EDIT 11.11.12: Seems like some of the story got cut away from chapter 3, actually the whole beginning of it which contains information about a lot of things it's good to know about. We sincerely apologize, and hope this hasn't created any confusion! For those of you who began reading after 11.11.12 this should not be a problem :)

Chapter 8:

Red bed-head

“Aaaaaah!”

Down on the floor again.

I had lost counting of how many times Jimin had had me pinned, bumped, crashed and thrown down to the floor.

My back was aching, my neck was aching, my was aching – things I didn’t even knew I had were aching.

All due to one freaking girl.

Jimin.

“Get up girl! One more time!”

This time Jimin held her hand out for me to take, but I was beyond that. I didn’t want any help. If she was going to shred me to pieces, I was not going to accept any help to get me back up again. (Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, but pain kind-of made you do irrational things.)

I was starting to understand why the other students had given me sympathetic looks and good luck-pats on the back when they found out I was paired up with Jimin in martial arts-class. Basically there weren’t any other people to pair me up with.

A fact that was very probably because Jimin was one hell of a martial arts-artist.

I didn’t even know how she managed to do all the stuff she was able to do, but she was not holding back. Or maybe she was. Who knew – maybe I was just that weak.

I stood up for the nth time, got ready in my fighting position, breathing heavily and sweating more than just a little. Some strands of hair were like glued to my forehead, and I could seriously feel the perspiration its way down my skin.

This time I would need to do some seriously badass moves to even land some hits on her. Too bad I didn’t really know how to fight, or what moves to do. Jimin had “forgot” to teach me any. And I didn’t really think of taking a break to watch her moves either, because the only thing my mind was set on now was to beat that for lack of words in a time of distress to the floor.

“Come on girl – hit your hardest! Or are you too weak?” Jimin grinned tauntingly, and it made me even more annoyed.

So I jumped forward and swung my arm at her – finally I would land a blow! I didn’t know where it’d hit, but it would at least hit her body.

No such thing happened though, because in one swift movement the girl had grabbed my outreached arm, twisted it and dumped me head-on to the floor, grabbing my other arm in the process.

God-damned hell of earth, that hurt.

I didn’t even have a nice pillow of s to land on.

There was ringing in my ears, and it took some time for me to realize that it was an actual bell that was ringing.

“Break-time!” Siwon yelled from the other side of the gym.

Jimin released her hold on me at the exact same moment, and I groaned in pain as I turned around to lie on my back. My eyes were closed, and I let out another groan. It was something between pain and relief, relief because this hour of hell had ended. I didn’t even care the other students were leaving the gym, or that Jimin could have possibly left me as well. I just breathed through my nose and mouth, trying to fill my lungs with as much air as possible, for so to push it all out again. Away, away bad air! Give me new to work with! Breathe in.

Footsteps were heard coming towards me in a quick drumming pace.

“YAH! Jimin! What the hell are you doing?!”

It was distinctively Kai’s voice, and it was nearing.

“I’m taking myself a sip of water – what does it look like I’m doing?” Jimin’s voice was even closer.

“That’s not what I meant, you moron – what have you done to Sora?” Kai’s voice sounded like it was just above me now. Soon I felt a shadow cross my face, but I kept my eyes closed.

“Now that’s in the past tense, jackass – you’re confusing me with your bad grammar,”

“Don’t try and escape this topic, smarty – you were very well aware of what I was talking about! For all you knew, I could have been pointing out to the fact that you’re not helping her.” Couldn’t complain about the grammar in that sentence. With that Kai probably bent down, because suddenly I could feel hot breath on my cheek, and a hand gently taking hold of my arm to cross it over my stomach.

“Sora? Sora, can you hear me?”

“What?” I asked, keeping my eyes closed.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good – I was afraid she’d knocked you unconscious,”

With that my eyes popped open to look at him. “She never would have done that!” I exclaimed, my ego hurt.

