The Trio (Story of Yuqi, Lucas, and Kun)

The Past of Hate

Kun was preparing lunch for Yuqi on a lazy Sunday morning when there was a knock on the door. Yuqi got up from watching TV on the soft couch and answered the door. To her surprise, it was Lucas. Their eyes met for a second, but then she shut the door firmly. Turning around, tears began to well in her eyes. She knew she shouldn't answer, but she couldn't help it. Lucas never came to Kun and Yuqi's place. She knew it was important. Yuqi took a deep breath and then opened the door. Just like before, Lucas was standing there. He was wearing a blue jacket and was holding something in his hand. It was a bag with something that Yuqi couldn't see.

"Yu...yuqi. Hello." Hearing him say her name again challenged her ability not to cry. But she still could never forgive him for what he did. "Can I come in?" Lucas asked after Yuqi didn't reply. Just as she was about to respond, Kun came from behind.

"Lucas? What are you doing here?"

"I know I said I wouldn't bother you guys again, but...this...this is different. I wanted to apologize for what happened three years ago. It was all my fault." Both Kun and Yuqi sighed. They didn't want to hear him go on about his wrongings again. After all, it would all be useless. There was nothing he could do.

Lucas, Kun, and Yuqi all grew up together. Their parents were all best friends with each other, so close that everyone together was like an actual family. Therefore, Kun, Lucas, and Yuqi always treated each other like real siblings. It was all nice until that day, when all of the parents were driving to dinner. There was a big car accident that occurred, and almost everyone died. That is, except for Yuqi's father. Ever since, he became an alcoholic. Every single day, he would drink beer, and one day, while he was drunk, he killed a young man walking past him. He lost his job and started going crazy. He sold his entire house and everything he owned, becoming homeless. He didn't even have a phone, so Yuqi didn't know where he was, or what happened to him. That left the three siblings to fend for themselves. It was tough for sure. At that time, Kun, the oldest, was only 17, and Lucas and Yuqi were 16. They all worked, but because they didn't go to college and couldn't get a high-paying job, they could only babysit, serve restaurants, and do low-paid jobs. Still, each month, they saved money to pay for rent. They got no money from their parents because after they died, the apartments were no longer theirs.

At the same time, they were going to go to college to make more in the future. Because Kun was older, he graduated first and now has a job. He's a photographer, and he helps shoot family album photos. Lucas just graduated a month ago and was searching for a job. Yuqi still had half a year left before she graduated, which means only a few more months of intense pressure financially.

But even the intimate siblings were separated. Now Kun and Yuqi live together, away from Lucas. The reason was simple yet complicated. It all dated back three years ago, on a beautiful spring day.

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"Yuqi, there's something important I have to tell you," Lucas said. She followed him outside to the park, where the daisies were blossoming and the wind was refreshing.

"What is it?"

Lucas took a deep breath and gave himself time. "I...I have been wanting to say this for a long time, but...I like you. Could you..be my girlfriend?" As soon as he said it, Yuqi's eyes went wide and her heart pounded. It was all way too sudden. Not in a good way though. Her face flushed red, and instead of feeling shy but happy, she felt angry.

"Lu-lucas! Wha-what? I...I..." And with that, she dashed back to the apartment and told Kun everything. When Lucas also came back, Yuqi wouldn't talk to him no matter what Lucas did.

Lucas knew she was mad, but he couldn't do anything to help. "Yuqi, I can't force you to like me back. But can I at least know why you're so mad?" That was the only thing that made Yuqi talk.

"Okay. It's because I always saw you as a friend, not a lover. I never had feelings for you, and I thought you knew that. We were just friends. Definitely not ordinary, but that was all. Now leave me alone." That was all Lucas heard for Yuqi the entire week. Yuqi would still sit next to him and do what she normally did, but she definitely avoided Lucas. In reality, she was just too embarrassed and shy to talk or even look at him. His confession made their relationship awkward, and Yuqi was now heartless towards Lucas. After the first week, things changed a bit. She calmed down more and stopped ignoring him completely. Still, she didn't have the small chit-chats with Lucas that they used to have and was very distant around him.

That was only the beginning of the deterioration of their friendship. A month later, Lucas did something that made Yuqi hate his guts.

Lucas was walking after buying groceries on a normal day, when he saw a familiar man on the ground, munching on a small piece of bread. His clothes were dirty and raggy, and his hair was a bird's nest. Sitting next to him were two bottles of beer. Lucas at once knew it was Yuqi's father.

"Mr. Song? Is it you?" The man looked up and said, "Lucas?"

Lucas's first thought was to bring him back to Yuqi and Kun, but then he realized that they didn't have enough money to support a fourth person. He thought for a moment longer and then decided not to take him back. He would be way too much to handle.

"Can you please get me out of this city? This place brings back painful memories. I need to leave." Seeing the man's desperation, Lucas agreed to fulfill his one wish. So he gave him the money to buy a ticket to wherever he wanted and lastly told him that he would take care of Yuqi so that he didn't have to worry.

When Lucas came back and told Yuqi and Kun the story, both of them were shocked and mad at him.

"Lucas! What do you mean you left him alone!?!" Yuqi hollered. He didn't know what he did wrong, and he started explaining. But no one listened and both of them dashed outside to the train station. There, no one found Yuqi's father. And no one knew where he went either. They lost him for good. Since that moment, Yuqi hated Lucas. She could not believe that he would just leave him alone after everything that happened. It was true that he would no doubt be a burden for them, but he was Yuqi's father after all. Yet Lucas did not understand how hopeless Yuqi was. Yuqi was so mad at Lucas that she didn't want to see him for another second. A day later after the incident, Yuqi and Kun moved out without Lucas and got a new apartment far away. They would do it even if they had to wake up early to go to college because it was far. It was mostly Yuqi. She didn't want to have anything to do with Lucas anymore.

Kun thought it was best to protect Yuqi from him. He did feel pity for Yuqi and blamed Lucas just as much, but he was just on the side, mostly away from the situation. As the role of Yuqi's big brother, he knew he had to stick with her and take care of her. As for Lucas, he gave him one-third of his personal savings so that Lucas could work less. Even though it wasn't much, it was already really good considering how disappointed Kun was in him. He didn't tell Yuqi about the money, because he knew she wouldn't allow it. Still, it was all he could do as a brother.

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