San and Jongho squint to read the list of items they'll have to take from Byul's house provided by her, and the top two items that she had kept on insisting they have to bring made blush colour their cheeks. Both of them blink and they proceed to shove the list to each other, trying to avoid becoming the person who'll be taking them.

"Uh, do we really have to take them?" Jongho tries to reason out as he struggles to keep the list away from him. "Everything else is fine but the top two..."

"Are the most important," Byul says matter-of-factly. "There are 8 men living in this house and no grown woman, so I doubt you would have them lying around."

"True..." Yunho says absent-mindedly. His eyes shoot upwards, as if he's imagining something.

"What are you imagining, you pervert?" Mingi slaps a hand to the back of Yunho's head, making his head jerk forward.

He retaliates, "I am not imagining anything!"

"Both of you are packed with muscles and you're scared of some female sanitary items and undergarments."

"Oh shhh don't say it out loud!" San puts up a hand and closes his eyes as he swats at something in front of him. His reaction doesn't stop as he keeps waving his hands around, trying to keep the image away from him.

"I can't wear the same thing everyday," she deadpans. "Seonghwa said you can help me take my items from my house and they're important and expensive. All of you can provide me with everything else but... these."

Mingi nods firmly, agreeing to her every word.

"I keep both items in a closed box so you don't have to actually look at it. Just throw open my wardrobe, grab it and shove it in the bag. Don't worry your eyes won't burn. Don't even think about looking at it or I'll make sure they haunt you for the rest of your lives."

San holds his breath and widens his eyes, his entire 24 years of life flashing before him. He questions his life decisions as he goes through the list again. He and Jongho are tasked with the mission to go to Byul's house, and he should have seen this coming.

"You guys are really acting like it's the end of the world," Yunho chastises. "Those items aren't cursed, they won't kill you."

Byul feels embarrassed the more they talk about it, and she feels herself shrinking back. She had second thoughts about putting those two items on her list, but a girl has to keep on living.

"Uh, yeah. We've never went near them," San sniffs. "It's easy for you to say but we're not experienced like you."

"That's how he got Hwayoung," Jongho agrees.

"What the heck are you guys saying? Stop being so explicit in front of our guest," Mingi exclaims.

Mingi immediately clamps his hands over Byul's ears, trying to block out whatever they're saying from reaching her. She can't help but laugh at their reactions, but her smile dies when she notices Yunho's face.

His face turns sour at the mention of Hwayoung, and it seems that Mingi has noticed it too. The bespectacled man quickly turns to the two and shakes his head, prompting them to chuck the topic.

"Oh fine, we'll do it. Just grab the box, shove it into the bag and run. Got it."

"And don't get caught, always be alert at all times. Anything suspicious, abort," Mingi reminds them as he removes his hands from clamping over her ears. "We'll be watching and guiding you from the control room, alright?" As Yunho lowers down his head to look at the floor, Mingi quickly motions them with his head to go and get ready.

"I'll be down at the cafe," Yunho announces. "I wonder what's taking Hwayoung and Wooyoung so long."

Byul notices the change in the atmosphere but the men don't address it.

San and Jongho go upstairs to change their clothes, looking slick as they dress in all black - tight pants and leather jackets. Jongho has parted his hair to make way for his forehead to show while San gelled his hair back.

"We're not going for a fashion show kids," Mingi gestures to his own attire - baggy pants and an oversized t-shirt.

"You're not, we are," San replies. "You'll only be sitting behind your computer but we'll be showing ourselves to the world."

"Why is every single one of us so dramatic?" he chides, but waits for no answer as he stands up and goes to the laundry room. "Oh right," his voice comes from the room, "because we all need to be good actors."

San and Jongho follow him without hesitation, leaving a confused Byul at the living room as she's wondering why they would be gathering there. They won't be washing clothes together will they?

"What are you doing?" Jongho asks, hands on his hips as he stands at the doorless entrance leading to the laundry room. "We're about to go into your house and we need you."

"But... why the laundry room? Wouldn't it be much more logical if it's one of your rooms instead? Is the signal there better so Mingi could hack the cameras easily?" she asks nonchalantly, brows creasing as she tries to find a reason.

San's laugh comes from behind Jongho as he had heard every single one of Byul's questions. He flashes his dimples as he rests his chin on Jongho's shoulder. "Byul, you're so innocent and that makes you so cute." Jongho rolls his eyes at this. "Didn't you notice Wooyoung coming out from here? He just went back from a mission just now."

"Well yes, I did. Was it the balcony?"

"Are you really asking that or are you just playing dumb?" Jongho lifts up his eyebrows, his face showing that he's seriously asking the question, and that he can't believe she would be.

"Give her a break, she's new." San punches a playful fist at his shoulder. "Come on, Byul. We'll show you a whole new world. And no, Jongho. Don't sing it."

