-- Geum Min

Min Woo refused to tell me what the big secret surprise was, which makes me even more impatient to find out what it is. He seemed excited and nervous about it at the same time, so I think it's something big coming up. The anticipation is killing me, but I guess, like he said, there's nothing at all to do but wait.

By the time we get home, the rest have finished loading guns and hiding extra ammunition at various places in the house. Yoo Min is waiting at the hallway for us, in order to guide us to the starting positions to choose teams and all. I run off to deposit the ice cream in the kitchen, and when I return to the hallway, my twin turns to lead the way up the stairs. We're directed by her to Youngkwang's bedroom, where Skye is trying to balance two humongous Nerf guns in each hand. She nearly drops one as it fires, though, much to Jeong Min-oppa's amusement. 

"I think I'll stick to managing one, thanks," I hear her remark as she hands him the smaller of the two guns.

Yoo Min claps her hands, and everyone looks in our direction. Min Woo and I head off to choose our guns as she explains the rules - which we are already very familiar with. 

"We're going to split into four pairs," she tells the others, and I grin, remembering my plan. 

Hurriedly, I sling the gun over my shoulder and make my way over to a spot near to Skye. She grins at me, clearly excited. I know that she's an only child, so she's probably never done anything like this before. The advantage of having a humongous family, I guess. 

Jeong Min looks at Yoo Min, "I want to be paired with you," he says immediately, earning him a smile from her.

"Okay," she agrees, and she walks over to link hands with him, both of them grinning cheesily at each other.

Min Woo grabs my arm, announcing, "We're partners!"

"You didn't even ask me first," I protest, laughing anyway, but he ignores me.

Young Min quickly distances himself from his twin. "No way I'm going with this clone," he yells, and he moves closer to the nearest person, who happens to be Skye.

I see that, and speak up before my plan is ruined. "Skye, you go with Kwang Min!"

"What?" she and Kwang Min exclaim at the same time, exchanging glances of astonishment.

Jeong Min-oppa and Young Min slap palms and start discussing strategy in low voices, like Yoo Min and her boyfriend are doing already. I smile with victory as I turn to Min Woo to discuss our own plan of action. The mischievous and knowing glint in his eyes tells me that he saw exactly what I did. 

"Let's target them," he tells me, nodding his head at the awkward couple who don't know what to do. 

I nod, stifling giggles. Kwang Min is hilarious as he tries to say something to Skye. He keeps opening his mouth, thinking better of talking to her, and closing it. Her cheeks are reddening, and she's staring at her feet to avoid looking at my brother. I see her say something to him, and he looks relieved as he continues the conversation. Min Woo starts laughing as well, watching them discreetly.

"Okay," I say finally, just as the red in my friend's cheeks starts to fade. "Let's go find headquarters and start! The mission is to kill people! Remember, once five bullets make contact with you, you're dead. The game starts at seven on the dot."

Young Min has something to add. "Last couple standing are the victors."

"Round two, last-man-standing, alright?" his twin comments, and we all nod in agreement before filing out.

Min Woo and I discreetly hang behind so that Kwang Min and Skye go out first, and then we follow them. They're oblivious to our presence, which is a good thing for us. On the way, we pass Jeong Min-oppa and Young Min, who are debating whether or not to hide in the hollow at the top of the steps.

I run up to Jeong Min-oppa. "Oppa, let's target Kwang Min and Skye."

Young Min looks affronted. "How come you never call me 'Oppa'?"

"Why?" the older asks me.

Ignoring Young Min, I reply, "They'll be fun to target!"

After seeing them both nod, Min Woo and I continue heading after the awkward pair. Suddenly they stop in their tracks, and we pretend to be seriously discussing something as Skye tiptoes to whisper in his ear, casting suspicious glances in our direction. We act nonchalant, facing away from them and making random gestures out the window. Min Woo whispers a string of nonsensical words to me, and I do the same back, to make it actually look like we're strategising. But it's so funny that we both end up having to hold in our laughter at our own antics.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kwang Min grin and nod at her, giving her a thumbs-up. They both bolt down the stairs and in separate directions, confusing Min Woo and I. 

"Shoot," I curse as I see them split off from each other. "They know we were following them," I realise.

He grins at me. "Well, they both have to meet up again, eventually, right?"

