Chapter 7: A Night with Dahae

"Just make yourselves at home for tonight. The guest room is upstairs, the kitchen is over there--you can help yourselves to anything you want, and the bathroom is down the hall." Dahae said, giving Luhan and Haru a mini tour of her home. 

Luhan slowly took off his shoes as he stared in awe of Dahae's house. It was almost like a mini mansion, the walls were covered in expensive artwork, and there was a gigantic flat screen TV in the living room. "So this is how the other half lives?" 

Dahae gripped the bottom of her sweater, she was now feeling self conscious about her living arrangements. She knew that Luhan wasn't as rich as she was, but she didn't want to make it seem like she was showing off her house or anything. 

"I-I can get you some of my dad's clothes to sleep in." Dahae made her way upstairs to fetch some pajamas. 

"Oppa, are we staying here for the night?" Haru asked, awake from her short nap.

"Yeah, I don't know where I placed the key to our apartment."

"Can we stay here forever?"

Luhan let out a light laugh, "It's nice here, huh?"

Dahae came down the stairs, now wearing her light pink pajamas,"Here is a long sleeve and some sweats. And I also have some of the clothes I had when I was little, for Haru." She handed Luhan the pile of clothes and he went to the bathroom to change. 

"So do you live alone too?" Luhan asked as he sat on the couch. 

"Alone? In this house? No, my parents live here of course. But for tonight, they're at a fundraising gala and it goes until the next day."

Luhan held Haru's hand in his,"Thanks for helping us out." 

"It's ok. It's only for tonight anyway. Where else would you go?"

"Well...if Baekhyun wasn't staying in the dorms, I would just crash at his house."

Dahae smiled,"You and Baekhyun are really good friends, right?"

Luhan gave a silent nod. 

"Hey I have an idea," Dahae said enthusiastically, "It's still pretty early, why don't we play a game?"

Luhan raised an eyebrow, "I don't really play games."

"Oh come on. Let's at least play a game where we get to know eachother better. It's not like I can have a stranger staying the night."

Well she is letting us stay over. The least I can do is play whatever game she's thinking of. "Alright, what is it."

"20 questions. We alternate and get to ask eachother questions."

Luhan rolled his eyes, "What if we don't want to answer a question?"

"Hmmm," Dahae tapped her chin with her index finger, "I guess you can say pass?...Ok I'll go first. So why are you so quiet at school?"

"Because I don't like talking to people. Alright," Luhan shrugged, "How old are you?"

"Wait," Dahae protested. "You can't just give an answer like that, and you can't ask me questions that you already know the answer to. You have to make it interesting. Redo!"

Luhan groaned, "Alright, alright. I'm always quiet at school because...I don't really care to get close to anyone. I'm just there for a few hours, go to work, then go home. Don't really have time for socializing anyway...So what's your deal? Why are you always so happy?"

Dahae hummed to herself while she thought of an explanation,"Umm I don't know, I don't have anything to be mad about...well when I transferred to the school, I thought it would be scary but I met so many nice people like Mijoo, SeolHee, and you..."

Dahae directed her eyes towards Luhan who chuckled, "Nice people? And you're including me in that category?"

"Yeah. Just because you don't like talking, doesn't mean you're not nice. Also, I see the way you act with Haru, it's really nice to watch--Have you ever had a girlfriend?'

"Pass."

"Alright...Do you see your parents often?"

"Pass."

"Well...do you consider us friends?"

"Pas--"

"You can't keep saying 'pass' every single time." Dahae finally said. 

"But you already said if I didn't want to answer a question, I don't have to answer it."

"Ok fine, but now you've run out of passes...so...what do your parents do? They work abroad right?"

Luhan rolled his neck, "Yeah. They work in Beijing as a marketing team for a big company."

"Ooh Beijing, that's so cool. Kay, ask me a question now."

Luhan took a while to think of a question. There wasn't really much he wanted to know. He wasn't nosey unlike some people. "Do you like Haru?"

Dahae gaped and put her hand to her heart, "What kind of question is that? Of course I love her! I'm an only child, so I don't know what it's like to be a little sister or an older sister, but ever since I met Haru, it's been so much fun. She's such an angel. And I just want to hold her all the time~"

Luhan glanced down at his sister who was already fast asleep in his lap and smiled, "You don't even know her...but that's actually really nice to hear."

