Chapter 12:
Lounging on thah’ beach

Narrator’s POV:

Kim Lee Joon was a bright kid.

No, seriously – Kim Lee Joon was a bright kid.

Not literally of course, he didn’t shine, he was just incredibly smart.

And in a lot of ways, Kim Lee Joon was very much more mature than other kids his age. You could almost say he was like an of-age person trapped in a child’s body.

This wasn’t something he really showed to others, obviously, because let’s be honest: people would be weirded out if they found a child that preferred reading literary works by Charles Dickens (which he’d already outgrown by the way) or playing chess at the age of 5 rather than toy-cars or Lego.

But hey - Joon was a brilliant kid, which was why he’d quickly picked up techniques to hide his.. gift.

Feigning a child’s innocence hadn’t been that much of a difficult task, not even his family knew the depths of his knowledge and genius.

There was one person though, that wasn’t such an easy person to fool.

Kim Chajoon.

But Kim Chajoon was brilliance himself, being the principal of The EXO Academy and all. He knew a lot of the childishness was feigned from the little kid named Joon, some of it because Joon slipped up. Of course he did – it was only natural for he was only a child.

It didn’t keep him from trying, though – and as he stumbled down the hallways (remember, he was not a physical brilliance) towards Kim Chajoon’s office, he had a plan.  Of course he did – he was brilliant.

“Grandpapa!” he exclaimed when he got into the room and saw his grandfather sitting behind a great mahogany desk, stretching his bubbly hands in the air while running up to meet his grandfather’s welcoming arms.

“And he had red hair, Grandfather, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t color it on purpose,” a voice from another direction said, and Joon suddenly noticed his brother was in the room together with them.

“Hyung!” he exclaimed excitedly and wailed a little in his grandfather’s lap to wave at his big brother.

“Hello there, little brother,” Suho smiled warmly at his baby brother when he saw he’d been discovered. “Did you sleep well?”

Joon was already one step ahead.

He nodded excitedly and looked up at his grandpapa. “I dreamt of Kris-hyung with purple hair,” he said. “He looked really funny – like a cartoon person!”

Suho looked at his little brother, new-found interest in his eyes. It wasn’t red, but it wasn’t Kris’ normal blonde hair either.

“Why did you see Kris with purple hair, Junior?”

Sora’s nickname had already affected most of the family members and was being used by most of them by now. And because the nickname was given by Joon’s beloved noona, it might affect his answer positively, Suho had thought cleverly.

“Noona drew drawing of Kris-hyung with purple hair,” Joon said, starting to play with something at the hem of Chajoon’s cardigan. “And one with red hair,” he grinned. Because Joon had been inside Sora’s little house when she wasn’t there. Of course he didn’t do it to spy – he’d been looking for her, and as a child, he was curious when he saw the mess of colors and papers on the desk. “It was really pretty!” After that he started laughing a tinkling laughter that hung in the room. “Grandpapa has tiny sheep on his jacket!”

Suho wrinkled his brows together in confusion.

“What noona, Junior?”

Not that there really was any question about what noona, because Joon didn’t know that many, but he had to be certain.

“Sora-noona!” Joon grinned.

Just what I thought, Suho thought.

“When did you see Sora’s drawings, Junior?”

“When I wake up Sora on Friday,” Joon kept that innocent smile on his face as he seemed entirely infatuated with his grandpapa’s jacket. “And on Thursday,”

“When did you see Wu Fan with red hair, Joon Myeon?” Chajoon asked, quickly catching up.

It wasn’t for no reason he was called brilliance.

He also used Kris’ full, true name – because.. That was just what a headmaster did. Old habits die hard.

“Friday,” Suho said. “By lunch, which means-“

“Hush, Joon Myeon,” Chajoon said.

There was no question that Joon was following the conversation closely even though he did fickle with Chajoon’s clothes still and kept his eyes on where his tiny hands were.

“But what if Sora was the one who did it? That would mean her power is-“ Suho’s eyes glimmered with excitement, but Chajoon interrupted him again.

