Lessons From Romance

The Black Knight

"Are you jealous of her?" Luhan twisted the topic around.

Chae Yoon's eyes immediately narrowed.

"Everything I've heard from you so far is Namjoo this, Namjoo that," Luhan pointed out. "Are you that insecure? That threatened?"

A long breathless laugh befell her.

"Namjoo thinks you're the prettiest girl; that every man should fall for you; pick you over anyone else; that if they don't, they're shameless idiots. When she thinks of you so highly, you have the guts to treat her like this?" Luhan confronted. "You should be embarrassed, Chae Yoon."

"Well she isn't wrong," Chae Yoon calmly shook her head, staring right into his eyes confidently, "I've always been better."

Luhan spitefully smiled and glanced down at the floor for a second to keep his cool and looked at her again, "Then, I hope one day you regret treating your only friend like this."

As the sky slowly started dimming and the strong scent of meat cooking on the grill surrounded the whole yard, Luhan found himself sitting at the picnic table glumly. What exactly was he doing there again? Why...had he really come? What feelings did he have to sort out? Was there anything to sort out at all?

Within a short moment footsteps eagerly approached and he looked up when someone set down a plate onto the center of the table.

"It's really delicious, try it," Ki Chan urged.

Luhan peered at the grilled asparagus while Ki Chan led Namjoo to sit in front of him while he sat beside her.

"Drinks are here! They're fresh and cool!" Chae Yoon hurried outside from the door.

She set them loudly onto the table and sat down beside him shamelessly, smiling broadly.

"Should we play a game?" Chae Yoon boldly suggested.

"A game?" Namjoo repeated.

"Sure, sounds fun!" Ki Chan added.

Luhan had no heart to play games with them. He wanted to go lay down in his room and just sleep. He almost hated this. He despised how Namjoo remained with these people who she called friends. He wished she could see the bigger picture and perhaps, that was why he couldn't leave the table. They would gain up on her if he wasn't there and he wanted to make sure she was alright the whole way through. And maybe, he wanted to make sure Ki Chan wouldn't have her to himself.

In the end, Luhan ended up half-heartedly playing with them. Their shouts filled isolated yard with the only light coming from the house and the blinking sky.

"Namjoo, you lost! Punishment time!"

"Can't I not do it?" Namjoo asked, staring wide eyed at the can of beer Chae Yoon was handing her. "You know I can't do this. Go easy on me."

"No way," Chae Yoon smiled, "you lost, so play fair. It's not that bad."

"I bet you're used to it since you do it all the time," Namjoo commented. "Fine."

"You'll get used to it and then it won't be so bad. Then maybe we can finally have some girls' night out sometimes," Chae Yoon raised her brows.

Namjoo snorted at her before snapping the can open.

"I," Luhan spoke up, "I can drink it for you."

A silence overcame them all and there was a slight moment of awkwardness as the others turned to stare at him, surprised and shocked. Luhan felt his eyes waver.

"Let me drink it for you." He said again.

He expected Namjoo to incline, thank him and hand him the can.