The clock reads 11 in the evening and Baekhyun is wide awake in the living area of the apartment he’s sharing with Chanyeol. The keyboard's continuous noise can be heard from across the room. Baekhyun is sitting on the floor, his laptop settled on the center table. There are scattered papers on the table as well.

     Baekhyun was reading an article on media blackout during martial law under his grandfather’s term. The article read: “The late president Byun suppressed public criticism and maintained control over the materials that the public was able to access by putting an end to opposing viewpoints and establishing a media outlet under his control. The late president Byun thus held the last word on whatever was considered to be true.”

     The other tabs on his computer were about a journalist named Yoon Junghoon, who fought his grandfather against media lockdown, and was arrested and detained without due process. He now understood why Haru can’t look at him, why she’s distancing herself from him. The news of a Byun attempting to reclaim power is a difficult pill to swallow for these victims of martial law.

       Baekhyun heard a noise coming from the stairs. A few seconds later, a sleepy Chanyeol emerged beside him. “Do we have homework that I don’t know of?” Chanyeol groggily asked, scratching his eyes.

     “No, I’m just…” Baekhyun exhaled tiredly.

     Chanyeol nodded as if he understood that he’s troubled. He walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. “Did you know?” Baekhyun asked warily.

     Chanyeol stopped drinking in the middle. From the living room, he slowly looked at Baekhyun, as if his question had jolted him awake.

    “Know what?” he asked.

     “About Haru’s grandfather.”

     Chanyeol set the glass of water on the table and walked slowly towards Baekhyun. "Yeah, I knew," he replied.

     Baekhyun nodded, his gaze glued to his laptop. Everything made sense now—his first encounter with Haru and Zhang Yixing's words in the cafeteria.

     “Do you think…” Baekhyun held his breath for a second. “Do you think I, somehow, disrespected Haru and her family?”

     Chanyeol shrugged as he sat on the sofa next to Baekhyun. "Do you think Haru will let that happen?"

     Baekhyun laughed quietly at that. Yeah, Haru’s a fighter.

     Chanyeol looked at his laptop screen and noticed several tabs containing articles on martial law. “You really have no idea what your grandfather did during the martial law, do you?”

     Baekhyun smiled sadly at him. “I was told something different.”

     “Which one do you believe?”

     “They’re my family, Yeol,” he weakly said. “So, I hope I’m wrong.”

~*~

“What’s wrong?” Yixing asked Haru.

      “What?”

     “You’re fidgeting in your seat.”

     Haru straightened up in the front seat of Yixing's car. It’s Monday. Monday means she’ll be sitting next to Baekhyun in Journalism 1.

     Baekhyun has kept his words and distanced himself from her and the group, even in class. This will be the first time since their last encounter that they will be near each other. When Baekhyun stopped hanging out with them, Chanyeol and Sehun didn't say anything, so she assumed Baekhyun had already told them.

     Haru has no idea why she’s so nervous right now. It’s just Baekhyun. Just Baekhyun. Right.

     “I have recit this morning,” she lied to Yixing.

     Yixing gave her a quick glance while driving. "That doesn't sound like you getting nervous for a recit." Haru averted her gaze and focused on the road outside her window. “Is something wrong?” Yixing pried.

      Haru gulped nervously. “I told Baekhyun,” she quietly said.

     Yixing gave her a confused look. “Told him what?”

     “About my grandfather.”

     “And?”

     “And… I don’t know. I avoided him for days because I knew I wouldn't be able to contain my emotions. So, he went to our house…” Haru faced him. “He thought I was blaming him too, but I wasn’t! And then… he walked away. He said he’ll distance himself from me, and he did, but that’s not what I want.”

     Yixing slowed the car as they swerved to the university gate. “Then, what do you want?”

     “What?” she confusedly asked.

     “You said, that’s not what you want him to do,” Yixing repeated. “You told him about your family's past, which includes his entire family—how do you expect him to deal with that?”

     Haru did not answer. Yixing gave her a quick glance as he turned into the parking lot. “I think he did that to respect your feelings, Haru.”

     Haru gave him a sad look. “He did not disrespect my feelings in any way.”

     “I know,” he softly said. “But what you told him was difficult for him on the inside, so it's a good thing he initiated keeping his distance while you both process your emotions.”

     Haru started to gather her things as Yixing turned off the engine. He faced Haru and said, “You’re avoiding my question.”

     Haru gave him a confused look. “That wasn’t a question.”

     Yixing raised a brow at her. “What do you want him to do now that you've told him everything?”

     Haru just stared at him. “I don’t know…”

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