“We know nothing for certain,”

“But she could join the proje-“

“Is our little Joon hungry, perhaps?” Chajoon interrupted Suho once again, and this time Suho kept his silence as Chajoon Joon’s hair back.

Joon grinned and looked up at his grandfather. “A lot,” he said.

He knew he couldn’t dig. That way he wouldn’t get any information. It would raise suspicion. But he’d already heard of the project that his big brother was about to mention once again – he just needed a little more. He looked up at the elders that met his eyes with trust and warmth. They should thank him. He’d given them something more to go on when it came to his beautiful noona.

And if noona got to join the-

“Shall we have noona prepare some pancakes for you, huh?”

That shut his train of thoughts from coming as he mewled in appreciation when thinking of pancakes made by his noona.

--

Sora had quickly mixed up the batter for the pancakes and thereafter cooked some pancakes for the dear little boy at once when she’d gotten the message. She didn’t have any qualms about giving the boy what he wanted, at least when it was such a simple and non-time-consuming task. Since she’d first started, she made pancakes for everyone who wanted some as well.

Kai had run off to visit some friend (which friend Sora didn’t know – he’d been gone before she woke up), and Sora was considering putting up a suggestion to do something in the house with Suho that Sunday.

That was a suggestion that quickly fell apart by the kitchen’s eating counter though, as Suho explained his plans for the day, at the same time eating Sora’s sweet pancakes with syrup.

“I’m going over to Kris’ place today to discuss some business,” he said.

“Oh?” Sora asked. “What business?”

Suho paused with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you,”

“Aha,” she answered.

The plan of a trip to Kris’ house had woken some interest in her though, as she still wondered whether or not Kris’ hair had turned purple. She was in fact very, very curious about that.

They ate in silence while Sora tried to figure out how to pop up with a suggestion of her joining him. Would it be weird if she was to join Suho over to a friend’s house?

Na-ah, she concluded – she’d already gone shopping with Luhan and Sehun, what difference did Kris make?

Other than that he was a coldhearted, arrogant bastard, a sneaky thought reminded her. Forget that.

“Hey, my Guardian Angel – you wouldn’t mind if I joined you, right?”

--

Sora’s POV:

It hadn’t really taken much time to convince Suho into letting me coming with him. Just some small arguments here and there about me wanting to see more of the valley, and me don’t really having much to do that day, and Suho was convinced at once. In the end, Joon had started complaining about wanting to come too, and no one could really refuse that adorable boy when he started to pout those cute lips of his.

So we went three people in the family’s Audi S4, Suho being the driver. I didn’t have a driver’s license – at least not one I could remember. I couldn’t remember driving a car even how much I tried to picture doing it, but as Suho explained the basics to me while we were driving up the hills, and I watched him put it into practice, I didn’t think it looked that difficult. Joon kept up with the conversation himself; actually commenting too, which astonished me every time it happened for he sounded so wise.

I was expecting having to listen to a lot of secret and boring business-talk, but I was not expecting the marvelous house that met my sight. I was also not expecting not being allowed inside the house.

We’d driven up the hills to follow a smaller path a little downwards again. It seemed like that was the only way to get to the house, even though the property clearly lay by the coast. Why not just follow the coastline, I asked myself.

The answer was given to me later when I saw the property’s whole extent.

We had driven down into the woods again, and suddenly the woods opened a bit to give place for a huge mansion.

The house was built upon a hill it appeared, as I saw the left side showing some of the sea as the ground seemingly bucked down. It was nicely integrated with the landscape and trees that seemed like they’d grown together with the house. With its walls of dark grey bricks of stone and its sudden elements of dark oak wood it went well with the setting. Huge windows didn’t reveal a lot of the insides, but I supposed they were tinted.

The house itself was fairly minimalistic. It was a surprising mix of aerodynamic lines, straight lines – modern and traditional architecture.

But I didn’t get to see the inside of it, because its’ owner blocked the entrance with his tall, lean body.

