Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a very long day for Zahard. He stayed in his office for the whole day, signing papers and doing his work as the owner of his agency. He resolved all of the urgent things and most of the others, so he was really satisfied with his progress, despite the tiredness.

Zahard was arraging the last papers in his desk (why did they still needed papers for that? Zahard's job would be so easier if he could simply send them an email with the necessary informations) when someone slamed his door, making a very loud noise in the almost-empty building.

"Zahard, I have an insane surprise for you!" exclaimed a female voice. Zahard didn't even need to look to know who it was, already sighing. Whenever he heard that voice, he knew trouble was coming. And he already had too many headaches for a day.

"Yurin, how many times will I have to ask you to not slam my door like that, neither scream in my building?"

The high woman with black hair and red eyes in her door simply ignored him and invited herself in his office, sitting on his desk while Zahard put the papers he was holding in a folder.

"Me and Ari, as two of your best friends, decided to give you some break of your cruel and tiresome work-"

"Yurin, please go straight to the point." Zahard cut her off, getting more and more worried with that crazy smile on Yurin's face.

"We're going to the beach, tomorrow!"

"Hope you and Ari have a good honeymoon then." Zahard stood up from his chair, dodging Yurin's attack. If he got caught by it, his arm would certainly get purple the next day. He got out of his office, and Yurin folllowed him.

"You're going with us. Hon, Traumerei and Hana will be going too."

"I have work, so even though I really appreciate you invite-" Yurin scoffed with that. "I cannot go. But what did you blackmail Hon with to make him-" Zahard was interrupted by the grip of Yurin's arm against his neck.

"You're going with us." Yurin's voice was dangerously low now. "We'll stop at your house by 7am tomorrow, so pack your bags tonight. And don't even think about ditching me, or I'll break into your house and drag you to the beach by force."

As soon as she released Zahard, she runned to the elevator. "See you at seven!"

Zahard didn't know wheter to thank the gods for letting him live one more day or to curse them for it.

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The next day, a bit after 7am (they never managed to be punctual), a van stopped in front of Zahard's house. He was waiting with his things outside, since he didn't want Yurin to break his door like she did some months ago.

"Morning! Did you sleep well?" screamed Yurin's voice in the passenger's seat.

Zahard didn't dignify that with an answer, or he would be in trouble with Hana, who was also waving at him by Yurin's side, a gentle smile in her face. He could also identify Hon doing something in his phone, quiet as ever, and Traumerei at his side. Again, what did Yurin blackmailed them with to make them go?

He looked at the driver's seat and saw Ari, wearing sunglasses, with an annoying smile. At least Yurin wasn't driving.

After some hours, they arrived at the beach. Zahard had to admit it was a very pretty place. There was quite a lot of people walking around, and the hotel they were staying at also looked nice. 

"So, what do you think, king?" Ari asked, watching the hotel assistants take their bags by Zahard's side. Zahard ignored the nickname.

"It's not bad. But I still want to push you and Yurin off my office window."

"Your office is on the seventh floor!"

"Precisely."

"You're so cold, Zahard!"

"Now, why don't we take a look around the place?" Hana's voice came from behind them. She had went to do the check-in with Yurin, who wanted to take a look around the hotel's hall.

Before Zahard could say that he preferred to stay in the hotel for now, Yurin shouted, taking Arie's and Traumerei's arms and dragging them with her. "That's cool! Cmon, let's take a look at the beach!"

God, Zahard is not getting any rest in this travel.

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They only went to the beach the next day, a while after they had breakfast in the hotel (the breakfast was the only meal they served there).

Even though it was only about 9am, there was already a lot of people walking around. Zahard doesn't really like the beach; it was too noisy, with lound music, kids screaming and people shouting selling ice cream or searching someone. But he's here anyway, so there's not much he can do now.

The group foud an empty place to put their things, and after everything was set up, they started to decide what to do.

"Me and Ari are going to take a swim!" announced Yurin.

"I'll stay here." Zahard sat on one of the chairs.

"If you start working, I'll punch you."

Zahard raised his hands in a sign of yield. "I didn't even brought my laptop. I'll read some books, because I'm not a fan of swimming."

Luckily, Yurin seemed to accept that.

Hon and Traumerei ended up staying there too, and Hana went to look around the beach. It was more peaceful now, and Zahard read a good part of his book before Yurin and Ari came back. Hana was already there.

Ari, with a supportive Yurin, managed to convince Zahard to enter the sea for a bit. The water was cold, but it wasn't a bad experience. Again, Zahard is not a beach person.

While Yurin was checking her phone, after they came back to the chairs, an amused smile appeared on her face. "Hey, I have good news!"

Zahard mentally prepared himself for a headache.

"Do you guys remember that I said one of my friends would maybe come here at the city too?"

Zahard didn't remember that, perhaps because Yurin talk too much and he learned to just ignore here a lot of times. But he was relieved that it wasn't as bad as he was thinking. "A friend?"

"Yeah! I haven't seen him in ages! I'm sure you guys will love him."

"You know what I would love right now?" said Ari. "Seafood. Let's look somewhere to have lunch!"

After going to a seafood restaurant close to the beach, the group came back to the hotel for a bit. Yurin arranged with her friend to meet at the beach, so a while after they came back to where they stayed during the morning. The beach was more crowded right now.

"How are you going to recognize him among all this people?" asked Hana, finishing passing sunscreen on Yurin's back (Hana was making sure that no one, with no exceptions, would get sunburnt).

Yurin laughed. "Oh, that'll be easy! He's someone you can spot from miles away."

Zahard got a bit concerned with that, but didn't say anything. About ten minutes later, Yurin looked up from her phone, and suddenly shouted. "He's there!"

The group looked to the place that Yurin was waving to, and Zahard immediately understand what she said before. Walking in their direction there was a tall man carrying a surfboard; but what really stood out was his light blue hair, tied in a long ponytail that got to his waist.

When he arrived, Zahard noticed his light blue eyes, that for some reason gave him the impression of forming electric sparks. He had to admit the man in front of him was pretty, and had a well built body. No wonder he was attracting so much attention, especially from the girls.

"Hey Yurin! Long time no see!" he greeted, extending his free hand to give Yurin a hug, that she happily returned.

"Hey! You should have said to me that you were going to come, I would make another reservation at the hotel, you idiot! What happened that you changed your mind?" Yurin put her hands on her waist.

"Ah, it's a long story, mostly Coffee's fault. I don't know why I still trust that guy. Either way, don't you have to introduce your amazing best friend to the rest of your group?"

Yurin rolled her eyes, then started the introductions.

"This is Hana, Hon, Traumerei, Ari and Zahard." She pointed at each of them while saying their names, and Zahard had the impression that the blue-haired guy stared at him for more time than the others. His eyes seemed a bit purplish now, and Zahard felt what seemed to be an electric spark shivering his skin. "Guys, this is Khun Eduan."

While he talked with the group for a bit, Zahard could notice that Eduan was a very talkative guy, and quite proud and self-confident too, seeing how he was considering himself "one of the best surfers in the world". Also, he would casually cast some glances at him, discreetly, but still perceptible for the blonde. Odd, but Zahard simply ignored it.

Eduan invited them to go surfing. Yurin and Ari accepted, and Hon surprisingly took some interest on that. The four went to the sea, and before they got out, Zahard's eyes met with Eduan's, and the blue-haired man gave him a smile, winking and turning to the sea. Zahard raised an eyebrow. 'Why would he wink at me?'

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The group only got out of the beach by night, and they decided to have dinner in a noodle restaurant that Hana saw in the morning. After they all showered, they met again with Eduan in the said restaurant.

After they ordered, Yurin and Ari started talking about Eduan's surfing skills.

"Really, you're amazing at it!"

"I just kept falling the whole time!" laughed Ari, taking a sip of his coke. "Tell me, you have taken some classes right?"

"Not really." answered Eduan, who seemed really satisfied with the compliments. "I used to surf when I was kid, but never took any classes. It's natural born talent, I guess." When Yurin gave him a weak punch (for Yurin's standarts), he simply laughed. "Hey! Jealously kills, y'know!"

Zahard rolled his eyes. That man was quite too proud for his own good.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, and after everyone finished, the group got divided; Arie went back to his room, while Ari, Yurin and Eduan went somewhere. Zahard and Traumerei went to the balcony of the restaurant, enjoying the wind that made the night a little less hot than before.

Traumerei eventually got tired and went to his room, but Zahard wanted to stay there for a few minutes more, and he leaned on the railling. He could barely see anything in the darkness, but hearing the sound of the waves made him distracted, so he didn't heard when another person arrived.

"Ah, I found you!" The voice snapped Zahard out of his thoughts and made him quickly turn, seeing Eduan approaching.

"Need something?" If Zahard's voice sounded annoyed, it was because he was annoyed. He doesn't like when people just disturbe his thoughts and invade his personal space, like Eduan was doing by leaning at the railing by his side, way too close. He moved away a little.

"So cold! I wanted to get to know you, since you barely talked with me!"

