“Now that was something,” Chanyeol said, which was pretty much what everyone else was thinking in the vans. “Aheun, you’re really good at interviews. Did you get interview training or something at Pacem?”

          “No,” Aheun laughed, “but thank you.”

          “No, seriously,” Chanyeol continued, eyebrows furrowed as he thought very hard on this. “How did you do that? You’ve got to teach me! And Jinah,” Chanyeol sighed, “she just—blurts stuff out.”

          “Like you’re the one to talk,” Kris said, with a knowing, kind grin. “Haven’t forgotten about ‘jade jewelry jazz’ already, have you?”

          “That was one time!”

          Van A was full of laughter that night. Aheun felt good, and it’s been a long time since she had felt this way. Xiumin, too, felt like some breathing space opened up in his lungs tonight, and he could inhale and exhale comfortable. The tight knot in his stomach was gone.

          Tao recognized that the siblings felt a certain sense of relief from tonight, and he too, felt relieved.

          Today was a good day.

          Jinah however, was deep in thought. Van B was just as loud with Baekhyun, Kai, and Chen, but Jinah was quiet. Where did that come from? Jinah thought to herself. Mom and dad? Why did I think of that? And not just that… the random interruption…

          She sighed. Aheun had handled the interview much, much better than she had—or any of the gang members had. Aheun was classy, swift, and mature. Jinah ran the interview through her mind again, each time pinpointing the times she felt Jinah’s facial expression was far too obvious and when Aheun’s masking perfected the mixture of realism and class.

          “Hey, look—an article!” Chen said. “It’s about Aheun!”

          “What about?” D.O asked.

          Chen quickly connected his phone to the screens in the car, and it popped up in front of them. It was a paparazzi photo of the whole gang walking to 4MINUTE & SISTAR, and then a close-up on Aheun with a caption in caps: ‘WHO IS SHE?’

          Chen scrolled down to reveal the comments section. It had only been seconds since the article was posted, but it was overflowing with predictions and comments, especially ones pointing out Aheun’s beauty.

          Then they came to a negative comment about Jinah, saying the new Prix was obviously prettier than Jinah. Simultaneously, the gang members looked away from their screens immediately as Chen quickly disconnected his phone from the screens.

          “I’m fine,” Jinah said into the awkward, tight air. “Really. I’m not about looks anyway.”

          “No, of course!” Baekhyun exclaimed. “Nothing to worry about. We all get a hate comment from some bitter once in awhile. You’re very pretty, Jinnie.”

          “I don’t need your pity, thanks,” Jinah said.

          As her tone was sharp, Baekhyun didn’t say another word. Jinah too, surprised herself with her mean tone. Baekhyun didn’t deserve that, and really, Jinah wasn’t upset. And yet, she couldn’t quite explain the hotness rising from inside her and up to her face, and the strange taste in . Her heart thumped as she tried to take a quick look at Luhan’s face, but he was facing the window. Away from her.

          Today was a strange day.

At the base, they sorted out who gets to shower first with a quick round of rock-paper-scissors. Chanyeol and a few others wanted a snack, which Aheun happily fixed up for them. Others were gaming or watching them game on the couch. Even Xiumin was out.

          Late night was when Jinah felt the happiest. It was a familiar place with familiar faces in a familiar vibe. They’d game, talk, laugh, joke, and eat. But tonight, Jinah didn’t really feel home. She felt out of place, like she was an intruder. Like she didn’t belong. And she didn’t know why.

          “I’m going to turn in early today,” Jinah said.

          “Okay, good n—ah, !” Chanyeol cussed.

          “ it loser!” Baekhyun exclaimed, before turning to face Jinah quickly with a brief wave. “Good night, Jinnie!”

          Everyone else was far too immersed in the video game to pay much attention. She felt like she got less greetings than the usual, but then again, she never went to sleep during peak game times either. Jinah didn’t know why she felt so sensitive, but she reassured herself, explaining to her own mind that she was simply tired and over-thinking as a result.

