My legs rooted to the ground as I suddenly realized the risk I took, running into the forest alone—without anyone knowing where I was.

It was dangerous. The person I once knew was dangerous.

The moonlight shined through the dense tree branches until I could make out a figure in the distance. It was Sehun, but he was unrecognizable in his newly transformed body while hunched over and on all fours. He panted rapidly until it somewhat frightened me.

And worst of all, he demanded I stay away from him.

“Don’t come any closer.”

I couldn’t recognize his voice.

I lifted a shaky hand to my face and covered my mouth in fear. My instincts told me to run, run far away from here and never look back until the memory of what I saw slipped away like the leaves beneath my feet.

I managed to blink a stream of tears when I looked away. I was starting to panic. I quickly glanced around at my surroundings to see where I could escape from, and if I should escape at all.

There was no time to think.

This was a bad idea in the first place.

I removed my hand from my face and steadied myself on a nearby tree. My feet slowly stepped back, silently. I only made it a few paces backward before my foot crunched on a twig and gave away my position. I looked down at my foot for only a millisecond before I looked back up to witness Sehun’s ears twitch and his head turn to detect me. His eyes were a flash of fiery yellow orbs in the shadow of the moonlight.

It was as if one of the terrors I imagined came to life and was prepared to attack.

He growled deep within his chest and turned his whole body around in an animalistic approach. I watched in horror as he crawled toward me, baring his teeth while causing the wind to instantaneously silence itself.

This wasn’t my friend.

This was a monster.

The next thing I knew I was running away from the clearing at full force. I wanted to scream into the darkness, but something prevented me; the fear ran straight from my heart and went deep down into my soul until I could feel my hands and lower lip shake with each bolt across the grass.

I tried restraining myself from looking back, but I couldn’t help glancing over my shoulder: thankfully, I no longer saw the creature where I left him. The spot where he sat, hunched over in the clearing, was empty—abandoned, almost as if he were never there in the first place. I immediately stopped running and turned around to take another good look.

It wasn’t my imagination; he was gone, and I was left only with my fears and the cold air around me.

I finally exhaled a dizzying breath and leaned on a tree trunk. I was panting, gasping for air that wouldn’t enter my lungs quick enough, but at least I could finally let my guard down.

Almost as soon as I squatted down onto one knee to catch my breath, a bone-chilling howl cut through the thick silence of the forest. My pupils dilated and I instantly sprinted away. I didn’t know which direction was right anymore, all I knew was that I needed to keep moving. He was here somewhere, and if I stayed in one spot for too long...he would catch me.

And I didn’t want to find what would happen if he did.

I only ran a few feet ahead before I tripped over a protruding tree root and skidded into a pile of dead leaves. I cried out, but immediately slapped a hand over my mouth and sobbed into it. I felt like I twisted my ankle, because when I tried to stand up and run again, I heard a crackling sound, followed by another tumble to the ground.

No! This can’t be happening, not now!

I started hyperventilating and flailing my body around. I needed to move to a safe spot, fast.

I army-crawled my way to a nearby tree and propped my back up against it to stay out of harm’s way, but I was still stranded, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Uncontrollable sobs spewed from my dry lips at the frightening realization that I could lose myself to the boy I once knew—the boy I once loved. I shoved my face into my dirt stained hands and cried aloud. I wanted to be friends with Sehun so badly, that before I knew it I had fallen in love with everything about him. I finally accepted the truth, but it was ultimately pathetic because I completely brought it upon myself—I was the one who pushed myself into his life. I was the one who showed him my soft side. I was the one who cared too much and put my heart on my sleeve. I was the one who let him get over our kiss when I desperately wanted to continue our relationship from there. I was the one who secretly looked at him more than a friend. I was the one who followed him out here with curiosity and concern.

I was the one who was a fool.

And now, just like everything else, there was no turning back.

My sobs were audible and it made me cry even more, because at this rate, he was bound to find me. I wasn’t hiding my position anymore, I just sat in my pitiful state and hoped that he disappeared elsewhere.

I looked over the back side of the tree trunk to detect any trace of him. Thankfully, the trees were still and the coast was clear. I slid down the tree trunk and extended my ankle out. It was swollen and dirty from what I could distinguish in the dim moonlight. I massaged it tenderly and in the throbbing pain, trying to calm the adrenaline rush resurfacing on my skin.

