(((a/n: try listening to Lindsey Stirling - Beyond the Veil while reading the fight! the song is a good match :) http://youtu.be/ASGmADPzXuY)))

Jongin took a step forward. Sooyun took one back. 

“I’m dead,” Sooyun thought to herself.

*

She worked with granites before and she knew, the stone is strong, rigid and hard, one of the hardest out there. However, that makes the stone harder to take control of, because the movement of the stone will be slower, and harder to transform to another type of earth products. Making a quicksand out of granite would take so much of her energy, and she doesn’t think it suits this battle anyway, for Jongin could simply teleport outside. She needs another way. She needs a little trick.

She focuses on the granite floor just a step in front of his, ready to make it collapse under Jongin’s weight by pushing the lower part of the podium deeper underground, making a hole under a layer of it just enough to break upon his weight. She didn’t forget to put the trap around herself too, for she knew Jongin could suddenly pop up beside her. What she planned for is to make Jongin lose balance then as he would be focused on regaining his balance, she would somehow cut a chunk of the ring’s granite and shove it to his knees.

Jongin was observant enough for he felt the faint vibration of the podium, and he knew Sooyun had done something to the very battle ground and that he should be alert upon his every footstep. He, as well, had gathered everything he knew about Sooyun in his mind. As creative as she is upon her tricks, she is the type to not plan her 3^rd and 4^th step, because she prefers to just go with the battle flow.

Jongin took another step forward. This time, Sooyun was ready. The ground under him shattered as he step, but Jongin moved forward another step. The ground crumbles again, yet he kept on moving closer to Sooyun, as if he passed that particular spot but didn't got affected by it before he took another step. If Sehun didn’t told her about Jongin's teleportation, she might've mistaken his ability for speed, just like how most of the audience think at that moment.

"Let me take you somewhere," Jongin's voice rang behind Sooyun's ears. Before she can even try to stop him, his hands wrap around her shoulders and she experienced her first teleportation upon the many hundreds to come in her life.

It was like entering a wind tunnel, her vision blurred with the gush of the twirling wind. Only having Jongin's hands secure around her shoulders, she spins around furiously, not being able to control where she headed, only able to feel movements, endless one, thousands of directions.

Then, it all suddenly stopped.

It felt like all of her insides were spun around, pulled, knotted, wringed out; too much for her to handle, she lost her sense of balance. Her vision focused, then, she realized she was standing on the very edge of the platform, with only her heels to support her weight. Jongin let her go from his grip.

Her reflexes saved her, for she instantly used a piece of granite as a stepping for her falling body. Nearly kneeling, she supported her weight on her palms, her knee caps less than a fist from the floor. She can hear the spectators went screaming, as to exhilaration from Jongin’s first attack.

"Aww, well that's a shame," Jongin chuckled from behind.

She quickly regains her stance and face Jongin, even when her head is still somewhat spinning.

They battled, skill versus skill, speed against speed, plan after plan, and it was obvious that Jongin was having the upper hand. He didn’t break a sweat, skipping here and there, evading Sooyun's attacks. On the other hand, Sooyun was panting and frowning her eyebrows, frustrated because her tricks wouldn't play neatly on him, her confinement was easily broken, her head dizzy from too much teleportation. It's not that she didn’t have the talent or she didn’t try hard enough, but their talents were just unmatched because Sooyun needed a solid object to work on, while Jongin is fast and disappearing like thin air. Five minutes were almost up, and she’s got one last trick to pull.

She cut out a small and thin piece of granite floor and placed it behind the crooked of her knees, ready for when Jogin would take her to another teleportation, she planned to sneak it somehow so that as she distract his eyes, she would move it to touch Jongin's knees.

She let Jongin took her again to teleport. She focuses her mind as much as she could, realizing that Jongin also took the stone she carved to the back if her knees. She placed it behind Jongin's shoes, for him to take with him without realizing. The next millisecond, she reappear somewhere above the platform, free falling back to the ground. She raised the granite floor to meet her feet as Jongin appeared on the ground below. She took her time lowering her platform, acting tired, panting, catching her breath, while she actually was moving the piece of granite from his shoes to his knees.

A smile crept up her lips when the stone was inches away from his knee caps without him noticing. Then suddenly, a strong wind pushed Jongin away, causing him to take a few steps back from the stone. Sooyun too felt a strong wind against her, causing her to lose her focus and thus failing her trick.

"OH SEHUN!!" she shouted in anger.

"Sorry to interrupt, but 5 minutes is up. You two have your introduction, now let me have some fun too," Sehun descended from his position. Jongin appeared beside him, putting his arms on Sehun's shoulders as a welcome before taking some distance again.

