Seol's POV

I couldn't believe what I was hearing right now. "I'm sorry." I looked at Kai as he was looking down sheepishly at the ground. "I'm sorry Baek Seol-sshi for everything. For treatly you coldly, and all that." 

I was still looking right at him. "Kai... Kai sunbaenim, it's fine. It's not your fault anyway. Suho oppa told me that your attitude changes when with new people. I understand... really." With that, Kai sunbaenim looked up from the ground and was looking right at me. "I'm also sorry for... for hurting you last night. Sehun told me that I pushed you after I fell. I'm really sorry."

I didn't know what to say. " Sunbaenim, it's okay. You were hurt. I wanted to help you. That's all that mattered." I tried to give a small smile. With that, I blushed and now it was I who was looking down on the floor.

I finally got the courage to try to look up again and that was where I saw Kai sunbaenim a bit closer to me... he was smiling. "Thank you, Baek Seol-sshi." 

I sighed. "Kai sunbaenim, you really don't have to use honorifics with me. I told the other members this, you can simply call me Seol." He was a bit hesistant at first, but gave it a try anyway. "Okay... Seol." 

With that, I smiled.

Kai's POV

After getting honorifics out of the way, Seol and I sat down on the cold ground and slowly started to talk comfortably, just like she does with the members. Now, I could see why they like her, why Tao liked her. She was definitely something else.

We talked and talked and talked. It was actually my first real conversation with Seol. "Kai sunbae-- Kai oppa?" I smiled as her was still not used to calling me that. "Yeah?" I looked over at Seol who was looking down on the cold ground and picking little weeds out. "You have known this garden longer than I have... So, why haven't you tried to clean the place up? I know for sure that this wonder will look 100x better than it already is." 

"I have tried Seol. I was so close to doing completely changing it too. It's just that, it was way too much work for one person, so in the end, I gave up." I looked over at Seol who was now looking right at me. Then, her eys brightened.

"Kai...oppa, what if I help you? I really want make this place beautiful~" Seol said as he got up looking at the entire garden with admiration. I smiled. She was something else. I loved her reaction; it was in complete sync with the garden. Other than Ji Son....

"So, how about it, oppa? Do you want to try again?" I smiled and nodded, as Seol gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen one her.

After deciding to do it tomorrow night, before her curfew, we got up and her headed back to the dining hall. 

No One's POV

It had been a while since Sehun had came back to the hall with s. Seol, and Kai did not come back yet. Tao was getting anxious. Chanyeol also, was starting to get worried. Still, no one even noticed that Kai was gone as well. "Yah, Sehun! Where did you really take her?! She should be back from whatever you told her to do!" "I'm sure she'll be back any second now..." Sehun chuckled nervously. Like his hyungs, we was also nervous on why she and Kai didn't return yet.

Then, the exo members heard the doors from behind them open, letting in a cold wind. Coming from behind that wind, they saw Kai and Seol immerge. The other members looked shocked, as Kai and Seol came back smiling at each other. 

Tao had gotten up from his seat and was headed their way. Lay and Sehun turned to each other. "Oh no.."

In a flash, Tao was hovering right next to Seol, slightly pulling her away from Kai, pulling his coast on her. With that, he brought her back to her seat. Kai's smile disappeared when he realized what had just happened. s were looking at him with confused eyes. Excluding Tao and Chanyeol who were just glaring.

"Yah, Seol-ah, were have you been? Unnie left too right after you did." With that, Seol gasped. She looked a round. Bora was right. She was gone. She could only sigh.

Sehun had seen her saddened expression and immediately felt guilty, once again.

"Oh... uh, Sehun told me that my teacher had to see me... yeah. I was leaving her room when I saw Kai sunbae---oppa coming my way. We talked and went back her together." Of course, she lied to them. She felt completely bad about it, but the garden was a secret for her and Kai to hold... with a minor exception from Chanyeol.

"OPPA?!" The other members looked at Seol surprised when she called Kai 'oppa' than sunbaenim. Seol nodded, but didn't say anything. The members looked to Kai as he shrugged it off, saying nothing as well. After calming down from one word, the members thought about Seol's excuse.

The other members nodded in agreement before Chanyeol spoke out. "Kai? Why were you out then?" Kai looked at his hyung and said nothing. Xiumin had also asked that question. "Yeah. SOrry, we just noticed that you had actually left." "Uh....uh...." s looked at him. Kai looked to Seol, who had a concerned face, as well as a curious face. Whay was he out anyway?

