A/N: I don't approve of the usage of drugs for pleasure. Hell, I don't even take paracetamol if I can avoid it. Don't do drugs, the long-term effects are not worth it. If you have to, always be careful of the dosage; it's the dose that makes the poison. Anyhow, I'm not sure if I screwed anything up during my multiple edits (I sure hope not). In case something seems lacking or doesn't make sense put them down in the comments below and I'll address them as soon as I can. That said, enjoy!

 

 

“So, what do you think?” Wheein allows herself a brief glance at the transaction going on within the empty halls of the girls' shower room. It was sketchy as hell but more than that it was stupid. The location, the ‘discrete’ ‘coded’ messages, everything about it was just completely and utterly stupid. She had told her best friend exactly that. She wasn’t as frank as the older girl but she had her moments.

 

And what did she get for her concern?

 

Lookout duty.

 

So, there she was, in her neat, ironed, school uniform, looking the part of the ‘good noodle’ peering through the crack between the doorway in case the swim team or, God forbid, any of the faculty were to come their way. They didn’t even have a code for ‘drop everything and run’. No, because the smartass dealer said it was cool, that no one would use the locker room at this time of the day. And freaking moron of a best friend was cool with that.

 

Byulyi was, infuriatingly at times, cool with anything. She was absolutely thick-headed and so sure of herself that nothing seems to make her reevaluate her choices. Always living in the moment, “worry about the consequences when the time comes for it” she would often say.

 

Sometimes Wheein blames herself for Byulyi’s inability to perceive danger and threats. She had always had her back for as long as they both could remember. Ironically, she had spoiled her too much, and they both know it.

 

The pat on her shoulder has her whipping her head to fix a scowl at the bright, toothy smile and the signature scrunched nose. Byulyi croons her name sweetly, the hand on her shoulder trailing along the length of her arm, stopping to wrap loosely around her wrist where she gives a firm tug, dislodging Wheein from the cool wall she had planted herself against.

 

“Come on. It’s nearly time for the swim team’s practice.” Byulyi slings the same arm over Wheein’s neck and gives her shoulder a friendly clap. “We’re done here.”

 

“What about your friend?” Wheein her head to the girl hunched over her gym bag. Not that she really cared for the other party. She had said it out of feigned courtesy, the volume of her voice just loud enough to be heard inside the space.

 

Byulyi doesn’t even spare her a second glance and pushes past the door, lugging Wheein by the scruff of her neck. “We’re not friends. Hence she’s not my problem.”

 

Wheein growls under her breath at the rough handling, grabbing onto the lower half of her uniform to stop the collar digging into the flesh of . She delivers a sharp elbow to Byulyi’s rib, forcing the taller girl to release her hold. Instead of cussing, she’s replied with a sardonic chuckle and a quick hip bump. She’s curled up, hand clutching the area of impact under her blazer. Wheein rolls her eyes at the obvious dramaticism.

 

“Hate it when you do that.” Byulyi grins at her from behind the curtain of her long hair, a hint of venom in her tone.

 

“Yeah, well I hate it when you drag me around like a child.” Wheein spits back just as venomously as she fixes her uniform. When her gaze flick to the stretch of hallway littered with students she remembers where they are and puts on one of her best smiles, waving away the few curious looks directed at them.

 

Her gaze lands on a particular set of eyes. They were a pair of striking onyx eyes regarding her curiously. Short brunette locks, curled at the ends, framed her small delicate face where plump lips sat, surrounded by the rosiest cheeks that reminded her of the old dolls that lined her grandmother walls. Only for eyes to appreciate and not for grabby hands to touch, she could faintly hear her grandmother’s admonishment.

 

A right beauty, she was. Wheein’s eyes imperceptibly fell on the well-endowed chest, sweeping down to the frilled skirt, before returning to the onyx orbs. Her smile turns into an impish smirk and she gives the girl a wink, chuckling to herself when the girl blushes and points her eyes to the ground. A sweet thing. She was most likely one of those devout Catholic girls that took a vow of chastity.

 

Fun to tease and easy on the eyes, off limits to dirty hands.

 

“Damn, you’ve got deadly elbows, you know that?”

 

Wheein takes her eyes off the girl, throwing a bemused look at her friend. “All the better to take you down with, my sweet star.”

 

Her cheeky remark is replied with an arm locking around her neck and a harder than necessary tussling of her hair that has her squealing and whining to be let go.

 

Byulyi does so, but only after she’s sufficiently mused up the jaw-length hair, standing back to admire the shorter girl’s ruffled appearance as the latter tries to pat down her hair to their normal style. A smirk lifts one side of her lips as she reaches to push away a stray strand of hair. Wheein instantly slaps the hand away, tucking the strand back herself, all the while glaring irritated at her chuckling friend.

