

Shereen’s eyes widened at her boyfriend’s question. Quickly, she answered “ Ani. He is just a senior.”

“He seemed to know you very well. How did he know that you love vanilla latte?” Sehun asked again, taking a brief glance at shereen before focusing back on the road.

“About that.. you know steve right?”

“That… gay hairdresser?”

“Yah.. don’t describe a person like that.” Shereen chuckled lightly at sehun's descriptions of the hairdresser before punching his arm lightly.

“I’m just saying the fact.” Sehun retorted.

“Anyway.. Young jae and I happened to attend a show together and during our practice steve bought me vanilla latte and blurted out that I really loved it because I’d always order the same thing.” She explained, taking a look at sehun from the corner of her eyes in an attempt to interpret his face expression.

“So… you both go to the same college, volunteer in the same orphanage and even.. work together?”

Shereen didn’t know why but she just became panic as soon as sehun finished his question. She expected her explanation to be convincing to him but why did it turn out making him questioning her even more?

“Ani… I-I d-don’t even know he volunteers there too and for the college… no I mean w-work..”

Sehun chuckled at her stutter, wondering why she was really nervous answering the simple question he threw at her.

“Why are you that panic? I’m just asking.” He uttered casually, still grinning from her act earlier.

Shereen heaved a sigh. She mentally scolded herself for being panic without even a proper reason. It’s not like she did something wrong, why did she even have to act that way?

“I’m just worried that you’ll misunderstand.” She uttered softly, looking down on her lap.

“Yah!! Do you think I’m that petty? Misunderstanding you just because that guy seems to know you well?”

Shereen shook her head, still having no intention to lift her head up.

Warmth spread through her body as soon as she felt sehun's right hand held her left one.

“You know what? I feel like something’s bothering you lately. But since you told me the other day that you were ok.. I’m relieved.” He said, flashing her a wide smile afterwards.

This was absolutely what made shereen felt guilty. He told her not to hide everything’s that bothering her from him yet she unintentionally had already done it. Was this considered lying? Shereen never wanted to lie to sehun, never wanted to hide something from one another because it was undeniable that trust had to exist in a relationship in order for it to survive. However, she was not telling him because she didn’t want sehun to waste his time just to put up with Young Jae’s acts. That guy was just a nuisance that she would ignore everytime he appeared in front of her. But now that  they met more often, shereen couldn’t deny that she was bothered and things got even worse when he slowly knew what she liked and what she didn’t, when she usually visited the kids and now that he knew sehun shereen was afraid that he was going to fool around.

The next day

Shereen stretched her arms as she took a deep breath. Another long exhausting college day was finally over and she couldn’t be more excited because sehun had promised to watch her fashion show that afternoon so there she was, standing in front of the gate, keeping her eyes to look for the presence of sehun’s car. She had been waiting for fifteen minutes before her phone rang.
“Yoboseyo…” She answered the call.

“Shereen ah. It’s me. I’m really really really sorry because I forgot that today is the last day for the make up of the exam that I didn’t attend some time ago so I think I won’t be able to watch your show.” Sehun uttered, his tone expressing how guilty he was for not being able to keep his promise.

“I thought you took it on last Sunday?”

“This is a different one. Several days before that one..Aishhh.. I’m thinking just to ditch but I think I’m going to be dropped out because of my frequent absence not to mention the mumber of assignments that I haven’t submitted.”

Shereen chuckled at his words. Sehun sounded so frustrated when he blurted out his intention to ditch.

“Kwenchanna. Good luck on your make up exam. Waittt.. did you even study for that?”

“Of course I don’t. I totally forget about it if not because the professor called me during the lecture.”

“Then.. what are you going to do about it?”

“Mwolahh… I’ll just use my current knowledge. I’m smart anyway. No worries.” He answered confidently. Here came the cocky Oh Sehun.

“Arasso arasso we’ll just see the outcome then. So… you’re free after the exam?” Shereen asked, anticipating a ‘yes’ from him.

“Mianhee shereen ah.. I have assignments that are due tomorrow I think I won’t even be able to get sleep tonight to finish them all.”

Shereen nodded understandingly. Realising that sehun couldn’t see her response, she quickly uttered “Fine then. You can just come to watch my future shows. Do you want me to accompany you doing your assignments later… I mean I can bring some snacks or drinks but I won’t be able to help you with those because you know I’m totally blind about business stuff.”

“There’s no need to. You’ll get bored. I’ll pick you up tomorrow after class?”

“I’m ok with it actually. I can just do my own work there.”

“Ani ani.. you don’t know how messy my room is everytime I’m doing my assignments. You’ll get headache just by looking at it. I’ll call you again tomorrow once everything’s finished. I’m really sorry baby.”

Shereen let out a slight smile before convincing him that it was really okay. She sensed how guilty he was and she didn’t want to burden him more especially when she knew that he had had enough of a burden. Well, she was disappointed indeed because sehun could rarely come everytime’s she’s having a show so when she knew that he was free during these few days, she was totally excited about it. However, sehun had a strong reason why he did so. That's why shereen tried her best to understand his situation.

Shereen walked further from the gate, ready to call for any taxis that passed by. She didn’t drive her own car that day because sehun was the one sending her to college that morning.

“Hello everyone.” Shereen greeted as soon as she entered the changing room.

“Oooo shereen ah you’re early.” Steve greeted her back.

Shereen just responded with a nod. Of course, she was early. She was supposed to have lunch date with sehun before the show but since sehun couldn’t make it she just came here straight away.