"I don't have anything to talk about myself." He doesn't want to, either way. Also, he had the whole group around him already. 'Is he needy, by any chance?'

"Eh? Why not? You seem like an interesting person!"

"I'm not."

Eduan pouted, still waiting for Zahard to respond. When he simply remained quiet, looking at the darkness in front of them, Eduan started talking again. "Fine, let's make a bet then!"

"A bet?"

Eduan smiled seeing Zahard take some interest in his proposal. "Yes! Who doesn't like bets, right? We'll make it like that: you seem to think that I'm really annoying,-" Zahard didn't deny. "-so I want you to pass some time with me during the rest of your trip! If, in the end, you still think that I'm annoying, you win, and I'll let you in peace. But if you say the contrary, you'll answer everything I ask about you. How does it sound?"

It was quite an interesting bet. Zahard didn't know why Eduan wanted so much to get to know him, but if he won, he wouldn't have to worry with any of that. Plus, Zahard is a little... competitive, when it comes to games and challenges. After pondering for a bit, he shrugged. "Sure."

Zahard almost regretted his decision after seeing Eduan's smile.

"It's agreed then! See you tomorrow, Zahard!"

Zahard frowned, seeing Eduan walk away. He hopes he won't regret anything later.

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The next day, and during the rest of the travel, Eduan literally didn't let go of him. He would drag Zahard to almost anything he and the group would do, and Zahard couldn't do much about it because of their bet.

He first invited him to surf along the rest. Zahard never surfed before, but he's a fast learner. While Ari fell at every wave, Zahard simply accompanied Yurin's rhythm, since Eduan was too fast. Ari wasn't lying when he said that Eduan was really good at surfing.

"Hey, you're really good at it!" exclaimed Eduan, after they got out of the sea to have lunch.

"Didn't you say that you didn't know how to surf?" asked Ari, exausted.

"Zahard always learned fast." Yurin answered for him, tapping his back. With Zahard's glance, she stopped.

They went to surf some more times, but Eduan didn't limit himself to that. Zahard didn't got to sit on the beach and read some books like he intended to do. As one of the results, he didn't rested at all, but also got to know Eduan more.

The blue-haired man certainly had a competitive spirit, joining any games and challenges and making sure he would win. A group of people invited them to play volleyball once, and Eduan scored almost all the points their team made, making them win every match.

"You and Eduan make a great pair, y'know!" said Yurin, after they finished playing. Eduan was talking with the people that had invited them, apparently giving them his number of something. Zahard rolled his eyes. 'Show off'.

"Never say that again." responded Zahard, making Yurin laugh. And while he didn't want to admit, they really did made a good pair.

As the time passed, Zahard got a more solid impression of Eduan, and aside from talking too much, being quite arrogant and making sure he would invade his personal space all the time, he actually wasn't as bad as he originally thought.

They were going to pass ten days at the beach, and with the blink of an eye, eight days had already passed. At that night, the group was at a pizzaria, with Eduan and Yurin screaming as usual, when a little boy suddenly came to their table.

"Uncle Zahard?"

Everyone in the table looked at the boy in surprise. Zahard's eyes widened. That voice-

"Baam?"

Indeed, in front of him was a short boy, with short brown hair and golden eyes, holding a little stuffed crocodile. He opened a big smile.

"Uncle Zahard! I told mom I had seen you!"

But before Zahard could answer anything, a woman's voice came behind the boy. "Baam, I told you to not go by yourself like that!"

Zahard's eyes widened once more. "Arlene?"

A woman with long brown hair and eyes exact like Baam's looked at him, also in suprise, followed by a man with black hair tied in a small ponytail. She quickly opened a smile. "Zahard! What a coincidence!"

After greeting her and V, that man behind her, he discovered that they had just arrived at the city and would be passing some days there. She was actually planing on visiting Zahard after the travel.

"Why didn't you told me you would be here!?"

"It was a last minute trip, I forgot to tell you." Zahard then remebered that the rest of the group was still at the table, and made the introductions. "Arlene, these are my friends, Yurin, Ari, Hon, Hana and Eduan. Guys, this is Arlene, my older sister. These are V, her husband, and Baam."

In the end, the three joined the group for the rest of the dinner.

"I didn't even know that Zahard had a sister." commented Hana.

"Ah, he doesn't talk much about himself, does he?" laughed Arlene, ruffling his hair. Zahard didn't saw Yurin and Ari looking at each other. "We're not blood related, actually. But tell me more about you! It's rare to see Zahard getting along with his friends."

After they finished, they went to their own hotel, Baam being squeezed and hugged like a stuffed little bear by the group. When they got away, Yurin leaned on him, pretending to be upset. "Why didn't you told us you had such a lovely sister? She's an angel, Zahard! Plus, an insanely cute nephew! He's like a little chestnut!"

Zahard rolled his eyes. At that time, he noticed that Eduan was more quiet then usual. He didn't seem as excited as the rest, which was definitely weird. He knows he isn't supposed to get bothered with that, but he still lets the group walk a bit ahead to stay at Eduan's side anyway.

"Hey, what's with that face? Did the pizza made you sick or something?"

Eduan seemed quite surprised at Zahard's voice, like he didn't noticed him before. "Eh, now you actually talk to me? Did you already change your mind about me?"

"You're still as annoying as ever, you electric eel."

"If you call me eel one more time, I'll kill you, king."

They had started calling each other like that since Eduan heard the group calling Zahard "king", a long time nickname, and started using it merely to provoke him. In return, Zahard started calling him "electric eel", which felt weirdly appropriate for Eduan, even though he clearly doesn't like it, threating to kill anyone who call him an eel.

Zahard wondered if he was just imagining Eduan's posture before, since he looked fine now. He shrugged it off. Eduan does acts strange around him sometimes, either way.

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During the last days of their trip, Arlene, V and Baam passed the time with them. 

For Yurin and Hana it was a complete delight, since they seemed to love Arlene and would play with Baam whenever they could. V unexpectedly got along with Eduan.

At their penultimate day in the beach, Zahard was feeling quite bothered by the interactions of these two; they seemed to became friends way too fast, which was especially weird because V tended to be really timid.

Also, the girls were particularly excited around Eduan today, making Zahard even more annoyed. Sure, the blue-haired man attracted a lot of attention from the girls, so it was not unusual for him to be surronded by them, while he keeps blabbing about himself and his "amazing feats". But today it seemed more agitated, and Zahard wasn't liking that at all.

"Zahard." called Arlene, making him snap out of his thoughts and focus on Arlene, who was sat at his side in the beach. She had a weird smile on her face, and Zahard knew that was not a good thing.

"Hm?"

"You met Eduan recently, right?"

Zahard nodded. Why they were talking about him all of sudden?

"What do you think about him?"

Zahard pondered for a bit. "He's annoying. Talks too much and is a show off."

Arlene laughed. "Hm, is that just it?"

Zahard didn't seem to understand the point that Arlene wanted to get on, so she continued. "I feel like that's not only what you think about him. And I know you very well Zahard, so don't even try lying at me."

Zahard frowned. He's not following it. Eduan is simply a bothersome guy he met recently who for some reason acts weird around him. Right?

"You look at him a lot." Arlene commented. Zahard never noticed that. He notice him a lot, but it's not like he keeps looking at him all the time.

Arlene continued, seeing like she was having quite a lot of fun. "You also get annoyed when he gets the attention of a lot of people, am I right?"

"It's not-" Zahard started, but really, he can't lie to her.

"Zahard, don't you think you may like him?"

Like him? Why would he like that electric eel? All he does is invade his Zahard's personal space, irritating him and occupying his thoughts.

"You don't seem to consider him a friend, so what is he to you?"

Zahard didn't answer again, finally realizing where Arlene wanted to get. His eyes widened. No, he doesn't like Eduan that way. Absolutely not.

"My young brother fall in love for the first time!" exclaimed Arlene, ruffling his hair like she did yesterday. "I'm feeling old right now."

"I'm not in love, Arlene."

"Whatever you say."

That talk remained in Zahard's head for the rest of the day, and he hates the fact that even though he desesperatly wants to deny Arlene's statements, he can't.

The next morning was their last day in the beach, and Eduan invited the group to surf one more time. When they were walking out of the sea with their surfboards, Zahard stared at Eduan, who walked a bit ahead and was in the middle of a stupid discussion with Yurin. There's no way he's in love with that idiot, right?

After the lunch, Zahard went to pack his things. He finished before the rest, since he had most things ready since last night. When he got in the reception, he saw Eduan in his phone, waiting to say goodbye to the group. When he saw Zahard approaching, he opened a smile.

"Hey! I was waiting for you! We need to see who won the bet."

Oh, Zahard had actually forgotten about that.

"So, what do you think about me now?"

The resemblance with the question Arlene made yesterday was actually concerning, and Zahard didn't really knew what to answer. He was confident he would win, but his opinion did changed about the man in front of him.

