When Haneul awoke the next morning, staring at the alarm clock that was blaring incessantly, she found it surprisingly easy to switch off the alarm and chase away the urge to fall back asleep. For the past few days, she had nearly refused to get out of bed, only relenting when Sandeul charged into the room and physically dragged her from underneath the covers; however, by the time he came to make his daily wake-up call, she was already sitting at her vanity, fully dressed and brushing her hair. She hummed cheerfully as her feet swung back and forth beneath the chair, her toes brushing the soft fabric of the carpet.

“Good morning!” she smiled brightly at him. He regarded her anxiously, unsure of the sudden development.

“Morning. You’re awful… happy,” he frowned. She hopped up from the small vanity chair to pluck the bottle of perfume he had attacked her with yesterday from the dresser top, spraying herself with it and inhaling the sweet smell of vanilla and roses. No wonder Baro liked it so much, she thought as she replaced it to its rightful place.

“That talk with the counselor got me thinking. If I mope around all the time, I won’t feel any better because nothing will change. I have to make the effort to make my life better now, and having a better attitude about things is a good way to start,” she explained as she slipped into her shoes and retrieved her schoolbag from the floor. “Shall we?”

“Uh… Yeah,” he nodded uncertainly. He eyes her curiously as she walked past him, the spring in her step causing her hair to bounce back and forth. It was shining beautifully, as the previous night Haneul had toiled away at it, applying shampoo and conditioner and blow-drying it to perfection. Afterwards, she had felt ten times better, and she decided that Sandeul’s plan to get her to pamper herself had merit in it after all. Her nails also glistened white with a fresh coat of nail polish, and a hint of eye shadow danced above her curled lashes. She felt pretty, and somehow, that made a world of difference. She wondered if anyone would notice- more specifically, if Baro would notice. The thought made her a little bubbly inside.

Haneul was amazed at the stark change that seemed to occur overnight. When she entered the kitchen, the air of awkwardness between herself and Sandeul’s parents had vanished completely, and they laughed and chatted happily as she and her best friend ate their breakfast. The walk to school was quite pleasant, a welcome change from the endless march filled with dread that Haneul had become accustomed to. Even entering the school seemed new. As she walked beside Sandeul, she felt all eyes on her as usual, but she was not afraid now; she was fearless. If anything, she felt proud to be the center of attention, and she straightened up slightly to seem dignified as she made the daily commute to her locker. Even the gossip was uplifting.

“Haneul seems different today, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah. She’s all dressed up. I never knew she was so pretty.”

“If she keeps this up, the boys will be beating down the classroom doors!”

The day continued on like that, and by the time she reached her chemistry class, she felt like she was at an all-time high. Several popular girls had approached her, complimenting her on her look, and had even invited her to sit with them at lunch so they could exchange tips. Her schoolwork was no exception either, and she excelled more than she ever had, to the point that even her teachers seemed startled at her progress. And the boys. She had never noticed so many of them doing double-takes and grinning in her direction. She certainly wasn’t going to give any of them hope where there was none, but the attention made her feel beautiful, and that was a good feeling. She couldn’t help but smile as she took her seat at her lab bench, primly straightening out the wrinkles in her uniform skirt. To her, nothing could ruin her day.

“Class, may I have your attention?” called the teacher as he entered the room. He was a middle-aged man, with salt-and-pepper hair, hard black eyes with wire-rimmed glasses to match, and a stone-chiseled demeanor. “We have a new student today,” he continued, gesturing for the person beyond the doorway to enter. Immediately, all the girls in the room sighed dreamily, except for Haneul. Her heart stopped as she stared hard at the boy standing in the doorway, smirking like a fool and staring right at her.

“Hey. My name’s Baro,” he purred, winking at her. Haneul’s cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, and she ducked her head to avoid his gaze. Baro had obviously taken on Gongchan’s plan and enrolled in her school, posing as a human boy to keep an eye on her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it; sure, she and Baro were becoming closer and closer, but he was a demon, and if anyone found out it would mean huge trouble for both of them. When Gongchan caught wind, he would be furious and likely storm in to exact his revenge on the demon. It would be a lot of drama, and in the eyes of all her peers, it would look like she was caught right in the middle of a love triangle. She had enjoyed the attention today, but she definitely did not want that sort of attention. She played with the corner of a piece of paper, folding it back and forth as the teacher introduced Baro. She was too busy brooding to notice the disguised demon cross the tiled floor and plop down right next to her; she jumped instantly, blushing madly and glaring up at him. “What’s that look for, doll face? I thought you’d be glad to see me,” he purred in amusement.

“Did you see that? Haneul is so lucky!” one girl whispered behind her.

“It’s only because she plastered herself in make-up and doused herself in perfume,” her partner muttered contemptuously.

