HAIR-RAISING REUNION

One week.

One week is seven days. Seven days is one hundred and sixty-eight hours. One hundred and sixty-eight hours had already gone by...

...and Bae Suji was nowhere closer to becoming a proper lady.

 

It had been seven days since Bae Suji moved in with them, but no progress whatsoever had been made. Not even the tiniest bit. She was still as recluse as ever. She still wouldn't join them at the dinner table, she still avoided contact as much as possible, only leaving her horror-themed bedroom to serve them daily meals thrice a day and tidy up when they were out of the house. But it was such a nice change to the unkempt, male-infested household. This was the exact content of their living room conversation that morning.

"Hey, if I leave my dirty laundry outside my room, do you think she'd volunteer to wash it?" Sunggyu asked over coffee.

"She's the landlady's niece, Gyuzizi, not our maid," Dongwoo reminded him. "Treat her nicely."

Sunggyu was about to respond when unearthly screeching cut through the crisp air. Well, yelling wasn't really a new thing in this household with seven boys often going at each other's throats, so they weren't supposed to be surprised. But this one caused the electricity to flicker and lightbulbs to start shattering one by one, much to their horror.

“YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST CLEAR YOUR BANGS A LITTLE!”
"WHAT DO MY BANGS HAVE TO DO WITH BEING A LADY?!?"
"EVERYTHING!"

From all corners of the household, everyone ran towards the kitchen where unmistakable yelling was coming from both Sungyeol and Suji. Impatient with the lack of results, Sungyeol had decided to take drastic measures into his own hands. He was brandishing a pair of scissors with him, his arms fully loaded with elastic hair bands. Suji was slowly backing away from aformentioned person in terror.

"The monkey's finally lost it," L pointed out, embarrassed for Sungyeol's impulsive behavior. "It looks like he's about to murder her."

"Y-You can't! We don't want that! S-She'll turn into a ghost and haunt us forever!" Dongwoo whimpered, cowering in fear behind Hoya.

Meanwhile, the whole fringe debate between the two involved was still ongoing despite the addition of spectators. "IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GONNA LOP IT OFF COMPLETELY! JUST GIVE IT A SMALL TRIM SO YOU CAN SEE BETTER!" Sungyeol tried to reason.

“I CAN SEE JUST FINE! IT DOESN'T NEED T!” To prove her point, she bumped into the kitchen counter.

Before Sungyeol could advance, Suji tried to make a break for it and run away again. Unfortunately for her, her cloak was caught by Sungyeol, who managed to step on the hemline. "This is opportunity to free rent, guys!" he yelled in a loud battle cry. "Who's with me?"

With equal vigor, the boys charged and decided to join forces once and for all. If t out Suji's bangs would be a good enough starting point on the road to free rent, then by all means they were willing to see through its end. 

“Hoya, what are you doing? Help us hold her still!” Sungyeol requested, noting how his housemate was too hesitant in grabbing hold of their landlady's niece. “What, don’t tell me you’re allergic to touching women too?”

Angry, Hoya turned to the nearest one, who happened to be Sungjong, and whispered into his ear. "He says it has nothing to do with his selective mutism, it's just not nice to hit girls. Also, Auntie Bae will kill us all if a single strand of hair on her precious niece's head is harmed, so he'd rather not be part of the bloodbath," Sungjong quickly relayed for him. "He also says you're too noisy and you shriek like a dolphin in labor!"

"You just made that last part up!" Sungyeol screeched. "Come on and help! Do you want to pay rent or not?"

Suji’s strength was almost inhumane, they felt like they were wrestling with a three ton baby whale. The fact that seven guys were still struggling to restrain her could attest to that. Mind you, and this was all because of fringe issues. Amidst all the shoving and yelling, Sungyeol let out a small cry of success as he finally managed to tie her bangs up. The moment Suji felt her fringe disappear, both her hands immediately shot up to cover her face... and to shield herself from the radiant creatures of light. 

"It'll be easier if you close your eyes and hold still, princess," Woohyun, the nearest one to her, cooed in her ear.

“I HAVEN’T LOOKED AT MY OWN FACE IN THREE YEARS!"

"THAT HURT!" Sunggyu yelled as his pain shot through his entangled fingers. "STOP MOVING!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The whole group of eight struggling people managed to ram into the kitchen counter, where an opened bag of flour for the pie crust of tonight's dessert lay. In her struggle to escape from their clutches, Suji's face planted itself into said bag of flour, clouding her in a shower of powdery white. The guys who have yet to be caught in the crossfire dispersed almost immediately like the true gentlemen that they were.

“Whoops,” Woohyun whistled while Suji coughed and swatted the clouds of flour before she could possibly inhale all of it.

The seven were rendered speechless. Beneath the dark curtain of bangs was a vibrant, pretty and doll-like face. Suji's complexion was milky, dewy even, She had brightest pair of doe eyes, her lips pink and cheeks tinged with a soft pink. It was like looking at a younger, fresher version of their Auntie Bae. As though in agreement, they swore they could hear a choir of angels from heaven singing praises about the Lord God almighty and his wonderful creation.

Suji took their silence as something disdainful. “They saw it!” she groaned in great despair, hiding behind her hands once again. “They saw my ugly face!”

Myungsoo was honestly let down. He had almost been expecting a second mouth full of sharp monstrous teeth waiting to devour them or a literal third eye of sorts to match with her creepy appearance. "What? She looks normal."

