A Flash of Lightning

Unniedul, Saranghae! ❤ -- Discontinued --

Chapter 29

 

When the three hours recess comes to an end, Dahyun was the second to arrive at the backyard. Sunny dismissed her for a while to take care of something in her room, and the kangaroo chose not to wait for the Red Panda and headed up to the designated meeting spot. She grinned when she caught sight of the lone Phoenix sitting under the shades of a tree at the corner of the vast clearing.

Dahyun pranced happily to her leader, wanting to tackle the seemingly daydreaming girl only to slows down when she noticed the troubled expression on her leader. Clearing , Dahyun approaches Jihyo cautiously for she jolted at the rustle of Dahyun's shoes against the fallen leaves.

"Unnieee.." Dahyun smiled and dove to snuggle Jihyo, which the older girl accepted readily and wrapped her arms around Dahyun's slightly smaller frame. After Dahyun is comfortable in her embrace, Jihyo sighs, running her palm almost absentmindedly over Dahyun's brown hair.

"What's up, Dubu?"

Dahyun raised her head in a questioning manner. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Jihyo exhaled. "Maybe you should."

Seeing the growing anxiety in Jihyo's feature, Dahyun shifted so she's facing the Phoenix. She propped herself on her elbows to be able to grasp Jihyo's hand. "Is something wrong?"

Dahyun could feel the slight shudder on Jihyo's body as the older closes her eyes. When Jihyo tilted her chin to take a deep breath, Dahyun saw three red lines on the older's jaw, a cut that probably bled a bit before it closes.

"I met someone."

The kangaroo blinks. "Huh?"

"I don't... know who she was but–" Jihyo shudders again and Dahyun had to grip her harder to stop her from shaking. "I felt... I was afraid, Dubu she– she was so... peculiar. She doesn't feel right, you know? Like– like if you're looking at a berserker. Wild. Crazed? Maybe, I don't really know."

"Like looking at Taeyeon-unnie when she was still a berserk?"

Jihyo shook her head. "Worse. I don't know what is wrong with her but she said something along the line that she l-likes me, and– and I didn't really remember but she suddenly had me pinned on the wall clawing my face and she said she– she's looking forward for our next meeting."

Dahyun knows better than to probe further as Jihyo breathes out, trembling rather hard and the kangaroo put her arms around the Phoenix, rubbing her back to soothe her. Jihyo took her time to calm herself, and by the time she's breathing evenly, Dahyun already has her unnie's head tucked to the crook of her neck.

"I'm– I'm afraid... Dahyunnie. What if we're really going to meet each other at another time? What should I do if I really will meet her again?"

Humming, Dahyun Jihyo's red hair softly. "I think we should tell the Soshi team. They might be able to help you. Do you know her name?"

"No... she never said hers but she knew mine," Jihyo murmured. "She called me 'Park'. Dahyun... no other people aside from our examiners and keepers are supposed to know our surname before we officially declared to be rulers. I– I– how could she–"

"Shhh," Dahyun tapped Jihyo's waist to stop her words. "It's alright. You'll be fine. We're here, right? We've promised that anything happens, we'll try to solve it together? You got me? That girl... whoever she was, we'll face her together. Okay, unnie?"

Despite the doubt clouding her mind, Jihyo opted to believe in Dahyun's comforting words. She knows that Dahyun would never have the heart to lie to her, and after their face-off against Taeyeon, she also knows that her members now will never let her out of their watchful eyes. They have her back just like how she has theirs.

She's going to be okay, she has her team, afterall.

And Jihyo sighed, closing her eyes to relax for a bit before her team returned to the castle, listening to Dahyun's steady heartbeat.

She was not aware of a pair of dark brown eyes watching her from the clear window of Taeyeon's personal room.

###

"No, unnie."

Taeyeon quirked her eyebrow at the voice from her left, from a girl staring to somewhere beyond her bedroom window. She smiled for a bit before adjusting herself on her wheelchair. Tiffany, who was standing beside her all the time, immediately moved to help her by pushing her wheelchair, but Taeyeon sent a meaningful look to her and Tiffany nodded, returning back to her position.

The Dragon glides towards the girl, sighing fondly at the knitted eyebrows and smiled even wider when she saw the girl's object of attention.

"Why not?" chuckling, Taeyeon nudged the black-haired girl's wrist to turn her attention to her. "From what I heard from Ppany and the other, Jihyo's a brilliant girl. I believe she will learn and will master her power if you teach her to do so."

