Chapter 04

Jung Wheein is a good girl.

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE–"

Or at least, that what she thinks of herself.

"I DID NOTHING!"

She's always been that nice, happy-go-lucky girl everyone loves. She has no enemy, no significant trouble and–tragically–no significant other either.

"I EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE LEFT RACK!"

Wheein also likes to think that karma does exist.

"I ONLY TOOK THE ALOE VERA FOR GOD SAKE! MY SKIN'S DRY!"

But, then, if she truly is a good girl with no black spots on her life record, why does fate make her stuck with these two troublemakers?

"THEN WHY IS MY ENTIRE MAKEUP GONE?!"

Maybe she's done something bad at her previous life?

"HOW COULD I KNOW?!"

A knock on the door made Wheein tear her attention from the World War 3 currently occuring at her kitchen. She put Ggomo–who slept on her lap–down, receiving an annoyed meow from the feline. She then walked to the front door, opening it to greet two familiar faces and five unfamiliar ones.

Wheein sighed. She looks at her neighbor unnie and best friend who have their face neutral of any expression.

"Please tell me I don't read this sudden house raid wrong."

Yongsun shrugged. "It is what you think it is."

Silence for a few moments save for the faint shouting at the back.

"You hear that, unnie?" Wheein asked, pointing her thumb past her shoulder.

"That's the 'children' you talked about since five weeks ago? And then you started complaining since, like, two weeks ago?"

The petite college student nodded sagely. "Indeed, my child."

Yongsun shook her head in disbelief. Hyejin groaned. The red-haired girl beside Yongsun coughed.

"I'll stop them."

"Please don't–"

"NAYEON, TZUYU! STOP FIGHTING OR I'LL WHOOP YOUR SO HARD YOU'LL BE CALLING ME DADDY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES!"

"–..yell."

A loud crash resounds from somewhere inside the house.

Dahyun shivers. "That's oddly specific, unnie."

Wheein banged her head on a nearby wall.

###

"Look, unnie, I love them, cross my heart. But sometimes I have the desire to just drown them into the sea," Wheein rubbed her temples, exhaustion seeping from her very existence. "Or... left them at a random market. That wouldn't be so evil."

The three keepers are now sitting together on Wheein's couch, letting their Anihuman sisters bond after so long being separated. Wheein had ushered them into Nayeon's and Tzuyu's shared bedroom so they could have their discussion in peace. She made a right decision because the moment Mina closes the door Dahyun had started screaming again.

"They aren't actually problematic, unnie. They're just... Tzuyu prefers to be left alone but Nayeon... Nayeon loves to have physical contact. I even called her 'attention deprived' one time because she keeps on curling around me," the hazelnut haired girl softly explains. "Tzuyu's not like this, I swear. She usually just resorts to savagery when Nayeon disturbed her. I think... I think Nayeon pushed the wrong button for Tzuyu to finally snapped."

As if on cue, Tzuyu's high pitched 'NAYEON UNNIE!' echoes on the walls.

Both Yongsun and Hyejin had to suppress a laugh because Wheein seems extremely troubled. The older of the two patted Wheein's shoulder and rubbing it slowly, trying to calm the third keeper.

"Maybe they're frustrated. Chaeng's also gone ballistic a few days past because she 'can't wait to meet her team'," Hyejin said matter-of-factly, hugging her best friend with care. "Let's just hope this will past."

"I hope so, too," the previously gloomy girl grinned, apparently gaining back her mirth. "Both Nayeon and Tzuyu are really excited about the upcoming test, I can't help but feel nervous too. I really hope they'll pass with flying color."

"Same, girl, same," Yongsun agrees.

"Ah, enough complaining. They'll revert to their usual self in no time, after all. But I'm seriously curious. How do you suddenly got the clue that I kept some of them here?"

Hyejin and Yongsun blinked.

"It's Hyejin who figured it out first," Yongsun said. "I don't even know how. She suddenly just said 'Well, actually, unnie. I think Wheein is a keeper. We just don't know about it yet,' when we've barely met."

"Oh, you've met each other before? With your Anihumans?" Wheein lifts her eyebrow.

"We met earlier today."

"That's hella fast!"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm hella smart."

