The next morning, it was quite unusual to have Minhwa waiting for Haruka in the front of the gate. From the beginning, Sehun and D.O were already suspicious by Minhwa’s action. But as Minhwa greeted Haruka—awkwardly—and asked Haruka whether they could talk eye to eye or not, Sehun and D.O weren’t that suspicious anymore. They gave them a chance to talk in between only the two of them.

“Have you been living well?” Minhwa asked in clumsy. Haruka nodded. “It’s—good, how about you, Minhwa-ya?”

“I moved to another place—Jenny helped me with the payment thing. It’s quite big and—you know—house I’ve been dreaming of. Where do you live, Haru? Shall I come over?”

Haruka widened her eyes. “Aah—it’s quite uncomfortable. Anyway, what are you going to say?”

Minhwa smiled. “Do you know Kris?”

The new transferred guy whom she met yesterday, of course she knew him.

“Well, Kris asked me to give this to you. I haven’t opened it yet.” She said with very obvious fake smile. A small-folded paper was handed to her. “Anyway, Haru-ya, what is your relationship with him? Why did he ask me to give that to you?” she asked bluntly.

“Kris—you mean?”

“Can I say this—but, I think you’re just too much. Aren’t they enough for you?” she asked. Her arms were crossed in front of the chest. “From what I see, you’re not that—pretty, but what makes you so attractive?”

Haruka got speechless.

“You and I have lived together—in some way, you make me jealous quite often. Well, I got along with some other students well back then, when we were still in elementary school—high school—and you just didn’t. Every student thought you’re strange, you’re dork, and you’re autism. You also weren’t popular among the boys. You’re just—an ugly duck—that was what they said about you. You know, I was always on your side, right?”

Minhwa sighed. “Well, actually, I felt embarrassed to be with you all the time, but what could I do, Haru-ya? I felt pity on you that I couldn’t leave you alone. I couldn’t betray my friend who grew up with me in the orphanage. Only you knew how I felt, being a child from the orphanage who couldn’t buy fancy clothes. You remember we used to bring lunch box from home, right? Actually, I wanted to join them and buy the same lunch as them.”

“Well,” Minhwa released her arms. “I never told them that I was living in the orphanage. I told you were, and lied that I felt pity on you, so I told them that I also brought my lunch box so you’re not alone. They used to call me a fairy, right? Because I had a very kind heart, they said.”

Haruka didn’t even say a word. Her lips just wouldn’t move. Her eyes were teary so that made her sight blur. Minhwa, she was just too hateful right now. Her words were utterly cruel for a person that had lived over 10 years with her. Haruka just never saw this side of her.

“So, it’s just strange—” Minhwa combed her hair with her fingers. Haruka even saw Minhwa’s pretty nails. It matched well with her bag. She had never polished her nail ever. “How the boys are deadly attracted by you. At first, I thought they were just exploiting you. But I realized that you have nothing to brag. Do they know about your night-blindness?”

Haruka took a very deep and deep breath, to make her look fine and strong enough. “They know.” She answered briefly with quivering voice.

Minhwa snorted. “It’s even more amazing that they are still hanging around you even after they know that you are night-blindness. You really are scary though.”

“What do you want exactly?” Haruka asked, still in her quivering voice.

“Chillax…” Minhwa rolled her eyes annoyingly. She took a card out and gave it to Haruka. It was an invitation card and there was a big name written on it—Jenny Song. It wasn’t a birthday invitation, but she didn’t know what the invitation was all about. Haruka raised her right eyebrow and mumbled, “What is this?”

“Jenny wants you to come to her party—belated birthday party. You know this place, right? Ask the cab driver to take you to this place if you don’t know, okay? Well, I don’t expect much, but—it will be our honor if you’d like to come. Of course, I know your condition better that anyone else, so I really don’t mind if you can’t make it tonight. Oh—and because this is private party only for girls, I hope you won’t ask your boys to—”

“I’m coming. Alone.” Haruka cut her.

Minhwa needed some time to respond. “It will be great, girls’ party. If it’s like that, then, I will leave first. See you tonight, Haru-ya.”

Haruka sighed as she felt her heart was being stabbed by her own best friend. It hurt even more, too hurt till her tongue slipped and just stupidly agreed that invitation without even thinking that she had night-blindness. The place, she knew for sure because every morning—when she went to school with Kai, she passed it. It was a night club—really a famous one. She had never stepped her feet in that place, but what she knew from television, that place was really frenetic. Loud music, dim light with so much laser and whatsoever called light, people dancing, and alcohol—she pictured what kind of place the night club was. Well, it was impossible to make an excuse for this though. She had agreed it.

