"She improved well."

Chaeyoung's chest fell heavily with a sigh. She stared at her hands and fingers and wondered what had gone wrong with her. The patient she had was not fully healed even after she had used up all her energy. While her mother and brother were saying how she had made improvements from the previous time, Chaeyoung had the same thought as her father; no improvement was made at all.

"All her peers are now capable of reconstructing fully shattered bones and she can't even heal a scar as long as the kitchen knife perfectly. How is that an improvement?" the head of the family asked. It was clear how he was unimpressed and disappointed.

The reputation of their family as the best Healers was tainted with her failure of becoming one of them. She was disappointed with herself, too. If she didn't make an improvement soon, she might be forced to get married with another Healer to produce children that would have to shoulder the responsibility of becoming Healers as well.

The number of Healers had decreased after the incursion years ago, forcing young people of the Healing Sector to start practicing their healing ability day and night to prepare for a future attack, forcing them to master every single thing in a short period of time. These youths were expected to be the same level as all the veteran and skillful Healers at the end of their practices. Healers play a very significant role in the society, an existence vital not only to themselves but also to others who also had their own roles in protecting the village.

"You promised to do better, Chaeyoung," her father reminded her. "We had a deal."

"Father, if we compare her to the rest of her peers, she is younger than them," her brother, Jimin defended her. "It is normal that they can do more than her."

"Age is not an excuse in our family," their father retorted. "You were also younger than the rest of your peers when you managed to completely heal a man who had been handicapped all his life, Jimin."

The door slammed to a close and Chaeyoung flinched at the sound. Jimin sat beside her, took her hand and squeezed it. "Don't listen to Father. You are doing really well."

"Father is right. I am not improving, Jimin."

"No, you are improving. In fact, you've made a big improvement. Last week, you couldn't even hold the lights for long. Last week, your lights weren't as bright as today's."

Chaeyoung shook her head, pulling her hand away from her brother's hold and walked to the window. Her eyes watered with disappointment as she looked at the stars. How was she going to help the village if she couldn't even produce a light as bright as the star? She didn't want to be useless. She didn't want to become a Healer just by the name. She didn't want to be useful only when offspring of Healers were needed.

"Chaeyoung, don't be discouraged yet. You are doing just fine."

"That's easy for you to say, Jimin," she wiped her eyes gently. "You are an excellent Healer, unlike me. I practice each day and night, and I could never even get close to the others' level." I could never get close to your level.

Jimin walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't try to reach the level of others. You have your levels, just be there. Be at your own levels." He patted her gently and gave her a smile. "Come on, let's get you some food."

"I am not hungry," she sighed.

"Don't be ridiculous. The growl of your stomach was as loud as Father's snore," Jimin snorted and pushed her from the back gently and a quiet laughter finally escaped her as they made their way out of the room.

*

After a few bouts of warm ups, Jungkook flexed his right arm and effortlessly, flame surrounded his clenched fist before a flaming sword formed in his hold. It took him longer than the usual to produce fire to form a shield using his left arm. Nevertheless, he did well in his training. Much better than the previous days.

Yugyeom, at first, was still cautious at attacking him. He was probably the only person among the Newcomers to be concerned of his injury. It had got to do with his reluctance at being trained for it. Yugyeom didn't even want to be a Defender. Rather, he had wanted to be like his father who was one with nature.

It took a few scolding from the trainer and a nod of assurance from Jungkook that Yugyeom began to show his true ability. His attacks were vicious, much like his wit. If Jungkook had slacked off in his previous training sessions despite being injured, he wouldn't be able to avoid all of Yugyeom's attacks. He would very much be injured forever. He nearly didn't have any opportunity to attack at all, only able to give Yugyeom a cut at his arm.

The training session on that day felt short. Jungkook guessed that perhaps it must be due to his energy increasing again, that his body didn't feel too heavy like before and that he moved faster compared to days ago.

They were released just before dusk but everyone was still around the training ground. Some decided to stay and wait for the next session while resting. Some opted to train more including Jungkook. Yugyeom preferred to take a rest at the side, going back and forth between apologizing and admiring Jungkook's skills despite his health was at a weak state.

