SEC02 to JN, ALL: ALERT!

SEC02 to JN, ALL: VISUAL ON NOTEMAKER

SEC02 to JN, ALL: MOVEMENT ON NOTEMAKER

SEC02 to JN, ALL: On the loose!

SEC02 to JN, ALL: SEC04 in pursuit

SEC02 to JN, ALL: Launch aerial

SEC02 to JN, SEC03: SEC03 secure perimeter

JN to SEC02: LOC

“… I’ll just go to the washroom at the back to clean up.” Joon looked at Yerin hiding her uneasiness with dismay about the coffee accident.

“Sowon-eonnie, don’t follow her!” Sinb yelled but Joon did not even react like she would have. She was already out of sight in three seconds and out of the coffee shop a blink after. She would have stayed and just let Sowon help her tidy up, but her phone incessantly quivered in her pocket.

SEC02 to JN: FROM CAFÉ BACK ALLEY now heading WEST

The note-maker struck once more in what seemed like a blitz assault, but this time the security group identified him. He was five feet nine with average physique, Asian and fast, for after posting the pale-yellow note, he was gone. But Joon knows she was faster and more than determined to find him.

“Sec 2! Give me ID!”

“About six feet. Asian. Grey hood. Brown pants, baggy and stained. Lone sprinter! Undetermined if armed. Still heading west!”

“Don’t lose him.”

“Copy that. Now under bridge nearest your location!”

Joon is unable to teleport to places she does not have a clear memory of, hence she won’t be able to use that skill as a leverage. The note-maker was presumed a former member of the police force who is physically trained and able to anticipate law enforcement’s movement; but he was faster than how they assumed he would be. Even the aerial surveillance was experiencing trouble locating his steps through all the corners and alleys that he turned to. But he was alone and this strengthened the theory that he was an obsessed fan more than a terrorist.

“Bridge area is empty!”

“Joon we’re losing him. He is skipping on camera feed. But stay south on that street.”

“How the hell is that possible?!”

“I don’t know. But he skips feed every after an alley corner!” Responded the SEC02 team leader and Joon’s trusted friend and so he was always designated as the spotter during chases.

“Study the pattern! Give me a possible end location.”

“Give me three seconds to run coordinates!”

“I don’t have three. Faster.” She continued to cross streets and alleyways.

“Eonju-ro 159 corner Nonhyeon-ro 172!”

“He’s not here!” Joon has reached the location after one and a half seconds but there was not a single dubious soul in that street.

“He went south then west!”

“I can’t see him! What the hell!” Joon’s suspicion about the runner was growing.

“He changed direction! Nonhyeon-ro 160 and Dosan-daero 35! He’s zigzagging the backstreets! This is like Pac-Man and the ghost chase.”

“Except that I’m obviously not yellow, I don’t have a compulsive eating disorder and I don’t light up when eating biscuits!” She still had the energy to joke around in spite the frustration. “He’s not here! He sprinted more than 7 miles from the shop! Is he not slowing down yet??” Joon was already considering the possibility that the note-adoring criminal could be like her, genetically atypical and lightning fast.

“No sign of slowing.”

“Could he be…?” She was now panting after running almost twenty miles relentlessly circling the expanding search radius.

“No. But he could be a skipper, Joon.” A skipper was someone halfway of a speeder and a teleporter. Joon was both but not in between.

“He will make a mistake soon. I’ll catch him.” She was breathing faster and sweating profusely in spite the wind nagging on her skin as she stubbornly sped through the chilly streets of Gangnam. “His only advantage is he knows the district better than I do.”

“We might lose him.”

“Don’t say that. I’ve sweat too much to lose him.” Joon kept on running to every possible road he might have turned to.

“He’s on the feed but still skipping.”

“Why are there no people on the streets to slow him down!?”

“Wait! Gangnam-dero 126 and Hakdon-ro 8.”

