The party ended around three in the morning. Hyoyeon was helped by Lay up to one of the rooms since she had been too tired form their moment at the garden. It was Kyoung Jae who woke her up.

“Hyo, wake up. The King wants to meet us,” he smiled down at her.

She pulled herself up, feeling a bit dizzy from the encounter.

“Your eyes are puffy,” he cupped her face.

“Oppa, I am so tired. Can’t we just postpone it?” she asked, feeling the pain sear her again.

“I’ll have someone send you home; I will just talk to him and relay whatever instructions he will tell.”

He helped her up and escorts her to the front door. She recognized one of her brother’s men who opened the door for her. She climbed in and lay on the backseat, feeling too tired again.

**********

Kyoung Jae watched the black car leave and turn on a corner. He proceeded to the basement where the room is located. He pushed the door open and saw all of them gathered, with Kibum’s younger brother Jonghyun.

“Where’s Hyoyeon?” Sooro asked.

“I sent her home. She is too worn out to join us,” he took the empty seat beside Kibum.

“Worn out from making out with her Chinese boyfriend,” Hyuna rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, like how you had it with one of the member of the Octagon,” Kibum rolled his eyes on her.

Key eyed her sister who glared at the two.

“Enough of those. I gather you here to inform you,” Sooro pointed over Key and Hyuna, “And you,” he pointed over Kyoung Jae, “That I am opening a five step battle between the Reaper and the Apple.”

“Five step battle?” Hyuna looked at Sooro, not quite getting the picture.

“You probably know how I operate this group. I always use battle or challenges for you to do a mission and uncover something. But since the Apple has returned and the Reaper had showed an impressive record, it will be between them. This is not just about getting information but impressing me as well. It will best of five so three wins will mean not just a raise but another surprise as well.”

The addressed people looked at him with wide eyes.

“But how about Kibum?” Kyoung Jae asked.

“He will not be part of this. It will be hard to manipulate and the game will be quite complicated. He will deal with other things as well while the two of you goes on a battle,” he grinned at the relaxed Kibum.

“Then how about that boy?” Key pointed over Jonghyun.

“He will participate, but as an aid only. He can help both but he can’t help them destroy or kill each others,” he said at the grinning lad.

“So who will be our concerns?” Kyoung Jae asked.

Sooro clicked something near him and the room dims. The vacant wall on the head of the table started to get illuminated by a projector. Five names were listed, “We will deal with them,” he pointed.

The slide starts with the fifth group.

“They are the Nymphs. They are here a while ago, with the color aqua green. The head is Shin Min Ah, the other members were the two Chinese, Meng Jia and Wang Feifei, and the Korean is Park Sun Young or Luna. They are the only group with female members as the main founder.”

The screen flashes the fourth group.

“They are the Paragon. They are here with the golden masks. They look deceivingly mature, but they are all young. They are Jung Jin Young, Lee Jung Hwan, Shin Dong Woo, Cha Sun Woo and the youngest, Gong Chan Shik.”

The screen flashes the third group.

“This is the most populated among the five. I did not include the profiles because it will take a century before we finish them. There are sixteen of them, the name is Octagon.”

The screen flashes the second group.

“This is the Golden Sphinx. The members profile are very much hidden, I only get what they are popularly known. The Thai member Nickhun, Baekho, Himchan and the only female member Eunji.”

The screen flashes the first and topmost.

“This is the Lux, the group with three members and the richest as of the moment among the five. The leader is Kwon Ji Yong, the other two had their profile well hidden as well, Kwanghee and Taecyeon.”

“So what do we do with them?” Key asked.

“We will take them one by one. We will not eliminate them but get to know them even well. After all, they provide almost half of our funds with their large investments,” Sooro smiled.

“So do we start today?” Kyoung Jae asked.

“Nope. This is just a brief introduction of who will be the actors in our play. This will also give you the prior knowledge to inform the two to dig in each of the group, one at a time,” Sooro looked at the addressed three.

“When do we start?” Hyuna asked, getting excited.