So even though Zahard wanted to lie, his honest part didn't let him. He looked away, not waiting to meet Eduan's eyes. "You're not as bad as I thought. But you're still annoying-"

Eduan didn't let him finish, smiling victoriously, completely ignoring the last part. "Ha, told you! Now you'll answer everything I ask about you!"

Zahard sighed. He's not a bad looser, so he'll simply do what he said he would.

Hon and Ari arrived at the reception, and Eduan seemed to ponder something. "Since you're leaving already, I'll give you my number."

Only when he noticed the minimal feeling of happines he got after adding Eduan's number to his phone that Zahard finally had to accept his feelings. After all, Arlene is always right.

After a while, the group said goodbye to Eduan, Arlene, V and Baam and got on the car. A bit after Ari started driving, Zahard received a text.

- So, what do you do for living?

Zahard avoided making a dumb smile and just kept a stoic face while he replied to Eduan. That electric eel would really mess with his life, but Zahard thinks he can deal with that.

Chapter Text

Ehwa was irritaded. All she wanted today was to stay in her room, avoiding all the idiots that she walked with. But that stupid yellow monkey had to mess up with her peace. She asked herself if commiting arson would put her into too much problem, while glaring at the yellow-haired man at her side of the car. Her family's influence could cover up his death for her, probably.

"Hey, stop looking at me like that, or I won't be able to sleep tonight!"

"Are you impling that I'm ugly!?"

"That's not what I said!"

"If you two keep screaming, I'll let you both on the streets!" Akraptor's voice coming from the driver's seat silenced them, even though Ehwa still wanted to reduce him to ashes.

Her, Wangnan, Miseng, Prince and Akraptor were going to visit Viole's bar, who's one of Wangnan friends - and definetely not the sole reason why Ehwa was going with them.

Going to a bar right now was such a waste of time, honestly. But Wangnan manipulatted her into accepting his invite. Yes, that was it. Men are always so manipulative! She didn't agreed on going because Viole would be there. Why would she care about a man, anyway? He was the one supposed to come at her, not the contrary!

Finally, they arrived. It was quite hidden in the middle of the other buildings, so if someone didn't looked with attention, they would miss it. The group had to go down some stairs. The letters above the glass door said "FUG", a hanging sign letting them know the place was open. Ehwa thought that it was a really weird name for a bar. Where was that stupid monkey taking them to?

The sound of a bell informed their entrance, and Ehwa looked around the place. Perhaps because of the little lighting of the place, or how there was almost no decorations on the walls and also no windows, but it seemed quite off. She didn't knew how to explain it, but it looked even a bit hostile, at first. Dispite that, there was a considerate amount of people there.

"The first impression may not be the best, but I guarantee you, they have the best drinks in the world." Wangnan said after seeing their reactions. He led them to the counter, where a guy with short brown hair was making a drink.

"Hey, Viole!" greeted Wangnan, sitting on one of the stools. The group did the same, Akraptor having to help Miseng and a reluctant Prince - who insisted he could to it himself - to sit down.

Viole, or Baam, how he preffered to be called sometimes, turned at them, his golden eyes sparkling and a smile appearing on his face. "Ah you all came!"

Ehwa still thought it was kind of weird seeing him with short hair, his eyes so apparent for anyone to see. He looked so distant and cold when she first met him, that now he's literally ofuscating. 'Even though he still looks pretty. Wait, what are you even thinking!? Concentrate, Ehwa!'

"Of course we did! I told you I would bring the group to visit your bar sometime! Goseng didn't came because of Horyang."

Horyang had been sick for some weeks now, and his condition is slowly getting better, thanks to Sophia's help. Ehwa was giving a lot of support to Goseng recently, aware of her feelings.

"Ah, that's fine. How is he?" Baam, asked, while giving Miseng a hug and also ruffling Prince's hair.

"He seems a bit better now. Goseng is making the best she can."

"Ah, that's good to hear."

Ehwa noticed that Baam was alone in the counter. 'Is he the only barista? It seems quite crowded for only one person to serve. Not that I care, of course.'

It was not only Ehwa who observed that though. After looking around a bit, Akraptor turned to Baam. "You're the only barista? It seems quite a lot of work for only one person."

"Ah, not really." responded Baam, giving them the menu. "There are actually two other people who help me here. One is out right now, but the other is getting some things in the pantry. She'll be- ah, there she is."

The group turned to see a woman get out of a door behind the counter. The immediate thing one would notice about her is the long crimson hair who falls down to her waist, matching her eye of the same color; at least, one of them, since her right eye was covered with a black eyepatch.

Ehwa had to admit she was extremely pretty, but with a odd vibe around her. A bit scary, definitely. The eye patch contributed to the mysterious aura that involved her.

"Ah, Viole's friends." she said, looking at them. She didn't sound surprise.

"Guys, this is Hwa Ryun. As I said, she's another barista here."

Baam quickly introduced them all, and as she looked at each one, Ehwa couldn't help but shudder when her red eye glared at her, her heart beating faster than it should. Ehwa was feeling hot, but she convinced herself that it was because the place was stuffy, since there was no windows. Hwa Ryun then turned to Baam. "Jinsung is calling you in the back."

"I'm going." He turned to the group, with a apologetic smile. "I'll be back in a minute. You can ask Ryun for your drink or food."

'"Ryun"? Are they that close for him to call her like that?'  Ehwa looked at the menu in her hands. 'Ah, whatever. It's not like I have something to do with them anyway.' 

Hwa Ryun started making a drink for another client while they were choosing what to ask. Ehwa automatically watched her movements, pretending to look through the menu. She didn't know why she was doing that, but that woman's presence was actually hypnotizing. She wondered what happened to her right eye. An accident, perhaps? It suits her either way.

Her thoughts were interrupted with Prince's voice, who was excitedly showing Miseng something in the menu they were sharing.

"Miseng, look at this drink! I haven't tried Piña Colada yet, but it has condensed milk, so it must be delicious right!?"

"Nothing of alcohol for you two." said Akraptor, ignoring Prince complains.

Baam came back when Hwa Ryun had finished taking their orders, followed by a tall and slender man, with black hair and eyes, definitely older than them.

"Ah, Viole's friends!" he said, with a cheerful smile. His eyes, however, watched them carefully, like he was recording each one of their faces. It send chivers down Ehwa's spine. "I see you're here too, Wangnang."

'Wangnang?' Ehwa held her laugh for her own sake. Prince almost bursted into laughter, getting hold by Miseng, who was also secretely smiling.

"Yeah, I brought the group this time. Also, it's Wangnan." Wangnan sounded a bit offended, but it didn't seem like this was happening for the first time.

Having completely ignored their reaction and Wangnan's correction, the man introduced himself. "I'm Jinsung Ha, Viole's adoptive father. It's good to finally meet you. I hope you're taking good care of him." His words sounded more like a warning than anything, making the group tense. But before he could continue, Baam interrupted their talk.

"D...dad, I think you should go now, or you'll get late. Won't uncle Luslec get upset?"

Jinsung stared at them silently for some seconds more, and then turned to Baam, his expression having completely changed. "You're right, Viole. I'll be going now. I'll see you guys at another time."

Hwa Ryun gave him a little cigarrete box before he got out, almost as an automatic movement. She seemed close with Jinsung too. For some reason, Ehwa thought that to be quite annoying.

Baam apologised for Jinsung's actions, and started making their drinks. Hwa Ryun went to attend another group who was sitting on a table, carrying a tray full of drinks.

When she passed by Ehwa, she gave her a small and discreet smile that made Ehwa's face burn and her heart skip a beat. What was happening with her today? Since that woman appeared, she has been acting weird. She's from the prestigious Yeon family, one of the most influent families of Korea! Where's her pride right now!?

Plus, why would a woman let her so flustered!? Not that she would let any man play with her, of course, but Hwa Ryun wasn't a man, so Ehwa didn't even knew how she was supposed to react! There's no way she likes women like that... right?

"She's still scary as ever, just like that old man." commented Wangnan, seeing Ehwa's eyes accompanying her, while Baam was talking with Akraptor.

"You already knew her?" asked Ehwa. But after she thought about it, it makes sense; after all, Wangnan had already come into the bar a couple of times.

"Yeah, I met her the first time I came here. She also knows my brother."

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah. He's some years older, but has the soul of a 60 year old man. Like, who still reads journal? Either way, that woman is a witch."

"A witch?" Prince had come closer, alongside Miseng.

"Yes, she's a true witch! She knows everything, all your deepest secrets that no one is supposed to know. It's like she sees the insides of your soul. It's really scary."

Prince seemed a bit scared, but quickly started blabbering about how a witch is no match for his "amazing habilities".

Ehwa rolled her eyes; Wangnan is clearly exaggerating. Hwa Ryun did seemed mysterious and all, but a witch?

Baam finished some of their orders, that were really approved by the group. Miseng and Prince ended up asking for a Piña Colada without the rum, - only because of Akraptor's supervision - and they simply delighted themselves with the considerate amount of condensed milk that Baam put in their drink.

Hwa Ryun came back and helped with the rest, giving Ehwa her order, with another simle. "Enjoy your drink."