Dongwoo was kind enough to hand her a small, clean kitchen towel for her to be able to wipe the flour on her face and she began rubbing haphazardly. "Sorry, Suji-ssi, we all got carried away with our jokes."

“Aww, don't be like that! You’re as cute as your Auntie describes you, princess,” Woohyun also eased. They were worried over nothing. With Suji looking like that, they didn't have much to work on, really.

"Lies! All lies!" Suji groaned in her disappointment as she dropped the towel into her lap, her face now free from the baking substance.

It was as if a mirror of illusion had been broken for everyone.

Suji's face was littered with several bumps and blemishes. Pimples were queuing after one another, making her cheeks raw and red. Her eyebrows were unplucked, bristly hair forming a unibrow to bridge the two together. Her skin was dry, peeling even at some point. Her eye bags were dark, deep-set and unhealthy-looking. Her lips were chapped, cracked and bleeding. Now that they were seeing it, her dark hair was unkempt from the struggle, full of split ends. She looked like a girl who had thrown herself away entirely.

Each of the boys' faces had their own charm, and there was definitely no denying that they were all very handsome and charismatic. Their skin was smooth, clear and gleaming, their nose bridges high and perfect. Their jaw lines chiseled sharply she could cut herself if she reached out to touch— even their side-profiles were very handsome. Heck, if she didn't knew who they were, she'd think that they all belonged to an idol group with those immaculate looks and well-proportioned bodies.

This is what she really looks like?
This is what they really look like?

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

"ACK, TOO DAZZLING!" Horrified, Suji dashed back to the confines of her room before she could melt and die on the spot, nosebleed in tow. Dongwoo was terrified of the blood trail she left behind, but nevertheless, the seven stood at a standstill, momentarily stunned by the roller coaster of events with one shock coming right after the other.

“That was some magic flour! We-- We were all fooled for a second there,” Sunggyu stammered, his gaze unable to leave the aftermath of the flour mess-up. Half the bag had been dumped onto the floor in Suji's scramble and it looks like they weren't going to be getting any apple pie for dinner that night.

Sungjong felt sorry for their new housemate as he watched her retreating figure. “Is a girl supposed to be okay with that?”

-----()()()()()-----

"What is that awful smell? It's like something's rotting," Hoya commented as he pinched his nose in disgust. Sniffing gingerly, he followed the scent trail over to the main hall of the mansion while the rest of his curious housemates followed behind him and froze at the sight.

Sunggyu was equally grossed out by it. "Is that raw, bleeding chicken on the floor? That better not be part of today's dinner or I'll puke."

"Okay, what's she doing this time?" Sungjong sighed.

Once again, an occult-like pentagram had been drawn over the marbled floor with the help of candle wax. Several small candles littered the place. Suji was kneeling at the center of said pentagram with a whole freshly slain chicken. On one hand, she held a huge red candle which she repeatedly jabbed into the air, and on the other was the very same human skull that lay on her shelf.

Ugly. Ugly. You're ugly, went the mysterious voices.

"I exorcise you! I purify you! Leave this place!" Suji repeated over and over again in an incantation in an attempt to drown said voices out.

"It is what it looks like," Myungsoo hummed, crossing his arms. "She's exorcising spirits."

Dongwoo ducked, trembling as he craned his neck upwards in search for any ghoulish beings. "Are they really here in this room?"

Sungjong picked up a card that looked out of place despite warnings from his hyungs not to touch anything, lest he become possessed. He gave it one read over. It was an invitation and it was addressed to a certain Bae Suji. His eyes lit up brightly. "Suji, you've been invited to a highschool reunion!"

I hate ugly girls.

Sungjong's remark only seemed to upset Suji more, for she had stopped her incantations and let out an unearthly groan, clutching her head in agony. After getting over that, her chanting grew more aggressive and she began swinging her objects around wildly, almost knocking Hoya out with her candle. "SHUT UP! Evil spirits be gone!"

"Suji-ssi, please calm down!" Sungyeol cried, debating on whether he should risk restraining her again or just let her be.

"A hug to calm the lady? Come and rest in my arms!" Woohyun chirped, only to be pulled away by a cross Sungjong before he could be smacked at the back of the head by same candle.

"Hyung, have some tact and don't just take advantage of the situation!" the youngest yelled, narrowly avoiding being elbowed by Suji.

Having had it with all this absurdity, Sunggyu stepped forward and grabbed hold of the skull in attempt to wrestle it off from the girl. "Hey. Hey. HEY!" he began, grabbing her by the shoulders. "There isn't anything here, so stop scaring these idiots! If it's about the stupid reunion, don't take it out on other people."

"Too... too bright!" she groaned, almost matching Sunggyu's squinty eyes to avoid being blinded by his radiance. Suji watched in horror as Sunggyu's face molted into that particular guy's, just like how it had been for the rest. "Get away from me, evil spirit! Be gone!" she yelled and with one good thwack, gave Sunggyu a good uppercut to the underside of his jaw. Needless to say, he was knocked out cold.

"HYUNG!" Although everyone was at Sunggyu's side right now, deep in their hearts, they were amused. Serves the royal nagging pain-in-the- right!

"Suji, hurting him was a bit too extreme!" Sungjong half-scolded as he began to fan the unconscious guy. Upset, Suji only fled to the confines of the darkness once again to wallow in grief. To make matters even more confusing, the phone rang and Hoya who had been the nearest, picked up.

Hoya wordlessly tossing the receiver away in fear only meant one thing: Auntie Bae was calling again.