“I might have done so, though,” Jimin answered, probably thinking I was actually considering Jimin not to be that kind-of girl. I had already figured her out though – she didn’t really treat me than anything else but some bag to throw around in the training session.

“Pssh,” I said. “I would never have let you,” I said, trying to defend my honor. My aching body and my involuntary moan as I sat up though, was contradicting me. 

“Hah! You girl, haven’t got skills at all – I could have knocked you out by my first blow.”

Someone had a good confidence…

I could feel she was speaking the truth though. She probably was holding back earlier. Even though, it was a little harsh saying I hadn’t got any skills at all.

“She isn’t supposed to do any heavy labor whatsoever in the first place, idiot. How could you be so hard on her?” Kai said. He was almost raging again, looking up at Jimin with furious eyes.

I thought he was overdoing it though. It wasn’t like I should be sitting still until the fat had gathered all around my body – I needed to do something. I needed to teach what was necessary and catch up with everybody else. It was embarrassing being beat by Jimin so many times. And she didn’t even have any difficulties of doing it either.

“Why?” Jimin answered Kai. “Why the hell should she get different treatment? She’s just the same as everybody else!”

“Because the doctors have said…” Kai started, but I interrupted him. “Yes, Kai, I am just the same as everybody else,” I didn’t want everybody to know “my story”. Some people was okay, some people not. It was a bother being treated differently. “Now get off me before I need to knock you out,”

At this Jimin started laughing, and I pushed Kai slightly away from me. He stood up uncertainly and held out a hand for me to take. I shook my head. “I can manage myself,” I said.

With that I stood up, and ignored the nagging pain that made me want to bend over.

“I am perfectly fine,” I said.

“Should have beaten you harder then,” Jimin said and grinned.

I was about to shoot her a killing glare, but Kai beat it to me when he talked.

“YAH! Not that what you already did was unfair, but being even worse would be taking advantage of your powers – powers Sora doesn’t have!”

“What powers?” I asked, curious.

Kai bolted forward to grab ahold around my waist when I was to get moving, and I shot him an annoyed look. He grinned widely when he saw my look and I snorted as an answer. Not like I’d let him keep that arm there for long.

“I have the power of improved dexterity, which basically means I’m good at anything where I have to use my body physically. Something like parkour, I guess.” Jimin said, and grinned at me as we started moving towards the lockers. The others had already left the gym, only the teacher was left, and he gave us a short wave before he ducked his head into what he was doing.

“More like the master of her every part of the body – complete control in what it does, out to the fingertips,” Kai snorted, as if her answer hadn’t been enough to cover the awesomeness of it.

I was fascinated. Parkour and freerunners had always reached out to me in some ways. To have the freedom of getting everywhere you wanted, and always be in control of your own motions.

“Well, you know – it is my power. Would have if I wasn’t any good at it,”

“True true,” Kai answered, and suddenly he popped up on my other side, sliding the opposite arm around my waist. “Know what you’re talking about,”

“But what’s your power Sora?” Jimin asked, and I could feel Kai stiffen just a wee bit at my side. We were just by the lockers now, the girls’ being the closest to us.

“I should get going,” Kai said, ignoring Jimin’s question. It wasn’t like it was directed at him, but still. “Need to jump into the showers!”

“Oh! That’s true!” I quickly responded. “The showers! I could really use one right now!”

Both Kai and my voice were noticeably brighter as we spoke, talking quickly between the two of us. Everything to avoid speaking about my pretty non-existent powers (at least at the moment they were).

“Haha, yeah – I should go,” Kai started pointing towards the direction of the boys’ locker, moving towards it, before suddenly disappearing into thin air.

Jimin and I stared at the place Kai had been just two seconds ago, both silent.

“Yep-yep! Shower here we go!” I exclaimed, before grabbing the door handle and escaping into the girls’ lockers.