"It's not that," the girl chewed her lower lip, fumbling with the chains on her pants as she hesitates. "I believe she will do great, but I think... I think it would be better if you're the one who teaches her? Haha... I mean, you both are the leaders of your respective team, so..."

Taeyeon shrugged. "The lesson about being a leader is a different thing in entirety. I asked you to mold her power, because I noticed right away that her power is similar to yours."

"Similar, yes," the girl grumbled. "But still... we're too different. I might... I might lead her to the wrong style? Umm... you got me, unnie, right?"

The smirk sported by Taeyeon is enough to make the short girl shifts uncomfortably.

"Why are you so stubborn about not wanting to teach Jihyo, eh?"

The girl before Taeyeon has no chance to answer when another voice chimed in.

"Because Seungwan-unnie is a coward!"

"Shut up, Yerim!" a crackle of lightning hit a girl with dark-brown hair, who yelped and jumped behind a tall girl who has her black locks pooled at one side of her shoulder. The tall girl shook her head, eyeing the shorter girls with disinterest as another short girl glares at the one standing before Taeyeon.

"Seungwan what did I told you about attacking Yerim?"

Hearing the scolding coming her way, Seungwan wails. "I shouldn't."

"And?"

Seungwan wails again. "But Joohyun-unnie she–!"

Joohyun glares. "And?"

Silence for a while until Seungwan hung her head low.

"...Yes. I'm sorry. I won't do that again."

A tap on her shoulder made Joohyun turned her attention to her right. Her hard gaze immediately melts at the soft smile given to her by her companion, who pulled her to her side and squished her smaller stature to her firm side.

"I believe Seungwan has her own reason to decline," the girl offers, smiling at the grateful look Seungwan is giving her. "May we know why?"

"Thanks, Seulgi you're the best," Seungwan wiped her imaginary tear at the older girl's understanding before she turned to Taeyeon who has her eyebrow raised. She sighed at the throb at the back of her head, willing the whispers in her mind to go away and firmly answers Taeyeon's stare.

"Jihyo had met her."

Silence again. Taeyeon taps her armrest once. "Her?"

"Yeah," Seungwan nodded. "Her."

The six other females in the room visibly stiffened.

"Okay," Taeyeon hummed. "That's surprising."

"EXACTLY."

"Still doesn't change my decision that you should train Jihyo."

"NOOOOO–"

"Seungwan," Taeyeon called firmly and the black-haired girl clams shut. The Dragon exhales as she looks over to the backyard, watching the seven newly arrived girl playing around with Jihyo and Dahyun who seemingly had forgotten their earlier problem.

"Look, you know how TWICE team has two Legendaries on their team. And I... I'm still healing. I'll be back to my prime in at least two weeks, but even then, I can't train the both of them alone," Taeyeon shook her head when she saw Chaeyoung tackling Dahyun to the ground, maw open to bite at the older's shoulders playfully. "I've told you before about their powers, and you know how Momo's and mine are basically the exact same power manipulation."

Jeongyeon caught Nayeon's neck and starts rolling around with the older Anihuman in her hold.

"Jihyo, on the other hand..."

Sooyoung came into the picture, stopping the younger Anihumans' play-fight and sat down with team TWICE surrounding her as they talked about something.

Taeyeon turned to Seungwan who has a troubled look in her face. "That's why I asked you. You're the best Anihuman I ever trained personally and I know you have the ability to help my candidate. I understand that even your power is nowhere near hers, and now that she's... out in the open, this is going to be quite hard. But I don't know who else I could ask aside from you girls."

Seungwan hung her head low, fingers already playing with each other. There's a thrum at the back of her head and she once again wills it to go away, only for it to change into a painful throb and she snarls.

"Promise me one thing, then," Seungwan said when a sliver of white went through her brown irises. Joohyun immediately unlatches herself from Seulgi's hold to grip the younger girl's hand, followed by Seulgi who patted Seungwan's head once. Yeri simply hums and the tall girl from before exchange glances with Tiffany.

The Dragon nods. "Anything."

"If she's ever out, unless I said so, stop her," Seungwan rubs Joohyun's knuckles and sighs. "Please."

Taeyeon smiles. "You know I never break a promise, dear."

###

They were in the middle of listening to Hyoyeon talking about the region's borders when Taeyeon shows up from the door that leads to the backyard. The girls immediately stood, bowing slightly to the smiling ruler as she glides in her wheelchair, Tiffany following closely behind with a wide smile on her face.

Taeyeon nodded once at them, and Tiffany cleared before she starts talking.

"Okaay now, is everybody here?"