 

“So, are you coming?” Byulyi picks up the conversation once they restart for their next destination. She gives their surrounding a quick scan before gently patting the small bulge in her skirt pocket, a Cheshire smile on her face. “I’m sure we have enough for everyone.”

 

“Pass. You know I don’t take that stuff.”

 

“Why not? It’s all harmless fun.”

 

“Until someone takes too much.”

 

“Still harmless. More than likely they’ll have even more fun.” Byulyi waggles her eyebrows suggestively. “Wouldn’t be surprised if someone does take too much. It almost always happens anyway.”

 

“And you’re still going? Still taking…” Wheein lowers her volume even more, surreptitiously taking a quick survey of their surroundings for prying ears. “Aren’t you sick of it by now? By all of it?”

 

She receives a snort in response. “Wheeinie, I’m simply making the best out of what life’s given me. And if I can have a good time, then I’m ing having a good time. Come on,” Wheein huffs as she staggers to hold up the additional weight leaning on her side. She throws a half-hearted frown at the lazy smile Byulyi was giving her, rolling her eyes when Byulyi’s other arm wraps around her waist securely as she presses their cheeks together. “I can show you a good time. No trouble. No worries. Just you, me, and the rest of our high society friends.”

 

Wheein chuckles at the jab at the little group, nudging Byulyi by her waist.

 

“I’ll think about it.”

 

 

 

 

 

“When I said, I’ll think about it, I meant it as a hard pass,” Wheein whines as she attempts to tug her arm from Byulyi’s firm grip. She was caught, like a mouse cornered by a cat, soon as the last bell rang to signal the end of the last period. Byulyi was so excited that her nails were practically digging on the skin of Wheein’s wrist as she dragged her through the mass of students fighting to get out of the corridor. She didn’t let go as they went through the back exit that was really meant for emergency purposes, past the small path into the overgrown bush area and heading straight towards the direction of the old, abandoned, underground greenhouse that the school had forgotten after the last member of the gardening club graduated.

 

Wheein had an inkling the shutting down of the club had something to do with Byulyi’s “high society friends”.

 

“Unnie, seriously, let go. I can walk there just fine.”

 

“Nope. Not going to risk it. The kids are already coming out, and we don’t want any stray coming into our gathering.”

 

“No one can just waltz into your gathering.” She pointedly emphasises the ‘your’ part. Wheein wanted nothing to do with the group. The few times she did attend she had a feeling they only tolerated her presence as she was with Byulyi. Touched as she was for her best friend vouching for her in their little society she would really rather not be stuck in another awkward scenario.

 

The first time someone had offered her a piece of cupcake. It had tasted weird and its effects were almost immediate. The next thing Wheein knew she was hurling into the porcelain throne of their shared bathroom, head pounding and a rancid taste in . The last time the boy was high off his rockers and couldn’t take the hint that she was not open to conversation. Everyone was too busy with their own thing to even notice her being uncomfortable and she had ended up sticking like glue next to Byulyi for the rest of the evening. She felt so bad for restricting Byulyi that she decided that was the last time she attends one of their gatherings.

 

But as much as she hated going into the gatherings, she hated their drug of choice even more. She couldn’t stand the smell of it. Maybe it was her overly sensitive nose, but it stank to high heavens and how do they even take the stuff like it was no big deal?

 

Her thoughts careened to a halt when she felt Byulyi harshly tugging her forward and, unprepared for such an act, she skids right into the middle of the circle of the gathering. She flushed quickly, tensing at the thought of being literally the centre of attention.

 

All eyes were on her, differing shades of judgement staring her down. Her chest constricted painfully, the hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention and goosebumps broke out all over her skin. On normal occasions Wheein hated the attention on her, she felt awkward being the recipient of it, but in this group their gazes made her feel even smaller than she already was. They made her feel like a goldfish in a small tank in the middle of a large room. It was nauseating.

 

Fortunately, Byulyi quickly redirects the curious gaze onto her by loudly announcing her entrance in a grand manner. As one would expect from the social brat.

 

“Give it up for the most graceful being that ever walked this school, the saviour of this rotten stink hole, Moon. Byul. Yi.”

 

Laughter soon erupts as the odd gathering return to what they were doing prior to Wheein’s embarrassing entrance. Some even threw a few joking sneers Byulyi’s way. Byulyi seems to be anticipating this reaction though as a -eating grin soon takes over her signature cocky smirk.

 

Wheein rolls her eyes as she slinks to the side, heading straight for one of the wooden crates they managed to smuggle into the underground garden. She didn’t need to see Byulyi pulling out the little bag she had acquired not too long ago, the cheers and exaggerated praising directed at the smug brat were enough to clue her in on it.

