Work Text:
A moment so silent it could be considered frozen, sound depleted from the gymnasium with the exemption for a punching bag right in the center, emitting noise which echoed across the silent stands. Blow after blow it stood, rebounding back to where it started. To get stronger, to rise up the ranks, to get to a spot where she’ll be trusted in the corps; For the greater good.
It is tiring, consistently training either alone or with the others, but where she is now, she can’t carry Cell 4. She needs to get to a point where she can be trusted, not just by Min, but also by Ryujin and especially Iseul. He’s too observant for his own good, but as long as she has both Min and Ryujin, he is bound to follow. She focuses essence into her legs, eyes glowing a neon teal as she rushes towards the punching dummy.
How long has it been anyway? With the amount of times she’s used her ability, it’s impossible to tell if she’s done this already. Sayeon wipes her chin, sweat dripping down her forehead, sticking her bangs together. But this isn’t enough, for her goal, she’ll have to do a lot more than just practicing with something inanimate. Kicking off her feet, she lunges towards the punching bag once again, channeling essence into her hand as she pushes her fist forward right into the center.
This is it. This is the improvement she wanted. Jaeil taught her well, but not this. A quick pang shot through her heart, and she couldn’t tell if it was from her exhaustion or Jaeil. God— how long had it even been? Jaeil, if he saw her now— would he be proud? Or scared? Could he even be able to see her again—
Never mind that. It’s useless to dwindle on the past. Once she focuses on the future, she’ll be able to figure out what happened to Jaeil, and where he is now. She just needs to get stronger. And with her current progress, it’ll be a smooth flow. All the way to Level 10, where she’ll find that white-haired doctor and rip out her throat. With another flare of essence, Sayeon darts towards the punching bag. With her fist up and her stance altered to perfection, she’ll land more hits, more kicks, and reset the timeline to practice using her ability.
Lifting up her right hand, she prepares to snap. But, her stomach suddenly feels empty, as if it is sinking; forming a bottomless pit. Abruptly, she perceives the world around her too consciously, too uncomfortably even for her. The slight ringing in her ear, her world spinning too fast for her eyes, and the nagging sensation that shes going to throw up. Sweat drips down quicker, now, the cold feeling making her body too aware. Her stomach started to spasm, causing her essence to flare and contract rhythmically, leading to more of her energy disappearing just as quick.
Her entire body just feels nauseating, emotions threatening to spill out from her eyes. She felt like she was going to pass out, vision blacking out then returning in an infinite loop. Coughing filled the room, but Sayeon was too out of it to even tell it was hers. She heard footsteps too, but with every single sound piling up, it could just be a trick of her mind. That’s been happening a lot, anyway. The steps get closer and closer, and she sees a pair of feet at her head. She’d look up, but she was too numb to do anything but breathe.
Sayeon felt a pair of arms lift her up, and she was placed on someone’s back. No words were spoken, and instantly deducted out who it was. “….Min?” She mumbled, too quietly she wondered if this person could even hear her. “Yes?” He responded, not faltering for even a second as he started walking to who knows where. She wanted to ask so many questions, ones riddled across her brain incessantly, but she couldn’t reverse it. One wrong move and it’ll be here, forever to haunt her. So she stayed silent. Let Min carry her to wherever he’s planning on going. She tried, tried so very hard to keep her eyes open, to figure out where she was by the surroundings all around. But she couldn’t, and the exhaustion piling on her shoulders finally swallowed her whole.
———————————————————————
Sayeon reached for her stuffed bunny, wanting to reach for something familiar while living in this sore state of a body. She searched and searched, eyes glued shut for the promise of going back to sleep. Even with her hands touching the space around her, it was nowhere to be found and the sudden realization made her sit up and look around in a panic. But, she wasn’t in her room. She was in.. the doctor’s office? But why? What happened? She put her hand up and was about to snap— but something repulsive instantly threatened to escape.
Her hands flew to her mouth as she tried to hold back her vomit. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-
A bag flew in front of her head and she instantly grabbed it, vomiting inside. She lied back onto the bed, breathing heavily as she clutched at the pit in her stomach. Sayeon forced her eyes open to take in everything, and she didn’t see the doctor, but instead— Min. Min?
“Min?” He stared at her blankly, showing no emotion. “Wha- Why’d you come to the gymnasium? How’d you fin-” She gagged, and Min quickly reacted, handing her the plastic bag again. “Sorry— Thank you. How’d you find me?” She was curious, it was good timing, coincidental even. Min never came in the gymnasium, he either went with her or for training with the rest of the group. Other than that, never at all. She knew cause she was there, almost every day, training to improve, to prepare for something she knows will someday come. Was he coming to train himself? Was he— “I baked banana bread again,”
She froze, running through a million possibilities yet never thinking of such a reason. “Your essence too. Any aberrant could feel your essence consistently flaring.” So she was just careless, that’s it. She’s been working on concealing her essence for weeks under every circumstance, and yet still slips up. Is there ever a time where she doesn— “Did you overwork yourself?” He asks, painfully blunt as he looks at her, same as ever, yet somehow she can decipher that he’s disappointed. His face shows no emotion, yet the tone of his voice convey so many at once.
“I mean, I guess so?” Sayeon smiles weakly. Can the entirety of Cell 4 see through her this easily? She slips her legs out of the covers and try to stand up, legs wobbling as they give out and she holds onto the bed. How far did she go? To tremble while standing up, to gag while talking? “You need to pay more attention to your health.” Sayeon looks up at him, pushing herself up to sit on the bed. “Underworking is the same as overworking. Get some rest.” Min states, with authority that Sayeon doesn’t challenge.
He stands up to walk out, handing her a glass of water and opening the door before- “Min. Thanks.” Sayeon calls out, smiling at him and drinking the water. Without responding, he walks out silently, steps graceful along his path. Should he tell Red? She’d be so worried, so sad. He doesn’t even know what Samin sees in Sayeon. It doesn’t matter.