Tiffany POV

“Hurry okay? I don’t want any of the level five weirdos thinking they can sit with us again.” I grinned.

That was pretty funny yesterday when-

“Hmm,” Jessica urged.

Aish…

“I will… and not all of them are weirdos Jess,” I replied. “Be nice.” I watched her eyes roll and internally shook my head.

She was too much to handle sometimes, but I did do as she said and hurried toward my room. Not because of the level five weirdos though, no I had my own reason to get back as quickly as possible and it was simple.

I was burning up.

Not technically of course but I was definitely wearing way too many clothes right now. I felt like I was being smothered, seriously. I know this new uniform was supposed to help with my powers and all but I think it was working a little too well.

My skin needed to breathe and this long sleeve button up was not doing the trick. I even had my sleeves rolled up the whole last period but it didn’t help much. Ugh, I guess these long pants weren’t really helping either…

Whatever, by the time I stepped in my room I had my shirt off and- Oh, my god.

“Oh thank god,” the girl standing in my room said aloud as her eyes locked on mine. I- hold on.

Kim Taeyeon? What the heck was she doing here? The last time I saw her she was still out cold… shouldn’t she still be in the infirmary?

Then it hit me.

“Huh,” I asked without thinking.

What did she just say?

Her eyes grew big, like she had been caught doing something wrong before I noticed her look me up and down briefly and- oh my god.

It was only then I realized what I was wearing… or I guess, wasn’t. I had a bra on of course and a tank top so it wasn’t like I was or anything, but the tank top was pretty tight… and low.

Oh boy.

I quickly held the long sleeve shirt I had just taken off up over my chest and could feel myself getting warmer. Literally.

Talk about embarrassing…

I knew my cheeks were on metaphorical fire and I should’ve been thinking about what to do next so I could get out of this awkward situation, but I just couldn’t stop asking myself whether Taeyeon just checked me out or not! I mean she did, right?

Or was she just now realizing my lack of a shirt?

Oh gosh, I was really losing i-

“O-oh uh not because of…uhm, that,” Taeyeon mumbled out. She turned a little to the side and a strange sense of disappointment swept over me. “I mean not that you’re not that but- uhm- I… I was just thankful that it wasn’t Jessica that walked through the door,” she eventually explained. I nodded.

Ahh that- but wait… how-

“I was looking at a few of your pictures and saw the two of you together a lot so I figured it was one of you that-“

“Right,” I interrupted her. That made total sense. I’d be curious too and since she was probably at the top of Jessica’s list of least favorite people right now I didn’t blame for being a little worried either.

Level Zero or not, Jessica can be really scary sometimes.

“Yeah,” she said awkwardly before taking a few steps back toward her bed. “So uh…”

Oh my gosh, who am I?

Scratch that.

She was probably asking herself the exact same question…

“Right,” I said again. “Where are my manners? My name is Tiffany Hwang and I’ll be your roommate this year.” She nodded. “Sorry about all this,” I said as I waved my hand around a little. “I didn’t expect you to be out of the infirmary this soon so I didn’t think anyone would be in here.” I laughed. “I guess I was kind of used to it huh?”

She looked a little less, well… scared and even started to smile a little.

“I guess so,” she replied… to my rhetorical question…

Omo, how cute is she?

“My name is Taeyeon Kim though and it’s really nice to meet you too.”

I tried to hold it in for as long as I could, but it didn’t last long. Did she really think I didn’t know who she was?

“I know,” I said with a laugh. She was visibly confused again and I had to smile. She was adorable.

“You know?” I nodded.

“Of course. I looked into who my roommate was when they didn’t show up after evals,” I explained.

“Oh,” she nodded. “That makes sense.” I grinned.

Yeah, that and the fact that you’re kind of a celebrity now, I said in my head. She had no idea what was about to- oh my… A weird nauseous feeling hit me like a truck and that was definitely the last straw. Back to the old regular cloth uniforms it is!

“A-and if you don’t mind, I really need to change. I think I might actually pass out.”

 “Uhm, oh ye-yeah,” she said with wide eyes before turning around completely to face the wall. What the- It was my turn to be confused now.

That’s not quite what I meant by that, but whatever works for her. I just really needed to take these pants off. As I was changing though I found it more odd and odd that she did that. I mean wasn’t she from Korea? Where they have public baths and freely change in front of the same gender all the time like it’s no big deal?

It wasn’t like I was getting or anything, at the most it’d be like if were wearing a bathing suit… a one piece too since I was wearing a tank top after all.

