“Unnie, after this mission, do you want to try the new restaurant that just opened up near your house?” Yookyung asked through her earpiece. “Yongsun-unnie said it was good.”

“You have to get their ribs,” Yongsun said. “That’s their speciality.”

“Unnie, you just like ribs,” Moonbyul laughed.

“She likes any kind of food,” Seulgi corrected. “If she wasn’t a secret agent, she could make a living off of filming mukbangs on Youtube.”

“How about you guys focus on the mission at hand before we talk about what we’re getting for dinner?” Bomi said, despite her grin. She was watching them on several different screens that showed perspectives from different surveillance cameras. Her teammates reached a closed door, and Bomi quickly tapped into a camera in the next room. “The next room is empty. You guys are clear to enter. There are two doors in the next room. Take the one on the right, and there should be a briefcase in the next room with the documents that we need.”

“Let’s hurry, I’m hungry,” Yookyung uttered into her mic.

The four women cautiously entered the next room, weapons drawn and ready to attack. Bomi watched as they disappeared from one screen and entered another. While the others covered her back, Yongsun opened the door to the next room and quickly scanned it for danger. When she determined that it was safe, she motioned the others in. They lowered their weapons and began searching the room for the suitcase.

“Found it!” Seulgi exclaimed, holding up a black suitcase. “It was hidden behind the sofa.”

“Perfect,” Moonbyul said. “Let’s head back now.”

“Unnie, if the ribs aren’t as good as you say they are, I’m never going to forgive you,” Yookyung told Yongsun.

“Alright, alright, just get out of there. Then we can talk about never forgiving Yongsun or not.” Bomi scanned through all of the screens. “All the rooms are clear.”

“You heard our leader,” Yongsun said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Yongsung took the suitcase from Seulgi and headed towards the door. She took one step out of the room, and Bomi heard a faint click through her mic. 

The room burst into flames.

Bomi heard her teammates screaming through her earpiece as she saw flames roar through the room on the screens before her. She jumped up from her seat, nearly bumping her head against the roof of the van.

“Guys, what happened?” Bomi asked frantically. She tried tapping into other surveillance cameras to get a better look, but the flames tore through the building too fast, destroying all of the cameras. One by one, the screens in front of her turned into images of gray static.

“Yongsun? Byul? Seulgi? Yookyung?” Bomi’s voice was trembling now. “What happened? Answer me!”

“Unnie…,” a weak voice coughed through her mic.

“Yookyung-ah, is that you? What’s going on?”

“I...I don’t know. Everything just exploded.” Yookyung coughed again, and with each passing cough, her voice became weaker and weaker.

“Where is everyone else?” Bomi scrambled to find a visual of her teammates. When Yookyung didn’t answer, Bomi started screaming. “Yookyung-ah, please answer me! Where are you guys?”

Suddenly, the center screen in front of her flashed back to life. What she saw horrified her and made her wish that it would return to the gray static.

Her teammates were burning. They had fallen to the floor and weren’t moving as the flames freely ripped through their bodies, devastating the people she loved to ashes. Bomi’s arms fell slack by her sides, knowing full well that there was nothing they could have done to rescue her friends. She stared into the screen, not tearing her eyes away from the horrors before it, no matter how much it hurt. Her cheeks felt hot from the anger and frustration of not being able to do anything.

The screens flickered black and white, and suddenly she wasn’t staring at her burning teammates anymore. She was staring at the One-Eyed Man, who was grinning maniacally at her and laughing at her despair.

He did this. The One-Eyed Man had done this.

It took her a minute to realize that the van was also on fire, and her cheeks only felt hot because the flames were at her feet. She stood motionless as the fire traveled up her body, lacing pain everywhere it touched.

The flames tore away at her slowly and painfully, but all Bomi did was keep her eyes on the screen where her teammates once were. The fire climbed up to her neck, and she let a single tear drop from her cheek before her world exploded into a world of white-hot orange and red―and then nothing.

