Taeyeon POV

“Heol,” Tiffany said after she took a drink of her iced coffee. “You don’t have to eat so fast Taeyeon, we get almost two hours for lunch... You have plenty of time.”

I internally laughed as I chewed the last bite of my pizza. It wasn't that I was in a rush... I was just super hungry! I-

Wait. Did she just say two hours?! For lunch?!

“What, really? That long?” She nodded. I was amazed. “At my old school we only got forty-five minutes.”

 “Well not here,” she grinned. “Technically it’s an hour and forty-five minutes and forty minutes of it is supposed to be a ‘break’ between our morning and afternoon classes… but I think that’s just way too short to be called that, don’t you think?”

I chuckled at her air quotes, but forty minutes seemed totally fine for me. That was like a whole class period at my old school.

Gah, this school was totally different than my last… not even including the whole being only for super humans bit. I had no idea how a boarding school worked either so I asked Tiffany for a quick lesson.

She started to explain how breakfast started at seven and classes started at nine and I thought it was all pretty interesting. Eating all three meals at school was definitely going to be weird at first, but I think the roommate situation won’t be so bad. Tiffany has been a huge help so far. She’s really nice too so that didn’t hurt either...

The class periods were different here compared to my old school too. She called it block scheduling or something but we only had four classes in the morning and two after lunch. She also explained that the classes change at the semester so that’s why I didn’t have a math class right now.

I did however have chemistry for an hour a day for half of the year... I might cry.

Actually I might flunk out… Oh my- They wouldn’t kick me out would th-

“Hey Taeyeon,” I heard a voice call from behind me. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

I turned around to see Sooyoung, Sunny, and the invisible girl who’s name I just couldn’t think of right now walking this way and I was confused.

They’ve been looking for me? But why? I-

“Congratulations on being released from the infirmary,” Sunny cheered as she sat down beside me. Sooyoung hummed.

“Yeah Dr. Snow said you went back to your dorm so we had to go find it and since it was empty we figured you must be here… Hello Tiffany.”

Wow, they went through all that just to find me?

“Hey guys, I hope you don’t mind but I kind of kidnapped your friend here,” Tiffany laughed… but then it hit me.

Friend.

She called me their friend.

We only talked for like an hour or so the other day but they already considered me their friend?

I felt touched and just really welcomed all of a sudden... This was totally the opposite from what happened inside the cafeteria earlier.

Aish, I shuddered just thinking about it again.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sooyoung grinned. “Yuri told me what you did in the cafeteria.” Tiffany sighed.

“Ugh, don’t remind me… I love them and all but you guys know how mad the stuff they do makes me sometimes.” I heard Sunny and- YOONA! That’s her name!

Anyway, I heard those two hum but I was lost. Why does it make her mad if they’re her friends? Isn't that like excuse number one to stop being friends with them? I don’t think I could ever be friends with people who make me that mad.

"Well you can sit out here with us for as long as you want unnie," Yoona said happily. "The more the merrier." Tiffany smiled again, causing me to stare an-

"So what were you two talking about," Sooyoung asked. "I'm sure you have even more questions now huh?" I nodded.

Now that was an understatement... I probably had twice as many as I did before maybe even quadruple. Gah, I didn’t even know where to start... That's why I was glad Tiffany answered her question instead.

"We were just talking about how the schedule worked. She hasn’t been to a boarding school before.” I watched the Sooyoung and Sunny nod this time.

"Ah well don’t forget that dinner is at six,” Sooyoung warned. “It’s spaghetti night… You definitely don’t want to miss it.” Sunny laughed and I had to grin as well.

She said that so seriously.

“Don’t mind her… but you might want to change your clothes for next period.”

Huh? Wait… what the heck was my next class? I checked my schedule really quick to see- oh boy.

“Yeah I don’t know what they do in Level Zero training, but we have to run sometimes in ours… you definitely can’t run in jeans.”

My next class on my schedule was ‘Level Appropriate Training’.

The doctor did say I didn’t have to go to class today, right?

“And you totally won’t be able to do martial arts in jeans,” Yoona said from across the table.

