"Somi," He was supposed to be working with her here; Hyunwoo knew that. He definitely knew that.

"Mhm?" Though his brows could only narrow, sternly gazing at his curious maiden, who wondered what he wanted.

"I want to see Changkyun's card."

"Pardon me?" The airiness of Somi's voice held how baffled she was in her words. Her eyes, like Hyunwoo's, narrowed as they looked back at him. Her grip on her pencil became more firm, knuckles paling in colour until they were white. Somi didn't have to think. Her jaw tightened, teeth clenching down and shoulders pulling tighter.

"Show me Changkyun's card. I would like to see the addition of the two stars you earned" Firmly, Hyunwoo elaborated exactly what Somi knew he was wanting.

"I will not be doing that, Hyunwoo" Her head shook, eyes turning back to the equations on the table in front of her, brows further furrowing with her goal to concentrate. Hyunwoo remained still over Somi's shoulder, not moving and not looking away. He loomed in silent persistence, not willing to retreat with the denial of his request unchanged.

"Never should the cards that a holder possesses fall into the hands or upon the eyes of another that are not that holder, other residents and card residers of the same deck included" Somi quoted the words that Changkyun had recited from her little handbook effortlessly, proving that she not only wasn't going to cave into Hyunwoo's needs but that she was also learning and paying attention to her responsibilities. Changkyun's breath and time had not been wasted.

Nothing about Hyunwoo changed. He was initially one that possessed a back as stiff as a board and a stern expression that he was always wearing in the first place. However, his dissatisfaction was apparent, though, much to Somi's frustration as he continued to linger over her shoulder like a dark cloud that was solely dedicated to her.

"Changkyun's card has nothing to do with you; likewise, your card has nothing to do with Changkyun. Both cards are being held safely and are being protected by me. So there is nothing more for you to worry about besides making sure we can all work as a team together" Her words were dismissive. She didn't turn back to look at Hyunwoo over her shoulder, showing him in every way that she was done with the conversation that he wasn't letting go of.

From his seat, where he had remained quiet, Hyungwon put down the math book he was looking over to push his chair out and stand up.

"I will be in charge of cooking lunch today. So you continue with your homework Somi" He addressed the concentrated young woman and changed the topic in the room.

"Excuse me, we agreed to cook together", Protested Somi. She too backed her chair out, eyes darting over to Hyunwoo, who moved back in time to not have his toes stubbed by the leg of the harshly moving chair.

"You have school work to focus on, Somi" Hyungwon blocked the way to the kitchen with little effort, causing Somi to frown.

"We agreed that you wouldn't do all this work on your own, and you need to be getting your rest too," She reminded Hyungwon.

"Finish your math work, and then we can sit at the table for lunch" Putting his hands on her shoulders, Hyungwon turned Somi around, and the young woman knew that was the end of their discussion.

------------

"Changkyun?" Somi knocked on the door to her room. She peeped inside before the rest of her body followed.

"Somi" Changkyun began moving to sit up right away, and Somi scampered into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"No, stay laying down-" She insisted with a wave of her hands. "-I just wanted to check on you" With a big breath out, Changkyun lowered until his head was on the pillow again.

"I am alright now", Changkyun reassured, and Somi nodded.

"I know you are, but like anyone else does, you need time to recover and rest from what happened", Reasoned Somi, coming to sit on the floor next to the bed.

"Are you still in pain?" She worried, and Changkyun shook his head in response.

"All of my wounds are healing physically. I am just tired now."

"Understandably so," Somi agreed with her hands moving to pull the blankets to cover Changkyun's upper body once more.

"You do not have to take such good care of me, Somi."

"No, I don't, but yes, I also do", Somi agreed and disagreed with Changkyun's reminding words all at once.

"This is not the life I was made to live," Not sure where Changkyun was going with his words, Somi's lashes fluttered, eyes concentrated solely on the face that struggled to show the emotions of the soul behind it.

"I was created to serve the life of the human blessed by their possession of my life. I was brought to the world to be the one who assured the human under my care was utterly catered to and had all needs met-"

"Changkyun"

"-Forgive me for speaking out of hand, Somi. I did not enter this world to do anything other than serve and work to meet the needs of any human with my card in hand. That is my purpose, that is my history, the sole reason that I was able to be graced with time on this earth."

"Stop that", Chastised Somi, her hand thumping on the mattress. Changkyun face nor body bore any response to her tone or her sudden movements.

"You and I cannot help the past. It's a past full of unanswered questions and confusion for who's to be faulted. But no past defines your purpose; no past is the fault of yours or mine. We can only accept it, learn from it and do better because of it. Never will there be an ill-intended fate for you just because of how you came to be. I have every right to care enough to put you in this bed and watch you rest back to health after what you did for me as you have every right and more to be any person you want to be with every ounce of right to be loved and cared for, to lay in this bed and mend yourself."

"You were not made to live any life; you were made to live" Her passion and emotion ended in a soft sigh, her eyes looking down at the ground she sat on as she breathed, in and out, feeling how it felt to have adrenaline leave her body in an echoing room of silence.

"No one in all my hundreds of years has said any such thing to me."

"Are you sure you've lived for hundreds of years? You almost seem like a toddler to me, or an alien who doesn't understand much of the earth," Somi teased the one on the bed, who faced the world with a confusion of its ways like one from another planet would.

"Maybe that's what I am," Changkyun breathed out, turning his head to look away from Somi and back to the ceiling.

"Just some creature from another planet, lost on another one, far away from the home I knew." 

"Well, when you find your home planet," Changkyun's eyes trailed back to Somi, "would you take me to your leader?" The voice that Somi used was stupid, idiotic enough to put amusement in Changkyun's eyes. He had to turn his head to the wall so Somi wouldn't be able to his smile, as he at least had the knowledge to understand her reference. But, unfortunately, that was all the reaction that Somi needed. She laughed, proud of her work, and Changkyun closed his eyes, forcing a controlled breath out so he wouldn't give anything away.

"I hope to never see you do that again."

"I like to think that's one of my best impressions."

"I would like to make a suggestion for you, no more impressions Somi."

------------

"You have somewhere to be Somi?" Nodding her head, Somi slipped one foot into her shoe.

"I'm going to the library to look for more books" She looked at Hyunwoo.

"I will accompany you there" He stood up. Somi nodded with no complaints. She simply put her other shoe on and tied her laces.

"Then if you'll allow it, I will come too" Hyungwon followed too.

"You can come with us", Nodded Somi, fingers busy tying her laces.

"I would like to go as well."

"It is unneeded for all of us to go" Hyunwoo shook his head, disagreeing with Changkyun's company. Changkyun stepped back, swallowing back any words he had.

"Changkyun's coming too, Hyunwoo." 

"Come," Somi looked at Changkyun, "you may find a book you'll like too" She smiled, and Changkyun bowed his head with a step forward to put on his shoes also.

"Somi, a jacket", Reminded Hyungwon. Somi spun around with a flustered breath at the forgotten article of clothing that would be essential against the severe chill in the winds whistling outside the dorms. Hyungwon already had a jacket prepared for Somi. Her eyes landed on the coat, with a breath of relief escaping her, she allowed Hyungwon to help her into the coat.

"Thank you, Hyungwon."

"You mustn't get ill in this weather, Somi."

"After you", Changkyun opened the front door and stepped to the side. Somi bowed gratefully and