Dear Kyungsoo,

I didn’t want to move, and I’m really really sorry that we had to leave while you and Baek and Yeol were at camp, but you know how my parents are. They’ve already packed and sent all our stuff ahead, and they won’t wait for another day. They seem to have this idea that moving is going to be some amazing adventure, but it’s not. This new country is going to be like everywhere else. Worse, probably. We don’t know anybody like us who lives there, Soo, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never fit in even with the rest of the Society kids, how can they expect me to make friends with normal people? If it was you, you could just talk about sports or books or something, but I’m not good at stuff like that. I really wish you were coming with me.

- Jongin

 

The Society is one of many secret organizations for those who are not entirely human. This Society in particular is composed almost entirely of people with special powers. It is unknown when these people first appeared on Earth, but their powers are hereditary, and have been passed down from generation to generation. After facing persecution by regular humans in the early 14th century, many of these Users, as they are called, went into hiding. They later emerged in disguise as normal people, and have been living among us ever since.

 

Dear Kyungsoo,

School’s started. Life . Before school it was okay, but now I have to go outside and actually interact with the world. And I know I hated school work before, but I actually kind of like it now. It distracts me from the fact that I don’t have any friends here.

I suppose that everything could be worse. Being the new kid isn’t all that bad. Apart from a few attempts at conversation on the first day, nobody bothers to talk to me. They’re all so absorbed in their own little worlds. Well, most of them. This guy named Yixing keeps hanging out with me at lunch. He sits beside me in homeroom, so I guess he thinks that we’re friends now or something. I don’t really mind it, though, because he doesn’t seem to enjoy interactions with people either. We just eat, and maybe exchange a few words, and then he leaves to go somewhere else.

Other than Yixing, the only people who ever talk to me voluntarily are these “cool kids”, Tao and Kris. They’re like Chen and Sehun, you know, they think they’re all that, but really they’re just annoying. Well, Chen knew he was annoying. But anyways, one of them always seems to be in my class. They don’t really talk to me that much, but when they do it’s in a “let’s-pick-on-the-new-kid” kind of way. I feel like they’re supposed to be the class bullies or something, but they don’t really get to me. I figure that I can handle a couple of idiots.

    Writing this letter makes me miss you guys more. Life is so lonely without you. I know I’ve said this before, but I wish you were here, Soo! More than that, I wish I wasn’t here. I miss everything about home. Our house, the parties, “camping”, ghost stories, your mom’s hot chocolate, Baek, Yeollie, even Chen and Sehun! Sometimes I want to go to another of those horrid Society meetings, just to see you all again. Why can’t you move here and live with us?

- Jongin

 

Most Users have fairly uninteresting powers, such as controlling fire, or light, or water. However, every once in a while a User is born with a much more unique ability. These include time control, teleportation, telekinesis, future sense, and spirit seeing, among other things. There is currently a much higher population of these unique Users than there has ever previously been in recorded history.

 

Dear Kyungsoo,

I know that I should try to be more social, you don’t have to tell me that. I wish I knew how to talk to normal people, how to talk like normal people. But I don’t. You remember how strange I was, even for a User, when you first met me? My parents never encouraged any friendships I had, they never let me invite anyone over. You were just amazingly nice, that’s why we were friends. I know I’m better at things now. I got Chen and Sehun to like me, to accept me. And then we moved.

I feel like everything has to be rebuilt from the start. The closest thing I have to a friend is Yixing. He’s nice, but he’s not you. He disappears after eating with me, and sometimes he doesn’t even eat with me at all anymore. I don’t know why. On the days that Yixing doesn’t appear, I’ve taken to wandering around the school grounds. It’s quite a nice place, actually.

The whole thing is surrounded by a forest, and sometimes I go for a walk in it. It’s very peaceful. Nobody ever bothers me there.

    I’ve been Using my ability more, like you said I should. It annoys my parents when I randomly appear at breakfast, and I can almost teleport directly into my chair now! You’re using your ability too, right? Make sure not to cause too many earthquakes! And tell Yeollie I won’t forgive him for setting your tree house on fire. Does he know how many hours of hard work I put into making that tree house? I think not. Make him build another one.

