IX - impressions who?
Hyejoo was everything but appreciative of Haseul's idea.
(She never questioned Haseul as a leader and even then, she never will. Hyejoo figured that Haseul was a natural born leader; she's someone who knew how to take charge and somehow understood the very importance of being a leader. Obviously she wasn't perfect, but she was pretty damn close to one.)
Unfortunately, Hyejoo would like to assume that these are one of the days that Haseul made the mistake of putting her with some new hero who seems more than clueless in where she stands.
(If not for the introduction, Hyejoo would've thought this new member was just a passerby or a local family friend of Haseul's.)
"Ha-Hang on!"
Speak of the devil .
Hyejoo keeps walking, her strides reaching further knowing full well that she's at least a few centimetres above the new member. She doesn't turn around either, opting to avoid any eye contact with her considering said new member might take it as a nearly friendly gesture (even though she's been anything but friendly.)
"Wait! We're supposed to go together- ah I'm so sorry-!" Hyejoo hears the girl mutter an array of apologies; she's probably bumping into a lot of people on the way.
Hyejoo, albeit frustrated right now, does feel a tad bit guilty for causing the new girl this much trouble for running after her. But Hyejoo prefers the new member (what was her name again?) to chase after her rather than to experience what it's like to hear Hyejoo's colourful use of vulgar words.
"Can you slow down?! Hyejoo!"
Cherim? Yeri? Agh, what the hell is her name..
Hyejoo took in a deep breath and stopped in her tracks, turning on her heel so sharply it made her pursuer jump in surprise. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed that their faces were a little too close for her liking; she stepped away, not wanting to invade and be invaded.
"Look." Hyejoo started, though it didn't come out as gentle as she intended it too, "Just follow me. We're going to an area where we can scout the entire sector, ok?"
"Ah-" The brunette brought up a finger, tilting her head slightly as she looked like she was about to ask a question.
"Just shut u-" Hyejoo bit her tongue and sighed, trying to dismiss the left over frustration surging through her body, "Ask me questions later. Just follow me." She muttered, walking in the direction she was going towards beforehand.
Yeri- Ah, Yerim? That's her name. Probably.
Yerim closed her mouth and mentally groaned at Haseul's choice. Not wanting to judge Hyejoo so quickly, Yerim guessed that the other girl had had a rough day of some sort but she really couldn't fathom spending her nightly hours with someone so, so, moody - is what she wants to say.
Bracing for whatever is to come, Yerim decided to let her feet follow along. Haseul obviously trusts Hyejoo enough but out of all the days, Yerim really doesn't want to face the innate anger that seems to dwell inside Hyejoo. She's mentally tired and this new 'job' of hers was one of the ways that could at least take her mind off things.
Hopefully.
****
"Can I ask you questions now?"
Hyejoo sighed, her shoulders sinking as she realized she had to answer Yerim's questions. She didn't promise to answer but obviously, she isn't that rude to ignore Yerim like she was a passing fly. "Go ahead."
"How long have you been in LOONA?" Yerim was sitting beside her, staring at her with innocent curiosity.
Hyejoo hummed, thinking for a bit as she counted the years. "7 years, this year being my eighth. I was there since the beginning."
Yerim's eyes widened and Hyejoo couldn't really blame her for her surprise. She's been in LOONA since the very beginning and it usually comes as a surprise for those who are new to their presence in the city. Hyejoo was proud of it, not that she'll ever admit that aloud though.
"Wow, that's a really long time." Yerim muttered, turning away from Hyejoo.
Hyejoo nodded though she doubted Yerim was referring to their conversation. The latter seemed to be deep in thought so Hyejoo took the opportunity to relax against the air.
Although it was a bit cold, save for the light snow, it was actually quite nice. They were perched on a hill, a small convenient store sat behind them, and it granted them the easy view of their area of patrol. It was helpful considering if they ever felt an incoming appetite, the store was right behind them.
The city lights were bright, shining upon the streets and letting its artificial rays reflect upon the white snow that sprinkled the ground. There were a few people that walked along the sidewalks, most had their partners, some had friends or family by their side, but most of them seemed to be smiling from ear to ear.
How nice that must feel. To smile with no fear of tomorrow or the next hour .
