The air in the room hung heavy for a moment before Hara traipsed through; she glanced from her mother to Sohee to the unfamiliar man all staring at each other in shock. The auburn haired girl laughed and her heel out of the room.

            “I. Wha-what? Buh? Are those wings?” Heechul sputtered long after her mother had hidden her wings.

            “Oh, haha,” she grinned casually, “you saw that?”

            Heechul swung his hand out trying to stabilize himself and sunk into an armchair. Sohee couldn’t help but laugh at his bewildered face.

            “You look hilarious!” she managed to spit out between giggles, “you look like you saw a ghost, not a pair of wings.”

            Heechul shook himself from his daze and glared at the girl, “it’s not entirely common to see wings protruding from someone’s back.”

            Sohee rolled her eyes and plopped down on the sofa beside her mother who subsequently got up and scuttled from the room. From the kitchen they could hear her and Hara bickering at each other.

            “So,” Heechul shook his head and collapsed back into the chair, “do you have those too?”

            She sneered at the brunette, “don’t say it like it’s something horrible like a third ear. Of course I have them; all three of us do. We’re fairies.”

            “But you’re…” he motioned to her, “you know, not small.”

            “Tch, stereotypes.”

            Heechul leaned forward over his knees, “how come I don’t see your wings?”

            “Because they aren’t out, duh.”

            “Hmm, can I see them?”

            “Nope,” Sohee flipped through her textbook.

            “C’mon, please,” Heechul grinned.

            Sohee sighed and glared over the top of the book, “if you get one of the top ten scores in the next test, I will.”

            “Without my help,” she added.

            Heechul grumbled and set back, “fine, I’ll try.”

~Three days later~

            Sohee scribbled in her notebook, copying down every word the teacher said. Beside her Heechul was attentively paying attention as well, there were notes squeezed into the margins and covering every part of the page.

            “Why do you care so much?” Sohee leaned over. Heechul shushed her and turned back to the front of the room.

            Sohee scowled and tried to pay attention to the lesson. He only had one more day till the test, there was no way his scores would improve that much. Never the less, and for no legitimate reason, she tossed and turned all night. For some reason she felt uncomfortable with the possibility she would have to stick to her promise if he, somehow, managed to do well on the test. Aside from her mother and Hara, she’d never shown anyone her wings because no one knew she was a fairy.

            When she arrived at school Heechul was buried into his book trying to get some last minute studying done. Sohee snickered, feeling a little more confident as she sat in her seat.   

            “Ok guys,” the teacher clapped, “set your scantrons on the table. Grades will be posted next period.”

            Sohee poked the brunette, “how do you think you did?”

            “I think I did well, but maybe not well enough.”

            Sohee sighed and picked nervously at her nails, “well you worked hard, so how about we go for dinner?”

            “Uh, yeah, sure!” Heechul blinked, surprised, “after school?”

            Sohee nodded and returned to her own inner world. She probably didn’t have anything to worry about, but she felt kind of bad. Heechul worked so hard, of course he’ll be disappointed. At the same time, she should feel relieved, but she also felt disappointed. She sighed and dropped her head onto the table.

            The pair stumbled into the diner giggling as they wiped beads of rain from their hair and clothes. Any other day this would send Sohee into a spiraling rage, but it hardly mattered right now. They settled into a small booth near the front of the homey restaurant.

            Heechul shook his head briskly sending bits of water all over the table. Sohee sighed and dropped her bag beside her on the booth, pulling out two folded sheets of paper.

            “Ready for the scores?” Sohee slid one of the pieces of paper across the table, “were you nervous all day?”

            Heechul chuckled, “nah, it was cruel of you to make me wait though.”

            Sohee smirked and flipped open her paper, “100, number one. How about you?”

            The brunette let out a deep breath and opened his test; he sat silent for a minute before flipping it around, “ah, 86, number seventeen. That’s too bad.”

            Sohee frowned, “well you tried your best.”

            Heechul grinned, “and now you’re treating me to dinner, yes?”

            “Hah, you wish. Your treat is getting to have dinner with me.”

            “Good enough,” Heechul sat back as his meal arrived.

            They ate with minor mishaps aside from Heechul burning his mouth and Sohee over salting her food. Sohee felt a burdening bubble rise up from her gut not cause by her salty dinner. She chewed on the inside of her cheek and erased everything she’d told herself over the years.

            “Hey,” she dropped the money on the table, “let’s go somewhere.”

            Sohee flicked on the lights of the apartment, “Ma? Hara?”

            She shrugged when no one responded and stepped into the apartment followed by Heechul. Dropping her bag on the floor she turned abruptly to the man and held out her hands for him to stop.

            “You didn’t get in the top ten like we agreed but…” she trailed off.

            She shook her head, “despite what my consciousness is telling me, I want to trust you. I want to show you.”

            Sohee shut her eyes tight and shrugged her shoulders; pulling them forward she felt the twinge in her back as the translucent wings spread out. Her blue butterfly-like wings spread against her back lightly before beating a few times and finally resting.

            When she finally opened her eyes Heechul was staring at her, his eyes wide. A few moments later his expression softened into a smile and he swept his hand across the wings. His fingers easily traveled through the shimmering blue wings.

            “Beautiful.”

            Sohee blushed, “the wings?”           

            “You, all of you.”

            She was beyond embarrassed at this point so it bothered her little what happened next. Without another thought in her mind she leaned up and pressed her lips against his, melding softly into his embrace. Her face was burning red by the time they pulled apart. She lowered her head and smiled, trying to hide from Heechul’s gaze as she felt her wings stretch and shimmer. 

(Next chapter Hara/Junhyun)