II. Kim Minseok, Kim Jongin, Wu Yifan.

        Minseok whistled along the singing birds above him. Unfortunately, he can’t see them. Not with the trees covering his sight. He sighed, disappointed. He’s been walking around in circles now. It’s so boring. He brought up his hand and looked at the time. 13:05. Just a few more hours until midnight. He smiled at the thought. He simply couldn’t wait any longer for the initiation to begin. He always imagined it as something he sees on the television.

---

“It’ll be like The Hunger Games, but even better! Possibly mixed with a bit of Harry Potter in it, too. You know, with all the magic and stuff!” Nine-year-old Xiumin had told his mom, his innocent eyes sparkling with excitement after she informed him about what’s waiting for him in just a few years from then.

His mother shook her head with a sad smile plastered on her thin lips.

“No, honey. You won’t find yourself in Hogwarts fighting off Voldemort,” she paused with a chuckle as her son’s eyes widen. “And I know that’s exactly what you expected. Tell me, what’s the worst thing you can possibly imagine?” She asked.

Little Xiumin cocked his head to his right, questioning his mother's question. He saw that she was actually waiting for an answer, so he thoughtfully tapped his chin with his tiny finger. The worst thing he could ever imagine? He scrunched up his nose thoughtfully.

“Well… I don’t want you to leave me, mama. In fact, I don’t want anyone I love to leave me. Ever.” Xiumin answered, starting to worry. Was his mother going to desert him? Leave him alone in the game? Was she coming with him in the first place? He was just about to voice all these questions in his head when his mother smiled and nodded.

        “So you have to fight for it. For us. For yourself. Especially yourself. Make sure to keep that last part in mind.” Xiumin nodded quickly.

        “Good,” His mother continued, planting a kiss on Xiumin’s temple. “Remember, if you don’t fight, you’ll get nothing satisfying in return. And when you do fight, the prize will always be much more than you ask for.” Xiumin nodded again.

        “I love you. My beautiful, precious, little baby boy.”

        “I love you too, mommy.”

---

Xiumin sighed. The flashback still holds a special place in his heart, and it burns painfully in his mind. He couldn’t believe that he was actually excited about this. About dying a painful death. He was almost sure that he wouldn’t make it, and he would fail his family, his mother, and especially, himself.

He doesn’t want to see his mother’s face as tears ran down her wrinkled cheeks as she realize that her only son isn’t ever coming back home into her arms. Ever again. He doesn’t want to see his dad, desperately hiding his tears but failing miserably, and he especially doesn’t want to see his dead body as he flies back to God’s hands.

Xiumin shook his head. No, no, no. He should not think about these kind of things, for it may be a bad omen. He bit his bottom lip in frustration. He’ll make it. He’ll come back to his mother and father, he’ll proudly announce that he had won, and they will have another family dinner. Xiumin smiled at the thought.

Xiumin's ears perked up when he heard a loud noise coming from his left.

Thud.

"Ah, crap... That's the second time today, Yifan. Hold it together!" A person yelled out loud. Xiumin assumed that this Yifan guy is indeed a very clumsy person. Xiumin chuckled as he slowly approached the person.

He slipped in between bushes, and right in front of him, he saw a guy sat right on his bottom, his palms shamefully covering his face. Xiumin raised an eyebrow.

"Are you alright?" Xiumin asked. The guy got alarmed, quickly raising his head with his eyes open wide.

"Huh? Who are you? Where did you come from?" The blonde guy asked, but Xiumin just stared at him, waiting for his questions to be answered, and so the guy continued, "Yes, I am, thank you for asking." The guy replied sarcastically.

Xiumin shrugged. "My name's Kim Minseok, but you can call me Xiumin if it's too difficult." The guy nodded as he stood up from the ground and brushed off the dirt from his behind.

"I'm Yifan. Wu Yifan," Yifan emphasized his name, "but I would like it very much if you call me Kris." Xiumin nodded understandingly.

Just as Xiumin was about to ask more questions, they both heard a scream. Kris was so startled that he jumped, patting his chest afterwards from habit. Xiumin nervously bit his bottom lip.

They both heard a very quick pace of footsteps, obviously headed towards them, meaning that the person is running. Running from something. Xiumin's eyes widen. Should he run too? Should he wait? He glanced nervously towards Kris, not surprised to find him doing the same.

Xiumin and Kris were just about to charge off when a guy tripped over the bushes around them. He quickly jumped back on his feet, turned around, and cautiously scanned the area. He sighed in relief once he made sure they, the things that were chasing him, are gone.

Kris approached him, placed a hand on the guy's shoulder. The guy turned around, eyes wide in surprise. Kris noticed that he didn't seem tired, no signs of fatigue at all. The guy was breathing calmly, no hint of sweat on his face, or anywhere. But he does seem scared for his life.

"You alright? Something happened?" Xiumin nervously asked. If there were indeed another creature other than humans and common wild animals in this place, Xiumin wouldn't know what to do. What are aliens scared of? He doesn't know.

The guy shook his head as Kris lets go of his shoulder.

"It was nothing." He looked down in embarrassment. Xiumin approached him.

"Tell us. Please." The guy looked up towards him shyly and sighed.

"... I'm allergic to bees."

"..."

"..."

"My name is Kai, by the way."