Inside | HENDERY WAYV/NCT

44

"I don't want to be your yellow," Luna slowly tried to move on her own. Hendery smiled. He expected that answer.

"I want to be your pink. Because pink is your favourite colour," she added when she managed to inch forward without falling over. He stopped skating and waited for her to caught up.

"Then, can I be your lilac?" He asked the moment she caught up with him. Luna nodded. He pulled out a bracelet from his pocket and put it on her wrist.

"You're now my squishy. You shall be mine and you shall be my squishy. Come here little squishy," he quoted Finding Nemo as he squished Luna's cheeks. She turned and bit his finger.

"Ow! Bad squishy. Bad squishy."

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Luna took off her skates and quickly put on her shoes. She turned to Hala. "This is your idea?"

"Hell no. I am not this extra. It's all his idea. I'm just here as a support," Hala smiled. She fiddled with the flowers. Luna couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Hala sitting on the bench, waving to them.

Luna hit Hala softly. "A heads up would be nice!"

"It won't be a surprise then," Hala shrugged.

"What if I said no?!"
"We expected that. The place was ready to reimburse if you said no," Hendery interrupted. He squeezed in between Hala and Luna.

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Hala smiled when she saw Luna tried something out of her comfort zone. 16 years of knowing Luna, the only thing Luna ever did out of her comfort zone was starting makeup. Today, she watched as Luna struggled to get across an ice rink.

Knowing Luna for so long, Hala often forgot that Luna has so many layers to her that even Hala sometimes missed the layers. She forgot how Luna could be a baby too.

"Hendery! Stop picking on Luna!" Hala shouted when Hendery kept releasing his grip on Luna when they skated.

"Luna do you need me to hit him for you?" Hala asked some more.

"Yes please!!!"

It's true when they say the right person brings out the best in you.

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Luna bid goodbye to Hala when Lucas came. "I swear my professor hates me," Lucas mumbled as he sat down on the bench.

"She's your mom. Of course she hates you," Hala slapped his arm. They left soon after, leaving Luna and Hendery to spend the day together.

Hendery turned to Luna who was busy trying to fix her hair away from her face. "Tie them up," he gave her a hair tie. "I don't like having my hair up. It makes me.."

"Vulnerable. I know. But I'm here. I'll make sure no ass can pull you by your pony tail," he assured her. She smiled and shook her head. "I'm not scared of others. I'm just scared of him," she mumbled slowly.

He turned to her and pushed her hair away from her face. Her eyes were deep dark brown and filled with worries. He smiled and slowly tied her hair for her.
"It's okay."

She turned to Hendery and handed him her hoodie. "It's cold here. Have mine," Luna put the hoodie on his lap. "You?"

"I'm fine. I wear thick clothes all year round. A day without them feels nice," she smiled. Hendery quickly put on the purple hoodie.

Luna tied her shoelaces and saw Hendery's shoe laces were undone. She realised that he never really wear shoes. Just a pair of sandals.

"Don't judge me. I hate tying my shoelaces," he bent down and tied them up. Luna scoffed. "I said nothing, ya know?"

"I can feel the judging stare all over my toes," he slapped Luna's forehead.

"Hey Hendery, you sure?" Luna laughed when he slapped her forehead.

"About what, Luna?" He leaned on the bench.

"Liking me? Allowing me to like you back?"
"Is that a sin?" He turned to her, not understanding what she meant.
"Not a sin, but I'm not as pretty as Hala or as tall as Kelly. I'm not the prettiest girl in the room. All eyes are on me when I walk in not because I'm pretty but because I am....."

He stopped her. Hendery pinched her lips. "Girl what are you babbling about?"

She smiled. "Kinda like the prologue to coming into my life. I'm a bad luck magnet. I attract bad luck."

"Cool. I'm a good luck magnet. I attract good luck. So  it's match made in heaven then."

She smiled. "What?" Hendery could feel her smile wasn't the usual smile.

"Just know that the only person who can hurt me is me. Okay?" She touched his cheek softly and pinched it. He smiled.

It's a painful truth we're living in

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Hendery pulled her hand and dragged her across the mall. They stopped in front of an Italian Restaurant.

"I made reservations," he mumbled to the hostess.

"Under what name?"
"Wong. Hendery Wong."
"Two person. Right this way," she ushered them to their seats.

Luna couldn't fathom why he'd want to eat in a place filled with rich old people. Sure, the food is good but something about it irked her. Probably because all eyes were on them the moment they walked in.

She flipped the menu for the 3rd time and still couldn't pick anything. She looked up to Hendery, asking for his aid. He smiled and nodded his head. He proceeded to order some salad for her and carbonara for him.

"Only salad for the lady?" The waiter chuckled. "You sure that's enough?"

"Yes, we are. That's it. Thank you," Hendery handed the menu to the waiter. "Oh and get me your manager," Hendery smiled sweetly.

Luna's eyes were locked onto the table. She couldn't even lift her head when the waiter asked her whether the salad was enough. Inside, she was battling on her own. It was so loud that she drowned in it.

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Hendery saw how uncomfortable she was when the waiter decided to made a 'is it enough' joke. He reached for her hand and squeezed her palm slowly.

"Hey, don't listen to him."
"I'll be back," she pulled away from him and got up. She disappeared to the women's room.

Luna locked the door and sat on the toilet cover. Her head was so loud. It was noisy. The kind of noise that drowns everything else. "I can't do this."

Her eyes were locked onto the tap as she washed her hands repeatedly. Luna avoided the mirror. She couldn't even bear to look at herself. She pulled herself together and left the washroom.

Hey, it's probably just me. But it's something that eats me inside out. It's too loud. It's screaming to me. It's telling me no. It's calling me names.

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