A SOFT KNOCK DREW MY ATTENTION TO the front door while I was rinsing my oatmeal bowl in the sink. Without allowing me a chance to answer, the door crept open and Sehun stepped in.

'Hi.' He seemed tentative, not his usual confident self. 

'Hi,' I replied, checking his face for any signs of illness. He looked tired and sullen, which only heightened my concern. 

He smiled slightly, but the trouble that flickered in his eyes remained. I approached slowly, preparing myself for the news that he wasn't going to Seoul International College and University. 

'Are you okay?' he asked, examining the stress lines on my face. 

I couldn't mask the signs of sleeplessness that hovered under my eyes or the worry that weighed down the corners of my lips.

'Are you?' I asked in return, continuing closer until I was less than a foot in front of him. 

'I worry about you,' Sehun stated, tracing every inch of my face. 'Are you really okay?' He ran his hand along my cheek. I closed my eyes, soaking in its warmth. 

'I'm okay.' That's all I could offer, because on the inside I was a mess. I needed to understand why he was acting so strangely.

Sehun leaned in and softly pressed his lips to mine, loosening the knot of worried tension that had held me captive since the moment he'd stepped out of the Art room. 

'That's a little better,' I murmured when he pulled away. 'Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday? Is it Seoul International College and University? Did you not get in?'

He looked at me in surprise. Then a smile eased on to his face. 'You think yesterday was about Seoul International College and University?'

'I don't know what it was about,' I continued, not at all relieved by the amused look. 'You were supposed to know by now.' 

'I did get the letter,' he admitted.

I stopped breathing, anticipating the next sentence. 

'But I don't know if I got in.'

'What?' I asked, my shoulders sinking. 'What does that mean?'

'Oh, SooJi-ah,' he shook his head. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you. My parents won't tell me which college I'm attending until all the acceptance letters come in. We're still waiting on the one from State.'

'Does that mean they get to decide for you?' I asked in horror, realizing that if Mr.Oh had his say Sehun wouldn't be going to any school in Seoul. 

'No,' Sehun chuckled, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against him. 'I write down my first three choices, and then my mother reveals which school I'm going to. She makes a big production out of it. We go to a nice restaurant, and then she hands me an envelope with the name of the college inside. Don't panic. You're not losing me, no matter what.' He kissed the top of my head. 

'Why does she do that?' I asked, completely baffled. 

'It's something she came up with for Luhan. Luhan didn't get his first choice. So she conjured this celebratory reveal to soften the blow. She thinks it's only right she does the same for me. You'll come to the dinner, right?' 

'Of course,' I replied. But I quickly reconsidered. I didn't know if I could fake ecitement if he wasn't accepted by Seoul International College and University. 

'Better?' he asked, inspecting me again. I nodded. He leaned down and kissed me gently. 'Ready to go?'

'Just need to get my jacket,' I answered. He released me so I could go to the closet. 

I followed him out the door, and he took my hand after I'd locked the house behind us. 

It occured to me during our drive to school that he'd never explained what had happened to him yesterday. I couldn't keep from trying to read his thoughts as he drove. His eyes lacked the light that usually shone within them. I knew something was still troubling him.

'What's wrong?' I finally asked. 'Because I know something is.' He exhaled deeply, as if he'd been preparing himself for my question. 

'Will you come over tonight?' he asked in return. 'There's something you should know, and I want to explain it when we're alone.' I stopped breathing again. His tone was too serious for it to be anything good. 

I nodded slightly, my chest burning in a storm of panic. 

Sehun pulled into a parking spot and glanced at me, then did a double take. I knew the panic was evident - I wasn't even trying to hide it. 'SooJi-ah, I'm sorry.' He tried to console me, 'That sounded much worse than I meant it to. You