Chanyeol’s big dark brown eyes turned into raging slits seeing who the mystery savior was. With no hesitation, he furiously stomped towards the former M-LX agent, arms tightening up and causing his muscles to bulge out and for his powers to be summoned. Hot, burning fire rid up from his palms to his shoulders.

Seeing what the boy was about to do, Agent M gave him a stern look. “Chanyeol, don’t.”

“What the  are you doing here?” he demanded, his chest slightly bumping with Baekhyun’s before pushing him so hard the boy’s back collided harshly against the walls.

“Ow!” Baekhyun cried, not only because of the painful impact of metal against his back, but also because of Chanyeol’s push. Chanyeol’s arms were ablaze the moment he pushed him, leaving a nasty burn on his chest that was still hissing with smoke.

“Chanyeol, stop it right now!” Agent M exclaimed, gesturing to Suho and Kris to stop the angry boy. The two nodded and pulled Chanyeol back despite glaring at Baekhyun.

“How dare you come here, traitor!?” Sehun angrily questioned, also advancing towards Baekhyun. Lay prevented him from going any further.

 “Sir, how can you just bring him to the HQ? Once Jiyong finds out where we are it’ll be the end of all of us!” Chen said, looking incredulously at Myungjae.

“Calm down, everyone,” Myungjae said, walking over to Baekhyun and helping him get back to his feet. “It’s okay. He won’t do us any harm.”

“Won’t do us any harm!? Did you just suddenly forget what the hell he did to us!? He already caused us  so much harm!” Chanyeol exclaimed, not taking his eyes away from Baekhyun who was looking to the side, refusing to look at his former teammates.

“Well that’s all in the past!” Myungjae bit back, pushing Baekhyun behind him. “Baekhyun was the one who helped me escape. Once you crashed the party I managed to get out of the room I was held captive in. While I was finding my way out, I came across a group of Xinths and before they could take me again, Baekhyun saved me,” he explained. “He gave me his gun and from there he helped me escape, all the while fighting against Jiyong’s men. Eventually we found our way but couldn’t use a car because it would be too suspicious. We came here by foot,” he said, eyeing the M-LX agents in the room carefully.

“But how can you just trust him so quickly!? He’s the reason why all this is happening!” Chanyeol yelled.

“He is not!” Myungjae yelled back, his booming voice startling everyone. “There is no one else – no one –“ he emphasized, “–responsible for all this madness except for Jiyong. He is the one and only person who caused harm to everyone so don’t blame it on anyone else but him.

“I know Baekhyun betrayed your trust. Our trust. But can’t people change?” Myungjae questioned. “You kids are so caught up with the past when you’re living in the present. You think holding grudges will benefit anyone? No! Not even you! It’ll only make you feel like crap!” he exclaimed. “Me and Baekhyun were talking on the way here and he wants to help us. He wants in again and he may just be the key to stop Jiyong.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” Chanyeol said in a much quieter voice. “It’s not like we can just take the bitterness away and be friends again.”

“But that’s not what I’m asking,” Baekhyun entered, finally lifting his head up and revealing his tired, worn-out eyes. “I’m not asking to be friends again. I’m not asking you to forget nor am I asking you to bring back the old times. Heck, I’m not asking you to even forgive me. But what I am asking is for you to give me another chance,” he said, clenching his fists secretly behind his back in order to stop the shaking. “I know it’s going to be hard because that requires trust but I can be of extreme help to you. Jiyong told me a lot about his plans and I can share that with you if you’d let me,” he finished, jaw clenching and unclenching as he fought to keep an emotionless façade.

Kyungsoo was leaning back against the wall the whole time, arms crossed and staring straight at Baekhyun. “You know everything?” he asked, making Baekhyun turn to him with a reluctant gaze.

“Most of his plans, not everything,” he answered.

“What do you have to prove to us that this is not another scheme Jiyong is playing? How do we know that at this very moment, Jiyong is not outside of our headquarters, waiting for your signal to blow this place up?” Kyungsoo questioned, looking him dead in the eye. “How do we know you’re not betraying us again?”

