Luhan's off demeanour simply continued till the end of their breakfast, where he kept ignoring her. And no matter how much she tried to engage him into a conversation with her, he blankly emaines her before turning towards Chen or Xium - which was both wounding and chastening to experience. Yet she couldn't help but excuse his manner. Maybe he was just tired, like she said.

As the bell rings and students clear the dining hall, off to their respected classes, so does her group. Racing to pack her Mathematic's book for the class, Hyemi decided it's a welcomed distraction, especially now that half of the students were gone. Just as she existed the hall, someone called from behind and she turned to crash full-force to a certain musk-scented chest. He steadies her by waist with a hearty chuckle before grinning.

"Hey." His tone is warm and sweet and everything unlike the Luhan she just sat by.

"Hey back." She squeaked, ignoring how her heart fluttered as she tried to find the rational part of hers. So, one moment he's ignoring her and the next he's unintentionally walking her to class? Is he toying with her? "Are you feeling better?"

"Now that we're alone? Yes." His fingers slide between hers, fitting like a glove - expect warmer and smoother against her soft ones. "Now let's go."

She halts within the third step, "But our class is in the other way!" Panicking and confused, she struggled on his grip. "You can't be serious, ditching class before a few days of examination?"

His eyes widen innocently. "We're not ditching, silly! We're simply doing something more productive and memorable with our time."

They broke into a brisk walk, Luhan half-leading, half-dragging her out the hidden exist. Before he could even hold the bars, she jerks him to a stop by a tug to the back. As much as she wished for them two to be left alone, rationality took the most past of her.  Let's face it, she has a war to prepare for - weapons to search about, teachniques to learn, and mainly, practices to attend. The war wouldn't consider their relationship status, so hell with this. She also has exams, projects, and night patrols, Nothing above would even spare a sympathizing glance at her just because she got a boyfriend.

She hesitated at the look he sent her, before yanking her hand away. Really, she can't do this until they're sure to win this war. "We really can't do this, and it's not just because we're ditching, but that everything around us doesn't really encourage it."

He kept staring at her until a tiny, proud smile fleeted by his lips. "Alright, I understand. We'll postpone our tiny date for now."

Nodding, she turns to leave, yet it seems that her Lu had different ideas since he drew her back to a locker, entrapping her between his arms. Hyemi gasped as he sent her a playful smirk. "Where do you think you're going, sweetheart? Ain't going anywhere until I get a goodbye kiss." Proving his point, he neared his face, nozzling his nose with hers.

Luhan was not a human people can easily expect. In a second he can be adorable and mushy, and the very next second he's a cold-blooded predator. To tag him under being bipolar was an understatement, but Hyemi is sure he has reasons for his sudden actions. For god's sake, they've been an item for a very short time, so she might as well not judge the guy as quick as that.

She mockingly smiled, determind not to give in to his cute act. "Maybe next time, when I'm not so busy. I already am late to the meeting I've arranged with the principal."

He gasped dramatically, his hand flying to the middle of his chest. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Park Hyemi, for being such a soppy girlfriend. You're putting all those girls who want me to shame, really."

"Soppy girlfriend, my foot. I'm the best girlfriend you could've ever gotten for yourself." She snorted, before sticking her tongue out. "In fact, they should start making a golden statue or something to recieve my holy blessings."

"Whatever you say, princess." He murmured, meeting her lips in quick peck. "I have to go now; promise me you won't try to murder anyone."

"Shut up." She haughtily shoved his arm, cheeks flaming as he chuckled.

Saluting her with his fingers, he gazed fondly at her for a long time then disappeared in the thin air. Her heart constricted as she heavily exhaled and heaved her aching bones to the principal's doors. Inspite of meeting him a few seconds ago, she already missed him. His confident smirk. His crisp, musky smell. His balanced, graceful moves.

Him.

Swinging the door open with one knock, Hyemi's bored gaze froze on the older woman who was on the draped couch, sipping her tea delicately. The memories of them two clash in, both laughing by each other, then cuddling by the warm fire of the chimney. The woman's crown swerved to her, and their eyes lock, Hyemi's swimming with tears and hers widening in surprise.

"Halmeoni." In a breathy whisper, she confirmed.

"Oh my god, Hyemi?" The other squeaked, setting her tea cup down to spring and enfold her granddaughter to her arms. "What in the name of all the holy goods happened to you?"

As she snuggled to the woman's warm, fragile arms, she softly muttered. "Guess I grew up, Grandma Mi."

"Are those muscles I feel in your arms?" The poor woman was far away for so long she didn't get to see the changes of Hyemi's physical form. She'd probably faint if she spots the bruises and nasty scratches she was gifted with too, so it was safer for her if she didn't talk about them at all.

Clearing , she looked away to the close principal who was leaning against the wall with a small smile. She kindly offered to brew her a cup of coffee, yet Hyemi firmly declined. The least she desired for now was to stay up night because of a portion of beans. As they all settle by each other's side, Hyemi suddenly was aware that Grandma Ri wasn't present. Questioning the other two, Mi fondly smiled. Although the two spent most the time arguing and at each other's throats, they loved each other and respected their privacy too.

