Monsters of the Wilds

Chapter 1

*Three Years Later*

Song 'Luka' Jae Gu puttered around the kitchen as he prepared for his first day of High School. In the background, he could hear the second hand T.V that he had managed to save from the curb a year or two ago blaring as his brother and sister watched with awestruck eyes at whatever it was that had managed to keep them out from underfoot for long enough for him to finish their eggs.

"Breakfast is ready," he called to the two, and obediently the two managed to make it to the table, though there eyes remained locked on the television even as they ate.

"Luka-Oppa," Jae Som, his little sister whined as she obediently ate. "I'm still sleepy…"

"Now, now," Jae Gu scolded her gently as he prepared their backpacks. They had finally reached the age where they would attend kindergarten, and Jae Gu couldn't help but feel relief at that. He had been able to keep them busy during the day most of the time, but there had been occasions where there just hadn't been money for it, and it had been a nightmare every time he had to leave the two alone for a whole day. It had made studying nearly impossible with the constant worry that maybe this time the two would get into something and hurt themselves, and he wouldn't be able to help them in time. "It's my first day of school too. If we don't hurry we'll all be late."

"Oppa," Jae Hyung at least seemed happy to put down the eggs as quickly as possible. Jae Gu worried that they might be closing in on a growth spurt, and god knows where he'd find the money in his budget for that. "I miss the unnis," he declared. "When are they coming back?"

"They'll be back when they can," Jae Gu sighed, sounding like he was repeating something for the hundredth time and fully expected to have to say it for the hundred and first in a bit. "Now, hurry up and get your clothes on. It's almost time to go."

When Jae Hyung didn't respond fast enough, Jae Gu reached over and switched off the television, turning some show about fighting off much to his brother's protest.

Honestly, Jae Gu could sympathize with his brother missing their surrogate older sisters. It had been a few weeks since last he had seen them, and he was getting kind of lonely without them. Not to mention that for all the madness inherent at the thought, the five women that were so familiar in his house that his siblings didn't even realize they weren't actually their sisters made excellent baby sitters.

Considering just who they were, that sometimes made Jae Gu question just how good a guardian he really was, letting girls like that near his family.

Still, it would have been hypocritical in the extreme to deny them, considering his relationship with them.

If anyone had told him three years ago just what the future would hold, he would have laughed in their faces before chalking it up as yet another sign of the ever present hostility of the world.

Now though, now he couldn't really imagine any other type of life. Funny how things worked out like that.

Still, even if life was a battle, at least it didn't mean he had to be without allies in the war. Sometimes that alone was enough to help him keep going.

That and his siblings. Always his siblings.

For Jae Hyung and for Jae Som, Jae Gu would do anything.

Still, there were times when despite his devotion to his siblings, he really wished he could just wallop them one on the back of their heads.

"Bye-bye, Luka-oppa!" the two twins called out cheerfully, waving as they boarded the bus that would take them to kindergarten.

Like whenever they used that ridiculous nickname!

"It's not Luka, its Jae Gu!" he shouted after the two, and they giggled as they escaped their brother's wrath by boarding the bus. Still, even when though they did it just because they knew that it would get a reaction, he made sure to dutifully wave at them, the two making faces at him from the window as they drove off to their first day of classes.

Besides that, even if he had managed to get the two of them off, he would still have to hurry if he was going to make it to his own classes on time. Jae Gu had only had enough time to stop by the convenience store on his way to his own first day. He didn't have any money, not for something as frivolous as breakfast, but he was familiar with the owner of this particular store. Sometimes he did some shifts there, whenever they needed some serious overtime. The owner, a kind middle aged lady who 'tut'ed frequently and scowled harshly after she had found out his circumstances would sometimes have some left overs that she could spare. He didn't have time to listen to her scowling mutters about good for nothing women who abandoned their children, though to hear about someone on his side always made the day a little easier.

He had been lucky today, and he had been gifted a bounty. It said something about his day to day life that he would call a pouch of coffee a day from expiration and a few pieces of stale toast a bounty, but he had long since abandoned excess pride. He would take what he could get, and he would smile to receive it.

Like his new school, for instance.

Jae Gu wasn't naïve. He had lived a hard life, and had enough encounters with offers that were too good to be true to know that those kind of offers generally weren't true. When he had been approached by someone claiming to be a teacher, and who had offered him a full scholarship to their school, providing he kept his attendance up, Jae Gu had jumped for the chance to attend. They had even offered him a free uniform, which he wasn't ashamed to admit he had nearly wept over. School clothes were expensive, that much was for certain.

