I watched her run through the crowd. Honestly I didn’t know how I was supposed to react, because I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened. The whole thing lasted for only a couple of moments; my mind couldn’t keep up with anything. But the moment I lost sight of her, my chest suddenly felt like it was about to be crushed. Like a heavy weight had been dropped over it and left there to flatten me completely. My head was suddenly pounding, my skin prickly, and my hands ice cold. Clenching them into fists I tried shoving them into my pockets.

"Oppa!" A voice broke through my train of thought. Unfortunately, I could recognize it as one of the select few that contained the trademark high pitched squeak: Queenka. Despite the pain I felt my face automatically set into a neutral mask as I turned around, finding two only a couple steps away.

Despite their varying sizes and heights, it was almost frightening how identical they tried to make themselves and how well it worked. They had similar red shoes, makeup, and hairstyles. The only thing that differed was their expressions; one had her arms crossed and her face set in a frown. The other was a step behind, her eyes angered but directed to the floor; one hand was clutching the other.

My mind suddenly flashed to the girl and her cry when her hair was pulled.

“What happened here?” The first one asked. Stepping forward she scanned the crowd that had gathered, her eyes slowly becoming slits. Within seconds the onlookers cleared out. I forgot about the people who had been watching, my gaze trained at the queenka behind her. “Who was that girl anyways?” She spoke again, looking between us.

“She–” The second queenka hesitated, never once looking up from the ground. I could feel tension build inside me as she her lips nervously. “She hit Sehun Oppa.” Her friend whipped around, her eyes growing wide.

“She what– “

“Don’t lie.” I burst, my voice dark and menacing. Both girls looked up in shock. A tiny part of me felt shocked too, but that part was being enveloped in a sudden rush of rage.

“I – “

“It was an accident.” I continued, taking a step forward. The second queenka automatically backed away and it made me angrier. Stalking forward until I was right in front of her my mouth opened, and the words spewed out before I had a chance to contain them: “She wasn’t looking and bumped into me. It was a complete accident, and then you just showed up out of nowhere and decided it was okay to–!” I stopped, realizing that I was practically shouting. Taking a breath I turned away. The rage wasn’t going away; the more I tried to contain it the more grew.

“S–she’s sorry Sehun-ah.” The other queenka spoke, coming up from behind. She stood next to her friend, their faces now identical with expressions of fear and confusion. “If she had known she wouldn’t have done anything.” I stared, listening to the words coming out of . How could she be apologizing when she didn’t even know what happened?

“Was this person someone you knew?” The queenka continued to speak, looking back at her friend. “I’d be surprised if we wouldn’t be able to recognize her.”

“And if you couldn’t?” I cut in. My voice sounded so sharp, like it was dripping with acid. “What makes you think that you’d recognize all the people I’m close with?” Both girls looked away, suddenly trying to avoid my gaze.

“W–well, I mean…what I meant was–”

“There was no way for you to know that. So don’t ever try to make it look like you do.” I wanted to find her. Without any warning the thought just popped into my mind, overcoming the anger and pain I felt.

Without giving them a chance to respond I stepped passed them, continuing straight down the hall. Any people milling around the hallways stilled and became suddenly quiet as I approached; many quickly stepped to the side, creating a clear path for me to walk through.

This wasn’t the first time I had gotten worked up from being around the queenkas. Right from the start I didn’t like them. No, it wasn’t their made up faces or girlish personas that made me think like this; in reality most of them were undeniably beautiful. But it was what was being hidden beneath those bright eyes and big smiles that I hated.

It was because of this dislike that I got the reputation of being cold and detached between the queenkas. Some managed to catch on and left me alone, but many didn’t let it stop them from at least trying stick close. In return I never let that stop me from trying to dodge them. Unfortunately, people had a natural habit of seeing past important details; many came to think I disliked being around people in general as supposed to just the queenkas. But then again, I’ve always suspected the queenkas themselves had something to do with that rumour. It was because of that my public image of being an ice cold figure – an 'icy prince' – surfaced.

Even so, I don’t mind it. In some ways I’m actually grateful for it; I can get out of having persistent crowds of people – who had suddenly decided to refer to themselves as my ‘fans’ – follow me around. Most of the time.