When I leaned back and was about to close my eyes, a quick shadow dashed across a thin streak of moonlight above my head. I froze in place and started to breathe heavy gasps out loud. It was so fast, I prayed that I imagined it. I slowly shifted my weight to peek over the other side of the tree. I looked around the dead grass and saw nothing there. Only an inhuman silence followed by tusks of the wind.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my nerves by breathing into my shirt and making my body as invisible as possible. I needed to stay calm and hide behind the tree for however long it took—until the creature was gone and I was able to make my way back to campus.

A few minutes passed and the trees started to dance, creating a shower of leaves to fall onto my sprawled body. I went rigid and jumped, brushing the numerous leaves off of my shoulders.

I stopped moving until even my heart rate went motionless—I suddenly felt eyes on my body. The hairs on my neck stood up and I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Someone…Something was watching me.

A few leaves above me fell down on my head and made me scream out loud. I slapped a hand over my mouth and started to sob. There was no end to this, if I wasn’t going to get attacked, my nerves were going to be the death of me.

The wind took a new direction and vanished into thin air. I was able to hear every little sound throughout the forest in that moment, so I kept calm and cocked an ear.

A heap of leaves fell down on top of me, but the wind wasn’t blowing.

I quickly looked up at the top of the tree and saw a figure with two large yellow orbs, crawling through the branches, heading straight toward me.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, but it only made him jump faster down the tree.

My eyes widened in pure horror as the scene of my death happened right before my eyes:

He jumped down the last branch and landed directly in front of me. I flailed my body backward and tried crawling away from him but he was so agile, he appeared on top of my body in the blink of an eye. My body paralyzed with the hypnotic image of his golden eyes directly above my face. I wanted to cry out for help, fight back, or even tell him to stop and not to hurt me, his friend, but the trauma was too much to handle. My vision blackened from the corners until I saw stars and everything went blurry. My eyes rolled into the back of my head.

I was dying.

The last image I managed to grasp, was a sharp row of rabid teeth.

***

The lighting is too dim, I can’t see anything...

I opened my eyes more, but everything was still too blurry. I couldn’t focus at all.

A figure passed over my head and closed my eyes for me. I knew the figure was saying something, but the voice was too muffled for my ears to detect any words.

I fell into darkness.

***

The world was a blur the next time I woke up. It was burning bright in the room, but I still couldn’t make out any shapes.

Am I going blind?

I squinted my eyes and tried to speak, but found it difficult. My jaw wouldn’t open.

I slowly closed my eyes and could hear an arrangement of sounds—multiple voices, speaking around me. I felt like I was listening underwater, because I still couldn’t distinguish any words.

I fell back asleep.

***

I finally opened my eyes with clear vision. I was laying down, facing a ceiling that wasn’t recognizable at all. There was an oxygen mask hooked up to my face and tubes inserted in my nostrils. I could hear the faint beeping of my heart rate on an EKG machine somewhere in the background

What is this? What’s going on?

I looked around the enormous room and saw a couple of ceiling fans spinning unnecessarily slow. I tilted my head—with a larger amount of effort than expected—and saw rows and rows of empty hospital beds.

I’m in the infirmary.

An IV was hooked up to one of my arms while the other was encompassed by a body; a sleeping figure laid it’s head beside my thigh and breathed muffled sighs into the sheets where I lay. Almost immediately, I recognized the long eyelashes and luminescent face, and knew it was no other than Oh Sehun.

Images of the forest and a distinct sound of him howling at the moon flashed through my mind. I almost pulled my arm away in frightful confusion, but it wouldn’t budge—my hand was interlocked between his fingers in a snug grip.

He was sound asleep, but he held onto my hand as if it were a life line.

But...why?

I rolled my head back to the center of the pillow and felt a sudden drowsiness take me over. I closed my eyes with difficulty and drifted away to the soft hums of Sehun’s snores.

“Are you awake? Come on now, it’s time you get up.”

My eyelids fluttered, but I couldn’t open them. The room was too bright.

“I need you to get up so I can give you your medicine. I have real food this time, too.”

I could smell soup and softly cooked meat. I slowly opened my eyes to tray of food on a table above lap. A male nurse stood beside the EKG machine with a smile.

I jerked up abruptly from surprise, and my chest bumped the tray, causing the water to fall over.

