Sammi didn't realize how quite tiring the night can get, and how hot showers are literal lifesavers.

She heaved a sigh. When they all got back home, no one was talking. Even the usually chatty Yoonbyul was quiet, almost as if she's cowering in fear. The atmosphere was rather dark too, with her realizing that the likes of Yoriko have started to look a lot more wary at the two youngest.

She's worried. The whole maknae debacle has reached a point where even other members were getting involved and there's always a possibility they're taking sides. Even Sammi's not so sure about what she's thinking of this, except that it could've been avoided if they both were willing to back down and talk.

But they're not willing to do that, and the older members thought the easy way out was violence, even Shinae.

"Why did you agree on it?" Sammi asked, rubbing her hair dry. Next to her, Shinae was still busy with the loud hairdryer, but the younger immediately turned, hairdryer still on.

"Well, I noticed that —"

"Can't hear you, speak louder!" Shinae widened her eyes, and immediately turned it off. 

"Sorry. Was I too loud?" Sammi said, rubbing her head awkwardly. 

"No, I should've noticed that," Shinae said, smiling. There wasn't a hint of annoyance or being upset from her, which kinda took Sammi slightly aback.

"but anyways, I just think that personally with Aowen talking it seems like she gets a rise out of Choseung, and Choseung's not willing to back down, so maybe fighting would help them feeling a bit less frustrated with their situation."

"I'm kind of worried they're going to get injured," Sammi said. "they're not in full control of their powers yet."

"I think the coaches said at this point they would have needed to train it anyways," Shinae said, nodding her head. "and there is a clinic that would be able to treat them well."

"I... okay, if you think that way."

"You still disagree, Sammi-unnie?" 

"I think they're really not mature yet, and they could really injure themselves and it'll be difficult. Plus, Aowen had a broadcast tonight and I really don't know how well will she manage from there on. I hope you're really considering these things first, Shinae."

"I understand where you're coming from, but I don't think them arguing to the level that they are right now is good either, and both of them aren't willing to back down. Personally, I think it'll be good if they can vent their frustrations out this way."

"The way Eom Jiae did with that trainee?"

"At least this one is legal."

"...I think in every girlgroup everyone is not always going to get along and they still manage just fine."

"Will that be the end result that you want?" Shinae said.

"To be fair, no. Just wanted a less violent way of dealing with this." Sammi said, turning her head. 

"Aowen and Choseung are fine with it," Shinae said, patting the older's shoulders. "we're not a normal girlgroup anyways, might as well work through these things before it's too late."

"That's... an interesting way to put it, Shinae," Sammi said. "but alright, I trust you both. But they better not be injured."

-

"You're insane." 

"Personally, it'll be a good testament to their limits and their powers... and it's a much safer way to know what they're capable of."

"What they have right now is almost nothing to what they are truly capable of, and you should know this," she sighed. "if any of them gets badly injured, the full responsibility falls on you."

And the phone was off. Jung sighed, and shook his head.

"Jung?" The man turned, and saw a woman approached him.

"Yes?" Jung paused a little, and put his phone back to the pocket. 

"Both of the girls ready, with protective gears and are already in the arena."

"Okay." Junghyuk said, looking down at the spectator's seats. There were four girls sitting close together, and in a slight distance beyond both of them, he could spot two figures at the center of the large arena.

"Do you and the girls want to be at the arena? It might be easier to watch." The woman said.

"Yes, that will be good, thank you." Jung said, standing up. Shinae immediately turned around, and Jung nodded at her. In that instant, the other three girls also stood up.

"Where are we going?" 

"To the arena, so you all could look closer," Jung said. "don't worry, all of you should be safe."

⇔

"Choseung, before we start this, there are things I want to clarify with you." Aowen said, adjusting her safety gear. There weren't a lot that goes around being safe; other than a black sleek tracksuit, there were knee and elbow pads, as well as helmets (it helps if they ended up cracking their heads, the coaches said. Aowen would like to believe that wasn't a frequent occurence).