“Why are we suddenly in such a hurry?” Jimin asked suspiciously. “We have the mid-break now – it’s the longest of the day,” she continued – pointing out the pretty obvious fact of the day.

“But we want to spend as much time as possible with the other girls, don’t we?” I answered quickly.

Jimin couldn’t really say anything about that.

And so Jimin went to change and I took a blessed trip into the showers. The wardrobes were still crowded with some girls, but the showers were now blessedly empty. I’d have them for myself, since Jimin hadn’t really suffered any sweat during class.

As I stood under the warm water I let myself sigh out contentedly. The warm water did well for the sore spots, but as I studied myself I could see I was already getting bruised. Walking tomorrow would probably feel even worse – I hadn’t just harmed the skin on the outside – my muscles had both suffered blows from the outside and drudged themselves down in the physical exercise.

I got out of the shower and draped a towel around me. When I got out there were still girls left, but Jimin was dressed and waiting for me. While the others were putting on make-up and studying themselves in the mirror, Jimin was just leaning to the wall and studying her fingernails out of bore. She didn’t even look up at me until I was dressed and stood straight in front of her.

“Shall we go?” I asked.

She answered with a lazy nod and turned to walk out of the wardrobes. I followed her while trying to dry my hair a little more by tousling it with quick hand waves. We walked in content silence a while, but in the end she was the one who broke it.

“You know, I got the fact that you don’t want to talk about your powers,” she said.

I stumbled a little in my tracks.

“But that’s okay, you know. ‘Cause I figured it was either because you’re embarrassed about it, or you’ve got some major powers that’s dangerous to speak of – or maybe that’s not it at all. Point is – it’s none of my business,”

And then she left it at that.

The silence stretched out endlessly for a few minutes more before we stopped just slightly outside the cafeteria doors. I looked at her.

“Thanks,” I said.

She smiled lazily at me. “No problem, girl. Just know that I would like it to be my business in the future.”

I looked surprised at her. She looked almost affronted by my response. “Hey! You’ve got spirit! I like that!” It made me grin.

A figure appeared a little behind me, and I jumped slightly as I felt it brush against my back, my head turned to stare at the one who’d popped into view.

“Is it safe?” Kai almost whispered as he hid behind my body to steal some glances at Jimin.

“It’s safe,” I said, not doing anything to lower my voice.

Kai’s response was a sigh of relief, before he suddenly lurched forward.

“That was a preeeeetty nice shower I had there!” he mused as he stared down Jimin.

“Idiot,” she said.

“Invader,” Kai answered.

Kai grabbed an arm around my waist again, and suddenly I was dragged with him inside the big cafeteria. Jimin followed closely behind, but it didn’t take long before she took the lead and lead us to the table where the rest of the girls sat.

“Why do you think?”

“Does he have a bad hairday?”

“Why the hat?”

“He actually suits it!”

“He should wear it more often!”

“I’ve never seen him with one!”

“He’s hiding all of his hair!”

Linus, Sulli, Hyorin and even Krystal were in an intense discussion around the table about something, or more accurately – a guy.

“What are you talking about?” Jimin asked, as she and I sat down by the table. Kai kept standing, and placed himself behind me with his hands on my shoulders.

“Kris,” all four said in unison, and his face automatically popped into my head.

Tall, handsome, blonde, member of.. some kind of.. Kaolen?

“What about him?” I asked.

“He’s wearing a hat today,” Linus said.

“And he’s never worn a hat before,” Sulli continued.

“We don’t know why,” Hyorin said.

“And we want to know why,” Krystal finished.

“He’s wearing a hat today?” Kai asked, and suddenly all of our eyes were searching around for the famous guy who usually didn’t wear hats but wore one today.

