☾ ¦ Library

@♡ ¦ Song Jieun Jihyun looked high and low for the perfect book. Perhaps something she could read in her guest room. She often found herself staring at the wall instead of sleeping. Thinking back, it was her mother who read books to her when she couldn't fall asleep. And it worked. The lingering memory made her heart ache. She sighed softly and turned her head to see the girl staring at her.

@♡ ¦ Qri Lee Jieun read through the book, and wished she had a paper and pencil, so she could write this all down. This was a library, so she'd be able to take the books out, but she couldn't carry the book around with her all the time... She sighed, and tried to remember as much of it as she could, when she saw the girl stand up. Jieun looked up again. The girl was looking for books. Jieun watched her warily, keeping her hand on the pouch dangling from her wrist.

@♡ ¦ Song Jieun Jihyun blinked as the girl turned around and stare right back. She immediately looked down at her book again and flipped the page as loudly as possible, trying to sound occupied. The girl didn't seem to be staring anymore. She heard the rustle of pages turning and realized that somehow, the girl had found the book she wanted. Jihyun gave up on her own book and stood up. She walked to a nearby shelf and skimmed the spines.

@♡ ¦ Qri Lee Jieun turned to another shelf and found a familiar spine of a book. She pulled it out with both hands; the book was very heavy. It was really some luck to be able to find the book in this huge library. She flipped to the table of contents and searched for the page she was looking for, when she felt eyes on her back. She turned around warily, and found the girl watching her, and Jieun lowered her eyes onto the book again.

@♡ ¦ Song Jieun As Jihyun continued staring at the empty words in her book, a small frustrated sigh escaped her lips. Laying her book down, she glanced over at the girl in the distance. She seemed to be searching for a specific book. Jihyun shook her head, pitying the girl. With so many books here, you could hardly find anything. She bit her lip and continued watching the girl anxiously. She wished she could help.

@♡ ¦ Qri Lee Jieun frowned at the books. How was she supposed to find the book? She frowned deeper and tried to remember the author of the book she had at home. He had several books, she knew, there was a chance some of his works might be in this library. She felt the presence of someone here, and Jieun looked up. There was another girl there, with her nose buried in her book. She didn't look like a threat, and Jieun continued her search.

@♡ ¦ Song Jieun Jihyun instantly looked up at the sound of a sigh. She hid her face behind the book she was reading and peeked at the direction of the noise. There was a girl on the other side of the room looking through the shelves. Not exactly keen for company, she continued reading her book as quietly as possible. But her mind was no longer focused. She re-read a paragraph over and over to no avail. She frowned at the book, as of blaming it for her distraction.

@♡ ¦ Qri Lee Jieun walked into the library, looking around to see if there was anyone there. She sighed, and headed over to a random section, hoping they were organized in some way. How would she find the book she wanted if it wasn't organized? This place was huge. She sighed. It'd be better if the books were organized by subject, but it seemed to be by author. She sighed, and picked out a book that looked promising, and rifled through it. She shut the book and put it back, heading for another section.

As Jihyun entered the library, she couldn't help but admire the structure of it. It definitely wasn't the average library; it was a royal library after all. She wondered how long it would take for someone to read all of the books in here. 'Most likely eternity,' she thought as she ran her fingers along a row of books. Taking a random cover off of the shelf, she strode over to an empty table and opened to the first page.

Jihyun always loved books. Expressing feelings on a page was a lot easier than saying them aloud. At least, she thought so. Her father had a whole shelf of books back at the cottage. She used to read them every nigh to her little sister until the young one had her eyes closed. Just thinking about it made Jihyun teary-eyed. She missed her family so much, going home was her only wish.

@♤ ¦ Kang Haneul Jiyeon nodded slightly. She had noticed the coldness in his voice but she wasn't surprised. Why? Well, ever since the King made his announcement, most of the people she encountered was also cold. She glanced at him as he stood up to put the book back. Shrugging slightly, she went back to reading.

After five minutes, he came back. How does she know? It's simple. When she's focused on something, her senses towards her surroundings heightened. She looked up from her book and looked at him. He was holding the red leather book that she had seen earlier. Recognizing the book, she gulped. For a moment , her emotionless face had a flash of hurt and regret in them but it was quickly replaced by her poker face once more.

"So..you..like fairy tales?" Jiyeon asked. "Well, like my father always said, one is never too old for fairy tales." She said and smiled slightly at the memory of her late father.