After two seconds, “GOT HIM! *^$%(&$+&*%&<@!” Then only audio feed static could be heard. Joon’s mic was assumed to has been disconnected after contact. Security group 4 was already on the site after less than five seconds to help subdue the outlaw.

After being surrounded by Joon’s group, he stopped attempting escape but the unexpected happened. The note-maker stripped exposing his pale skin covered by tattoos, from his chest to his feet were countless faces of the same person. The view was unsettling that even the security detail carrying guns that were already pointed at him flinched to the bare figure that was revealed before them. Big and small drawings of Yerin’s innocent face were etched on every visible surface of him, they were not artistic but the details were unnerving. Some of the tattoos were old and faded but most of them were evidently recently inked that some were severely swollen and fresh blood was still dripping from others, making the images look more gruesome and fiendish than they already are. Before totally removing his cargo trousers off his feet, he reached into its buttoned pockets for stacks of photo paper which made the surrounding security fix their fingers on the triggers of their guns. But after obtaining a pile on both hands, he threw them quickly into the air that he became partially concealed by them. Then a gunshot was heard.

“Damn it! Who shot him??” SEC04 team leader yelled in spite the obvious knowledge that none of them would have attempted to do so.

“No one.” Joon answered under her breath before speeding back to the coffee shop. “Sec 4, transport every centimeter of whatever remained of that body to the lab. And secure every picture he scattered. And I mean every single one of them. Send me a report in 24 hours.”

“Copy.”

She wanted to pick up every picture of Yerin on the bloody concrete floor herself, but it was more important for her to return to the shop where the six waited. “Sec 2, please search every street he ran to and secure that every picture is accounted for.”

“We’re running aerial, don’t worry. I see everything, I’ll be on it. Game’s over Pac-Man.”

“Damn ghost killed himself before I could ask his name.”

“So, his name remains, note-maker.”

“Or Inky, Blinky, Clyde or Pinky since he is…” Joon’s face winced remembering the bloody scene. “…was fast. Whatever.”

“Just rest now. He’s gone.”

>>>

Before leaving the coffee shop, Yerin claimed that she was suddenly dizzy. This was the only way that she could sit in the passenger seat without eliciting questions from Sinb who have kept her in the rear seat after the proposal.

“Where have you been and why are you sweating?” Yerin asked discreetly as soon as she buckled onto her seat and locked the door.

“I told you not to manually lock the door.”

“Yeah, yeah, it will destroy the automatic mechanism. We were almost crushed by a humongous truck months ago, why do you even care about the locks?! Eonnie, where have you been?” The young girl’s face was aded with worry and impatience but she kept her voice low.

“I heard the gas chamber leaking in the apartment. I ran as fast as I could.” The driver answered simply as she looked at the rearview mirror to check if everyone was settled, but more so to see if the note was not mistakenly left on the window by the preoccupied security group that safeguarded the café.

“You always run fast. There’s no ‘as fast as you could.’ But the way you’re sweating does not seem like you just stopped a gas leak.”

“Yerin-ah, the apartment was a few miles east. If I did not sweat, you should be worried.”

“But I thought you couldn’t hear if it’s too far?”

“You have a memory of chimpanzee.” The foreigner was finally able to smile genuinely. “You’re right, I can’t, but the apartment has an audio transmitter device more sensitive than anything commercially available and I have a receiver.” Joon pointed to her left ear.

“I didn’t know you kept something like that.” Yerin was now calm as she fixed the duck-designed throw she has been holding on her lap.

“Just in the apartment recently, since we have been going out a lot. That’s a nice blanket.” She was hoping to divert her attention.

“My girlfriend brought it!” She was hiding her smitten giggling under her mask but her eye smile told it all.

Joon let out a half-smirking laugh. “How does it feel to finally call her girlfriend?”

“It sounds too ordinary. We say that almost every day. I cannot count how many times I’ve said ‘girlfriend’ since debut. But now that there is finally one person that I call such, it has an entirely new meaning to me.”