Byul follows San's invitation which is full of excitement, as he lightly guides her while pulling her sleeve. He looks too excited that it makes her unnerved when thinking about what they're about to reveal to her.

Mingi is waiting beside the unoperated washing machine, hands on his stomach as he looks like he's about to spit the sickest bars of the century. He fixes his glasses and knocks a hand on the machine, but it does nothing. It seems that it's only some exaggerated gesture as he ducks behind it and disappears.

"What the frick where did he go? Is there some kind of chambers of secrets behind there?"

"Not quite, but close," Jongho addresses her before following suit.

"Watch your head and steps," San cheerily instructs her. "The opening is a bit low and the pathway is a bit dark. We wanted to put burning torches along the way because it looks cool but Hongjoong said no." She can literally hear the pout in his voice. "So we're stuck with LED lights at every 10 metres or so. Doesn't brighten up the place too much, but I'm here to light it up," he says cheesily.

"Hurry up! Are you flirting or something?" Jongho's voice rises from the darkness.

"Sheesh that boy is younger than me but I feel like giving a knock to his head sometimes, but I'm scared to do it because he's the strongest." He smiles when she laughs at this and he puts out a hand. "You can hold my hand if you're scared you'll be lost."

"It's fine, and I don't want to hold hands with a stranger," she says, but good-naturedly.

She walks past him, pretending that she knows what she's doing as she looks at the opening hidden carefully behind the washing machine. It's slightly lower than the machine, so she ducks, making sure that she doesn't bump her head.

San shrugs and chuckles as he lowers down his hand. He follows behind her, their footsteps echoing through the small space as they descend the stairs.

After what seems like an endless flight of stairs leading downwards, they stop to find Mingi and Jongho waiting in front of a heavy metal door bearing the sign 'ATEEZ'. They are huddled in front of the door, with Mingi positioning his eyes in front of the signage.

The signage splits in two and an eye scanner rolls out; they are momentarily blinded by the sudden red laser shooting out. Mingi puts down his glasses and as the scanning's done, another small slot opens up below it to reveal what seems like a fingerprint scanner. He presses down his thumb and there is a beat of silence as he lifts it up.

"Access granted for Sunfish," a robotic woman's voice delivers. There is a mechanical whirring as the camera above is focused onto the people behind him.

Mingi reports, "Sunfish, Apple and Shiber. And a new member, not a threat."

Hydraulics hiss as the doors rolls to the side and disappears into the walls. It looks like the situation at the other side is not much better as Mingi steps into the darkness.

"Let's go."

Byul looks like she has a lot of questions for the nicknames he just mentioned, but decides to keep quiet for now. San pulls her sleeve again, guiding her through and this time, she really does need it as the interior is simply confusing. Subconsciously, she's the one who's holding onto his arm, mouth gaping as she could never have imagined a place as expansive as this is buried under the building. In fact from all the time they spent walking to go to their destination, it could have covered all the ground underneath the whole row of buildings at the alley.

They weave in and out of the maze expertly; along the way there are various closed doors that seem to lead to somewhere deeper, but they don't stop to explain them to her. Instead, as she holds onto San, he keeps pulling her in the opposite direction she thought they'd be heading to.

"We'll show you around once we're done with your house," Mingi announces as he takes another right turn, sounding a little breathless as he continues, "Ah, we're here. That was a bit confusing, wasn't it? Don't worry, you'll get used to it. I sometimes gets lost too."

"You mean like most of the time, then you cry and call us to come and get you," Jongho retorts. He turns to Byul, "He's a scaredy-cat and as Yeosang always says, his scream is scarier than a ghost."

"Are you scared of rats?" Byul directs a question to Mingi as she smirks remembering San and Wooyoung's plea to escape from the rat in the latter's room. She feels San nudge her lightly when he knows that she's making fun of him.

"Rats are definitely on the no-go list. Welcome to my crib." He pushes open a door plastered with multicoloured foam boards, the letters 'MINGI'S PROPERTY' in bold letters with the warning 'Enter at your own risk' decorating the entrance. He pries apart the bead doorway curtain and holds it open while he gestures for them to come inside.

"We pasted the foam and put the curtain because sometimes we run into the doors. Told you it's too dark in here," San explains without being asked.

She guesses that the room they are entering is Mingi's idea of a comfortable hangout spot, with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling that seems to be motion-sensor activated. As soon as the first person enters the room colourful lights bounce off the walls and mainstream music from the jukebox starts playing.

"Really? Disco ball and a jukebox?" she asks, her voice on the border of disbelief and amusement. When Mingi looks like he's about to defend his choices, she adds, "That's so damn cool."

