It felt good to part with the Village on amiable terms. Sungyeol even stripped Hoya of his punishment, saying that my “inconveniences” were a more-than-worthy substitute. It was another tearful episode saying good-bye to Sungjong, but I promised to return. On saying that, I glanced at Sungyeol, and he nodded in understanding that, really, I promised to survive and make it back.

When we were just a trio again, we walked for a while in silence, each processing the events in that unnatural forest. Then, Hoya broke the silence first.

“So... a tracker, huh?”

“Who knows,” I said.

“Why don't we test it out?”

“How?”

“First, close your eyes.”

I frowned at him and he shot me a look.

“After everything that's happened, you still can't trust me?” He positioned himself behind me and wrapped his palms against my eyes, shielding my vision. I heard Namu take a couple footsteps, whisper “Oh!”, and then sprint off into the field.

“Does this mean I'm tracking Namu?”

“You guessed it.”

“Not a bad idea, actually.”

“Haven't you figured it out by now? I only have good ideas.”

We chuckled, and I let myself lean back, resting my head on his shoulder. “I don't know if I ever say it. But thank you, Hoya. For everything.”

He chuckled, deep and husky. “Well. Don't thank me yet. We still have much to do. Beginning with figuring out that damn fiance of yours.”

“Don't kid yourself. That person is not my fiance. Plus, remember what Sungjong had said in his oracle?” I sighed. “Perhaps, in another life-- in our other life-- Sunggyu was the person I was meant to be with. But in this life... I suppose there is someone else I will have to choose.”

“Are you really okay with that?”

“I guess I'm gonna have to be.”

“Someone else... but who?”

“I don't know. Maybe he's someone I've met already?” Before the words were out, I already realized the awkward situation that I put us in. Hoya shifted his weight behind me, but otherwise kept silent.

But would I choose someone like Hoya? Sure, he has the warmest brown eyes I've ever seen, and he is so strong and dependable. I felt safest around him. But even with everything we've been through... I realized that I still didn't really know who he was. And he (like me) didn't know who I was either.

Besides, would he choose someone like me?

“I don't know,” I repeated, and then tried to lighten the mood. “Oh my gosh! Maybe it's Namu!”

“YAH! Not that guy. Please, anyone except for that guy.” We both laughed, and then silence took hold again. But this time, thankfully, it was more comfortable.

***

It didn't work. I searched for half an hour, and when I still couldn't find him, Namu got restless and jogged back to us.

“Maybe you need to visualize him?” Hoya said as Namu rejoined us, doubling over to catch his breath.

“I was visualizing him. I was picturing his face and every detailed part on it!” I said.

“Did you find my nose attractive?” Namu huffed.

“Did you try to think about other parts of him? Use your other senses. Maybe if you focused on his voice, instead?”

“Or maybe my scent,” Namu said.

“Yah. Don't be ridiculous,” I said. “It can't be that weird.”

“What's wrong with good sense of smell? Dogs have it. It wouldn't be the first time I heard it used as a Skill,” Namu said. Hoya shot him a glance as if he wanted him to shut up.

“Well, it'll only get better with practice. Let's try again. Namu, head out.”

“What?! I'm tired! I'm still out of breath! Hoya, you head out, you jerk!”

“YAH!” A fire lit in Hoya's eyes. But then, he looked over at me and composed himself. “Fine. Just... be sure to help Minji concentrate instead of fooling around again. Minji, close your eyes.”

Just as before, Namu covered my eyes with his hands as the sound of Hoya's swift steps disappeared into the distance. Namu rested his chin lovingly on my shoulder.

“So. Jaemi. Considering Mr. Brown Eyes, huh?”

I elbowed him hard in the stomach. “Stay out of it, Namu.” But he chuckled deeply in response.

“Yah, is it really my fault if you both are thinking so hard about it?”

“He's... he's thinking about it too?”

“Maybe. But then again, maybe not. I thought I was supposed to 'stay out of it, Namu',” he mocked.

I sighed in annoyance. He chuckled some more and then cleared his throat. “Okay, Hoya's probably out far enough by now. You really do need to concentrate.”

“What's this? Our Namu finally being serious?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact! That's why you need to hurry, before I lose it! Concentrate.”

I took a deep breath and thought hard. I imagined every aspect of Hoya's face, his thick eyebrows, his sharp jawline. I thought of how he looked while he was angry, and then while he was smiling. He really did have an amazing grin. (“Yah! Focus, Minji!!”) I even thought about the way that he walked, the easy grace of his body and the light swing of his arms. And then, I thought about his voice. The almost unnoticeable lilt in his speech that gave away his home province. I even tried thinking about his scent, a mix of metal and must from his efforts as a warrior. But even after thinking of all these things, I opened my eyes and still had no idea where he went.

Namu sighed, staring into the open field. “What if you tried a memory? A strong one. Something that really characterizes who Hoya is, in your mind.”

I closed my eyes and thought. And then suddenly, I remembered the moment that I was called on stage during their trial in the Forest. When Hoya grabbed my wrist, holding it for just a moment as I walked by. The look in his eye that was both cautious, pleading, but also reassuring. With that one touch, I felt safer and more steady. Amazing, how one touch like that can settle my anxious heart.