Wheein smacked Hyejin's head with a rolled up magazine the moment she said that. The youngest of the three wheezes in pain, hiding behind Yongsun to escape Wheein's attack.

"Alright, spit it out, lion. What made you think I'm one of the keepers?" the long-haired girl pointed her weapon at her cowering friend.

Hyejin sticks her tongue out. "Not gonna tell. You've hurt my feelings."

SLAM.

"You're gonna tell me or I'm not letting you into my house ever again."

"Nooo..." the orange haired girl wailed, pulling Wheein's sleeves hard. "Please, Wheeinnie, don't you feel bad for this poor, lonely, college student?"

"Get out. Now."

"Wheeinniee!!!" Hyejin pouts, slinging her arms across Wheein's waist and snuggle closer to her best friend. "Fine, I'll tell you. Remember the time I lost my phone here? When we were doing Mr. Jay's assignments?"

"Of course I remember. You practically turned my house upside down that day."

"Yeah, right. So when I couldn't found it inside the house, I tried to look into your backyard.."

Wheein nodded. "What does that have to do with Nayeon and Tzuyu?"

"Well, the bunny–who, Nayeon?–was there, and–"

"So that's where she went when she sulks."

"Not the point. What I wanted to say is that I met eyes with her, and the first thought I had was, 'doesn't Wheeinnie's afraid of rabbits?'."

The shorter girl facepalmed herself. "Yes. Yes I was."

Hyejin hummed, burrowing her face into Wheein's neck. "I kinda forgot about that for a few weeks, though. Sana and Chaeyoung took most of my time. So when Yongsun unnie joked that you'll be one of the keeper, it just clicked in my brain and we went here."

Hearing her explanation, Yongsun and Wheein ooh-ed in awe.

"You're surprisingly perceptive, Hyejin," the oldest girl applauded the youngest one. "You certainly doesn't look like one."

"Thank you for the praise and the insult. I appreciate it so much," Hyejin scoffed. "By the way, Sana said there's eight members on their team. Wheein, you sure Ggomo's not actually an Anihuman?"

The other girl nodded. "Of course. I met Ggomo a year ago. Tzuyu told me they graduated from their academy six months ago so Ggomo's certainly a real cat."

"Then there must be another keeper with an Anihuman somewhere near. Any idea who? Preferably someone who is close to us."

Wheein thinks for a while but eventually shook her head. "I don't really have any other close friend on the campus. Especially one who had the heart to randomly adopts people."

"What about Yongsun-unnie?" Hyejin turned her head to the older girl's direction. "Someone from work?"

The intern instantly denied Hyejin's proposal. "My company's full of old or married people. Them adopting a full grown mythical girl seems highly unlikely."

A collective sigh could be heard from the three keepers.

"Well, I guess we'll know eventually," Yongsun smiled, patting the two younger girls for support. "Besides, I believe our last mysterious Anihuman will choose the best human as her keeper."

###

Meanwhile, the Anihumans who had already drained their energy are currently cuddling inside Nayeon's and Tzuyu's bedroom. The oldest of them, Nayeon, slumped against the wall with Sana curled across her lap. Chaeyoung spread herself on Tzuyu's bed, half asleep while clutching Mina's hem who sat at the corner of the bed. Tzuyu leans her head on the side of Mina's leg, Dahyun's hair who is fast asleep beside her. Jihyo sat on Nayeon's bed, looking at the park near Wheein's house through the window.

"I wonder when the test will starts," suddenly Nayeon chimed, pulling the attention of the still alert Anihumans. "Don't you feel curious on which territory chose us to be their successor?"

Chaeyoung hummed in acknowledgment, mumbling something despite her sleepy state. "Ae wojer du."

"She said 'I wonder, too'," Mina translates Chaeyoung incoherent speech to the puzzled bunny.

"I wished it would be the Wonder Girls Region. Everyone said they're nice unnies that would guide us thoroughly," Sana muses out loud. "And the area they rule is not too big or too small, either."

Tzuyu agreed. "I just wished we could pass the test. I mean, I heard some of the regions held crazy difficult tests."

Jihyo chuckles heartily. "At least BP took over one of the top region last year. We won't be appointed there."

"You mean the 2ne1 region?" Jihyo nodded at Mina's question. "Oh my, that region's tests are hell."

