You woke the next day feeling refreshed. You sat up and stretched. Then, you changed out of your pajamas, brushed your teeth and hair, and went downstairs. You were greeted by Ria, Jongup, and Daehyun’s parents.

 

“Good morning,” they smiled.

 

“Good morning,” you replied happily. Ria brought you a plate of food, and you sat down next to Jongup.

 

“So, where is everyone else?” you asked.

 

“Probably sleeping..” Jongup replied softly.

 

“Ah, I see.” You bit into your toast.

 

Mr. Jung cleared his throat and spoke. “I know it’s probably too early for this, but I just can’t help it. Chaerin and I have a brilliant idea.”

 

“Hmm?” You raised your eyebrows. “About what?” You and Jongup both looked up in curiosity.

 

“Well,” Mrs. Lee said. “We think we know how to find the other two people. I received the other two rings in the mail this morning, see, so that means that the two others haven’t been discovered yet. And we can’t exactly check every single person in the family to see if they’re the one... Our family is way too huge for that. We’re not sure if the method we’re considering will really work, but we believe that it’s worth a try.”

 

“So basically,” Mr. Jung began. “We were thinking that they could come to you, instead of us having to search for them. Chaerin and I are calling it the ‘emotion magnet’.”

 

“But how?” you questioned. “I thought we could only call to each other if they were wearing the rings.”

 

“True,” Mr. Jung said slowly. “That’s the tricky part. They don’t have the rings. But Chaerin and I were talking about it, and the rings call to each other when there’s danger, or if there’s too much distance between you and the boys. But even if you don’t consider the rings, you still feel a connection to the boys when you touch or talk to them, right Hana?”

 

“Well, yeah,” you admitted. “I guess it’s because we’re tied to each other by prophecy.”

 

“Exactly!” Mrs. Lee shouted gleefully. “Yesung and I think that if you were in some sort of danger or something, the others would sense it regardless of the rings. Daehyun was acting a bit crazy after your parents’ accident, although he had been wearing a ring. I don’t know, it’s a gamble. But at least we’ve got nothing to lose, right?” she smiled at you and waited for your response.

 

“So.. we just have to get me in trouble, and the two other people will come?” you asked. You finished your food and set your plate to the side. This wasn’t a really good idea… You didn’t want to get hurt.

 

“Well, if our theory is correct, then yeah.” Mr. Jung said.

 

“Wait,” Jongup suddenly interrupted. He narrowed his eyes, all shyness gone from his face. “Are you suggesting that we put Hana in danger just so that the others will rally up? I’m sorry, but I cannot allow that.”

 

“Calm down, son. I wasn’t suggesting that we put her in danger, I was only using it as an example. We feel that any emotion will work, as long as it’s as strong as the feeling of being in danger. Love, exhilaration, fear, happiness, sadness, or fury, I think it’ll all work as long as the emotion is strong enough. Well, that’s assuming this would work in the first place.” Mr. Jung shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I think it’s worth a try,” you said, nodding as your brain grasped the concept. “I think it might work. But how will I feel an emotion that strong if it’s not fear or danger? I mean, I can be happy, but not happy to the extent that others will come running…”

 

“I don’t know, we’re still thinking about that.” Mrs. Lee pursed her lips. “We’ll come up with something, though, I’m sure. If we had an amplifier this would be so easy.. too bad nobody here has that power.” She said.

 

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Jongup announced. Everybody turned their heads in his direction. He shrank back a little when everyone’s gaze rested on him. “Um, I think that if we all interact with Hana using our powers, the emotions may be a little more powerful than usual... You know, if we let her deal with supernatural elements rather than normal, human stuff...”

 

“I suppose so. But I don’t see what you boys can do. Unless you’re thinking of throwing her off a building and having Daehyun catch her,” Mr. Jung chuckled, but then his face turned serious. “You’re not.. considering that are you?”

 

“No, of course not,” Jongup replied, frowning a bit. “I-I would never put Hana’s life in danger if I could help it… I was just throwing out some ideas.”