Bomi’s eyes flew open. She sat up abruptly, her hands feeling her body and the bed under her. When she realized that it had been just a dream and that there was no fire, she fell back against her pillow and groaned. Her body was slick in cold sweat, and her heart was pounding furiously in her chest. Her room was dark and cool, and it provided a numbing reassurement that she was safe and alive.

“It’s okay, Bomi,” she told herself. “You’re okay.”

She tried shutting her eyes and going back to sleep, but the moment she closed her eyes, orange flashed before her, and she saw the faces of the One-Eyed Man and her deceased friends. She tried rubbing her eyes, as if she could rub away the images, but it was no use. Her teammates and their ashes were all she could think about.

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She put on a sweater and slippers, then silently left her room.

Bomi had no idea where she was going, but she didn’t want to stay in her room and relive that nightmare. She quietly wandered down the halls with no plan in mind, taking deep breaths to try to clear her head.

Eventually she reached a bay window overlooking the palace garden. She was about to walk past it, but the view caught her eye and pulled her back. She climbed onto the windowsill and leaned her back against the side, drawing her knees up to her chest.

The night was beautiful, with stars splashed across the sky like splattered paint. The moon shined softly down on the peaceful garden, gently illuminating the soft colors of the flowers and plants. There was not a single ripple in the water of the pond. Bomi could feel the cold air through the cracks under the window, but it was soothing and very much welcome. She leaned her head against the cool window and let its comfort slowly drag her away into sleep.

“Bbom-ah?”

For the second time that night, Bomi’s eyes flew open with alarm. Standing before her was Eunji, dressed comfortably in a large, oversized sweater and track pants.

Bomi rubbed her eyes and sat up straighter. “What are you doing here, Eunji-ah?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” her friend replied.

Bomi hugged her knees tightly. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Neither could I.” Eunji climbed up onto the windowsill and sat opposite from Bomi with her back against the side. She turned to face the window. “This is my favorite place to go to when I can’t sleep or need to think.”

“I can see why,” Bomi said softly. “So what’s bothering you?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about what the man said about your teammates,” Eunji answered.

It was so like Eunji to feel pain for the sake of her friends. She was so selfless and caring that it hurt Bomi knowing that Eunji only ever thought about others. 

“You’re not the only one,” said Bomi. 

Eunji turned away from the window and scooted closer to Bomi. “Are you okay? It looked like he really got to you.”

Bomi lowered her face into her arms. “He did. I had a nightmare of it. Everytime I close my eyes, I see flames and...them. I see my teammates burning. I see the One-Eyed Man, taunting and laughing at my failure.”

“Bbom-ah…” Eunji positioned herself next to Bomi and pulled her into an embrace. “I know there is nothing I can say or do that can help, because this is the type of healing that takes time. But I will promise you that I will always be right by your side, helping you along the way. You’re not alone. You never will be.”

Bomi wanted to cry. Her guilt tore at her. “I’m the one who should be saying that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not the only one who lost Yookyung,” Bomi repeated Chorong’s words. “You did too.”

Eunji leaned back a bit. “You lost your entire team.”

“Yookyung, you, and I were inseparable growing up. She was as much of my sister as she was yours. I should have been there for you when you lost her instead of running away. You were probably struggling as much as I was. Perhaps even more, because instead of losing one sister, you lost two. You lost me, and I can’t imagine how difficult it was for you knowing that I was alive but no longer in your life. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Bbom-ah, it’s okay…”

“No,” Bomi shook her head. “For once in your life, Eunji-ah, please be selfish. Be angry. Scream at me, hit me, curse at me, please. I deserve it for leaving you.”

Eunji reached over and held Bomi’s hand. Bomi wanted her to be angry. She wanted her face to be red and screaming at her for being a lousy friend. But all Eunji did was look at her with eyes full of sadness and understanding. “I’m not going to do that.”

“Please,” Bomi whispered, almost in a plea.

“I’m not going to punish you for hurting,” Eunji said. “Yes, it did hurt when you cut me out of your life, but it hurt even more knowing that you were in pain and I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

“How could you not hate me after what I did to you?”

“Could you ever hate me?” Eunji asked. “If I did what you did, would you hate me?”

Slowly, Bomi shook her head. She could never hate Eunji, even if she threw her under a bus.