“Do you see what you’re doing? They hate me now!” Haneul hissed at the demon. He shrugged innocently, smirking as he leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head.

“Can’t help that they like what they see, doll face. Would you rather me go sit somewhere else?” he inquired.

“No,” she responded instantly, much to her own mortification. When his dark eyes, glittering with victory, turned to stare at her, she looked away with a huff. Sure, Baro was a pain, but the thought of him cozying up to another girl was enough to set her teeth on edge. She would just have to put up with him. “Do you even know any chemistry? Don’t drag me down, Baro, everything in here is done with a partner, and I will not have you jeopardizing what I’ve worked so hard for,” she warned.

“Relax, doll face,” he chuckled dismissively. “I’ve been to high school loads of times. Ain’t the first time I’ve had to infiltrate. Usually it’s to get a soul, though. Now it’s just to get on your nerves!” he teased and nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. It tickled, and she could not suppress a giggle. Baro grinned, elated at his discovery. “Oh, so you’re ticklish?” he whispered mischievously. Before she could prepare, he ran a finger up her entire ribcage, causing her to squirm violently in her seat.

“No! Baro, stop!” she hissed desperately, struggling to contain her laughter. “You’ll get me in trouble!” she begged. Thankfully, the teacher had his back to them, busy writing the day’s instructions on the blackboard. Her face was on fire, burning as she blushed at the close contact and embarrassment of the situation. Baro relented, snickering at her amusing reaction, and turned his attention to the teacher as the stony-faced man finally turned to face them. Haneul felt like a hundred pairs of eyes on her, and feverish whispers were already circulating throughout the lab stations. Haneul slunk down in her seat, attempting to escape the intense stares, but to no avail. Her only choice was to focus on the experiment and hopefully block out all the gossip that was sure to come her way.

When the teacher had orated the instructions and they had retrieved their supplies, Haneul set to work on the experiment. It was a fairly simple one; their task was to test to see if certain chemical reactions precipitated a solid, and record those results. It was monotonous work, not the kind that would allow for intense concentration, but for wandering thoughts and ample conversation. Haneul began pouring each chemical into its own test tube, quite aware that Baro had his heated gaze on her the entire time.

“You’re wearing that perfume again,” he remarked.

“Yes. I like the way it smells,” she answered evasively as she stacked the half-filled test tubes into a rack.

“Awe, you mean you didn’t wear it for me?” he pouted.

“No. I mean, I never know when you’re going to show up, nor did I know that you would slither your way into my chemistry class,” she rebuked hotly. Her hand shook slightly as she poured the last chemical, resulting in her almost spilling it. She hurriedly placed the test tube into the last spot in the rack, huffing as she read the next set of instructions. “I wore it because I wanted to.”

“Now that we’re going to see each other all the time, would you wear what I asked you to?” he purred and seductively traced a finger down her jawline. She jumped violently, nearly knocking over an entire set of glassware, and he laughed loudly. “You’re so easy to tease!” he giggled. Haneul blushed and muttered something unladylike under her breath, stiffly taking a small pipette and up one of the solutions.

“Are you going to help me or what, jerk?” she mumbled and dropped a small amount of the liquid into the assigned test tubes. She recorded the results, setting the pipette aside as she prepared to move on to the next set. However, before she could, Baro slid closer to her to grab the small lab instrument. The side of his body pressed up against hers, giving off an intense heat that made her face blaze red. There wasn’t any more room on the lab bench, however, so she could not retreat. Seemingly oblivious, Baro merely copied what she had done, dropping the liquid into a row of the test tubes.

“Well, Miss Scientist? You gonna write that down?” he asked with a smug smirk. Haneul pursed her lips, slightly irritated at his lack of professionalism, before angrily recording her notes. The rest of the class went on like that, with them taking turns, and by the time they had finished the last set Haneul was surprised that her heart had not burst with how hard it was pounding. Her close proximity to the demon was nerve-wracking, not only because her classmates were watching but also because Baro was, after all, undeniably attractive. She was starting to see him less and less as a demon, and more and more as just a human boy- and that made things messy. Haneul breathed a sigh of relief when she could finally slip away from him for a few moments to turn in their work to the teacher. She strode up to the desk, quite aware of the stares, and handed in the paper. The teacher perused it before signing off on it.

“Excellent work. I’m glad to see that you work well with your new partner,” the bespectacled man remarked smoothly before handing the paper back and recorded their grade in the book at his side. Haneul smiled weakly, unsure of how to respond, before turning on her heel and starting down the aisle. When she returned, Baro was lounging lazily against the lab bench with his back to her, deep in conversation with the pair of girls that were sitting behind them.

