[4] 3 AM

"One last thing before you are dismissed" Chian noted. "tomorrow night there will be a celebration for one of my companies, we recently collaborated with some American associates.." he leaned back in his seat, "Jiana will lead a few Yen Clan members stationed as security, and Jinx will be there as a guest with Kaien to watch over the guests, another clan will also be attending"

"I'm guessing these American associates seem.. sketchy?" Jia grinned, hoping for a chance to prove herself.

Chian shrugged, "I have my suspicions," he said. "But rather.. there may be someone else that can be drawn out from hiding when I host this gathering"

Jinx sighed and shook her head, "another assassination attempt on our hands"

"I wouldn't be concerned" Chian responded, "whoever this may be will not expect the Red Reaper to be attending, and with your tattoos concealed, most do not recognize you"

"I don't have to worry since the public doesn't even know what I look like, perks of never being involved with fathers spotlight" Jia chuckled, "if anything, to outsiders I'll just be recognized as a Yen Clan member"

"Unless people see the resemblance between you two" Jinx nonchalantly countered, "but I assume your father has a solution to that since we barely attend things like this"

"I do" Chian confirmed, "but that is a discussion for tomorrow, and you will be waking up at eight to get ready"

Jia nodded quickly, "great, are we dismissed now?"

Her father pointed a finger to the doors, "yes, now you may leave"

"—And Jinx" Kaien interrupted as they stood, "be ready in ten minutes, we're leaving"

His daughter clenched her jaw, and walked away grumbling to herself.

"Should I be concerned he didn't say when we're going to public school?" Jia asked as they left the study.

"Doesn't matter" Jinx fumed with a tight-lipped smile, "what matters is that we can't get expelled, I'm not letting some idiot run my clan"

Jinx was right, she and Jia were born to lead, and losing their titles because of a mistake they made would be unacceptable.

The two walked down the hallway to the lounge, where most members lingered.

Waiting for them on one of the two couches were Jericho and surprisingly, Hart.

The lounge was simple, and many used it as a place to relax when they hadn't yet received an order.

A glass coffee table was placed in the middle of the red couches, and beside the enormous window was a barrel with red spider lilies—the flower of the Yen Clan.

Sitting down, there was a view of the pond in the yard.

"You're back early" Jericho looked up with his eyebrows raised, "I thought that would take longer"

Hart leaned forward and slapped his thigh, "I expected masters' study to be in shreds by now" he chuckled.

Jia rolled her eyes, 'I regret coming here.'

"And what happened to you? I thought you were sleeping" she said.

"Jericho accidentally woke me up, I thought you both would react like this so I accompanied him, a few injuries won't stop me anyway"

Hart had ginger hair, a pale complexion, and two forest green eyes—a 'foreigner', as members described him.

He had freckles on his face and cheeks, leading many to question where he had come from, yet the only information he had disclosed was that he was found and taken in by Chian when he was seven.

The four of them were raised together.

At the moment, a large bruise was on Hart's cheek, and a blood-stained bandage was wrapped around his forehead.

He wore the Vangaurd uniform—a waistcoat, long sleeve shirt, ebony pleather gloves that ended right above his wrist, and pants that matched his black shoes.

Jinx clenched her jaw, "wait, you two knew?"

"Well don't get mad at me," Hart scoffed—"We were ordered not to say anything"

"Of course" Jia sarcastically smiled. She plopped down on the other couch across from them and interlocked her hands together, "and why do you know, again?"

Her tone was taut, and she knew they would realize how she felt simply by the way she talked.

Hart gulped and pulled the collar of his shirt to the side, directing his gaze to the window.

Jericho looked down at his hands, avoiding her unrelenting stare, "because.. we're.. going.. with you"

Her body stiffened at the remark, 'why am I not surprised', she thought.

Jinx joined her on the couch, both observing the two boys in front of them.

It was one thing to learn from a mistake, but another to not be trusted—and neither did not like being deemed untrustworthy, especially Jia.

"Oh, hm, lemme guess," Jinx stroked her chin, "you're going because we'reeeee.. impulsive?!" she gasped dramatically.

