Sakura feels good walking back home. Yes, it is slowly feeling like a home; a place of comfort and protection she realised after the gala dinner. Things are getting better. After the incident at the school, her relationship with Minjoo is on better grounds. Going around school then back home crouching in her games and the cycle continues, everything just feels normal. Protection has stepped up and it is protection she has grown to… enjoy having around. Sakura secretly eyes the team leader beside her.

“As usual, if you decide to go out, tell the ground agent and we will be summoned.” Eunbi tells Sakura.

“Don’t worry unnie, our principal is such a homebody the day she goes out spontaneously will be a miracle.” Yujin teases.

Sakura rolls her eyes. "Is that why Lightning has stopped following me around?" She hasn't seen Lightning since he sent them to school this morning.

Eunbi and Yujin say nothing to that as they approach Sakura's bedroom. Sakura is about to open the door and she finds it strange that the two are still right beside her. She dismisses it and pushes it open when shouts from inside frightens her to her core.

"SURPRISE!!!"

The frightened Sakura barely processes what is going on when she pounces onto. Her balance would have been lost if the things that jumped on her also didn't support her at the same time. Sakura gets her thoughts on track as she wiggles her head back, realising who the culprits are.

"YOU SCARED ME YOU GUYS!" Sakura screams back in mixed annoyance and obvious happiness. “Mom?!” She spots the older woman smiling brightly behind.

Hyewon and Chaeyeon only laugh in response as they each snuggle into the crook of Sakura's neck. Sakura then wraps her arms around the two bodies and the three stay like that for a while.

Eunbi and Yujin were very shocked to see what they just witnessed. It is so unlike the Sakura they are used to. Of course the agents knew who was going to be behind the door - Lightning disappeared in order to pick Sakura’s friends up from the airport.

“How come you guys are here?” Sakura immediately asks as they release from the hug. “Did you have something to do with it, Mom?”

“Your mother called us and asked if we like to spend the summer here.” Hyewon quips.

“Aunty has been worried about you settling in ever since you moved over and when we heard about the incident on gala dinner night, Hyewon and I thought there is no better time than now.”

"How?" Sakura's mother moves closer to the girls. "You like your surprise? I would've gotten them over earlier but too bad your holidays don't sync. Either ways you do nothing after school so there's still a good amount of time for you guys to hang out."

Her friends laugh at her mother's mocking remark. Hyewon purposely adds on, "Yeah without us, she has no life in the real world."

Sakura smacks her friend jokingly but the truth cannot be denied. It is truly a joyous afternoon and Sakura is already excited at the time they will spend together. "What should we do now!"

"Kura, calm down dear." Her mother chuckles. "Go settle down first and wash up. Don't mind me nagging but I did promise your parents that I will look after both of you. Only then can you all make plans. Let Captain know and she will arrange." Mrs Kim looks in Eunbi's direction. Sakura's friends follow Mrs Kim's eyeline and both their eyes widen.

"Woah…" Chaeyeon unknowingly lets out under her breath and Sakura catches that. She looks back and forth between her friends and the agent.

"Okay!" Sakura's voice comes out sharper than intended and that got everybody's attention. "Faster go wash up so we can play!" She rushes her friends out of the door.

"Your rooms are on the right! Follow Sujin." Mrs Kim screams out as the girls are quickly pushed out by Sakura.

Chaeyeon and Hyewon both didn’t take their eyes off Eunbi as they were rushed by and the look on Chaeyeon’s face is something Sakura recognises - she had the same look when she met her crush back in their school in the U.S.

And the same look on Eunbi bothers Sakura.

“Woah, this place is amazing!” Hyewon says as she jumps onto her bed. Somehow she manages to grab a packet of chips that was placed probably by the house staffers to welcome her friends. Hyewon munches so loudly Sakura can hear it from across the room. Chaeyeon does the mature thing by placing their luggages at spots near their bed before she takes a seat on the other bed. Sakura makes herself comfortable by joining her best friend, laying her body belly side down. Chaeyeon moves her eyes down to her lounging friend, “By the way, is that agent her? The one you hate a lot?”

Sakura winces. Her friends do not know what has changed. “Well… hate is a strong word.”

“I remember you cursing a lot about her.” Hyewon says through her munches. “But seeing her in person today, I don’t see why you can get angry at such a hottie.” The way Hyewon delivers her words nonchalantly despite its strong content still amazes Sakura.

“She is really pretty.” Chaeyeon adds almost immediately.

Sakura does not want to hear more admiration of Eunbi’s physicality - the agent is more than that, Sakura mentally notes. And I know that. Me. “I don’t curse about her anymore. Everything’s cool now. She protected me during the gala dinner. That’s why I am safe.” Protected me.

That gets Hyewon and Chaeyeon’s attention even more. “Tell us!”

With that prompt, Sakura happily recalls Eunbi’s (and Yujin’s) heroic actions.

“And so she took the hit for me, pushing me into the car for safety.” The moment she is done, Sakura regrets it when she sees that lovestruck expression reappearing on Chaeyeon’s face. Even Hyewon has that sneaky grin as she chews on her almost finishing chips.

“She is amazing.” Chaeyeon says.

The friends clearly did not focus on the ‘protecting Sakura’ portion of the story but rather on the amazing tales of Captain Kwon. I shouldn’t have told them this story! Wait, why am I bothered by their reaction?

Sakura shakes her overthinking self away. She needs to focus on the now, where her friends are here (although their heads seem not). “Guys!” She gets off her comfortable lying position and sits up. “We need to stop talking. Come on, get ready and let’s go out!”

That gets the two young girls excited as they immediately jump off their beds and begin buzzing around to get ready to go out into the streets of Seoul.

Sakura bumps into her friends when they suddenly stop after opening the door. “What-” She looks past her friends’ shoulders and sees why. Eunbi and Yujin are waiting for them. “Come on guys.” She squirms to get through. They are embarrassing her.

“Have y’all decided