Naeun ~

And that was how, on that Saturday morning, Naeun ended up with seventeen angels in her living room. “Let me get this straight. On my left side, I have twelve Dark angels, most of which are trying to kill me," Naeun stated as she gestured to the newcomers.

“Not necessarily. Just break you and Taemin apart for eternity,” the one Naeun recognized to be Kai said matter-of-factly. “We won’t kill you - for now.” Taemin growled (and by then he had woken up to find the girly Band-Aid and, pouting, replaced it), but Naeun held up her hand to stop him from doing anything stupid again. As he had told her, Kai had a fabulous shiner on his left eye, the area around it blackening. Suho, who had given Taemin the cut on the lip, was injury-free. For some reason, Naeun wanted to go up to him and give him a little punch of her own.

“On this side, I have five Light angels. Let me make this clear now. I am only housing the five that are not out to ruin me,” Naeun snarled, looking at the twelve Dark angels.

“Feisty,” Kai mused. He flashed her an arrogant grin, which she returned with a cold stare. “Yeah, we’re not living here. Definitely. It’s much easier renting a cheap dorm where I don’t have to put up with these shining fools.”

“Do I have to sew your mouth shut?” Jonghyun barked, rolling up his shirt sleeves to reveal his muscles. Kai only smirked and looked back to Naeun.

“I’m Kai, but you probably remember me,” he drawled. Unfortunately, she did.

“Suho, leader of EXO-K.” The one who had cut Taemin was eating her leftover sushi from the fridge. Naeun closed her eyes and took deep breaths before she opened them again. You're a lady, Naeun. Beat them up after breakfast.

“Chanyeol,” the boy next to Suho greeted her happily, poking at the sushi.

“I’m D.O.,” a particularly quiet boy muttered.

“Baekhyun! I like food!” It was the boy who had eaten the most food last night.

“I’m Sehun. I might be the youngest, but I’m probably not the least mature.”

“Kris.” This boy was cold-looking, his stare penetrating Naeun. “I’m the leader of EXO-M.”

“I’m Luhan,” a boy that Naeun almost mistook for Sehun greeted. They were so alike!

“I’m Xiumin!” the next person said cutely. Naeun noted that he had eyes that sharpened at the edges, must like Key's feline ones, but they were much bigger. “I’m the most popular!”

“Yeah, with boys,” a boy with dark bags under his eyes rebutted. “I’m Tao.”

The two calmest looking boys at the end of the row of Dark angels were last.

“I’m Lay.”

“I’m Chen.”

They were both uniquely handsome, and looked to be the sanest of them all, but the sinister smile they directed to Naeun told her that looks could be truly be deceiving. Naeun shuddered and joined SHINee on the couch.

“Why are you here?” Taemin said bitterly. “I thought I made it clear last night that I didn’t want any of you coming within three meters of her.”

“And I thought I made it clear that I didn’t care what you wanted,” Kai shot back. “You know, when I elbowed your perfect face?”

“Don’t forget the one I landed on his mouth,” Suho piped up.

“What?” Key shouted. “Taemin! Why didn’t you tell your hyungs about this? We could’ve jumped them in a few seconds flat!”

“Few seconds my A$$!” Kris countered, his cold glare shooting icicles at Key.

“Would you like me to shove a few seconds up yours?” Jonghyun countered, picking up the sushi Chanyeol was still eating away at and threatening to launch it at Kris.

“YAH!” Chanyeol whined. The bickering and shouting went on for a few long moments until Naeun couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh, shut up, will you all?!” Naeun burst out, causing everyone in the room to look at her. “I don’t care if you guys are supernatural beings from a different dimension or inhuman creatures crawling out of Kris’s a$$!” The room had gone deadly silent as she ranted. “This is my house, and I like my house neat and quiet.” She ground her teeth together and ran her hands through her hair. “Big deal. You’re going to my school. Big deal. You’re trying to tear Taemin and I apart when there is nothing between us! We have a month! By then, everything will go back to normal, so I - don’t - care.”

“You don’t understand, do you?” Lay said quietly. “Nothing will go back to normal. Word has been going around through our ‘angel worlds.’” He made quotation marks with his fingers. “We can’t erase your memory.” Naeun wrinkled her nose. “There’s a reason why SHINee and EXO are well known angels in our worlds. We’re strong. If Taemin can’t erase your memory, then I don’t know what will.”

“Exactly,” Taemin said. Naeun whirled to look at him, surprised, but he was directing his gaze anywhere but at her. “If you can’t forget this, they might not let you out alive. I didn’t realize. By the end of the month, everything won’t be the same. By the end of the month, we’ll have to find a way to fight back. That’s why I was trying to get EXO to side with us.”

“Which isn’t going to happen,” Xiumin interrupted. His adorable image was gone. “If we get involved, we’ll be ruined, too, with all of you.”

Naeun stared at her lap, the gears in her mind turning. So. She was already involved, and there was no turning back. What did that mean for her?

