Day six post ‘the day’ was a hot afternoon with Summer approaching and Luhan was tempted to take off his shirt but he didn’t, he just shut his eyes tight with his arms folded under his head as the pillow, listening to the sound of crickets and distant noises from the college’s soccer field made by his fellow students. Luhan knew he shouldn’t be there right now, lying under the tree, hidden behind the bushes. He should be on the soccer field along with his teammates, in his sleeveless jersey and shorts and running 5 laps as a warm up before they started practicing for the next match, but Luhan just got his heart broken and a broken heart deserved a break from the world.

His life should be perfect.

He’s one of the popular guys, with him being the striker and the hero on their recent games, scoring on every match and often his goal was the one who brought the team to winning. When it came to appearance, Luhan knew he’s good-looking and ‘good-looking’ was actually him being modest, because he even dubbed as Lu-God because of his beautiful features, getting both boys and girls chasing after his tail. And Luhan believed he’s a likeable person, he had friends from various circles and yeah, basically, anyone who Luhan fell in love with should drop down to their knees and praised whatever density they believed in, because Luhan was the it guy.

But no, Park Chorong, the one who should drop down to her knees and praised whatever density she believed in, didn’t even know that the college’s heart-throb harbored a special feeling for her because Luhan didn’t get to confess to her.

He already planned it, actually, the confession. It should be on his last match, which was six days ago, and he would score a goal or two and led their team to win, as always, and with the medal as MVP on his neck, he would talk to Chorong and asked her out.

Everything was according to the plan until the MVP-thing, but then when he’s looking for Chorong after the match, he saw her with Nam Woohyun the midfielder, hands intertwined, and Luhan’s feelings for the last four months were crushed just like that. Chorong didn’t come to their games because of Luhan, it was because of Woohyun all along. And all these times, Luhan had believed she felt the same as him. Actually, more like he believed everyone should like him, or if they didn’t at first, they would if Luhan liked them.

Luhan sighed and rolled around on his place, wishing the ache on his heart to be gone soon. Being heart-broken a lot.

Suddenly his ears picked up loud laughter from the field, and Luhan propped himself up with his elbows, curious as what could possibly the source of the all happiness. The world shouldn’t be in joy when he’s in pain.

Narrowing his eyes so he could see better through the distance and the blinding sun, Luhan realized it’s the cheerleaders who usually practiced at the same time with the soccer players. Most of the times he paid them no attention since he’s more interested at glancing at the bleachers where Chorong often sat with her friends, smiling every now and then – because of Woohyun’s greasy acts, later Luhan realized – so Luhan didn’t really know them except maybe the captain Joohee and the vice-captain Yoonjo. And the girl that was the center of the attention, the one that made her friends laughed, Luhan didn’t know her. Probably his junior.

He would stare longer, wanting to figure out what’s so funny because Yoonjo was doubling over in laughter, but even from afar he could see his captain Minseok spotted him, and his thoughts were confirmed when Minseok yelled, “LUHAN! GET YOUR OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Nope, Luhan’s broken heart didn’t want to play soccer today, it wanted to mope around with mellow songs and stupid k-dramas, so Luhan stuck his tongue out to Minseok and took his backpack with him, running away from the scene.

Soccer practice be damned, Luhan had a broken heart to be taken care off.

***

Day eight post ‘the day’ and Luhan shouldn’t be inside the changing room, lying lazily on top of the bench with a comic sprawled over his face, his jacket as the pillow while his arms rested comfortably above his stomach. He should be out under the sun, mesmerizing his spectators and fans that often came to the practices with his ability to control the ball across the field, but Luhan faked a stomach-ache and now he’s resting inside the changing room. He might be faking his stomach-ache but the stabbing feeling on his chest whenever Woohyun and Chorong exchanged lovely glances were real, and there’s only so much that a man could take. 

