***

Do you believe in vampires? What about ghosts? Monsters in your closet and under your bed, perhaps? 

What about werewolves?

Blame the fact that I had very little sleep last night, but the longer I thought about it, the more I'm suspecting that the latter is possible. There are thousands of folklore about men changing into wolves, some even detailing the symptoms or characteristics. I know I should be paying attention to class right now, but all I could do was stare a hole into the back of Suho's head, sometimes watching Lay as well. Suho, whom I found out to be the class president (a job so very suitable for him- yeah, right...) was attentively making notes during the lesson, listening obediently at the teacher. His skin was flawless, his dark hair perfectly groomed. He looked like a model student for sure, but he sure didn't act like one- well, not towards me, at least. Seriously though, what teenager has perfectly flawless skin and looks ready to become Hanwol's Next Topmodel? Plus, he was smart. Like, annoyingly smart. 

Look at that perfect posture and stupid smile when the teacher happens to look at him, I thought a bit bitterly, since I knew another side of him that others obviously weren't very well aware of. Was he two-faced? Begrudgingly, no. I don't think so. The dude just really doesn't like me for whatever reason. 

When I looked towards Lay- well, Lay was Lay. He was twisting his pencil between his fingers, looking a bit dazed and distracted. He blinked like a lost and confused puppy when the teacher suddenly exclaimed loudly that what he was discussing now would be tested and he attempted to write it down, but was obviously distracted again and looked outside with a vague smile on his lips. His creamy complexion and dreamy eyes would make him another good contender for Hanwol's Next Topmodel, and don't even get me started on that dimple! 

I startled when his smiley eyes suddenly directed themselves towards me and the smile on his lips widened, dimples deepening. He calmly gave a small wave, all innocence and sunshine, his face betraying nothing whether he might've thought that it was weird of me to have been staring at him or not. I swallowed, feeling betrayed by my own face when I felt the blush rise to my cheeks and I clumsily and quickly waved back. He was still smiling when he bit his bottom lip before turning away to gaze out the window again, lost in his own world. 

I let out a soft huff of air before glaring at Suho again, thinking about the information I looked up last night. Was I losing my mind? Maybe, but consider the following here (ready for another list? 'Cause here I go!)"

1. Men who are suspected of being a lycanthrope (fancy word for 'werewolf', true story) could be ordinary men, with extraordinary characteristics; aka, they tend to stand out due to their looks or 'talents'. To support this theory, check out the long list I already made about the Majestic Twelve. 

2. Lycanthropes have enhanced senses and a strong intuition, an animal-like instinct. I'm not sure whether that is the case with these guys, but they sure have a way of showing up whenever I'm around, or maybe that's the other way around- I'm not sure. Either way, there is no denying that there's something animal-like about them. Well, Suho, for sure, the way that guy glares like he's ready to bite me...

3. Wolves travel in packs. Majestic Twelve. Need I say more? 

4. Wolves have a social hierarchy within the pack, one wolf being the leader. I don't think I have to point that person out, do I? 

5. Ookami Shinro is known to have a population of wild wolves living on the island. In fact, the name of the island itself means White Wolf. I rest my case!

When the bell rang, I walked through the hallway to my locker, faltering my step only momentarily when I saw Chanyeol. He had his locker near mine and I tried not to make eye contact. I did catch him side-eying me from behind his locker door, but said nothing. I ignored him politely as well, while opening my locker. However, the longer I stood there, sorting my things, I started feeling warm. As in literally hot, as if someone had stoked up a nearby fire. I adjusted the blazer and carefully looked at Chanyeol. He wasn't looking at me, but it appeared he was feeling warm as well, since there was a drop of sweat falling from the side of his concentrated face. 

"Eh, sorry, Chanyeol?" I tried carefully. He startled when he heard me call, his almond eyes staring at me wide-eyed. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," I started. "I just wanted to ask if you're feeling that heat as well. It's kind of weird, I don't know where it's coming from," I looked around, wondering whether there might be something wrong with the central heating.

"H-heat? Uh, n-no, I don't feel anything," he stammered. "Sorry," he closed his door and quickly left. I narrowed my eyes at him as I watched him disappear amongst the stream of students. It was remarkable that the heat seemed to have gone with him.

