(+) baichi - idiot

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Sick. That was exactly how Alana was feeling but she grabbed her backpack and left the house anyway. Her eye bags seem to grow heavier now, as she stayed up till 3 in the morning last night to complete the tasks that were assigned to her. Once she stepped into the car, she checked her bag once more to see if all of the things needed for the exhibition were brought together to school with her.

Last night, she made a few phone calls here and there, to make sure that the supplies needed for the exhibition would arrive to her school today. Alana had personally typed out the permission letter with one of the many typewriters her family owned, and photocopied them before organizing them into the proper order so that it would be easy for her to distribute it to the involved students.

Alana made up her mind that the decorations will handmade done by the art club’s students itself, well, --- they are the Art Club members after all, correct? So why bother wasting money on decorations when each and every one of the member of the society had their own talents in art? Alana had preordered a huge white cloth for the exhibition’s banner to be painted by a few assigned members.

She had also ordered a number of easels so that it would be easy for the canvases to be displayed. To beautify the Auditorium in an elegant manner, Alana thought that it would be wise to lend some of the ceramic vase that had been sculptured by a few of the Art Club’s members itself.

And according to the agreement that Alana had made with the dealers last night, the things needed would arrive to her school today or by the latest, the day after, Friday.

The limousine came to a stop and Jiho rushed to her door to open it for her. Placing his palm onto her forehead, he frowned when he felt how hot Alana’s forehead was. “You’re feverish.” He pointed out. Alana brushed that matter away and walked away from her driver. Jiho caught her wrist and tugged her towards him.

Lowering down to her height, he said, “Hey, don’t overwork yourself. If you’re feeling ill, just give me a ring, alright?” Alana fidgeted with her fingers and obediently nodded. “Okay.” She meekly replied. She wasn’t feeling at her very best at the moment, but she came to school today because she had some matters to solve. Personal matters, and un-personal matters, --- that is.

Jiho climbed back into his seat and shook his head. His master was sick, yet she chose to come to school, --- earlier than usual, if you ask. *How very un-normal of her.* He thought as he drove away.

Alana watched Jiho drive away and finally turned towards her school. Cracking her knuckles, she stared hard and long at the building before walking into it. Wasting no more time, she headed straight to the dancing studio, --- the very reason why she appeared early to school today.

Pausing her tracks by the studio’s door, she gripped the door handle tight, causing her hands to shake. She slid the door vastly, and that shocked the population that was in the room, currently. All eyes were on her petite body. Jongin smiled seeing her. “Babe!” He said in delight, but that just made Alana’s stomach twist and turn more.

Venomously, she commanded, “Everybody get the hell out. Except for Kim Jongin.” Alana’s body shook in rage, and images of the incident that took place the day before flashed through her mind. When she realized no one took her seriously, she screamed, “NOW.” jolting everybody up from their place and scrambling away from the dance studio.

Stepping into the room, she slammed the door behind her shut. Jongin tilted his head in confusion, and started, “Missed me so much that you had to shoo them away?” He smirked and stood up from his seat to pursue towards Alana’s direction.

She closed her eyes and heaved a breath. “Kim Jongin.” Icily, she said. It was then only realization hit Jongin that this was a serious problem. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Softly, he implied as he bent down to look into her eyes.

Alana flipped her eyes open and took this chance to do what she always wanted to; --- she raised an arm into the air and slapped his face, hard. The whole studio echoed from her slap.

Jongin froze in his place for a while, trying to process what just had happened. “Did you just, ---“

“You broke a rule in our deal. We are over, Kim Jongin.” Without another word, she turned around to leave the room but was held back by him. Latching his hand onto her wrist, he pulled her towards him, confusion clearly in his eyes. This made Alana surprised; --- surprised because she was so sure it was Jongin who had revealed the truth to her friends.

“W-W-What are you talking about?” Jongin stuttered. Alana’s mouth hung agape. She had never seen Jongin stuttered before, even before she got intimate with him or after. *Is he perhaps, not guilty?* She tried to wisely think. But blinded by her emotions, she stepped backwards from Jongin and shook her head.

“It was you, wasn’t it? My friends know about the real me. They all know.”

“You told them, didn’t you?”

Lost for words, Jongin stuttered once more, “I-I-I----,”

“Cut the act, Jongin. Only you knew about this. Who else would have informed them? Unless if you had blurted this out to someone else already.” Alana scoffed.

“Look.” Jongin muttered as he moved closer towards her. “I may be a flirt, I may deceive people, but I never, ever, ever turn my back towards someone nor stab someone in the back.” With each syllable he said, he marched a step towards Alana, forcing her to be trapped against the wall and him.

“Liar.” Bravely, Alana looked at him in the eye and said.

Jongin chuckled to himself and pressed his body closer towards hers. “And I am certainly not a liar.”