“I-” The words got stuck in his throat as his eyes traveled down to Kyungsoo’s crossed arms, his right hand obviously missing and covered with a metal contraption of some sort. Suddenly, his palms started to sweat, the guilt overwhelming. When his eyes darted back to Kyungsoo’s face, he was still staring at him.

“How, Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo repeated, his steely gaze and deadpan voice revealing nothing. He was much calmer than the rest of the guys.

Baekhyun swallowed before opening his mouth to answer. “I can’t. I don’t have proof or anything, it’s just…” he trailed off. “It’s just me. I don’t have anything to convince you guys that I’m not going to fool you nor do I have anything that I can say to make your suspicions go away. All I have is myself,” he continued, eyes darting around the room from anxiety. “Just me, standing here in front of you all with no one else and nothing else left to prove. It’s all up to you. It’s all up to you if you’re going to trust me or not, but there’s no denying the fact that you need me. More than you think.”

Xiumin gave him a look. “And if you don’t stay true to you word?”

“Punch me. Shoot me. Beat me up. Kill me. Do anything you want with me if I betray your trust again. I won’t even try to run away because I know what I did and I’m sorry for that,” he said, his frigid gaze suddenly shifting to the back of the room. “Really, really sorry.”

Kyungsoo followed Baekhyun’s gaze, only to find Hyerin sitting on the gurney with her arms crossed and a torn look on her face, wounds getting cleaned up by one of the medics. Baekhyun and Hyerin were staring at each other for at least more than five seconds before Kyungsoo turned away. His brows furrowed slightly at the strange, heavy feeling tugging on his chest.

The room remained silent before Myungjae placed a firm hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, whispering that it was time to go. Baekhyun nodded once, bowing at a ninety-degree angle to his former teammates before exiting the room with Agent M.

---

 “So you’re telling me,” Tao started, pulling up the covers over his chest as he laid on the hospital bed. “That all that happened while I was out?” he asked, raising a brow.

“Yup.” Hyerin nodded, leaning back on her chair.

“Oh man,” Tao scoffed, placing his hands behind his head. “Time passed by so quickly. Plus the fact that, you know, he came back. And that was just yesterday? Wow.”

“Yeah.” Hyerin rolled her eyes. “And it’s okay, Tao. You can name drop. It’s not like Baekhyun’s name is taboo or something.”

“Well it sure does seem like it! It feels like if I say his name out loud Chanyeol would just burst inside this room and throw fire at me or some like that.”

Hyerin glared at him. “Chanyeol would never do that.”

 “Oh, he would,” Tao scoffed. “Remember when Baekhyun dumped you?”

Hyerin sighed. “Well, isn’t that a pretty memory.”

“Yeah. And I’m sure Chanyeol remembers that too,” he said. “Have you forgotten the fact that at one point, Chanyeol actually had feelings for you?”

“Don’t even go there, Tao.”

“Alright, alright. Sheesh, I’m sorry.”

Hyerin chuckled quietly, eyes unconsciously roaming around Tao’s face; from his dry lips to the deep hollows of his cheeks, she could only wonder how weak the boy was feeling.

“Hey. It’s rude to stare,” he muttered.

Hyerin blinked a few times before looking away. “Sorry.”

“Nah, I’m just playing with ‘ya. It’s all good. I know.” He glanced down at the different wires and tubes attached to the different parts of his body, tugging on them a little. “I just can’t believe I’m so weak now.”

“This shouldn’t have happened to you. I don’t even know how your powers just disappeared. How could that happen?” Hyerin asked, shaking her head in dismay.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember. Trust me, I’m as desperate as you to get answers but I got nothing.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out and we’ll get your powers back.”

Tao chuckled softly, looking down at his skinny arms. “No.” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

Hyerin’s brows furrowed as she leaned in closer to his bed. “What?”

“I don’t think I’m going to get my powers back,” he mumbled. “I just feel so drained and tired. It feels like there’s nothing left but that and there’s no space for it to come back again. My powers, I mean. It’s like even if I did try to get it back, it won’t.”

