_________________________________________________________

“I’m sorry, but this is something that can’t be healed,” Suzy stated, taking her hand off of Tzuyu’s shoulder and looking into the girl’s eyes with a glance of pure sympathy.

Jihyo took Tzuyu’s hand and squeezed it, watching the younger girl’s face closely. On the outside, Tzuyu was maintaining her cool, but on the inside Jihyo could tell that Tzuyu was devastated. Her super strength had been a part of her. It made her feel unique, and most importantly, powerful. Without it, in a school of people with incredible abilities, she felt pathetic. Useless, even—already more so than she was feeling to begin with. Jihyo could see all these things as she focused on Tzuyu, and her heart really went out to the girl.

“Thank you for trying,” Tzuyu said, bowing slightly to Suzy.

“How could this be possible?” Jihyo asked JYP, who was standing in the room scratching his skin, just as dumbfounded as everyone else.

“I’m honestly not sure, but mutations are genetic. They must have somehow found a way to isolate the gene that was mutated and correct it.”

Tzuyu felt her stomach drop. All those tests they’d done on her...the times they put her under...all those unaccountable minutes. In that lost time they’d ripped something from her.

“Can I...still stay here if I don’t have any powers?” Tzuyu asked JYP.

“Of course,” JYP assured. “This is your home. We’d never ask you to leave. In the meantime, I’ll reach out to my contacts and see what they know about the government’s research on mutations. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

Tzuyu nodded gratefully and watched as JYP and Suzy left the room, leaving Jihyo and Tzuyu alone. “Tell me what I can do to help,” Jihyo said as soon as the door closed behind them. “I’ll do anything.”

“There’s nothing anyone can do,” Tzuyu said in a monotone voice. She truly looked dead on the inside. “I think I just want to go back to my room and be left alone for awhile.”

“Alright, I’ll walk you there.” Jihyo helped Tzuyu out of bed and began walking beside her through the west wing and back toward the dorms.

_________________________________________________________

“You can be anyone. Anyone you’d like. Envision them in your head. Focus on every aspect of them. Let that feeling of falling overtake you for a bit. Lean into it, even. That’s the Shift. It’s often fast. Sometimes you can’t feel it. Sometimes it can be agonizingly slow, painful even. But once you master it you can be sure to never let either of those situations happen.”

Akari and Mina were sitting in Mina’s room. Akari was seated on Mina’s desk chair while Mina was sitting cross-legged on her bed. Mina opted to train somewhere private, knowing this could be quite embarrassing if anyone watched.

“Shifting is related to emotion. If you feel something strongly, you’re more likely to change. If you think about someone too much, you may end up looking like them.”

“I’ve shifted before because of that...three times already,” Mina admitted, “without even knowing it. I don’t want that to happen again.”

“It will,” Akari warned, “but it will happen less frequently the more you practice.”

“It makes me feel...uncomfortable,” Mina whispered—voice shy and unsure. “I don’t like the thought of not looking like myself.”

“That’s understandable,” Akari commented, “but it can actually be a lot of fun! So try to look on the bright side of things.”

“Fun?” Mina replied with wide eyes, crossing her arms. “It’s horrifying.”

“You’ve never wanted to try being someone else for a day?” Akari chuckled at that. “Sorry, if I could’ve been more selective with my collecting power, maybe I would’ve given you my ability to freeze things. Or better yet, teleport, although I’d miss that one.”

Mina sighed. “No, I’m grateful for this. I shouldn’t be complaining, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Akari smiled. “I promise I’ll do my best to help you. Before you know it you’ll be in total control of it and you won’t have to ever shift again if you don’t want to, okay?”

Mina nodded. “Thank you.”

“Now, let’s try shifting quickly and accurately. Remember what I said, it’s about emotion and focus. You need to picture the person you want to shift into clearly in your mind and give into that tug you’ll feel. I want you to try shifting into someone now.”

Mina suddenly looked panicked and uncomfortable. “Ummm...who?”

“Anyone that comes to mind,” Akari replied, waiting patiently.

Mina uncrossed her arms and clasped her hands together tightly. “Anyone? Oh...I don’t know…” It’s clear the girl was embarrassed beyond belief. Akari found it terribly endearing.

“Let’s try your friends. How about Sana?” Akari offered.

“S-sana...oh, I just feel so weird about this…”

“Mina, you can’t train if you don’t shift.”

“Right,” Mina sighed. “Okay. Sana.” She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about Sana. Sana, with her long blonde hair, and small yet bright smile. Her shining eyes…

Mina opened her eyes and looked at Akari expectantly.

“You still look like you,” Akari said. “Try thinking about a memory you have of her. You seem focused, but you need an emotional drive as well.”

