(2)

“Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines.”

After that incident, Jungkook couldn't help but think about Astraea. Everything about her is oddly familiar. Well, she goes to the same school as me so maybe I’ve seen her before. But it’s impossible because they've never watched her previous battles. If only I knew this was going to happen. I should’ve watched her from the very beginning.

BTS was walking down the hallway when they noticed Hani walking towards their direction. Jungkook groaned. Although they didn’t know anything about her, the fact that she was popular made them instantly dislike her. All queenkas were the same in their eyes. All these girls cared about was their looks and who they would be spending the night with. As they passed by her, Jungkook couldn't help but notice the bandage on her left cheek. Didn’t Astraea had a cut on her left cheek too? Jungkook turned to look at her but it was short-lived ss she had took a turn and disappeared from his sight. “What’s wrong?” Jimin asked, raising a brow. Strange. Their bodies looked similar too. “Nothing. I just thought I forgot something.”

“Oh really? I’m pretty sure you were checking the queenka out,” Suga teased, wiggling his eyebrows at the younger. J-hope flicked his forehead. “Can’t you see he’s in a really bad mood today?” Jungkook rolled his eyes and walked beside Taehyung. “I wonder what happened to Hani though. Her left cheek looks bad,” Taehyung said as BTS entered the cafeteria. Jungkook shrugged and made his way towards their table.

“Harder!” Hani groaned, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She had been training for 3 hours straight and it seemed like the trainer was pushing her to her limit. Gathering her remaining energy, she hit the punching bag as hard as she could until the sound of metal clashing with the floor filled the room. “Good job. You successfully managed to take down three bags today. I’ll give you a minute to rest,” he said and left the room. With heavy breaths, she grabbed a towel and poured water on top of her head. Is my next mission that important for them to push me this far? She sat on the floor, drinking the remaining water. She remembered Jungkook staring at her during lunch period. Was he suspecting her? But that can’t be. Her face was well-hidden. She stood up and faced the mirror, frowning at the cut on her cheek. . I forgot that I have this. It might be the reason why. Hani scolded herself for being too careless and forgetting to conceal such an important evidence. She grabbed her phone, dialed someone’s number and sat down once again. “Buy me a foundation and a concealer. Oh! I need painkillers as well.”

“Is it that time already?”

“Yes. Father said I’ll receive it tonight.”

“Don’t tire yourself too much, Miss.”

“Too late, Mr. Jung. But thanks,” she said and hung up. The trainer arrived with two swords and threw one at her. “Fight me. No holding back this time.” A few moments of silence passed before the room got filled with the sound of clashing metals.

After her training, she hurried to her father’s office without cleaning her wounds. She had won against her trainer but got a huge cut on her right arm and a bruises all over her body on her right thigh. He was her trainer for a reason. She opened the door and saw her father seated on a chair that has its back facing her. “Dad?” He turned around and flashed her a soft smile. “Take a seat, my daughter.” She followed and sat on a chair in front of his table. “So what is it this time?” she asked and her dad chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “Alright alright, Ms. Impatient. All of your subjects’ details are here, along with their schedules. You have the whole night to read everything, and tomorrow, your mission starts,” he said, passing a brown envelope to her.

Hani entered her room and sent a text to Mr. Jung saying that she’d be spending the night at the headquarters. Plopping herself on the bed, she opened the envelope but the printed files fell on her face. She cringed and looked at the fallen pictures. The sentence “What the ?!” came out of after finding who her newest assignment was. She stood up, stormed out of the headquarters and slipped the mask on her face. She couldn’t decipher what exactly she felt the moment he saw their face. She needed something to calm her down and she knew exactly what she needed. But, it was of no use. Her mission would start the next day, and there was no way of escaping it. Astraea sighed. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her father.

--

It was happening. The moment everyone had been waiting for is finally happening. Although it was both dangerous and risky, Astraea decided to attend the school’s practice session. Everyone, including the teachers, gaped when the gym doors opened, and Astraea walked towards the class. Hushed whispers could be heard everywhere, and it seemed that the news about Astraea’s presence during a normal school day had broke out in the whole school as everyone who had flocked inside the gym began to surround her class.

“Okay since everyone is gathered here today, why not give them a little show?” the teacher smiled at his students, earning some nods and cheers. He told everyone to pair up, carefully watching the chaotic class. He glanced at Astraea and found his students gathering away from her. “No one wants to fight Astraea? That’s too bad. I guess I’ll have to fight her then,” he said, shrugging but his eyes were glistening in amusement. Some laughed and some cheered for Mr. Kim’s bravery, also because they were thrilled to see their professor get beaten into a pulp. The once noisy place quieted down when BTS came in, each member looking as cool as ever. Now this truly was a match worth watching because it had captured even BTS’ attention, which was a rare comeuppance. “I don’t think we’ll be able to watch it properly though,” Jimin said, rubbing his nape as he looked around the people that flocked to the same area. He never liked crowded places. “Yeah, only because you’re short,” Namjoon teased, earning a glare from the younger. “Let’s use the bleachers. They're there for a reason.” Suga said as a matter-of-fact with a roll of his eyes and left his friends to lounge with superiority in that higher place. “That impatient hyung.” Jungkook said, shaking his head, and followed. To their surprise, everyone had done the same and the floor soon cleared out. After completing his warmups, Mr. Kim gulped his water inpudently as his match with Astraea approached. She had always been his target and now was his chance to accertsain out how good she really was. He had wanted to prove if the rumors were true. That she was and still is a human killing machine. Meanwhile, Astraea was in the changing room preparing herself for the match. She had no idea what kind of fighting style Mr. Kim used and she didn’t want to underestimate him.