He’s halfway through the manhwa he’s reading – My Boyfriend Is A Gangster – when an epiphany hit him and all of the sudden Luhan was in deep thinking about love and life and why in the world a gangster gets love and a soccer player gets none.

“… Excuse me…?” a hesitant greeting stopped Luhan’s mind from wandering around. Someone had come in into the changing room without him noticing it.

Luhan frowned under the comic he didn’t read and raised his head slightly. Then, realizing it didn’t give him any good, he picked up the comic and strained his neck so he could see who’s coming in.

“Yeah?” he called out, and soon a girl showed up from behind the lockers. The first thing Luhan noticed was how young she looked, like she didn’t belong on college. “Can I help you?” Luhan sat up straight, brows raised.

“Umm, Joohyun Sunbae told me to get the first aid-kit box here?”

Luhan automatically did a look-over of the girl. Average height and build, round rosy cheeks, tied up hair, sleeveless white shirt with black yoga pants, a pair of white sneakers, sweaty forehead, sweaty arms, sweaty everywhere. A cheerleader.

“Seohyun?” Luhan repeated their manager’s name in her nickname. “Who’s hurt?” Their members could get a broken bone and Seohyun would look at them right in the eyes and said You’re a grown up man and this wound is nothing now be a man you are and stop whining like a baby with a straight face but if Yifan the goalkeeper ever had the slightest cut Seohyun would throw a fuss and once she almost called an ambulance. Thankfully Yifan was rarely injured and they kept Seohyun as the manager because she’s doing a formidable job at keeping the boys in the soccer team in control.

The girl raised her hand, showing Luhan her scrapped elbow.  “Ah, me…”

Luhan nodded at the shelf on the end of the room. “Over there.”

“Oh, thank you,” the girl bowed slightly before she scurried over Luhan to take the first aid-kit box. When Luhan turned his head, following the girl’s movement with his eyes, he realized that even though she dyed her hair light brown, it was dyed blond on the tips end. It kind of fascinated Luhan. And also, she’s the cheerleader that made so much laughter on day six post ‘the day’.

“Hey,” Luhan called out before he could stop himself. Luhan was always live in the moment and Minseok always complained about it, saying he needed to think before he spoke or did anything, but when for once Luhan did think about something thoroughly he ended up nursing his broken heart alone so screw it.

She’s already found the box and just opened it, but she turned her head back to Luhan. “Yes?”

“You, the day before, I saw you on the field. You’re a cheerleader, right? The other cheerleaders were laughing because of you,” Luhan said. “What did you do?”

Luhan watched when the girl’s confused look faded into understanding and finally settled with embarrassment.

“T-That,” she sputtered, “Um, I-I…”

He probably should say, You don’t have to tell me, seeing how troubled the girl looked, but Luhan needed to know, for science and but mostly for his ego due to the rule I’m not happy so how dare you are. In the end Luhan just cocked a brow, waiting patiently.

“I…,” the girl was playing with her fingers, looking down and avoiding Luhan’s gaze in the same time, “… did an impersonation.”

“Oh. Of?”

“Um. A gorilla?” she looked up to Luhan now, the answer came out more like a question.

Luhan blinked several times, not quite expecting that kind of answer. A girl impersonated a gorilla? That sounded very interesting. Luhan liked interesting things, like how Chorong hated acting cute but still came out cute effortlessly with everything she did.

He needed to stop thinking about Chorong. “Show me, then.”

“I-What?”

“I want to see your impersonation too,” Luhan tilted his head to flip his fringe away from touching his eyes.

He also needed a haircut.

Now the cheerleader looked even more troubled but Luhan was her senior and there’s no way she could say no. Hesitantly, she bended down slightly, clenching her first and dangling them. She made a funny expression, swaying her hips in exaggerated movement, and all of the sudden she walked to Luhan in a way that very much resembled a gorilla, accompanied by the sounds she made.

Immediately Luhan burst out laughing, falling off the bench while he laughed hysterically.

The girl stood straight now, waiting for Luhan to stop laughing, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly.