"Well are you going to tell us or not?" Kai sighed. "I went out because... because I was looking for Ji Son. We had a fight last night and I want to apologize." 

Kai looked up from the table and saw his hyungs faces go sour. Ji Son. Everyone shrugged it off, as they didn't want to hear anymore about that witch and returned talking to each other. Once again, Kai was left out. Seol saw his saddened expression and felt her face turn upside down as well. Kai had just expressed his kind side just moment ago. Inside, he was just a hurt child.

-FLASHBACK (GARDEN)-

"Really oppa?! I would never have seen you as a loner, not even once. SO many people know you and want to become your friend!" Kai stiffled a laugh. "Yea, I know. Before I met the other members, I was alone in the world". Seol's face saddened. "Oppa, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed." "It's okay Seol-ah." 

"I was alone in the world. My parents were divorced before I had turned 3. My father held custody of me and I never got to see my mother again. I lived with my step-siblings and stepmother. Appa was always in and out of the country. I never got to see him much. Umma was a drug addict, she never really cared for me. She only pretended to when appa was there. I was the youngest in the house of 4 children. Like umma, they hated me. I tried everything to make them like me, but nothing worked. Appa finally came back from his work, and was here to stay domestically. I was 8 at the time. I had no friends, but there was this one person. She was my bestfriend.  I turned 10 and that was when I started to meet the exo members. I had never introduced my best friend to them, I didn't know why. I spent every minute with the exo hyungs. I was already 17, turning 18 when I got the news that my family was in a car accident. No survivors. I was left alone again. My bestfriend was still there to comfort me. I was really grateful to have her. I turned 18 as the members threw me a party. I was living with Chanyeol's family at the time. I thought I had everything I could ever ask for. It was true. My best friend, the members and a "family". At 18, I meet Ji Son through a friend of mine. Eventually, we had started to go out and I finally had the courage to tell the members. I had introduced Ji Son to them. When she left, they were the ones who broke my heart. They hated her. Everything about her. Up 'till now. I never knew why."

 Kai looked over at Seol who was looking at me, her eyes filled with sincerity. "Ji Son sunbaenim, seems to have also helped you.... in the past." Kai looked over at Seol with surprise. He thought he would bad mouth her, just like how Ji Son described her, but she didn't. In fact, Kai was starting to doubt Ji Son's observation about Seol. He shook away the feeling and continued his memory.

"I was angry at the members for hurting Ji Son and I like that, so I brought her to meet my best friend. I was really exicted or her to meet her, but again, it had gone south. My best friend, the one I had trusted the most, didn't like her either. I couldn't believe it. We fought and eventually started to drift. I thought it was time for me to apologize. I went over to her house and knocked. Instead of her, her sisters or her parents answering, I was met with the house keeper. She had told me that she and her family moved... to America. I never saw her again. I regreted every single moment. I hated myself. My best friend, my family, I let her go." 'Unitl now.' Kai thought.

Kai stopped suddenly and Seol looked over at him. He was crying. Seol didn't know what to do. She patted Kai's back and tried to calm him down. Kai looked up at her and smiled. Seol returned it. "I'm sorry that I'm giving you a big burden, telling you about my life. I guess, I becam a little too trusting." Seol smiled. She heard those words before. " I know exactly what you mean oppa." Seol smiled. 

Kai stopped crying as Seol had told her story. She told it so many times, she ran out of tears. They found alot about each other in such a short time. In no time, it looked as if they had been friends forever. 

-FLASHBACK END-

The day ended and Kai was inside his dorm. Ji Son wasn't even in his mind today. Today, it was Seol. He never knew how much they could knw about each other in such a short time. For the hundredth time today, he smiled to himself. Lay and Sehun both watched him. "Hyung, what's wrong with him?" Sehun asked. Lay could only smile. Being the one who won't get much, he completely understood this. "Sehun, this is the beginning of change."

Seol's POV

The month we were given to practice a dance was winding down. Now, we had a 5 days left. I became was a nervous wreck. I tried my hardest to get the moves perfect and smooth like the other girls in my group. I got most if it down. For the thousandth time, I replayed Rainbow's 'Tell me tell me'. I started and ended right on que. I collasped to the floor of my dorm.

"How long are you going to kep this up? You're killing yourself." I turned to Bora who was in her bed and her pj's as she watched me dance again. I sighed. "Unlike some people, I have to practice." "But you don't have to. You're just nervous. I have watched you for the thousandth time and it is really good. Chanyeol oppa was right. 'You have a dancing body, use it'." 

