Inside | HENDERY WAYV/NCT

14

Hendery was walking down the street to the convenient store. He is the official errand boy of the family. Often had to go and get women supplies and more, he had no problem with it.

He stopped when he saw Luna running away from Yun. He saw how Yun's hands moved. A part of him wanted to just walk away but another part urged him to do the right thing.

He pushed the door open and slid in between Yun and Luna, pushing her to stay behind him.

"I don't think so," he held Yun's hands. The hands were so ready to touch her somewhere he wasn't supposed to.

"Fuck off!" He pushed Hendery to the side. "You're enjoying this, right Luna?"

"No!"
"You should thank me! While I'm at it, at least you get to experience it. Nobody's gonna want you," he inched closer to her. Her body slammed to the wall. She had nowhere to go.
"Please, stop it," she begged but Yun couldn't care less.

He inched closer and closer. Soon his lips were at her ears. He whispered, "No man wants a pig like you. Be happy."

"Come on man!" Hendery pulled the obviously bigger man away from Luna. "Run!" He shouted at her. Luna grabbed her stuff and ran out of the store.

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

Luna wanted to be as far as possible from the store. At the tender age of 22, she knows those were wrong

"Luna," Hendery tapped her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Just leave me alone. Please," she fastened her steps but Hendery followed her pace. He pulled her arm.

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

Hendery handed her a glass of water.

"Drink," he placed the glass on the table. Luna shook her head. She looked down onto her fingers and remained quiet.

"I... Thank you," she mumbled under her breath. Hendery pushed the glass closer to her. "Drink some water," he once again asked her to drink.

She chugged down the plain water.

"Hendery, don't tell anyone. Okay?" She pleaded. Hendery nodded. He wanted to tell her otherwise, but he decided to respect her decision.

Luna fiddled with the empty glass. She had so much to say but she didn't know where to start.

"Why would he do that to you?" Hendery broke the silence after a while. Luna shrugged.

"I... I don't know."
"He's a brother. Your brother. He's supposed to protect you. Not harass you."

Luna sighed. How she wished Yun was like what Hendery said. A brother.

"Luna, next time he did shit like that, text me. I'll come by," Hendery told her.

"Why would you help me?"
"I shouldn't?"
"We don't even know each other. I just know your name and vice versa. Why would you want to help me?"
"We're friends. In case you can't see it yet, yes we're friends. Friends help each other."
"But why?"
"Why what?"

"Why would you want to be associated with someone like me?" Luna was frustrated. She couldn't fathom why would he be so nice to her.

"Wait. Why can't I? I don't understand, Luna. What's the matter? Why the sudden anger?"

She looked up to him. "Look at me and tell me why would you be nice to me? Do I deserve to be treated nicely?" her voice cracked. She looked away trying not to cry but she couldn't.

Hendery pulled his chair closer to her. "Okay, I don't know on what grounds those came from but you deserve to be treated nicely just like everyone else."

Luna shook her head repeatedly. She avoided his eye contact. "People say I have no fashion sense. I wear baggy stuff. I wear sweaters in hot weather. All for what?"

"Self defence?" Hendery asked her. Luna nodded slowly. Self defence was the answer.

She wore thick clothings in 35 degrees weather, she chose to never wore anything nice just so he'd stay away from her.

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

He finally understood why she didn't buy the dress she liked back then or eat when she was supposed to. He understood her wacky fashion sense and he understood where her anger came from.

"Here, lets wipe away those runny mascara," he handed her some tissue. Luna chuckled. She wiped away the mess on her face revealing her bare skin.

"Don't say anything about me without makeup," she quickly turned to Hendery and warned him.
"Not saying anything," he held his hands up and surrendered. He wasn't going to say anything anyway.

He lived in a house with two ladies. He watched how Kelly could turn into a completely different person with makeup and he had no problem with it.

Luna wasn't the fairest. She's on the slightly tanned skin compared to him.

"I'm so pale," she mumbled as she finished wiping away the last of her makeup.

"Excuse me, pale?" Hendery held up his hand to her cheek. She pushed his hand away and laughed.

Yes, she laughed again. Now that's something he'd want to see.

You know, my mom told me that you don't need a reason, you don't get butterflies and you feel at home when you found the person for you. I feel all three when I'm with you. But that could just be me being stupid.

"Hendery, thank you. I'm sorry I snapped," she thanked him and also apologised.

Nope. I'm not stupid. I'm probably already in love. I'm just denying it.

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

Luna looked at her reflection in the mirror. She hated her folds and stretch marks. She hated how her body wasn't the "ideal" body everyone's talking about.

Her extra fat on the tummy, the curves that people around her do not appreciate, the overall idea of being a size 16 haunts her everyday.

She hated how Yun would constantly berate her and calls her pig or hippo. How he would constantly tell her she wasn't enough, yet his hands would move around and about touching parts he shouldn't.

"Luna. You're fat and ugly. Imagine the chance any man would want to even look at you. You're supposed to be thankful I'm giving you the experience you'll never have," he said as his hands travelled all over her body, pinching parts sacred to him.

He was bigger. Standing almost a feet above her, she couldn't beat him no matter how hard she tried.

And they say, family would die for you. Is this family or just plain fam without the ily?