"What the-," I touched the metal of my locker and felt that it was warm. Did someone put a heater in their locker or something? Hmm...

6. Expect strange and unnatural phenomena to occur when a lycanthrope is near. They tend to affect the natural order of things because by definition, they are unnatural creatures. Another site had even pointed out that they were not necessarily unnatural, but rather, supernatural.

Tomorrow night? Are you sure?

I jumped back at hearing the voice so clearly. I scanned the students around me, but they were either talking to each others or walking by casually. There wasn't anyone around in the hallway with me. I shut my locker door and walked towards the main hallway, students eager to get to the cafeteria for food. 

Yes, I'm sure.

It echoed in my head and I rubbed my ears for a moment. 

Finally! I can't wait!

Wait? For what? What's happening tomorrow night? Wait, I'm hearing voices in my head and I'm curious to what they're saying instead of worrying why I'm hearing voices in my head?! What the heck is wrong with me? I rubbed the back of my neck tiresomely, rolling my shoulders in the process. Maybe I should see a doctor about this- my breathing halted for a moment when I caught sight of Xiumin and Luhan walking past, a group of girls trailing them steadily. I turned away when Luhan looked at me, but I met his gaze when he narrowed his eyes at me. 

"Wae, Luhan-oppa, do you know the new girl?" came the sudden question which had me startled. In that instant, Luhan actually blushed and gave the girls a radiant smile. 

 "Just vaguely," he answered, smirking at me before heading to the cafeteria with Xiumin. I blinked when I heard his voice. I let out a nervous chuckle while grabbing my head. The voice I heard just now, when no one was around, one of them belonged to Luhan- they were identical, there was no doubt! But, then, was the other voice... Xiumin? 

A flash of red eyes came to mind and I thought back to last night. Maybe I was still not feeling very well. I should go home, rest and come back another day when I'm feeling better... 

Jae, you're suspecting a group of guys to be werewolves, re-evaluate your priorities and get into bed!

"Oh man..." I groaned. 

"Jae-yah!" 

I jumped again at hearing Lili's voice. "Hi! I thought I'd catch you here. Wanna get lunch together?" she asked happily, her smile fading the longer she looked at me. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little flustered," she pointed out, gently putting her hand against my forehead, her face suddenly worried. 

"I'm fine," I quickly said, trying to keep up my smile. 

"Are you sure? Your temperature seems to be up," Lili noted after putting a hand on her own forehead for comparison. "And you look a little tired," she commented. 

"Oh, yeah, I had trouble sleeping last night," I confessed, hoping that would explain it all and get Lili off my back. It was sweet that she was concerned though. 

"Oh dear, must almost be full moon," she teased, but the phrase caught me off guard and I felt panicked. 

"Full moon? Why-why would you say that?" I stammered, making Lili laugh. 

"You know, people getting out of wonk when full moon is approaching and all that? Superstition and all that," she grinned. "You sure you're alright? You look a little wild," she chuckled. 

"Oh, yes, sorry, I'm not really functioning all too well when I've had very little sleep," I smiled sheepishly, which wasn't necessarily a lie. Without my usual seven to eight hours, I would walk around the next day like a complete zombie. I'm actually rather surprised that I wasn't in zombie-mode at the moment. 

"Aw, well hang in there a little longer, school's almost out," Lili encouraged. "Let's get some food, huh?" she linked her arm with mine and we walked into the crowded cafeteria. Lili started waving enthusiastically at the group of girls I talked to before and mimicked the same gesture with a more reserved attitude. 

"We can sit over there," she said and leaned in to whisper, "perfect view," she sighed dreamily and gazed at the table where the Majestic Twelve usually sat. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and gave a wan smile. Lili went to get the trays for the both of us, giving me a small moment to glance at the table. Xiumin and Luhan were already there, along with Chanyeol, Chen and Baekhyun. Suho, Lay and D.O. joined not soon after and Sehun was talking to lanky Tao. I glanced at Tao a little longer, his side profile suddenly looking very familiar. The shape of his eyes intrigued me as well and for a split second I tried to imagine what it would look like if his eyes were red of color. 

