40 Patrick's Family

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" " (talking)

' ' (thinking)

{} (talking telepathically)

[ ] (Scene change) 

PING (Texting)

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3rd Person's Pov:

"Duri, you're all recovered now." Jiwoo smiled as he rubs him. 

"Are you feeling, ok?" Chelsea asked. 

"WOOF! (YES!)" Duri barked. 

"That's good." Yuna said, patting him. 

"Thank you Jiwoo." Iseul said. 

"Oh, you don't need to thank me. It was all Mr. Kartein." He replied. 

"Still... He treated Duri because you asked him." She spoke. 

"It's nothing like that. Mr. Kartein really loves animals, that's why." Jiwoo insisted. 

"Haha." She laughed awkwardly. 

{I feel like we're not supposed to be here.} Chelsea said. 

{You're right. We're 4th wheeling them.} Yuna thought. 

{Makes me wonder who hyung will be end up with. After all, the manhwa was clearly leaning towards Jiyoung as the FL?} Chelsea thought. 

{True, but Jiyoung is my girlfriend.} Yuna said. 

{At times like these, it feels like we're in an Eleceed fanfiction.} Chelsea said. 

{Hm, like the author purposely shipped Jiyoung and I.} 

...

{Nah, we're overthinking this.} They thought. 

(AUTHOR~ AHem... Anyhow...) 

"Are you sick?" Subin asked shoving her face closely to the burning Iseul. 

"Why is your face all red? Are you not feeling well?" She questioned leaning her forehead onto hers. 

"You got a fever." She said as the fluster Iseul pushed Subin away. 

"Hey, don't tell me..." Subin insinuated teasingly. 

"Huh? I-I should get going now. See you later." She sweats, rushing away. 

...

"Looks like that dog is all healed now." Jisuk commented. 

"Yeah. Mr. Kartein treated him." Jiwoo said. 

"I heard. He even fixed your core too, his healing ability must be amazing." Subin said. 

"By the way... How come both Mr. Kayden and Mr. Kartein are so handsome? Ah... Who should I choose? It's such a dilemma." She blushed. 

"Don't worry. You'll never get to choose between them, you moron." Jisuk said touching her shoulder. 

Subin glared at him as she elbowed his face. 

"ARGH!" Jisuk exclaimed. 

"Did the professors from the world awakened academy want to see you guys too?" Wooin asked. 

"UGH!" Subin yelped when Jisuk smacked her. 

"Hm." 

"Yep."

"How did you know?" Jiwoo questioned. 

"They also came to me and offered to take me to the World Awakened Academy." Wooin replied. 

"Huh, really? They came for me too." Subin huffed, tugging on Jisuk's hair. 

"Same here." Jisuk replied pushing her back. 

"Uhm... What did you guys say?" Jiwoo asked. 

"I refused." Wooin replied. 

"No way, why would I ever go there?" Jisuk sighed. 

"I turned them down." Subin said, untangling herself from Jisuk. 

"That's a relief." Jiwoo smiled as he puts his arms around Jisuk and Wooin. 

"Isn't it obvious...?" Jisuk said rubbing his head as they walk side by side with Subin, Yuna, and Chelsea following behind. 

__________________________

[Dorm's Balcony]

"Amyeong came for you?" Kayden questioned. 

"Yes." Jiwoo replied. 

"Amyeong is an assassin. Why would that guy come for Jiwoo?" Kartein asked flexing his paws. 

"Something happened between him and them recently." Kayden answered. 

"Did he say anything?" Chelsea asked. 

"He told me to get strong... Strong enough to tell everyone that I'm your apprentice. The same goes for Yuna and Chelsea, but he said not to worry since they are already quite strong." Jiwoo replied. 

"He said something unnecessary..." Kayden sighed. 

"Oh! He also said he's done paying his debt." Jiwoo commented. 

"He owed you a debt. Did something happen?" He asked.

"No. I'm not sure what he means. He disappeared right after saying that, so I couldn't even ask." Jiwoo said shaking his head. 

...

"Whatever it is, you should be careful." Kartein spoke. 

"Yes, I'm being careful. I overworked my core during the sparring match, so I'm going easy on force control." Jiwoo assured.

"That's not what Mr. Kartein meant." Yuna popped in. 

"Huh?" 

"He's talking about the World Awakened Academy." She spoke. 

