Despite their injuries, the four classmates returned to school the next day feeling just as fine and active as they usually were. Xiao Yu sat quietly in his corner pretending to play the piano on the piano keys painted onto his desk whilst Ya Se was doing some studying. Yu Yan had her head in her hand with an ever present scowl on her face, feeling irritated as she had been scolded by her father and sisters the night before for causing so much trouble. Annoyed, she had kicked off at her sisters before going straight to bed. She wasn't in the best mood these past few days and her sisters just made it worse.

[Flashback to their family dinner 2 nights ago]

Yu Yan stirred her spoon in her bowl of food awkwardly. She didn't know why she requested such a thing and her sisters surely weren't happy about it either.

Yu Ru, the eldest sister at 19 years, groaned, "Father, why must we have this family dinner? We've never had one before so why now all of a sudden?!"
"Yu Yan isn't feeling so well so you should all try and make her feel better," their father answered from the end of the table. Again his face was covered by a mask.
"But Father," Yu Tang, one of the twins at 16 years said, "We're all busy. We don't have time to serve Yu Yan Jie."
"Father you always give her special treatment, it's really annoying," Yu Tong, Yu Tang's twin, added.
"That's because Yu Yan is an important part of our plan." Their father answered back, "Now eat."
"I don't see how sending her to school helps our plan when we're the ones doing all the dirty work," Yu Ru snapped angrily, "Father you make her seem to be so important but she's the most useless out of all of us and she's weak."
"That's enough Yu Ru!" He barked, "Yu Yan has the job of throwing the investigators and Zhong Ji Yi Ban off our scent and getting them to trust her so we can take advantage of it later."
"But you're putting her into the enemy's hands," Yu Ting, the youngest of the 5 sisters said.
"The safest place is the most dangerous place. Also, because she is blind she isn’t seen as much of a threat,” He told her, "We need Yu Yan to be safe and sheltered so of course I will protect her and make sure she is fine so that our plan doesn't fail."

Yu Yan didn't say a word before Yu Ru slammed her hand down on the table, "I don't understand!" she yelled, "Yu Tang and Yu Tong are the ones who are doing all the yi neng muggings - are they not important too?!-"
"Yu Ru, shut the hell up!" Yu Yan barked, "You're speaking to Father so show some respect!"
The next thing she knew, Yu Yan was knocked out of her chair by Yu Ru who had attacked her using yi neng. "I hate you," Yu Ru snarled, "Whilst the rest of us sisters are suffering you think you're the centre of the world and need everyone's attention? You sicken me!"

Yu Yan sat up, rubbing her head.
"Yan Yan Jie, don't retaliate!" Yu Ting cried but Yu Yan returned a blow to her older sister.

He looked at his eldest daughter, "So this is what the freedom I've given to you has done to you?" he said in a quiet voice before slipping off his glove and cracking his knuckles. He positioned his palm to face Yu Ru and it glowed a dark purple. Instantly, Yu Ru's body was away slowly into his palm before the very fibres of her being vanished into a sphere of yi neng.

Yu Ting and the twins gasped in shock and fear as their older sister disintegrated right before their eyes. Yu Yan could only listen.

He stood up, "If any of you try to question me like Jiang Yu Ru," he said in a low but dark voice, "I will get rid of you faster than I created you!" his voice bellowed before he turned to look at Yu Yan.
"My dear girl," he began in a soft voice as he put his hand on her head, "You are all tools. We are not a family. Tools do not have families. I hope you understand that." Then he left.

[End of Flashback]

"Why do you look so down?" she heard Xiao Yu's coming from in front of her.
Yu Yan sighed, "What's it to you?"

“I’m worried,” he answered her, “Did something happen?”

“No,” she muttered in response.
"The Yu Yan I know would have snapped at me saying it's none of my business." Xiao Yu commented.
"Are you sure you know the real Jiang Yu Yan?" Yu Yan asked, facing him. Xiao Yu smiled as he placed a paper bag on her desk, "I would like to."
"I don't want it," Yu Yan replied, "Stop giving me bagels."
Xiao Yu stood up to go back to his own desk, "Sweets can make you feel better."

