When I came back, Jongin’s face was void of emotion. And so was mine, unfortunately. I had everything in plans, and I thought it would go smoothly, but in the end I had to swallow my pride and took the very last bit of my dignity away. We walked back to the hotel in utter silence.

                  I only told Sehun we were coming back at night tomorrow, and he readily arranged everything, being the helpful right hand he was. I thought Sehun was more suitable of being the right hand because he was a people-person: sociable, well put and knowledgeable. Jongin would be my left, for he was more precise, secretive and dangerous.

                  Luhan showed up in the airport the next day, looking so much like a boy-next-door no one would suspect anything about him. He only brought one big luggage with him with a coy smile like the world was peaceful and fine. But I knew it was not. His presence was comforting, because I could not tell Jongin anything about what happened yesterday, nor should he know that going back to Korea was both a blessing and a curse now.

                  “Mei, you look sick,” He swung his arm around my neck as we walked around the duty-free shops. We had plenty of time to walk around before boarding. Jongin casually walked by my side, as if Luhan did not bother him at all. Sometimes, he looked like a stern, silent bodyguard who never showed any expression other than a thin, smug line on his lips.

                  “I’m tired. I did not sleep well,” I was only half listening because my heart was not here at the moment. “I have to call the Elders as soon as I land in Seoul.” I yawned a little and leaned onto his chest. Luhan just loosened his arms and gently squeezed my hand instead. We must have looked like a dorky couple who showed a lot of PDA in the airport because people kept giving us weird glances.

                  The moment I landed in Seoul, duty called. There was no time to rest. Not even the sleep in the plane compensated the loss of one night’s absence. I stretched my back and let Jongin and Luhan handled all the luggages. Sehun was already waiting by the entrance with a bigger car that would fit all of us. If he was surprised to see an additional person, he hid it well.

                  “Sehun, this is Luhan. Luhan, Sehun,” I leaned onto the back of the car and spoke up. Sehun nodded at the older guy from the mirror. “He is one of the new Elites I brought in. Basically, that’s all you need to know. I’m worn out. Call me when we reach home because I need to sleep.” I closed my eyes.

                  It was barely past midnight when we arrived. I figured out calls could wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow was Monday and I was so conflicted whether I should skip school again. I had not done any homework and it was piling up crazily on the corner somewhere in my room. Like everyone, I hated Monday. And not to mention, we had Chemistry test tomorrow. I might as well just die because it was one of my weakest subjects. I was not born to be scientist, nor did I want to be one, so I honestly could not understand the needs to know all those equations and tables and whatnot.

                  “I’m going to fail Chemistry,” I wailed at Sehun and dragged my luggage from the car and gave it to Mr. Kim. I was lamenting on my marks. Admittedly, I was not the brightest student around. My grade was average at best. If I was lucky, I would get an A, but those cases were rare as . Usually I would have to settle with C or B plus. “I’m going to fail high school and become an embarrassment!”

                  “Who told you to take science?” Jongin snickered. He did not look tired at all. Sometimes I wondered if he was even a human. Sehun gave him a glare and told me, “Just rest for tomorrow. I will send a letter to the school to let them know. You need plenty of rest or you’ll get sick.”

                  “I hate Chemistry,” I cursed and opened the door to my room. The smell of vanilla hit me and I felt home again. Only then did I notice Luhan was trailing me behind. “Oh, Ge. Your room is the one next to mine.” Yawn. My mind was stuck. Another yawn. “I will talk to you tomorrow. There is something important, but…” yawn, “Sleep is more urgent, so… Goodnight, Ge.”

                  He touched my cheeks and chuckled lightly, “Goodnight, Mei.”

***

                  Sleep was the best medicine.

                  So I skipped school, as Jongin had suggested. Missing a Chemistry test felt like winning a lottery. In the morning, Luhan knocked on my door first and walked down the steps with me. As usual, I saw both my protectors in the dining room. Only this time, they did not touch the food and waited for me instead.

                  “First thing first,” Sehun did not even try to sugarcoat it and went straight to the point. Jongin was reading newspaper, and it was the most shocking thing since Galliano’s scandal in 2011. I had never been more surprised. “Sena, the Elites have been chosen by the Elders to protect you. I don’t know about… Luhan, but they sure as hell won’t be pleased that you defy the order of the clan like this.”

                  Luhan did not seem the slightest bit offended. He calmly put the spread onto his bread and ate it as if he had heard nothing at all. I did not know whether he was hurt or embarrassed, but I did not intend for him to feel that way. “Those Elites are chosen to spy on me. How can I do my work with their eyes on me, reporting every single thing back to those greedy old men?”

                  “Go and tell them, Sehun. I will choose my own Elites between the relatives. They do not need to worry,” I directed my eyes at him, so he could see the distrust in them. He seemed disappointed but it was his duty to do whatever I asked him to, so with a clenched fist and very unsatisfied expression, he nodded. “And ask them to speed up the ascension. Do not delay this any further or there will be consequences and punishment coming for them.”

