In the Dance Studio
Exo-Planet
"What are you doing?" Luhan was standing at the door of the room and was looking at me and the bracelet.
"Omo, Lu-Luhan, I, I didn't mean it, I don't know... but I might have broken this... I-I just picked it up and it just went 'CLICK' and I don't know what happened," I said, everything in a big mess, my face was slowly getting red.
He came over to me and took the bracelet out of my hands and studied the lock then he looked at me with shocked eyes, "Did you do this?"
"Mianhae... I didn't mean it. I don't even know how I did it," I said.
He kept silently looking at me.
I stayed quiet, not knowing what else to do except feel guilty and apologize.
"K-keep it," he said after a while.
"...Mwoh?" I said, "Wae? I just broke it, didn't I? Are you not angry?"
"You didn't break it... it was supposed to be like this from the start."
"Why are you giving it to me though? I can't accept this..." I said.
He took my hand while it was waving in objection and placed the silver cuff in my hand then curled my hand up, "Just... keep it. Take it as... a present from your number one bodyguard."
I didn't get it but before I could stand there anymore speechless than I could be, he pushed me out of the room and closed the door, "Go downstairs. They're all there. I'm going to change."
That was all I heard from him on the other side of the door and he didn't show up until dinner that night.
++++++++++LUHAN'S POV++++++++++++
That girl... how could she? That bracelet...
This was all that's been going on inside my head for the past few hours. That girl and the bracelet. How did she? That was Ricyri's bracelet. Her only possession I could keep after she was cruelly killed.
She said she broke it... she didn't - she opened it.
Something which I couldn't do for the past years ever since Ricyri died. No one could open it and yet, she did it by so simply picking it up. Just... what is she?
That's why I gave it to her. If the bracelet opened up in her hands, she must be the right person. I guess it might be time... to let go of Ricyri. The time that the bracelet has finally chosen. The second owner it's ready to have.
++++++++++NAYOUNG'S POV++++++++++
The next morning, I was wearing it. This beautiful bracelet on my wrist. It looks so nice and I didn't even say thank you to Luhan yet. I looked at the lovely jewels shining on it. I wonder why Luhan even had this. Could it be..? No... no way...
I had went down for breakfast and was planning to say thank you to Luhan but he wasn't at the table. I guess he wasn't awake yet... and I was right. He had come down just as we were leaving the house, looking half asleep.
I decided not to bother him then because he looked really sleepy through the wall which Chanyeol was talking for most of the way anyway.
Then we reached school and was in registration.
The teacher had just called out our names and Luhan was sprawled out on his table beside me, sleeping so I didn't bother him.
When we were leaving our class for period one, I tried to catch up with him to say a thank you but then, Kim Jongin came over.
"Hey, were you ill yesterday?" he asked.
Luhan was already out of sight by then and I looked at Jongin ssi, "Ah, ne, I was."
"So... what about that lunch arrangement you still owe me?"
Ah! I totally forgot about that after yesterday, "Ah! Ne, okay, I'll meet you at the dance room at lunch, okay?"
Throughout the day, I hadn't seen him. We weren't in the same classes at all and even at interval, I had no idea where he was.
If only I knew he was with Kris during lunch, everything would have been so much different - Everything in the next hour would not have happened but because it happened, everything else changed.
It was lunch and I hurried off to the dance studio before even seeing any of the members.
Jongin ssi was already there: he was dancing.
I watched from outside the door and he didn't seem to notice me as he stared at the dancing self of him in the mirror. Those elegant moves and graceful steps. It looked gentle but powerful at the same time and it flowed with the music so well. I finally went in when the song ended and started applauding. He shot a look at the door and for a second, I thought he was glaring at me and felt intimidated for a second but that was probably just me.
"Since when were you here?" he asked.
"Since one minute ago. You were dancing so well! I never knew you were so talented!" I said.
He remained silent and went to turn the CD off which was starting to play the next track. Then, he looked at me, "So... have you had lunch yet?" a smile formed on his face.
"Aniyo, I came to see you straight when the bell went because I felt bad about not being in school yesterday and not being able to help you finish up the stuff at detention."
"Ah, keurae?" he said, "Come.. over here and sit down. I bought a sandwich from the cafeteria. Have one," he sat down beside the CD player and gestured me to go over.
I sat down on the opposite side and took a bite of the sandwich he offered.
"Nayoung... So... tell me more about your members."
This statement seemed quite demanding and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tell them all to someone who just started at the school. When he saw me stay silent, he chuckled and sighed, "I know. It seems a bit too much, right? To tell such things to someone you just met," he laughed, "I know how it feels. Everyone was just the same to me when I was little. They kept asking me questions about my family. Are you feeling okay? Do you want to move in with us in case you feel bad about the loss of your family? Do you want me to sign you up to an orphanage?"
Did he just say... family loss? "Did you... hokshi..?"
"Ne," he laughed, "Don't worry about it though. It's okay, if you don't want to tell."
For a moment, sympathy struck me.
I told him about me as the Soul, how we're still finding members and everything about our existing members.
"And so.. because I'm being targeted... they're putting me under extra-protection right now," I said.
Suddenly, the door opened and I saw Kris.
"They're not protecting you so much right now, are they?" he had a smirk on his face as he locked the door behind him.
Jongin ssi stood up, "It should be about time now. That sandwich..."
Then, I felt it... as soon as he said sandwich. An agonizing pain was playing around in my stomach and I clutched onto it. I realized my sight was all blurry too as I looked up to the ceiling. Unable to keep myself sitting upright from the burning pain inside my stomach, I collapsed onto my side, "Wa-wae..? What's going on..? Jongin ssi?"
"Wae? As you said... you're being targeted. We're just doing our job," he said and turned round so that I could no longer see his face.
The last words I heard were "Not so protected now, are ya?" from Kris. No, from my last few seconds of sight, it wasn't Kris. It was...
Just like that, before I could tell who it was, a blur of white flashed before my eyes and I could no longer stay conscious.
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