Luhan wheezed, still clutching on his stomach on the floor, “What-What was that…! That’s—brilliant!” and then he laughed again, because the gorilla walk the girl just did was amusing him so. The girl smiled sheepishly. Luhan snorted and tried to stop laughing. He wiped the tears from his eyes, it’s been a while since he laughed so much he cried. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I like you! What’s your name?”  

Her eyes twinkled a little, looking both relieved and pleased. “Bomi. Yoon Bomi.”

***

Day nine post ‘the day’, Minseok was successful in dragging Luhan’s to join their daily practice. Luhan hated the fact that his best friend was immune to his pout or his abandoned kitty in the rain pleading stare. He needed to come up with something new, maybe he should learn Zitao’s, one of the defenders, signature ‘bbuing-bbuing’ sign.

They just finished the warm up and Luhan waited patiently for Seohyun to distributed their snacks – they had different snacks, depend on their weight and diet – and of course Seohyun had to make sure Yifan was alright after running around the field and he didn’t get a heatstroke or any symptoms for all diseases mankind ever knew and Luhan was wiping his sweat with his shirt when his eyes stumbled on the bleachers. Instead of waiting for Seohyun like the others, Woohyun was there on the bleachers, letting Chorong hand-fed him with… hell, Luhan didn’t know and he didn’t want to know but it must be delicious because Woohyun raised his thumbs to his girlfriend.

When Woohyun patted Chorong’s head and Chorong stuck out her tongue to hide her embarrassment at the gesture, Luhan looked away angrily.

But then he saw a figure with the getting-familiar two hair colors, taking a break from her practice with her fellow cheerleaders, just across the field. Luhan’s rage found a distraction. “Yoon Bomi!”

The said cheerleader jerked back, startled with the sudden yell, and she looked around before stopped at Luhan. Quickly she rose to her feet and scurried to him, her peers’ whispering among themselves while staring at her back because Lu-God was calling her. “Yes, Sunbaenim?” Bomi asked, her face was red from the sun and she wore the more-or-less the same attire like yesterday.

“Do your Gorilla Walk!” Luhan demanded without a small talk, because for the last nine days the junior’s impersonation was the only thing that made him laughed so hard. And Luhan needed to laugh, like, right now. He’s trying to ignore the burning feeling in his heart.

Bomi’s eyes widened at the demand. “W-What?”

“Come here,” without asking for permission, Luhan circled his hand on Bomi’s wrist and dragged her to his friends – who were resting and now stared curiously at the junior Luhan dragged along with him. “Hey, I have something really funny to show you,” he said excitedly before turning to Bomi with an expectant look.

Feeling the eyes of the soccer players on her, Bomi tried to hide herself behind Luhan’s skinny build. “Sunbaenim…,” she called out weakly, hoping it’d make Luhan change his mind about making her a show.

“Come on, show them! I want to see it again!” Luhan only pushed her to the side, and he nodded his head in his attempt to be encouraging. 

Bomi scratched her neck, looking back to the cheerleaders but even her captain Joohee only stared from afar, obviously also curious what Lu-God wanted from the junior cheerleader. Finally she sighed, accepting her fate, and took several steps back to make space for her impersonation. She bent down, letting her arms dangling loose, and then—

The soccer players laughed their off and even though Luhan only saw it yesterday, it was still funny that he even rolled on the grass from laughing too hard.

“… Ah, so embarrassing…,” Bomi mumbled to herself, covering her face with her hands.     

Luhan coughed to stop laughing, getting up to stand beside an awkward Bomi, his hands on his hips. “She’s good, right?” he asked his team-mates and they raised their thumbs and even cheered for her. “Her name’s Yoon Bomi!”

Bomi bowed to the soccer players, “Nice to meet you,” and they greeted her loudly.

“See, I’m making you famous,” Luhan said to the girl with a wide, proud grin while patting her head.

“Please don’t,” was all Bomi could mutter with a grimace.

