The morning of Wednesday was a mournful day for their small town. A very significant part of their town, their buddhist temple, was caught on fire. The fire was said to have started from 2 AM. The monks, luckily, escaped without injury. They had woken up nearby locals for help. But what could have buckets of water done to a raging fire? By the time the fire truck had arrived, the fire had done its damage.

Sarang was munching on her breakfast. On one hand she had a spoon of food and the other, holding her phone. It was when she decided against any diet plan that her phone rang. What she heard from Ahreum made her scamper towards the tv and see the news. 

"This is sad."

"Yeah, i know," Ahreum spoke.

"I even woke up early today."

"At least you didn't go to school and find out from there. Bori went to school."

"What was she doing there at 7?"

"Waste management," Ahreum replied from the other line. "They have to come early to collect all the bottles and sell it to companies."

After the phone call, Sarang sadly watched the video of the fire destrying her cherished place. With a sigh, sheaded back to her room and changed back to her pajamas. Just then her phone rang.

"Sarang let's go to the temple.“

"Temple? Why?"

"To pay our last respect. They say reconstruction is going to start from next week," Bori answered. "Please?"

Special. This temple was a well known temple amongst buddhist in their country. People believed that if you pray from your heart, this place grants you your wish. But that is only part of the reason why it is so special.

"Many people came than expected."

Sarang chouldn't agree more. She wondered if everyone in their town had come. Some people were chanting away in their beads, some were prostrating in the direction of the temple while some had even set up tents.

Sarang noticed scouts and other students their age walking around in a rush aiding people, doctors and the police. It was surprising to see how so many people believed and loved this temple. Only faith has the power to energize even a bed ridden patient.

Bori nudged her. 

"Look! Your sister is here as well," Bori pointed towards a petite brunette helping an old lady to sit on a nearby bench. She was wearing a white coat over her shirt and leggings. 

Sarang wasn't surprised. She had a hunch after hearing about the temple.

"Look! It's them!." 

Before Sarang could have looked, Jieun and a couple of girls from her class came towards them. 

"Sarang! Bori!" Chaerin cried, jogging towards them.

"Both of you came to pay your respect as well?" Jin joo asked to which Sarang and Bori nodded.

"Where is Ahreum? She didn't come?“ Haneul asked.

"She couldn't make it." Sarang replied.

Ahreum wanted to come, but her grandma didn't allow her. Sarang could still hear Ahreum's grandma's voice yelling at her for being too laid back and not studying. She shuddered involuntarily.

"You should go to the stupa. It is still intact and the crowd has decreased than before." Jieun gave them an encouraging nod.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Bori waved.

"Hasta la vista babies!" Chaerin winkes in reply.

Their voice, which was distinguishable even amongst the crowd, deminished until it disappeared entirely. Even though Jieun had said that the crowd decreased, there was still a hoard of people swarming around the stupa. There was a group of police controlling the crowd so that none would cross the sidelines around the stupa.

After seeing the scenario, both the girls eyed each other and decided to just pray from where they were. As long as they were genuine, Sarang thought.

As long as i am genuine, right? I don't have a wish in particular right now. I will just pray that this temple gets reconstructed soon. If i get a wish, i will come back and ask then. 

Oh, Sarang, if you only knew.  

"Luhan hyung, how will my wish come true when the temple is burnt?" Taemin looked up at Luhan. 

"Why did you come here?" Luhan tightened his grip on Taemin as the crowd grew. They were walking back to the vehicle Sehun had previously borrowed from his father. If he had known that going to Yumi's place would end him where he currently was in, he would have never come. 

The little boy pouted his lips as he said, "I want my wish to come true."

"You knew that the temple was damaged by the fire," Luhan said in his normal cool voice. 

"But the gods will still listen! I can't believe you don't even know that," Taemin huffed. It was comical how the boy looked quite sassy and proud.

Luhan snorted as he ruffled the boy's hair roughly.

Kids. They have the answers to their question and also the ability to question their own answers.

"Hyung, did you pray for anything?"

Luhan hummed. "Want to know?"

Taemin nodded enthusiastically. 

"It..."

Taemin leaned in when Luhan bend down to tell him.

"It," Luhan murmured. "Is a secret."

Luhan grined as he stood straight.

 "Hyung!" Taemin growled. "I won't tell you mine either."

"I thought someone wanted a cycle?"

"I have another one!"

It was this exact moment when Luhan and Taemin passed by Bori and Sarang, who had their eyes closed. 

That night Sarang cooked her sister's favorite: chicken. It was to commemorate her sister's hardwork.

Her sister eyed her suspiciously as she brought the bowl of chicken. "Why are you being so sweet?"

"Because you have been working hard. I am proud of you doctor Doorim." 

Sarang smiled when her sister tsked to hide her embarrasment. 

"How's school?"

"Can't you say thanks for a change? I will be grateful."

"Shut up. How's school?" Came the question again.

Sarang snorted. Her sister was another hopeless case after Luhan. 

"School is fine."

Pursing her lips, Sarang pondered whether to tell her sister about her exam. She feared Doorim would go hooligan on her for not telling this earlier. However, to her defense, Doorim had been exceptionally busy the past few months. She had rarely been home and on the days that she was home, she would be too cranky to deal with.

