“You’re stupid.” Sehun flatly stated as he looked blankly at Dara straight in the eyes.

“What?!” Dara half-shouted, bewildered by what the boy in front of her said. After telling him what happened for ten minutes — from her dream to the pickle jar — all Sehun did was call her stupid. ‘Is he trying to pick a fight with me?!’

“You’re stupid.” Sehun repeated, not making any emotion show nor breaking his gaze at her. Dara hastily stood up from her seat, making her chair push backwards with a screech.

“Oh Sehun, are you trying to pick a fight with me?” Dara glowered, resting both of her hands on the table and leaning towards Sehun slightly. Sehun didn’t react at first, but then he got up from his chair, rested the palm of his hands on the table and leaned towards Dara, which made their faces only one meter apart. Dara remained glaring at Sehun, though she felt that she wanted to lean back and walk out of the room.

“I’m just saying the truth.” He replied, showing some kind of emotion that Dara didn’t understand. “You were tired, you were stressed, that’s why you got that dream.” Sehun paused for a moment, like he was trying to think of something more to say to convince Dara. “Dara, its only a drea—”

“Nightmare.” Dara corrected.

“Doesn’t matter. The point is, it’s not real. It’s only a product of stress.” Dara, however, was not convinced, and Sehun sensed it. Sehun released a sigh and looked at Dara again — this time, a soft gaze landed on Dara’s rich brown eyes. “No matter what, we will never leave you. We won’t let anyone hurt you.” Sehun’s eyes were sincere, which made Dara softened and somehow… relieved. Unknowingly, she smiled at Sehun — the same genuine smile Dara wore when they were at the orphanage. To see her smile this up close gave unknown feelings inside Sehun, leaving him dazed. Sehun hadn’t realized that he was spacing out while Dara already sat back and was eating comfortably.

“Sehun-ah, are you listening? Wake up.” Dara snapped her fingers in front of Sehun’s face. Fortunately, Sehun came back to his senses. “What bubble tea?” Sehun blabbered. Dara raised an eyebrow. “Bubble tea?” Sehun turned his head to Dara with a confused expression.

“You made bubble tea?” Sehun asked with curiosity.

“I didn’t say I made one.” Dara made a straight face.

“Then why did you say bubble tea?” Sehun furrowed his brows in confusion. Dara rolled her eyes at him, ‘being forgetful is contagious…’

“You mentioned it earlier.” Dara replied said as she took a bite from her sandwich. Sehun was lost in thoughts. Did he really say bubble tea earlier? ‘What was I thinking again?’ Dara noticed that Sehun was frowning with his mouth slightly apart. ‘He’s spacing out again…’

Dara glanced at the table and saw the other three-decker sandwich she made. Without further thinking, she grabbed it and plunged it directly into Sehun’s mouth. Sehun’s eyes rounded as he choked on impulse and leaned back with his hands over his mouth where the sandwich was. He took the sandwich out and lightly coughed. “Here.” Dara reached out a glass of juice to Sehun. Sehun grasped the glass and chugged all of its content. He put the glass down after and glared at Dara. “What was that for?”

“You think too much. Just sit down and eat.” Dara answered casually and continued eating. Sehun sat down like he was told and took a bite on his own sandwich — ‘not bad…’

There was silence around the kitchen as they eat peacefully. Sehun propped his arms against the table and watched Dara as she took a sip on her glass of juice then continued eating her potato chips. ‘She’s not annoying than I thought. But…’

“Why are you acting like this? Didn’t you hate us back then?” Dara stopped and looked at Sehun with questioning eyes. “Before, you always wear a frown whenever you see us. You get irritated. But you’re different when you are with those three girls. Now, you’re acting like we’re really friends. I thought you hate us.” There was a short silence; Sehun was watching intently at Dara. Dara planted her elbows on the table and rested her chin on the back of her hands.

