Naeun's eyes scanned the clipboard as she read and ruminated on the information about her latest assignment. She stole a glance at the individual on the other side of the glass, a seemingly youthful and harmless girl. Naeun, however, could not be fooled by this girl's docile appearance as she had a good idea of who she was, according to the latter's biographical statement. Naeun cleared before leaning towards the microphone on the table. 

"Good morning. My name is Son Naeun, and I am the NACSA specialist in charge of your case. Before we provide our services to you, I am going to ask you a series of questions. Please respond as clearly, thoughtfully, and truthfully as possible, so that we may remedy your situation in the best way possible. If you need me to repeat the question, you can simply ask me to do so. When you are ready, please say 'yes'." 

"Yes." 

Naeun spun her pen in her hand as she went over the standard questioning procedure with the girl. In her other hand, she held the paper listing all of the recommended questions, which served as a guide for the interview. She would also be expected to form and ask questions of her own. 

"What is your name?" 

"Yoon Bomi." 

"When were you born?" 

"August 13th, 1993." 

"Where were you born?" 

"Gwonseun-gu, South Korea." 

Naeun continued to ask Bomi many questions about herself and her life, despite the fact that NACSA had already gathered plentiful information about the girl. The questioning procedure was not designed to collect information; rather, it was to assess whether the case subject was sound of mind, self-aware, and emotionally stable. 

So far, Bomi had responded swiftly and accurately. That could only last so long. Naeun braced herself for the last few questions, which would concern the more personal aspects of the subject's life. Namely, their special ability. This section usually elicited strong responses from the subject, and Naeun was warned beforehand that Bomi possessed quite the temper. She would tread carefully at this point. 

"What is your special ability?" 

Upon hearing this question, Bomi leaned back into her chair, crossing one leg over the other. Naeun managed to catch the slightly darkening expression on the girl's face. 

"Fire." 

"Can you please elaborate?" 

"I have the ability to produce heat, that I can generate at will. My body temperature is much higher than that of the average human, and it has the potential to increase further in accordance with my emotions. I am also physically immune to the sensations of heat and fire." 

Bomi was what NACSA classified as an Incendiary - people with the ability to produce fire. Scientists still hadn't quite figured out how Incendiaries’ bodies could provide the necessary components to fuel a combustion reaction (as their physical and genetic makeup appeared identical to that of a non-Incendiary human), but they did conclude that these people were truly capable of producing fire on their own. The most fascinating aspect of an Incendiary, however, was their immunity to heat and fire. How was that even possible with the human body's limitations, which included the risk of denaturing enzymes (assuming that their bodies were indeed human and hadn't undergone some unidentifiable speciation)? Perhaps Naeun should have joined NACSA's research branch instead, since she was so interested in this field of study. 

"When and how did you first discover your special ability?" 

Bomi sighed, running a hand through her light brown hair in a manner that indicated slight irritation. Naeun shifted in her chair. A division as large and successful as this should have been able to afford comfortable chairs. 

"When I was ten years old, my class went on a camping field trip. It happened during free time, when I was playing tag with my friends in the woods. I just remember being 'it' for a while, growing frustrated, being unable to catch anyone, when everything I touched somehow caught on fire. The trees, the bushes, the grass...they all went up in flames." 

Ten to thirteen years old. That was the average age range in which people showed visible capability of exceeding their special ability threshold. There was a popular theory at the moment, the Inborn Potential theory, which stated:  

Many people demonstrate their special abilities upon a particular age range. As for those who do not, they continue to live without the means to use special abilities.   Those who exercise their potential upon practice and training under ideal conditions successfully exceed the special ability threshold, and they are capable of using special abilities.  

After painfully close observation, rigorous experimentation, and decades of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, scientists from NACSA arrived to the conclusion that all people are born with the potential to wield special abilities, and those who possess them are generally called special ability users, or SAU. This fascinating development of inborn abilities may have taken place only in the last century, when all countries on Earth agreed to take an aggressive stance against global climate change, and many environmental regulations and protection laws were set. The extremity of Earth's atmosphere (the surge in oxygen levels in particular) and everything that followed as a result was considered the most plausible cause for a phenotypic mutation that gave humans their special abilities. Although it was deemed that everyone in the current human population on Earth could become SAU, the rate in which this occurred was extremely low, to the point where global leaders did not concern themselves over this issue. 

