Hana and Logan parted ways with their friends to pick up Lucas at the daycare. To their surprise, waiting for them down the block from the school was Crystal.

“Can I borrow him for a moment?” she asked Hana, shying away.

“Sure, go ahead.” Hana excused herself.

He went after her. He whispered to her, “What are you doing? You can’t leave me. We promised to get the brat together.”

“I can get him myself.”

“But it’s far from—”

She repeated herself and assured him that she would be fine. She bid Crystal goodbye once again and left them.

*

It had been hours since Hana had arrived home with Lucas, and Logan hadn’t come home yet. She was a bit worried. And agitated. Didn’t her friend know that it was dark and dangerous to be out this late? He should at least have the decency to call her. Despite that she should be worried about his safety, she was more occupied with what conversation they could be having until this late.

Unless he was making a move on the new girl.

She fidgeted with her hands as she sat on the couch. She wasn’t going to get anywhere with her assumptions. All they did was scared her. She laid her body on the couch and closed her eyes. Since her son was asleep, she should take this chance to take a nap too.

Maybe by the time she woke up, he’d be home.

Safe.

And with her.

*

Hana shivered. Something ice-cold touched her. She opened her eyes and saw her friend, Logan, caressed her cheek. It was his cold hands. She stood up, rubbing her eyes. She checked the time on her phone. It was close to three in the morning. “You just got back now?”

He nodded and pulled the blankets over her. “Why aren’t you in your room?”

She gasped. “Your dinner!” She turned around and looked behind the couch. She forgot to cover them.

“You slept out here to wait for me?”

She yawned. “I thought you’d wake me up in the middle of the night to make you food.”

He hugged her, and his cold jacket seeped through her thin blanket and clothes. He felt her shiver, so he pulled away. “Wanna eat with me?”

She shook her head. “Let me reheat them for you though.”

He pulled her back down. “You stay. I can do it.” He took off his jacket and had her wear it. He zipped it up and pinched her nose before running away to avoid getting smacked. He picked up the plates, put them in a heat-able plate, and then slid it in the microwave. He set the timer and paused.

He bit his bottom lip. “Hey…Hana.”

A faint ‘Hmm’ was her response.

“I gotta tell you something.”

*

It was the weekend, Logan planned a day out together with their friends.

Jake and Logan were sitting on a bench, waiting for the girls to come back from the bathroom after changing Lucas’s diaper and for Seth to bring them their shaved ice creams.

Logan yawned, and it was his fiftieth time today.

“You’re awfully sleepy today,” said Jake, a bit worried for his pal.

“Didn’t get home ‘til this morning.”

“Why? You two went somewhere in the middle of the night or something?”

Logan perked up. “You know who I went with?”

“Well, yeah. Hana, right?”

“Hana? No, I was with—”

“We’re back!” the girls said in a sing-song voice.

“Seth isn’t back yet?” asked Hailey, her eyes searching around.

The boys shook their heads.

“I’ll go check up on him.” Hailey left the group.

“So, where did you guys go?” asked Jake, bringing back the previous conversation. “Was it somewhere naughty—Sylvia?” He stood up and looked over Logan’s head.

Hana and Logan turned to the direction Jake had his eyes at, and saw Crystal and Sylvia.

“We made it,” said Crystal when she reached them.

Sylvia added, “Thanks for inviting us today.”

“Invite?” Jake stuttered. “We invited you?”

Logan stood up and took a step back to stand close to where the young girls were. “We’re dating.”

*

Hours later, a tired Hana went to join a mellow Jake, who was standing outside a shop. The rest of the group were inside, peeking at stuff and deciding if anything was interesting.

“Jake, it’s not like he’s dating Crystal, so cheer up,” said Hana. At the same time, she played with Lucas, playfully throwing him up in the air.

“That’s not the point. The one who was supposed to have a girlfriend was me, not him.”

“You will.”