 

“What if Daehyun took me flying?” you asked quietly. “Or if I teleported with Jongup? Even better, what if he took me ‘phasing’?” Or if Zelo transformed into something magnificent and let me ride him.. Or if Youngjae could move me around with his telekinetic powers? Would that be possible, maybe? I think it could be exciting.”

 

“None of us are that strong yet, I don’t think.. We don’t have many opportunities to train in the human world. They have cameras everywhere, even in the skies. And even if we could, I think it’s too risky. W-What if I got stuck in the wall or something while phasing with you? What if Daehyun or Youngjae dropped you? We’re all too inexperienced, I think it’s too dangerous...” Jongup responded. 

 

“He’s right,” Mrs. Lee shook her head slowly. “We can’t risk your safety.”

 

“Then… what about if I did normal things, except the scary ones? You know, the stuff that gives you an adrenaline rush, like riding rollercoasters, bungee jumping, or skydiving. Do you think those would work?”

 

“Hmm… it might,” Mr. Jung said. “Anyhow, I’d feel much safer with you riding a rollercoaster than being tossed around by Daehyun and the other boys.”

 

“Same,” Mrs. Lee added. She puffed out her cheeks in thought. “I think… I think we should try it. I’ve always wanted to try skydiving, anyway, but no one would go with me. If you’re really up for this, darling, we can try it.”

 

“Alright,” you decided, feeling very brave at the moment. “Let’s do it.”

 

 

 

 

And that was how you ended up on a skydiving plane. You regretted your earlier words greatly. There were a lot of deaths associated with this kind of sport. You shook in your seat, wondering why in the world you had agreed to this. Why had you even suggested this sort of idea in the first place?

 

The entire family was in the plane with you, including Grandpa Xi, although he wouldn’t be diving with you. Mrs. Lee was smiling crazily.

 

“Are you jumping too, Mrs. Lee?” you asked nervously. How could she be so excited? You were terrified. You had an irrational fear of heights.

 

“Yeah, but I won’t be jumping with you kids. I’ll be going separately with this man here,” she pointed to one of the two diving instructors.

 

“O-Oh I see,” you shivered. You clasped your hands together, trying to stop the shaking that was going on all over your body.

 

Zelo noticed your shaking and he took your hand in his. “It’s okay, noona,” he smiled. “There’s nothing to be scared of. We’re all going to be jumping with you, too.” He gestured to the other three boys.

 

You smiled shakily. Youngjae took your other hand, his cheeks slightly pink. “Yeah. And if anything goes wrong, I can always use my power on you. N-Not that anything will go wrong, though.”

 

Daehyun facepalmed himself. Way to go, Youngjae.

 

You could feel your fear rising. “Y-Yeah, nothing will go wrong… Nothing will go wrong…”

 

“Okay,” the driver yelled. “We’re approaching the drop zone! Prepare to jump! ”

 

You stood up shakily and watched as Mr. Jung opened the plane door.  “Now, remember what I told you guys about how to deploy your chute. The instructor will tell you how to position yourselves and how to land using that radio.” Mr. Jung looked around, then brought you and the boys closer together.

 

“Listen, kids. People are watching. Don’t use your powers if you can help it. If the humans find out that we have powers, then we’re all screwed. Just pretend to be human, and have fun, okay?” He patted his son’s back affectionately.

 

“Now!” the plane driver shouted. “Jump!”

 

You took a deep breath, slid your goggles over your face, and kneeled next to the boys. Then you jumped.

 

You began to scream wildly the moment your feet left the plane. You were going to die for sure! You flailed your arms and legs in complete fear. Why in the world had you agreed to this?! Wind blew into your face violently, temporarily ruining your ability to breathe properly. You wheezed for air. The ground was slowly coming closer and closer.. Oh my god, you were going to hit the ground and splatter and die and ----

 

Suddenly, a loud voice startled you out of your fear momentarily. “Calm down, and spread your arms and legs!” Jongup cried urgently. “Calm down! You’re falling too fast!! Spread your body!!”