 Naeun herself found the Inborn Potential theory credible- she had her own special ability, which she had discovered at the age of thirteen. She was very physically active as a child, and her parents were renowned martial art practitioners (resulting in her taking many martial arts classes alongside personal training), so these factors enabled her to exceed her special ability threshold. 

No one could tell from first glance that Naeun could easily kill them with a single blow. Her special ability was extraordinary physical strength, and she knew the mechanisms behind her ability - she could manipulate her adrenaline levels at will, enabling her to wield hysterical strength (without the rage, bodily damage, and detrimental aftermath as well, due to immediate cell regeneration). So instantaneous self-healing was one of the perks of her ability, much like heat immunity was one of Bomi's.  

Naeun refrained from letting others know about her strength unless it was absolutely necessary. She also possessed precise control over her ability, which was considered a feat even for older SAU. For these reasons, she had been easily scouted and accepted into NACSA. 

NACSA remained a secret from the public, in addition to the Inborn Potential theory, SAU, and the general knowledge of special abilities themselves. Who knew what chaos the world would fall into if everyone knew that they could develop special abilities? This knowledge especially couldn't travel to the ears of those with ill intent. NACSA was designed to neutralize situations involving SAU, but they were also tasked with keeping those abilities a secret - which was why Naeun was here now, to ensure that Yoon Bomi would be able to control her ability and hide it from the public.  

"What happened after everything caught on fire?" 

"After the fire department narrowly managed to extinguish the fires, my classmates identified me as the cause. The firefighters called the police, and I was immediately taken into custody. I was suspected of arson at first, but I involuntarily demonstrated a bit of my ability after some experimental prodding. After a few tests, the chief of the police force contacted NACSA, and my case was accepted." 

"You are twenty-one years old, correct?" Bomi nodded. She was a year older than Naeun. "So you have been under NACSA's regulation for about eleven years... It says here that your case was closed when you turned fifteen, but it was reopened when you were eighteen. Can you please explain how this occurred?" 

Although her expression remained relatively neutral, Bomi's fingers curled into fists, and Naeun swore that she saw a spark leap out from one of them.  

"Can we skip this question?" 

"...no, we cannot. You must provide an answer as you were instructed. Just try your best to come up with an acceptable response." 

Bomi's hands were tightened fists now, set stiffly on the table in front of her. 

"You already know what happened. It's on the clipboard. Everything is on the clipboard." 

"Bomi, you have to answer the question - so we can help you." 

Bomi gritted her teeth, and Naeun observed in awe as tiny embers rose up from the Incendiary's fists. Never before in her NACSA career had Naeun witnessed such an enthralling ability firsthand. Her former cases usually consisted of simple abilities like controlling lightbulbs or emitting unpleasant gases into the atmosphere. Now she was watching this girl slowly catch on fire. 

Bomi swallowed hard, and some of the growing embers died down.  

"When I was eighteen... I was out with... a friend. It was a Sunday afternoon, and we were having a picnic at the park. I-I don't remember how it happened, but we suddenly got into an argument. It quickly escalated, and it grew heated, until I suddenly lost control of my abilities and - and I - I burned her." 

Bomi fell silent after answering, and Naeun read over the reason behind the reopening of Yoon Bomi's case. The girl was telling the truth, although she didn't go into much detail about the progression of the events.  

1200: NACSA performed their daily checks on SAU registered in their database, of those who did not require 24/7 supervision. The agent in charge of Yoon Bomi noticed that her body temperature was on a constant rise above the usual, so he was granted permission to extend his observation of her. 

1400: Bomi was seen walking into the park with her friend, Park Chorong. The two participated in a leisurely activity. During this time, Bomi’s body temperature appeared to fluctuate to extreme levels, and the agent contemplated whether he should have intervened. By the time he exited the observation van, Bomi was already causing massive public property destruction.  

1500: The city's fire department arrived on scene to put out the flames, and the police were called to investigate and apprehend the arsonist. Park Chorong was admitted to the nearest hospital with second and third degree burns.  

