If you get the title then you are cool, but also I never read the books... 

The other day while writing chapter twenty-three I proposed the idea of a side chapter of WheeIn and HyeJin's back story, fully knowing I'd probably not do it. But today I woke up and tried to start it... how many hours later and it is finished. I am actually surprised I got it done on one day, I am also surprised how long it is... it is longer than most chapters of this story, so here it is for those who wanted it. 

What would you do if you found a girl in the woods? For Jung WheeIn, she brought her home. WheeIn could tell her father was sceptical about bringing the seemingly lost child into their secret village, but one look at her convinced him that she needed their help. Her black hair was matted and knotted, twigs had found a home there. She was covered in dirt and bruises. Her small arms clung to her stomach as if she was cold and hungry. Her brown eyes shifted around, looking at everything, searching for something. 

WheeIn sat next to her father on a log, their other companions were standing around them, faced away, watching the forest. The new child sat across from them, she was bent over as if trying to fold into herself. WheeIn’s father reached into his bag and held out some dried meat to the girl. She eyed it suspiciously. WheeIn grabbed it from her father, took a bite, chewed it and swallowed it, all while making direct eye contact with the girl, then she held it out, she took it. The girl was about to shove it into . “Slowly.” WheeIn’s father said calmly, the girl looked at him. “If you eat too fast you will get sick.”

The girl nodded and then slowed her chewing. WheeIn passed her a water skin and she took a small sip. “I am Jung WheeIn.” WheeIn introduced herself. “This is my father Jung Joon, he is the leader of the warriors who protect our village, my grandfather runs it.” The girl’s eyes locked with hers, listening to every word. “It is a safe place for people like us.” She said lifting her hand up, reminding the girl what she did. “Would you like to come home with us?” The girl didn’t answer, she just stared, it was starting to get on WheeIn’s nerves. 

Her father cleared his throat. “You will be taught how to control it.” The girl’s eyes lit up a bit. “We won’t ask where you came from, we only want to offer you a safe place to live and grow.” 

The girl’s eyes shifted from WheeIn to her father and back again. She slowly nodded her head. WheeIn felt herself smile. “Will you tell us your name?” She asked.

The girl swallowed hard, she took a deep breath as if preparing herself to speak. “Ahn HyeJin.” She said in a small voice.

WheeIn stood up so fast the girl jumped, she ed her hand out. “Welcome to the family HyeJin.” HyeJin reached out and tentatively shook her hand. It was the beginning of something great. 

The village was something out of the stories her father used to tell her. Hidden deep in the woods, concealed with magic. HyeJin could hardly keep her eyes off everything as she walked past it. The girl who found her, WheeIn, was bouncing up and down next to her, telling her everything there was to know about the village. A refuge for people with magic, a safe place for them to live and learn. HyeJin’s father was one of those killed because of his powers, the day HyeJin started displaying the same powers was the day her mother got angry at her. 

Her mother was afraid that HyeJin’s powers were going to get them all killed, like her father. And each day her powers grew, the harder they were to control, the harder they were to hide. When her younger brother was bothering her the other day, picking on her, hitting her, she could feel her powers building beneath her skin. She tried very hard to keep them back, she tried to make him stop but her powers unleashed on him, freezing him in place. That was when their mother walked it. She freaked out, she grabbed HyeJin by her hair and threw her into her bedroom and locked the door. HyeJin tried to explain what happened, tried to undo the magic but her mother wouldn’t listen to her. After what seemed like days locked alone in that room, crying for her father, for her mother, saying how sorry she was, her mother finally let her out. She grabbed her by the hair again, marched her deep into the woods and left her there, telling her to never come back. HyeJin deserved it, she couldn’t control her powers, she was dangerous, she needed to stay away from anyone that she could hurt. 

WheeIn grabbed her arm, pointing to a place across the village. HyeJin could feel her magic building under her skin, body heat cooling, HyeJin ripped her arm from WheeIn’s grasp. A confused look passed over the girl’s face but she said nothing. HyeJin let them lead her to a building, WheeIn explained to her that it was for children with no families. 

Joon and WheeIn walked her in, they introduced her to the woman who took care of the kids, she was introduced to five children who lived in the house, then it was time for WheeIn and her father to leave her. WheeIn looked at her with those big brown eyes and she grabbed HyeJin’s hand, it took everything she had to not rip it from her grasp, she could hurt WheeIn with her touch. “I will come back to see you.” She promised. HyeJin wished she wouldn’t come back, she wished she would stay far away until HyeJin figured out a way to get rid of her powers. The last thing she needed was to hurt another person with her magic. 

***

It was selection day! WheeIn had barely slept from the excitement. She put on her warrior get up, a fitting black top and brown britches. It wasn’t the warrior uniform but it was as close as her father could get her. WheeIn ran past her mother’s memorial shelf and laid a kiss on the statue, today was the day she was going to follow in her mother and father’s footsteps. 

