"We're going on a field trip kids" Somi felt like she should have been excited, other people in the class were, but it was a serious kind of excited so Somi was worried, they all knew what it meant when Mr Kim told them about their upcoming field trip. Instead, she was worried, she hadn't been on a field trip since moving to this school it was new people and new places that Somi had ventured to or with before. So she clung to Jooheon who had his arm tightly linked with her own, only adding to her worry instead of calming her down.

"Why don't I have a good feeling about this field trip?" She spoke in a quiet voice when she turned to look at Jooheon who shook his head, his eyes planted on her nervously.

"I'm not too sure if you're completely ready for this field trip, if I can be honest with you" People were slinging their bags over their shoulders, filing out of the gym in groups and Somi couldn't help but to feel helpless when she and Jooheon had to follow their classmates out of the gym.

"What are we gonna be doing?" She questioned and Jooheon took in a deep breath.

"What we do every year before the Great Race arrives"

"Is it what I think it is?" She asked and Jooheon nodded.

"We do a practice Great Race in advance" He breathed out and Somi felt herself going rigid.

"I'm screwed" 

"I'll look after you, we'll stick together and make sure we use your elements in a way that doesn't exhaust you from the start" The class was huddled outside of the school, there was a bus in front of them and everyone was bouncing on their feet, looking around and waiting for the sign to board the bus.

"Before I let you get too excited, we're not doing a practice run today" Somi felt the air around her deflate, but Jooheon was relieved, so she was relieved too, there was still time.

"Instead we're doing something we haven't done before" Mr Kim looked around at everyone, trying to draw their attention back in.

"Oh no" Jooheon breathed out and the pair went back to gripping each other's arms tightly.

"We're going to talk to one of the winners of the Great Race" The excitement amongst the students came back and Somi looked around at the class. Jooheon relaxed again as Somi peered at the reactions of everyone and more classes could be seen slowly making their way outside.

"But be prepared for high security at this meeting, we're going into the city and you know what that means"

"Oh crap" Jooheon grumbled and Somi looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" 

"You're gonna hate the security systems, we're going out in public where people don't know our kinds exist so they do everything they can to make sure to keep it that way" 

"Sounds fun" Somi retorted as the class had to gather closer with the growing number of students coming outside. Minhyuk made himself known, coming and standing next to Somi with a blank face and his bag covering his stomach. His hand entered the undone zip of his bag, coming back out with chips between his fingers that his teeth crunched down on as he ignored Somi's eyes on him.

"I was the one to organise this function so my class will board first" Mr Kim made sure all the present teachers heard him and Mr Kim's students let their delight be known verbally.

"Get the back seats, get the back seats" Jooheon cheered under his breath and Somi chortled as the class began moving towards the open door of the bus.

"Stick with us?" Somi turned back, looking at Minhyuk over her shoulder with a small curve of her lips. Hesitantly she reached out, hooking her hand through Minhyuk's elbow, holding him by his bent arm when he didn't give her an answer. She let Jooheon pull her towards the bus and in turn, she pulled Minhyuk behind her as he continued to munch on his chips, his brows scrunching and a scowl forming at the pushing and shoving that came from the class.

"Two orderly lines! Now!" Mr Kim bellowed and groans and moans followed from the class. Somi let out a breath, she clung to Minhyuk and Jooheon, though it was an odd and somewhat uncomfortable feeling having the chip eating male at her other arm. No one commented on the three of them standing together in what was meant to be a line of two and they were able to get on the bus easily now that the class was calmer.

"Back row, back row" Jooheon pulled her down the aisle of the bus with Minhyuk being dragged behind them. Much to the dimpled boy's happiness, the row of five seats at the very back of the bus were yet to be touched which was a strange sight for Somi. If she had been going on any sort of excursion in her old school, she and her friends would just pair up because they knew the race to the back row was a tough battle that none of them wanted to take part in. But they scored the last row of seats on the bus, with Minhyuk choosing to take a window seat, shoving through Somi and Jooheon. Somi sat down next to him, just because she knew it would probably annoy him if she did so, and Jooheon didn't hesitate to take the seat next to her, trapping Minhyuk in his chosen seat, making Somi smile. The bus had enough room to fit another two classes, and soon Changkyun was sitting down next to Jooheon and then Hyunwoo was pushing through them to get to the last seat by the window, filling their row. 

There was another row of empty seats in front of them, two on either side and they could hear huffs and ramblings of frustration as they bickered among themselves with the exclusion of Minhyuk who took to looking out the window. Somi looked up, meeting eyes with Hoseok, he gave no reaction, taking the empty seat in front of her and sighing as he looked around in disinterest. Hyungwon soon followed, finding no room down the front of the bus, he yawned, his barely open eyes finding a familiar figure surrounded by the people he couldn't stand, not that he seemed to tolerate anyone.

"You're back" He commented and it made Somi look away from the session of laughter she was having with Jooheon and Changkyun. She blinked, confused to see Hyungwon sliding in to sit next to Hoseok.

"Yeah" She nodded and Hyungwon gave her one of his tight lip smiles in response, looking away and minding his own business.

"Any of you pricks talk one word to me and you'll be hearing about it" A pessimistic voice followed and everyone looked up at the ball of anger dropping into the empty window seat in front of Minhyuk.

"You could have just quietly sat down, none of us care to pay you any attention" It was Hoseok that was quickest to speak up and Somi bit down on her lip to stop any form of reaction she may have as Changkyun refused to hold in his snort of satisfaction. Kihyun raised a fist at him and Hoseok rolled his eyes as he scoffed.

"You're about as scary as a hamster, good try though" Hoseok pulled his phone from his pocket, using it as a distraction and this time Jooheon chortled.

"Look at the angry little hamster" He commented under his breath, making Somi let out a quiet giggle that she tried to muffle.

"Jooheon" She chided him by slapping his arm, swaying as the bus began to move now that everyone had a seat.

"Behave yourself" 

"But you're laughing!"

"Don't make me laugh" She argued and Minhyuk put his head against the window in dismay.

------------

The drive was longer than any bus of students would have liked. When they said that they were going into the city for this presentation by the winner of the Great Race, Somi didn't realise they meant right to the other side of the city where it was quiet as it could get for a city. The bus came to a stop and Somi's head turned from left to right and left to right again, she had never seen