“Come on, Tao. Stop being so negative. You don’t even know yet.”

“Yeah, but I just feel like that’s what’s going to happen.” He shrugged. “Instinct, I guess. I hope I’m wrong, but it’s how I feel.”

“Do you feel sad or angry, at least?” she asked. “I mean, if I were you I’d be pretty ing mad right now.”

“Meh,” he scoffed, shrugging. “That’s why I have this.”

Tao leaned on his side to reach the bedside drawer on his left, pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

Hyerin raised a brow. “Whiskey? Really? How the hell did you get that in here?”

Tao smiled mischievously before opening the cap with his teeth. “I made Sehun steal some from your dad’s room. Sehun, that poor dude. Losing his mom and all, I told him to grab himself a bottle, too. You know, to put the light back in his eyes and ,” he said before taking a big gulp from the bottle.

“Tao!” Hyerin exclaimed in a scolding tone despite smiling at his mischievousness. “I can’t believe you’d do that!”

“What? It takes the pain away,” Tao reasoned. “Everyday, I’m under physical and mental stress from all the treatment I’ve been receiving from this ing hellhole and hey, the they do to me ain’t a ing trip to the park, man. You gotta admit, I’m pretty ing metal withstanding that .”

Hyerin burst out laughing and soon after, Tao followed. She would have punched him if he weren’t sick.

Tao shook his head good-naturedly. “I don’t know, man. Once I get the hell out of here I’m going to work out like crazy. I don’t want to look like a walking twig.”

“You’ll get there. For now, I’m just happy you’re alive and here with us,” Hyerin said, smiling at him. “Ever since the outbreak, everyone changed and seeing that you’re still you…it’s nice. It brings me back to the time when everything was, you know, normal. So thanks, Tao. For always looking at the brighter side.”

Tao looked startled for a moment before smiling affectionately at the girl. “Aw, come here,” he said playfully, pulling Hyerin over to him and hugging her tight. “That’s just life, Hyerin. It shouldn’t be taken too seriously and it doesn’t have to be perfect. You should just kind of, you know, live it. And if you’re gonna live it, at least live it happily.”

Hyerin nodded. “Yeah. You’re right,” she sighed.

The door to the room opened suddenly and a nurse came rushing in with a clipboard in hand.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But Agent Zero wants the two of you in his office. The other EXO agents are there as well.”

Hyerin pulled away from Tao before looking at him weird. “He never said anything about a meeting today.”

Tao shrugged before prying the covers off of him, the nurse already preparing a wheelchair for him. “Probably something urgent. I don’t know.”

After putting Tao on a wheelchair the two proceeded to Agent Zero’s office. Through the glass walls, they could see that everyone was already there, including Baekhyun who was standing in front, dry-erase marker in hand and busy writing on the white board against the wall.

Hyerin swiped her I.D. through the scanner, letting Tao go in first when the doors slid open. With that, Tao rolled inside while the others turned around to greet them.

“Hey, guys.” Tao grinned, receiving high-fives and pats on the back from the others.

“How’re you feeling?” Xiumin asked, scooting his chair to the side to give room for Tao.

Tao rolled his wheelchair round the table. “Eh, so-so. Still feeling a little crappy, but I’m glad I’m still breathing,” he said. “’Sup, Baek?” he asked in a light tone when he passed the boy, giving him a casual pat on the back before rolling to his place beside Xiumin. Everyone raised an eyebrow at his casual greeting.

Baekhyun turned around, looking as surprised as everyone else. Blinking rapidly, he reluctantly nodded once at his greeting before awkwardly going back to what he was doing. It was surprising to see the boy not aggravated by his presence at all, especially with what he did to him.

“So what’s going on here?” Hyerin asked, situating herself between Sehun and Kris.

“I gathered you all here to listen to what Baekhyun has to say,” Agent M said.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Why should we?” he scoffed to himself.

Agent Zero glared at the boy. “Because he has a plan. Right now, we have no idea what Jiyong will do next but with Baekhyun we can at least know what he’s up to.”