 

Plopping over the crate she took a deep inhale, filling up her lungs to the maximum capacity, using the time to practice holding her breath. She tried to distract her mind from counting down; it was easier to achieve something while distracted, she found out from experience, and proceeded to check the place for anything different.

 

There were a few more boxes than the last time she remembered. The white, rusting metal bench was definitely a new addition. She wondered how they managed to sneak that in without anyone noticing. In a boarding school full of students you’d think someone would have noticed a bunch of kids moving around an old bench.

 

“It looks like and it’s not all that much comfortable either.” Wheein jolted at the hot breath fanning the side of her cheek. The breath she was holding coming out as a gasp at the same time she took an instinctive breath in, resulting in a choking that sent Wheein furiously coughing and stamping on her chest. A warm, gentle hand down her back as she tried to recover her breathing. It didn’t help that the overpowering smell that was being burned was assaulting her nose and made it all the more harder for her to recover.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine.” Wheein manages to rasp out, blindly waving off the concern. “Just being stupid.”

 

“Oh, well, if you’re done being stupid, would you mind if I hang around you?”

 

Wheein cocked a brow, instinctively looking around to check if the question really was addressed to her.

 

She had seen her only a few times before she stopped coming to the gatherings altogether, from brief glances as she warily scoured the room. She had heard of her from Byulyi though; said to be one of the more influential people in their little society. A rebel of a young woman who seems to always know what she was doing and took pride in everything she did.

 

“Uh…I uh..” She hadn’t finished what she wanted to say when the woman sat down on the space next to her, brushing her long, wavy, black hair to one side. Wheein swallowed drily, already feeling agitated just being around the proud student. Or maybe it was because she could see just a bit more skin in between the school shirt that had way too many buttons undone and yet leaving more than enough room for the imagination. It’s not something to complain about though.

 

“Do you smoke?” The dark-haired beauty asks. She held up a small blunt, no longer than Wheein’s pinky finger, loosely in between her index and middle finger.

 

Wheein reflexively pulled back her lips in a grimace, her nose wrinkling as she scooted away from the blunt as if its existence offended her. It did.

 

“I’ll take that as a no.” The student retracted her hand, slipping the unlit blunt safety onto the back of her ear, secured by her thick mane of a hair.

 

“Sorry. It’s just the smell.” She gave her nose two quick taps, grimacing a bit. “I have a sensitive nose.”

 

“Oh. My bad. I assumed since you’re here..” she gestures towards the back where the rest of the gathering were getting progressively rowdier. The smell was also becoming a bit suffocating that Wheein turned to breathe through to lessen the throbbing in her skull.

 

“I’ve been bought here against my will.” She sighs, turning sideways to jab a thumb at the direction of Byulyi’s lanky form practically draped over another student. “I’m with stupid over there.”

 

“Oh, what a coincidence.” The student’s smirk grew wider as her eyes flickered to the girl who was struggling against Byulyi’s dead weight. “I’m with the pretty girl right next to her,” she ends with a joyous laugh when Byulyi and the girl she was with lost their balance and fell on their asses. Both seemed to be too high to realise what really happened and they both giggled, staying seated on the floor propping each other up.

 

“In behalf of my friend, I apologise. She’s always been a brat, and a little selfish, but she’s a good kid.”

 

“Ey, don’t sweat it. I kind of challenged Yongsun over there to get high. I’ve got to say, I was expecting her to be more… paranoid than stupidly giggly. I guess it worked out fine. I’ll be losing 30,000 won though, but seeing her like this is worth it.”

 

“Oh..”

 

The beauty smirked, pulling a rectangular device from her skirt pocket, raising it up and angling it towards the subject of their conversation. A few soft clicks sounds off from the device before Wheein realises exactly what she was doing. “Lots of blackmail material.”

 

“Oh!” Wheein presses a few fingers against her lips, hoping to hide the forming smile. Maybe it won’t be as bad this time around, she thinks hopefully. Her eyes flickered southwards, admiring the bronze skin tone that expanded the curvy figure. There was a slight peek of the bright red, lace underneath all the drab grey skirt and Wheein forces her gaze back up, pretending she hadn’t just seen what she did.

 

“I’m Hwasa, by the way.” The student turned her palm upright, smirk falling into a lazy looking smile. Her brown eyes suddenly flickering a bright bluish colour that was not lost on Wheein and she tensed, her smile falling away.

 

“You’re a very dangerous woman, miss Hwasa.” Wheein makes no motion to return the handshake, drawing more towards herself as she eyes Hwasa warily. Her eyes darted around the garden, pinpointing the select few points of exit she had taken note of from previous visits. She also notes, with mild irritation, how almost every single exit had been blocked in some form. There was no clean-cut getaway in case things got a little out of hand.

 

Picking up the unwillingness to continue their introduction Hwasa simply retracts her hand, lightly placing it over her lap in full view of the wary eyes. “Just Hwasa. And I’d say the same to you, pup.”

