Soobin, standing near the map, pointed to various locations as he spoke. "From the workers we caught and questioned, none of them have actually met the boss of this operation." He tapped his finger on a point marked along the coast. "All they know is that their orders were to board the ships and head to the Suto Coast."
"The Suto Coast?" Yujin crossed her arms, frowning. "That's practically the edge of the kingdom's authority. It's remote. If they've been funneling goods there, no one would be able to regulate it."
Yeonjun leaned forward, "but it makes sense then. No one patrols out that far. If they're using it as a drop-off point, the rest of the operation could easily slip through unnoticed."
"So they just pass off the goods at Suto Coast? And then what? Do we know who's handling the rest?" Kai raised a question.
Soobin shook his head, he was frowning. "That's the problem. The workers we caught have no idea who the next link in the chain is. They were just told to sail to Suto Coast and offload their cargo there. Another group of workers is supposed to meet them and take over the operation from that point on."
Chaewon sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "So it's a dead end for us if we only stick to the workers. They're just pawns, not even knowing who they're working for."
"Then we need to go deeper. If Suto Coast is where the goods change hands, we have to follow that trail. Whoever is managing things from that point must be closer to the boss." Y/n spoke up. And everyone seemed to agree. The group nodded in agreement.
Soobin marked the Suto Coast on the map with more intensity. "We need to intercept the next shipment there. It's the only lead we have right now."
"How do we want to handle this?" Yeonjun glanced at Soobin.
The atmosphere grew more intense. Because now they're talking about something bigger than just infiltration. Y/n, leaning forward with her hands clasped together, spoke, "I'm not trying to pressure us, but we don't have much time. The workers at Suto Coast will start getting suspicious once they realize these ships we're holding aren't coming. If we want to track the next lead, we have to move quickly."
Soobin nodded in agreement. "Right. We have no choice, but to act, using what we have."
Somehow Soobin ended her sentence like there's a continuance. The others eagerly wait for the next words, believing any ideas Soobin would recommend.
"How about the workers we caught? We can use them to our advantage. The punishment for being involved in the black-market chain is death obviously, but we can guarantee them safety if they help us with the operation."
Chaewon raised an eyebrow, confirming what she just heard, "You're suggesting we disguise ourselves as the workers and head to Suto Coast with the captured crew?"
"Precisely. I would say it's a more dangerous mission than before, but it's the only our way in. If we go directly by ourselves to the Suto Coast, we have no choice but to prepare for the attack. And even after attacking the workers, there's no guarantee they will tell us their base." Soobin confirmed.
He pulled up another map, this one detailing the ship routes leading to Suto Coast. "The workers we caught can lead us right to the logistics team. We board one of the intercepted ships, posing as the replacements, and follow the usual route. That way, we blend in with the system without raising alarms."
"We stay quiet, follow their process, and once we're close enough, we can tail the logistics team to find their base of operations." Yujin basically summarized the whole thing discussed just now.
Kai was lost in his thought, trying to weigh the pros and cons of this idea. "Disguising as low-level workers to infiltrate the operation. Not a bad plan."
Yeonjun nodded, "It gives us access without causing a scene. We'll be able to see how the logistics run firsthand."
"But we have to be careful." Y/n looked around the room, "Once we're in, any slip-up could blow our cover. If they get suspicious, we'll be dealing with more than just logistics workers. We need to observe, track, and gather intel quietly."
Chaewon nodded thoughtfully, adding, "Our priority will be locating their base and identifying who's running this operation. Once we know that, we can move in for a bigger strike."
"Exactly. It's risky, but it's our best shot at finding their hub and, hopefully, their boss." Soobin sighed in defeat, couldn't think of any better ideas.
Kai cracked his knuckles, "Sounds like a plan. When do we leave?"
Soobin brought up a rough timeline on his device. "We need to move as soon as possible. I'll arrange for a meeting with all the workers we caught and make them work with us no matter what. We will use one of the seized ships to be prepared with enough crew to make it seem legitimate."
Soobin paused for a while, "As for the departure... I think we can go approximately within a week, so everything can be prepared according to our plan."
-
The meeting was over, and Y/n had no plan to stay longer than she needed. So, off to home then.
As Y/n walked down the dimly lit castle hallway, she spotted Yujin approaching, her usual light-hearted demeanor in place.
"Hey," Yujin called out with a smile, walking up to Y/n. "You heading home?"
Y/n nodded. "Yeah, just about to leave."
"What do you say we swing by the library for a bit?"
Y/n thought for a moment before agreeing. "Sure, sounds good."
They made their way to the castle library, a grand room lined with towering bookshelves, but Yujin led her to a quiet, tucked-away cornerâone where no one ever really visited. It was her usual spot, where they could talk freely.
Yujin leaned back in her chair, looking at Y/n thoughtfully. After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke, "So... how are you blending in with the Elites? Any difficulties?"
Y/n smiled lightly, shaking her head. "Honestly, not really. The group feels familiar, like my family back home. You, for example, remind me of Minji. And then Chaewon, she's basically Hanni. Kai has a lot of similarities with Haerin, and Yeonjun reminds me of Dani. And of course, Soobin's like Hyein."
Yujin tilted her head, "Minji, Hanni, Haerin... those are your housemates, right? And Dani and Hyein too?"
"Yeah, I've told you about them. It's strange how similar you all are in personality to the people I live with. It makes working together so much easier." Y/n nodded.
After hearing Y/n's comparison of the Elites to her housemates, Yujin nodded thoughtfully.
"Then, have you talked to Minji, Hanni, or Haerin yet? Apologized, I mean?"
