A pair of agents rushed by Eunji. Eunji watched as they disappeared down the hall, then slowly leaned back into Naeun’s room. She gently shut the door behind her and turned to face the princess, who was cautiously turning a gun in her hand.

“It works better if you hold it by the grip,” Eunji said. She walked towards the princess and held her hand out.

Naeun handed Eunji the gun and said, “I need to learn how to use one.”

Eunji smiled wanly. “I’ll teach you when I get back.”

They had just been called away for a major mission―one that required the work of more than just Eunji’s team. They were about to infiltrate one of the largest Shadow Clan meetings they had ever encountered, and everyone was scrambling to prepare for departure. Despite the fact that they had received the orders only a few minutes ago, they had gathered fairly quickly and would be able to leave in no more than ten minutes. That had given Eunji some time to stop by Naeun’s room to say a quick goodbye.

This mission was undoubtedly one of Eunji’s more dangerous ones, yet she could only think about Bomi. It had been a few days since Bomi had been captured, and it killed Eunji, not knowing what was happening to her best friend. She knew that she couldn’t let her worries bother her during this mission, but how could she not? Eunji wanted so badly for Bomi to be everyone’s first priority, but outside of her team, that was not the case. To others, Bomi was just another casualty, and if they could choose between taking down the Shadow Clan and rescuing Bomi, they would choose the first option.

Eunji hated thinking about that, but that was the fact of the matter. She shook the thought from her mind and slipped the gun into its holster.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Eunji?” Naeun asked. 

“I’m trying my best to be,” Eunji admitted. 

Naeun took Eunji’s hands in her own. “Everything will be okay, alright? You’ll be fine.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about.”

“Bomi will be safe too. We’ll get her back.”

Eunji forced a nod. “I know. I’ll make sure we do.”

“And you…,” Naeun said. “You’ll come back safe too.”

Naeun’s eyes searched Eunji’s, like they were looking for some sort of assurance. Eunji reached over and cupped Naeun’s cheek. “Of course I will. We’ll go on that trip to the city when I get back, okay?”

“The what?”

“I promised you that I would take you outside the palace walls to try to experience a ‘normal’ life,” Eunji said. “Did you forget?”

“Oh,” Naeun breathed. She looked slightly taken aback. “No. I didn’t forget.” 

“Good. Wait for me, then. I'll be back before you know it.” Eunji tucked a strand of hair behind Naeun’s ear, allowing her finger to linger a bit at the delicate curve of the princess’s ear. “Hayoungie should be here soon. She’ll make sure you stay safe.”

Since they were leaving on a very dangerous mission, they didn’t want to leave the princess alone in the palace. Of course, they could have had someone else guard the princess, but they all felt better with one of them watching Naeun as well. Hayoung had volunteered to stay back, so while Eunji and the others were tasked with the dangerous mission, Hayoung and several other agents were assigned to stick by Naeun’s side in case any danger came her way. They didn’t know if anything would happen, but it was still a precaution they had taken.

Eunji secured her swords on her back and did one final check of her equipment. She looked like a walking armory; she was practically lined head to toe with weapons, ranging from small throwing knives to handguns. Once she was sure that everything was in place, she smiled at the princess and began to walk away.

Just as Eunji touched the doorknob, Naeun cried, “Wait!”

Eunji turned―just in time for Naeun to grab her wrist and pull her into a kiss. 

It was a quick peck that ended just as soon as it had started, but Eunji swore that a million butterflies fluttered in her chest in that quick second. 

Naeun pulled back, looking both horrified and shocked with herself. Her eyes were wide and fretful, and her lower lip trembled slightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t―”

Eunji didn’t let her finish her sentence, nor did she let herself think about what she was about to do next. Without hesitation, Eunji grasped Naeun’s face in both of her hands and pulled her into another kiss. If a million butterflies had fluttered in Eunji’s chest the first time, then a trillion butterflies danced in her chest the second.

This time, the kiss lasted longer than a second. The princess’s lips slowly softened against Eunji’s touch and eventually they melted into each other, locked in each other’s embrace like they never wanted to leave. Naeun’s hands ventured around Eunji’s back, and Eunji let them pull her closer. They remained connected by their lips as time, a delicate and precious thing, slowed around them.

When they finally pulled apart, they just stared into each other’s eyes, breathless. Eunji’s heart had calmed from a flurry of butterflies to a steady drum, beating slowly and steadily, like it finally knew what it wanted. 

No, it had always known what it wanted. For the past few weeks, Eunji’s heart had known whom it lusted for, but it was Eunji herself who had refused to believe it. There was no use denying it now, though. As Eunji gazed at the princess and felt the burning sensation on her lips, she was sure of it. 