“Happy?” Joon asked realizing she did not even answer her question.

“Very.” She started speaking in English and with a normal volume. “I don’t know what I will do if I lose her.” Yerin turned her head to glance at the girl quietly sitting in the last row of seats, but before she knew it, she was also looking back at her with a warm but worried smile. After acknowledging her girlfriend, Sinb gestured her to turn her gaze back to the road to not become dizzier than she already supposedly was.

“She’s less savage, at least to you.” She said after noticing how mild-mannered the older maknae was in her seat.

“Even that, I like about her.”

“Being savage??”

“Yeah?” She was blushing as she declared her odd liking of the girl’s childish roughness.

“Ahhh… My duck chingu is in love.” Joon sighed, but it was a sigh of relief, and she smiled back at the girl beside her while trying to brush off the horrid image she ran away from moments ago.

“Very much, eonnie.” But as she turned to Joon, Yerin’s smile disappeared after noticing a small splatter of blood on her pants by the lower panel and bottom hem. She fell quiet and focused her attention on the road but began contemplating on possible reasons why Joon had to lie to her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, eonnie.”

“Here.” Joon handed her a white book with black solid print for a title.

“Essentials of High School English??” She was successfully able to read the title after a grueling 10 seconds. “Do I seriously need to study this? Wait, is everyone getting this textbook??” Her face was filled with stress and inexplicable discomfort as she scanned the inside print.

“No, just you.” The foreigner was smiling at her deviously.

“That’s unfair!”

“But it’s only you who needs it.” She sealed her sentence with a smirk.

“My English is that bad?? Excuse me, but when we went to Europe, I was able to find the milk vending machine by asking!” She was about to hit Joon’s shoulder with the book when the driver gave her a pair of glasses that looked similar to Yerin’s but matte black instead of dark brown.

“Wear them so you could read the words properly.”

“But I’m already wearing mine!”

“Just wear them, will you? I can’t focus on driving.”

“Tsk.” The young girl took off her glasses and replaced it with the pair that was given to her. “I just had my eyes che-- WAAAAAAH!!!” She yelled instantly as she read the book’s title again and covered after being surprised by her own reaction. She removed the glasses immediately as if she was severely allergic to them.

“Yah! What happened??” Sowon immediately asked after being disturbed from her street sight-seeing while the other members were simply alarmed by her yelping.

“Nothing. She just dropped her glasses.” Joon answered for her since she knew that Yerin will not be able to fabricate an excuse fast enough to pacify the worry of her leader and her girlfriend who was already about to unfasten her seatbelt.

“Are you okay eonnie?” It was a voice from the far end.

“Sinb-yah I’m fine, I was just too dramatic with my glasses falling.” She flashed her a reassuring eye smile that made Sinb ironically frown. But the frown was quickly replaced by a thin smile as she motioned her to face the road again.

“Eonnie, what did I just read?” Yerin was back to whispering as she properly sat again.

“You told me you wanted to know what to do. That will not teach you everything, but it will make you understand things better. Just read it.”

“Your glasses are daebaaaak. I can see the English words rearrange to Hangul. How does it do that?”

“I only have that one spare so don’t lose it and make sure they won’t get to use it, or else…” She replied intentionally ignoring the question.

“Yes. Yes. I’ll keep it.”

>>

MONDAY NIGHT

“I know it’s weird but since you’re getting married soon, why don’t we throw you a semi-bridal shower?? Chicken and beer!” Yerin suggested while speaking in mixed languages.

“As long as no man on police costume will be knocking on our door and striping in front of everyone.” She was half-serious with her statement, suddenly remembering the man who did the same act the previous day but in a rather frightening way before shooting himself.

“Why? Because you’ll get jealous? Yerin daringly teased.

“NO. But it will be gross and unsanitary.” Joon defended.

“Aish… You can just admit it…” Sinb supported her girlfriend’s allegation.

“Tsk.”

