Chapter Twenty-Two

*This is a direct continuation from the end of the last chapter, so if you need a memory boost, go check out the end of the last chapter again!
 

“Wait, Yoomi knocked you over with her power? That’s gold!” Jongin said excitedly, only to earn a scowl from Minseok in return. After the older boy and Yoomi had made up, they had moved on to discussing exactly what had occurred and trying to puzzle out Yoomi’s possible power from the small clues the encounter had given them. Jongin and his unnecessary comment, however, weren’t helping.

“So what exactly happened with Yoomi’s powers while you two had your little fight earlier?” Yifan asked, the question directed at Yoomi and the eldest as he tried to steer the group back on track. Everyone else in the room directed their attention to either one of them and Yoomi found herself just slightly flushing at all the eyes on her. She was still a little mad at herself for losing her temper earlier, and she was also embarrassed because she wasn’t sure how to answer his question- she had absolutely no clue what she had done, let alone what her power was or what had happened with Minseok after she had stormed out of the room as a result of it.

“Well, I was very mad for sure and then I guess I just erupted. I was too blinded by rage to notice much before I stormed out of the room, but I do recall seeing red.” Yoomi shrugged a little sheepishly, looking faintly uncomfortable.

“It was red,” Minseok nodded his head in agreement, looking thoughtful as he recalled exactly what had happened. “The moment that you ‘erupted’, I felt a burst of Aetha coming from your body. Hard to say what power it could’ve been, but it was so powerful that it knocked me over, along with a few other things, and off my feet. It enclosed the room in a red glow that I can only guess was your anger.”

“A burst of Aetha? So it wasn’t even really one of the four main elements or the higher element of psychic?” Junmyeon pressed, and Yoomi could almost see the gears in his head turning as he tried to figure out what her power was.

“There was no distinct form nor did it have the feeling of any particular element, it just felt like pure, raw, unaltered Aetha on its own. I believe it could be her power’s most basic form.”

“A power that feels like pure Aetha only? I’ve never heard of that,” Yifan muttered, brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to figure out the mystery that was Yoomi’s power. It was both concerning and a little bit relieving to know that it wasn’t only her that was completely stumped and lost when it came to her power.

“Aetha?” Yoomi questioned, both surprised and curious. Her eyebrows shot up as she tried to sort out what they were saying, or rather, what they were implying. She wasn’t completely hopeless; she had been explained what Aetha was before and knew how important it was to vaeli, or well, to everyone and everything in general. “But isn’t that pure magical energy? Like, the life force in most things? Shouldn’t everyone’s powers come from that and feel that way?”

“Yes and no,” Minseok sighed, thoughtful expression still in place. “It’s true that a vaeli’s Aetha is what fuels their power, but their abilities are hardly Aetha itself. However, what you did felt different. I’m not really sure how to explain it, especially since it was only a brief glimpse and, given the situation, I wasn’t prepared to properly analyze it or think clearly, but,” he trailed off, not sure how to continue. It seemed that the more he tried to talk about it and place her power, the more confused and slightly frustrated he became. It was like her ability defied everything he already knew about vaeli and their powers.

“Wait, so how come Yoomi can suddenly use her power when she couldn’t before this no matter how hard she tried?” Chanyeol asked with furrowed brows and a frown of confusion on his face.

“I would guess that it’s like any other twelve-year-old trying to get their power to work. She’s never had to use it before- and her missing memories don’t help-, so it just didn’t show up. Then I guess her fight with Minseok hyung was the big breakthrough because she needed to express all the pent-up feelings and emotions somehow, and so naturally, her mind resorted to unlocking her power in order to let out the strong emotions she had going on inside herself,” Yixing told the others his theory he had already explained to Yoomi earlier in the infirmary. Minseok and a few of the others nodded their heads, agreeing with his logic since it was the explanation that made the most sense.

“So what does that mean, then?” Kyungsoo asked bluntly with a frown of his own.

“This is clearly beyond our knowledge, so I’ll seek out some professors to see if they know anything about this,” Yifan replied, looking like he hit a dead end.

“That’s good, Yifan. Anyhow, we’ll all try to look into this some more. But right now, let’s go to dinner.” Junmyeon stood with a small sigh, giving them all a smile and ushering them out of the room. Talking about it right now was getting them nowhere, and with Yifan offering to seek out help, the matter was practically settled for the moment. After the long day they had all had, a calm and relaxing dinner and evening was what would be best for them.

***

Wednesday

“But hyunggg~” complained a whining Sehun, dragging out the word for further effect. “How come you never buy me anything but she gets free strawberry milk every morning?” Yoomi moved out of the way just in time to avoid getting poked in the eye by Sehun’s index finger, which he pointed- very much rudely- at her face.

“Calm down, Sehunnie. It’s because you’ve never asked,” Chanyeol grinned goodnaturedly as he patted the younger boy’s head in consolation.

“But she didn’t ask for it either and you buy her the damn thing every single day! So now she’s more important than me?” Sehun accused, all the while sending sharp glares Yoomi’s way. Seeing that, the girl casually hid behind Chanyeol- though not before playfully poking her tongue out at Sehun-, conveniently using his larger frame to block herself from the maknae’s view; it wasn’t that she was scared or intimidated by him, she just didn’t feel like almost getting poked in the eye again.