"Can the day seriously get any worse?" complained Dongwoo as he struggled to heave his hyung's heavy figure onto the nearest couch. "Hyung, is too heavy! What about Suji-ssi?"

"L, go to Suji now," Sungyeol began. "Make sure she stays in her room."

"Why me?"

"There hasn't been any improvement and you all know we can't let the landlady see her the way she is right now," Sungyeol answered. "Sending Dongwoo-hyung, Hoya or Nam here would be team kill, Sunggyu-hyung's down for the count. Besides, it's not like you have anything to contribute, and you're always grumpy when she calls because she calls you a cute little boy."

"Fine, I'll go."

-----()()()()()-----

With a big place like the Bae Mansion, going on a man-hunt by oneself was difficult. But when one had a target like Bae Suji, dark and gloomy cut down more than half of the places to check. And that was precisely how Myungsoo found her lurking under the kitchen cupboard. "Landlady video-called," he announced as she curled into a ball, fearful about her new companion. "I'm here to make sure you don't wander off into the living room while it's happening."

"A-A-Auntie? V-V-Video call?" Suji looked a bit hopeful for a moment there, "... b-b-but Auntie is too dazzling."

"What is it with you and 'dazzling'?"

"I... I can't stand looking at dazzling creatures," Suji explained in a frightful tone. "I'll melt if I do! I get stressed out my nose just starts bleeding when it happens..."

"Not sure if that's a compliment or an insult," he sighed. Guess Sungjong's tip came in handy after all. Myungsoo pulled out a black face mask from his pocket and slipped it on. "Happy?"

Even with his face half-hidden, the girl was still squirming away. Rolling his eyes, Myungsoo yanked the nearest curtain down, covering himself with it completely. It was stupid, and he was glad that the rest weren't here to see this priceless moment, but it payed off. He could sense that Suji was enthralled a little. Hiding under a sheet must remind her of ghosts.

“There must be some reason why you’re hiding your face, and my hunch tells me it's connected to that reunion,” Myungsoo muttered from under the sheet.

“I know what you're trying to do. But I won't tell you.”

“Oh well, if that’s the case, maybe I’ll have another look at it again?”

"No, no, no! Please! I... I will tell you!" Suji fiddled with her fingers for a moment, swallowing thickly before proceeding. “I was called ugly… by the guy I liked in highschool.”

Myungsoo waited for more words to spill out of , but they never came. He found himself floored with the pettiness of her reason. "That's it?"

"People started joining in on the ridicule. My friends started avoiding me, not wanting to be associated with the ugly girl. Even I tried really hard up until then. I followed diets, I worried about my skin, cried when I had just a single pimple or if I gained half a kilo. But the ridicule only got stronger and stronger no matter what I did to meet their standards of beauty. Caring for myself was no longer of use… so I decided to give up.”

“Her self-esteem was really brought down because of the bullying. ‘Even if I try and try, I still end up getting hurt. It's exhausting, and I don't want to be hurt anymore. I’ll just give up.’ That became her resolve. My niece became a shut-in. She stopped hanging out with friends, being around people, going to school or even step outside the house. She exiled herself from her own family. Eventually, she stopped taking care of herself. Ever since then, Suji hasn’t once looked at herself through a mirror," Auntie Bae explained over from her end of the line.

Word about Suji's highschool reunion had reached her, and frankly it worried her. Video-calling the boys and hearing for herself how hard Suji took in the news only confirmed her anxiety. In order for them to be able to help her niece better, Jihyun decided it was best to disclose to the boys the real reason why Suji became the way she was.

"I want her to regain her self-confidence, to feel beautiful about the way she is. I want her to remember that being a girl is a lot of fun. By dropping her in the midst of you seven boys, I also wanted it to be an eye-opener for her; that there are men out there who are gentlemen, who respect women for the way they are. I don't want her to be boxed in with the idea that all men are like her first love."

Sungyeol scratched his head. “Pardon me for asking, but it comes off as if you're setting us up with your niece?”

“I didn’t say outright that any of you would have to end up date her or anything! Over my dead body!"

“So that’s what happened. The poor girl,” Dongwoo mumbled. He promised to himself that he would try to be less jumpy and terrified around Suji from here on out. 

It wasn't that Suji's case wasn't salvageable. With enough effort, her appearance problems could easily be altered. The problem only lay in her attitude and drive to make an effort, and she was proving to be very stubborn so far. "With the right guidance, we'll turn her a first class lady in no time!" Woohyun promised.

“Try anything to my lovely niece, Woohyun and I’ll take the first flight home just to pick you up and drown you into the Pacific Ocean!” Auntie Bae snapped. "Also Sunggyu, your jaw looks dislocated-- did you guys get into a fight again? I will not tolerate any violence in this household while my niece is around, am I clear?"

Sunggyu could only groan in response. It's her niece who was the violent one. “Yes ma’am! We're sorry,” the two chimed.

Auntie Bae sighed. As much as she would like to be there for her niece in her time of distress, she was on her private jet on the way to discuss very important matters with the queen of England. "Although I would like her to go out and explore more opportunities to socialize, it's not right to force Suji into this reunion unless she feels that she can handle it emotionally. I'll leave the rest up to you boys, hmm?"

Myungsoo gave her situation a lot of thought. “Here's what I have to say. People aren’t their faces, Bae Suji. Beauty doesn't last. Your hair may fray, your eyes might sag, your skin will get too wrinkly— but it’s what’s inside that really counts in this world. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most beautiful girl in the world if you have an ugly heart, so you should just concentrate of that.”