She wasn’t thinking about life and death. She was, oddly, thinking about Taemin.

Since there was no more choice, could she . . . be open with Taemin? What was there for her to be open about though? Did she still feel anything for him? Had she ever felt anything for him? And even then . . . how would they survive?

Kai ~

Kai watched Naeun with a new interest as she stared into space and chewed on her lip. She was different from the other Middle roamers, in many ways, probably some he couldn’t even name. As Xiumin told the angels what Kai had been thinking this whole time, that they couldn’t get involved, Kai wondered. Would they get involved? He wasn’t sure anymore, as he watched this human girl.

She might be worth getting into the trouble for.

Taemin ~

“Is it appropriate for me to say ‘she’s a keeper?’” Kai chuckled. He was the last one out the door as EXO left the house. Taemin stared at him coldly, not answering his horrible joke. “Taemin. You don’t have to believe me, but you’ve just got yourself into a big heap of cra-”

“I know,” Taemin cut in icily. “But I can’t really do anything now. That’s why-”

“I know, hyung,” Kai said. It was his turn to interrupt now. “I know that we can’t stop what will happen, even if I hurt her.” Taemin gritted his teeth, clenching the edge of the door. He turned around and watched Naeun trying to get Onew to stop eating her leftover chicken. “Hyung.” Taemin brought his attention back to Kai. “I can’t promise anything, and I can’t say anything about your favor that you requested.”

“I doubted that the Dark angels would come to help us, but it was worth a shot,” Taemin said honestly, still monotone. “I’m getting desperate, and I’m willing to put my pride on the line for this.”

“For her,” Kai corrected flatly. Taemin raised one eyebrow, but his expression clearly showed that what Kai said was correct. “Would you believe me if I said I wanted to help you? That I wanted to convince EXO to combine forces with . . . ugh.” He gestured to SHINee. Taemin smirked, his smile wry.

“It would show a small sign of our previous friendship from when we were about five, but it’s very unlikely, isn’t it?” Taemin answered. He faltered for a second. “But I don’t know what else to do. It’s inevitable.” Before he closed the door all the way, he muttered, “I just hope fate is on our side.”

Taemin turned around, only to find Naeun standing there with her hands on her hips. His eyes widened, him being a little surprised. And intimidated. Maybe.

“So,” Naeun said. “I was just talking to Onew. He told me a lot of things about the Light and Dark and the common nouns that you guys for some reason capitalize when you write it down.”

“Huh?”

“You dragged me into a whole load of sh*t, didn’t you?” Naeun sighed. Taemin stared at her guiltily.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He looked down at the ground, unsure of what to do anymore. What if Naeun just never fell for him by the end of the month they had? Would she still be in danger? What could he do? When Taemin glanced back up at her, she was frowning and fidgeting, as if she were contemplating something. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Naeun jerked her head back up, her doe eyes going wide. “Oh, nothing.” She wandered back to the living room, where the rest of the Light angels were bouncing around excitedly. “Hey, quit putting your dirty feet on my couch! What are you guys so excited about?”

“Naeun-ah,” Jonghyun sang, running up and grabbing her by the arm. Taemin frowned. How come Naeun let the rest of the guys get so close to her but not him? “Your human school lets you off this upcoming week, right?” He jumped over to the fridge and pulled off a bright pink slip of paper, waving it in the air. “Right?”

“Oh, I forgot,” Naeun exclaimed. She grabbed the piece of paper and scanned it. “Yeah, but it’s a class trip. The seniors are going on a sort of camping trip on Thursday and Friday. They do one every year. Why?”

“We’re all going, right?” Minho said, making his frog eyes go even larger so he could use aegyo on her. Naeun wrinkled her nose.

“Right?” Jonghyun repeated, using his puppy dog eyes himself.

“Right?” Onew said, jumping on the couch and giving her a chinky smile.

“Right?” Key echoed, giving her his most diva smirk. Taemin felt left out of the begging, so he leaned forward behind Naeun.

“Right?” he whispered in her ear. She whirled around, and for some reason, she looked a little shaken, and her cheeks were pink.

“Yah, Lee Taemin!” Naeun squeaked. She cleared and turned to the other four. Taemin pouted behind her. Did it not work? “The seniors have no choice but to go on this trip unless they have guardians that say otherwise. The senior teachers are coming, too. It’s this whole enlightening trip, so I guess we’re all going.”

“ASA!” Jonghyun and Minho whooped, high-fiving and hugging as they jumped in circles. Onew frowned behind them, hopping off the couch and scratching his head.

“Yah. If everyone is going, doesn’t that mean EXO is coming to the trip, too? They enrolled at our school; didn’t they say that?” he reminded them. Everyone went silent, and Taemin stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“There’s nothing we can do about it. I don’t like the idea of spending two days and one night (A/N: ho ho ho to those who get it) with those dark bastards,” Taemin sighed. “I guess we have no choice, though. Plus, it gives me a better chance of getting closer to Naeun-ah!” He flashed Naeun a smile, but she only frowned.

