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Jiwoo stared out at the rolling waves of the pond along his jogging path. There was much on his mind. He felt weak in this world of Awakeners. A world of people with far more experience using their abilities in action then he was. He knew how to fight. It wasn't anything new. He just was stuck being the one playing catch up in a world where one wrong move could mean your death. He knew the reality of this world quite well--despite the others thinking otherwise. The world of danger was nothing new to him. It had been instilled at a young age how dangerous the world could be. He needed to become stronger and fast. He could not remain weak, for Kayden's sake and his own. He heard voices coming down the path; the familiar banter of Jisuk and Subin ringing through the air. A smile pulled at his lips. His friends were truly amazing.
His mind drifted to his one other friend. His first friend after his powers awoke and ruined his former life. His first friend after the plane crash that killed his father. The boy had been so lost and alone when Jiwoo had last seen him. He didn’t even know his own name. He was just 001. Jisuk slung an arm over Jiwoo’s shoulders, laughing at something Subin said. Jiwoo chuckled and lightly pushed against Jisuk to prevent the typical hair ruffling.
“Jiwoo, we need to hurry or we will be late for training,” Wooin said calmly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“Oh!” Subin exclaimed in excitement, “That is right! We are going to be joining you guys!”
The group meandered to the gym and joined the group that was already there. It was the first day of the new semester at the school. Their third semester. Jiwoo could hardly believe how fast the time had gone by. The group converged on Jiwoo, excitedly asking how he was doing and how much he had improved since the last time they had seen him. He chuckled and said that he had made some improvement before the doors opened quietly, despite their habit of slamming open and shut no matter how gently a person treated them.
Jiwoo looked up and gaped in shock, "001?"
~~~~
Ijin wrestled internally as he pondered over everything that has happened. The camp is becoming a danger to anyone that has escaped. There are even some new faces from what sources have told him. He couldn't let the camp continue to hurt people. It was time to inact the plan, for both his sake and his family's. He quickly pulled out his phone and tried a number that promptly went to voicemail. Eyes narrowing, he called Major Kang.
"Kang here," a deep voice answered.
"Major Kang, I need a favor."
"What is it?"
"I need you to look up someone for me."
"Who," Kang asked warily.
"Yu Jiwoo. He is a friend and isn't answering his phone. I am trying to find where he is."
He heard a sigh and vigorous typing before Kang replied, "It looks like he is being sponsored as a student at a summer school for gifted students. All phones are required to be left at home."
Ijin paused, "Would you know where this school is?"
Kang sighed and began typing again, "On an island in the Sea of Japan near the east coast of South Korea."
Ijin froze, "He lives here? He has been so close for so long."
Kang gave a noise of confusion at Ijin's statement before Ijin quickly hung up and began preparing to leave. It was time.
~~~~
Ijin replied with a small smile, "It's Ijin, actually."
Jiwoo's eyes lit up in realization, "You remember?"
Ijin smiled and nodded, “Yeah. I am home now.”
Jiwoo jumped with joy and hugged Ijin. he was so happy for his friend. No one deserved to be happy more than Ijin. He deserved the chance to experience a happy life after everything he had to go through.
Jiwoo pulled back and asked the question that was most pressing, “What makes now the time to take them down?’
Ijin glowered at the ground due to the target of his aggression not being in front of him, “ They are threatening my family. If they catch wind that you are alive, they will come after you too.”
Jiwoo’s eyes hardened, and he merely nodded. Jisuk and Subin gaped at the change in their friend. Even when he was fighting the brothers, he had never looked so dangerous. It was a strange change to see. Wooin, however, did not look so surprised. He had seen signs that Jiwoo could be this dangerous. When he was rescuing the cat, he had an expression that held hits of this look. Kayden found himself shocked as well. He had known that Jiwoo was more skilled than most, but he had not thought Jiwoo could be so determined and filled with anger.
“Then we need to go. I will not let them ruin your life more than they already have. You deserve to spend the rest of your life without having to deal with them on your tail,” Jiwoo said with determination.
