Come on... Open!I gripped the iron handle tightly, trying to pull it. I placed my forehead against the cold surface and growled. 

"It's not going to open. Don't bother. " Eli said. He placed the huge box down and sat down, leaning against the iron wall. 

I tried opening it again, this time, angered, I kicked the door and swore at it. Then a small chuckle echoed in the vault room. 

"It's not going to budge!" Eli repeated, annoyed.

Fed up of his bickering;

“I got it, Captain Obvious. At least, I'm trying to do something. “I muttered bitterly. Oh! My phone! I could call Kevin or somethin---  Shoot. I don't have his number. 

"Do you have a cell? Can't you call Kevin?"

Eli's eyes lightened and replied with an Oh! He reached down his khaki pants, taking out his iPhone. Then, his brows furrowed. He showed his screen and muttered bitterly; "No signal."

"Oh god. We're stuck here forever. “I complained. I joined Eli and sat beside him, giving up on opening the stupid iron door.  I held my knees to my face and layed my head on my knees, keeping myself warm. It was starting to get unusually cold. 

"Why is it cold?" My teeth chittered. 

"Automatic temperature system. It gets cold to preserve the equipment and I have no idea why it does help but yeah. " Eli explained, rubbing his arms to get warm. "And we're not going to be stuck here forever. Someone will notice that we're missing. Don't worry about it. "

I nodded and sighed heavily. Hopefully, Kevin will notice soon.  I stared at the watch: 11 hours remaining. 

***

[ Kevin's POV ]

Hm. I stared at my watch and looked around the hallways. ______ would usually meet me here and we'd go home by now. I wonder where she is. Maybe she's still mad about earlier in Korean class. I sighed and regretted acting that way towards her in class.  I ruffled my hair, trying to get rid of _____'s  embarrassed expression. 

"Kevin! " 

I turned around and faced Hyuna, her uniform gone; she was now wearing a black leather dress with again, her red heels to match her plumped lips. I raised my hand as a sign of hello and watched Hyuna approach me. 

"What are you doing here all alone?" Hyuna asked, her hand now gripped my tie, pulling me closer to her. 

"Waiting for someone, that's all.” I replied shortly, standing tall to avoid any close distance.

"Oh. ______?" She asked, letting go of my tie, her hands on her hips. 

I didn't reply and just stared at her flip her hair attractively. I felt my heart skip a beat all of sudden. Gulp. What does this want? Where the hell is ____ ? . 

"You know, you could easily lose your job if you have a sweet relationship with a student. You're aware of that, aren't you?" She smirked, her slender fingers twirling her auburn hair, slowly placing her hand on my chest.

"Yeah. I'm aware of that. " I muttered coldly. "Which is why you shouldn't be touching me this way, Ms. Kim." 

Hyuna walked around me, her finger tips tracing my shoulder blade, my back, then my shoulder blade again. I shivered, but sustained my cool. 

“Will you please bring me home, Mr.Woo?” She winked, taking a hold of my arm. Luckily, I managed to pull my arm away before she was to drag me down the hallway.  “Oh. Hard to get.” She winked again, this time, batting her long lashes.

I scoffed out loud. “Go home, Ms. Kim. By the way.” I placed my face inches away from her own. “Practice more on your hangul, you had many errors. So, you have no right to be so cocky, now leave.”

With that, I walked passed her, my hands in my pockets. Okay, where are you, ______?

[ Hyuna’s POV ]

The nerve of this guy! Aish! But… I stared at him walking away. He’s such a cutie, let alone absolutely delicious. I my lips deviously and imagined him holding me in his arms. Pft.

Why is he looking for _______? What exactly is going on between them? Whatever it is, I hate the sound of it. I’m not going to let ______ take my ticket of glamour and fame. I growled under my breath and stomped my heel onto the ground. A sinister sound echoed through the empty hallway.

***

[Your POV ]

AISH! I bit my tongue. I placed my two hands on my mouth, covering the sudden pain away from my temporary roommate over there, I stared at Eli, who was whistling. I listened to the sweet melody and decided to hum with him. With the corner of my eye, I notice a warm smile started to form on his face.

“It was a lullaby, I used to listen to when I couldn’t go to sleep when I was younger.” Eli explained.

I nodded, my eyes flickered to the onyx chain.

“I like your necklace.” I complimented. “Where did you buy it?”

“Oh, this?” Eli placed his hand on the chain. He slowly took it off and fiddled with it in between his fingers. He placed it in the palm of his hand and gripped on it tightly. “Some girl gave it to me.”

“Really?” I looked back at him.

