"So this is your new bodyguard?" Chen eyed Sora up and down. "Damn, why aren't the female bodyguards in China this hot?"

"Watch your language you idiot." Kris muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disapproval.

The EXO-M princes had finally gotten a chance to meet Sora officially after breakfast. Sora put on a polite smile, avoiding Chanyeol's suspicious gaze as she shifted uncomfortably. He was watching her like an eagle, making her extremely uncomfortable.

Chanyeol knew that he was being a little irrational and mean towards this new bodyguard, but he couldn't help it. Could you even understand what the hell was going on? Chanyeol KNEW he was being mean and he COULDN'T help it. Wow.

He knew that if Sora was indeed innocent, his accusations must have hurt her a lot. But his sixth sense told him that Im Sora wasn't a simple girl. She didn't talk much and when she smiled, she looked like an angel that came from heaven, yes, she really did.

However someone's actions and appearance didn't say anything about how the person was inside. Chanyeol was highly suspicious of Sora's every little action after seeing her with the poison ivy. Perhaps it was because he had tried to hard his hyung and friends and regretted too much that he couldn't bear if someone threatened their safety.

Or maybe something of Sora just made him click.

He heard what Chen said and pressed his lips together in a thin line when he saw Sora blush prettily like no guy ever complimented her before. Must she act like that??

"She's a real good fighter, Sora unnie." Byul boasted as if Sora was her real sister. "She's a better fighter than any of the other male contestants that came for the election."

Xiumin blinked in surprise and he looked at Sora from head to toe, taking in her tan, fit, but not exactly muscular form. "But you're so skinny!" he blurted without thought. "Are you sure she's a better fighter than those muscular ones?"

Exactly what he thought. Chanyeol nodded discreetly, eying Sora. What was a girl like her doing in a job that's meant for men?

His gaze shot to Byul. Well he didn't mean Byul was a guy. Byul was an exceptional woman, which was why she captured his heart before. She was amazing, no doubt.

But no one could argue that a job like being a bodyguard was for guys. Men. Males. Not skinny pretty girls like Im Sora that should be working in a fabric shop or even better, a rich tai tai sipping tea at home waiting for her rich husband to return home.

Tao immediately sprang up from his seat when he heard that Sora was a brilliant fighter. "Sora noona, let's have a match! Kungfu against kungfu." he raised his fists intimidatingly.

Sehun scoffed at Tao. "Please, hyung. Sora noona and Chanyeol hyung fought the other time and they were on par. How the hell do you think you're going to win her? You always lose to Chanyeol hyung in fights." he pointed out.

Tao's eyes rounded and shot his gaze to Chanyeol, who cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Dude! You couldn't even win a girl?" Lay guffawed and nudged Chanyeol's arm.

Chanyeol reddened while Baekhyun grinned proudly. "Hey! Chanyeol didn't manage to beat Eunbyul either!" he reminded everyone. "My Eunbyul's a damn straight fighter as well." he grinned at her affectionately. Byul nudged him under the table and sent him a look that told him to keep his praises for later.

Chanyeol met Sora's eyes and she quickly looked down as if it was a sin to look at him straight. Either she was badly mistreated in the past or there was something she was hiding from him. Either or, he was really curious about her.

"Byul's right, Sora's a good fighter." Chanyeol acknowledged, looking at Sora while he said so. Sora's eyes widened in surprise and her gaze flew towards him momentarily. She really looked genuinely surprised that he would actually praise her fighting skills.

In fact she looked surprised that he would say anything good about her, however vaguely.

Chanyeol flinched at her response. Was he that mean to her that even his praises came as a shock?

"Hey, Sora's a good fighter, Chanyeol's also a good fighter." Luhan suddenly grinned with a sly grin. "Although they always say how opposites attract, like Baekhyun and Byul: noob and pro-"

"Hey watch that mouth of yours." Baekhyun pouted while Byul laughed and nodded in agreement.

"-but sometimes it's similar interests and strengths that bring people together." Luhan continued without missing a beat. He wriggled his brows suggestively at Chanyeol and Sora. "You know, maybe sparks will fly when you guys are sparring or something."

"Yeah, maybe another prince-bodyguard couple in the palace!" D.O. supplied helpfully when he saw both faces starting to get red.

Sora pinked and ducked her head, not knowing what to do with her hands and wringing them nervously. Chanyeol cleared his throat and his face was getting redder by the minute, not because of the suggestion itself, but because of his own realization that how he thought the suggestion was a pretty nice one.

Chanyeol shook his head. No way, he couldn't go falling in love with Im Sora. WHYYYYY???? his heart screamed.

Because, because....Im Sora might be a bad person. Complicated and secetive, she was so difficult to figure out. She could be a bad for all he knew.