And then, my eyes popped open. I knew exactly where he was. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it. It was as if our hearts were two magnets, and with each beat the force between us grew stronger and stronger.

“There!” I said to Namu, pointing to a blank spot on the horizon. He had been studying me, brow furrowed. I didn't have time to wait for him. I bolted into the field, plowing through the long grass and avoiding any hidden potholes. I ran harder than I think I ever had, pulled by the certainty that I would find Hoya. Namu stayed on my heel. And after running for a while, we came towards a small grove of scattered trees, and I knew exactly which one he was hiding behind.

“Hoya!” I came around his tree, startled him, and then launched towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I found you! I found you!” I said as he caught me. I couldn't believe it! It seemed I really did have a Skill!

I was ecstatic beyond belief. Hoya grinned widely at me before releasing me. “Good job, Minji! How did you do it?”

“Well, I thought of a really good memory I had of you, and... I don't know! It's like I could hear your heartbeat. Like I could feel it beating with mine. Weird, huh?”

“Huh... well, if it works, it works! What memory did you think of?”

Instinctively, I felt my cheeks redden. Why, all of a sudden, didn't I feel like telling him? “Nothing, really. Just a small exchange we had.” Beside me, Namu muttered sarcastically under his breath. I made a mental note to elbow him in the ribs again later.

“Okay. Well, congratulations.” Hoya beamed at me.

I returned the smile. “Thank you.”

*******

We decided to make camp at that grove for the night. Seated around a small fire, Hoya began a conversation that I really was not quite ready for.

“Now that Minji's tracking is stronger, I say we use it to find Jjang.”

I almost choked on my food. Namu patted my back as I sputtered. “I think that's an okay idea,” he said.

“But couldn't we just go back to Rivall? Where we saw him before?” I asked.

“No doubt, after Pockery was taken, Rivall would be one of the next targets. I'm positive that Jjang's in hiding now. We're running out of time. I don't think it'll be good to sit and wait until his men find us and give us direction. Let's just find him first.”

But I want to find--, I started to think, before instantly stopping myself. Namu glanced over at me. Quickly, I searched for something else to think about. Yes, it will be good to practice my tracking, I thought. Tracking is so hard. I began listing off all the things I need to do to successfully track someone, hoping Namu would stop listening. He peered at me, but remained silent.

“By the way,” Hoya said. “Namu, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but didn't you agree to accompany us only up to Pockery?”

Namu finally took his eyes off me. I breathed a silent sight of relief.

“Yes, well, that didn't quite work out, with the whole Kim-Sunggyu-shooting-us thing. So, I thought I'd hang around you two a little longer. Besides, I want to stay with my Jaemi. And besides that... honestly, it wasn't Pockery I was hoping to see. I'm looking for someone.”

This was new. “Who?” I asked.

Namu just shook his head. “Just someone.”

We waited for a hiccup of a moment for him to elaborate. But when he spoke next, it was only to change the subject.

“You know what's funny, Jaemi?”

“What?”

“That whole time that you were thinking your memory of Hoya... I couldn't hear anything! It seems like my Skill cannot interfere with your Skill. And after you were done thinking and you knew where Hoya was, all I could hear in your mind was his name. Strange, huh?”

“...Yeah. Strange.”

Hoya cleared his throat. “So? Are we all agreed? Come morning, we'll rely on Minji to lead us to Jjang?”

They both turned their eyes to me. I held my best blank expression. “Sure. Sounds like a plan,” I said. I hoped it sounded believable. “Now, if you excuse me, I'll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” Hoya asked as I stood to leave. I didn't respond, but I didn't have to. Namu covered for me. (“Yah, be respectful. She's probably just gone to take care of her business. Why, did you want to watch?! This ert, aigoo...”)

I walked for a long while. I needed to be certain that Namu couldn't hear me. Because the truth was that I didn't want to find Jjang. I wanted to find Sunggyu. I wanted to find my own answers.

With my new Skill, they would be relying on me. They wouldn't know the difference if I led them to Sunggyu instead of to Jjang. The only problem is that I can't risk Namu finding out. I'll need to be very, very careful with my thoughts. Thankfully, he won't be able to hear my memory while its being made. I'll just need to watch out before and afterward. Maybe once we enter a major city, I can think more freely among the din of the crowds.

My stomach lurched at the idea of fooling Hoya and Namu like this. Would I be betraying them? I considered what would happen if Sunggyu saw either of them again. No doubt Hoya would be taken, for being a leading Warrior in the Rebellion. But what about Namu? Come to think of it, he was in the Syndicate jail cart with me when I first became conscious. But he wasn't a Rebel leader.

So what was his crime?

I shook the question out of mind, focusing. No, I thought to myself. I do care about them, and I don't want them to get caught. I decided that I will lead them in the direction of Kim Sunggyu. And then, when they weren't looking, perhaps at nighttime just like this, I will slip away. I will find him first.

And I will pray that those two don't follow me in before I get some real answers.

–--

Question time! : If you could have a Skill, what would it be and why? Leave your answer below! :)