Dressed in a dark silver shirt tucked inside a pair of beige pants made me again realize how handsome that guy was. It was kind-of ruined by his attitude though. The refusal I didn’t really see I’d been given.

Another thing that astonished me enough to not really comprehend the refusal I was given was the fact that the head that met us in the door was indeed – just as my drawing of that head – purple.

It was purple.

And I just had to state the absolutely obvious fact.

“Your hair is purple,”

As if he hadn’t discovered it himself.

“No Sherlock,” the head in the doorway – Kris, responded sarcastically, shooting me an angry glare.

Seriously – didn’t that guy have any other expressions than that constant face?

“Why is she here, Suho-hyung?”

“She wanted to come,” Suho simply answered, looking surprised Kris had even asked. Perhaps he was a little stunned by Kris’ purple hair.

I, too, was stunned.

Who wouldn’t be – I mean, I had never thought of Kris as an experimental type of guy.

“A-ha,” Kris answered, eying me suspiciously as if me coming to visit was a very bad and suspicious little thingy.

“But she can’t be here,” he said.

Suho started speaking while I exclaimed a very indulgent “Why?!” in the background, “She doesn’t need to be in the room while we discuss, Kris – she can just watch Junior?”

“Junior?” Kris asked with some distaste, even though he very well knew who Junior was as he saw Joon peeking at him from behind me, gripping my legs.

“New nickname,” Suho grinned. “Sora came up with it,”

I looked at Kris defiantly, daring him to say anything bad about it.

“A-ha,” He didn’t even look at me, but bent down and spoke to Joon. “Hey, Joon!” he made a small wave and grinned. “Long time no see – aren’t you going to come on over?”

Joon’s big eyes cracked up into a smile and he let go of me as he ran the few feet over to Kris’ arms.

“Hyung!”

My eyes widened as I found Kris’ eyes on me with a smug smile on his lips.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Go over to your noona, Junior,” Suho said. “Your hyungs have some business to discuss,”

I grinned smugly at Kris when Joon was about to come over to me again, but soon realized Kris had other things in mind as he spoke up again. “I don’t see the problem with Junior,” Kris almost spat the last word, effectively trying to ruin the nickname, “being here with us,”

I was so close to showing him The Finger.

“And it’s been so long since I saw him last!” with that he hugged the child in his arms and stared at me smugly.

“Hmm, maybe not,” Suho said, seemingly unaffected by Kris and I’s burning staring competition. “Well, then – shall we go on inside?”

Kris stood up and ushered Joon inside before making place for Suho to walk in the doorway. I followed closely, but as I was to go on in, a body stepped in front of my and blocked my way.

I looked up, puzzled.

It was Kris staring arrogantly down at me, and we were back to having the uncomfortable-non-personal-space as we’d had in the gym earlier that week.

I was just about to stagger back a few steps as a response to our intimate stand, but suddenly figured that that would mean I’d lose the battle.

So instead, I closed in some impossible inches more, right before we would be touching. I also straightened up more to make my stand more powerful, but Kris was still towering above me. I could feel his breath, just a light touch on my skin. Both were daring each other to speak first with our gazes.

“Aren’t you going to let me in?” I finally asked.

Kris stared at me for a few more seconds before his mouth curved up into another smug grin.

He moved slightly backwards, so I held my breath, thinking that he’d given in and followed, but that was before he took a hold of the door. I tried to smile innocently up at him.

“Not a chance,” he said, my smile disappeared and my eyes widened, he grinned and then he closed the door in front of my face.

--

“Jack-… face.. arrogant bastard..” all of these were words I mumbled to myself as I kicked random rocks while walking on a path towards the left side of the house.

As I got to the part where the ground started heading downwards, I ended up studying the beautiful view with an angry mind. The cliff continued a little further out, but on it was a patio that belonged to the house as well as a – now this impressed me, even in my angry state of mind – swimming pool that made it look like the edge of the cliff was only clear water from the pool. I could only imagine how beautiful the view would be from the patio when the sunset lit up the water as well as the sea. As it was, there was a beach just down the cliff-side, a little bay that obviously wanted me down there right at that moment. And I wanted to enjoy the blinding sunlight and the clear sky. As well as I was curious about something a little from the coast, lying (or floating) gently in the water. 