Haruka had no energy to think, so she quickly went to her locker and put her stuff in it. When she was putting this and that, her eyes fixed on the calendar that was stuck on the door. She widened her eyes as she knew what date was today. Today was going to be full moon. It meant she could see in the night clearly. So, in conclusion, she could go. That was good news as well as the bad one.

She loosened her clench and remembered that Kris gave her letter in a really small piece of paper. She opened and read it. It was written ‘Let’s meet in the library this noon after lunch. Let’s make it secret today.’ That was what he wrote in the letter, asking her to meet up after lunch. Haruka seemed to think, considering the consequences if she met him—sure, she would meet Kris this noon, hopefully, because it was kinda hard to escape from Chanyeol and Luhan.

In the noon, Haruka quickly queued herself to the line to get her lunch. She even left Chanyeol and Luhan who were still struggling with their assignment in the class without even helping them. When she reached the cafeteria, Kai was already there, with Sehun and D.O. They got their lunch already and were currently chit-chatting. As Haruka reached the table, she quickly opened the lid and ate it. She didn’t even greet them like usually she did.

“Your papillae will stop working if you keep your ramyun eagerly like that. Are you that hungry?” Sehun helped by fanning her with brochure paper he got randomly from the table.

“I’m in urgent—you know—period.” Haruka gave a grimace to them.

“Do you bring sanitary pads? Should we buy it for you?” D.O asked directly.

Haruka showed her sour face. “No, I bring it already.” She patted her pocket and continued her eating quickly. It took only 5 minutes for her to eat.

After that, she left the three of them in hurry. Just then, Haruka passed Suho and Baekhyun who just came with tray in their hands. Suho yelled loudly, but Haruka didn’t respond because Suho had to be nagging her and it would take time. She was sure, Sehun would tell them. Well, she just hoped that the boys didn’t find out that she was lying about having period.

Haruka successfully escaped from the boys and now she just needed to go to the library to meet Kris. He had to be waiting for her. When she reached the library door, someone blocked her way. She knew, sooner or later, she would be caught, so she just sighed. “Ok, ok, fine.” she grumbled and turned her body, walking back. Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed and it didn’t last long because in a second, Luhan had already faced her with his scary grin—but Haruka was used to it. She still felt that—Luhan’s total warm skin touched hers. In the previous season, it wasn’t comfortable. But as the season changed to winter, Luhan’s hand felt so comfortable that she wanted to hold every time she felt cold.

“Why aren’t you going inside? He must be waiting for you…”

“Naah, it’s gonna be a big trouble if I go. Why aren’t you eating with the others, huh?” She asked. Actually, she was totally pissed off. They were too annoying now—too overprotective if she could barely say.

“Well, just go. I’ll wait here, I promise.” Luhan gave his pinky finger.

Haruka rolled her eyes. “What’s the point of that? I don’t like being guarded.”

Luhan chuckled in very deep voice. “You feel annoyed now, huh? Haruka, if you meet another person—not them, they will still tolerate you. But them—tch—” he clicked his tongue, underestimating them. “You better off from them.”

“But why?”

“I don’t have any rights to reveal this anyway.” Luhan shrugged. Haruka was getting more pissed off that Luhan looked so cute when he did that—shrugging.

“Ok. I’ll just meet him for a minute. You promise me you’ll wait here.” Haruka still felt annoyed that made her said everything shortly. Luhan nodded and let Haruka enter the library.

However, because Haruka was feeling uneasy, afraid that Luhan would call the others to raid Kris who was currently with Tao and Lay, she ended up greeting them and asked what he wanted to say. Kris who was actually aware, also ended up with nothing to say except asking Haruka to exchange their number. He also introduced Tao and Lay who looked handsome and charming like him, no wonder.

After that brief meeting, Haruka quickly ran out from the library, making sure Luhan didn’t call out his troop. But he was still there, leaning his back on the wall while humming something—like a folk song—but it turned out sounded like a dog growling for food, yet he looked handsome today although he had quite bold dark circle under his eyes.

“It looks like you’re not having fun. Did they say something to you?” Luhan asked.

“No, they didn’t. I’m just not feeling too good. You’re not eating again?” Haruka asked. Luhan shook his head slowly. His eyes wandered around with his hands on the pockets. He totally looked like a kid, but in some way—no! He didn’t.

“Shall we go to class since the bell is almost rung?”

“Sure.”

***