“Yah! She won’t be jealous. She’ll never be.” Sowon, who seemed to have given up waiting for the foreigner to respond to her fondness of her, prevented the younger girls from proceeding to full- blown teasing. “I’m a bit hungry anyway, who’s buying?”

“I will! How much chicken do you want?”

“WHOA! Yuju-yah, are you sick?” Eunha jestingly touched the main singer’s forehead while Yewon placed her hand on her eonnie’s neck. “Are you sure?”

“Haha! Yes, I’m sure.” She responded as she fixed the bangs that Eunha slightly disheveled.

“I’m dialing Hosigi before she changes her mind.” Sinb pulled out her phone and scanned for the store’s contact number.

“Do we have beer though?”

“Oh my my… Our Yewon-ah is all grown up, she’s even the one asking.”

“Hmpf! I’m just curious eonnie. I won’t even be with you for long since I have guide recording tomorrow morning. Remember, the digital file got corrupted, so I have to repeat it.”

“Uhh… Bummer! You’re the one who wanted chicken and beer night…”

“It’s okay Yuna-eonnie, we can have one again by Han river, right?” The maknae directed her last words to Joon who winked at her to imply agreement.

“And to answer your question, no, we don’t have beer, just wine.” Joon smiled at the maknae who understood the hidden message before being sneered at by the fierce Eunbi.

---

“Let’s play the truth bowl!” Eunha yelled after getting wine glasses from the cupboard and handing them to the four girls who sat on the floor and the two oldest who stayed in the sofa. “There’s no fun if we just finish these bottles. Yewon and I will just fall asleep, Yuna will just start crying, Yerin-eonnie and Sinb will just, you know, do their thing and Sowon-eonnie will just sleep on the lap of Joon-eonnie. So, I think playing a little game will be better.”

“Yah! I’ll make sure to sleep in my bed after this.” Sowon has been persistent with her effort to act nonchalant about Joon’s presence.

“Aish… Like truth or dare?” Joon asked implying it was a childish thing to do.

“Well, actually more of ‘truth or truth’. And since I cannot join you drink all throughout the night, I’ll just volunteer to ask the questions.” Yewon suggested. “But first, chicken!”

During one fan meet, a foreigner fan gave them a bowl questions. Everyone hoped that the girls would get to them one-by-one and so they brought it home with a promise to answer them eventually through the fancafe only to find out that the rolled papers contained very personal questions. And so the girls ended up answering only a few until the fans forgot their anticipation.

A few questions have been thrown and a few glasses have been emptied already. The girls have a varying reaction to drinking but most of them just become too cheerful and less inhibited like how a normal drunk person would be. And only after two glasses each, the entire apartment was already a pandemonium with their relentless bickering, roaring laughter and playful teasing. After the first bottle of wine, there have already been innumerable episodes of chasing and wrestling, and everyone has been conversing in Korean except for the sober Yewon who was considerate to keep on translating the difficult words for the foreigner, totally unaware that it was unnecessary.

“Haha! Okay this question is funny. We could have answered this in our fan café, it’s no secret. Who have kissed someone and who was your first kiss?” Yewon had an irrepressible smile, half-snorting the question she snatched from the bowl.

Everyone raised their hands instantly except Joon.

“Haha! The truth is everyone in the group, although unwillingly, has Yerin-eonnie as their first kiss, except for Sowon-eonnie because she’s quick to dodge her.” Yuna explained. “As you know, she victimizes everyone.”

“Oh, but I am a willing victim now.” Sinb slightly blushed to her own unusual non-savage remark, an obvious proof she was already feeling the alcohol in her head. And as expected, her girlfriend attacked her with a pouty kiss that did not reach her lips but only the palm of her hand that was still fast enough to block her.

“Aish… I thought you are willing now??” After being blocked, Yerin instead positioned herself behind Sinb to keep her in a hug. But before she could attempt kissing her again, her attention was caught by her leader who was still raising her hand but keeping her head down due to drunkenness. “Ohhh! But Sowon-eonnie?! You’re raising your hand? You kissed someone already?!” Yerin interjected. “But it’s not me!”