“That’s right.” Baekhyun nodded. “I don’t know everything but one way or another I still know something.”

“Alrighty then,” Hyerin sighed, giving Baekhyun a look. “Let’s hear it.”

Baekhyun glanced her way briefly before facing everyone. “As you guys have already seen, Seoul is completely trapped. There are walls serving as barricades that prevent us to go outside and even if we tried to bomb it or use our powers it won’t work. Those walls aren’t just made out of ordinary metal.”

“Then what is it?” Chen asked.

“I have no idea but it’s something from their planet. It’s made out of some kind of force rather than it being solid. It may seem like it is, but it’s not. I know because I’ve seen it up close,” Baekhyun explained. “The government or anyone outside won’t be much help. They won’t be able to break in even if they tried. There’s a force field aside from the wall.”

“A force field? Are you ing kidding me?” Tao scoffed. “No wonder no one’s coming to help us.”

“Yes, so you can say that it’s just going to be us doing all the work,” Baekhyun said.

“Okay wait,” Luhan cut in. “I’m sorry to interrupt and I know were talking about what’s happening now, but I want to know when this all started. Since you claim to know things, would you care to enlighten us?” Luhan asked, raising a brow. “I mean, might as well tell us since the damage is done already.”

Baekhyun turned to Agent M beside him with a reluctant gaze. After receiving a go signal from the older man, he turned back to the agents.

“It’s a long story but I’ll try to make it short, I guess,” he mumbled unsurely. “Basically all the strange things that’s been happening since last year is related to each other in a way,” he explained. “Since the very first incident when Blue tried to kidnap Hyerin, it was already a part of Jiyong’s plan. He thought kidnapping you was going to be easy, but then Chen came and saved you.”

“Remember when we said we kept tabs on all of you?” Agent Zero asked. Everyone nodded. “It just so happened that a couple of agents were stalking Hyerin that day when she was walking home. We were supposed to enter and save you but decided to keep observing to see your capabilities. When it started to get really bad, we began to worry until Chen came out of nowhere and helped you,” he said. “To be honest, it was all coincidental. Blue attempting to kidnap you and us following you that day, as well as Chen being there…it was all a coincidence.”

Baekhyun nodded. “Right. So after Blue got taken by M-LX, Jiyong hired Durus for his strength and in return, Durus gets money. That was the day when multiple robberies happened in banks all over Seoul. He was taking the money he was supposed to get, but obviously that failed. Why? Because we came to stop him,” Baekhyun explained. “Jiyong didn’t know who and what we were, and so he got Lucy to look into us more. Those dead bodies we found at Itaewon were used to lead us to Lucy just so she could see our competence and report it to Jiyong.

“When Jiyong found out about EXO, he was sure Hyerin was the one he was looking for. It was confirmed once Key managed to get her handprints when he broke into her home back when he was still on their side. Once they got all that information about her they used Suzy, who was still in M-LX at the time, to confirm all of it, including the fact that your heart is pretty much fake, all the while powerful. Once that was out of the way...all this started.”

“What about you?” Kris asked. “What’s your part in all of this? Have you been with them since the beginning?”

Baekhyun bit his lip before shaking his head. “I became an ally one day when TOP cornered me. It was after a show I did with my band and it was really late. He held a gun to my head and forced me to come with him to meet Jiyong. When I met Jiyong I was so shocked I couldn’t move. He blackmailed me, telling me that my family would die if I don’t side with him. They said and did such horrible things that I couldn’t possibly refuse. It was just-” he paused, “It was horrible. I couldn’t…I just couldn’t say no.”

“And this was during when?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Right after Key broke into Hyerin’s house and before we all went to Suho’s mansion for the party,” Baekhyun mumbled.

“Around the time you started acting extremely close to Hyerin,” Sehun venomously spat. “The times when you acted as if you cared about her; cared about everyone.”

“I wasn’t acting,” Baekhyun corrected, patience running low. “I really did care for each and every one of you but the circumstances just won’t-”

“Okay, enough,” Agent Zero interrupted. “No personal issues inside my office.”

