“Aren’t you coming to Music Theory?” Yookwon asks Junhong curiosly. It’s after lunch and it’s time for their fine arts class. Instead of heading in the direction of Ms. Ha’s classroom, however, Junhong has turned the opposite direction.

“Nah, I don’t feel up for it,” Junhong mutters, which is the understatement of the century. There have been no more strange occurrences, no more weird voices spouting terrifying scripture, no more moving objects, but he’s still been having trouble sleeping. Every night, he lays awake with a strange tension between his shoulder blades. It feels almost like he’s being watched around the clock, but, whenever he turns to look, Sehun is fast asleep, usually with his face buried in his pillow. Junhong doesn’t know what’s going on, but he needs to get some rest or he’s really going to collapse. But he knows that resting at Peritia Academy is nigh impossible.

Yookwon chuckles. “It’s only a few months into the school year and you’re already skipping? You’re either really brave or really stupid. Aren’t you worried about getting expelled?”

“Not really,” Junhong answers honestly. Getting expelled would sort of be a blessing at this point. His aunt would be horribly disappointed in him, he knows, but it’s probably the only way she would ever allow him to leave this wretched school. Besides, after his run-ins with Ms. Han and his scholarship and his very strange acceptance letter, he’s got a sneaking suspicion that someone wants him at Peritia for a reason. He doubts he’ll get expelled even for worse offenses than skipping class.

Yookwon shrugs, shouldering his heavy bag. “Suit yourself, bro. I’ll see you in Philosophy later. If you don’t decide to skip that too, that is.” He chuckles to himself before heading off to Music Theory. Junhong is left in the rapidly emptying lobby.

He knows that he doesn’t want to go to class – he’s way too tired to listen to Ms. Ha drone on about famous composers – but he’s not exactly sure where he wants to go. His room is out of the question. He refuses to be in there by himself; if Sehun isn’t there, Junhong won’t go. He knows it’s childish, but he won’t go in alone. But he’s not sure where else he can go and not get caught by teachers. They’re pretty much everywhere. And while he’s not worried about getting in trouble, he is worried about being forced to go to class. He’s so sleep-deprived that he might just collapse.

What he really needs is a place where he can take a good long nap, but it seems that finding a place like that on the castle grounds is completely out of the question.

He’s still wandering around aimlessly when he runs – literally – into Bang Yongguk.

The elder throws out an arm to steady Junhong, who is taller despite being quite a bit younger. His face splits into a gummy grin that lightens Junhong’s heart for some reason. “Fancy running into you,” Yongguk says casually. “Again.”

“I could say the same to you, hyung,” Junhong jokes tiredly. “Are you stalking me?”

Yongguk ignores the joke. “You look like , kid.”

Junhong forces out a laugh. “Thanks for telling me what I already know.”

But Yongguk isn’t really smiling anymore. “Seriously, you look like hell. Are you okay?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Junhong admits with a sigh, running long fingers through his unruly curls.

“Shouldn’t you go back to your room and get some sleep?” Yongguk suggests. “Since you appear to be skipping class.”

“My roommate’s in our room with his girlfriend, if you know what I mean,” Junhong lies. “I can’t go back there any time soon. And aren’t you skipping class too?”

“Eh,” Yongguk shrugs indifferently. “I hate this place. The whole castle atmosphere is too Harry Potter. I don’t like it. I’m going to do some homework at this little café in town. You want to come?”

Junhong didn’t have to think twice about accepting an offer to get away from Peritia Academy, if only for a little while. “Sure.”

It turns out that Yongguk drives a rather high-end motorcycle, which he keeps in the school’s car park. Only seniors are allowed vehicles, and the car park is full of expensive cars belonging to the overly-wealthy third years. He offers his helmet to Junhong, who pulls it over his curls, too tired to complain. Then he climbs on the bike, Junhong behind him, and they head into town.

The coffee shop is a quaint little place crammed into the corner of a building. You’d probably miss it if you didn’t already know it’s there. It’s dimly lit and quiet, with comfy cushioned chairs pulled up around tabletops lacquered with old newspaper prints. There’s soft jazz music playing in the background, and only a few of the tables are occupied, mostly with university students working on papers or homework. Yongguk pays for both their drinks – which Junhong protests despite him not actually having any money – and then they settle into a booth at the back.

“Are you okay with me working on my paper?” Yongguk asks, taking his laptop out of his bag.

“No, no. Go ahead,” Junhong assures him quickly. “I don’t want to bother you.”

Yongguk smiles and gets to work on his paper, and Junhong folds his arms on the table and lays his head down. He’s asleep within seconds.

It’s hours later when he wakes up with a start from a weird dream in which the strange words Sehun had spoken to him before had been repeated over and over again in an increasingly more frightening voice. He’s forgotten where he is, so it takes him a minute to remember that he’s at the cozy little café with Yongguk.

Yongguk glances over the top of his laptop, smirking. “Have a nice nap?”

“How long was I out?” Junhong demands, wiping at a little drool on his lip. Despite the weird dreams he’d been plagued with, he feels refreshed. It doesn’t feel like he’s being watched here.

Yongguk glances at the clock on his computer. “About three hours. You really must’ve been tired.”

Junhong rubs at his eyes. “Yeah, I was. But I feel better now. Thanks for bringing me here.”

“You’ll get used to sleeping in the castle after awhile,” Yongguk promises him. “It’s hard at first, but eventually you get used to it.”

Junhong grunts noncommittally. He seriously doubts he’ll ever get used to that creepy feeling.