“Thank you, and have a nice day!” Dongwoo bowed to the happy customers. “Oi! Jae Rin-ah! Are you done with Table 5’s orders?” He glanced back to see her furiously making the drinks. She stood at the espresso maker, steaming some milk while a filter basket pressed ground coffee into itself. Behind her, some teas were brewing and gently floated themselves onto a tray. She topped her espresso cups with some latte art and brought them over to the same tray, then sent it over to Dongwoo, closely following it from behind. “You know, work has gotten a lot more interesting having you around. Not to mention, the process of making the drinks has reduced to half its time. I don’t regret hiring you.”

            “Then why don’t you give me a raise? You’re working me like a pack mule, you know that?” She rolled her eyes as he took hold of the floating tray.

            “Oh, I know.”

            Work had been steady and until word got around that a certain mutant employee, who was capable of multitasking and putting on a show while making the drinks, was hired. Business picked up after that and many customers requested to have Jae Rin make the drinks for them.

            “If you know, then reward me.”

            “Considering the fact that I had to renovate this counter top and open up the work area, that should be reward enough.”

            “I was the one who remodeled it for you, Boss.”

            “I think a customer is calling me.” He cleared his throat and scurried to the tables.

            “Stingy Animorph wannabe.”

            “I heard that.”

            “It was meant to be heard!”

--

            It was only six in the evening when Dongwoo closed the store. Jae Rin stared at him in confusion. The Haven usually closed at midnight to accommodate late night cravings and had never closed early in the two or so weeks since she had started working. Especially at this time when it was peak hours. Befuddled, she stalked over to him.

            “Don’t we have another, oh, I don’t know, six more hours of work?” She crossed her arms with a raised eyebrow.

            “Well, no. Not today. Don’t you remember? It’s my buddy’s birthday today. You agreed to go two weeks ago.” She furrowed her eyebrows at him.

            “Okay, I get that it’s his birthday, but why do we have to close the store now?”

            “Because, Miss. Twenty-one Questions, we’re going out to dinner. Some of them are still students and have early classes tomorrow. Besides, our regulars already know about this. An announcement has been hanging in the display since last week.”

            “Oh. My bad.” She flipped all the chairs with a wave of her hand and went to wash the dishes and machines, while Dongwoo swept and mopped the floors. Half an hour later, they were locking the store and heading out to meet his friends.

            “Hey, I left my phone at the store. The restaurant should be down the street on the right. I’ll meet you there, alright?”

            “Yeah, yeah. Do whatever. I’ll just take my sweet, sweet time.” He chuckled at her response and quickly morphed into a bird and flew back to the cafe.

            Jae Rin slowly walked down the street, breathing in the night air. The sun was still high up, prolonging the bright summer night. Shadows stretched along the sidewalk, creating a striped path of dark and light blocks in front of her. Looks like the yellow brick road from Oz had a kid with Alice in Wonderland...She laughed inwardly as she hopped from one shadow to the next, jumping over each sun strip.

            Don’t jump on the lava or else it’ll burn. She giggled and continued forward.

            “You might want to watch where you’re going, or you’ll hop right past the restaurant, little lady.” She jumped in surprise, startled by the sound of Dongwoo’s voice next to her.

            “What the hell, man! You’ve got to stop doing that,” she growled and swung an arm at him. Her fist made contact with his vulnerable shoulder and he winced in pain. Although she was small, she packed a heavy punch.

            “I’m sorry. I’ll remember to make an announcement next time. This bruise will be my reminder.” He rubbed his arm with a pout. She glared at him and continued jumping on the shadowed strips. He watched her little game with a smile on his face and soon, he joined in with her fun. Rather than jumping on the shadows, he leaped from one sun spot to the other. She laughed along with him as they slowly bounced down the sidewalk until finally, they reached the restaurant. “The boys are inside right now. You excited to finally meet them?”

            “Nope.”

            “Kill-joy, much?”

            “You know it.”

            The entered the BBQ house and was immediately enveloped by smoke from the barbeques. The familiar, welcoming smells of cooking meat automatically turned them into salivating carnivores. The room was full of life with tables off chatting customers. Dongwoo and Jae Rin dodged past waiters and waitresses and made their way to one of the private rooms at the back. He led them to the third room on the left and walked in without a knock.

            “Hey, guys. How’s it going?”