Normally in this kind of situation I would have had to be afraid of them noticing me walking around, especially since I’m alone. But on the contrary, they were the last thing I was thinking about.

My body was burning, as if I had been set on fire.  The crushed feeling was still there; every time I tried to breathe I felt pain inside my chest. Ever so often my head would throb, a flash of dull pain numbing my senses. My skin was sensitive, prickling at the touch of my clothes and my hands were slick with sweat. The amount of people around me, the air blasting through the vents, even the tie around my neck, all of it made me feel like I was going to suffocate. But that wasn’t what scared me the most.

Rounding a corner I began to walk faster, not even bothering to look up to see where I was going. For what could have been the millionth time, I tried to think of something plain. Something that was so incredibly boring and ordinary I could use it to get rid of the image in my mind.

The face of her, the girl I’d helped.

I don’t know why I had done it, especially since I don’t even know her. The moment I had looked at her face, something happened. It felt like the ground had fallen out from under me. I forgot about the people surrounding us; all those stares suddenly just vanished. All I could think about was how beautiful she looked. More then any queenka, maybe more then any other girl I had ever seen. Her eyes had looked so large, the color of dark chocolate. I couldn’t stop staring into them.

Stop.

Another flare of pain pressed against my temples, strong enough to make me grimace. I took a sharp turn left, switching directions to a quieter hallway.  

She looked normal at first, walking around with her books in her hands. She had such long hair, it had hung like a curtain over her face. Maybe that was why she hadn’t noticed me standing in front of her.

Don’t think about it. Stop caring about it.

I burst through a pair of double doors into a stair well, taking them two at a time. Each step matched a throb of pain at my head. I was definitely moving too fast, but I didn't want to stop. My chest still felt tight, a suffocated feeling rising up my throat.

I had seen students be bullied before. Queenkas were bad for this kind of thing, especially in this school. I always had the worse timing, walking in right as they were confronting someone. Though I’d never actually said anything to them outright, they’d always stop if they noticed me standing there. Now you’d think that would I be good for preventing this sort of thing, but that isn’t how it is. I’ve never made things better. If anything I’ve only delayed the inevitable. I only have to take a few steps away and they’d continue on like nothing had happened.

Earlier I didn’t think twice, my body reacting in front of all those people before I could even think about it. Me, the most quiet and straight faced person you could find. I wasn’t the type to get involved in any kind of situation, because I’ve always hated the attention that it drew.

But right now, I don’t feel regret. Not even a little.

Opening the staircase door I inhaled deeply, trying to catch my breath. Unlike the main floor the corridors on the second level were basically empty, only a couple people left walking around. Maybe it was because of that I could feel my headache lessen slightly. Choosing one at random I began to walk, keeping my original pace. It was lunch, so my group would be expecting me. Still, the thought of venturing back down sent a flare of pain through my head. Picking up my pace to a light jog I reached the end of the corridor and rounded the corner.

“Woah!” I jerked to a stop, nearly hitting the metal locker door in front of me. It was swung open, its owner crouched down in front of it.

“S–sorry!” My heartbeat spiked dangerously at the sound, like it was going to stop beating altogether. The voice, surprised but still soft, was suddenly very familiar. Without thinking I pulled locker door back.

She stared up at me, one hand holding a book while others remained perched on her knees. The other gripped the locker door. Her expression was shocked, slightly ajar.

“Sehun–sshi?” She said, her tone almost disbelieving. I just blinked, staring down at her.  

All around her the air was sweet. Instead of being in a school hallway, it suddenly felt like we were outdoors. I thought of spring, with warm sunlit days and cool nights; saplings drawing up from the earth and flowers blooming rapidly, revealing vivid colors. There was one in particular I could smell. It was faint, a kind of floral scent. It was so sweet; I felt attracted to it almost instantly.

“You,” It was cherry blossoms.

Placing her books on the floor, she straightened up abruptly. Without the locker door we were close, only a small step apart. Noticing that she immediately took a step back, and accidentally nudged the books next to her feet. I didn’t move, just watching her. The look in her eyes changed; the surprise fading and a hint of wariness growing.