 

“I’m not a puppy.” Wheein low growl rumbles uncomfortably in her dry throat. She bares her dull teeth to show her displeasure, not to show too much aggression, but enough of a warning to back off.

 

Hwasa simply waves a hand at her, chuckling lightly to herself. She doesn’t miss the way Wheein flinches back, her facial muscles tensing, and her pupils dilating. “Whatever you say, Lycan. Relax, I’m not going to do anything to you. This is a peaceful place after all. Besides, high or not, no one would want to paint themselves a bright red bulls-eye on their back.”

 

“Hard to trust you tricksters.”

 

“Hard to trust beasts that lose most of their sense of self a day every month, but here I am,” Wheein growls, but not nearly loud enough for Hwasa to pick out over the noise of their peers as she shuffles agitatedly on her seat.

 

A sudden gust of wind startles Wheein, slightly pushing her off the box. Her head snaps at Hwasa, zeroing in on her hand still poised from whatever magic she had just cast. She continues warily eyeing Hwasa even as she pulled her hand back to inspect the polish on her long nails.

 

“Do you like the colour? I had it done just yesterday. Yongsun said green was a ridiculous colour to paint my nails, but I said I could pull it off.”

 

“What did you just do?”

 

“Just a simple spell. You’re welcome, by the way.”

 

“Welcome? What am I supposed to be thankful for?”

 

“Breathing.” She says simply. It’s only then that Wheein realises how easy it is for her to breathe. The smoke that set her off was no more, replaced by air so clean Wheein was sure she’s never inhaled air as clean as she was breathing in at the moment. “Again, you’re welcome.”

 

“How?”

 

“By the wide-eyed look on your face, I take it that you have little to no knowledge of how magic actually works.” Wheein scrunches her nose but says nothing. Hwasa nods her head as if the silence was answer enough, lifting a leg to rest over the other and leaning back on her arms to make herself more comfrotable.

 

Wheein purses her lips, weighing the pros and cons in her head as she continues eyeing the relaxed Hwasa. Byulyi did always tell her to be friendlier to their peers and that not everyone was out to get her. Maybe it was time she took a page out of Byulyi’s book, minus the whole getting high part.

 

“It looks nice on you.. Green, I mean. Looks nice on your nails.” She nodded her head, more of a hard jerk but it was something. “And no, I don’t really know much about magic. I don’t really trust anyone who can make things appear out of thin air.” She glanced warily at Hwasa’s painted nails, beating down the anxiety that was pushing her more wolf-like instinct to growl a warning out at the demi-demon. “Bad memories.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Some magic users are a bit immature.” A snort leaves her lips before she could stop it. She ducks her head, pretending to clear . She didn’t want to start something she could avoid.

 

Hwasa either didn’t hear or chose to ignore her, her gaze looking out at the students dropping like flies to the ground.

 

Wheein’s gaze snaps to her friend, legs bouncing anxiously that the coins in her pocket jingle loudly in the silence. “They’re going to be okay, right?”

 

“Nothing Gatorade can’t cure. No need to worry, pup.”

 

“I’m not a puppy. Stop calling me that.”

 

“Well, you haven’t exactly given your name” Hwasa points out. Wheein huffs but doesn’t offer her name, focusing on watching over her friend. She doesn’t see one side of Hwasa’s plump lips curl up to a smirk as the demi-demon leaned on one hand, inching closer to Wheein’s face. “unless you don’t mind me calling you mine?”

 

Wheein sputters, swivelling around to counter but was caught by surprise at the sudden lack of space between them and she hastily pushed off to stand, only stumbling over her feet for a second. She scowls at the too-wide grin splitting the demi-demon’s lips. The mischief glinting in her eyes reminded her too much of Byulyi and she only had enough energy for one troublemaker.

 

“I like you, pup.”

 

“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same, miss demon.” Wheein answers, turning her back to the soft chuckles of the demi-demon.

 

Maybe Wheein does need to work on her lack of social skills, but starting out with a demon turned out to be way too far advanced for her. Anyway, she had reached her limit for socialisation, it was time to back down and recharge.

 

Byulyi can find her way to their dorm. It wasn’t like Wheein was her personal bodyguard. With that thought quelling what little worry she had for her best friend, Wheein turned tail and left.

 

 

 

Byulyi ends up arriving sometime during the late evening, crashing on her bed in the middle of stripping off her uniform. That was how Wheein woke up to her best friend passed out half off the mattress, shirtless, and skirt still around one ankle. A normal roommate would leave her alone to sleep off whatever drug and alcohol was still left in her system, it was the weekend after all. Wheein was no normal roommate, so after having showered Wheein came out with the towel she used to dry herself, twisted tightly as she eyed Byulyi’s vulnerable form for the best target.