It didn’t take long for us to find him sitting with his three other companions, all eating peacefully by a table. It was only fair to mention that the table was in the very middle of the cafeteria, as if they were the center of the school body, much like the sun was the center of our galaxy. And you could in some ways say that they all shone like the sun – at least Kris. His blonde glory of hair was not – true to story – visible today though, but hidden under a gray knitted cap. It was an unusual sight, but not a horrible sight. I would probably have let some hair stick out from under it if I was the one to decide – letting my more newfound interest for fashion shine through. (I hadn’t known it would take that short time for Luhan to influence me in that direction.)

“Curious,” Krystal said in a wise way. “Very curious,” imagine the voice of Ollivander from Harry Potter in the first movie when HP is getting his wand. that’d be perfect.

“Well, I’ll guess we just have to find out!” Kai said, and with that, he disappeared into thin air again.

--

Kai felt the small tickling in the pit of his stomach as he teleported his way to Kris’ side. He grinned like stupid as he grabbed ahold of Kris’ hat and yanked it off, only to be met by the biggest shock of his life.

Holy effin’ wicked of the whole goddamned world.

Red hair.

Kris had freakin’ red hair.

His eyes widened even more than Kyungsoo’s when that guy was surprised (which was a pretty big feat) and his mouth fell open.

Because when Kai said that Kris had red hair he meant the flaming, glowing, luminous red hair.

Kris’ hair ing glowed like a bright neon sign.

Kris turned his head just slightly to look at Kai, and it was the scariest thing Kai had ever encountered in his whole life.

The laziest, creepiest, most killing gaze was aimed at Kai, and Kai felt himself shudder under it.

Kai swallowed a few times, trying to muster a few words with the cap still in his hands.

So Kai just grinned the widest and craziest he could and said his farewell: “See ya!” and the guy was gone from earth again – maybe in some alternative travelling space – he didn’t really know. But he wasn’t beside the glowing orb of red anymore – that was for sure.

--

Wow.

Wow was the only thing I was able to say in my silent mind as I stared at Kris’ tremendous bonfire of a head.

The other girls (and mind you, the rest of the student body as well) probably had some of the same reactions as I had.

Big eyes, open mouth and head hanging.

That was only on the outside though, because on the inside, I was literally screaming in confusion.

I had been drawing Kris with red hair yesterday.

Because red hair was the popular hair color for manga-characters.

But how the hell did Kris have red hair right now? No one had seen the drawing.

Was this some kind of joke? Was he wearing a wig or something? (I actually considered walking over to his place and try grabbing at his hair, but I supposed that’d be rude. And weird.) But no such thing could be. As I’d already concluded, no one had seen the drawing besides me.

Maybe it was just some wicked coincidence.

But why would he be covering up his hair, if he’d done it on purpose?

Surely I couldn’t have been the one to do it?

This needed further investigations.

One thing was for sure. The manga-figure in my mental image did not have red hair. Today’s show of red on Kris was not right. I wasn’t even sure what Kris looked like with that hair.

The lunch-break didn’t get back to normal after that. All were talking about Kris’ new look, in the end not just stealing glances, but staring openly at the poor guy.

Not that he looked that pitiful, though. In fact, it seemed as if Kris shone even more in his new state of fashion sense.

“He probably did it to get attention,” Jimin snorted.

At that moment when we all glanced over at his table, Kris stood up.

He was still as calm as ever, and brushed a hand lazily through the red hair. At the same time he glanced at Kai with coldness, who had appeared behind me again with the hat in his hand the moment he grabbed it.

“That guy is so scary,” Kai squealed behind me and I had to roll my eyes.

“That guy is so cool..” Sulli whispered in awe.

Because Kris turned in a very fashion-model-like sense (but at the same time natural – you know? As if he was born to walk like cool.), and shot Kai one last look before he walked out of the cafeteria confidently in complete coolness with his red mane, his companions close behind him.

--

Faithful to his promise, Kai showed me the rest of the school later on that day. He decided we didn’t need to have Kyuhyun as a teacher more than necessarily that day (who by the way was that antisocial semi-emo dude we’d had in math yesterday) and that that was a class worthy to skip.
I didn’t really argue with him – even though I probably should have been trying to catch up the best I could in that hour. I was more excited to know the school better though. (Big surprise.)

