essence 0.4; blossoms have bloomed

Yeoreum sat down on the top of the stairs as she opened up a lunch box as she picked up her chopsticks as she was sitting at the top of a section of stairs that was part of the old classrooms. A place that she could get away from the ghosts and spirits to enjoy lunch or at least not being tormented by people only she could see. She sighed as she finished her lunch as she stood up just looking down at the stairs as she held onto the railing as she made her way down the stairs. She headed for her classroom as she held her lunchbox to her chest. She entered the classroom as she made her way to her desk as a couple of boys were standing in the doorway of the classroom door. "Can you two move?" Yeoreum shifted on her feet as she hated staying in one spot for too long out in the open with some many eyes on her. Yeoreum watched as the two boys turned their heads as she finally noticed they weren't wearing the same uniforms as she was. Yeoreum backed up a she looked around as others were entering their rooms. 

"Look at the freak, talking to herself again." A girl looked at the person looked at her. 

Yeoreum glared at the two boys who snapped at her with razor teeth as Yeoreum leaped back as she tripped over her own feet just tripping and falling. She patted her school uniform jacket as she blinked around her just getting back up as she turned around just running into someone that held her shoulders. 

"Whoa, lunch is over." Minho looked at Yeoreum "Did you sleep through lunch again?" He asked as Sangwoo was standing next to him as they both blinked at Yeoreum who had shifted on her feet. 

"No, it is just." Yeoreum looked at the entrance way of the classroom door as she looked at Sangwoo who had peered around her shoulder. Yeoreum watched her classmate's eyes widen beyond his usual cold stare. "You can see them." Yeoreum looked at him 

"See what?" Minho blurted as Sangwoo simply grabbed Yeoreum's arm 

"Come on, scaredy cat. You are making everyone late." Sangwoo waved his arm as the two ghouls disappeared in a gray smoke. 

"God, Yeoreum - forget to take chill pills or something?" Minho teased as Yeoreum only marched to her desk. "I was only kidding." He felt Sangwoo punch the other. 

"Leave her alone." Sangwoo wondered what those things were he saw. I mean, his mom told me a few weeks ago about the curse. Was Yeoreum like him - but knew for longer? Is that why she was getting hurt - those things did it? Sangwoo glanced back at her as she was drawing in a journal and writing. Sangwoo turned back to the front as the teacher came in just looking at them as the class had started again. 

•••

Minjae watched from down the hall as the pretty girl with the braids in her hair today was scared by the boys only they could see. Well, he finally realized that she could see them too and had learned that is why Yeoreum was like she was. He sighed as he walked into his own classroom just making a mental to himself to find those ghosts that were bothering Yeoreum and everyone else. He sat down at his desk just starting to take out his books for the class to start as he could hear people screaming from the second year classrooms. He could hear the chanting of fight, fight as he leaned over his desk. "What is going on?" He asked as he looked at the others at the door frame of the classroom. 

"Nayoung got in another fight," Jaemin said as he leaning out of the open window of the classroom. "And she is winning - think." Jaemin looked back at Minjae as he walked over. 

Minjae leaned over the open window as teachers were finally pulling apart the two girls as Nayoung flipped her hair back as she glared at the other girl. He shook his head as he looked down the hall as the third years were being yelled by their principal to get their classroom as Minjae hurried back to his desk just sliding in his seat. "Jaemin, hurry. before you get yelled at by the teacher." Minjae snapped at the other as he shrugged.

Jaemin shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the hallway as he looked at the boy staring at him as Jaemin started to get down from the window sill as he watched the boy through the wood as he fell back as he landed on his . "Did you see that?!" He yelped out as he felt his friends, Haechan and Jeno (NCT), helped him up. 

"No," Haechan said 

"Yes." Minjae blurted at the same time as Haechan as his cheeks burned as he looked down at his cooks. "Ignore me." He mumbled. 

Jaemin didn't get a chance to answer as their teacher came in just holding test booklets as Jaemin scrambled to his seat as tests were starting to be passed out. Jaemin sighed as he forgot that they had an English test today. He looked back at the window sill as he turned back to the packet of papers in front of him as he started his test. 

