🔥Things start to heat up in the chapters following this one. Danger and betrayal. Stay tuned guys. 🔥

There was a wash of relief that rushed through Key’s body as he approached the school. He was out of breath, his heart was rapidly beating, all while carefully keeping a hand against his swinging camera that he hoped didn’t get damaged during the speed walking. But, all that withered away when he saw Onew approaching the school steps. Key sighed and turned around, only to find no tall creepy man, not even a sign he’d been following him. True, he never turned back around to check, but, there was always that feeling while walking fast to school, that somewhere, the tall man wasn’t far behind him.

Key rushed up to Onew, slapping his free hand on the boy’s shoulder. Onew almost jumped out of his skin, not paying attention enough to realize his friend was right behind him. A smile eased his way on his face, though, when he saw who it was.

“Oh, Key. Don’t do that, you almost scared the crap out of me.”

But Key didn’t respond, trying his best to keep his crap together. His breath was still heavy and his heart was still racing.

“But…” Onew dragged out, “looks like you got scared yourself. You okay?”

He turned his whole body around, facing his friend and putting each hand on a shoulder. Onew tilted his head slightly, trying to find Key’s face, who went pale without realizing.

“T-This man, he was across the street. Creeped me out. Tall. Scary movie-esque.”

Key wiggled his hand in the air to demonstrate this monstrous height he’d dramatized in his explanation. Onew’s right brow lifted in curiosity. He leaned his body over to one side of his friend and looked behind him, but only saw other students making their way to the building. He re-straightened his posture and touched Key’s forehead.

“You sure you alright buddy? I don’t see anybody.”

Key rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend by the arm, ushering him inside.

“Of course you don’t see anyone.” He whispered as they walked down the halls. “Did you not get the part where I said scary movie-esque. The creepy killers never stick around to be noticed by everyone.”

“Oh~” Onew sung, smiling and widening his eyes like bright stars, “he’s a killer now huh?”

Key huffed.

Onew patted his friend on the back.

“Key, you said you were going to text me or call me last night, but never did. Did you fall asleep early and have a bad dream or something? You don’t seem cool.”

Key took a deep breath. He was sure he’d seen a tall man standing across the street, eyeing him specifically even though he couldn’t actually see the man’s eyes. But, Onew could be right. He usually was. After all, he didn’t sleep well last night, to be honest, and the confrontation with his aunt this morning didn’t make it any better.

“Look, I know we got a lot on our plate right now, but you have to calm down and try to get some sleep.” Onew continued.

Key chuckled.

“Says the man who likes to stay up and write notes.”

“Hey,” Onew pointed jokingly, “that’s called being a night owl.”

They both laughed, then Key awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, thinking on the morning’s events.

“Maybe you’re right. I didn’t really get good sleep last night anyway.”

“Well, don’t think too hard on it. I mean, you’re not the only one acting weird today.”

They reached their lockers and each opened their own.

“What’d you mean?” Key asked.

Onew shrugged his shoulders.

“My mom was acting a little off today. Not dad though. Same ol’ same ol. Got dressed in his suit, went to work, the usual.”

“But your mom?”

“Yeah, my mom was a little off. I mean, she did her usual things this morning, but when she was in the kitchen, she told me that she might be late coming home because she had to meet with somebody today.”

“Ooookay…” Key stretched out. “What’s weird about that?”

Onew shrugged again.

“I don’t know. You know when you can just tell something’s off?”

Key wanted to nod, but he didn’t. Of course, he knew what it felt like. Not only was he feeling that with his aunt lately, but the whole ordeal walking to school and that tall man—fiction or not—had him on high alert. But now that he thought about it, was it just a strange coincidence that Onew’s mom had to meet someone just like his aunt? Maybe they were meeting each other. No, his aunt would’ve said that, if that were the case. Key began to frown unconsciously.

“Key, what’s wrong?”

Should he tell him? Or at least inform him that something is seeming a little off. He has been lying to him about one big thing, didn’t want it to turn out to be two.

“It’s just,” he began, “now that I think about it, Aunt Kim also told me today that she was going to meet someone.”

Onew looked up at the ceiling as if thinking for a minute.

“I mean, maybe they’re meeting each-“

“No, they always tell us if they’re hanging out with each other or something.”

“You don’t think they’re both meeting the same person together or something…” Onew murmured more to himself than to Key.

The boy grimaced.

“Come on Onew, they aren’t that suspicious.”

Together, they slammed their lockers only to find Luna standing there with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling at the two of them. Key’s feet jerked to a jittering jump and his hand clasped onto the front of his shirt.

“Who’s suspicious?” A Cheshire smile curved across her face as she leaned in. Her eyes moved over to Onew and automatically, she brushed the strands of her back that defiantly moved out of place and unconsciously straightened her posture. “Hm?” She egged on.

Key rolled his eyes and moved right around her like she was some huge obstacle that couldn’t be moved.

“Once again Luna, none of your business.”

“Not my fault you guys are huddling around your lockers looking all suspicious.”

He stopped at the classroom door and turned to glare at her.

“If it’s any consolation Luna, that isn’t very uncommon for the two of us.”

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, but kept her attention on Onew.

“If you guys were talking about Taemin and Minho, no need to worry. They’re acting like their usual selves. Mysterious and antisocial.”

Even Onew rolled his eyes this time and walked around her, meeting Key at the door.

“I guess we weren’t talking about them then Luna.” He responded before entering class.

Key nudged him on the shoulder.

“You know she has a thing for you.” He whispered.

His friend rolled his eyes again and shook his head, going over to his seat. Key sat behind him, glaring back only once at the two werewolves. What would everyone say if they knew what Taemin and Minho really were? He wondered a little, how Luna thought. What images made their way into her head when she came up with her little theories about them? In all honesty, she wasn’t fully misguided.

Luna waltzed into the classroom, her hands still clasped behind her back, feet lightly skipping against the ground. As she passed them, her eyes made no attempt to even look their way. Onew leaned his head back, turning it only slightly when speaking to Key.

“Something seems a little off to you about Luna?” He whispered.

Key chuckled, his body jolting in his seat for a second.

“Something’s always off with her.” He softly laughed.

“You know,” Onew continued to whisper, “I’ve been thinking this for a while. Luna hasn’t been really off with her thoughts of the two cerberi back there.”

So Onew had been thinking about it too? His voice volumed lower as he spoke about them though he wasn’t completely sure if Taemin and Minho couldn’t hear it.

“Yeah and?”

His friend shrugged.

“I’m just saying. Sometimes the crazy people always have the right answers. You are a movie person aren’t you?”

Key in fact, was a movie theorist and unfortunately, his friend had a point which is why he knew what was coming next.”

“Why don’t we ask Luna what she thinks about the stories around here. You know, persuade some info out of her. Maybe she knows something that those two don’t.”

Ask Luna about her monster stories? Onew adjusted his back and Key leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to picture the annoyance that was to occur. But he nodded his head nonetheless.

“I hate to admit it Onew, but you have a point. Not today, though.” He quickly added.

Onew turned again.

“Why not, we have the whole day.”

“I just, have a lot on my mind today. We’ll ask tomorrow or something.”

“Or I can just ask for us. You are the one that said she had a thing for me. Maybe she’ll tell me more when you’re not around.”

Key crossed his arms and thought about it, then nodded with a slight tilt of the head.

“Alright. I guess you can ask her after school. I have to go straight home anyway.”

“Cool.” Onew nodded.

“Cool.” But, like seeing the tall man earlier, something was bugging him in the back of his mind, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.