"I can't believe that !" Aeyoung was snarling.

"Eh?" I stammered, in the middle of placing a book into a shelf.

"That goddamn Kwon Yunha !" Aeyoung exploded. "How did she manage to rope the three of us into library duty anyway?"

"I-it couldn't be helped," I squeaked. "Since her mother was sick and she needed to fill in three out of four spots for library duty, and we were the only ones who she could trust......"

"THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A TOTALLY BLATANT LIE!!!" Aeyoung yelled, savagely beating the dust out of a cloth before sneezing. "Jesus, this place is so stuffy."

"W-well, it is a library, and hardly anybody uses it, so....."

'It's okay, guys," Haruhi said shyly, helping me catalog books. "It's nice and quiet here, and besides, we can get some studying done too while we're here, right?"

Aeyoung continued grumbling. "Part-time job, school library duty........for gangster's girlfriends, why are we so damn busy?"

"Hey," a girl's voice said, before a face appeared from behind a shelf. She had long black hair tied up into a ponytail, and she wore glasses. "I know you three are BFFs and all that, but could you work a little faster?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I said quickly. "Let me help you -- Aeyoung-ah, can you help Haruhi-ah, please?"

"Yeah, whatever," Aeyoung sighed. "C'mon, Haruhi."

I headed over to the girl. She was the class representative in my class, level-headed, cool, organized, and a straight-A student. Actually, I think she was one of the top students in our year. However, I never really spoke to her. "Um, you probably don't know who I am. I'm Park Mihi, by the way. You're my classmate, right? What's your name?"

"Kan Hana," She said shortly, before flicking her cool eyes towards my direction threw her glasses. "And everyone knows who you are. You're that gangster Yong Junhyung's girlfriend, right?"

"Y-yes, I am......" Wow, even she knew that?

"It was pretty big gossip, even I overheard stuff about it," Hana said, as though answering my thoughts. "Not that I cared or anything, but it was a pretty damn big scandal. Nobody's ever seen the Beast fighting ace date anybody, especially for a year and more."

I was surprised a straight-laced student like her actually cursed. I thought for sure she would be all uptight and snobbish, but surprisingly......her sharp, ultra-cool demeanor was strangely friendly, in a way. It reminded me a bit of Aeyoung -- fiery-tempered and hot-headed, but would never intentionally cause any harm to others.

"Girls still spread rumours about you, you know," Hana suddenly said. " like 'she's such a ', and 'she pays Junhyung to sleep with her'. It's all BS, but lately it's kicking up again. I have a feeling that new girl in our class, Yunha or whatever-her-name-is, is starting those rumours."

"R-really? Are you serious?" I gasped. "But, why would she....? I mean, I hardly know her, I just talk to her sometimes in class....."

Hana rolled her eyes. "She has her sights on your man. I don't know why, and I don't care either, but if someone's spreading about a classmate of mine, as the class rep I cannot let this slide."

Wow, she really took her job seriously. Most class reps just gave school announcements or handed out flyers or something like that. Hana seemed to genuinely care about her classmates' well-being. I found myself in awe at her responsibility.

"That's the reason why I signed up for library duty when I heard you and your friends did," Hana confessed, looking completely serious. "I want to uncover the truth and get this matter solved. Therefore, I request that you help me. I need to find the source of the rumours, which will take a of a long time. Meanwhile, keep an eye on that girl, okay? Appearances can be deceiving."

"A-alright! I'll do my best!" I said firmly. Hana stared at me before looking away, a soft smile visible on her face. "Energetic, aren't you.....remind me a bit of an old friend of mine."

"Oh? Who's your --" Suddenly, the library door slammed open.

"MIHI-AH! BABY!"

Junhyung rushed forward and pulled me into his arms. "Jesus Christ, I thought you were kidnapped by Infinite or UKISS or something like that! Why didn't you tell me you had library duty?"

"Oops....."

Doojoon and Yoseob ran in, looking equally panicked as they swept their respective girlfriends into their embrace. 

" OFF!" Aeyoung yelled embarrassedly.

"Not a big deal," Haruhi murmered to Yoseob.

Junhyung turned to glare at Hana, who didn't even flinch. "What the do you think you're trying to pull? Making my girlfriend do this school ! that, find some other er!"

Hana raised an eyebrow. "I didn't force her to do anything. We both signed up for this by mutual agreement. Now stop bothering us and leave."

"Damn, that girl is harsh," Dongwoon said, rubbing the back of his neck, Hyunseung right behind him.

"Eh? Where's Kikwang?" Aeyoung said.

Hyunseung rolled his eyes. "Left the second school was over. Probably making out with Sookjoo somewhere."

We all grimaced at the mental image.