Interestingly enough, the day flew past like no other. Hyejoo wonders that maybe it was because she left her house early and arrived at Haseul's with the intent of crashing; maybe it was because of that fight from earlier on, or the arrival of their new member? Whatever it was, Hyejoo's thankful that this day had passed so quickly - or almost, it's nearing 12 at midnight.
Usually, today, Hyejoo would spend it either locked in her room or making the effort to assist her sister. Hyunjin wouldn't mind but Hyejoo always tries to push her to rest, though none of that pestering ever worked. Hyejoo understands her but inside, she does worry.
Everyone wants to keep their minds off of this tragic day .
"Who else joined with you? I know Haseul had joined from earlier on, but who else?" Yerim's voice had cut through her thoughts and Hyejoo mentally thanked her for that.
"Chaewon, you'll probably meet her later on. My sister and this other girl, who is a friend of hers." Hyejoo cleared her throat, "And Sooyoung."
Yerim nodded, "Oh, who's the girl you were..." She paused for a bit, shaking her head quickly after, "..The girl from earlier on? Jiwoo? I think it was her name?"
Hyejoo tensed at the name but relaxed quickly in hopes that Yerim wouldn't catch it. She gave Yerim a weak nod, "Yeah, her too." Hyejoo says and she knows the other girl only sends her a soft look, one she doesn't want to see so Hyejoo doesn't bother meeting her face.
"This is kind of off topic, but does your sister own a bakery?" Yerim raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah she does." Hyejoo turns to Yerim, "Hyunjin. Know her?"
Yerim nods eagerly and chuckles as Hyejoo gives her an odd look, one that seemed rather judgmental if Yerim were to describe it. "I met her this morn- well yesterday morning. You guys look alike so I figured."
"Hm, good eye." Hyejoo muttered, to which Yerim smiled meekly at.
"How come she isn't part of the night patrols? She's a member too, right?" Yerim asked, and she had this innocence that Hyejoo couldn't quite hate.
"She was . She left after.." Hyejoo's eyes softened, "She left two years ago, after the battle."
Yerim nodded knowingly. And all of a sudden the atmosphere got heavy, weighing on their shoulders like dumbbells that were dropped onto their bodies. Hyejoo grimaced at the mood shift, her stomach twisting as she literally felt the atmosphere drop to their very toes. It was disruptive of the beautiful view in front of them and, like usual, ruined anything that was good.
Wanting to get rid of the deafening silence, Hyejoo cleared her throat, "Since you're a hero, you must have a quirk, right." Hyejoo said, turning to face Yerim. She raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
Yerim visibly lightened up and Hyejoo was slightly relieved that she saw the same eagerness to move on from their previous subject in Yerim. The brunette flashed her a near toothy smile, "Inferno Fire! I can shoot flames from my body - Uh, that sounds weird but that's basically what it is." She chuckled. Yerim, looking at Hyejoo, asks, "You?"
"I can call out a shadow of my emotions - something like that. A wolf called midnight." Hyejoo was in the middle of turning around to flash her back but figured it was best to save it for some other time. Although it wasn't freezing cold, Hyejoo knew she didn't want to shiver after carelessly showing the new member her quirk. "You'll see it some other time. Can I see yours?"
Yerim nodded, pulling her hands out of her pockets. She stretched out her palm, concentrating on it carefully. Hyejoo looked at her, staring at her uneasily as she waited amidst the awkward silence in which the winter air just whistled. She tapped her fingers against the wooden bench before Yerim gasped, "Ah!" In the foggy winter air, fire blew onto Yerim's palm, cackling silently against the light snow.
Hyejoo's eyes widened, leaning closer as she studied the steady flame in the very palm of Yerim's hand. Being an active hero, Hyejoo has seen variations of different quirks but seeing such a hot, searing flame simply being held is still a surprise, even to her.
Yerim kept smiling but she lost her grin when she noticed Hyejoo moving closer. As someone who wasn't used to an audience aside from Jungeun or Kahei, Yerim felt a tad bit nervous, "Wa-wait, don't go too close, I'm not the best at-" Rushing to express her worries, Yerim was too late when the flame in her palm busted upward.
Terrified with having her face burned off, Hyejoo jumped back and practically toppled off the bench. From afar it may have looked funny but for Hyejoo, it was honestly, a little terrifying (just a little). She seriously saw her life flash before her eyes when the bright flame shot upward, a few inches from her own face. Hyejoo panted as she anchored herself against the ground, "What-!"
