Is this the price for the Curse?”           

             Elyna looked away, hesitated to answer that question.

            “Is-is it true?” Sehun broke the awkward silence.

            “No, it’s not,” Elyna quickly replied. “Don’t worry, it’s not because of you. I was just too exhausted. Many things had happened to me recently, so I guess my body couldn’t bear it anymore.”

            Sehun slowly nodded, accepting the answer for now. Although he felt something was off, but he just shook off the feelings. “Are you hungry?” Sehun cleared his throat. “I’ll go and take your dinner,” Sehun stood up from his seat.

            “No, it’s okay.. I’m not hu-“ Elyna was cut off by the sound of her stomach. Her cheek turned red.

            “Looks like it’s hurricane again tonight,” Sehun laughed. “Wait here, I’ll come back again.”

           Elyna opened her eyes. Bright sunlight dazzled her eyes. Her head was pounding. Perhaps she was overslept, she thought. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 3 o’clock in the evening. No wonder her head was pounding like crazy. She had slept for around 15 hours already. After what happened, she felt like ages since the last time she slept that well.

            Elyna slowly got up from her bed and went to the bathroom to clean up. Some cold water would be great to freshen up her body. While she was taking off her clothes, she felt something weird on her back. Was it a bump?

            Elyna turned to look at it through the mirror. She gasped. It was a scar, right from his right shoulder straight down to her back. As if her body was literally cut by glass shards last night. Elyna’s hands were trembling. Her face turned pale. It had started.

            Elyna knew this time would come. Her body was unable to bear the curse anymore. The curse had slowly consumed her body. Every time she helped others, she would not only bear the pain only, but her body would be affected physically too. And gradually it would become worse and worse. And in the end of the day, there would be nothing else waiting for her, but death.

            Tears rolled down her cheeks. Elyna crouched down and hugged herself. She had known the fact for too long, but why did she feel scared?

            After she had done cleaned up and calmed down, Elyna went out. She saw the boys were watching television in the living room. Then suddenly Elyna felt something cold landed on her head.

            “Good morning,” Sehun greeted her with a can of cold drinks on her head. “Oh, look. It’s 4 p.m. already. Guess I don’t need to ask you whether you have a good sleep last night or not,” he smirked.

            Elyna just replied with a faint smile. She was about to continue her step when Sehun stopped her.

            “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked in worry. “Are you still feeling sick?” he put his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature.

            “No, I’m fine, Sehun,” Elyna stopped his hand. “I was just dizzy. Maybe I slept too long today.” She bluffed.

            “Oh, D.O hyung had prepared some soup for you. Have some. You might feel better,” Sehun ruffled her hair. “By the way, you are lovely today,” he added. Sehun winked before he went to join his brothers in front of the television.

            Elyna looked down. She was wearing the white blouse Sehun chose for her yesterday. Her mind was too occupied just now that she did not even notice that thing. A smile unknowingly appeared on her lips. She blushed. No one ever praised her like that.

            “Elyna, good evening,” D.O popped out from the kitchen, smiling at her. Elyna replied back with a smile. “Good evening.” She went to the kitchen and sat in front of the kitchen counter. Suho was also there.

            “Are you feeling better? Last night we were so scared to see you like that.” Suho asked. He was sitting at the table, munching nuts while D.O was busy heating up the food for Elyna.

            “Sorry,” Elyna replied, feeling guilty for making them worry.

            “No, it wasn’t your fault,” D.O turned to her. “Sehun said you were too exhausted. We are the one to be sorry for dragging you everywhere with us yesterday,” he apologized.

            “Yeah, that’s true,” Suho added. “You should have told us if you were not feeling well.”

            “No, it’s okay. Actually I really enjoy spending time like that yesterday,” Elyna smiled. Because that was the first time she went out with ‘friends’ after years, and who knew, it may be her last time.

            “Really?” Suho raised his eyebrows. Elyna smiled and nodded. “Okay, that’s great,”he smiled. “You know what Elyna, you should smile like that more often. Your smile is pretty.”

            Elyna felt her cheeks hot. She was praised twice that day. “T-thank you...” she replied.

            D.O chuckled when he saw her blushing. “Actually Elyna, I was wondering whether to wake you up or not, since you had missed your breakfast and lunch. I bet your head must be hurt right now. So I prepared you some soup. Try some.” D.O served a bowl of bean sprouts soup on the table. Elyna took a sip of it and it was very refreshing, as if the soup had wake up every cell in her body. “It’s very delicious. Thank you.”

            “Of course it is! D.O is the best cook among us,” Suho said. D.O threw a dish cloth straight onto his face. “Shut up.”

            “Look at that, he’s shy,” Suho whispered to Elyna. Elyna chuckled.

            “Suho hyung, shut up before I pour the nuts straight down your throat,” D.O glared at him.

            “Yah, I’m your hyung!”

            “Do I look like I care?”