'Is she playing with me?' Ehwa mumbled a thank you and took a sip from her Strawberry Daiquiri. It was a drink made with rum, lime juice, syrup and strawberries, perfectly refreshing. She had to admit that Wangnan wasn't lying when he said that they make the best drinks in the world. She also couldn't help but notice that it was almost of the same color as Hwa Ryun's hair.

While the group talked - and eventually Ehwa too, even though she was not paying atttention - she discreetly cast a few glances at the red-haired woman. She was in perfect synchrony with Baam, making Ehwa wonder what their relationship was. They probably have know each other for a long time, and for some reason that bothered her, letting her mind confused.

Really, what's going on with her today? She's not the type of person that keeps staring at other people and thinking about them so intensely!

Some time ago, Baam actually attracted a lot of her attention, and she may have followed him sometimes and worried about things she wasn't supposed to, but Ehwa wasn't so aware of him all the time, unable to look away. He also didn't had this aura around him, that would just let Ehwa so interested.

Right now, it seemed like Hwa Ryun was messing with her mind, confusing everything and attracting all of her attention, like a strong magnet. 'Is she really a witch? No, that's absolutely nonsense. Don't believe what that idiot tells you, Ehwa. Remember, man are not trustworthy!'

After they finished everything and talked for a bit more, Akraptor tried to pay. Baam refused, saying that it was a courtesy. It took some time, but Akraptor eventually accepted, and they got up. Prince and Miseng were a bit sleepy, after having ingested a big amount of sugar.

"Please come back another time!" exclaimed Baam. "I'll be happy to see you guys more often."

"We definetely will!" said Wangnan.

Ehwa was slightly upset that they would go already. She barely talked with Baam, - one of her initial proposes - not seeing the time pass. Perhaps because her eyes were glued on Hwa Ryun the whole time. God, that woman was making her mind a total mess.

She took her purse to check what time it was, and a small piece of paper fell on the floor. Odd, that wasn't there before. Ehwa took the paper and saw that it had some numbers on it, with "Ryun" written on the corner.

It took some seconds before Ehwa realized what that was. 'Did she just... gave me her number? When did she even-' 

The red-haired woman passed at her side carrying another tray full of things, and Ehwa looked up, their eyes meeting again. She gave her one more teasing smile - Ehwa could only define it like that now - and winked at her.

The burning sensation on her face came back, but it covered all of her face and ears; her heart started to crazily beat on her chest, so loud that she thought someone could hear it.

That doesn't make sense at all! Were the little interactions they had actually a discreet flirt!? But she thought that Hwa Ryun and Baam had something! Was she just imagining things? God, Ehwa was so flustered and confused.

"Hey, Ehwa, let's go!" called Akraptor. Ehwa followed the group, but she didn't registrated her surroudings, her brain having temporarily stopped working. She put that paper back into her purse, not daring to look back at Hwa Ryun.

After they got out of the bar and went up the stairs, Ehwa felt her mind calm down a bit, and decided to answer one of the many questions she had. Leaning close to Wangnan, she asked him, with a low voice, so that the other three couldn't hear her. "Hey, Wangnan? What's Viole's relationship with Hwa Ryun?"

"Hm? They're cousins. I think it's from Viole's mother side?" Wangnan thought for a second, but just gave up and shrugged. "Why do you want to know that, though?"

Ehwa didn't answered, a dumb smile on her face. 

"Ehwa?"

"Shut up, you idiot."

Ehwa was still a bit confused, but she had some things cleared up in her mind now. Perhaps, Hwa Ryun was really a witch and she had casted a spell on her to mess with her heart completely. But either way, Ehwa didn't thought that it mattered.

Chapter Text

"Ah, I give up!"

Hockney layed in the cold floor with a white canvas on his lap.

It was absolutely no avail trying to think of something interesting and innovative for his painting. For at least two hours, he had been sat on that floor, staring at the blank canvas, as if he was going to receive a divine message that would restore his creativity. But of course, no divine message arrived.

"You're still thinking about something to draw? I thought you'd given up already." said Elaine, who was lying in her bed. They were in her room, hiding from the insane heat outside and enjoying the cool temperature of the air conditioning.

"I can't give up, I need to draw something! I haven't drawn anything for weeks!"

"Well, I've given you at least ten different ideas, but you rejected them all."

"Because they weren't inspiring enough!"

Hockney wanted to draw something inspiring and innovative. But what is this something for Hockney? He had absolutely no idea.

Usually it wasn't hard for him to decide what to draw. He would casually find interesting people and cool objects and scenaries around the city, transforming them into paintings that he would even sell sometimes. Obviously, his best and most important paintings were carefully kept in his room.

But for some reason, nothing now seemed worthy enough for him to draw. 

Mata, one of his few best friends - actually he only had two friends, Elaine and Mata - had tried to help him a lot of times, even taking Hockney to another one of his travels. He had always been like that, travelling around the world to explore new things, alongside his dog, Manyleg. But even though the trip was indeed interesting, he just couldn't draw anything.

Mata had also suggested that he ask some random people for ideas to draw, but most of them would just ask Hockney to do a portrait of themselves. It was boring, and most of them were too average for his paintings. Besides, Hockney doesn't like drawing when people make him do it - it's an artist thing.

"Perhaps you should change scenaries." suggested Elaine. "You probably got sick of drawing things around the same places everytime."

"But where should I go then? I travelled with Mata a while ago and it didn't work."

"I have my martial arts class today. You could come with me if you want to."

Hockney pondered for a bit. It probably wouldn't work, since not even travelling was effective.

Fenryl, Elaine's dog, - even though it looked more like a wolf - came down the bed, going to drink some water in one of the corners of the room. While passing his hands through Fenryl's fur, Hockney thought he should at least give it a try.

"Okay, let's try that."

After Hockney packed his things, putting it all in his backpack, he followed Elaine to her martial arts class. She trained at a big academy, that was considered one of the best in the country. 

He wasn't a fan of places with a lot of people, so he walked very close to Elaine, knowing that if he got into trouble, anyone in that academy could very much put him to the hospital, at best.

However, it was difficult to not attract much attention. His appearance was a little too flashy for his own liking, and he is carrying a big backpack, after all. His art materials are too precious for Hockney to leave them anywhere.

They finally arrived at the room Elaine trained, very spacious and airy. She went to talk with a tall and slender man, who had short brown hair and eyes of the same color. Another scary person.

When Elaine came back, she said that Hockney could watch their class, as long as he didn't interrupted or disturbed anyone. That man she was talking with before was probably the teacher.

"You can also look around the academy, if you want." explained Elaine. "Feel free to leave if you get bored or something."

"Thank you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Hockney sat down on the floor of the room, close to the windows, that provided an actual pretty view of the city, since they were on the third floor. He leaned against the wall, with the windows to his left and the room to his right.

He took his sketchbook out of his back - it would be weird to use a canvas there - and was searching for his pencil when a voice came from his side.

"Hm, excuse me, can I leave my bag here?"

Hockney turneda around, seeing a young boy, probably around his age, looking at him with a bag in his shoulders. He had short brown hair and big golden eyes, that shined like two pieces of pure gold. 

Hockney momentarily stared at him, almost hypnotized by his eyes. He thankfully remembered the boy had asked him a question, and therefore, he had to answer it.

"A...ah, sure."

"You're Elaine's friend, right? If it's going to disturb your drawing, I can find another place-"

"Don't worry, you can leave it here." said Hockney, a little faster than intended. "It won't bother me or anything."

"If you say so. Thank you." 

The boy smiled, and Hockney almost had to cover his eyes because of how bright it was. He left his bag at his side, putting his phone in it and turning to Hockney again. "Hm, bye now. I hope you find something interesting enough to draw."

Hockney murmured a thank you, watching carefully the boy get away and joy the other people. He only remembered that his pencil was still in his backpack after ten minutes, and finally stopped staring at him and got everything done to start drawing.

With his skechbook on his lap, Hockney watched the class for a while. It was interesting to see a martial arts class for the first time, especially because the people there were not amateurs. On the contrary, they were an advanced class.

Elaine was one of the best in the room, but that boy from before was really good too.

Hockney was surprised. The boy seemed to be really gentle and naive, considering their small talk and his appearance; he didn't look like the type to do martial arts, since everyone in the room was considerably scary and he was like a ray of sunshine. But his movements were precise and his attacks were strong. You really can't judge people by their looks.

Half of the class passed like a flash, and there was a ten minute break. Elaine came to him, with a bottle of water in her hand and a towel around her neck.

"Did you find anything?" asked her, sitting at his side.

"Not really."

Perhaps because Hockney got so distracted with the boy with golden eyes, but his sketchbook was still blank. They stayed silent for a while, and Hockney was about to ask Elaine about that boy when he came in their direction, having ended his conversation with the teacher.

"Can I sit with you two?"

His smile made it impossible to refuse, even if they didn't want him to sit there.

"Sure." answered Elaine, making some space for him to sit on the floor. "Was Master Jinsung praising you again?"