“Oh, goodness.” He caught it before it spilled onto the bed. “Don’t be surprised, it’s okay. Everything will be fine, lay back down.” He gently pushed my shoulder back until I listened to him and relaxed—

“It’s okay, Mr. Kim, I will take care of him.” Sehun appeared next to my bedside from what seemed like thin air. He silently approached me as he caressed a hand on my arm.

His tall body hovered over mine and protected my eyes from the light streaming from the window. He glowed under the sunlight and met my eyes in a way that made all sense of time halt. But the most shocking part of it all, was that he was back to the boy I once knew.

I felt like I was seeing him for the first time in years.

He wasn’t wearing his school uniform, instead, he sported a hoodie and sweatpants while his hair was messy and disarrayed. His face seemed tired, and I could tell his dark circles were from lack of sleep. I felt my heart jump as he locked his gaze onto mine. His eyebrows upturned with genuine concern and his eyes watered. It was a surprising change from the intense eyes he usually upheld.

“You’re finally awake.” He whispered.

Mr. Kim took out a clipboard from the side table and handed it to Sehun. “Would you be able to write down the time he took his medicine, then?” Sehun looked away from me and nodded toward the nurse. He took out a pen and also handed it to Sehun. “Feed him first, then have him take the medicine. You remember the amount, right?” His question was rhetorical as he walked around the bedside and rushed toward the exit. His phone rang, so he answered it as he shut the door behind him and disappeared from sight.

As soon as we were alone, Sehun leaned forward, his face just inches from mine, and slowly, gently, wrapped his arms around my body. My eyes went wide as he nuzzled his chin into my neck and embraced the skinship as if it were something he always wanted to do. He took a deep breath and sighed into my ear, closing his eyes.

I didn't know what to do or how to respond, so I pulled one arm up and patted the back of his head, awkwardly, until he swiftly pulled himself away. Regardless of his sincerity, I was still confused about everything that was going on and didn’t want to sink into his touch like how I would have before; I needed to find out exactly who he was, because all this time, I was fed lies to hide who he truly was—a supernatural being.

“Luhan,” Sehun sat down in the chair beside my bed and tightly grasped my hand in his own. I got goosebumps as his warmth encompassed my palm. He tried looking me in the eye, but suddenly hung his head low until his lips brushed up against my thumb.

I don’t know what to do anymore.

“I’m... I’m so glad you’re awake...” His voice shook; his face broken.

My eyes started to water.

“You’ve been asleep for about five days. I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up again...”

Five days?!

My eyes wavered and I glanced at the steady heart rate machine. “W-What do you mean? What happened to me all this time—?” I tried sitting up on my own, but my entire body felt sore.

He stood up and pulled the table of food off my lap then put his arms under my legs. He lifted me off the bed and put me back down until I sat upright. “You... You mean you don’t remember anything?” I could have sworn there was a bit of hopefulness in his tone; he didn’t want me to know the truth.

My face flushed at his gentle touch and I refused to look at him.

I have the power right now to deny everything and go back to the way things were...

Do I really want to do that?

No. I didn’t. I wanted the truth no matter how much it hurt.

“I—of course I remember what happened...that night...” I was afraid of the subject. Not afraid of what happened, but afraid of hurting his feelings. “I don’t remember why I’m in here, though...” I glanced at the IV and the gauze around my leg. I looked him dead in the eye with disbelief. “What exactly did you do to me?” I didn’t realize I was clenching a fistful of the sheets.

He wouldn't look at me, but that was fine. I just needed to know the truth. “...I don’t remember much in that state...” he chose his words carefully. “I remember at the last moment, when I was about to..." he glanced up and refused to finish his sentence. “I looked into your eyes, and saw how petrified and defenseless you were. That image of your face...it somehow reached my subconscious and forced me to stop.”

I straightened up, “You stopped? Stopped from what?”

“Stopped from attacking you.”

The room echoed with his words and it made me want to cry. The truth finally broke out, and I couldn’t have been more disturbed.

“What kind of...” My words choked.

His face is so gentle and sincere. I can't imagine him being a monster...

“W-What exactly are you, then?” I was shaking a little. Goosebumps trailed up and down my arms as I recalled his mournful howls at the moon.

He let go of my hand and scrunched up his face in shame.

