Author’s POV

“Morning, my Jael,” Kai greeted when Jael finally stirred awake. She was still in a dazed mode and took a moment to remember the previous night’s incident and how she’d ended up in Kai’s embrace. Kai planted a soft kiss on her forehead, his hand cupping her cheeks and thumb circling around it.

“Can this be a dream?” she mumbled softly, blinking away the sleep and bringing up her fingers to Kai’s face, trailing her fingers over the sharp curve lines of his jaw and then tracing his lower lip. “A dream where the both of us aren’t related by blood?”

“Maybe,” Kai answered quietly, taking Jael’s hand and bringing it to his mouth, raining soft kisses all over her wrists and then to her knuckles. Jael chuckled at the ticklish sensation that she felt and pulled her hand back, playfully slapping his naughty hands for trying to take it again.

“Too bad it’s not, isn’t it,” she said, closing her eyes and snuggled closer to Kai.

“Yeah, too bad it isn’t.” Kai repeated. He slid his fingers over her hands again and fumbled with the plaster that was on her index finger. He brought her hand up to his eye level and noticed it was really a plaster. He furrowed a brow. “What is this?”

“A cut.” She replied simply, pulling back her hand.

“Where did you get it from?”

“Nothing. I just scratched myself.” Jael said, didn’t intend for Kai to see the cut and also to let him worry. He had a lot of things going onto his mind and doesn’t want her to be in his ‘worry-list’. “I’m going to take a shower before we head off.”

“No,” he pulled her back and she crashed against his body, his arms wrapping protectively around her shoulders “Please – make sure you stay safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he whispered, sounding really sincere and honestly worried. Jael didn’t want him to feel this way. Not at this moment.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, Kai. I can assure you that.” She wiggled out of his grip and stood just beside the bed. “I want you to have some faith in me, Kai. Doesn’t mean I’m a girl and I’m weak. I’m strong and you know that.”

Kai raked his fingers through his hair, frustrated that Jael couldn’t understand what he’s trying to say and how he’ll feel if anything grave happens to her. “Just… Stay alive, ok?”

Jael rolled her eyes and exhaled. “I will try my best.”

**

“All right, here’s the rough outline of the Commander’s office and do take notice that - ” L stopped his sentence midway when he noticed that Kai and Jael were both in their own worlds, none of them were listening to him and minding their own business. He slammed his pen against the table. “Hey, guys, are we doing this or not?”

Jael snapped her head to L and nodded. “Of course!” L eyed Kai whose scowl didn’t leave him at all. Apparently a supposed ‘happy morning’ now became a dull morning for the both of them.

“Kai?” L asked. Kai let out a sign before turning over the counter and faced the piece of blueprint.

“I’m listening.” Kai said.

“Good.” L picked up the pen again and scribbled some information while relaying the plan out to the both of them for today. “There’s not going to be a rescue mission until we’re sure of Kyungsoo and the rest of the Estrovian’s position. For now, we scout using this map that I drew.”

Jael picked the blueprint up. “You drew all of these? I thought Humans are literally illiterate, you know – with all these technologies and typing.” L smirked, taking the blueprint away from her hands.

“Not all Humans are illiterate. I am a fast learner.” L proclaimed, scribbling some more notes in his blueprint, making the necessary marks and positions of the staff that will be patrolling around the area.

This meeting lasted them for almost three hours and it was already lunchtime by the time they are done. Today’s spy work is at night, when the security is less tight so the trio still had plenty of time to spare before dusk sets.

“So what are we going to do now?” Jael asked, spinning around the high chair. “I’m hungry, by the way.”

L stopped her from spinning and gave her the ‘ya-know-what-I’m-thinking’ stare.

“What?”

“Let’s go out and have our lunch. And then we’ll pick new weapons.” L suggested, twirling his own car keys around his fingers. “I’ll drive.”

“Oh yea!” Jael squealed, clapping her hands happily. “Kai, you coming?”

“Duh, I can’t possibly starve to death here, right? It’s inauspicious for me,” Kai finally returned to his normal and snarky behavior. Jael slapped his back, laughing heartily at the thought of going out and having lunch in the Human world again.

“Welcome back, Kai! Let’s have a feast!”

**

Jael’s POV

“I can’t believe I’m eating at my neighbourhood restaurant again. It feels really nostalgic.” I said, touching the chair and the table like a weirdo. I usually dine over here with Daehyun and I probably should do this again before heading back to Estrovia. The waitresses all looked at me as if I was a moron and dumb.

