↷chapter o6;                                                                                                                              

“Aixing eonni!” Youya cried out as she spotted two Chinese together walking shyly side by side. Aixing glanced behind her back to see Youya running to her. She smiled and stopped as Junhui did so, curious on why they were being tailed.

“Dongsaeng, where’s your gun?” Youya asked Aixing curiously, patting her sides to see if her gun was in her pocket. Aixing tilted her head to the left, wondering why she would hold a gun.

“What do you mean? Shouldn’t we find-“

“Dongsaeng, we’re attackers, remember?” Youya bit her lip to stop smiling at her confused dongsaeng. Aixing’s eyes widened as Junhui chuckled, shaking his head. He knew something was bugging Aixing ever since she did a serious face.

“Ah! I forgot! The gun is still in the boxes!” Aixing exclaimed, a hand going up to her hair in horror. She totally forgot she was an attacker, but she knew there was something missing, something she was supposed to be holding. And no, it wasn’t Junhui’s soft hand.

“Go back and get your gun dongsaeng, or else you can’t eliminate anyone with it. Uh – Aixing’s partner-ssi – Do you know who this guy is?” Youya asked almost meekly, showing Junhui the bond paper with her partner’s name on it. Junhui nodded in affirmation.

“Oh, that’s Ming Ming. He’s also Chinese, so you won’t have a problem talking to him. Last time I saw him was on the 6^th floor,” Junhui informed as Youya smiled, bowing low.

“Thank you! Good luck!” And with that, Youya took off. Aixing blushed as she broke into a jog, Junhui following suit. She glanced at Junhui who was studying her.

“What?” Aixing asked self-consciously, half-smiling.

“Nothing. It’s cute that you’re forgetful.”

“HANSOL-SSI! HANSOL-SSI!” Jarin shouted as she spotted a familiar looking fluffy-brown haired guy came into her view. He was in the 3^rd floor, panting as he leaned on the railing.

“Come on, let’s greet Hansol-ssi!” Jarin exclaimed, smiling widely at the camera. She jogged over to Hansol, bowing first.

“Hello Hansol-ssi! I’m Geum Jarin, your partner!” Jarin told him, maybe too happily. Hansol glanced at her weirdly.

“Really?” He asked breathlessly as Jarin started to nod.

“Oh, thank the heavens! I thought I’ll be the last one to find my partner!” Hansol cried out happily in English, offering to shake her hand. She shook his hand once, feeling warmth course through her palm. She couldn’t believe that this happened at their first meeting. Hansol flashed her a smile before looking at the cameraman.

“I really thought I’ll be last, and the black out awhile ago scared me to death. It’s good I didn’t scream though,” Hansol stated in a manly voice as Jarin giggled.

“Dude, you scream can compete with Beyonce’s voice,” Jarin joked in English as Hansol clapped his hands together, pointing at her as a smile formed on his face.

“You speak English?” Hansol asked her in bewilderment as Jarin nodded, almost in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Yeah, I came from California, USA, but we transferred here when me and my sister were still young,” I informed him, making him say, “Ahh,” in understanding.

“Please wear this band.” The cameraman offered us a band as Jarin put it on, gesturing the other end to Hansol as he slipped his wrists in it also.

“Geum Jarin and Choi Hansol are now together. Geum Jarin and Choi Hansol are now together,” the announcer announced as Jarin burst out into laughter, nearly scaring Hansol.

“Wow, that announcer is really something. Cha, let’s go and find the hint cards-“

“Everyone, please gather to the first floor. I repeat, everyone please gather to the first floor. Anyone who isn’t there is immediately out,” the announcer announced again as Jarin stopped in her tracks, making Hansol chuckle at her cute action.

“Do you think this is a bad thing?” Jarin asked Hansol worriedly as they both bounded for the escalator. Hansol shrugged, actually excited to see what was in store for them.

“Well, let’s go and find out.”

All thirty of them came from different escalators and elevators, gathering in the first floor. SEVENTEEN stood in a horizontal line in front of ZERO as ZERO did the same.

“Partners, please stand here,” Tokki PD instructed as Aixing, Junhui, Hansol and Jarin stood near the table which was situated in between ZERO and SEVENTEEN.

“Okay, I gathered you all here so you can find your partners. There will be a twenty seconds timer that will start when I say-“

“OH COME ON! TWENTY SECONDS IS NOT ENOUGH!” Sunghee immediately screeched, ZERO bursting into laughter.

“START!” Tokki PD yelled as the girls and boys ran to each other like the war has started.

“Are you Samuel- Oh wait, you’re tall.”

“Hey! I’m not that short!”

“Where’s the female seagull that does her own make-up!”

“Excuse me?!”

“Are you Jong Doo Yon?”

“It’s Jang Doyoon!”