I shake my head. "We never specified that pairs had to stay together," I tell him sadly.

Shrugging, he tells me, "I'm sure that they'll meet each other somewhere. We just have to follow one of them."

"They're probably too far away!"

"Who asked you to dilly-dally at the top of the stairs?" he asks, grabbing my hand and tugging me down the stairs. "If we run fast enough we still might find them."

We pick up speed as we thunder down the stairs, and I decide my brother will be easier to follow, so we both head off down the hallway he disappeared in the direction of. As we hit the bottom of the stairs and turn the corner, we see the tip of his Nerf gun vanishing towards the kitchen. I grin at Min Woo and we both creep off towards there. 

Just as we're about to hit the kitchen, Min Woo's watch beeps - the signal to us that it's seven and the game has started. Almost immediately, a bullet comes whizzing out of nowhere to hit me on the shoulder.

"Andwae!" I yell, ducking around the door to the kitchen. "Not even a minute into the game and I'm shot!"

Min Woo's still outside, and I hear him firing in the direction of my attacker. I edge towards the window, my gun at the ready in case Kwang Min decides to ambush me. Nothing happens, so I drop my aim slightly and move outside. Nobody is there. A movement catches my eye, and I turn around to look towards my right, but nothing's there either. Then Skye launches herself out of her hiding place and behind a tree, shooting me as she dashes across. The soft foam bullet catches me on my cheek. 

"You got hit, again?" Min Woo laughs from the kitchen door, avoiding the open area so that he doesn't get shot. "By whom, this time?"

I nudge the tip of the gun towards the tree. "Skye."

He motions for me to move back towards him, and I obey. "You go around this way, charging, and head around the tree trunk. At the same time, I'll head this way, so that she's trapped. We can fire at least two or three at her in that time."

"Good plan," I compliment.

He motions a short countdown, then I run out around the tree, just like he said, and I started shooting at the spot I expected to see Skye. At the same time, Min Woo races around the other way, also shooting. I see his bullet cross paths with mine, and I dodge to avoid being hit by my own teammate. Skye seems to have disappeared, though, and I exchange looks of confusion with him. We turn our backs to the tree to look for possible places she could have hidden in. 

"What the," mutters Min Woo, and then I hear four shots pierce the silence. 

Turning, I'm just in time to see Skye take a flying leap from a tree branch, before she pelts away. I make a move to follow her.

"I'm dead," Min Woo tells me, looking doleful.

"What?!"

Running over, I can see him surrounded by exactly five bullets. He pinches himself, obviously disappointed.

"How'd that happen?" I ask him, and he shakes his head.

"She dropped two on my head, and I just thought they were leaves. When I bent down to look, I realised it was two bullets, and by then I knew where she probably was. She didn't give me time, though, and pelted me with three bullets by the time I fired a wild one at the tree - it missed."

My jaw drops, but my eyes are smiling. "Who were you laughing at just now, huh?"

He shakes his head dejectedly and picks himself up off the ground, heading back inside. "Take revenge for me," he throws over his shoulder, and I grin as I head around the house after Skye. As I dash around the corner, I see Yoo Min's back. Grinning, I shoot rapidly at her, and I manage to hit her thrice before she turns around and I have to take evasive measures.

"Ugh, I can't shoot anymore," I hear her murmur, before she raises her voice. "Oppa! My clone murdered me!"

"Are you serious?" Jeong Min asks, resigned. "Fine then, I'll go solo."

"Aren't you disappointed I'm dead, though?"

"Of course, I feel like my heart died."

I make faces at their cheesy couple-talk, but I'm surprised by a bullet being shot at my leg. I jump up and turn to find a grinning Jeong Min. His mirth subsides quickly when he realises he's out of ammunition, though. I wave amiably and shoot him a couple of times too. He flings his hands up in frustration, and I know he's dead as well.

He turns and grabs my twin's hand. "I've joined you in heaven!" he exclaims, and I roll my eyes.

"Who said Yoo Min went to heaven?" I remark as I run past them. 

Three bullets. Two more, and I'm dead. I disregard the thought as I search for my danjjak and her partner, determined to carry through with my plan to target them. I run into Jeong Min-oppa and Young Min by accident, and they let me join them so that we form a trio. It's not against the rules either - it's just that they chose not to shoot me on sight, after all.