          She opened the door and jumped at the sight.

          “Jack, Sehun, you scared me.”

          “I’m in my own room,” Sehun said dully, his eyes still on the pages of the book he was reading.

          “Yeah, but—y—actually, you know what? You’re right,” Jinah said. She didn’t even know why she was surprised. She felt frustrated that she didn’t know.

          Jinah got on her bed and slipped under the blankets without another word.

          Then, Sehun turned off the night light by his stand.

          “Aren’t you reading?” Jinah asked, her eyes not yet accustomed to the dark.

          “I’ll read tomorrow,” came the reply.

          Jinah heard ruffling of the blanket, and knew Sehun was settling down in his bed as well. They heard a loud outburst of a cry from Chanyeol outside of the room, partially muffled by the walls and door. Silence fell upon them.

          Jinah frowned at the loud noises outside and groaned. She shuffled in her bed and closed her eyes tighter to sleep, hoping it would block out the sounds. Then again, even if it was dead silent outside, her mind was far too noisy for her to really fall asleep. Jinah couldn’t help but think back to the interview and replay scenes again, each time feeling like a knife digging deeper into her chest.

          “Good job today,” Sehun said.

          “Huh?” Jinah replied stupidly, opening her eyes and turning to where Sehun would be lying down.

          Sehun didn’t say anything.

          Jinah turned away again, gripped her blanket and closed her eyes tight once more. It still didn’t help block out the noise from outside, and it certainly didn’t help block out the tears.

Even though everyone else had gone to bed, Aheun stayed on the couch, staring into space. It was a long time before she sighed and got off the couch to turn off the lights. But then she saw D.O leaning against the kitchen counter.

          “Oh—my,” Aheun gasped in surprise. “You scared me.”

          “Let’s go for a small walk,” he said.

          “Now?”

          “Not outside, just—come on, let’s go upstairs. I have a feeling the sky’s gonna be really pretty tonight.”

          “I don’t know,” Aheun said, “I’m kind of tired…”

          D.O raised an eyebrow, the left tip of his lips tugging upwards.

          “Oh, fine,” Aheun gave in, smiling too. “What’s a small walk.”

          “There she is,” D.O said.

          Aheun and D.O walked out and into the hallway, then up the stairs, just casually talking about the day and how she was adjusting to everything. She told him about her time with Jinah, and how it was surprisingly far more enjoyable than anyone had expected. Then, they reached their façade base. The glass was so clean, it was as if it wasn’t even there. The night view was crystal clear.

          Aheun gazed at the view. “Oh, wow…”

          “Pretty sick, huh?” D.O said, grinning. “Hey, I know Chanyeol said this a thousand times, but he’s right—that really was something,” D.O said. “I was impressed. We all were.”

          “You’re too kind,” Aheun said bashfully. She sighed deeply. “I’m just really glad everything went smoothly.”

          “Were you nervous?”

          “Oh yeah,” Aheun said. “A lot. Couldn’t you tell?”

          “Nope. As always, your masking was flawless,” D.O said, waving a hand to exaggerate his statement.

          It made Aheun laugh. “Why thank you,” Aheun replied, amused.

          A comfortable, familiar silence fell upon them. It’s been awhile since the two were separated from the others, sharing a real conversation. D.O looked down at his feet before mustering up the courage to look at her for his next question. “Why were you nervous?”

          “Because, I never know how he’s going to react.”

          D.O knew she wasn’t talking about her brother.

          “That’s still going on, then?”

          Aheun took a deep breath. “It’s been years, D. Sometimes I think to myself, how can I like someone who makes me feel nothing but anxiety and tension?”

          Truthfully, he was wondering the exact same thing.

          “But I can’t explain it. I just do.”

          D.O nodded, even though he didn’t really accept the answer.

          “You think it’s stupid,” Aheun said. Her voice dropped down, as if she was making a statement rather than asking a question.