“Let’s go to the mall. You guys need camping gear,” she said suddenly. Everyone exchanged glances when they realized what she said was true.

“Got it. Let’s go!” Taemin said cheerfully, earning him an odd stare from Naeun.

~~~~~~~

“I’m going my own way!” Key announced as soon as they reached the shopping center. “All you guys have weird tastes in clothes! I’ll meet you here in an hour!” He immediately set off to shop his heart out.

“Yeobo! Wait for me!” Jonghyun cried, chasing after him. Minho and Onew looked at each other, then at Naeun and Taemin. They shared a telepathic moment and nodded once before taking off, away from the two.

“Wait a sec - !” Naeun started. “ . . . ond.” They were gone.

Taemin smiled nervously and coughed. “Where do we go? I trust Key and Minho to know what to do, sort of, but I need someone to help me . . .” Naeun looked at him uncertainly before shrugging and heading to a directory.

“Let’s go here. We don’t need any sleeping bags since I have some at home. We’ll need flashlights and backpacks,” Naeun said. She began to mumble to herself, and Taemin smiled as he watched her. “ . . . Taemin?”

“Huh?” He hadn’t been listening to what she was saying.

“Do you miss your wings?” Naeun asked bluntly. Taemin blinked. “Is there a way for you to get it back? I mean, if that could ever happen . . .”

“I do miss my wings,” Taemin said earnestly, “and it’s your fault that I lost them.” Naeun blinked, shocked, but Taemin smiled and ruffled her hair. “But I would miss you more, get it?” Naeun didn’t say anything, just turned around and began walking, but Taemin could see her ears turning red. “Did that make you see me in a new light?” he teased as he walked alongside her. Naeun shook her head as she turned abruptly into a small store.

“Look for foldable chairs,” she directed. “I’ll be on this side looking at the flashlights.” Taemin nodded as he scanned the walls. He was taking one of the foldable chairs down from the display when Naeun joined him. He looked down at the large flashlight she held in her hand, and his eyes bulged.

“What the HECK?!” he exclaimed. The cashier at the front desk, a young girl, looked up at him. Her eyes brightened and she smiled, waving cutely at the attractive boy. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Why did you get such an expensive one?”

“It was the brightest one there,” Naeun said slowly, avoiding eye contact.

“Couldn’t you have just gotten a cheaper one? They have enough light,” Taemin urged. He took down another chair as Naeun began to walk to the cashier.

“I don’t want to. I just want this one, okay? Besides, it’s my money,” Naeun grunted. She put extra supplies she’d found up front and waited as Taemin brought the chairs over.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” the cashier said sweetly, flipping her hair as she scanned the items. She was only looking at and talking to Taemin, but he didn’t really notice. He just frowned at the price of the flashlight Naeun chose. For some reason, though, Naeun’s shoulders got really rigid. In a flash, she had taken hold of Taemin’s hand. He glanced at her, a bit thrown off, but she was glaring at the cashier, whose flirtatious smile dimmed down. “Ah, I hope you and your boyfriend have a n-nice camping trip . . .”

Taemin, not wanting Naeun to get all awkward and avoid him again, shook his head. “Oh, we’re not -”

“Going camping yet,” Naeun finished, still glowering at the girl. She tightened her grip on Taemin’s hand and gathered their stuff in a bag. When they left the store, Taemin found himself grinning like a fool, aware of their linked hands.

“What was that about? Are you jealous?” Taemin prodded teasingly. Naeun turned around, took note of their intertwined fingers, and quickly let go.

“No, what are you talking about?” she said in a rush, but she was still glaring at the store. “That cashier just annoyed me . . . for some reason.”

“Why didn’t you tell her that we weren’t together?” Taemin pushed on, leaning forward so that their faces were only inches apart. Naeun flushed.

“We need water canisters!” she blurted, trying to run away. Taemin followed her, laughing as he did.

Key ~

“Taemin takes too long to make a real move! I can’t believe Naeun was the first to hold hands!” Key complained. He had forced Jonghyun to hide behind bushes and statues in the mall to follow Taemin and Naeun. Jonghyun groaned as he was being dragged to wherever the two were running to this time.

“I don’t care, yeobo! Don’t we need a tent?” Jonghyun complained.

“Yah, do you want to die? What’s more important, stalking these two or finding a shelter to sleep in when we go camping?” Key demanded. Jonghyun didn’t say anything. “Obviously what we’re doing right now! Let’s go stalk!”

“Aish, seriously~~~!"

A/N:

Ho-ho-ho! The longest one yet, I'm sure. (Don't ask about my new laugh)

Last night, I stayed up watching the Avengers to just reappreciate it, and I was like

Rewatching it is totally different. And awesome. I love the sassy one-liners.

So anyways, are you guys excited for the caMPING TRIIIP?!

I needed a different setting for the next epic event.

you'll see . . .

Again, thank you for reading!

I don't think I can thank you guys enough.

-pannashawol