"Does that mean I can come over often so we can play together?" Dahae asked hopefully. 

Luhan had an unsure expression on his face as he stroked Haru's hair, "It's kind of hard for her to get a long with people, especially if they leave."

"I won't leave, I can come by and bring food and games for us to play with. It'll be like having my own little sister," Dahae laughed, "I hope you don't think I'm going to steal her from you."

Dahae waited for Luhan to laugh along with her but when he didn't she cleared her throat, getting ready to ask the next question. "Can you tell me about your first girlfriend?"

Luhan shot his glance towards Dahae and frowned, "How would you even know if I had a girlfriend before?"

"I can just tell. Why else would you avoid my question the first time?"

"You really just can't mind your own business, can you?" Luhan sighed, "Well alright, but this will be the last question I'm going to answer ok?" Dahae shook her head up and down, eager to listen to Luhan's anecdote. "I met her when I was 15. She was the new girl in school. Of course, being someone new to look at, all the guys liked her. She had long black hair and when she introduced herself to the class, she had the nicest smile," Luhan paused to part his lips into a smile as well. "Everything about her was perfect. She was smart, pretty, kind. I just spent a year looking at the back of her head since she sat in the front of the classroom, I've never even spoken to her for that entire year. But I wasn't the kind of guy she would go for.

I sat in the back of the classroom and I don't think she even noticed me until the next year and we were still in the same class togeher and the teacher partnered us up for a project. While working on that project together every day, she admitted that she liked me. And I was really happy because I would have never said anything to her. I would have just kept everything to myself. But she said she really liked me, and I really liked her. She was the perfect girlfriend. My parents really liked her too."

"But--?" Dahae said once Luhan stopped talking. 

"But what?"

"This story obviously has a "but--" to it. What happened? Did she move away and you guys tried to do a long distance relationship?"

Dahae stared at Luhan who suddenly looked lost in thought. His hands curled up into fists and his breathing became louder. "L-Luhan? Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Luhan said, snapping out of it, "Oh yeah...and then I moved and we weren't together anymore."

Dahae looked disappointed in how the story ended, "It sounded like you really liked her..."

"If you don't mind," Luhan stood up and craddled his sister in his arms, "I'm going to sleep now, the guest room is just up stairs to the left?"

"Mhm..."

"Alright. Thanks."

Dahae watched Luhan from the couch, going up the stair case as he held Haru. Luhan's body felt heavier as he ascended with each step. When he finally got to the guest room, he laid Haru down on the bed and put some blankets over her. Instead of going to bed as well he sat by Haru and watched her sleep. "That girl is really nosey huh? Maybe it's best if we stay away from her." Luhan said aloud as his eyes started closing. 

"More blankets?" Dahae opened the door and Luhan fell off the bed and onto the floor. "Ohhh I'm so sorry! I should have knocked first, aishhh..."

Luhan rubbed the side of his face that his the side table as he fell. 

"Are you alright?" Dahae rushed to place the blankets down on the bed and examined Luhan's face. She cupped his face in her hands and saw the scratch. 

Luhan widened his eyes when he realized how close Dahae was. He could feel her breath on the side of his cheek and her silky hair that brushed against his skin. 

"It doesn't hurt that much right? Good thing it's not bleeding." 

"Dahae, you're kind of...really close," Luhan whispered. 

"Oh! I'm sorry," Dahae pulled away and kept her hands to herself. "I-I'll just be going to my room now. I already placed the blankets on the bed." She stood up and rushed to the door. 

"Wait Dahae," Luhan went to the girl's side. When he looked down, he saw her doe like eyes look up at him. Her cheeks were light pink and she quickly placed her hands up to cover them. "Just...thanks. For everything today. Haru had a lot of fun."

Dahae smiled as she put her hands to her side, "I'm glad...Did you have fun too?"

"Y-yeah. I actually did."

"Well I'll be going now, I don't want to disturb Haru. Good night," Dahae opened her arms for a hug but was just stared at by Luhan in confusion. He scratched the back of his head and hesitantly placed an arm around Dahae, as if he has never hugged someone before; he was completely stiff. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Dahae waved once more and headed to her room. 

Luhan watched her walk down the hallway and closed his door once he saw her disappear. "We have to stay away from her."