Loud roars errupted when Astraea at last came out, dressed in a tank top and army pants. The pair positioned and readied themselves, both intensely eyeing the other. You may still be a student but I won’t go easy on you. Mr. Kim thought. He attacked her as soon as the whistle blew, but his once determined face was soon replaced with a frown when his target was no longer visible. “Behind you!” the students shouted, but it was too late for him for she had already pinned him on the ground, her right arm on his neck and left foot on his wrist. He was already in a hopeless position. “What are you waiting for? Finish it,” he seethed. Their school had a unique way of determining the winner in a practice match. The first one to bleed loses.

Oddly enough, instead of delivering the final blow, Astraea stood up, patted her pants and left the room, which left everyone in a beffadled state. What happened? Why didn’t she cut him? Everyone groaned when the doors closed and Astraea was then out of their sight. “I heard all her opponents died after their matches. They said they were mercilessly killed,” a student said, earning curious looks from people near her, including Jungkook. He messed his hair in frustration and sighed. He really should forget about her. “Dude, you okay?” Taehyung asked, eyeing him with a frown. He nodded and stood up. “I’m going to the restroom. Be back soon,” Jungkook said as Taehyung followed.

--

“So, tell me what’s bothering you,” Taehyung asked as soon as they reached the men’s room. Jungkook faced him. Should he tell him? Taehyung and Jungkook practically grew up together and had promised to tell everything to each other. It was to be a life without secrets. Jungkook scratched the area behind his ear and gulped. He really couldn’t keep anything unnoticed by this boy. Taehyung laughed and teasingly nudged his side. “Are you scared to tell me? What is it? Lost your ity?” he prompted, earning a scoff from the younger. “Me? Scared? Impossible.” Jungkook paused. “Okay so I met a-" Jungkook was cut off when Taehyung suddenly covered his mouth with his hand, looking like he saw a ghost. “She’s here,” Taehyung whimpered. Jungkook could see beads of sweat forming on his friend’s forehead. He knew who Taehyung meant about at once, a smirk instantly forming on his lips. The approaching figure is Taehyung’s first love. Then, it clicked to him. So she's the reason why Taehyung had been down these past few days. It was because of her. It was because she got hurt. “Well then, why are you just standing there? Go and give her that band aid you bought this morning. Geez, Tae. You’re so slow,” he urged, rolling his eyes, and pushing Taehyung outside.

--

This was why she never attended practices at school. They always forced students to injure their opponents badly. She didn't want to hurt Mr. Kim. She can’t do it in front of all those people. Now back as Hani, she made her way towards the washroom to cover the cut she got when she had saved Jungkook. Hani was about to enter when she felt a poke on her shoulder. She turned around and was suddenly face-to-face to a smiling Taehyung. “Uh... hi?” she said, frowning at the situation she was suddenly in. She watched him fumble with the hem of his shirt. He looked hesitant. Was he planning to do something? Just then, Taehyung took her wrist and placed something on her hand. “Please take good care of yourself,” he said, following an expression of disappointment and embarrassment. “Thanks, I guess.” Taehyung nodded and grinned. “I… I’ll go now,” she said. This is so awkward. I want to be rude, but I can’t when he’s nice to me. “See you later,” he said before she turned around and entered the washroom.

--

“’Please, take good care of yourself.’ Pft- what are you? Leaving?” Jungkook had tears of laughter in his eyesas he quoted Taehyung’s words. He found his friend's love-related misfortune quite funny. “Yeah yeah. Laugh at my misery.” Taehyung pouted, crossing his arms on his chest. “I feed from your pain. What’s new? The Kim Taehyung that girls swoon at and probably worship, stutters in front of the girl of his dreams.” Jungkook said, wiping his tears. Taehyung flicked the younger’s forehead and huffed, “Who doesn’t get nervous when faced with their dream girl though?” he said, crossing his arms with his brow raised. “Me, obviously.” Jungkook had said, returning Taehyung’s smug smirk. “That’s because you haven’t met the girl of your dreams yet,’ he stuck his tongue out to his friend. “Okay, so, where were we? Don't you have a little something to reveal?” Jungkook breathed in and sighed, “Yesterday, a group ganged up on me, and there were like 20 of them against me-“

“Wait what?! Why didn’t you call us?”

“Cause I was being beaten, duh.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Can you just let me finish, please?”

“Okay.”

“Then all of a sudden-“

“This is so-“ Taehyung held unto his head, befuddled.

“Seriously?”

“Fine. Go on.”

“Then all of a sudden, my attackers were thrown off of me, and gunshots were suddenly heard. My savior almost killed them, but some managed to run away. Astraea saved my life.” Moments had passed and Taehyung stood there, mouth agape and not moving. With a frown, Jungkook waved his hand in front of his face.

“What the ?” was all Taehyung could manage to say.