“Oh, yeah, Haneul and I have known each other for a while,” he was saying. “Her mom made dresses and stuff, you know? My mom was real big into costume balls and all that down in the casinos and stuff, so she ordered a lot from Haneul’s mother. I was there all the time picking up stuff for my mom when she was working.” It was the same tale that he had told Sandeul, and the girls were lapping all of it up. Before Haneul could stop him, however, the school bell did.

“That’s it, class! Turn in what you have,” the teacher called as the students bagan shuffling out of the classroom. Haneul gathered her things, hoping to slip away from Baro before he could further. She ducked into the crowd, feeling slightly guilty as she heard him call out for her. She kept going, however, walking briskly into the hallway and around the corner. When she was out of sight, she slowed and took a deep breath; she immediately it back in when a fist slammed into the wall directly in front of her face, and a large body blocked her path. She anxiously looked up.

“Jinyoung,” she breathed nervously and took a step back. He grabbed onto her wrist, silent as he dragged her off down the hall. She did not fight him, too terrified to make a scene. He forced her into the library, pushing her roughly in the back, and only then did she whip around to face him. “Let go of me! What do you want?” she demanded, attempting to rip her arm free.

“That’s a pretty stupid question for a smart girl,” he growled at her. He pressed her back against a bookshelf, stepping dangerously close. Haneul’s heart beat ninety miles an hour as she stared up at him, her eyes wide in terror, and she immediately regretted not sticking with Baro. She dropped her gaze below his face, not wishing to be caught in the strange paralysis spell that would seal her fate. However, he made no move, only stood pressing her against the dusty tomes.

“Are you working with Gongchan?” he growled lowly at her.

“N-no,” she answered quietly, shaking her head. She squeaked as he slammed his fist into the shelves, knocking a few of the books out onto the other aisle.

“Don’t lie!” he snapped.

“I’m not! I swear!” she cried. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. He terrified her; he wasn’t like Baro, she knew. He would kill her in an instant if Baro allowed it, and she had a suspicion that he would even if his friend disapproved.

“What game are you playing at, then?” he asked threateningly.

“I’m not playing any game!” she answered in confusion. He growled again, bringing his face close enough for her to see his fanged teeth. “Please! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she sobbed.

“Baro. Why are you so chummy with a demon who wants your soul? You must have another angle,” he snarled, but she could hear doubt beginning to creep into his harsh voice.

“Please,” she begged miserably. “I don’t mean Baro any harm. He’s my…” she trailed off, frightened of what Jinyoung would do if she finished.

“What?” he snapped, slamming his fists on both sides of her head. She quailed, shrinking into herself as she pushed back against the bookshelf.

“He’s my ‘something good,’” she answered, her voice a fraction of a whisper. His fists uncurled slightly as he stared at her in utter bewilderment. She saw his eyes soften for an instant, and then they grew hard again, so she feared the worst. However, he merely took a step back, slowly lowering his arms.

“If I found out that you’re in league with the angels, not even Baro can keep you safe from me. Do you understand?” he warned before stomping off out of the library. Haneul stared after him for a moment, trembling, before the terror turned her legs to jelly and caused her to sink to the floor. She held her hand over as she suppressed a sob, sniffling miserably.

Meanwhile, Baro was trolling the halls in boredom, not bothered to go on to his next class if Haneul wasn’t in it. As he tried to finagle a free drink out of the vending machine, he froze as a familiar feeling hit him like a tidal wave. Haneul, he thought and whipped around. He immediately tensed, glaring at the figure standing a few yards away, frowning slightly as he thumbed his way through a book.

“What do you want?” Baro snapped at the angel Gongchan. He instinctively reached for his weapon concealed beneath his white button-up shirt, but paused when Gongchan held up a hand.

“Relax. I’m not here to fight you- today,” he sighed and snapped the book closed. “I’m only here to pass on some knowledge.”

“Knowledge?” Baro echoed, cocking his head to the side.

“More of a warning,” he mused as he gazed at him levelly. “Back off the girl, Baro.” The demon sniffed in disinterest, crossing his arms.

“What if I don’t?” he refuted smugly.

“She could get hurt,” he replied evasively, shrugging at him. Baro’s expression melted into a frown.

“You’re angels,” he replied. “You can’t hurt humans.”

“I wouldn’t hurt her, but there are other people who will to get what they want!” Gongchan replied tensely. Baro could see the hesitation in his body language, and he was certain that what he was saying was on no account of his own. Whatever this is, I don’t think it’s a threat. “You’re not the only one in danger here, Baro! Leave her soul alone! If not for your sake, then for hers.” He dropped his voice, looking around nervously. “Please. I’m sticking my neck out just telling you this. If the right person found out, I would be dead.” With that, the angel spun on his heel and marched off down the hallway, opening his book and continuing to read as he disappeared down the corner. Baro blinked in confusion as he stared after him, conflicted about the cryptic warning.

Who would want to hurt Haneul?