Jisuk shook himself out of his shock and walked forward to look at both of them up close, “What is going on here? Why does Jiwoo look like he is about to kill something?”
Ijin glanced at Jisuk before looking at Jiwoo for confirmation that he was trustworthy. After receiving a nod in return he faced the heir to Shinhwa.
“Jiwoo, is helping me fulfill a promise that we made to each other,” he gave a bland stare, “Though I am very curious about your name. After all, you seem to think that this is your business, Jisuk Yoo. I know that your sister, Jiyoung Yoo, is the leader of Shinhwa, but that does not make you entitled to know everything.”
Jisuk reeled back in shock. How did Ijin know so much about him and their world?
“Ijin,” Jiwoo asked hesitantly, drawing Iin’s glare away from Jisuk, “how do you know so much about Jisuk?’
Ijin gave Jiwoo a look that made him laugh. It was a simple look at clearly expressed that he thought that question was ridiculous. “Even though you have been away from camp and the mercenary world for a while, it doesn’t mean I have. I just got back to my home a few months ago.”
“Jiwoo, are you sure this guy is safe?” Subin asked hesitantly.
Ijin sent a glare at Subin, “I'm just as safe as Jiwoo, Miss Lee.”
Subin froze at the statement of her last name–a clear threat. She backed up slowly and Kayden approached. He had the feeling that there was more to the knowledge than just research. He should not have been able to know anything about their world. He may have learned their names from them going to school with Jiwoo, but there should not have been much more accessible to him beyond that. Upon his approach, he had the feeling Ijin knew everything about him.
“Casein Nitrate. Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” his stare was as much of a warning as Subin’s last name had been. He had one chance to say the right thing before Ijin spilled all of his secrets.
He turned around and walked off. There was a time and place to confront people. Now was not one of those times. He trusted Jiwoo to act accordingly. Jiwoo walked forward and placed a hand on Ijin’s arm–whispering questions at him. The answers seemed to excite Jiwoo as he began jumping up and down.
“We should leave as soon as possible. Do you still have your to go bag?” Ijin inquired.
“Of course! What do you take me for? An idiot?” Jiwoo shook his head in mock betrayal.
Ijin smiled and ruffled Jiwoo’s hair before indicating that Jiwoo should go get the bag. Once Jiwoo was gone, he turned to the group, “I am grateful to you all for being amazing friends to Jiwoo. I was worried that he was going to have a hard time making friends when he left.”
The entire group looked shocked at the change in demeanor. At that moment, Kayden entered the room in his human form. He had something to test. Upon arriving in front of Ijin, he simply stared at him.
“Hello, Kayden Break, lovely to make your acquaintance.” Ijin stated in a cool voice.
Kayden caught the similarity of the greeting to his cat form and knew that Ijin knew who he was.
“So,” Kayden drawled, “you’re an Awakened One.”
Ijin looked at him confused, “What on earth is that?”
~~~~
Jiwoo walked into the gym to find Ijin sitting on the ground, staring at Kayden in shock. He seems to be trying to get over the rug being pulled out from under him. He rushed forward to help Ijin. Mr. Kayden was a powerful Awakened One after all.
“Are you okay?” Jiwoo asked as he reached Ijin.
“I don’t know,” Ijin replied, “I am just confused. I thought that was something everyone was able to do, so I didn’t know that I was different.”
“What did you think everyone was able to do?” Jiwoo replied, confused.
“Know things about people just by looking at them.”
“Wait, is that how you know so much about everyone?”
“Yeah. I have been able to do that since the plane crash. I can also do a few other things, but I don’t want to share that with people that I don’t know.”
Jiwoo sat back. “So, did you know about my speed ability?”
Ijin looked at him confused, “Yeah, didn’t everybody?”
Jiwoo just shook his head and laughed. Of course his friend was also an Awakened One. He just couldn’t have a normal friend. He stood up and pulled Ijin up with him. He would have so many questions for Ijin when they finish taking down the camp.