"Isn't it?" Mingi puts up his hands and he almost tackles Byul into a hug but San's glare makes him stop. He jumps up on the spot, his hair bouncing up and down. He looks like a giraffe jumping with his slender figure. "I'm so glad you think so, Byul. The rest of the boys think it's so tacky but I managed to persuade them to let me have them."

He takes a seat in front of the multiple screens, similar to Yeosang's workspace. He does the same procedure as him to power up the device. He pats a seat next to him and invites her to sit down. He pulls out the digital map of Utopia district on the touch screen and proceeds to point a particular area.

"Your student flat's address is 03-04-19, Road 3, One to All, Utopia district. Correct?"

Byul nods confidently as Mingi pulls up another screen, types some alienated numbers to her before the single screen breaks off into four, each showing views of the exterior of her house from different angles. One is the view of the front of the dilapidated flat from a nearby traffic light, another is the view of the building at the back, one is at the entrance and one at the hallway leading to her unit.

"We can climb up the building from the back, get access through the emergency escape. The problem is we literally have to break into your house through the window. Going from the front is too risky, if you notice that car." Jongho points to a black car across the street from the flat. "Zoom in on the person inside."

Mingi obeys, splaying out his fingers to bring the focus onto the driver. The image is blurry but it's enough for them to confirm who they're looking at.

"One of Alexander's close aides; it's Maddox. If the Bifidensis have their trust in us, Alexander surely doesn't. Looks like he's taking this matter in his own hands because he still can't accept the fact that they're not watching us 24/7," San confirms.

Byul's ears perk up at the mention of the Bifidensis and none notices how she has her lips pressed into thin lines. They are too busy trying to figure out the best route to break into her house. She bites her nails, a bad habit that she picks up whenever she's stressed out. She quickly hides it as San turns to her.

"That's it, we'll break through your window and get your stuff that's important to you." He waves the list. "These are the only things you'll need, right? Some clothes, some... hygienic needs and important documents." He mulls over the list and somehow, she knows what he's going to ask next. "Don't you... want to take any photos from your home?"

"I don't have them," she says truthfully. "I don't really have much memories to keep. Look around my house and you won't even find a single picture." She laughs, "I just don't like how my face turns up in them."

Mingi is focusing on the screens but his ears catch every single word and the emotions she delivers through the sentences. He knows that she is hiding something; her voice is full of secrets. He doesn't know whether the other two realize this, but San only nods his head and takes back the list without saying anything further.

Mingi's stare collides with Byul as he turns to look at her, and he gives her a smile. He rolls his chair closer to the screens and taps a finger on one of them. The disco ball stops spinning and the jukebox stops playing music; the room's mood changes as bright lights are switched on. The wall behind Byul separates into half, revealing another room that is full off electronic devices, which apparently, according to him, are mostly developed by him and Yeosang.

San and Jongho obediently walks to one of the display, where 8 cases of what seem like normal contact lenses are arranged four by two. Each of the casings are engraved with their codenames, and both take theirs, popping them onto their eyes with ease as they look into the mirror.

Jongho laces his fingers as he observes the other devices - all made to look like normal, everyday items - and he takes a pen.

"This would help to make a clean cut on the window. Should we bring a knife, or a gun? Which one would be easier if we were to be chased?"

"You are not going to kill anyone. You're just going to break in, take all the stuff and get away. No bodies. If you ever do that Seonghwa will hunt you down and kill you himself," Mingi chastises. "Don't make it into a bigger problem."

Jongho shakes his shoulders as he looks like he's sulking before relenting. "Fine. We'll just, you know, punch Maddox or something if he ever catches us."

"I can finger-flick him," San offers.

Mingi hisses. "That's painful enough."

"Yeah," Jongho turns to her. "San once finger-flicked Mingi too hard that we thought he had lost his memories. They were playing a game and he lost; after that moment it took an whole hour for him to remember his own name. Seonghwa had his phone at the ready in case he needed to call the ambulance; I think he couldn't sleep that night worrying. Seonghwa then banned both of them from playing games that involve finger-flicking, and he grounded San for a week because of that."

The hacker sighs and nods. "It was the scariest moment of my life."

San clucks his tongue. "Han Byul, if anyone ever does disturb you, call me and I'll finger-flick them into oblivion."

Mingi throws two earpieces to them and they fit it in. After confirming that the connection is strong, they turn to leave the room. Mingi and Byul are left in the room, focusing on the multiple screens, but particularly the one that has captured Maddox. Maddox is staying at the same spot, looking like he would nod off any moment.

There is a crackle and both San and Jongho's voices fill the room.

"Apple and Shiber, ready for some action."

---

[A/N: ATEEZ on Weekly Idol is so entertaining I couldn't stop laughing from start to finish. Also Yeosang calling out San, Seonghwa and Wooyoung lmao he's the best.]