“You can only say that because you’re a Creature of Light. You’re someone who has never experienced a complex because of your face— so how could you understand how I feel?” Suji shot back, feeling rather depressed to be receiving advice from a person who wasn't in the same predicament as her.

"Creature of Light? Shin-mol-nam¹? Please, we're all still human," Myungsoo laughed in scorn, her words hitting too close to home. “Do you really think being born with these looks is a blessing? It’s not like I asked to be a visual wall.”

“Please don’t put us both in the same creature category," Suji mumbled in her depression. "I don’t amount to anything. I am but the scum between your toes. I'm sorry about your rent, but it’s really impossible to make me into a lady.”

“That’s the last thing I want to hear from someone who makes no effort whatsoever,” Myungsoo scolded. "Don't plunge yourself into your own self-created darkness. Think about that."

-----()()()()()-----

Sometimes, the Bae Mansion opened itself to guests of its residents. Most of the time, they were Woohyun's dates, sometimes family members, friends and it was okay so as long as the rest were well-informed beforehand so they knew when to steer clear. So when someone unexpected claiming to be a friend of Suji suddenly appeared at their doorstep that morning, they were surprised.

"Ah, so you're the person organizing the class reunion," Dongwoo greeted as he set down a cup of tea and some biscuits for their guest.

"Yes. I was told that Suji moved to her aunt's house in Seoul from Gwangju, so I came here."

"You're really cute! May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, my fair maiden--oomph!" Woohyun found himself tugged away once again by a cross Sungjong.

"I'm Baekhee. Yoon Baekhee."

"Yoon Baekhee, we've all heard about Suji's highschool story and we all know how it ended," Sunggyu cut across to get straight to the point. Kim Sunggyu was Kim Sunggyu when it boiled down to negotiating in a curt business-like manner after all. "That said, I don't think you have any business here whatsoever."

"It's true, and I can see why you won't let me meet with her. I'm truly sorry it became that way," Baekhee admitted. "After that incident, Ji got a little scary. She started hanging out in the biology laboratory, lurking in dark corners. During art classes, she'd draw creepy self-portraits of herself. That drew negative attention to herself and made her a target for bullying."

"That is a little spooky. So that was the beginning of her horror obsession," Sungyeol chimed.

"We were immature people back then, we never thought that it would leave such a deep wound. That's why in behalf of our class, I'm here to personally extend the invitation. Everyone would like to apologize to Ji. We all really want to see her again."

"That guy whom she liked." It was L who spoke up after keeping mum the whole time while his housemates conversed with their guest. "Will he be there too?"

Baekhee nodded. "In fact, Minjoon really wants to apologize as well."

Those words had the boys sold. Maybe what Suji really needed for self-healing was hearing an apology from those who had outcasted her. "If it's not too much to ask from you, please encourage Ji to go," Baekhee pleaded with them, standing up to give a respectful bow. "In case she's thrown away the card, it'll be this weekend at the Nova Ballroom of Newclear² Hotel. She doesn't even need to chip in any amount, expenses are all covered."

Woohyun's ears perked up. Newclear Hotel? "That's a little too high-end for a simple class reunion."

"True. But my boyfriend is the son of the hotel CEO, so booking was no problem!"

"We can't promise you anything, but after hearing your good intentions, rest assured, we'll all do our best to deliver," Sungjong reassured with a kind smile.

Something was off about the way Yoon Baekhee smiled back at them, but Woohyun, the only one who noticed something strange, decided to ignore it for the moment.

Suji looked up from the spirit-cleansing ritual she was performing. "They want to apologize?"

"She said so," Myungsoo confirmed, leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom, but facing the hallway. (He would prefer not to look into the horror house replica lest his courage leave him, thank you.) "She said all your classmates regret what they did. What are you going to do about it now?"

"It's still not that simple..."

"Why? Do you still like him? Do Minjoon." In all honesty, Myungsoo wanted to laugh. What was this guy, the alien dude from that famous My Love From the Star drama?

"If I see him," Suji responded, and it took awhile before she finished her thought. "I think I might curse him. That's right, I'll place a voodoo spell on him, poke him with tiny needles and drown him in a pickle jar. All I need is a sample of his hair..."

"If you really don't want to go to that reunion, no one's forcing you, not even your Aunt. But think about it. You don't need to walk in the darkness for the rest of your life. There are people there who are willing to make sure that no one is going to call you 'ugly' anymore... landlady and those guys."

"Auntie is just in it so she can show me off. You're all just in it for free rent." Suji huffed, feeling more depressed than ever at her own words. After mulling over it a bit she spoke up again. "Why... are you helping me?"

"Because believe it or not, Bae Suji, I understand where you're coming from," Myungsoo hummed in reply.

-----()()()()()-----

Dinner that night was peaceful, with sparse conversation here and there amidst the clinking of plates and cutlery. Everything was fine until L, startled, dropped his utensils down with a large clatter. The guy wasn't even usually jumpy! There, laying flat on the dining room floor and clasping at his ankle, was one Bae Suji. Of course, the seven freaked out in response.

Sunggyu shot out of his chair and couldn't help but let out a string of curses in his surprise. "What are you, a mole? What are you doing, lurking down there?!?"

"... Dinner..."

"SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE BEEN TAKING YOUR MEALS ALL THIS TIME?!? UNDER THE TABLE?" Sungyeol yelled in disbelief.

