"Do you know how different we are?" Jimin asked.

The Newcomer beside him only looked forward as he walked. Jimin knew the man heard him word by word and he didn't expect a response either. It didn't offend him when the Newcomer whom he only knew by his surname gave way for silence to take over his answer.

"Fire and water. Two different elements. They contradict each other," he said calmly. "I used to think that it is impossible for these two elements to rely on each other. But recently, that thought in my head has ceased to exist."

When Jimin turned to look at the Newcomer, the latter's face was slightly crumpled. He could see how the young man was trying his best to interpret what Jimin meant. The corner of his lips pulled into a small smile.

"Have you heard of the story of us Healers if we are upset?" Jimin spotted the house of the herb seller closed. The Newcomer was lucky Jimin was around to bring him to his best friend, Taehyung. Calmly inhaling the clean air, Jimin continued, "We turn to ice. Not literally, of course."

The Newcomer's brows furrowed further, looking at him in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to ask a question, but something in him made him hold his tongue.

"When you pour water on ice, is it not a slow process to melt it? Unlike fire," Jimin said and glanced at the Newcomer. "Fire, heat... it melts the ice in no time, is it not?"

The Newcomer looked at him and lightly nodded.

"On the other hand, Defenders, fire. You only burn brighter when you are upset," Jimin stated and smiled kindly at the emotion shown on the younger male's face. He didn't seem upset or offended. Surprised, it seemed. "I've healed quite a number of Defenders. I've seen enough to know. After all, my sister Chaeyoung isn't the only one who has a friend from the Defense Sector." He smirked upon noticing the slight burn on the man's face at the mention of Chaeyoung.

"What can calm down fire if not water, am I not right?" Jimin asked with a lift of his brow when he sensed that the Newcomer was looking.

"Why are you telling me all this?" the Newcomer asked with a soft frown.

Jimin gave him a long look. He used to think that all Chaeyoung needed was her big brother for her to lean in times of trouble. He used to think that his little sister could only find solace when she spoke to him of all her worries. He used to think that if their parents turn their backs on them, all they needed was each other.

But even he had Taehyung to share his burdens with that he couldn't share with his sister. If someone out there could provide her with what she needed that she couldn't find anywhere else, just like the presence of Taehyung in his life, the Newcomer might be that person.

Jimin placed a hand on the Newcomer's shoulder. "Both of you might need each other more than you think you would."

The Newcomer's eyes slightly widened, albeit the control he had on the expression on his face. Jimin almost smiled at the surprise that didn't seem to lessen on the younger's face.

"My sister never told me about you," Jimin chuckled. "Strange how nothing is supposed to be a secret between her and I. When she does keep something a secret, though, it's always something special to her."

*

Jungkook watched the tall trees lining in front of him with narrowed eyes. Park Jimin told him that they had arrived at his friend's place. All he could see were trees, large with a height almost reaching the sky, layered. He bit his lip, mind swirling over the thought that this might be a joke. After all, Jimin was best friends with Taehyung. From the few stories he heard of, Kim Taehyung was known to be extremely playful, rich with tricks.

Jimin stepped closer toward the trees and Jungkook watched as the older male moved his head in what seemed to be an act of peeking. "He must be busy dealing with one of the wildest plants to ever exist. Hold on," Jimin said and looked around as though he wanted to make sure no one else was there to witness what he was about to do. When he looked sure, he turned to Jungkook and lowered his voice when he said, "You must tell no one of this."

Before Jungkook could question the Healer what he meant by it, the latter cleared his throat gently and softly spoke with calmness that it almost sounded like he was singing to the trees.

"Leaves that live leave us with relief for we need leaves for us to live."

The leaves of the trees rustled above them, the grass underfoot danced like they were blown by a soft breeze. Jungkook felt the ground moved, like a wave of an ocean and his eyes instantly widened in alarm, head whipping around to look at his surroundings.

Jimin stood casually, eyes fixed onto the trees in front of them and when Jungkook threw his gaze at the same direction as Jimin's, his eyes widened even more, though his brows drawn.

The large trees shook together alongside each other with deep, guttural sound and in just seconds, the trees' height declined as were their sizes until each of them was a tree of only a foot tall with few tiny leaves adorning its thin and fragile looking branches.

"Taehyung planted them there to replace his fence. It's so no one could harm his pet plants."

Just right after he said that, a huge leaf came slicing the air fast enough that it was a little too late for Jungkook to dodge it as it came toward him like a blade, successfully sliced open his arm. Jungkook slightly hissed and lifted his brows at Jimin. "Are you sure it's not the other way around?"

Jimin shrugged. "It could be both." Jimin then lifted his hand and Jungkook stepped backward when he realized what the older male was trying to do.

"I am a Newcomer."

