The Gifted (Txt x Itzy)

四十七

Ryujin was seated curled up at the rim of the pond, chin resting on her knees as she let her fingers play with her strings, watching a certain koi fish in the pond swirl with the water.

"That's animal abuse, isn't it?" A voice said behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Ryujin asked without looking back.

Chaeryeong took a seat next to the other. "I'm sorry for yesterday," She said softly, gently.

Ryujin sniffed, "Was it just yesterday?"

"You aren't angry with me, are you?"

"Not at all. "

Ryujin turned to look at the other and gasped, "You're bleeding."

Startled, the girl looked down at her arm, which sported a tiny cut dribbling with blood that dripped off her elbow, a trail of crimson could be seen behind her.

"Damnit," She muttered, "Stupid power-"

"Your power does that?"

Chaeryeong looked up, "Yeah, I thought you would have noticed. I am extremely 'delicate', aren't I? I get cut super easily, then they'll bleed for hours. But this one's small, should be fine in an hour or two," The girl adjusts leather gloves on her hands, "These help to protect my hands. Because that's where I manipulate my glass the best."

"Can you turn into glass?" Ryujin asked jokingly.

"Yep," Chaeryeong deadpanned.

"Oh."

Chaeryeong spun a small rod of glass on her palm, where the friction of the glove clawed at the spinning stick. "How does your power work?" Chaeryeong questioned Ryujin, "You used it on me once, right?"

"Mhm," Ryujin hummed, "I'm not entirely sure myself, but I believe I just need to pinpoint the location of my target and that poor sucker would be under my control for thirty minutes."

"What can you make them do?"

"Anything. Once, I made a man with paralysed legs walk. It was insane. And scary."

"Yikes, " Chaeryeong agreed.

"You're cool," Ryujin commented after a while.

"Thanks, you're not so bad either."

-

The exhilarated screams of children were carried through the cave as the young ones ran around chasing each other and playing games, it was a spirit-lifting sight.

But not for Yeonjun.

The boy was rubbing his temples, clenching his eyes tightly as the shrill noises rang in his ears. Certainly, they were shouts of joy, but they had an uncanny similarity to screams of torture. Yeonjun was snapped out of his horrific reverie by a gentle voice.

"Yeonjun."

Yeji was squatting before him, concern written over her face. She looked pretty, really radiant, the sun had done her good, rosy cheeks and bright eyes, golden rays braiding through her hair, she looked like an angel. For a moment Yeonjun felt distracted, then another piercing scream broke his train of thoughts. "Wow," Yeji remarked as she turned to look over her shoulder, loosely twisting her slender fingers, "Loud, huh?"

No answer.

"You okay?"

-

"Yeonjun, you okay?"

His sister's face swam before him, mild concern in her twinkling but fractured eyes.

"Bad day?"

Yeonae had just come home from school, she was going to graduate this year, and she said she would get them all out, their siblings and the cat and they'll move away, far away where their parents couldn't find them. They were at it again, scolding and crying at each other, blaming the other for their failing marriage , glass shattering and cat shrieking. "It's going to be okay," She would say, "Just breathe."

It was only one more day until his next appointment, but evidently they had run out of money for the week yet again, mostly thanks to Yeonjun's medical needs. Yeonae had skipped meals for weeks in hopes of scraping together some spare cash, but his medication proved to be too pricey.

His younger brother cried out in pain from downstairs, Yeonae stiffening and terror building up in her eyes. She rushed down shouting, and all Yeonjun could hear was the accusing voice of his sister and the angry squawking of his parents. Then there was pleading. He just wanted to block it out. Get it out. More yelling. Get it out-

"Yeonjun."

Yeji's cool hands were resting on his seemingly burning fingers. She looked frightened, her voice was cautious, like stepping around glass, and she had a good reason to, he had just went tense and cold suddenly, as if in a trance. Yeonjun hung his head, his erratic heartbeat racing under Yeji's fingertips.

-

Because the worst thing you can do is go into panic