Baekhyun closed his eyes, sighing. “Please believe me when I say this.”

“I said enough,” Agent Zero repeated, tone a little softer.

“Right. I’m sorry,” Baekhyun immediately answered. “All I’m saying is that this was precisely planned since day one. It’s the reason why it’s so hard to put Jiyong down. Even if we think we disrupted his plan, next thing you know he has a plan B, a plan C, and a plan D. The key is to be one or two steps ahead of him.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Lay asked.

“Now that Agent M is out of his grasp, he has nothing to blackmail Hyerin with anymore. So literally, right at this very moment, Jiyong and his men are searching every corner for Hyerin,” he explained. “Jiyong needs Hyerin’s power to bring his people in Xinthesia here on Earth. He already managed to drain Tao’s powers and used it to keep Seoul on lockdown. Those walls outside? That’s what he can make out of us. That’s how powerful we actually are, and he’s going to take advantage of that as much as he can.”

“So…the plan?” Xiumin asked.

“In order to prevent Jiyong from taking over the whole of Korea, we need to get her the hell out of here,” Baekhyun said, pointing towards Hyerin. “Far, far away from here.”

“Wait, what?” Hyerin demanded.

“Hyerin, he’s obsessed with you. He’s doing everything he can to look for you at this very moment, and if you think staying in this hideout will be enough to keep you safe then you’re clearly underestimating his power as well as yours,” Baekhyun said, getting frustrated. “Are you actually aware of how much power you hold?”

“Wait, hold on,” Suho interrupted. “So what you’re trying to say is to get Hyerin out of here? As in out of Seoul?”

“Yes.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“I know a way out,” Baekhyun said. “It’s only been several hours since I’ve been gone so no one would be suspicious of me just yet. I can use my position as one of Jiyong’s men to go through the escape route I’m talking about and we can safely get Hyerin out of here.”

“How do we know this isn’t a trap?” Sehun asked.

“I don’t know.” Baekhyun shrugged. “You can only trust me.”

“This is crazy,” Chanyeol interjected. “What if he leaves us hanging and we end up in the middle of a Xinth party, huh? We’ll be gourmet food for them in no ing time!”

“Chanyeol, please calm down,” Agent M said. “I actually think this is a good idea.”

“What!?” they chorused.

“If Hyerin is his main focus right now then we have to get her out of his reach. It’s better to defeat him when he doesn’t have the power he needs rather than when he already has it,” Agent M reasoned. “It makes perfect sense and I think we should go forth with it. Agent Zero, what do you think?”

Zero nodded. “It’s a good plan. It would be easier to stop Jiyong without worrying about Hyerin getting kidnapped at any time. It would be extremely beneficial for all of us.”

“Hold up, guys,” Hyerin entered, standing up from her seat. “I think this is a little too much-”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Kyungsoo interrupted.

Hyerin whipped around with wild eyes. “What!?”

“It’s a great idea,” Kyungsoo repeated, tone stern and final. “With you out of Seoul it would be easier to deal with Jiyong. Looking after you will eventually become a burden and it just makes life easier without you here.”

“Oh, really? Well your mere presence in this room is a ing burden,” Hyerin scoffed. “.”

“Hyerin!” Agent M hissed.

She sighed, sitting back down on her chair. “Whatever, man. I’m not going to try to convince anyone anymore. No one listens to what I say, anyway.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes irritably. “Can you just shut up and act mature for once?”

“Can you just shut up and mind your own business for once?” she mimicked, kicking the boy’s shin under the table.

“Things won’t always go your way so stop acting like a brat,” Kyungsoo spat, kicking her back.

Hyerin laughed bitterly. “You said it better than I could have. Nothing ever goes my way.”

“Maybe it’s time for the both of you to shut the hell up,” Chen hissed irritably.

Agent M sighed, shaking his head at the dispute. “Anyway, if we’re going to do this then we better do it quick. Maybe a day or two from now?”