Within the span of an hour, Bomi had severely burnt her friend and set the park ablaze, nearly beyond restoration. Just like Naeun's superior had warned, Yoon Bomi was a dangerous SAU. But Naeun was dangerous herself, and she was furthermore in control of her ability. That was also why she in particular had been given this case. 

"Thank you for answering that question in spite of the difficulty and emotional stress it has caused you. I have determined that you are indeed in need of NACSA's assistance. Once again, my name is Son Naeun, and I am going to help you control your ability. The paperwork and such should be processed by tomorrow. I will come to you then." 

Bomi gave her a once-over, scrutinizing her appearance. "Can you really do that?" If she was judging Naeun based on appearance alone, she was going to be in for a surprise. 

"You are already familiar with NACSA, yes? Well, I will tell you now that I am different from the other specialists. Your case may be the first of mine that requires close attention and caution, but I will nonetheless use less conventional methods as I usually would to ensure that you can keep your ability in check." Naeun politely smiled, and Bomi accepted it at that. "Have a good day, Bomi. We begin working with each other tomorrow." 

  

  

"Hey." Hayoung, one of Naeun's co-workers, greeted her as she was passing by in the laboratory. When the older girl failed to respond, the younger girl backtracked and peered over her shoulder in curiosity. "What have you got there?"  

"...equipment...for my latest assignment..." Naeun quietly answered as she placed a fire blanket pack into the corner of a large suitcase. 

Hayoung raised a brow as she looked over the objects that Naeun had laid out on the counter. "Fireproof gloves? A fire extinguisher? Really? What kind of assignment is this? You just have a bunch of..." Hayoung's eyes widened slowly as she made the realization. "...firefighting equipment...! Oh my gosh! You got that Incendiary case!" Naeun placed a finger over her own lips as a gesture for the excited specialist to quiet down. 

"I can't believe this. Everybody was trying so hard to get that case, kissing the boss' and everything. And she gave it to you? What did you do?" 

Naeun shrugged, taking the fire extinguisher out of Hayoung's hands and tucking it into another corner of the suitcase. "I didn't even ask for the case but she just gave it to me, telling me that I'm ready for something new and exciting. Aside from all of you getting on her nerves, my ability probably matches up in danger levels to that of my client's." 

"I don't think you should put that in there..." Hayoung advised warily as Naeun began to quickly shove all of the equipment into the suitcase. She ignored the younger girl and shut the suitcase, locking it immediately thereafter. 

"It's fine. I'm really careful with these things - unlike some people." Naeun easily lifted the large suitcase off of the counter, all of its weighty contents colliding against one another inside. Hayoung furrowed her brows at her fellow specialist, who nonchalantly carried the suitcase with one hand. 

"Isn't that really heavy?" 

"I think you've forgotten about my special ability." Naeun demonstrated said ability by quickly raising the suitcase over her head. "Extraordinary strength?" 

"Oh yeah, that's right. Hulk. I forgot for a second there. Well, good luck and be safe. This should be a real interesting one." Hayoung told Naeun, who gave her a firm nod. 

"I'll let you accompany me sometime if you want. To see this kind of thing in action. You don't get an Incendiary case around here all that often." 

Hayoung clapped her hands together, a wide smile growing on her face. "Really? That'll be great, thanks! I'll read the Incendiary's soul for you if you want - well, I'm probably gonna have a look at it regardless, to satisfy my curiosity. Do you mind if I bring Eunji along?" 

"That Cupid client of yours? Sure, let's just make this a playdate while we're at it." Naeun remarked sarcastically. 

"Thanks Naeunnie, you're the best!" Hayoung exclaimed in a voice laced with a bit too sweetness for Naeun's liking, as indicated by her evident grimace. 

"I know." 

With that said, Naeun was out of the laboratory. 

  

  

The next day arrived sooner than Naeun had expected but she was prepared for it and standing in front of the door to Yoon Bomi's apartment as soon as she had received the approval notice. She had her suitcase at her feet, which she would be carrying at all times around Bomi. She rang the doorbell a few times, but there was no response. She had also knocked at the door, but that didn't garner any response either. 