Still, even if he was grateful, Jae Gu couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop. There had to be a reason the other school seemed so desperate for him to attend.

Still, it couldn't be worse than that all girl delinquent school he had grown so used to. Hellgondo Middle would be hard to top, all things considered. Whatever this Wilds High had to offer, it was co-ed at least.

Jae Gu cleared the alley he had been using as a shortcut, his pouch of coffee dangling from his mouth and the last bits of toast in hand. The road he had emerged on was wide and spacious and rather busy. There were a number of girls in blazers and pink skirts, and he recognized them as probably being members of his new high school by the color of their skirts. It was the same striped pattern and shade as his rather embarrassing tie, after all.

Of course, as he emerged, he had only a moment to take in the scenery before he caught sight of the bike barreling towards him.

He had only a moment to take in the scene, less than that really. There was a long haired blonde nearby him, as well as a few other students nearby, though she was the closest. Coming up from his left another girl in a track suit with wide eyes was staring at him, the front wheel of her bike raised as she furiously pedaled, maybe late for something considering the speed she was moving at.

Then there was no more time for Jae Gu to look. Instead, he reacted.

The toast in his hand was sacrificed, dropped in an instant as his left hand shot out, intercepting the frame of the bike that was about to run him down. He grunted, and had to brace himself, but he managed to hold firm as he slammed the front wheel, which had been raised for some reason, down hard enough so that the pop of the tire bursting was audible.

It would have been enough to stop the bike, but unfortunately physics came into play. Even if he had blocked the hit, there was still a lot of momentum at play, and in response to having no way to relieve that momentum, the back of the bike instead launched up.

The bike, and the person riding it.

"Watch ou-!" was as far as the now panicking biker could get before she was launched from her seat, the frame following after her.

"Cr-" was as far as Jae Gu got before the now flying former rider slammed into him, and momentum continued its twisted course as it launched the two of them sideways, catching the blonde with long hair as the final victim of its evil game. She looked surprised, and was raising her hands to defend herself but she just didn't have time to react as the two of them slammed into her, and they all went down together. The coffee Jae Gu had been holding in his teeth was lost, and also went flying, though unfortunately for the blonde she seemed destined to receive the worst of it.

"Ow, ow, ow," the track suited girl muttered, and Jae Gu grunted as she put an elbow in his side as she tried to struggle free of the mess the three of them had become. The blonde was noticeably silent, though Jae Gu felt it as she reached out, latching on to his arm as she too tried to pull free. He winced slightly. Whoever she was, she had a strong grip, that much was for sure.

"My breakfast," Jae Gu moaned, though he too was having trouble freeing himself from the pile. Mostly because he was busy staring at where the only bit of food he would get until he had finished school, work, and made it home.

His stomach rumbled, and he closed his eyes already knowing it was going to be a long day.

"Oof," the track suit girl finally managed to get free, and she winced as she rubbed her shoulder. "Well, that didn't go on like I planned," she muttered, before taking in the fact that the Jae Gu and the blonde were still on the ground. "Crap!" she yelped, and reached down, helping Jae Gu to pull free. At least, that's what he thought anyway, but instead of helping him up the moment he was separate from the blonde she just shoved him, knocking him back down and away without hesitating. "Queen!"

"Ow!" Jae Gu grunted, his eyes narrowing as he glared as the two women righted themselves. The blonde was still quiet, and seemed to be taking stock of herself. She was dripping coffee from her chin, and her blouse was stained with it as well. The track suited girl seemed sheepish, rubbing the back of her head ruefully. Jae Gu got the impression that he had already been dismissed, and his eyes narrowed while his jaw clenched. Without another word to the two, he got up, brushing himself as he did so. He eyed the toast and the steadily draining pouch of coffee carefully, but they were both lost causes.

'Well,' he groaned bitterly in his head. 'So much for eating for the day. It's not like I need food or I'll die or anything.'

Bemoaning his bad luck, Jae Gu turned to continue to school, giving the two girls the same regard they had given him, but he only made it a step before a new voice spoke up.

"Stockings, one hundred and thirty," the blonde's voice was cool, quiet, and had a tone that mad Jae Gu certain that she was used to being paid attention to. He gave her a blank look, not understanding what she was saying. "Shoes, one hundred and fifty." She had her head bowed, her bangs covering most of her face. "Replace them."

Jae Gu's eyes narrowed, and he felt his teeth grind against each other. What the hell was she saying? That her shoes and stockings were somehow more important than what would pretty much amount to half of what he would be able to eat for the entire day? That this mess was somehow his fault, and that he now had to pay her for being an innocent bystander?

