“Nice to meet you, Youngjae,” the teacher said with a bright expression. She looked around the classroom until she spotted the chair next to Sunhi. “Why not sit next to Sunhi-ssi today? Minki is absent, so it should be no problem.”

            Youngjae nodded and sat down next to Sunhi. He turned to his seatmate who simply avoided his gaze. “Hello, I am Youngjae. It’s nice to meet you, Yoon Sunhi.”

            Sunhi turned toward the strange blonde boy. “How’d you know my full name?”

           “I’ve done extensive research on all of my classmates. There is nothing you can do or say that’ll surprise me.”

            “Research? Do you realize how creepy you just sounded?”

            “Rest assured, Yoon Sunhi. I am not a creep.”

            Sunhi rolled her eyes turning toward the front of the classroom as the teacher began her science lecture. She glanced at her new seatmate, noticing him take out an unusually large, light blue notebook. He turned to a page near the middle and anxiously took down the teacher’s every word at amazing speed.

            Sunhi began to stare at the studious blonde. She’d never seen notes taken so fast and thoroughly. He seemed to really be interested in human biology; in fact, his interest in the matter was a bit unsettling.

            “Seonsaengnim?” Youngjae raised his hand when the teacher began explaining the purpose of the pulmonary artery within the human heart.

            “Yes, Youngjae? Am I going too fast?”

            “No, ma’am.” He set his pencil down. “In order to better understand the purpose of the human heart; wouldn’t it be better to dissect someone here?”

            The class looked at him strangely for a moment while the teacher was left speechless. After a moment, the class burst into laughter as the teacher shook her head. “No, Youngjae. This is not a class on homicide.”

            Youngjae sighed heavily and went back to his notes, mumbling to himself. “How the heck am I supposed to understand the human heart?”

            Sunhi chuckled, overhearing the boy’s statement. “That’s an impossible goal.”

            “Ehh?” Youngjae asked.

            “I mean, on an emotional level, no one can really understand the human heart,” Sunhi giggled at her own joke. “But if you want to understand the circulatory system, there are other ways to learn besides dissection.”

            “Such as?”

            “Sunhi. Youngjae. Quiet down, over there.” The teacher announced grabbing Sunhi and Youngjae’s attention.”

            “Y-Yes Sir!” Youngjae saluted, earning more laughs from the class.

            The teacher went back to her lecture. Sunhi chuckled but Youngjae went back to taking notes.

            After a while, the teacher closed her lecture notes and passed out a sheet of paper. “Alright everyone, I’ve a big project for you.” The class groaned but Youngjae focused in anticipation. “You will work in pairs with your seat mate and design a model of the circulatory system. I’m giving you complete creative freedom on this project. All you need to do is present your project in a way that’ll thoroughly display your understanding of the circulatory system.”

            “Seonsaengnim?” A student in the corner asked.  “Does it matter whether or not we make a 2-D model like a poster of a 3-D model like a sculpture? Would it be ok to make a video or slideshow presentation?”

            “Whatever you want to do is fine, Krystal.” The teacher answered. “You can make a comic book, for all I care. As long as you properly show the functions of each part of the circulatory system, you can be as creative as you want.” The class started to think and discuss their projects with their seatmates.

            “Your project is due in 3 weeks. Presentations will be on Friday, the twelfth.” The Teacher continued. “Any more questions?”

            Sunhi’s hand darted into the air. “Seonsaengnim, what about Ren?”

            The teacher smiled. “Well, for now, you will be working with Youngjae. Since Dongho-ssi is also absent today, the two of them can work together. I’ll fill them in on the project later.”

            Sunhi rolled her eyes, mumbling, sarcastically. “Great, Ren and Baekho; that won’t backfire in the slightest.”

            “Hmm? Backfire?” Youngjae asked.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Sunhi sighed, thinking of her best friend’s ongoing fights with the class clown. She knew she wouldn’t hear the end of this. She sighed before turning to Youngjae. “So, what kind of model should we make?”

            “What if removed the heart from some unsuspecting bystander, but kept it beating and…”

            “NO DISSECTIONS!”

            Youngjae sighed. “Ok. Maybe we could build a heart shaped…fountain of some kind and pump water through it to represent human blood flow?”