"Yoon Bomi? This is Son Naeun. Your case has been successfully processed. We're starting today. Open the door." Naeun commanded in a raised voice, hoping that Bomi would be able to hear her. According to the high temperatures detected by her thermal scanner, Bomi was definitely in there - unless that was another Incendiary, which she highly doubted. 

"No." Naeun furrowed her brows upon hearing the muffled reply from what she recognized to be Bomi's voice. 

"Excuse m- " 

"No, I'm not letting you in." 

Naeun groaned, combing her fingers through her jet-black hair. "I don't have the time to entertain you, Bomi. I've got class in three hours. Until then, I am going to work on your case. We can get some progress in, at least." 

"You can do whatever you want. I'm not coming out. I didn't ask to be treated, and I didn't ask to have this ability. There's nothing wrong with me." The NACSA specialist standing outside rolled her eyes. Shouldn't Bomi have passed the angst stage of having a destructive special ability already? 

"Look, it doesn't matter what you think. You are now a part of our system, whether you like it or not, and you're going to learn how to control your abilities." There was no reply, and Naeun was rapidly losing her patience. She didn't stay up all night to type up her lab report, only to run into this annoying situation the morning after. "Bomi, I warned you already, but I'm going to warn you again. I use unconventional methods during my cases, and I've even been told by my superior to warn my clients beforehand. I'm coming in, even if you don't open the door for me yourself." No response again, and Naeun had more than enough of this. She performed a quick scan of the vicinity for any witnesses before proceeding. 

Naeun pressed her hands flat against the wooden door and pushed forward, easily breaking it off of its hinge and making the obstructive object to fall over, right onto Bomi's royal blue carpet. The girl was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine - well, she looked like she was, up until now, in which she was gaping at her fallen door. Naeun dusted her hands off and walked in, carrying her suitcase inside with her. 

"What the hell?! How did you - You just broke my door!" Bomi shrieked, continuing to stare at her door in disbelief. 

"I sure did. That's what you get for being a stubbornass." Naeun showed no signs of remorse, standing right on top of the door she broke down. 

Bomi tossed her magazine to the side, leaping up from her couch. Naeun warily eyed the small embers slithering forth from the older girl's fists. "Someone better get my door fixed, fast. And pay for it too." 

"Tell that to NACSA. I'm just doing my job." Naeun retained her composure in spite of a flaring Bomi looming in front of her. 

"What am I gonna do in the meantime? How am I going to sleep without a door?!" 

"You can just burn your intruders to a crisp." 

That seemed to set something off, because hissing flames shot out of Bomi's hand, and she lunged at Naeun. Being a skilled and highly trained martial arts practitioner, Naeun effortlessly evaded the attack. However, an angry Bomi continued to swipe at her, and Naeun had no choice but to reach into her suitcase. Swiftly, the specialist landed a kick at Bomi's leg that caused her to drop onto a knee, then whipped out the fire blanket and wrapped it around Bomi's hands in a way that both put out the flames and tied her wrists together. 

Bomi struggled to break free, but it was no use. She fervently cursed under her breath, glaring at the girl standing before her. She then took several deep breaths in order to prevent herself from bursting into flames. She would allow that to happen anywhere but the interior of her own apartment. 

"Calm down, Yoon Bomi. I have plenty of equipment here, as you can see, to ensure that I can put out your flames." Naeun opened her suitcase and revealed its contents to the Incendiary. "It's futile to struggle. Just accept it, and quietly come along. I will apply force if necessary, and as you saw earlier, I am quite strong. Extraordinarily strong, in addition to being a skilled fighter." 

"What the hell are you?" 

"Better than you. I also happen to have a special ability, much like yourself, but I have exceptional control over mine. Let's not make things difficult, shall we? Keep in mind that my time is limited." 

Bomi paused for a moment, in silent contemplation. Then she sighed heavily, rose to both feet, and put out her wrists in front of her specialist. "Fine. Untie me." 

"Good. Keep up the cooperation, and your treatment should be a lot less painful and much more quick." Naeun said as she ripped the blanket off of Bomi's wrists. The Incendiary rubbed at her reddened wrists, scowling. 

"I'm going to your boss. I'm not dealing with this bull." 

"You can go directly to my superior to complain if you want. In the end, I'm still going to be charge of teaching you how to control to ability." 