***

Day twelve post ‘the day’ at noon found a starving Luhan in the canteen, his table filled with his friends including Minseok. He was running late this morning and that resulting to him skipping breakfast in his attempt to be on time on his class – he ended coming in four minutes after his professor but it’s still considered as a miracle considering he just woke up eleven minutes prior, so Luhan counted it as successful.

He’s very much into his lunch, meat soup with too much oil in it and it’s probably unhealthy but no one cared about those things on college, and Luhan was chewing a big piece of meat when his eyes came across Chorong walked in into the canteen, hand in hand with her dearest lover boy Woohyun. Luhan wanted to spit his meat back to his bowl. Or Woohyun’s face. That’s more likely.

“What’s the matter?” Minseok raised his eyebrows when Luhan pushed his bowl away from him.

“Full,” Luhan replied shortly even though it’s more alongside My appetite is ruined alongside my crushed heart.

“Seriously? Yaaay,” Dongwoo cheered and picked up Luhan’s bowl from two seats down. Luhan eyed him and his always-cheerful face. There’s no such thing as loyalty anymore in this world, Luhan decided. 

He wanted to bolt out from the place cause his line of vision went directly to Chorong’s and Woohyun’s seats and even from the other side of the room he could see their tights pressed side by side and it’s sickening, but his friends were still eating and Luhan didn’t know what he should do if he left – the next class was not in another hour and Luhan was not fond of being alone. Minseok looked at him curiously, gesturing at the crease between his eyes. Luhan smoothed it down with his own thumb, thinking Chorong’s thumb would do great doing the job. If.

And then, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted an ombre hair getting up from a seat, carrying her lunch tray with her.

Luhan found a medicine for the bitter taste in his mouth, and he raised his hand without thinking, “Yoon Bomi!”

This time, Bomi found him immediately, and she said something to her friends before quickly rushed to Luhan’s table, bowing to everyone but to Luhan mostly. “Sunbaenim.” She had her hair loose today, Luhan didn’t realize it’s that long, falling onto her shoulders.

“Hey,” Luhan said excitedly, “Bomi, show them the Gorilla Walk!”

Bomi’s eyes went wide. “Again? Sunbaenim!”

“Yeah! She’s so funny I swear,” Luhan told his classmates, who had their eyes on Bomi.

“Sunbaenim,” she whined. They’re in the canteen and it’s not just the cheerleaders and the soccer players but a lot of students from various majors and grades and she’s already gaining attention thanks to Lu-God calling her, but doing an impersonation of a gorilla was on another level.

Minseok took pity on her and nudged his best friend, “Luhan,” he warned him, but Luhan paid him no attention.

“I’ll buy you ice cream after this,” Luhan made a big wide grin and it probably, it should be, melted the junior’s heart because she sighed, defeated, putting down her tray on the table.

Luhan laughed again along his classmates when Bomi did her impersonation, and somewhere in the back of his mind Luhan thought about whether Chorong stopped paying attention to Woohyun and looked curiously at their direction right now. He pushed the thought aside when Bomi was done, introducing her to his friends much like he did before in front of the soccer team.

Luhan caught Chorong’s figure from his peripheral vision and he didn’t want to. He placed his arm comfortably around Bomi’s shoulder, turning her around. “Now, for your ice cream!”

“We run out of ice cream,” the canteen’s ahjumma told them after Bomi said she wanted the chocolate flavour.

“Oops,” Luhan said, smiling sheepishly when Bomi stared at him with an accusing look. “I’ll make it up to you next time?”

Bomi exhaled deeply, pushing her hair back and it’s a little bit messy with the curls she had. “It’s alright, Sunbaenim. Just,” she looked up hesitantly to meet Luhan’s eyes, “Don’t make me even more famous than this, deal?” Then, Bomi leaned closer with a secretive glint on her eyes, so Luhan leaned down to her. “I can already feel your fans’ murderous aura,” she whispered.

