Running down the dark hallway, the small group of eight people come to a sliding stop at the end of the hall. They needed to get a head start while their adrenaline was still pumping. 

“Do you think he’ll head this way?” Junhoe questions. 

“He should be here soon.”

The sudden voice draws their attention towards the open window. Haneul automatically recognizes the older man while the Paranormal club would be meeting him for the first time. 

Better late than never.

“Mr. Yang.” Haneul acknowledges him.

He only thought to come across her and not seven other kids. The only reasonable explanation would be hawthorns…but why has she not covered herself in it as well? “So, what is the plan?” He asks while coming through the window and landing lightly on his feet. 

“Immobilize.” Hanbin answers. 

“I like quick and short answers.” Mr. Yang comments. 

“Where do you sense him?” 

Mr. Yang turns his attention towards the other end of the hall and points. “You guys got another minute.”

Running into a nearby classroom, Yunhyeong grabs two desk fans and brings them out into the hall. Setting them up beside each other, he pulls out his hawthorn spray. “Make sure to snack.” He reminds everyone. The boys behind him ripped a few leaves from the plants in their pockets and stuck them into their mouths. 

The bitter taste quickly spreads across their tongues but they force themselves to swallow it anyhow. Even something this little may prove to protect them.

“Haneul, what about you?” Mr. Yang leans down to whisper.

“I’m bait.” She answers back and she can’t go rendering her blood useless now – she may just need it later on.

“Well, you’ve done a very good job.” He sighs before straightening up. His words cue to the appearance of the individual now standing where Mr. Yang had previously voiced. “Don’t take your eyes off of him.” He warns the group. Chanhyuk was no Jeeun but still someone who could do considerable damage.

One by one, they swallowed the nervous lumps in their throats. 

This wasn’t one of their after-school playtimes anymore. It could end badly if they weren’t serious.

“Yunhyeong and Bobby, are you ready?” Hanbin signals for the two to turn on the fans. 

Slowly, Chanhyuk comes closer and closer with each step. Haneul stares back into the eyes that are intently and solely focused on her. That’s no coincidence. 

“Not yet.” Hanbin alerts them as the sound of whirring of the fans fill the silence along with the tappings of Chanhyuk’s feet. The slow rhythmic contact of Chanhyuk’s every step amps their anxiety bit by bit until it turns into a sudden dash that initiates both Yunhyeong and Bobby to squeeze their spray bottles, releasing the aerosol into the fan. The blow of the fan carries it across the hall and makes contact with Chanhyuk as they planned.

“…It worked.” Bobby couldn’t help but to voice his surprise. 

“I’m too scared to even doubt.” Junhoe mutters. He could only hope and pray. 

The prickling pain upon Chanhyuk’s exposed skin urges him to stick against the wall to avoid further contact. Bewildered, Chanhyuk stares down at his arms to see cuts appearing all over it. Stirring from his confusion was the sudden silence. 

The group had disappeared.

In a different hallway, Haneul is placed back on her feet by Big Seunghyun. Now looking at the enlarged group, she finds both Big and Little Seunghyun and Bom as well. They were the ones responsible for transporting them all here.

“I forgot about the hawthorns.” Little Seunghyun comments as he looks down at his hands. It wasn’t just him affected it seems and the Paranormal club offered apologetic looks in response. 

“Why are you guys here? You were supposed to look for Mino.”

“Mino can handle his ground for a bit.” Mr. Yang replies. “We have a more important matter to take care of, don’t we?”

“The faster we get things done here, the faster we’ll get to Mino without worries.” Bom adds. Besides, the two security guards refused to leave Mr. Yang alone once they realized he had joined the fray.

“So, what do we do now? He won’t fall for it a second time.” Mr. Yang focuses the group back. 

“Here.” Yunhyeong hands the vampires ear buds. “You may want to put this in.”

Without opposition, they do so while Donghyuk takes his seat on the floor with his laptop. “I’m going to start it.”

“Start what?” Bom questions.

To answer her, Donghyuk clicks a button and immediately, music blasts from the school’s speakers and fills the dark hallway. The vampires jump in surprise, now thankf