Daylight was fading to black when Jongin and I arrived at the Do's residence. He had drove me here, unexpectedly, somehow. I didn't refuse his offer as it was a great oppurtunity for me to avoid Sora. He dropped me off at the house and left right after explaining he had errands to run, but promised to be back to take me home again. The urge to tell him stay was strong but I nodded anyway. And so he left, not forgetting to peck the top of my head and reassuring me everything's going to be cool. 

I slowly dragged my feet along the stoned-path with a heavy heart. I was so close to giving up. Everything that's happened was eating me up. It's a killer. The feeling, I mean. When one would realize how we all live in a world that's full of lies. When we think that we're surrounded by people we think we knew though we really don't. And I began to wonder why. Why these horrible things were happening to me. Why this kind of set-up happened to me. And why me in the first place. 

Then I realized how happy I was before. And the thought just kills me even more. Feelings from the past slowly started to re-surface once again, and I just can't help it. I can't help but wish I was there, in those happy moments, living happy and feeling happy. I wished I noticed the little and simple things before. I'd break all those clocks so that the hands of time could never ever run again, because I just wish to go back when my life was normal, when I wasn't worrying about anything but how to help Mom earn money just enough for the both of us to get by, when I wasn't scared.

I reached for the door and Luhan looked up from his dusting as I lingered in the entryway. 

"Hi there miss— you recovered?" He greeted.

"Sure. Down below all these cuts and bruises, I actually have a face." I tried to laugh but ended up choking in an embarrasing kind of way. 

"And that face is actually perfect." Luhan voice was low but I could still make out his words. His eyes were wide as saucers, as if he wasn't supposed to say those words, at least, not out loud.

I froze and choked some more. But soon recovered. "Luhan — I —" I felt the temperature rise to my face so I shifted my head away from his. "Sora loves to interfere, and I'm really sorry—"

"Sorry for what? If it hand't been for you're friend, I'd have never known about the trip," he paused. "and I'd still be working up my nerve to ask you out." his calm voice quivered, only a little, which surprised me because this guy in front of me was never the type to act that way. 

Embarrassed. I lowered my head, smilling. "Thank you. I really do appreciate it but —"

"But nothing—" he cut me off. "We have a date. And I certainly hope you won't break it, because I'll probably be inconsolable if you do. So please don't hurt my feelings." his tone hinted some playfulness in it. And in spite of it all, I found myself laughing. 

"Okay. I won't hurt your feelings, Mr. Luhan." 

Luhan pivoted one foot in the direction of the cloth-draped boxes. "Hear that?" he mused at one of the supposedly cage of Mr. Do's pets. "She promised she won't hurt my feelings." he confided.

I laughed again, and this time it felt surprisingly good.

"So, ready for battle, miss?"

"Not really." I sighed. My eyes went slowly around the living room, then over the glass boxes. I silently thanked the heavens that the cloths were on today, and that I didn't have to see coiled bodies everywhere... exploring their see-through walls... probing the glass with their quick tongues... as if they could sense a new presence in the room. I shuddered and forced to shake the image off of my head.

"Ugh. How can you even stand to be around them?"

Luhan raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think I carry a cleaver?"

It made me smile, and felt a little more reassured as I let myself into Kyungsoo's room. 

He was standing in his usual spot in the corner. While a memory of what happened earlier this afternoon gushed through my head.

* * *

"You were dreaming. Look at yourself Hana." Sora said again.

"No." I countered and glanced at myself with the small mirror— terrible, deep circles around my sleepless eyes... a listleness that made me seem frail— then back up at the girl who was practically shoving her mirror up at my face. "I wasn't." 

"We both looked last night, didn't we? No foot prints. No nothing." Sora pulled me close in a quick hug. "Hey, come on, don't go back there to see Kyungsoo... You're killing yourself."

"I — I can't. I have to go back— I have to know the truth —" I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak, and just let my gaze wander up the street.

"You're getting a ride, I hope." Sora admonished "You're not taking the bus, right?"

"Sora, don't worry about me. I'll be fine— but Sora—"

She heaved a sigh, she probably realized by now that arguing with me won't be of help anyway. "Fine. What now?"

"What time did Sehun leave last night?"

"Oh, I don't know, about —" She broke off, and looked at me sharply. "Okay, Hana, I see how your mind works— Seriously? You think Sehun was prowling around the house, peeping in windows, just 'cause he left before I did?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you were thinking it, weren't you?" Sora looked annoyed. "Look — just because you're not in good terms recently and I know full well how badly you both want to slit each other's throats; for him being stupid and careless and you being crazy about ing everything on him — on us—"

"I'm not crazy!" I argued.

"Fine. But that's not the point here. What I mean is that," she looked at me softly with her tired eyes. "Aren't you kinda getting tired of blaming Sehun for everything?"

"You were the one who's always saying it's Sehun playing all these stupid jokes —" 

"Well, maybe it was your friend Kyungsoo —" she deadpanned.

"For goodness sake, he's a cripple! Kyungsoo wouldn't go around spying in windows." I defended but even then the words felt too wrong.
I don't know why.  "And — and he's not my friend. At least, not yet." I mumbled, the last part was barely audible. 

"Right. Just hiding in the bushes. I