“I’m a werewolf.” His eyes wavered and I could tell he hated this subject. “What you saw back there, in the middle of the forest, was a different part of me. A part of me I can’t control no matter how hard I try. I turn into an animal when there’s a full moon—I’m no longer a human in that state of mind, and all I want to do is hunt down prey and attack.” I winced, and he felt it. He leaned toward my face and caressed it comfortingly. “I never wanted to hurt you.” His voice cracked. “I tried my best to protect you. As soon as I realized, you passed out beneath me, it snapped me out of it. Your eyes rolled back into your head, and it frightened me. For a second, I thought I hurt you and that you...died.” he closed his eyes. “But in reality, I didn’t attack at all. I forced myself to transform back to a human as soon as I realized what I had done. You sprained your ankle and had a few scattered bruises from running through the forest, but aside from that, I didn’t cause you any harm. You got a concussion and fell into a coma, so when I transformed into a human again, I carried you back to our dorm and cleaned you up before going to the infirmary for help.”

That unnerving experience in the forest lead to a growing fear inside of me for the other half Sehun kept sealed deep inside himself. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that throughout the chaos and uncontrollable cravings, he didn’t hurt me.

I shifted my weight on the bed and bared my wrapped up ankle from the sheets. If he were to actually attack, the injuries would have been much more fatal than this.

“I had no idea...” I looked around the room and fixed my gaze on his hand still lingering next to mine. “What did the teachers say when they saw me injured? Did they interrogate you?”

He shook his head, “No, thankfully they didn’t. I claimed you fell from the top of the stairwell and passed out. The nurses believed it, so neither of us got in trouble.”

I sat back on the bed and sighed, “That’s a relief...”

So I’m on his side now?

“Luhan, I’m sorry. For everything. I didn’t know you would be there that day when I transformed...”

So how long did you plan to hide this from me?

“—I’m not the monster you think I am.” He held onto my hand again, but I felt tears well up, so I looked away from his sincere gaze.

I pursed my lips. “Sehun...” I didn’t want to say it. “Should I be afraid of you?”

I knew he was shocked to hear those words come out of my mouth, but there was no use avoiding it. I needed an explanation, a reassurance that he was the man I knew; the man I loved...

He swallowed his spit and looked up through his eyelids. “Are you afraid of me?”

His voice echoed in the pale room almost as much as it echoed in my head.

Was I afraid of Sehun?

It took me a moment to answer him, and I knew it hurt his feelings, but I couldn’t help it. “No... I—I’m not sure.” The look on his face crushed me,  so I quickly added, “You may have told me your biggest secret, but I still don’t know anything about you. How can I be afraid of someone I barely know?”

He rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Luhan, you don't know much about me for a reason. Everything about me is...difficult. My past, in general, is really complicated—”

“Doesn’t matter. We have all the time we need." I gave him a small smile for support. "You can start by telling me how it’s possible for you to be a werewolf...”

He ran a hand through his hair, pulling his sideburns behind his ear in his peculiar little habit.

He situated himself on the chair—I could tell this was going to be a long explanation. “You see, this is what I was afraid of, because honestly I can answer any other question except that one.”

“What do you mean? Do you not know how you—” I sized him up. “—became this way?”

He took a moment to reply, “I know that sounds strange, but it’s the truth. You see, I was adopted recently...”

Oh.

He cast his gaze away but I caught his eyes just before they flashed with anger. “I’ve been an orphan all my life, so there weren’t any records of my existence until I was found by an orphanage at age two. Nobody knew where I was from or who my family was; only that my name was Oh Sehun."

...A lot of things make sense now. 

“I was adopted a few months ago by a wealthy man from around here. He owns a large corporation, but he doesn’t have anyone to inherit his wealth and business. He found me at the orphanage and took me under his wing by placing me in this school—the best school in the country.” He suddenly smiled, which surprised me. “At the orphanage, all of my friends kept leaving and getting adopted, but I was always the one left behind... Well, myself and another childhood friend, but that’s beside the point. When a high class man like my father came into my shabby room at the orphanage, he took one look at me, then claimed me. The headmaster warned him of my ‘mischievous ways’ but he still wanted to adopt me...I honestly thought my father was a fool.” He snickered at himself with nostalgia in his eyes. “Getting adopted was always an accomplishment, so even though it was my last legal year to be held at an orphanage, my childhood friend assured me it was better late than never.” Sehun laughed with his entire face, rubbing his neck nervously.

This time I was the one who smiled along with his little humor. He had a twinkle in his eye when he saw the tension drop a notch between us.

