Irene stepped out of the shower. Grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body before leaving the bathroom. She walked over to her bedside table and pressed the home button on her phone.

4:33 a.m.

She’d always had a habit of waking up before five in the morning, whether she liked it or not. Didn’t help being an extremely light sleeper. Any noise or anything that felt off was enough to pull her out of sleep. Today, it had been the sound of footsteps down the hall.

She sighed. Began to get dressed. Her reflection in the mirror caught her eye. Particularly a shiny white scar that ran from her left collarbone to the middle of her chest, nearly four inches long. Extremely noticeable and ugly. She gritted her teeth, ripped her gaze away from the mirror  and pulled on navy blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Threw a towel over her head, and dried her hair as best she could. 

She pushed painful memories out of her thoughts and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling length window. Pulled the curtains aside and stared at the scenery of the city of Seoul. The sky was still inky black, and the snowflakes were twinkling under the sources of light spread out across the city. The sun wouldn’t be up for another few hours because it was winter. Irene enjoyed the view of the city. It made her feel somewhat safe, something about watching the dangerous world beneath her while she stood in the confinements of her own room. She snapped out of her brief stupor. Yawned.

Coffee. Coffee would be nice.

She stepped away from the window, thoughts on a nice cup of caffeine to start the day, when she remembered something that shattered her source of relaxation in the morning. She was out. She closed her eyes and let out a breath of frustration. Bit her lip, eyeing the taunting coffee machine in her kitchen.

“Damn it.”

Five minutes later she found herself sitting in the corner of Java, nursing an espresso in her hand as she eyed the near-empty cafe. She was just glad that the place was open 24/7. She put down the cup in its saucer. Picked up her fork and took a bite out of her chocolate muffin instead. If there was one sweet thing she enjoyed, it was chocolate. Chocolate and a bitter cup of espresso. Soft music was playing in the background. The overall atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant. 

That was until she caught sight of a certain person that completely ruined her morning.

Kang Seulgi walked into the cafe with a smile on her face. Surprisingly attractive on her as she walked to the front counter. She had on a black sweater that contrasted against her bright, platinum blonde hair with blue jeans and a pair of combat boots that finished up her look. It was casual wear. Somehow, the young woman made it look more elegant than it should.

Irene watched Seulgi warily. Observed how she made small talk with the vaguely familiar boy. Mingu? Minho? Watched as she accepted her order with a grin. Irene knew that she would catch sight of her. Quickly averted her eyes and took another bite from her chocolate muffin.

“Well, if it isn’t the Ice Angel. What are you doing in a cafe at this time of morning?”

Irene leaned back in her chair. Took her time looking up at Seulgi and eyed her with a blank expression. It was too early for whatever this was. She wasn’t about to waste away her energy with the annoying younger woman.

Abruptly, Seulgi flashed her a smile. To her horror, she pulled back the chair across from her and sat down. Irene stared in disbelief. Blinked silently while Seulgi casually took a sip from her iced coffee. 

Iced coffee.

It was snowing outside and this idiot was drinking an iced coffee. Although on second thought, maybe it would help to cool down that hot temper of hers.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Seulgi asked. Cupped her chin in her palm and blatantly stared at Irene with a smirk.

Irene realized that Seulgi wasn’t going anywhere. Stared at her for another second then did what she did best. Ignore. She broke eye contact and returned her attention to her chocolate muffin. Decided that enjoying the delicacy would be far more preferable than interacting with the woman in front of her. 

A sound of distaste came from Seulgi. Heard the blessed sound of a chair being pushed back. “Fine. Whatever. There’s a reason why you’re called the Ice Angel. I should’ve known. I’m sorry for bothering you, your Holiness.”

Irene glanced up briefly. Caught a final glimpse of Seulgi leaving the cafe, steps harsh and angry. Shook her head and returned her attention back to her breakfast.

People like her were too easy to get rid of.

Seulgi grumbled under her breath. Stormed over to the elevator opposite Java. She practically punched the button to go up before the bluish silver doors slid smoothly open, inviting her in. Seulgi easily took the invitation. 

She calmed down. Pressed the button for the twenty-fifth floor before stepping back and leaning against the glass walls of the elevator. She closed her eyes briefly to give them a rest after a hectic start. A flash of both familiar and unfamiliar images flickered through her mind.

Nightmares.

They were the reason she was awake at this time of morning. They weren’t unexpected. If anything, they were one of the few constants in her life. She hated it. They were odd flashes of images that didn’t make sense in her head, a jumble of noises and words.

The words were the worst.

I’ll be back. You’ll understand someday. Now sleep.

The voice that spoke seemed frustratingly familiar. Seulgi could never put a finger on it. Despite that, it always, without fail, appeared in her nightmares. She shook out the unhealthy thoughts out of her head. Stepped out of the elevator as the doors silently slid open again. Squinted as a chilly wind and flakes of snow blew in her face.

The rooftop.

The one place she didn’t feel so angry at the world. Seeing the city sprawled out before her made her feel free, unconstricted. She walked forward. Relished in the crunch of snow underneath her feet before leaning against the railings. She had dressed up warmly for exactly this reason.

She took a deep breath and watched the sun rise, the pale light signalling the crack of dawn.

Yeri leaned against Joy. They were on their way to their destination, but she didn’t feel any feelings of excitement or fear. Joy was with her. That was all that mattered. The older girl would keep her safe.

They were in an agency car. It looked ordinary to anyone else. It was anything but. Bullet proof metal, a high-power engine and motor, secret compartments full of weapons of all sorts highly separated