And maybe because....he didn't want to fall in love so quickly again after Byul. Because he wanted to be completely sure that when he fell in love, he was really properly in love with that someone and not because he just wanted to fill the emptiness in his heart when Byul didn't love him back, even if he didn't love her anymore.

"Let's hold a party." Tao blurted.

All the EXO boys turned to him in surprise and blinked, confused. "Why the hell hold a party all of a sudden?" Kai raised his brows and retorted. "What's there to celebrate about? It's no one's birthday."

"It's not for a birthday!" Tao scoffed. "It's just, we might not be able to come back to Korea again until it is Baekhyun hyung's and Byul noona's actual wedding day. I think I want to congratulate them before they actually tie the knot."

"Aww you sweetie!" Baekhyun slung an arm around Tao's shoulders and squeezed.

Kris shuddered at Baekhyun's coos. "Although I don't want to, I actually agree. It's not often that we come visiting in Korea and this is a good time to congratulate you two on your upcoming wedding. Just a small party would do, just for all of us."

"Hey this can be a surprise party for Byul as well." Suho smiled at the thought. "She's been busy with her princess lessons these days and we should use this chance to cheer her up as well."

"THAT IS SUCH A GREAT IDEA!" Baekhyun clapped and bounced to his feet at the thought. He noticed Byul's frequent tired yawns and growing eyebags and his heart ached. He didn't want his princess to be going through so many things just because of her marriage to him. He wanted to carry as much of the baggage he could, leaving her free and happy.

"Since Eunbyul is busy with her princess lessons right now, we can prepare the party and surprise her when she gets back!" he surmised. "And I've already told Attendant Kim to make the lesson short this afternoon so that she can come back to spend more time with us. This makes it timely because there'll be more time to partayyyyy~!"

Sehun grinned and hopped to his feet as well. "So who's going to do what?"

-----

The boys put up an impromptu party in amazing speed.

Well, perhaps they weren't exactly the ones putting the party together.... Baekhyun summoned the maids to bring the food and things like that, delicacies and treats, and the cooks at the kitchen had worked at full speed to finish all the orders.

The servants had to rush to the Capital Ciity to get the decorative items and they transformed Baekhyun's quarters into something else all together. Coloured paper splashed all the walls and flowers were brought in one after another in different vases that the whole room seemed to be sprayed with natural perfume.

Musicians were plucked off the streets and paid a hefty sum to perform just for the impromptu event, and there were even games and stuff prepared for later in the night.

The EXO boys made sure that the party was something to remember, something like Baekhyun and Byul's unofficial engagement party or something.

The only problem of the whole plan was the even after waiting for a few hours, the female lead was still not in sight.

"Where is Byul?" D.O. groaned as he looked at all the food. Not to mention smelt with his every intake of breath. "The food has gone cold and the musicians are napping. Why isn't Byul back from her princess lessons yet?"

Baekhyun looked back at D.O. while he paced in front of his door. "I don't know! I already told Attendant Kim to let Eunbyul off earlier today but it's already later than Eunbyul's usual time." he bit his lip. "Where's the darn maid when you need her?"

The princes had summoned a maid and told her to run off to Attendant Kim to pass the message that the Crown Prince wante his Princess back. IMMEDIATELY.

But the maid had left a long time ago and wasn't back yet.

"Do you think we should go there ourselves to bring Byul back?" Chen asked, frowning. "Because if she doesn't get back any sooner? I think I'll faint of hunger and not to mention, it'll be too late for a party." he sighed in disappointment.

Baekhyun nodded and made a move to go. He wanted to know what was up with that darn Attendant Kim.

That was when the maid they had sent previously, finally returned. She panted softly, looking like she ran all the way. "Attendant Kim had locked the doors and I didn't know what was happening inside. I tried to get to her but there wasn't any response when I knocked and I had to wait a long time before she responded." she told the princes. "Attendant Kim said that Princess Byul isn't done with her princess lessons yet and it didn't matter if..." she gulped. "If Jeonha wanted her back, because Princess Byul is going to finish her lessons."

"That witch!" Lay shook his head.

"I guess if that's the case..." Tao slumped. "There won't be a party."

Everyone fell silent in disappointment and Baekhyun grew angrier. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and turned back to the boys. "Just eat up, all of you. We can celebrate or whatever tomorrow. I'm going out to wait for Eunbyul." he left the boys with the plates of cold food.

Kai woke the musicians up and paid them money, sending them off when they hadn't even played a single note.

Suho sighed softly and he gestured for the younger ones to eat, knowing that they were starved. The younger princes dug in with gusto while the older ones met eyes and shook their heads.

"That Attendant Kim ruined our party." Kris scowled. "She should just burn in hell."

Chanyeol watched
 Baekhyun's silhouette pace around in front of his quarters and he let out a deep sigh. He really had to agree with Kris.