After some debating, she decided to tell anyway. "Exams are going to start after 11 days."

"Are you even studying?"

Sarang did a double take on her sister. 

"I am sure you are wasting your time on stupid things." Said Doorim. 

"How can i when they give us so much homework?" Sarang said, strectching 'so' longer and in an exaggerated way. "Our history teacher even gave us an important assignment which we have to give in a month."

"You won't study even it weren't for your homeworks. So you will have to submit your history assignment during your vacation?"

Sarang nodded. "She said we have to mail it."

Doorim simply hummed before indulging herself in her food. Sarang secretly glanced at her sister. Was she imagining things? Or was this the calm before the storm? Her sister wasn't being like a teenager going through puberty like she usually did. 

After dinner, Doorim insisted to do the dishes and chased her away to study. So, to keep her sister's heart, she went to her room. Sarang grimaced on seeing the stack of books on her table. 

"Maybe reading a story would help," Sarang murmured. Reading stories were the same as studying english, right? Taking her bag from the bed which was next to her desk, she ped it.

She groaned when she saw a thick, bonze covered book of History of Korea inside her bag instead of a wonderful novel. Sarang had forgotten that she had  rented this book until the next library period. 

"Well, i did promise him to search for a name."

Sarang chuckled remembering how the guy refused her help even in severe pain. Call her mad, but she found his stubborness funny. Let's not forget how he went mad after sometime. Sarang shook her head while smiling. 

"Pig, wake up!" 

Doorim, who was brushing her teeth fervently, rushed inside Sarang's room before running out again

Sarang mumbled, slowly opening her eyes. The first thing she felt was pain. Her neck and back hurt because she had-

Her eyes snapped open. She shot up in her seat. There was a big spot of dried drool on the page she had fallen asleep on. She couldn't believe she fell asleep without finding any suitable name for her assignment. 

Luhan will eat her up. 

"Sarang, i am going! Lock the door well when you go out!"

"You can't go out like that!" Sarang cried in horror. Doorim was wearing her coat over her pajamas. Her hair was disheveled and Sarang doubt if she had even washed her face.

"I am late for my shift!" And with that her sister whizzed through the door. 

Sigh. She turned towards the open book. Another sigh.

Sarang was sceptic. Did Ahreum, Luhan, Jimin and Sehun being in the same bus as her (and boarding at the same stop) count as an omen?  If it was then she hopes it was a good one.

Ahreum was always dropped by her family driver. The bus that Sehun and Luhan should be boarding wasn't this one. Last, but not the least, Jimin. The guy didn't even stay in this part of town. He lived some distance away from Bori and it takes only five minutes by walk to reach school from where Bori lived. 

Ahreum was scowling to no one in particulat until she saw Sarang. The girl's face lit up before she ran towards the girl. 

"You have no idea how glad i am to find you here."

"Same!" Sarang told her, pushing back her superstition. 

Luhan, Sehun and Jimin entered soon after. Luhan was wearing earphones while Sehun trailed behind. He smiled and waved to her when he saw her. She found him endearing for some reason. Jimin looked desperate and Sarang didn't miss the frequent glaces he was giving to Ahreum as he walked past them. He sat near Sehun and Luhan at the end of the bus. 

Sarang faced Ahreum. The latter was chattering spiritedly about something. She craned her neck to look at Jimin again. He removed the red hat he was wearing, ruffled his hair in what looked like frustration and then wore back his head. She then looked at Luhan who had his eyes closed and then to Sehun, who was spacing out.

Sarang chouldn't stop feeling as if something was going to happen. 

She didn't know if it was bad or good. 

The bus started again and gradually, students started filling up the bus. When they reached school, Sarang was confused to see a huge WELCOME banner over the gates. 

"Woah, am i the only one who is surprised?" Sehun asked, walking near Sarang. 

The latter shrugged. 

"I guess some important personality is going to come," Ahreum said.  

"What for?" Jimin was walking beside Ahreum. Her mood turned dark all of a sudden. It made Sarang raise an eyebrow. 

"Wait! Luhan hyung! Bye Sarang and Ahreum. Meet you in class!"  Sehun jogged his way towards Luhan muttering incoherent things. 

"I need to go too," Ahreum said, surprising Sarang. 

"Where are you going? Are you not going to class? Ahreum!" But the girl ran away. 

"She must be going to the fire exit."

"A what? Wait!" And gone was Jimin too. 

Sigh. 

"Yo," Bori poked the girls arms. "What are you doing in the middle of the hall looking as if you are tired of life?"

Sarang gave another dejected sigh. "Bori, do you believe in omens?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do people count as omens?"

Bori chuckled. "Sarang, what are talking about?"

Sarang feighed a smile to her friend. Wrapping her arms around the girl's shoulder, Sarang said, "You will see, Bori. You will see."

And they did see. A foreign minister made an official visit to their school and donated thousands of dollar. The official had donated some extra bills especially for the students (since he was pleased with their behaviour). Their school announced a picnic the after their exams. The venue was going to be decided then.