Thursday morning came to a blur in Chanyeol’s head as he rise up from where he was laying with a throbbing head. His sleep was indescribable, the best feeling he felt so far. He yawned, looked around and tried to clear his visions before realizing that he wasn’t in his own house. No wonder the bed felt so comfortable, felt so soft, not that hard like what he got back home. Chanyeol stood up and rubbed the back of his head, turning to the mirror beside the cabinet where he saw that he wasn’t wearing his uniform anymore; instead, he was wearing a blue stripped pajamas which was incredibly big for his average sized body.

“Oh, you’re awake. I’m sorry to interrupt you, young master.” He heard someone speak, he looked back and saw an old man, on his fifties wearing a black and white suit looking like a bachelor. The old man was looking at him with concern and worry as his hands were occupied with a tray full of delicious cookies and two glasses of milk; one was strawberry and a plain one.

“Excuse me, mister, but where am I and what am I doing here?” Chanyeol asked, walking towards the old man who was smiling timidly to him before getting the tray and putting it on the table to help the old man with his work.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have, young master.” The old man chuckled softly as he bowed and adjusted the white cloth on his left arm. “You’re in the Gu manor, young master. Young Rei brought you back here the minute you passed out because of something she didn’t bother telling me about.”

The door fluttered open, revealing a girl who was still in her pajamas, still has her bed hair and a groggy aura around her. Chanyeol thought that she just woke up and he was still figuring out why she came right through the door to see him instead of washing up first.

Rei yawned and rubbed her eyes before blinking to clear her visions. “Han, is he awake?” she asked the old man who in fact was named Han, tilted her head to see an empty messy bed. She was about to react, to ask where Chanyeol was but a chuckle made her think twice before doing the said action. Rei looked at her side to reveal Chanyeol, his pale white skin matches his red lips, as girly as it sounds, it looks good on him and he doesn’t look biual because of it. He was smiling, a smile that she didn’t bothered asking if it was for her or not, but she knew that it was real since it was the first time she saw him smile like that, and it kept her heart beat faster than ever.

“How was your sleep?” Rei asked, the edge of her lips, trying not to be awkward around him. She didn’t know what to do, what to say, nor to act in front of him. Sure, she was used on bullying him around, telling him filthy and calling him disgusting names. It was her own way of telling him that she wasn’t like any other girls who puts a lot of make-up on their faces, flirting and getting the things they the way they want it. She was different, and she wants him to know about it. Now, that she realized that he was someone who could make her feel the same way, she was eager and determined to make him realize that she was someone who’s worth loving, too.

“Good, I think. How about y-you?” Chanyeol asked back, realizing that Mr. Han was not in the room anymore, probably left them to have their time of their own. The door behind Rei was closed shut and they didn’t even realized that people were eavesdropping their own conversation.

Rei rubbed her nose and looked around and sighed heavily, still thinking about what she should do, what she should say or whatever it is that could make that awkward wind fade away but even if she thinks deeply, she couldn’t think of anything. So she sat, on the chair next to the table where the cookie tray was. Rei grabbed the glass of strawberry milk before pulling her knees to the chair and looked at Chanyeol who was looking at her intently.

“What, was it your first time seeing a girl in her pajamas, flustered and was about to drink her morning milk?” she asked, chucking lightly. At least, by his ministrations, she could say that he wasn’t that mad unlike before, when it all started.

“Not really, but I have to go.” Chanyeol said, looking around, trying to spot his clothes or whatever it is that was his. Rei sipped a little bit before putting it back to the tray where the cookies were, she grabbed the plain milk and stood up. “Here, drink this first.” She said, handing him the milk in hand.

“Look, Gu Rei Ah, I don’t have the time fo—“

“I said get this.” She said, on her stern voice. Chanyeol couldn’t help but to get the milk on her hand, fingers brushing hers as he felt something but chose to ignore it the minute she smiled in satisfaction. It was the first time he saw her smiling like that, as if he gave her something she wanted all along.

“I’m sure you’re still confused on what happened, am I right?” Rei asked, turning her body around to sit at the bed where he once laid. She pulled a pillow and hugged it to her lap before looking back at him who was drinking the milk she gave him. Chanyeol nodded, expecting for her to explain what really happened, because right there and then, he was confused and totally puzzled.

“You kept on moving and twisting last night, I couldn’t sleep. You even trapped me in your arms.” Rei said, looking at his reaction.

Chanyeol almost dropped the glass he was holding, almost burst the milk inside his mouth, almost shouting what happened last night that made his heart beat faster than it was before. He put the milk on the tray before walking backwards, gulping. “Rei, w-what ha-happened?” he asked, holding the wall behind him. “We slept together last night?!”

Rei couldn’t help but to laugh out loud, she didn’t expect him to react that way. She was just kidding, she was just trying to ease the tension between them by telling him something that she was sure he couldn’t believe himself doing it.

“Not—Nothing happened.” She said, still laughing. Rei wiped the invisible tears on her cheek before chuckling still and shook her head. “No, I was kidding. You should have seen your face! You were all red!” she said, smiling towards him. It was then that she realized that it was the first time someone who isn’t her relative made her laugh that way, it was then that she realized that she really was in love with him.