"Jae-yah, are you coming?" Lili's voice sounded behind me and while I absently turned around, I hadn't expected to bump into one of them. 

"Oh! S-sorry," I quickly apologized, gulping when I found myself looking up to Kai. He balanced the food on his tray with ease, but he didn't seem to like that I bumped into him. This kid was able to give colder glares than Suho and I found it difficult to stay calm under his stare. There was a quiet aura about him that was nerve-wrecking. It felt like he was a ticking timebomb and anything could set him off if you made a wrong move. 

"You seem to show up everywhere," he suddenly stated in accusation. His voice was quiet and low, but very boyish. "Why is that?" he interrogated, his tone obviously agitated. 

I cringed a little since he was standing close, but since I couldn't bear to look at him longer, my eyes trailed at the food on his tray. Fried chicken, french fries, two cans of coke and dessert. That's a lot of food for one kid. Not to mention that Kai had a lean and muscular physique- where did he store it all? Wolf. 

I shook my head. "Maybe you're the one that keeps showing up everywhere and I just happen to be here," I responded steadily, gathering the courage to look up at him. I knew that he was younger than me, but he was much taller. 

"Well, if that is the case, go happen to be somewhere else," he replied and walked away to his friends. I sighed out of relief and went to quickly join Lili. 

"What are you in the mood for today?" she mused, unaware of my interaction with Kai. "I think I'm going to go with the Caesar salad. Hm, maybe just french fries and ketchup? Or just bread...What do you think, Jae-yah?" Lili turned to look at me and since I've experienced the portions of food at this school, a salad or a sandwich would be the logical choice. However, after my encounter with Kai... I was really craving for chicken. 

"I'm going with the fried chicken and side salad," I decided, grabbing a Sprite in the process. Lili's eyes widened a little before she giggled. 

"Whoa, you're really not shy about eating, huh, Jae-yah?" she said endearingly, but my eyes were solely focused on the fried chicken. 

"I'm really hungry," I said, my stomach grumbling softly. I was a little startled when I felt my mouth watering, but I didn't care about that. I just wanted to eat. 

We sat down at the same table where I enjoyed the yummy chicken and of course the topic of today's conversation were the Majestic Twelve. I glanced over at them as casually as I could, but I soon found out that the Majestic Twelve was a member short. 

"There's only eleven today," I murmured before I realized the words had flown from my mouth. 

"Ehh?" the girls cooed, turning around to look at the table. 

"Ah, where's Kris-oppa?" they immediately noticed. 

"Right here," a deep voice sounded that startled the heck out of me. The girls were no different and some of them even squealed when they saw him. He had a relaxed smile on his handsome face, his honey blonde hair combed to perfection. We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen; Hanwol's Next Topmodel!

I looked down and focused on my food while he was having a pleasant and casual conversation with the others. Meanwhile, I was wondering where he had suddenly popped up from and how it was possible that he could hear what we were talking about. As Kris was schmoozing with the girls, the other guys glanced towards his direction and I frowned. Why didn't anyone else notice their weird behaviors?

"Uh, excuse me," a deep voice called and I swallowed when I saw that the whole table was looking at me. My eyes darted confusingly at all the faces before they settled on Kris, who was looking directly at me. He gave a lopsided smile. "It's Jae, right? The new girl?" 

Why was he putting up a front? That guy knows who I am. And if he doesn't, his hands surely do...

"Um, yeah," I nodded, exchanging a look with Lili who looked overexcited. 

"What's up? I'm Kris. We didn't get a chance to properly introduce yet," he said and I was very much inclined to ask him what he thought he was doing. He was smooth, though, and the girls that were crushing on him were sighing dreamily all this time he opened his mouth. 

"Uh...oh," I said, showing off my eloquency. He smiled a bright smile. 

"Do you think we can go and talk for a while? I mean, if you're done eating, that is," he suddenly asked, throwing me off balance. My eyes widened. 

"Uh- ah- ya...wait. What?" I fumbled over my words and he chuckled in a suave manner as if I was amusing him. Meanwhile, some of the other girls were sending me their death-glares. Was he doing this on purpose? 

"What for?" I managed to ask. 

"Meet me outside of the cafeteria when you're done," he stated easily, adjusting his blazer and running a hand through his hair. "You'll find out then." 

