* shin kihyun - Battle *

*

"Yah, stupid, what are you doing here?!"

"I...I...I'm sorry oppa." I retracted in shock at the sight that greeted me. For multiple reasons. First, shouldn't my new teacher be sleeping inside this room? Where is he? And secondly, why was Kihyun oppa inside his room...with a girl? And why was he hovering over her before he instantly moved after I opened the door? I can't accept oppa bullying a girl. Kihyun oppa isn't like that.

"I'm...I'm sorry." The girl who's probably older than myself bowed at me. I wasn't sure if she was about to smile or cry. Poor unnie. She's so pretty though.

"No...I'm...I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"Yah, idiot, what do you mean is she alright? Just get out and go see if Seungah has prepared dinner."

Dinner? That means I've been sleeping from noon until just now. That's...really long. I remembered before falling asleep, teacher was giving me some studying tips, on how to not fall asleep while reading. Speaking of that, if Kihyun oppa is going to be here, what about teacher?

"Kihyun oppa, where is teacher? and who's this unnie?"

"Yah, what teacher crap are you talking? Just go down already."

"Hello. I'm Ryu Sera, Kihyun's... friend. Nice to meet you." The pretty unnie extended a handshake and smiled to me. Her sincere smile just warmed my heart. But still...what about teacher? Maybe I should've asked Seungah unnie instead. She'd know better.

"Teacher? Hyeonrin-ah, what teacher, hm? Do you want to study again? Or you want to become a teacher?" Seungah unnie nonchalantly replied in her usual cheerful mood, without even looking away from her cooking.

"Unnie, that guy who came this morning. Hyesung oppa's school junior."

This time, she stopped whatever she was doing and faced me, no longer smiling.

"Who came this morning? Hyesung oppa's junior?"

"Unnie...you're the one who called me to meet him. Remember? That tall guy with glasses, all white and...and..."

"Hyeonrin-ah, I wasn't home this morning. I went to the market earlier and met my ex-school friend there, you know Woori? Yah, it's good to catch up on old times. I only came back in the afternoon, so...what were you talking about? Or did you have a bad dream, sweetie?"

'No...I...really...' The words simply died before they could be born. 

I knew it'd be useless to prolong the conversation with Seungah unnie, because I myself couldn't understand what was happening. Was everything merely a dream? But they felt too real to be a dream. Seungah unnie calling for me, the whiteness surrounding him, his words saying he will help me to succeed and that he believed in me, Appa's tune. How could it all be a dream? Have I been missing Appa too much? I nearly choked on my rice, as I painfully struggled to push away the memories of Appa and trying to shove away that tune from my ears, and fighting tears that kept threatening to stream down at any second. Maintaining the smile was the hardest part though. I didn't even want to be there anymore. But it would be rude to leave, since Kihyun oppa doesn't come home that often, what more, we had a guest today, Sera unnie who's very pretty and have beautiful smile and is really nice too.

"Yah, pabo. You don't look too well, are you sick?" By the time I registered the words, Kihyun oppa's warm palm had already landed on my forehead.

"I'm..."

"You're cold. Go