"She's right y'know. I told you they take kids with potential so they can control them however they want. If that doesn't go well, they get rid of them to weaken the country. The other kids should be careful too... But unaffiliated kids like you should be more careful." Kartein explained as he practices his cat punches. 

"Yes, I will." He guaranteed. 

"People with power would pull dirty tricks like that. They're worse than the weaker ones, so annoying!" Kartein complained. 

"So... I should get stronger. Much stronger!" Jiwoo stated firmly as he clenches his fist.

"Of course." 

"Yeah!" 

"Hm." 

"You'd better work hard on force control." Kayden said. 

"Yes, sir!" He shouted. 

__________________________

[Academy's Training Area]

"Is it ok for you guys to train now?" Jiwoo questioned.

"Yeah? You sure you don't need more rest?" Chelsea asked. 

"What they said." Yuna said. 

"Jiwoo!"

"Chelsea!" 

"Yuna!" 

The unaffiliated students exclaimed, greeting them. 

"We're fine!" They reassured. 

"Jiwoo." Gangseok called out. 

"I know you've overworked yourself lately, so let's have a match when you're fully recovered." He said. 

"Ok." Jiwoo replied. 

"Gangseok..." Jisuk glanced from behind Jiwoo.

"... Know your place." 

"What?" Gangseok said shaken up. 

"If you want to spar with Jiwoo, beat Sucheon first. Then beat Duke and Cain before challenging him." He stated. 

"That's right. HAHA!" Subin laughed. 

"Oh. Don't forget to beat Subin too." He sneered. 

"Haha, that's right-?" She replied absentmindedly before registering what he just said. 

...

"Spar with me too when you get a chance." Woonyoung from Halla said. 

"GAH!" Subin yelled pulling on the chortling Jisuk as Wooin holds her back. 

"Alright." Jiwoo said. 

All the students gather around Jisuk and Subin who are at their thing once again. 

Yuna on the other hand was paying attention to something else. Specifically, a certain someone, catching Chelsea's attention. 

{Just go talk to her. Staring won't do you any good.} She stated. 

{Hm.} Yuna hummed, following the leaving Jiyoung and Inhyuk. 

"Are you not going to meet the kids?" Inhyuk asked. 

"I saw them doing well, that's enough." She replied. 

"But isn't it quite harsh to not even give your girlfriend a hello?" Yuna teased leaning on the wall in front of them with a charming smile. 

"Yuna?" They exclaimed. 

"When did you get here?" Yuna asked. 

"I just met with the principal, and I'm on my way back." She replied softly. 

"So you really were going to go back without even visiting me. How mean." Yuna pouted. 

"But I get that's to be expected with how busy you are." She sighed as her shoulder droop sadly. 

Noticing this, Jiyoung smiled at her adorable charm. 

"I still have some time to talk with you." She said to the now beaming white head. 

...

[Outside]

"I heard about your brother's match recently. He did really great against the World Awakened Academy students." Jiyoung complimented.

"Hm, it just sort of happened." She replied. 

"Sort of? I heard his opponents were in the top ten of the World Awakened Academy." She stated. 

"They were. But you know hyung. Everywhere he goes, he somehow finds himself into troublesome situations." Yuna chuckled. 

"You're not wrong about that." She giggled along. 

"Hm." 

"I also heard that you, Chelsea, and Jiwoo turned down their offer to join them...?" Jiyoung questioned. 

"Yeah, we did. Why?" Yuna said. 

"Can I ask why you declined it?" She asked. 

"Hmm, I just don't see any point in going somewhere foreign to get stronger. I like this place quite a lot and I don't want to separate from either Jisuk, Wooin, Subin, and everyone else. Especially you, Jiyoung." Yuna stated, locking her hand with Jiyoung's. 

"I see." Jiyoung blushed in response as she squeezes Yuna's hand softly.

They circled around the entire academy before returning to the lobby where Inhyuk was waiting patiently. 

"Looks like you have to go now." Yuna commented unhappily. 

"Yeah." Jiyoung said disappointedly as she nestles in Yuna's embrace. 

"I guess I see why you didn't want to see me. Because if you did, you would have a hard time leaving." Yuna stated, tightening her grasp on her. 

"Hm. By the way, I always wanted to ask you?" Jiyoung said. 

"About?" 