And were her shoes and stockings really that cheap? The toast and coffee would have probably come out to about twenty two hundred won if he had bought them fresh. Where did this girl shop, to get those kinds of prices? With a clothes budget like that he could get new outfits for him and his siblings!

Jae Gu was normally a pretty patient young man. Once, when he had first been learning how to live on his own as the caretaker for two, he would have just paid the two hundred and eighty won this stranger was demanding. However, he had come a long way to knowing the true value of every won, and he had become a quite bit less tolerant for simply accepting unfair situations.

So he reached into his pocket, and rummaged around. With a closed fist he held his hand out to the demanding blonde, who put her own hand out expectantly. Still, she seemed surprised when the only thing he gave her was eighty won.

"My breakfast would have cost maybe two hundred," he told her. The toast was stale, after all, and the coffee nearing the expiration date. He mentally did the calculations and decided that two hundred seemed fair for them. "I'll pay the difference."

In a much worse mood that before, he turned and sprinted to make it to his first day of school, not particularly caring how the two girls reacted.

He could have sworn that the girl in the track suit was snorting for some reason.

*Scene Break*

It didn't take long before Jae Gu discovered just what the other shoe was, and once he did figure it out he realized that he didn't have to wait for it to drop.

It was already crushing him by this point.

"As you can see," the flamboyant man at the front of the room declared, posing grandly as he did so. "You'll have the chance to see the special treatment our Wilds has to offer! You should count yourself as lucky! Our school has officially changed to co-ed!"

"No," Jae Gu muttered, but softly enough that the teacher wouldn't hear him. "I can't see that at all."

As though to drive home the situation one last time, the young man cautiously took a look around him. The classroom was fairly normal, though in much better condition to the classroom from his middle school. The thing which set it apart from his last co-ed school was the male to female ratio. It was thirty to one in a classroom of thirty one students.

'Am I really the only boy here?' he moaned in his head, trying not to fidget. It was hard, seeing as roughly half the class seemed to think that the teacher's speech was just background noise to the spectacle of staring directly at him. Some of the girls sitting in front of him were actually turned around in their chairs, boldly looking at him without paying the teacher any heed whatsoever.

If he wasn't used to being the center of nearly gratuitous amounts of female attention, he might have been even more uncomfortable.

Still, he couldn't be the only guy in the school, right? Surely there must be another boy somewhere in here. Maybe they just had trouble getting the news out, and they had to spread the other males throughout the other first year classes…

The first class was over shortly, mostly an introduction before the school was expected to gather for the opening ceremony. As Jae Gu walked the halls, he felt the tension from earlier growing slowly as he did so. No matter where he looked, he couldn't find any of the other hypothetical examples of his gender anywhere.

As though he wasn't the only one wondering, he started to hear more and more whispers, many of them growing louder as time went on.

"Is that him?"

"That's the boy, right? The one they were talking about?"

"It's true then? We're really a co-ed school? And he's really the only boy that joined?"

"It's strange seeing a boy in this school!"

Jae Gu grit his teeth, and started to walk a little quicker. He had never gotten used to being a spectacle, no matter how much it seemed to come up, and he quickly found himself avoiding large spaces where the other students were gathering.

It was as he was wandering the school that he had a chance to really appreciate the kind of place he had ended up.

The trophy cases were a bit of a giveaway. Especially considering just how many of them there were.

"First place, junior Olympics, first place international competition, first place national tournament…" Jae Gu muttered, taking in the sheer number of awards proudly displayed, each in their places. It wasn't just their number, but the fact that the vast majority of them were first place as well. And that just about all of them had something to do with fighting. Jae Gu bemoaned to himself, "What have I gotten myself into?"

It was while he was crossing hallways, still taking in the rewards, that he froze. A shiver went down his spine, something familiar, something unsettling.

"Alma?" he asked the empty hallway, unable to interpret this sudden instinctive warning as anything other than one of his… companions as he steadfastly thought of her, when she was in a playful mood. But as he looked around, he wasn't able to locate his companion at all.

Instead, when he looked out the window, what he saw instead was a whole lot of students, all holding cell phones, and all looking his way with expressions that reminded him of Alma in the most disturbing of ways. Jae Gu had a moment where he wished that he had a cell phone too, because he had the sinking feeling that something very important had just been communicated to the rest of his fellow students and if he had received the same information he might have a better idea of what was going on.

But he couldn't even afford a normal phone for his home, much less a cell phone.

