Hyorin stood in the middle of the backyard, trying to focus her mind so that she could get her feet off the ground. Yong Guk sat behind her on the back porch in a lawn chair, just watching her. He’d called Kris the night before and ask for some pointers for teaching Hyorin how to use her powers. All the former dragon demon had said was to “make sure she focused” before hanging up.

That wasn’t the help Yong Guk had been hoping for.

And so there they were in the backyard. Yong Guk silently thanked Daehyun for suggested planting trees all along the edge of the backyard several years ago. Those trees now served to keep people from seeing what Hyorin was doing. The last thing Yong Guk needed was for his neighbours to see his niece flying around the yard. Somehow he didn’t think they would respond to that well.

Not that it mattered much. Hyorin’s feet had yet to leave the ground and they’d been at it for an hour. He could tell that the girl was beginning to get frustrated and knew it wouldn’t be long before she started to lash out. That was always how things went when Hyorin got angry; she lashed out. Once she’d yelled a little, she’d calm down and felt horrible about losing her temper like that.

“Maybe we should call it a day,” Yong Guk called out, “we can try again tomorrow.”

“Why can’t I get it?” she growled, letting herself drop to the ground, “Kris appa always makes it sound so easy, so why can’t I do it?”

“Maybe you aren’t ready to fly yet,” the older man smiled, walking over to her and sitting down, “maybe you should try focusing your attention on another of your powers. Luhan said the first power you ever used was telekinesis. Maybe you can try with that.”

“I’m not that bad with telekinesis,” she replied, “better that I am at flying. I’ve got a thirty seven percent success rate at moving things with my mind.”

“And flying?”

“Kris appa puts it at twelve percent, but I think he’s just being nice,” she frowned, “I think it’s more like eight.”

“I wish I could help you get better,” Yong Guk sighed, feeling useless, “but I don’t think I’m the one best suited for this.”

“But I might be.” Both turned to see N standing on the back porch, smiling at them.

“You’d be willing to help?” Yong Guk clarified.

“Yes,” N nodded, walking over, “I have a better understanding of how to activate a power better than you, Yong Guk. No offence.”

“None taken,” the human shrugged, “you’re sure you can help?” Hyorin looked between to pair. She didn’t really want N to help her train because he kind of scared her. He’d killed people. Sure so had her fathers, but that was different. They were her fathers, N was a stranger.

Not that her input mattered because Yong Guk and N were already planning out when her first training session with N would be.

It seemed like a lot of things in her life were being decided by other people recently.

--

Hyorin’s day had started bad and was only getting worse as she changed into her spare school uniform. When the queenkas had promised to destroy her, they hadn’t been blowing smoke. Since stepping onto the school ground, it had been on prank after another.

First it was tacks in her shoes and by noon they had changed to buckets of water being dumped on her as she walked under a window. It didn’t seem like the queenkas – as well as the kingkas – was going to stop any time soon. To make things worse, her classmates had picked up on the hate the queenkas felt for her and were starting to openly mock her in class. One had even spent math class throwing paper balls at the back of her head.

Outside the bathroom she was using as a changing room, Hyuk stood guard. The youngest demon frowned to himself, a bit ashamed that he’d been unable to prevent the water from being dumped on Hyorin. He’d been trying all day to stop the pranks, but things didn’t always work out in his favor. About half the time he was able to interfere and stop things before they started, but the rest of the time his master was hurt or embarrassed.

It made him feel kind of useless if he was honest. He was supposed to be protecting her one hundred percent of the time, not half the time. Given, bullies weren’t that dangerous and life threatening – not right now anyway – but they were still doing harm to his master. He could almost feel her emotions, he knew she was upset.

He wondered if maybe one of his brothers could have protected her better or made her smile even though they had failed just as badly as he had. Leo for sure could have protected her and Hongbin could have, too. Leo would have scared any bullies off with just one look and Hongbin could have used his empath power to make everyone like Hyorin. N, Ken, and Ravi could have cheered her up. Those three could make anyone smile regardless of how bad that person felt.

Gosh he felt useless.

“Oh,” Hyorin blinked in surprise when she exited the washroom and found him waiting for her.

“I don’t think anyone would mind if we skipped the rest of the day,” Hyuk shrugged, hoping she would agree so he could get her away from this place and someplace where he could actually succeed in protecting her.

“No,” she frowned slightly, trying to sound convincing, “I need to be here. I can’t afford to miss anything in class.”

Hyuk watched her for a moment before nodding and leading her back to class. He could tell she wanted to leave like he’d suggested, that she’d wanted to avoid the people in this school. But something was holding her back. Maybe it was her fear of getting into trouble for skipping, maybe it was a bit of hope that things at school would turn around if she just toughed it out. Either way, it kept her at the school.

“Things will get better,” Hyuk told her as they walked to class, “just like Yong Guk said.” Hyorin only nodded, not believed him anymore than she’d believed her uncle when he’d said those same words.

A/N: poor Hyorin. but hey, at least she's bonding a little with Hyuk, right?