The tension in the air was noticeable as the Elites gathered in the dimly lit meeting room. It was the day of the infiltration, and everyone was feeling on edge. Y/n had spent the time preparing mentally and physically for the mission, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her when she entered the room.
Minji was there, as expected, but standing beside her were Hanni and Haerin. Y/n's heart skipped a beat, a mix of surprise and worry flooding her mind.
What the- Y/n has gotten accustomed to waking up earlier, leaving the house without saying goodbye, but it turned out that 3 out of 5 girls woke up earlier than her.
"What are they doing here?" Y/n whispered to Yujin, who stood beside her.
Yujin shrugged, equally puzzled. "No idea. Maybe Minji has a reason."
Queen Kazuha entered, silencing the murmurs with her authoritative presence. "There will be seven cargo ships arriving at the coast of Diture tonight," Kazuha began, her voice calm but serious. "Each one could be carrying cargo linked to the black market. Our task is to search these ships for any uncommon or illegal goods."
Y/n's eyes flicked to Minji, but the latter didn't want to see Y/n, she was focusing on the given assignment.
Kazuha continued, "With Minji bringing additional allies, I'm grateful that we have eight people for the mission. This means that each ship will be infiltrated by at least one of you, leaving a ship left to be infiltrated by a pair. They'll have a partner to watch their back."
Y/n's eyes widened, but she kept her expression neutral, trying to process the information. She kept thinking the reason why Hanni and Haerin had to be involved.
The strategy discussion began, with Soobin outlining the plan in meticulous detail. Hanni and Haerin ended up being a pair to infiltrated one of the ships. Soobin also mentioned about our communication, what to do after getting which ship to be caught, and many things.
Kazuha's gaze swept across the group. "Your objective is clear. Once you're aboard, check the cargo thoroughly. If you find anything suspicious or uncommon, you must stop the ship from sailing at all costs."
Yujin leaned in slightly toward Y/n, whispering, "Looks like we'll be splitting up for this one."
Y/n nodded, her mind racing as she considered the challenges ahead. "I just hope everyone stays safe."
The queen gave a final nod. "Good luck to all of you."
As Queen Kazuha gave her final words of encouragement to the team, there was a noticeable shift in her posture. She turned gracefully, her steps quietly guided her toward Chaewon.
Chaewon was reviewing her equipment, making last-minute adjustments, but her sharp eyes caught the queen's approach. There was a soft, almost imperceptible exchange of glances, familiar, yet not discreet enough to go unnoticed by the others.
Kazuha stopped beside her, their proximity casual to anyone who might be watching, but there was an undeniable warmth between them.
"Be careful out there," Kazuha murmured softly, her voice only audible to Chaewon.
Chaewon gave a slight nod, her lips curving into a faint smile. "I always am."
Their exchange was brief, but it held the weight of something deeper. Kazuha's fingers brushed lightly against Chaewon's arm, a subtle touch hidden in the motion of her turning to leave. Without saying more, Kazuha moved away, her usual composed demeanor firmly back in place.
Chaewon watched her go.
She let out a quiet breath, turning her attention back to her equipment. She adjusted her gloves, refocusing her mind on the mission ahead, until she felt it.
The weight of multiple eyes on her.
Chaewon glanced up, her gaze sweeping across the room, only to find the rest of the team staring at her with poorly concealed amusement. Yujin, Soobin, Yeonjun, Kai and even Y/n all had that look. It was sneaky and annoying, like they knew something they weren't supposed to know.
Yeonjun tried to hide his smirk by pretending to check his sword, but his sideways glance betrayed him. The same goes with Kai. Soobin raised an eyebrow, his expression innocent, in fact too innocent. Y/n casually leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a barely contained grin twitching at the corners of her lips. And Yujin? She was the worst, her eyes wide with curiosity, clearly enjoying this little revelation.
Chaewon sighed, narrowing her eyes at them. "What?"
No one answered, but the shared glances and raised brows said enough.
"If your faces had subtitles," Chaewon muttered, her tone dry, "they'd all say 'hmm, interesting.'"
Yujin finally broke the silence, chuckling under her breath. "Oh, no subtitles needed. We all saw that."
Chaewon rolled her eyes, her expression unimpressed. "Focus on the mission."
"Sure, sure," Soobin added, still grinning, "but someone's got some explaining to do later."
Chaewon shot him a withering look. "I don't have time for your nonsense."
Even with that interesting eye-opening fact just now, it still didn't ease Y/n's anxiety tightening in her chest. With the others gone, Y/n saw her chance.
She approached the trio, her footsteps heavy with the weight of her unspoken fears. Minji, sensing the shift in the air, glanced at her with a knowing look. Hanni and Haerin stood by. Their postures unsure, as if they already anticipated what was coming.
"Why?" Y/n's voice came out quieter than she expected, but the frustration in it was unmistakable. "Why are you getting them involved, Minji?"
Minji's eyes softened, but her resolve was clear. "You know why. We need everyone we can trust."
"Trusting them isn't the issue," Y/n said, her voice sharpening. "This mission can be dangerous. You're risking their lives."
Hanni stepped forward, her tone calm but determined. "We're part of this now, Y/n. You can't protect us from everything."
Haerin, quiet but no less firm, added, "We chose to help. This is our decision too."
Y/n clenched her fists, "This isn't just about the mission," Y/n muttered, her voice strained.
Minji crossed her arms, her tone now tinged with a hint of frustration.
"This is only an infiltration mission, Y/n. No battle skill required. I involve Hanni and Haerin because they know what to do in this kind of mission. Moreover, we can always call each other for back-up. The moment that one cargo is seized, we don't even have to fight, we just have to stop the ship from sailing"
Eaten by her ego, Y/n didn't want to lose, "but what if every ship in Diture coast turn out to be linked to the black market?"
"Well, that's even worse. You have heard it yourself, there will be at least 7 cargo ships coming tonight, it can even be more. So, you will let at least 2 ships go unchecked?" Minji's voice rose.
Y/n couldn't fight that, her frustration grew, so did the tension between her and Minji. Her plea for reason, for safety, felt like it was slipping through her fingers. Minji's expression, usually calm and composed, began to harden.
"You think I don't know what's at stake?" Minji's voice rose, cutting through the silence. "You think I don't care?!"
Y/n flinched at the sharpness in Minji's tone, her own voice faltering as she tried to respond. "That's not-"
But Minji didn't let her finish. "I'm doing what I believe is right, Y/n. This is bigger than us. If you can't see that, then maybe you don't trust me enough."
The words hit Y/n like a punch. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. It felt like all her arguments had been stripped away, leaving only the raw emotion she could no longer control.
Hanni and Haerin exchanged quick glances, sensing the confrontation spiraling out of control.
Hanni, always the peacemaker, stepped forward, her hands raised in a calming gesture. "Hey, hey, let's not do this. We're on the same side, aren't we?"
"Yeah," Haerin added softly, trying to ease the situation. "We can talk this through. We all care about each other, right?"
But neither Minji nor Y/n seemed to hear them. Their attempts to diffuse the situation falling flat.
Y/n's eyes met Hanni's briefly, but the exhaustion in her gaze made it clear. She was done. Y/n's shoulders slumped, and with a bitter taste in her mouth, she turned and walked away. She couldn't fight anymore, not like this. Without another word, without even looking back, Y/n left the room.
They didn't speak again that day.