The boy laughed, an apologetic look on his face. "I... guess so?"

"You're really his favorite student."

"You think so?"

"I'm sure about it."

Hockney observed their interactions. Since that boy had called him "Elaine's friend" before, he assumed they were close. He knew that it was none of his business, but he couldn't help but wonder about their relationship.

"Ah, I haven't introduced you two yet." said Elaine, almost in a late realization. "This is Hockney, the friend I told you about. Hockney, this is Baam. He's another one of my friends and Master Jinsung's absolute favorite student."

"Elaine, don't say that..." Baam looked flustered, but still opened another smile for Hockney. "Nice to meet you, Hockney."

Again, Hockney felt a little weird. Maybe because he was not used for people to be so kind and nice to him, or approach him in such a friendly way, but it was strange to talk with that boy.

Hockney had never had many friends. People didn't get much closer to him, probably because he was... a little different from the others. His peculiar behavior and unique eyes would let others apprehensive, keeping some distance.

He knew Mata since a long time ago, but he travelled a lot, so they didn't saw each other that much. Plus, Mata was some years older, so they didn't used to frequent the same places. He eventually met Elaine, and they surprisedly became friends fast. Aside from them, Hockney didn't had much people to talk with, that would treat him so nicely.

Baam was surely an interesting person. Either very naive, or simply too nice. Hockney thought he looked like a star, shining alone in a vast and dark sky, being impossible to ignore his presence. It felt... good to have a person like that around, anyway. A little ofuscating, but still good.

"It's nice to meet you too."

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After the ten minute break Baam and Elaine started training again.

Hockney layed in the wall, looking at the windows by his side. They were really large, so he could see the buildings around and the cars passing on the streets down there. He closed his eyes; his sketchbook was still blank.

He turned at Baam once more, watching him execute some movements. He was concentrated, making everything with undeniable precision. At that time, Hockney's hand moved almost automatically, stopping in front of the white page.

And it was like everything clicked. 

Hockney started to move his pencil around the page, casting some glances to Baam once a while. He draft first, then took his pen to outline and make some shadows. He drew some details, and after some minutes he was done.

In his sketchbook, Baam was with one of his legs up, his hands ready to strike a blow on an imaginary opponent. Hockney could color it if he wanted, but it looked good that way...

He took his pencil case out of his backpack and only colored his eyes, highlighting those two golden orbs.

He had finally drawn something after weeks, which was a relieve. But he didn't felt the satisfaction he was supposed to. The drawing was good, he knew that; he's not so humble about his abilities as an artist after all. So why did it seemed like something was still missing?

Hockney wondered. Would he see Baam again? He didn't think he would be allowed to keep watching Elaine's martial arts classes, even if she asked to her teacher - Jinsung, wasn't it?

Hockney could ask his number, though. Elaine was close to him anyway, so the three of them could hang out some times. But really, how do you simply go there and asks some random person's number? They had just met, after all, and Hockney is not good at interacting with other people. He's more the type to stay quiet in his own personal space, observing the people around him.

Thinking better, he could just ask Elaine about Baam's contact. Yes, that was better.

Hockney had just resolved his little internal conflict when the class ended, and Elaine approached him again, followed by Baam. She was the first one to notice the drawing on his sketchbook.

"Oh, did you finally got out of your creative block?"

"I think so."

"I told you that a change in the places would make it better."

"You were probably right." Even though the people there marked him more than the place.

Hockney then noticed that it would be a little awkward, embarassing even, if Baam saw his drawing. Out of everyone in the room, he chose him as his muse - not that he could have avoided that, anyway. Baam is so different from the rest of the people there that he simply stands out. He wasn't sure if he wanted to let Baam know that.

So before any of the two could see what his drawing actually was, he carefully closed his sketchbook, making sure it had already dried - he already messed some drawings because he didn't let the pen or the paint dry before.

Hockney cleared his things and got his backpack. The three got out of the building together, and had to part different ways, since Baam's appartament was on the opposite side.

"Well, I'll see you on monday." said Baam to Elaine, using his hand to block the sun. It was late afternoon, but the sun was still strong and firm in the sky. He turned to Hockney. "It was good to know you. I'm glad you managed to draw something."

"Thank you. It was a new experience watching your training." responded Hockney. Why was he feeling a little anxious now?

Baam seemed to think about something, like he had an idea but wasn't so sure about it. He ended up speaking either way, looking away like he was a little embarassed. "You know, I have a part time job at a coffee shop not far away from here. You could visit it, if you want to. I'm there everyday during the mornings, except at mondays." He quickly added, turning to Elaine. "You could come too, even though you already know that."

Hockney got caught by surprise with the invite. Had someone ever invited him for something like that before? And they met each other just some hours ago! Really, making friends is such a weird experience.

"Sure." he answered before even registrating it all. He didn't even like coffee that much, but Baam didn't need to know that.

"It's been a while that I don't go there, so I think I'll appear next week." said Elaine.

Baam opened a cheerful smile, his timidity from before forgotten. "I'm happy to hear that! Could I take your contact, Hockney? To send you the location and all, that is."

They exchanged contacts, and Baam quickly send him the informations about the coffee shop. "I'll see you two there, then!"

After Baam got away, Hockney finally organized everything in his head, while walking at Elaine's side. He didn't even need to ask her for Baam's number, plus he could see Baam whenever he wanted. Was that a good thing? Definitely, even though Hockney wasn't sure why.

"Did you liked it?" asked Elaine.

Hockney didn't know what she was referring to, since he wasn't really paying attention on their talk, but he nodded his head anyway.

════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹════

It was sunday, and despite it being early in the morning, the sun was already shining brightly in the sky.

In a coffee shop, located in a corner, the sound of a bell echoed, telling the attendants that someone had arrived.

"Welcome!" exclaimed a voice behind the counter, that belonged to a boy with golden eyes and a captive smile. He opened an even bigger smile when he saw Hockney standing at the door, looking around the place with a sketchbook and a pencil case under his arm.

When he saw Baam behind the counter, wearing an apron and with a coffee cup in his hand, Hockney thought he really looked like a star; but contrary to the majority of the stars, Baam was similar to the sun, warm and vivid, his eyes like two pieces of gold shining in the light. There was still an intense heat outside, but that warmth was strangely comforting.

It really felt good having him around.

Chapter Text

Ran is not a fan of parties. Actually, he hates everything that involves too many people, because it's bothersome. Not that there's something that Ran doesn't consider bothersome, of course. But still, he would try his best to avoid going to parties, something surprisingly hard when your older sister is a super famous model.

Ran managed to avoid a lot of events and parties in his life, so when Maschenny announced that there would be a Christmas party with her modeling company and some other families, including their own, he didn't really cared.

But unfortunally, he wouldn't be able to escape this one.

"I'm not going." Ran repeated for the tenth time in five minutes.

"I already told you Ran, there's nothing you can do about it." said AA, who was sitting at his side in the living room of his apartment.

"They can't force me to go."

"Maschenny can."

"I'll run away before she can do that."

As if Maschenny had heard them, Ran received a text on his phone:

- Your clothes will be delivered today. Don't even think of ditching the party, or you're dead. -

Ran had forgotten for a moment that his sister is a crazy stalker. She would probably kill him if he got away, wouldn't she? When he got older, he would surely kill her first.

Seeing Ran's expression, AA sighed again. "I told you, didn't I? At least people won't pay much attention to you, since a lot of celebrities will be in the party."

Ran was irritated with this whole thing, but AA was probably right; the Princesses would attract most of the attention, so if everything worked out, he could actually go unnoticed.

════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹════

For Ran's misfortune, AA was wrong.

"He's like a little teddy bear!"

"He's so cute!"

"He's shorter than I thought! So cute!"

"I didn't knew there was such a cutie in the Khun family!"

Ran was surrounded by a group of young women, being treated like a little stuffed blue bear. This situation started when he had to follow Maschenny and his mother to be introduced to some people, and he ended up... like that.

Unecessary to say, he wanted to kill everyone in that place. His murderous intentions were headed mostly towards his sister, who seemed to be having a lot of fun. Yes, he was definetely going to kill that woman one day.

His salvation ended up being the start of Zahard's announcement, that would mark the actual start of the Christmas party.

Ran watched relieved the group around him disperse around the huge hall, and almost attacked Maschenny when she let out a little chuckle by his side. He straighten his suit, wanting nothing more than go home and change his clothes - he absolutely despise these type of clothes, and his feet hurt in the tight shoes his mother made him wear.

As Zahard spoke, Ran looked around, trying to find AA in the middle of that crowd. He's supposed to respectfully pay attention to the speech, but it's not like Ran cares about that whole thing - he didn't even want to be in this party, any way.

But another unfortunate suprise was waiting for him in the hall. A little away from him there were two women, silently arguing about something. Ran recognized them in an instant.

They both had short brown hair, but one was wearing a yellow winter dress while the other was with a silver dress and a coat over her shoulders. He identified the one with the yellow dress immediately. Why, out of all people, was that annoying lizard here!?

