Puzzle Pieces

These werebeasts share one thing in common — they make me wake up in an empty bed. And that's not a problem, merely an observation.

I sat up to look at my phone — 7:00AM, and no message from Jimin even from last night. She's probably thinking things through, considering she didn't want me to walk her home yesterday, which I do understand. We've been thrust into a rollercoaster, emotionally, physically, and probably even mystically. 

I rose and put some boxers on. I walked to my kitchen and was genuinely amused and surprised to see Ryujin in the act of sneaking out through the window. She froze like a deer in headlights when she saw me, one of her legs already stretching outside.

"You're seriously not thinking of going out that way?" I teased, leaning on the wall and crossing my arms.

"Uhhhh. Nobody saw me come in, wouldn't it be weird to see me leave through the front?" Ryujin replied.

I chuckled as I walked to my sink to make some coffee. "Of course no one would've seen you come in, it was raining cats and dogs last night if you recall. And what's weirder, you coming out the front or by the window in broad freakin' daylight?"

"Huh," Ryujin pondered, slowly pulling her leg back from the window.

I smiled in spite of myself, "Come on, want some coffee?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Ryujin replied. "Got to run and meet Yeji for our morning brief," she then sees me pulling out some croissants from my fridge. "I would have some of that though, if you're offering."

I smirked and offered one. She took it and then stood still in front of me.

"What?" I asked, croissant in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"I feel like I should do something," Ryujin answered.

"What something? Is your Wild Instinct telling you something?" I followed.

"No, just me," Ryujin said blankly. "Nah, it's probably nothing," she waved in dismissal after about half a minute. "See you later, Vale."

I chuckled as Shin Ryujin left my apartment. "Yeah. See you later." But what could she be thinking at the time, was she hesitating or did she really forget what she had to do? She was so chaotic it was hard to get a read on her yet she seemed to be a person who wears her heart on her sleeve. Someone who'd say what she wants to say, regardless of what the other person feels about it.

When the door clicked shut, I realized I was alone again. Well, nothing's new — I moved through the motions, the routine — breakfast, shower, brush, change clothes, and the light jog towards school, all the while thinking what kind of strangeness is going to happen to me today.

And the strangeness began almost immediately.

I sat in my seat, Jimin beside me and the huntresses below us. She was chatting with Chaeryoung and Ryujin, something about werebeast culture I was too lazy to pay attention to. Yeji on the other hand, was poring over something on her tablet. Every once in a while, she scruffs her orange hair, as if conscious about it. The hall was a testament of normalcy — students doing their own thing — some on their tablets, some socializing, some — like me — are spacing off.

That was when the hall's doors opened — and in enters Seol YoonAh, Shin Yuna's companion yesterday. She held the door and scanned the hall, and I wanted to disappear, to hope that she doesn't see me. She didn't — because it was the werebeasts — all three stiffened in attention — that she spotted.

Then she entered, bowing politely to our classmates who are her upperclassmen. She wore a simple white tshirt, exposing a little bit of midriff, denim jeans — and three inch heels. How she was able to pull that off convinced me she must not have been human — no human can look that simple and that elegant at the same time.

She walked towards us. Jimin reached under the desk and squeezed my thigh — a silent message of support. Seol YoonAh stopped and stood to my left — at Joohyun's seat who is still absent — which is now very unsettling, I hope everything is fine in the Verrathi Coven.

The girl bowed to us, "Uh. Good morning, I'm —"

"Seol YoonAh, or Sullyoon, right?" Jimin said. The huntresses remained silent, each of them studying Sulyoon with a mix of wariness, curiosity, and amusement.

"Ah. Yes. So I did introduce myself yesterday. I tend to space out and forget, you see. Yuna berates me about it every time," Sullyoon replied. Her airheadedness is adorable, if only Shin Yuna was a little bit tamer like her, I wouldn't be so nervous. 

"Evidently," Yeji commented, her eyes never leaving her tablet yet I knew her attention was towards us.

"And I'm getting close to berating you myself," Ryujin said sarcasticslly.

"Ryujin, don't be rude," Chaeryoung scolded, hitting Ryujin in the arm, much to her chagrin.

"So, uhm, ignore them," I said. "Why are you here anyway?" And I regretted those words the moment they came out of my mouth.

"Oh, right. Why was I here again? Ahhh, Yuna wants to meet with you. For that project we're doing," Sullyoon perks.

I closed my eyes, trying to find some way to avoid this.

"What is this project? If you don't mind me asking, Sullyoon. Yuna mentioned it had something to do with the fae," Jimin asked calmly.

"It's like a compilation of encounters with the fae. We're trying to see commom threads and motivations so that we may be able to predict what makes the fae interact with humans."

"What reason do they need but their own whims?" Ryujin snapped.

"What reason do we need to do anything?" I snapped back, throwing the question she asked me last night — and that shut her up with a contemplative look on her face.

Jimin stared at us curiously. I love the way that she's so insightful — usually even at my expense.

Sullyoon however, was oblivious to the tension and answered, "Well, it is to our benefit if we can understand them more. Which is why Yuna wants to interview you on that encounter with the Wild Hunt at the Archives."

"It wasn't exactly a good experience," Jimin said.

"Encounters with the fae are always not," Yeji quipped from below.

Sullyoon just shrugged. "Yuna still wants to try though. So she sent me to ask when you'll be free, Seren."

"Wait — just Seren?" Chaeryoung asked as she and the huntresses perked up even more.

"Yeah, she's not the only one who was in the Archives," Yeji added.

Sullyoon shrugged, "Yuna said to ask only Seren."

"Not even Jimin?" Yeji asked further, pushing and turning her seat to scrutinize Sulyoon's face. Jimin herself has her brows scrunched.

Sullyoon nodded, betraying no emotion but innocent blankness in her expression.

"Why?" Jimin asked. "I can understand not inviting the huntresses, but I am also human."

"I really can't say," Sulyoon replied, and the way she worded it made my spine tingle. "I'm just following Yuna's order. So, when are you free, Seren?"

Yeji stood and faced Jimin and I, "This smells fishy, I don't like it."

"Is this Wild Instinct speaking, Yeji?" Jimin whispered.

"No, just me. Though I think I can speak for all werebeasts if I'll say that this sounds sketchy, even without Wild Instinct," Yeji replied.

"Ryujin?" I turned to Ryujin who they claimed to have the strongest Wild Instinct among them.