“But Logan having a girlfriend before me…is…”

“Is?”

“Impossible to accept!” he cried out, somewhat frustrated.

Hana let out a laugh. “Jake, he’s been having girls way before you. They just weren’t official.”

“Exactly. They weren’t official then. But this time, it is.”

Hana froze. “Wow. It is.”

“You okay?” He peeked a look at her and saw her stiff expression.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Jake straightened up. “You’re okay with him having a girlfriend?”

Hana kissed Lucas on the cheek. “Of course, I am. It took some weight off my shoulders.” Her eyes slowly went to Logan following his new girlfriend in the store. “I’m really happy for him.”

*

“You can take a shower now,” said Hana, coming down the stairs.

They had ended their day-out together, and Hana took a bath immediately upon arrival. She came to Lucas, who was playing on the rug with his newly bought toys.

Logan, who oversaw Lucas while she showered, turned off the TV. He faced his friend. “How come you were shocked when I told everyone I was dating Crystal?”

“Because I didn’t know.”

He frowned. “I told you yesterday—well, this morning, technically, when I got home.”

“This morning? No, you didn’t. You came home, had breakfast, we went to bed, and then you suggested to hang out.” She teased him by twitching her brows. “It was so you could introduce us to your girl, huh?”

He insisted that he told her earlier in the morning.

Hana sighed and stepped away from Lucas. “No, you didn’t. You ate and then woke me up to sleep in my room.”

“So, you fell asleep when I was telling you?”

“Were you telling me something?”

He was disappointed. “Yeah! I was gonna let you be the first to know so you could be special, but I guess someone was too busy sleeping.”

“Why are you so worked up? I know now. Does it matter when I know?”

“I wanted you to know before anyone else,” he whined.

“Why?”

“Because you’re Hana!”

Hana knew her friend was agitated, but she couldn’t figure out exactly why, and his answer was too vague. What about her was the reason why he needed her to know first about his status upgrade?

“Logan, are you okay?”

He nodded. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m acting this way.”

She slapped on a smile. “I think you’re too overjoyed and didn’t get enough sleep. You should take a shower and then come down for dinner. We’ll finish homework and go to bed. Okay?”

He glared at her. “I’m not a kid. Don’t speak to me with that mommy-tone.”

“What do you mean?” She acted indifferently as she patted the top of his head.

He slapped her hand away. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” He quickly ran up the stairs.

Hana laughed and watched him. Once he was out of her sight, she dragged herself back to Lucas and fell to her knees. In a quiet voice, she said, “From now on, it’s you and me. Just like how it should be.”

*

The gang was once again spending another day together, but this time was suggested and planned by Jake. When he had gotten home yesterday, he had realized he had missed an opportunity to flirt with Crystal, so he suggested for them to do another hangout on Sunday under the excuse of having the new couple get to know each other more.

The group planned for lenient activities instead of another walk around the city. Lucas was at daycare, so they watched two movies, went to the arcades, and were now having lunch.

“Can we please leave now?” whined an impatient Hailey. “It’s getting more and more crowded, and the air’s been recycled and reused. It’s so gross to even think about!”

Jake gave a firm and quick objection, mainly because he got to sit by his crush.

“Why?”

Jake subtly eyed his crush.

Hailey could care less. “So?”

Jake shifted his attention to Hana and pleaded her to help persuade Haruka, but Hana was busy with her own thing.

She was researching for an assignment since she had nothing to do after eating. She was the odd one out because everyone at the table was a pair: Seth and Hailey, Jake and Sylvia, and Logan and Crystal.

“I agree with Hailey,” said Hana, not looking away from her phone. “We’ve been here for over an hour, and I miss…you know.” She couldn’t say Lucas’s name because no one had told their new friends about the little boy yet. She gasped. “How ‘bout I leave to, you know, and you guys stay here ‘til the date’s finished?” She began packing her stuff before receiving an answer. She was excited to see Lucas.

