1996 | Y.Jw

| 27 |

Emiko was trembling once I stepped into the cellar. Not as if she was freezing, scared or sad. No, the look on her face looked furious. She was ready to murder someone, and it was quite clear to all of us.

"Is she alright?" I murmured to Lin, who just stood and watched Riki try to hold onto Emiko's arm, keeping a slight distance from her.

"Remember what I told you about Tiffany?" Lin questioned and I quietly nodded, "she should be thankful for Riki right now."

"What'd she do?" I questioned in horror as I looked back at Riki and Emiko, while Riki somehow managed to wrestle Emiko down to lay on her back, while sitting on top of her, pinning her arms to each side of her head.

"You need to calm down," Riki sternly reminded.

"I'm gonna kill her," Emiko immediately shook her head, "let me go so I can go find her!"

"Wasn't her special skills inhumane strength?" Jay questioned in confusion and both Lin and I looked over at him, "why isn't she just throwing him off?"

"Are you kidding?" Lin let out a small laugh at him.

"Emi wouldn't dare even pull a hair from his scalp," Sunoo shook his head, wandering down into the basement along with Jungwon, behind them Jake came rushing down with snacks in his arms, "as long as Riki is sitting there... we can be sure she doesn't go anywhere... Is it Tiffany again?" Sunoo questioned Lin quietly, only earning a nod, "aish, I told her to leave Emi alone."

"You did?" I questioned in shock and looked over at Sunoo, who quietly nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, one of his hands going up to scratch along his hairline on his forehead, "but why hasn't she stopped?"

"How would I know?" Sunoo shrugged casually, "it's as if my skill just rebounded on her."

"Alright, we need to get updates," Jake announced and we all look to him, "and I have already noted Emiko wanting to murder Tiffany Carter. Riki?"

"Slightly worried for Emi's wellbeing," Riki excused, not removing his eyes from Emiko's face, leaning down to murmur something in her ear, slowly making her relax.

"Sunoo?" Jake continued and Sunoo simply shrugged.

"My skill hasn't been working on Tiffany, and to be honest I find it quite weird," Sunoo admitted casually, "I tried to tell her to stay away from Emi, but I'm sure I just phrased it wrong and it only applied for one day."

"Been trying to develop my skill into possession," Lin shrugged only earning funny looks, "oh it wasn't my turn yet? But I thought you said my name," she excused to Jake.

"You didn't allow me to open my mouth," Jake shook his head quietly, "but... possession...?"

"Ah..." Lin nodded quietly, "uhm... back at the lab they tried to apply to my skill of mind reading, by me going into the minds of people if I meditate for long enough. It was harmless back then, but I've been experimenting of whether or not I might be able to take over the actions of their body."

"And on who are you testing that?" Heeseung slowly trailed off, "we haven't been subject to it, have we?"

"Emi and Sunoo," Lin excused and Sunoo immediately nodded with a small proud smile on his face.

"So it's not a new skill.... but a build on to what you already have?" Sunghoon questioned and Lin simply nodded.

"It's like Jungwon... his hallucination skill isn't a new skill, it's a build on to his skills," Lin excused quietly, "essentially we could all build onto our skills."

"At some point Emi will be able to turn invisible or of the sort," Jungwon nodded in agreement, wandering over to sit down on the couch, "if she keeps developing on her skills, that is... Riki will be able to melt himself into objects or turn himself invisible as well, depending on what aspects he trains."

"Yeon will be able to do reality warping," Sunoo nodded in agreement as I glanced over at him, "uhm... changing one's concept of reality by overwriting or erasing things for the individual," Sunoo explained only earning more frowns than he already had gotten, "how do I explain it?" he quickly turned to me.

"Uhm... my skills are already able to do quite a wide range of things," I trailed off with a small frown, "if I master reality warping I will be able to use my skills regardless of scientific laws. I can change the sciences in a person or an object for it to do what I wish it to do."

"So... like... essentially you would be able to... change this desk into a human being?" Jake questioned and knocked on his desk.

"Uhm... moreso turn it into a desk-looking monster," I clarified, "it's not necessarily its looks but its abilities... I suppose..." I trailed off and looked over to Jungwon, who just waved it off, "but I don't expect to learn it. I can barely control the ones I have already..."

"Sunoo would be able to build on with matter manipulation," Lin finished and looked towards Sunoo, "able to manipulate whether things happen or not."

"So if..." Jay trailed off trying to come to a conclusion.

"Say someone wants to bomb the city... Sunoo would be able to control whether or not the bomb explodes the moment he can see the bomb," Jungwon explained and Jay slowly nodded.

"So you can all build onto what you have?" Sunghoon slowly questioned and we all nodded, "well, that's great! Isn't it? If those lab people try to come back and find you, we just need to make sure you have all these build ons to effectively get them to go away. Right?"

"It's not that easy to build on," Lin shook her head, "you have to control your current skill to the fullest. So far it's only Jungwon and I, who can do that."

"But I thought Sunoo-" Jake started immediately making Sunoo interrupt him.

"I don't do it properly yet," Sunoo excused quietly.

It went silent for a minute or so before Jake quietly looked over at me, as if he was waiting for me to say something.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine," I excused and waved it off before Jake looked over at Jungwon.

"Yup, same here," Jungwon murmured into his hand, while he was picking at his lips, seeming to be deep in thoughts.

"Nothing with your skills or so?" Jake questioned and we both shook our heads.

"Only the fact that he wants to take her out on a date but don't know when or how," Soomin revealed making Jungwon widen his eyes at her and freeze in his spot, "oh come on, we all knew there was something and if anything we are the right people to help."

"Yeah... we saw it coming too," Lin remarked while Sunoo only nodded in agreement.

"Why aren't you two going on dates then, huh?!" Jungwon exclaimed in defense.

"Uhm... Won... they have... you know..." I trailed off awkwardly, "they sort of have agreed to be in a relationship since the lab," I awkwardly reminded him, "they knew of how to do it from all those stories they read together."

"Okay, but what about Emi and Riki?" Jungwon immediately defended making Riki look over at him in confusion.

"Dude, whatever we prefer to do together is none of your business," Riki reminded with a small laugh, "if you want to take Yeobs out on a date that's fine. We just don't want to do that just yet."

"See? Nothing embarrassing," Soomin reminded happily, "so... what's the plan?"

"Do I have a say in this?" Sunghoon questioned immediately getting waved off by Soomin, "she lives in my house!"

"She isn't your sister," Soomin sternly reminded.

"No, but it is still my job to assure she stays safe as long as she lives with me. What if they go out and those lab people show up?" Sunghoon reminded making me glance at Jungwon.

"That is first of, why we gave them new clothes and fixed their hair. Lin is barely recognizeable at first glance," Soomin pointed out, "plus, as long as they go to a place with a lot of people it will be fine. Jungwon can use his skills if those people are to come and he knows the code to her bracelet. It'll be fine."

With dismay written all over his face, Sunghoon simply pursed his lips and leaned back against the wall behind him while I looked back at Jungwon, whose neck slowly was turning red.