That comment took Luhan off guard and he laughed. She’s funny. Or maybe Luhan just needed to laugh so he wouldn’t look miserable. “But the world needs to know about your talent, Yoon Bomi.”

The girl’s small lips turned downward, clearly on a different page with Luhan on that.

“See you around!” Luhan yelled after her back, and Bomi turned her head to make a face at Luhan, who laughed again because of it.

When Luhan went back to his table, Chorong and Woohyun was no longer in sight and Luhan happily stole Dongwoo’s dessert that he hadn’t eat yet, ignoring Dongwoo’s cry of, “You said you’re full!”

Luhan felt brighter.

***

Day seventeen post ‘the day’, Luhan saw the ombre hair in the hallway and he yelled out the name of the owner.

She turned around, but as soon as her eyes landed on Luhan, panic stricken and she ran to the opposite direction, leaving Luhan’s waving hand hanging in the air and he let it fall down to his side with a childish pout. “She’s ignoring me,” he told Minseok who’s walking with him to the next class.

“I would do the same if I was her,” Minseok said, ignoring the way Luhan narrowed his eyes at him. “You traumatized the kid.”

“I am not,” Luhan insisted.

Minseok rolled his eyes and said nothing more.

***

Day seventeen post ‘the day’, much later after Luhan saw Bomi in the hallway and got ignored, he spotted the cheerleader again, this time on the soccer field when both of them had their own club practice.

“Yah Yoon Bomi,” Bomi tried to hide behind her captain but Joohee smiled amusedly and pushed her out onto Luhan. “Why did you run away from me earlier?”

“Because!” Bomi had her hair on pigtails today, they swayed when she stomped her foot just now. “Sunbaenim, you walk with different friends and you’re going to make me do the impersonation again!”

“That’s not true, I’m just greeting you,” Luhan placed a hand on top of his chest, feigned a hurt expression. There was no Chorong or Woohyun in the hallway so Luhan didn’t need a distraction.

Bomi eyed him doubtfully.

Luhan laughed, “Joohee, teach your kid to be respectful to the elderly.”

“It’s because you don’t look any older than her, Luhan,” Joohee replied, still looking amused with the exchanges between the soccer team’s striker and the junior cheerleader. “Besides, I heard you made her do the Gorilla Walk at the canteen during lunch?”

Bomi let out some whimper noises and Luhan laughed. “I’m sorry, but really, my friends love it!”

“People call me Gorilla Girl when they see me,” Bomi stared sadly at the ground, a pout on her face. It brought out Luhan’s non-existent maternal instinct. He had a brief thought that Bomi’s pout would be super effective on Minseok. Or basically on everyone.

“Take responsibility, Lu-God,” Joohee said playfully, leaving the two alone.

“I’m sorry,” Luhan levelled down with Bomi, she still had the pout, still eyed him doubtfully. “I owe you ice cream, right? How about we stop by Pink Panda?” The name was disgustingly sweet but the shop sold the best ice cream in the area so maybe it suited. “We finish around the same time, right?”

Bomi nodded and Luhan grinned.

“Practice hard, Mini Gorilla!”

***

Still day seventeen post ‘the day’. Luhan waited outside the girls’ changing room, touching the tips of his fringe, his hair was damp after the shower he took. Minseok had called him to dry his hair properly, but the coolness of the damp hair was welcomed in the hot weather.

“I’m sorry, did you wait long, Sunbaenim?” Bomi looked like she walked out in a rush. Her hair was still wet too, dripping water and wetting her shirt on the back. When it’s straight like this, it’s even longer and Luhan took a double look.

“Nah, it’s fine. You don’t want to dry your hair first?”

Bomi shook her head. “It’ll take too long.”

“It’s pretty,” Luhan said offhandedly, nodding at Bomi’s hair.

“Thank you, my sister picked out the colors for me,” there’s a twinkle in her eyes when she told Luhan that.