            Elyna laughed to see both of them quarrelling.  Although she had only been with them for barely 2 days, Elyna found them easy to approach. She found herself comfortable with them and unknowingly she slowly started to open up to them.

            After finished her meals, D.O and Suho told her to join them hanging out in the living room. When she reached there, the boys were playing King of Fighters.

            Elyna went and sit on the sofa beside Baekhyun.

            “Oh, hi Elyna. How are you feeling?” he beamed his puppy smile.

            “I’m fine,” She replied with a smile. She turned to see Sehun and Kai was pressing the joypad like crazy. Sehun’s avatar was on verge of losing but he managed to attack Kai’s critically in the end and he won. Sehun jumped and shouting in excitement. “I WON!!!”

           Elyna jumped a bit from her seat when she heard that. Her eyes widened. Baekhyun turned to her, laughing. “Are you okay? Sehun is always like that. He screams a lot when he plays games.”

            “Hyung, I didn’t ‘scream a lot’,” Sehun cleared his throat, tried to save face.

            “Too late to deny, Sehun. You just shouted just now,” Kai smacked his head with pillow. “So, next?”

            “Elyna, you wanna try?” Baekhyun turned to her.

            “Oh no, it’s okay. I don’t know how to play this game,” Elyna declined.

            “It’s okay. You just press the button any way you want,” Kai replied. “You think Sehun is good in this? It’s just a matter of luck,” he smirked.

            “Shut up Kai. You lost just now.” Sehun rolled his eyes.

            “Go on, try it,” Kai gave her the joypad.

            Elyna hesitantly sat down beside Sehun. He taught her how to choose the avatar and the configuration to play. Elyna listened attentively, as if she was going to take examinations after that.

            While teaching, Sehun glanced towards the girl sitting beside him. She was concentrating too much, her forehead furrowed. Sehun looked at how her eyes were focusing on the joy pad in his hand. Everything seemed to be moving in a slow motion. Other things became blurry, and the only thing that he saw was the girl. Then he realized the girl’s eyes were staring at him.

            They did not know how long they had been in that state, until they heard someone clearing his throat. Elyna quickly sat up straight and focusing her eyes to the screen while Sehun turned around to the source of voice. Baekhyun was winking at him, while the others were grinning and chuckling with each other. Sehun quickly cleared his throat and turned back to the screen. “S-so, let’s start,” he said.

            After done with the games, the boys decided to watch movies. It was already 10 p.m. Suho had ordered pizza for their dinner, and now they had settled down in their place in front of the television.

            “So, what do we watch?” Suho asked.

            “Zootopia!” Chanyeol quickly replied.

            “Like seriously, Chanyeol?” Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows

            “What? We didn’t make it that day. Let’s just watch it tonight, please~” Chanyeol blinked his eyes, trying to win their heart.

            “Stop that. You’re making me puke,” D.O threw a pillow onto his face.

          “Okay then, Zootopia it be,” Suho turned the channel. “I don’t wish to see that aegyo of Chanyeol anymore,” Suho replied.

            “Me too,” Kai said.

            “Same here,” Sehun replied.

            Then the movie started. Baekhyun turned off the light and everybody sit comfortably on the couch and down on the carpet. Elyna sat beside Sehun, watching the movie silently. Sometimes she heard the boys were laughing and commenting about the movie, like ‘how  a goat can be a singer’ and ‘how wolf’s howl was contagious’. Elyna started to feel drowsy and her eyes were heavy. And she did not know at which part of the story that she fell asleep.

            “Shhhhhhhh.....hyung, don’t make noise,” Kai whispered.

            “Yah, Chanyeol! What are you doing?” Suho tried his best not to yell it out too loud.

            “Wait, I want to take a picture. Just one picture,” Chanyeol grabbed his camera and kneeled down in front of the oblivious sleepers. He would not miss the chance to snap the precious moment.

            “Yah, hurry up. Take it nicely,” Baekhyun whispered to him. After Chanyeol took the picture, they quickly moved away.

            Baekhyun took a look at the picture. Elyna was sleeping on Sehun’s shoulder; while Sehun landed his head on the girl’s head with his right hand was around her waist. The boys did not know when did they fell asleep, but when the movie ended, they were already like that.

            The boys laughed, and tried their best to make it soundless.

            “Look at his hand!” Kai exclaimed. “What’s up with his hand!?” he laughed.

            “Sehunnie, he’s taking advantage,” Chanyeol smirked.

            “Nah, I bet you he didn’t even realize that. Sehun had never hugged a woman before,” D.O said.

            “Don’t worry, we’ll know the answer tomorrow,” Baekhyun winked.

            “Come, let’s go to sleep,” Suho said.

            “Should we wake them up, hyung?” Kai asked.

            “Nah, let them enjoy their dream,” Suho laughed.

            Chayeol went to switch off the light. “Good night, love birds.”

A/N: a long chapter updated today. Sorry if you felt tired reading it...hahaha (evil laugh)

Updated: 7/8/2016, 11.52 p.m.