          “I just think you should be yourself. Around us, I mean. You know, stop masking?”

          Aheun didn’t reply.

          “Are you even happy?” D.O asked.

          Silence came upon them once again. It was awhile before Aheun spoke. “No,” she finally said, without a hint of fake happiness. She sounded exhausted. Then, with a slight tremble in her voice: “No, I’m not.”

           “So then why are you pretending to be someone you’re not?” D.O asked quietly.

          “Because!” Aheun cried out, wiping her angry, frustrated tears away harshly. “Even when I try so, so hard, it’s still not enough. It never is! And today—today finally, I did something right. With masking. How am I supposed to stop—”

          “Jinah is the exact opposite of an ideal Prix, Aheun, but—”

          “No she isn’t!” Aheun argued. “She’s different. She’s an exception. She’s not like the rest of us. I know it, they know it—you know it. After all,” she smiled in that pitifully apologetic way that made D.O’s heart ache so badly, “not everyone catches Luhan’s attention, right?”

          D.O sighed. He pinched his nose bridge and exhaled. “You don’t get it, do you? Aheun, you don’t have to pretend. Just relax! The gang would much rather have the laid-back you than the so-called ‘ideal’ one they have to hold their breaths in front of. The natural you, the real you – it’s like Jinah! I can’t guarantee the return of Luhan’s feelings or anything like that, but it’ll be much more beneficial for both you and the gang. I can one hundred percent guarantee that, I swear. Just,” he sighed again. He gently held her arm and pulled her in closer, looking at her directly in the eye, even if she was avoiding his. “Just be you. Don’t smile so sadly like that, because it hurts to see it. You don’t have to suffer. You don’t have to pretend. Just be you.”

          “Don’t be an idiot,” Aheun muttered with another fake smile. “There’s no ‘real me’. This is DE. I can’t, it’s so –”

          “Right. It’s so, very, right,” D.O insisted. “Trust me on this. If you can show Jinah, the newest stranger at our base your real side, why can’t you show the gang, who you’ve known for years?”

          In contrast to the aggressive tones from earlier, the mood significantly softened. D.O slightly tightened his grasp on her arms. “Trust us, won’t you?”

          Aheun bit down on her lips and closed her eyes. D.O kept his hands on her, but didn’t approach her further—he couldn’t. Instead, he looked away, pretending not to notice the tears that trickled down from the porcelain face of a beautiful, young girl with a painful heartache.

          It was a good day for the gang, and a rough night for the girls of Wolf.

The next morning, Aheun cooked up a delicious breakfast for everyone. Pancakes were just the right amount of hot and fluffy, and the syrup was especially sweet and thick. There was a selection of beverages: coffee, hot chocolate, milk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, apple juice, and orange juice. Some members woke up earlier than usual from the smell, excited to eat.

          Jinah woke up later, as usual. She ignored Xiumin’s obnoxious comment about her neglecting her duties as a Prix as she re-heated some of the leftover pancakes. The shadow of dejection was still present from yesterday, but she felt a lot better. However, Jinah hadn’t looked at Sehun since. She couldn’t. For jack’s sake…

          “Hey,” Luhan said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

          “Morning,” Jinah said.

          She looked away from him. Jinah knew it wasn’t enough to hide her swollen eyes from him, and she had a feeling Luhan had already figured out what happened last night. Thankfully, he didn’t comment on it or acknowledge it.

          Jinah picked up some cutlery and made her way to the table to eat, and Luhan followed. He sat down with her. Jinah glanced at him to find him staring right at her with a light smile. He didn’t say a word. She turned back to her pancakes and took a bite. Then another bite. Then another.

          And Luhan was still there.

          Jinah sighed, setting down her knife and fork. She made sure to swallow before speaking. “Do you need someth—”

          “So how about what movie date?” Luhan interrupted, sounding upbeat.

          “D-Date?”

          “Yeah, you and me. Your cold had killer timing, you know?”