He was quietly listening to Yugyeom talking while he was rolling his left shoulder gently when his eyes caught the sight of Chaeyoung from far. She was in her white cloak, the hood slightly covering her head as she walked past the people who had been staring at her like what he was doing.

"It's that Healer who can't heal," someone said behind him. Jungkook felt his jaw clenched. He despised how words travelled fast among the people. He hated the fact that her patient for her to practice had to be a Defender.

"A disgrace to the Parks, I say," another man sneered. "A product of two great Healers is unable to heal well. Makes me wonder if she's even their real child."

He tried to mute the disparaging comments coming from his fellow members with his eyes. Jungkook watched as Chaeyoung approached a group of children, gave them food before she approached some other poor people from the Defense Sector. There were countless times of when she came to their sector to help the people with food supply. Yet, there were still people who found the joy in being unappreciative toward her.

"Useless Healer."

"Is she going to be of any help at all if there is an attack to the village?"

"Why do you all think she is useless? She is only useless if she cannot produce offspring."

Their laughter was boisterous. Jungkook's ear burned.

"She may not be able to heal, but she seems perfectly capable to bear children!"

"Then and only then she will be of help!"

Jungkook turned around sharply, his arm straightened toward the men and a rather huge fireball shot from his fist, flew directly toward them with the speed of a lightning that they couldn't avoid, causing all of them to fly backward and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

One of them, the man with a raspy voice, got up quickly, producing flames on his palms as he growled. "Do you want a taste of death, Jeon?"

"Tasted it," Jungkook said rather calmly, which angered the man even more. "Please offer it to someone who never did. For example," a few small daggers of fire appeared on his palm, "you."

And the daggers flew forward.

The man's eyes widened, and he hurriedly produced a shield to protect himself. Jungkook walked away, then, leaving the group of men scrambling to their feet as they shouted him curses. He saw Yugyeom running for his life, too, almost bumping into some other people.

Jungkook looked up, met eyes with Chaeyoung who had stopped anything she was doing earlier, staring at him as he walked over to her. Jungkook offered her a smile as he neared her. Chaeyoung pushed her hood off her head and looked over his shoulder for a while.

"What happened there?" she asked. "Why are they shouting at you?"

"Nothing," he said. "They're just a bunch of fools who have nothing better to do."

"They look...furious," she muttered, still eyeing them.

"Don't worry about them," he waved his hand and tried to turn her attention away from the raging idiots. "You know, you shouldn't be walking around so freely at this area."

"Because this place is full of men?" she looked up at him as they began to walk.

"They," he glanced briefly toward where the idiots were, still yelling profanities at him on the training ground, "are not just men."

"I know," she nodded. "But I have walked past this area for dozens of times. They are harmless."

Jungkook took a deep breath, lips curled inward, and chin tucked to his chest. He wished it was a little easier to say things without scaring or offending her. "It won't hurt to be a little careful, will it?" he muttered.

Chaeyoung turned to him with a soft smile. "Of course."

Jungkook did notice the difference in her eyes. Something about the look in her eyes made him think that it had something to do with what everyone had been saying, about her being a hopeless Healer. He cleared his throat and blurted something before he could realize it. "It's not just that."

She lifted her brows, her lips pressed together as she hummed, urging him to continue.

"You are not only in danger..." he trailed off, looking at his boots as he walked slowly with his hands on his side, "but you're also... a danger."

When he turned to her, Chaeyoung had her brows furrowed, the corner of her lips lifted slowly, and she chuckled. "How am I a danger? Aren't I the most harmless person here?"

Just like a number of times, he wasn't thinking when he let himself respond. "You're... a distraction," he told her with a gentle voice. A heat felt on his face, subtle, totally different than the heat caused by exhaustion but still familiar.

Chaeyoung laughed softly before it slowly subsided when their eyes locked, Jungkook held her gaze with his very own, a warmer one before she broke it, looking away and continued to walk. A few steps away from him, Jungkook finally followed her from behind, taking less than a few seconds to match her steps again, feeling his throat drying after what he'd said.

He hoped it was not merely his hallucination when he noticed a faint shade of red coloring her cheeks just before she walked off.