Jae Gu had always had a strange sort of hate/love relation with the other gender. He didn't really much care for women. One of his councilors in middle school had put forth the motion that he was a borderline misogynist, but that his dislike wasn't quite deep seated enough for him to qualify. The thing was, Jae Gu had a healthy respect for how strong a woman could be as well. He disliked being around too many of them, but he had several notable exceptions to that distaste. He even spent a lot of time around a large number of women, and could interact with them well enough to get by. He didn't much like it, but he could manage.

However, experience with being around large numbers of women had also left him able to interpret the mood rather well, and when he started to note the rather disturbing smiles that many of his fellow classmates were giving him he tensed like a gazelle on the savanna that had just caught sight of the lionesses that were stalking it.

And when his classmates began to spring at him, many of them leaping over obstacles with disturbing ease, Jae Gu felt that analogy fit a little too well. So, like a gazelle, he decided that running was a pretty good idea at this point.

He was just about to take off, wishing he had had a chance to familiarize himself with the layout of the school so he knew where he was running to, when a pair of legs descended from the second floor right in front of the window he was standing by.

For one crazed moment, Jae Gu thought it actually was Alma. It was just the kind of crazy stunt his companion liked to pull. But that moment left as gravity and physics caused the newcomers skirt to flip up, revealing a flash of cute but innocent striped pale blue panties.

'It couldn't be Alma,' Jae Gu thought distantly. 'Whoever this is, they're wearing underwear.'

Alma wouldn't be caught dead in that kind of thing.

Still, as this newcomer whirled, lashing out with an elbow to shatter the window between the two of them without a moment's hesitation, Jae Gu felt that whoever this crazy girl was she'd get along great with Alma. They were obviously both insane.

Whoever she was, she was short, that much Jae Gu could make out immediately. She was wearing her uniform sweater over her blouse, but the edges of her blouse peaked out from beneath it. Her hair was cut short, and was died a brunette so pale it was almost blonde. Strangely enough, two things about her really stood out. The first was the set of tiger ear ornaments she had pinned to her hair.

The second was that she really did have adorable lips.

Any further contemplation was lost as the newcomer's arm flashed out, latching on to his tie with disturbing quickness.

"Freshman Song Jae Gu! You're mine now!" she declared brightly, and then she was pulling, dragging him forward as those cute lips came directly at his own.

'Definitily like Alma,' Jae Gu decided in a pseudo panic as he quickly put his hand between their mouths. He could feel as whoever this strange girl was started to move those lips against his hand as though she had expected to find lips, and then he could tell when she tensed, stiffening in surprise at finding her ploy blocked.

"Y-you! H-how dare you!" the girl scowled, glaring at him as though preventing strangers from assaulting him was in some way a reprehensible action.

"What's going on?" Jae Gu asked, hoping that maybe someone would explain just what was happening.

"Damnit!" the girl shouted, ignoring his question completely. "How embarrassing…!"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as the two of them moved. The girl had reached out with her other hand, to try and grab his coat, and judging from the way she was twisting she was planning on trying to throw him.

Jae Gu felt that he had put up with the crazy about enough at this point. One of his hands lashed out to grab the one on his tie, holding it steady gently but firmly, and the other intercepted the one going for his coat to stop it before it could get a grasp on him. She was pulling on him, but he got his knee up to brace on the wall between the two of them and was able to push off it to counter her own force.

The girl froze, staring at him in surprise as he countered her, blinking wide eyes in shock.

"No, seriously," Jae Gu asked again, a little apologetically but firmly none the less. "What is going on?"

A tableau formed around the two, as many of the other students who had been charging seemed as surprised as the tiger eared girl. Jae Gu tried not to let how nervous he was at this point show.

When dealing with women, you could never let them see you sweat. They were dangerous animals, females, and they could smell fear. Best way to deal with predators like that was to not act like prey, otherwise they would devour you without a second's hesitation. Jae Gu firmly believed that, so even if he had no idea what was going on, even if he was doing his best to try and figure out how he was going to escape, he still stood firm.

Finally, the newcomer's eyes narrowed. "Song, or whatever," she declared, glaring at him. Her own hands twisted until they had latched onto his just as strongly as his had hers. "I will have you conquered!"

She pulled hard, and even though he had braced himself he still swayed. She didn't seem to mind, and instead was willing to just move closer to him instead, lips pursed as she went for his for the second try. Jae Gu was leaning back, trying to escape, when a new voice interrupted the strange confrontation, causing the short girl to freeze, then scowl.

"Choi Dal Dal. Stop." Jae Gu looked over to see who was coming to his rescue and scowled. It was her, the girl in the track suit who had sent him flying earlier and cost him his breakfast. Whoever she was, the short girl, Dal Dal, he supposed seeing as that was what the track suit had called her, glowered at the interruption. "I'm going to need to take that guy."