- Jongin

 

One day, as Jongin is wandering around the forest at lunch, he hears voices. His curiosity piqued, he follows the sound until he can make out what they’re saying.

“Stop it, Minseok, seriously,” says a voice. Jongin recognizes as belonging to Luhan,  a boy in his Math class.

“It wasn’t my idea, Suho was the one who told me to chuck snowballs at you!”

Snowballs?

“I didn’t tell you to throw them at him, I just said we should throw snowballs.” There’s a hint of amusement in this boy’s (Jongin assumes it must be Suho’s) voice.

“At Luhan!”

“When did I–!”

Luhan sighs.“Okay, you know what, it doesn’t matter. I just want to finish my book, so can you please go throw your snowballs somewhere else?”

What’s with the snowballs?

Jongin creeps closer.

“Fine. Come on Minseok, let’s pick a different target for practice.”

A clearing appears ahead of him, and through the leaves Jongin can make out the figure of Luhan sitting against a tree, book in hand.

So where are the snowballs?

He cautiously pushes a branch out of the way in time to see something round and white slam into another boy’s back.

The boy whips around, scowling.

Yixing?

Jongin lets the branch slide back into place, its leaves rustling. He doesn’t want to be caught sneaking around by his only possible friend in the whole country.

Jongin tries to leave, stepping backwards. He cringes as a twig snaps, the sound echoing around the clearing like a gunshot.

.

“Who’s there?”says Luhan. “I know where you are, there’s no use pretending you don’t exist. You can’t move, so you might as well turn yourself in. Minseok, Suho, go get him.” He adds in an undertone.

Jongin can hear two people crashing through the underbrush, but when he tries to run, he finds that he can’t. It’s as if his feet are glued to the ground.

The sound of Minseok and Suho is coming closer and closer, and Jongin panics. His eyes find a nearby bush and he teleports.

“OW!” It’s a thorn bush. Good job, Jongin.

“What?” He hears Luhan cry, “How did that happen? One second he was here, and now he’s over there!”

A thorn bush. Of all places to end up, a thorn bush! Jongin teleports a few feet to his left.

“I grew a bunch of thorny plants over that way. He’s not going anywhere.”

“OW!” Another one? Really?

“He did it again! Yixing, you don’t understand. He teleported or something. That’s not supposed to happen.”

Okay. I give up on teleporting around here. Just don’t move, Jongin, don’t move and it’ll be fine.

“Lu… there are no teleporters, ‘kay? That’s just a legend. Maybe your concentration slipped for a second or something. Don’t worry. We’ll catch him.”

Calm down, and think. Think of a place to teleport.

“All right…” Luhan’s voice shakes a bit. “Ahem. Okay. Person, whoever you are, this is a warning. Don’t try to run away again. I won’t let you. I haven’t got much experience with teleporters, but I can probably stop you if you try to get away like that again. Understand?”

School. Yes. School is a good place to go.

“I’ll let you go if you promise to come out here where we can see you. Yixing and I and probably Suho promise not to hurt you, but I can’t say anything for Minseok.”

WHAT? I can’t teleport, why can’t I teleport. Wait. It couldn’t be… that Luhan kid is actually stopping me?

“Do you agree?” A long silence. “Hello? Person? I’ll let you teleport, as long as you come out here and tell us who you are. Okay?”

“Lu,” says Yixing’s voice, “he can’t teleport. He’s probably just stuck on those thorns. He won’t be able to get out unless we hack them away.”

“Quiet, Yixing. You didn’t feel him move. I know it’s impossible, but somehow it must be true. He can teleport, I’m sure of it!”

“Whatever…” Yixing says. Jongin can practically see him rolling his eyes.

“Um…” Jongin’s voice sounds small and unsure. “I – I agree. I promise I’ll come out to you, if you let me teleport again.”

“Deal.”

A moment later, Jongin is blinking in the sunlight, Yixing staring at him like he’s an alien. I suppose that’s what I am, Jongin thinks bitterly. An alien.