“Okay,” Mina nodded. She closed her eyes again, and this time remembered a time when she watched Sana trip on her own feet when walking outside to the garden. Sana had flailed her arms and reached out to the person closest to her, who happened to be Mina. As Sana latched onto Mina’s arm, the blonde had almost brought Mina down with her in her tumble. Instead, Mina was able to balance and hold the both of them up. Sana had immediately apologized and began giggling.

“You’ve got it!” Akari cheered.

Mina opened her eyes and stared back at Akari, immediately feeling self-conscious. “Really?” But as soon as she spoke she heard the difference in her voice and reached for .

“That’s the nice thing about shifting, your voice changes to match your appearance as well. Comes a lot more in handy when you’re really trying to pull someone else off,” Akari commented.

“How do I change back?” Mina asked.

“You just think about yourself...and who you are. This part can be more difficult. I know there were times when it took me awhile to change back.”

“Awhile to change back?” Mina gulped.

Akari smiled. “Don’t worry about it...it doesn’t happen often. But sometimes, you might get stuck.”

Suddenly Mina’s eyes were totally round and, looking like Sana, she really looked like a scared puppy. Akari had to hold back a laugh. “S-stuck?”

“I was stuck once for about a month…” Akari shrugged, and Mina looked as though she were about to faint. “But I also didn’t have an amazing teacher like you do,” Akari teased, winking at Mina. “I had to figure this out on my own, before I got captured.”

“That must’ve been hard…” Mina guessed, looking at Akari sadly.

Akari shrugged. “I mean, looking like a celebrity for a month definitely had its perks…”

“A celebrity?” Mina looked stunned.

“Like I said...having this power can be fun. Now, let’s focus. Let’s have you shift back to yourself. Try to find your center. Think of you.”

Mina closed her eyes again and scrunched her nose. What was her center, and who was she, really? A girl who’d had to leave her family behind...a girl who fled to a foreign country and was captured by greedy people before she found her sanctuary. A girl who accidentally killed her best friend…

“Mina,” Akari called, gently, breaking the other girl’s concentration. “You’re slowly changing back, but you still have some of Sana’s features. You need to be fully committed. Don’t let any nagging thoughts cloud your concentration.”

Mina opened her eyes and nodded. She was scared to even know what she looked like right now. She took a breath and closed her eyes again, envisioning her physical appearance and that alone...the face she saw in the mirror every day.

“Good, good,” she heard Akari say. “You’re back to normal. Did you feel the shift at all?”

Mina shook her head. “No, I felt the same the entire time...and that’s what scares me.”

“That’s okay,” Akari replied. “That’s normal...I think...for beginners. Really feeling the shift will take time. Here, let’s try again. How about Jihyo?”

_________________________________________________________

“Do you believe in fate?” Sana asked Dahyun, laying on her back with her head hanging off the bed, hair falling straight down due to gravity. She looked like she was stuck upside on a roller coaster—not at all fit to ask such a loaded question.

“I guess?” Dahyun replied. She was spinning around in an office chair. “Why do you ask?”

“I was watching this tv show where the main character asked that question all dramatically and it got me wondering...was it fate for us to have our powers...and end up here at this school? Was it fate that I’d get stabbed and Mina’d get shot and Tzuyu would lose her powers?”

Dahyun stopped spinning and looked at Sana thoughtfully. “Believing everything’s set in stone isn’t any fun...what’s the point of doing anything if you know you can’t change what’s going to happen?”

Sana nodded. “Do you think Tzuyu will get her powers back?”

Dahyun couldn’t answer that one, so instead she said, “I hope so.”

“I don’t know if I’d mind if I lost my powers,” Sana admitted. “It must be nice to be normal. I could be a singer...a celebrity…”

“You could still be one!” Dahyun assured.

“I’d have to hide my powers...I’d have to hide who I was from everybody and I don’t want to do that.”

Dahyun looked down at Sana sadly. “Maybe not forever. Maybe things will change. Jihyo said public opinion is swaying slightly...people aren’t as afraid of us as they used to be.”

Sana rolled over onto her stomach and lifted herself up into a sitting position. “Maybe one day. Maybe one day I’ll actually be able to leave this place.”

“But you’d be leaving me…” Dahyun added sadly, snapping Sana from the self-pity train she’d been riding momentarily.

“I wouldn’t leave you,” Sana assured, rubbing her hand back and forth along Dahyun’s upper leg. “I’d take you with me.”

“Do you think it was fate that you and I met?” Dahyun asked.

Sana smiled fondly at the other girl. She patted the bed next to her and Dahyun got up and plopped down beside the blonde. “I think in a thousand lifetimes I’d find a way to meet you in every one,” Sana purred, looking at Dahyun with huge, loving eyes. If anyone else was in the room, they probably would’ve gagged at the cheesiness of the moment. For a moment Dahyun melted, but then her brain registered the cringe-worthiness of what Sana had just said.

