Chapter 33: Mischief and Growing Pains
The sun was beginning to set over Sujin, casting a warm orange glow over the village. Yue and her gang—Mei Qui, Shu Fen, Tao Lin, Lian, Jia, Chun Hei, Minna, Riko, and Chika—gathered at their usual spot by the large oak tree at the edge of the village. It had become a sanctuary for the group, a place where they could escape the pressures of their strange and confusing world.
Yue leaned against the trunk of the oak, her sky-blue hair glistening in the fading light. At fourteen, she was still growing, both in height and in her understanding of the world around her. But there were things she couldn't deny—the weight of not being awakened, the frustration of seeing other children, especially the newborns, develop powers while she remained powerless.
The girls had grown more mischievous over the past year, exploring their fantasies, testing boundaries, and delving into areas they'd never dared before. Puberty had come knocking, and with it, a whole new set of curiosities. Today was no different.
"Ugh, it's so unfair," Yue grumbled, sitting down on the grass with a huff. "I mean, look at us! Everyone else is awakening powers—real powers—and we're just… stuck here with nothing."
Her friends, sprawled out on the grass beside her, nodded in agreement. Mei Qui, the daring one of the group, was the first to speak up.
"Yue, we've talked about this. We're different. Maybe... maybe we're just meant to be something else. Not all the awakeners are superheroes, you know."
Shu Fen, always the practical one, adjusted her glasses and added, "True. But it's not like it doesn't suck. I mean, we're practically the only ones in the village not awakened, and it feels... well, wrong sometimes."
They all exchanged glances, and Yue couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy deep inside. The world around them was changing rapidly, but here they were, still the same as they were two years ago.
"Alright, alright," Tao Lin interrupted with a mischievous grin, "No need to get all emo on us, Yue. Let's just distract ourselves with something fun, shall we?"
The girls perked up, knowing exactly what Tao Lin meant. They had a little secret—one they'd been sharing for a while. A second-hand laptop, bought with pooled money from their various allowances and chores. The laptop had become their gateway to a world of forbidden knowledge.
"Do you think the Wi-Fi will work today?" Lian asked eagerly, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"Only one way to find out," Mei Qui said, winking. "If it does, we might just get another private session in, eh?"
The girls giggled, not exactly sure why they found it so thrilling. But there was something exciting about breaking the rules, about sneaking into a world they knew they were too young to be a part of. Porn. Nudity. The more they saw, the more curious they became, even if they didn't quite understand everything they were watching.
Yue sighed, half exasperated, half amused by her friends' antics. She had to admit, there was a certain excitement to it all, even though she wasn't entirely sure what it all meant. Was it a sign that they were growing up? That they were becoming women in a way?
She grabbed the laptop, which had been tucked away in a bag under a blanket, and opened it up. It took a few moments for the screen to light up, but eventually, it came to life with a flash of brightness.
"There we go!" Minna exclaimed. "It's working today."
"Alright, let's see what we can find," Yue said with a sly grin. "But remember, no crazy stuff this time. We don't want anyone getting too curious about what we're up to."
Tao Lin snorted. "Too late for that. I'm pretty sure the whole village already thinks we're secretly running an illegal streaming site."
The girls laughed, settling around the laptop as the screen filled with images and videos they were definitely not supposed to be looking at. Handsome guys, body parts they'd never seen in person, and, of course, the inevitable awkward silence as they all tried to understand what they were looking at.
As the videos played, Yue couldn't help but notice how different she felt compared to the year before. She wasn't just curious anymore—she felt a strange pull, a sort of desire to know more, to understand more. But there was something deeper, something troubling that gnawed at her. The powerlessness. The jealousy. The loneliness.
Mei Qui paused the video on a particularly handsome man. "He's so cute, right? I mean, if I could awaken just one ability, I think I'd make my power summon him."
The girls giggled again, but Yue felt a pang in her chest. Her friends were all laughing, distracted by the absurdity of it all. They had the freedom to explore their fantasies, their curiosities, without the heavy burden of feeling left out. But Yue—she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something, that there was something important about all of this.
But before she could dwell on it too much, a loud voice broke her from her thoughts.
"Yue!" A voice called from across the clearing. "Your mother wants to talk to you!"
Yue groaned, slouching back. "What now?"
"Probably about your attitude again," Shu Fen muttered, adjusting her glasses and looking at Yue sympathetically.
"I know, I know," Yue replied, pushing the laptop aside as the group dispersed quickly. "I just wish I knew what was going on..."
As Yue walked away, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that everything around her was changing rapidly, and yet she was stuck in a moment of confusion. What was the future going to hold? Would she awaken her own abilities? Or would she remain forever left behind, watching as everyone around her moved forward?
Her mother's call broke her train of thought again. She had no choice but to face whatever lecture awaited her.
But inside, there was a flicker of something... a glimmer of hope that perhaps she wasn't meant to be like everyone else. Maybe, just maybe, there was a different path for her to follow.
As she stepped toward the house, the evening wind ruffled her hair, and she couldn't help but wonder what the future held—both for her and for the world around her.