I'm currently sitting cross-legged on the concrete floor inside the STOW ground with the other recruits, waiting for our instructor to arrive. I keep biting my nails and glancing over where Hanbin and the others are practicing their aim on the other side of the ground. The only thing separating me from them is the metallic screen.

"Hey."

I flinch and turn to see the very same skinny girl with blond hair i met back when i first got here in the Den. She's together with a red-headed girl.

"Hi." I greet.

"You're Kim Jisoo right?" The blonde asks.

I nod. "How do you know?"

"Everyone knows you silly." She laughs. "I'm Lalisa Monoban by the way but you can call me Lisa if you want. And this is Park Chaeyoung, a.k.a Rosé."

Rosé smiles and i smile back.

"You're the one who healed me right?" I ask Rosé. "Thank you for saving my life."

"It's nothing." She says. "It's a good thing i got to you in time. I can tell that you were in a pretty bad shape at that time."

I scowl and Lisa might've seen it.

"Rosé can heal any kind of injuries but there's a catch for having this extraordinary stow." Lisa turns to her friend. "All the pain the injured person she's healing will transfer to her although it's kind of temporary, it still hurts."

"Oh." I suddenly feel bad. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to." Rosé laughs. "You're the one who got injured, not me. Although i was kind of surprised when B.i suddenly started shouting and calling my name. He looked really worried."

Lisa and Rosé exchange amusing looks.

"Is there something going on with you and B.i?" Lisa asks, whispering.

I fluster. "Wh-- what?"

"He's not usually behaving normally these past couple of days now." Rosé whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Rosé hesitates. "Don't tell him i told you this but.." She leans a little closer towards me. "He's kind of scary."

Well, that's pretty obvious.

"Not to mention a serious kind of scary." Lisa adds. "He's too formal and uptight. He looks like he doesn't know how to smile or laugh."

I scowl. Well, i saw Hanbin's smile and i actually heard him laugh before. What does that mean then?

"But now.." Rosé shares a giggle with Lisa. "He's actually starting to behave like a normal person. I can now see him talking all the time whenever you're around."

"And if you could've seen how he overreacted when you got hurt yesterday!" Lisa sighs. "It was heaven i tell yah. I can't believe he can make those expressions. He looked so hot."

"And he actually thanked me!" Rosé nudges her friend. "He never actually talked to any of us before but now i think he's not that boring of a guy anymore."

I haven't noticed that i'm already smiling. And here i thought it would be difficult for me to make these people change their misconception about Hanbin but he actually managed to do it by himself. Hanbin's really a capable guy.

"What?" Lisa asks me.

"What what?" I ask, wiping the smile away from my face.

"You were smiling  a while ago." Rosé pokes my cheek. "You're so adorable."

"No i'm not and i wasn't smiling."

"Liar!" Lisa laughs. "You're totally liking it."

"What's going on here?" A boyish looking guy appears with an awkward guy behind him. They're both tall.

"Chanwoo-ah!" Rosé smiles at the guy. "Come join us. We were just talking to Jisoo."

The boyish looking guy sits. The guy behind him just shifts but doesn't move to follow his friend. The guy Rosé calls Chanwoo pulls the guy to sit beside him.

"Yah!" The guy protests.

"Oh please." Lisa rolls her eyes towards him. "Don't be such a wimp Junhue-ah."

The guy called Junhue glares at her. "I'm just being cautious. I just don't want to get into trouble with B.i."

"Don't worry." I tell him. "Hanbin's not that kind of person and i'm not actually someone who would tell on other people so you can relax."

Junhue just eyes me. Just then i notice a guy hovering near the other side of the court, leaning against the metallic fence. He's the very same guy i saw earlier at the great hall. He's wearing his dark hoodie with earphones stuck inside his ears.

"Say, Rosé?"

"Yes?"

"Do you see that guy standing over there?" I point where the hoodied guy is standing.

Rosé and the others look in the same direction i point and they scowl. Rosé turns towards me.

"What guy?"

I knew it. That guy must be Donghyuk. He's the other Shield Hanbin and the others were talking about earlier. I stand and everyone gives me their curious look. No doubt they're thinking that i'm starting to lose my mind but i don't care. I head towards Donghyuk.

"Hey." I say.

Donghyuk flinches and stares at me looking bewildered. He straightens himself and eyes me from head to toe.

"Do you mind showing yourself to the others?" I ask. "I don't want them to think that i'm going crazy."

He arches his brow. He suddenly pluck his earphones from his ears and pulls his hoodie off.

"I beg your pardon?"

I gape. He didn't hear me the first time! How embarrassing. I clear my throat and try once again.

"Could you make yourself appear in front of everyone? I don't want the others to think that i'm talking to myself over here."

Donghyuk smirks.

"Omo!" I hear the other guys gasp behind me. "She's actually talking to Kim Donghyuk."

"Holy crap! He's like a ghost, popping out of nowhere."

They can finally see Donghyuk now. I heave a sigh and turn back to Donghyuk.

"Thanks." I say.

"How come you can see me?" He asks. "Oh, you're that girl. The Nullifier."

I nod.

"What a convenient stow to have." He pauses and extends his hand. "Kim Donghyuk and you are?"

I reach out to shake it. "Kim Jisoo."

Donghyuk smiles. "Nice to meet you Jisoo-noona. Is it okay to call you that? Since i figured that you're older than me."

"Of course. Same here, pleasure to meet you."

"I'll be looking forward to working with you as a fellow Shield in the future noona."

"Okay recruits! Gather around." We all turn and see Kwon Jiyong or GD as what most people know him, entering the ground.

Everyone starts to gather around the young elite. We all file into a single line. GD-sunbae then eyes each and everyone of us but i notice that his gaze lingers on me a bit longer than the others.

"Sir! May i ask a question?" Chanwoo steps forward.

GD-sunbae nods. "Go on, recruit."

"I thought Taeyang-sunbae will give us our lesson for this week." Chanwoo asks but his eyes stay focus in front. "He's supposed to teach us close combat."

GD-sunbae sighs. The others still doesn't know that Taeyang-sunbae was the one who shot me the other day and he's actually in the middle of his punishment for it.

"He's a little preoccupied at the moment." GD-sunbae reasons. "He won't be able to make it."

Everyone let out a disappointing sigh.

"What's the matter recruits?" GD-sunbae arches his eyebrow and everyone immediately returns back to their original composure. "Are you not satisfied with me being your substitute teacher?"

"Sir no sir." We all answer.

"I can't hear you!" GD-sunbae shouts.

"Sir no sir!" We shout in return.

"Better." GD-sunbae crosses his arms. "Now, find your partner and we'll start practicing your manuevers."

I hear the other guys groan.

"Excuse me." Dr Park Bom appears with a pair of soldiers at her side.

I catch GD-sunbae scowling at the doctor. He looks like he's not that fond of the red-headed doctor. That makes me wonder. Dr Park is actually a very kind person. She actually takes good care of the people around her especially the bestowed.

"What do you want?" GD-sunbae asks grumpily.

Dr Park grimaces. "Can we please not do this here Jiyong-ah? The kids are looking."

GD-sunbae scoffs. I can feel my eyebrows knitting. I look at Lisa and she leans a little towards me.

"They've been in a bad relationship ever since i can remember." Lisa whispers. "Everyone knows it but the thing is, we don't know why."

"All we know is, it has something to do with GD-sunbae's ex-girlfriend." Rosé whispers on my other side.

"What happened?" I ask.

Lisa is supposed to answer me back but GD-sunbae's sudden outburst surprise