"We'll see about that…what the hell am I supposed to do when I leave my apartment? What if a burglar comes in and steals my belongings?” Bomi realized, narrowed eyes flickering between Naeun and her broken door.

“You better hope that your neighbors are good people…and here, I’ll lend you this.” Naeun reached into her suitcase and pulled out a roll of police tape. “Put this all around the entrance and keep your apartment lights on. You can have NACSA pay for your electricity bill too. This should keep people out, at least long enough for you to return.”

  

  

"Hello, my name is Yookyung." The receptionist greeted as Bomi and Naeun stood in front of her desk. "How may I help you today?" 

"I'd like to speak to the person at the highest level of the hierarchy here. The most superior of your superiors." Bomi firmly requested, and the receptionist appeared bemused upon this demand. She stole a nervous glance at Naeun, who simply crossed her arms and looked ahead uncaringly. 

"Um, do you have an appointme - " 

"I need to speak to your boss immediately. I don't have time to make an appointment. It's urgent." 

"Colonel Kim handles the affairs of this entire division so she is very busy. I’m afraid that I can’t allow you to meet her unless you have an appointment. Please return after you have made an appoint – “ 

Bomi realized that it would be futile to try to get in contact with Colonel Kim through her receptionist, so she simply passed Yookyung’s desk and made her way to the elevators. Naeun wordlessly followed her client, shrugging coolly at the receptionist who looked like she wanted to say something to her. The security guards also recognized Naeun, so they remained at their designated positions.

“You know where your boss’ office is, don’t you? Lead the way.” Bomi told Naeun, who then pressed on the button that would take them to the highest floor of the building. Yookyung could only watch helplessly as the elevator doors closed and the pair was gone as quickly as they had come. She looked down at the phone on her desk, wondering if she should warn the Colonel of the incoming intruders. 

  

  

“Fancyass place you all got here.” Bomi commented as they walked through the pristine glass halls leading to the Colonel’s office. Other visitors would have been amazed by the breathtaking view of the city from the top floor of the NACSA building, but Bomi didn't care much for things like that, Naeun noted. “Who pays for it? Maybe they can pay for my door too, since the inconsiderate person who broke it doesn't want to take responsibility for it." 

Naeun ignored the older girl's jab and gestured to the large, wooden double doors that she eventually led them to. "Here it is, Colonel Kim's office. I might just wait out here while you - " She inwardly sighed as Bomi burst through the doors without any indication that she was going to enter, and that was probably the worst thing she could have done on top of forcing her way in without an appointment. 

"Colonel Kim!" Bomi shouted as she dramatically stormed in, flinging both doors open. Instead of seeing a woman at a desk as she had expected, she was welcomed by a coffee table flying towards her at a dangerous speed. She didn't have quite enough control to manipulate her fire abilities at will and use them for self-defense, so she simply put her arms up and braced herself for impact. 

However, Naeun appeared beside Bomi in a flash and the latter observed in astonishment as the former singlehandedly splintered the table into several pieces with a swing of her suitcase. The client of the two stared wide-eyed at the broken parts scattered haphazardly on the plush carpet while the specialist walked ahead, stepping over the debris. Bomi looked up and finally saw what she had been expecting previously, a woman sitting at her desk, but there was a bit of a twist: there were several office items floating around her. 

The floating phone suddenly beeped, and the woman pressed a button which allowed the flustered receptionist's voice to ring out: "Colonel, there are two visitors without an appointment headed your way, and one of them is Specialist Son Naeun." 

"Thank you for the warning Yookyung, but they're already here." the woman answered before pressing another button and presumably ending the call. 

"Colonel, that was a bit dangerous, don't you think? What if that had been a civilian?" Naeun calmly pointed out, approaching her superior. The levitating objects, including the phone, lowered steadily until they were returned to their proper places. Bomi assessed that this woman might have been a SAU, of a telekinetic variety. 

"Normal civilians don't have access to this building. Even if they did, they would have the decency to knock or give some other kind of indication that they would soon enter. Hence the name, civil-ians. Since there wasn't any warning of any sort, I assumed there was a barbarian intending to harm me." 

"Close, but Yoon Bomi here is an Incendiary." 