Dahyun hid her face in embarrassment and groaned. “Sanaaaa, you’re so cheesy.”

“But you love it,” Sana mused, putting both of her arms around Dahyun and leaning into her.

Sana was right, Dahyun did love it. She really was a fool for this girl.

_________________________________________________________

“How much further?” Nayeon asked with her brows furrowed, eyes hidden behind the piece of cloth Momo had tied around her head to act as a blindfold.

 

“We’re almost there,” Momo insisted—her soft voice lighting up the darkness Nayeon was currently drowning in. Momo was guiding her forward with her hands on the older girl’s shoulders. Momo's hands were slightly chilly, but Nayeon would never tell Momo that. Instead, she endured the cold and let Momo push her forward into the unknown.

When Momo had told Nayeon she had a surprise planned for her, Nayeon instantly panicked, thinking she’d forgotten some important landmark of their friendship or relationship. Momo had laughed and assured her she just wanted to do something nice for her girlfriend. Her girlfriend. Nayeon didn’t know if she could ever think of that word without wearing a stupid, giddy smile on her face. So she let herself be blindfolded by Momo. “This isn’t something ...is it?” Nayeon asked, with a smug smile on her face.

“Noooo,” Momo exclaimed. “You’ll see, you’ll see.”

They’d been walking for about five minutes now. Where exactly was Momo taking her? The anticipation was nearly killing her as she felt a change in temperature and the feeling of a slight breeze. She was outside, then. “Just watch your step,” Momo whispered. Suddenly, Momo brought Nayeon to a halt. “Okay, I’m gonna take off your blindfold now.”

Momo gently slid the cloth off of Nayeon’s face and the girl opened her eyes. She was right, they were outside in the garden, standing in front of a table set up in the middle of the courtyard, complete with a red table cloth, a candle currently burning in the center, and a set of fancy plates and silverware. There were even napkins folded up like swans. Nayeon’s jaw dropped open and she tried to find the right words to describe the warmth burning through her chest all the way through her toes, but her thoughts were jumbled and incoherent.

“I know you’ve been having a tough time recently, so I wanted to do something special for you,” Momo smiled shyly at Nayeon. “And even though you going out after Tzuyu without telling me was really, really stupid, I forgive you and I just want you to be happy.”

Nayeon threw herself at Momo and crushed her into a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Nayeon cooed.

“Can’t...breathe…” Momo choked out and Nayeon quickly loosened her grip around the brunette and kissed her on the cheek instead. There was a slight sniffle, so Momo leaned back to get a look at Nayeon. “Are you...crying?”

Nayeon sniffled again and shook her head. “No...there’s just something in my eye,” Nayeon assured, but her face was scrunching up as she tried to hold back tears.

Momo simply laughed and pulled Nayeon into a tight hug again.

“You know I didn’t tell you about going after Tzuyu because you never would’ve let me go or you would’ve insisted on going too, and I couldn’t risk you getting hurt,” Nayeon whispered.

“I know. But what if you got hurt instead? What would I have done?”

Nayeon simply shrugged. “But I didn’t get hurt, and Tzuyu’s okay, so that’s all that matters, right?”

“You’re lucky I like you,” Momo sighed.

“You’re right, I’m so, so lucky,” Nayeon purred, snuggling into Momo. “I can’t wait to see what you prepared for me.”

Momo pulled out Nayeon’s chair for her and Nayeon’s smile grew from ear to ear as she sat down. Momo sat opposite of her and the two looked at each other with shining eyes. After a few seconds, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung appeared, both carrying trays with plates on them. They set them down in front of the girls and stepped back. “Aw, how sweet," Nayeon gushed at her two friends.

“Sweet’s got nothing to do with it,” Jeongyeon muttered. “Momo just offered to give us both a few won.”

Nayeon was touched Momo would spend money on her. She looked back at Momo and smiled sweetly.

“Enjoy!” Chaeyoung called as her and Jeongyeon left to give the two girlfriends some alone time.

The food in front of her was in no way gourmet, but the japchae and bulgogi looked well cooked and there was even a side of tteokbokki for them to enjoy. “Did you prepare this all yourself?” Nayeon asked.

“I might have had a little help, but I did most of the work!” It’s true that Sana, Dahyun and Mina had all helped a little bit, but ultimately Momo wanted to contribute to the dinner the most.

“You’re the sweetest girlfriend ever, thank you,” Nayeon stated, staring at Momo dreamily.

“You’re welcome,” Momo smiled back, so widely her eyes began to crinkle up. “Alright, let’s eat!”