“The same goes for me. You didn’t betray me or do anything that would prompt me to hate you. I love you, Bbom-ah, you know that. You were hurting, and I was hurting too. That’s that.” 

“That’s that,” Bomi uttered silently.

“What’s in the past is in the past. All we can do is learn from it and move forward.” Eunji gently took Bomi’s face in her hands. “Can you promise me that you’ll do that?”

Bomi looked into Eunji’s eyes, and she knew that Eunji had meant every word that she said. There was nothing forced in her expression; it was pure concern and care. “Yes,” Bomi answered softly. Releasing Bomi’s face, Eunji smiled and leaned back against the wall. Bomi sniffed and leaned her head on Eunji’s shoulder. “I love you too, Eunji-ah.”

“I’ll always be here for you if you need to talk. If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine too. My shoulder will always be open for you to lean on.” Eunji leaned her head on Bomi’s head. “And we’re going to catch that man, alright? I’ll make sure we do.” 

Bomi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For once, she didn’t see flames. “You were always the smoothest talker among the three of us.”

“Thank you, I take pride in that.”

“I’ll always be here for you too,” Bomi promised. “If you ever need a shoulder, a hug, or a punching bag―I’m here.”

“I think I’ll take that punching bag offer soon,” Eunji chuckled.

“Please don’t make me regret saying that. Please don’t hurt your best friend...that badly.”

“I thought we were sisters.”

“Oh right.” Bomi added, “Future maids of honor too.”

“And godmothers to each other's children?”

Bomi grimaced. “I don’t think you want your children to learn how to throw a knife at the age of three.”

“That sounds fantastic, actually. I’m sure it’ll make a great party trick.”

“Oh, definitely. They’ll be the life of the party.”

“I couldn’t ask for more.”

Bomi smiled and squeezed Eunji’s hand. “I missed this.”

“Me too.” Eunji squeezed Bomi’s hand back. “It’s late and we’ve had a long day. You should get some sleep.”

Bomi looked out the window. Somehow, the sky looked even more beautiful than it had before. “You go first. I think I’ll stay for a few more minutes.”

“Are you sure? I can stay with you.”

Bomi turned to her friend and gave her a reassuring grin. “It’s okay. I’m okay now.”

Eunji’s eyes glittered, and Bomi couldn’t tell if it was because she was tearing up or because of a trick of the light. “Okay,” she said and cupped Bomi’s cheek with her hand. “Good night, Bbom-ah.” Then she climbed off the windowsill and walked away, her footsteps echoing off the walls of the hall. 

When Eunji disappeared from sight, Bomi turned to look back out the window. The stars twinkled in the sky, winking her some reassurance that things would indeed be okay. Bomi sighed and leaned her head against the glass, savoring the cold that met her touch. Tentatively, she closed her eyes.

No fire. Just darkness.

She stayed there, enjoying the peace and tranquility, until she heard footsteps coming towards her. She bolted up and peered down the hall. “Eunji-ah?” she called out.

It wasn’t Eunji that came out, though. It was Chorong. Like Eunji, she was wearing track pants, but instead of wearing a sweater, she was wearing an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was tied in a loose bun.

Bomi relaxed against the window. “Unnie, what are you doing here?”

“I was on my way to find you, actually.” Chorong walked up to the windowsill and sat down in front of Bomi.

“Why?”

“Show me your arm.”

“What?”

“Your left arm,” Chorong held out her hand, “give it to me.”

“Why do you want it?”

“Because you’re injured and I don’t know if you got the proper treatment.”

Bomi cursed inside her head. She had tried to hide it, but she should have known that Chorong would figure it out. “I’m fine. I bandaged it myself.”

“Then show me.” Chorong kept her hand out and nodded towards it.

Sighing, Bomi took off her sweater and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a poorly bandaged wound. When they had gotten back from their mission, Bomi had waited until she got back to her room to see why her arm had been hurting so much. She remembered swearing out loud when she took off her shirt and saw the messy, blood-encrusted gash on her arm. She had cleaned it and bandaged it herself, but it must have come undone while she was sleeping, because the bandages were bloodied and practically unwrapping themselves from her arm. 

