“I DO NOT WANT TO BE TIED UP”

***

“So tell me why we are here again?”

Yena stood and stared in disbelief in front of the dungeon named Fantasma. She turned at her friends who also shrugged before pointing their finger at the ever glowing Hyewon.

“Because you losers lost in last night match and I get to choose our next request?”

Hyewon answered nonchalantly and are eager to start their brand new quest. Yujin is as excited as Hyewon. Sol is wagging its tail as it is also shared his excitement with Yujin. Their sparkling eyes making everyone didn’t have the heart to disagree and ditch the quest.

“We know you win single-handedly but why in the world you choose this dungeon when we have like 2 other choices than this one?”

Yuri retorted as her teeth are clattering. She personally hate scary things like this even in a game or movie but to face the ghost monster? She cursed herself for not winning the game yesterday.

“Uh, the other dungeon just like Uno which is boring. This one is different according to the clerk at the guild!”

Hyewon replied, hoping to convince her friends. She never been this giddy for quite some time and are eager to enter Fantasma, however, Chaeyeon tugged her head while shaking her head with ashen face. Hyewon scratched her head as they are already wasting 30 minutes bantering at the entrance of the dungeon.

“W-what’s the point coming here when the number of floors are five just like other dungeon! I’d rather fighting those Minotaurs again than entering this dungeon.”

Hitomi stuttered as she speak and her pupil are dilated too because she is too terrified to enter the dungeon.

“Oh come on, where else can we enter a dungeon filled with ghost type monster? This is the only one in this area! Besides, we already levelled up and need to fight a better monster to be better.”

Hyewon patiently trying her best to knock some reasoning into her friends head as their are just a bunch of cowards when facing such enemy. On the other hand, Yujin are having fun scaring Minjoo, Wonyoung and surprisingly Chaewon. The sayings are true where everyone is not perfect and Yujin find a way to escape Chaewon wrath in the future if she ever crossed the girl line afterwards.

Nako and Sakura is clinging on Eunbi which is looking worried at her babies. They usually full of spirit but when it comes to deal with some real spirit, they chickened out. She is amazed to see Sakura is cowering behind her back and Nako is clutching her arms. Yena and Yuri is bantering again as they said to their counterpart that she is a coward when in reality, both of them are cowards.

Eunbi sighed as she signalled Chaeyeon to drag Hyewon towards her as Sakura and Nako are preventing her to move freely. Their surrounding is already creepy and the girls are not loosening their grips either.

“Hyewon, how do you expect we will move in such condition?”

Eunbi questioned the girl. She is partly to be blamed as she thought it is a fascinating idea to venture out a little bit more and challenging themselves by taking this quest. Hyewon seems dispirited looking at her friends. As much as she want to enjoy herself, she hate to see her treasured people getting scared and hurting themselves in the process as they will not be able to defend themselves like they normally do.

Eunbi also disheartened while looking at Hyewon dejected face. The girl never act selfish before and this is even her first time to ask for something which Eunbi glad to let her do as her wish.

This is hard. Someone help me.

Eunbi is crying in her heart as she is divided in between her decision to proceed or to go back to the guild and cancel this quest. Yena creep in closer and asking Eunbi what is wrong as she grows tired from bickering with Yuri just now.

“Well, if they are all scared, why don’t Hyewon, Minjoo, Hitomi and Yuri cast some protection spell before entering? It will get rid of the monster for sure.”

Yena speak out her thought and Eunbi looked at her with amazement reflected in her eyes. Sakura is being a bit braver as Eunbi is there to provide her some comfort and thus, she is confronting Yena and teasing her.

“Wow, Yena! I didn’t know you have brain cells!”

Yena gritted her teeth and glared at Sakura who are sticking out her tongue and cowering behind Eunbi, taking protection from Yena.

“You piece of- Just you wait after this.”

She tried to grab Sakura but the girl is as slippery as an eel as she evaded Yena upcoming attack. Sakura left Eunbi side as Yena is chasing her around, trying to knock the girl for mocking her.

Eunbi sighed as the two are supposed to be among the oldest members but they are bickering more than Yujin, Nako and Wonyoung daily bantering combined into one. She massage her temple, trying to keep her cool as Yena and Sakura didn’t show any sign to settle down in any moment.

Eunbi:

Eunbi clenched her fist and her body are trembling as she is trying her best not to KOed Yena and Sakura for delaying their journey.

Uhh ohh. This is gonna be bad.

Chaeyeon realized darkness that loomed around Eunbi and quickly hopped onto Maki before dashing off to make Yena and Sakura reconcile before they are killed for sure; not by monsters but by Eunbi, due to their neverending banter.

She grabbed Yena collars first and Sakura get pecked by Leica which made the two girl postponed their bickering for a while.

“What the heck, Chaeyeon? I almost catch those slimy Kkura!”

Yena scowled at Chaeyeon.

“Ouch, ouch! Leica! Why did you attack me? Go peck Yena!”

Sakura are protecting her head from being attacked by Leica.

“Relax you two. Can’t you hear your Danger Sense giving off? Eunbi is ready to get rid of you two if you don’t behave anytime soon.”

