Kai's POV

I couldn't stop looking at her, she was simply beautiful in so many ways. The fact she wanted to help that Warrior whom she knows nothing about is making her even more good to me. I don't know why the hell Baekhyun wants me to be so cautious with her when it was as clear as a day that she can never hurt us, not even unwillingly. Was it something about his past? Maybe, we were never present around each other at all to know.

But it was very clear to me that Hani was good, and she wouldn't do anything to us. This severe caution of his was a little overboard, but I wasn't going to tell him about it. I turned around to look at where she had pointed before, the garden in which the warrior was dragged to. There were too many auras whether they were fifth ranked or not for us to locate where exactly they had taken him, or how strong they were. I was sure even Sehun won't be able to detect his scent, by the large amount of different other scents around. I did not know who the hell he was, but I was still worried.

I looked back at Hani, my eyes softening, and I could hear the flow of footsteps getting closer to me.

“You are being so obvious for someone who said he’s not in love,” I heard Baekhyun say from beside me, his short height looking slightly funny with the way he is walking beside me. He was looking at her as well, face set on a blank expression. I rolled my eyes, because I don't think he has the right to throw any of his comments at me.

“Leave me be,” I replied gently, not wanting the girl and the other to notice our conversation. Baekhyun scoffed, a smirk growing on his face. He still didn't look at me.

“I’m already leaving you alone. Just know that whatever you are thinking right now about her, is all wrong.”

“Oh yea?” I turned to him with a semi-glare, my voice still soft. He still didn't turn to face me. “You don't know anything about her or me.”

“Maybe I know too much, Kai,” he finally turned to look at me, patting my arm as if sympathizing with me, before jogging forward to be walking with Chanyeol instead.

I have never understood Baekhyun, this version of him. He hadn't been like this, he had never been like this. Fifty or more years ago, he was the biggest chatterbox anyone can ever meet in their lives. He hadn't let this life affect his bubbly personality, but now he looked like someone had ripped all those qualities out of him. What happened to him? With his new, closed off persona, I might never know.

I dropped the matter immediately when Hani looked back to search for me, and the minute her eyes laid on mine, her face lit up delightfully. I couldn't help the small smile from blooming on my face, mimicking hers. She beckoned me to her with her hand, making Sehun whine a little. I saw her sending him a glare, but the obvious serene twinkling of mirth and joy in her eyes was quite evident, I was sure everyone could see it. She turned to me again, smiling, and I slowly walked towards her with calm steps.

From the corner of my eyes, I spotted Baekhyun watching, lurking in the shadows, despite his powers and I didn't know if I should shiver or not.

-

We were ushered to a gymnasium with large and endless benches, and Hani walked us to the middle of the right side, seating us in a row of seats. I sat beside her, while Sehun raced to the other seat beside her. Joonmyeon and Xiumin on each side of ours. Chanyeol pouted at Sehun and I, but none of us bothered to move. I stifled my chuckle, watching him sulkily moving to the seat beside Joonmyeon who patted him on his back with a smile. Baekhyun sat beside Xiumin on my side, and I gave him a mere stare he didn't even return. He was very, undeniably cocky.

I watched with slight awe as the remaining students all sat on the right side, leaving a few chairs open between us, fearing whatever they feared about us to not want to sit next to us. Even though I have been in these events countless of times before, I always become in awe at the end of them. I was aware of what was to come next, and I was sure the rest knew as well. I turned to look at Hani, who looked confused on why we were brought here, even though it didn't lessen any of her brightness and excitement at all.

I leaned slowly to her ear, and catching me, she turned to give me her full attention.

“We are here to battle. Do you remember when we told you they choose the best to participate in here and brag about their school? This is it,” I whispered.

“But I thought the first day is tour day?” she whispered back, her warm breath puffing out and caressing the skin of my neck and ears. I suppressed a delighted shiver at the sensation creeping down to my back, and continued to whisper.

“It is, but whenever they finish it early or without any complications, they give out a friendly battle at the end of the day. We are free to go anywhere we want after this.”

“Ah,” the expression of understanding spreading on her face was really just adorable, and I resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks.

“Usually,” I continued, once again diverting her attention from looking at the place in fascination so she would look at me. She blinked her eyes, waiting, and I realized I was gawking at her like an idiot. I cleared my throat and tried to avert my eyes away.

“Usually, they choose the best to fight in the first battle, and surprisingly, I’m sensing a lot of fifth ranked Wielders that belong to the other school, while we only have you as a first year.”

“We also only have the triplets in the entire years. Why are we so little?” she asked, a little confused. Despite the subject of our discussion, I felt incredibly ecstatic that we were doing it alone.

“Fifth ranked Wielders are rare, so having four in a whole school is not so little as you believe. This school here has six, and those are in the first year only. I’m guessing they have been hunting around for the fifth ranks to recruit them in their school,” I paused to roll my eyes, remembering that they have done the exact same thing thirty years before, when their principal had been a lousy, old hag that wanted to be the best. I wonder if they have someone similar right now.

I turned to look at Hani, and she was once again staring elsewhere. This time though, she was scolding Sehun for whatever mess he had done again. I smiled a little, despite his spunky personality, Sehun let himself get scolded by Hani almost obediently, and that was funny in a sense. It was always funny when Sehun stays silent and does not lash out.

I turned to look at the center of the gymnasium, where different teachers from their school and ours, kept discussing about the battle and hooking up the microphone and stuff. I was feeling a little bad. I don't know why, but I had a bad feeling something wrong might happe