There were three people on the run, only one of them was sane, and that was Haemin.
Joy was laughing manically over the thrill of being chased by Luna's family.
Luna was frustrated over the giddy tingle in her stomach and the heat in her cheeks, as Haemin ran with her on his back.
She was this close to ruling herself as bipolar.
And Hamein was worried about Luna's bloody hands.
They got in the elevator and it filled with the sounds of their ragged breathing.
Luna felt bad for the way Haemin was tired so she tried to get off, "Its okay, I can walk."
"Like hell you can." Joy said and Haemin jumped a little making Luna shift back up and firmly kept his hands on her thighs.
"Hi, Im Joy."
Luna unlocked a hand from around Haemin's neck and extended it for a handshake but stopped when she saw the ugly sight of blood.
She slowly brought it back, and let it dangle over Haemin's chest.
"Hi, Im Luna." She noticed Joy's missing heel and pursed her lips, she kept growing curious about her.
"Do they hurt?" Haemin asked Luna about her hands.
"Im used to it now."
Haemin let out a heavy sigh, "Why would you get used to something like that?"
Luna shrugged.
"Alright Haemin, what did I say about over-sympathising with other people? I swear even if it doesnt hurt, they'll suddenly remember their pain because of your reactions." Joy scolded him.
Haemin rolled his eyes and Luna watched him carefully, he looked cute to her no matter what.
Gosh.
Luna had decided that it was okay to have a tiny crush on Haemin because she had no chance anyway. What, with a stunning girlfriend like that no one stood a chance so her secret admiration was harmless.
Wasn't her name Ella though? or maybe that's a middle name or a special name only Haemin calls her. Luna conversed with herself in her head.
"She's right, you shouldnt take other people's pain too much to heart, its not good for you." Luna added.
"As if a person's own problems aren't enough, he voluntarily takes other's burdens upon his shoulders too!" Joy exclaimed.
If they were texting right now, Luna would be texting in tiny font and Joy would be in all caps.
"I dont bear their burdens, I share them. And I only do it for the people important to me." Haemin defended.
Before Luna could get happy over her being important to him, she remembered how much of a social butterfly he was and figured every creature on the planet Earth was important to him.
The elevator opened.
Joy took off the other heel too and walked out barefoot.
Haemin carried Luna and followed Joy to her car.
"I think its better we take her in my car, and besides Uncle Kijun will definitely tell her uncle if we call him for the driver." Joy said and opened the car.
"Ill drive, you take care of Luna." Haemin said.
"No thank you, I do not want to die on my way to a hospital." Joy replied and got in the driver's seat.
Haemin frowned and put Luna down in the backseat and got in with her.
She looked at him, confused.
Wasnt he going to sit shotgun? She thought.
"Disclaimer Luna, Haemin is a horrible driver." Joy said from the front seat.
Haemin nodded slowly in agreement and held both of Luna's hands delicately in his,
Embarrassed by the disgusting state they were in she tried to remove them despite her heart telling her otherwise but Haemin held them again.
"I think it has become an unconscious habit of yours, the hand clenching. Ill help you get rid of it." He told her so sincerely that it made Luna want to cry.
After finally setting up the navigation, Joy revved the car to life and continued her sentence from earlier, "So yeah I think I'd rather prefer dying on my way to... my wedding!"
Luna looked at her in horror throught the rear mirror and Haemin sighed in embarrassment.
"Because then people will always remember the poor girl who died just before she became a bride. Just imagine the headline, SHE NEVER GOT TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE."
Luna tried to hide her shock so that Haemin wouldn't see it.
"Can't you atleast act normal infront of my friends? Not everyone gets your extravagant mindset." Haemin said.
Joy rolled her eyes and stepped on the acceleration pedal. The car lurched forward and she zoomed them out of the parking lot, skidding and making sharp turns.