"Egomaniac? What's up with you?" Ya Se Wang asked as he watched his best friend skip into the class room with a giant smile on his face.
"What's up with me?" Da Dong asked, humming to himself happily.
"First of all, why are you so late? Class starts in two minutes," Ya Se replied, watching him skip over to his hammock.
"Oh, it took me a while to walk here. I forgot I don't have my motorbike anymore," he shrugged happily, as though it was nothing.
"Why do you look so happy? Your bike is everything to you," Ya Se continued, now really confused.
Wang Da Dong jumped into his hammock and breathed in a big gulp of air before letting it all out, "That's because An Qi's coming to visit next week!" he grinned happily.

As soon as his ears picked up her name, Xiao Yu's eyes were locked on Da Dong, "An Qi?" he asked.
"Yup! She's on school break right now in America and wants to come see us all!" Da Dong explained, giggling to himself happily as he leaned back into his hammock.
Xiao Yu felt a flutter of joy in his heart.

"An Qi?" Sha Jie spoke up, from her desk, "If she was going to come back what was the point in leaving?"
"Shouldn't you be resting at home?" Da Dong asked her.
"I didn't lose all my battle points, I still have a few hundred left," she huffed before turning back to her friends.

"An Qi..." Yu Yan muttered before turning around to face Xiao Yu, "That's the girl you like?"
"Uh..." Xiao Yu looked at her stuttering in embarrassment, "...How did you know?"
"I wonder what she's like," Yu Yan said as she turned back around.
 

~*~*~

After school, Xiao Yu sat in the music room giving Jay piano lessons. Jay looked up at Xiao Yu who played a song with a smile on his face, "Hey Teacher Xiao Yu, why are you so happy?"
"Why do you say that?" Xiao Yu asked.
"Please, you're playing Love You Lots by Fahrenheit on the piano with such an ugly smile on your face! Why wouldn't you be happy?!" Jay exclaimed as he folded his arms. "Is it a girl?" he leaned into him, mischievously.
Xiao Yu blushed before standing up quickly, "Er... that's all for today. The lesson is over."
"But," Jay looked at his watch, "It's only been half an hour, why are you ending the lesson so early?"

Xiao Yu quickly ed his blazer, "Today's a really hot day, why don't you leave this stuffy place and have fun?" he suggested with a smile.
Jay titled his head up at his flustered teacher, "It's winter Teacher Xiao Yu." Jay stomped on his foot, "You're trying to get rid of me! I knew it, it is a girl!"
Xiao Yu winced in pain as he hopped around, "Jay!" he exclaimed, "Be quiet!"
"Teacher Xiao Yu's likes a girl! Teacher Xiao Yu likes a girl! Teacher Xiao Yu likes a girl~!" Jay sang, running around the room in circles.

Xiao Yu watched him run around and thought about his own feelings. He was more than happy that he was going to see An Qi again, just the thought of hearing her voice again made his heart waver. Because of her, he had been in a good mood throughout the whole day. Even though she could not return his feelings, his own remained the same. He didn't see her differently than before. He knew that the strong feelings that An Qi and Da Dong shared with each other would still be there as it wasn't that long ago when they had broken up. The only different thing between the three of them now would be the fact that they would only treat one another as friends, nothing more and nothing less.