Among all the girls, Yuna and Sowon were most sensitive to alcohol. As theorized by the members themselves, they thought that this was because of their very slender build that alcohol reaches all their cells a little too quickly.

“Yeah! Why? It does not have to be you too, Yerin-ah!” She slurred a little before being able to speak clearly and lifting her head. “Joon-ah!” She dropped the respectful address completely.

“HUH?” Joon was surprised by the sudden call. “Wae?!”

“YOU! You are my first kiss." Sowon pointed at Joon and flashed her a disgruntled look.

“ME?!” The foreigner squinted her eyes as if it will help her understand clearly what was said.

"You just did not know because you were unconscious in the hospital!”

The younger members were speechless for a few seconds before synchronously erupting into a chaotic bantering.

“WAAAAAAAAAHH!! Eonnie!” Sinb mischievously elbowed Joon but it was too hard that she spilled the wine she was holding. “You didn’t even know that your lips are not innocent anymore!”

“OMO! Sowon-eonnie, I didn’t think you could do such thing! So daring!”

“DAEBAK, eonnie…” Yewon was still holding the paper where the question was written.

“I want to cry right now; our leader is grown lady, being aggressive and all.” Yuna all of a sudden burst into tears.

“OH MY eonnie, I thought I was the one with raging hormones here. At least everyone was alert and conscious when I kissed them! But you… OH MY...” Yerin was shaking her head but jokingly as she alternately glanced at the two adults who were on the spotlight.

“I don’t know what to say…?” Joon gulped all of what remained in the wine glass she was holding.

“Yah! It’s not like it had meaning!” Albeit drunk, she was determined to continue her unconvincing act to be casual and dispassionate.

“Omo omo… Let’s just drink to eonnie’s first kiss!” Eunha tried to divert their attention as she felt it might make the two girls more uncomfortable.

“Eonnies, I think I need to sleep now. Don’t stay up too late, okay? First WGM filming is at 4pm but you can’t have hangover. I’ll see you after my recording.” Yewon stood up and straightened her shorts. “Sinb-eonnie, I’ll take your bed tonight so you don’t have to climb up in case you decide to sleep in our room. And no kissing unconscious people!”

“No, I don’t think she’ll sleep there.” Yerin answered as she tightened her embrace on the younger girl who leaned her back onto her chest evidently sleepy from the wine. “I think she’ll fall asleep soon. Oh no, I think she’s asleep already.”

“Nooooooooo…” Again, that was Sinb’s last word that night.

“Haha! Maybe she thought she was already in bed, eonnie… Uhhhh… So sweet…”

“Let’s just finish this bottle, okay?” Yuna recommended before tears fell again. “Don’t mind me, it’s normal.” She uttered after seeing Joon’s face becoming struck with worry.

The four girls had one and a half more glasses before getting up to tidy the living room. Eunha and Yuna entered their room slightly staggering but managed to reach the lower bunks safely. Yerin on the other hand carried Sinb into their room and laid her on bottom bunk bed and went back and forth the two rooms before changing her girlfriend’s clothes. This time she did not have to ask Sowon for help but she turned off the lights before undressing her. She positioned her close to the wall before lying beside her. The warmth of Sinb’s body kept her awake for a few more minutes. She had the desire to wake her up so they could talk more, but the younger girl looked exhausted that she felt guilty of even touching her, thinking it might wake her from slumber. But before Yerin could close her eyes and settle herself under the blanket, she felt Sinb move and turn to her to hug her. After realizing what just happened, she lifted her girlfriend’s head so she could slide her arm under her neck and moved closer to completely make her rest in a comfortable position.

"Good night my Eunbi-yah..." She held her face and ran her thumb over the girl's lips gently before kissing them. The other girl answered with a faint groan as she tightened her embrace around her with her face now buried on Yerin's neck.

