“Sana you ready?” Jihyo arrives moments after the final bell, “Ready for what?” Momo looks at Sana, who’s still putting her things inside her bag, “Oh I forgot to tell you, but Jihyo’s gonna show me around campus before we go home.”

“But we have to be back before dinner today..remember?” Momo asks, looking at Sana, then at Jihyo and Mina.

“It’s fine.. I already told my dad.” Sana looks at Momo pointedly.

“Really? What did he say?”

“Here, see for yourself.” Sana shows Momo the text from her dad.

-I’ll be home later today..Jihyo is going to give me a tour of campus - Sana

-Jihyo? Will Momo be there? -Oto-san

-No…but Jihyo’s our class president and she’s really responsible. -Sana

-Please let me go..please please. -Sana

-I’ll send Mio to watch over you from afar. -Oto-san

-Okay! Arigatoo Oto-san <3 -Sana

“Alright, but..be careful.” Momo steals a glance at Mina, who was now casually standing by Jihyo’s side.

“Don’t worry.” Sana pats Momo’s head, “I’ll be fine..jeez..now go. I know uncle wants you home early today for your training.”

“Alright..” Momo nods, giving Jihyo a smile before leaving, and a polite nod at Mina.

“Are you coming with us Minari?” Jihyo looks at Mina who shrugs, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Mina looks at Sana, “I’ll just wait for you in front. Don’t feel like heading back home anyways.”

“Oh is Myoui Mina actually asking me to hang out after school for once?” Jihyo teases.

“As if you’ll skip your after school lessons.” Mina rolls her eyes.

“Just come around with us.” Sana speaks up, pulling the two out of their own little bubble.

“Are you serious?” Mina turns to Sana, “What would your family say if they found out?”

“Mina.” Jihyo’s voice was stern, “She’s being nice.”

“I’ll be outside Ji.” Mina relents, grabbing Jihyo’s bag, “See you later princess.” Mina smirks, the nickname catching Sana off guard.

“Ignore her.” Jihyo rolls her eyes, stopping Sana from the internal turmoil she was put in, “She’s not always so insufferable. But I mean you know…how this world works.” Jihyo sighs, her eyes watching as Mina disappears down the hall.

“I..don’t actually.” Sana admits as Jihyo begins to lead her out of the classroom, “My family dynamics are a bit different from Momo’s.”

“Well you did grow up outside the country, so it's understandable..but just try not to judge Mina based on what your family might say.”

“Don’t worry…aside from that little tease earlier. I think Mina’s nice.”

“She is..she’s really great.” Jihyo smiles, and Sana nods not thinking too much on Jihyo’s words.

~ ~

“You all done?” Mina asks, walking towards Jihyo and Sana.

“Yep.” Jihyo nods.

“Okay.” Mina looks around, stepping closer to the two, “Mina?” Jihyo frowns, finding the sudden shift in Mina’s attitude weird.

“Someone’s here.” Mina’s eyes lock on the rooftop of the annex building, “And seeing where they are, they’ve been here a while.”

“Mina.” Jihyo holds Mina’s arm, stopping her from going anywhere, “Don’t even think about it..I’ll alert the school’s security team.”

Someone..following us from afar..is it Mio-san? Sana thinks knowing that her father sent someone to protect her, but unfortunately he sent someone from the stealth team and she can’t really pull her phone out and text her with Mina watching her and Jihyo so closely.

“They’re looking over here which means they’ve been watching you both. You can see the entire campus from up there.” Her frown deepens, They’re good..whoever they are.. Mina thinks, “For now, let’s get you both home.”

“Okay..Sana.” Jihyo turns to the princess, “Mina will follow you and I home..let’s go to your plac..”

“You can’t.” Sana interrupts in a panic, because the ‘house’ Jihyo and Mina want to follow her to is the palace, “My parents would worry and I don’t want them to assign a security detail.”

“But it’s not safe to be out.” Mina points out, eyes still scanning the school.

They moved. She notes, “And I just lost my sight on them. I need to get you both out of here.” Mina rushes.

“What about you?” Sana questions, looking at Mina, “Aren’t you in danger too?”

“I can handle myself just fine, princess. Now, c’mon.” Mina gestures for them to go ahead while she watches them from behind.

“Ms. Park..” Jihyo’s family chauffeur greets her politely opening the door.

“Mr. Seo please take Jihyo straight to her lesson and please accompany her inside. There’s someone suspicious on school grounds.”

“Yes, Ms. Myoui.” Mr. Seo takes Jihyo’s bag from Mina, who had been holding it the entire time.

“What about you and Sana?” Jihyo turns to the two.

“She doesn’t want to worry her family and I doubt whoever that is would be stupid enough to try and pull anything on me while I’m with her.” Mina says confidently, “Now go inside, I’ll have Kei on your tail until you get home.”

“Alright..but be careful. Both of you. Please text me when you both get home.”

“Okay, now go.” Mina gently ushers Jihyo inside the car, shutting the door. Mina watches as Jihyo’s car disappears from sight, she stays a few moments longer to see if anyone else trailed after them, but luckily there wasn’t anything.

But while Mina was looking out for Jihyo, Sana was able to get a quick text to Mio.

-Were you the one on the annex rooftop? -Her Royal Highness.

-Yes, your highness. The emperor had asked me to. I’ll say I’m quite proud that you noticed my presence, the annex is pretty far off. -Mio-san

It wasn’t me.. Sana thinks, reading the text from her guard.

“Alright, now you.” Mina turns her attention back to Sana, “Was that your family or Momo that you texted?”

“How di..”

“I was still watching over you of course.”

“Eh?” Sana looks at Mina, she fully thought that Mina’s entire focus was on Jihyo.

“There’s an unknown threat here and I’m the only one that could protect you both at the moment, so of course I had my attention on you too princess. Now, c’mon.”

“Where?” Sana looks at Mina and then at the car that she knows she should get inside of, “I can just go home as well.”

“No one followed Ji’s car.”

“Okay?”

“Which means you're the target.”

“Oh.” Sana mentally facepalmed.

“Yeah..and I’m not going to let you go home without anyone but your driver.

The threat is Mio-san, my guard..Sana thinks, but she also finds the whole thing endearing. Mina barely even knows her and their ‘families’ are not on good terms but yet she’s willing to protect her.

“They’re coming.” Mina suddenly says, sensing that presence again, “C’mon.” She grabs Sana’s hand leading her towards her motorcycle, “Text your driver and let him know to leave but not go to your house just in case they tail your car.”

 <