Not a minute after, her lips pursed like she'd been chewing a lemon.

'Now I'm getting monitored at school too?! I'm not a two year old!' Jia thought angrily, 'I can snap a neck like a twig for gods sake.'

She bit the inside of her cheek, "I already have Jericho as a babysitter, I don't need an entire team of nannies watching me breathe" she hissed.

"Jesus Jia" Jericho shook his head.

"Wow," Hart interrupted as his forehead puckered, "why are you two so pissy for, does someone need me to put you down for a nap?"

"No, but if you keep making jokes, I'll put you down for a dirt nap" Jia growled.

"What do you mean 'why'" Jinx retorted, "did they tell you what's at stake if we get expelled?"

The boys shook their heads.

Jia sighed and rubbed her shoulder, "alright, they said.. if we get expelled, our right as heiress and our rank in the Clans will be forfeited"

"What the hell" Hart stared with wide eyes.

Jia nodded, "yeah.. that's how careless we apparently were..."

Jinx clenched her fists, "it's the most dumbest thing I've ever heard"

"Well, at least downgrading to a human shield doesn't sound so depressing now, right Jer?" Hart snickered.

The raven haired boy held up the finger.

"Regardless, that doesn't sit right with me" Jericho turned back to the girls, "how could one public fight lead to this much of a consequence?"

'Not one.. three', Jia thought with her eyes rolled skyward.

"Now that I think about it, it does make sense" Hart stated. "Their titles are more respected than ours; the expectations the Dragon Heads have for them are probably bigger than we realize"

"Don't remind me goddamn it" Jinx excessively waved her hand, "we already sat through thirty minutes of the 'you're an heiress' pep talk"

"I didn't realize how difficult it was until now" Jia admitted, "father isn't this harsh about punishments.. we really did mess up"

"Well whatever!" Jinx dismissed, "do you guys know about the event that's happening tomorrow?"

"Actually yes" Jericho leaned back, "we're the team that Ji is in charge of"

"I expected that" she muttered, "anyway.. I've been wondering, how are you?"

"Tired" Hart replied, "it's three in the morning.. we should all be sleeping"

Based on the way he winced from time to time, Jia knew he was still feeling sore from his encounter, but like always, he hid it.

'I doubt he's going to mention it either..'

"Don't know if I'll even be able to" Jinx scratched the back her head, "this is stressing"

"Well" Jia tried to smile, "we might get an opportunity to catch another bastard"

"I had to look over the plans for another drug den infiltration this morning" Hart yawned, "if we don't sleep, we're basically as useless as half the Vangaurd rank - no offence to Jer but, they don't know how to strategize, it's like I'm supervising pansies"

"I agree" Jericho cut in, "master Chian will get mad if we fail to do our jobs"

"Or ignore my problems you demoted kiss-ass" Hart grumbled.

'Even Hart agrees. How funny.'

"Oh god" Jinx scrunched her nose, "I can already hear another hour long lecture"

"I would rather get stabbed with my own katana" Jia murmured.

'I don't want to hear the disappointment in fathers voice again..'

"Hah" Jinx nudged her, "if I did that, my father would still be lecturing me on how to do seppuku the proper way"

Jia stifled a laugh and snorted while the two boys stared.

"And what exactly are you discussing, Jinx?" Kaien's voice sliced through the conversation.

Jia jolted and instinctively looked down at her feet, 'shit... I forgot he was like this.'

Jinx's eyes widened, "n-nothing dad" she stammered.

Silence fell upon them as the tenseness in the room grew.

Kaien stepped forward, causing his daughter to jump up from her seat.

"w-we're leaving now? great!" Jinx exclaimed with a wary smile, "I'll see you in the car"

The troublemaker then quickly sped past the group, running once her father chased after her—"JINX!" Kaien thundered.

Jia cringed as the multiple curses and threats from Jinx's father gradually faded away.

The door downstairs shut with a piercing slam, and all that remained afterwards was silence.

'She is going to get one hell of a punishment.'

"well.." she looked at the two remaining, "I'll see you both tomorrow"