The day before the school festival, Jong Hyun and Hitomi were talking inside her room. He was looking again at the two lizards that were chasing each other.

"Why is your room having lizards?" he asked.

"Why? Doesn't your room have any lizards?" she asked. "I saw them in your room one time, and I see lots of them in the kitchen and in Uncle Geun Suk's library."

Then, he shyly told her to come to the school festival the next day.

"Geurae," she said. "Nana called me up this afternoon too."

"Nana?" he asked.

"Ne, Jung Shinnie introduced me to her," Hitomi said. "She is really a sweet girl."

"Please come, Noona, for me..." he begged.

Hitomi smirked.

"Ever since I knew you were a vampire, I kept thinking to myself if I might need to learn self-defense," she said.

"Noona.... please do not be like that," he pouted.

Then, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his face on her shoulder.

"I will not hurt you, Noona... You are my refuge when no one understands me..."

"People will not understand you if you will not learn to tell them what you want," she casually told him.

But Hitomi was enjoying every bit of the second that she was in Jong Hyun's arms. He was very affectionate even if he does not show it on his face.

****

The next day, Nana and Hitomi came in the school grounds together. Nana was very much excited because in the brochure, Alodia Gosengfiao will be one of the guests.

"I am so excited, Eonni," Nana said.

"Na do," Hitomi said. "I admire Alodia a lot. She is young and talented."

"I agree!" Nana said.

Just then, they spotted Victoria and G.na coming in from the gates. Nana greeted Victoria cordially, but she raised her eyebrow at G.na.

"You were the household help at Geun Suk-ssi's house, right?" was G.na's remark.

"Household help?" Hitomi asked. "I am his boarder."

"Geurae?" Victoria asked acidly.

She began to look at Hitomi from head to toe. She had a feeling that Jong Hyun might have also fallen for his uncle's boarder.

"Nae Jong Hyun actually never told me about you," Victoria said. "I only learned from my bestie that the household has a girl."

"Eh?" Nana asked. "How come Jung Shinnie-oppa told me about Hitomi-eonni?"

"Because Jong Hyun is not Jung Shin," Victoria said to Nana. "Jung Shin tells you everything while Jong Hyun does not."

"Forgive Jong Hyun," G.na told her bestie. "He really is not the type to talk all the time."

"And how did you know?" jealous Victoria shot at her bestfriend. "Is that what you have learned while you flirted with my boyfriend behind my back????"

"Uh-huh?" G.na said proudly.

Victoria looked at her bestie from head to toe, then back at Hitomi.

"Sorry, but I only like Nana," she remarked before going away to look for her Jong Hyun.

Nana looked at her fave eonni go, then looked at G.na from head to foot.

"Let's go, Eonni," Nana declared as she pulled Hitomi, leaving G.na alone.

"Eotteohke? Why is everybody leaving me?" G.na remarked. "Victoria, wait!"

****

The students, faculty, and visitors flocked to the grounds for the school festival opening. The principal of the school gave his opening remarks. Afterwards, he gave the stage to Alodia Gosengfiao, who was wearing a Cardcaptor Sakura outfit. The students, and most especially, the addicted Nana, cheered and joined in her whims. Alodia was facilitating games, with the third year students assisting her. Nana was very happy to have won a prize in a game that she got on stage and hugged Alodia.

"Miss Alodia, I am a real fan of yours!" the high school student squealed.

"Ne, I think I remembered you asking for my autograph at the Animax convention with your boyfriend," Alodia said.

Nana smiled and hugged her idol. Then she went down the stage. Her classmates were envying her for making Alodia remember her.

****

Later on, the vampire boys took their time on the stage. Yeon Seo was shocked to see that Min Hyuk indeed was telling the truth about him being the drummer. The girls who were crooning and stalking at our guys were melting in love when they saw the four on stage: Yong Hwa on rhythm guitar, Jong Hyun on lead guitar, Min Hyuk on drums, and Jung Shin on bass.

"Your namchin is so cool, Nana," one said. "You are lucky!"

"Tsh!" Min scoffed.

Of course, the Soo Hyun lovers still hated the four. Even Soo Hyun could not believe that the four guys, his enemies, were good at musical instruments. Victoria beamed in happiness to see her Jong Hyun, but was wary when she turned to look at bestie cheering for Jong Hyun.

And Shin Hye, who was ignorant to bands, stood at her place like an annoying and clueless spectator.

"I did not know they can sing," she told a fellow teacher.

Yong Hwa saw her standing near the tree, together with her fellow teacher. He felt his chest tightening at the pain, that he wanted to sing for her to release his tensions and tell her how he feels for her. Then, the school grounds got silent as he began to strum his guitar.

A hundred days have made me older
Since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lies have made me colder
And I don't think I can look at this the same
But all the miles that separate
Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face

Shin Hye looked at him as he sang, and when he got to the chorus, he looked at her. She saw his eyes melting as if wanting to cry, and she felt her chest tightening when he sang. She knew, he was singing to her. Though they were just student and teacher, she knew that he had something for her. And she knew that he was singing that song to her.

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time

I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight it's only you and me, yeah

After the chorus, Yong Hwa continued to sing, shutting his eyes as he let his tears fall down. He was letting all the hurt fall down, not minding the people wondering where the tears were coming from.

The miles just keep rollin'
As the people leave their way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
But I hope that it gets better as we go, oh yeah yeah

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time

I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it's only you and me

Everything I know and anywhere I go
It gets hard but it won't take away my love
And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done
It gets hard but it won't take away my love, whoa

But deep inside, Shin Hye was hurting too.

"Yong Hwa, if you only knew who I am being betrothed to," she wept.

Yong Hwa got all emotional as he sang the last pieces of the song.

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time

I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it's only you and me, yeah oh yeah oh

After the song, he bowed his head, letting the applause of the crowd drown his lonely heart. Then, amidst the cheers of the crowd, he lifted his head to look for his teacher. She was still there, standing still. Their eyes met, telling each other things that they badly wanted to tell.

"Saranghae, Yong Hwa..."

"Saranghae, Ssaem...ani... Shin Hye..."

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Thank you 3 Doors Down for such a lovely song! ^_^

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