•••

"Nayoung! Not again, stop -" Somin swirled her head around as she looked at the ashy blonde headed girl pushed a girl out of the classroom by the back of her collar as she launched the girl against the wall. Somin hurried to the classroom window as she pushed it open with the help of Eunbi. 

"Who are you calling a freak ?" Nayoung rang out, pushing the girl back down before she could get back up. "You don't know what it is like! Being tormented by you people and others!" Nayoung reared her hand up as it was caught by another much taller figure. 

"Girls, why are we fighting this afternoon?" Yoo Kihyun (Monsta X) or most called him Yoo-sam or Kihyun-sam. He lowered Nayoung's arm as he looked back to the widow as Somin and Eunbi had scrambled back to their seats. 

"Nayoung attacked me!" The other was helped to her feet. 

"Oh, I can show you attack!" Nayoung reached forward, only to be gently pushed back by Kihyun. "You should have heard what she called me!" Nayoung crossed her arms. 

"You two apologize to each other and hurry to class." Kihyun glared at both girls. "That goes for everyone!" He barked as shoes scattered across the floor to their classrooms. 

"Sorry." Nayoung gritted through clenched teeth as she stomped into the classroom. 

"Yeah, I am sure you are." The other girl walked in behind her as Kihyun followed. 

•••

Afterschool, Minjae was walking around school just looking for those two boys. He wished that he could have been able to speak to them when they were together. He walked to the third year classroom to see Yeoreum's bag still here as he blinked at Sangwoo sleeping in his desk. with a stack of tissues on his head as Minho was silently laughing to himself.  "Hyung, isn't he going to get mad?" Minjae questioned 

"Probably - but I won't be here when he does!" Minho ran past Minjae as he tossed a chalk eraser at his friend's head just hitting Sangwoo straight in the forehead. 

" - what the-" Sangwoo fell off his elbow as he smacked his cheek in the desk. "You-!" Songwoo pointed at the younger one. 

"Minho-sunbae, he - uhm I did not do this!" Minjae crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I figured. Why are you here?" He asked as he rubbed chalk dust off his face. 

"Have you seen Yeoreum-noona? I want to ask her about the uhm what happened at lunch." Minjae rubbed the back of his neck. 

"You mean the people in the doorway?" Sangwoo asked as he looked around to see if anyone was listening or watching them. "She hides in the bathroom a lot. Our homeroom teacher is male so he can't force her out and none of the other girls like her, so he has to wait until after school when a female teacher from upstairs can go get her." Sangwoo stood up

Minjae frowned. "Ghosts aren't scary." Minjae followed him. "They are just misunderstood," Minjae added

"Not ones with razors for teeth." Sangwoo gave the younger one a strange look. Sangwoo walked up to the girl's bathroom on the second floor just knocking. "Yeoreum?" He asked, "Are you in there?" He asked 

"What are you two weirdos doing?" Somin walked up with her backpack straps on her shoulders. 

"We aren't weird. We are trying to find Yeoreum-sunbae." Minjae looked at her 

"Can you go in and check for us?" Sangwoo asked 

"'Why should I?" Somin crossed her arms. 

"Move out of the way, some people actually need to use this!" Nayoung pushed through them as she pushed the door open. 

"Look for Yeoreum-sunbae!" Minjae called 

"Okay!" Nayoung said as she waved at them. She entered just seeing Yeoreum sitting on the floor listening to music. Nayoung shook her head she pulled the older one to her feet, dragged her out, and pushed her out of the door. "There we go." Nayoung patted her shoulder 

"Hey! Leave-" Yeoreum snapped as she glared at the group in front of her. 

"Sunbae! I need to talk to you!" Minjae looked at her. "About the boys you saw, Sangwoo saw them too! I can too, I want to help them!" Minjae nodded with a smile. 

"You want to help them?" Yeoreum took out her earbuds. 