When he winked, the girls cooed and giggled, but I just stared at him in suspicion. I get now why he got such a 'cool' reputation, but I've seen him on off days, even though I've only been here for three days. I kept watching him as he walked out of the cafeteria, passing his group's table casually. My eyes lingered on them and they seemed to be up to something. Why would Kris come up to ask me to talk with him? Did Suho know? Or was Suho in on this?

"Yah~ Jae-yah!" Lili suddenly shook me from side to side in enthusiasm. "I cannot believe that Kris-oppa wants to talk to you!" 

"Uh, neither can I..." I mused.

"Wah...I'm so jealous," one of them said, but I blinked in confusion at them. 

"Jealous? What for?" I asked and Lili started laughing, slapping me playfully on the arm. 

"Everyone knows that if a boy asks you to come talk to him, he usually means to confess to you," she giggled. "You should hurry and go after him!" 

I'm sure that my eyes were about to pop out of their sockets when I heard Lili's explanation. "Wh-wh-what?! N-no! You're mistaken, there's no way that he's planning something like that, trust me," I assured. 

"Well, you're not going to find out by sitting here. Go, already!" Lili urged. I felt my heart sink into my stomach now and my appetite has definitely disappeared. Sighing, I got out of my seat and headed out the cafeteria, passing the Majestic Twelve's table quickly. I turned around to look over my shoulder at Lili, who gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. Some of the girls followed her example, others seemed a little less enthused. 

I bit my lip and headed outside, but the hallways was empty. 

"Over here," Kris called behind me and I saw him leaning casually against the wall, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his iPhone. One foot was planted against the wall behind him and he used it to push himself away from it. Now that we were alone, he looked more nervous and unsure- more himself, from what I gathered. 

"Wanna take a walk?" he suggested, probably feeling about as awkward as I was feeling. I appraised him a moment. 

"As long as you keep your hands in your pocket, I'm cool with it," I retorted, making him blush and chuckle nervously. 

"Deal," he agreed immediately and shoved his hands in his pockets. We started walking slowly and awkwardly next to each other and Kris was looking around as though he was trying to find a topic to talk about. I thought I'd make it a little easier on him in that respect.

"So, what was that all about back there?" I asked, referring to his act. 

"Ah, that, yeah, uh..." he trailed off, running his hand through his hair again before quickly shoving it back into his pocket. Not so smooth now, huh? I thought amusingly to myself. 

"I thought it would make it less awkward," he then explained and shrugged. "I know who you are, obviously...and, you know me," he stated, rather than asked. 

"Just by name and face," I answered, to which he nodded. He seemed to ponder about something before heaving a sigh. He his lips and stepped in front of me. It was safe to note that we were completely alone at this point, but that didn't make me feel comfortable at all. 

"Look, um, I'm not sure how to say this, so I'll just say it," he suddenly exclaimed and my heart jumped into my throat, my cheeks blushing furiously when I thought to what Lili said. 

"You're not going to confess, are you?!" I nearly shrieked in my panic before planting my hands in front of my big mouth. Oh. My. God. Jae. You are such an idiot!

Kris' eyes widened as he looked at me before he frowned in bewilderment and quickly shook his head. "What?! Aniya! No, no, no, don't misunderstand," he quickly corrected and it made me breathe a little better. "I just wanted to discuss something with you, that's all. It's about- well, you see- ah, how to say this?" he wondered out loud. 

"I think we both know that there's something between us," he then started, making me suspicious all over again. He saw me blinking blankly at him and he shook his head again. "No, not like that- will you stop thinking like that?" he then accused. 

"You keep saying it in weird ways, dude, what else am I supposed to think?" I shot back. 

"I'm not hitting on you! I'm trying to have a conversation with you, okay?" he stated. 

"Well, you obviously had me fooled," I spewed in frustration. 

"Why would I hit on you? I mean- you know, I might if I saw you walking in the streets and didn't know who you were- but- oh! Why are we talking about this?" he said in his frustration, the tips of his ears violently red. He sighed deeply. "When I said that there's something between us, I meant you and us, me and my br- friends. It can't be easy for either party, right? Now, I'd suggest that we'd start over, but there are some that disagree with that," he started and I didn't need to ask who those people were. "So, basically, I'm asking if we truly could put things behind us and leave it at that. You know, I mean in the sense that we leave you alone, as long as you leave us alone," he suggested, but I narrowed my eyes at him. 