“So, what was it like living in the orphanage, being so different from everyone else?”

His smile faded for a second.

He really, really didn’t want to talk about it.

“It was the hardest part of my life.”

I can imagine.

“I looked different from all of the other kids, so not only did the adults despise me, I was also isolated by the other orphans.”

What was so different? I glanced all over his face to find the fault—flawless skin, arched brows, peculiar lips, sharp jawline?—but the only one I could think of was being too good looking.

“My hair was lighter than this when I was little, and my eyes were different too—”

I raised an eyebrow, “Your eyes?” I looked at him closely and analyzed the almond brown shade. “What happened to them? They are a bit light, but they aren’t strange at all. They look beautiful.” The words slipped out unknowingly before I could stop myself, but all he did was smirk.

He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again to meet my gaze. “This is my real eye color.”

The golden orbs I witnessed back in the forest flashed before me. Only this time, they were complemented by a soft and handsome face. He reminded me of an animal in that moment, but it was far from frightening; it was stunning.

“How are you able to do that?” I reached out to his face as if in a trance and brushed my thumb up against his cheek. I felt like I was being hypnotized.

He blinked again and they went back to a safe almond shade. “I learned to control a lot of my powers throughout the years, but it wasn’t always this way.”

“What do you mean?”

 “It took a lot of trial and error. The first time I transformed, I was about three years old. I hurt my childhood friend throughout the chaos because I didn’t know how to control my powers. When the sun came up, I went back to being a human and ultimately cried for help because I didn’t know what was going on. The headmaster had me locked up in the basement for weeks because he somehow knew I was the one who caused the damage.” He swallowed his spit. “Everyone thought I was a violent child at night. As the years went on, I figured out I was a werewolf and realized—full moon or not—I needed to escape through the windows and run away at night. I would come back as soon as morning arrived and nobody would know I was gone... It was a hard life to live, but I had to do it.”

Pity welled up inside of my chest, but I dismissed it instantly.

He deserved more than that.

I looked up at him and placed a heart onto my chest. “Did anyone ever find out what you were?” My question wasn't sudden, but it still surprised him and bought him to stutter.

He glanced at me, then looked away. “No, no one ever found out.” He let go of my hand and rubbed his clammy palms. He smiled slyly, “For some reason, Luhan, I felt like you could tell I was ‘different’ even before you saw me transform.”

I cocked my head because I had no idea what he was talking about.

I always thought he was weird, but not this weird.

“Even now.” He held onto my hands again. “You can tell because of the sole fact that my hands are extremely hot.”

I looked down at our hands and could feel the heat radiate from his fingertips.

He was always unreasonably warm when I touched him, even when we were outside in the cold...

“Werewolves have extremely high body temperature, which is why I never needed a coat, but you still nagged at me to take one anyway.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his sarcastic face, and nod for him to go on. “That’s actually pretty cool... What other werewolf powers do you have?”

He sighed and smiled with a of his lips. “I’m also really fast. I can disappear from sight when I run and use my powers. It’s actually really handy...”

“Is that how you—” I stopped myself, because during those times, I thought I was imagining things. Sehun saw me contemplate with my words, but nodded for me to go on. I sighed, “I remember when I was alone a few times in the courtyard—even before I met you—I thought I saw a figure in the distance, but when I looked back up...”

I sounded crazy, but Sehun’s lip twitched a little.

“Yeah, that was me.” My eyes turned wide and he nodded. “I’m the one that should be surprised, though. I wasn’t planning on being seen...”

Wait, does that mean he’s been watching me?

“I didn’t want people to see me back then, so I ran from class to class and made myself as discrete as possible.” He added.

My face turned red all of a sudden, so I coughed awkwardly to hide it. “Um, what other powers do you have?” I was truly intrigued.

He blushed, which made him look simplistically cute. “Well, I’m...a little strong...”

I laughed, “Oh, please. Don’t brag about yourself now!”

“I’m not! It’s true, I promise!” His face turned beet red.

I was glad we relieved some of the tension and spoke normally again. For a moment, it was as if nothing supernatural happened between us at all.

“You know how werewolves resemble dogs, in a way, right?” He input, rather embarrassed.

“Yeah, it explains why you are such a messy and unorganized person.”

