"I have to go." Jimin grabbed his training gear. "Try and make good decisions today, will you?"
And then he left, the room still crackling with his barely suppressed irritation.
I groaned. I really done did it now.
~~~~~~~
"Jiyeon!"
I turned just as Krystal lumbered up. Her hair was at least tied back but her eyes were bleary and clothes still rumpled. It just made me realize just how much Jimin had saved my ass. I bit my lip. I hoped Krystal would make it through the morning session at least. "Hey. How you feeling?"
"I feel like a tank decided to stomp on me multiple times," she croaked.
There were about twelve trainees standing around me and still more trainees coming in, all of us in our uniform gray jumpsuits and designated numbers. My new uniform was number 24, painted clearly on my front. The majority of trainees were Outworlders; only a few were human like me. We were all standing in front of the doors to the designated training room of the day. A few were standing tall like me. Most of the trainees looked just bedraggled as Krystal.
"Hey Jiyeon! Krystal!"
Something inside me stiffened as no other than an orange Marked Outworlder bounded over to Krystal and I, grinning.
A hazy memory of his face brushing mine flashed through my mind.
Yuta looked fresh as ever despite having gotten drunk silly. His russet orange hair was brushed neatly back and his Marks glowed happily. Even his trainee uniform had been smoothed out of most of its wrinkles.
Krystal groaned. "I hate you."
Yuta blinked, bewildered. "What did I do? I just got here."
"You're way too energetic," she mumbled. "How are you so energetic?"
Yuta shrugged, unperturbed in the least. "I wipe out almost immediately after half a bottle. I just sleep off the alcohol."
"I don't think that's how it works." Krystal mumbled, rubbing her face. "At least stop smiling so much. It's hurting my eyes."
That only made Yuta grin wider and I chuckled at that, which drew his attention to me.
"Ah, Jiyeon." A pink dusting settled across his cheeks. "I want to apologize for last night. I hope nothing happened between us that you didn't want to."
My eyes widened. Jimin had said that he'd found me in the room just as I was about to kiss someone. The orange Marks from the hazy memories last night seared across my mind. I hadn't actually kissed Yuta had I?
"I, er..."
I struggled to find words but at that moment there was a shift of the group of trainees around me. Krystal lifted her head, getting on her tiptoes. She was about my height, maybe an inch taller.
"Huh. Is that our trainer? He's basically our age," she muttered under her breath.
I didn't know how I knew. I just knew. My stomach twisted in apprehension as I slowly followed where everyone's attention was drawn to.
