It had been a week since Jisoo spent the night with Solar. Things had reached a state of detente - Solar being fair in administering Jennie's piano lessons and Jisoo not telling Jennie that Solar had hurt her during their night together. Jisoo thought it was just as well - she wouldn't have liked lying to Jennie, even for a good cause like this.

The students were all out in the rose garden, enjoying one of the last summer afternoons when the hall porter came out saying that Madame Park had summoned them. They rushed into the front hall, where they were confronted by Madame Park standing in front of eight large crates.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Madame Park said. "Your sewing machines have arrived. The porters will move the crates to the solarium, but it will be your responsibility to open the boxes and assemble the machines. In fact, the first one to assemble her machine and sew an acceptable reticule on it as proof will earn a perk. I'll be in my chambers."

An excited murmur ran throughout the group - it had been a while since a perk had been offered.

"The boxes will have been moved within 15 minutes, at which point you can begin your task.

Jennie and Jisoo chatted quietly as they wandered toward the solarium.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you won that perk," Jennie said.

"I might," Jisoo said, "but there are several others who might."

"Who?" Jennie asked.

"Well, you for one. Solar. Lisa - she's got such quick fingers. Moonbyul. It's going to be a challenge."

Jennie shook her head. "No one has done as good as you when we had to disassemble, sabotage, and reassemble machines in training."

Jisoo smiled, pleased with the praise. "Lisa's awfully good too, but I'll do my best."

Jennie raised an eyebrow as she asked "If you win the perk, what are you going to ask for?"

Jisoo blushed. "I've got an idea, but I'm not going to tell you about it unless I win."

Jennie leaned close to whisper in Jisoo's ear. "The fact that you're blushing tells me it'll something I'd like." This only made Jisoo's blush deepen.

They reached the solarium at the same time as the others who had taken different routes - sometimes Jisoo dispaired of ever learning all the hidden corridors and shortcuts in the academy house - and everyone claimed a crate and got to work. Within an hour they had all assembled their machines and were in the process of sewing the required reticule. Jisoo had been correct that it would be a close race - she and Lisa finished sewing their reticules at almost exactly the same time, and the others were closing in one them. Jisoo saw that in the end it would come down to a foot race between her and Lisa to see who would be the first to knock on Madame Park's door. Lisa took off as quickly as she could down the main hallway, while Jisoo turned and went down a side corridor toward the conservatory. She could hear that the others behind her were confused by her choice, but she knew what she was doing. Jin-Young had told her of a secret passage behind a suit of armor near the conservatory that led straight to the corridor outside Madame Park's chambers. If she could find the door to that corridor, it should save her enough time to get her there before Lisa.

Jisoo skidded to a halt when she saw the suit of armor - now all that remained was to find the door. She looked at the wall behind the armor and tried to discern any clues. After just a few seconds, she spotted a place where the pattern of the wallpaper was disturbed. Picking at this part of the wallpaper, she found a small switch which, when depressed, opened a door, revealing a dark corridor. Jisoo hurriedly looked around to find a candle that she could grab, but as this was the part of the academy which had electric lighting, there was none to be found. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the dark, running her fingertips