06 — DOES IT EVER MAKES SENSE?
eunsang never believed it when people call him special.
perhaps this is the only time when he feels like so.

—

eunsang doesn't expect he'll be pushed over a wall in his first day. usually it happens after a week of school or so.

hell, he might consider this as a personal record.

seungyoun holds him by the shoulder, pushing him over. "what are you exactly?"

"I don't know what you mean—"

"the way you looked at me this morning, just before i collapsed." his voice is stern, bringing shivers over eunsang's back. "you knew something, didn't you? you were surprised."

"of course i was surprised, i glanced at you and all of the sudden you had an actual seizure on stage!"

"you were the one who did that to me!" seungyoun takes off his grip, his breaths were hitched and quick. "lying won't solve anything, it won't work if it were for me."

seungwoo steps in to calm him down. "seungyoun-ah-"

"i know how you looked. the expression on your face, it doesn't just look like a pleasant surprise. you were scared. and confused. you realized something immediately at the top of your head, and afterwards it shocked you more after seeing me faint." seungyoun continues his ramble. "lies leave tracks in your head. you can't lie without thinking, you had to think of the lie first before you proceed to say it. from your behavior i know you are afraid, you're hiding something you don't want me to see. but jokes on you, i could see right into your head." he grins. "you're of great distress, your mind is spinning into great chaos. you are thinking.."

he stops.

seungwoo looks over his dongsaeng. "kid, you're alright?"

"what happened to him? did he malfunction?" wooseok asks, his curiosity arises.

"i can't read him." seungyoun mumbles.

"what?"

"i can't read him!" seungyoun eyes widen. he puts his hands on the eunsang's cheeks firmly. "are you thinking of something?"

the redhead looks quite startled. "uh.. yeah?"

"seungwoo, wooseok, think of something important. maybe my power's under maintenance."

you mean like this? seungwoo reaches out, his face looking puzzled.

can we please hurry up and finish this i just wanna go home. wooseok's expression fails to synchronize with what he was thinking.

"it's all fine for you guys.." seungyoun glances back at eunsang. "okay, you. what's your favorite food?"

"it's the—"

"don't say it, stupid! think of it!"

nothing, seungyoun has found nothing. no matter how much he tries, the redhead is nothing but a blur, his mind is too complex for him to configure.

"think!"

"i am thinking!"

"YOU'RE NOT THINKING LOUD ENOUGH!"

"okay, timeout." seungwoo pushes seungyoun away from eunsang, parting them away. "that's enough. seungyoun, stop tormenting the kid."

seungyoun stares into the distance, his mind went completely blank. not long after that he smiles, then he laughs. he laughs very hard to the point tears started forming in his eyes.

"hyung, he's gone crazy. i don't know what to do with him." wooseok whispers to seungwoo.

seungyoun has trouble controlling his laughter. "i am.. i am just so happy. i'm really really, very happy."

wooseok and seungwoo exchange weird glances. eunsang slowly steps back from the ecstatic boy, hoping he could get away as soon as possible. seungyoun points a finger at eunsang.

"you, redhead. after all these years, i have finally found you."

eunsang gulps.

"a fellow x1."

—

"what is an x1 again?"

the trio definitely owes eunsang an explanation after what happened. because of that, they decided to chat a bit in the cafeteria, just in time for lunch break. a lot of stares and whispers surrounding, questioning why a mere transfer gets to sit with the most popular students in the school's history. eunsang instead feels weirded out, as he was the only one using a uniform— a contrast with the other older boys with their fancy jackets and shiny balenciagas. by that moment he realizes that he's talking to actual important people, and maybe because of that he's ought to be grateful.

"we are x1." wooseok says shortly.

"so it's a group?"

"no, it's what we call individuals with an extra y in their cells. in other words, superhumans." seungwoo explains thoroughly. "most of us have upgrades of our own. i can create and manipulate fire. wooseok does the same thing for water. seungyoun mostly does the mindreading and healer necessities."

eunsang pauses for a moment, trying to digest the situation for himself. "if y'all are super because of an extra y, why did you emphasize the x instead?"

wooseok squints his eyes. "wait, what?"