 

Whimpering in terror, you obeyed, and instantly you began to fall slower, though not by much. Your heart beat so wildly in your chest that you felt like a heart attack was coming on. You were so high up.. You were going to fall to your death… You began to hyperventilate. You felt like you were going crazy. Surely you would hit the ground and wake up and realize that it was all a dream. Surely this wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real. You couldn’t be falling. No. This all was real. You were going to fall and hit the ground and die. What about the prophecy? What about your destiny? You screamed a silent prayer to your deceased mother and father. “Sorry, umma, appa,” you cried in your head. “I wasn’t able to live a meaningful life after all. I’m coming to see you now…”

 

“Hana! Hana! Hana! She’s not responding!!” Zelo screamed at the others. You turned your head slowly to look at Zelo in fear. You were falling so fast…

 

“Hana! Can you finally hear us? Pull your chute! Hana, pull it now! NOW!” Daehyun shouted. The other boys had not pulled theirs yet, as they were waiting for you to pull yours. They refused to act without you.

 

You tried to reach the large harness on your back, but fear consumed you, and you found that you could not move your body. You whimpered and screamed. “I can’t move! I can’t reach it! Oh my god!”

 

“Youngjae!” Jongup cried. “Use your powers! Pull it for her!”

 

Youngjae concentrated, but you were both falling too fast. He could not aim at your pack properly. You closed your eyes, sobbing. It was time to embrace death. “Just pull it without me, guys!” you screamed. 

 

Youngjae let out a yell, and a sudden gust of wind blasted you as your parachute flew out of its case. As soon as your chute opened, the other boys pulled theirs. Suddenly you weren’t falling anymore. Instead, you drifted slowly to the ground, which was only about a hundred feet away. You felt awfully weak, and your body did not respond when you attempted to move your arms and legs. Your vision swirled. 

 

You landed on your face and out.

 

 

 

 

Voices kept on fading in and out.. The dark turned to light… and then it became black again. “Hana, wake up. Look at me,” a far-away voice demanded. You did not respond. Instead, you fell unconscious again. When you finally woke, you heard someone calling your name again. You slowly opened your eyes and lifted your head to look at Zelo. “Hana! You finally woke up! Are you okay?” he asked, his face full of worry.

 

You shook your head nauseously. “No,” you croaked. “I think I’m going to hurl.” You were on the ground, where you had landed earlier. Mr. Jung, Mrs. Lee, and Grandpa Xi were present, along with the boys. They all stared at you anxiously.

 

“Ohmygod,” Daehyun breathed. He was kneeling next to you. His face peered into yours angrily. “Why didn’t you tell us you were afraid of heights? You had a panic attack! You could have died! Jesus, Hana, you need to use your brain! If you knew you couldn’t do this, why did you do it anyway?”

 

“Finding… other two…” you moaned. “Emotion… magnet..”

 

Daehyun wrung his hands in fury. “Who gives a freaking crap about the other two people! Your life is more important! Look at me, Lee Hana! Look at me and tell me you’re sorry!”

 

“Stop it, hyung,” Youngjae pleaded. “She’s still weak. Don’t take your anger out on her. She was just trying to fulfill the prophecy. She’s still alive and uninjured, so please calm down.”

 

“Alive and uninjured?” Daehyun roared. “She’s so weak right now! She couldn’t even pull her chute properly! Do you know what the average altitude for pulling a chute is? Over 2000 feet! Do you know when Hana pulled hers? Wait, she didn’t even pull it herself, YOU used your powers and did it for her! We were less than 500 feet! Do you know how dangerous that is?! She could have easily died!” He finished his rant, and angry tears sprang to his eyes. He beat his fists on the ground in frustration. Then, he knelt down beside you and cradled your weak body in his arms. “I was so scared, Hana. I was so scared that something would happen to you. Tell me you’re sorry right now, or I swear to God I will go mad.”

