"You look like a derelict one-night-pay diva."

I groaned. My neck was suddenly throbbing in pain. I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar room. This wasn't my room. Because I was usually alone in my room and -

Sojin!

I straightened up, squinting my eyes to adjust to the poor illumination.

"Did you perform in place of Yixing tonight?" Sojin's tone was a mixture of reverence and skepticism. And maybe a hint of joshing around.

Hah. I may not have been as good as Jongin or Sehun but I did cause a lot of shouting and squealing among the ladies tonight. She should've seen me perform.

"Yeah, I didn't have a choice."

"Bummer." She frowned. "I should've watched you. Anyway, d'you want a hand removing your make-up?"

But I thought I'd removed them already? "It's not..?"

She shook her head. "Like I said, you look like an abandoned diva. Come," she said, grabbing her sling and slipping out of the room. "Don't wanna disrupt Yixing's sleep."

Why was she so concerned of Yixing? It's.. it's just not normal.

Sojin switched on the lights of the third floor dining hall. "Sit here." She motioned to a chair and sat on an opposite one.

"Did you find Yixing here?" I asked as I settled infront of her. "In the dorm?"

"Yes." She hauled out a pack of wet wipes from her bag and dragged her chair closer to mine. "When you got, uh, kidnapped, I ran immediately here. Girls aren't supposed to be allowed inside - can you lean closer? You're still so much taller even when you're seated. Okay, that's better. Thanks." She placed her free hand on my right shoulder and started off over my forehead and along the bridge of my nose.

"How did you get in if you're not allowed?"

"Their Dorm Head was luckily around so he let me in."

More like he'd been following you. Tsuh. Who'd stay in their dorm on such a festive night?

It appeared to me that I would have to talk her out into narrating her little adventure earlier. Which wasn't a problem really.

But before I could beckon her further, she spoke again. And it didn't sound nice.

"He's really nice."

The brush of Sojin's knuckles over my cheek nearly went unnoticed. "What d'you mean he's really nice?"

"Close your eyes, Luhan."

I hesitated. I imagined how vulnerable I'd be if I didn't see her while she worked my face.

She sighed. "Just the left one then."

I complied, to which I earned a small smile on her face.

"How d'you do that? I can't even wink."

It was my turn to sigh. "You haven't answered my question."

She wrapped her thumb with a sheet of wet wipes and dabbed it with a few drops of baby oil. She replaced a hand on my shoulder. "He's really nice as in he doesn't try to question my sanity every five minutes." She grimaced as she wiped the oily tissue along the corners of my left eye.

She withdrew halfway. I hadn't maintained my left eye pinched. How could I when she had just told me what I'd been doing half the time when we were together and when I was thinking about her?

"Don't look so shocked, Luhan. I'm not a mind reader." She folded the tissue to a clean side. "It's just written all over your face. Now close your eyes or I'll end up poking them."

I did as told. "Sojin, it's not what -"

"No, it's okay - I said close your eyes, you twerp! Geez," she giggled. "I know you don't intend it in a bad way. You're just being awfully honest and besides," the hand that was on my shoulder crawled up my nape until it rested at the back of my head, tilting it down. "I'm used to it, it's negligible. And at least you've still got the decency to keep your observations to yourself. Hey, tell me if it hurts, okay? They put in both liquid and pencil eyeliner, and it's just so thick."

"I'm fine, Sojin." More than fine. Didn't she have any idea what her mere touch did to me? Not to mention the sheer proximity our faces were in? I hoped she'd figure it out soon because I was dying to get myself enlightened as well.

"Luhan."

"Hm?" My lids rolled up.

"I said close your eyes! Oh my god! What is wrong with your brain? Geez!"

We both ended up laughing.

"You called for me, Sojin," I said in between chuckles.

"I didn't know the top student was this hard-headed." She pulled out a new sheet and daubed it again with baby oil. "Let's have a deal. You keep your eyes shut while I do the talking."

"And if you stop?"

"I'll keep talking, I promise."

I narrowed my eyes into slits, testing her.

"You are SO stubborn!" She scoffed at last and pressed down my lids with her mid and forefingers.

She rubbed against the edges of my eyes repeatedly. The make-up was really thick and it's no shock since the artists took a lot of time putting them on earlier. I didn't think it'd be just as meticulous removing them.

"You're not talking."

"I'm recalling what we were talking about."

"Your little adventure earlier."

"Hmm." She moved from one eye to the other, trying her best to be gentle in the midst of necessary roughness. "Yes. Er, so the Dorm Head let me in -"

"The really nice Dorm Head, you mean."

"Shut it, Luhan. What d'you have against him anyway?"

"Nothing. Go on."

When Sojin spoke again, I could sense the smile in her voice. "He led me to Yixing's room and there we found Chanyeol manning the entrance. He was so cute guarding the door as though it would run away any second -"

"What's so cute about that giant?"

"Stop all your protesting, will you? And Chanyeol is cute, for your information. Especially with his deep voice."

"All males have deep voices, Sojin. That's biological fact."

"Not as deep and husky as his. Anyway, he told me Yixing kept insisting to perform despite his high fever so Chanyeol gave the poor guy some pills - he didn't say what - but Yixing was lying prostrate when I got t