“I found you.”

Hyerin jumped, almost spilling the orange juice on her lunch tray all over her uniform. She turned around, taking in a large breath.

“What do you want!?” she demanded, not at all amused to see Kai behind her with a big grin on his face.

“I was looking all over for you,” he said, sweeping his hair to the side.

“Damn it, do you have to be so sneaky? If I didn’t know better I would have shot you in an instant,” she hissed, setting the tray down on the table.

He raised a brow. “So you bring a gun to school?”

“Maybe. But that’s beside the point.” She rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

He crossed his arms and shrugged. “Oh, Hyerinnie. Have you forgotten about our little deal already?”

“No. What does that have to do with you creeping up on me?”

“Well, I did say I would find you.” He bent down to her level, his tone dropping a notch. “And finder’s keepers remember?”

She scoffed, unfazed. “Like that’ll happen. Look, I need to go eat lunch now so if you’ll excuse me,” she said, about to sit down when Kai pulled her back up.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“We had a deal, Hyerin. So I will go forth with my plans and you should just live up to your promise,” he said as he walked, taking her tray of food and dumping it in the trashcan. “You’re mine today.”

“No, I’m not. I’m nobody’s property and what the , Jongin? I paid for that .”

“Psh. It’s not like you’re under financial crisis or something,” Kai said, taking her wrist and leading her out of the cafeteria.

“It’s still money. And where are we going?”

“Out of here.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean out of here, Hyerin. Slow much?” he teased as they crossed the field.

She wanted to strangle him. Why did the pretty ones always have to be s? “Stop being a smartass. Unless you want to get punched, that is.”

“No can do, Hyerin. Once it’s in my system, I can’t get rid of it anymore. Come on,” he said, going around to the back of the school’s clock tower. He pulled her hand as they walked towards a dead end.

“So what’s this supposed to be?” she asked, almost mocking.

“It’s a fence, Hyerin. A fence. Wow, and I thought you were pretty smart,” he snorted.

She glared at him. “Do you take everything literally?”

“Not really. Making fun of you is just fun.” He shrugged. “Now that you know what a fence is, we go over it.”

“Wait, what?"

Without further hesitation, Kai climbed up the fence. When he got to the top, he looked left and right, checking if there was anyone watching. Seeing that the coast was clear, he jumped down, landing perfectly on his feet.

“Come on, Hyerin.”

She gaped at him as if he grew another head. “What are you ing mental?” she exclaimed from the other side.

“What? I’m pretty sure climbing this would be a piece of cake to you.”

“That’s not the point. We’re going to get caught.”

“Not if you hurry up, we won’t.”

“Cutting classes, birdbrain! You want me to cut classes with you!”

“You are such a chicken! It’s not like we’re going to be gone forever. It’s just a couple of minutes.”

“Are you kidding me? I will not get in trouble, especially not with you!”

“Hyerin. Just climb the fence.”

“No, you are crazy. You’re-”

“Hyerin.”

“What?”

“Just go over it. I’m already here on the other side so it doesn’t really matter if we get caught. So please?” His eyebrows curled up, giving her a hopeful look. “I’m just asking for a couple of minutes.”

Hyerin sighed. She looked around, and the campus was practically empty except for students who could care less about the two of them. Sighing again, she grumpily climbed up the fence. “This better be worthwhile, Kim Jongin.”

Once she got to the top, she scanned the area again.

“Come on, Hyerin,” Kai said, opening his arms wide. “I’ll catch you.”

She raised a brow. “What, did you get that from a drama or something? Get the hell out of my way.”

He laughed, shaking his head. He moved aside and she jumped down from the fence.

“Nice underwear.”

“They’re spandex shorts.”

“Still y.”

“We better not get in trouble, Kai. I will beat you to a pulp,” she threatened.

“Oh please," he snorted. "I already took care of it.”

“Aren’t we going to get caught once they see us in uniforms?”

“Nope. We’ll be really quick. We’re just gonna get some ddeukbokki and fish cakes and we’re going back.” He shrugged as they walked.

“Street food? Really?” she teased, tightening her ponytail.

“What? Too fancy for that stuff?” he retorted, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Not really. I was thinking that you were too fancy for that stuff.”