“Wow,” Aixing breathed as she watched ZERO try to match the boy’s faces with their bond papers.

“5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1! END!” Tokki PD shouted as everyone held their partner’s wrists tightly.

“Did everyone get a partner-“

“Excuse me! But is my partner really him?” Sunghee questioned as she pointed to the potted plants she was holding hands (well leaves, technically) with. Sookyung chuckled at how confused her friend was. Tokki PD muttered a string of well chosen words before looking up at the confused girl.

“No Sunghee, your partner is Seunggwan, who is over there.” Tokki PD pointed at the boy who was looking weirdly at Sunghee. Sunghee smiled then bounced over to Seunggwan.

“The game will resume! You have an hour to eliminate your enemies! In 3 – 2 – 1-“

“For EUNMI! HIYA!” Jiyoung shouted as a battle cry as she started spraying her closest target, which was Sookyung.

“We better run!” Seokmin shouted as he pulled Sookyung away from the battlefield.

“YAH! WE’RE ATTACKERS!” Daichi exclaimed as she tried to pull Soonyoung to the center of the floor, which Soonyoung completely disagreed with.

“Yeah, but can we be good attackers?!”

“Yah, YAH! Wait! Let’s wait for the hiders to hide first!” Jiyoung yelled as she saw Sookyung disappear to the second floor, along with the other hiders and their partners.

“Gather around,” Jiyoung commanded, pulling Jihoon along, who was quiet and let Jiyoung do whatever she needs to do. The attackers gathered around Jiyoung as SEVENTEEN listened carefully.

“We spilt up in teams. We divide and conquer. Aixing and Youya, cover the first and second floor. Dayoon and Daichi, cover the third and fourth floor. Sunghee and Kiana, cover the fifth and sixth floor. I and Eunmi will do the sixth and seventh. If you spot a couple who quickly switched from your floor to the floor above or below you, alert whoever attacking couple is nearest by shouting ‘INTRUDER!’ that way, we can attack them knowing it isn’t our teammates. Clear?” Jiyoung pressed on, glancing at every single one of the girls.

The reason for this is because she couldn’t look the boys in the eye. Jiyoung never ordered any boy around before.

“YES!” Jiyoung’s attacking group answered her question as Jiyoung smirked.

“And oh, if you see Sookyung, leave her to me. I’ll deal with her,” Jiyoung vowed as the members nodded, taking different ways to get to their respective floors.

“Okay, you heard what Jiyoung eonni said. We get the sixth floor, do you hear me? We will not disobey her orders! We will SUCCEED!” Eunmi yelled victoriously, glancing at Samuel with a wild look in her eyes. Samuel gulped, blinking twice in rapid succession.

“Help me.”

“What are you doing?” Seokmin as Sookyung as she took out her phone with one hand, sending out a group message to her hiders.

“Trying to stay alive,” Sookyung responded harshly as Seokmin.

“Yeah, let’s go with that.”

And for once, Sookyung broke into her first non-stressed smile in front of him.

“Omo, its Sookyung eonni. She told us to meet her in the basement,” Yijun commented wistfully as she checked her text. Mingyu, her partner, being childish, peeked over her shoulder to see what she was seeing. Yijun blushed a bit, not knowing why Mingyu was acting like a child.

“Eh, the basement? What a weird place to meet up,” Saebyul noted to herself as Jisoo glanced at her phone, chuckling. Jisoo poked her cheek playfully as Saebyul swatted his finger away.

“Let’s stay focus, Panda.”

“The basement? Aren’t there rats there? Why must Sookyung eonni pick this place?” Rainy asked herself, chuckling at the text she received. Seungcheol smiled at her, trying to pinpoint if that was her fear.

“At least I’ll be there,”

“Oh brother.”

“So uh – Sookyung eonni wants us to meet here,” Miyasha cleared awkwardly as she tried to put as much distance she can between Wonwoo and her. Those two are the epitome of awkwardness. Wonwoo coughed, trying to clear the lump on his throat.

“Sure, we can go there together. Not! Together together though, just the normal together…because…we’re stuck together,” Wonwoo ended miserably, sighing.

“Dongjin-ah, we have to meet Sookyung eonni in the basement! Are you alright with that?” Jadyn asked Dongjin as Dongjin nodded. Though he was three years younger, he had the same height as her.

“Yes noona!”

"TO THE ROOF!" Sunghee shouted, trying to pull Seunggwan along as she read Sookyung's text. Seunggwan rolled his eyes.

"It's to the basement, you silly idiot." 

“Seokmin?” Sookyung asked Seokmin randomly as they made their way towards the basement. Seokmin glanced at her questioningly. Ever since he was partnered up with her, he knew she would be an ace in games.

“If you ever see Jiyoung, leave her to me.” 

author's note; hoped you liked this chapter!