"Lee Moon Young!" Dal Dal scowled. "What do you want? I was here first! You were late, so what do you think you're doing?"

"Queen said to bring him," the also newly identified Moon Young shrugged, looking relaxed as she gave Jae Gu a once over. Her eyes raised slightly, as she seemed to recognize him from this morning. Jae Gu scowled, and she seemed amused by it. She turned back to address Dal Dal. "If you wanna question her, be my guest."

"Queen of what?" Jae Gu muttered, wondering just what they were talking about. Still, he felt his tension growing. He had dealt with Queens before, after all, and most of the time they were nothing but trouble in his opinion.

"The Queen," Dal Dal muttered, sounding annoyed. Jae Gu narrowed his eyes as no one bothered to answer his question. Moon Young also ignored him.

"Follow me, Song Jae Gu, or whatever your name is," Moon Young told him, already turning to walk away, as though his obedience was unavoidable. "Try to run and you're dead."

"Lee Moon Young," Dal Dal glowered at the taller girl. "Watch yourself! Being all cocky, just 'cause you're the Queen's friend! You better hope we don't meet in the Wild's League!"

"Pft," the track suited girl just snorted dismissively. "What could a little pinky like you do?"

"What did you say?" Dal Dal shrieked. "You're just the Queen's lapdog! If you wanna die right here…!"

Jae Gu's eyes narrowed more at what happened next. Moon Young pivoted, digging her feet in as she moved, and used the turn itself to launch herself at the other girl. Her punch was fast, and her lunge closed the distance between the two of them so quick the other girl didn't seem to have time to react. Dal Dal seemed froze as the punch stopped an inch from her nose.

"If we meet at the Wild's League, you'll be the one who dies," Moon Young declared softly. Then, as though she hadn't just threatened to kill a fellow classmate, she turned, put her hands back in her pocket, and started to walk away. "Come on then, Song Jae Gu."

Jae Gu hesitated for a moment, weighing the option of whether or not he should put up some more resistance. On one hand, he didn't much care for being so rudely manhandled, and given perfunctory orders from people who had charged him down on a bike earlier. A part of him wanted to just dig in his feet and not move until someone, anyone really, explained just what the hell was going on.

However, another part of him couldn't help but sigh at how familiar this all felt. He was pretty used to some schools having… odd customs was the most diplomatic way he could phrase it in his head. Whatever was going on here had all the feel of one such custom.

With a long suffering sigh, he decided to just go along with it for the moment.

Still, one thing in particular still stuck out in his mind…

"Queen of what?" he repeated to himself as he followed his Sunbae.

*Scene Break*

"Song Jae Gu," Moon Young declared, standing in a slouch as she finished leading Jae Gu to their destination. "You're a freshmen, and we're your upper classmen. Stand at attention!"

Jae Gu stood still, and straightened up to his full height. But he didn't do so because of the orders of Moon Young. He did so, instead, because of whom this Queen had turned out to be.

It was the girl from this morning, the blonde that had extorted change from him. She had apparently changed her clothes at some point, because he couldn't make out any stains from the coffee, but he only gave that a passing look.

What had instead caused him to tense were the girl's eyes.

"You remember from earlier?" Moon Young didn't seem to be the most capable when it came to reading the mood, because she continued to talk in a friendly tone. "Geez, no need to be so frightened. But yeah, this is the Queen in the flesh! Ha, ha!" Moon Young looked back and forth between Jae Gu and the Queen appearing like she was expecting some kind of reaction. When none came she chuckled. "Ha! He's totally frozen up!" Still no response. She started to sound confused. "Hey, seriously, this is the Queen."

Still, the two of them made no move. Moon Young started to get concerned, alternating between looking at the two.

"Hey," she addressed Jae Gu directly. "That's the real 4D Queen in front of you. What's with this reaction?"

Jae Gu didn't bother to respond, but he already knew the reason for his reaction. This person in front of him, this girl…

Her eyes were familiar to him.

They looked up at him where he stood, cold, hard, and indifferent. They were the eyes of someone who had no interest in you, had no belief that you had any intrinsic worth, and that dismissed you completely.

He was knew eyes like that.

"No way!" Moon Young gasped, finally seeming to realize something. "You mean there's a man in the country who doesn't know who the Queen is!" She started to laugh, falling over on to one of the chairs as she gave off good natured guffaws. "Man!" she got out between chuckles. "This is great! What a shock!"