“No way. I’m a simple man,” he said, turning a corner. “So, tell me about yourself.”

“Nothing much to say.”

“Oh, c’mon. All I know about you is that your name is Kim Hyerin, you’re a sophomore, you’re good at martial arts and handling weapons, your temper is short and you’re pretty,” he said, sneaking a glance at her before adding, “Oh, and you swear a lot.”

“Oh.”

“And did I mention you’re pretty?”

Hyerin snorted. “Well isn’t that enough?”

He gave her an unimpressed look.

She sighed. “Fine. I have a dad and a brother. My brother is a model and my dad makes weapons. And I knew how to fight since I was small. Let’s see, what else,” she trailed off. “Oh, I don’t like cucumbers, sweet potato and summer. And sometimes people,” she said, mumbling the last part. “Now you. All I know about you is that you’re Kim Jongin, you’re a jock, you dance, you have powers and you’re a big flirt.”

Kai laughed, entering a narrow alley filled with trash and walls covered in gang signs. “I’m not a flirt! My over-friendliness gets mistaken as me trying to hook up with girls. Why is that?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Because your over-friendliness is your way of hooking up with girls.”

“No. There’s a big difference between the two, you know.” He tucked his hands inside his pockets. “Would you like me to show you?”

“No thanks,” she deadpanned. “You know, your girlfriend will get pissed if you keep on with your little antics with women.”

“Oh, hell no. I don’t have a girlfriend,” he scoffed, turning right as they exited the alleyway.

Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. I have girlfriends,” he corrected. “You know, with the ‘s’.”

Hyerin rolled her eyes. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

Kai laughed heartily, making the girl smile a little.

“Here we are. Only the best street food stall in Seoul,” he bragged, walking casually towards it. He glanced at Hyerin who was looking hungrily at the steaming pot of rice cakes. He did throw away her lunch after all.

“Wow. You look like you can eat a horse,” he chuckled, taking out his wallet. “You know I–” Kai was suddenly halted in his words, frozen in his tracks.

“Oh ,” he breathed.

“What? What happened?” Hyerin asked. When Kai stood still and said nothing, she shook his arm. “What is it, Kai? Is something wrong?”

“We need to get out of here,” he whispered, eyes fixated at the direction of the food stall. “Now.”

“Huh? Why? I don’t understand.”

He ran a hand through his black hair, stepping behind a lamppost and taking Hyerin with him.

“Uh, you do know standing behind a lamppost isn’t going to hide us from anything, right?”

“You see those two tall dudes eating?” He pointed towards where they were supposed to head over. She followed his line of vision and there, standing casually, were two men that looked like gangsters.

She turned back to him. “What about them?”

“They were some guys who Xiumin and I pissed off at one of the underground dance battles before,” he explained. “That’s why I never really go there anymore.”

“And what exactly did you do?” she asked warily.

“Stole their women.” He said it as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “Look, we should really go, I don’t want-”

“Hey!”

Kai and Hyerin looked up, only to see that the two thugs already spotted them.

“Yo, Kai! You think you can show your ‘round here after what you did!? Imma beat your , you son of a !”

“!” he exclaimed. “Run!”

They sprinted to the opposite way while the two followed behind them. They slipped through alleys, turned corners, and hid for a whole fifteen minutes before finally reaching the school. Without wasting any time, they crossed over the fence, ran again, and collapsed in the middle of the grassy field.

“Jesus,” Hyerin wheezed, struggling to sit upright. “I’m dying.”

“I’ve never ran that fast in such a long time,” he said, breathing unevenly. “Thank god for 3XO.”

Hyerin’s eyebrows furrowed. “Wait a second,” she huffed. “Don’t you have powers already?”

“Yeah.”

“Teleportation?”

“…Yeah.”

“…”

“Pft.”

Kai and Hyerin burst out laughing, the ridiculousness of the situation suddenly very funny.

Kai clutched his stomach and collapsed on the grass.

“You are such an idiot!” she said in between laughing.

“I forgot that I can teleport now,” he said, still chuckling. He wiped the tears collecting in the edges of his eyes. “Sorry.”