Like WheeIn, many kids were rushing to the school house. WheeIn ran alongside some of her friends, JiSun and YooRa were also going to join the warrior clan with her. As they got closer to the school building, they saw their entire class waiting outside, the leaders of the working class were also there, waiting to shuffle their new recruits off to their new jobs. WheeIn spotted ChanMi, her father’s replacement, standing with the other leaders. WheeIn idolized ChanMi, she was the first warrior woman to lead the clan, a job her mother would have had if she were still alive today. 

WheeIn and her friends gathered around ChanMi, waiting for the rest of the kids to find their leaders. “Is HyeJin seriously joining the warrior clan?” JiSun asked, pointing to the girl standing not too far away from them. 

Ahn HyeJin rarely talked to anyone, she didn’t speak in class, she didn’t have any friends. WheeIn barely saw her leave her house. A pang of annoyance ran through WheeIn, three years ago when she brought HyeJin to the village she thought that they could be friends, but every time WheeIn tried to get to know HyeJin, she backed away from her. WheeIn wasn’t going to waste her time trying to make friends with someone who didn’t want to be. 

WheeIn shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Can she even fight?” YooRa asked, eyeing her. Can any of us? WheeIn wanted to add, but she wasn’t about to jump to that girl’s defense. Today was their first day as warriors, they could barely even throw a punch. 

“Okay everyone!” ChanMi called their attention. “It's time to become warriors.” Everyone cheered and followed ChanMi to the training area. 

HyeJin wasn’t sure what she was doing with the warriors. She had spent the better half of the month debating what job would suit her best. She couldn’t cook or bake, she rather hold a blade then make one, she killed every plant she touched, and so on. At least as a warrior she could learn to fight. She followed the group of the children to the training grounds. She didn’t miss WheeIn’s friends comment about her joining them, she didn’t care what they thought. WheeIn was never outright mean to her but she never stopped her friends from saying nasty things about her within ear shot. HyeJin couldn’t blame her, she had seen the look in WheeIn’s eyes every time HyeJin brushed her off, or ignored her, but it was easier that way, easier to keep her safe, if she were far away from HyeJin.

Her powers were getting stronger, but with her daily sessions with Ernesto, she was getting better at controlling them. At least now she could hug him without giving him a hint of frost bite. HyeJin needed control, she needed to know how to turn her powers on and off, then maybe she could make a connection with someone besides existing in the same room as her. All of the kids who lived in the house with her, hated her, all her classmates hated her, because she didn’t talk to them or hang out with them, but what they didn’t understand was that she was saving them. She was saving everyone from her powers. 

A few weeks into training and HyeJin was loving it. She loved feeling in control as she went through the stretches and combos. They were taking a midday break, HyeJin was leaning against a tree in the shade, drinking her water. “This isn't fair.” A voice whined from nearby. 

HyeJin stood very still, listening. “If I get partnered with WheeIn, I will be out of the program by the end of the week.” It was one of WheeIn’s friends… JiSun? 

“Just tell ChanMi that you don’t want to partner with her.” The other friend YooRa. 

A scoff. “Yeah right, not only will WheeIn hate me but ChanMi will make an example out of me ‘you can’t choose your opponents on the battlefield JiSun’.” She said in a fake voice. 

“But if you do, then you will be out. You know the rules, if you lose against your opponent then you can’t stay, and WheeIn never loses.” That was a myth, made up by the kids to justify why they chose to leave the clan. WheeIn did win every match but that was because her skills were above the people she was pinned against. HyeJin won against all of her opponents as well, but no one was complaining about partnering with her… or were they.

“Maybe we can get WheeIn hurt.” A chill went through HyeJin, her ice was coming from within. “We know they won’t throw her out, her parents are too important. But if she were to get hurt, she couldn’t continue and then we’d make it to the final round.” HyeJin’s fingers froze at JiSun’s plan. At the end of the month, the new recruits would be weeded down to those who would continue training, they couldn’t possibly be serious about hurting their friend. 

“JiSun you can’t be serious.” Some relief flooded her, YooRa wasn’t going to let her do it. 

Another scoff. “Fine if you don’t want to help me, then you partner with her. I’ll come visit you at the bakery next week when you get kicked out.” 

A whine. “Fine, what do you have in mind.” HyeJin couldn’t listen anymore, she walked out from behind the tree. Her eyes locked with YooRa and JiSun, both of them looked at her shocked, faces turning red. She leveled them both with a look, they looked terrified. 

She marched past them, they followed after her, stumbling excuses for what she had heard. They stopped following her once she reached the circle of kids waiting to continue practicing. She marched past everyone. ChanMi gave her an odd look as she walked up to her, HyeJin cast a look over her shoulder at WheeIn’s so called friends, standing so still that they could be trees. She turned back to ChanMi. “I’d like to partner with WheeIn.” She told her. 

ChanMi lifted an eyebrow, this was probably the first time she heard HyeJin speak. “You want to be WheeIn’s partner.” HyeJin nodded. “Why?” 

HyeJin crossed her arms. “I don’t feel that I am being challenged enough and I’d like a more capable partner.” She glanced back slightly. “I think WheeIn would be a good partner.” She really did think that WheeIn would be a good partner. 

ChanMi watched her a bit longer. “Okay I will allow it.” HyeJin turned, everyone watched her, JiSun and YooRa still looked scared. “HyeJin and WheeIn will be partners for this week.” 