"Anyway," I said hastily, trying to change the subject before our imaginations got too graphic. "This is Kan Hana, she's really nice -- Hana, this is, uh, well, you already know them. Beast."

"Right," Hana said coolly.

Dongwoon narrowed his eyes at her. "Yah, you're Class A's class rep, aren't you?"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?" We all gasped, shocked. Dongwoon just shrugged and grinned. "I have my sources."

"Well, whatever," Hana said. "Just get to work already, we aren't allowed to leave until everything is sorted out."

Junhyung glared at the girl and threw a protective arm over my shoulder. "Yah, where do you think you get off, ordering around my girl like that?"

"Oppa," I whispered quickly. I was really starting to like Hana's straight-to-the-point, coldly blunt attitude, and I didn't want to make her upset.

Hana didn't react at all. Instead, she handed the catalogue book to him. "If you want to stay with your girlfriend, then help her out."

Ten minutes later, Beast (minus one Kikwang doing suspicious activities) found themselves dusting bookshelves and sorting through books.

"Ugh, this ," Dongwoon complained. "The last time I saw so many books, it was last year when we had to cram study for the final exam."

"What are you going on about, you're smart!" Yoseob shot at him, grumpily helping Haruhi look at titles.

"What the hell?" Doojoon exploded. "Some no-name bastard put this book back in the completely wrong section! Now we have to find it's proper place!"

"What an ! Who is he?" Aeyoung snapped. "Let's hunt him down!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Will you guys shut up?" Junhyung snarled at them. "We're here to help, not here to cause more trouble." He turned to me and flashed me a winning smile. "Right, babe?"

I giggled. "Right, oppa. Can you put this on shelf four, aisle number two, please?"

"Sure thing," He said, before disappearing around the corner.

"I was surprised," Hana said, breaking the short silence. "I thought he would refuse."

I shrugged and giggled again. "Oppa likes to be with me, I guess. The others tag along because they have nothing else to do. They're pretty laid-back, for gangsters."

"Even with that war coming closer?" Hana said shrewdly.

I gasped. "How did you.....?"

She smirked and tapped the side of her head. "Internal computer, remember? I know just about everything. I know how you got that scar, and I even know how Aeyoung got hers."

I lightly traced a finger over the long, faint scar on my arm. "You know about Aeyoung-ah's scar?" I looked around and lowered my voice. "Can you.....can you tell me?"

Hana stayed silent, before saying, "If she didn't tell you, I don't think I should be the one to. Wait until she's ready to tell you in person. Besides, your boyfriend is coming."

Almost as soon as she finished her sentence, Junhyung reappeared. "What else should I do?" He asked eagerly.

"Wow, Hana-ah, you're amazing! You timed it so perfectly!" I said admiringly, before glancing at the catalogue book again. "Umm, these stacks of books need to be filled into shelf number nine in aisle seven, I think..."

Junhyung obediently grabbed the huge stack of books as though it was nothing and left.

"He follows orders pretty well too," Hana commented. 

"E-eh? You say that as if he's a dog!"

Doojoon, who was working with his girlfriend nearby, overheard. "What? Are you saying we're nothing but tail-wagging puppies around our girlfriends? I object to that!"

"Doojoon, stop yammering and lift this for me," Aeyoung said blandly, tapping a heavy-looking box with her foot.

Doojoon immediately turned around and lifted it for her.

As soon as Aeyoung finished her job, she kissed his cheek -- a surprising sign of public affection -- and Doojoon's cheeks turned the slighest bit red. Then she snickered evilly.

"Face it, Doojoon, you're totally my ."

***********************************************************************************************************************

Dongho sighed heavily, tapping his foot in time to an imaginary beat in his head. 

This was the third time this week he waited near the mall's ice cream shop, with no sign of the girl of his dreams anywhere.

She works in this mall, doesn't she? He thought dispairingly. Maybe she doesn't work here anymore. No, maybe she doesn't go to get ice cream. Normal high schoolers don't eat ice cream every day, after all, and it's getting colder lately......

Or the more obvious choice is, she somehow knew he was waiting for her and was going out of her way to avoid him.

After all, I'm part of UKISS, the enemy gang, right? And she's already taken, by that bastard Yong Junhyung of Beast.....

Just the thought of that gangster, holding Mihi, kissing Mihi.......it was enough to send Dongho into a rage.

Taking deep breaths, Dongho noticed something familiar and looked up. Or rather, someone.

It was one of the girls that worked at the Beauty store with Mihi. The owner's daughter, Sookjoo or something like that. 

Maybe he could use her to get closer to Mihi........

With his mind made up, Dongho shrugged off the wall he was leaning on and slowly made his way to the oblivious Sookjoo, who was texting on her cell phone with a happy smile on her face.