_________________________________________________________

The next day, classes resumed and the entire school picked up with its normal schedule, though things felt far from normal. There was still a deep uneasiness with the HCA invading the grounds, and word about Tzuyu’s return had spread. Now everyone knew what the HCA had done to her, and people began to wonder what implication this new victory for the HCA meant. Knowing that a mutant’s powers could be stripped from them against their will would be the HCA’s dream. If every mutant could be normalized, they’d no longer be a "threat" to humanity.

Mina and Akari had decided on meeting up after dinner every day to have training sessions. Mina was looking forward to not being so paranoid that she’d shift at any moment. She hadn’t felt this nervous since her time in high school, when she had first discovered her power of hypnosis. She had to walk around being guarded, with her heart closed. But, closing yourself off from your emotions was near impossible, especially when her heart fluttered and soared with the thought of her and Chaeyoung becoming closer over these past few weeks.

In the hallway, in between classes, Mina spotted Nayeon and Momo talking animatedly about something. Yesterday, Mina had helped Momo make a full, gourmet meal for her surprise date with Nayeon, and Mina couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous. The gesture was adorable and romantic.

Mina stared at Nayeon and Momo, playfully leaning into each other, with a bit of a far-off, dreamy look in her eye. She admired how upfront both girls could be with their feelings. It made her both happy and sad to see the two girls so clearly in love. Love was something Mina knew little about. She loved her parents. She loved her brother. She loved her dog. But she’d never known love in the romantic sense. She’d had crushes, sure. She’d even had a boyfriend, but she couldn’t say any feelings had ever developed. He was just there and he was nice.

Momo was forward. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. Mina envied that. She was so meek that she was often too scared to draw attention to herself at all. She wished she could put herself out there and not care what others thought of her, but she just couldn’t push the self doubt out of her head.

She remained staring dreamily until she realized everyone was clearing out from the hallways and getting ready to go to their next class. Mina peeled herself off the wall she was leaning against and took one last look at Nayeon and Momo before she adjusted her backpack on her shoulder and headed further down the nearly empty hallway to her class.

The rest of the day went by slowly, and Mina could feel her eyes drooping as the hands of the clock ticked in circles. She saw a glimpse of Nayeon again, only Momo was not by her side. Instead, Nayeon was talking with Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon had a lazy smile on her face as the two girls waved to Mina, who politely waved back. They were standing outside of the classroom, clearly not wanting to go in just yet.

Mina would normally join their conversation but she felt like being undisturbed today. She was one of the first people in the classroom for her last class of the day. She liked being early. Not too early, but early enough to enjoy the silence of the room before it was filled with chattering students.

Mina sat down at her desk and grabbed her folder and notebook out of her backpack, spreading them on her desk neatly. Instantly, her mind went back to Momo and Nayeon as she sulked to herself. Would she ever be able to find a love like that? The thought came to her painfully fast, like a slap in the face. With who she was and where she was, could she be as lucky as Nayeon and Momo? She thought of Chaeyoung, and the girl’s adorable dimple, and wondered if Chaeyoung felt the same butterflies she felt when their hands accidentally touched, or their eyes met. She wished she could borrow some of the courage Momo and Nayeon had—then she could finally make a move.

A moment later, Nayeon walked into the room but stopped short when she saw Mina. Her face instantly lit up and she practically ran over to the younger girl, leaning all of her weight into Mina as she squished her into a hug. “What are you doing here? Did you come in to surprise me?” Nayeon whispered in Mina’s ear, trailing her hand along Mina’s shoulders and back, making the girl shiver instinctively.

“Nayeon, what—”

Nayeon firmly planted a kiss on Mina’s cheek, causing the younger girl to freeze and short circuit momentarily. “N-n-nayeon?” Mina mumbled, forcing to move. Nayeon was practically on her lap now and was snuggling into Mina. What was going on?

“You’re so cute! You just don’t stop getting cuter,” Nayeon talked in a high pitched, aegyo voice, nearly causing Mina to lose it. Mina was trying and failing not to make eye contact with Nayeon. She wanted to run out of the classroom immediately...but she couldn’t exactly do that with Nayeon on her lap.

“Nayeon!” Mina said more forcefully, but then her eyes suddenly widened at the unfamiliar sound of her own voice. It sounded different than she was used to. Cuter. Oh no.

Mina touched her face and then reached for her hair, running her hands through it and bringing it in front of her eyes. It was light brown and longer than her own shoulder-length hair. Mina closed her eyes and thought of herself...scrunching her nose in the process. Change back, change back, change back. Find your center. She opened her eyes and her hair still looked the same...it wasn’t hers.

“What’s wrong?” Nayeon asked, staring at Mina like she’d grown a second head. Then something clicked in Nayeon’s brain and she wordlessly turned to face Mina’s desk, snatching up her notebook. Nayeon scanned her eyes over the open page and observed Mina’s neat handwriting. She set the notebook back down slowly and jumped up off of Mina like lightning. Nayeon’s dark eyes gave Mina a once over and the younger girl could feel her face turning bright red.