            Greetings were exchanged along with a couple of manly hugs. Jae Rin stood by the door indifferently, her expression blank. She didn’t know how to react. There, in front of her, were six grown men acting like this would be the last time they would see each other, exchanging hugs and heartfelt hellos. Do men actually hug?

            “Oh, I almost forgot. Guys, this is the new employee I hired, Jung Jae Rin. She just moved here a month or so ago and is quite the comedian. Also, she’s a mutant like us. Jae Rin, these are the guys.” The five strange boys turned to look at her with unblinking eyes. She shifted uncomfortably under their stares and couldn’t help but glare at each and every one of them. They flinched and turned to Dongwoo.

            “She seems a bit scary...”  a feminine looking boy whispered.

            “Yeah, did you see her glare. Freakyyy.” A boy with small eyes added.

            “She’s kind of cute, don’t you think?” The boy turned to her with a smirk and a wink. She visibly shuddered at his attempt to flirt. He noticed this and frowned.

            “I don’t care. I want food.”

            “HI, I’M SUNGYEOL.”

            She jumped at his voice and bowed slightly. This kid’s a loud one. My goodness, this is so awkward. Dongwoo-sshi, DO SOMETHING. She glanced over at Dongwoo with eyes of slight desperation and he snapped out of his daze.

            “Uh, why don’t you sit here so we can get some better introductions.” He waved her over to the seat next to him. “So, why don’t you introduce yourself to them first.”

            “Okay. Hi all, my name’s Jung Jae Rin.” She bowed her head and looked up to find them staring expectantly at her. What more do they want?

            “Is that it? What about age? Hobbies? Height? Anything?” the flirtatious boy spoke up. At the word “height”, she snapped and a pair of scissors flew at him, stopping an inch from the vein in his neck. “Holy sh*t! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

            Dongwoo, patted her arm and snatched the scissors from mid air, struggling against her control over it.

            “Let it go. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

            “Sure he didn’t.”

            “He was trying to make some small talk.” Her head whipped over and she glared at him. “Not what I meant. Calm done, Jae Rin-ah.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Sorry, guys. She’s a bit insecure about her...you know.” He drew an imaginary line next to his head. The other boys nodded in understanding. “Now, let’s try this again. God, why do you make such bad first impressions?”

            “I’m sorry if I’ve got anger issues. Blame that on life. Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s a force of habit. Forgive me?” She looked at the boy with sincerity in her eyes. He couldn’t deny that it was cute.

            “Yeah. You’re forgiven.”

            “Okay, now you guys introduce yourselves.”

            “Well, I’ll go first since you nearly ended my life. My name is Woohyun and I’m a Legilimen.” He bowed his head and she mirrored him. His smile faltered momentarily, but she didn’t take notice.

            “I’m Sunggyu and I have Foresight,” the boy with small eyes spoke. He smiled at her and she couldn’t help but return the smile back. Seems like Dongwoo and his friends have contagious smiles.

            “Hey, Gypsy, where’s your magic ball? I can see into your future~” Woohyun teased, earning a slap on the head from Sunggyu. She kept a straight face, but had the slightest urge to laugh at their squabble.

            “Don’t mock me. At least I don’t hear imaginary voices in my head.”

            “They’re not imaginary, they’re real. As real as your thoughts on how you want to put Jae Rin-sshi in your pocket because she’s oh-so-cute.”

            “Yah!” Sunggyu head locked the younger boy, an obvious blush on his cheeks. Jae Rin coughed and pretended she hadn’t heard them and instead, turned to the boy across the table. He stared at her with cold eyes and looked away.

            “Don’t mind him, he’s a bit anti-social,” the boy next to him spoke. “I’m Sungyeol, the birthday boy! And this guy here is my best friend, Myungsoo, but he prefers to be called L. I’m a Pyrokinetic while my buddy here is the opposite, a Glaciokinetic.”

            “Just call me Myungsoo.”

            “Okay, then...hi to both of you. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Sungyeol-sshi. Here’s a gift for you. I didn’t know what you liked, but figured I’d get you something since I’m sort of intruding.” She held out a small box wrapped in a matte black gift paper.

            “Thank you! You really didn’t have to. None of these jerks got me anything anyway. Can I open it now?” She shrugged her shoulders indifferently and he tore open the present, revealing a white box with intricate black filigree printed around it. He flipped the lid and inside, he found a coffee mug with similar designs as on the box painted onto it. “Whoa! Where did you get this?! The design is so cool!”

            “I painted it.”