“Well,” Naeun said, clearing . Her cheeks were bright red. “I suppose we have a lot to discuss when you return.”

Eunji smiled. She still felt the steady thumping of her heart in her chest. “I guess we do. I’ll see you soon, Naeun.”

“I wish I could come with you guys,” Hayoung lamented as she watched Namjoo secure her weapons to her body. It felt wrong to not be fully arming herself like Namjoo was.

 Hayoung and Namjoo had been together in Namjoo’s room when the mission was called, and Namjoo had jumped out of her bed to throw on her mission gear. The whole ordeal had only taken about five minutes, and Hayoung had barely managed to send a text to Chorong before Namjoo had begun to lace her boots.

“You’re the one who volunteered to stay back and guard the princess,” Namjoo said. “I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather stay here and play Overwatch than go out there and risk my life fighting some grimy Shadow Clan minions.”

“Who said I was going to be playing Overwatch?”

“I know you.”

Hayoung twisted her lips and didn’t retaliate, but only because Namjoo was right; Hayoung had been planning on trying to get the princess to play Overwatch with her. If she didn’t succeed, then she’d end up painting with Naeun, and while Naeun could create masterpieces with a single of her brush, Hayoung could barely manage a stick figure.

“Overwatch or not,” Namjoo said while she sheathed her last knife, “promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“I’m hardly the one who’s going to be in danger.”

Namjoo looked up with a serious face. “Hayoung-ah.”

The weight in Namjoo’s tone immediately made Hayoung drop her joking manner. Hayoung tossed Namjoo her black jacket from her bed. “I promise I’ll stay safe. The princess is in good hands. No harm will come to her.”

Namjoo caught her jacket with ease and slipped it on. With her jacket, Namjoo was now fully dressed for the mission; she was in black from head to toe, and practically every inch of her was armed. Again, Hayoung felt weird and horribly bare sitting in front of Namjoo. While Namjoo had about ten weapons on her, Hayoung only had her twin pistols and a knife. It was for good reason, tough. Namjoo was about to head off on possibly one of the most dangerous missions of her life, and Hayoung was just going to stay behind the safety of the palace walls.

That last part, above all, did not sit right with Hayoung. Her team was going to be fighting potentially hundreds of Shadow Clan followers, and Hayoung wasn’t going to be there. Her duty to protect Naeun was just as important as her teammates’ duty to complete this mission, but Hayoung still ached to go with them. Yet as much as she desperately wanted to go with them, Hayoung did not regret her decision. After all, she had been the one to volunteer herself to guard the princess while the others were gone. With the magnitude of this mission, the princess’s life would likely be in danger, and one of them had to stay back with her. 

Hayoung hadn’t volunteered because she didn’t want to fight. No, she would never be that cowardly. She had chosen to stay because someone had to protect the princess, that was also not the whole reason. Hayoung just couldn’t bear the possibility of Naeun getting hurt without her there to protect her. Hayoung cared so much about Naeun that worrying about her physically hurt her.

Hayoung stood from Namjoo’s bed and brushed a hand through her hair. “I have to go to Naeun’s room. Are you ready?” 

Namjoo zipped up her jacket and nodded. “We’re headed in opposite directions. I’m meeting the others in the courtyard.”

“We’ll part here then. I’ll see you soon, okay?” said Hayoung. “Don’t do anything reckless, Unnie. I’m going to need you back in one piece.”

“Is this your way of lovingly telling me to stay safe?”

“Yes, it is,” Hayoung replied. “But seriously, Unnie, come back to me in one piece. You and the others. This is a huge and dangerous mission, and I don’t want today to be the last time I see one of you guys.”

“It won’t. We’ll come back, I promise.” Namjoo wrapped her fingers around Hayoung’s wrist, her touch a gentle and tentative embrace. There was a brief pause before Namjoo spoke again, “I love you, Hayoung-ah.”

“I love you too, Unnie. Now could you stop acting like this will be the last time we see each other?”

Namjoo’s large, round eyes flashed with something that looked like disappointment, although Hayoung couldn’t figure out why. The older woman chuckled, but it sounded slightly forced. “You’re right. And after this, I have to tell you…,” Namjoo broke off mid-sentence and retracted a bit. “No, nevermind. It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t sound like nothing to me.”

Namjoo smiled, and that was definitely forced. “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on the mission and stay safe. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Hayoung was still puzzled, but she didn’t push any further. Namjoo was right; they had a huge mission to focus on. Hayoung made a mental note to continue this conversation with Namjoo later.

“Yeah,” Hayoung said. “I’ll see you soon.”