“You like her,” a voice teased. Zhou Mi turned to face the owner of the teasing voice. It was Henry, and he had a playful smile on his face. Zhou Mi pressed his lips and forced down the heat building in his face. The boy flashed his white teeth and leaned in.

“Don’t deny it Gege.” He whispered. Zhou Mi knew it would be foolish to deny his interest toward the Japanese woman, Henry is observant and knew the Chinese man so well. Zhou Mi closed his eyes.

“Well, there really isn’t much I can do about it is there?” He sighed, knowing that he can actually be with the woman in question if he wanted to. SM Entertainment has strict rules about dating, especially for trainees like Yumi. As great as his interest in Yumi was, he didn’t want to risk her future as a singer. He could see her potential, and her passion for singing. It rivaled the passion of most artists that he has seen, including perhaps his own. Henry was unfazed by Zhou Mi’s words.

“Gege, there is a very simple and easy way around the rules.” He whispered, a sly smile spread across his pink lips. Oh no, the boy is thinking! Zhou Mi was beginning to worry; it was rare for this side of Zhou Mi to come out. In fact, he hasn’t seen this mischievous side to the boy since he stopped stealing Hangeng’s underwear! Not that stealing his elder’s undergarments did much harm, but the antics that could be brewing in the Canadian’s mind made Zhou Mi uneasy.

“That’s a… nice gesture Henry deidei, but I really don’t want to jeopardize-.” “Mi gege, relax! It’s nothing too complicated!” Henry eagerly intervened. The Chinese man pressed his lips together, deciding to listen to what his dear friend had up his sleeve.

“Just walk up to and ask her if she would like to join the two of us,” Henry put emphasis on that last part, his eyebrows raised, “to Handel and Gretel tomorrow afternoon.” Henry smiled in satisfaction. 

That actually wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, Zhou Mi found it to be perfect. If he and Yumi were too go alone, the fans would become suspicious and think that he was dating her. But if Henry tags along, they wouldn’t think anything of it. They would think that the two of them were hanging out with a friend. It just might work.

“Henry, you’re a genius.” Zhou Mi patted the boy on the back. Henry’s smile grew and he reclined in his chair.

“I know,” he replied and laughed. Zhou Mi rolled his eyes. Back to being a seven year old.

Zhou Mi decided to put his deidei’s plan into action. As soon as Yumi was finished talking to Sooman and their manager, he got up and approached the Japanese woman. She greeted him with a friendly smile as soon as she saw him and gave him a polite bow.

“Hello Zhou Mi sunbae, how are you?” she said sweetly in her melodic voice, her amber eyes glowing like fireflies. A smile spread across his own lips as he returned the bow.

“I’m well Yumi ssi, thank you.” He replied and Yumi’s smile grew.

“Um, Yumi ssi, can I ask you something?” He began as he proceeded with Henry’s plan, feeling his heart beat pick up in pace slightly.

“Of course sunbae,” she replied sweetly. Zhou Mi casted his eyes to the floor, shyly. He gathered his thoughts and met Yumi’s enchanting gaze once more.

“I was wondering if you would like to join myself and Henry,” he gestured toward the latter, who waved at the woman, “to lunch tomorrow at Handel and Gretel?” Yumi gaze went to the ceiling, obviously thinking. Her eyes narrowed with a concern expression as her gaze fell to the floor.  Zhou Mi pressed his lips together as the silence between the two of them grew.

The Chinese man began to worry that she would say no, and an awkward atmosphere would be created between them. Yumi’s gaze finally reconnected with his and she smiled. Zhou Mi’s spirit felt less heavy.

“Yes, I think that would work sunbae. I don’t have anything to do after twelve o’clock until four.” She said with a smile. Zhou Mi’s heart soared. This is definitely going to work, he thought to himself with a smile. Maybe he could be with Yumi after all. In a deferent sense of course, but it was better than nothing at all.

“That’s great Yumi ssi. So we’ll see you tomorrow then?” “Of course, sunbae. Twelve o’ clock sharp.” She replied and excused herself. Zhou Mi glanced over his shoulder at Henry, who gave him two thumbs up and mouthed Jaiyou. Zhou Mi’s smile grew as he returned to the younger man.

“I told you it would work.” Henry said as he leaned back in his chair. Zhou Mi laughed at Henry’s cockiness.