"Say it." Choseung spat, her face obviously unhappy about the whole thing. She roughly strapped on the knee pads, which Aowen cringed a little at.

"I don't hate you just because I agreed to the duel, and my feelings won't change whatever the outcome is."

"Sounds really convincing coming out of you."

"No, it's true, and I don't want to make you feel hurt." Aowen said.

"Well you're already being annoying about it, so might as well just do it." Choseung said, raising her voice, and she walked away.

Aowen bit her lips. Sammi was sitting at the distant, talking to Yoriko about something, but hearing the small commotion, they both turned their heads. Sammi visibly sighed at the sight, while Yoriko could only look on empathetically. 

"Did something happen again?" Sammi said, approaching Aowen.

"I'm just trying to say that I had nothing personal against her, but I guess she didn't understand it that well."

"Well, I don't think anything you said would made her less angry." Sammi said. She looked at Yoriko, who was silent throughout.

"Anyways, just get ready. We're starting soon."

⇔

"This... not gonna lie, looks kind of exciting." Yoonbyul said, going downstairs to the compound.

The four girls sat down at the lower spectator seat, protected by glass walls. A few other coaches were standing around, watching as the two girls stood, right at the circle. Aowen remained firmly at the ground, while Choseung balled her fists, lowering her back to a more stable stance.

"Choseung kind of looks different from Aowen?" Yoonbyul whispered to Jiyoo.

"Yeah, kind of weird." Shinae said. The two girls looked on warily at the leader.

"It'll be cool to not say it super loudly," Jiyoo sighed. "but basically it should probably be something related with her power."

"Ah, gravity?" Yoonbyul said. Jiyoo nodded.

"I wonder if our snow fairy realized that too." Jiyoo thought. This time, Shinae and Yoonbyul looked on weirdly.

"What?" Yoonbyul said. Jiyoo raised her eyebrows, and then her face went sour.

"Just focus on the game. It's starting soon." Jiyoo said.

Just at the right moment, a loud alarm rang three times, chanting the countdown number. Jiyoo smirked a little.

This was going to be something.

"Start!" 

⇔

The moment the bell rang, Choseung motioned her arms forward, and a small patch right below Aowen shook. There were visible ripples encircling her feet, and in one swoop moment she lost her balance and fell. The girls visibly cringed at that moment.

Choseung smirked. Aowen tried to get up, but she could feel a strong, heavy weight pushing her even further to the ground. At the corner of her eye, she could see that the youngest balled her hands into fists. She was relieved that it was basically thick, synthetic rubber, and the fall wasn't hurtful.

But the weight became a lot heavier, and she found it much harder to breathe. She looked up, and at the corner of her eye she saw the youngest balled her hands to fists, and in that moment Aowen could feel her heart drop. She gritted her teeth, clawing the rubber floor. Any attempt to even pull herself off the ground was met with an equally heavy force.

She gasped for air. She didn't like this, and was neither expecting the gravity to start affecting her lungs too. Inhaling the smallest bits of air she could get through, she looked up, clenching her fist. 

"I don't think this is good," Yoonbyul said. "it's only a few seconds and then Choseung's already pining Aowen down like that."

"Well," Jiyoo said, "that won't be really fun." 

"What do you mean?"

Jiyoo looked at the lights. Just in that moment, they noticed one of the bright hall lights considerably dimmed, and a loud yell was heard. Yoonbyul turned her focus at the duel area, and realized that Choseung was down, covering her eyes.

"My eyes!" Choseung cried. She fell on her knees, covering her eyes tightly.

Aowen stood up, rubbing her head. She gasped heavily for air, and despite the heavy weight Choseung is pushing on her already, her breathing stabilized quickly, and Yoonbyul noticed that Aowen had something on her hand — something bright.

"If you noticed... one of the stadium lights are a lot less brighter." Shinae said.

But it didn't take long before Choseung removed the hands from her eyes, and she tried to extend her arms against Aowen again. The ground rumbled, smaller than the first one, but enough to form significant ripples rapidly enclosing Aowen's ground.