Trees surrounded the bay, and I started to wonder how much of it was Kris' and his family's property.  

One thing was clear though, and that was that there weren't any stairs leading down to the beach. And I was impatient, not in the mood for annoying myself any further by searching and searching for an easy way down. No, I was going to climb down the cliff. Because was I ever going to say no to some extra trim? No.  

(Well, not in this mood at least.) 

I thanked whoever was out there that I'd worn baggy, stretchy pants that day and bent down to begin my journey down the steep hillside.  

Not a thought in mind that there were only my hands gripping the stone and my feet balancing on cracks in the stone that kept me from the 20 meters free fall down to the beach. 

Everything went fine for a while - sun and exercise creating perspiration that ran gently down my forehead. The sweat was probably the thing that made what happened next happen. Because with sweaty hands it was very easy to slip.  

And slip I did. 

As one of my hands lost its grip, it caught me off balance, and my feet slipped to. In the end I was hanging from one hand, tightly trying to push my body towards the cliff-side. At least 15 meters left down. 

And I was sure I was gonna die. 

", , , .." I repeated desperately to myself as I stared at everything around me in panic - shock. My hand and feet refused to find hold and kept dangling in thin air, thumping the stone while trying to get a grip.

My arm had already taken more than it could handle, not being trained in the first place. It felt wickedly pained as it kept holding my whole bodyweight from falling. Sweat made the stone slippery underneath the hand. I wasn't going to be able to hang there for much longer.  

I lost my hold. 

All I could feel was the rush of wind and the drop in my stomach as I screamed silently in my mind. 

My hands tried desperately to get a hold of something, but felt only rough stone under them.  

Please, please, please, let me live, I begged. 

I kept on scraping my hands against the cliff-side, not feeling the pain it was supposed to create as it obviously bloodied them, and not getting ahold of anything.

Until there suddenly was something to grab.  

A rope found its way between my fingertips and I cried in relief and pain as the rope burnt into my hand from the speed. 

And then I was hanging in thin air again, the little aftershock from the stop banging me slightly against the cliff-side. I hung there for a few seconds - minutes, grabbing the rope with both hands now, breathing heavily and feeling my heart beat as fast as a little bird's in my chest. I wasn't dead. 

My eyes went downwards and I saw that I was only a couple of meters away from the ground.  

Thinking that my hands couldn't get in a much worse condition I slid down the last part and met the ground by collapsing on it. My legs didn't have any strength left - adrenaline having gone straight to my arms instead.  

Where the hell had that rope come from?  

It would have been so easy to spot against the stone's surface, and yet I hadn't seen it as I searched. It was like it'd just appeared out of thin air. I sat there with my confused mind and tried to forget the fact that I'd almost died. If that rope hadn't been there, I would have. I felt faint, almost mentally drained. Dizzy. Tired. The pain in my hands was surfacing. The pain in my whole body was surfacing.

I had to relax for a few minutes. 

--

Narrator’s POV:

“Is the project ready to run yet, Suho?”

“Grandfather says we need to bring some girls into the project,”

“Some girls? Why in the world would we need girls?”

“Better for future missions, because let’s be honest – a girl would be helpful,”

“Tell me why,”

“Womanly charm,”

Cheesy grin.

“What?”

“I agree that Luhan could cross-dress, but it wouldn’t give the same result, you know?”

“Cross-dress?”

“Or maybe you could. But honestly, Kris – you’re too masculine,”

“Are you saying we need girls to around to get what we want?”

Confused sneer.

“I’m pretty sure not all men out there are biual no matter how handsome you are – and it wouldn’t be around,”

Protesting stance.

“Puh,”

Obviously not agreeing. With what was uncertain. Joon supposed it was both.

Why Joon was in a situation where he could protest was because Joon was listening to the conversation.

Sure he was.

And he knew that Kris knew it too.