 

A sinister grin pulls Wheein’s lips as she flicked one end of the towel, making a satisfying smack as the makeshift whip landed true to its target. Byulyi howled in pain, both hands flying to protect her bottom from any more attacks as the rest of her body fell off the bed in a soft thud.

 

“Morning, .” Wheein greets sweetly, back to rubbing the wetness clinging to her hair.

 

“Wheein! That hurts!” Byulyi complains, her voice taking on that shrill tone that was mostly a secret to the rest of the student body. The resident girl crush had a reputation to uphold and Wheein wasn’t cruel enough to let this secret slip just for a simple payback, there was so much more she could do out of spite.

 

“I know. That’s why I did it.”

 

“What for? What did I do?”

 

“Yesterday.” Was all Wheein answers; stepping over Byulyi’s crumpled from when she sees their doorway slightly ajar. “I told you to close the door when you come in. We’re not exactly welcoming visitors like a hotel.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah.” Byulyi replies, more to just shut Wheein up.

 

Wheein doesn’t really care as she reached out to push the door close until something catches her keen eyes. She looks back to Byulyi struggling to get off the floor to the small basket of flowers keeping the door from closing.

 

“Hey Byul, you expecting a delivery?”

 

“Not that I know.”

 

“I think this is for you.” Wheein picks the flowers from the door, poking her head out to give the empty hallway a quick inspection. Her nose doesn’t pick up any kind of scent strong enough to overpower the old stench of the dorms and she heads back inside, extending the flowers to Byulyi.

 

Byulyi takes one long look at the gift before she snorts and backs off. “Not mine. They’re for you, . Can’t you read?” She says, picking off a red envelope Wheein missed, turning it around for Wheein to read her name scrawled in a lazy looking cursive.

 

“Oh, where did this come from?”

 

“Looks like you have an admirer.”

 

“Oh, neat.” Wheein inspects the basket, admiring the little bluebells- the only flower she’s able to tell apart from the rest- and experimentally took a cautious whiff from the flowers. “Why?”

 

Byulyi shrugs her shoulder, stuffing the small red envelope into the small pocket of Wheein’s shirt. “You’re a cute, lovable, big lug of fluff. Why wouldn’t you?”

 

“Well, I’m not exactly you, Byulyi.”

 

Byulyi tilted her head, absently scratching at her bare chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Nevermind.” Wheein sighs. Better not give Byulyi a big head early in the morning.

 

Byulyi shrugs her shoulder, turning to pick up her discarded clothes with her toes. Wheein was too used to the elder doing as she pleased. Fortunately, the ness was restricted only to their room and only with Wheein as Byulyi was too much of a prude to go out with anything shorter than knee-length shorts, and the occasional crop top- which even then was covered up with a jacket.

 

“I’m going to freshen up. Don’t let those flowers inflate your ego, Wheein.”

 

“Again. Not like you, Byul.” Wheein shot back as she flipped the card over in her hand.

 

It simply read: It was nice talking to you

 

 

 

The next few days Wheein received more of the little cards. Sometimes she’d find them placed in the middle of her table. Sometimes she’d see them flutter to the floor after she disrupted it from its place of rest. They usually had a short, positive phrase scribbled on them while some were a little poetic, something Wheein thought must have been ripped out of a Hallmark card or some poetry book hidden somewhere in the depths of the library. A little trite, but Wheein thought it was cute.

 

Until it wasn’t.

 

As the days rolled y Wheein began finding some falling from her locker and others taped on the door to their dorm room. Wheein only knew whoever it was must either have an accomplice that Wheein knew or they were really good at stealth because she also found a couple in her bag.

 

She had accused Byulyi being in with whoever the unnamed stalker was, but Byulyi’s adamant rejection made Wheein back down. Byulyi was pretty good at a lot of things, but lying wasn’t one of it. She was a horrid actress and Wheein could tell her lying a mile away.

 

“Who is it?” Wheein groans, flopping onto her bed. Byulyi, resting on her own bed, arm draped over her eyes, hummed a noncommittal answer. If Wheein’s stares could bore holes, there would be one big gaping hole at the side of Byulyi’s face. She thought about flicking the cards at her unhelpful friend, but she really didn’t need to give Byulyi ammunition for the inevitable retaliation. “You really don’t know who’s been sending me these silly notes?”

 

“Hm.. they don’t seem silly to me. What’s silly is your reaction to it. Calm down, Wheein. It’s not like they’re death threats.” Byulyi waves her off, turning her back to her, hoping Wheein could catch on that she wanted some peace.

 

“You’re really no help at all, Byulyi. Why the are we friends again?”

 

“Because, my dear Wheein, we’re like magnets. We’re opposites of each other so we attract. It’s simple physics.”

