So twenty minutes before our first classes start, all Prey start arriving. Jinae, looking more lost than ever, joins me sitting on the grass where my legs have given in after standing for too long. I have a feeling the Wolves don’t approve of us ‘slacking off’ like this but this time, they’re too caught up chatting up and training the new recruits to care. Jinae plays brave and leans in to whisper in my ear, all the while patrolling Kris as he focuses his stare on Zitao and the other guy.

“So what do you think of them?” She asks me. I have to think for more than necessary, closely observing both recruits; Zitao fixing up his necktie and the guy who hasn’t changed his expression since showing up mindlessly his lips.

“I don’t know yet. But I think I may be in trouble with Zitao.” I rub my thumb on my chin when Jinae replies, “So it’s like that still. But which is Zitao? And why?” I let out a sigh. “The guy who looks like a Zitao. And I accidentally pushed him onto the ground, or pulled really.” I watch as she shifts her eyes between both newbies, waiting for the cartoon light bulb to flash above her head.

“Oh. So he’s Chinese, I see. Do the Wolves know?”

“That he’s Chinese? I’d say so. I mean, there’s not really a reason to hide something like that-“

“No, that you pushed him, I mean. You don’t really seem that worried so I’m guessing no.”

“Oh. Yeah, not really, I don’t think. But he could always end up telling them. Though he doesn’t really seem like the type.”

“Alright then, as long as you don’t get killed on my watch.” I playfully nudge her arm. “What about the other guy?”

“I don’t know the other guy at all.” We have to pause our conversation when Baekhyun raises his voice.

“Come on, you guys have to go through initiation!” I raise an eyebrow at Jinae while she just shrugs. We take this chance to stand up in case they notice and dump even more torture on us. The recruits look reluctant; Zitao’s rubbing the back of his neck while the other guy’s tracing circles in the grass with the toe of his shoe. Somehow I’m really curious what they’re talking about because this is my first time watching such a thing, and Jinae, having been Prey since first year seems absolutely clueless as well.

Chanyeol leans his elbow onto the other guy’s shoulder with a smug look on his face. “You guys just have to run one lap around the school and come back through the Cave howling. You can race for it, actually. Winner can get first pick out of the Prey we already have.”

“Kyungeun, he just looked at you.” I’ve been concentrating on what Chanyeol’s been saying when Jinae whispers this in my ear, so I’m obviously taken aback. “What? Who?”

“Zitao.”

“Does he look like he wants to kill me?” I kind of brace for the answer, and the relief washes over me when she replies.

“No, not really. He just looked, I guess. The other guy too.” I know I shouldn’t be bothered by simple actions like that but at this stage it scares me even just the slightest.

“So, what do you guys say?” Jongdae looks significantly more enthusiastic than usual, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he started bouncing out of nowhere. Both of them just shrug, but the other Wolves take it as a yes. Chanyeol and Baekhyun clap their hands and cheer, pushing the recruits to the front of the Cave.

Kyungsoo comes over and instructs them to assume the proper starting position, as you’d see in a typical race. Joonmyeon takes up the responsibility of counting down, and as he hits one, he forms a makeshift gun with his fingers and shoots it up in the air. “Go!” Zitao and the other guy take off at roughly the same speed while Joonmyeon blows coolly on his pretend shotgun.

The rest of them join in on obnoxiously hooting and cheering and screaming, so I’m forced to look over to the other Prey in an attempt to distract myself from the noise. They’re all completely quiet, watching the race both intently and lifelessly at the same time.

No one’s bothered enough to actually follow the recruits the whole time to make sure the race is fair, which is why the next few minutes fill up with the Wolves arguing about who will win. I obviously don’t have a preference, directing my attention elsewhere and finding myself worrying about whether this little Wolf stint will make me late for History.

It’s maybe in the next six minutes or so when the noise picks up again. “AWOOOOO!” “AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” The sound of heavy shoeprints crunching the gravel pavement of the Cave lets me know they’re back. I only manage to look up when both competitors have stopped, holding onto their knees to catch their breath while Baekhyun and Chanyeol are high-fiving every other Wolf. This is after having to bite hard on my lip to keep myself from laughing because the howling just added to the complete ridiculousness of this whole set-up. This is so stupid.

I have to wonder if I’ve accidentally said that out loud because the next thing I know, I’m receiving a lot more stares than I’m used to. The Wolves, Jinae and the other Prey are all looking at me with similar expressions. Though the Prey appear a little more frightened (for me I assume) and most of the Wolves are raising eyebrows. Kai’s the first to fill me in.