 

“I’m…”  you sniffled, feeling shame and guilt wash over you. “I’m so sorry.. Daehyun. I’m so sorry everyone. I’m sorry,” you began to sob wretchedly.

 

Daehyun's eyes widened. He leaned over and scooped you up into his arms. He rocked you back and forth, cooing and whispering countless apologies. 

 

“No, no,” he croaked, his own eyes dripping with tears. “Don’t cry, Hana. Don’t cry... I’m sorry. I’m sorry... Don’t cry. I-I didn’t mean to yell at you. I was just so scared. I wouldn’t be able to stand it if something happened to you.” He hugged you tightly, and the two of you sobbed into each other.

 

 

When at last your eyes grew dry, the sun was beginning to set.

 

“So when.. when will they come?” you asked weakly, trying to sit up. “When will the two others come?”  

 

Jongup pushed you back down. “Shh,” he hushed. “Don’t worry about them... Just go to sleep. You’ve .. You've just experienced something traumatic. You need to rest. You must be exhausted.”

 

“But the emotion magnet… it should make them come.. shouldn’t it?”

 

“Just rest for now, Hana. We can worry about that later.” He soothed. He began to hum a song. You tried to keep your eyes open, but exhaustion overtook you, and you drifted to sleep.  

 

 

When you woke, it was the next day. You sat up and rubbed your eyes feebly. You were in your room. Your eyes widened when you saw that Zelo’s head was resting on the side of your bed. He sat on a chair next to your bed. He lifted his head sleepily when he felt you stir.

 

“Good morning, Hana,” he yawned. “Are you feeling better?”

 

“Much better, thanks,” you said sleepily. “I’m sorry for making you all worry…”

 

“No, no, don’t be sorry,” he replied, stretching his long arms. “As long as you’re fine, we’re fine.” He stood up and stretched out his hand to you. “Come on, let’s go eat and talk with the others.” You nodded and placed your hand in his. He led you downstairs, where Daehyun, Mrs. Lee, Mr. Jung, Jongup, and Youngjae were waiting.  

 

“How are you feeling, Hana?” Mrs. Lee asked you worriedly.

 

“Normal again,” you replied. You bowed deeply. “I’m sorry for worrying everyone. I’m fine, really. I’m just scared of heights.. But I’m fine now.”

 

Mr. Jung shook his head. “You need to be careful, Hana. If you don’t want to do something, you need to make sure and tell us.”

 

“Okay..” You answered sheepishly. “I’m really sorry..”

 

“As long as you’re alright,” Mr. Jung answered simply. “Sit down, and eat.” Everybody sat down at the table, and Ria brought out plates loaded with food. She gave you a concerned look, and you mouthed ‘I’m fine’ to her. She nodded and smiled hesitantly.

 

“We might as well talk about the ‘emotion magnet’ while we’re at it,” Mr. Jung announced. “If our theory really does work, then the two newcomers will definitely have felt it. There’s no doubt that Hana experienced some really intense emotions yesterday.”

 

“So they will be here soon?” you asked.

 

“Assuming that the emotion magnet works in the first place, yes,” he replied.

 

“And what if it doesn’t work? What then?” You didn’t want to ruin their hopes or anything, but you had to be realistic.  

 

“We’ll just have to think of something else, in that case.”

 

“Please, can we not talk about this?” Youngjae asked. “That experience was frightening for all of us. I don’t wish to think about it anymore.”

 

“Sorry…” you apologized again.

 

“Just don’t get yourself into trouble if you can help it,” Youngjae said, looking at you sadly. “Like Daehyun, I wouldn’t be able to stand it if something happened to you. None of us would. Just be safe. The other two will eventually come no matter what we do.”

 

Jongup nodded in agreement. He set his empty plate aside. “Your safety comes above everything else, Hana.” He said.