The school was astounding. It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed it before, but now I really took myself time to notice the beautifully carved marble and the details of the buildings. Kai told me that the school was given illusions at some times of the year, depending on the weather, season “And of course the mood,” he’d said, with a glint in his eye. Almost as if the buildings were alive, which I couldn’t believe.

People with powers were the only ones that could find the school because there was placed an illusion upon the school. For every other person it would look as if it was a huge framed area where research supposedly was being held. There were giant electric fences around the whole area that had signs saying “WARNING” all over them. The only thing to be felt for people was the dark feeling of remission in the air. No non-supernatural person dared coming near the place, the dark aura scaring everyone – even the more daring and adrenaline-searching kept away. I couldn’t imagine the closed-off area Kai described. To me it looked as if it was a glorious Fortress with huge grounds around.

Apparently there was a campus on school too.
The campus was for every student on the EXO academy – all of us had to spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday there, Kai and Suho had just not done that for the weeks I’d been there. For the rest of the pupils who didn’t have anywhere else to go, they could live on the campus fulltime. From Monday to Wednesday we were unable to leave campus though, probably to keep the students under control, Kai said. Those days were times to do homework, join late practices at school in whatever subject you wanted or just spend time with the rest of the students. It was also the days they placed the different trips they went on, Kai told me. It was probably easier to arrange that way when they knew the students didn’t have anything other to do at those days.

Talking about those days in the weeks, Kai said, those were also the only days we had to wear our uniforms. Thursday and Friday was for us to show our incredible fashionable senses, and more relaxed schooldays – Luhan’s words, as he had joined us some of the way.

I had to move to a dorm the next week or so, which was built with double-rooms. Some pupils lived alone in their rooms, and I probably had to join one of them. Of course the dorms were split into the girls’ and the boys’ dorm, but there were common-rooms for everybody to spend time together in.

Kai showed me the magnificent library with books lining up the walls in two storey-bookcases; the different gym and practice rooms; the huge outdoors area with both shooting range, a big field and student areas where the pupils could hang out; not to forget he showed me some different rooms on campus.

The school was absolutely amazing.

I felt warmth swelling in my heart as I thought of the fact that Kim Chajoon was the rector of this school, and that he had blessed it with such kindness. The ones with same fates as mine must get the same vibe from Chajoon – they were welcomed.

When we went home from school that day I held all my praises locked inside my heart, because I didn’t want to sound like a lying flatterer. I just kept a smile on my face, a smile that dear little Joon mentioned right away when he saw me. “Noona’s smile is so pretty!” he had burst out, and had run over to me to give me a hug. The warm body of a child made my heart swell even more, my smile turning even happier.

The smile changed into a frown when I got into my room that night, though. I stared down at the drawing of Kris with red hair on the desk, and thought of Kris’ red hair in the cafeteria today. I couldn’t possibly have been the one to color his hair could I?

I sat down by the desk and let my eyes study the color and muster up the mental image in my head. What was the next most-likely color on the manga-hair-color-scale?

Purple, something told me.

I tried imagining the guy with purple hair, but again it didn’t work. Guess I’ll just have to try then; I thought as I found my coloring pencils in the drawer and grabbed a dark purple one.

Let’s see Kris, if you’ll wear purple just as well as red.

Not that I was even considering me having been the one to color Kris’ new hairstyle today, I had just named the character on my drawing Kris.

Let’s see then, Kris, I thought to myself and frowned upon the drawing.

A gnawing excitement was tickling its way through me though. I wondered how Kris would look tomorrow.

Did you guys see that? Did you guys SEE that?! That was a freaking new (and LONG) chapter. 

I adore you. Know that. And I adore you even more if you COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE! :D

//heemiah