Baekhyun took a quick glance at both Chanyeol and Shixun. A small smile etched on his lips as Chanyeol again made Shixun laugh with his lame but quirky antics. He found it amazing that Chanyeol was able to click with so many different individuals despite their differences; but unlike him, Baekhyun was more introverted and felt awkward to approach others first.

Chanyeol looked up from joking around with Shixun, noticing that Baekhyun had his eyes trained on them for a while already.

“Any luck in figuring out what that map is?”

Baekhyun snapped out of his reverie and wore an instant expression of disappointment, shrugging as he tossed the small book he’s been reading and scrutinising since the first day he made an appearance. Kai gave it to him a few hours after he joined them, claiming that it could’ve possibly been his mother’s. Baekhyun’s never opened the glass box even though his mother has given him the key 15 years ago. He never wanted to enter the lab after losing the memory of making the antidote— because the only recollection he could ever recall was the explosion itself.

But the only useful thing he could find, apart from the notes and details of making the epidemic serum, was a perfectly drawn map. But of what country or region, he wasn’t sure. All he could see was that there were four areas marked.

Shixun slid closer to Baekhyun’s side and leaned against his shoulder, pulling Boa’s journal with her as she analysed it.

“You think this might be, Zenn?”

Baekhyun looked at her sceptically, but it wasn’t impossible.

“Well, it could be. And the four areas could be where we could find the different ingredients right?” Baekhyun added hypothetically. “But didn’t you say there were five constituents?”

Shixun took out her notebook from the coffee table’s drawer which was filled with drawings and writings she tried to recreate and redo before the old piece of papers she originally drew on, tears. She reached out for her pocket for the original piece, which now looked more like crepe than paper, to compare the information she’s transferred. “Yeah— dillhoffia, silphium, an amethyst gem, pure potassium manganate and… I’m not sure what this last one is.” She said, pointing to the burnt part of the paper.

Baekhyun squinted his eyes to read out the faded ink and burnt part of the paper, frowning as he tried to make sense of the writing and drawing.

“Che…rry?” Baekhyun questioned, groaning as he tossed the paper back to his friend. “Ugh, I think I’m too hungry to the point that I keep seeing and reading everything else as food.”

Chanyeol simpered and volunteered to leave for the pantry to grab the other some baked chicken Kai made from earlier. “Rest for a bit before continuing.” He reminded before leaving; to which Shixun agreed, but ironically— she still proceeded to jot down the possible ways of mixing the ingredients.

“But, an amethyst gem?” Baekhyun’s brows furrowed, his face washed with disbelief as if ridiculing the information Shixun’s obtained. “Are we supposed to mix it in the concoction?”

Shixun looked down at her notebook where she’s written the possible combinations of making the antidote, wordlessly cancelling out the fourth presumed combination. She gave a sly side-eye in her best friend’s direction, hoping he didn’t see what she did, but the latter already had a deadpanned expression drawn on his face.

“You put in a combination where they’ve to consume the gem, didn’t you.” He flatly chimed and tutted as she gave a sheepish smile.

Eventually, Shixun put away her notebook and sighed in despondency. They were a few days away from reaching Zenn, but she still hasn’t figured out how to mix all the ingredients in. It was frustrating how she’s so close, yet so far from their underlying goal.

Baekhyun tried to reassure her that by the time they find the constituents, as well as figure out what the fifth ingredient is; they would know what to do. Shixun was still doubtful about it, but there wasn’t anything much they could do at the moment because they were stuck in another puzzling spot.

“Okay okay, forget it.” Baekhyun groaned, laying back against the soft couch. “We’ll think about this again later but right now, I’m just curious about something; why didn’t the princess tag along?”

Shixun cocked an eyebrow, “What? She’s here, on the ship since day one.”

Baekhyun wore a confused look. Ever since he got here, he had yet to meet or even bump into Krystal. Because most of the time, he doesn’t even need to look for her; Krystal was like Kai’s shadow. Only difference is, she would appear despite the time.

“Something happened okay,” Shixun confessed, her lips pouting slightly as she recalled the incident that happened. She still felt bad, but Krystal wouldn’t leave her room at all. Her personal assistant, Wendy, would instead deliver messages or food at her beck and call. “And I’m the cause of it.”

Baekhyun was about to ask why when the lounge’s wooden door (the only door which doesn’t need scanning nor sliding), burst opened.

Both their eyes widened in shock as a fuming Krystal furiously stomped her way to the couch, grabbing Shixun by the arm and pulling her out of the door.

“Your High— oomph!”

Chanyeol was callously ignored and brushed off as Krystal forcefully dragged the brunette out; leaving him to clear the mess he made on the floor with the food he intended to bring back for Baekhyun.

“! Just leave that!” Baekhyun hollered, pulling his friend up and dragging him to ran after the princess.

.

.

.

.

.

“Your Highness!” Baekhyun called for the umpteenth time, banging onto the training room’s door. Usually nobody would lock any of the doors while on board, and everyone had access to pretty much everywhere. It was dangerous to lock the doors especially while in space. But apparently, Krystal had other plans.

“Get Kai, or the Prince— I’ll try to break down the door in the meantime.” Chanyeol offered with a determined look. “Well, at least I’ll try to.”

Baekhyun nodded in response and gave one last glance to his best friend inside before making way down the aisles.

~”~

Shixun’s throat went dry as she tried to keep her eyes trained on Krystal’s. There was something off about the princess, her lips were pale and it looked as if she was about to pass out any time soon. Her built figure was surprisingly trembling as she took deep and slow breaths.

“Are you… okay?”

Krystal’s eyes narrowed at the concern the brunette showed, rolling her eyes as she moved a step forward. “Save your pretentious sympathy.” The princess spat, her voice laced with malevolence as she grabbed the top of Shixun’s sweater. “What exactly do you feel for Kai?”

Shixun trembled at how low Krystal’s voice was, gasping subtly as she felt herself being pulled nearer to the latter.

“I— I’m sorry.” She apologised, both her hands flew up to loosen the grip on her clothe. “It slipped my mind— ah!”

The princess didn’t give her the privilege of spouting another word as she threw a tight slap across the other’s cheek. She didn’t need Shixun’s apology, nor did she need her sympathy. She wasn’t weak to be needing any kinds of pity from anyone. If Kai wanted to stay, Kai was going to stay for her and not simply because he pities her. But if Shixun wants Kai as well, there was only one way for Krystal to back down.

“Win a duel against me.”

~”~

Kai rolled his eyes playfully at Luhan again as the latter cracked a joke with five other Resistance members in the middle of planning their attack if anything were to befall unto them once they’ve landed on Zenn. It was nice to see that Luhan wasn’t acting all haughty when he didn’t have to, but at the same time; authoritative when discussing important matters.

“Yuta, don’t you think it’s a bit weird if we choose to attack near our ship?” Taeyong, his teammate, asked again; wearing a sly smile when they previously joked about it. “They would destroy the ship and we’d have no transport back home.”

Yuta scratched the back of his head at his cute suggestion. He originally thought it would be better