Minhyuk gave her a small smirk, which wasn’t arrogant at all. It looked…wistful. It was strange, especially when it was a smirk from a male. “What do we get in return?” he asked, his voice soft and maybe a little bit regretful. He had ash smudged across the side of his face that was clearly made by Chanyeol’s fantasy fire, and Jinah was sure that there were bruises underneath his damaged white shirt, among other injuries.

          Jinah racked her brain for something to bargain for. What did she have that they might want? What could she give in order to talk to their Prix? What profits would they have? Her mind was blank, and her head felt like it was constantly being hammered, which didn’t help at all. She couldn’t think straight. So, she said the flat truth: “Nothing.” That answer, despite it being honest, was not the most beneficial. Someone scoffed and another person rolled their eyes, so Jinah added a little more truth. “But I think both Liha and I can benefit from the conversation. If your Prix wants to, wouldn’t you let her do as she wants?”

          “No,” said a boy. “Hell no. Do what a girl wants? In her dreams.”

          “How do you know she would want to talk to you, a simple dwelling mate?” Minhyuk asked, completely ignoring the other guy’s words. Minhyuk’s head was curiously cocked to the side a bit, his eyes flickering with interest.

          “If I may… I do want to talk to Jinah, sir,” Liha quietly admitted.

          Someone snorted. “What makes you think that we’d listen to a female like you?”

          “Hyunshik,” Sungjae said with a small, disapproving scowl. “She may be a female, but in the end, she’s a human too. She –”

          “– has rights too? Are you ing kidding me? Jack, this is DE, not the 2010s. Don’t with me. She’s like a mothering servant – a weak one, too,” Hyunshik said. He grabbed Liha’s hair. Liha winced, but said nothing. To Jinah’s horror, it seemed as if Liha was used to this kind of treatment. “Right?” Hyunshik sneered.

          Jinah made a move to step up but Luhan held her back and whispered, “It’s not our gang. We’re not allowed to get involved. GG Laws.”

          GG stood for Governmental-Gang. Governmental-Gang Laws were rules and regulations that applied to every citizen, including politicians (who, frankly, did nothing useful in Jinah’s eyes), approved by the three best Top Gangs and the government, pertaining to gangs’ business with everyone else. According to Governmental-Gang Laws, gangs were not allowed to be involved with Prix business, or anything related to Prixes, unless they are willing to challenge for her. Wolf had no intention of challenging for Liha.

          “What makes you think,” Hyunshik continued as Jinah clenched her fists and jaw while Liha whimpered, “that we’d do something for your joy? There’s no poi –”

          “Liha, you can talk to Jinah,” a different boy said. “But don’t expect more…privileges in the future. Hyunshik, release her.”

          Hyunshik scoffed, but let go of Liha, by shoving her head to the side. He wiped his hands on his pants in disgust. “ing females. I don’t know why that prick Minhyuk wants another one…”

          “Thank you, Eunkwang, sir,” Liha said with a polite bow before she walked to Jinah.

          Jinah met her halfway and took Liha’s wrist. “We will be talking away from them,” she said viciously, eyeing Cougar and Hyunshik made a punching gesture, which Jinah responded to by widening her eyes threateningly and showing her teeth.

          “I can’t,” Liha said, stopping in her tracks and forcing Jinah to stop too. The skinny girl had strong will, Jinah was very aware of that. Liha was never physically strong, but her will power made up for it. It wasn’t the force that made Jinah stop dragging her – it was her imperative tone.

          “Why not?” Jinah asked. “Can’t a girl get some privacy?”

          Liha smiled sadly. “Our rights as a human have been stripped once we got chosen, Jinah. Privacy isn’t a privilege I, or any other females, have anymore.”

          “What are you talking about? Rights being stripped? No privacy? I have my own privacy! Not a room to myself, but my own bed.  And I only share the room with one another person and he’s the dullest and calmest person in the world. And, you know, I have time to myself, and they’re –”

          “– patient and of tremendous help, I know. I saw your interview,” Liha reminded her. Her tone was so sorrowful that if this was a drama, Jinah could imagine Minjung sobbing next to her from the sadness in Liha’s voice. “You’re very lucky, Jinah. I knew Wolf was a wealthy and powerful Top Gang, but I didn’t know they were generous too.”

          “What? I mean – they’re nice but not… generous.” But then she remembered the gift Wolf got for her, their kindness, how they deal with her violent and irritating attitude, coldness, the dress they bought (even if she didn’t like it), and more. “I mean, they’re sort of generous, I guess, but – damn it, privacy is a basic thing!”

          “No, it’s not,” Liha said. “You said you have your own room and bed, right? I sleep on the floor at the living area. And what you wore at the interview – those weren’t dwelling clothes. And the jacket you’re wearing, even now –” Liha sniffled, as if at the verge of crying “– it’s a present, right? To show that you’re part of the gang, the team. What I’m wearing… doesn’t it look familiar to you?

          Jinah was never the one to care about appearance so she never noticed… but Liha was wearing the dress she wore at the ceremony. Jinah’s face fell, from anger to pity. The gang really treated her badly, didn’t they? Cougar pricks… useless males.

          “Oh, you don’t have to pity me, really,” Liha chuckled. “It’s natural. Normal. It’s DE, right?”

          “Don’t say that,” Jinah snapped. “Liha, you –”

          “I’m sorry, Jinah, but you’re just really lucky. The rest are treated like me, and usually, much worse, especially with lower-ranking gangs. I’m thankful to Cougar for not using knives on me.”