Even as she trailed off, the Queen finally spoke up. Even her tone was familiar to Jae Gu. It was the same quiet air of command that seemed to indicate that not only did she expect everyone around her to obey, but that she would be upset if anyone didn't.

"What is this?" she asked softly, putting the eighty won she had gotten from him earlier on the table in front of her. She moved with grace and elegance, a precision that Jae Gu took note of. "Did you do this without knowing what I meant, or did you know and just treat me like a beggar?"

Jae Gu would have responded to her, but he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. He supposed that meant he was in the first of the two options that she had provided, but she didn't really give him much time to explain. Instead, she just continued, as though even giving him the chance to speak was beneath her.

"Fine. Whether you knew or not…" she swept the eighty won from the table, sending them cluttering to the floor. Jae Gu watched the display, and his eyes narrowed. It wasn't much money, but for someone like him, who needed every last won, it was a upsetting sight. The Queen put her elbow on the table and used her hand to support her chin. "Get on your knees, and pick them up. I'll forgive you only then."

"Oh!" Moon Young whistled, watching the interplay like it was just a normal scene. "How commanding!"

"Well?" the Queen said, giving him the same cold look. "Pick them up."

As she looked up at him, meeting his eyes, Jae Gu couldn't help himself. Her tone, her actions, her eyes…

They reminded him…

"Monster," he said to her softly.

They reminded him of Alice of all people.

The Queen flinched back as though his words were a physical blow, eyes widening as she looked at him. She stared at Jae Gu, and he wondered just what sort of expression he was making as he looked back. Maybe she saw something in him, the same way he saw something in her. Whatever it was she saw, it seemed to affect her.

Without a word, she stood from her seat, and slapped him. He didn't dodge, simply continuing to stare at the familiar stranger before him.

"Hey!" Moon Young gasped, jumping forward to put herself between Jae Gu and the Queen. She looked shocked, and was giving the Queen a nervous look, as though afraid that she was going to continue her assault. "You just can't hit people out of nowhere!"

Even as she moved, the two continued to lock eyes. Finally, the Queen scowled and reached into her purse.

"For medical treatment," she declared, turning to leave as she pulled out a bank note, tossing it carelessly to the floor. "Take it and piss off!"

She stormed out of the room, Moon Young following after. "Song Jae Gu, this didn't happen," the track suited girl declared, frantically chasing the departing blonde. "Get what I mean? And be more careful in the future."

Jae Gu stood quietly, a few coins and a piece of paper at his feet. Slowly, almost despite himself, he began to smile.

"Definitely a monster," he said softly. "But that's okay. I'm used to monsters."

*Scene Break*

It was one in the morning when Jae Gu made it home. The school had been short today, just the entrance ceremony, and afterwards he had managed to get a few extra hours at his job at the car wash. The extra money from those hours would be appreciated.

"I'm home," he called softly, eyes already darting to check the single bedroll he shared with his siblings. He smiled at the sight of the two sprawled out in their sleep clothes. Jae Som had curled herself up tightly in her blankets, clutching her stuffed bunny, but Jae Yung had sprawled himself about messily, snoring loudly for someone so small.

"Welcome home, Luka," Jae Gu stiffened at the voice, a shadow moving in the dark room indicating that there was someone else here.

Then he smiled.

"You're back then, Alice?" he asked, eyes getting used to the dark as he took in the sight of the girl he had met three years ago. Then he frowned. "And how long are you going to use that ridiculous nickname?"

Alice had grown since then. She was still taller than him, though not by much now. If he didn't end up starving it out of him he would probably have another growth spurt soon, and he was secretly looking forward to finally being taller than her. She still had that light grey, almost white hair, though he had no idea how she took care of it so well. He couldn't remember ever having seen even the roots of her hair un-dyed. She was wearing a school uniform, though one from a different school from where he had first met her. And a few years ago, she had added a tattoo, a tribal design that started on her cheek and made its way down her neck to disappear beneath her blouse.

They were all very normal changes in a girl who was steadily growing. The only thing that hadn't changed in the slightest was those long snake skin boots.

Jae Gu didn't know where she got them from, but no matter how much she grew she always seemed to have a new pair ready and waiting. She almost always seemed to have them on, the only times she ever really took them off was when she was bathing or sleeping.

"Of course, and always" Alice answered his two questions, and though her voice was soft, it was still commanding. "I saw to it that they were fed and went to bed on time." She snorted softly. "Hmph. What an inconsiderate man you are, to pass your siblings off on another. How shameful you must feel."