“To be fair,” Bomi said, “it did not look like this when I went to bed.”

Chorong gently laid Bomi’s arm down in her lap and took out some medical supplies from her pocket. “How did this happen?”

“I don’t know,” Bomi answered honestly. “It must have happened during the fight, but I don't know who did it. It doesn’t matter anyways.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Bomi shrugged. “I didn’t want to worry you guys over a small scratch. Or what I thought was a small scratch. How did you know I was hurt?”

“I suspected it when I accidentally brushed against your arm and you winced.” Chorong carefully peeled back Bomi’s bandage, letting out a hiss when she saw the bloody mess underneath it. “What really gave it away was when you couldn’t stop the man’s attack in the van.” When Chorong wiped away the dried blood and got a better look at the wound, she said, “I’m going to need to stitch this up.”

“I can do it,” Bomi said, reaching for the supplies on the windowsill. 

“Stay still,” Chorong commanded. “It’s easier if I do it.”

Bomi gave in, and Chorong got to work. She watched as Chorong slipped on gloves and carefully inserted the thread through the needle.

“You said that you didn’t want to worry us,” Chorong said. “But we’re your team. Of course we’re going to worry about you.”

“I’m sorry,” Bomi mumbled.

Chorong looked up, appearing slightly alarmed. “What did you say?”

“I said I’m sorry.” Bomi scratched the back of her neck with her other hand. “I’m still getting used to this...team thing.”

The corners of Chorong’s lips twitched, and Bomi thought that she was almost about to smile. “You’re learning.”

Chorong worked quickly and neatly. Her fingers worked nimbly as though they had stitched thousands of wounds before. Bomi kept her eyes on Chorong’s fingers for a while, until they eventually moved up to her face, which was concentrating on Bomi’s wound. Her brows were furrowed and lips twisted to the side in a small frown. She almost looked like a baby, Bomi thought with fond amusement. The leader’s eyes remained fixated on Bomi’s wound, just as how Bomi’s remained fixated on Chorong.

“Your eyelashes are long,” Bomi observed. Immediately after, her eyes widened as she realized that she had said that out loud.

Chorong stiffened, but she still kept her hands steady. “What?”

“Sorry,” Bomi said quickly, her cheeks growing hot. “I was just watching you.”

“Oh. Well,” Chorong continued stitching up Bomi’s wound, although at a noticeably slower pace, “You have a nice side profile.”

Bomi would be lying if she said that hadn’t caught her off guard. “Have you been staring at me?”

“Only to make sure you don’t run away.”

Bomi thought that Chorong was being serious, but she saw that the leader was smiling. Bomi leaned her head back against the window, keeping her eyes on Chorong. 

“I don’t do that anymore,” she said. “I don’t run away.”

Her hands were freezing from the cups of ice cream in her hands, but Eunji was too excited about the prospect of eating it to mind.

She had said good night to Bomi, but after she left, she hadn’t felt sleepy anymore. So she had gone to the kitchen to find some ice cream for her and Bomi to share. When she, Bomi, and Yookyung were little, they would often share a cup of ice cream after practice as a little celebration. It had always been the same flavor: mint chocolate chip. Luckily, there was half a carton left of that flavor in the freezer. She hoped that Bomi was in the mood for ice cream, because she had scooped out the entire carton into two cups.

But then again, she knew Bomi, and Bomi was always in the mood for ice cream.

She rounded the corner and saw Bomi’s back, still leaning against the same window. Eunji smiled and started to say Bomi’s name, but Bomi shifted, and Eunji saw Chorong sitting in front of her. Eunji froze in place.

Chorong was concentrating on Bomi’s arm, stitching up a wound that Eunji hadn’t known Bomi had. From the bloodied wipes and old bandages that had been discarded behind Chorong, Eunji could tell that the gash was relatively deep. Eunji’s own wound began aching, and suddenly the ice cream in her hands became too cold to bear.

Chorong and Bomi didn’t notice Eunji watching them, and she didn’t wait for them to either. She just turned around and walked the other way, an odd feeling settling in her heart.