"She's attending her hiphop classes as she wanted, which is why she's not here complaining and demanding coke with extra sugar." At that, the three roll their eyes. Grandma Ri is known to be wacky highspirited and young at the heart, which is why she loves to do all the strange stuff the generation of this century favor.

Hyemi frowned; she rarely spent time with the two - in fact, this was the first time she've seen them in bloody aching weeks - but she still chose to say nothing, as it might turn the visit sour and down. "I understand. But what's the sudden visit for, Halmeoni?"

The woman hesitated on replying as she was trying to avoid where this might be going. Her forehead twisted to lines that were brought by the age and wisdom while her eyes fluttered to the principal's. "I came to hear out your updates, dearie. How...How are you?"

"I'm hanging in there." To read under her Grandma's lines was not complicated : she was asking about the war she was preparing for.

Hyemi realized that it was impossibly true. Never in her life she thought she could've handled preparing a war against her own blood mother, but it now seemed only logical. Mi visibly relaxed, but her eyes still had a shadow of concern behind them.

The principal snorted. "Oh, she's hanging in there, alright. All thanks to her sappy love revelation."

Her petite grandma gasped, eyeing the shocked latter beside her - as if she could have more secrets she didn't tell her about. "My baby got a boy?"

"She got a boy." The child - that Hyemi was continously murdering throughly in her mind - confirmed with a firm nod as she slyly winked to the decieved Hyemi who looked as if someone pulled the rug from under her feet.

Both of a squeal and a groan hitched the air, and it could have been exactly guessed who did which. Hyemi covered her eyes with both palms, positive of how pink she was now. A murderous glare of hers was shot to the calm, teasing younger girl, who continued tasting her Earl grey as if she didn't release a disaster just now. So what the poor girl could ever do now is silently moan, curl up on the sofa, and smother her face with a lying pillow. Who knows? Maybe if she pressed hard enough, she could die of suffocation.

"Ma~!" The muffled, grim wail caused the fangirling elder to halt.

"Now don't you Ma me! Why didn't you tell me all along? Oh, Ri would be thrilled! And for the love of God, do tell me all about him, child!" Yanking the cushion away from her shrinking granddaughter, she ushered her to spill the golden beans. "What's his name? Is he Korean? How old is he? How did you two meet? Is he nice to you-"

The bothered female huffed while shifting in her place. What sorcery is this! She's planning a bloodbath to happen in a war, and they're here discussing her lovelife? "Oh, calm down, Ma! I couldn't even catch half of the word's you were chirping just now. Alright, his name is Luhan-"

"Luhan? That name does seem familiar for a reason or so." Watching her granddaughter reacting to her mumbling with a questioning gaze, she quickly urges her back to the main conversation. "Nevermind, dear. I'll think of it while you describe him. Now keep going."

"As from the name, you could tell he's not Korean - obviously. He's a full-blooded chinese that was raised in South Korea. 18 and a half. Us meeting was a mistake, and it wasn't a pleasing to watch either. We were at each other's throats for a while, before we decided to cool it down and came as friends." She paused to catch her breath. Normally, she wasn't always the one who got the entire attention of people around her, so this was plain awkward. "And yes, he's very nice to me. The best boyfriend I could've ever got for myself."

"That's very nice to hear, dearie." Her grandmother murmured, distracted by her swarming thoughts. As the pleasant visit continued with jokes and amusing incidents to tell, her grandmother froze with a sudden. "Now I remember why the name seemed familiar." She paled.

Hyemi's playful demeanour clouded with worry at her grandmother's ashen face. "Ma, what's wrong?"

The principal shook her head while glancing at her grandmother, lines of unease hidden between her eyes. "I suppose he didn't tell her." Placing her fingertips on the side of her head to ease the upcoming headache nearing, the youngster's eyes spun to Hyemi. "Do you remember what I've told you about the pendant's history? How it was mistook by your mother of thinking it was with your father's close friends?"

"...Yes?"

"They were Luhan's parents."

Her eyes almost popped from her sockets as the strings attach themselves. Her heart migrated to her tight throat before falling down to her stomach. "What?" The sound of her voice is so high it makes the word between her lips unaudible. She's so sure that she's paralysed until she actually stands up.

And starts to run.

Someone is shouting for her from behind but she can't hear anything through the weird haze muting her senses. Voices are warbled, some too high and some too low yet she can do nothing but search for the door. Turn left. Dodge a wall to the right and keep running until you near a dozen set of doors. Then stomp to the seventh door of the left and demand your boyfriend's presence. Luhan will calmly exist the room to question her sweating, panting and she will slap him so hard then hug him.

Okay, she'll not slap him.

Maybe smack his head.

Rapping on the hard surface of the damned door of his room, silence greeted her back and Hyemi questioned her boyfriend's ability of hearing. Unknown to her, the door is unlocked and she doesn't know that until her palm rests on it to break the door open. "Luhan? Luhan?!" Her tone is fierce and soft as she peered in.

But all she found is Kris, who was kneeling by a bed post of his bunk, hunched over a paper. "He's gone." Tone grave with grief, their eyes met.

Writing this chappie was an effing nightmare. 8 and a half pages. I need to lie down.

If there's mistakes, I'm sorry. I will edit this later. Now I will eat my hamburger.