"Thank you," if anyone other than Alice had said something like that, Jae Gu would struck them on the spot. He took damn good care of his siblings, and wouldn't let anyone else say anything otherwise. However, from Alice it was fine.

That was just Alice's way.

Still, even if he was grateful, he still couldn't suppress a wince. One look was all he needed to know that the small kitchen area was a disaster zone. Part of it was probably his siblings, but most of it was likely Alice. That girl shouldn't be anywhere near a kitchen.

"As thanks, I will allow you to prepare me a meal," she declared idly. The clack of her boots indicated that she was tapping her toes, and he could make her out well enough to see her arms folded under her breasts.

"At this time of the night?" Jae Gu muttered, but moved obediently to the kitchen. When he opened the fridge, he found much what he suspected he would.

Alice hadn't even bothered to properly unpack the groceries she had brought over, and instead had just shoved the entire shopping bag into the fridge. Jae Gu bit his lips at the sight, but remained silent.

He had never asked her to, and he wasn't certain when it had begun, but at some point Alice had begun to show up at his house, always bearing groceries that she had bought. Whenever she did, she would demand that he prepare her a meal. She never asked for any other repayment. Though she always made it seem that she was just doing it because she enjoyed his cooking, Jae Gu had long ago realized that she always brought over more than she could eat, despite just how much she could put away.

There had been times when Alice's providence was the only thing he would be able to eat for a day or two at a time. If it hadn't been for her, he wasn't sure just how healthy his siblings would be at this point.

So despite it being so late in the night, he set about preparing something simple for the girl, who nodded regally at having her orders followed. He could set aside some of it for breakfast tomorrow, and sleep in a bit to make up for it.

"And how was your first day of school?" Alice prompted him, and behind him he could hear the steady clack-clack of her boots as she approached him.

"It was interesting," he finally managed, not sure how else to sum up the strangeness of the day. "My new Sunbae are… odd people."

"You were quite excited to receive the scholarship," Alice noted. "You were gushing like a child. Honestly, it was a depressing sight you made. Such a contemptible figure."

"It is a respectable school, and very close," Jae Gu pointed out, ignoring the scornful words with the ease of practice. "Even if it has a few rough edges, if I grit my teeth and bear it I might be able to get a better job if I get good grades."

"Hmph," Alice grunted again, annoyance in her tone. "Why you continue to pursue such a mundane thing is beyond me. All the while, you abandon your duties. Worthless."

"Oh yeah," Jae Gu nodded, remembering the reason Alice and the others had been gone. "How did the conquest go?"

"Another school has proven worthless," Alice declared proudly. "It fell to Granberia's strength alone."

"See," Jae Gu pointed out. "You didn't need me there."

Jae Gu didn't understand the reason that Alice felt the need to go out and beat up other delinquents at further and further away schools, but then again he wasn't a proper delinquent himself, no matter what she said. Alice took her delinquency quite seriously though, as did her four lieutenants.

Apparently making a name for yourself was important in delinquent circles. Alice and the other four even had impressive titles.

The Four Heavenly Knights. Alma Elma, the Queen of the Succubae. Tamamo, the Queen of the Foxes. Erubetie, the Queen of the Slimes. Granberia, the Queen of Dragons.

Each one was a strong fighter, the leader of their own gangs named after various mythological monsters or creatures, a position bearing the title Queen.

And the one who was stronger than even all of them, bore her own title: Alice, the Monster Lord, the undisputed leader of the delinquent scene in the city. There were even some members of the organized crime circles which walked carefully around those five. Some of them have even tried recruiting, despite the girls' age and gender.

"Are the others back yet?" he asked. It wasn't uncommon for all of the Heavenly Knights to show up for some reason or another. Actually, it was so common that Jae Hyung and Jae Som had started to think of them as sisters, calling them each 'unni'.

"Everyone but Erubetie," Alice informed him. "She left from there to take another one of her trips."

"Oh," Jae Gu winced, knowing just what Alice meant by that. "One of these days she's going to get arrested."

"Surely an uncommon fate for people like us," Alice seemed amused at least by his concern. She paused for a moment before she spoke up again, tone serious. "Luka. What happened at school today?"

"What do you…" he began, but trailed off as he felt firm fingers grasp his chin and turn his head. He winced, realizing what it was that had caught Alice's attention. It wasn't too noticeable, but the slap the Queen had given him had left a bit of a mark.

"Luka," Alice declared, her eyes narrowed as they bore into his. "You know this: the only one allowed to do you harm is me. So what is this?"

"Ah," he blushed slightly. There had been a time when he hadn't stood up for himself quite as well as he did these days. He hadn't known how to fight, had been too busy or too tired to really defend himself. In the early days of middle school, he had been a budding target for some of the bullies in his class.