They started walking then, Luhan was greeted by a couple of students they met on their way. Some looked curiously at Bomi and she bowed slightly at them, but some apparently knew her because they grinned at her, saying “Gorilla Girl!” every time. Luhan pat her back every time, too.

“Holy , I did make you famous,” Luhan whispered to Bomi’s ear after the fourth person.

Bomi sighed exasperatedly and Luhan grinned to himself.

“So, tell me about yourself,” he started after they leaved the campus’ building, the sun still bright and high in the sky. Already Luhan missed the way cool water ran down his spine. He also remembered Chorong’s little smiles that used to energize him. It shouldn’t anymore, now he knew the smiles were never meant for him. “I know you’re Yoon Bomi, you’re a cheerleader, you do the most amazing Gorilla impersonation, and you have a sister.”

“Hm,” Bomi looked up, perhaps to find some inspiration, “I also have a little brother,” she said. After a small pause, she added, “He’s a brat.”

“It must be merry in your house, with your sister and your brother. I don’t have any sibling,” Luhan commented. Bomi glanced at him. “I’m from China, remember.” He glanced back down, Bomi was on a comfortable height for him. 

“I know, Sunbaenim. You’re Lu-God.” Luhan chuckled and there’s a smile tugging on Bomi’s lips. She said, “My friends are jealous that Lu-God knows me.”

Luhan raised his eyebrows. “Are they really?” Bomi nodded in affirmation and this, this Luhan was familiar with. Popularity. He’s not entirely a humble person, Luhan liked being known, he liked being liked. Rejection was not something he used to. “Take out your phone.”

Bomi complied without questioning it oud loud even though her eyes did. She’s an obedient kid and Luhan stored the thought for future use. He slid his finger easily through the screen after Bomi unlocked it, pressing the camera feature and turned it around, holding it up. “Say cheese.”

Bomi’s wet hair touch Luhan’s bare arm when she leaned closer since he’s wearing a sleeveless shirt. Luhan checked the result of their selca after, their faces filled the phone’s screen; Luhan scrunched up his nose a little and Bomi made a V near her round cheek.

“Send it to your friends,” Luhan said with a laugh, they came out nice in the picture. He sent it to his number before returning the phone to the owner.

Bomi looked up to him, just staring without a word and Luhan felt the stare was familiar. It’s like Minseok’s when he’s judging him.

He snorted. “You want to roll your eyes aren’t you.”

“I’m not,” Bomi denied, but Luhan knew from her tone that she’s lying. But she’s texting her friends, so Luhan let it pass.

They arrived at Pink Panda in no time, talking about Bomi’s little brother and why he’s a brat, and then about Luhan’s cousin and that one time he had to babysit him, then to soccer, Luhan’s previous years in the team, the cheerleaders, and Luhan ended up gossiping about Seohyun and Yifan, and Bomi spilled the beans about the flirts happened between Joohee and Minhyuk, another soccer player.

Bomi chose mint and chocolate flavor while Luhan ordered bubble-gum and mango and he paid for them both. They chose to take the cup and eat while walking down to their dorm; the university’s dorm.  Halfway, Bomi showed him her friends’ response of her selca with the campus’ heart-throb and it made Luhan grinned from ear to ear. Her girlfriend could brag about him. Chorong could brag about him. If.

“Next time, don’t run away when I call you, okay?” Luhan said after they arrived in front of Bomi’s building, ugly grey paint with blue as the window frame.

“Don’t make me anymore famous, Sunbaenim,” Bomi said, a little bit whining and a little bit begging.

Luhan’s cheeks were hurt from the amount of laugh he did for the past thirty minutes. It’s a good thing. “Call me Oppa,” his hand raised to pat Bomi’s head. “Bye bye, Mini Gorilla!”

Later when he checked his own phone and opened the message from Bomi’s phone, he saved the number as Bomirilla and smiled in satisfaction. He wondered briefly what name Bomi would put on his number on her phone.