            “That’s a great idea,” Sunhi jumped, excitedly. “Oh. But I don’t know how we could do it. I don’t know anything about mechanics.”

            “Leave that to me,” Youngjae smirked, pointing to himself. “I am a technological genius. You just design the heart and I’ll develop how it works.”

            “Really?! You’re awesome, Youngjae!”

            Youngjae smiled confidently as he glanced around the room. “Y’know, I’d probably be able to build it better it I had an active model. Maybe if we cut somebody o-”

            “No dissections!” Sunhi yelled shaking her head. Unbelievable.

            Lunch came around and Sunhi sat at her usual table with Amber. It was a relatively quiet lunch without Ren to bug Amber, but the two girls managed to keep themselves entertained. Sunhi glanced over to the kingka table where Yoseob was chatting away with his fellow second year, Lee Kikwang and freshman Son Dongwoon.

            Sunhi couldn’t help but remember the insanity that had recently entered her life as well her conversation Yoseob, while they were in the car.

            “So, Sunhi, I’m sure this is kinda a big surprise to you.” Yoseob said as he drove through the underground complex.

            “That’s the understatement of the century,” Sunhi remarked, glancing out the window at the humans and aliens that passed.

            “We couldn’t tell you the truth, Sunhi. It was too dangerous. We don’t wanna risk you getting attacked by aliens because of what we do.” He sighed, keeping his eyes in front of him. “Why’d that Nalkitsune have to choose you as a Nalmiyoh?” He shook his head at the thought and Sunhi perked up at the mention of the alien.

            “Speaking of Sungjae,” Sunhi turned to the half Kintan kingka. “You said he’s at war?”

            “His planet’s at war. He’s come to scout our planet for the battleground with six other Nalkitsune.”

            “There are six other fox aliens like him?!” Sunhi asked, a bit surprised.

            Yoseob nodded. “On the other hand, Planet Mato has also sent out their scouting party.

            Sunhi swallowed. “The other planet’s scouts are here too?!”

            “Yeah, but there’s not guarantee they’re in Korea.” Yoseob answered.

            “What if they are? Will our town of Icheon be destroyed?!”

            Yoseob smiled. “Not yet. There’s a year before the actual seven year battle.” Yoseob’s words didn’t seem to calm Sunhi but he continued. “Until then, both planets are in a peace period. The groups can’t attack each other, or any other living organism, or they’ll be punished by the high council. This stage of the battle is strictly for information retrieval.”

            “Who is this high council?! How the hell can they decide to use our planet as a setting for war?”

            “We don’t know, Sunhi,” Yoseob answered reluctantly. “But both planets listen to them. It keeps both the Nalki and the Mato planets’ systems organized.”

            “That’s stupid.” Sunhi pouted crossing her arms.

            Yoseob laughed and agreed. “I know, right. If it were up to me, those high-council idiots would be a smoking crater in the crab nebula by now.” Sunhi tilted her head in confusion. “Right. Right. You don’t know about the crab nebula. I’ll tell you later.” He chuckled excitedly.

            Sunhi nodded. It was unreal to thingk that all the sci-fi she loved was suddenly real. There were so many questions she wanted to ask Yoseob but because she didn’t have much time, there was one more thing she had to know.

            “Yoseob, I think I may be able to spot another Nalkitsune if I meet one,” Sunhi paused, trying to get a clear image of Sungjae in her head. “So, what do the Mato aliens look like?”

            Youngjae spotted the Sunhi and Amber in the cafeteria and immediately sat with them. “Hello, Yoon Sunhi-ssi.”

            “J-just call me Sunhi,” Sunhi took a bite of her kimchee.

            “Hm? Who is this?” Amber asked, mouth full.

            “Oh, this is Youngjae. He’s new.

            Youngjae sat his tray on table before turning to Amber and smiling. “Yoo Youngjae, freshman, technological genius. Nice to meet you…um…”

            “Amber Liu. I’m a second year. Nice to meet you, Youngjae.” She extended her hand and Youngjae looked at it curiously. “Are you gonna shake it?”

            “Oh right! Ritual of greetings.” Youngjae took her hand and shook it violently before letting go and smiling. “Nice to meet you, too. May I call you Hyung?”

