As Haneul stepped through the double doors of Daeyang High School, she paused in the threshold, unable to keep the smile from forming on her lips. She had arrived home several days ago, and the past few days had been a whirlwind of activity, attempting to settle back in to Sandeul's home and once again register at their high school. Finally, things were getting back to normal, much to her relief. Excited, she hurried off to her locker, eager to start the day.

The school day passed without much incident, and in the middle of the day Haneul walked down the familiar halls towards a familiar room. She knocked lightly on the wooden door before turning the doorknob and poking her head inside to announce herself.

“Oh, Haneul! Hello, dear. Come in, come in,” the counselor announced jovially as she whirled around in her plush rolling chair, pulling a pen out of her bun as the young woman approached and sat in the chair across from her desk. Quite unlike the first time she had visited the counselor, Haneul was not nervous at all; in fact, she had found that she had been quite looking forward to the appointment. She was eager to report her progress to the middle-aged woman. Haneul beamed broadly as the counselor prepared for the session and smiled kindly at her. “I was afraid that we wouldn’t be seeing each other anymore, dear, when I caught wind of your sudden move,” she mused.

“Yes. I was able to get that sorted out, though,” she responded amiably. They chatted idly about her life since the last time they had met, including how frequently Haneul had been visiting her mother's grave, for about an hour before the counselor leaned back in her chair and smiled happily at her.

“You’ve made quite amazing progress, Haneul,” she remarked as she clicked her pen against the desk thoughtfully. Haneul's eyes widened slightly as the counselor swiveled back and forth in the chair, regarding her with a calculating expression. Haneul straightened up as the woman abruptly beamed. “Yes indeed, I don't think there is anything more I can do for you. You’ve come a long way, and I’m satisfied to say that I believe that you have fully recovered from your harrowing experience,” she announced. Haneul just stared, unsure of how to feel about the sudden revelation. She was elated to be officially discharged, but at the same time, she quite enjoyed the woman's company. It was nice to have someone that understood her struggles, and someone who would listen intently to her troubles without judgement. She must have looked crestfallen, because the counselor laughed heartily. “Don't worry. My door is always open for you, Haneul. You can come talk to me anytime, about anything,” she told her kindly.

“Thank you. I appreciate that!” Haneul cried happily and rose from her chair to bow gratefully to the woman who had guided her recovery efforts since the untimely death of her mother. After the counselor bid her farewell, Haneul exited the room and turned around to head back to class. She gasped as she ended up face-to-face with her boyfriend, who was smirking smugly. “Baro. Why aren't you in class?” she tutted, waggling her finger at him as a mother who was scolding her child would. He slid his hands in his slim jeans pockets, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement as he regarded her playfully.

“I’m skipping, obviously,” he purred, and the heated look in his eyes sent a blush burning across Haneul's cheeks. He was standing within a few feet of her, and her heart rate quickened as he closed to distance, settling his hands on her hips and pulling her body up against his. She gasped slightly, shocked at his brazenness, and the wily demon took the opportunity to take her lips captive. She moved to push him away, but as he kissed her intently, all the strength was sapped from her body and she just curled her fingers into the white fabric of his school uniform shirt. Her back arched slightly as he deepened the kiss, his tongue colliding with hers in feverish desire, and her breath was stolen away, making her mind grow fuzzy. Unh… I can't think… she thought weakly, unable to form coherent thoughts as her nerves exploded with activity. Every brush of his skin against hers excited her, sending electricity sparking all over her body so forceful that she trembled in the wake of the shockwaves. Just as her knees were begging to grow weak, he pulled back, the smuggest grin on his face that she had ever seen. Once she realized that they had essentially made out in the middle of the hallway, she turned bright red.

“Baro! Oh my God! I can't believe you just did that!” she cried in alarm and hurriedly disentangled herself from him, looking around the hallway frantically to see if anyone had caught them in the compromising and embarrassing situation. She breathed a sigh of relief, then squeaked as he hugged her tightly from behind and propped his chin on her shoulder.

“Don't be such a stiff, Haneul,” he purred, and the feeling of his breath tickling her ear made her blush further as the heat of desire flared inside her once more. Focus, Haneul! She thought firmly as she forcibly pried his hands from around her middle and stepped away from him to look at him sternly.

“Do you know how much trouble we would be in if we were caught, kissing like this out in the open?” she huffed, but rather than having the desired effect of humbling him, it made him all the more excited.

“Well, then, why don't we go somewhere a little more private?” he asked her teasingly, reaching for her again. Haneul skipped away, swatting his hands.

“No!” she insisted, thoroughly embarrassed.

“All right, all right. I give,” he consented with a laugh, pleased with the result of his teasing. She pouted up at him, her cheeks puffed out as she made her displeasure known, but this time allowed him to reach out and gently take her hands. That feels nice, she thought absently as he ran his thumbs over the tops of her hands in rhythmic circles. “So? How did the appointment with the counselor go?” he inquired innocently.