“Alright Sehunnie, we’re not gonna throw a tantrum by the vending machines where everyone can see, okay? Let’s go back to our table-”

“But how could you just-”

“Oppa, just get him something!” Yoomi suggested, running low on patience a little and not keen on embarrassing themselves even further in front of the whole student body. Plus, with how stubborn Sehun was, she just knew that he wouldn’t give up so easily. On another note, the boy seemed to be extra clingy today with how much he was latching onto and whining to his hyungs. But it was kind of cute and it wasn’t like she could do anything about it, so Yoomi didn’t point it out.

Chanyeol ended up buying a box of banana milk for Sehun as well, with the promise- although reluctantly as he thought about the strain it would put on his wallet- of continuing to supply the younger with drinks from now on. By the time the three of them finally sat back down at their table again with their drinks and choice of breakfast, her friends and the other boys were already halfway through their meal.

“Hey, sweetheart. What took you guys so long?” Junmyeon, who was sitting on her left, asked when she finally took her place between him and Yixing.

“Did something happen, kitten?” Yixing added, placing a hand on her cheek in worry.

“It’s nothing, oppa. Sehunnie was being a brat as usual so we took a little longer. But I do kind of feel tired, now that you asked.” Yoomi made sure to whisper the part about a certain someone so that the mentioned boy wouldn’t get all worked up.

“You feel tired?” Yixing repeated before a smile made its way onto his face. “I know just the solution.” Before she could ask him what it was he leaned in close and enveloped her into his arms, with her head resting on his chest. Instantly, Yoomi could feel her muscles relaxing and her mind being rid of all the preoccupied thoughts. She smiled into his shirt and closed her eyes, relishing in the comfort her mate brought.

When Yixing let go of her, Junmyeon tugged on her arm to get her to turn around and just like that she was brought into the warm embrace of her other mate as well. Just like when Yixing hugged her, Yoomi was instantly calmed. She craned her neck back to look up at his face, giving him a delighted grin that told him everything she wanted to say. Having two mates wasn’t that much different from having one, except now there was another person with whom Yoomi could share anything and everything with, and they would completely understand. It was incredible how easy it was to block everything else out when she was with her mates. She liked the feeling of being with them, as it made her feel special and loved. To Yoomi, being bonded to someone was like having someone who will always choose you- someone who was always on your side no matter what- and she couldn’t be more grateful to her mates.

On the other hand, their other tablemates, who had been watching the whole scene play out, could do nothing but stare as the bonded trio shamelessly did PDA without a care in the world. All except for Sumin, who was too busy giggling and slapping Jinwoo’s arm

“Alright, you lovebirds. That’s enough PDA for a whole week,” Tao grumbled, arms crossed over his chest and totally not impressed. Seeing them acting that way so unabashedly made him feel uncomfortable, especially since he wasn’t really that open of a person that expressed himself that plainly often.

“Come on, they just bonded yesterday. Cut them some slack, will you?” Chanyeol joked happily, a little bit of teasing in his tone. “Plus, I’m pretty sure it’s not easy to keep your hands to yourself when you have such a pretty mate just sitting there next to you.” This last part was mumbled under his breath as if he didn’t really want anyone to hear it. Although, with vaeli hearing, it was hard not to catch every murmur and whisper that goes on around you.

“Just eat your food.” That one sentence from Yifan shut everyone up, turning all their attention back to their plates, not wanting to get scolded further.

***

“Good morning, students of Trillins Academy!” Yoomi flinched at her grandfather’s- as well as headmaster of the academy- voice boomed through the speakers in their auditorium. She, along with the rest of S-class, sat in their designated section in the room. At whole-school assemblies such as this, the students were required to sit according to their ranks, so Yoomi, Sumin, and Jinwoo were all far away from each other.

“Oppa, why are we here again?” She leaned close to Chanyeol in order to whisper into his ear, even going so far as to childishly raise her hand to block and prevent others from hearing, though her not-so-secretive action only made her whispering more obvious. Currently, she was sitting in between Yixing and Chanyeol because her other mate was absent- not that she minded sitting next to the happy-go-lucky giant, that is. Junmyeon and Jongdae were off doing some Student Union duties, helping to run and set up the assembly itself, but the rest of the S-class boys were all there and being surprisingly quiet and well-mannered. Of course, she supposed even they would know better than to cause a ruckus during a schoolwide meeting like this.

“Gosh, I swear you’re the most clueless person I’ve ever met, Lee Yoomi!” Yoomi pouted as she heard his hushed, yet playfully teasing, reply. She only chose to ask him because she didn’t want Yixing to scold her for not paying attention when she was first told of the purpose of this assembly the night before, yet here she was, being teased and still not getting her answer.