Yerim, chuckling nervously, rubbed the back of her neck, "So-sorry! I can control my quirk majority of the time but I'm not used to showing it to other people.." She glanced back at Hyejoo; she took note of the way Hyejoo's face contorted into a state of panic.
Scrambling, Hyejoo shot up and threw her hands in the air, "Are you- You're literally a hero now, idiot! You should get used to controlling that quirk in front of an audience, and hang on - You said you can control your explosive quirk, only the majority of the time?" Hyejoo's eye twitched with slight frustration.
Yerim, sensing said frustration, lowered her head meekly, "Yeah.." Realizing the small side insults Hyejoo threw in, she shot up, almost matching Hyejoo's height, "Hang on, I may have gotten nervous but I'm not an idiot! Also, it's not an explosive quirk, it's practically a flame, at least get your facts right!"
"Get my facts right? Your hand almost killed me!" Hyejoo growled and her voice was slightly raised. However, no matter the face she was making or her hardened tone, Yerim found it light compared to earlier when Hyejoo was in that argument with Jiwoo. Thankfully that was the case. "If I wasn't fast enough, my face would've been in ashes by now!"
Yerim huffed, crossing her arms, "Well, it's not my fault you were so interested in my quirk." Her pout formed into a smug smile, "If anything, you looked like a child who saw fireworks for the first time."
Hyejoo raised an eyebrow, "Don't flatter yourself, newbie." She snarled, but Yerim sensed no malice from her tone. "If you want to be my partner you better not bring me down." She grunted, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at Yerim.
"You don't even know the extent of my quirk yet." Yerim retorted back, to which Hyejoo only rolled her eyes at. She turned to Hyejoo, who liked she was about to snap back with another remark but stopped when she saw a man scolding the clerk who was seated in the convenient store. The man was dressed in all black and it seems as though he had a mask that draped over his face, except for the eyes.
Hyejoo watched carefully, wondering if she had to interfere soon and not even a second later, the man pulled out a gun and pointed it towards the defenseless clerk. He didn't seem to have a quirk, neither did the thief, but even then the thief had an advantage with his weapon.
"Crap." Hyejoo groaned, ignoring Yerim's existent pout, as she walked towards the convenient store as quietly as possible. Patrol was anything but fun since no real crime was taking place - well, theft is a real crime (don't do it) but Hyejoo was kind of hoping for something more exciting and exhilarating. Albeit the slightly boring scene, Hyejoo was still a hero and she knows her duties enough to not ignore this.
She watched as the thief busted out of the convenience store with what seemed like a bag of cash in his hand. He glanced from left to right and as he was about to take off into a direction he deemed best for an escape route, Hyejoo was ready to run after him.
Well, she was going to run after him.
Before she could even boost herself from her spot, she felt something hot run passed her and right at the thief. Hyejoo closed her eyes on instinct but opening it slightly had caught her a glimpse of something ironically bright flying across the distance and right at the bag of cash. The thief visibly fell back as he screamed by the sudden slash of flame burn passed him. He was panting, hard, and staring at the wall that fell victim to the sudden surge of fire.
Hyejoo gawked as she stared at the burned cash on the floor - pieces of it scattered and left drifting with the breeze - and then her eyes drew up to the same wall that the thief was staring at. It was charred black, obvious evidence of fire hitting it and it even had a dent that would seem troublesome for the owner to repair.
She heard a huff beside her and Hyejoo slowly turned to Yerim - aka, the culprit - "See! I know how to control my quirk."
Hyejoo, albeit trying her best, couldn't keep her mouth shut, "Are you insane?! You- I could've been fine without your help!"
"But you were just going to run after him. You wouldn't have been able to catch the thief and get the money back." Yerim raised an eyebrow and something about her naive innocence made Hyejoo's insides boil with shock and frustration. "I know he's, probably, quirkless but-"
"Money?! What money! How the hell are we going to give the money back when you burned it?!" Hyejoo aggressively pointed to the array of cash scattered on the powder covered floor. There were a few bills that were still in one piece but the majority of the cash was just a pile of ashes that joined the white snow.