Hold up. Martial arts? Like taekwondo and karate and whatever the other ones are?

Ohh no. Don’t tell me I, Kim Taeyeon was going to have to do martial arts all year too…

“UGH, don’t bring that up Yoong,” Sunny groaned. Yoona’s jaw dropped and mine almost did too.

“What?! You don’t like martial arts class?” Sunny shook her head and I dreaded this day even more.

“Not even a little bit,” Sunny said exhaustedly. “I think I've had enough martial arts to last me a life time..."

"I kinda like the martial arts class though," Sooyoung commented. Tiffany agreed and then the four of them went back and forth about it for another minute or so before someone kindly thought to fill me in. Whew.

"Omo, Taeyeon you must be so confused," Tiffany said before she and the others helped explained yet again.

I felt totally clueless and I kind of hated it. I really couldn’t wait until I understood most of what was going on around here.

Apparently though my next class would be one with everyone that was also level zero... which was only one other girl... that may or may not have killed someone in the past.

Great.

The class after that though sounded pretty much like a year-long gym class that only taught us different kinds of martial arts.

Sooyoung said something about how the leaders of the super human population wanted us to be able to protect ourselves with or without our powers or something...I don’t know. All I knew was that I was definitely going to die here at this school.

Whether it be from the other level zero that I had to spend an hour a day with or just by probably getting my kicked in every single martial arts form known to man.

I wasn’t joking either.

Each person sitting at this table, except me obviously, had at least one black belt in something. Sooyoung said that Yuri had four...

I didn’t even know there were four things you could get a black belt in.

Heol, maybe it was a good thing I was level zero after all. I think everyone at this school could kick my without powers so I totally needed to be able to protect myself with powers...somehow… if I could ever figure out how to do that...

UGH.

I guess that's what my next class was for though. They told me it was to help me learn and practice my ability along with other people on the same level as I... they just kind of forgot to mention that the only other level zero girl might be a freaking murderer! Oh my- I had to ask.

"D-did the other level zero girl actually kill someone?" A couple of them shrugged but all their eyes seemed to look toward Tiffany.

"Oh come on, I don’t know for sure either you guys," she replied, clearly feeling everyone's glances. "Jessica said she overheard her dad talking one day about how the girl killed someone but that was it. Everything else is a rumor."

"So she didn't tear out her old teacher's heart and eat it who- OW Sunny! Don't kick me like that," Yoona complained. I think my heart just stopped.

Th-that couldn’t be true… right?

"Well don't spread stupid rumors like that Yoong. Taeyeon has to go meet her in like fifteen minutes."

Right, it was just a stupi- OH my god. FIFTEEN MINUTES. That's all I had?!

I haven’t even changed yet!

"Yeah, Taeyeon don't pay attention to her," Tiffany said encouragingly. "Jessica won't admit it, but she isn't even a hundred percent sure that's what she heard." Sunny hummed.

"My uncle was the dean at the last school we all went to and he said she's a nice girl.”

I was really hoping that my supposed latent telepathic ability started to kick in so I could tell who was telling the truth, but of course it didn’t. I couldn’t tell if Sunny and Tiffany we’re lying to make me feel better or if Yoona was just seriously wrong and now I had no idea what to expect.

“I’d walk with you to your class Taeyeon, but I need to change for my next one too,” Sooyoung said with a quick smile after we took our lunch trays back into the cafeteria… where thankfully almost everyone was gone.

“Yeah, me too,” Sunny agreed. Yoona said something as well and-

“I can go with you,” Tiffany grinned. “I already changed. That fire resistant uniform they made me worked a little too well.”

They all had comments about their new uniforms too, but I couldn’t even try to pay attention.

I was about to go meet some mysterious, and potentially deadly, girl that no one in the school has even met before…

She was level zero so that apparently meant she was one of the most powerful, if not THE most powerful person here and I had to practice with her?

Gah, I couldn’t even try to keep up with Sooyoung or Sunny let alone Yuri or Tiffany… how was I supposed to be in a class with someone they were all afraid of?

Yep, it’s settled.

I’m definitely dying today.

Tiffany showed me how to get into our room with the passcode on the door and then waited outside for me so I could change.