---

Sowon was still in the kitchen struggling to organize the wine glasses in the sink while Joon sat on the sofa and turned the TV on and then off.

“Will you be able to climb up Yerin’s bed? For sure she and Sinb took your bed. She wouldn’t be able to carry her up there no matter how strong she is.”

“I’m too dizzy.”

“Okay, I’ll just get the air mattress.” Joon did not want to ask her any further since Sowon’s tone was unusually irritated. But before she could stand up to obtain the extra bed, the tall girl was already near the sofa end where she sat. “Oh, you don’t like the inflatable? You can take this chair.” Joon was suddenly stuttering as she saw her slowly closing in on her.

“Why are you like this?” Sowon asked after moving closer to Joon’s face. Her eyes were dazed but evident with hurt and disappointment.

“What do you mean?” The older girl moved back as she scooted a few inches toward the other end.

“Am I not good enough? Or you have someone back in America?” She moved forward a few inches more and rested one knee on the sofa while Joon kept on sliding back to the opposite end.

“Sowon-ah… It’s not like that.”

“Then why? Why don’t you like me??” Sowon pushed Joon’s shoulder and moved closer that she was already almost lying on her.

“OMO! OMO!” Eunha was exiting the door of their room holding an empty glass. “Go back! Go back!” She pushed the wobbly Yuna back to the room after seeing the two adults in a very compromising position.

“Why? I also want to get wat- ...OMO! OMO!” Yuna was suddenly wide-eyed and walking backward after seeing what Eunha witnessed.

“No Eunha-yah!” But the girls were quick to shut the door close. “Sowon-ah, they think we’re doing something!”

“So what? Why can’t we??” She was too drunk to even be conscious of what she was saying. After a few seconds of holding her weight, she slumped onto the sofa and started snoring. Joon was quick to move away that she was not crushed by the tall lady’s body, but she landed flat on the tiled floor.

“Sowon-ah, it’s not that I don’t like you... It’s just that I can’t.” Joon repositioned her on the sofa and placed a pillow and a blanket before fixing the mattress she was going to sleep on.

>>>

TUESDAY MORNING

“Eonnie, what are you going to cook?” She asked as she slid her arms around the older girl’s waist snuggly, hesitant if she’ll completely wrap them around her soft abdomen or just dangle them in front of it.

“Ahh you're up. Just some soup to help with what we drank last night.” Yerin replied after putting down the knife on the chopping board and gently pulling Sinb’s arms across her waist so she could hold her tighter.

Joon was just reading an English newspaper in the living room after she was barred from the kitchen by the girl who took the liberty of cooking.  “That’s unfair, why are you letting her in the kitchen?”

“If I get back hugs like this, of course I will let her in. Why? Do you want to back hug me too? Judging by the presence of the air mattress earlier, you didn’t get any from Sowon-eonnie last night.” The flirty remark just made her girlfriend chuckle as she finally rested her chin comfortably onto her shoulder.

“No. I’d be happy to stay away from the kitchen, consider me non-existent. Thank you.” She went back to reading.

"Sinb-yah, I had to change your clothes last night, is that alright?"

"Was that the first time you ever did that??" Sinb was not aware that Yerin has refrained herself from doing so and no one has ever mentioned it to her. "I thought you were always the one changing my clothes when I went straight to sleeping."

"Yeah I did, but only your outer clothes. Your jackets, coats, sweaters... But I ask the giraffe to take over when it's your shirt and pants already." Yerin was eye-smiling while narrating her peculiar routine.

"But why? My shirt and pants don't seem harder to remove."

"No, it's not because of that." She was preventing herself from giggling. "It's because I liked you a lot even before. And I felt it would be disrespectful if I touch you when you're barely wearing anything, even unintentionally." She blushed to the thought of it actually happening.

"Whoa... really? You thought about that? After being caught many times touching my behind??"

"Yah! That's different!"