As Jiyeon realized that she had spoken more than just three words to the other as well as smiled at him, she returned to being quiet. She closed the book she was reading and placed it aside. ' You'll never make us proud at this rate ' She heard her late mother's voice. It was the memory that she feared and dreaded the most. " I'll never be able to make them proud.." She said softly to herself before standing up.

Her grip on her knife was tightened once more but she never took it out of her pocket. She didn't want to and couldn't kill him even if she was supposed to. Surely, there could be some other way. Everyone could help each other out and everyone can leave the castle peacefully and happily. What would their family say if they found out their family member died without knowing the cause?. Some people here had siblings, parents, and some even children. "Do you really believe the only way to get out of this castle is to kill?" She asked, looking at him. For once, she didn't put on a poker face. Instead, her face showed emotions. More than ever before. "What would happen if everyone killed each other? The people outside the castle who lose someone important to them, wouldn't they?" She asked.

Surprisingly her voice came out like a kid's. A kid who's scared and worried. Realizing what she had just said, she shook her head. "Don't mind what I just said. Treat it as I've not said anything." She said and turned to walk towards a bookshelf. She leaned her back against the bookshelf gently and slowly slid down onto the floor tearfully. "Mom.. I'm sorry.. I'm an assassin that cannot bear to kill.." She said as she buried her face in between her knees.

@♡ ¦ Park Jiyeon When the girl directed her words at him, Haneul looked up, somewhat excited that she was talking to him. When her words reached him, though, the excitement dropped and he analyzed the book he was holding in his hand. He closed it and looked at the cover, and really- he’d held it upside down. Cursing inwardly, he pressed his lips together and laid the book aside, looking at those eyes hidden behind the mask. He himself was wearing his, too, but he somehow had figured that they were senseless. Especially when he would recognize those eyes of hers behind hundreds of masks. He cleared his throat and, slowly, shook his head. “I’m not interested in flirting with guys. I didn’t even read the book. I just wanted some time for myself, so I usually pretend that I’m reading. The other’s don’t come here often.” He told her, and he was surprised by the bitter- and coldness in his voice. Why couldn’t he put it aside when talking to her? He looked at the book he’d been pretend-reading and grabbed it before standing up and putting it back in the shelf. He could feel her eyes lying on him for a while, but soon she got back to reading and he promised himself that he’d be more careful with what book he chose now. He strolled through the shelves and looked at the titles of the books. Instead of concentrating on them, he eventually looked over his shoulder at the girl who was still sitting there, reading. Even though he wasn’t smiling, his eyes started to sparkle a little when looking at her, and he knew that shouldn’t happen. Heaving a sigh, he looked back at the books and decided to go for one that told fairytales. It looked used and wasn’t perfect in line like the others. It looked pretty much like somebody had just taken it and put it back. Haneul’s eyes met the ones of the girl and he could see that she wasn’t happy about his choice at all. For a second he thought about putting the book back, and even though he wasn’t curious, he suddenly wanted to know what it was he had seen in her eyes. He took the book and, yet again, let himself fall onto the seat that was on the opposite of hers. He opened the book, but this time, he really read. He didn’t concentrate on what he was reading, and while reading the second line he’d already forgotten what the first one had said, but he was holding the book the right way and didn’t glance at her anymore. At least not as often as he’d done before. After a while, though, he put his book down and leaned forwards a little, looking at her. “Is your book interesting?” He asked her, immediately regretting that he was trying to talk to her. He wasn’t good at holding a conversation with anybody, for he never really had contact to anybody whilst living with his father. He cleared his throat and tried to avoid her gaze, which was hard since her eyes was the only thing he could see.

@♤ ¦ Kang Haneul Jiyeon sighed as she wandered about the castle. She had been too soft-hearted. She had encountered a girl who seemed to be powerless in the garden but she couldn't kill her. She just couldn't. How was she supposed to follow in her mother's footsteps if she couldn't even bear to kill someone so powerless? She sighed once more. Her mother had once taught her a rather merciless sentence. "If you wish to survive, you must first be the one with power. If you wish for power, you must have the skill. If you have the skill, you can be anyone and anything you want.Only then, you would make me proud for bearing a daughter instead of a son." Those words rang in her ears. Her mother had often been ashamed of her. Why? Because she was a girl and not a boy. However, she still loved her mother dearly.