Alice had seen to it that that didn't last.

"It's not that," he reassured the girl. "It's a bit complicated actually, but I had ended up spilling coffee on a girl, and she didn't like that too much."

Alice continued to study him for a moment, before she finally nodded and released his head, reassured that he hadn't been letting others walk over him like he used to.

Jae Gu turned to continue cooking, trying to keep it quiet as he did so. He didn't want to wake his siblings, but it didn't seem like he would. The two were sleeping the sleep that only the very young can manage, the kind where even if the house fell down around them they'd snore all the way through it.

He was thankful for that as he let loose a surprised gasp as two soft but strong arms wrapped around his stomach, and soft chest pressed against is back. "A-Alice!" he whispered, feeling himself start to blush at the intimate contact.

"Yes," she whispered back, though whether she was asking a question or simply reveling in the reaction she got from him. Probably the second one, Jae Gu decided nervously. "It's been a week," she whispered softly, and Jae Gu whimpered at where her hands were straying. "And I'm very hungry…"

"Alice," he blushed harder, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

Jae Gu was sure she was smiling that snake like grin of hers, her lips pressed to a thin line, and her eyes narrowed as she smirked. "Oh? Responding already? What an eager child. Still unable to control yourself?"

He blushed harder at her words as much at her touch, but firmed his resolve. "Alice," he said firmly. "Not in front of my siblings."

Slowly, the older girl relented, acknowledging one of the few limitations that Jae Gu ever insisted on between the two of them. "Well then," she hissed softly, "after I finish the meal you are preparing, we shall have to take this outside, won't we?"

"O-okay," Jae Gu cursed himself for stuttering. He and Alice had been together for a long time now, after all. He should be more in control than this!

However, considering how deviant his girlfriend was, maybe the fact that he could still blush actually counted as a win in some way?

Still, Jae Gu and Alice didn't get to bed until much later at night.

*Scene Break*

The solid 'thump', 'thump', 'thump' of kicks against a sand bag was soothing, in a repetitive way. Each impact was like the beating of a heart, a steady pulse that filled the gym. It was like there was some vast being present, inhabiting the space, company that silently watched without malice or judgment.

At least, that's what Yoon In Gyi, most commonly known as just 'Queen', thought. The gym had always been a place to escape to for her, a place without tutors, or relatives, or servants. Just her, and the beast her own kicks brought to life.

It wasn't uncommon for her to stay up late, to squeeze in her training the only time she could. Her days were usually full of tests and trials, of learning about the family business. Her days were always about appearing dignified, of being the good pseudo-heiress.

Her nights though, those were about training in her hobby, the one thing she saved solely for herself, her only indulgence.

Normally, for In Gyi, that was enough. She could lose herself in the flow, and not think about anything at all.

Tonight, though, even that brief peace was robbed from her.

'Monster.'

That one word, it just kept coming back to her. That boy, Song whatever or other, he hadn't hesitated to call her one. He didn't smile, or ask favors. He didn't even grovel and bow. There, to her face, without doubt, he had called her a monster.

She picked up the pace as she laid into the punching bag. In just her sports bra and a brief set of training shorts, her sweat was pooling around her. But she didn't care about that, or about the strain in her muscles.

'Monster.'

She wasn't though, not really. Wasn't she?

'Thump.'

It had been his fault, after all. He had been the one who had run into her…

'Thump.'

He had been the one that had insulted her!

'Thump.'

It was only right that she exact justice!

'Thump!'

He had no right to judge her! He had no right to call her something like that!

'Thump!'

But he had…

'Thump!'

So why had he looked at her like that? Why!

'Thump!'

Maybe if he had looked angry, or scornful, maybe she could forgive him for his words.

'Thump!'

But he hadn't. He hadn't looked angry at all.

'Thump!'

Why had he looked so… so…

'Thump!' 'Crash!'

Why had he looked at her so fondly, so proudly?

The final blow shook the bag hard, and the strain proved too much as a link at the top bent at the strain, sending the bag crashing to the ground.

The Queen In Gyi panted, the silence settling over the gym strangely lonely to her. Without the heartbeat of her vast friend, the gym just felt empty.

She turned to another bag. Slowly, the 'thump's returned, and she felt more at ease. She had already called for Moon Young, and her friend had sleepily agreed to come visit, despite the lateness of the hour.

Until then, she just kept hitting the bag, the memory of Jae Gu's vocal judgment and knowing look not receding until she heard Moon Young call out to her.