~~~~
Ijin settled into the underbrush as he stared at his once home. It was as busy as ever. He only had one concern. Jisuk, Wooin, and Subin. They all decided that they were coming with Jiwoo and him. The only one of the self invited people that he wasn’t concerned about was Kayden. He could trust the man to be stealthy and take care of himself. All that he needed to do was make sure the other three did not have the chance to mess this up. Not a soul in that camp should be able to escape unscathed beyond any that had helped them, though the only reason they would be there would be as prisoners. He waited for the signal from Jiwoo to start the attack. Kayden would be backup and the means of destroying the camp. He had been completely on board after Ijin explained the danger it posed to his student. Kayden would not stand for there to be any danger to Jiwoo.
A distinct bird call sounded through the air and Ijin moved. Slicing the throat of the first one that he came across and silently taking his body into the underbrush. On and on he went, silent and swift in his movements. Moving at almost superhuman speed, he got through almost half of the camp before anyone noticed him. At the cries of shock, Jiwoo entered the fray with their Awakened allies. He used his slowly strengthening powers to speed his movements as he slashed at the men that were threatening everything that Ijin held dear. Jisuk gaped in shock at how brutal his friend was. He would never have guessed this from the naïve boy he had been before. If he had been facing this person during his first fight, he would have surely failed. Wooin ignored every shocking thing he saw. He would deal with it later, now his friend was relying on him to deal with the people he could. There was only so much he could do as it was because of how many had been taken out already. It was surprisingly fast with Jiwoo’s speed and Ijin’s experience. There was so much that they could learn from Ijin in training and using your abilities in a fight. Despite Ijin’s lack of physical awakened abilities, he could probably take out many if not most of the awakened that attend the school currently.
A loud whistle pierced the air and everyone’s attention was drawn to a big man that had a large scar across his face. He was looming over the battle with a maniacal grin on his face. He look like he was looking forward to whoever fought him.
“001!” he boomed, “come fight me and finish what you started! You are the reason that I am after you. You injured me and I must have vengeance!”
Ijin froze after he took out the last guy in the group he had been fighting. His voice came over the coms they were using sparingly, “Kayden, if I lose, blow this place so badly there is not even a twig left smoldering. Understood?”
“I will,” Kayden vowed to his apprentice's friend.
There was only a few seconds between the vow and Ijin’s strike. He was a flurry of anger and aggression. His knife gleaming in the sunlight. The others believed in Ijin. they believed he would win, but Ijin knew this man. He came after Jiwoo escaped. He had learned methods that the others knew nothing of. Ijin felt a fist crash into his side as the man caught a brief gap in his defense. There was an audible gasp from Jisuk, Subin, Wooin, and Jiwoo. He flew a foot or too, hitting a tree, before he slumped to the ground, motionless. Blood pooled under his head as he lay still. The large man chuckled harshly and approached the still form. He believed that he had won. The brat that had been his bane was dead. When he was mere inches from the body a shot rang through the air. A spot of red slowly formed on the man’s shirt and spread until the man fell to the ground. Ijin sat up and struggled to his feet.
“Goodbye. I wish this did not have to end this way,” he muttered to the lifeless form.
When he reached the end of the clearing, he signaled for them to head out. They slowly made their way away from the camp. As they crested the top of a hill, Ijin gave the signal to destroy the camp. Blue lightning raced down from the sky and obliterated all signs that the camp had existed. It was over. They were free. Every one that had once been part of the camp and escaped were free. He finally had the chance to learn who he is without worrying, Jiwoo leaped onto the shoulders of Jisuk and Ijin.
“We did it! We finally finished them!” He exclaimed in a happy voice.
Jiwoo felt a weight that he had not realized was there lift from his shoulders. He was free to learn about himself. He was free to gain knowledge and friends. He was free to roam and be himself. There was so much he can now do. He was free. They were both finally free.