“Shereen ah come with me for a while. I want to introduce someone to you.” One of her colleagues said and dragged shereen along with her.

“Shereen ah, this is my boyfriend..”

“Kai oppa?”

“Wait you guys know each other?”

“Of course, she is shereen, princess.” Kai grinned and stepped forward to hug shereen. Shereen returned his hug but quickly pulled away once she saw the confused expression on  her colleague’s face.

“Minah ah..Kai oppa is sehun’s bestfriend and we’ve known each other since high school.” Shereen immediately explained.

“And why do you call shereen princess oppa?”

“I’ve called her that ever since high school. And doesn't she look like one?” He uttered casually making minah’s face formed a slight frown.

“But don’t’ worry because you’ll be my queen.” He quickly consoled and pulled her into a hug.

“Oppa that’s too cheesy.” Shereen cringed, shaking her head as she began to feel like her presence interrupted the two’s moment.

“By the way oppa, when did you come back? Did sehun know about this?” Shereen asked.

“Nah.. I just arrived this morning and I’m supposed to give you guys a surprise but I don’t expect to meet you here. I mean I do know that you enter the same college as minah but it’s really unexpected that you also have a show today.”

Shereen giggled before she said jokingly “ So you just arrived? I’m just about to scold you for hiding your relationship from us.”

“Oh come on. I never hide anything from you guys okay? Minah and I just started going out three days ago. I’m planning to tell you guys once I meet you.”

“How did you guys meet each other then?”

“Oooh about that.. you probably know that minah did student exchange programme in China some time ago and the university she was attending happened to be same as mine. So, we got closer since then and you know what? I asked my father if I could just come back here and he allowed me although I had to promise to help him manage his company here. Come on I can’t just say that I request for a transfer just to be able to stay by my beautiful girlfriend’s side.” Kai explained as he recalled his first meeting with his girlfriend.

“Anyway. Is sehun here too?” He asked, looking around for his bestriend.

“Ani.. he is still taking exam and probably will be very busy tonight finishing his assignments.”

“I see.. then don’t tell him about my come back first okay? I’ve planned everything to surprise those kids.”

Shereen nodded and returned his highfive. The three kept chatting. Their conversation accompanied by jokes and occasional laughters before someone interrupted.

“Annyeong.” The male said as he stood in front of the three.

“Oh Young Jae oppa..” Minah was the first to greet him then continued “Young jae oppa. This is Kai, my boyfriend.”

“You never told me that you’re close with someone but now you suddenly introduce your boyfriend to me. I’m shocked but anyway congrats. I’m shin young jae, nice to meet you.” Young Jae turned to Kai and offered him a handshake which the other took gladly.

Shereen eyed the male, wondering why he seemed to act like a jerk only to her.

“Why are you here oppa? You seemed not to have show today.” Minah asked.

“I’m not here for the show. Just to watch… a friend.” He replied, flashing shereen a meaningful look afterwards.

Kai followed the eye movement of the male, slightly wondering why the other looked at shereen that way. Shereen, on the other hand, just ignored young jae’s glare, trying to look as indifferent as possible.

“Then.. I’ll go to find a seat first. I want to make sure my friend will be able to see clearly that I come.” Young Jae excused himself then walked away, slightly bumping into shereen’s shoulder as he did so.

“Shereen ah!!” Another male voice called her and shereen turned her head towards the source of the voice.

“Ah minah. It’s good that you’re here too. They ask you to get ready since you get the first turn. And shereen follow me. You’ve to get ready too. Wait, isn’t that young jae? Why does he come?” Steve said as he narrowed his eyes to take a clearer view at the retreating figure.

“To watch a friend he said. I don’t know who.” Minah replied.

“And.. who is this guy over here?” Steve turned his head to Kai as soon as he noticed the unfamiliar figure.

“Ah steve. Let me introduce him to you. This is Kai, my boyfriend.” Minah said with a wide grin plastered on her face.

“Aishhhh… more and more handsome boys are appearing here lately I’m going crazy.” He uttered, shaking his head in somewhat an exaggerated but funny way.

“I’m Kai. Nice to meet you hyung.”

“Don’t call me hyung. I hate that the most.” The elder whined, flashing Kai his puppy eyes.

Kai cringed a bit at the elder’s expression before uttering “ But you’re older than me..”

“Oppa he’s slightly different.” Minah whispered to Kai, making him stopped midsentence.

Steve didn’t even notice Kai’s words as he was too busy admiring the younger’s look.

“Steve!! I thought you told me that I needed to get ready. Help me then.” Shereen saved Kai from the awkward situation between steve and him making Kai flashed her a thankful smile after the elder finally tore his gaze from him.
“Ah that’s right.”

“Then we’ll get going first. See you shereen ah.” Kai immediately said, dragging minah together with him without even bothering to hear steve’s reply.

“I really should find my own man. I’m going crazy drooling over someone else’s boyfriend.”

Shereen couldn’t help but to laugh at the hairdresser’s words. He had always been so bold and his presence could always bring laughter and joy to everyone near him. Well, a bit correction, his presence could always bring laughter and joy to everyone near him but a little bit fear to gorgeous young men that he always wished was his.

Hi guysss.. so Kai’s back. Who’s excited about this? He was helping shereen quite a lot in high school when she and sehun had hard times so here comes the big brother again..kekekke.. Who’s excited about what’s coming next? I’ll try my best to update as soon as possible ;)