Inside | HENDERY WAYV/NCT

46

Luna looked around the columbarium. It was empty.

"Maybe we can hang out soon," she overheard what Hendery said. Luna looked down onto her shoes. She had been warned. But never once she expected it to be this sudden.

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Kelly curled Luna's hair slowly. She turned up the volume of music in her room before pulling Luna so they would face each other.

"I can't see the mirr..... what's wrong?" Luna put down her brush. Kelly shushed her. "Talk slowly. He can't hear us."

"Luna, I've watched you grew up for 10 years. I know you."
"I don't understand. What is this about?"
"You're so naive, Luna. I wish the best for you. I want to apologise to you," Kelly cupped Luna's cheeks softly.

"For what?"
"My brother is a nice kid. He is trying to be a better person every day. But if one day, he stops being a good person, don't blame him. I beg you," Kelly choked on her words. Luna smiled.

She turned around and continued doing her makeup. "Hendery is a nice kid. He is a fun friend to be around with. I like him."

"He won't be here for long, Luna."
"I know. I can see that. But we can make the friendship last, right?" She's still smiling. Kelly couldn't believe her eyes and ears. How innocent and optimistic Luna sounded.

"Luna... . He likes you."
"I like him too," Luna nodded her head. "No, I mean he likes likes you."
"I know, Kelly. I like like him too. A bit too much, I must say," Luna chuckled. She finished her makeup and turned to face Kelly.

"What the heck is a dressing day? A national day for salad dressings?" Luna laughed out loud and sat on Kelly's bed. She pat the empty space beside her. Kelly sat down and hugged Luna. "Thank you, Luna."

Luna hugged Kelly back. She understood Hendery's hints when he wanted her to dress up nicely that day. Despite understanding his hints, another part of her screamed and shouted that it's just a lie. But Luna was ready for the risk of getting her heart broken. At least, she broke her own heart.

But, her heart didn't broke that day.

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Hendery drove on their way back. Luna was enjoying the scenery. Her eyes were locked onto the trees outside. "Luna can we drop by that animal shelter?" He broke the silence. She turned to him, "Sure. Sounds fancy."

He made a turn and they arrived at the animal shelter. It was unplanned but somewhat something nice.

The shelter was huge with so many dogs and cats for adoption. Even squirrels and racoons too. Luna looked around as Hendery sat down on the floor and played with a dog.

"Does he need a home?" He asked when a tiny beagle ran to him. The woman nodded. "Yes, she is currently looking for a home."

Hendery looked for Luna. He scanned the whole room and saw her in a corner, playing with a senior dog. He got up,carried the little puppy and made his way to her. "Luna, look a puppy," he sat down beside her and placed the puppy in her lap.

Luna froze when the puppy snuggled on her. She turned to Hendery. "Hold her," he ushered Luna to hold the puppy. Luna lifted the puppy like a baby and Hendery snapped a photo.

"One more. Hold her out," he snapped another photo. Luna handed him the puppy and took his phone away.

"Don't delete!"
"I won't. I just want to see," Luna assured him. She scrolled the pictures . She realised how much Hendery liked to take pictures . Food, street, trees, shoes. Even random pieces of rocks by the roadside.

She stumbled upon a picture of her. She was sitting on the bench at the ice rink, smiling. Felt like it wasn't her.

"I'll send you that later," Hendery smiled. He was busy playing with the puppy.

"I bet DJ would love this puppy. He loves dogs," Hendery mumbled to himself. When Luna gave him back the phone, he quickly dialled a number.

"Better be worth my beauty sleep," the other line was cranky. Luna chuckled when she saw the man in the screen with bed hair.

"DJ, puppy."

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Xiaojun picked up his phone. It was screaming non stop. He saw the caller id. Hendery. Sure, they're in the same time zone but Xiaojun sleeps during the day because his classes are during the wee hours. Yet he still answered the video call.

"Better be worth my beauty sleep."
"DJ puppy," Hendery held up a tiny beagle puppy to the screen. Immediately his eyes widened.

"What's its name? Is it available for adoption? Where is it?" He was so excited over the puppy that he didn't realised his partner walked in.

"I thought you were sleeping Xiao Dejun!!!!"
"Layla! Puppy!!"

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

They finally decided to say goodbye. The ride home was once again quiet, except for Luna humming to Hot Sauce by NCT Dream.

"I wish my mom would let me have a dog or a cat," Hendery broke the silence. "Why won't she let you?" She asked him.

"I'm allergic to cats," he shrugged. Luna shook her head. "Why do people want things they can't have?"

"Because it makes it spicy. Like that song you've been singing for the past 10 minutes," Hendery teased her back.

"Blame Yue. That song is an earworm. Help me."
"Pick my dish," he repeated the lyrics she been singing.

Luna silently whipped up her phone and snapped a photo of him as he drove away. "I want that," he smiled. "Why do you like pictures so much?"

"Memory purposes. So you can revisit the memories. People change but the memories don't and I love that. My dad used to keep all of the things we drew for him or wrote because he said, and I quote him. My kids will grow up and be a different person, but the memories these drawings hold will remain forever."

Memories are fuel to your emotion. Some are good some are bad. Even when you grow up and change, the memories won't. It will stay and stick for the rest of your life. Better cherish it.