                  “Luhan,” My voice gradually and naturally became much softer when I spoke to him, “Train with them. Show them what you're worth of. Prove them I’m right in choosing you as one of my Elite guards.”

                  “Of course,” He grinned as a challenge to both Jongin and Sehun.

                  “I do not ask you to be friendly to each other, but please be civilized like grown adults and work together as a team,” I explained, sensing that all three were equally rebellious in their own ways, “The other five Elites will gather together in a week time, but for the time being, continue practicing like you usually do.” I bit onto my bread with too much force. “Most, if not all of you, will have very strong personalities, so it will clash one way or another. Just don’t let it affect your job and you can fight it out on the sparring arena if you want.”

                  “Are you training with us, Princess?” Jongin mocked. I flushed red and glared at him. Sehun grinned widely and I glared at him, too. Only Luhan did not understand the situation as he cocked his head to the side and observed us closely. “If you do, don’t get all bloodied like last time.”

                  “I won’t,” I spat with venom. “Just wait.”

***

                  Yixing and Tao are another relatives from China, but their ancestor was too far away to be traced back to mine. I knew them because we trained together for ten years in the Tibetan temple up in the mountain where we watched clouds for leisure activity. They were the second and the third. Yixing was a very shy and polite guy, albeit too awkward at times. Tao was just quiet but he was excellent in martial arts of any kind.

                  Lee Taeyong was a personal recommendation from a disclosed confidante. He was full-blooded Korean, but he trained with the Japanese branch for quite some time in the Kyoto area. He was quite the rebel as he joined a street gang and got too deep before he was pulled out by the furious leader of the family branch. He might be a little dangerous, but at least he was trustworthy, though his personality could be sly and slimy at times.

                  Do Kyungsoo and Park Chanyeol were so contrasting it was impossible not to make a joke about their heights when they stood together. The shorter Kyungsoo was more reserved but was very frightening. Park Chanyeol towered over anyone else with his height. He pretty much surprised us with his deep voice and warm smiles. It wasn’t until the training session on weekend that both my protectors and all six Elites were finally gathered together, and I knew everyone had been dying to fight each other off, especially Jongin.

                  “I’m surprised to see Yixing here,” Luhan whispered to me with hands in front of his chest. He wore tight sleeveless shirt that showed off years of practice, in contrast to his pretty little face. Most of them tried to interact with each other, but the beginning was always awkward for everyone. Taeyong simply looked around, and he really acted like a mini Jongin, minus the sarcasm and quick mouth. “And Tao. I guess you need other professions as well. Heh.”

                  “Don’t ‘heh’ me and go interact with them!” I pushed Luhan towards the crowd. All of them instantly bowed at me, except for my two protectors, who stood by my side at all time. Jongin went on to warm up by the bench while Sehun talked to me about trivial matters while I was gone. There was no follow-up attack, which was a relief for us since we had a lot of rebuilding and restructuring to do. School was already a handful. I did not need anything else to add onto that matter.

                   “Kim Jongin, Oh Sehun,” Chanyeol greeted them with a grin plastered on his happy face. When he smiled, the room seemed to brighten up a bit. “I have heard so much about you. Best scorers in the annual test every year, huh? Pretty impressive, I’d say.”

                  “No need to boost up their egos, Yeol. Just concentrate on your own skill and you’ll be fine,” I drew an ugly scowl and folded my hands, “Alright. Since everyone is here, I will tell you what to do.” They all lined up, and I did not know whether I should be grateful for their obedience or cry because they were so uptight around me. “Loosen up a bit. I don’t bite. You’re all going to be working with, for, and around me, so there is no need to be too polite and reserved.”

                  “Now split to pairs. Jongin,” I eyed him, “You already have a partner. Two of you will do mostly everything together from now on. And safe that complain for later, Sehun. It’s final.” I glanced at Tao and Yixing, “Not you two. Split. Yixing, go find a short-range fighter. Not Tao.” They looked agonized by my decision but split ways immediately. Luhan and Taeyong stayed rooted in their spots, too reluctant to move around when I told them to. “You two, don’t be spoilt babies and start looking for suitable partners or I will pair you together.” That got them moving.

                  I grinned after they split to groups, “Perfect.” Chanyeol was a bit awkward with the quiet Tao, but they would work well in no time. Taeyong stood side by side with Kyungsoo, both the observant and silent types. Yixing was with Luhan, both would converse well in Chinese. The only pair with heavy frowns on their faces was Sehun and Jongin, who looked like they would rather die than work together as a team.

                  “As you know, the Elders will definitely oppose my choices of you as the Elites, especially since there are only six of you, instead of twenty. They might be asking for a tournament or competition of some sort, just to prove your worth, so I hope you won’t disappoint me. As to why I chose you out of everyone else, I’d leave you to figure it out.”

                  “These are the teams you will be working with from now on. So make sure you get along well enough to be able to carry out missions of life and death,” I explained very briefly because I hated long-winded speech about how they should behave. They were adults; they would know what to do.

                   “Now, Kyungsoo-Taeyong and Chanyeol-Tao. You can start sparring.”