“I am South Korea’s crown prince, remember?” He muttered bitterly.

Still in the state of denial, she hit his chest hard and shook her head. “No, you’re the only one who knew about this. No, no, no.” Alana repeated. Jongin didn’t let go of her though, he pressed the palms of his hands onto the mirror that was behind Alana’s back. He stared at her hitting his chest silently, and not doing anything to stop her from hitting his chest.

Soon enough, the tears came.

Jongin in his breath and looked at the ceiling of the studio. “Damn! I’m a er for girls who cry.” He hissed to himself. Alana grew tired from hitting his chest and finally surrendered. She let her arms dangle onto her side as she sobbed into his chest.

“Hey, hey, look at me Alana.” Jongin raised his thumbs to wipe her tears away. She continued to sob, her eyes avoiding his eyes, feeling slightly guilty for slapping him across the face. A small part of her convinced herself that he deserved it, nonetheless.

“W-W-ho e-e-else w-w-wou-l-l-d?” She choked, the never ending tears flowing from her eyes. No one could even imagine how she felt right now. Losing six friends altogether at once, it is any more excruciating than any pain in the world. Alana felt absolutely like a fool right now, crying in front of the very least expected person for her to.

Alana had always hated crying, she thinks that crying was the gesture for the weak, --- as in, only weak people would cry. The last time she cried was when she was 5, --- the age where she lost her mother. “Alana.” Firmly, Jongin whispered. He lifted her chin so that she would finally face him in the eye, and she did.

“I’ll find out for you, okay? I promise.” Jongin said, sincerity clearly evident in his eyes. Pushing her head towards his chest, Jongin let her cry and continue to whisper sweet nothings into her ears. *You deserve to let it go, you’ve been keeping this all for so long.* “If it makes you happy, I’ll sacrifice.” He whispered, audible only to his ears.

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Alana called in sick on Friday but she felt a wave of relieve taking a break from school, instead of the usual insecure feeling. After confronting Jongin, she spent most of the time in the school’s Auditorium, preparing for the future art exhibition. She had sent Jiho to school today, to check up on how everything was doing with the preparations.

As the chairman of the Art Club, she wanted everything to be in absolute perfection.

She rested in bed all day, not sparing a thought on Luhan even for a second. She decided that she would put that problem into hold, no matter how much it was affecting her emotionally, as she had much more things to worry about, such as her birthday.

You might think birthdays are normal for people, but not for Alana, --- at least not this year. Her 17^th birthday meant her coronation day, --- the day that she would be officially the crown princess to the eyes of her people.  A nervous yet jittery feeling build in her chest, she wasn’t ready for this position yet but she knew she was born for this.

Originally, she had intended to invite Luhan and her friends to her birthday bash, altogether telling them the truth, slowly, but that plan would have to be crossed out of her list, unfortunately.

Alana impromptu sighed, --- there she goes, thinking about the Luhan boy and her friends again. She looked down onto her lap and stared at the blank page of her sketchbook. She pondered over what to draw, and when finally an idea came across her mind, she smiled with satisfactory and held a firm grip onto her pencil.

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Luhan heaved a breath as he parted away from his pals after Chinese class. Alana was absent, yet again today and this made him worry a bit. *Was it perhaps from the rain during our encounter two days ago?* Luhan thought as he walk his way home. Today, every student in his school received a flyer on an upcoming art exhibition that was going to be held at Victoria’s Institution, --- her school.

Wufan was thrilled to go, as he claimed himself the ‘Picasso’ of the group. Luhan snickered. *Yeah right, more like, lamecasso.*He stopped in his tracks when he halfway passed the familiar mansion, ---- or palace, --- since he knew of her identity now. *I wonder how Alana’s doing. Is she sick?* When he realized what he did, Luhan hit his head softly and whispered a low ‘baichi’.

*There you go again Luhan, thinking about Alana.* He sighed and glanced at the palace once more, before walking pass by it.

*I am such a fool, for misconcepting her wealth and not think earlier that she was a princess, after all.*

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Chapter 9 was actually written specifically for a friend that I had lost. As I typed the seven pages, my mind was thinking of her. No, she did not die, or passed on, we just ... drifted apart. No actually, I was the y one that left her and sooner or later, she got fed up of my and left me. By then, it was too late. We couldn't be fixed anymore. I would do anything to bring her back, really. This is not some internet friend that I could easily forget. She has changed me, in the greatest way, and she changed me for the better.

Okay enough talk about my past--life. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER OMG. Pls comment. I was planning to do a double update ... but ... we shall see if anyone comments. LOL kidding. I am not that type of ed up author who blackmails her readers. Do leave a comment though. To my new suscribers, HELLOOOOOOO MY NAME'S TUNAAAAA.

xoxo, Tuna.