“You never said that you crazy maknae!” Zhou Mi laughed as he ruffled Henry’s hair. Henry scrunched up his eyes as Zhou Mi messed up his hair, obviously bothered by it.

“Mi gege, mercy!” He cried, as he pulled away from Zhou Mi’s hand and smoothed out his hair. Zhou Mi laughed at Henry as he tried to mess up the former’s hair but was unsuccessful as Zhou Mi leaned out of reach of the boy’s hand. Where would I be without Henry to lighten the mode?

*****

Zhou Mi retired to his dorm with Henry that night for some much needed sleep. Fourteen hour planes rides exhausted him from sheer boredom. That and he didn’t want to look tired when he and Henry went out to lunch with Yumi the next day.

Speaking of which. “Shouldn’t you be going to bed Hen?” Zhou Mi asked the younger man as he lay in bed reading, the latter staring intently out the window. Zhou Mi couldn’t figure out what could possibly have caught the boy’s attention and decided to investigate when the younger didn’t reply. Zhou Mi set his book aside and made his way toward Henry.

“What are you doing?” Zhou Mi asked with his eye brow raised. Henry pointed up at the sky, not taking his eyes off of the Seoul sky line. Zhou Mi followed Henry’s gaze and witnessed what had the boy’s attention. The moon was still in its crescent shape, but it was slightly red in color. Against the clear night sky, it looked rather… unsettling.

“Would you say that’s ominous Mimi ge?” Henry asked the older man. Zhou Mi could only nod. There really wasn’t anything romantic about a red moon, in fact, it was a bit scary. It had this, more than ominous about it that made Zhou Mi feel rather uncomfortable. But he knew he couldn’t let that stop him from getting sleep.

“It’s getting late Hen, we can discuss this tomorrow.” Zhou Mi urged as he dragged Henry away from the window. Away from the seemingly hypnotic moon. Henry returned to his bed and fell asleep in moments. Zhou Mi switched off the light and tried to not think about what he had just seen.

It seemed ridiculous that the moon was freaking him out, when the other night he was comforted by the very same sight, but there was something about it that made him uneasy. And it seemed to make Henry uncomfortable as well. The moon in red, was not a pleasant sight, especially since it was almost as red as… blood.

Somehow, Zhou Mi managed to fall asleep after what seemed like ages, but his dreams were not at all pleasant.

Zhou Mi found himself in a dark, ancient forest, a thin blanket of fog hung in the air. The forest was thick with foliage and the tree tops above him were so, high, there was not a bit of sky to be seen. Zhou Mi could not tell whether it was day or night.

The Chinese man searched for a clearing of some sort in the dark thick forest when a dark figure speed by at amazing speed and he stumbled back.

“Wha -what was that?” He whispered to no one. The air whistled behind him as the dark figure speed by again. The man whirled around to get a better look at the being, but it was already gone by then.

Zhou Mi was very frightened by now and had no idea what he should do if that… thing were to come back. He ran deeper into the forest to distance himself from the creature that might be stalking him. The foliage around him grew thicker as he ran; the Chinese man ducked beneath low tree branches and pushed past hanging foliage.

The frightened man finally found himself in the clearing he was looking for. The sky above him was dark and scattered with silvery stars. In the center of the night sky, was blood red crescent. Zhou Mi felt sheer terror fill as the moon grew even redder, the blood color becoming more pronounced.

He casted his eyes away from the moon and to the center of clearing, where two figures could be seen. One figure was hunch over the other that lay back, sprawled out in the center of the clearing. The lying figure seemed very familiar. Zhou Mi walked closer to the people and his heart froze when the milk pale, mochi cheeks of the figure on the ground. Henry.

Not wasting any time, Zhou Mi sprinted toward Henry and the figure hunched over him as fast as his mile long legs could carry him. As he drew closer, he could see that Henry was wearing light brown slacks, a white button up shirt and a light brown vest. He was shoeless. The figure beside him was wearing a white long-sleeved silk dress, and had short black hair. She too, was shoeless.

“Henry, are you alright?!” He cried, as he stood over the two. Henry’s eyes were closed, as if he was asleep, but he did not respond. The girl did not pay any mind to Zhou Mi, she sat there with her head bowed, unfazed by the alarm in Zhou Mi’s voice.