"Back to her seat then, Jongin?" Sehun smiled and Jongin nodded. It’s as if they had rehearsed this, as if they had some sort of mind reading going on, for both of them knew exactly what to do to Sooyun. Jongin appeared again behind her, but getting used to his attacks, she managed to dodge his arms and even threw a few blocks of stones at him, adding more scars and bruises to a few she had made earlier. Jongin however proceed to grab a hold of her and pass a glance to Sehun before taking her to one last teleportation.

They appeared a little bit above their seat and Jongin was floating on air thanks to Sehun's help. He pushed Sooyun down to her seat, making sure she doesn’t have enough time to evade the contact with the ground outside the ring.

She fell to her seat on her with a thud.

"KIM SOOYUN, DOWN!!"

And the crowd went excited again as the match finally move on, excited to see a new pair fighting on stage. Sooyun was bewildered on her seat; embarrassed, but moreover, furious.

"Let's continue what we haven't finish last time, huh, Sehun?" Jongin walks mid-air back to the ring as Sehun let him use his wind.

What Sooyun and the crowd observed after her defeat was a real tour de force. The battle was marvellous. Both side showed power, speed, brain, and more than anything; art. Watching the pair was like watching a theatre, a well-choreographed dance being presented in an art hall. The battle stage turned to a performance stage. Their moves were fierce, on point, never pausing for a split second.

The two danced in different genres, Jongin danced contemporary, ballet. His moves used a lot of techniques, the way Jongin attacks Sehun with his physical power indicating how hard his body had went under training. Sehun danced the more modern type, hip-hop. He focused more in freedom of movement, speed, showing his creativity in his wind bending. Though the difference was apparent, it matched so well. It was a beautiful match, one of a kind.

But Sooyun had witnessed something else, something more, something that marks the beginning of her life as she know now. Something sparks in her heart, seeing the guy she had just fought on stage was definitely different than seeing him from the seat, fighting against her best friend. It was the start of something new, but she didn't know it yet.

It was when she fell in love with the man she just met this day.

***

It started with a spark of interest to this lad named Kim Jongin, and how he too had showered her with affection. Simply said, they were in love. To be in a little more detail, their love grew between them, not easily appeared like those silly love stories. With each day the trio hang out, Sooyun and Jongin nourished their relationship. They learn about each other, they learn about how to accept each other the way they are. Even without asking, Jongin and Sooyun knew they would be each other’s. Their worlds start revolving around each other.

Jongin knew somehing that Sooyun knew too, but the man knows it better. Something regarding their best friend, Oh Sehun.

Sehun was hurting all this time. He lost something he loved, for he had fell in love with his best friend since the day she buried him to the ground. He himself didn’t realize the feeling he had to Sooyun was what people called love. At first, he refused to admit that he loved her. But the pain in his chest every time he sees Jongin and Sooyun smiling to each other has proven otherwise.

Even before meeting the lady in person, Jongin knew his best friend was in love without him telling. Jongin too had tried to stay away from the two, afraid that he would have to fight Sehun when he realized he loved her too. Afraid that even if he had her, he might not be good enough for her. Afraid that he would eventually hurt the two people he marked precious to him.

Love, however, was a power that cannot be opposed. No matter how hard Jongin tried, no matter how many excuses he made to evade her, no matter how many times he push her away, he simply needed to have her by his side, and she, too, need him. Call it fate, call it love, call it destiny; Jongin was meant to be with her, and she was to be with him.

Everyone would know the moment they saw Jongin and Sooyun together that they were meant to be. Sadly, Sehun knew this too. Sehun knew Sooyun would never be his as long as Jongin's around, but Jongin was his own beloved best friend, and he also didn’t want to push him away. Deep down inside, Sehun knew that Jongin could make her happier than he could. Deep down inside, Sehun knew he had to let her go. Deep down inside, Sehun scarred himself to let her be Jongin’s.

Sooyun knew her best friend since as long as she remembered had something for her. She recognizes the look in his eyes whenever she and Jongin went a little bit lovey-dovey. Just like Jongin, she can’t help herself from love. She tried keeping their relationship casual in front of him, but just thinking about Jongin would make her smile, seeing Jongin looking at her would make her blush. She tried hiding it, but Sehun would eventually notice and he can only let out a sigh. She can only try to not hurt him more than he already has. Sehun too tried having other friends, but that doesn’t make him love her less, neither did it make her less of his best friend.

As perfect as it seemed, Jongin and Sooyun’s relationship was not without flaws, not without their own ups and downs.

More than once had Sooyun ran to Sehun, sobbing, hurt from her feelings to Jongin. More than once had Sehun punched the wall and bleed his knuckles so that he doesn’t have to punch his best friend and bleed him. More than once had Jongin asked Sehun what he should do to Sooyun. Sehun endured it all. Sehun bear the pain. His love for Sooyun never went away, the pain he felt are now blunt, but never fades. He learned to let go, slowly, but never fully.

Somewhere in his aching heart, he still hangs on to the slightest hope of having her.

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