"Leave you alone?" I questioned, crossing my arms. 

"Yeah. Stop asking people questions about us, stop glaring fire at Suho every time you see him, things like that," Kris clarified and I scoffed. 

"Hold up. Suho sent you? What, he couldn't handle it himself to tell me these things so he sent his hyung?" I mocked. 

"Oh, trust me, I offered it. If it were him standing in front of you right now, the both of you would have been screaming your lungs out at each other and make our relationship worse," Kris stated jokingly. 

I propped up my eyebrow at him. "Relationship?" I quipped, finding it a little amusing to see how easy it was to get cool guy Kris so flustered. 

"Why are you twisting my words?" he asked. 

"Why are you letting me?" I retorted and he scoffed, trying to think of a good comeback. 

"It's just- Do you want to know the truth?" he suddenly inquired and I glanced at him, nodding slowly. Kris calmed down and stepped closer towards me. Since he was so impossibly tall, I had to crane my neck up to look at him. "You make us feel uneasy," he stated honestly, quietly, privately. His voice was soft and gentle when he spoke. "And not necessarily the good kind of uneasy, but at the same time, not the bad kind of uneasy either." 

I swallowed. He described exactly what I was feeling towards them. "Right back at you," I told him and this seemed to surprise him a bit. His eyes flashed with realization when he looked at me, and for the life of me, I felt a bit caught in his stare. 

"Is there something that you perhaps- know?" he then asked.

"Like what?"

"Something you know about yourself, that you can't necessarily tell to others?" he tried carefully and I frowned at him. "Like, what is the reason you feel uneasy when you see either of us?" he then tried instead. 

"I don't know. There's just something. The way you act, the impressions you give me," I started explaining, since this confrontation might exactly be the thing that needed to be said out loud. Kris nodded as he listened to me, a grave expression on his face. I was aware how close he was suddenly standing in front of me, so I stepped back when he stepped forward. 

"And what impressions would that be?" his voice was a purr, his eyes intently looking at mine. Soon, I felt my back pressed up against a wall, Kris leaning one hand easily next to the space next to my face, trapping me. Was this a flirting technique he had? Was he playing with me? The smirk on his face indicated that he was, but something about his eyes...his eyes...that were getting very close all of a sudden. My gaze trailed to his lips that were formed into a gentle smirk, glistening when he them. 

"Wolves," I finally breathed, and I blinked my eyes as though a spell had broken. Kris had paled and my heart beat fast. Why did he looked so startled?

"Why would you say something like that?" he asked, recovering and pulling away to create more distance between us, which I was thankful for. 

"Instinct," I replied, pressing myself against the wall further when something changed in Kris' expression. 

"Who are you?" he demanded, no playfulness or teasing to be found anywhere. 

"You know who I am," I told him, wondering what brought on this sudden change in behavior. 

"No, I mean who are you, really?" he asked, but I didn't know what answer he was waiting for. All I could think of was that the little nagging voice in the back of my head was right; they're hiding something. 

I didn't answer him, since I didn't know what he wanted to hear. So, a deafening silence fell between us, each of us glaring at each other. I flinched when the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. Kris didn't. He didn't even move a muscle. 

"I'm asking you nicely this time," he then decided when the first students spilled into the hallway. "Keep your distance from me and my brothers," he didn't correct himself that time. He made sure to tell me that his friends were his brothers. "For your own good," he added more gently. 

"Was that a threat?" I asked, not sure whether I wanted to know the answer. 

"A friendly warning," he said instead. "Please, just leave us alone." 

We looked at each other a bit longer, giving me the opportunity to see the sincerity and genuine pleading in his eyes when he made the request. But it only made me feel even more uneasy. When he walked away, his hands in his pockets, I was left wondering why he would ask me something like that. Why did he react that way when I bluntly said I thought they were like wolves? Why did I remember what his lips looked like when they were glistening?

Could it be...? Were werewolves real?