“Min Ki-ah, Min Ki-ah, Min Ki-ah?” She waved a hand over the young boy’s blank face.

“Huh?” Ren jumped with wide eyes and stared back at Eun Mi, who eyed him worriedly.

“Min Ki-ah, are you alright?” She inquired. He nodded quietly and she smiled. “I was just wondering if you wanted to sit with us on the plane.”

Plane? Oh, right, we’re going on a field trip to Jeju Island. “Um, yeah, sure, noona.” He agreed distractedly and she gazed at him in concern. “Are you sure you’re alright?” She asked once more. Ren composed himself before nodding and she smiled at him, rushing away because she needed to go to the bathroom.

The whole junior and senior classes of Epik High were waiting excitedly for the plane at Gimpo Airport. All seniors looked forward to the trip every year because it was a break for them to relax and not think about the college entrance exams. For juniors, it was a fun time for them to leave the vice grip of school and enter paradise.

Very soon, the teacher called for everyone to board the plane. Because it was such a large group, there had to be three different flights. One flight had already left earlier in the morning. EXO had no choice but to take the earlier flight due to the enormity of their group. Secret, Eun Mi and Ren were set to depart for the second flight which was leaving at 10:00 AM.

“I am so excited!” Ha Na and Sun Hwa squealed. Hyo Sung rolled her eyes, dropping into a seat next to Ji Eun, who sat quietly while reading a book.

“You guys are so noisy. Can’t you just be quiet for at least an hour?” Hyo Sung complained.

Ji Eun giggled, lifting her eyes from her book. “You know them, unnie; they’ll never listen to you.” Hyo Sung groaned while Ji Eun giggled as the two other girls continued chatting excitedly about the trip.

“Thank you.” Eun Mi grinned at Ren, who had shut the overhead compartment after helping her put both of their bags at the top. Ren nodded quietly and timidly sat down. The two were silent for a long time even after the plane had lifted off. Eun Mi glanced over at Ren and looked down, noticing that he was gripping onto the handle tightly and his expression showed discomfort.

“Is it your first time flying?” She asked and Ren nodded lightly. She smiled, shifting closer. “It’s alright. It’s really safe. Before you know it, it’ll be over soon. I used to be scared when I was younger so my eomma would tell me to go to sleep. She said that if I sleep, the time will go by faster. And it worked. Try it.” She suggested. Ren nodded and closed his eyes, keeping a stiff position.

Eun Mi shook her head with a small smile and turned away, fixating her gaze outside. It was silent once again and only the light chatter of the passengers could be heard. After a while, Eun Mi felt a light weight land on her shoulder and she turned around.

Aw… She cooed inwardly, softening at the innocent expression and sound position the younger boy had assumed after slowly drifting off to sleep. She shifted slightly so that he would have a more comfortable position on her shoulder. Have a good sleep, Min Ki-ah.

“Wah, it’s Jeju!” Sun Hwa sang happily once everybody stepped foot out of the airport. Everyone sighed in relief, relieved to be out of the stuffy airplane and away from the crowded city. Everyone was thrilled to be thrown into this paradise and excitement bubbled at the pits of their stomachs.

“Min Ki-ah, let’s go take some pictures here!” Sun Hwa dragged away a still half-asleep and clueless Ren, who let him be dragged by her. “Wait for me!” Ha Na chased after the two, one crazy woman and one clueless boy. Hyo Sung shook her head, going after the three. “If they get lost or get in trouble, I swear-” She stomped after them, muttering swears and curses.

Eun Mi giggled, grinning in wonder at the island’s beauty. Ji Eun came up beside her, her book clamped under her arm. “Those three always cause the most trouble. Poor Ren must be so afraid of them.” Ji Eun mused pitifully and they both laughed as Sun Hwa and Ha Na both forced Ren to smile and pose for them. The poor boy did so awkwardly while Sun Hwa squealed and fainted and died from his adorableness.  

“What must he have done in his previous life to go through such torture?” Eun Mi joked sarcastically.

“Sun Hwa seems to be really fond of Ren.” Ji Eun observed. I pointed at Ha Na, who was coaching torturing Ren to try out different poses. “So does Ha Na unnie and I think Hyo Sung unnie as well.” Eun Mi gestured at Hyo Sung, who was trying her best to convince the two fan girls to stop taking pictures torturing the poor boy.

“Do you?” Ji Eun glanced at her. She scoffed. “Like would be an understatement. He’s like the younger brother I never had. I practically wish I could adopt him.” Ji Eun nodded her head with a small smile. “Of course, that was a rhetorical question.”

“Do you?” Eun Mi turned to her and Ji Eun’s smile fell. “I don’t know. I want to like him but there’s this feeling I’m always getting whenever I see him that makes me want to dislike him. It’s not hate but it’s wariness. I’m afraid of him in a sense.” Ji Eun sighed.

Eun Mi furrowed her eyebrows. “Well, you have to look past those feelings. Min Ki is a good kid. He’s quiet and stoic but he has a heart, a good one, and he’s really innocent as well. One day, you’ll come to wholeheartedly like him.” Eun Mi patted Ji Eun’s back and rushed to the younger boy’s aid, realizing that Hyo Sung was losing out and the group was starting to leave for the hotel.

“But…” Ji Eun lingered behind, watching the comical scene of Hyo Sung and Eun Mi vs. Sun Hwa and Ha Na for the poor boy, Ren. “I don’t think he’s all what he really seems to be.”

“Eun Mi-ah, let’s go to the beach!”

“No, I want to go to the food court!”

“No, I want to go to the spa!”

“Can’t we just stay in our rooms?!”

Eun Mi stared back and forth between the battles of four females: One outside type of person, one hungry person, one person who wants to relax, and one lazy person. Eun Mi sighed tiredly, quietly walking away from the four females who were fighting over the day’s activities.

All I want to do is find my mates. Eun Mi thought longingly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ren, glancing at a painting hung in the lobby of the hotel. She smiled, walking over and standing beside him.

“What a cool painting!” Ren jumped at the sound of her voice. “I wonder what it is about.” Eun Mi stared at the painting intently. Ren cleared his throat lightly, almost wanting to laugh at the situation. “Noona, it’s a painting of a man, playing the lute.” Ren quietly answered and Eun Mi jumped away from the painting and spun around immediately as if it was something horrible –well, it was horrible but hey, it’s art.

“I-I-I didn’t know about that.” She stuttered embarrassed by her mistake. “B-Besides, what’s a young boy like you looking at this type of painting anyway?” She eyed Ren sternly and he backed away. “Art is art. I like the painter but I never said I like the subject matter of this painting.” Ren shrugged, walking away from the painting.

Eun Mi hurriedly caught up with him. “Wait,” Ren stopped and turned to Eun Mi with a blank expression but eyes filled with amusement. “Subject matter? You’re really using words that older people use. A fifteen-year-old like you shouldn’t be speaking like an old man.” She crinkled her nose and Ren scoffed silently. Maybe if you knew how much I’ve been through, you would reconsider that statement. He thought.

“Anyway, you want to help me find my mates? Those boys cause trouble anywhere they go and I’m the only one to keep them in check.” Eun Mi nudged Ren with her elbow and a cheeky smile. Ren nodded quietly and followed her docilely. Noona is weird. She trusts me too much. She shouldn’t because she’ll get hurt in the end when the truth comes out.

Eun Mi and Ren had basically toured the whole island, trying to find twelve werewol