As Jiyeon wandered around, she came upon a large wooden door. "Where..does this lead to?" She wondered as she gently pushed open the door with one hand while gripping onto her hidden knife on the other. She was glad she was wearing her mask, so if she encountered anyone, they wouldn't even realize it was her the second time they encounter her. After all, she had packed a few dozen masks into her bag when she had first entered the castle. She glanced around the library with bright eyes. She had inherited her father's love for books. As she walked around the library, looking at the endless shelves of books, a certain leather book caught her eye. "A leather book?" She thought. "And when things couldn't get even more interesting.." She conscience continued her thoughts.

Jiyeon grabbed the leather book and flipped it open. It was a book of fairy tales. The type her father used to read to her before she went to bed. Without realizing, she started tearing up at that warm memory. She placed the book back in its original place before continuing her walk inside the library. She saw another interesting book. It was a book about cracking codes and some activities for it too. She grabbed it and headed to a table. She sat down and started to crack codes. "This is children's work." She scoffed after she successfully cracked the last code in the book in just 5 minutes. She placed the book aside and stood up once more. She headed over to another bookshelf. "Oh! This looks interesting." She said to herself. She grabbed the book and went back to reading.

Jiyeon was so concentrated in reading that she didn't even realize it when someone came in. Well, she didn't realize it until he rudely plopped down on the seat in front of hers, muttering a 'hello' with a nod. She nodded back before going back to her book. As she went back to reading her book, she realized that he kept glancing at her. She lowered her book and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The book he was holding was upside down. "I didn't know we could read books upside down. Nor do I know that book covers could be upside down." She said. "Oh and..I had no idea someone like you would be interested in a book..about..flirting with guys.." She continued , sending him an odd look.

@♡ ¦ Park Jiyeon He couldn’t really take this seriously. How dare the king did something like that to them? After all, they were his pride! Did the game to any good to him? Haneul shook his head. No way. He had to be just a sadistic old man. Running his fingers through his head, he left his room, closing the door carefully. When passing the room next to his, he stopped for a second and looked at the door. Was she in her room? She… Haneul shook his head. What was it that made her so interesting? Maybe the fact that she was just as cold as he was. He wanted to understand her, to make her feel better. But his own character wasn’t much of a help to it. He sighed and went down the hall, no other door was as interesting as hers. It wasn’t really the door, but what hid inside of it. He looked over his shoulder and then, again, he shook his head. He shouldn’t be so obsessed with this girl. It wouldn’t do any good to him in this game. And yet… Yet he couldn’t stop. His lips were no more than a thin line when he crossed the castle and made his way down the stairs, without a destination, really. He enjoyed that the people weren’t fighting today, or at least he hadn’t met somebody fighting, yet. After all, they should stick together, shouldn’t they? What would happen if everybody found the King just in time? He smiled bitterly. That wouldn’t happen, right?
When he saw the huge door of the library, Haneul’s smiled vanished again. He wasn’t one to smile a lot, neither was he one to easily show his feelings. His father had always forbidden him to do so, and who was he to defy his father? He pushed the door open and immediately was swallowed by the smell of old books and the sound of endless silence. Everything that could be heard was the tick-tock of the huge clock and the quiet sound of pages being turned. Yes, Haneul loved that room. It seemed like it was at peace with everything, nobody had ever dared to fight in here. There was something magical about it, and he enjoyed it. He strolled through the huge bookshelves and breathed in the tangy smell of the books, which became older the farther he went. He looked around, face not showing any emotions, when he spotted a single person sitting at a table, her head sunk in a book she seemed to be captured in. He almost smiled at the sight of it, but he wasn’t one to smile because of something so trivial. Not caring about the magic in the library anymore, Haneul carelessly reached out for a book and let himself fall onto the chair opposing the girl. The thud caused her to raise her head and look at him, and Haneul looked at her. He nodded a little a muttered a “Hello” as a greeting, but that was it. In his head, he figured out a hundred ways of starting a conversation with her. How were things going? Was she fine? Did she need help with anything? But his features didn’t show the hurricane inside of him, and his lips kept shut. He opened the book and, after glancing at her again, he pretended that he’d started reading. He didn’t, really, for he didn’t even know what book he picked. But pretending that he was reading was easier than staring at her and being too stupid to say a single word other than Hello.

@♤ ¦ Huang Zitao A dark chuckle escaped from her, her lips forming into a playful smirk. She felt a little bit light, hearing his response. "Well thank my cockiness because if it wasn't for that-" Yoona took a deep breath, resuming her statement. "-we wouldn't be friends." She grinned, looking at him. He was just acting, and his antics to avoid her won't do.