"The ring? Where did you get it from? It's very beautiful." She claimed showing the angelical white swirl off. 

"I made it." Yuna replied. 

"You made this?" She exclaimed stunned. 

"Hm. It was quite hard, but I wanted to make something that reminds you of me and symbolizes you." 

"Symbolize me?" Jiyoung questioned. 

"Hmmp. You see how the ends have a slight raven-ish color." She spoke. 

"Yes?" 

"That remind me of your soft raven locks that I like stroking from time to time." Yuna spoke affectionately.

"Now what color do see on the tiny diamond?" She asked. 

"It's clear?" Jiyoung replied. 

"Look closer." 

Jiyoung inspect her ring to see swirls of blue and black complimenting each other rather well as they shimmer brightly like the twin's sixth eyes. 

"This looks-" 

"My eyes?" Yuna finished, taking her blindfold off. 

"That's because I made it like that. I wanted it to remind you of the person you love staring at." 

"And the black?" Jiyoung asked a bit embarrassed. 

"That my dear, is the color of those enticing eyes of yours." She teased.

"So, the ring is a combination of traits of the both of us." She said shyly. 

"Yep! You can also see the frame of the twirl being a soft white like my hair color." Yuna claimed swaying her white locks. 

"I really love it." She stated as she continues to look at the ring dotingly. 

"And I really love you." Yuna said as she leans in, expecting a reward for her hard work. 

Seeing this, Jiyoung chuckles before reciprocating. 

"Mh. I love you too." Jiyoung utter after their soft slow kiss. 

"I'll see you after the academy, okay?" Yuna mention, embracing her once again.

"Hm." She hummed kissing Yuna one last time before waving goodbye as she left. 

__________________________

[Jiwoo's room]

"So Jiyoung came to visit, right?" Kayden huffed as he continues to do his sit-ups. 

"Jiyoung was here? Is that why you disappeared?" Jiwoo questioned. 

"Yeah, and she just left after a while." Yuna replied. 

"Jiyoung is that girl, right? The first ranker of Korea." Kartein asked. 

"Yes." She replied. 

Kartein sighed as he stretches his paws. 

"It must be hard for her." He commented. 

"Hm." 

"You're right. She not much older than us, yet she's the leader of Shinhwa." Jiwoo said. 

"Well that too, but... I mean being the first ranker is hard." Kartein said. 

"Hm?" 

"Unless you're recognized worldwide, you get dragged into a lot of things. Plus, rankers of a country that's known to be weak like here are easy targets... Especially the first ranker." Kartein explained. 

"What do you mean...?" Jiwoo asked. 

"They're out to crush first ranker. Sometimes, organizations apply pressure to show off their power... Anyway, it's really tough. I'm sure things weren't better before, but it'll get tougher after all this. The World Awakened Academy is moved by countries or organizations that are in control. They will use dirty tricks to bring Jiyoung Yoo, the first ranker of this country, to her knees." Kayden summarized. 

__________________________

[Shinhwa]

*Slam* 

"Sis, I'm back." Jisuk announced walking in with Inhyuk. 

"Is that your little brother?" Veramonte Patrick asked. 

"Yes sir." Jiyoung replied politely. 

"Hmm! Your little brother's got some promising talent as well." He complimented. 

"Thank you. Jisuk, step outside for now." She spoke. 

"What for? Instead, we should get acquainted now if we're soon to become family." Veramonte stated. 

"I'm sorry? What do you mean become family...?" Jisuk asked as Subin, Wooin, Jiwoo, and his sisters walk in. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jurion Patrick." A young man introduced himself as he held his hand out. 

Jisuk disregarded him as he exclaimed. 

"Sis, what's all this? Becoming family as in... You getting married to this guy or something?" 

{Yuna. I can feel your anger levels rising.} Chelsea commented. 

{Who wouldn't if your girlfriend was getting hit on.} She stated. 

"Keep it down Jisuk. It's just an offer for now." She said as she looks at Yuna nervously. 

...

"Eh? But that's impossible. My sis' going out with her." He said pointing at Yuna. 

"Huh?" They said in daze. 

"Ms. Jiyoung Yoo is a charming woman. It doesn't surprise me that she has someone next to her. That doesn't matter though." Jurion stated. 

"What doesn't matter?!" Jisuk exclaimed. 