“You hate me as well, Sehun.” Sehun was taken aback when he felt Dara’s gaze went cold for a second. “I know some of you hate me, but why do you still keep being nice to me? You’re comforting me right now, in fact. Why are you acting like this?” Dara threw back the same question Sehun asked. Sehun looked down; he was speechless. He knew part of him was annoyed of Dara, but he never hated her. Yet, this is what Dara sees. He wanted to tell her that she misunderstood; he wanted to tell her that she wasn’t the problem.

“If my grandfather hadn’t entrusted me to you guys, you wouldn’t even bother to worry about me, right?” Sehun looked back up at Dara. He tried to read her feelings, he looked deeply to her eyes, but why can’t he see any sign of emotions at all? “You guys are burdened because of me. I’m just another ungrateful, stubborn, spoiled brat.” It was like a knife pierced through Sehun’s heart. Had she heard of their conversation yesterday?

“I wasn’t supposed to hear it, right? But the more you don’t want to listen, the more you’ll be able to hear clearly.” Dara confirmed, not breaking off her eye contact towards Sehun. She knew what Sehun was feeling right now — guilty. Dara softened her gaze at him. She should be angry, right? But how come she doesn’t feel anything at all? ‘I guess…’

“I’m used to it.” Sehun snapped back to reality and saw something that made his heart pinch. Dara was staring at him with such soft expression, but on the corner of her left eye, a pearl-like liquid escaped from it. Dara got up and gathered all the empty plates and put them on the sink. She transferred the bowl of juice into a container and put it inside the fridge. She didn’t bother to wipe the trail of tears in her eyes, and Sehun realized that she doesn’t even know she’s crying.

Sehun got up when Dara was on her way to the hall. “Sandara…” Dara stopped on her tracks when Sehun called her first name, but she didn’t look back. “Always lock the door when you sleep…” was all Sehun said and went ahead of Dara. But before he was out of sight, he added, “…and sorry.”

“No, Sehun. I’m sorry. My nightmare that you know was a lie.” She whispered softly and felt something warm on her cheeks. She lifted her hands to her cheeks and felt hot liquid running down. ‘Why am I crying?’

“I dreamt that we were on a deserted island: me, you guys, and our classmates. There were no food so you twelve decided to leave to find food. You left me and while you were gone, they decided to eat me. I was chopped alive.” Sehun shivered at the last part of Dara’s dream.

Sehun was now back in his room, lying comfortably on his bed with his hands at the back of his head. It was almost 3:00 in the morning and he was still unable to sleep. He closed his eyes for the third time and again, Dara’s story came popping in to his head.

“Something’s not right.” Sehun muttered to himself. He’s doubting on whether what Dara told him was true or not. “Her story was just too stupid. If it was me, I would just shrug it off and sleep again.” Sehun furrowed his brows.

“I couldn’t sleep because it was scary so I went here to prepare snacks for myself.”

“If she thinks it over, she’d think it was ridiculous… unless it was something else.” Sehun thought harder, trying to recall everything from the kitchen — then it hit him. He remembered Dara’s face — she looked anxious. Only that time when he told her that they will never leave her nor let anyone hurt her, did Dara calm down. Sehun frowned,

“Why do you always keep everything to yourself?”

After too much thinking, Sehun finally drifted to sleep.

“I. Freaking. Need. To. Sleep.” Dara was getting irritated. She went to her room after Sehun left and jump onto bed, but the problem was… she can’t sleep. She glanced at her digital clock — 4:00 a.m. Dara groaned in frustration. She had been switching from one position to another every minute. Now, she was lying on her back with her arms up like a starfish. She switched again and laid flat on her stomach with her face buried on the pillow. “Mififfonomefing!” (This is so not helping!)

“I officially give up.” Dara frustratingly muttered and got up from bed. She walked out to her room and went to the kitchen once more.

“What should I make this time?” Dara asked herself as she scanned the refrigerator. At the corner of the bottom shelf, she saw a bag of chocolate flavored powder, pearls, and a box of tea bags. Dara’s lips curled into a smile. She knew exactly what to do now. “I have to do this somewhere else though. I don’t want anyone snooping behind my back again.”