Y/n's expression stiffened. She wasn't surprised by the question, but it still stung. She lowered her gaze and sighed. "No. Not yet."
Yujin sighed, "I don't know exactly what happened between you guys, but... it was pretty obvious during the infiltration that something was off. The tension? It felt real."
Y/n remained quiet for a moment, unsure how to even begin. The confrontation with Minji, Hanni, and Haerin before the mission still weighed heavily on her, especially how things had ended between them, tense and unresolved.
"It's... complicated," Y/n finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, trying to find the right words. "We had an argument before the mission. About them being involved. I didn't think it was right, I didn't want them to get hurt... but it turned into something bigger."
Yujin had yet to say something, she wanted to hear the whole story first. She just nodded, telling Y/n to continue with her story.
Y/n sighed again, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. Maybe. I just... I didn't mean to push them away. I thought I was protecting them, but I guess I went about it the wrong way."
"You're not planning on avoiding it forever, are you?"
"Of course not! It's just that..."
The moment of silence.
The library was quiet, the soft rustling of pages from distant tables providing a gentle backdrop as they sat together in a corner no one else visited. Y/n stared at the grain of the wooden table between them, her fingers tracing absent patterns on its surface. Finally, she broke the silence.
"I didn't want them to get involved," Y/n started, her voice barely above a whisper, "because I thought... it would be better if I was the only one protecting them. Even if... it cost me my life."
She paused, feeling the weight of those words hang in the air. Yujin didn't interrupt, giving her space to continue.
"I don't know how to explain it, but I've always felt like my life wasn't worth as much as theirs. They have so much ahead of them, so much to offer. But me..." Y/n swallowed hard. "If something were to happen, I'd rather it happen to me than to them."
"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but with everything that's happened... my past... I just can't help but feel like I don't deserve their kindness. I don't deserve their friendship. But they... they're so important to me. I'd do anything to protect them, even if it means losing myself in the process." Y/n even chuckled a bit after saying it. She knew how ridiculous that might sound.
"Y/n," Yujin began, her voice gentle but firm. "It's how you feel, and feelings aren't always rational, but they're real. So, I won't say that what you feel is ridiculous."
"But here's the thing..."
Y/n looked up at Yujin, waiting for the continuance.
"Maybe because of your broken past," Yujin continued, "you think you don't deserve the kindness they give you. Hell, you must be wondering what you've done in order to deserve that, right? You've been through things that made you feel like your life isn't as valuable as theirs, and I get that. But Y/n... the way you see yourself doesn't change how they see you."
Y/n felt her chest tighten at Yujin's words, a raw vulnerability she hadn't allowed herself to feel before rising to the surface. Just yesterday she spent time with Dani and Hyein, saying how Dani was always important for them. But she's right, Dani is important. Herself? She doesn't know.
"They care about you, Y/n," Yujin said, her voice a gentle reminder, like a soothing balm to the wound Y/n didn't realize had been festering. "You're not just someone to protect them or shield them from danger. You're their friend. Their family. And to them, your life is just as precious as you think theirs is."
Y/n felt her throat close up, emotions rising too fast for her to keep down. She looked away, blinking back the sudden sting in her eyes.
Yujin wasn't done yet. "If you keep throwing yourself into danger like this, thinking it's better for you to get hurt than them... it's going to tear them apart in ways you can't imagine. They don't want to lose you, Y/n. They need you just as much as you need them."
The words reminded her to when the first time Y/n was kneeling in front of them, asking what she should do for all the kindness she'd been given. And their response was just telling Y/n to be herself. Since then, Y/n had always seen herself as the protector, the one who had to shield them from the darkness, even if it meant sacrificing her own safety. But now, hearing it from Yujin, she realized how much her actions could hurt them in return.
"I... I never thought of it like that," Y/n whispered, "I just... I didn't want them to be in danger. I thought if I could bear it all... maybe they wouldn't have to."
"And that's brave," Yujin acknowledged softly, her eyes full of understanding. "But it's also unfair... to you and them. They want to stand beside you, not behind you. They want to protect you too."
Y/n's heart clenched at the thought. They had always been there for her, even when she didn't think she deserved it. She had always tried to be the strong one, to keep them safe, but now she realized how much she had underestimated their care for her.
Yujin smiled softly, reaching across the table to place a comforting hand on Y/n's arm. "You're worth more than you give yourself credit for. Your life is just as important, just as valuable. Don't ever think otherwise."
"Thanks, Yujin," Y/n said, "I... I really needed to hear that."
"You'd make such an understanding partner," Y/n continued, her voice teasing but sincere. "Have you ever had one?"
Yujin's expression shifted, a small, wistful smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She paused for a moment before answering, her gaze drifting away as if recalling memories that held both warmth and pain.
"I used to have a partner," Yujin admitted, "We were... close, very close. We bickered about the smallest things sometimes. Likeâ" Yujin chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the memory, "âwhen we'd cook noodles together, she'd always break them in half before putting them in the pot."
Y/n raised an eyebrow, "Break the noodles? That's a crime."
Yujin laughed, a hearty laugh that filled the quiet corner of the library. "I know, right? I always liked them long and slurpy, but she would break them so they were easier to eat. We argued about it every single time."
Y/n joined in on the laughter.
"But no matter how many silly arguments we had, I loved her more than anything in this world," Yujin added, her voice softening with emotion. The fondness in her eyes was unmistakable, like she was replaying a cherished memory in her mind. "She had this way of making everything feel... brighter."
Y/n's teasing grin faded, "So, what happened? Why are you two... not together anymore?"
Yujin's smile faltered slightly, and she turned her gaze back to Y/n, the playful light in her eyes dimming.
"Well, that's a secret,"