“I, uh, bumped into you earlier.” I couldn’t stop looking at her. My eyes physically wouldn’t move from her. Was she the source of the scent?

“A-and I kind of ran off without warning…” Her eyes looked so clear, like the surrounding light had been caught within them. Earlier I hadn’t been able to see them for more then a couple seconds. Even then, I hadn’t been so close.

They were beautiful.

“I am so sorry for leaving like that.” Her face warmed, taking on a slight shade of red. “I was so surprised. I didn’t think I would crash into you.” Her words began to fumble, her speech picking up speed and volume. “S–sorry I was walking fast and didn’t even look where I was going,” Her face was scrunching up slightly, like she was struggling to find the right words. “That was really rude of me. You were trying to help and I just– you’re alright though, right?”

It was adorable. Her voice and the way she spoke, all of it was adorable.

“Sehun–sshi?”

“Huh?” I said off-beat. Wait, did I just think that?

“Are you alright?” She asked again, her voice slightly lowering.

“Oh, well y–” I stopped abruptly, the words halting in my throat. I was alright, literally. The pain I had felt was gone. Just a minute ago it had been so agonizing I nearly couldn’t stand it. I raised a hand up to my forehead, then clasped my hands together. It was just warm, nothing too hot or freezing cold. Even my sudden headache had vanished.

“A–are you hurt?” I met her gaze, focusing back to the present. Her eyebrows were knit together, a worried and slightly horrified look in her eyes. “Did I actually–”

“No, no you didn’t.” I stopped her “I’m fine.” How was I fine? None of this was making any sense. You couldn’t get sick and then suddenly get better in the span of a couple minutes.

“Really? You’re not just, saying so or–”  

“Really, I’m not. Don’t worry about it.” I felt more then alright; I felt good, and that both confused and disturbed me. Still, I couldn’t really feel those things fully; they were distant, like a fleeing thought at the back of my mind. I couldn’t focus on them, because a larger part of me wanted to focus on the present. “Actually, I should be asking you that question.” The worried look on her face vanished, a flustered one replacing it.

“N–no!” Her head shook furiously from side to side. “I mean, there’s no need. You got me out of that situation after all.” There it was again, that weird warm feeling. I could feel it spreading over me while she talked. “You helped me out a lot. So, thank you.” She began to bow, and I reached out to stop her.

“You don’t need to do that,” My hands brushed the sides of her arms, causing her to freeze. My heartbeat spiked at the contact and I quickly dropped my hands. “I mean, no need to be so formal.” It was awkward. I was awkward.

“S–sure,” She mumbled, her eyes falling to her toes. I lowered my head too, but kept my eyes on her face. The silence stretched; why wasn’t she saying anything? Did I make her uncomfortable?

“Am I bothering you?” The words came out almost as soon as I thought them. Her head snapped up, her eyes locking with mine.

“You were putting your things away,” I continued quickly “Lunch is so short. I’m probably holding you up from meeting with your friends or something.” Smooth. So incredibly smooth.

She took in my words, for a moment not saying anything. “No, I was just going to head over to the library.” she immediately knelt, stuffing the rest of her books into her locker and shutting the door. Picking up her bag she slung it over her shoulders.

“Wait,” Her eyes flickered up to mine, and I felt my heartbeat accelerate. “Did you, uh go to the infirmary?” Her brows furrowed slightly, as if confused. “I mean for your head. Those queenkas were really harsh.” My voice softened without me intending to. She heard the change, her eyes slightly averting to the floor.

Gently, I reached out. She looked up sharply, just as my hand landed on the crown of her head. “That really hurt, didn’t it?” I murmured softly. Her body remained rigid, but she didn’t try to move away. I felt horrible. Not like the pain of seeing a person next to me get hurt, but the kind as though I was the one hurt. She stared up at me, not saying anything. “This was my fault, I’m sorry.” It really felt like it was.

Her eyebrows furrowed, slightly. She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. I should have been paying attention.”