          “Liha, you have freaking nothing to be thankful for. Didn’t you see the way that juck Hyunshik treat you? Like you can’t feel?”

          “It’s normal, Jinah. You just happen to be really fortunate. Really fortunate. You know, sometimes, I wonder what it would’ve been like if we didn’t get chosen. Do you think we would’ve been happier?” she queried. Jinah couldn’t answer that because she was too stunned by what Liha was saying overall, but Liha took her silence for something else. “Well, I guess not for you. You have such a wonderful gang…”

          “No trust me, some members are –”

          “At least they care for you. That’s impossible for the rest of us. Jinah… you’re a girl that’s really hard not to envy. Miyu was always jealous of you, which explains her impudent manner to you. Jaein tried to bring you down so much because she was jealous too. Yooni, the same, for your grades. I’m sure that Minjung too, felt jealous at some point.”

          “What are you saying, Liha? Minjung –”

          “I was jealous too. I’ll say this to you now – I’m sorry. Sorry, if I was ever bitter to you. Sorry, for envying you. I finally realized how time really flies. I miss our times at Callidum. I miss the times we traded desserts during meals. I miss the times when we were thirteen and we talked until late night. I miss the times when we studied together and helped each other out before year-end exams. The four of us weren’t really close, I know… it was more like two and two, but I’m really glad I could make those memories with you, Minjung, and Miyu.” Liha smiled as tears began b. Jinah stammered nonsense. Whenever Minjung cried, Jinah would usually talk to her logically, and very rarely, awkwardly hug her, but she wasn’t that close with Liha. She was never a fan of physical touch either. Now that Liha was about to cry, Jinah had no idea what to do. “I’m really, really glad… but,” she wiped her eyes and a bit of mascara smudged around her eyes. Jinah hadn’t even noticed her light makeup, or the hair extensions until now. I’m really dense, aren’t I? “I know that this isn’t what you wanted to hear. Thank you for listening – I just really needed to let that out. Anyways, you want to know about Minjung and the others, right?”

          Once a Callidum, always a Callidum. Sharp, smart, and quick on catching on as ever. Jinah felt like the spawn of Satan when she nodded. She mentally punched herself – why are you so heartless? Can’t you comfort her?!

          Liha took a shaky breath. “Minjung was chosen by Claw, a Basic Gang. Miyu got chosen by Smoke, a Middle Gang. Jaein got picked by Lion, another Middle Gang. I don’t know about Yooni, but Tiff, the girl you were talking to? – she got picked by Fang. Seohyun, the other girl, is with Thorn. You know Thorn, right? The Middle Gang?” Jinah nodded to Liha’s question. “Yeah, that’s about it… is there anything specific you want to know?”

          “Miss Kim? How about her? How is she?”

          Liha smiled again but it was so sad. “Your representative, right? I’m afraid I don’t know…”

          Jinah’s shoulders dropped. “You don’t think… that she’ll be sent for Birther training, do you?”

          Birther training was for women who failed to be picked by a gang at the choosing ceremony, and they showed no potential of being able to teach. Their only purpose was give birth to kids. They sometimes are forced to help out at the Factory, where only harsh labor waits. Miss Kim’s job was to train Jinah, her candidate. Now that Jinah “graduated” from candidate training, what does Miss Kim have left to do?

          Liha shook her head, then chuckled. “Your habit of dozing off in class results to this, I see?” she giggled softly. “No, Miss Kim will be teaching and raising another girl, a future candidate. Don’t worry. All representatives go back to being Misses once their candidate is gone.

          Jinah exhaled. “That’s such a relief. I thought now that me, her candidate, is gone, that she had no purpose to serve at the dwelling. Wow, this is such a relief…” Jinah smiled slightly and let out a small laugh. It was amazing how one problem being solved to make a person feel so relieved. A heavy weight was finally lifted off her chest. “Such a relief…”

          Liha smiled too, and put a hand on Jinah’s shoulder. “You should go your way. I’ll be punished if I stay too long.”

          “Wait, Liha – you don’t happen to know where Claw’s base is, right?” Jinah asked.

          Liha shook her head. “No. Telling another gang where your base is extremely baneful and a foolish thing to –”

          “Are you still not ing done?” Hyunshik called from behind.

          “Almost, I’m sorry,” Liha said sincerely.

          Jinah snorted and put her fists on her hips. “What are you apologizing for?”

          “It’s DE. It’s my fault for wasting their time. It’s always my fault. I’m the female, right?”

          “Liha, what –”

          “Jinah,” she firmly put both her hands on Jinah’s shoulders. “I know you’re smart. Slow at sinking things in, but quick to understand. Now process and understand this: in DE, females are worthless. The characters in the novels we enjoyed reading about are fictional and fake. False hope. There is no hero, no savior. No one is coming to rescue us. Females don’t have things like ‘rights’ or privileges – we do as we’re told. It’s DE and we’re powerless.”

          “What the hell, Liha? What’s gone into you?!”

          “Reality. I can finally see the world.” Liha looked away from Jinah and faced the horizon. The sun was shining bright since it was midday, but the glow wasn’t nostalgic or nice. It was eerie and creepy. “And it’s not pretty. The world, I mean. Education at our dwelling, the things they told us… it wasn’t preparation.” Liha faced Jinah with a firm look and rueful smile. “It was protection. Temporary protection.”