Yoona cheered loudly until Seohyun smacked her on the back, apologizing for the snake's childish behavior. Tiffany grinned and winked to Seohyun, who only rolled her eyes as Yoona nags her noisily.

"So before we start, I'm gonna explain a few things because it seems to be the case for me, explaining everything," Tiffany giggles, swiping her hair to her left shoulder. "Today's going to be a simple inauguration. We have divided you all to be groups, according to your power level, manipulation style and, of course, your Anihuman type. From now on, you girls will be training in private with one of our team, and for some, an additional mentor from our acquaintance for the training period."

She shuffles with her skirt-pocket to find a piece of paper. "Okay, so I'll announce the teams for the training. Starting from our maknaes, Tzuyu, you have Seohyun as your mentor for only the both of you are avian Anihumans, aside from Jihyo, but she's in a different case."

Seohyun threw a smile to Tzuyu who smiles back, both already known that they'll be paired off and have been flying around the region together to know each other better for a few occasions.

"Next, Dahyunnie you go with Sunny. I believe she told you why already, eoh?"

"Yes, unnie!" Dahyun saluted Tiffany as Sunny grins and pulled the kangaroo into a hug.

"Sana you with... ah, well she handpicked you so go ahead, you two."

Tiffany rolled her eyes as Yoona and Sana cheered loudly.

"Nayeon, hmm... we were actually confused on who to pair you with, because you're the only prey between all of us. So you and Mina will go with me and Yul. Our style will be vastly different, of course, but I hope we'll be able to help you to discover yours."

Mina raised her thumbs up while Nayeon grinned. "It's okay, unnie! I'll do my best!"

"Oh, I'm glad," Tiffany smiled, her eyes turning to crescents as she moved to the next in line. "Okay, for Jeongyeon, you're going with both Sooyoung and another mentor from outside our region. I know you asked for another bear and thankfully, one of our new friends here is also a bear. You'll learn a lot of thing with both of them."

"Woah, thanks!" Jeongyeon chuckled. "Soo-unnie! I'll be looking forward to train with you!"

Sooyoung shot finger-guns to the younger Anihuman. "You too, Jeongie!"

"That leaves Chae, Mo and Ji. Chae, you will train with Hyoyeon and sometimes Yul, also one of our new mentors. While Momo and Jihyo, until Taeyeon recovered enough to participate in physical training with you, you'll be training with another region's rulers. Taeyeon will supervise, of course, and I will come by at times. You girls got me?"

Hyoyeon threw her arm across Chaeyoung's shoulders and shot Tiffany a grin, while Momo and Jihyo simply bowed at Taeyeon who exhales fondly.

"Right, so without further ado," Tiffany turned back on her heels, waving at the figures waiting in the shadows. "I'm going to introduce our new friends! They're going to be your mentors, as I had stated. Feel free to ask them anything at any time, just like you with us! Come on, girls, get in here so you can introduce yourself!"

After Tiffany finishes her speech, five young girls stepped from behind the castle door, bowing at everyone watching them. The petite one walking at the very front smiles confidently, her jet-black hair flowing gracefully with every step she takes. It's clear that she's the leader of the team. Her elegance and confidence somehow rival Taeyeon's, in a way.

Behind her is a tall girl, hair also black and she grins excitedly as she waved to the audiences. She stopped beside the petite leader, tugging her leader's sleeve with a giddy smile just like how a child would when they meet a new friend. She then turned to the girl after her, who smiles a soft smile and bowed deeply once she stopped beside the tall girl. The soft-looking girl has a brownish hair tied in a low ponytail. She raises her eyebrow in question when the tall girl from before giggled.

Following them is another petite girl with dark brown locks, who wore a mischievous smirk when she caught sight of Jihyo. She bowed once, waving and cleared before she stepped before her other members.

Jihyo furrowed her brow as she noticed the last girl smirking at her, her mind already asking 'why' when another girl steps into the light.

If it's not for Dahyun's arm linked to hers, Jihyo must have fallen already.

"Unnie?"

Dahyun noticed Jihyo's faltering figure and holds her tighter.

"Unnie are you okay?!" Dahyun whispered urgently to Jihyo's ears, trying to hold the Phoenix steady. Thankfully, they were at the very back of the crowd so no one pays any attention to them.

"D-Dubu she's–"

"Annyeonghaseyo, team TWICE. It's such an honor to be able to meet the candidates of SM Region," the first girl started, cutting Jihyo's words, bowing again before she continues. "We are from the neighboring region Red Velvet. My name's Bae Joohyun. I'm the leader of team RV. We've been asked to help you with your training, so I'm looking forward to our time together. Oh, by the way, I'm a Sumatran Tiger. Nice to meet you all, team TWICE."