I looked at Bora and blushed. She saw it and laughed. "Yah, yah, don't blame me for those words. I just quoted them from what Chanyeol oppa said the other day." I laughed before checking the wall clock. 11:00. I sighed before going into the bathroom and took a shower. I came out and Bora was asleep. I looked over at unnie's bed. Empty, as usual. I sighed as I jumped onto my bed. I looked outside, it was snowing again. "December just came here. If this keeps up, there won't be any snow on Christmas day." I sighed and continued to dry my hair. Suddenly I got a text.

From: ***-***-****

Are you still awake?

I didn't know who this was, but out of dear respect, I texted back anyway.

To: ***-***-****

Who is this?

From: ***-***-****

This is Kai~

Kai oppa?!? How did he get my number?! Quickly, I changed the ID to Kai.

To: Kai

Oppa, who'd you get my number?

From: Kai

I got it out of force from Sehun. 

To: Kai 

Force?! 

From: Kai

I'm just kidding Seol-ah. Anyway, can you meet me at the garden? Your not sleeping anyway.

To: Kai

What make you think that?

From: Kai

Because I can see you~ keke

"What?!" I looked out the window to see Kai up on the same damn tree he fell from. My jaw dropped. I quitely opened the window, making sure Bora wouldn't wake up. 

"Oppa, what are you doing here?!" I whispered. 

Kai oppa only smiled. "Because then, you have to come with me." 

I scoffed. "If not, I'll jump off the tree again." "You wouldn't do that." I said back. "You wanna bet?" With that, Kai stood up the branch and was really about to jump. "WAIT!" He looked at me and laughed. "I'll meet you downstairs." With that, He started to climb down. I sighed in relief. 

My hair was still wet but I put it into a messy ponytail. I put a coat over my pj's, took my phone and left out the door. I came downstairs to see Kai oppa outside. He saw me and waved. I scoffed as I opened the door. The winter breeze kindly greeted my warm body. Kai oppa and I were now off to the garden. 

"You wouldn't have really jumped, would you?" I asked. "Of course I would. I know how it feels, now I know what's waiting for me." I scoffed in disbelief. "Why are we going to the garden now?" He stopped and looked to me. "We are going to fix it." "Now?" "Yeah." With that he continued to walk. I scoffed at his straight forward answer and followed behind him. 

Kai's POV

I heard Seol shuffle behind me and I smiled. We reached the garden's narrow entrance and went in. The trees were blocking most of th snow from coming in, so the garden was a little warmer than outside. 

"So how are we going to fix the garden... OH!" Seol shocked me when I heard her scream. I turned around and saw her run towards a little pile of dirt. "That's right, you planted a seed there." She turned her head to me and nodded. She took out a water bottle from the shrub and poured it on the pile. She got up and patted of the forzen dirt of her knees. "Haha, I almost forgot to water it. Anyway, I think this book could help us out" She pulled out a book behind her. 

"Lay oppa gave this to me when I joined a gardening course. I thought it would help me in the beginning to try and tidy up the garden". Seol smiled. I took the book from her, '100 ways to recreation.' We sat down on the rusting bench and began to read. Finishing most of the first part of the book, we closed the book. I looked over to Seol who was rubbing her eyes. I smiled. Luckly, she didn't see it. 

We did as the book instructed us to do, pull out weeds and anything that was dead. We collected then in a garbage can out the entrance. After that, we raked all the dead leaves and put them into a garbage bag. We left it near the front entrance. After we took a break. I gave Seol an extra bottle of water and drank mine down. We talked once more, feeling our bond becoming closer; just like her and the other members. 

Seol checked her phone. Midnight. Imediately, she stood up. "Oppa, I have to go. I have to be at school early. I still have to practice." "Practice for what?" I asked as I stood up myself.  "It's a dance project. I was grouped with 6 other girls and we're doing a dance cover on Rainbow." I formed an 'o' with my mouth. "I'll take you back then." Seol smiled and together, we walked out the entrance and towards the girls dorm. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 days...

4 days...

3 days...

2 days...

D-DAY.

Today was the day. Today was the day of the dance assignment. Bora was warming up as she was talking to Chanyeol. They looked over at Seol, of course, a nervous wreck. Chanyeol tried to calm her down, it didn't help much. Eventually, Seol had begun to warm up as well. Their teacher took their attendance. Eeryone when into their groups... waiting to be called.