“Jongin… you – you – you teleported!”

“Yeah.”

Luhan shoots Yixing a look that clearly says I told you so.

At that moment, Minseok and Suho burst into the clearing, panting.

“You could have told us you had him!” Suho says crossly as Minseok collapses on the ground. “Do you know how hard it is to run through there?”

“Yes,” Yixing smiles. “I made it.”

“Shut up,” Minseok groans.

Luhan rolls his eyes at them and walks over to help Minseok up. “Suho, Minseok, meet Jongin. He can teleport.”

“Nice to meet you…” Jongin says nervously.

“Woah!” Minseok bounds over to him excitedly. “You can teleport? That’s so cool! I wish I could teleport! All I can do is freeze things. You have no idea how boring that is. Freezing things is probably the worst power ever, but at least I can throw snowballs at people all year round with Suho. His power is controlling water. Isn’t that so much cooler than mine? But not as cool as Luhan’s power, he’s a telekinesis User. You guys are perfect for each other, you’re both not supposed to exist! And Yixing does plant stuff. Blech.”

Yixing glares at him. “What’s wrong with plants? Without plants, you wouldn’t be alive right now? Do you know how hard plants work for – OOF!” Yixing doubles over as a snowball hits him in the stomach. Suho and Xiumin are giggling and high-fiving each other, grins plastered on their faces.

“Boys!” Luhan shouts, and they quiet down. “Now is not the time for a snowball fight. You’re giving Jongin a bad first impression. I apologize for their behaviour. I wish I could say they’re not usually like this, but…” Luhan shrugs helplessly as Xiumin and Suho make it snow in the clearing.

“It’s fine,” Jongin says, surprised to find that he’s smiling. “They remind me of two of my old friends. It’s nice.”

“I guess you must miss them a lot.” Jongin nods. “I know what it’s like to change schools. Being a User makes it worse. When I first came here I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t really want to know anyone. I probably didn’t talk to anyone for almost a year. Then Suho and Minseok and Yixing found me, and we’ve stuck together ever since.” Luhan smiles, remembering.

Jongin laugh half-heartedly. “That sounds a lot like when I first met other Users. I didn’t really know anybody, and then I met this boy name Kyungsoo. He was so nice, and now we’ve been best friends forever. I wish I didn’t have to leave him behind.” Luhan pats Jongin on the back awkwardly, trying to comfort him.

“I’m sorry that we didn’t find you sooner. We had no idea that you were a User. Yixing thought that you were perfectly normal, if somewhat shy.”

Jongin grins. “Well, I thought you were all normal as well, so we’re even. But…” his grin fades. “Are you sure you want to hang out with me? I’m a freak, even by User standards.”

Luhan looks at him sadly. “I know. So am I. I’m a telekinesis User, remember? Neither of us are at all normal.” He smiles again. “So we should stick together! Come on, Jongin, you’re one of us now!” And Jongin barely hesitates before he agrees.

 

Dear Kyungsoo,

So much has happened since I last wrote to you. I found other Users! And guess what? Yixing is one of them! Isn’t that strange? You know how he always disappeared at lunch? Well, he was going to this secret place in the forest where they can Use their powers without anybody else seeing! So far, there are only five of us that we know of at my school, but that’s a pretty big number! And one of them is a telekinesis User, he’s weird like me! His name’s Luhan, and he reminds me of you a bit. He’s really nice. I think you two would get along well. The other two Users are Minseok and Suho. Minseok can freeze things, and Suho can control water. They’re kind of like Baek and Yeollie, except Minseok and Suho aren’t brothers. I think. Or maybe they are! Who knows?

    Life here has improved a lot since I met them. I don’t feel like nearly as much of an outcast now. I still wish I could see you every day, but I’m happy that I moved here at the same time. Meeting Luhan, Yixing, Minseok, and Suho has filled up a bit of the emptiness I felt when we moved. But I don’t think the emptiness could ever be entirely gone until you visit, Soo. I’m waiting for the day that I can see your smile again!

- Jongin