I could use the threads of power myself, since they're already wrapped around my hands, or I could pass it on to J-Hope.

But which one?

One look at the guards and I decide that the best course of action is to not use my powers. I could freak out and accidentally, like... blast myself up into the air in my superhero pose and leave J-Hope to fend off the guards alone.

That wouldn't bode well.

So I try to hone all of my energy to one point and transfer it over to J-Hope, one strong and intense thread of sound from my fingers to his.

But the golden threads refuse to travel off my hand.

What a failure.

I look back up at the principal and see that he's still going with his speech. His eyes are nearing the end of the page however, which means that I don't have much time left.

Does transferring power require contact? Do I have to physically touch J-Hope's hand for this to work?

As interesting as that option sounded, I have no way to do that without being seen.

Reluctantly, I realize that as far as I know, I can only use my power myself.

So I close my eyes.

And take a deep, deep breath.

I feel the sound waves around my hands, ready to be used, and a slight buzzing makes its way into the air.

I open my eyes.

The golden threads are emitting more light. The tension in the air is building up, and my breaths are turning shallow, but then I also feel something being taken away.

One glance at my hands and I see what's missing. The threads around my hands, still thick and strong, aren't glowing anymore; their light has been taken away.

J-Hope?

I look over at him, but he's nowhere to be seen.

I curse under my breath. He left?! I trusted that guy!

Alarmed, I look over at the principal just in time to see him finish his speech. Then he looks up, and I can do nothing else but watch helplessly as his pleasant smile morphs into one of confusion, then outright anger. He's definitely noticed J-Hope's absence like I did.

I stand still as a statue, unsure of what to do. The principal shakes his head and gives me an accusing glare. "Now now, Y/N Park. I know you've got control over your powers, but you've gone too far. If you don't explain yourself right now, I'll have to tell my guards to -"

VROOOOOOOOM.

The guards scatter. Yells fill the air, a shadow is cast over where I'm standing, and I look up to see something in the sky above me.

A red truck.

I react just in time to avoid getting run over.

"Y/N! GET IN!"

Relief floods over me when I hear Jungkook's voice. I gather myself and run my way over to the passenger's seat, only to realize that J-Hope is already sitting right there.

"You're in here already?!" I ask, incredulous. "How?"

Without a word, J-Hope opens the door and abruptly pulls me inside. I barely have time to regain my balance, smushed in the same car seat as J-Hope, before Jungkook steps on the accelerator and the truck zooms forward.

I didn't realize how close I was to being caught till now.

Pounding on the window are several guards, running alongside the truck. They must've been right behind me to be so close. If J-Hope hadn't pulled me in...

"Hold tight!" Jungkook yells. He steps on the accelerator a second time and suddenly we're going so fast, we may as well have been flying.

I lift myself up and look out the window. Through the side mirror, I can see the principal wobbling towards us - a sad attempt at running.

Then the principal howls and trips on the gravel. The guards probably should have noticed, but they're too busy chasing us to help him up. I watch in slight amusement as the principal flails around to no avail.

That's when Jungkook makes a turn in the road. Principal nowhere to be seen, I change my gaze to the blurry surroundings.

My eyes widen.

We're going so fast-

I quickly look down at the speed indicator.

Jungkook must have been using his wind abilities to drive the car at such a dangerous speed - the speed indicator was all the way to the right - and yet the ride was so smooth that I wouldn't have been able to tell we were moving without looking out the windows.

Whaaaaaaat-?

I had to take a moment for my mind to catch up.

"Uhh, Jungkook, this is really fast..."

He glances at me, chuckling. "Fast isn't in my vocabulary, Y/N."

I huff and turn my gaze towards the road in the front of us. "I just don't trust you at this speed. You'll probably crash into something."

"Hobi-hyung and I saved your life back there," Jungkook replies cheerfully. "Surely you can trust me with driving."

Yea, but you almost ran over me with a truck in the process.

"... it's not like we're on the run from a sleep-deprived Yoongi-hyung or anything," he adds when I don't respond. "We'll be fine."

Who is this Yoongi? The question swirls around in my mind, but if I'm being honest with myself, I'm afraid to hear the answer.

So I stay quiet.

And I glare at the road, unconvinced.