            Amber eyes narrowed as she prepared a fist. “What was that?!”

            “Unnie! Unnie calm down,” Sunhi grabbed Amber’s wrist. “He’s new, and your uniform probably confused him.”

            Youngjae tilted his hand in confusion. He had reached for something in his pocket when Amber had threatened to attack but let it go when Sunhi stopped her.

            “Youngjae. Amber’s a girl, not a boy.” Sunhi explained.

            Youngjae nodded, resting his leg on his thigh. Gender confused females. What an odd planet. “May I call you Noona then?”

            “Fine,” Amber grunted.

            Sunhi returned to her meal and chatted with Amber. “I guess Kikwang was in class today.”

            “Yeah, and the teacher didn’t even ask why he was absent or give him make up work or anything. That jackass always gets off easy.”

            Sunhi laughed as Amber talked about her greatest enemy. Meanwhile, Youngjae stared at the food in front of him.  He glanced up a few times, watching Amber and Sunhi taking food into their mouths, using unusual metal utensils. Intrigued, he took up the pair of metal sticks on his tray and started to analyze them.

            “Something wrong with your chopsticks, Youngjae?” Sunhi asked after swallowing.

            “No! Not at all,” The blonde spoke nervously. “I’m sure I can master these nutrient transporting devices in no time flat.”

            “Nutrient transport devices?” Amber asked, eyeing the weird boy. “They’re chopsticks. Are you sure you’re-”

            “Yes, yes. I’m human!” Youngjae took the chopsticks in his palm, stabbing them into his food.

            “I meant, are you sure you’re Korean? If you’re from The States or some other western country, then I totally understand you not knowing how to use chopsticks. I couldn’t use them well when I first moved here too.”

            “Oh ok,” Youngjae relaxed a bit. “I am from The States, or some other western country.”

            Sunhi laughed and passed the odd blonde a spoon. “Just eat however you feel comfortable.”

            Youngjae smiled and nodded before scooping up his rice, with his hand, and patting it into a ball, before eating it over the course of three bites. Sunhi and Amber stared in awe at the happy chewing boy. “What?” He asked. “Was that incorrect?”

            Both girls began laughing at the boy with grains of rice scattered about his face. He smiled and went back to his animalistic eating. Girls are so weird on this planet.

            The rest of the day, Sunhi spent with her new friend, Youngjae. The two were fortunate enough to have most of the same classes and the cute faced blonde was really warming up to Sunhi. It was the end of the day and two sat together in study hall.

            “We should probably find a time to work on our biology project this week.” Sunhi spoke softly, looking up from her book report.

            “Indeed. How about tonight? We could study at your house.” The blonde answered.

            Sunhi thought for a second. Even on a normal day, Doojoon didn’t allow boys, other than his friends, into the house. Ren is an exception because Doojoon says he looks too feminine to be a real boy.

            Even if Doojoon let Youngjae inside, there’s no way she could let him amongst the recent insanity. What is Sungjae was still there? How would she explain the alien fox boy? Sunhi shook her head. Her house was absolutely out of the question.

            “Sorry. M-my dad and brother don’t allow boys over.” Sunhi stuttered nervously.

            “But aren’t they boys?”

            Sunhi laughed at this statement. “Ok. Yes but… you know what I meant.”

            Youngjae was genuinely confused but kept it hidden, as not to raise suspicion.

            “What if we worked at your place?” Sunhi asked, setting down her pencil.

            “M-my place?” Youngjae didn’t really want to bring Sunhi home. Neither his leader nor general would approve of a girl in their base of operations. Then again, what other chance would he have to observe the behavior of a human female outside the school grounds? Meh, Yongguk will get over it.

            “I guess we can go to my place.” Youngjae smiled. “But I’ll warn you. I have 5...erm…brothers, and they may be a little…odd.”

            Sunhi smiled, thinking of Doojoon and friends at the mention of weird brothers. “I think I’ll take my chances.”

A/N : 

Sorry for the late update. I've a lot on my mind and even more work to do (between school and my job) Summer vacation isn't far so I'll try to update a little more at that time. "I Have to Win" will be updated later this week. 

Game Time!!

Excellent work again 

b2utifulyoebo

For scoring the title for chapter 4. 

GOOD LUCK ALL!!