            “What?! Really?! Thank you!”

            He passed it around to the other boys for a look-see and they praised her delicate work. She may not have looked it on the outside, but she was happy with their compliments. Nobody had commented on her work before since they never stayed around long enough to see any of it. Now, having at least four people appreciating her work, she felt herself warming up to them a bit. Just a bit.

            “My turn! Hi! I’m the maknae, Sungjong! I’m a Biokinetic. Have any injures? I can heal them for you!” he bounced in his seat next to her, taking a hold of her hand.

            “Uh, none so far. I’ll keep your offer in mind though.” She tugged her fingers free and smiled uncomfortably at the sudden skinship.

            “Enough chit-chat, let’s eat.”

            The sound of sizzling meat silenced the group as each person patiently waited for the food to cook. Despite the rough start, the smell and sounds of the BBQ house united the seven of them and brought them a little bit close. They made some small talk about their lives and what their dreams for the future were, slowly progressing from the awkward introductions they had.

            “So, Jae Rin-sshi, we still don’t know what your ability is. Dongwoo wouldn’t tell us, said he wanted us to see for ourselves,” Woohyun asked during their meal. She looked over at her boss in surprise.

            “You didn’t tell them?”

            “Nope. I thought it’d be cooler if you showed them.”

            “Would you tell us already? I’m so curious!” Sungjong whined. Jae Rin held up a hand to silence them.

            “Okay. If you want to see it, I’ll need a volunteer.” She looked around the table to see them all avoid her gaze. In the past when they had first met, volunteers were usually injured in one way or another. Scarred for life, they all avoided volunteering for anything completely. “Come on, it’s not so bad. All I need you to do is open your mouth when I say so.” They still looked uncertain. It wasn’t like she was going to choke them or something. Hopefully.

            “You know what, I’ll do it, you bunch of babies,” Sunggyu scoffed at his friends. Although he bravely stepped forward, his voice audibly shook. What a bunch of wussies...

            “Excellent. So just stay still until I tell you to move.” She looked down at the table, held out her hands, and worked her magic. A course of murmurs echoed around the table as they watched in awe.

            Just like at the cafe with the drinks, Jae Rin used her telekinetic powers to make a lettuce wrap, adding in some rice, hot pepper paste, and some meat. The little bundle pinched itself shut and floated over to Sunggyu.

            “Open up, Sunggyu-sshi.” He obeyed, spellbound by the fascinating wonder he had witnessed. She studied their shocked expressions in amusement. It was like they had never encountered a telekinetic before, even though it was quite a common power to have. “Good?”

            “Y-yeah. Delicious,” he stuttered.

            “Great, because I’m never doing that again.” A couple of complaints sounded from around the table as she smirked in triumph. “I asked for a volunteer earlier yet you were all so reluctant to speak up. Why so persistent now?”

            “Because who doesn’t want to get fed a floating lettuce wrap?!” Sungyeol exclaimed. She let them continue whining and ate in silence, a smile tugging at her lips. They acted like a bunch of dorks and somehow, she enjoyed their company. It was a breath of fresh air, a complete contrast to the more conservative folk she had run into during her world endeavours.

            They noticed her silence and stopped their conversation to observe her. She was zoned out in her own little world, thinking about how her life wasn’t so bad after all. Her thoughts invoked a tiny, genuine smile which, although small, lit up the small room and the faces of all the boys as well. Even L had a hard time not grinning at her.

            “Let’s have a toast, for Yeollie’s birthday, and to officially welcome Jae Rin-sshi into our family.” Sunggyu held up his cup and the others followed suit. She stared at them blankly as they looked at her.

            “You going to hold up your cup or not? We’re waiting here,” L muttered. She silently picked up her drink and held it to the middle. The sound of glasses clinking and cannon of cheers echoed in the room as they downed their drinks.

            “Ah, if only we were all here. Then, it would be the whole family. Infinite and our newly recruited, Jae Rin,” Sungyeol sighed.

            “There’re more of you?” Her jaw dropped slightly. Oh great, another dork on the loose.

            “Yeah, one more, but he’s not here right now,” Woohyun said.

            “Great observation skills, Sherlock. What he means to say is that yes, we have one more friend in our group, but he’s currently out of the country.” Sunggyu shook his head at Woohyun, who held out his arms innocently.

            “Yeah, he’s a nomad. Always travelling wherever it takes him.” Sungjong joined in the conversation.