"I'm just joking..." Sinb did not say anything more but Yerin could tell she was smiling as she felt her warm blushed cheek on her neck.

"Hmm... I remember laying you down near the wall but how did we switch? I woke up almost kissing the wall."

"Ahh..." The other girl blushed more to her question. "I kind of carried you across me so you'll be on the wall-side."

"Hmm... Why? You don't like it on that side? I'm sorry I didn't-"

"No! No! It's okay, it's not like that. I woke up maybe around 3am and you were shivering. I couldn't keep you warm even if I hugged you. I thought maybe because you were on the open-side. And so I carried you...?"

"Oh you did that?" Yerin was about to continue with sweeter words but she felt the shy girl behind her loosen her grip. "Thank you Sinb-yah, I'm sorry I might have been deadweight and heavy." She tried to show her appreciation more calmly to not make her feel embarrassed as she knew she would be. 

"It's okay, I will have to get used to you rolling over me anyway." She jokingly blurted out, realizing a second after that it came out too audaciously. “Eonnie, I want to help you.” She said after biting her lips as she was obviously surprised by her own remark.

“I’ll let you help on two conditions.” Yerin smiled but avoided commenting on her previous statement.

“Two?? Aish. Okay. What?”

“Say that you want to help but don’t call me eonnie.” Yerin demanded while keeping her eyes on the chopping board.

“Yerin-ah, I want to help you.” She said as she loosened her hug around the other girl. “And?”

“And…” Yerin turned around to face Sinb then pointed to her right cheek that bulged more because of her smile. Yerin have noticed how the younger girl has been reluctant with her expression of intimacy for her, she has tried to loosen her up by occasional teasing like this.

“Kiss?!” And she was answered by a pompous nod.

"Yeah, it's your time to give it back because I kissed you goodnight last night, but you were too sleepy so I guess you wouldn't have known." Yerin revealed.

The younger girl stared at the floor and mumbled. "But I did." Sinb indeed felt it and kissed her too after she repositioned her in bed.

"Hmm?" Yerin tried to come closer to hear her.

“I said, okay. Tsk.” She gave her a peck on the exact spot where Yerin pointed, but she did it very lightly and lackadaisically.

Yerin pouted as she followed the eyes of her unwilling kisser. “Yah… you don’t like kissing me? My cheeks are not soft enough for you? Maybe you are already regretting saying yes to me. Just tell me so I can let go of you slowly. You don’t have to do it this way.” She said in a playful teasing way.

“Ani, it’s not like-“

“But that’s how I feel.” She cut her off shortly still pretending to be upset. “You don’t have to prete-“

Before she could finish her pretentious nagging, Sinb quickly grabbed the sides of her neck just under her jaw line and pulled her to a hasty, nervous kiss. Yerin was surprised that she lost her balance but the other girl was quick to steady her by pushing her gently against the kitchen counter sliding one hand toward the back of her neck and the other arm being wrapped around her waist. Instantly, they were locked in a dreamy passionate kiss and the younger girl was directing it as she ardently pounced at her lower and upper lips alternately, leaving Yerin breathlessly just clutching onto Sinb's shirt before firmly holding her shoulders. This was the kind of kiss that happened on that night when they both slept in Yerin’s bed. It was too impassioned that they consciously had to stop, and when they did, they were nearly panting to catch their breaths. Yerin hugged her tightly after she calmed down. In that few seconds of physical contact, both realized the yearning to feel each other in a wordless, intimate way.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” Sowon yelled from inside the bathroom, it was a cry for help, it was a sound evident of panic.

Joon immediately stood and signaled Yerin to prevent Sinb from turning around. In a millisecond, she was already inside the shower room between the soap-covered Sowon and a snake that was ready to bite her. In another millisecond, her hand was disposed to grab the charging reptile just a centimeter below its head. In a flash, she got out holding the squirming animal broken and almost mutilated by the neck, passing by the couple in the kitchen to grab trash bags to contain it.