The Chinese man fell to his knees and jostled Henry. The boy still did not respond. As Zhou Mi disturbed him, Henry’s head turned toward, exposing the side of his neck. Zhou Mi cried out in horror at the sight. Henry’s neck was torn open, a river of blood trickling into the grass. Zhou Mi hesitated, and then reached out to feel for a pulse that he knew would not be there. Much to his horror, he was right.

“Why?” The girl beside him sobbed. Zhou Mi turned to the girl. She was tiny and pixie like, with ruby red eyes. She sobbed over Henry as if her heart would break.

“Why?” She inquired again, her sobs shaking her voice. Zhou Mi reached out to comfort the crying girl, but she pulled away, almost in fear. The Chinese man was very confused.

“Why did you kill him?” Zhou Mi was taken aback by the girl's accusation. He would never so much as harm a hair on that boy’s head. Why on earth would he kill Henry?! When did he kill him?!

“I would nev-.” “You tore out his throat.” The girl wept into Henry’s shirt that was becoming stained with blood.

“You ripped it out of his neck like a wild beast.” The girl broke down in controllable sobs.

“No, that's not true!” Zhou Mi cried as he felt something warm drip onto his face. The man wiped away the substance and  his fingers came back red and sticky with blood. His eyes widened in horror as more blood dripped onto his hand. Zhou Mi looked up and saw the moon; crimson and dripping with blood.

***

Wow! This was a long chapter! I hope that nightmare wasn’t too scary. Anime Kitty is back! *Confetti and balloons rain down from the heavens*

Sorry about that guys! *bows* School work got heavy for a while and I had to study for SATs and ACTs (got back both score, I am ready for college!) and I had Prom the other night so I didn’t have the time to write, much less update. Thanks to a very good friend of mine, who has reminded me time and time again for the past two months that I need to update I finally did so (Thanks Dongseang! Hugs! :3). So I hope this veeerry long chapter makes up for me going M.I.A on you. But no worries my six lovely readers, I am not ever going to leave you all hanging like that again!*gives out apology candy* I am back to continue this story. I’ll be sure to notify you all if something comes up where I won’t be updating for a while.

I’ll let you all know in advance that on the week of my birthday (July 24th.) I will be out of town and unable to update due to a lack of internet service and computers. I’ll probably double update when I get back from that vacation. I might even post the madness that occurs when I get back, too.

Any who, this chapter is in dedication to said dongseang who helped me get back on my laptop and too one of my subscribers who like me is writing a horror story that features Zhou Mi. (You rock girl!) Thanks to the first two chapters of her story, I was finally able to write a scary scene (I apologize if I failed to make it scary.) *more apology candy*.

You guys can see a little something going on with Yumi after Zhou Mi asked to accompany him and Henry to lunch the next day. What’s that all about, it’s only lunch not a military draft? But whatever it was that had her concerned, it didn’t seem to conflict with Henry and Zhou Mi’s plans. But in any case, it was a bit peculiar that she had to think that hard about a lunch “date”. Zhou Mi and Henry’s closeness is also demonstrated in this chapter, since Henry could tell that Zhou Mi is attracted to Yumi and that he expressed his want to help Zhou Mi become closer to the woman. And we can also see that brotherly love between them as they tease each other, and as Zhou Mi tries to get Henry to go to bed.

Does anyone think it was a bit weird that the moon was scaring Zhou Mi and Henry? Let’s put it like this, shall we, the moon was blood red in color. Picture that in your mind. To some, it might seem pretty cool, but the atmosphere about the moon was ominous and the blood red color didn’t help to soothe the boys fear. It’s a bit ironic considering that Zhou Mi thought that the moon the night before was romantic and that it comforted him.

I want all of you to keep the nightmare in mind; it’s a very important part of this story along with many other dreams to come. Who could the mystery girl possibly be? 

Please tell me what you think of this chapter, I would really like some feedback from you guys, especially those of you who are my subscribers. Thank you guys for being so patient with me, I really appreciate it. I’m going to update as soon as I can. If you have any question, comments, suggestions, sarcastic remarks (be gentle with the sarcasm) don’t be afraid to say what on your mind. I am very open to criticism and I would very much appreciate it. If you think I should change something about the relationship between Yumi and Zhou Mi, feel free to tell me. And just so you all know, comments = faster updates, subscribing makes me happy too. :)

Before I skedaddle out of here, I would like to say that I am need of a Photoshop wiz right now, someone who can alter a picture of a person to make them look different. If anyone here can do that, I would very much appreciate your help.

Thanks guys! ^^