Taemin was startled awake by his alarm. His heart is still pounding rapidly, almost in sync to the blaring alarm by his bedside. He clutches the middle of his shirt and falls back onto the mattress.

Not even looking he reaches out and turns off the alarm. Bringing his arm back, he raises it up in clear with the morning light. The hand that the demon had touched. There wasn't a cut nor a scar. It was cleaned.

Taemin shudders, he could still feel the demon's tongue. He sits up on the bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Definitely a dream. A nightmare that had felt so real. How can a demon be so handsome and dangerous while he acted so clueless?

He shakes his head and gets out of bed to start the day. Little did he know that the wall banner with the sigil is tucked away under his bed along with an array of markers placed neatly in its case.

--

School was as normal as it can get. The dream is just a dream, put in the back of his mind.

But why is he still thinking about it?

Taemin was knocked out of his thoughts when a stray fry hits him on his forehead. He looks up and then down on the fry, lying on the cafeteria table. Nonchalantly he picks it up and eats it.

“You're so gross Taemin-ah!”

Taemin throws a smug grin. “It's not on the floor, Kibummie.”

“Still gross, lunch table is dirty.” Key sitting across from Taemin picks up another fry. “What's going on with you, my dongsaeng? You're daydreaming more than usual.”

“Just a lot on my mind.” Taemin shrugs. “You wouldn't understand.”

Key clicks his tongue. “Yeah, right. What's a boy like you have something to worry about? You're parents are fine, your grades are good, you have enough money – ”

“Actually I was wondering what do ants taste like.”

“Oh not again!”

“See the ants are really small and if you eat them one by one, you can't tell what it taste like. But if you eat it as a group, maybe-”

“Taemin no!”

Taemin giggled, watching Key being grossed out and making gagging face. It's actually for the best if he didn't tell Key about the dream. Key doesn't like anything scary or supernatural that he will either worry about it so much or brush it off vehemently.

“Are we going to Onew's Cafe after school?” Taemin asked.

Key shakes his head. “I have work today. Maybe next time.”

Taemin pouted causing Key to automatically smack Taemin's lips with a spork lightly. “Your aegyo don't work on me, Taemin-ah. You still have a book report to do that is due this week.”

Taemin pouts even more. “But I don't like writing! Key-hyung, help me!”

“No. And stop aegyoing, the more you do it the less effect it has on me.”

“Worth a try.”

---

Per Key's instruction, Taemin went straight home to do his book report. He did try to write but the task is too hard for him. Instead he spent most of the time playing his phone. When all of his lives are used up, he has nothing to do now but work on his book report. But that's the last thing he ever wanted to do.

“No no no,” Taemin shakes his head. “I have to do this. It's part of my grade and Key is gonna kill me if I don't do it.”

He glance over at the book lying innocently near his computer. It's not that the book is boring, the subject is too complex for Taemin to comprehend.

That and it's boring.

“Why can't the teacher let us choose our books,” Taemin moaned. “I can write a report about One Piece and I'll even do a good job.”

Trying to distract himself, Taemin does everything to avoid doing his work. Wasting time pacing around, playing on his phone and fidget spinner, hoping in one place. But his work still beckons him to get started.

And it's only been thirty minutes.

Taemin decided the next thing to distract himself is cleaning his room which he rarely do besides vacuuming. He reorganized his items on his desk, picking up his clothes and putting them in the laundry basket.

And that's when he saw it. Under his bed, next to a box of markers is a wall banner with the sigil drawn on it.

Taemin stares at it with wonder, holding it up by its corners. The drawing looks precise and meticulous to be able to summon a demon. The demon from his dreams. He has no idea how it came to be but he's holding the proof right in his hands.

“So it's not a dream... I really summoned a demon. How?”