He rolled his eyes, but smiled naturally. “No... I have keen senses. I can hear, see, and smell things from a large distance.” I made a face at the word ‘smell’ and he laughed. “I think it’s about time I tell you this, but when we first met, you lost a couple of your belongings...”

My eyes went wide, “Oh my God, no way.”

He nodded with a smile. “Yes. I was the one who brought you all of your things back. I found your papers on top of Building No.2, your scarf in the middle of the courtyard, and your notebook in your classroom. I already knew your scent because I lived with you, so all I needed to do was follow the trail...”

My eyes brightened with ecstasy, “How is that possible? You practically hated me back then! I can’t imagine you doing any favors for me.”

“I didn’t hate you...” His voice grew soft. “I—It’s hard to explain. At first I didn’t want people to get close to me because I was... I am... a monster.”

I winced at his words.

No, you’re not a monster.

He sighed to himself as he reasoned, “I kept my distance from people because I didn’t want them to find out about my werewolf side. I even built a wall between myself and my foster father because I was afraid of what would happen if someone discovered my dark side...” He drummed his fingers on my thigh and I flinched. “Actually, when I first moved into this school, everything felt like a fresh start, so I had a clean slate. I wanted to get close to people, make friends, and be normal for once. Somehow—I don't know how you did it—but I kind of ended up doing that with you. You became the first person I entrusted myself with, and I was really happy. But somewhere along the way, I realized I let you in too far. You were bound to find out my secret if I stayed too close, so I forced us to grow apart.” He paused. “The reality is, I was a creature that didn’t belong in a harmonious society. I was afraid of opening up and letting people finding out who I was because I knew that I would hurt them in the end...” he looked up into my eyes. “...just like I did to you.”

I frowned, “Sehun, you can’t blame yourself for everything.” My eyes glazed over and I looked away from him, playing with the hem of the sheets. “It’s okay, I’m fine now aren’t I? I forgive you for what you did, even if it wasn’t entirely your fault... But if you look on the bright side,” I tugged on his sleeve, and he turned to face me. “I was the first person to break you open... and that means a lot to me.”

I smiled at him, and he returned the favor with a full row of shy teeth. “Thanks...for everything” he sighed and glanced at the abandoned tray of food. He put it back on top of my lap to help feed me so that I could take my medicine. “Sorry, I got carried away and the food got cold.”

I waved a hand, “It’s okay, I’m glad everything is finally cleared up and we are finally open with each other.”

He never took his eyes off of mine. “Let me go heat it up really fast.” He stood up and walked off with the tray. I watched his back as he motioned for the door. When he came back, something occurred to me that I almost forgot about, even though it was nagging at the back of my mind when we lived together.

“Sehun?”

He hummed softly in response as he prepared a spoonful of soup.

“So, where did you go all those days whenever you wouldn’t come home?” I felt my face get hot just from asking. “I always wondered where you went, or if you were just avoiding me around campus...”

He put the spoon back in the bowl and scrunched his brows. “Well,” He blushed. “Sometimes I would leave at night because a full moon would come soon, but other times—”

“So is that why you never took night classes? Because you couldn’t commit to them because of your transformations?”

He nodded, “Yeah, but the school officials think I just have a rare illness.”

“Did you come to the infirmary often?” I paused, “Or was that just a cover up for your transformations?”

“Kind of... I needed to visit to make my ‘illness’ more believable. So, sometimes I was gone for transformations, other times I visited the infirmary for the sake of a checkup, to see if my blood was abnormal.”

“Abnormal?”

He held out his arm and traced the veins beneath the skin, “Throughout the years, I noticed that when a full moon draws near, the blood flow in my body rises. I go to the infirmary a lot during that time to draw blood and weaken myself, because if my body becomes weak, I will transform back into a human faster, or even better, not transform at all.”

“Is that why you missed school so much recently? Because you knew a full moon was coming and you didn’t want to risk transforming in front of everyone?”

“Exactly.” He set the bowl of soup down. “But this time, I tried to make myself not transform at all. I drew a lot of blood and made myself so weak, I was sure I wouldn’t become a werewolf...but...” He looked at me and shrugged.

“Things happen for a reason, Sehun. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” I sat up, “In fact, I respect you for being such an incredible human being.”

He cocked his head sideways.

“You managed to balance out school, a social life, and your ‘other half’. In the end, you did exactly what you planned and quickly transformed back into a human before things got out of control.”