Because Kris was one of the few people in this town that treated Joon for what he was.

Misunderstood, acting, and obviously not only a child in mind.

Kris knew that.

Which made Kris Joon’s absolutely favorite hyung.

Scratch that. You mustn’t ever forget his biological brother, Suho. Social etiquette told Joon that biological family should always come first. Joon knew that.

Suho was Joon’s absolutely favorite hyung. Kris came next.

“So, who are we talking about, then?” Kris asked.

“We’re considering Sora,”

“Sora?” Kris sounded absolutely confused. “Who?”

Suho only gave him a look that spoke more than a thousand words.

“Oh,” Kris said, realizing. “That girl?” Disgust was poorly hidden in Kris’ voice.

Yeah, Kris had never been fond of women. Even Joon didn’t know why. Sora was his favorite noona. And Joon could say that with absolute clarity, because Joon didn’t have a biological sister. Therefore he was free to appoint Sora as his favorite. Which he’d done.

“Why that girl?” Kris asked. “I hope you’re not being biased because she’s living in your house now,”

“Grandfather and I have been discussing it,” Suho answered. “We haven’t seen her power yet – she has seemingly forgot everything,”

“And you trust her?”

“Of course we trust her!”

“Why? Why should you trust her?” Kris exclaimed.

“She came here in the same state as Baekhyun,” Suho murmured.

Joon looked up, only to be met by Kris’ calculating gaze. He smiled innocently at his hyung. The fact that Kris knew and treated him for what he was didn’t mean Joon forgot acting. It had become a habit.

“Hmm,” Kris said. It seemed like he understood. “Then what should we do about her? She’s obviously not fit at the time to join the project,” Disgusted again.

“Give her extra lessons I suppose,”

“And who is supposed to do that?”

“She has been discussed in the school’s office. Every teacher know her situation,”

“That didn’t answer my question,”

“We’ll see – we have to learn more about her power first,” Suho suddenly grinned. “But I think we’re starting to get the idea,”

“Oh, yeah?” Kris didn’t seem very interested, seeming more interested in something on his jacket.

“Your new hair looks nice,”

Yes, Suho had discovered the fact that Kris’ hair was the same as the drawing Joon had described. And Suho didn’t think Sora and Kris had been seeing each-other for the last days.

Kris eyes shot up at Suho, staring at his wide grin with some anger.

Joon kept his same neutral expression but shifted his eyes as two people came inside.

Sora’s POV:                                           

I’d at last gotten myself together and standing to the point where I could start exploring the beach.

The dizziness had disappeared somewhat, and the confusing thoughts I’d cleared away for later examination. If I managed to do so.

The beach was a beautiful sight to behold. Not that the sand was like silk to touch or anything like that, but the sound of the waves hitting the shore was wonderfully calming to my ears, and I just loved the view of the ocean.

As I looked further out on the sea I discovered that a building was floating some away from the shore. It was most likely not floating but built upon the water with strong posts to hold it up. My sight wasn’t good enough for me to be able to see the details of the house, but it made me curious. Was it Kris’ house? How did he get out there? With boat? I didn’t know.

There seemed like there was a canal of a sort that lead to the cliff-side though, but it stopped by the wall of rocks, and led me no further.

I had been out for a while, studying the surroundings and was about to go into the woods on the right side to follow the path that had been trampled down by people walking there through time, because it appealed more to my curiosity than the one that had clearly been made once and for all and manufactured, but something interrupted me.

“What is a lovely lady like you doing walking alone here on the beach?”

I turned abruptly at the sound and discovered a little of-age man standing just meters away from me, pretty handsome for his age; tall and in a white suit that almost gloved in the sunlight.

He was smiling at me, and the only thing I could do was to smile back a little unsurely.

--

I discovered that the man was Kris’ father as we walked up to the house again. (He thought it was way too cold for me to be outside, especially alone – the fact that Kris had sent me down here he’d seemingly just guessed by himself - he actually apologized on behalf of his son’s actions too, something I didn’t really take for good fish since I was pretty certain Kris didn’t regret his decision personally. It was a nice gesture, though.)

