“Let go of me!” I pushed him away and stood up angrily. My head was still spinning around after the incident, and I didn’t have a clue why he could bring that feeling back. After all, it was a long time ago, when things were still normal. Everytime I try to look back into my past, everything seemed like a complicated mixture of happiness and pain. It was just that I couldn’t find where to begin my search for the memories. But when that guy, that newbie, got into my class and pulled me into his mess; it was different. Everything was crystal clear, and I could remember why I didn’t want to bring them back at first. I frowned, and Yoseob looked at me worriedly. He smiled an evilish smile.

   “Ah…” He let go a long sigh. “It has been quite a long time since you last met him inside the forest. I couldn’t even imagine how you managed to survive those days without being the center of the illegal hunters’ attention. But after the Queen ordered me to find you as soon as possible…” He shrugged. “I realized that you haven’t changed that much, Yoon __________. You still cannot forget. By the way, is your father still good? I haven’t seen him coming these days.”

   I kept silent. Thousands of questions were spinning inside my head. How can Yoseob know Dad? Who is that ‘him’ he was talking about? Who is the Queen? What the hell are ‘illegal hunters’? Why does Yoseob have to find me? Why? Why?

   “Stop questioning yourself, Princess.” Yoseob let out a fierce order. “Tell me where your father is. I need to see him right away.”

   “He…” I lowered my voice. “My father…”

   Yoseob realized something was wrong. He knew it at the time I began to speak.

   “What happened to Doojoon?” He grabbed my shoulder and shook me violently. “Tell me!”

   I took a deep breath.

   “He is not here anymore. He went somewhere…” 

   “Again?” Yoseob chuckled. “Doesn’t your father know it’s not good for people like us to travel a lot using morals’ means of transportation?”

   “No.” I lifted my head, looking straight at his eyes. “He went somewhere and he will never come back. He is dead, Yang Yoseob. It’s no need for you to find him.”

   Yoseob looked at me, completely stunned. I nodded gently.

   “I’m not kidding. He died in a car crash four months ago.”

   Silence.

   The bell rang.

   The teacher went out of the classroom and gave us a smile. As he walked away, Yoseob shook his head and yelled:

   “Yong Junhyung! Come back here!”

   “What?” The teacher appeared out of nowhere. I was shocked.

   “Stop that kind of disguising. It’s awkward.” Yoseob said. “Our mission is completed. Well, half completed. They sent Doojoon away.”

   “What?” The teacher repeated in a different tone. His wide grin froze. Slowly, the old features on his face changed. My History teacher turned in to a young, handsome guy with his brown hair messed up in a stylish way and a smirk on his lips. And even then, I still couldn’t open my mouth. They scared the crap out of me.

   “Now that’s better.” He said and stretched his arms. I watched him as he took a small piece of sticky notes. He wrote something on it and threw it up in the air. To my surprise, it disappeared. Then he turned to me and sticked his hand out. “I’m Yong Junhyung. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

   “I’m Yoon __________. Nice to meet you, too.” I shook his hand cautiously. Junhyung turned at Yoseob and asked him:      

   “Did he tell the little princess here anything?”

   Yoseob shook his head. “We have to go back to the Palace and find his will.”

   “Do we?” Junhyung raised his eyebrows and a scroll of paper appeared. “The Queen gave me this after she called you. She knew that you would forget something.”

   “Thank you, Junhyung.” Yoseob smiled weakly and took the scroll. “I would be nothing if I didn’t have you two.”

   “He did nothing.” Junhyung mumbled in anger. “He just sat there and flirted with girls when I search every square inch for you. And I’m the lazy one!”

   “Ready, __________?” Yoseob took my hand. Wait, what?

   “Do we have to go now?” Junhyung asked. Yoseob nodded. The latter shrugged and took my other hand, but I snatched it away from him and yelled:

   “What do you two think you are doing? This is totally illegal!”

   “Not for our rules.” Junhyung chuckled. “We do what we have to do.”

   “Let go of me! This is an order!” I shouted and used my free hand to losen Yoseob’s grip. “You are not going to drag me everywhere you want just like that! I’m not a puppet! And I didn’t even count the fact that you two and I are just strangers!”

   “Well, if you want…” Yoseob halted and let go of me. I bursted out of his grip and ran away, across the hallway and to the exit. All I wanted was to go home. It was the only place that makes me feel safe.

♥

   I twisted the doorknob and walked inside. Assuring that no one else was in my house, I let out a long sigh. Today was absolutely unexpected. I threw my backpack on the floor and walked into the kitchen, wanting to make myself some strong coffee that will relax my brain a little. But there was something I couldn’t predict. Junhyung was sitting on the counter. In my kitchen. As if I invited him inside or something.

   “What’s up, beautiful?” A wide grin spreaded across his face. “Surprised, huh?”

   “Get out!” I stormed angrily across the kitchen and tried to push Junhyung down. “Aren’t you clear, bastard? I said get out! Now!”

   Despite my hard efforts, he didn’t even move a muscle. His features slowly changes. Just a few seconds later, I realized that I was trying to push myself out of the counter. Another few seconds, it was my History teacher on the counter. Then it was Dad, and Yoseob. And Junhyung, again.

   “You!” I bursted out angrily. “How the hell can you do that? I don’t know, but you are not going to stay here for any other second. Get out!”

   “Ooh, y skirt over there.” Junhyung giggled and pointed at my skirt, which was rolled up and stuck on my belt, revealing a bit of my .

   “Ah!!!” I screamed and pulled my skirt down as he continued giggling. “You… how dare you… Argh! I can’t believe it! You!” I pointed a finger at him and shouted.

   “Come on, Princess.” A hand grabbed my fist and a smooth voice went through my ears. Yoseob rested his chin on my shoulder, whispering to me. “It wasn’t that embarrassing. Calm down now and I’ll make you some coffee.”

   “You too, Mr. Yang.” I said coldly. “Get out of here, fast.”

   “But __________, you don’t under…”

   “Oh, she does know what is happening and she is coming with us, Yoseob-ssi.” Someone stepped inside my house. “Go home and tell Sandara-nim that you lost this one.” He put his hands on my hips and pushed Yoseob away. The latter staggered back and hit the counter, from which Junhyung jumped down while staring cautiously at the stranger.

   “Pawn.” He murmured.

   “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Junhyung-ssi.” The man chuckled, revealing his sharp, white fangs. “Now if you excuse me, this beautiful lady and I have somewhere to go.”

   “Not so fast.” Junhyung took out a gun and raised it at the uninvited, but the latter pulled me ahead. I have become a living shield.

   “If I am going down, she is going with me.” He said. Junhyung was puzzled, but his gun was still pointing at me.

   “No, Junhyung.” Yoseob stood up. “Pawn, let her go and we will give you what you want.”

   “This is what I want. Revenge.” Pawn laughed and touched the crook of my neck. Suddenly, I couldn’t move a muscle. “All of you treated me like I was nothing, and I’m paying back. See you soon.”

   “__________!” Yoseob growled and sprang ahead. So did Junhyung. But it was too late. Pawn lifted me up into the air and spun around. Everything in my kitchen, even Yoseob and Junhyung, became blurry and unreal. The next thing I knew was darkness.