[Shin Hae Hee]

 “H, stop. That’s enough for today.” A girl my age with long jet-black hair and expressionless face broke the silence that settled in for some minutes around an abandoned warehouse, completely ignoring the pathetic whimpers and grunts from several almost lifeless bodies scattered on the cold ground around me.

“Tsk. Fine.” I blew a few strands of my blonde hair from my face as I gave a cold stare that could freeze hell to the ground. I turned around to find another girl with shoulder length auburn hair grinning at me so wide I swear her face would split into two, handing me a clean towel. I accepted it and wiped my bloody hands clean of any filth. While two other girls follow me out of the building, leaving the first two to clean up the mess left.

Are you already wondering about what just happened? Well, let me summarize. I am Shin Hae Hee, the kkangpae world may know me as “Mad Hatter”, “MH” or simply “H”, along with the other four girls with me, we complete the group named PRISM and I am also their leader. We’re an underground gang that is feared by many but only few know of personally. And those people I beat up a few minutes ago were some wannabes who had the guts to challenge me into a seven-one battle. Unfair, I know. But it’s a known fact in the kkangpae world that a challenger can pick the battle and it’s up to the other party if they accept it or not despite most challenges being absurd. The one invited into the challenge would be the one to set up the rules with no objection from both parties so long as it doesn’t break the kkangpae’s code. This one here is just an example, besides, they got on my nerves and dare to call my team some inappropriate words that would rather fit the challengers perfectly, and I think you now who clearly won, nae?

Too bad our identities as gangsters are strictly private. So, to put it simply; the five of us in PRISM are all closet gangsters. Outsiders wouldn’t recognize us until they see something specific from us that would be proof of our identity, like my tattoo of a black wing at the back of my left shoulder. The black wing which symbolizes to which gang you belong. 

*Beep* *Beep*

I snapped out of my trance to look ahead and found the other four members of my team already sitting prettily inside my black convertible sports car and looking me curiously, maybe wondering why I haven’t gotten in yet. I shrugged and seated myself in the shotgun seat, nodded my head at the others as a signal to leave for home and the engine roared to life. We drove away unaware that there were unfamiliar eyes following our every move from afar.

***

I tossed my car keys to one of our family drivers as I walk up the patch to our –cough- manor’s (as my parents would like to call it) –cough- front door which was immediately opened by a maid when she saw me approaching. I looked back at the driver with my keys and he took a 60 degree bow before scurrying off to tend to my car. He knew better to treat my cars nicely so he wouldn’t face dire consequences of being fired for life.

Another maid bowed again politely before taking off my coat and handing me my indoor slippers. “Are they here?” I quietly asked, referring to my parents, to the maid. She nervously shook her head no as if she was afraid that I’d suddenly spit fire on her. “Tsk.” I frowned and walked pass her to my room upstairs, as I had a whole floor to myself, well at least until my sister comes back.

They’re rarely back anyway. I bitterly thought and flopped myself on my bed and drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Next morning was no different, no noise infiltrating my soundproof walls and the chilly air of December float through a partially opened window by the bed. I’m still contemplating whether I’ll get my out of the bed and go to school or just continue wallowing in my thoughts for a whole day. Finally deciding that school is more entertaining than this pathetic excuse for a home, I hopped out of bed and made a bee line to the bathroom. Urghh, I didn’t even got out of these filthy clothes. I mentally slapped myself as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Oh well, to the trash you go.

And without looking back, I prepared myself to do my daily early morning rituals.

***

It was still a tad bit early when I arrived at school. Same old, same old. Still bustling with people trying to mingle and tangle themselves with the newest topics and of what’s ‘in’ or what’s not. Leaving my car in its usual spot in the parking area of the school, I slipped passed the main building’s hall and trotted to the classroom to find the rest of my girls there and huddled in front of my desk.

“Yo, Shin.” Park Nam Eun, a girl with shoulder length wavy hair greeted and gave me a cheeky grin. Ahh, normal mode today again. I nodded to her and flopped down on my seat, stretching my arms and propping my feet on my table. Han Ai Tae, the same auburn-haired girl with me yesterday evening was talking to the maknae of our group, Seo Yeon Young about something concerning history and the likes while my co-leader, Choi SeoJin was fixing Nam’s eyeliner; all of them looking quite the normal teenagers of our generation. We weren’t all in the same class as the three of us, Jin, Nam and I were a year older than the maknae line but since it’s still early, they get to spend the morning with us.

I was about to say something when a pair of pale arms engulfed me from behind.

“Hae Hee noonaaaa~ why didn’t you tell us about yesterday’s fight?” A guy with flaming red head whined loud enough for only me and the girls to hear, causing them to turn our way and stare with the guy still hugging me ever so tightly from behind.

“Ya Zelo! What do you think you’re doing?!” Another guy with messy black hair and eyes with deep raven coloured irises swatted Zelo’s arms away from me only to be returned again by the redhead.

“Stop bullying your maknae, Dae.” Another guy popped out of nowhere behind Ai and Shobe (Seo Yeon) and all of us snapped our heads toward that direction. Seriously, what up with all the popping out today?

“Hyunseung-ee! What are you doing here too?” Jin asked with an elegant eyebrow raised.

“Can’t I drop by every now and then to my favorite group mates?” The said guy asked back jokingly while waggling his eyebrows up and down.

“No. Not if you want to annoy the heck out of them, that is.” Nam answered with a smirk. Hyunseung pouted and looked at me with slightly teary eyes. I looked back at him with a look that silently screams SERIOUSLY-YOU’RE-POUTING-AT-ME-ARE-YOU-REALLY-A-MAN? He pouted even more. Seriously these guys. Acting like freaking 3 year-olds. And they call themselves fearless gangsters. Tsk. Shame on them.

Yes, yes. You read it right. These guys who casually disturb our daily lives are also gansters, and close affiliates of PRISM. Hyunseung is part of a group called B2ST/BEAST composed of six members and Zelo and Daehyun (who were still bickering behind me) are members of B.A.P, also consisting of six people. These two groups are some of the few close affiliate gangs of ours.

“Anyways.” Hyunseung continued after bored of his pouting matter. “I heard they’re finally here.” A line that captured our attention that even the two behind me stopped in their tracks. We clearly knew who he was referring to. I smirked slightly, mischievousness dancing in my eyes.

“EXO.”

I muttered silently at the same time the school bell rang through the corridors signaling the start of classes.