I also discovered that there was a path leading from the villa to the beach, stairs and all, and that that was what the manufactured path was made for. Pity as hell that I hadn’t taken the time to try and find it. I had gotten some unnecessary bruises and the fright of a possible death as a result of my impatience. It wasn’t that difficult to find either, you just had walk a little into the grove and you would find it.

Kris’ father was a charming man, but I just couldn’t see the likeness of the behavior between them. While Kris’ father was seemingly friendly and almost a little flirty – maybe a little too much of a flatterer, Kris had none of those features, or at least I hadn’t discovered them yet.

He told me that he was a businessman himself, and that Kris lived in the great mansion by himself most of the time since he himself travelled a lot.

He didn’t have any trouble about letting me inside the house, and then I got to see its insides.

White, was the first thing that hit me.

Wood and white. Simplistic. Almost cold. Expensive. Luxurious.

But Kris’ father never let me think a lot about the house’s interior, because he never stopped his flood of talking and I had enough to do just keeping up with that. As we got into one of the rooms I quickly found all three boys being there; Suho, Joon and Kris.

“Suho! How lovely to see you again!” Kris’ father said as he got inside the room. He didn’t spare Joon a glance.

All boys turned to face us, and I watched as Kris’ face turn into a very unpleasant sneer. This time, it didn’t even seem it was because of me as Kris completely ignored my presence.

Kris’ father turned to his son. Seemed like they both had the height and handsomeness at least.

“I found this dazzling woman all alone down on the beach,” he said, turning on an almost teasing smile for Kris. “Kris, is this how you treat the ladies?”

“I’ve learnt from the best.”

Kris’ voice was quick and almost like ice when he answered, and I was shocked that he could act like that to his parent. Such a cold exterior. Impolite.

Kris’ father stiffened, and I could see even his expression turning cold.

There was silence for almost a minute. Uncomfortable. The atmosphere was awful. Then Kris finally turned his gaze towards me, but only for one fleeting moment. After that he spoke again.

“She is not supposed to be here,” he said. “I distaste strangers snooping around in my house,”

I felt my expression turning angry. God, he was so impolite. Snooping around? I’d barely seen the house, let alone been snooping in it!

Even Suho seemed a little baffled by Kris’ words, but he didn’t say anything. It made me feel a little offended, but I supposed it was because of Kris’ father’s presence.

“This is not your house, Wu Yi Fan,” his father stated. “You don’t leave girls out in the cold,”

He is Chinese?, I couldn’t help but wonder as I learned Kris’ true name.

Kris was about to oppose, I could see, but his father was quicker. He turned to smile brightly at me. “Would you like something to eat, darling?” then he glanced at Suho. “And you Suho – we have a lot to catch up. How is Kim Chajoon doing?”

Kris sneered at the darling nickname. I kept quiet. Suho spoke.

“My Grandfather is doing fine these days,” he smiled slightly. “But I think we need to go – Kris and I are done discussing anyways, and Sora is probably making dinner tonight too,” he smiled a grateful smile at me. “She’s an amazing cook,”

I smiled back at him.

Kris huffed with a sarcastic smile, and I sent him an irritated glance. So impolite. What the hell did he have against me?

“Well, then! We’ll have to talk later then,” Kris’ father answered.

That was end of discussion and I was grateful, because after that we went out the door and drove home. 

 

 

---

 

Oh sweet darlings, I APOLOGIZE. This chapter was supposed to be out before Christmas, but then we went to Puerto Rico(Gran Canaria) and my parents were making a big fuzz over me only using my computer(which is WRONG) and being addicted to that computer. Which is partly right. But I do have an excuse, and that's my writing. Not that it helped. 

So here it is - a little longer than expected: almost FIVE THOUSAND words for God's sake. 

I must really love you guys. or my story. or both. 

I WANT TO GET MY THOUGHTS DOWN ON PAPER.

Merry Christmas peeps! Maybe I'll get another chap out before New Year's Eve?

//heemiah