But this time, the older jumped, blasting the ground beneath her with the light beam in her hands. The light trailed against the side of the ripple, very rapidly, in Choseung's direction. Choseung barely looked up before she got knocked out harshly.

"Should we stop them now? When does this stop?" Yoriko said, turning to Junghyuk.

"It'll stop either when the situation gets really bad or one of them would press on the red button — and that circle below their name would turn red." Junghyuk said, pointing out at the large billboard at the top right corner. At the left side, there were the names of Aowen and Choseung, and a faint grey circle right below it.

"If that happens basically they lose?" 

"Sort of, yes."

"How bad would that turn out to be?" Yoriko said. She looked increasingly harried, and Sammi, who was also sitting next to her, also got more harried.

"Until the injuries are life-threatening," Junghyuk said. "or at least when their vitals are in a critical state." 

Choseung got up, but she was still wobbly. Aowen stretched her arms, and a large white ring started encircling her, glowing brightly as it continued to spin around her. Choseung tried to stretch her arms again, but she winced, pain written all over the place. Chunks of the ground were thrown against the barrier, but the moment it hit the barrier they were thrown out in the other direction.

"Okay, that's enough," Sammi said, standing up angrily. "I'm not waiting for them both to give up because they're kids and they're bound to do stupid things. Stop this, right now."

Jung looked at her, and then at the stadium. "It wouldn't be too long until then." 

"Sorry, but I think you've known enough." Aowen said. She pulled something out of the jumper pockets, and pressed the red button.

"No, don't you dare—" Choseung said, gasping heavily, stumbling to Aowen with an outstretched hands. Moments later, the same loud alarm rang three times, and the two were frozen in their place. Quickly, several female medics ran after them, tending to both of them.

"No! Let me go now! We're not supposed to be finished yet!" Choseung tried to break away from the tending hands, but the medics easily held on to her, carrying her on the stretcher. 

Aowen only looked on, not responding. After that fight, she could feel that her energy was completely drained, that if she had to charge another blast, she would've collapsed. But with how Choseung still being so violent after their duel, it was probably for the better.

She could feel the warm towel draped over her shoulder, and slowly stood up, leaving the arena.

⇔

"You good?" Sammi said. The other members had tend to Choseung and Sammi decided it would be better if she went the other way instead. 

Leaving was rather strange though. She could see the glint of disapproval in Shinae and the other girls' faces. She was getting more aware on how she treated Aowen and Choseung, or even the other members, really; and something in her mind wander if this would be something else in the future.

But with no one being around Aowen was still not something that Sammi like either. So now she found herself alone, in the medical ward, with Aowen drinking water. 

Aowen looked up at her, staring blankly. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Surprising," Sammi said, looking around. No one else was there, although Shinae and some girls might be coming after this. "I thought you'd be happy about proving her wrong."

"She just proved my point, it'll be surprising if she suddenly wins," Sammi winced at that. 

"Although... it would've been good if she could."

"Really? What do you mean?" Sammi said, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't hate Choseung, contrary to what she'd like you all to believe," Aowen said, rubbing her head with a dry towel. "I just felt like she needed to work harder. If she could've beaten me in that moment, it would've been nice, because at least she's motivated to do something."

"You wanted to motivate her with hating you?" Sammi said. 

"If being nice can't work out, then maybe I have to do something else," Aowen said. "but being honest, she still loses, which proves my point. Honestly... I just hope she'll work harder from here on. That's all I'm going to say."

Sammi sighed.  "Aowen, I think we need to talk more about this."

"No, it's fine. This duel is done, we already know the conclusion, I'm good."

Then it was silent. Aowen could see the disgruntled glint in the older's eyes, but throughout the remainder of the break time, no sound came out of her. They waited a little more, and then she could hear the sounds of the other members chattering.

It has been a long day, after all. 

author's note : apologies since this is rather brief and focused on the fight, but a lot of the outcome would be on later. this chapter is also a bit long overdue, so... yah. enjoy! school is starting so i'm trying to update once a week at this point.