"Ahem," a feminine voice spoke as its owner cleared .
"Yu Yan?" Xiao Yu looked over at her as his mood dropped a little as he was pulled out of his mind filled with An Qi.
"So is this the girl you like?" Jay piped up before Xiao Yu's hand instantly clamped over his mouth.
"No!" he hissed at him, "Stop talking nonsense."
"Little Fish, Wang Da Dong wants to know if you're going with the rest of them to play basketball." Yu Yan explained, ignoring them.
"Little Fish, eh?" Jay whispered, playfully punching Xiao Yu's leg, "You've got yourself a mermaid, she's so pretty! But too bad a little fish like you can't impress a beautiful mermaid like her," he sighed sympathetically as he patted Xiao Yu's shoulder on his tip toes.
Xiao Yu ignored him, "Are you going too?" he asked her.
Yu Yan sighed, "Unfortunately. That stupid monkey is dragging me along. But I have nothing better to do anyway since I'm a ma gua for a week."
"Oh," Xiao Yu nodded, "Okay, I'll join you then."
"I'll get going then, Teacher Little Fish!" Jay then quickly left the room laughing to himself; he turned around before mouthing 'Jia You' and showing him his fist.

Xiao Yu could only shake his head slowly as he sweat dropped. He didn't feel anything romantically for Yu Yan but it was too late to stop Jay forming a fan club now.
 

~*~*~
 

Yu Yan had a frown on her face as she leaned back on the bench, listening to the constant bouncing of the basketball. She sat with Wu Xiong, Yun Han and Sha Jie on the sidelines whilst Da Dong, Ya Se and Xiao Yu played basketball. Yu Yan could feel a vein in her forehead popping as she tried to ignore Sha Jie's continuous cheering for Da Dong. She tried to restrain herself from lashing out at her but she couldn't just lash out at only her since Wu Xiong was jumping on all fours on the bench, calling out Ya Se's name every second. She huffed, annoyed but glad that Cai Yun Han was quiet - she seemed just as bored as she was feeling.

"Xiao Yu? Where are you going?" Da Dong asked as he caught the ball, "We're in the middle of a game!"
Xiao Yu walked over to the bench and picked up his blazer and swung his bag over his shoulder, "Sorry for ruining the game Da Dong, Ya Se. I have to leave now."
Ya Se wiped away the sweat on his forehead by running his hand through his hair, "Is it your part-time job again?" he asked sighing.
Xiao Yu nodded.

"No way, you work?" Yu Yan asked, laughing, "I thought you all came from really well off families since Ba Le High School tuition fees are so high, why would you be working?" [A/N: In the beginning of KO One it was said that the school is a private school so I'm just assuming the fees are high]
Xiao Yu only replied with a small smile though Yu Yan could not see it. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," he said before leaving.

"I should leave now too, I'm getting really bored." Yu Yan stood up and stretched her arms.
Da Dong put the basketball under his arm, "Jiang Yu Yan, my mum wants you and Narcissist to come over for dinner so stay a bit longer and we can leave together," he called out to her.
With a fixed face, Yu Yan faced him and hooked her bag over her shoulder, "I don't want to. Don't misunderstand, we're not friends okay?"

"Rethink your choice, okay? My parents really like you," Da Dong replied with a smile before turning around to shoot a basket.
Jiang Yu Yan bit her lip as she contemplated, deep down inside her heart she did want to go and relax at his house again. She wasn't in the mood to go back home and anywhere other than home was better at that moment. She clenched her teeth and sighed, defeated, before she sat back down.

Why? Why did she choose to spend time with her classmates? The first thing she decided when she joined Zhong Ji Yi Ban was to spend her time alone. Even if she had another motive to becoming friends with her classmates, she didn't have any bad intentions when she decided to have dinner at Da Dong's house that evening. She closed her eyes in deep thought, thinking about her heart and her true feelings.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

She felt a pool of water around the icy walls that trapped her heart and realised that she didn't even notice that a layer of ice had already melted. She would have rebuilt that layer but a small voice in her mind told her not to.
 

~*~*~

Xiao Yu came home to his tent late at night after a tiring evening of work to find it completely wrecked. A blaze burned through his tent, turning the items inside to ash. He clenched his fist, trying to calm himself down, Auntie....

A man (Joe Cheng) emerged from the shadows, this is just the beginning.... Ding. Xiao. Yu.