“Mina? Is that you?” Nayeon asked finally, mouth hanging open slightly.

Mina could feel the stares of the few students in the room boring into her. She abruptly gathered her things and stuffed them into her backpack. Then she stood up in one, smooth motion and began fast-walking toward the door, brushing past Nayeon on her way out.

“Hey!” Nayeon called after her, but Mina kept walking.

Doing what Akari had told her wasn’t working. Don’t panic, Mina thought. She said panicking only makes it worse. Surely her professor would understand her missing the class—Mina didn’t want to be embarrassed like that in front of everyone. She couldn't bear it.

She burst into the bathroom down the hall and leaned against the sink. Taking a breath, she slowly allowed her eyes to meet her reflection.

Mina nearly cried out when she saw it. She wasn’t yet used to this whole shapeshifting thing and she wasn’t sure she ever would be.

“Mina?” The bathroom door slowly opened and Nayeon emerged in the brightly lit, stuffy interior. “Are you alright?”

Mina took a breath and hung her head. “No,” she sighed. “I...can’t change back.”

Nayeon’s eyes widened slightly. She leaned back on her heels and bit her lip, giving Mina another once over. “What do you mean you...can’t change back?”

“I. Can’t. Change. Back.” Mina replied, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “It’s not working!” She closed her eyes again and scrunched her nose, humming to herself. She opened her eyes again and faced her reflection. It was still the same. Not her own.

“So you’re stuck like that?” Nayeon asked, trying to hide the amusement in her voice, but failing.

Mina took her hands off the sink and dropped her head in defeat. “For now.”

“Oh my god...what if I had kissed you on the lips back there?” Nayeon’s nose scrunched up in disgust. She made gagging noises and Mina rolled her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me it was really you sooner?”

“I tried!” Mina protested. “But you...you…”

Nayeon put her hands on her head and stood with a look of embarrassment on her face. “I can’t believe this,” she groaned. From the sound of her voice you would’ve thought she was the one stuck looking like someone else. But then Nayeon did something odd, she laughed.

“This isn’t funny,” Mina sharply declared.

Nayeon was doubled over laughing.

“Nayeon!” Mina whined, crossing her arms and pouting.

“I’m sorry,” Nayeon choked out in between laughs. After she finally caught her breath she stood up and looked at Mina, but she snorted and began laughing again.

“I’m just gonna go,” Mina replied. She spun around and began to stomp away.

“Wait!” Nayeon cried, running to catch up to the younger girl. She grabbed Mina’s arm and gently pulled it back, spinning the now brown-haired girl to face her again. “I’m sorry, really. It’s just...this is weird. When I’m nervous I laugh.”

“How do you think I feel?” Mina grumbled, not meeting Nayeon’s gaze. “I can’t go back to class like this. Can you tell Miss Lee that I’m not feeling well?”

“Of course,” Nayeon replied. “Is there anything I can do?”

Mina shook her head slowly. “Akari said this might happen…”

“Well...look on the bright side...it could be worse. You could be stuck as a guy or something.”

Mina shivered at the thought.

“Now you get to be the cutest girl in the world,” Nayeon smiled, flashing her bunny teeth at Mina while giving her a smug look. Mina turned away slightly, wanting to teleport out of there. “You know, I had a feeling something was off the moment I saw you. Momo’s uniform never looks that...neat. There’s usually some sort of food stain…”

“Ick. I’m just gonna go back to my room and sleep...and when I wake up maybe I’ll be back to normal.”

“Alright,” Nayeon replied, but she held out her hand expectantly. Mina gave her a strange look. “What? I’m gonna walk you back to your room,” Nayeon insisted.

“Is that really necessary?” Mina said. “I know where my room is and I’m perfectly safe.”

“Absolutely,” Nayeon assured, stepping forward and taking one of Mina’s hands. “You are my girlfriend, after all.” Nayeon winked and Mina just shook her head and pouted. She let herself be tugged by Nayeon out the door and into the hallway. The two walked together, side by side, and Nayeon began swinging their arms.

Nayeon looked obnoxiously happy while Mina just looked done. Luckily the hallways were empty because everyone else was in class, or else Mina probably would’ve died from embarrassment.

When they reached Mina’s room, Nayeon unlocked their hands and stood with an amused smile on her face. “This is the end of the road…” Nayeon sighed. “No funny business, okay?” Nayeon wagged a finger at Mina and Mina’s face contorted into one of confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know Momo’s super hot so don't––”

Mina sighed and quickly opened her bedroom door. Then she practically slammed it in Nayeon’s face after she stepped inside.