"I don't know about now, but in the end, great awakened ones like us are bound to be united with each other." He spoke. 

{If he's saying what I think he's saying, I'm going to let him have it.} Chelsea voice.

{That's troublesome, please don't.} Yuna said. 

"What bulls**t is that supposed to mean..." Jisuk said. 

"It means, that kid over there is by no means fit for someone like your sister. Her ability, background, and everything else you can think of make him underqualified." 

{You sure? He just insulted you.} She argued. 

{It's whatever. Wait till Mr. Kayden shows up.} 

...

"Says who?" Kayden announced. 

"Kayden...?" Veramonte spring up. 

"Tell me, Veramonte. Why is your grandson qualified but not one of my apprentices?" Kayden taunted. 

"Did you just say that kid was your apprentice?" Veramonte asked. 

"You heard me. And so are those two." He replied, eyeing Jiwoo and Chelsea. 

"I did hear things about your apprentices but disregarded them as false rumors. I guess they were all true." He said unexpectedly as he stands by his grandson's side. 

"Jurion. You owe her an apology." He stated. 

"I'm sorry?" He said baffled. 

"Nobody can argue against the qualifications of Kayden's apprentice. No matter what it is." Veramonte explained. 

"Please accept my apologies. That was thoughtless of me to say." Jurion apologized lowering his head. 

"Hm." 

Yuna's response made everyone sweat drop. 

"I have something to say, if I may. I'd like a chance to spar with Mr. Kayden's apprentice." Jurion declared. 

"What the heck you--" Jisuk yelled. 

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Kayden asked. 

"It's just as I said. I'd like to have a sparring match with your apprentice, Mr. Kayden." He stated. 

"Jurion Patrick, you should know better than that! Your debut match to become a world ranker is around the corner. And yet you're asking to have a sparring match with someone much younger and nearly not enough experience?" Veramonte scolded. 

"I accept." Yuna announced surprising everyone but Chelsea. 

"Yuna. This is nothing like those previous matches you've had so far." Jiyoung stated. 

"I get that. But to me, they're all the same. You told me that Mr. Kayden has never once turned down an incoming challenge." She explained. 

"PUHAHAHAHA!" Veramonte roared. 

"Are you implying that my grandson is the one who's challenging you here?" He said intimidating. 

"Who knows." She replied calmly. 

Veramonte grins. 

"Well. My grandson did say he wanted to fight you. I guess that does make him the challenger. It didn't seem like it at the beginning, but you do resemble Kayden in many ways." 

Yuna and Chelsea smirked as Kayden sighed smiling. 

"Plus, you seem to have an idea of what it means to be Kayden's apprentice after all. What's your name, kid?" 

"It's Yuna Seo, sir." 

"I'll remember that name. Let's meet again in a month for the match. Would that be enough?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Very well, a month it is." 

...

"I have a favor to ask you, Ms. Jiyoung Yoo. Please, spare me a chance." Jurion voiced. 

"I understand you're seeing someone, but the final outcome is still uncertain. So please, I ask that you give me a chance as well." He stated before walkeing out with his grandfather. 

"Sis, what was all that about?" Jisuk shouted. 

"I return that question to you. Why would you say things that would put Yuna on the spot?" She spoke. 

"But it's true, isn't it? Yuna's your girlfriend. And what?! Were you really going to take that offer and marry that punk?" He yelled. 

"No, that's not what I mean." 

"Then why didn't you turn him down right there and then?" 

"It was an offer made by a man who's among the World's Top Ten with powers considered out of this world. And it was a genuine offer, rather than an order demanding my submission. It's dangerous to turn down the top ten's offer without a justifiable reason." Jiyoung explained. 

"See? That's why I brought up Yuna's name when the timing seemed most adequate." He argued. 

"You're right about that, but we ended up drawing attention to Yuna." 

"I don't mind. Everything Jisuk brought up is all true and you are my girlfriend. I don't intend to hide that fact." Yuna stated. 

"But we put you in danger. Now you're faced with a risky fight that could've been avoided." Jiyoung said. 

"That's not true. The reason the fight came up was because I'm Mr. Kayden's apprentice. It had nothing to do with you." Yuna replied. 

'This is our time to poof.' Everyone in the room thought as they headed out the door quietly leaving the lovebirds. 

...

..

End of Chapter 40 

Word Count: 2817