She speeded back to the bathroom and covered the still trembling tall lady with all the towels she could grab inside. As Sowon remained standing motionless, Joon carried her out of the shower area to the living room and sat her on the sofa.

“Are you okay?” Joon started scanning the stunned girl’s legs for bite marks she might have missed earlier. As the other members walked into the living room, the foreigner stood up and went to the closet behind them to obtain more towels.

“Eonnie? Are you okay?” Eunha was first to reach the shaking leader who did not answer. “Joon-eonnie, what happened??”

“There was a snake inside the bathroom.” Joon knew it was futile to lie to them since Sowon would reveal the truth eventually when she’s more calm.

“A SNAKE???” Exclaimed the three younger members.

“Sowon-ah…” It was seldom that Joon addressed her informally. “… Please speak. Are you okay? You’re safe now, it’s gone.” She held her face and tried to make her focus on her words. “I’m here, you’re safe.” She spoke softly as she tried to wrap the girl’s hair with a towel to keep it from dripping onto her shoulders.

“Joon-eo-” She said almost choking on her words as she started crying. Joon hugged her tightly before her tears fell. Yerin took another towel to cover her eonnie’s back while Yuna and Sinb started to walk toward the bathroom to check the scene.

“Yerin-eonnie.” Sinb called her girlfriend to come closer to the bathroom door. “Eonnie, she dismantled the lock from the door and she practically destroyed it, even the hinges got pulled out.”

“Maybe she had to throw herself onto it so she could get it to open. It happened fast.” Yerin knew exactly what happened and that’s just how she narrated it only omitting the fact that everything happened in less than 3 seconds.

“Joon-eonnie, are you not hurt?” Yuna went closer to check the foreigner’s arm and lifted the sleeves of her black shirt that was drenched with soapy water. “I think this will bruise later on, we better put an ice pack.”

Sowon, who was starting to calm down, lifted her head and looked at Joon worriedly. But she still could not make sensible words come out of .

“I’m okay, we’ll do that later. Yerin-ah, please get my phone. Black jacket, left pocket.” It was not the phone she usually brought with her.

“Here.”

Joon pressed the second speed dial number. “Sir, something happened in the apartment just now. No, they are all safe, but I don’t think we can push through with schedule. Yes sir, if you may. I will take everyone to the building but they might need accommodations after. Yes. I will, as soon as I can.” The second speed dial redirects to an automatic conference call with her superior and the CEO of the girls’ company.

“Dress up. Bring your valuables and some clothes. I will take you to the company building but we might stay the night there or in a nearby hotel. Bring clothes for Yewon too and call her to not leave the building anymore. Just move fast and once you’ve packed, please come back here in the living room.” Joon instructed the girls keeping a calm reassuring tone. “And can we use the other bathroom?”

“Yes, eonnie.” Eunha answered before running back to their room.

“Sowon-ah…” Before Joon could tell her anything, the girl who has not stopped crying was already vigorously shaking her head in disagreement. “Sowon-ah, listen to me. I will go in with you, I won’t leave you alone there. You just have to rinse quickly since you are still covered with soap and shampoo. Everything will be alright.” She told her as they disconnected from their embrace.

---

“Don’t leave.” Sowon slowly moved into the shower room and unwrapped herself while Joon stood with her back leaning against the frosted glass panel that separated them. This time, no one was teasing about Joon being in the same bathroom with her.

“I won’t. I promise. Go on…”

In ten minutes, Sowon was done and dressed. After another fifteen minutes, they were already on their way to the company building. As soon as they left the apartment complex, countless members of the security detail swarmed the place. Joon would have considered the incident as a just a possible negligence by the apartment maintenance if not only for the color and type of reptile that she had to catch with her bare hands.

JN to SEC01: Ensure specimen is taken to lab. ID origin and source here in KR.

SEC01 to JN: ID specimen/location.

JN to SEC01: Kitchen trash bin. Albino rattlesnake.

SEC01 to JN: That's a rare one. Copy that.