“That would be alright. During those times I’ll be at the city hall and just act how I normally do.” Baekhyun shrugged. “The only thing we need to worry about is where Hyerin is going to stay.”

“We’ll figure out a plan,” Agent Zero said. “What I’m sure to do though is to split EXO into two. One unit will stay here in Seoul while the second unit will go out of the city to protect Hyerin. We can’t leave her alone out there.”

There was a short span of silence inside the room, everyone holding back whatever kind of protest they were going to make. After looking to each other with wary glances, they all nodded in agreement.

“It’s going to be…tough but it’s the smartest thing to do,” Suho agreed, nodding his head.

“We can’t afford to lose any more agents. We lost hundreds during Jiyong’s takeover; we even lost Kai and we have no idea where he is or if he’s still alive. We need to stay smart and alert. It’s the only way,” Agent Zero said.

“So do we have an agreement here?” Agent M asked, looking at each and every one of them in the eye.

“Of course,” Kris answered. “We’re going to get Hyerin out of here and after that we’re going to form a plan to stop all this madness for good. There’s nothing else to do.”

Agent M nodded. “Right.”

“So do we get to choose which unit we’ll be in?” Chanyeol asked.

“No,” Zero said. “Agent M and I will decide who stays and who goes. We’ll pick based on your strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, ones who have the most suitable powers for battle will stay,” Zero explained, eyes darting towards Kyungsoo. “Understood?”

---

Hyerin stomped her way out of Agent Zero’s office right after the meeting ended, whispering profanities.

“I’d rather kill myself, honestly,” she muttered under her breath, burying her cold hands inside the pockets of her sweatshirt.

Exiting the office shortly after Hyerin, Kyungsoo caught up beside her, equally aggravated.

“You know,” he started. “You’re a sometimes.”

“And you’re a some-” she paused, “most of the time.”

“Why do you always feel the need to interject? You know this is the best for you, right? Why are you always so mad?” he asked impatiently. “You’re always complaining and complaining and complaining when all this is for you.”

“Why don’t you try putting yourself in my shoes, huh? Everyone is always a step ahead of me, always making decisions for me. You think I can’t take care of my own business?” she scoffed, turning sharply on a corner.

“You’re just too reckless for your own good! Why do you think everyone’s looking out for you all the time? ‘Cause everyone’s worried that you’ll get caught up in some and we won’t be able to take you back! You’re just too stubborn!”

“Oh my god, can you stop treating me like a child!?” she exclaimed. “Jesus, I just can’t with this !” she growled, walking faster and faster until Kyungsoo was left behind.

“This brat,” Kyungsoo mumbled under his breath before catching up with the girl again. He abruptly took her by the arm and lead her inside an empty office room. He pushed her inside and locked the door behind him. With that, he proceeded to storm his way towards her until they were finally face-to-face.

“What the hell was-”

“Look I know you want to help,” Kyungsoo interrupted, his voice low and quiet and sounded as if he was going to burst at any minute. “But how many times do I have to tell you that you just can’t go around and do whatever the hell you want; at least, not anymore. Seoul is in your hands now and one silly mistake you make will kill everyone. Do you understand that? Do you?”

Hyerin bit the inside of her cheek, fuming. “I do.”

“So can you just go along with it? Can you please just cooperate for once?”

She stared at him for a while before finally looking away. Without a word, she nodded.

“Good,” Kyungsoo muttered, all of a sudden too aware of the fact that they were alone together. He backed away from her a little.

“Are you mad?” he asked after a long silence.

“No,” she said, though the quietness of her voice unsettled Kyungsoo. “So are you staying?”

“What?”

“Are you staying?” she repeated.

“You mean staying in Seoul while you escape?” he asked. “I don’t know.”

“Oh.”

“Why? Do you want me to?”

“Well, it’s pretty obvious you’re staying,” she said, folding her arms and leaning back against the wall. “Zero did say that he’d make the strong ones stay.”

“But do you want me to?” he repeated, looking at her cautiously as if contemplating whether to go forth with the question or not.