_________________________________________________________

There was a knock on the door. Soft. Then one much louder. Followed by a series of knocks, increasing in volume. “Mina,” a timid voice called on the other side of the door, causing Mina to stir and eventually open her eyes. She was tangled in her sheets, enveloped in warmth. She groaned and sat up slightly.

“Who is it?” she responded back with feeling dry from her nap. Immediately she knew something was off, and she pulled a strand of her hair in front of her eyes just to check. Yup, she still looked like Momo.

“It’s Chaeyoung,” the girl on the other side of the door replied. “Are you feeling okay? Nayeon told me you were sick, so I wanted to check up on you.”

Leave it to Nayeon to run , but Mina supposed Chaeyoung would’ve swung by her room at some point later in the day regardless.

“I’m not feeling well, I was actually just taking a nap,” Mina projected her voice loudly so Chaeyoung could hear it.

“Oh, sorry to wake you,” Chaeyoung replied. “Do you need me to get you anything? Water...food....medicine? I could even go get Suzy?”

“No! No,” Mina pleaded. “I’ll be okay, thank you though.”

There was a moment of silence. “Okay, well I’ll be on my way then.” There was a hint of disappointment behind Chaeyoung’s voice, making Mina feel guilty for not opening the door, but Mina didn’t want Chaeyoung seeing her like this. “Come get me if you need anything at all, okay?”

Mina nodded and then remembered Chaeyoung couldn’t see her. “Okay, I’ll do that. Thank you.”

Mina heard Chaeyoung’s retreating footsteps and sunk back into her bed. If she didn’t change back soon, she’d have to sneak out and find Akari. She couldn’t stay locked away in her room, hiding forever. For now, she closed her eyes again and attempted to fall back asleep.

_________________________________________________________

Another knock on the door jolted Mina awake once again. She groaned, rolled over, and looked at the alarm clock on her night stand. It was 7PM—time for her training session with Akari. “Coming,” Mina called, noting the difference in her voice. She knew she still looked like Momo—she didn’t even have to check. In fact, she avoided looking at the small mirror in her room completely. She got up from her bed and opened the door, stepping aside to let Akari in.

As the door opened, Akari yelped out in surprise at seeing a familiar face at the door, but not the one she was expecting. Before Akari could ask, Mina quickly ushered the older girl inside and closed the door. “It’s me,” Mina sighed. “I...shifted accidentally and now I’m stuck.”

Akari couldn’t help but laugh at the look of pure defeat on Mina’s face. “Poor girl. Well, I’ll try my best to help. Sometimes shifting into someone else and then shifting to yourself can be easier than just shifting back to you.”

Mina sat back down on her bed and nodded. “Okay.” She thought of Sana again, as she’d shifted into the girl rather easily the first time when she tried it yesterday.

“It’s not working,” Akari said, and Mina opened her eyes and sighed. “Is there anyone else you might have a stronger...emotional connection with? Focus on them.”

The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted and Mina suddenly looked a lot more embarrassed.

“It’s okay, I won’t judge you,” Akari assured. “This is a non-judgment zone.”

Mina nodded. Of course her heart instantly took her to Chaeyoung. She thought about all the feelings she’d felt earlier today, the ones that had made her slightly jealous of Nayeon and Momo in the first place.

“Mina…” The younger girl felt a soft pat on her leg. Mina opened her eyes and saw Akari moved a lot closer to her, looking at her in a gentle way.

“You know, I never really pegged you as the type to be crushing on a taken girl, but the world is full of surprises.” The gentleness of the moment instantly faded as Akari flashed Mina her signature, wolfish smile.

“What?” Mina asked, wide-eyed as she registered her voice sounded different once again. It wasn’t Momo’s cute and high-pitched voice but it wasn’t her own either. But Chaeyoung wasn’t taken...was she?

Mina stood up and grabbed her small desk mirror, nearly dropping it when she saw Nayeon’s reflection in the glass, except with Momo’s light brown hair and bangs. “No no no,” Mina replied, setting the mirror down and then covering her face with her hands. “I wasn’t even thinking about her,” Mina moaned in a muffled voice through her hands.

“Let me guess, Nayeon found you looking like Momo today, right?” Akari asked. When Mina simply nodded, still hiding behind her hands, Akari pressed her lips together and huffed. “Yup, that’ll do it. Sometimes your subconsciousness is more in charge of your shifting than your conscious mind. I guess that interaction was enough, whatever happened.” Akari got up from the desk chair she was sitting on and placed her hands on Mina’s shoulders. “Alright, let’s sit you down. Don’t worry, we’ll get you back to normal, I promise.”

“I hate this,” Mina muttered. “Ah, seriously, this is so embarrassing,” she said as she let Akari guide her back to the bed.

“Why? It’s just me, you don’t have to worry,” Akari assured.