Ran thought that Anaak wouldn't be invited to the party, since she's technically not part of the company and her mother, who used to a model, was retired. But she's there, in the middle of a silent fight with Androssi.

When Zahard's speech was over and applause filled the hall, they stopped arguing and Anaak turned, giving Ran an annoyed look, which he made sure to return.

The music came back and Anaak approached him, followed by Androssi.

"What are you doing here, you smurf?"

"Who are you calling smurf, you annoying lizard!? And shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?"

"Don't call me lizard! I'll kill you!"

"Not if I kill you first."

Ran and Anaak stared at each other, almost getting in a fight right there. The last time they fought, it ended up in a draw, but only because AA and that tracksuit guy stopped them. This time, Ran would make sure he would win.

"You two, stop that!" exclaimed Androssi, putting herself beetwen the two.

"Get out." demanded Ran and Anaak at the same time.

"Don't imitate me."

"You're the one who imitated me, lizard."

"Hey, don't ignore me!" exclaimed Androssi again, with an angry expression on her face. "Anaak, I promised Garam and your mother that I wouldn't let you get in trouble! Plus, you need to help me find Baam, so let's go!"

Androssi took Anaak's hand and dragged her to another place. Ran stared at Anaak with an annoyed face, and she showed him the middle finger in retribution.

Ran came back to his mission of finding AA, still pissed at that lizard. His brother couldn't be seen anywhere. He spotted Maschenny and Marco, then Maria at another side. She should know where AA was, right?

He made his way to Maria, but even she couldn't give him an answer. Actually, she had a suspicious smile, making Ran think that she knew everything, just didn't want to tell him. And he knows that Maria is really good at keeping secrets, so it's pointless to ask more.

Ran was starting to get really angry with the people in there, and his hunger wasn't making it any better.

Lots of servers were around the place carrying trays full of foods and drinks, but it all looked too fancy for his taste. Ran is actually picky about his food, preferring yogurt over most things. But they wouldn't have yogurt here, another reason why he wanted to leave.

He made his way to the food table, and put some cheese and bread on his plate. He was about to pick a small chicken tart, the last on the table, when another hand got in his view. He lifted his head only to see two brown eyes staring at him with annoyance.

"Get out, I got here first." Anaak said. She was about to get the chicken tart when Ran grabbed her pulse.

"I was here way before you, so you need to get out."

"You came after me, so the chicken tart is mine. And take your hands off me, I don't want to be contamined." Anaak replied, stepping on his shoes. Her boots had heels, so Ran got even more pissed.

"I should be the one concerned about being poisoned, lizard. Stop stepping on me and give me that."

"I'll kill you before you can-"

But before Anaak could kick him and Ran could get the butter knife next to him on the buffet, a voice interrupted them. "Excuse me, can I take a photo of you two?"

The two turned. A woman with short brown hair and glasses was looking at them excitedly, a camera on her hands. She was probably one of the photographers contracted by Zahard.

The murderous look on Ran and Anaak's faces should have been enough for anyone to back off, but that woman was either completely fearless or just too bad at reading the mood, since she kept standing there with a kind smile.

"Please, it will be really fast." She tried to convince them, holding the camera. "I only need two photos."

"I won't take a photo with this guy." Anaak refused, tilting her head in Ran's direction.

"And I won't take a photo with her either."

"But you two seem to have such an interesting dynamic!"

They replied at the same time. "We don't."

Ran was just thinking of killing them both when the music ended and Zahard's voice echoed through the hall.

"Dear guests, please head outside. Our fireworks display will start in ten minutes."

A fireworks display? Maschenny had mentioned something about that before, didn't she? Either way, he now had an excuse to get away from those annoying people.

But before he even realized, Anaak had already disappeared. Ran got too distracted with the annoucement and she took advantage of that to take the chicken tart and get away.

Completely ignoring the photographer, Ran got away too, not wanting to have that camera on his face - he already has too much of cameras on his daily life, while people keep asking him useless questions about Maschenny.

Ran didn't want to go outside, since it was cold and he didn't care at all about the fireworks. But they probably won't let him stay there, so he quickly ate everything on his plate and joined the crowd.

It was december, so there was snow covering the flow and a cold breeze making Ran shiver. His clothes were appropriate for the winter, but it was still too cold, especially because he just got out of a warm place.

He walked a little and saw Maschenny and Marco ahead. But before he could do anything, a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail passed by him, making Ran loose his balance and get pushed in the crowd. A much shorter man went after her, panting heavily.

"Lady Yuri, slow down! You're making people fall!"

Ran bumped into someone, falling on the snow. He felt his back get a little wet, and the sight of a short brown hair and a yellow dress only bothered him more.

"Not you again!" exclaimed Anaak. She too had fallen, and was taking the snow out of her clothes. "Are you following me or something?"

"Why would I follow someone like you?" replied Ran, getting up. "I didn't even wanted to see your face again here."

When Anaak got up, Zahard's voice announced that the fireworks display would start in one minute.

Ran looked around. He wouldn't be able to see the fireworks with so many tall people around. He didn't really care about the show, but it would be a waste to have come outside for nothing. Anaak also thought the same thing, because she started making way beetwen the crowd.

Ran grabbed her pulse again, not wanting to stay there.

"Let go off me, you shorty!"

"Who are you calling shorty, lizard!? I'm the same height as you!"

"I'm clearly taller than you!"

"Because you're wearing heels!"

They got out of the crowd right when the first firework colored the sky. Both got silent for a little, distracted by the display. It was actually pretty, now that Ran was seeing it.

If Ran was a little more alert, he would have noticed the click of a camera close to them, but the fireworks occupied all of his mind. And Anaak's too, because she also didn't heard a thing.

"Won't you never let go off me?" asked Anaak, breaking the silence a while later.

Ran looked down, realizing that he was still holding her arm. He took his hand back, not before noticing that she was actually really cold.

"You're freezing."

Anaak rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me. Do you want to hand me your coat or something?"

"In your dreams."

"Not even in my dreams I would want to take your coat."

Before Ran could come with another reply, Androssi interrupted them again.

"Anaak, I told you to not disappear out of nowhere, didn't I!? Garam will kill me if I loose you again!"

"You should better go, don't you think? Your nanny is waiting."

Anaak turned to kick him, but Ran was faster and grabbed her leg first. They were now face to face.

"I'll fucking kill you one day."

"Not if I kill you first, lizard."

"You two, I already said to not ignore me!" Androssi punched their heads, dragging Anaak with her again, scolding her for not obeying her orders.

Ran rubbed his sore head. Why was her punch so strong?

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Ran only found AA at the end of the party.

He was at the buffet again, taking a cup that had yogurt with raspberry jam and strawberries on top - at least the desserts were of his liking - when he caught a glimpse of his brother's blue hair.

Ran immediately went after him, the cup in his hand.

AA saw him before he could say anything.

"Ran, I was looking for-"

"I'll kill you."

"I'm sorry for letting you alone. I was- I got distracted with something." He didn't seem to be telling the truth, making Ran even more annoyed. He started eating his yogurt to calm down a little.

Ran only connected the pieces when he saw the black woman from before - the one who made him fall - talking with a brown haired boy. He was probably one of the servers, considering his clothes and the tray under his arm.

But Ran actually knew him, his suspiscions confirmed when he saw the two golden eyes shining in his face.

"I'll think of forgiving you if you buy me yogurt for a week." He started, turning his gaze to AA. " But the next time you replace me with your boyfriend, at least tell me first."

"What are you-" AA turned, seeing Yuri and Baam in the back. He quickly looked at Ran again. " I already told you, he's not my boyfriend!"

Ran only finished his dessert while AA uselessly tried to explain everything at his side.

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Two days after the party, Maschenny was sitting on the sofa of her house, looking at some photos scaterred on the table.

She took the glass of wine close to the photos and elegantly took a sip, a satisfied smile on her face.

It was a good choice to subborn that photographer to follow her little brother around, after all.

The choice of Anaak's daughter, out of all people, was in fact intriguing, but she couldn't help but admit Ran made a really cute pair with her.

She put the photo of the two watching the fireworks display on the table, wondering what she would do with them now. She could actually use these to her advantage... it's a good blackmail material, since her cute little brother wouldn't like having this material divulgated. 

Maschenny finished the wine on her glass, putting it on the table, another smile on her face. "Marco?"

Marco's voice immediately answered her in the back. "Yes, sister?"

"Come here. I have something cute to show you."

Chapter Text

It was past midnight, and Hogwarts was immersed in silence. All that could be heard was the occasional sounds of owls and frogs outside, but given the 10pm curfew, not a single living soul - or ghost - could be seen walking around the corridors. Or at least, that's how it was supposed to be, if a certain girl wasn't deliberately exploring the castle.

With her long ponytail and her signature red ribbon flowing around while she walked, the girl was agile and fast, crossing the corridors just with the light of her wand.

Anyone in Hogwarts could recognize Ha Yuri with a glance, but since there was no one around, she didn't had to worry about that.