 

“Not because you’re using me as a shield..”

 

Byulyi crackles, snapping her finger and pointing at Wheein like she had hit the jackpot. “It’s a benefit from our relationship. Give and take. What was it called.. Mutual symbiosis. Biology. You’re the anemone to my Nemo. See, I’m not such a slacker now am I? I can relate science to our everyday interactions. ing give me a Nobel prize.”

 

“Spell anemone.”

 

“I said science, not English. I can only be good at one thing at a time. Jesus, Wheein.” Byulyi deflates, falling inelegantly back to her bed. “Man, you brooding up all my energy. Can’t you be brooding another day?”

 

“Well, gee, sorry my troubles have such little significance in your routine Byul.” Wheein snaps, filing all the little cards into a neat pile and stuffing them in her small belt bag. She slings it across her body and slaps a hat on her head.

 

Byulyi’s hand around her wrist stops her from just storming out and she shoots her friend a withering glare. “Jesus, Wheein. Relax. I’ll help you, okay? I thought you should know that by now.” Byulyi shuffles to sit at her bed, spreading her legs to get comfortable. She doesn’t let go until she sees the anger in Wheein’s gaze simmer down to annoyance.

 

“Okay, so what do we know?” she ponders, resting her elbows on her knee, stitching her fingers together to look a little serious. Wheein rolls her eyes but returns to sit on her bed. Any help is welcome.

 

“Cards have been popping up everywhere. I mean everywhere.”

 

“Stalker issues. Yup, seriously ed. Well… it’s not as bad as the other stalker related cases… yet.”

 

“Seriously, Byul. I think you really are not equipped to take this seriously.”

 

“Okay, Wheein, geez. Okay, since they know you live here then we can rule that at least they’re someone from this dorm or they know someone from here. No one knows our room numver unless they live here too.”

 

“Maybe we could ask the dorm mother to go through the CCTV's. I’m sure there’s a camera stationed around the stairwell and the elevators. We could narrow down your suspect list at the least.”

 

“I thought of that too. But..”

 

“But?” Byulyi prodded, finally looking serious.

 

Wheein drags a breath in, fiddling with the tie on the zipper of her bag. “There was no one suspicious coming up to our floor. Just the usual tenants and a few girls from the other floors visiting. The days I find a card taped to the door don’t match anyone’s comings and goings. I checked it myself. And they only have copies up until 4 days before the video’s deleted to make room for new recordings. That approach is hopeless.”

 

“Oh well…” Byulyi rubbed her chin, looking even more contemplative. Her gaze travel from Wheein to their door, her stare so hard Wheein could perfectly imagine the door combusting into flames from the intensity. “Maybe… we’re looking at someone among our status. I mean.. it is a possibility.”

 

“Our-?” Wheein scoffed. “How high are you?”

 

Byulyi turns to Wheein, looking confused. “What do you mean?”

 

“Byulyi, I don’t know if you inhaled one too many of that stuff, but what made you think anyone from your group is interested in me? Me of all people! To them, I’m like as interesting as a rock!”

 

Byulyi’s brows furrow as she regards Wheein, pursing her lips like she’d just heard someone talking smack about her grandmother. “I’m not saying this just because you’re my best friend, Wheein. I mean, I know we joke around and I say you’re being big-headed when someone compliments you, but you… have you seen yourself in the mirror?”

 

Wheein’s gaze trail back to their shared bathroom, jutting her jaw out at the reflection of herself. “I’m not anything special Byul.”

 

“Wheein.. If we weren’t friends, I definitely would totally try to get into your pants. Believe me, you’ve got a pretty nice figure.” At this the intensity of Byulyi’s stare made Wheein’s hackles raise. Her wolf rumbled out a soft whimper and it took all of Wheein’s concentration not to flinch at the stronger waves coming off her companion. But just as quickly as it came Byulyi broke their stare off, the strong vibes tapering off.

 

“Everyone’s special Wheein.” Byulyi kicks her feet off and onto her bed, twisting to rest her back against the headrest. “I’ve got a few names I can think off.. and I can keep a better eye out for whoever’s sending you those letters, but I for sure can’t give you a name right now.”

 

Wheein exhales loudly through her nose, getting back up to leave Byulyi to her thoughts.

 

“Hey, where you going? I thought we were good.”

 

“We’re good Byul. I just.. I need some air.”

 

 

 

Wheein wasn’t sure why her feet brought her back to the deserted place. It wasn’t exactly the picture she had in mind when she said she needed some air. The old greenhouse loomed over her like it came out of a bad b rate horror film. The abandoned look was a stark contrast to the beautiful afternoon weather that it almost made Wheein want to forget about getting air and go back to her shared room.

 

But there was something that struck Wheein about the cards. She looked over the ones she had on hand, noting the doodles of what looked like flowers and the fact that all of them were green. Where else was greener than a greenhouse?

