«I challenge you, Chu Sojung! Once and for all! You, me! Decide who’s bad! Or are you scared?!»
«I’m scared of nothing! It’s on!» bellows Exy, and then Mimi suddenly jumps in, «I want in, too! I challenge you, Im Nayoung!»
Stone Buddha looks surprised, but nods, because there is no way her voice would be heard in the sea of noise.
«Look at this ruckus», smiles Seolhyun at the camera and points it at the obstacle course. «Private Kim Sojung!» — she calls out and adds for future viewers, not lowering her voice, «Notice how I can’t call Sowon-ssi by her name, even though it’s the most natural thing in the world, especially for colleagues. Rules are rules here, and the respectful distance is very important».
This draws everyone’s attention. Sowon turns towards Seolhyun, shielding YooA even more in her new position, smiles and waves into the camera. Captain Baek relaxes her posture.
«Yes, lieutenant Kim!» salutes Sowon.
«How did my privates do at the obstacle course?» asks Seolhyun in her best ‘I am a caring senior’ tone.
«We did our best!» proudly answers Sowon. «But the heat did get to us, lieutenant».
«Look what we’ve got!» exclaims Heehyun. «Permission to distribute the water bottles, lieutenant Kim?»
Seolhyun nods; the platoon charges at the buckets, and she films the girls inhale water, cooing sympathetically. Although, when she spots someone making a move —
«This is captain Baek, our officer», Seolhyun points the camera  right at the woman’s face. «She is a true soldier, which means — between you and me — strict and distant, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Right, platoon?»
«Of course!» echoes Nayeon, capping her bottle and dazzling the camera with her smile. «It is refreshing to see someone who is solely focused on their job. It’s like our CEO Park Jinyoung-nim tells us, ‘You have to be nothing but a pro’».
«Captain Baek! Can you show my exclusive vlog’s audience how to salut properly?» calls Seolhyun.
Captain Baek barks, «Dinner time in 20 minutes», then salutes and leaves.
«Platoon — 1, captain Baek — 0», mutters Seolhyun, turning the camera off.
«We need to stream the rap battle on V-live», says Heehyun. Seolhyun nods.
«Right! What the hell was that?» says Exy. «Why me?»
Heehyun arches her brow, «Aren’t you a rapper? Don’t you want to be a sergeant? Have I not been putting on air on your behalf lately?»
«Oh, I see. Fair enough. Do you mean it though, once and for all?»
Heehyun grimaces, «Who cares».

***

«You actually have a good eye for composition, sunbaenim», compliments Jisoo, watching the already uploaded footage at the canteen. «And colour. YooA looks radiant».
Seolhyun nods, simultaneously showing her gratitude and acknowledging the well-known fact that Oh My Girl’s dancer is, indeed, radiant.
«Sunbaenim», asks Jisoo once again, «may we film our regular medical check-up?»
«Who’s we?»
«Me, Nayeon, Bona and YooA».
«Sure», answers Seolhyun, «but, private Kim, you’ll be held responsible if camera gets damaged».
«I understand, lieutenant», nods Jisoo.
«Take all the time you need. Be thorough».
«Of course, lieutenant Kim».
Three, to guard the treasure, thinks Seolhyun. I have a trap set up already; now, I need a spy, a red herring… and a criminal.
«Private Kim», she calls and waits to see who will answer.
«Yes, lieutenant Kim», immediately echoes Sowon, while Jisoo, Bona, Kei, Mimi and Nayoung flinch, put the spoon down or only start to look up.
«A word, after dinner?»
«Of course, lieutenant».

***

Watching Nayeon, Jisoo and Bona escorting YooA to the infirmary (where Jisoo will be definitely flirting with that doe-eyed nurse), Seolhyun struts towards the resident giants.
«I still don’t understand why she’s so unabashed about all this. How the did she think she could just take YooA somewhere?» murmurs Sowon.
«Had she been pestering you for long before we came?» whispers Im Nayoung.
«For a minute or two», shrugs Sowon.
Impressed, Im Nayoung pats her arm, «You did well».
Sowon waves her off, «Ah, you’d do the same. We have to do something».
«We do», Seolhyun cuts in. «A lot is at the stake here. Has Nayoung-ssi said anything?»
«No».
Seolhyun summarises what had happened, what they have found and what she intends to do. «I just need the right person», she adds. «And you’ve just proved you could be it».
«Why not choose the biggest stars? YG’s? JYP’s?» whispers frowning Im Nayoung.
«No, they can’t do any more than they are doing already», Sowon shakes her head. «They will sack them in no time».
Im Nayoung looks surprised, «But it’s Blackpink and Twice we’re talking about, they can’t throw them under the bus!» 
But Seolhyun nods, agreeing with GFriend’s leader, «They can. The ‘big 3’ idols are extremely expendable».
Im rises her eyebrows, wondering if there is any escape for an idol out of the ‘expendable’ file. Her own blood, pooled with everyone else’s and smeared across national TV, her own IOI success sure didn’t help her. She knows how the little agencies’ idols struggle, get fired and buried in debts — but being in the big 3 is no guarantee, either? What a lousy deal.
«Be my spy», Seolhyun tells Sowon. GFriend’s leader nods.

***

«How are my precious privates?» asks Seolhyun, waltzing in the infirmary. The pretty nurse flicks her doe eyes at AOA’s visual and smiles, a little apprehensively. Jisoo is playing with the zoom, and her joking demeanour eases the nurse. 
«Everything is in norm. Will you be the next, lieutenant Kim?» politely asks the girl.
«Have you already checked every one?»
«Just two left, Nayeon-nim and Jisoo-nim», smiles the shy nurse.
«May I chat with those who already checked up?» asks Seolhyun, just as politely. «In private?»
The nurse nods, «The next door storage room is empty. YooA-nim, the key is in the top drawer».
«Someone installed a hidden camera in the railing of Jisoo’s bunk», utters Seolhyun and shows the memory card. «You, Mimi and Seunghee were being filmed constantly. Not anymore». 
«That !»
«I thought she could be useful», admits YooA after a pause. «One catches more flies with honey».
«Well, that», says B