Chaeyeon put the struggling Yena on the ground while Leica leisurely flew away towards Eunbi when those Tom & Jerry calmed down. They gulped as they just realized some warning are indeed blaring and even appeared on their status screen but they are too busy chasing and avoiding each other that those sounds are ignored.

Without thinking, Sakura grabbed both of Yena hands and while facing her and forcing an awkward smile at Yena.

“Sorry for teasing you earlier! We are good friends, right?”

Yena twitched when she heard Sakura words but the girl quickly whispered at Yena.

“Just reconcile for now! Eunbi is watching or you want to die as a ?”

Yena almost laughed but she managed to control herself by puffing her cheeks. She let go Sakura hands and quickly snake onto the girl shoulder while beaming with (fake) happiness.

“Of course! We are the bestest friend in the world!”

They forced a laugh which sounds so horrible and Minjoo need to hold both Yujin and Chaewon to stop them from throwing a rock at those idiot couple. Meanwhile, Hitomi manage to hold Nako who currently away from Eunbi from throwing her chakram at her master and the duck.

“Can we go now into the dungeon?”

Wonyoung tried to save the situation and her friends by acting cute in front of Eunbi. She back hugged the leader which immediately forming a smile on her face over the youngest clingy action.

“No fair. I also want to hug Eunbi.”

Nako pouted and tottering towards Eunbi and embracing her. As she is surrounded with a pair of adorable kids, her anger rapidly dissipated and Eunbi just pat both of the kids head gently.

“Favorite daughters saved the day.”

Chaewon commented as she is enjoying herself watching those girls acting silly. Somehow, she felt less scared and at ease. Sakura and Yena sure knows how to make people relaxed by goofing around.

“Now that everyone seems okay, let’s get in before you all ing in your pants and decided backing out again.”

Hyewon is growing impatient and urge all of them to quickly enter the dungeon which they do. However, everyone is having a mental breakdown hearing the gentle Hyewon cursing out loud for the first time. Sakura snickered at clueless Hyewon as she isn't fully aware what kind of words escaping yet until Eunbi come and knock some sense in her head (literally).

“I know you are excited but mind your words! There’s kids over here.”

Eunbi knotted her eyebrows and Hyewon blinked blankly. She turned her head and some ‘Ah’ escaped as she is really cursing out loud. She intended it to be between her and Sakura only but damage is done. She shrugged and lead the rest of the team with Yujin. However, the other 10 girls stubbornly didn’t let her and Yujin to walk off alone and they demanded to stick together and walking through the dungeon while holding hands.

“Whatever, here, take my hand.”

Yujin offered her hand and the seemingly scared Wonyoung who is clinging to the equally scaredy cat pairs, Minjoo and Chaewon. She gratefully take Yujin hand and sudden rush of warm and tranquility enveloped in her body. She felt more lax and leaned towards Yujin who flinched at Wonyoung for suddenly closing their gap.

Not that I’m hating it.

Yujin just turned her head and blushing. Her mind filled with thousands of thoughts which a particular pair enjoying to peek. Sakura actually is scared and really hate facing something scary like this because it feels different when you see it on screen and when you actually experiencing it. Her right hand clenched on Hyewon hand and her left hand grasped Eunbi right hand as she is squeeze in between those two.

“Don’t worry, I am here.”

As she heard those reassuring words, Sakura couldn't help herself but smile like a fool.

“And the journey, begin!”

Nako shrieked as they took the first step to conquer Fantasma.

***

Hyewon at this moment:

Countless shriek and yell not to mention desperate cries echoed throughout their journey towards the third floor. Hyewon is getting sleepy and bored as all enemies in here is below her expectation.

At first, she is excited and eager to explore every inch of the dungeon, hoping that somehow she will encounter some interesting enemy which making her adrenaline pumped for once. However, enemies that appeared so far feels like a joke. She and Yujin are the ace for this quest as their attack guaranteed to hit the formless enemy.

Their other mage, Yuri is somehow a little bit preoccupied with all those sudden popped up ghost and end up taking refugee behind Yena. Her effort is like pouring water into the ocean as Yena herself is jumping around and easily startled every time a naughty ghost tried scaring them.

“Hnng~ I hate all of this!”

Chaeyeon cried as she cowered behind the calm Hyewon. She is indeed tough and naughty but she need quite some time to adapt with those sudden scares.

Chaeyeon:

“I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”

Hyewon patted Chaeyeon back with a reassuring smile. She snapped her fingers and a ghost that is trying to surprise Chaeyeon burnt and didn’t leaving any trace aside its loot. Hyewon walked calmly as she collect her loots which is some cloth before heading back towards her friends.

“Well, so far we had nothing to report about the quest.”

Eunbi scrunched her face, didn’t affected by those ghost at all. For some reasons, those ghost flinched and apparently intimidated when Eunbi glared at them everytime Sakura yelped as she is scared. Her scream is violating Eunbi eardrums but she do not have the heart to scold the girl for her cowardice and ended up channeling her anguish at the ghost.

Sakura 1.0:

Sakura 2.0:

As a result, their encounter with