 

Not that she believed Byulyi. There was no way anyone from her group would find her interesting. Wheein didn’t even go to their gatherings, and more often than not they were already under the influence by the time she got around to them. They could hardly remember what happened during their time there, much less someone who blended in the background like Wheein.

 

Entering the building Wheein sighed in relief when her thoughts of the place being free of any soul rang true. It was the weekend, there was no reason to come down there so early, or at all considering they were free to do what they wanted the whole day. She gave the area a proper once over, taking in the new details to the place. It was definitely a lot more cluttered than the first time Wheein came around. There were personal paraphernalia scattered around, some books here, a comb there, and Wheein was sure she spotted a Wallet on one of the crates. She would leave it there for the owner to find, she wasn’t some lost and found booth and she certainly didn’t want to find out if the thing had any.. undesirable goo tainting it.

 

With everyone away, the air did feel a bit cleaner. There were still traces of whatever they smoked around, stuck to the old wood and whatever overgrown flora that stubbornly clung to the dirt walls and floor. The door was at least left open to help clear out their activities. Again, Wheein wondered how none of the staff had even found out about their underground gathering.

 

Could it be mass hypnotism?

 

Maybe it was just a full-on buyout. Someone from the group could be loaded. It was easy enough to pay off the administration to ignore the greenhouse. It was already abandoned after all. The thought certainly falls under something Byulyi could have thought of.

 

Too lost in her thoughts Wheein failed to identify the lone figure entering through the door. Not until she felt the hairs on her arms stand on end, her animalistic instinct taking over and pinging an intruder within their midst. With a jolt Wheein snapped around, growling a warning at.. she blinked, her tense body shrinking as she watched the familiar side-profile of the demi-demon watering a bush at one of the side of the greenhouse, paying Wheein little mind as she began humming a soft tune.

 

Wheein watched on for a few seconds more, feeling it kind of odd to see such a sight. Someone was actually taking care of the few plants in the greenhouse, something Wheein had overlooked when she surveyed the area. Now that she was actually looking, the plants did have a healthy green look to them, not at all like how she imagined plants would look after being forgotten for so long. What was even more surprising was finding not a nymph or some sort of elemental looking after the greenhouse but a demi-demon. Wheein would have laughed if she wasn’t so confused at the sight.

 

Even more surprising was the combination of wear the woman had donned. Navy blue joggers, a loose white, shirt with the large GAP embroidered at the front, and her hair tied in a lazy ponytail. A far cry from the y look that had burned in Wheein’s mind for days.

 

“What are you doing here?” Wheein asks, after a long, careful consideration. She shuffles carefully, approaching the woman well within her sights.

 

“Watering my precious flowers,” Hwasa replies, lifting the water bottle she brought with her. “I could ask you the same. I’m usually alone here during this time of the day, especially during the weekends.”

 

“You water.. flowers?” Wheein tilts her head to the side, looking over Hwasa’s figure to the plain bush that didn’t look like it was going to bloom anytime soon.

 

“Well, it is a greenhouse after all. Just because a group of party animals decided to run this place like an underground playpen doesn’t mean I have to stop caring for my garden.”

 

“You know you could just.. kinda like..” Wheein wriggles her fingers in the air, “magically water the plants or something.” She eyes the bottled water in Hwasa’s firm grip, cocking an eyebrow at it like it was the weirdest thing she’s seen. In a way it was, magic users do tend to take the easy route and just magic things.

 

“Goes to show how little you know of caring for plants, pup.”

 

“I’m not a pup.” Wheein begrudgingly retorts.

 

“Sure, whatever keeps you happy.” Hwasa replies uninterestedly as she moves on to watering the next bush. “And plants need love to grow too. They’re also living, like you and me. Sure, watering them facilitates growth, but studies have shown that positive words and music help stimulate their growth even further. Besides, simply waving my hand to get them watered just takes away the fun in gardening… though the weeding I don’t mind magicking away.” Hwasa turns to Wheein, a glint in her eyes as she raises her hand, snapping her fingers quicker than Wheein could flinch back. “Like so! No more weeds to pull out. Save me some time and a manicure.”

 

Wheein looks around, not really seeing much of a difference, but she also couldn’t say she cared to really look at the bushes around them. What did she care for them anyway?

 

“Interesting,” Wheein says, though her voice remained flat. She shuffles away the cards in her hand and zipped her bag close. Wheein wasn’t sure why she thought coming there was going to help her solve her baffling mystery, but with Hwasa now in the vicinity, she might as well leave then before she could potentially become a victim of the demi-demon's mind games.

 

“I guess I’ll be going then.” Wheein bids her goodbye, stuffing her hands into her pocket.