"you should've called yourself y1, for the extra y in your cells. or at least y2, emphasizing that y'all got two y cells—"

"X1 SOUNDS COOLER, OKAY?" seungyoun snaps aggressively. "i can't believe that's the first thing you thought about even after we told you we got super powers."

"well, because i simply don't believe what you said, so i pretend not to hear it." eunsang says honestly. "i mean, fire manipulation? what a joke— w-wait oh my god."

eunsang's sentence was interrupted by the scene of wooseok filling an empty cup of water full again. wooseok grins playfully. "no, that's just a trick. you're just tryna fool me."

wooseok's grin immediately turns into a frown. "hyung, i think it's the perfect time for you to burn the school, maybe that'll make him believe."

seungyoun sneers. "or you can just drain the water out of his body, that's practical."

"alright guys, none of us are going to burn nor drown anyone so please calm your horses down." seungwoo says profusely. "eunsang-ah, i know we can't proof it to you now because of secrecy purposes, so please at the moment try to believe us, okay? we could proof it to you later but as in for now, we'll be needing your help from now on."

eunsang nods. "alright, but i'm kinda confused.. what does all of this has to do with me?"

seungyoun scoffs. "what does this have to do with you? dude, you're one of us!"

"what?"

"you're an x1," seungwoo says, bringing some sense into him. "you might not feel like it, but you got something in you."

"you think i'm one of you guys because that guy can't read stuff in my head?" eunsang says, pointing at seungyoun.

"look kid," wooseok draws closer to eunsang. "x1 individuals themselves in particular are special for a reason. we can do things that couldn't be done by other people. for you to be able to disable the powers of an x1 itself is rather despicable. we might as well call you as x1 ourselves."

eunsang couldn't exactly take things seriously at the moment, but seeing the stern expression written on wooseok's face, he couldn't help but fall for his explanation. "well, okay. let's just say i'm an x1, whatever my powers are. why do you need my help? my so-called 'powers' have no chance against the three of you guys."

"yeah, it doesn't." seungyoun mumbles.

"don't be full of yourself, your powers don't work on me."

"yah redhead! if you get injured, i'll be the first person you're gonna be begging for help. you should be the one who shouldn't be full of yourself."

eunsang scoffs. "is this your leader or something?"

wooseok laughs. seungyoun looks a bit offended. "no, that fire guy is the leader. i'm just the dude who funds everything and makes sure everyone looks cool."

"thank you for that, by the way." seungwoo grins.

"anyway, what's the use of me again..?" eunsang asks again. he doesn't feel like this conversation is ever coming to an end.

"you're not the only one here, we need to collect all the other x1 members." wooseok simplifies the situation in his own way. "we haven't been able to find any during our time in this school, but now that you're here.. things are getting much clearer now."

"so you want me to identify them?"

"no, we just want you to collect them." seungyoun corrects. "identifying them is easy, now after i met you. instead, we need them to admit their powers. we need them to be here with us, so we can discuss our future plans."

"you really think you can identify them that easily?"

"of course." seungyoun glances to the left. "i'm actually looking at one right now."

eunsang turns around to see who seungyoun is referring to. his mouth goes wide open. "no way. you're saying son dongpyo is an x1 too?"

"shapeshifter. he kinda have the looks for it." seungyoun loiters. "he could be such a great help when we're out in disguise."

"we need you to talk to him and convince him to come to us." seungwoo explains. "let him expose his powers to you, then bring him to us. we'll deal with him later."

eunsang immediately shakes his head. "no, not him. at least not today. just give me another one please, i'll be happy to help."

seungyoun looks up. "ah, he's coming here."

"who?"

"your next target."

"eunsang-ah!"

eunsang immediately recognizes his voice.

"hyeongjun?"

—

aaa 20 votes for next chap~
hope you enjoy this quite lengthy chapter

- yuehwa