The Healer slightly smirked after snorting lightly. "We are in the Cultivation Sector. Not in the Healing Sector." For some reason, that brought him back to the first time Chaeyoung asked if she could try to heal his wound.

Without any second of waiting for Jungkook's response, the other male gently pressed a palm onto his fresh wound, soft blue lights glowed around it as well as his body and when he pulled away his hand, Jungkook stared at his skin, clean and unscathed.

"You are an official Healer," Jungkook said with a lower voice, reminding the Healer something he'd known so well. "You would be punished for healing a Newcomer."

Jimin's smirk only grew wider as he slowly walked away from him. "Only if you are a loudmouth like most of your people," Jimin said and looked over his shoulder, "no offense."

Jungkook didn't find it in him to be angry for the truth Jimin had just said.

He looked around, eyed every plant he saw suspiciously. It wouldn't be a problem for him to dodge and fight the plants without using his ability, but then he couldn't waste more time doing that when he would be summoned soon for his training session but he hadn't yet managed to get the specific herb his grandfather wanted.

Jimin turned around and opened his mouth to speak but closed it a second later with a nod of his head. He turned to the house and began to shout for Taehyung's name and literally a second later, the latter appeared running from behind his house.

"Tell all your plants to calm down. Someone needs a certain herb," Jimin said and nodded his head toward Jungkook. Taehyung turned to look at him, turned back to Jimin with his brows lifted and a smirk and Jungkook's jaw hardened for no reason. All of a sudden, his mind was interrupted with Chaeyoung smiling at Taehyung. Perhaps, there was a reason that he refused to admit.

Taehyung spoke to the plants in a loud, commanding yet friendly voice. The plants responded with a soft shake before each of them went still. The Cultivator then gestured for him to enter and Jungkook tried not to roll his eyes at the wide smile on Taehyung's face. It only reminded him of how Chaeyoung was always entertained by literally anything Taehyung did.

Jungkook swallowed hard. Why was he thinking about her when he should be trying his best to forget about her? Was luck really on his side when he met her brother and her first love just after he told her that they needed to forget each other?

"So, what kind of herb do you need, my friend?" Taehyung asked.

Friend, Jungkook scoffed in his mind. He barely knew that man. Jungkook cleared his throat after he was reminded of why he came. This was not the time to feed off his unnecessary jealousy, especially after everything that happened.

"My grandfather asked for some herb that when boiled with water, the color would turn dark brown and the herb itself would be colorless. Smells like piss but when chewed on, it tastes sweet. The water used to boil it is a poison to children, but a remedy for adults," Jungkook said, telling him everything his grandfather had described.

Taehyung's forehead creased as he hummed, his finger scratching his head as he thought for a moment. Jungkook lightly scrunched up his face when he noticed the few dried leaves stuck on the Cultivator's rich brown hair, making his head looking like a bird's nest.

"Grimroot, I think," Taehyung said after a few moments.

"You think?" Jungkook frowned.

"I am certain of it," Taehyung corrected himself with a sheepish smile that made Jungkook's eyes narrowed in suspicion of his knowledge in herbs. "It helps to cure ancient injuries. It is indeed sweet, sweet as honey."

"Your grandfather needs it?" Jimin asked and Jungkook nodded. "He is an elder. He's eligible to get healing at the Healing Sector."

Jungkook chuckled, reminded of the first time he saw his grandfather being terribly sick. The old man had sworn to take Jungkook's life if he so much insisted to seek help at the Healing Sector. "He would rather die or kill me than doing so."

Both the males looked at him with curiosity and Jungkook hoped so much that they wouldn't rain him with questions. Jungkook himself didn't know much of the true reasons.

As if sensing the discomfort on his face, Jungkook was glad that Jimin signaled Taehyung to get the herb as quickly as he could. Taehyung later came back with the herb, quantity was more than he'd expected.

"How much for all of these?" he asked, a little worried since he was only given coins that seemed enough to pay for one.

Taehyung grinned and playfully shoved at his shoulder, to which Jungkook tried his best not to show his annoyance. "My friend, anyone who is special to my friends either Jimin or Chaeyoung will have a special privilege. Take these with you and come at any time if you ever need more of them."

He didn't know how these two men knew about him and Chaeyoung. But it made him wonder of something else instead. He wondered if Taehyung was even aware of what was going to happen, he wondered if Jimin had even informed his best friend that his sister would be engaged and married to someone else and if they knew, he wondered the reasons they were acting like that when Jungkook would no longer be a special someone to Chaeyoung soon.

*

Just two days after that day she had a walk and a talk with Junhoe, Chaeyoung saw him strolling around the Healing Sector with a girl in his arm and she could only shake her head, unable to find any good reason why Junhoe was the best choice her father could ever come up with.