 

“Lovely to catch up, miss Jung Wheein.” Wheein froze in her steps. She looks over to Hwasa wide-eyed. She had never divulged her name to the demi-demon, too afraid she would use her for some sick twisted game of her own twisted device if she was bored. She felt her skin grow cold at Hwasa’s wide, toothy grin. She knew she had Wheein’s full attention.

 

“How did you-”

 

“It’s not that hard, miss Jung Wheein. Not when I have every supernatural creature high off their minds and ready to divulge any and every information they have. I say, your reactions to finding my notes were really cute. I wish I had those recorded… ah well, a shame.”

 

“But- the notes on my door…”

 

“I’m a demi-demon.” Hwasa says, waving her hand in the air. “Petty tricks like that is nothing to me.”

 

“Wha- you- you-you sent-” Wheein couldn’t settle for what she wanted to say. Part of her was furious to be strung along like that, not that she ever thought really felt anything overtly romantic about the notes, it hurt that all the lovely little notes that cheered her on during the days, though a little freaky how she found them, was nothing more than a prank for the demi-demon. Something to pass her time a little more interestingly. The other, more reasonable part was just telling her to forget about it and move on. Her questions were now answered and there was no need for her to dwell on them any longer.

 

“Don’t mistake me, I wasn’t doing all that just because I was bored.. Well- I was a tad bit bored.. but, I sincerely meant all the things I wrote down. I also wanted to change your mind about magic users being all s. We’re not all like those who.. tormented you.” Hwasa's smile softens as she leaned back on the nearest stack of crates, trying to look cool. Wheein hated that she actually pulled off looking cool so easily.

 

“So, what now. I found you. What are you going to do now?”

 

Hwasa shrugs her shoulder, distractedly picking off a piece of lint from her joggers and flicking it off to the side.

 

“Well, I planned on befriending you at first.” She starts. Wheein snorts, she wasn’t buying it. What could Wheein and her friendship offer her? She wasn’t well off, nor was she popular among their crowd. Aside from Byulyi, really, Wheein didn’t care for any of their group of people, and surely Hwasa didn’t need her help to befriend the friendliest one of them all. “But, after watching you for the last few weeks, I changed my mind.”

 

Wheein wanted to roll her eyes, but the real chance of getting her eyeballs skewered by the demi-demon was not something she was willing to gamble on and so she tried to keep her expression as neutral as she could. She kept a vigilant watch on the demi-demon though, keeping her ears on alert just in case the demon had some surprising twist in store for her.

 

“No, not at all. I don’t want to befriend you anymore.” Hwasa repeated to herself, and Wheein feels like at this point she had totally forgotten her existence. She chanced a look at the closest exit, a stack of boxes by the large opening that was supposed to be a window, the netting long ripped as a makeshift emergency exit. She wondered how far she could go before the demi-demon could snap her back to where she was standing. It was always so hard to play around magic users when they always have some sort of field advantage.

 

“Now, what I want is to take you out.” Wheein’s eyes bulged.

 

“What?” she dared ask, fearing her answer, “Like.. take me out and bury me in the woods?”

 

Hwasa chuckles at Wheein’s train of thought, waving her hand. “Like, out on a date. Why the hell would I bury you in the woods?”

 

“On second thought, the burying in the woods sounds like a pleasant idea. I can dig my own grave and all. You don’t even have to lift a finger.” Hwasa’s chuckling grew louder as she doubled over, one hand on the crate to help balance her.

 

Wheein’s eyes were looking at the exit a lot more franticly, her need to eject herself from this conversation more pressing than ever.

 

“You really are funny! Byulyi definitely wasn’t lying.”

 

Byulyi that traitor. “Don’t be too angry at her, she was too high to really understand that she was giving away your information. Though for that, I really have to thank Yongsun, she was a very good… distraction.”

 

Byulyi and her gay was really getting Wheein into trouble, and she can’t really find it in her to be surprised. Wheein, instead, groans and falls to sit on the rusted bench. Hwasa can do away with her as she pleased.

 

“Aw, don’t be like that. I haven’t even taken you out to eat yet and already turning me down? That’s not very nice.”

 

“Are you even going to give me a chance to turn you down?”

 

“Honestly, no.”

 

“Then what’s the point of fighting you? I’m more afraid you’re going to turn me into a frog for talking back. And I really don’t want to find out how flies taste like.”

 

“I really am liking all that I’m getting from you, Wheein.” Hwasa tilts her head to the side and Wheein kind of finds it funny that the action actually looks cute.

 

“Can I call you Wheein?” Wheein was about to grudgingly nod her head when Hwasa adds, “or I can just skip ahead and call you mine.”

 

A long groan was what Wheein could give as she buried her face into her palm, the crackling of a bemused demi-demon intertwining with her voice to carry about in the abandoned building.