Hyerin didn’t stop laughing and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Kai had never seen her laugh like that before.

“Must be my lucky day today,” he whispered to himself, gazing down at the girl.

“What do you mean?” she asked, barely recovering from her laughter.

“Oh, nothing,” he said, grinning. “I just think you’re quite the charmer, Kim Hyerin.”

- - -

“Okay listen up,” Hyerin said over the noise inside the indoor shooting range. “Today, you’re going to learn how to use a gun.”

Right after school ended, the thirteen teenagers went straight to the M-LX headquarters, ready for another day of training. When they arrived, they were ecstatic to hear that they would be in the shooting department this time. Hyerin was not too pleased though, seeing that she was going to be the instructor for the day.

“You’ll be learning the basic stuff using a Colt M1911.” She opened the holster that was attached to her belt and took out a pistol to show to the boys. “I assume you all have a gun now?”

They nodded.

“Good. Let’s start with safety measures.”

Hyerin leaned back on the table, folding her arms. “First off, the firearm is always loaded. Even if it’s not, you have to think that it is. Two, when you’re not using it, keep your finger off the trigger. Three, always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, and what I mean by a safe direction is somewhere that will cause less damage if ever you accidentally shoot,” she explained. “Lastly, always be sure of your target. Don’t be jackasses that just go around pointing wherever you please. It doesn’t work that way.”

She stood up properly. “Now, this is how you hold a gun.” She stretched her arms forward, pointing at a target. “This is the easiest and most basic position—the isosceles stance.”

They spent an hour inside the shooting range with Hyerin giving pointers about using a handgun. Although it was only just for a day, because of the 3XO experiment last week, the boys managed to pick up quickly, making them a lesson early as they were already shooting on the paper targets.

“Whoa there, tiger! Did you forget the rules already?” Hyerin said, approaching Sehun who was talking actively with Lay and waving his pistol everywhere.

“Always point the gun in a safe direction,” she instructed, pushing his arm down to the floor.

Sehun’s cheeks turned pink, nodding embarrassingly. “Oh, right. Sorry, Hyerin.”

“No problem.” She patted his back before checking up on the others.

“Looking good there, Xiumin!” she exclaimed, fixing her earmuffs. “Chanyeol, basic position please and–what the hell?” Her eyes landed on Kyungsoo. He was shooting with one hand, his gun held sideways.

“This little punk,” she muttered under her breath before she walked over to the lad.

“Hey.” She placed a firm hand on his shoulder, making him stop and turn to her. Seeing that it was Hyerin, he scoffed and positioned himself again.

“Who do you think you are? James Bond? I said stick to the basic stance. If you want to hit what you’re aiming at, holding your gun sideways won’t work,” she said, straightening the pistol in his hands.

“I was doing perfectly fine, actually," he retorted, giving her a nasty look.

“Why of course you were,” she sarcastically remarked, fluttering her eyelids mochingly. “Unless you want to blow your thumb off, hold your gun the right way, rooks.”

“You can’t tell me what to do."

“Yes, I can. I’m the instructor here just to remind you.”

“I don’t care. I’m not going to follow your stupid rules,” he bit back.

“Oh, yes you are.” She stepped closer. “You stop being a little and listen to me. I’m in charge here so just  it up and stop whining,” she hissed, poking a finger at his chest.

“Hyerin!”

She turned around. It was Agent Zero who called her, face red and clearly holding in his anger. He motioned for her to come to him.

Giving Kyungsoo one last glare, she headed over to the gray-haired man. “Yes, sir?”

“I know you are teaching this class, Hyerin, but that is not an excuse for you to pick a fight with Kyungsoo over there,” he hissed, crossing his arms. “What was that all about?”

“He was being a smartass! I told him to stick to the basics but he’s being a jerk about it. I was trying to discipline him.”

“I believe you can do that without snapping at him, yes?” he retorted, furious. “Hyerin, if you want to be an excellent agent you better work on that temper of yours. It’s causing trouble for everyone.”

She looked down, balling her fists. “Yes, sir.”

“Work on it. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she answered, although on the inside her patience was running low.

She will never let Kyungsoo get away with this no matter what happens.