“It went well. She said that I’m all better,” she reported, and the corners of his mouth curled upward in a genuinely happy smile. “I guess that means I can get on with life.” It was a strange concept. For months, her mind had been dominated with efforts to come to terms with her mother's death, and now that she more or less had, she was quite unsure what to do. Her major problem now was a certain homicidal angel. “You know… I haven’t even thought about what we're doing to do about Dong-woo,” she sighed deeply as her shoulders slumped. It was a major obstacle indeed, and the young girl had no idea how to overcome it. Her unease must have shown, as Baro grabbed her wrists to pull her forward and wrap his arms around her in a gentle hug.

“Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out,” he reassured her with a small sigh, gently rubbing her arms in a soothing motion. “Hey,” he murmured and placed a finger beneath her chin to slowly lift her face. Her uncertain eyes met his, and she was relieved to see confidence burning in those dark eyes of his. “I promise. We're gonna be okay,” he told her softly, and as their lips met for a second time, Haneul was not embarrassed. He kissed her softly for a few seconds before pulling away with a small smile. “Hey, I got an idea. Why don’t we go out and do something?” he suggested. “It's been a while since we just hung out. We'll bring the whole crew of misfits,” he chuckled. Haneul had to admit that despite their likely imminent danger, she had no bright ideas, and an afternoon of de-stressing with the boys seemed like a wonderful idea.

“Yeah. We should go do something,” she affirmed happily, and then she slapped him lightly on the side of the head. “Now, get to class! Don't be such a thug!” she chuckled. Baro pouted at her, rubbing the area where her hand had struck. “Don't pout! You had it coming!” she teased as she turned around, her hair and skirt whirling.

“Maaaaan, why'd I have to get involved with such a goody-two-shoes?” he whined as he trudged after her grumpily, but he was wearing that usual cocky smirk of his. They walked side-by-side down the hall, pressed close.

That afternoon, when school finally ended and the students were released, Haneul walked out of the building to find that the five boys were already gathered at the base of the steps, lounging about as they waited for their female companion. As Haneul hopped down the steps, she smiled as they all greeted her cheerfully.

“Hi, everybody!” she responded as she came to a stop beside them, holding her bookbag to her chest as she smiled brightly. “Did you decided where we wanted to go?” she asked Baro with raised eyebrows, curious as to what the demon had come up with as an afternoon jaunt. He smirked at her, as if triumphant, as he straightened up.

“Well, I was thinking about maybe going to that park you like so much,” he responded haughtily, and she blinked in slight surprise. I was thinking he would suggest maybe a movie or an arcade… But he wants to go to a child's park? Still, he had chosen the locale because it obviously meant quite a lot to Haneul, and it made her exceptionally happy that Baro had so much consideration for her. She thought it was a swell idea; as for the rest of the boys, there were mixed results.

“The park? That sounds like so much fun!” Sandeul cried, his eyes lighting up in delight. As the most immature of the motley crew, it was no large surprise that he would be all for playing in a public park like a bunch of children. Jinyoung was not as amused.

“A park? Are you serious? We aren't twelve,” the demon snorted as he crossed his arms, and his eye twitched in annoyance as Baro threw an arm around his shoulders with a large grin.

“Come on, Jinyoung. Embrace your inner child,” he teased as he shook him vigorously in an effort to get the moody demon to comply; his friend just scowled, obviously disinterested, but made no more open objections. When the decision fell to the angel, Gongchan just shrugged and flashed that charming smile of his.

“If that is what Haneul would like to do, I have no objections,” he announced, and, delighted, Haneul clapped her hands together. As such, the group of young adults set off down the sidewalk, chatting amicably. The weather was perfect for an afternoon adventure; it was a rather warm day for autumn, upwards of the mid-seventies, and the leaves were beginning to turn the menagerie of gold, yellow, and brown characteristic of the fall season. As the squad of teenagers strolled along the concrete walkway, a few of the discarded leaves crunched under their feet. It's nice out here, she thought in contentment. She smiled as Baro discreetly slid his hand into hers, his fingers curling around her own. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see him smiling with his eyes trained on her.

They arrived at the public park to find it largely empty save for a few scruffy boys embroiled in a feverish game of kickball, likely on account of the later hour. The boys have them funny looks as they shuffled in through the gate, then shrugged before returning to their intense play. Haneul wandered over the swings and plopped down, pushing herself with her feet. Her long hair ruffled with the slight wind as she swung back and forth, and she beamed as Baro approached with a slight smirk on his face.

“Push me?” she requested giddily, like a young child, and the demon rolled his eyes before walking around the swingset to push the girl on the swing. Haneul beamed in delight as she rose higher and higher. It seems like so long since I’ve had this much fun! She thought with glee. When she reached the highest point, she let go off the swing and hopped out, falling through the air before landing securely on the grassy ground. She twirled around with her hands in the air, as if she were a performer impressing a judge. “Ta-da!”

“Very impressive. Ten out of ten,” he smirked at her. Before Haneul could say anything more, she felt something bump her leg, and she looked down to see that the bright red kickball the young boys were playing with had seemingly been kicked toward them and rolled up against her leg. She leaned over to pluck the rubbery red ball from the ground, turning it over in her hands as she heard ragged breathing and excited giggling approaching. She turned to see that a couple of the boys had dashed over in an attempt to reclaim their stray ball.