He suddenly sat upright with wide eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he in his lips and glanced at me in a strange way.

I peered at him sideways, “What?” This time I was the one who cocked my head.

He looked down at the forgotten bowl of soup and tender meat. “Oh, it’s nothing...” I could tell his nose was turning a slight shade of pink.

What’s going on...?

“Here, let me feed you before the food gets cold again.” He prepared a spoonful, but I turned my face away.

“No, it’s okay. I can feed myself.”

He persisted with a hovering spoon in front of my face. “It’s all right, I told the nurse I would help you, so I will.”

“Sehun—”

The door to the infirmary opened suddenly and the nurse walked in with a clipboard. “Good evening, Luhan...Sehun.” He no longer wore his white coat.

“Mr. Kim,” Sehun sat back in his seat and hid the bowl of soup. The two of us spread apart, surprised by the nurses’ sudden intrusion. “I didn’t think you would be back so soon.”

Mr. Kim smiled and nodded, “Yes, but I have some good news.” He turned to face me. “I have your x-rays back. Thankfully, we are now sure that you only have a slight sprain. I highly recommend you wear shoes with good soles and walk on it whenever necessary. It will help bring your ankle back in shape and reduce the swelling. Your concussion was minor and the coma was more likely a result from shock.”

I blinked and tried to adjust to all of the information, “O-Okay, that’s great.”

“You can start school tomorrow, so I suggest you catch up on all of your extra work today.”

Sehun stood up, “Does that mean Luhan can be discharged?”

Mr. Kim nodded, “Yes, he can go home today. I will have one of my assistants come and give you an ankle brace before you go.” He patted my shoulder and handed me a stack of papers. “Here is your medical report. Good luck with your schoolwork, and be careful next time, all right?”

I looked up at his wrinkled face and smiled, assuring him, “I will, thank you.”

Mr. Kim nodded to the two of us, “Gentlemen.” Then briskly walked toward the exit doors leading to the main hallway.

I watched him leave then looked at Sehun. “You better hurry up and feed me so I can take my medicine before I go.”

All he did was laugh and make a run for the microwave again.

Mr. Kim’s assistant arrived just as I swallowed my last pill. Sehun stepped back quietly and turned into a little mouse as the assistant slipped on a new ankle device.

“Just use this little pump to put air in and tighten the hold around your ankle,” she pointed to the tip, “Then use the other end to squeeze air out. After that, you’re good to go.”

I held the small pump in the palm of my hand, “Thanks.” The assistant left, so Sehun came back to my side.

“How does it feel?” He ran a finger over the brace velcro.

I shrugged, “I’ll answer that in a few days.”

He laughed at me and held out a hand. I leaned forward on the bed and looked at him up and down. His grin brightened the room and sent me spinning while his hand beckoned me off the bed.

“Let me help you up,” He whispered.

I felt my chest get hot, but I still placed my hand in his while pulling off the bed sheets.

As soon our fingers interlocked, he yanked me forward until I stumbled off the bed and tripped over my weak ankle.

He cradled my shoulders steadily before I fell, and held a serious face. I looked up at him with curiosity.

“Luhan,” His eyes were hooded. His face gave me a sense of déjà vu that i suddenly craved for. He hung his head low and looked away from me. “I want promise you...that I will never hurt you again.”

His hands slid down my arms and gave me goosebumps. He let go of my body and stepped back slightly, hiding his face.

Seeing him like this made me more miserable than thankful. I honestly didn’t want him to feel bad, because the last thing on my mind was to hold a grudge against him for what happened.

He has nothing to be sorry for.

Who should ever feel sorry for being who they are?

I reached my hand up and patted his head as if he were a shy pet. “Hey, you’re still upset about that?” I poked my head underneath his gaze toward the floor. “I can assure you I’m fine, and I don’t want anything to change between us.” I took a pause and shifted my weight. I could feel my cheeks warm as I spoke, “If anything, I would like it if we...got closer.” I tilted my head sideways and closed my eyes with a smile.

It felt good to say that.

This time he patted my head. “Of course. You’re the boss now.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, “H-Hey, that’s not what I meant! I want us to be equal. Don’t feel like you’re in debt or something.”

He pulled my arm over his shoulder and helped me walk to the door. “Of course, of course.” He brushed off my words. “We will see, once you get better.”

I rolled my eyes, but still accepted his help with a flushed face.