"You guys too..." Somin mumbled under her breath

"What if they aren't ghosts are demons!?" Yeoreum was too quick to believe Minjae and them could actually seem them. She was just relieved not to be alone anymore. 

"There is only one way to know!" Minjae looked at them 

"I am n-not going!" Yeoreum gripped her phone in her hands. "They already bite me today!' Yeoreum held her arm. 

"Is that why you hide in here?" Sangwoo asked 

Yeoreum nodded. "I have protective talismans and did a ritual to protect the bathroom to make it a safe space," Yeoruem said 

"So when you 'fell' down the stairs with your brother last year, you were actually pushed?" Somin watched Yeoreum nod again. Somin shook her head. "You guys are on your own. I have more important things to do." Somin walked off as Nayoung was coming out. 

"I'll go! I hate those things hovering around me in class. They make so drained." Nayoung said "Plus you have nothing to be afraid of Yeoreumie! We'll keep you safe!" Nayoung said as they could hear screaming down the hall. 

"Leave me alone! This is not funny guys! This prank has gone too far?!" Jaemin yelled as he hurried down the hall passing the group as he slid in front of them. 

"Why are you yelling for?!" Sangwoo snapped 

"Oh sorry, my friends pranked me. I think, do you see that thing!?" Jaemin pointed as a large black disfigured mass floated just forming into a teen around their age with large black claws and horrible black jaw with shark-like teeth. 

"Holy , is one of your friendly Casper friends, Minjae?" Sangwoo glared at him

"Well, he is human like." Minjae said 

"I am going back in my safe space!" Yeoreum cried as Nayoung held onto her shoulders. 

"You can't spend your whole life in the bathroom!' Nayoung scolded her as she looked at the thing. 

"Don't let it cut you then it will only attract more!" Yeoreum held a talisman to Minjae. "Here, get rid of it with this." She hid behind Nayoung and Sangwoo as he took it. 

"Why me!?" Minjae blinked at them

"Because you said you like to make friends with them!' Sangwoo shoved the younger one forward. 

"Not demons!' Minjae yelled back at them as he stumbled. He held onto the piece of cloth that Yeoreum had given to him as he walked up to the creature just shoving it forward. "Be gone, go back to the spirit world!" Minjae called out as he shoved it forward as the talisman glowed a light orange as the spirit disappeared in a gray smoke. 

"Let's get out of here," Sangwoo said as they all hurried down the hallway. 

"Wait for me!" Minjae ran after them. 

•••

Each one of them went on their way after Minjae practically forced each one of them to give their numbers to him while he put his contact information in their phones to stay in touch, be friends, and help each other. They practically had to drag Yeoruem out of the classroom and to her brother's SUV parked out in front. "She had a rough afternoon." Nayoung pushed her forward with Minjae. 

On top of different buildings, six figures could see the lightly colored aroma steaming off each teenager as one howled excitedly, the breeze in the air picked up, moisture in the air turned to a low fog, a pair of eye rimmed a soft amethyst, a flame turned a soft blue, and the moon was out earlier than usual glowing a soft golden hue. 

"I finally found you!" The boy with wolf ears beamed, watching Nayoung walking home. 

"Time to play with a new toy." The enchanting amethyst eyes smiled to herself, watching Jaemin ride down the street on his skateboard with his friends out of her corner of those eyes. 

"Please don't get into much trouble." The girl hiding in the fog watched Sangwoo heading to his part-time job. 

"I'll be respected and not prey like you are to me." The girl basked in the moonlight watched Minjae wave bye to Nayoung as they started to walk home. 

"You are my prize to not being a joke anymore." A smirked as the blue flame who blown out as the figure watched Somin enter her cram school. 

"I"ll own you and rule the world soon." Raven wings unfurled behind the figure watching Yeoreum looking out of the window of her brother's car. 

author's note: Hi guys! Here is the intro chapter for the blossoms! this was just a simple and short chapter how they all meet each other and kind of already know each other. NExt will be the demons once we have all the characters! 2 more to go! thank you to everyone that has applied and subscribed to the story! :)
Rated m for swearing