Jessica gets to the door before I do.

 

“Who is this?” She sounds hostile. Quickly, I run down the steps to the living room.

 

“It’s me, Chanyeol.”

 

Jessica pauses, and opens the door. “Chanyeol? Why are you here?”

 

“Luhan invited me.” Chanyeol says. “Didn’t he tell you?”

 

Jessica turns slowly to me, currently standing frozen in the living room. Her eyes shoot daggers. “No.” She moves back to allow Chanyeol to enter, and Baekhyun follows right behind.

 

“Oh, yes, this is Baekhyun.” Chanyeol introduces. Baekhyun waves, looking tense. I wonder how much he knows about the relationship between Jessica and me.

 

Jessica looks at them contemptuously, and then turns to leave. Chanyeol mouths the word ‘ouch’, but I shake my head because it doesn’t hurt.

 

They sit.

 

“So, what do you have for me?” Chanyeol questions, inquisitive.

 

“A book.” I take the book out from behind me, and pass it to Chanyeol. Chanyeol’s eyebrows shoot up his forehead, while Baekhyun makes a face.

 

“What?” I bristle at him.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t seem to notice my aggressiveness. “That’s disgusting.”

 

I peer forward to look at it one more time. I don’t find it disgusting, it’s just… mysterious. Swords and dragons, Warlocks and Wizards. Mossy, old locked books fall under that category.

 

“It’s old,’ and that’s all Chanyeol says as he runs his fingers tentatively over the cover. He flips it to the back, and his frown deepens.

 

“This isn’t the type of book you’d find in your attic, Luhan. Look at all this moss. It’s at least seventy years old. These stains… I don’t think you want to know.” Chanyeol looks up and meets my eyes. “Whadya want to do with it?”

 

“Unstick the pages.” I say, running a hand through my hair.

 

Baekhyun snickers.

 

Chanyeol looks at me as if I’m crazy, and flips open the cover page.

“It’s open.”

 

I gape. It was- I couldn’t open it minutes ago.

 

“How-how-“

 

“Luhan, the pages have been stuck together ages ago, with what I don’t know. It’s obviously been locked in some cold cellar sometime. It’s warm here, so obviously the pages will, as you call it, unstick themselves.”

 

I grab the book from Chanyeol and try the second page. The frown returns. “Then what about the other pages?”

 

“It’ll take a while. Be patient, will you?” Baekhyun teases, grinning madly. “Tell me what’s so special about this book, Luhan. I want to see.”

 

“No.” A strange sense of possessiveness overcomes me, for this old, smelly book. I put it under my arm. “ Give me a minute.” And I disappear up the stairs.

 

Once in my cozy attic bed, I grab the book and slowly pry open the first page. There’s no foreword, no author’s note, no content’s page. Just a big ‘1’ on the top to denote what I guess is the chapter, and the many words underneath. Straight to the point. Hmm.

 

What an interesting discovery.

 

I touch the number 1 and realize that there’s a roughness to it, like old sandpaper.

 

1

 

Once, there was a boy.

 

Good. A fairy tale, I suppose.

 

He had a family, not one that he chose.

 

But who ever choses their families?

 

He broke all his promises, and he dwelled in his guilt.

 

I gulp. It sounds too familiar. My brain mocks me, ‘been there, done that’.

 

But he forgot the ones that he had actually kept, the ones his family never met.

 

And he realized, for once, how prejudiced he had been, how love had made him biased and unforgiving, how life had divided the blame unfairly.

 

The last sentence makes my heart stop and leap to my throat, makes my stomach swirl and my eyes widen in shock.

 

How he had misunderstood himself, so deeply, that he made the mistake of pretentious prevention.

 

The mistake of pretentious prevention.

 

This book… it can’t be.

 

But I know what I have to do.

 

 

 

[Yoona]

 

Well, well, well. Luhan finally wants to meet me face-to-face for the first time in four months.

 

Wow. What great self-restraint he has. And that’s not sarcasm in my tone; it’s pity. Self-restraint can be a terrible thing. Maybe it would be easier for him if he actually gave up that big ego of his.

 

The café that he chose, well, it’s not fancy, but not too casual either. It’s not one of his tastes; it’s one of mine. I always liked Italian food. This is a first. But, of course, eating out with him alone is a first in a long time, too.

 

But I guess it’s unfair of me to assume that he’s self-centered. It’s just- he’s always so wrapped up in his fame…

 

Then Luhan walks through.  I hold my breath. His eyes find mine, and the look on his face is…troubled. I break eye contact. I’m not supposed to care.

 

“Hey Yoona.” His voice is hesitant.

 

“Hi.” I reply. I look at him again. He looks disturbed. And…calculated. He’s thinking, he’s observing. He’s scheming. I narrow my eyes.

 

“So, why the meeting today?” I keep my voice neutral, although I’m excited and angry and sad all at once. Too many feelings to hold in, but I try.

 

“I…” Luhan drags the word out as he sits. He steeples his fingers under his unshaved chin.

 

“Let me guess. You need something from me.” I say, my voice cold. I can’t help but let my anger show. He needs contacts. He needs advise for advertisements.

 

Luhan looks surprised, confusing me. Wouldn’t he normally be denying it?

“Yes, I do need something.” He says, leaning forward, his face reddening. Disgust and pity and the feeling of that empty cavity in my heart shoots through me. He’s finally being honest.

 

“What do you need?” The moment I say that, I regret it. Once again, I agree to his requests. I always do.

 

“I need…I need…” Luhan fumbles for words, but he finally finds them.

 

“I need…my courage.”