Inside | HENDERY WAYV/NCT

26

The boutique was quiet for the day. Luna sat at the front desk reading away. Summer weddings are a hit. Their morning was chaotic but by 3pm, everything calmed down.

"Delivery for Hua DeLuna," a bag of cookies hung in front of her face. Luna looked up and smiled.

******************

"Odd. You don't like soft cookies," Luna tilted her head to the side. Hala giggled. "Eat them. I queued for 10 minutes," Hala handed Luna a piece of cookie.

"Later...."
"By later, you meant never. I know," Hala put the cookie away and wiped her hand on her skirt. "Luna, I have something to tell you."

Luna stopped reading and shifted her attention to Hala. "Okay. So don't be surprised okay?"

"Oh my god I'm so surprised," Luna cynically pretended to be surprised. Hala pinched her arm and they laughed. "Shoot away. What is it?"

"Okay, so I'm postponing my wedding."

********************

Luna and Hala chatted through the afternoon. Sometimes Luna wondered why Hala chose to not continue her studies. Instead Hala chose to work with her mother Mrs Wu at the cafe.

"So we can't go to the amusement park on cake day?" Hala munched on her last soft cookie. Luna nodded.

"No. Jungwoo said he won't be here until next week. So he booked 4 tickets for next Wednesday."

"Luna, I can't. I promised mom I'd help her on Wednesday. I can only celebrate Yue's birthday this Friday then," Hala pouted. It was a tradition for them to go to the amusement park on Yue's birthday.

Ever since they were kids, their father would bring them to the amusement park on Yue's birthday. Hala would always look forward for her semester break just so she could go to the amusement park.

When Luna entered high school, she met Jungwoo and their tradition continued with him. Every single year without a miss.

That year, the tradition broke.

"Besides, it'd be a waste. I can't ride a lot of the rides. Ask Yue to bring her friend to replace me," Hala suggested.

*********************

The bell rung and Hendery walked in. He casually called for Luna.

"DeLuna I need the dishes!"
"One moment dumpling boy!" Luna excused herself and went to gather the dishes.

His eyes were everywhere. Beautiful wedding dresses and suits made him smile. His eyes then fell on Luna who was bickering with Yun.

"LI YUN SHUT UP!!!" A familiar voice made him turned. He wished to be wrong but he wasn't. It was indeed her.

"Wu Hala?"
"Hendery Wong?"

"What are you doing here?" both of them asked at the same time. Hendery wished he could just vanish into thin air right there and then.

Luna came with the dishes in her hands. "Oh you guys met. This is the guy who watched Deja Vu with me last Saturday. She is the one I waved at that day," Luna handed the dishes to him. Hala and Hendery were still frozen.

"SHUT UP!!!" Both Hendery and Luna half shouted together.
"It's a small world indeed," Hala laughed. Luna sat down and shrugged. "I guess you guys know each other."

"She's your sister?!" Hendery put down his dishes on the desk. Both Luna and Hala nodded. "Okay let me put this straight. So, you and Hala know each other?"

"Since we're 6 years old," Hala nodded and reached for Luna's single soft cookie. "Can I have it?"
"Go for it," Luna took a small bite out of the cookie.

Hendery froze. He was speechless for a solid minute.

*******************

He placed the dishes in the sink and sunk down on his seat. The conversation between them just now played in his head.

"If you guys are sisters, why don't I know Luna?"

"I couldn't afford your school. So I stayed here," Luna pulled another chair and gave it to Hendery.

Hendery watched as Luna and Hala talked with each other and telling him TMI things he didn't know like how Luna and Hala used to not be on good terms or how Luna knew about him but didn't know his name or how he looked like because Hala never showed her.

For the first time, Luna was so bright and happy. Unknowingly he smiled throughout their conversation. She wasn't being pressed or forced  and that's something he had never seen except for that day.

*******************

Hala hated her heels. Her feet got swollen easily lately. She stopped and took off her heels. "I should've just worn flip flops," she mumbled under her breath.

"Want flip flops?" Hendery held a pair of flip flops in his hands. He stood by the restaurant door. Hala nodded quickly.

She took a sip of her peach tea. Hendery came back to their table with a slice of cheesecake and his own iced americano.

"You still love cheesecake," Hala smiled when he took a bite of the cake.

"So you're not stalking me?"
"Why in the world would I stalk you? I have a fiancé," Hala spontaneously flicked Hendery's forehead like how she'd do when they were younger. He shrugged. "Says the person who texted me saying I still love you," Hendery mocked her.

Hala laughed loudly. True, she did texted him saying that.

"You know Hendery, I may have loved you in the past. But I don't think it's love anymore at this point. Take good care of my Luna okay??" Hala winked.

**********************

"My love, my dear precious gem. Don't come near me or the ocean will show it's wrath."

Luna stopped reading when Yue ran into the room and slammed the door shut. "I hate you, Yun!!!!"

"What's wrong?" Luna made her way to Yue who was on the floor sobbing.

"I hate him," Yue sobbed hard. She wiped away the traces of blood from her lips.

*******************

"What was that, Yun?"
"She was annoying. Serves her. Babbling all day. You think I have time to listen to her yapping over shit?!" He threw the empty beer can to Luna's face. It hit her.

"Listen to me you dumbfuck. You don't touch Yue. Ever again."
"Or what? You swear you'll go to prison because you killed me?" Yun mocked Luna. He laughed out loud.

"Worse,Yun. Worse...."

It's a cruel world we're living in. Not because it's cruel by default but by choice.