When she thought of her future husband, Chaeyoung couldn't even find the right word to describe him. Junhoe was confusing when they were talking the other day. Sometimes it felt like he was spitting her with insults of her incapability of becoming a decent Healer, but it also felt like he was trying to help her with those subtle tips and advice he slipped in. Sometimes the look in his eyes devoid of any emotion at all but a few seconds later, she could see something else in there, but it was too complex to translate into her mind.

She wished she could read him easily, just as how it had been with Jungkook.

Chaeyoung sighed heavily when she thought of Jungkook and the things he said. He wanted them to forget each other. She didn't want that. Even if she wanted to forget him, she doubted that it would be an easy process. Her mind tried to take on another thing to think. Was he really trying to forget her? Was it easy for him?

She felt her heart jumped when a sudden voice came from her back.

"I hope you were not thinking of that bastard Koo Junhoe," Jimin said from behind her before he stood on her side. "If you were, I hope it was of all the terrible things and not his sweet words that made your knees weak and your heart flutter."

Chaeyoung frowned heavily, her face creased in disgust. "He did not say sweet things to me."

"Do you wish he did?"

"Not at all." She threw her brother an annoyed look who in return only chuckled briefly.

It was only silence between them except for the sound of insects singing from a far distance. A brief moment passed, Jimin took a deep breath and said, "The first time I saw him, I thought he's a man of a few words. I proved myself right. When I talked to him, he was mostly quiet. Made me think that I was talking to myself most of the time."

Chaeyoung thought back to when she was out with Junhoe at the Cultivation Sector. He was mostly quiet, yes, but after she tried talking to him, he talked just as much as she did.

"But it seems as though he's only wealthy of words when he's around you."

She shrugged. "Perhaps." But then, the few times she saw him with the collection of women he had, he never seemed to be the quiet type.

"Compared to his peers, he looks...nicer than I thought," Jimin chuckled. "Though, he had his daggers ready and threatened me when he sensed that I was lurking around in the woods."

Daggers? Chaeyoung's brows drawn together as confusion settled in.

"If it hadn't been for his red hair and the Newcomer outfit, I wouldn't have guessed that he's of the Defense Sector."

Chaeyoung's eyes widened, head abruptly turned toward her brother and mouth gaping slightly. Jimin glanced at her with a smirk playful on his lips.

"Who –who are you referring to?"

Jimin teasingly groaned. "Oh, come on now sister. Don't tell me you were thinking of that bastard Koo Junhoe all the time?" he laughed. When she remained silent, her brother's laughter subsided but his smile stayed. "You know so well who I'm referring to."

A light shade of red began to bloom on her cheeks. Quietly, she turned away and looked at the sky again. How did Jimin know Jungkook? Obviously from what her brother said, they talked with each other. But how did all that happen? When? How did he know of Jungkook and her?

"If I must remind you, Chaeyoung, we never really succeeded in keeping things secret from each other," Jimin said, his eyes smaller as his smile widened. "Sooner or later, we'll figure it out anyhow."

"How..." she paused. Lowering her head, Chaeyoung swallowed lightly before she began to ask again. "How did you know?"

"Taehyung. When I was convinced that you still have feelings for Taehyung even after all the years and tried to convince him as well, he showed me an evidence of how wrong I was."

Her eyes slightly widened at the revelation. "You shouldn't have told Taehyung anything of my feelings, you idiot."

"I couldn't help it," Jimin shrugged. "I was frustrated at Father and his choice. You know how it is when I talk to him. Everything just poured out naturally. It was then that I saw you and that Newcomer in the market."

Her mind took her on a ride to reminisce the warmth she received every time she was near him, the comforting feeling his warmth provide and already she missed it dearly. "Jungkook..." she muttered, shyness rising up from within. "His name is Jungkook."

Jimin's breath, his calm breath was only what she could hear then, apart from her own heart thudding upon the revelation of his name. For some reason, his name felt like a personal thing she held close to her heart. She didn't even care if her brother knew Jungkook's first name beforehand. She wanted Jimin to refer Jungkook the way she did, not by a title that only made the line of difference between them all the more obvious.

Because for a reason unknown even to her, Jungkook felt like a part of her.

After a while, Jimin mentioned something that washed off the warmness of the memory, replacing it with the painful images of Jungkook walking away farther and farther, never wanting to look back at her.

"He seems really troubled with thoughts," Jimin said. "So are you." Before he walked away, Jimin reminded her of the two basic things every Healer had implanted in their heads, ruffling her hair gently while doing so.

Confidence must live. Hesitance must die.

For hours, Chaeyoung could only wonder lightly why the words chanted continuously in both her head and mind after Jimin said it to her. The symbol of peace she engraved in her heart on her own appeared at the back of her eyelids the moment she let herself accept sleep. Along with it, there was a sun in the far distant, offering just the right amount of warmth she longed for.