(1)

"Accidents happen for a reason."

SPLASH!

The sound of water filled the room as Hani washed her face. School starts at nine, and she didn't want to be late on the first day. She attends a school called Butei High School, also known as School for the Skilled. Her father owns an organization that produces the best agents in the industry. Ever since childhood, Hani had wanted to be like her father, so she naturally began her training at the age of 6. Her weapons of choice became two Colt Government Model M1911A1 semi-automatic pistols (one black and one silver) with custom hinge type triggers (as opposed to the traditional straight pull triggers of the M1911) and custom grips. She also began to use two undersized Japanese swords, known as Kodachi. She’s currently ranked as the highest fighter at their school, but wished to keep her identity anonymous, so she'd disguised her soldiery self as Astraea, a cutthroat warrior clad with custom-made mask at every appearance. No one suspected that Butei High’s beloved queenka was the cruel Astraea.

Astraea was also known for solving the unsolvable. She was the one behind the captivation of Korea’s biggest drug-dealer, Yoshi. She had also fought notorious gangs in a daily basis and is the reason of their town’s low crime rates. Mostly, Astraea was known for killing her targets in the most brutal way possible. There’d been a rumor going around town claiming that onlookers of one of her fights saw Astraea claim victory with her both arms dripping with blood. They even said that she tore the criminal’s body apart using her bare hands.

But today, she was not to be a fearsome agent. After applying some lip balm, she tied her hair up into a ponytail. Looking at herself in the mirror, the sides of her lips tugged upward. She looked nice and friendly, just as planned. She ran downstairs and glanced at her wristwatch. She still has 30 minutes before the gates close.

“Good morning, Miss.” Her family’s butler, Mr. Jung, greeted. She smiled and waved at the man who was in his mid-30s, slipping inside the car. “What’s my schedule for today, Uncle?” she asked, looking outside the window. Her eyes caught sight of a group of guys heading towards the same direction as she was. BTS, a clan of fighters acclaimed as Butei High School’s most elite kingkas and absolute girl magnets. Her gaze focused on Jimin, a member popular for his killer smile and beastly body. Where’s the beast in that? He’s so tiny! “After school, you have 2 hours of training and you’ll have to fight Koma at the end of the session. Then at 6PM, you have to review unsolved cases from nearby towns. That’ll be all for today,” Mr. Jung delivered. Averting her gaze from tiny Jimin, she sighed. “Is there any news about the organization that keeps sending us death threats? I gotta say, their mails are getting kinda creepy.” Mr. Jung glanced at her, shaking his head. “Why won’t you just tell your dad so it’ll be easier to track them down?” Hani chuckled and slightly shook her head. “Let’s leave him out of this. He’s already got tons of cases to solve and you know how protective he can be. He won’t let me leave the house once he finds out.” She got out of the car once it stopped in front of a familiar looking establishment. She waved Mr. Jung goodbye and made her way towards the gates, a few students greeting her here and there. Making his exit, Mr. Jung stared at the girl and sighed. That kid's so... selfless

As lunch time came, Hani packed her things and proceeded towards the cafeteria. Although a lot of people looked up to her as Hani, she had no one to consider as her best friend. Why? It was hard to keep them safe. Being with her would mean danger. If someone were to find out that she was Astraea, they would start attacking those close to her and she did not want to risk a friend's life. She inwardly groaned when she saw BTS coming out of their classroom. She never liked them. She hates the way Namjoon chews his gum. She hates the way Jin styles his hair. She hates how Suga shows no emotion. She hates how clingy and cheerful J-hope is. She hates Taehyung’s long hair. She hates Jimin’s flirty smile. And most of all, she hates how she can’t figure out what was going on through Jungkook’s mind. They also had this aura that made you want to punch them for no apparent reason. The positive side to this was that she knew they hated her too because they never talked or acknowledged her.

When classes finally ended, she sent Mr. Jung a text saying that she’d just walk her way to the headquarters. While she was on her way, she suddenly craved for something bitter and sweet. A coffee and a pie can satisfy that craving, right? She looked around in search for a cafe and pouted when she couldn’t see one. With heavy steps, she took the shortcut that leads to the facility. The road had been unused in the recent years because of the nearby construction sites, making it seem deserted once the workers had packed up and went home. She was humming a song when she suddenly heard someone calling for help. It was faint, almost inaudible for someone who isn’t observant. Quickly turning around, she grabbed her pistols and ran to where the voice was coming from.

What surprised her wasn’t the amount of attackers, but the victim himself. The twenty some attackers had gathered and commenced in punching and kicking the subjected boy. Hiding behind a wall, she threw on the mask that covered her chin up to her left eye, assuring her that no one would ever recognize her in this type of cover up. Maintaining a good distance, she shot 5 bullets simultaneously, and in a matter seconds, 5 attackers fell on the ground. Now the attention was laid on her.

