You don't see Kai for the next few days. You don't know whether he's home, or whether he's holed up in his dorms, but either way, he hasn't bothered to take his classes. There are only a few classes one can miss per semester, and while Kai is pushing it, you suppose his dad will pull some strings in order to free his son from the usual educational restraints.

Hyunsoo keeps track of the stocks, and that's the only way you know how the company is doing. As soon as the stocks had plunged, news reporters had swarmed around the company building trying to get information about how one of the major medical companies suddenly have the potential to go bankrupt. Faced with an end, the company has since then refused to answer any questions, and you've had to content yourself with inferring facts from the few articles that countless journalists manage to conjure up.

According to Hyunsoo, the stocks have been keeping steady since the strike. Kai's dad's company weren't the only people affected, but they did take one of the most catastrophic hits. Many people haven't shown up to work in their cause for rebellion, and with no workers, enterprise leaders are forced to slow their rate of progression. 

"It's not going to go up," Hyunsoo says during lunch, answering your question about whether the stocks will go up, "until people go back to work, or people buy stocks. And nobody is going to buy stocks from a company that could go bankrupt." She idly eats her food, a spoon in one hand and her phone in the other, as she scrolls through the list of news. "Hey, look. New article," she says, and you scoot over to get a better view. You gaze at the news report on her phone, skimming the contents and ignoring the headline. The only thing you can focus on is the photo of Kai in a black suit, standing next to his dad, who is shaking hands with another major business leader. "They're combining companies," she says in awe and shock. "Wow. It must be getting really bad."

You don't pay attention to what she's saying and just stare at Kai. He looks tired, and the polite smile on his face is too fake, too unreal. His hair is perfect and sleek - not his usual, adorable mess of fluff you've come to adore - and his shoes gleam with new shine. But there is one thing that remains consistent, however. The top two buttons of his shirt are undone, revealing that silver chain you had briefly seen during the first few days you had met him. It makes you smile. At least he is still maintaining his originality.

"Oh, look at this," Hyunsoo says, pointing to a paragraph. "'Two company powers conjoin to unite against contingent bankruptcy. Children attend prestigious boarding school' ... Wait, what? Children? This guy's kid goes to our school?"

You peer over her shoulder. "So we know him?"

"Or her," she says. "And however he or she is, they've been pretty low-key about being the kid of a business leader. Hm." A pondering look crosses her face, and she bites her lip in concentration. "I'll find out. I'm good at this stuff."

"How is your dad, by the way?" You ask Hyunsoo as you take a sip of your drink. "Being a stock broker and all. This help him any? The strike?"

"Yes and no," she shrugs, retreating into herself. You've never seen this side of Hyunsoo before. She's a lot more reserved, and you suspect that more good than bad has happened to her since the strike. "I don't know. My dad doesn't really talk to me about it." She just shrugs again, like it's no big deal, but you can see in the way she doesn't meet your eyes that your question has affected her. You give her an encouraging smile, and after a while, she nods gratefully. "We'll find out, won't we? How this turns out."

You turn back to your food, eyeing the portion of bread left on the table. "Yeah. We will."

-----

School is over for the day, and you grab your things and rush out of the class. You exit the building, heading for the lily pond to get your homework done. After clandestinely making your way to the back of the building, you approach the special location to realize that a very familiar figure is lazily sitting on the bench, his eyes closed as the heat of the sun above warms his face.

"Kai!" You say excitedly, rushing over to him, but then stop. Too familiar. You're being too familiar. You awkwardly slow your pace and clear your throat to signal your presence. Kai cracks an eye open to take note of you, but then closes his eyes again. "Uh. Hi, Kai."

"Hi," he says, sitting up properly in his seat. He isn't wearing his school uniform, but rather a coat and tie similar to the one he had worn in the photo. He proceeds to loosen the tie around his neck, however, and he takes it off of him and drops it on the ground before he s his collar. "I hate these things," he mumbles, taking off the coat and rolling up the sleeves of his crisp, clean, button down shirt. "I can't move." He untucks his shirt and looks like he's about to take off his belt, too, when he realizes you're still there. "Sorry," he says, smirking when he sees your numb expression. You blush and turn away as he stops practically stripping himself and runs a hand through his hair, effectively creating the unruly hairstyle that suits him.

"Did you ... uh ... did you have fun?"

"What's fun about attending meetings?" He sneers, shaking his head. "No. I did not have fun." He looks down at his hands, at the silver watch strapped around his wrist. He takes that off, as well, and flings it to the pond, where it cracks the surface in a heavy plop. 

"DId you just ... " You start, stricken.

"Throw a Rolex in the pond? Yes." He shrugs, like it's no big deal he just threw an extremely expensive, high class instrument into the water. "Why, did you want it?"

"Of course not," you scoff. "You seem to like ... silver, that's all."

He looks at you curiously. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, your ... " you say, gesturing to his neck. He stares at your hand movements before he looks down at his own collar. He tugs at the silver chain around his neck, a small smile spreading across his face. "You noticed, huh?" Thankfully, you're saved from replying, because he continues, "My dad gave this to me. When I was ten." He looks wistfully at the necklace, the strings of silver catching the glint of the sun, but then his expression darkens. "Should I throw this, too?" He asks, his voice eerily serious.

"What? Don't do that," you say, surprised. He turns to look at you, and for a moment, he looks nothing like Kai.

"Are you going to stop me from doing what I want, too?" He questions you. He chuckles, a cruel sound that makes you feel entirely too minuscule. "Don't act like you know me."

The words hit you hard, almost knocking your mind senseless. Your brain tries to function, and your tongue searches for a reply to deflect his own, but you can't speak, can't think. The one thing you can do, however, is feel, and there is one emotion that is definitely beginning to take over you.

"Don't think," you half whisper, "that I'm a stupid girl who will keeping liking you no matter how many times she's been hurt. I'm not that naive."

He seems taken aback at your outburst, and with a bewildered look in his eyes, he protests, "I never said you were stupid." But then a teasing tone enters his voice, and he asks, "Wait ... you like me?"

Insulted, embarrassed, and slightly humiliated, you make a move to stand up, but before you can walk away, Kai grabs your arm and pulls you back down to him, almost placing you right on his lap. He keeps his hand on your arm as you turn bright red, an amused smirk curling his lips. Suddenly, you're entirely too aware of how close he is, of how his hand is on your arm, and of how that look on his face makes you feel not small at all, but very, very important. You get the feeling he'll kiss you, or pull you into his arms, when he starts leaning in, and all you can think about is how it would feel to have those full lips on yours.

But then his phone rings, cutting off the moment, and Kai grumbles as he searches his pocket for the annoying device. Irritated, he answers the call, and you scoot away a little to grant yourself a more comfortable space. You watch him as his voice lilts in panic and his eyes turn bright with fear. Hanging up, he stares at his phone blankly, looking like a lost, lost boy. 

"Kai?" You ask him. "What just ... happened?"

"That was the hospital," he croaks. "My dad got a heart attack."