Sooyoung woke with a start, heart beating, but relaxed to find herself lying on a normal bed. For a moment, she had thought she was back in the locked room that stank of rotted meat. 

 

She looked around curiously. Someone had propped her up among several fluffy pillows, and the bedsheet beneath her was patterned with a group shot of EXO. She spotted Luhan's face immediately among the 12, grinning angelically. He really was the most handsome out of the group.

 

The room was large, and seemed similar to Sooyoung's own dorm room. Large windows let in shafts of light, making the room look bright and cheerful. Three beds had been shoved to the side, one of which Sooyoung lay on. Shoes and crumpled clothes crowded the floor, and she was surprised to see brand names; Gucci, Louis Vuitton. Posters adorned the wall, showing images of various groups. Sooyoung gaped at a large poster of SNSD during the Gee era. Her face smiled back at her, sweet and innocent in its youth. She wondered who in EXO was a fan of her group. 

 

Muffled voices came from outside the partly open door. She could smell delicious cooking, something meaty, and her stomach grumbled. Usually, Sooyoung ate 6 or 7 meals a day. The only thing she had eaten since morning was a few handfuls of dirty rice; no wonder she felt ravenous. 

 

Sooyoung slid off the bed, and that was when she felt it-someone had carefully bandaged her back with some sort of linen. It felt uncomfortable, but at least it didn't throb with searing pain any more. She blushed heavily at the thought of a guy, probably Luhan, lifting up her shirt and applying bandages to her wounds. 

 

Sooyoung tip toed to the door and opened it, sticking her head out shyly. The bedroom opened out to a living room space, where several saggy couches had been arranged in a semi circle. On the side was a kitchen, where the delicious smell was coming from. She could see two people standing by a stove, stirring something in a pan. Someone else was busily chopping onions on a chopping board, his back to her as he worked. And was that Luhan sitting on a stool, stooped over a bucket, scrubbing away at her jacket? 

 

He looked up as if sensing her eyes, and grinned widely. "She's awake!" He called excitedly to the three people cooking, and they turned their heads to peer at her. Sooyoung felt shy as she stepped out of the room, running a hand through her hair nervously. Luhan stood up, soapy water dripping from his hands, and went over to her. He took her hand and sat her gently down at a table. The three members approached her, curiously studying her. "She's so pretty!" One of them, Chen she guessed, whispered in awe. Sooyoung's face flushed and she looked away. She heard the others murmur in agreement. 

 

Someone had pushed a plate of steaming chicken in front of her, and she couldn't help but dig in hungrily. She felt the others' eyes staring at her, and self-consciously blushed again. 

 

Soon the others began to join her, digging into the chicken. Sooyoung slowly loosened as the members joked around and talked informally to her. Although she was their elder, they had already began to drop the honorifics when addressing her. It made her feel a lot more comfortable. 

 

Luhan sat closely by her side, almost shoulder to shoulder. Sooyoung could tell that something was troubling him as he picked distractedly at his food. She nudged his elbow softly and he looked at her. You didn't tell them about me, did you? The question hung silently in the air between them, and Luhan shook his head in answer. Sooyoung breathed a tiny sigh of relief. She couldn't imagine what would've happened if the EXO members knew what had happened to her, and news broke out. They wouldn't be talking to her as care-freely as they were now, that was certain. 

 

Soon, all the chicken had been picked clean, and only bones littered the tabletop. Everyone leaned back in their chairs, sighing as they patted their stomachs. "Gomawo. For the food. It was delicious." Sooyoung thanked her dongsaengs, her stomach in contentment. 

 

Luhan stood up abruptly, scraping his chair against the floorboards. "We'll be going now." He told s shortly, and motioned for Sooyoung to follow him. She hurried after him, shooting a confused glance at the EXO members. They shrugged at her, equally confused, then waved at her. She could see her soaking jacket, hanging from the ceiling, dripping water into a bucket. She went to retrieve it, but Luhan ordered her briskly to leave it. He pushed her none too gently out the front door, following closely behind her. 

 

Once outside, Sooyoung whirled to face him angrily. "What are you playing at?" She demanded in a raised voice, although low enough so that the others wouldn't hear her. Luhan stared into her face, an unreadable expression on his own face. He started to walk and Sooyoung rushed after him, annoyed that he had ignored her. She felt a lingering suspicion that he was drunk again. "Answer me! What are you thinking about?" She tried to sound more kindly, but it just came out sounding pleading. She caught his arm and he halted in midstep. She leaned back, afraid that he would hit her. 

 

He slowly turned to her, chin quivering. He lifted it, and she was surprised to see his eyes glistening in the dark with tears. "Why did you let them hit you? I changed your bandages. Your back looks like a mess!" His voice shook. 

 

She stared at him, completely taken aback. He had been the one who'd bandaged her back, after all. And he cared enough about her to cry about it. She swallowed, tears springing to her own eyes. "I-I. It's not my fault! I didn't know this would happen to me! I woke up with it!" Sooyoung shouted back helplessly, biting back the quiver in her voice. Her hands had automatically crept to her injured back, it.  

 

Sooyoung heard Luhan sigh loudly and then reach for her hands, but she drew away. She felt slightly annoyed at his unfair outburst, but mostly emotional that he had gotten so worked up over her. Her heart was bursting in happiness at his concern. She had drawn away from his hands because she felt that if they held hands, she'd burst into tears. 

 

They fell, anyway. Sooyoung was glad of the darkness that shadowed her face, so that he couldn't see her face screwed up with silent sobs. Aish, crybaby. She didn't even know why she was crying. She scolded herself, pinching her cheeks in an attempt to stop the tears. She turned abruptly and began to head back to her dorm, head lowered. 

 

Footsteps pounded after her, and seconds later Luhan had grabbed her hands and folded her into a hug. Sooyoung cried out loud now, shaking miserably in his arms. He held her tightly, and they stood like that for minutes, wrapped together in the dark. 

 

Sooyoung pulled away at last, smiling sadly. Her tears had soaked into his t-shirt, and now it stuck to his chest. Wordlessly, they walked together arm in arm, heading towards the SNSD dorm. Sooyoung felt dizzy with happiness. 

 

Soon, too soon, they were standing in front of the building, bathed in warm light by an overhead streetlight. Sooyoung smiled awkwardly, not wanting to leave. Luhan smiled back, face brightening. "I'm sorry I got mad at you." He said softly, and without warning leaned forward and kissed Sooyoung's forehead. dropped open in surprise. It was a gentle, lingering kiss that tingled her skin delicately. Luhan stood back and laughed at her, and left, melting into the darkness of the night. 

 

She stood staring after him in a daze for a while after he had gone. Was she dreaming? She laughed out loud in delight, and skipped into the dorm. Taeyeon was waiting for her, and she seemed to know what had happened to Sooyoung. Sooyoung only brushed her aside, claiming that it had only been  a prank, and went to her room. Even Taeyeon couldn't ruin her good mood tonight.