18. kill you

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(A/N:  Hi guys, sorry for the wait! Thank you for being so patient and for all your comments, I'm going to look through all the notifs now. Hope you enjoy! Much love) 

Morning art class could not be more painful unless Soochul thwacked her over the head with a painting easel.

Lila ignores the burning gazes on her and mutters a weak apology for tardiness to the art teacher. She scans the room for a free seat, lips flat upon spotting the only vacancy on the right of Baek Kyung, Kim Ae-il hanging on his left.

She sighs, head held high as she saunters to the chair whilst avoiding his piercing eyes. Baek Kyung sighs under his breath, vaguely recalling the art teacher told them to create a masterpiece that can be interpreted differently.

The class bursts into clamour and chaos, as it always does when you have lots of chirpy, loud, and brutish stock characters for extras, yet Lila doesn't say a word. She just stares at the blank canvas with an equally empty expression. Trying to block out Ae-il's constant badgering and think of something to say to Lila proved difficult for Kyung, who opens and closes his mouth several times like a fish. Finally, Lila picks up the paintbrush, wets it and then coats it in black. With no spared effort, she draws a large question mark and sets the brush down then glances around the room with boredom.

If she knows Kyung is staring, it doesn't show on her face. In fact, Kyung feels like he doesn't even exist in her scope.

"Lila?"

Her eyes snap down and left. "What's up, Dan Oh?"

"I feel like I haven't spoken to you in ages. Catch up after class?"

"Sure thing." She shrugs, sending the extra a quick smile.

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"You're getting surgery soon?"

"Keep it down." Dan Oh hisses, whacking Lila in the arm. "Don't let Haru find out. No matter what happens."

Lila looks at her with exasperation. "How can you worry about Haru in a situation like this? Worry about yourself, stupid girl."

Dan Oh scoffs slightly. "You wouldn't get it. I love him."

Lila rolls her eyes and gags. "Alright, alright. My lips are sealed."

"Anyway," Dan Oh hesitates, "what's going on with you? You seem...very wrapped up in your head."

For a moment, Lila considers offloading the truth onto her friend. Her frustrations about the risk of repeating Trumpet Creeper, her fears about Park Jaehwa, and her tumultuous feelings for bloody Baek Kyung. But how can she do that when Dan Oh's already going through something as scary as life or death?

"I am," Lila admits. "You know, just with the ramifications of living in a comic book world and such. Nothing too heavy."

Her friend looks half-convinced. "Alright...but don't think about it too much. It's better to accept and move on, try and find a solution."

Like our ingenious changes to the Stage which have resulted in befuddled plot lines and more pain? Lila scoffs to herself yet smiles and nods on the outside.

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Baek Kyung feels like he should be sadder after the stage of Dan Oh being sick and needing surgery. He's supposed to like her after all. Yet, instead of comforting words or sentiments of the heart, he's rushing to the library to try and find the Manhwa.

He's rifling through the literature shelf when the lights suddenly dim and there's a rush of wind chimes. Kyung looks up in bewilderment, following the noise which leads him to the back of the library. His eyes widen at the floating wormhole on the wall.

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