Logan stopped her by grabbing her phone and holding it hostage. “Don’t leave me.”

“Your girlfriend is here, and my little boy is waiting for me.” She attempted to snatch her phone from him.

“You have a boyfriend?” asked Crystal. “How come he’s not with us?”

Hana was stumped. She hadn’t made a slip about him until now.

Even the friends didn’t know how to respond or how to save her.

“Hana?” It was from someone not in their group.

Everyone turned to the left and saw a group of boys around their age from two tables away.

“It is Hana!” exclaimed one of them, scurrying over to hug Hana.

Hana hugged him back. “Hey, haven’t seen you guys in a while!” Soon, she was hugging the entire group.

Her friends watched with curiosity because they never knew she had friends other than them. And all boys too.

“I’m missing someone, aren’t I?” asked Hana, scowling. “I swear there were, like, seven of you.”

The first boy to hug Hana and continued to stand close beside her forced a smile. “Yeah. Bruce’s back out with his grandparents. Somewhere in the countryside or something.”

“When’s he coming back? I’d like to see you guys together again.”

“He…wanted to forget you.”

Hana didn’t know what else to say. “Is it…because of…”

Another friend shook his head. “He said it wasn’t because of what happened but because of what you said.”

“What I said?”

“About growing up.”

Hana looked at the boy beside her. “Is he coming back, Ken?”

Ken and his friends shook his head.

“We don’t know,” answered Ken. “We keep in touch but whenever we ask him, he never replies, so we stopped asking.”

“When you get the chance,” said Hana, “tell him I said ‘hi.’”

“Sure.”

“By the way, we don’t see you anymore at the daycare center, and our calls don’t go through too.”

Hana didn’t tell them much and only explained that she changed locations and phone numbers, so they exchanged contact information.

Then, the boys left.

Hana sat back down and looked at the group picture she took of the boys and smiled, not noticing her friend’s perked interest in her relationship with them.

*

The gang had finally left the place.

Once outside, Hana knew her friends would begin their investigation.

Glued to her was Hailey. Behind the girls were Seth, Jake, and Sylvia. Behind them were Logan and Crystal.

Hailey clicked her tongue. “So, this Ken boy was someone you used to tutor?”

Hana nodded. “Yeah. We met at my kids’ daycare when he was picking up his sister. Back then, he was a huge troublemaker. He’d ditch school, steal things, and bully people. Even to this day, I’m surprised he managed to stay out of the slammer.”

“What about this Bruce dude? You seemed pretty worried about him back there.”

Hana heaved a heavy and long sigh. “Bruce…was also one of my so-called students and is a friend of Ken.” That was all she said.

But Hailey wasn’t having it. “You two went out?”

She depressingly shook her head.

“Did he do something bad to you?”

Hana shook her head again.

“Who was he, Hana?”

Hana pursed her lips. “Someone very special.”

*

It was a school day, and Hailey and Seth had walked to their class together and found Hana sitting alone at her desk.

“Where’s Logan?” asked Hailey to Hana. “Jake’s not here too?”

“It was a last-minute decision to visit their girls at their school. They should be back by now.”

“Great. I’ve got something to tell you. Alone.”

“Sure.”

“At lunch. I already got Seth to take the boys elsewhere.”

Hana knew that if Hailey was separating them, it was going to be a serious talk.

*

Lunchtime finally arrived, and the girls were indeed by themselves.

“Jake or Logan can’t know about this,” said Hailey. “Seth knows, but he promised he won’t say anything to them.”

“What is it?” Hana opened her packed lunch and slightly frowned. She had packed herself a bit too much as usual.

“Need Logan, your finisher?”

Hana laughed. Her friend was right. “As if I’d ever miss him.”

“Gotta admit, it’s quiet without them, huh? Kinda like it.”

“Let’s not get too used to it.”

The girls laughed and then resumed their serious conversation.

Hailey took a deep breath. “Crystal is…”