"Are you nearly dead yet?" Young Min asks me as I edge down the corridor with them.

I nod sadly. "Three bullets already," I tell him. "What about you two?"

"Neither of us has been hit at all so far."

We turn the corner, guns cocked at the ready to shoot. Slowly, we make our way out of the corridor and emerge in the hallway near the front door, under the staircase. I hear two shots, and a bullet lands on Young Min's head. The other misses. I glance up and see Kwang Min's evil smile - he's holding two guns, both small. Jeong Min-oppa yells and charges up the stairs, whipping out his gun to aim at the younger boy. But Kwang Min turns tail and disappears off. It's okay though, because there's no way he can escape from us once he's upstairs. The only way down is by the stairs, and I stay behind to guard it while the other two go chase after him.

I hear heavy footfalls echo down the corridor upstairs as I stand watch - which I find out is a boring job. Judging by the sound, the dead three are talking in the dining room. Something lands on my shoulder, and as I look down, I see the bright orange of a bullet. Before I can turn, I'm shot, and I find Skye smiling triumphantly at me.

"You played the same trick twice," I comment, and she grins wider. 

"Well, it works," she answers.

Then she's off up the stairs. Curious, I follow her. I catch sight of Jeong Min-oppa and Young Min at the end of the corridor, looking for Kwang Min. Glancing at Skye, I get an idea. 

"Guys!" I yell, and Skye's eyes widen in alarm. "She's here!" I gesture as the two boys turn around. 

My friend gives me a glare as she races down the stairs, luckily avoiding a bullet from Young Min, who pursues her. I follow, deciding that their battle will be more interesting than the one between my other two brothers. As I run past the dining room door, I pause to drop my gun in the niche next to it and continue after Young Min and Skye. I see him emerge into an empty hallway, and turn his head from side to side as he looks for her. Sensing a trap, I catch up to him, resolving to take bullets for him if Skye ambushes him. 

"Dead people can't walk around," someone whispers in my ear, before they shoot at Young Min's back.

He curses and ducks around the corner, and I turn to see Skye hiding shading herself in the doorway to the dining room.

"When did you sneak up on me? You're so creepy!" I exclaim, heart still thumping fast from the shock of being surprised like that.

"Revenge," she says, before pretending to laugh evilly. 

"Yah, I'm a ghost," I say, in rebuttal to her previous statement. 

She rolls her eyes, and edges out of her hiding spot. This time, I decide to just watch silently as she sneaks around the corner and shoots my brother. She gets hit in return, but neatly dodges the next array as she fires at his leg. He scowls and ceases his fire. 

"I'm dead, I'm dead," he mutters, walking past us into the dining room to join the others.

"You're good at this," I mention to Skye, and she smirks as we walk back towards the stairs.

"I've always been good at games where I get to sneak around."

Just then, I see Jeong Min-oppa trudge around the corner. "I've been killed," he tells me.

Kwang Min follows, whooping. He catches sight of Skye, and announces, "We've won!"

My mouth stretches into a smile. "This means round two," I say. "Last-man-standing."

Skye's eyes widen. By this time, the others have heard the commotion and come out, where Jeong Min-oppa updates them gleefully on what has happened. I step into the hollow of the doorway to watch the show. Both people have their guns held up to each others' faces, and I'm reminded of one of those dramas where the exact same thing happens. Two lovers aiming to fire at each other - only these two aren't exactly lovers. 

"I've been hit twice," Skye says loudly, so that Kwang Min can hear. 

"I've been hit four times already," he replies, and he raises his arms in surrender. "Besides, I don't fight with girls."

The crowd watching groans, and Skye hesitates to shoot. "Yah, won't you at least try?" Yoo Min moans. "I'm embarrassed to be related to you too now."

"Ani," Kwang Min says insistently, and drops his gun. "I won't stoop so low as to hit a girl."

Skye looks confused, but she shoots anyway, and the bullet makes contact with his arm. "We're done now," she announces, and she puts the gun down gently, leaning it against the wall, smiling as my brother grins at her.

"Good game, everyone," I say miserably, my plan having backfired - badly.

A/n: The second of five christmas updates... but the last two might be late, sorry!