Yes, that’s ‘cause I am shades and a cap even though it’s going to pour real heavy soon. And I didn’t bother taking them off even in the restaurant. One of the waitresses had trouble taking down my orders without having eye contact. Kai and L didn’t need a disguise because nobody recognizes them anyway.

“Come on, nobody will recognize you even if you take down those,” L said, drinking the cup of iced water. “It’s disturbing, to be honest.”

Kai, on the other hand, disagree. “It looks fine. And it’s safer this way,” Kai said. “And we can’t take risks; what if people reported her to the Commander and exposed all of us?”

“Kai has a point.” I agreed, nodding along to whatever he says. L shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the chair.

“An hour off that won’t harm,”

“True…” I said, feeling a little warm. Besides these sun protecting items, I even wore a black jacket that is most likely suitable for autumn – winter seasons. I am feeling hot and stuffy now. “I think I’ll just take them off for a moment.” I said finally, removing my shades and hat, letting my brown hair spilling over my back.

So much better.

“That’s more like it.” L said approvingly. “Now it feels like we’re having a proper lunch.”

Kai groaned and looked away, not even bothering to counter attack L’s statement. “Yep,” I pulled the jacket zipping down and gosh it really feels much, much more better and comfortable.

“Miss, your black pepper beef steak is here,” the waiter came over and served my dish first. I salivated the moment the plate landed in front of me. I mumbled my thanks without even looking up at the waiter.

“Stop drooling.” Kai said, “you look creepy.”

“Who cares – it’s food.” I replied, digging in first when the boys’ food arrived the next moment. “Mmm, good.”

We ate in silence and then went up to pay our bill. I was too occupied with eating previously and forgot about my disguise before heading up with L to pay before leaving. Two young boys – around the same age as me eyed me weirdly as if they’ve seen me before.

Oh, crap. My disguise. I cleared my throat and looked away, stepping aside. “Wait!” one of them called. I continued moving but the waiter was faster – he was in front of me, blocking the exit before I knew it. “Hyung! Is she really the Commander’s daughter?” he called out to his partner behind the counter.

“Yes! I’m pretty sure!”

“Um, I don’t mean to scare you but are you Daehyun’s friend?” the boy asked, tilting his head to the right to catch my attention. “Daehyun and his girlfriend didn’t attend school for the past two weeks – I was hoping if you knew - ”

“Wait, what?” I snapped, meeting his gaze. “Two weeks, you say?”

The boy was taken aback by my sudden outburst. My nostrils flared, panic gripped me. Did something happen to Daehyun…? I hope not. “Y-Yea. He suddenly went missing and even after we reported to his parents, they didn’t bother doing anything. Luhan hyung and I tried searching for him everyday but we couldn’t find anything.”

“What’s going on?” Kai came forward beside me, studying the situation between the both of us. “You know him?”

“No, she doesn’t know me.” The boy said. “I am Sehun, by the way. Luhan hyung and I are Daehyun’s soccer friends. We just got together last month.” Sehun introduced himself politely.

“Hey, you’re Sehun, right? I will try finding Daehyun because, like you – I don’t know where he is either.” I said, feeling worried about my best friend. “Thanks for informing me by the way.”

Sehun smiled. “I’m glad we can be of help. And welcome back home, Miss Kyung Mi. We heard that you went for a trip out in the Forbidden Forest.”

“Uh… Y-yea… Thanks.” I replied awkwardly, hearing her previous name was just… weird. “Bye, Sehun.”

“All right, we got to hurry up. I think something happened to my friend.” I said, pulling L and Kai out of the restaurant before slipping on my disguises again. “Where’s the weapon shop that you mentioned?”

“It’s just round the corner. And no worries – I’ve just received news from that Luhan guy back in the restaurant that the Commander’s office will be quite empty today because of some impromptu festival that he’s hosting later.” L said. “We will start our mission immediately after we get our weapons.”

“That’d be great.” Somehow I knew that Daehyun and his girlfriend disappearance has got something to do with that Commander again. But I hope not.

Oh, gosh… Daehyun… Kyungsoo… Please be all right...

A/N: Sorry for constantly switching between author's pov and Jael's pov. I hope there's not much confusion between these two povs... ><