@♡ ¦ Im Yoona "I somehow do." Zitao nodded, glancing at her. "But your cockiness makes me hate you just as much." A play and mischievous smirk played across Zitao's lips, taunting his friend. "Not one bit since you've just kept irritating me." He heaved a sigh, acting as if he was tired of her antics around hi..

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri She gave the younger women a slight nod. "I'll try my best to be careful." Seeing that they couldn't hide in their room for the entire game, that was out of the question. "You be careful also!" She said waving her off. Hopefully her first new ally in this game will be careful. She might be more beneficial to her than she thinks.

@♡ ¦ Victoria Song [Okay :D]
Yuri only stood there for awhile, she understood what Victoria was saying, but still. Yuri felt as if you let your guard down once then its game over. But Yuri wasn't sure of herself if she was a killer. She's never done it before, and she knows for a fact its not something you do in less than a heartbeat, but thats ONLY her. She doesn't know how the others are like. They can be crazy for all she knows. Yuri walked up to Victoria and whispered in her ear. "Just be careful okay?" She said and then walked away. "I'll catch up with you later." She said and left the library.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri (I'm going to head for bed.)

"If I die, then I will die." It was perhaps careless, but that was the truth. "I never said that I wasn't going to defend myself. I prefer living by my own standards and hate having anything imposed on me. I came because I believed this was a ball. Not some sick game designated by the king. I have nothing to gain by killing the king, I also have nothing to lose except for my life. It's unfair, but I can live by it."

@♡ ¦ Victoria Song "but what if your life depended on finding something? What will you do then?" She asked in a serious tone. "If you're not going to do anything then that makes you an easy target." She added on. She didn't mean to sound harsh, but this wasn't just some game. This was a life or death 'thing', and Yuri saw it as something to deeply pay attention to. She then calmed a little.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri She shook her head. "To be honest, I'm not even bothering with the whole ordeal." If there was anything she wanted, it was to leave. Long as her life isn't under threat, she'll play this game as a neutral player and help out when she can. That thinking might be the end of her, but there wasn't much she can do.

@♡ ¦ Victoria Song Yuri nodded. "Do you know where to start? Your guess is better than mine at the moment." She admitted.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri "An ally?"She asked raising a brow. Qian was hoping that this didn't turn out to be a ruse, but the more people she has on her side, the better. "Of course." She said with a nod. There wasn't any harm, but she knows that looks can be very deceiving. "But for this 'game' that's all I know of for now." She said with a sigh, folding her arms across her chest.

@♡ ¦ Victoria Song "Right. I'm well aware of that part." She mumbled. She then saw Victoria's uneasy expression. She then patted the girls back. "Lets watch out for each other. Okay?" She asked. Yuri really didn't know what she was doing, but it seemed like Victoria was more scared than her. She knew a liar when she saw one, she knew very well if someone was playing her or not. She didn't get that vibe from Victoria, and thought she could play it safe for now.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri "The the information that I've gather, we have to find the king and kill him. Also, there is a very high probability that can find ourselves being murdered also." That was the part she disagreed with dearly. Unless one was suicidal, there was no one here who truly wanted to die.

@♡ ¦ Victoria Song Yuri nodded understanding what she meant. "The place is huge. But oddly enough you're the only person I've met so far. Do you have any idea what exactly is going around here? I mean, this too far off of a joke." She said looking around again.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri "I'm just trying to explore." She said with a light shrug, continuing to look around. Not willing to admit the fact she was lost also. "This place is so huge, it's hard not to get curious." And maybe she can find some type of hint about where the king is hiding.

Yuri let go of her hand and smiled. "I'm Yuri." She introduced herself. She then looked around this place. "So, why are you here?" She asked wondering out of all the places she can be, she's also in the library. Yuri was wondering if they both got the same idea.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri She nodded as she took her hand out and shook it. "I'm Victoria." She said introducing herself. She figured that it was probably best to try to make at least one friend here, since she had a very annoying habit of getting on people's nerves here. "It's nice to meet you." She told her with a smile.

Yuri slowly walked up to the girl in front of her and raised her hand. "Don't worry about it." She said. She then studied the girls appearance. She didn't seem like a threat, and either way, Yuri would still never let her guard down. Two heads are better than one right, Yuri thought to herself. She then smiled and let out her hand. "Hi, nice to meet you." She said.

@♡ ¦ Kwon Yuri "I'm sorry." She said apologizing quickly, making a few more steps towards her. "I just was curious to see who was down here." She said with a soft chuckle. She look around their surroundings to see if anyone was around, but it looks like they was the only souls around.