The week was passing by smoothly. Uncle Max started 'visiting' home more often now, although the fact that it was just for Zora was still sickening to Baekhyun, he didn't seem to mind all that much since he would literally be in then out again. 

Baekhyun was slipping his shoes on at the front door when Zora came out of the kitchen, a bread roll between her teeth as she rushed to get herself ready. “Took you long enough” Baekhyun scoffed, although Zora wasn’t even late, he just felt like messing with her. A frown appeared on her face as she swung her new school bag to hit him on the leg. 

He noticed that the elastics on her hair were falling loose, so loose that he knew it could slip off of her hair any minute and shook his head. “You’re supposed to be a girl” He remarked before he suddenly slipped the elastics off of her hair. Her loose plaits came free as he fluffed her soft, silky hair; his fingers acting as a comb to brush one side of her hair. “Stay still” He ordered, re-doing her usual loose plaits as Zora stared at him, the bread roll still dangling from .

Baekhyun couldn’t even remember the last time he did her hair…or even why he decided to do it in the first place. Hair styling was for girls, and it was only by chance that Zora had liked his pathetic excuse for plaits that she’d kept it like that for years. But for today, he just…felt like he owed her...for what? He wasn't so sure actually. 

Jongdae and Lay had immediately recognized something different about him. His interactions, his aura, something about him was different alright. But of course, after knowing him for so long, they knew what was happening. The ice prince was melting. Or perhaps it was merely his ice-cold façade that had melted to unveil the original person behind the mask; either way- it was about time.

Bad comments and rumors about Zora were still going around in school, but apart from that, the bullying had started to die down. Not to mention she actually started to make friends. None were female, but Baekhyuns friends were more than happy to invite her over to sit with them for lunch along with Kai and Chanyeol. 

Sehun was having his usual moan during lunch, but the fact that it was because his cat tripped him up during the night made Baekhyun laugh…Whoa…He laughed. 

“Dude, are you sick?” Minseok questioned. Baekhyun looked up and saw their surprised faces; even Zora was staring at him in wonder. 

“Sick? He looks pretty happy to me” Chanyeol commented, widening his eyes to scan Baekhyun facial features. 

Minseok scoffed, “Exactly”

“I didn’t even think he’d smile if he won the lottery” A guy remarked.

“Yeah man, what happened, did your Uncle start drugging you up on happy tablets or something?” Sehun chuckled before shoving a spoonful of rice into his mouth.

Jongdae and Lay peered at each other with knowing smiles but kept quiet yet again. Oh, Baekhyun. It was obvious; so, so obvious. But they kept quiet. They were so tempted to , but they knew that the boy would only deny it. The cold prince image might have been a façade, but they knew him long enough to realize that the stubborn prince wasn’t. And it wasn’t like Baekhyun didn’t want his friends to and therefore denied it, but truthfully, the boy was oblivious. Why he suddenly started smiling, why he suddenly talked more to his friends and laugh at their jokes and stories, he had no idea, the only thing he knew was...he felt happier.

“Don’t be stupid” Baekhyun shook his head and continued to eat before he noticed someone sending him a glare from beside him. He turned to face Kai who stared deeply into his eyes before pulling a face at Baekhyun, “What?” Baekhyun chuckled, amused by the look on his face.

“Nothing. Your smile just irks me” Kai said jokingly with smirk appearing on his face.

Jokes aside, Kai and Chanyeols popularity the past week was no joke. Love confessions, party invites, chocolate offerings; they were endless. But of course, the two were smart enough to decline such things, it wouldn't make sense if they did anyway. 

“Your face irks me, you don’t see me glaring at it” Baekhyun snapped, Kai lightly punching him by the arm for it afterwards. Most shocking of all, Kais and Baekhyuns relationship improved; improved since they weren’t glaring daggers at each other anymore. But...there was just something comfortable about him...Baekhyun didn't really know how to put it. Although it wasn’t buddy-buddy, and both would still claim to dislike each other, it was actually a bittersweet friendship that developed quickly within only a couple of days.

Like his friends said, they were surprisingly similar; Baekhyun still couldn’t notice it but Kai realized that his speech patterns were similar to Baekhyuns, not to mention their stances and habits were the same. Whenever they were waiting for something, they’d put their hands in their pockets. Whenever they got bored in class, they’d start tapping. Whenever they didn’t feel like talking, they would stare out the window. And the list could go on; freakily enough.

But maybe…they were too much alike…It made Kai think actually…Maybe...No...

After conversing, Baekhyun somehow found himself getting dragged into a 'friendly after school soccer match' after school with some guys from class B. Despite claiming that he wasn't all that into sports, Baekhyun was actually one of the best players during PE classes and was offered to play for the school team countless times by their PE teacher, but denied it every time. It was nothing to be honored about after all. As egotistic as it might sound, he knew that the only requirement for entering a sports team was if you knew how to play the sports and if your appearance was something that would sell tickets. And sickening as it was, it even worked. Last year, the schools rugby match sold so many tickets just because girls would pay to sit around and watch good looking guys tackle each other. Chanyeol and Kai also got invited to play in the match, and with an encouraging approval from Zora, they decided on joining them.

Mid conversation and Chanyeol suddenly felt a random chill run up his spine...What? He glanced left and right, but there was nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary, only a girl with deep red hair glaring in their direction. But girls usually stared at them anyway...so that wasn't it...Must have been a draft.

Although Zora was actually offered to watch the match by Baekhyuns friends, it seemed like an invite wasn't really needed since all the girls decided on inviting themselves already. Gossip was going around class, girls were getting excited just to cheer for their crushes.

Baekhyun and his friends strolled out of his once class had finished, ready to get to the school field for their friendly match of soccer.

Isn't that Zora? Sehun wondered when he spotted her light colored hair and her petite figure standing by the lockers, reading something in her hands. But before he could mention it to anyone, he was easily distracted by his friends that started conversing to him about the practice test they just did during class.

Once they got onto the field, the guys immediately slipped off their ties and threw their bags down out of the way. Baekhyun looked around for a certain familiar face, but nothing, she wasn't there yet. That's odd...she came out of class the same time as us. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to narrow his eyes in search for Zora but all he could see was a couple of girls sitting on the grass with their phone cameras out in front of their faces. 

"Hey, guys" He nudged the giant beside him. "Where's Zora?" 

Kai and Chanyeol searched the field, shifting their eyes left to right and knitting their eyebrows together when they couldn't spot her. "Dunno man, bathroom maybe?" Chanyeol replied with an uncertain expression on his face. There was silence after that. The three just glanced at each other. Something wasn't right. 

"Ey, new kids! You gonna play or what?" A guy from class 3-B hollered. But before either of them could reply, a deafening screech pierced through their ears.

"Yoomin-ah! Yoomin-ah!" A girl cried from afar, yet her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear loud and clear. She was hysteric, calling this girls name over and over again until a crowd of people started to form. 

"What going on?" Kai wondered out loud before everyone ran to her...

Blood. 

A girl with brown hair laid on the hard concrete floor, red dripping from her head as another girl with deep red hair kneeled beside her, shaking her and calling her name, tears streaming down her face as she tilted her head up towards the top of the building. "YOU! YOU PUSHED HER!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Everyones' eyes darted to the top...

Zora

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A/N: A little rushed, i know. I had to rewrite this chapter so many times TT^TT Thank you to all of you for commenting and subscribing! Means so much to me, you have no idea <3 Love you all~!