“Alright alright, I’ll tell you. Don’t make that face, kitten. What if Yixing hyung thought I was being mean to you?” Chanyeol quickly gave in, genuinely afraid for himself. Yixing was far from the aggressive type, but even Junmyeon had become totally defensive of the girl after they bonded, so it could be the same with even gentle Yixing and he wasn’t willing to risk any of his hyungs’ wrath. “It’s about our camping trip coming up next weekend. You know how we have two school-wide trips a year? This one’s the fall trip.”

“Ooh, next weekend?” she echoed with a surprised blink, recalling that she had heard about the camping trip before and even started preparing for it in some of her classes. She hadn’t expected it to already be so soon and, with everything else going on, she had let it drift to the back of her mind and kind of forgotten about it. However, even if she had neglected thinking about the trip for a while, she was still excited for it and probably more curious about what a schoolwide vaeli trip would entail than was normal. “Where are we going? How will we get there? Do we have school buses?” she shot off her questions eagerly, voice gaining a little volume with her excitement.

“Calm down, you don’t want to get in trouble for talking, do you?” he chuckled at her endearing curiosity and eagerness while simultaneously shushing her so that she would return to whispering again. “We’re about to find out all the details now. If only you’d just listen when you’re supposed to.”

Yoomi forced herself to keep shut and ears wide open after that, not wanting to miss the details of their upcoming trip. Chanyeol ruffled her hair in adoration, totally understanding why both Junmyeon and Yixing were so whipped for the girl.

“As you all should already know, our fall trip is fast approaching. For this trip, we will be camping at the Gamssin-Sam Institute, a place of great historical value to the whole vaeli race, and Trillins Academy especially.” Here, he paused, making sure that he indeed did have all of the students’ attention; with roughly a thousand students attending the academy, it was difficult to hold all of their attention for long or ensure that they were all listening- it was also hard to ignore the not-so-silent whispers that broke out amongst them all once the location of the trip was announced. Teenagers will be teenagers though, and their excitement was understandable, so he simply waited patiently for them to quiet themselves down once more. Yoomi, for her part, recalled hearing about the Institute from Baekhyun and was excited herself for the chance to see the old vaeli training academy; though, unlike the others, she remained silent, squirming in her seat to show her enthusiasm instead. The boys on either side of her chuckled softly at her actions.

When her grandfather was satisfied at the hush that finally fell over the crowd after they had settled down a little, he continued. “We will be departing on Friday morning of the following week and the trip will last through to Sunday of the same week. Gamssin-Sam is not just any camping site; it was the start of Trillins Academy which you are standing on and a legacy for all vaeli children. I expect all students to be in their best behaviors, worthy of the place we will be going to. Since this is a trip sponsored by the academy for your academic benefit, the use of your powers will not be forbidden. However, that does not mean that you are allowed to cause havoc or use them inappropriately. Please be respectful and responsible.”

“Further details on camp activities will be given out while traveling to our destination, by which means we will be doing so with the aid of the academy’s private transportation airline. Space limitations for each transportation vehicle will be posted the day prior to departure. Lastly,” he switched topics, looking over to someone far off to his left, “I will have your student president say a few words- I know you’re all probably more willing to listen to your fellow peer than this old man.” He gave a soft chuckle and then backed away, allowing Junmyeon to take his place as he came into view and walked up to the podium.

Yoomi, surprised to see him there and not having known that he was going to speak, sat up a little straighter in her seat in an effort to look at her mate more clearly. Junmyeon was, as always, dressed in his pristine royal blue S-class uniform and shiny black leather shoes. There was not a single hair out of place, nor any signs of discomfort from being the center of attention of the whole student body.

“Hello,” Junmyeon gave a polite smile, scanning the audience intently, “I’m sure that many of you are already familiar with me, but my name is Kim Junmyeon and I’m your student union president. As Headmaster Lee has said, Gamssin-Sam Institute is a place of great important and historical significance to all vaeli, but to us here at Trillins Academy above all else. I trust all of you to represent our school properly and with pride. Be respectful- but also remember to have fun. This is supposed to be a trip that will not only aid our learning experience but also provide us with some relief and relaxation. I myself am looking forward to this trip, so I hope you all are as well. Let’s make this trip worthwhile and create great memories together.”

He dipped his head in a tiny bow as he finished his short speech, the polite yet sincere smile still on his face as he backed away from the podium and the headmaster stepped forward once again to dismiss them all. However, Yoomi found herself tuning his voice out, gaze focused on her mate. She was extremely impressed with how Junmyeon carried himself in front of all those people, speaking so calmly and clearly, and how the role of student president seemed to fit him so naturally. She couldn’t imagine herself doing what he did so effortlessly; having hundreds of pairs of eyes on her all at once would probably make her faint on the spot. She may have her extroverted moments and portray herself confidently, but nearly everyone had a fear of public speaking, right?

“Come on, kitten.” Chanyeol nudged the dazed girl’s shoulder with his own, bumping her a little too harshly since he forgot how big his shoulders were compared to her own. When she turned her head to scowl at him and whine, he jerked his chin towards the opposite direction, hinting to her that she was supposed to stand up and follow the rest of the students as they began to leave. Startled that she had zoned out that badly -but not exactly surprised either, knowing her track record-, Yoomi quickly stood up and trailed behind