The Colonel's eyes finally fell upon the girl lingering near the doors, and her lips curled into a delighted smile. "Ah, the Incendiary. Come forward. I assure that I won't launch another coffee table - or any object for that matter - at you." Warily, Bomi walked towards the smiling Colonel and settled to stand in the space next to Naeun. "You have been NACSA's case even before I was appointed Colonel of this division. It is a rare pleasure to meet an Incendiary such as yourself. My sincerest apologies for that attack earlier. I know quite a bit about you from what I've heard in addition to reading your files, and I'd like to formally introduce myself so you can acquaint yourself with the person running this operation at the moment." The Colonel placed her hand out, which Bomi hesitantly took. "I am Kim Namjoo, the Colonel of NACSA's 22nd division." 

A dazed Bomi could only nod before she received a sharp nudge in the side from the specialist beside her. "Um, I'm Yoon Bomi - an Incendiary and the client of Son Naeun. It's...nice to meet you." 

Namjoo smiled rather warmly, and Bomi felt herself relaxing in her presence. "So, what can I do for you today? I suppose it's something urgent if you skipped the appointment process." 

Bomi finally remembered what she had planned to do upon coming here, but for some odd reason, she felt reluctant to discuss it with the Colonel now that she has properly met her. She wasn't sure if it was from intimidation (as she had just witnessed Namjoo's powerful telekinetic ability) or from the fact that she had calmed down quite a bit and was now regretting her outburst. But she and Naeun were already here, so she might as well inform the Colonel of her current issue. 

"I'd like to cancel my contract and formally withdraw from the NACSA program - " 

"Not possible." Namjoo cut in, leaning back into her large swivel chair. 

"What? Why not?" 

"Although this process requires an agreement from the clients themselves in order to progress, it is not an entirely voluntary program. NACSA is a sort of intergovernmental organization, like the United Nations, but it is also a military operation that runs in secret. Transparency is nice for show, a pleaser for the public, but there are too many risks involved with special abilities - especially one as rare and dangerous as yours, Yoon Bomi. Until you can demonstrate control over your ability, at least enough to keep it in check and withhold it, I'm afraid that you will have to continue to cooperate with us for the time being. It shouldn’t be too difficult – you were able to suppress your ability before, yes?”

“Yes, I have but – “

“But what?”

Bomi held back a groan, not wanting to offend the Colonel. "Is there any alternative to this...specialist-client program? Like the training I did when I came here after school?”

"Hmm..." Namjoo  her chin thoughtfully. "That is not available for our older clients, especially those with a potentially harmful ability. For you, there is NACSA's specialized rehabilitation facility - also fondly known as a maximum security prison for SAU, solitary confinement included." 

Bomi lowered her gaze, missing the growing smile on Namjoo's face as the latter noticed her determination quickly faltering. "Can I at least have a different specialist? Instead of her?" Bomi did a slight nod of her head towards Naeun, who scoffed. 

"Why would you want to have a different specialist when she's one of our best - " Their conversation was interrupted by the phone beeping once again. “Please excuse me.” Namjoo told the pair before answering the call. “What is it, Yookyung?”

“Sorry for disturbing you Colonel, but the new recruits have just arrived to the headquarters. Oh Seunghee in particular has an appointment scheduled with you in this time slot. What shall I do?”

Namjoo grinned at Naeun and Bomi, who didn’t seem the least amused. “Ah yes, the girl with the ability to defy gravity – please send her up immediately. I am in the midst of finishing my meeting with Son Naeun and her client.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Oh, and send someone up later to collect some broken furniture from my office.” Namjoo instructed as the debris near the door was swept aside by an invisible force into a neat pile in the corner of the room.

“Yes ma’am. Anything else?”

“Make sure someone is there to Oh Seunghee to my office so that she doesn’t get lost on her first day here. That’ll be all. Thank you, Yookyung.”

“It is my pleasure, ma’am.”

Namjoo ended the call rather happily, and she leaned forward, placing her folded hands on her desk. “I’m afraid that I’ll have to cut this impromptu discussion short. Appointments and new recruits are prioritized after all, and even moreso when they are a combination of the two. To say the least, Yoon Bomi, I have personally determined that Son Naeun is the best specialist for your case. If you have anything else you’d like to say, I suggest you arrange an appointment, which will take place in around five to seven months at the very least – because I am a very busy woman. In the meantime, I highly recommend that you use your time productively and learn how to control your ability again with the help of your current specialist. This meeting is now over, goodbye. Please see yourselves out and have a good day.”