“Here you go,” she beamed as she handed it over.

“Thanks, pretty lady! Do you and your friends wanna play?” one of them beamed at her. He flashed her an endearing smile, with a large gap where his front tooth was missing, and she couldn’t help but chuckle at the adorable little boy.

“What do you say, boys? Up for a game of kickball?” she called to her group of friends, and they all agreed and wandered over to the makeshift kickball field the boys had set up. They had used rope to mark the diamond, and the bases were nothing more than pillows. Haneul found it quite charming. The little boys were elated to find that older boys were joining the fun and providing an obvious advantage, and gaped at Haneul in awe, not used to the presence of a beautiful girl. Haneul agreed to serve as the “pitcher" on her team, and soon she was standing at the pillow that marked the pitching mound with the rubber red ball in her hands, while one of the little boys stood at the mound. Sandeul had taken up position as one of the basemen, while the other three boys were on the opposing team. Haneul stuck out her tongue and then rolled the ball at the waiting boy. He cried out and gave it a swift kick, sending it bouncing across the crude field. Haneul and Sandeul went scrambling after it, but the quick little boy had rounded all the way to third base before they could catch ahold of it. In truth, they kind of milked it to give the little boy a fighting chance.

“Get ready to lose,” Baro called tauntingly as he strolled up to the plate, giving his kicking leg a dramatic shake before giving Haneul the “bring it on” hand signal.

“In your dreams!” she retorted hotly and gripped the red ball tightly, scrunching up her face in concentration as she prepared herself. She whirled the ball at him, sending it much faster than she had with the little boy, and Baro looked somewhat surprised at the speed at which the ball was shooting toward him. With a yelp, he kicked at the incoming ball, but reacted late; the ball jumped into the air before striking the ground a few feet from Haneul. She scrambled toward it as Baro shot off for the bases, and she took off after him in hot pursuit.

“Wha! Haneul!” Baro cried in alarm when he glanced over his shoulder and realized the girl was speeding after him.

“I’m gonna get you now!” she cackled mischievously as she hurled the ball at him, and despite his best attempt to dodge it, it struck him in the back. Haneul cheered triumphantly at successfully striking the demon boy, but then realized her momentum was carrying her much to quickly. They both screamed as she collided with him, and they rolled roughly across the grass before coming to a stop somewhere in the right field. “Ow,” she groaned, her body aching from the high-speed collision. After a second of recovering, she moved to push herself to her feet, but then realized that there was a heavy weight on her that was preventing her from doing so. She opened her eyes and immediately went bright red. In their struggle, Baro had ended up on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

“Well, that was exciting,” he smirked breathlessly as he lay on top of her, face inches from her own but completely unperturbed.

“Get off,” she whined, pushing a hand into his face in an attempt to push him away, but she gasped when he caught her hand and pinned it beside her head. “Hey- mmf!” she moved to complain, but he cut her off with an intense kiss. Like before, she was helpless, and obediently moved against his. Though it could have gone on much longer, they became aware of raucous giggling, and they broke off and turned their heads to see the little boys had gathered around and were quite amused by the public display of affection.

“Ewww! They’re kissing!” one of them squealed, stamping his feet as he laughed uncontrollably.

“Gross! Why are adults so icky?” another whined as he stuck out his tongue in disgust as he looked down at the couple. Haneul was blushing brightly, but Baro was highly amused.

“Just wait. You runts will all have girlfriends in a few years,” he laughed. All the boys immediately voiced their oppositions and shook their heads wildly.

“Nuh-uh! Girls have cooties!” they chimed in unison, very much sickened by the notion. Haneul laughed at the adorable insistence, and then looked up at Baro with a bemused expression.

“Have you no self-control?” she sighed up at him, and he gave her a lopsided grin before stealing her lips again without warning. The boys screamed and shouted in disgust, scattering in the wake of the young couple kissing.

“Oh, dear Lord. You guys should be ashamed, kissing like that in front of little kids,” Jinyoung tutted as he stood over the pair with his arms crossed. With a grunt, he leaned over and grabbed Baro by the back of his shirt, forcibly prying him from his girlfriend. Baro whined loudly, pouting up at his friend as he dropped him roughly into the grass. Baro rubbed his neck where the neckline had dug into his skin, looking cross that he had been so rudely interrupted. Haneul sat up, bright red and breathless, her hair sticking up with blades of grass clinging to it.

“Really, Haneul. You shouldn’t let this dog do you like that!” Sandeul huffed as he flicked Baro in the back of his head.

“Why are you all bullying me?” Baro wailed as he tenderly rubbed his head.

“Hey, are we gonna play or what?” one of the little boys called impatiently.

“Yeah, yeah, pipe down, squirt!” Baro called with a smile, rising to his feet and brushing himself off before extending a hand to her. Haneul took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet, and he caught her in his arms.

“You really are hopeless!” she laughed at his incessant romantic advances.

“Hopelessly in love,” he purred, and she rolled her eyes at him. Truthfully, she was elated. She felt like nothing could ruin that moment, her memories with the undeniably suave demon.

Not even the trials waiting ahead…