 

“I understand.” You answered. You cleared your plate, and then stood up. You bowed deeply. “Again, I’m really sorry for worrying you all. I won’t cause any more trouble.”

 

Mrs. Lee smiled soothingly at you. “It’s okay, darling. You’re fine now, that’s all that matters.”

 

You nodded, stood up, and pushed in your chair. You took your plate to the kitchen, then returned upstairs to your room. Another boring and unproductive day… Suddenly, you had an idea. You opened the wardrobe and picked out an outfit. After changing, you went back downstairs.

 

“Are you going somewhere?” Mrs. Lee asked.

 

“If it’s okay with you. I want to go grab some fresh air. Don’t worry, I won’t go too far! I wanted to check out the neighborhood, maybe go for a light jog. It’s been a while since I exercised. And I’m always cooped up in the house.” 

 

She nodded. “Alright. Be careful! Do you want one of the boys to accompany you?”

 

“No, its fine,” you replied. You smiled at Daehyun’s mother.

 

Mrs. Lee smiled back. “Take your time, darling. It’s a bit chilly outside, too. Be careful!”

 

“I will, Mrs. Lee,” you replied. You opened the front door and stepped outside. Then, you closed the door again and began to lightly jog around the area.

 

 

….

 

 

Inside the house, Mrs. Lee called for Zelo.

 

“Listen,” she said. “I want you to transform and follow Hana.”

 

“Why, you don’t trust her?” he asked, bewildered. “She will return, I’m sure of it. This small event isn’t enough to make her leave or anything…”

 

“No, no, it’s not that,” Mrs. Lee said. “It’s of what’s out there. There are dangerous things in the world. You know the legend, right? There may be some Nightmares that know of Hana’s existence. If so, this is the perfect time for them to attack her, when she is defenseless. Without her powers, she's just an ordinary human. I’d just feel less worried if there was somebody to watch out for her.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Zelo responded. “Okay, I’ll go now. What should I transform into, though? I can’t turn into a kitten again, Hana might recognize me. But I can’t transform into something too small either, or I’ll never catch up with her.”

 

“How about a bird?” Daehyun’s mother suggested. “A dove or something. Or maybe a yellow cardinal? Or an albino mouse.. Man, why do you have to have blonde hair? That just makes it so much harder to pick an animal. Not many animals have blond fur.. Oh! I know! You can turn into a fennec fox!”

 

 “Are there even any fennec foxes in this area?” Zelo asked.

 

She thought for a bit. “I don’t think so…”

 

Zelo’s mouth went downward in a pout. “Well I can’t turn into a fennec fox then! I wouldn’t be able to blend in very well. I’ll just stick to the cardinal thing. Maybe she won’t notice the slight difference in color..” He closed his eyes and focused. Moments later, a light beige colored bird was in Zelo’s place. He chirped at Mrs. Lee, and then flew off to trail Hana.

 

 

…..

 

 

After exploring for about an hour, you had discovered nothing special about the area. It was just like any other neighborhood, though it was a bit more luxurious than the surrounding areas. You didn’t see any shopping districts or markets, only endless rows of houses and houses. You saw that the ground was beginning to slightly slope downwards though, which probably meant that the house was on a hill or small mountain.

 

You were about to turn around when you felt a strange sensation in your body. The ring was calling out! Was one of the boys in trouble? But wait… it didn’t feel like danger. It seemed more like… anxiety or something.. The strange feeling remained. Was it one of the newcomers?! Your head whipped towards the direction of the anxious feeling. And then you realized that they did not have rings. It didn’t feel like an urgent pull either, but a small light tug. That meant that it couldn’t be one of the undiscovered “guides”, because Mr. Jung had said that only a strong emotion could be felt without the ring.

 

The feeling began to ebb, and you began to think quickly. What the heck was this feeling? You suddenly noticed that it was coming from the east… but the house was in the south… which meant one thing. One of the boys was following you. And he was nervous. 