There seemed to be a collective breath let out among the group, as well confusion from many. HyeJin walked away from ChanMi, WheeIn’s friends looked relieved, but they were still eyeing her suspiciously. HyeJin walked over and sat near WheeIn, probably the closest they had been since HyeJin arrived at the village. WheeIn stared at her, like she was trying to figure something out. “Did you really just volunteer to be my partner?” She sounded as if she couldn’t believe her own words. 

HyeJin adjusted her shoes. “Is there a problem with that?” HyeJin could not remember the last words she had spoken to WheeIn, that is how long it has been since they spoke to each other. “I wanted a partner who I could crush.” She added trying to throw WheeIn off the real reason she volunteered. 

WheeIn snorted. “I’d like to see you try Ice Princess.” That stung, it was a nickname the kids in the village had given her, saying she was as cold as her powers, and how fitting it was for her to wield ice. 

HyeJin looked over at her. “Bring it on fire girl.” She could see the fire rise behind WheeIn’s eyes. At least this might make her hate HyeJin enough to keep her away from her. 

HyeJin found YooRa and JiSun very easily after practice. She cornered them in the dining hall, she waved one finger at them. They followed without a word. HyeJin led them into the woods, she didn’t need to make sure they were following her, they were. She stopped when they got far enough that no one was going to accidentally stumble upon them. HyeJin spun on them. To her surprise JiSun stood her ground, she even crossed her arms over her chest as if she was annoyed by HyeJin, only YooRa looked scared. “What do you want from us HyeJin?” JiSun was waiting for a challenge.

HyeJin lifted her eyebrows, how dare she even act this way. “I brought you here to warn you.” They watched her intently. “If I ever find out that you try to do anything like you were planning in the woods today, I will come for you.”

A laugh, JiSun actually had the nerve to laugh, the ice started to rise. “What, are you WheeIn’s bodyguard now?” 

A chill went through the air, radiating from HyeJin. “No, I am clearly the only person who is a real friend to her. More than I can say for the two who stand next to her and conspire to take her out.” 

JiSun laughed again. “A friend? When have you even spoken to WheeIn, or anyone for that matter, the lone wolf HyeJin keeps to herself and cares for no one.”

A dark smile rose on her lips. “Well since I care for no one.” HyeJin reached for a nearby tree branch, she let the ice out, feeling it knit it’s way through the bark until it froze everything. JiSun’s smile faltered a bit, YooRa looked ready to cry. HyeJin removed her hand and punched the branch, shattering it into a thousand pieces. “That will be your arm if you do anything to WheeIn.” She wasn’t sure why she cared so much, she had hurt WheeIn three years ago when she snubbed her after all her kindness, but she had done it for her. At least she knew to keep her distance from WheeIn, not like these two who pretend to be her friends, that is a worse kind of hurt. “Stay away from WheeIn.” She growled as she walked past them, shoulder hitting each girl on the way by, making sure they felt the burn of her ice as she did. 

***

Finals day had WheeIn scared and excited all at once. Five long years of preparing and it was finally time to show her father what she could really do. She was aiming for the top spot, the leader role, and she only knew of one way to achieve it, to get first place. 

It was around six in the morning, and the challenge took place at midnight, so she had a few hours to wait. She decided to get in a few hours of early morning practice, then she could rest before the actual challenge later. WheeIn got dressed in her workout clothing and headed to the training area. She was surprised to see another person in the ring. Long black hair tied up, determined face keeping her eyes on the practice dummy as she worked through combos. 

HyeJin had been WheeIn sparring partner for the last five years, ever since she randomly volunteered. WheeIn never understood why, she figured she wanted to beat the best, and at the time WheeIn was. They crushed the myth that whoever you were partnered with, if you lost, you were kicked out of the clan. Both WheeIn and HyeJin had lost to each other a rough even amount of times, and they were both still here. But today was the day that WheeIn was going to beat out HyeJin and the rest of them for the leader spot, this was the battle that counted, then she could finally say she was better than HyeJin. 

HyeJin paid her no attention when she walked into the ring. WheeIn watched her for a few minutes. “Your second jab is curling in.” She pointed out, not snarkily but as advice.

HyeJin cut her a look, one WheeIn had gotten used to, it was a calculated one, as if she was running the idea through a bunch of equations in her mind. She gave a quick nod and adjusted her wrist. WheeIn noticed that HyeJin did that a lot, thought through a lot of things, she watched everything. It was a skill that would make her a good leader, if she knew how to speak, that was one thing she didn’t do a lot. “Are you ready for the final?” WheeIn asked while starting her warm up.

HyeJin did a few more combos before answering. “As ready as I can be.” Her voice was lighter than one would think, musically almost. WheeIn always thought she looked like someone who would have a husky voice. “What about you?”

This was the extent of their civil conversation, it never really went past this, no matter how much WheeIn tried, and that infuriated her. WheeIn shrugged. “As ready as I can be.” She could have sworn she saw the corners of HyeJin’s lips turn up. 

WheeIn couldn’t help but think that HyeJin was stunning. She had