"Ummm, I-I-I'll go!" Suji stammered, biting at her fingernails. "The reunion, I'll go."

The seven gathered around her to make sure they heard her words right. "Suji, that guy who said horrible things will be there too. Are you going to be okay with that?" Sungjong clarified.

"I'll manage. I... actually, I have something I want to say to Baekhee and the rest." Although tiny, they could finally see a fire of determination lighting inside the recluse Suji. Seeing that sparked a driven fire in each of their hearts as well. That was their opportunity to free rent right there and it was close to their reach.

"If you decided that on your own, I suppose it's good," Sunggyu concluded, sitting back down.

"That's amazing, Suji-ssi!" Dongwoo cheered, helping her up. "That's a big, brave step and I'm proud of you!"

Woohyun whipped out his phone and began dialling a few contacts, presumably to recruit contacts for help. "Now that you've come to say that, it's our turn to finally shine!"

"Yeah, leave the transformation to us!" Sungyeol chimed. "We only have five days left before that reunion, so let's double-time and get to work, people!"

The seven had split into teams of two for this activity: three of them up the grand staircase of the Bae Mansion, four waiting down stairs.

"You should be able to balance this book on your head as you descend the staircase in heels," Sungjong instructed, demonstrating it for her with the help of high insoles for himself as mock heels. It needs grace, balance, and perfect posture-- all qualities of an elegant, refined young lady."

"Heels?" Suji repeated stupendously, gulping as Hoya pulled out a purple pair from their landlady's lavish collection. Before she could evn protest, she had been tackled to the ground, her feet locked into submission. She began kicking and flailing in protest at the treatment.

Sungyeol managed to wrestle one stained sock off her foot but quickly slipped them back on, horrified after seeing how long and mustardy yellow her toenails already were. They were good enough to rake the ground as she walked. How did she even fit them in those sneakers? "I think we need to go get her a manicure and pedicure first."

"On it," Sunggyu volunteered, ringing up the company stylists.

"In a reunion, it'll be unavoidable that classmates will be coming up to you to talk to you, ask about how your life has been so far. Any refined lady should be able to hold polite small-talk. Should we do a simulation then?" Woohyun suggested. "Try not to stutter too much. If it helps you get through it easier, pretend you're having tea with Hero, Micky and Xiah."

Suji only gave a hesitant gurgle in response.

"I'll pretend to be a friend from highschool," Woohyun announced, getting into character (with matching girly falsetto too) as he hopped onto the couch beside her. "Oh my, Suji-ah! Long time no see! You've gotten prettier! I like the color of your Louis Vuiton purse! Where'd you get it?"

They waited with bated breath as it took awhile for Suji to recalibrate the situation in her head. Relax, you're having tea with Hero, Micky and Xiah, she reminded herself, taking a deep breath before speaking up.

"Why thank you, it's a customized edition, sadly," Suji replied with a small nod of her head. "I had it in tombstone grey since they no longer make it in period red anymore. Death black is just too common, don't you think?"

Woohyun's smile broke at her response. The honorifics and the formal way of speech was there but the content was too creepy. Sungjong gave a light awkward laugh before picking up where his hyung left off. "So what have you been up to since highschool? Have you any activities you'd like to recommend?"

"I've only recently gotten into séance," was Suji's response. "You're free to join our small group, if you wish. The undead have a lot to share. On Wednesdays, we have a strict all-black dresscode or you can't sit at the table with us. Shall I have a raven sent in with the starter's tomebook of incantations?"

"Hey Suji-ah, what's your Twitter or Instagram handle? So I can keep in touch with you online!" Sungyeol joined in.

"It's @inmemoryofbaesuji, all lowercase, no spaces. I like to plan ahead," came her next reply, leaving Sungyeol speechless due to fright.

"Hey, remember our highschool math teacher? She was really, really strict!" Dongwoo added, trying to keep the conversation going. "How do you suppose Han-ssem is now?"

They could hear demure but sinister laughter over from Suji's end. "Ah, poor old forgotten Han-ssem. They should be celebrating her eighteenth year soon."

"Of retirement?"

"Something like that... but under a grave. Some say you could still hear her suffocating screams from six feet below, as loud as the day when they buried her alive."

The seven felt the hair on the back of their necks stand, terrified by her reply.

"Okay, I think we'll end there for today's conversation practice! You can't go wrong with a good smile, Suji," attempted Dongwoo for one last time. "Can you show me your smile?"

"I can't do smiles."

Dongwoo continued to be optimistic about it. "You just forgot how, I'm sure. Now, to achieve that beautiful, lady-like smile and to make it as natural as possible, find a word that ends in 'uh' or think of a good memory. The most important thing is to do it slowly and properly. Now you try!"

The corners of Suji's lips started twitching, and the boys all leaned in, curious to see how she would fare. While she eased her lips upward, she looked extremely pained for awhile before it molted into something... spooky, for a lack of a politically correct term. She looked like she had just murdured a person and was pleased with it.

"BAE SUJI, YOU'RE SCARING US!"

Hoya pulled back, proud of the million dollar idea he had whispered to Sungyeol. "Hoya says we need to cure your nosebleed problem, but he can't even cure his own selective mutism-- hey, OW!" Sungyeol voiced out for his companion, receiving a good sock to the shoulder for making unnecessary comments. "You need to be able to look at people directly, Suji."

Suji gulped. "Directly?"

"We can take it easy for now. Let's escalate up the visual ladder gradually, okay?" Sungyeol chirped before shoving Sunggyu directly into Suji's view,  much to the older guy's adamant protest. He forced Suji to continue staring at their resident rockstar by keeping her head in place and parting her bangs aside when she tried to hide behind them.