 

“Come out…” you said softly. “I can tell you’re there. I feel your nervousness. Come out…”

 

A small yellow bird rose from a nearby bush, and you sighed. “Zelo! What are you doing? Why are you following me?”

 

He lowered himself onto the ground and transformed back. “Sorry, Hana,” he grinned. “I was following you. For training,” he lied.

 

“Training?” you asked, confused.

 

“Yeah,” he said. “I was trying to learn how to transform better, while also trying to mask my presence from you. I guess neither worked out very well..”

 

You laughed. “Nope, I guess not. You really surprised me for a moment there! I thought you were one of the new people!”

 

“Oh.” Zelo said. “Sorry for raising your hopes…”

 

“No, no, it’s fine,” you smiled. “I’m a bit relieved actually. I’m hoping that the other two are girls, see. But so far all four of you are guys.. I feel like the other two will be males as well. I’m scared to meet them.”

 

“What’s wrong with having six guys as friends?” Zelo asked, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t like boys, noona?”

 

“It’s not that,” you replied. “Six guys, though? I don’t think I could handle that many.”

 

“Yeah, me neither,” he agreed.

 

“Meh, but since it was just you, I’m relieved. Hey, we should get back now. There’s nothing interesting around here. There isn’t even a store in sight!”

 

“Oh, the town is farther inward,” he said. He pointed to a spot in the far distance. “Do you see that tall building? That’s the nearest town.”

 

“Wow.. it’s so far,” you breathed. “No wonder Mr. Jung took so long last time, when he said he was going out to buy groceries.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Hey, you weren’t even there when he told me and Jongup! Don’t act like you know what I’m talking about,” you laughed, smacking his arm playfully. He grinned back at you and stuck his tongue out. “Who says I wasn’t there?”

 

“Oh! You didn’t!” you gasped. Had he been listening the whole time?

 

“Nope, I didn’t.” he burst out laughing when he saw your confused face. “I was just messing with you, noona.”

 

“Wow,” you shook your head. “you’re such a loser.”

 

“Hey!” he protested, still laughing. “I’m awesome, and you know it.”

 

“Sure, whatever,” you rolled your eyes, smiling as well. “Let’s go home.” He nodded and linked arms with you. You and Zelo began to chat while walking leisurely.

 

 

After the two of you returned to the house, you found that you were bored again. You spent the rest of the day lazing about and chatting with the boys. Jongup began to open up even more, although the skydiving experience had pretty much eliminated all his shyness towards you. You discovered that Youngjae was very kind and polite. He often smiled at you, even when there was nothing funny or interesting going on. Daehyun forgave you for the skydiving incident, although seemed more cautious around you now. Zelo barricaded himself in his room with his laptop, so you decided not to bother him.

 

As promised, Daehyun gave Zelo another chance and sought him out before dinner. The two conversed (although reluctantly), but soon realized that there really wasn’t anything unpleasant about each other. Still, they continued to act somewhat distant, though their relationship was definitely better than before.

 

When dinner came, Mrs. Lee and Mr. Jung called everybody down to eat together. As a result, the boys sat together at dinner for the first time and got to know each other a little better. Daehyun found that he really liked Youngjae, while Jongup and Zelo also connected really well. Overall, it was a pretty chill day. You went to sleep feeling happy that the boys were bonding so well.

 

 

 

The next day the doorbell rang.

 

You jumped out of your bed.

 

Who was it? Was it the newcomers?

 

Had the “emotion magnet” really worked? Did the other chosen ones find their way here at last?

 

You ran downstairs, but Daehyun had reached the door before you. He flung it open and gasped loudly.

 

 

“Oh my god… Himchan?! Yongguk?! What the hell happened to you two?!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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17 pages on Word. :O Oh gosh. What am I doing with my life LOL I should be studying for my upcoming AP tests. TT ^ TT but I really don't wanna.... ahah 

 

Thanks for readinggg ~ Hope you're liking the story so far! I wonder what happened with Yongguk and Himchan! Bwaha. I'm the only one who knows rinnow (;