Naeun grabbed a grumbling Bomi by the arm and practically dragged her out of Namjoo’s office, closing the doors behind them but still hanging onto the older girl’s arm. She led her to the elevators, where she pressed a button that would take them to the bottom floor of the building. While they waited for the elevator to arrive, Bomi tried to pry Naeun’s iron-like grip off of her arm.

“Let go of me already, would you?”

“You might do something rash, so I won’t release you until we reach my car.”

“I’ll burn you.” Bomi threatened, directing her hardened gaze into Naeun’s eyes.

“You won’t – or rather, you can’t, because you lack control over your ability.”

“All I have to do is get angry, and you’re doing more than enough to set me off – “

There was a melodious ring, signaling the arrival of the elevator. The doors opened, revealing a NACSA security guard and a formally dressed girl who quickly emerged, smiling at Naeun and Bomi despite their obvious feuding. Naeun nodded in acknowledgement and Bomi averted her eyes. “Make sure you knock before entering, unless you want a coffee table flung at you.” Naeun muttered to the recruit before walking into the elevator and pulling Bomi inside with her. The girl looked back at them with a confused expression, but the doors to the elevator closed before anything else could be exchanged.

The security guard eyed Naeun’s forceful grip on Bomi’s arm and the latter’s clear disdain, wondering if Bomi was an apprehended intruder of some sort. “Would you like some help with that?”

“It’s fine, thank you.”

 

 

“Damn, you really did hold onto my arm until we got to your car.” Bomi complained as she studied the reddened skin where there was a clear outline of Naeun’s fingers. She was personally surprised (and admittedly a bit impressed) at how she didn’t even slightly burn Naeun on the way to her car. She wondered if the outcome would’ve been different had it been anyone else.

“Put on your seatbelt.” Naeun told the Incendiary as she started her car and shifted gears. “We have some time left before my class starts, so we’ll do a bit of training today.”

“You go to school?” Bomi asked, buckling herself in as the car reversed out of the parking space. She remembered Naeun mentioning it earlier in the day, but she couldn’t care less about the girl at the time – until she broke the door to her apartment. “But you’re already a specialist at NACSA.”

“That may be true, but there are other things I want to do aside from this job alone. Plus, I can get paid more if I have a degree.”

“What are you studying?”

Naeun raised a brow, stealing a glance at Bomi in the passenger seat. “You’re interested?”

“I’m not, but I’d rather talk about this than anything concerning NACSA or SAUs and all of that other bullcrap.”

Naeun hummed in understanding before answering her client’s earlier question: “I’m planning to earn a degree in biochemistry – it’ll be helpful for this job, but I actually have a passion for the biological and chemical sciences as well. When I retire from my position as a NACSA specialist, I intend to go into research.”

“So you’re a nerd?”

“A geek, actually.” Naeun corrected. “What about you? What do you do for a living, aside from burning things down and charging into offices without an appointment?”

Bomi rolled her eyes, lowering the windows to get some fresh air. “I work part-time at my family’s restaurant, but I’m taking leave for a while so I can get this special ability crap together.”

“I see. Perhaps we can drop by for a meal sometime.”

Before Bomi could protest, she noticed that Naeun was pulling into the spacious parking lot of a grocery store. She looked at the specialist with furrowed brows. “Why are we here?”

“Well, for what reason do people come to grocery stores for, if they don’t work here?” Naeun found a parking space near the entrance and quickly took it before another car did, smirking in triumph.

“We’re going to shop for groceries? Why?”

“We are not shopping for groceries. You are.” Naeun told Bomi as she rummaged through the pocket of her trenchcoat and fished out a crumpled piece of paper. She handed it to Bomi, who gave her a strange look. “Go buy everything on the list. Here’s the money.”

“What the hell? You’re making me shop for your groceries?” Bomi took the money from Naeun and read over the list, giving the girl beside her another strange look afterwards. “What is this?! It just