"Yup. Heard from Jennie that Lalisa broke her back once trying to keep up with Minzy-sunbaenim's training," Nayeon shivered at the memories of her best friend's story. "And that Rosé nearly drowned because Jisoo was stunned by Dara-sunbaenim. Gotta keep in mind that we need to watch each other's back, girls."

"And keep alert," Mina sighed, laying her body on top of Chaeyoung who grumbled in annoyance. "We'll never know what surprises our examiner have for us."

The other girls nodded accordingly, returning back to their comfortable silence until Jihyo speaks five minutes later.

"Girls, I think it's already late. We've got to go home," the red-haired girl rose from her sitting position, stretching her arms. "Sana, Chaeng, your house's the farthest from here. C'mon, get up. You wouldn't want to be out when it's already dark."

Sana quickly stood up while Chaeyoung woke up with enormous effort. Not only that she's sleepy, but Tzuyu refused to move that results to Mina being stuck in her position. The dark haired girl yowled before pushing the older girl out of her way.

Too bad that Mina had already shifted, making Chaeyoung ended up hitting Tzuyu on her head. The tall girl yelped in pain, but glares at Nayeon who is clutching her stomach, laughing her off. Tzuyu quickly stormed to the oldest Anihuman, threatening to choke the bunny to death on her sleep.

"Guys, stop. I know you both would love to kill each other but you're living in the same house. Can't you tune it down, please?" Sana sighed heavily, holding Tzuyu firmly at arm length to shield Nayeon. "Poor Wheein-unnie has to deal with your on daily basis."

"Oh, don't you worry," Tzuyu interject, hissing at Nayeon who sticks her tongue out. "She usually enjoys it a lot when we're dissing each other."

"Just what kind of dysfunctional family is this?!"

"But because you ask nicely, I'll let Nayeon-unnie go just this once," the taller girl said, relenting at Sana's plead and returned to Dahyun's side. The living tofu who woke up at the ruckus, yawned and opened her eyes the exact moment Tzuyu chose to back-off.

Dahyun, voice hoarse from sleep and still rubbing her eyes groggily, giggled.

"Whipped."

Tzuyu doesn't hesitate to strangle Dahyun.

###

"Are we ready yet?"

"Just a few more days. I still need to review their track record first."

A black haired woman sighed, massaging her temple while reading through the documents in her hand. Her companion, a tall girl with short, dark brown hair kept in a ponytail, nodded while munching her snack away. The rustling sound of plastic wrappers made the first girl looks up, smiling as she catches her companion's eye.

"How about the keepers? Have they met? How's their interaction?"

"Already done. The three of them know each other well and two are living in the same neighborhood, so it's not really hard for them to bond. It's also easier for the Anihumans to hold a group meeting."

"Pearl's still overseeing them, yes?"

"Yes, yes she is. Our maknaes are also keeping a close eye on their schedules so we'll be able to fetch all of them on one occasion."

"Very good," the black haired girl returned to her documents, pausing when she reaches a certain file. "How about the last team? Any news?"

"They're..." the tall girl chuckled, pocketing her now empty snack wrapper. "They're in trouble, like constantly. But they manage. I also believe the keeper's a good person and she'll blend with the previously established group easily when they've met."

"How do you plan to bring her to the other three, though? It wouldn't be easy knowing her circumstances."

"Just leave it to Choding. She said she already got an idea."

"Thank God," the first girl exhaled. "So I guess that's a wrap. Tell the other to keep on watching the groups. Our first goal is to take them here next week, preferably before the weekend. Got that?"

"Loud and clear."

"Good, you're free to go."

The tall girl smirked, saluting to the black haired girl and her heels. She stopped before she goes through the door, sparing one last glance to her shorter companion.

"Just a suggestion, but you need to rest. You've been stressing for the exam for three months since they're first dispatched to the human world," she smiled, waving to the now frowning girl. "It will pass. Smoothly. I guarantee you that."

As her companion disappears behind the closed door, the black haired girl sighed, slumping herself against her seat.

"I just don't want to let her down," she whispered to the silence surrounding her.

Her gaze flew to a framed photograph at the corner of her desk. She smiled, despite bitterly, and closes her eyes for a bit.

"Not anymore."

To be continued...