antifragile | purinz

blue flame

a rapid ringing woke eunchae from her sleep. she begrudgingly rolled over and picked up her phone, answering it with her eyes still closed.

"hello?" her voice was weak and tired.

"hong eunchae?" the caller asked from the other side.

"this is she."

"it's kim chaewon, we've got a call and we need you in the office in five minutes max." the voice on the other side was calm and demanding.

"sunbae?" eunchae scrambled to sit up, checking the name of the caller before putting the phone back to her ear. "i'm so sorry, i'll get ready right away."

"no need to apologize." chaewon answered before hanging up the phone.

eunchae instantly jumped out of bed. the sun hadn't even risen yet, the sky was still a dark navy blue. she rushed to put on her uniform and quickly brush her teeth before speeding down the hallway to the elevator. luckily, eunchae was living in the nis dorms so she wasn't far from the office. after exiting the elevator she ran out the door and down the street until she reached the doors to the office. taking a quick pause to catch her breath, she opens the door and walks inside. she speed walks to the office elevator and punches in the custom floor before practically collapsing on the wall of the elevator.

when the elevator door opens again, eunchae runs into the domestic unit receptionist, jeong yunho.

"hello yunho sunbaenim." she quickly straitens her back before bowing.

"did you get called in?" he asks as he steps inside the elevator.

"yeah." eunchae nods to him. "i'll see you later sunbaenim." she runs off down the hallway, leaving an amused yunho behind.

"i'm here!" eunchae declares as she slides in through their office door.

"hey eunchae." chaewon smiles at her from her seat behind her desk.

"where's everyone else?" eunchae stammers out as she catches her breath.

"they're getting their gear on. i was waiting for you so we could go together, come on." chaewon stands up and motions for the younger to follow.

eunchae follows chaewon into the equipment room, where the other team members were waiting. all five girls quickly slipped into their protective gear and grabbed their weapons before heading out to the parking garage. they jump into the nis van waiting for them and speed off to the destination of the call. which eunchae discovers to be a fifteen storey office building in the middle of seoul.

"be careful in there, okay?" chaewon looks back to the girls as she taps her fingers against the steering wheel. "i'll be here to watch the door, i'm trusting sakura with leading you guys well, so listen to her closely. okay?"

"yeah, yeah. we get it unnie, you're nervous. you don't have to worry, we'll listen to kkura unnie well." yunjin chuckles.

"i'm only staying back because we need someone outside." chaewon grips the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white, as she pulls up in front of the office building.

"is everyone ready?" sakura checks the younger girls' gear before checking her own as well.

"i'm serious, be careful, okay? promise me." chaewon fully turns towards the girls, her eyebrows creased in worry.

"we promise." eunchae and kazuha reassure the elder.

"alright, everyone good to go?" sakura unlocks her door, getting ready to step outside with the rest of the team. "i'll give you guys a proper rundown on the situation when we go in."