Hmm, whatever. Maybe she was just shy or something… oh god or maybe she thought I minded? Oh my, that had to be it, right? Did I seem rude? I-

No way… The next thought was brief and definitely far-fetched, but what if I had just found the answer to my question earlier?

Was Kim Taeyeon actually checking me out?

It took all I had not to laugh at myself, but it was kind of funny to think about.

“So uh, what’s your power,” Taeyeon asked with her back still turned. “Like, what’s your class or whatever?” I grinned again.

 “I’m Level One,” I clarified. “Oh you can turn around now. I’m done.” I pulled the tee over my head and by the time it was on, Taeyeon was looking at me again.

“Th-that’s the best one, right?” I did a half nod kind of thing.

“It’s the best one after Zero.”

“Ah, right… I knew that,” she said as she nervously smiled at the floor.

Was this girl seriously the same age as me? She was so precious. Something about her made me just want to take care of her or something... it was an odd feeling.

I could also tell she was getting more comfortable too now that I was fully clothed so I decided to just keep the conversation going… even though Jess was totally gonna kill me for taking so long.

“Most people with abilities are usually Level Two or Three so I guess you could say were both above average,” I commented hoping she’d have more questions.

“Above average,” she laughed. “I like that.”

I waited for her to continue her sentence, but it didn’t happen.

What the… What was I supposed to say back to that?! It’s not like she gave me anything to go on and I-

“So wh-what can you do?”

Omo, that caught me completely off guard and with Taeyeon’s immediate apology I think it showed.

Good one Tiff.

“Oh my god, am I not supposed to ask that? Is it rude or something? I-”

“No, no,” I interrupted again. “It’s not impolite or anything but some people do react differently to the question,” I explained. “Like I don’t mind talking about my powers, but some people are touchy about it.”

“Ahh, I see,” she nodded. “So…?”

“Right! I-“ I stopped myself.

Telling her my ability would probably be enough, but showing her would be even better. I’m sure she hasn’t seen anything like it before either since the only super hero with the same ability retired long ago.

“I actually probably shouldn’t be doing this,” I said as I took off my ARAs. “We’re not technically supposed to use our abilities in the dorm but~,” I held out enthusiastically. “Seeing is way better than just believing, right?”

Before I could let her answer though I held out my clenched hand palm up and felt the energy already moving within me.  It crept up toward my palm like I wanted it to and just as I my hand open a small warm flame materialized. I felt it shift in my hand as I moved my fingers a little and truly felt happy.

I loved my power… and by the looks of it Taeyeon was a fan too. was open and her eyes were huge.

“Whoa,” she said in shock. I grinned. While that was the usual response since my ability is a bit more on the rare side, Taeyeon’s was just so… so… cute!

Gah, what is she doing to me? Did she have some kind of seduction power too? Jeesh.

I closed my hand and smothered the fire.

“So yeah, I manipulate fire… and heat I guess, but only like around me if that makes sense?” Taeyeon nodded. Good, at least some of my rambling kind of made sense.

“Not really, but that was awesome!” I grinned.

Or not.

“Aye, that was nothing,” I said honestly. “Imagine that but like everywhere.” Her eyes followed my hand as I motioned to my whole body, but- “Well not everywhere yet,” I corrected. “Just my arms pretty much.”

The whole body thing was still a work in progress.

“Still, that’s awesome,” Taeyeon cheered. “Hands down the coolest power I’ve seen so far.”

I felt a little proud, but this still was technically her first day of school… since she passed out day one she really hasn’t seen anyone’s power. There were still three more grades full of people who she hasn’t even seen yet.

“You did something so amazing so easily and I don’t even know how to make mine go.” I laughed as she moved her hands around… but wait.

She wasn’t serious was she?

 “You’d be lucky to freeze an ice cube with all those ARAs on.”

It looks like Dr. Snow gave her even more powerful ARAs to wear since the first time I saw her too. She had to be-

“ARAs?”

… not kidding?

Oh my gosh.

Her head was tilted a little to the side, like a confused puppy, and I really don’t think she knew what I was talking about.

“Ability Restricting Apparatuses?” She shook her head.

I… She…

“Your dad invented them Taeyeon, how do you not know what they are?” She added a shrug with this head shake but I just didn’t get it.

Like…

“You’re literally wearing them right now,” I said in disbelief.

“I am?”

Heol... This girl really is as clueless as they thought.

“All the bracelets and earrings you’re wearing right now are ARAs Taeyeon. They channel your dad’s power to help restrict your power so you can’t use it… It’s like one of the most important inventions for our kind ever…”

“What? Seriously?” I watched her grab her ears, but when I read the clock on the wall behind her I knew I had bigger problems waiting for me.