          Jinah blinked. She had not been expecting this. However, it was a pleasant surprise, and she forgot that she felt upset.

          “And I have somewhere to show you anyway. So how about it?”

          Jinah took a moment to think about what he had just said, then nodded slowly.

          “Cool. Okay,” he said.

          “Cool.” Jinah looked back at her pancakes again, which suddenly looked a lot fluffier. She took in a mouthful of it.

           “Be ready in ten. Movie starts soon,” Luhan said, tossing two tickets onto the table.

          Jinah choked on her pancakes, and then looked at Luhan, her eyes wide with a sense of panic and confusion. She had just woken up and was not ready to go outside—let alone a date. Cheeks full with pancake still, she slid the tickets towards her to read the time, and choked a second time, looking at Luhan again—this time, with a hint of betrayal.

          “You can’t be serious,” Jinah said in disbelief, slightly muffled by pancakes in .

          “It’ll be fun. Oh, look—” Luhan tipped his chin towards the wall clock they had bought together “—nine minutes.”

          And with that, Luhan left the dining area.

          Jinah finally managed to swallow. She let out a sigh, but she was smiling. Luhan didn’t turn back to look, but he knew. And he was smiling, too.

          The conversation wasn’t loud, but it was audible from the couches. D.O glanced at Aheun, who was peacefully watching TV with the rest of the gang. She was smiling, but D.O knew better. He did not feel like smiling.

          Jinah took one last big bite of the pancakes before putting her dishes in the sink. She then got ready without another complaint. She didn’t really have the time to, either. She quickly got dressed, picked up the leather jacket with the white wolf’s head at the back. It was officially her favourite clothing garment, no debate. When she came out, Luhan was leaning against the wall, on his phone. He had a backpack on one shoulder and was wearing a white shirt, jeans… and the same leather jacket.

          He looked up lazily, and grinned. “Look at that, we’re matching. Perfect for a movie date.”

          “Everyone has this jacket,” Jinah said, rolling her eyes, but gave in to a small chuckle as they put on their sneakers.

          “Well, it’s just you and me wearing it right now, so…” Luhan said, grin widening.

          Jinah scoffed, and muttered something about him being an annoying weirdo, but smiled as she tied her shoelaces.

          “Got the tickets?”

          “Yeah,” Jinah said, holding them up.

          Jinah was looking forward to the day.

-----------------------------------------

A/N:

Another update!! In one day!! Again!! So we got to know Aheun and D.O a bit more and finished up the interview part! Up next is some JinHan fluff and progression in plot! Interesting and enigmatic stuff in store!! Quite a bit more emotions and action than before (:

I'm almost done all my pre-written chapters, so I'm going to start writing new chapters again (I've written a few!!). I'm also caught up with the storyline myself and I actually remember most things I had planned LOL.

Thank you always for staying with this story. I'm so grateful for you ❤

Edit: I just wanted to add the following! I really want to make Aheun a genuine and realistic person. She's trying her best to find the middle ground while balancing dwelling teachings, social rules, DE culture, the gang, her own gut feeling, and her true nature. It's been mixed up with what she's been taught, so she's constantly debating what she TRULY wants for herself VS what she THINKS she wants, based on the teachings and her experience.

I also like to think of Jinah and Aheun as two outcomes from the intense pressure of DE's society rules, just on the opposite ends of the spectrum. 

• Jinah wants to fight against every DE standard. She wants to be treated equally as a man and change what it means to be "right." She's dreaming of change of an entire society.
• Aheun learned to fit the DE standards (hence, ideal Prix). She wants to avoid being wrong/punished, and tries to be "right" according to DE's standards. She's trying to make the best out of her situation, realistically.

Tl;dr: Jinah's trying to change DE, Aheun is trying to match to DE. Both girls are trying to do what's right. Neither of them are happy with the way things are, but they're trying their best in a world that was not made for them.

If you have any questions, as always - just let me know! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me ^^ ❤

-deardeerhan