Mina uncovered her face and sighed. “Now what should I do?”

“Well, you’re probably stressing yourself out too much to actually shift back at this point. I think we should take a little break.”

“A break—?” Mina whined.

Akari laughed softly. “See? You’re too panicked to think straight. It’s clouding your judgment. You need to have a clear mind if you want to control this. The more you panic, the harder it’ll be to change back.”

“Kind of like quicksand...the more you struggle, the faster you sink,” Mina replied dejectedly, staring down at the floor.

“Exactly,” Akari cheered. “Now, try your best to relax. I’ll leave you alone so you can calm your mind,” Akari began getting up, and Mina looked at her in surprise.

“You can stay,” Mina said softly. “It’ll make me less anxious if I talk to someone, I think.”

“Oh. Okay,” Akari sat back down and tried to hide the fact that Mina’s offer had caused her chest to swell up with excitement.

“How have you been?” Mina asked. She’d never really gotten to ask the girl about her feelings about everything that had happened recently. They’d had that brief encounter when Mina returned from the hospital, but nothing more.

“I’ve been alright, better than you,” Akari replied honestly.

“I heard what you did with Tzuyu...helping Jihyo break her out of that terrible place. Thank you for that.”

“It was nothing,” Akari suggested.

“It was everything. Who knows what else would’ve happened if Tzuyu was held their longer!” Mina shivered at the thought. “It was nice of you to help.”

Akari shrugged. “Yeah, poor girl.” She’d heard about the youngest of Mina’s friend group losing her powers. She knew she’d be devastated if she lost her own.

There was another knock on the door, causing Mina to jump and Akari to turn her head with wide eyes. She’d been leaning closer and closer toward Mina as they spoke, as if by instinct, so it was good that something pulled her away.

“Mina?” a soft voice called, and Mina immediately recognized it as Chaeyoung once again. “Sorry to wake you. I just figured you probably didn’t eat anything for dinner so I wanted to bring some food down for you. You know, just in case you were hungry.”

Chaeyoung was so thoughtful, and Mina had to admit her stomach did feel rather empty, but this was the worst possible time for the younger girl to come knocking again. She knew she couldn’t turn her away again, especially not when she had food.

“Chaeng—”

But before Mina could respond, Akari was on her feet and stalking toward the door. She opened it quickly and Chaeyoung’s eyes widened at the sight of Akari answering Mina’s door. She’d figured since Mina was sick that her training session with Akari would’ve been cancelled, and now Chaeyoung felt really stupid.

“Oh, I forgot about your training sessions, I’m sorry,” Chaeyoung apologized.

“Mina’s...still not doing great,” Akari replied, staring Chaeyoung down with a bit of a challenging glare. “I can take the food and give it to her.”

Mina was on her feet at once, pushing past Akari so Chaeyoung could see her. In the spur of the moment, she’d forgotten that she looked like Nayeon, so when Chaeyoung let out an exclaim of surprise she silently kicked herself.

“Oh, sorry, it’s me,” Mina replied in a soft and embarrassed voice. “Thanks for coming by, you can come in.” And so Chaeyoung stepped inside Mina’s room, and suddenly the walls felt suffocating with the presence of those three specific girls inside.

Akari shut the door and tried her best to contain her annoyance. Not that she should be feeling that way...it’s not like she owned this time with Mina...but she couldn’t help it.

“I shifted accidentally again today,” Mina explained, noticing Chaeyoung’s curious stares. “I’m not really sick but I’m just...stuck. I didn’t want you to see me like that earlier. I didn’t want anyone to see me, really.”

Chaeyoung set her paper bag down on the desk and looked back at Mina. She didn’t want to stare...but she really couldn’t help it. It was quite a sight to see Nayeon sporting Momo’s hair and bangs. “Oh, I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. Well, here’s some food for you. I didn’t bring any for you Akari...I didn’t think you guys were doing this tonight...but um...I’ll let you guys get back to it then. If you need anything I’ll be in my room.”

“We’ll be alright here,” Akari stated, looking at Chaeyoung levelly.

“Thanks, Chaeng,” Mina replied gently, giving the shorter girl a thankful smile. “If I’m back to normal I’ll come by and see you later tonight.”

Chaeyoung smiled back and began to retreat toward the door. As she exited, Akari gave her one last scowl before she shut the door behind her.

“Did you have to be so rude?” Mina asked Akari, looking at her with accustatory eyes. “She was nothing but nice to you the entire time you’ve been here.”

Akari didn’t like to see that look from Mina. It made her feel small and guilty, and she hated that someone else had that power over her. Akari played it off though, trying to act cool. “I wasn’t trying to be, but whatever. I just don’t want her to ruin your focus.”

