IV

It was near midnight when Chaeyoung regained her consciousness. She felt somewhat reenergized but some parts of her body were still sore especially her lower back. It didn’t take long for her to remember why it was even more tender though and it made her whisper a threat.  “I’m going to murder that woman.”

Groggily pushing herself off the bed, the young woman was more determined than last time to even trudge in darkness to find her attacker and give back twice the pain she inflicted. It was not even for her ego anymore, she just wanted to hurt the woman to be even. Tzuyu was not on her side too which worry her as well but she had matters to settle first.

However, she hadn’t started her search when a hand from nowhere roughly pulled her back to bed. Pain shot through every nerve on her small body but Chaeyoung swiftly spring back to her feet to punch whoever did it to her but she felt herself falling on the soft mattress once again.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A soft melodic voice asked as she step out from the shadows to reveal herself to the young beaten woman. It was Mina, still wearing the same red scarf she had early on.

“You! I should be the one asking you that?!” The shorter woman pointed out, throwing a menacing glare at the Japanese woman as she struggle to stand once more. But suddenly something clicked on her then that made her laugh sarcastically. “Oh, I get it now. Pretentions were called off the table. Is this how you going to treat us from now on?”

Mina made a snorting sound which was unladylike of her. Hearing the accusation of the other woman made her hand twitch dangerously but she forced herself to calm down. It would do no good for her if she react violently again. Jihyo would not appreciate it if she injure the little cub which she was tasked to guard for the night after her sort of punishment with their cleaning master. She rather has a peaceful day tomorrow and keeping her cool was the best way. “I just saved your tiny from being scolded again for getting out of bed without recommendation. You should be grateful and respectful. I’m probably older than you. How old are you anyway?”

“Why would I bother to be grateful and respectful to someone as violent as you?” Chaeyoung countered though the more she stared at the Japanese woman’s visible features, the more she felt that she had seen her somewhere else. She was beyond pissed though to even give it a thought. “You flipped me and knock me out unconscious. Now you are treating me like a prisoner. You tell me why I should be grateful?”

The scarf-wearing woman just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She didn’t even bother answering right away and just elegantly walk away to flick the lights on. The moonlight coming from the window wasn’t enough to have a decent conversation anyway, plus she wanted to see the play of emotions on the younger girl’s face clearer. She then settled on a wooden chair at the corner of the room before she spoke.

“You have three reasons, no make that four. First I was the first to see your little sister back in the forest. She was scared and hysterical, begging to save your life. She’s a sweet girl. Second, I was the one who rushed to save you from that homunculus. Third, I was still considerate -”

“Considerate?! You called that considerate?!” Chaeyoung shouted, cutting off the Japanese but one glare was all it took for the young woman to zip in an instant.

“- of your condition when I knocked you out. I had the means to injure you more but I didn’t. The fourth and the most recent is I’m saving you from a horrible fate. You do not want to show your face to Jeongyeon right now.”

“I don’t care about anything you said. Where is Tzuyu?”

“Safe and asleep in her room. She fell asleep beside you earlier but Sana decided to move her for your own good. Your sister almost pushed you down to the floor twice. She’s quite a bed hog.”

Recalling their sleepovers back in the days, Chaeyoung couldn’t help but smile, her deep dimple showing. It was gone instantly though when she remember where she was and who was in front of her. Knowing her sister was unharmed though, made the young woman feel bolder to