"Lee Sungyeol, I swear I'm going to skin your stuffed poodle Aga and turn it into a fur coat!"

"SHHH! SHHH! She's withstanding it! That's the spirit, Suji!" Sungyeol yelped with glee. Although Suji was trembling and groaning in resistance, there wasn't any sign of nosebleeding, no screams of 'Dazzling!' for a good few seconds now. She was holding out for a record time of almost a minute now. Confident that she could now handle it on her own, Sungyeol slowly released his hold on Suji's head...

... and then she ended up keeling over to her side and off the couch, landing with a dull thud onto the floor.

"I think we'd have better luck training an entire flea circus," Sunggyu sighed, unsure whether to take the girl's fainting as a compliment or an insult.

Sunggyu's idea of presenting a clothing selection? Inviting rising idol girl group AOA to the Bae Mansion to have them personally model a few dresses. Jaws couldn't help but drop in a mix of disbelief, excitement and dread as they witnessed Choa, Jimin, Yuna, Hyejeong, Mina, Seolhyun, Chanmi, and Youkyung in the flesh, walking the fashion runway to their song 'Heart Attack'.

"My God, I must be in heaven!" Sungyeol squealed, biting his fist to contain his excitement. "AOA in our very household!"

Sunggyu smirked, crossing his arms in satisfaction. "And this is why you shouldn't diss me from now on. I have far more powers than you can even fathom."

Suji had tissue plugged up her nostrils as she pulled her hood lower over her head. More radiant creatures, she sighed.

"This bootcamp isn't the way it's supposed to be," Myungsoo finally spoke up, cutting the music. He had been silent for almost the entire time that they almost forgot he existed. "She doesn't need to dress herself up for people or force herself to make small talk with people."

Sensing that trouble was brewing, Sunggyu thanked his colleagues from the music industry for lending their time to help a friend out. "Come back from your hiatus soon, sunbae," the girls pleaded, bowing one by one.

"What? We can't just send her off in a cloak and track suit!" Woohyun protested. "We're supposed to be turning her into an elegant lady!"

"In this situation, forcing her to transform so abruptly is the last thing we're supposed to be doing. She won't be there for long, anyway, she just needs to get a few words off her chest. That's all there is to it," Myungsoo finished, stalking off to the confines of his bedroom. Sungjong turned to Suji to tell her it was enough for today, and she was more than pleased to be free from torture lessons as well.

"Why is L so angry?" Hoya asked, able to speak up now that there were no female species within a close radius to him. The remaining people only shrugged, confused as well about his sudden emotional burst. "But he does have a point you know. Forcing someone to go through something traumatizing all over again-- what if we're wrong?"

"Say, about Suji's class reunion," Woohyun also brought up. "The organizer's name... Yoon Baekhee, was it? She booked it at the Newclear Hotel, right?"

"I thought you never forgot names of pretty girls," Sungyeol teased. "But yeah, that's the hotel name. Her boyfriend's a rich chaebol heir or something. You should know him, being in the same line of business."

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Why, is something wrong?" Sunggyu asked, sensing the guy's imminent discomfort.

"Nothing much," Woohyun chimed, "I was just... curious, that's all."

-----()()()()()-----

Finally, the day of the reunion came. The seven were starting to accept the fact that Suji had decided to back out last minute since she hasn't stepped out of her room all day, not even to make meals.

"Ummm..."

A very timid and still slightly terrified Suji entered the living room without her usual cloak for the first time. Her bangs were swept up to a ponytail, revealing her face. There were still pimple scars, but her skin was on its way to healing now, thanks to Sungjong's intensive skin care regimen. Although it pained him to force her stubborn self into washing her face (sometimes he had to help her scrub it), his hardwork paid off after all.

"You tied your hair by yourself?" Sungjong asked, delighted when she nodded.

"Alright then, since you're ready, let's get you made up!" Woohyun clapped, leading her to a seat they had prepared in front of the grand mirror.

Sunggyu's company stylists did a wonderful job with the make-up. Her pimples and eyebags had been properly covered with foundation and concealer. Her hair was trimmed at the edges to take away the split ends and was kept down in loose curls. They let Suji keep her usual dark-schemed clothing for her comfort. The lace dress she wore was long-sleeved and floor-length. It felt like they were all sending their one and only precious daughter to be wed.

"You look gorgeous!" Sungjong complimented. Hoya shyly gave her a thumbs up of approval.

"I think I might kiss you," Woohyun admitted, leaning in, but before he could do the unthinkable, six hands pulled him back.

"Whatever happens today, we're proud of you!" Dongwoo cheered.

"March in there with pride. Remember whose efforts you're carrying with you," Sunggyu reminded.

"Yeah, beat the hell out of those losers! Show them who's boss!" Sungyeol boisterously jeered.

"Make sure to say everything that you need to say, then come home," was Myungsoo's words of encouragement. "And try not to drown him in a pickle jar."

Dazzling. Too dazzling!

Suji shielded her eyes as she stepped into the hotel lobby. They could have put those seven up as individual chandeliers for such a grandiose place, they'd shine just as brightly, she thought. She spotted a tiny group of people dressed in gowns and tuxedos and decided to follow them because for sure, they'd lead her to the ballrooms, but she made sure to keep her distance, hiding behind marble pillars.

She couldn't do it afterall. Maybe she should just head home.