Dara picked up the three ingredients from the fridge and placed it on the table. She went back to the fridge and about to close it when she saw a jar of honey on the second shelf. “Perfect~” She took it out, closed the fridge and went to the table.

“I have to prepare these first. I’m sure D.O wouldn’t mind me using his utensils. I’ll just clean up before he notices.” Dara then started to prepare the things she needed to in the kitchen, which includes the pearls and the tea itself. “Wait. Last time I tasted one, I felt like vomiting. But since it’s Sehun’s place, I’ll keep it to myself. Maybe I should try to make my own bubble tea. And maybe a back up pearl shake, just in case.”

Dara strode off to the freezer and got some ice and put it inside a small ice box she found in one of the drawers. She went back to her room to get her picnic basket and went back to the kitchen. Dara stuffed everything she needed into the basket — the ingredients and paper cups, except for the ice box of course — and was about to go when she remembered something.

“The blender!” Dara scurried back and got the blender D.O really liked. “He won’t mind. I’ll just leave a note.” Dara left after writing a note on a tissue and placed it on the dining table. She also sent a text message that she was on the rooftop, just in case.

Dara was ready to go, but soon realized she doesn’t fully know the structure of the dorm. First was she went straight in the hall, finding a nice backyard at the end of it. ‘It would be nice but they’ll see me here easily…’

Dara turned back and took a sharp left. The first door to her left was her room. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time she would explore Exo’s dorm. It was 4:45 in the morning. “Since it’s Sunday, I’m sure they’ll wake up late.” She thought. Dara continued to walk along the straight path. “Four rooms, and one is mine.” She took a right which led her to the stairs. Dara went upstairs without any second thoughts.  She found another four set of rooms. “Must be the others’ room.”

She was about to climb another set of stairs beside her when she saw a hallway. Dara walked the straight path and took a left. Her eyes sparkled when she saw a spacious room with a large, flat screen tv hanging on the wall, with a chandelier dangling on the center ceiling. She looked to her side and saw two other rooms. At the end of the room was an elevator. She stepped inside and pressed ‘3’. The elevator doors opened and Dara stepped outside. The third floor was like a mini gym. She walked to the hallway and saw three rooms: one on the left and two to the right. She opened one door and looked inside. Her eyes sparkled at all the musical instruments stored inside the big room.

Next was the fourth floor; she took the stairs this time. Dara couldn’t believe her eyes at the view. Is a very spacious room, filled with mirrors on every wall, except at the front. She walked across the room and looked at the big window in awe. The view she was seeing looked serene — especially when dawn was coming. She took the elevator to the rooftop since there was no more stairs to take. Thankfully, the dorm has only four floors — ‘Very wide floors.’ Dara thought.

The elevator came to a stop. Dara froze on the spot when the elevator doors opened. The scene in front of her was really… breath taking. There was a large hexagon-shaped pool. On the very bottom of it had EXO on it. There were swimming pool chairs scattered everywhere. Lamp posts you see in parks were surrounding the edges of the rooftops and was well complimented by the Bermuda grass which Dara only noticed just now.

“How is this possible?” Dara wondered as she sat on one of the chairs, still astonished of the view. She put her picnic basket and ice box down beside her and laid back on the chair. She stared at the wonderful sky above her. It was a rare moment for Dara to witness such beauty. Little by little, Dara felt light-headed, her eyelids becoming heavier each blink, her vision becoming a blur, and soon, she fell into a deep slumber.

Annyeong! First of all thank you for your suggestions. Your requested interactions will come, but not now. Author-nim is busy in college now so I might not be able to update due to hectic schedules.

By the way, have you guys heard about BaekYeon? I almost cried when I read about it. It was the first thing I saw when I woke up. True or not, he will always be my UB. Let's just support him, ne? I hope Exo will survive this crisis.