Suzy's POV

Slowly, the haze that had covered my conciousness lifted, and I opened my eyes. My ears were still a bit sensitive and even tiny sounds vibrated in my skull. Echoing in my head were whispers that I couldn't comprehend. Groaning, I pulled the pillow that was under my head and stuffed it over my head. Immediately, the whispers stopped. Then I heard the curtain draw open.

"Suzy? Are you awake?" Joongki whispered loudly. To tell him I was, I wrapped the pillow more tightly around my head. 

"Nurse! She's awake!" Sandeul whispered loudly to the nurse, and I heard the nurse's footsteps echoing in my head. 

"Prop her up and stick some ice on her head. We can reduce the swelling that way," the nurse ordered. Joongki had pulled me to a sitting position and was now trying to wrestle my pillow muffler from my head.

"We need to put ice on you!" Joongki whined. 

"Too loud..." I whined back. With one last tug, Joongki wretched the soft pillow away. 

"HAHA! MY WIN!!" Joongki whooted a bit too loudly. Groaning once again, I faceplanted the bed mattress, hoping to knock myself out. Then I felt some soft hands brush back my now tangled hair and place something excruciatingly cold. It was even worse than Joongki's stupid voice; it was ice.

"COLD!!" I jumped up immediatedly, batting the ice away. Sandeul was sitting next to me, trying to balance the ice on my head. 

"Hold still Suzy, sheesh. It's not like we're trying to kill you. You know what? Here, do it yourself," Sandeul sighed, handing me the ice pack. Gingerly, I pressed the ice pack against the swelling bump on my head. Something seemed strange about him. Something different. I don't know why, but this current Sandeul didn't look like the one before my blackout. I stared at him for a moment.  

"You should head back to class soon. The bell's going to ring. Suzy should just stay here, since walking won't do her any good," the nurse warned Sandeul. Sandeul looked at me one more time, then glanced at Joongki as if he wanted to say something. Did some bromance happen while I was knocked out? 

"Get better so you can be all right for the festival!" Sandeul said as he hurried to class. When he turned around and left, I was still staring at the place where he was standing. What was so different about him?

The nurse went back into her office.

I swiveled around slowly and looked at Joongki. I could tell he was nervous, like he'd let out some secret....or like he'd been entrusted to something important. Joongki kept on fiddling with his fingers, his hair, his face, and his eyes were intentionally trying to avoid contact. 

Now I'm really curious. 

What. The. Heck. Happened. While. I. Was. Half- Dead? 

"Joongki..." I started. Joongki immediately looked at the ground and started to splutter.

"I-What? I don't know-Who? He's weird-What? I mean, how's life?" Joongki muttered crazily. I smiled gently.

"Joongki..." I tried again. 

"Oh! What a nice day! Look outside! Isn't beautiful, Ms. Bookworm? Hahaha..." Joongki laughed nervously. There's not even a window in the nurse's room. I grimiced irritatedly.

"Joongki. What the heck happened between the two of you?" I finally finished. Joongki looked at me. Then he pretended to look through the "window." 

"Do you know what that bird is?" Joongki asked, trying to distract me. He pointed at the blank wall.

"Yeah. I do. It's called Joongki's Imaginary Friend. Spit it out. I know you can't keep secrets," I pouted. Joongki laughed nervously again, and the nurse poked her head through her doorway.

"Joongki. It sounds like you're hallucinating. You've been laughing so weirdly...and there's no window in this room..." the nurse looked over her glasses at Joongki. 

"You were listening?" Joongki squeaked. He looked around the room desperately like cornered prey. 

"I think the heat in here is getting to your head. Go outside and get a breath of fresh air," the nurse advised and popped back out of her doorway.

"Fresh air? Right! I need fresh air! Sorry Suzy! Talk to you later! haha..." Joongki laughed weakly as he hurried out of the room, leaving me to stare at him.  Why won't he tell me what happened?!?! Argh!!

Annoyed, I laid back down onto the bed and balanced the cold press on my head. The icy coldness cleared my head and I tried to think what might've happened. Then I remembered that Sandeul looked weird. What was different? I mentally made up a check list in my head.

Eyes the same? Check.

Ears the same? Check.

Uniform the same? Check.

Still hot? Check. 

No skin change? Check. 

No hair change? Check.

No mask change?...

Mask change? 

Then it hit me. Sandeul's mask was inside out. Sandeul's mask was one of this colored masks. One side was white, and the other I didn't know until right now. His mask had changed colors. It was inside out. It changed colors.

These two thoughts circled and chased each other in my head. Finally I hit a conclusion.

Did he mask fall off? How? Why? 

Thinking about the club time, I remembered our toy dinosaurs, which probably now lay forgotton on the clubroom floor. I recalled hitting my head, and reaching for pretty stars...and Sandeul's mask. 

I PULLED HIS MASK OFF!!! WHY COULDN'T I HAVE STAYED CONSCIOUS A BIT LONGER!! NOOOOO!!

Cursing myself, I fell asleep once more.