The castle had a dark energy at night, and for most it would actually be really creepy; but for Yuri, it was exciting. The sensation of walking around that huge school alone, discovering hidden passageways, rooms that only opened at certain times and endless corridors trigged Yuri to the maximum.

How could she not want to explore such an interesting place!? Everyone told her Hogwarts can be dangerous, especially at night, but what adventure is completely free of risks?

Since they didn't let her do what she wanted during the day, she would just sneak out at night. Yuri do what she pleases either way, and not even the teachers or Zahard himself could stop her. As long as her grandmother doesn't discover anything, she can deal with the consequences.

And it's not like Yuri is so careless that she would get in danger. She keeps her wand slightly hidden, making the light enough only to see a few palms ahead, but still prepared to defend herself if needed; and she's also very attentive of her surroundings.

She wondered where she should go this time. On her last tour, she had taken a look around the second floor, but she accidentally took a passageway that lead her to the fourth floor somehow, so there's still a lot of things to see there.

Having decided, Yuri started her way, using the shortcuts she learned during her previous years at Hogwarts - some teachers had already deducted some points from her house for being late to class, so she had to find a way to get in time.

In ten minutes, she was already at the second floor, wandering around the corridors and checking for any hidden places she didn't saw before. A weird statue caught her attention, and she squatted, approaching her wand to examine the object better.

Yuri was about to search for hidden mechanisms when she heard the sounds of steps coming from a corridor close to where she was. Quickly turning her wand off, she tried to hide close to the statue.

However, she probably made more noise than she thought because the steps suddenly stopped, as if the person was trying to listen something. Yuri's heart rate accelerated, but for her relief, they went in another direction.

Yuri waited for the steps to disappear and came back to what she was previously doing. Who would be wandering around Hogwarts at that time though, aside from her?

She touched what seemed to be the head of the statue, and she instinctively felt something coming at her left. And Yuri's instints are always right.

She turned her wand off again and waited. Something really came from her left, but she didn't reacted in time, and her wand flew out of reach. However had cast that spell was surely good, considering they used a non-verbal spell.

The person finally illuminated the corridor, making Yuri see their identity. And unfortunally, it was the worst person imaginable.

"My, It seems that today is my lucky day." said Maschenny, pointing her wand at Yuri with a victorious smile. 

Out of all people, it had to be her!? Yuri preffered much more to have Mr. Gustang or even Zahard catching her than that sly snake from Slytherin. She still doesn't know how they let her become the prefect, when she's the most blood-thirsty person of the whole school.

"Going out for a trip, Yuri?" The blue-haired woman approached her, her steps echoing in the hallway, and Yuri hated how she seemed to be having so much fun. "I bet your friends will love having some points deducted from Gryffindor, again."

Yuri gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. Oh, how much she wanted to kick that woman in the face right now... was it too risky to get her wand back and transform her into a snake? There was a high chance it wouldn't work though, since she already is a snake.

When Maschenny got even closer, her perfume tickling Yuri's nose (why did she smelled so good?), she lifted her chin with her wand. "Did the cat got your tongue?"

"No, it's just that your ugly face left me sick." Yuri retorted, feeling a hint of satisfaction with Maschenny's reaction, threatening blue sparks dancing on her eyes.

"Look at how you talk with people older than you, your dumb little bitch."

"You're the only bitch in here."

The air became even more tense, Maschenny's wand still on her chin, dangerously pointing at Yuri's throat. But Yuri firmly held her gaze, not willing to retrieve yet.

Messing with Maschenny is like playing with fire, but Yuri simply can't stand having to back off, giving the blue-haired woman the feeling of victory.

Footsteps coming from behind them broke the tension, and Yuri took advantage of the small distraction to get her wand back.

"It looks like I won't even have to take you to one of the teachers." Maschenny said, already with another one of her detestable smiles. "15 points deducted from being awake after the curfew, and more 5 points deducted for giving attitude. How pleasurable to see."

Yuri was in big trouble. She wouldn't only be scolded by the teacher and her friends later, but her House would also loose 20 points, making Gryffindor much behind Slytherin. Yuri was not going to let Maschenny win the House Cup. Absolutely not.

The steps were getting closer and faster while Yuri was quickly trying to analize her options, even though that was never her strong point.

As much as she hates to admit it, Maschenny is stronger than her, also having more experience with spells - she's two years older, after all. So fighting her is no avail, and she won't let Yuri run away. For Merlin's beard, she's fucked.

Yuri leaned against the statue close to them, nervously biting her nail, and a click suddenly echoed in the hall. She felt the statue move, making her loose balance. Yuri grabbed Maschenny's robe in an attempt of not falling back, but Maschenny ended up falling along.

They fell into a hole the size of a door that appeared with the statue's movement, and Yuri felt her head hurt with the impact on the floor, at the same time the hole closed.

Their wands had turned off, leaving them completely in the dark.

"Ugh, my head..." Yuri groaned, taking her hand to her forehead. She couldn't see anything, but Maschenny's breathing indicated she was also there, and quite close. She could also feel her perfume again, making Yuri's head even more dizzy.

Maschenny turned her wand on, lighting up the room a little. 

The blue-haired woman was indeed close to her, more precisely on top of her, and only now Yuri noticed that their legs were touching each other, her hand still holding Maschenny's robe.

She quickly released her grip and tried to not focus on how close their bodies were. She didn't care about it when they were discussing before, so why she's so embarassed about it now?

"Get off me, your old hag." muttered Yuri, trying to keep at least a bit of her composture.

"Did they never taught you how to respect your seniors? The Ha Family is indeed shameful."

"Don't you dare repeat that."

"Who will stop me? You?" Maschenny scoffed, approaching her face until their eyes were centimeters away from each other, her free hand lifiting Yuri's chin.

They stayed like that for some seconds, staring intensely at each other. Again, none of them was willing to back off, but Yuri's accelerated heart beat was making it hard to concentrate, and she didn't like how her head was getting lost in weird and nonsensical thoughts, so she pushed Maschenny back.

"Fuck off." She said sharply, feeling relieved when Maschenny finally got up.

Yuri sat on the floor, turning off her wand while she tried to forget all the awkward things she thought. After her heart calmed down, Yuri started to focus on what was actually important: where were they?

Looking around, she saw they were in a square room, not small but not exactly big either, old mahogany furniture decorating the room: a table close to one of the walls at a side, and a desk and bookcase at the other.

No windows or lamps; a worn out candle with cobwebs was the only things that could provide light to the room, aside from their wands.

If Yuri had known the statue would led her to such a depressing room, she wouldn't have even bothered messing with it in the first place. She turned her head to where the hole originally was, but all she could see now was a rigid grey wall.

The realization that they were stuck in there reached her, and Yuri started to get a little desperate. Would they even be able to get out? What if that "door" never opened again, and they had to stay in this room forever!?

Getting locked in a room with Maschenny was never in her list of wishes. Actually, it was more like a part of her list of nightmares. That woman was a murderer! A blood-thirsty assassin! She would surely kill her if they stayed there for too long, and Yuri could not let that happen.

She got up and saw Maschenny looking around, probably seeking an exit. Yuri joined her in a silent search, but all they found were cobwebs and old books full of dust that were barely readable. And if there's something that discourage Yuri, it's books.

She sat on the table, taking some of the dust off before, and leaned against the wall, swinging her legs with her arms crossed. Maschenny was standing in front of the bookcase, flipping through one of the books with mild interest.

"This is the worst." complained Yuri, with the sulky expression of a child whose parents refused to buy ice cream.

"Shouldn't I be the one complaining?" Maschenny replied. "It wasn't me who led us to this situation, after all."

"It all would have ended fine if you didn't interrupted my exploration."

"Uh, so you say it's my fault." Maschenny raised an eyebrow, not really caring about Yuri's complains.

"Of course it is."

They got quiet again, the only sound coming from the yellowed pages Maschenny was looking at.

Yuri is not good at staying still and quiet, - something that her teachers often reprimand her for - so along with her swinging leg, she occupied herself playing with her nails, currently painted red.

Ten minutes passed, and Yuri started to feel hot. It was almost summer and the room was stuffy, since there were no windows, so she soon started to sweat.

The heat only made her more annoyed, so she took off her robe and her tie, unbuttoning a part of her shirt. Most people would say that it was a shameless act, but Yuri didn't care about that at all right now, just wanting to feel more refreshed.

There was only her and Maschenny in the room after all, and her bra wasn't even appearing. Besides, she was certain that Maschenny wouldn't care about it.

Talking about the blue-haired woman, she seemed much more calm than Yuri thought she would be. But perhaps she was just waiting for Yuri to let her guard down and attack her.

Whatever Yuri tried to say, she didn't look like a murderer now, standing with elegance while flipping the pages, tilting her head sometimes like she was finding actual interesting things in the books.

Yuri rested her head on her hand, seeing her blue hair wave with her movements. If she wasn't Khun Maschenny, one of the most detestable people Yuri knew, she would say she looked pretty cute.