“Well … it’s a lame story of mine.” Eli stopped, ruffling his hair slowly.

I stared at the onyx chain that was now placed on my hand. This is definitely the same necklace. The coldness of the chain ticked my hand, giving me warm memories of the past; blushing every time, he would look at me back then. I smiled to myself and held onto the chain.

“We’re going to be here for awhile. I don’t mind listening, if… you don’t mind saying the story that is.” I nodded, giving back the onyx chain.

“Well… like I said it was some girl that gave me this necklace. Well. That girl was something else. She was beautiful. She was plain and simple; her hair glowed when the sun hits her face.  ” He shook his head in disappointment. “Although... I never got to know her name. But I didn’t deserve her kindness. I broke someone’s heart that very day.”

I felt my heart suddenly drop for a second, when Eli’s eyes were suddenly filled with sadness and guilt. Is this the kind of feelings he had ever since that very day? Don’t worry. I’ve forgiven you. It has hurt me greatly, but I’m stronger now. I patted his back and smiled:

“I’m sure she forgives you. I mean –“

“It was all because of her stupid friend.” He murmured. “It wasn’t what it seemed. I wanted to tell her that, but I had to move the next day, you know? I didn’t even know her name, plus I was only 11 years old and she was only 8 years old. We were young. Probably forgotten. “

I haven’t forgotten about you at all. I just... barely recognized you, that's all. But I had hate for you all this time, but it was a misunderstanding. 

"E-Eli. The truth i---"

"_______?" A voice behind the vault yelled. 

"Kevin?" I asked back, I got to my feet and placed my ear against the cold surface. 

"Careful. I'm opening the door now. " 

I stood back and felt someone behind me. I turned my head and Eli was right there, his arm so close to mine. I couldn't help but blush and smile like an idiot.  The door opened, and a sudden wave of heat washed through the vault. As if he just came down from heaven, light of the sun radiated behind Kevin Woo. 

Suddenly, Kevin flashed a sudden weird expression. 

"Eli? You were stuck here too?" 

"Yeah, I was down here counting the jerseys for the basketball team. And Miss ______ just happened to come down also and accidentally let the door close. " Eli chuckled. 

Kevin stared back at me and shook his head, not surprised of such a clumsy act. 

"Uh. This must belong to you then. " Kevin placed his hand on my shoulder. And I just realized that I was covered by Eli's jacket. 

"Uh. " He scratched the back of his neck, taking back his jacket. "I covered you with it while you were zoning out randomly. You seemed cold. "

"Oh. " I blushed. 

"Yeah, uh. Okay, ______. We better get going. " Kevin said.

I nodded and waved my hand at Eli, thanking him again for the jacket. Eli smiled back and waved back.

I hope I get to see him again.

***

Once again, I was walking down the snowy sidewalk, side by side with Kevin, walking in a rather quick pace.

“S-Slow down!” I said, almost tripping on black ice. I shuddered at the thought of my face smashing against the freezing concrete floor.

He slowed his pace, and looked back at me, his eyes… Something different.

“What’s up with you?” I muttered, crossing my arms.

“Nothing. Just cold. That’s all.” He muttered, still standing, not continuing our way back home. “So, how was being alone with Eli?”

I shrugged and just smiled. “Why are you jealous?”

He scoffed out loud, and took some snow with the palm of his glove. “As if.” He chuckled. He rolled the snow in a ball, hopping it up and down on the palm of his hand.

“Don’t you dare.” I growled, pointing at the snowball in his hands.

He pouted and threw it back onto the snow.

“Here.” Kevin said, holding out a box that was wrapped beautifully with shiny red silk. Around it was a gold bow that flowed elegantly onto the sides of the present.

“What is it?” I asked, suspicious of the random act of kindness. “I don’t want it.”

He stared back at me and threw it up in the air. Swiftly, I raised my hands to catch it. I growled at him and pouted angrily.

“Open it.” He crossed his arms.

I stared back at Kevin one last time and looked back the perfectly wrapped present. “It’s not Christmas, is it?”

“Just open it, you klutz.” He growled.

“Fine, fine.”

I slowly untied the gold ribbon, letting it fall gently on the white pearl snow. I slowly ripped the red silk carefully, trying to let come off in one piece. Inside the wrapper was a book…

“Korean for Idiots.” I read out loud.  You got to be kidding me.

I stared back at Kevin’s enlightened face. I stared back at the book. What is he trying to tell me? That I’m an idiot?

“You don’t like it. Fine. I’ll give it to someone else.” He tried taking the book out of my hand but I raised it up in the air.

