Chapter Six: Three Not So Little Cats

No smut - 3k words

"Thanks for the hoodie, Seren," Jimin said as she took the hoodie off of her. Her body, accentuated by her tight shirt, once again bares itself to me.

"No, keep it on." I said.

"It's fine now, Seren, nobody's around to ogle." She said, scanning the dim halls of the Archive. "Well, nobody else but you," she teased.

"Oh I wouldn't dare ogle at you," I said, playfully and exaggeratedly craning my neck to look everywhere except at Jimin.

Jimin's laughter echoes on the empty halls. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, eyes glinting with mischief, "Says the guy who asked for a video call while I shower last night," she teased.

"That was a joke —"

"Jokes are half-meant," Jimin counters immediately.

"Fine, but what did you mean by 'maybe next time' Yu Jimin?" I bit back.

For a split second, Jimin looked flustered, her eyes darted around as her mind racked to come up with a witty comeback. Then as if nothing happened, her composure returns — and even amplifies. She leans against the reception desk to further emphasize her chest to me and said seductively, "Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, Seren Vale?"

I stiffened and averted my eyes, "I..." I stuttered, "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," I wanted to go for the cool tone of reply, yet to me, my response seemed creepy rather than cool. 

Fortunately, Jimin giggled, "Then maybe," she continued, her fingers grazed my arm — and I felt all my hair stand on edge. "Maybe I'll let you watch — in person," she purred, the temperature inside the empty Archives spikes up and I swallowed another lump in my throat.

"You're dangerous, Yu Jimin," I whispered, my breath heavy and my brow sweating.

Jimin giggled again, "You started it, Seren Vale, you should be able to keep up," she teased as she withdrew her hands on my arm.

Just then, the doors of the Archives creaked opened — and I groaned in frustration – because in came Hwang Yeji, Shin Ryujin, and Lee Chaeryoung.

"I thought you're only watching me during the day?" I grumbled as the trio walked towards us.

"So did we," Ryujin replied.

"Apparently the night shift wasn't informed of your... 'change in schedule', so, we're here instead," Chaeryoung said, the only one who seemed visibly unannoyed.

"Don't worry, Seren, we don't like this as much as you do," Yeji remarked, clicking her heels on the tiles with impatience.

"So," Chaeryoung mediated. "We'll just find a table far away and we'll try not to disturb you," she bowed then pushed her companions, choosing a spot far from the reception area yet still visible.

"So, first impressions," Jimin chirped.

"Chaeryoung is obviously the calmest one," I said. "The other two seem..."

"Uninterested, borderline hating you," Jimin finished.

"Gee, thanks," I replied. "Though I can't blame them, I'm a nobody."

"Well, Seulgi thinks you need the protection. She must have some serious trust issues either with Joohyun, or vampires in general," Jimin suggested, leaning back on her chair. She arched her back to stretch, and her curves were accentuated once again — and I ogled.

"You're ogling, Seren," Jimin chuckled as she stopped stretching.

I pivoted my head in embarrassment, "Told you, you should have kept the hoodie on," I quipped nervously.

"Would that stop you?" She teased, propping her elbow on the desk and her head on her hands.

"It's a deterrent," I quipped back to which Jimin only giggled.

"Say, don't you find any of them pretty?" Jimin gestured to the trio. Yeji had her feet up a table, Ryujin laid her head on it, and Chaeryoung was sitting normally.

"They are pretty alright, but..."

"I'm prettier?" Jimin teased.

I looked at Jimin in the eyes, "Yeah," I replied, "you're prettier." I said nonchalantly which I thought Jimin didn't expect. She blinked twice, cheeks flushed as she leans back flustered in her seat.

Just then, the Archives' great doors swung open once again. A gust of cold air swept through the hall, carrying the scent of moss and steel. We craned our heads as ten men, dressed in oversized trench coats with their hands tucked inside, entered. I glanced at the werebeast trio who perked up and stood. I felt a chill, something's wrong — those three wouldn't stand up if there wasn't. The air in the Archives grew heavier, the dim lights felt dimmer. I reached for Jimin's arm and squeezed softly. She got the message, or she also felt that something's wrong. She placed a hand over mine and squeezed it back, her eyes focused on the men approaching us.

The lead man, tall with scruffy wild hair looked down on us. His voice was low and full, but with a certain quirk I can't quite place, like hooves crunching leaves or gravel, "We are looking for —"

"You're not looking here for books," Yeji cut the man off. She was already behind me, all three of them were, their eyes studying the ten men, evaluating whether they can win if it came to a fight.

"And pray tell, young huntress, what are we looking here for?" The man asked.

"You tell us," Yeji didn't back down. "Does Orion know you're here? Did he send you?" She asked, low and calm.

"Orion?" I whispered as I walked behind the desk to stand beside Jimin — whose breathing is slowly getting heavier by the second.

"The Master of the Wild Hunt, Seren," Ryujin answered for me. 

"These men are fae Riders of the Hunt," Chaeryoung added.

"And they don't just randomly stumble in an ancient library looking for books," Yeji finished, fearlessly locking eyes with a man twice her size.

"It is unwise to meddle in the affairs of the Hunt, huntress," the lead Rider warned.

"Depends on your affairs here," Yeji bit back. "If it overlaps with ours, we may be at an impasse."

"Then tell us your business here –"

"We were here first, you tell us."

Shit — I thought. This woman does not back off, can't they just talk it out? Behind her, Ryujin seemed aching for a fight, she bounced in placed lightly, as if hyping herself. Chaeryoung on the other hand, watched intently, her body completely still. I looked at Jimin, she still held my hand, yet the other was reaching below the desk for the Archives' emergency alarm.

"Orion has shown interest in the boy," the lead Rider dropped like it was nothing — and I felt like my world collapsed. The fae — no, the Hunt is after me? Why? I was ready to bolt at that very moment if not for Jimin's hand squeezing mine tighter — our heavy breathings now in sync.

"Well we are here to protect the boy," Yeji countered.

"It seems we are indeed at an impasse, huntress."