No. She couldn't let her Aunt down. She couldn't let her housemates who have worked so hard down.

More importantly, she couldn't let her old self down.

Mustering up all of her courage and drawing strength from the thought of her friends Hero, Micky and Xiah, Suji let out a deep breath before opening the pristine white doors.

"Who's she? The girl who just entered?"
"Did we even have a classmate that cute back in highschool?"
"She might be in the wrong ballroom..."
"No, she's holding our invitation though."

"Bae... Suji?" Baekhee called out, unable to believe her eyes. The girl respondin to her name being called only confirmed her thoughts. All of a sudden, everyone started moving away from Baekhee's story-telling of how her boyfriend was going to take her to trips in Hawaii and the Netherlands to flock over the newcomer.

"You've changed so much!"
"I almost didn't recognize you there!"
"Where did you get your hair done? I love it!"

Suji was a bit overwhelmed with emotions as the once jeering and mocking faces were now cheerful in their greeting. She reminded herself to breathe every once in awhile. Minjoon was probably somewhere in the crowd, and she couldn't let her resolve to face him shatter right there and then.

"Minjoon, apologize. Didn't you call Suji 'ugly' back in highschool when she confessed to you?" one of the girls pouted, calling out her classmate. "Don't give me that look! You're practically the reason why she turned into a horror girl and a shut-in! Poor thing!"

Cheerfully, the rest of the class began shoving said guy towards her. Minjoon gave her an awkward stare the moment he was directly in front of her. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked turning to everyone before slinging his arm over Suji's shoulder. "I would never call this bombshell of a babe 'ugly'."

His face. His words. His actions. Had she been disillusioned back then? Was he even a guy worth falling for in the first place?

"Let's put the past behind us, okay, baby?"

"Ei, get off! You had your chance and you blew it!" another guy yelled, shoving Minjoon off. "Suji is mine now!"

Meanwhile, Baekhee, who was abandoned in the corner, was slowly simmering to a slow boil as she watched everyone turn a complete 180-degrees to grovel at their weird classmate's feet. She hated the attention Suji was getting. She didn't deserve it. She needed to strip it off someone as undeserving as her.

"Oh, Suji! I'm really glad you made it!" Baekhee hollered from her spot. "When I visited your house, your roommates told me that you holed yourself up in your room. Still a shut-in, I see? I guess old habits die hard."

People started backing away, the conversation flow now directed against Suji.

"Better watch your hairstrands, girls. She could still use it to jinx you, you know."
"Gross! I bet she still has those things preserved in jars of formalin."
"Remember the time we made her eat frog legs? Man, that was so long ago! You think she still does that?"

Baekhee watched with pleasure as the whole room suddenly turned against Suji and the spotlight was now back on her. "We only invited you for formalities' sake, Suji. No one here wants to apologize, let alone be around you. Behind that thick make-up and pretty dress, you're still as ugly as ever."

Ugly. You're ugly. I hate ugly girls.

Those words managed to trigger feelings of desolation and distress. Suji sank to her knees, covering her ears and mumbling to herself in attempt to rid of the jeering voices. One by one, the lightbulbs overhead began to shatter, freaking everyone out.

Baekhee remained unfaced as she picked up the nearest wine bottle. "Witch. We have to purify you right?" she grinned evily as she continued dumping the contents of the wine bottle over Suji's head. "Or else we'll be cursed."

People started picking up food and drinks and joining in on the fun. Suji had never entertained the thought of giving up on her own life before, but she wanted to do so right then and there if it was the only thing that could take the pain and suffering away. She closed her eyes and began weeping to herself, praying in the depths of her heart for this nightmare to end.

Her prayers were answered when light from heaven graced her face.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't light coming from heaven, but from seven handsome men who had coolly barged through the ballroom doors.

"OH MY GOD! Is that...? It is! IT'S SJY ENTERTAINMENT'S GOLDEN BOY, KIM SUNGGYU!"
"OMO, IT'S JANG DONGWOO! Feast your eyes on that, girl, because he's going to be the future president of South Korea!"
"HOLD ME BEFORE I FAINT! HE'S HERE, NAM WOOHYUN! His lips are so charming, no wonder why he ranked #1 Most Kissable!"
"IT'S TRUE, LEE HOWON OF THE LEE MEDICAL GROUP OF COMPANIES IS HOT IN PERSON!"
"THAT'S LEE SUNGYEOL! I practically worship their family's fashion line and their drop-dead handsome son!"
"I can't believe it! IT'S L KIM! His face is practically up everywhere in Hongdae and Myungdong, but it's not like we're complaining!"
"I'm crying over here! LEE SUNGJONG, YOU'RE AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN!"
"WHAT ARE THEY ALL DOING HERE?!?"

Suji could almost ask the same question out loud. And did they have to be so blinding?

Sunggyu was the first to speak up. "Sorry we're late, kid. We got a little sidetracked." His usual scowl was back on, but it wasn't directed to her. Instead, he had turned to Baekhee and the crowds.

"We've come to pick you up, Suji!" Dongwoo chirped as Hoya lifted Suji up, carrying her bridal style, not before putting her cloak back on her where it rightfully belonged. The girls present were squealing at the prince-like gesture.

"Don't cry anymore, we're here now. You've braved it well, so allow us to step in this time," Sungjong eased, wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.

Myungsoo remained still, his intense gaze burning through each and every one. "Where is he? The guy who called her ugly."

