Chou Tzuyu

"Embrace it fully and let it engulf you whole being."

Tzuyu knew that her friend didn't accept her Element. She saw the fire that Chaeyoung had created, she saw how trapped it looked like.

If another person saw Chaeyoung's fire they wouldn't see anything out of ordinary. But Tzuyu knew the moment she saw it. She knew  it was different because she was just like that years ago. She denied her Element, she didn't know why she did that. Actually, yes she did.

She held her breath in and then, it started.

Beautiful.  It was all she could think off.

Sparks exploded around Chaeyoung's body and Tzuyu wondered if she should put distance between her and the girl.

But she stayed.

Suddenly, fire burst out of the girl's body and engulfed Chaeyoung from her head to her toes.

The fire was enchanting as it danced around their bodies and sometimes even jumped around the grass underneath them. Surprisingly it didn't burn like it was supposed to.

Finally.

The fire was alluring and Tzuyu had the sudden urge to release her own flames. She almost did. Almost.

But just as it came, the fire surrounding them dissipated in a second. She saw how it was forced back into Chaeyoung's body.

No. No no no no.

She was finally making progress. Tzuyu knew how much it hurt to deny your own Element, it didn't just hurt her physically. It was mentally draining too, she wouldn't want to go through that again.

Tzuyu stumbled forward just in time to catch Chaeyoung before she fell to the ground.

"Chae-" She stopped at her friend's whimper.

The girl grasp her hoodie, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I-I can't" She choked and Tzuyu felt her heart break.

"It's o-okay. You're gonna be okay. You're okay." She repeated the last words a couple more times until Chaeyoung had calmed down.

What happened to you, Son Chaeyoung?

She had dragged Chaeyoung to their room that night.

The next day her little friend was back to normal. They didn't speak about it.

They dressed wordlessly as if they had forgotten about what happened last night.

They won't speak about it now.

Not yet anyway.

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Park Jihyo

"Okay. So here's what I found out in my little research." Jihyo started as both she and Mina sat down right in front of Nayeon.

"Go on." Mina said.

"Wait" Nayeon suddenly interjected.

"What" Mina and Jihyo simultaneously said.

"Why is it that the two of you look more tired than me?" She asked curiously.

"Well-" Both of them started at the same time.

Mina shut and motioned for Jihyo to go on.

"I researched about the past Elites and Destined Mates and I've found some really interesting facts or rumours as some might say. That's why I wasn't able to sleep because I was so into what I was reading by the time I realized the sun had come up." Jihyo explained.

"Uhuh. How about you Myoui?" Nayeon curiously asked.

Mina squirmed in her seat and somehow this made Jihyo curious too. 

"I sorta couldn't sleep because of something plaguing my mind." Mina said. "and heart." She mumbled the last part but Jihyo heard it nonetheless.

"What is it? Remember Mina, no secrets." Nayeon said sternly.

Mina pursed her lips then sighed.

"I could feel Chaeyoung's emotions last night and she was sort of disturbed?" she admitted.

"How did you feel her emotions? Her dorm's like quite far from yours and it's not like you've marked he-" Jihyo paused and her eyes widened.

"Did you-"

"ImayormaynothavemarkedherwhenSanaandTzuyuwasbeingallclosetoherandIgotreallyjealousandIwasn'tabletocontrolmyself." Mina rambled fast.

"Woah. Slow down Mina." Nayeon chuckled.

She sighed heavily, her skin was starting to turn into a bright shade of red.

"I may or may not have marked her when Sana and Tzuyu was being all close to her and I got really jealous and I wasn't able to control myself." Mina repeated, albeit a little slower this time.

"Tzuyu?" She asked out of instinct.

Her mate's name caught her ears.

"That's what you got from that?" Nayeon asked incredulously.

"What?" Jihyo asked.

"Mina just marked her Mate. That's huge! I totally didn't expect that from you Myoui" Nayeon gushed and Mina just blushed even further.

I wonder when I'll be able to mark mine. Jihyo sighed,

"I feel bad about it. We just met again a couple of days ago and I wasn't even able to ask if she was ready." Mina guiltily said.

Jihyo understood what Mina meant.

Marking someone could happen two ways.

One is by will, where the person can mark his or her Mate when he or she feels like its time. The person usually asks their Mate first before marking them. It was like a proposal for marriage.

The other however is something that happens accidentally. It could happen through strong emotions like intense feelings of love or jealously.

Mina could've been triggered by the latter one.

"You didn't mean for it to happen Mina. Just talk to her and ask her about it, I'm sure she'll tell you if she was uncomfortable with it." She assured her.

"I don't know what to do Jihyo. I mean, I've been looking for her for years and now that she's right in front of me, it just feels surreal." Mina confessed.

This was a difficult situation. She wondered if meeting Tzuyu would be like this too.

"It seems like the two of you are thinking too much about what to do and how to do this Mate thing because you're afraid of messing it all up. But the truth is there is no right or wrong way to be with your Mate. You just have to love, cherish, and respect them for the rest of your life and that's natural to all Elementals. I mean, I just met my Mate yesterday and it honestly feels like I'm already in love with her." Nayeon said.

She and Mina looked at Nayeon like the girl had just grown another head.

"Wow" Mina said.

Jihyo was about to compliment the older girl when another person's voice interrupted her.

"I think I'm already in love with you too" It was Jeongyeon and Jihyo swore that Mina almost teared up.

Nayeon looked at her Mate, surprise and admiration written on her face. The tension rose and then-

"That's so beautiful" Jihyo blurted out and their eyes snapped towards her.

"Aaaand I ruined the moment." Jihyo facepalmed.

"It's okay, we'll have a million more moments like this for the rest of our lives." Nayeon said sweetly and Jeongyeon just blushed.

"Eww now don't go cheesy on me" Jihyo groaned.

"Hey! You're the Destined Mate you're supposed to encourage our love and strengthen our bond!" Jeongyeon exclaimed.

"Ugh I'll do that WHEN I get to meet my Mate. Right now, I'll just be that bitter single friend so you gotta deal with it." Jihyo grumpily stated.

"Fine"