“I could’ve moved, or grabbed you so you wouldn’t fall,” I trailed off, speaking more to myself then to her. It bothered me that, like in the queenkas' perspective, she thought she was in the wrong.

“Maybe you’re over thinking this a little.” She murmured, her lips upturning a bit. The effect was more of a grimace. “It was just a slip and fall.” My face probably didn’t look too convinced because after a moment she spoke again: “It’s…fine. I don’t need to go.”

“Let me walk you there.” Her eyes fell to the floor. She didn’t reject my apology, but she wasn’t accepting it either. I needed to do something; I didn’t want to let her leave like this.

“That isn’t necessary.”

“Maybe, but we should still check. It might start hurting again later. Honestly-”  

She gazed up at me, her lashes pale in the light.

“-let’s go.” My heart was beating fast. It felt like it was about to burst through my ribcage. For absolutely no reason. Seconds ticked by between us. She wouldn’t say anything, just staring at my face, her eyes suddenly bright with… something. I wasn’t sure of what, only that I couldn’t stop staring.

“I, um–” She started and stopped, opening only to shut again. My anticipation drew up a notch. “Sehun–sshi,” I stepped forward unknowingly. She didn’t move away this time, her gaze trained on my face “your eyes,”

I blinked at her remark. For a second I couldn’t get what she meant. I straightened up slowly, my head turning to the side. Along the opposite wall was a tall display shelf, three layers wide and as long as the whole length of the corridor. All along it showcased athletic trophies and ribbons, each of them polished and gleaming. I stared into the protective glass panel in front of it, using it as mirror. The image was faded and slightly distorted, but I could see myself; the same long legs, broad shoulders, and messy hair. The details in my face were harder to pick out, but it was mostly sharp lines and angles that made–

My eyes.

I stalked forward until I was right in front of the glass panel. The face became a bit bigger, but otherwise remained the same. I blink once, hard. Then twice.

A pair of eyes stared back, burning with an intense golden flame.

“Sehun–sshi?” I swallowed hard, not trusting my voice to speak. I thought I was about to scream. The irises literally looked like they were on fire; the closer I looked the more I could make out what looked like tiny hues of gold, each shifting in and out of each other. It looked like they were swirling, morphing together to make darker shades and then gradually fade into softer, lighter colors. The effect made them look shimmering and bright, and completely unnatural against my pale face.   

Oh…crap.

“S–sorry,” I snapped up. She was standing a step behind me, her anxious face reflecting in the glass. “It was rude of me to point it out. I didn’t realize it was a…bad thing.” I turned around slowly, leaning back a little against the panel.

Was this bad? What was it?! My eyes had never turned this, messed up color before. It wasn’t even a single color; it was changing around inside my eyes.   

“Is everything okay? Do you need–”

“I need to go.” I breathed, taking a step away. Making sure not to look into her eyes, I turned and ran down the hallway.

He just left. Without any word of explanation I watched him run down the corridor, my mouth still half open to speak. Maybe if I had the voice I could have called out and stopped him. Maybe he would have listened.

And what makes you think he – a kingka – would listen to you?

I sighed, shuffling my feet around to face the other direction. I hadn’t been lying when I said I would be heading to the library, in fact I still had a good twenty minutes before the lunch period ended. Still, I couldn’t seem to drag my feet to go. I guess I was supposed to be upset that he ran, especially after he offered to go with me to the infirmary. I would be lying if I said a part of me hadn’t been stung as he left.

But even so he had seemed so shocked, horrified even when he saw his reflection. It was like he wasn’t expecting his eyes to be that way at all. I  hadn’t been expecting that; even now the thought of his golden irises made goosebumps rise on my arms. Though, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Wait, did I just think that?

If I had told him that, would he not have left?

“What are you doing here?” I jerked at the angered voice, startled. An arm s around my shoulders, tugging me downward.

“Ow!” The cry escaped before I could try to contain it. A chorus of laughter resonated around me, loud and taunting. My stomach twisted violently at the sound and I tried looking around, my heart hammering against my chest.

“It’s funny meeting you here. Honestly, we were just looking for you.” I should have expected this. A part of me did too, just not so soon. I didn't even get a chance to run and hide.  

~~~