“. Astraea’s here. Run!”

Stretching her neck, she fired multiple shots towards the fleeting fighters and jumped, kicking two guys at the same time by splitting her legs open in mid-air. 3 guys attacked her and managed to cut her left cheek. She inwardly cursed. Drawing out her swords, she swung one on top of a guy’s head, causing a few gasps to erupt as it inadvertantly trimmed a piece of his hair off. They gulped and were about to run when she swung her swords, each earning a huge cut on their chest. Blood was everywhere by then. She looked around. They were all gone except for the victim. She hollered at the guy and carried him. She ran as fast as she could but due to the guy’s weight, they both collapsed on the ground. . He’s on top of me. What the hell is he not moving? “They didn’t hurt you that much. You should still be conscious by now.” She shook him by his shoulders. He's really not moving. Sighing, she pushed him to stand up against her, only to find her shirt drenched with blood. Her eyes widened while eyeing the guy, her face scrunched up due to displeasure. Oh great. Those bastards shot him.

*footsteps

She mentally cursed and carried the unconscious boy to hide. The sound of footsteps got louder and louder by each passing second. She gulped. This has been the hardest situation she’s ever been. After a few minutes of silence, she heard them leave. Hani heaved a deep sigh and stared at the guy lying beside her. I hope I won’t regret doing this. She carried him on her back with a sigh and made her way to the facility.

“What happened?” Mr. Jung asked as soon as she arrived. She had used the back door and texted Mr. Jung to come and help her cover things up. No one should've been able to see the guy here. It was for his safety. What am I saying? He’s already in danger before I saw him. “Some dudes were bullying him, I guess.” she said as she opened the door to her quarters. However, it is very unlikely for this boy to be bullied. He's a kingka afterall. He's kind of a jerk though. She laid his unconscious body on her bed before she stood straight and patted down her skirt. “And, what did you do?” he asked, fighting the urge to smile because he knew exactly what the girl did. She liked to save strangers. But, this is the first time she’s brought someone here. “I waited until they left him," she said, shrugging. The man sighed, “Tell me the truth.” Hani groaned and plopped on the chair beside her bed. “Fine. I killed some and the others got away.” Her method of dealing with people she viewed as a threat doesn’t surprise him anymore. He knew what the girl is capable of. Mr. Jung nodded and proceeded to leave the room. “You know where the kit is. Take good care of that guy,” he said and closed the door. She stood up the moment the door closed and walked to the closet to change to her training wear. She gave the unconscious boy a one last glance before turning to leave.

After training for a couple of hours, Hani walked back to her room to check on the guy. She grabbed the chair beside her bed and pulled it to the other side of the room. She sat there in complete silence, crossing her arms and legs. Why was  he attacked? The guy groaned which stopped her train of thoughts. Hani breathed in, nervousness rising in her chest. She quickly put on her mask. He’s going to open his eyes any minute now. Should I greet him? What’s his name again? Is it Jonghui? Jungmin? Joo-

“I’m glad you’re finally awake.”

You were supposed to call him by his full name, stupid. Jungkook looked at her, a shocked expression on his face. “You- what is this place?” he asked, scanning his environment. The place didn't look normal to him. The walls and floors were entirely made of metal,; the bed he was sitting on was too soft for his liking and the sound of the AC is the only thing that filled the air. “You’re at a hospital. They shot you,” she lied. He raised a brow at her. This isn’t how a hospital looks like. Jungkook thought. “I’m leaving.” he sat up but flinched at the stinging pain that started on his abdomen.. “Stay there. I’m sending some people to accompany you on your way home.” He wanted to roll his eyes. He doesn't like taking orders from other people except himself. He could complain but decided not to because she had this authoritative aura around her. Even though Jungkook doesn’t like to be ordered around, he obliged without complaints. He scanned her from head to toe as she backfaced him. She was wearing a signature ensemble of a black tank top, tactical pants and a pair of combat boots. Is this girl really Astraea? She seems so… fragile. What caught Jungkook’s curiosity was her familiar figure. It was like he’d seen her before but couldn’t put a finger on where exactly. As if she could sense someone looking at her, Astraea turned around and caught his eyes and blinked at him in return.. “They’re here. You can go now.”

Hani decided not to go home and stayed up until dawn, tracking down Jungkook’s phone number. If only she hadn't gotten so nervous, she could’ve asked for his phone number and she could've been lying on her comfy bed by now. She yawned and stretched her arms. Sighing in relief as she had finally located his contact, Hani fished her phone out of her pocket and began typing.

Don’t tell anyone about what happened today. We never met.

- Astraea