“Gu Rei Ah!” Chanyeol yelled, sighing after. He was scared that he might blurt something out when he was sleeping, like what he felt for Krystal, or what his family’s status was, he usually sleep talk   and he was scared for her to find that out.

“I bought you a new bike, Han will be here any minute to get you a new set of uniform, and everything will be back to normal.” She said, looking at the window where she could see the fountain near the entrance of the Manor spurting water. “I’m sorry.”

“Re—Rei.” Chanyeol was speechless, he didn’t thought that she was the one who would eat her pride just say sorry to him. He wasn’t looking forward to it, he was expecting to be tormented still and he knew that it was her way to tell everyone that she was above all, like what Krystal said. He just couldn’t believe that she told him that she was sorry.

Flashback of what happened came rushing into his mind as he took a minute to try and compose himself once again. He remembered how someone asked to do their assignment, how he was tortured, how people threw something right at his face, water came splashing everywhere towards him, one thing that he couldn’t quite know how to believe was the fact that Rei saved him from everything, instead of Krystal who was always there whenever he needed a helping hand, who was different from all of them, who was always his hero.

“As long as I’m beside you, no one can hurt you again.”

Chanyeol immediately looked at Rei who kept her gaze outside. He looked down and leaned to the post where he once did earlier. “Was it true?” he asked, his lips nervously, he looked up and saw Rei looking at him intently.

“What’s true?”

“Everything you said yesterday, was it all true?”

Rei stood up and walked to him, her eyes not leaving his. Chanyeol noticed that a sad smile was visible on her lips. She held his shoulder and turned her head towards the door before whispering something right next to his ear. “You’re safe with me.” Before walking right through the door where the stunned Jan Di, Jun Pyo and Han all stood.

“I knew you were all eavesdropping, give him his clothes, Han. We’ll be late for school.” She said as she walked to her room. Jan Di and Jun Pyo grinned at the other once she was out of sight, knowing that it wasn’t the right time when they could introduce themselves to Chanyeol, they walked out of the way and gestured Han to do the thing Rei said him to do.

Chanyeol stood in the room, silenced by the way his heart beat like never it had before. The way she whispered right next to his ear, just by those simple ministrations kept his heart leap some beats, he didn’t even realized that Mr. Han went inside and placed the new uniform on the bed. He came back to reality right when Han snapped his fingers right in front of him.

“Hmm, huh?” Chanyeol asked as Mr. Han just pointed the bed where his new set of uniform lay and went out.

Rei waited near the gates, she skipped breakfast as usual, just had a sip of her strawberry milk and she’s good to go. She was playing with her car keys which she managed to get from her father’s drawer. She will try and drive his first owned Red F12 Berlinetta. It was his favorite car, the car which his father gave him when he was still in high school.  She saw Chanyeol going out from the front door, where Han was waiting for him to give his new bike.

The bicycle was grey and it was different from what he had before. Chanyeol couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw the bike right in front of him, he couldn’t believe that it was the newest edition of mountain bike which Yamaha came up to. It was the bike he was dreaming for to have when he was still a kid, right when he saw that TV commercial when he was walking with his father.

“Like it?” Rei walked closer, smiling at him.

Chanyeol looked at her and stood up straight, realizing that he shouldn’t really accept the gift of his mortal enemy. Realizing the fact that this might be one of her tricks for him to surrender, but her smile was telling him the otherwise. He straightened up his uniform and adjusted his bag on his shoulder, walking away from the bike.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” He said, walking ahead. Chanyeol stopped and rubbed the back of his head before his mind took the reality of him not knowing the way out of the manor. He walked next to a security guard in a black suit, has an earphone on his left ear. “Excuse me, but could you tell me where I should suppose to go?” the guard didn’t budge.

Chanyeol heard a chuckle and he looked at who it was from. Rei was looking at him again, fascinated as her lips were formed into a smile. “Look, no one on their right mind will tell you where to go.” She explained, walked towards him before handing him the grey helmet, matching his new bike.

 “Take this, and let’s have a race.”

 “A race?” he asked, putting the helmet down again and shook his head. “I told you, I won’t ever accept anything from you. I still don’t get it how, what or why are you doing this but I won’t buy any of these things, I’ll give you this uniform back tomorrow as soon as I washed it. I’m pretty sure that this is one of your plans to make me surrender, and even if you really mean those things you said on the room where I was in earlier, I still don’t believe that you won’t do anything that might harm me.” He added, taking a deep intake of breath before looking at Rei again, asking her to reply on what he said.

“Put the helmet on and let’s race.” Was her only reply as she threw the keys in the air before grabbing it again and walked next to the car she will drive.

“What? I don’—“

“If you win, you can do whatever you like. Pay me back for that uniform, for that bike, I don’t care.” Rei said, opening the front door before leaning on it to look at him if he will agree or not.

Chanyeol sighed and pulled the helmet to his hands before putting it on his head. He was sure that this was the only thing he could do after what happened. He needs to agree if he doesn’t want the guilt to eat him up alive.

“If you win?” he asked.

“You’re mine.”