Hyerin scoffed lightly. “I don’t have a say in that. It’s funny you’d ask such a question when you just told me to go along with whatever they say.”

“But if you did have a say…” he trailed off, knowing that she knew exactly what he meant.

Hyerin blinked a couple of times. “Why would it matter?”

“Well,” He shrugged, “Because you matter to me.”

Hyerin’s cheeks reddened as she buried her hands back inside her pockets. “Then, I-I guess-” she stuttered, “n-no. I don’t want you to stay. I want you to come with me.”

Kyungsoo let out a deep breath, his own face reddening despite his stiff and nonchalant demeanor. “Oh,” he mumbled. “That’s good to know, I guess.”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

The awkward silence hung in the air, and neither of them attempted to break it. Hyerin didn’t know what had gotten into Kyungsoo to give him the courage to talk to her alone, especially after that incident they had in the gym. Suddenly, all the awkward moments they had together popped up inside both of their minds, further leading to more discomfort.

Hyerin sighed, fumbling with her fingers. “Great, so…” she trailed off, looking everywhere but Kyungsoo.

“Right,” he said, heading towards the door and opening it. He gestured for her to step out first.

Seeing this, Hyerin hurried to the door to keep him from waiting. Once she was finally out, Kyungsoo followed after her.

“So I’ll see you around, I guess,” Hyerin said.

“Yeah. Tomorrow, probably.”

With a split second of eye contact, the two turned away from each other to the opposite hallways and proceeded to walk in different directions, both mentally cursing themselves for being so awkward and not acting like themselves at all.

It was a wonder what kind of odd phenomenon was playing out between them, but they were sure of one thing – they were both dying to know.

---

A/N: I hear some people say that Hyerin is too perfect, even a Mary Sue, but if you're a fairly knowledgeable writer and reader you would actually know the true definition of a Mary Sue. Yes, Hyerin is good at fighting and being a secret agent in general. She's attractive and she's not dumb. But for some very peculiar reason, people seem to think that as long as you put pleasing physical aspects into a character combined with an equally plausable internal attribute like, for example, being intelligent, the character is immediately classified as a Mary Sue. And it's really weird to me because I know a lot of people irl who are gorgeous and smart and good at sports and trust me, they're far from perfect. But like honestly though??? I never viewed Hyerin as someone perfect, and if I honestly knew her in real life I'd be pretty annoyed with her. lol

Like if it's not obvious enough, let me point it out for you??? Hyerin is the biggest . She has a really bad temper and is somewhat childish. She's very impulsive and actually never thinks before she speaks or acts. Some readers here even get frustrated with Hyerin because she's so complicated to deal with!

This leads me to my next point! This chapter is kind of dedicated to that...somewhat troublesome attitude? Because I just really want you guys to see Hyerin. Like, to actually see beyond her tough outward personality, 'cause it honestly kind of made me sad (not dissapointed just sad) that some people thought that way 'cause I put a lot of effort into her character. I mean I guess this makes me realize that I still need to work on my writing!

BUT IT'S ALL GOOD ALL GOOD I AIN'T TRIPPIN I'M JUST LETTING YOU ALL KNOW

On a different note, let's give Fran a round of applause for making Guts look all pretty and . She drew the new chapter banner and it's really nice! It's still a gun pointing ahead btw and it's super cool. Give her lotsa looooveeee <3

Now that I think about it, this is a really fast update lol. It's just that I'm trying to calm myself and take a break from the stress that is college lol. Lately I've been feeling very lonely and very troubled and very sad because of school, to the point where I actually question myself and my capabilites. It's just a really depressing, really sad experience and I never expected it to happen to me. So all I wish is for this semester to just be...done. I guess. lol.

BUT I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL FOR YOU ALL UNLIKE ME WHO'S DYING HERE LOL. I LOVE YOU GUYS AND I HOPE YOU LIKED THE UPDATE! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT. <3

Also, please upvote! It's been a long-term goal for this to be...featured, I guess? It doesn't matter too much but it would be nice, I guess lol. Thank you!