“Mouse, go on over.” I glance at him wide-eyed still the most confused person in the world and when the silence starts creeping back, he scoffs. “You’ve been picked.” I’m still at a loss, eyes flicking from Kai to Jinae to Zitao. So did Zitao win? And he chose me as his Prey?

“You’re my victim.” It’s the other guy who speaks, still maintaining his arrogant poker face.

“We call them Prey, Sehun.” Kyungsoo corrects.

“You’re my Prey.” his lips for what I assume must be at least the eighth time; he slides his hands into his pocket like he didn’t just make a mistake. Taking my time, I walk over to his side carefully and wait for the switch-up to continue. After Zitao’s picked his Prey (who had previously Minseok’s) and Jinae’s been chosen by Luhan, I’m paying less and less attention to who the rest of the Prey have been assigned to and more to this other guy. His nametag is wrinkled and his hair and uniform slightly dishevelled, probably from running I assume. Though I can still see the letters forming Oh Sehun in black marker clearly under the ‘Hello, my name is:’ section. I start wondering how he’ll act. Obviously, I can’t just start asking him questions like I did with Zitao before I found out he was a recruit.

When the final Prey ends up with Baekhyun, I check my watch, discovering that I have exactly three and a half minutes to get to class before the bell rings and get ready to make a run for it. As Joonmyeon announces we’re all dismissed, I try to take a step forward and that’s when I realise this other guy has his grip on my arm. It’s a little hard to move in that position.

“Where are you going?” He glares down at me, but there’s a kind of innocence and confusion in his voice. “Class,” I merely answer. “We still have to go to class?” I’m judging him internally but I nod. It is a school after all. Even though the Wolves are Wolves, to stay in the school, they’re required to attend classes for basic subjects. Even if they don’t pay attention, they just have to show up to avoid getting kicked out.

Everyone else has gone by now, but this Sehun guy is keeping me here, still clinging onto my favourite arm. I’m late, I’m late. And that’s all I can think of. He looks up to the sky with an expression as if he’s realised his stupidity (I make sure not to say this out loud) before turning back to me.

“What class do you have now?”

“History.”

“Crap.” He looks around a few times at nothing. “Can you help me out here?” I’m not quite sure he understands this whole process. I keep myself from letting out a long annoyed sigh.

“I kinda have to.”

“Right.” He nods. “Umm, hang on I think they gave me some sort of timetable earlier.” He lets go of me, sprinting over to fish something out from his backpack which he dropped by some tree. Proud of his success in finding the piece of paper, he throws the backpack over one of his shoulders before dashing back to me. He takes a moment to examine it, finally finding his “Oh!” moment after quite a while.

“Okay, okay. I think it says I have Geography with Ms Park. Do you know where her class is?” I do, considering it’s the classroom across mine. I find myself saying “Follow me,” way too easily.

“Thanks.”

He’s walking like Zitao was, awkwardly trying to follow me. Though maybe a little clumsier this time around.  He’s more curious than Zitao too, flashing glances at every notice and poster that catches his attention.

“Hey, while you’re here, do you have any idea where the dance studios are?” He suddenly asks me.

“Dance? Is that your talent?”

“No, I just wanted to freak them all out, being the lost new kid and all.” I’m not sure whether I should laugh or glare at him. I end up doing neither.

“They’re all upstairs. The Wolves can probably help you with that.” I shrug.

“I’m joking, but yeah, thanks.”

 We finally get there some eight, ten minutes after the bell has rung. I stop in the middle of the hallway and outstretch my palm a little, “Well, here we are.” He tells me, “Thanks,” again before I turn on my heel and hope that Ms Cho will accept my excuse for being late. But then I feel something creeping too close behind me the nearer I get to the classroom door, and it’s when I feel breathing down my neck that I choose to spin around.

“Sehun,” I sigh. It’s the first time I’ve had to address a Wolf by their actual name. “Your class is over there. This is my class.” I point to the door on the other side and he bites on his bottom lip. “Oh, right, thanks.”  He moves his strides to the right direction now, and I discover myself watching as he knocks on the door and goes inside, his self-introduction becoming no more than a mumble when the door closes.

“Yeah, thanks.” I mutter, turning on the door handle and having to apologise to Ms Cho mid-lesson.