            “He’s also co-owner of the cafe. He left about a week before you started working, that’s why I had to hire you. That fool always ditches me to go trekking around the world, leaving me with all these responsibilities...” Dongwoo continued rambling, scowling at his plate while stabbing at the pieces of meat with his chopsticks.

            “Well, anyway, hopefully you get to meet him soon. He’s got quite a lot in common with you.”

            “What do you mean by that, Sungyeol-sshi?”

            “Well, first off, he’s telekinetic like you. Only difference though is that he can only control one thing at a time whereas you can control several at once. Another obvious one is you’re both extremely sarcastic,” he explained, gaining a few nods of agreement from the others. “Another thing that differentiates you two is probably....well....I think it’s best to let him tell you if he wants to. He doesn’t like us to delve into his personal stuff. You know, that’s another thing you both have, a temper.” She shot him a warning glare, but backed down under Dongwoo’s hand on her shoulder.

            “Interesting. He seems like quite the character. I’ll anticipate the day we meet then.”

            The dinner finally came to an end as they all stumbled out of the restaurant. Sungjong clung onto her arm against her will, holding on tight so she couldn’t easily pull him off without losing a limb in the process. They strolled down the dark sidewalk, gazing up at the night sky dotted with bright stars.

            “Well, it’s about time for me to go. I’ve got to open the shop with Dongwoo-sshi in the morning and want a full night’s rest.”

            “She means it, guys. Yesterday, she came in half asleep. Nearly got my head ripped off because of a simple hi. You know why? Because it sounded like the word ‘high’,” he stretched his arm above his head in show. She punched his arm with a frown and turned to the boys.

            “It was nice meeting you guys. Thanks for putting up with me.”

            “It’s okay, we’re used to it,” Woohyun laughed, earning a glare.

            “Anyway, Sungyeol-sshi, happy birthday! Sunggyu-sshi, Woohyun-sshi, Myungsoo-sshi, Sungjong-sshi, Boss, thanks for the meal. Good night.” She bowed her head several times before running off into the night, only to come running back with a burning question. They stared at her confused and she spoke. “Just wondering...Infinite? Really?” They all glowered at her as she let out a light laugh and raced off again.

--

            As the eventful day finally came to an end and she was lying in bed, she noticed that she was opening up more to Dongwoo and was warming up to the guys. It was a step forward for her, an accomplishment from once being the cold hearted, conservative girl she had been all these years. Always shying away from others in fear of getting too attached to something and not being able to let go of it when it came time to leave.

            Maybe it’s time I settled down to deal with this problem once and for all. Her mind wandered to the horrible experiences she had to endure, the tremors that shocked her senseless. They were feelings she would probably never be able to forget for the rest of her life. The power she sensed with each escape sent chills down her spine, and any thoughts about solving her dilemma immediately disappeared. Nope. Never mind. Not going to think about that, ever. There’s no way I’d win against something as strong as that. I value my life...even though this hurts my pride...

Chapter 5! Awkward chapter LOL I dropped a lot of hints, so hopefully you all have figured out who White Haze is. If not...wait for the next chapter hahaha. Also, anybody see the Shinee references? LOL After I typed 'curious', I couldn't help myself hahaha I'm about halfway through this story. Another 6 more chapters! =O My shortest fic yet! Please comment and subscribe *onlyifyouwantto* Parts of this chapter are unedited because I'm lazy to go over it XS 

*Legilimen aka Telepathy. Users who have Legilimency have the ability to not only read minds and relay thoughts mentally, but may also control and manipulate thoughts/memories.
*Foresight aka sixth sense. Users can see into the future.
*Pyrokinesis is the ability to create and control fire.
*Glaciokinesis is the ablity to create and control ice. Most users need a source of ice/water while others can pull ice from the moisture in the air or even from within their own bodies. 
*Biokinesis is the ability to control biological aspects in a living organism. Has many functions including healing.
-source Superpower Wiki

COMMENT REPLIES

@ JuzzMee91: Kekeke, have you figured out yet? I think you have~
@ kpop_fan_1998: Her parents work for the Commander. I can't say they're traitors or anything....OMG, RUNNING MAN! BEST.SHOW.EVER. I always seem to say "This is SPARTA" every single time I type up the Commander LOL
@ xXxCatsLoverxXx: Evil? Perhaps =P I think it'll be clear by the last chapter hahaha

See you in the next Chapter!

-greeninjapanda GNP-