Minjoon found himself being tugged by several people and pushed to the middle, leaving him as a timid prey for one smoldering Kim Myungsoo. His good looks were intimidating, causing insecurity to the average man.

Without warning, Myungsoo delivered a good punch to the guy's face, sending him staggering backwards. "That's for Suji," he coldly spat. "If you don't want seven more of those to break your already hideous face, apologize."

Trembling, Minjoon got to his knees, giving a deep respectful bow. "I'm sorry," he continuously whimpered.

"Please put me down, I still have something to say," Suji requested from Hoya, who gingerly did so. What she did next surprised everyone in the room: she gave them all a respectful bow. "I'm sorry, but this is who I really am. Before I couldn't say that. I couldn't say anything. But now I'm more confident... because I have people who understand and accepted that even if I'd only known them for two weeks."

"Is that all you have to say?" Baekhee snapped, irritated by Suji continuously being the center of attention. "Go on with your little monologue! The reunion's practically ruined anyway, thanks to you!"

Woohyun, with all regalty befitting an heir, stepped forward. "Apparently, tonight's event was billed under the name of Bae Suji without her consent. Your organizer had used our friend's name to make her transactions," he announced to the crowd. "Instead of pressing charges for fraud, I'm giving two options for all of you to walk away cleanly: one, transfer all transactions under your organizer, or two, pay up individually."

Whispers start to flood the room with Yoon Baekhee at the center of the gossip. Livid, Baekhee stormed up towards Woohyun for publicly humiliating her. "Who are you and what right do you have to make us do that?!? I'll be having a word with my boyfriend about this--"

"Newclear Hotel is under the Nam Corporate chain of resorts and hotels, which happens to be owned by my father. That makes me, Nam Woohyun, the son of the hotel's CEO. You can't even recognize your own alleged boyfriend?" Woohyun introduced, towering over the girl. "That's alright, because I never date pretentious and ugly social climbers either. It's distasteful."

That got everyone talking after Woohyun showed Yoon Baekhee in her place. Their job here was done. All points have been delivered across and it was time to go home. The class could only look with envy as Suji was swooped away by her seven handsome housemates in true prince-like fashion, with Nam Woohyun taking one hand and Kim Myungsoo taking the other.

"Whaaaat? Why is she going with them?!?" people started to whisper.

"We live together," they chorused in response.

Since all of them were out for the day, dinner consisted of cupped noodles. But no one really cared about dinner at that point in time, because all was well in the Bae Mansion.

"Aww, you actually really like us!" Woohyun cheered, playfully wiggling his eyebrows at Suji as she poured hot water into her own container. They didn't bother with the fact that she was more comfortable eating under the table. Well, at least she was actually joining them for meals and that was a start!

Each of them began to ruffle Suji's hair to show that they were happy because of her words. Irritated by the shower of affection, Suji finally took matters into her own hands. Grabbing the nearest sharp edge (a pair of meat scissors), she wielded it in front of her before making one huge snip of a great lock of her hair. Her bangs, which went up to her chin, were now barely up to eye-level.

The seven were amazed by her bold move, and were almost moved to applause and tears. Suji was finally becoming a lady. Free rent was already theirs!

"I'll make you pay for all the torture you did over the last five days. I'm going to murder each and everyone of you in your sleep," Suji swore, mumbling like a madwoman to herself, smiling her spooky smile that had their hairs standing on end once again. "I'll smother all of you with a pillow, but that won't satisfy me. Stabbing you multiple times won't either. What about skinning you alive first before burning you? Oh yes, that will do! Very befitting for Creatures of Light!"

"That... is nowhere close to being a lady," Myungsoo pointed out.

Woohyun could only let out a hearty chuckle in disbelief. "Well, friends, looks like we're back to square one."

"Idiot Nam! Why are you so happy about that?!?" Sunggyu yelped in protest, scrambling for the exit.

"I-I-I think I liked her better with the bangs," Dongwoo stammered.

"Y-Y-You wouldn't really kill us, right?" Sungjong tried to plead.

"We've unleashed a monster!" Sungyeol gasped in horror. "S-S-Suji put down those scissors please! You aren't Jason or Freddy Kruger! It isn't even Friday the 13th!"

"RUUUNNNN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

¹Shin-Mol-Nam: short for ‘Shin-i Mol-bbang-han Nam-ja’ in Korean which roughly translates to ‘God gave everything to him’. Also, L/Kim Myungsoo's nickname in Infinite.
²Newclear isn't a typo. It's a reference to Woohyun's fanclub, just because he spelled the word "nuclear."

A/N: Hope you like this one! Personally, I had a lot of fun writing and channeling my inner Wednesday Addams through Suji. Character names used were in no way meant to bash real people. ALSO, BIG DISCLAIMER, personally I don't think Sunggyu is the -ugliest in Infinite. None of them are -ugly! Sunggyu actually ranks very high up on my bias list <3 <3 <3

As much as I know how it tickles your fancy, I don't want to dwell too much in the romance department. It's all just pure fun and character development. You're free to start shipping people together, but at your heart's own risk, of course. I just don't want to keep your hopes up! Evil, aren't I? HAHAHA. Alright, see you guys next update! :)

PS: While I'm not new to Twitter anymore, I've made up a new account for following (ehem stalking) my favorite people and for posting updates, progress on all of my fanfics, blogposts etc (If you don't know yet, I've put up somesort of playlist blog, so I hope you check that out too!). If you have a Twitter account, please do follow @hiimbobbie, and hey, I'll follow back. Hope we can be friends! :)