Mina couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but she just shrugged it off. “Okay, well I might as well eat while we wait for my head to clear. Did you eat something?”

Akari simply nodded and grabbed the paper bag filled with food and handed it to Mina.

_________________________________________________________

Classes had begun again, but Tzuyu was excused from them until she felt up to going again. She wasn’t sure when that would be, but she knew she’d be crossed off the attendance list from their powers training course indefinitely. Occasionally, she’d close her eyes and try to focus her strength, but nothing worked. She even punched her wall in frustration, only earning a bruised knuckle and a crash of pain that was so hot and unbearable that she nearly fell to the floor.

The bang was loud enough to earn the attention of Dahyun and Sana, who happened to be sitting in the room next door. Dahyun practically kicked down Tzuyu's door and the two girls rushed inside the room, prepared to fight. When they saw Tzuyu sitting on the floor, cradling her right hand, Sana instantly got on her knees beside Tzuyu, asking what happened in a gentle and worried voice. Tzuyu didn’t want them to see her like that—with cheeks red from crying—but here they were. Tzuyu let Dahyun and Sana hug her as she gently cried into Sana’s shoulder.

Jihyo visited often. Tzuyu pretended to be annoyed with every visit, but Jihyo could tell that the younger girl secretly enjoyed her company—longed for it, even. That made Jihyo, secretly, very happy.

“I think I know something that will cheer you up,” Jihyo said to Tzuyu, who was engrossed in something on her laptop (Jihyo knew Tzuyu was doing extensive research into the genetics behind mutants, but information was very limited and was also censored by the government).

“And what’s that?” Tzuyu asked, looking up briefly to glance at Jihyo, who was laying on Chaeyoung's bed with her phone in hand.

“You and I are going to go out to a mall.”

“A mall?” Tzuyu asked incredulously. “We couldn’t go outside the gate...not with—”

Jihyo held up a hand and turned around. “I have a surprise for you…” She was facing away from Tzuyu, reaching into her purse. Her hand moved around for a minute, but Tzuyu couldn’t see what she was doing. Eventually Jihyo turned around, and Tzuyu became breathless for a moment.

Jihyo’s right eye...her beautiful, blue left eye that allowed her to see people’s true natures and thoughts, was gone. Instead, Tzuyu was looking at a girl with two dark brown eyes staring back at her. “I got a colored contact lens, see? You can’t tell I’m a mutant, can you?”

“But...JYP will never let us go—”

“I’ve already made arrangements with him,” Jihyo replied, smiling from ear to ear. “We’re gonna go tomorrow. We’re going to drive right out those gates and go to a mall. And we’re gonna get you some cute new clothes and we’ll go to a nice restaurant and even see a movie, if you want.”

The idea was rather tempting. Tzuyu hadn’t gone to a movie theater in years. In fact, she didn’t know what was even playing currently, but the thought of watching a story of a far away place being projected on the big screen sounded exhilarating. But then it clicked to Tzuyu why Jihyo had set up this excursion, and that happiness deflated instantaneously.

“Am I that pathetic that I think you can take me out on...a date...and I’ll suddenly be happy again?”

Jihyo’s smile vanished as she looked at Tzuyu’s hurt expression. “Tzuyu...I don’t think you’re pathetic….I just thought—”

“You just thought we’d go out and do human things since I’m a human now.”

“Of course you’re human, and I’m human too. We all are. Just because we have powers doesn’t—,” but Jihyo quickly realized she misspoke and bit her tongue. “Tzuyu, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry this happened to you. But you’re more than just your super strength, you know? You weren’t defined by just your power. I hate to see you like this.”

Tzuyu sighed. She knew Jihyo was right, but it was easy for her to say those things when she wasn’t the one whose powers were taken from her. “I’m sorry,” Tzuyu whispered. “I didn’t mean to lash out at you like that. I’m just so angry. And sad.”

Jihyo got up and sat next to Tzuyu gently taking the laptop from the girl and setting it aside. “I know, and I understand. I can’t possibly imagine what you’re going through. But I want to do my best to make sure you still enjoy yourself. You’re still a kid...you shouldn’t be carrying such a heavy burden on your shoulders.”

“Thank you,” Tzuyu replied, genuinely touched. Jihyo pulled the girl into a hug and Tzuyu reciprocated it gladly.

“Also, did you say ‘date’?” Jihyo asked as she released Tzuyu from her embrace. Tzuyu turned away, immediately regretting her choice of words.

“Well that is what a date is, isn’t it? Going out to eat...seeing a movie…” The younger girl was practically curling in on herself in embarrassment.

Jihyo laughed softly. “Well, you’re right. I guess it is a date then.”

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Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! After a lot of heavy stuff, I decided one chapter of happiness would do you guys some good. But don't get too comfortable just yet...the HCA are still out there.