“No!” I held it to my chest. “ I like it.” It’s actually kind of cute of him. I smiled at him, holding the book tightly. “I’ll use it to improve my Korean speech and writing skills.”

“Yeah, you need it.” Kevin muttered.

Well, that killed the mood.

I glared at him and hit him on the back of the head with the book. ”You .” I muttered.

I gestured him to come closer, slowly he approached me. “Take it off.”

Kevin’s eyes widened: “What?”

“Your neck. So then, once we get home, I don’t need to see your face.” I growled.

He glared back at me and pulled down his red scarf. The snowflakes hit his neck gently, causing him to shiver. Once again, I just pecked his neck quickly. THUD!

I felt a sudden grip on my arm and sudden warmth surrounded my body. I couldn’t move my head. I looked up with the corner of my eye and Kevin was holding me by the wrist, close to his body. Ya-Yah!

“Hey guys!” Ren smiled, poking his head out of the bank of snow.

Kevin and I jumped out of shock, only making Kevin hold my wrist even tighter. Losing..circulation. I muttered to myself.

“Well.” Ren winked. “It seems you guys are getting along quite well.”

I stared at Kevin, who had his face right above my head, both of bodies together very close, you could feel the warmth of our skin. With a shrug, I pushed him away, brushing my coat.

“What are you doing here?” Kevin growled, still awkward of the sudden hug.

“Yeah, and as for what you said. Why did you put me up with this jerk?” I growled back at Ren.

“Jerk?” Kevin snapped.

We both starting bickering back and forth. Throwing names at each other, snapping and practically arguing.

“Stop fighting. You guys fight like an old couple.” Ren muttered, brushing the snow of his golden star bright hair.

“Pft. Couple?” Kevin rolled his eyes. “I’d rather kiss a walrus.”

“A walrus? Seriously?” I mumbled.

“Okay! BOTH OF YOU. Stop. I came here for a specific reason.” Ren said seriously, sending chills down my spine. “We have a small problem concerning with my society, the elders of Starlite.”

I catched a glimpse of Kevin’s eyes and stared at him, dumbfounded. What could possibly be going wrong? What’s going on?

“Well. You’re sort of our experiments.” Ren smiled.

“Experiments? What are we your lab rats?” Kevin growled, grabbing Ren’s collar.

Ren glared at Kevin and snapped his fingers, pushing Kevin back away by a few centimeters.

“Ho-How did you?”

“Another technique that I’m learning. I've learned so many things it's amazing. From levitation to att--” Ren smiled.

“REN!” Kevin yelled. “Back to the frigging subject. What the hell are you doing back here?”

“Well. The elders have been observing you two and there are some things I’ve forgotten to mention. First, when you met up with Eli, Kevin. You have the intention of telling him about the star. That is a big nono!”

“Why?”

“You’ll disappear.”

“MWOH?” We both yelled again in unison.

Ren covered his ears as he scrunched up his nose. “Stop yelling at me!” He growled, angered, his hair glowed a fiery orangey red, his eyes glowed.

Both of us frightened, we both kept our mouths shut.

“Anyways. So like I was saying! You’ll disappear. Oh and. ______, you too. You mustn’t tell anyone either or we will take something very precious away from you. That is all!”

“Are you serious?” Kevin growled. “I can’t tell anyone, what if it’s a life and death situation.”

“I don’t care.” Ren growled, with that he poofed into thin air, stardust flowing down on the snow.

Wow. And Ren tells us that now. I almost told my parents. Ugh! That Ren!

“I really hate this. You know that?” Kevin looked back at me.

I just nodded and smiled apologetically.

“I’m sorry that you have to be with a loser like me for two months.”

Kevin stayed silent and just coughed.

“Let’s go home.”

***

I climbed onto the bed and stared at the Korean book that Kevin gave. What an idiot. I opened the lamp, and flipped through the pages. But something caught my eye. In the beginning of the page, was writing.

“ Dear ______.

Usually, I don’t do this but I felt bad, especially for earlier at school during Korean classes. I never meant to embarrass you like that. I judged you without getting to know you and I’m sorry for that. This doesn’t mean I don’t find you weird, I still do. I just won’t embarrass you like that anymore. This doesn’t mean I’m going to be much nicer to you! Okay maybe a bit, but still. Anyways, goodnight, you weirdo. Don’t let those girls get to you. Byebye, hehe.

-          Kevin , your boss

“Boss?” I growled outloud.

I hear light chuckling coming from the guest room.

“Goodnight, you jerk!” I yelled, covering myself with the blanket.

I smiled to myself quietly. He really isn’t that bad, is he?

I really do hope we become close friends during these 2 months.

Goodnight. Kevin.