Meetings and Reunions

"Did you know?!" I hissed, trying not to raise my voice as I dropped my tray at the table in front of Minjeong, making Yizhuo yelp in surprise.

"I swear I didn't!" Minjeong hissed back, a fork with a slice of sausage suspended near her mouth. "If I had known my sister was being sent here you would have been the first person I'll tell it to!" She munched on the sausage while scrunching her nose.

The cafeteria was abuzzed with chatter and gossip. From who that student who engaged with the Wild Hunt was to Crown Princess Wonyoung and the three sorceresses.

"Sister?" Jimin asked as she took a seat. "Was that pyro-sorceress your sister?" 

Oh shit — here we go, I thought.

"I can see the resemblance," Yuna added as she sat beside Sullyoon who's in the same table as Minjeong and Yizhuo.

"You know that sorceress?" Yeji asked as her team sat with us.

"Kim Chaewon was her name, I believe," Chaeryoung added.

"She's…" I sighed. "Minjeong's older sister."

"That doesn't answer Yeji's question, Seren," Ryujin butted in.

"She's…" another sigh escaped my lips, then I rested my elbows on the table and my forehead on my hands.

"She's Seren's first love apparently," Jimin replied for me. Her voice sounded monotonous, like she was just stating some fact — which made me even more terrified.

The whole table except for Minjeong paused and turned their eyes towards me.

"Oh, shit!" Ryujin exclaimed. "Does that mean Jimin and Chaeryoung now have some serious competition?!" She remarked excitedly, and I can only close my eyes. Remember, Ryujin is chaos — I told myself — you're not getting anything else from this werebeast.

"Read the room, Shin Ryujin!" Chaeryoung admonished, dipping her head in embarrassment.

Yeji huffed, "More like read the table."

We all turned our heads in disbelief towards the blonde werebeast.

"You really could use some training with your comedic timing, Hwang Yeji," I grumbled.

"Anyway," Sullyoon breaks the tension. "Personal issues aside," she looks at me and Jimin who's trying to act apathetic while trying to spear a piece of grape with a fork, "this means that the Royal House of Verrath knew about the rescue op."

"And if they knew," Yuna continued, "then that means almost every race also knew."

"I'm exposed," I said, realizing that what the werebeast trio told me before the op came true — participating in the rescue mission would reveal me to other races. Apparently that means to humans as well. That was what rattled me the most, knowing that the race I thought I was might now see me as a threat.

"You really need to get trained," Yeji commented. "I'll try to get the Triarchy out of their impasse, hopefully this new development changes something."

"Thanks, Yeji," I said.

"Don't you think Yuna and Sullyoon also need to train you?" Chaeryoung asked.

Yuna and Sullyoon perked up, "Train him in what?" Yuna asked.

Sullyoon's eyes narrowed, "You crafted a wooden dagger on your own during the rescue," she said like she was piecing the puzzle pieces together. "It happened after we…" she drifted off yet I know what she's saying — it happened after we had sex.

Apparently, so did Jimin, who now stabbed the piece of grape, making the plate and the table shake with the force she did it with. I shot her an apologetic look which she only returned with a raised eyebrow and a gaze that would have turned me to ash if she had Chaewon's powers.

"Wait, I don't get it," Yuna chimed in. "Why do we need to train Seren? YoonAh and I are not warriors."

"I'll explain later," Sullyoon replied. "Now might not be the best time nor place to talk about it."

Yeji huffed, "You really are sharp, Seol YoonAh. If you had been a werebeast, you would have done great in the intel corps."

"Why thank you," Sullyoon responded sincerely. "I wonder what form I'd take though."

"A deer, maybe," Yizhuo offered. "You look like one."

"Huh," Sullyoon smiled brightly. "I like it."

"So back to your first love —" Shin Ryujin butted in with a wicked grin.

"We are not talking about my first love," I replied in frustration.

"Fine. Back to Minjeong's sister then," Ryujin countered and I just raised my hands once in resignation.

"You're not escaping this conversation, Seren Vale," Jimin said flatly.

"Apparently —" then a blue note suddenly manifested at my plate, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. All eyes at the table lowered towards it.

I picked it up and read it, then turned to Jimin. "Apparently I do get to escape this conversation."

Jimin took the note and read it loud enough for only our table to hear. "Princess wants to see you. President's office. Don't keep her waiting. Smiley face emoji. H.E.C."

"H.E.C.?" Minjeong asked as she took the note from Jimin's hands.

"Hong Eunchae," Sullyoon and Chaeryoung said at the same time.

"The spatial magic sorceress?" Yizhuo followed.

"Makes sense with how the note just… poofed," Ryujin made a gesture like something exploding with her hands.

"And by the looks of it, the princess wants this to be as discreet as possible," Yeji observed.

"Be careful, Seren," Chaeryoung said softly with a look of concern.

"You're probably going to need it," Yuna added.

"Gee, thanks," I responded, trying to hide the anxiety in my voice.

"Say hello to Chaewon for me," Minjeong chimes, passing back the note to me.

I gave her a begrudging smile before I turned towards Jimin whose eyes are still boring a hole through my soul. "You're still not escaping this conversation," she said defiantly.