Out on the road the danger was multiplied and Luna wanted to clench her hands to keep her from shouting out 'SLOW DOWN', but she didn't want to upset Haemin,
Joy made a uturn without slowing down Luna went flying, knocking into Haemin, and falling on top of him, into an incomplete hug.
She immediately propped up her hands, just inches above his face, was hers.
At the age of 5, Luna and her siblings went on a world tour for the first time with Uncle Changmin's family, Then by age of 12, she had gone four times more. And nothing she had seen in the world, from the exotic peacock flocks in Pakistan to the glistening salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, captured her, entranced her, and mesmerised her like Haemin's eyes did at that moment.
He slowly batted his lashes and the city lights shone in his eyes, making them sparkle.
Joy took a hasty turn in the opposite direction this time and the jolt made Luna fly to the other side of the seat and break out of her trance, she realized a little too late that she had stared a second too long.
She cleared her throat and tried to diminish the awkwardness, "So, you're a worse driver than this huh?"
Haemin timidly scratched his neck for a second and then as if regaining his composure, chuckled,
"Yeah. Joy may drive fast but she still drives well, can you believe that she has never before had an accident? Im a mess in the car compared to her, compared to anyone actually."
"Then why dont you take driving classes?"
"I did. For emergencies, but I just panic and fail to execute properly."
"He's afraid to hit someone and thats why he cant even go over 20." Joy mocked.
Wow that is the most Haemin thing Iv heard of yet. Luna said in her mind.
"I mean its a gigantic metal contraption, I cant even imagine being hit by it, how can I put that horrible possibility in my own hands?" Haemin defended himself exaggeratedly.
Luna smiled.
The car stopped, "Alright Haemin, pick up the girl. Lets go." Joy said.
Luna didnt have time to think about Joy's choice of words because she was busy wondering whether it was okay for them to park in the space reserved for ambulances.
☾
Later at the hospital, Luna sat with Haemin, who was on the phone, in the corridor seats, waiting for Joy to get the medicines.
Luna stared at the fat cast on her foot and then at the thick bandages on her hands, the nurse had got a bit overboard with the bandaging to ease Haemin's worry.
She already knew they were going to annoy her for atleast a month.
"Yes Dad, she's with us... she's fine.. no.. Im not going to "hand her in"... because she'll go back when she wants to!... I gotta go." He hung up.
Luna had thought that Haemin would be the kind of person who would urge her to call her uncle and solve things, not help her run away.
"You can stay with us for tonight." Haemin said.
"No, I cannot impose further, Iv already troubled you enough." She politely tried to decline but she knew Haemin wouldn't budge.
"What are you talking about? You're my friend, you cant possibly trouble me." He almost seemed slightly ticked.
"But you hardly ever see your girlfriend, I dont want to ruin the little time you have with her."
Haemin furrowed his eyebrows, "What? How would you.. my girlfriend..? What?"
"What?" Luna was suddenly conscious that she had said something wrong.
"What? No. Joy isnt my girlfriend, she's my cousin."
Luna's mouth fell open, " She's not? Joy's your cousin?"
"I already told you my girlfriend's name is Ella." Haemin laughed.
Luna tried to cover up her embarrassement, "I thought it was a nickname or a middle name or something... why would you bring your cousin as a date?" She asked/accused.
Haemin raised his hands in feigned defense, "So did you though."
"How do you know he's my- Haemin how do you know me? You seem to know almost everything about me." Luna muttered the last part.
"Well my family attends the Le Caprice too. Our families know each other. Not too well but still."
He's one of... them? He doesnt look like it tho.. he's way too humane to be one of them. She thought.
They both sat in silence, remembering how their last meeting ended.
"Im sorry if I upset you that day, it was insensitive of me to bring it up so casually." He said earnestly.
Luna didnt reply for a few seconds and Haemin was about to apologize again when she did,
"I didnt murder him." she said lowly.
Haemin blinked,
"Okay." He said, ready to hear the rest of her story.