"Hi!!!" once Joohyun finishes, the tall girl leaped. "I'm Park Sooyoung! Hehehe but because there's a Sooyoung in Soshi team already, you girls can call me Joy! No need for any suffixes because I think we're around the same age! I manage our region and I am a panther! Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Kang Seulgi," the soft-looking girl said firmly. "Between all felines in my team, I'm the only one who is a bear, specifically an Arctodus bear which you might never hear before. Nevermind, though. I'm the vice leader of the RV region. I'm looking forward to working with you."

At Seulgi's introduction, Jeongyeon gripped Nayeon's hand while grinning in anticipation.

"That girl looks tough," whispering to her member, Jeongyeon practically thrills as she scans over Seulgi's feature.

"She's the vice leader of their region, what do you expect?" Nayeon whispers back. "Wait, you both are vice leaders if we win this."

"I know, right?" the Kodiak bear flexes. "Boy, I'm going to have so much fun."

Unaware of the conversation between the crowds, the dark-brown-haired girl bowed. "Hi, my name's Yeri! I'm the maknae who is also the ambassador of the region. I'm a Caracal, though even if I looked cute and small in my animal form, I could still fight you! Annyeong!"

Yeri's introduction sounds cute and threatening at the same time it made the Anihumans before her furrowed their brows in confusion.

The last member of Red Velvet shifted anxiously on her feet when Yeri stopped talking, dark eyes fleeting all over the Soshi team and the new girls. She paused when she met Jihyo's gaze and she felt guilt gnawing her chest when the Phoenix's breath visibly hitched, but her eyes were drawn into another person who innocently staring at her.

Sana.

Her left eye twitched as a wave of nausea hit her.

"I– uh... hello, everyone?" she bowed once to erase her nervousness, but it only made the throb in her head even stronger. "My name's Son Seungwan. I'm the defender of the Red Velvet region, and as a fellow Legend, Taeyeon-unnie had requested me to aid you Legends in discovering your style."

She saw how Jihyo almost crumbles at her words and her head is spinning at this point, but she forces herself to continue. "I'm a Kirin, my affinity is lightning and I'm specifically a projector. You wouldn't understand my words now, but I promise I'll help you to understand better as we proceed with our training. With that said–"

Seungwan felt her vision went black for a second.

"I'm really excited to finally meet you–"

She gained her vision the moment she gained her consciousness back, but there's still the faint whisper of a rough voice echoing in her mind as she bowed deeply, struggling not to show her face to her audience when her eyes flickered in color, as Yeri gripped her hand to keep her to reality, as she mumbles darkly under her breath with a voice belongs to her.

"–Park."

 

To be continued...

 

 

 

 

The Red Velvet Region members

 

Bae Joohyun :

 

Kang Seulgi

 

Son Seungwan

 

Park Sooyoung

 

Kim Yerim

 

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Izarakovic
When I'm on my laptop I write too much case reports and playing Genshin :/ I need to write more lmao

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poplarbear #1
Chapter 41: Thank you so much for the closure ❤️ as cringe as it sounds, I really hold this story dear in my heart.
iNeedRomance2
#2
Chapter 41: Thank you for giving us closure author-nim! I'm sad that a lot of my favorite authors have seemed to have left their stories to focus on their own lives, so thank you for coming back to say goodbye and giving us readers a great ending to your wonderful story! I'll miss your stories! Have a great life author-nim!
iNeedRomance2
#3
Chapter 41: Thank you for giving us closure author-nim! I'm sad that a lot of my favorite authors have seemed to have left their stories to focus on their own lives, so thank you for coming back to say goodbye and giving us readers a great ending to your wonderful story! I'll miss your stories! Have a great life author-nim!
GG_sone_sz
#4
Chapter 41: Thank you author-sshi..
Wivern #5
Chapter 41: 💕
seungwaan
#6
Chapter 40: i'll miss your wenhyo fics! but be healthy and stay positive, i understand it's hard to keep consistancy as a writer. you've done so well until now! wish u all the happiness u can get 🥺
Wivern #7
Chapter 40: I am one with your wish.
May it come true.
Will be waiting for your return.
Until then live without any burdens.
Fighting authornim! 💕
urmamaroxs #8
Chapter 40: Thank you for sharing your stories with us. I'll read whatever you are willing to put up. All the best for everything!