Yerim's eyes widened, her shoulders sinking as it hit her. "Oh."
" Oh -? Oh?! You made things worse I- and now the thief is gone!" Hyejoo groaned as she ran her fingers over her face, her back hunching forward as she felt nothing but feel her energy drain from her body. "You even burned the side of the store.." Hyejoo defeatedly muttered, as she grunted at the colour of the charred brick.
"That-" Yerim scratched the back of her neck, "Well none of this was part of the plan.. I guess I kind of overreacted.."
Hyejoo snapped her head towards her, "Kind of?" She sighed, throwing her head back as she tried her best to regain whatever composure and patience she had left. "I'm going to go apologize to the owner, you stay here. Don't even think of leaving this spot or wandering somewhere else. Don't even try to look for the thief because I can guarantee he's probably terrified of you." She narrowed her eyes at Yerim, making her voice as stern as possible.
"You sound like you're my babysitter." Yerim muttered though she nodded, meekly.
"That's basically what I am right now." Hyejoo grunted, ignoring the way Yerim shoots her a quick yet harmless glare. Not wanting to idle any longer, she takes in a deep breath and prepares an apology for not only burning the money but also causing damage to the owner's property.
Did we- no, Yerim - just commit a crime?
Hyejoo ignored the question and started walking, rehearsing the apology in her mind over and over again. She picked up a few surviving bills and held it tightly in her hand, slightly afraid the wind would blow it all away.
Yerim watched from afar as Hyejoo explained the situation and from here, she could tell Hyejoo was a tad bit nervous. She looked away from the window and stared at the ashes of the cash flying away; Yerim pouted at the sight, feeling guilty for causing trouble, not only for Hyejoo, but for the owner who worked so hard today. If only she had money, she'd give it to him but right now, her wallet is empty.
"I just wanted to prove myself to her." Yerim muttered, crossing her arms.
Hyejoo was being a little frustrating with how she seemingly underestimated Yerim's quirk. So wanting to prove her wrong, Yerim used that opportunity with the thief as the perfect moment to show Hyejoo just what her quirk can do. To show her that it wasn't just a ball of flames on her hands but also a useful quirk for catching sleazy thieves.
Obviously, it worked out. Somewhat .
"You're lucky the owner was nice." Hyejoo's husk voice interrupted her thoughts. Sighing, Hyejoo met Yerim's eyes, "He was forgiving after I explained to him that you were new to this whole pro hero thing and that you had no idea how the hell to use your quirk. Unfortunately, I had to give him some of my hard earned money to compensate for the cash he lost because of you." Hyejoo whimpered out the last part, patting her wallet as she grimaced at the light weight pocket.
Yerim's eyes widened, "I am not that new! Besides, I totally know how to use my quirk! I just- Just not this time because I wanted to prove you wrong! And-And… I feel bad too, you know." She retorted.
Hyejoo rolled her eyes, "Really? With what you just did I think you proved me right. And don't blame me for what you did. I was only speaking the truth." She crossed her arms.
Yerim huffed, "Truth my ass! You provoked me on purpose didn't you?" She raised an eyebrow as she pointed her accusatory eyes at Hyejoo. "You were totally doing that on purpose. You wanted me to make a fool of myself didn't you?"
"As much as I would want that for you, I didn't do it on purpose. Plus, it was at my expense, unfortunately." Hyejoo scoffed. She met Yerim's narrow gaze that was all but intimidating, "Besides, you're basically my responsibility so I have to make sure you don't screw up or get hurt because if anything happens to you, Haseul will kill me." She growled.
"Now you're just treating me like a baby." Yerim huffed.
"That's because you are." Hyejoo sighed, "Especially with your quirk." She deadpanned.
"Bully."
"Get used to it buttercup." Hyejoo snapped back, her brain was literally short circuiting with how childish Yerim acted. She was like babysitting a 5 year old.
"Your attitude is seriously something else." Yerim mumbled, though Hyejoo thinks it was supposed to be under her breath.
Hyejoo groaned at the way Yerim sat back down on the bench that overlooked the city. Her arms were crossed and her back was turned towards her as if she was a child on timeout trying to purposely make her guilty for scolding her (which wasn't working). Inwardly cursing to herself, she sat down, making sure to put a distance between her and Yerim.
Of all people, why was I paired with her.