“Sooner. I will inform the two contenders through their phones. I hope the numbers you gave me are functional,” he grinned at them.

“This will be fun,” Kibum leaned on his chair as Kyoung Jae lets out a weary sigh.

**********

The head ache that had been tormenting her soon faded as the painkiller took effect. Her brother asked her to meet him on their company, so she is heading there with a clear mind already. She handed the car keys on the awaiting valet and get inside. She took the exclusive golden lined elevator, straight to her brother’s office at the topmost floor.

“What is it?” she asked after settling on the couch.

“The King gave us orders that you and the Reaper will have a battle,” Kyoung Jae started, turning his swivel chair to face the large screen TV which airs local news.

“Battle? About what?” she looked at him incredulously.

“The Top Five,” he replied without looking at her.

She leaned on the leather couch, “What is with that old man? He should know how the Twin Trouble plays so why would he risk such thing?”

“Because he can. So all you have to do is start with digging on the profiles of these people,” he pushed her slim black folder.

She stood up and grabbed it before going back to his place and scanned the files.

“You are kidding me right?” she let out a nervous laugh.

“No I am not kidding,” he looked at her.

“I will really kill myself in here if I get to these people in depth. What is wrong with that old man? Is he too lazy already?” she throws the folder on the center table.

“Don’t speak like that. This will be a best out of five so make good. He will contact you two in your cellphone so be sure to always have that phone of you on okay?” he stares at her.

“I know you are scared, but I am more scared than you. I am afraid of what might happen to you,” he sighed.

“So what is the catch?” she asked.

“It’s still in a wrapped box so we all don’t what the King has in store for who will win if ever,” Kyoung Jae replied.

“Have you had your breakfast?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“I was hoping you would ask me out if you don’t have any pending meetings or the likes,” she smiled sheepishly.

“Call on Soohyun, we will have lunch together,” he said and grabbed his phone to reserve somewhere expensive.

**********

Lay had been turning over his bed over and over, feeling too lazy to get up. Running footsteps and the loud slam of his bedroom door startled him. Kyle and Kirby’s voices filled his room.

“LAY APPA!” they squealed and climbed on his bed before they start jumping up and down the soft mattress.

Kyungsoo soon appeared on the door.

“I was expecting Kris hyung or Sooyoung noona, but then I should add you to the list as well,” he pulled himself up despite the wave of the soft mattress from the two kids.

“Lay Appa, let’s go play outside. Our Appas are already there!” Kirby climbed on to his lap as Kyle keeps on jumping up and down.

“Is there something bothering you?” Kyungsoo asked, despite the two kids.

“Had a very long night with her so here I am, all worn out from that night,” he replied.

“Kids! Come on! Your mother is waiting for you!” Kris voice echoed outside and in a minute, the two are out the doors as the silence settles in.

“Then what about Min Ah?” Kyungsoo asked.

“We are not on any level. We are just friends or probably getting to know each other,” Lay replied as the memory of their kiss under the rain flashed on his mind.

“You look like you are rowing two boats in one river.”

“No, I am not!” Lay defended, “I still feel the same for Hyo, but our situation is so complicated. We just can’t be together. Min Ah on the other hand, is just someone I met, hangs out with no malice at all. There is definitely going on between us,” he added.

“But what if Min Ah falls in love with you?” Kyungsoo asked which startled Lay.

That is something he did not expect.

**********

It was probably around one in the morning when Hyoyeon grabbed her wailing phone.

‘Who the hell would call this early?’ she frowned and received the call.

It was a mechanical voice that answered.

“Order number one for the Reaper and the Apple from the King. You will start the competition with the Nymphs. One of the members is an enemy. She had been sabotaging the major deals of the whole organization. The order is to find the said impostor and kill her. The time limit will be three days.”

There was the beep. Her head is still groggy as she keeps on recalling the message that was given to them. She shook her head and tapped on her phone and replayed the message.

‘Impostor among the Nymphs? Three days?’ she thought.

“!” she grumbled and laid flat on her bed. This will be hard.

And the game starts.