Wow, she must be really weird about that stuff. She even wanted me to turn around when she had a tank top on earlier… I shrugged.

Oh well.

It only took me a few minutes to change into a pair of athletic shorts and the grey shirt I was given on my first day that read ‘Trinity High’ in blue letters and after that we were on our way

“I doubt they’ll let me go down there with you,” Tiffany explained as we passed the cafeteria again. “But I can at least show you where the elevator is to get there.”

What?! Hold on…

“Why won’t they let you?” She shrugged.

“Probably because I’m not Level Zero? I don’t know? Sometimes they’re weird about stuff like that,” she stated… and sure enough; she was right.

Tiffany told the secretary in the main office who I was and the wall to my right literally split in half like automatic doors on a grocery store…

Ho-ly crap. Did that do that always?! Bu-but it was just a solid wall?!

What the- How did I not notice that before? I-

“Only Miss Kim is permitted Miss Hwang, I’m sorry,” the lady said, thankfully bringing me out of my thoughts. Tiffany nodded.

“Okay, thank you… See I knew it,” she grinned toward me. “Sorry Taeyeon. I’ll see you after class though okay? Our next one is in the gym.”

Uhm… and that would be-

“The same place evaluations were,” she thankfully clarified.

I let a deep breath out. Finally; I actually knew where that one was.

“Okay… thanks for bringing me here… and for what you did at lunch,” I added.  I really was thankful for that. It was probably the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me period. She smiled her stupidly perfect smile once again.

“Don’t thank me, that’s what friends are for.” A loud buzzer sound went off that I figured was the signal to switch classes and- “Ohp, I’ve really got to go now,” she laughed. “That was the bell... Good luck Taeyeon, see you soon.”

I waved ‘bye’ but then quietly cursed.

Here goes nothing.

I stepped into the chic metallic silver elevator and the doors closed almost immediately.

Omo…

There were no buttons to press to tell the elevator which floor to go to, but then I remembered that I had no idea where I was going anyway so I guess it really didn’t ma- OH my god.

The elevator started moving down and quick. I had to actually grab the rails inside… when does anyone ever have to do that? It didn’t stop for a solid thirty seconds either which made me even more concerned…

Just how far down am I going?

When the doors finally opened I was met with a brightly lit hall. It was similar to the metal hall way I saw leading to the gym for evaluations, but this one seemed a little more… intense? I don’t know how to describe it but I seriously thought that I might be on a spaceship for about a second.

I walked past a few doors here and there and even another hall. Wow… I started to wonder just how big this school was, but when I finally saw the door marked ‘LEVEL 0’ all that went out the metaphorical window.

There it was.

I had to go in right? The doctor did say I could skip classes today… but I was already here…

Damnit!

Okay, no. You can do this Taeyeon. You have to do this.

You’re equally as powerful as she is… probably. She’s just had a little more practice.

Right!

I could do this.

I took a deep breath, turned the knob on the door and swiftly pushed in… and immediately regretted it.

Oh my god, I did it… Why did I do that?!?

No, don’t worry Taeng, you can do this, I told myself like some poorly written pep talk. Ugh, it’s not like I could go back anyway, I was already in too deep... literally.

I figured I might as well take a look around since I was already here, and I was going to be spending an awful lot of time here after all.

An hour a day for the whole year? It made my head spin just thinking about it.

The room was light blue and totally empty… what the?

Okay so I mean it had a couple desks and even a bookcase near the back, but there was no one in sight.

Where was the teacher? Heck, where was the other level zero girl? I took a few more steps inside to investigate further but instead I noticed that it really didn’t look any more special than any other class room I’ve ever been in before… It might even be more plain than the rooms back at my old school.

I was confused and a little let down. Where were all the fun high-tech things? To get in the elevator a wall literally split apart and we don’t even get a chalkboard? We were level zero, shouldn’t there be at least some kind of a-

“Oh?” I heard a small voice to my left and froze.

Uh-oh.

I slowly turned to where it came from and kept my fingers crossed.

Please be the teacher, please be the teacher, please be the- oh no.

She definitely wasn’t the teacher.