"Did you lost something, Yuri?" Maschenny provoked her, making Yuri snap out of her thoughts (why were those weird things still on her mind?) and look at another direction.

"No, I was just thinking of how annoying you are."

Having looked away, Yuri didn't saw Maschenny intensely stare at the skin exposed by her partially unbuttoned shirt, blue sparks dancing in her eyes again.

More time passed and Yuri was not only bored and still hot, but also thirsty. There wasn't anything to drink and that only made her irritattion worse. When would they get out?

Some rooms in Hogwarts only open at certain times and days, so Yuri was hoping for the "door" to appear again some hours after they entered. There wouldn't be someone stupid enough to create a room that only opened in the outside, right?

Yuri was taking a look at the place again, unable to stay still. She tried to distract herself using some spells to lift some objects and move them around, but it wasn't helping much.

Maschenny was now sat on the floor, in the cleanest area she found. She was still calm, but looked a bit annoyed with something as she tied her hair into a high bun - probably because of the heat.

"Can't you stop messing around for one second?" she asked, directing her bothered gaze to Yuri.

"What do you want me to do?" retorted Yuri, turning to her.

"Stay quiet for once."

"I am quiet."

They stared at each other with annoyance, until a smile appeared on Maschenny's face. Yuri frowned; that expression was never a good sign.

"Let's make a bet then." suggested Maschenny. "If you win, you can keep doing whatever you want and I won't complain about it; but if I win, you'll sit somewhere and stay quiet."

Yuri didn't had much options to start with, and it would be good to see Maschenny shut up at once. Thinking well, she could do whatever she wanted to irritate Maschenny later, and she wouldn't be able to complain.

That sly snake surely had something up on her sleeve, proposing such a suspicious bet, but Yuri gave it a try anyway.

"Sure. What will the bet be about?"

Maschenny's smile almost made Yuri regret her decision, but her pride didn't let her retreat.

"A fight." answered Maschenny, getting up.

"Eh?" Yuri replied dumbly. Was she really asking her to fight!?

"I propose we have a fight. The winner also wins the bet."

Yuri, in simple terms, was completely fucked. How could she win against Maschenny, who's two years older than her!? Sure, they're both considered geniuses at the school, but Maschenny was a whole other level!

She mentally cursed the woman in front of her. She should have asked the details of the bet before agreeing!

When they were both in the right positions, - they had to adapt some things because the room was not really big - Yuri started to review any useful spell that she learned in her classes. At least Maschenny wouldn't kill her, since she would get in a huge trouble for it.

"Since you're younger, I'll let you start." Maschenny said, purely to provoke her.

Yuri gritted her teeth. She knew it was a lost battle from the start, but her pride and competitive spirit were speaking louder than her common sense, as usual, so she prepared to attack.

Her first attack was easily defended by Maschenny, as well as the second and the third, but Yuri also wasn't hit by Maschenny's spells.

The fight was tense but silent, since none of them needed to verbalize their spells. They weren't using anything too distructive to not damage the room, but Yuri soon started to be pushed back.

Maschenny's spells were more powerfull than her defense, so in some minutes she was being pressed against the wall, using Protego to have a slightly opaque shimmery shield in front of her, which was broken one second later.

Yuri was probably weakened a little because of the heat and lack of water, and her head was spinning. She tried to breathe deeply to send some oxygen to her head - a technique she learned during her trainings - but the effect was not immediate.

Maschenny pointed her wand to Yuri's throat, much more closer than she should be. This was the third time they were in this position, and she wasn't dealing with that very well. Her heart was beating really fast, but she blamed the adrenaline for it, a drop of sweat running down her face. 

"Do you give up?"

Yuri wanted to answer, but she felt too confused to elaborate anything. Maschenny's perfume was appealing and the electric sparks on her eyes were passing through Yuri's body, making her unable to get away (did she even wanted to get away in the first place?).

Yuri's gaze went to Maschenny's lips, barely processing any of what was happening. At this point, she was purely following her instincts.

And when Maschenny went even further, pressing their lips together, Yuri only let her.

The taste of her mouth was addicting, and Yuri's mind desesperately asked for more. She wrapped her arms around Maschenny's neck, closing her eyes while savoring that weird but pleasurable sensation.

One of Maschenny's hands was on Yuri's waist and their tongues got involved at some moment, making Yuri's head thrill. She felt like her whole face was burning, from her cheeks to her ears, and the way their legs were rubbing against each other was not helping.

She doesn't know exactly how much time they stayed like that, yet when Maschenny moved away a little, Yuri already wanted to pull her again. But when she slowly opened her eyes, seeing those two blues eyes devouring her, a part of her mind started to work again.

What were they even doing!? For Merlin, they were supposed to be fighting, not-

Her thoughts were interrupted when Maschenny's treacherous fingers played with the buttons of Yuri's shirt, and she let out a chuckle. "It's so cute seeing you flustered."

Yuri didn't know if she wanted to punch her in the face or shut her mouth with another kiss. Her mind was a total mess and she just wanted to hide from Maschenny's teasing look.

She moved away, and even though Yuri missed her touch, she held her mouth shut, ignoring when Maschenny let out another chuckle while seeing her trembly fingers button her shirt.

She was trying to calm down her heart when a very loud noise caught their attention. A hole had opened in the wall, like when they entered the room. The door had appeared again!

Yuri couldn't supress a sigh of relief, putting her tie and robe again.

"But why did it opened now...?" Yuri accidentaly expressed her doubt out loud, momentarily forgetting her embarrassement.

"It opens two hours after someone enters in." Maschenny casually explained, getting out of the room.

"Oh." Yuri followed her, and then stopped at the realization. "Wait, did you know that from the start?"

Maschenny shrugged and smiled. "It was in the books."

That cunning fox, she couldn't trust her even for a second! Yuri was about to scream at her for not saying that before, but Maschenny's expression made her flustered again. When she felt her ears burning, Yuri just wanted to leave the fatest possible.

"Well, I'll see you later."

Yuri didn't respond, just disappearing in the closest corner. She stopped when she was already a little far away, leaning against one of the walls and slowly sliding to the floor.

Burying her head in her hands, Yuri felt her whole face burn like fire. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss, and the mere thought of Maschenny made her want to stick her head in a hole.

Yuri always liked both girls and boys, so that was not a problem. But why it had to be Maschenny, out of all people!? That sneaky woman was the last person in the world she wanted to kiss! Although she kisses very well...

Yuri groaned. Loud.

She's so fucked.

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The next day, during the breakfast, while eating with her friends, Yuri didn't mentioned a thing about what happened. She usually tell them about her tours around the school, for Evan's disapproval, but she stayed quiet about this one.

The Gryffindor's points were the same as the day before, and Maschenny surely had time to tell the teachers about her. But apparently she wanted to keep the whole thing a secret, something that Yuri was really grateful for.

She was getting a toast with jam when she saw Maschenny at the Slytherin table. Before she could look away, their eyes met and Maschenny gave her a teasing smile, making Yuri's cheeks turn pink.

How can this woman be so good at breaking her composture!? Trying to concentrate on her food, Yuri couldn't help but wonder when they could meet again in private. So she could punch her in the face, of course.

Chapter Text

Khun was never a person who slept easily. 6 to 7 hours was enough for him to feel rested enough to start the day, so he used some of his time at night to make and review strategies for the tests his team had to face.

His teammates, especially Baam and Shibisu, already scolded him many times for this habit, but Khun couldn't help it. It was so rare for him to actually sleep more than the usual... the last time that happened was years ago, after the Workshop battle, when they finally got Baam back. It was really good, he had to admit, but he knew it wouldn't happen again.

It's not exactly his fault though; his mother never allowed him to sleep a lot. A waste of time, as she used to say. A precious time that Khun could very well dedicate to help his sister become a Princess of Zahard.

Either way, Khun had always slept after all his teammates, working until the tiredness was too much to handle. Even after he woke up from his coma, this habit continued - actually, Khun was working even harder than before, to compensate his mistake that just made things much more complicated for his team.

Not that anyone needed to know that, of course. Khun will work one hundred times more if it means he won't be a burden to the team like he was during the last two years. He can't even think of how troublesome it was for them at the Last Station, especially for Baam.

However, a certain night changed a little of his habit.

He was working in his Lighthouse, as usual, searching informations that could help in the war. It was almost midnight, but Khun was decided to give his best to help Baam - the very one he left pratically alone during two years. Otherwise, what type of friend he would be?

Khun took his bottle to drink some water - Baam didn't allowed him to drink coffee at night since he discovered it's not good for his health - but it was already empty. With a sigh, he stretched and got out of his Lighthouse, heading to the kitchen.

The ship was way more silent than usual, and he was taking some water when he noticed someone close. They weren't at the kitchen, but he could sense some movement on the living room.

Khun reached to his knife, well hidden in his pants. It's probably just someone who woke up and was going to the bathroom or something, but he likes being ready for any possibility.

Whoever he was expecting to enter, they were certainly not that red-haired guide who recently came back of... somewhere. But there she was, casually entering the kitchen at almost midnight like it was a normal occasion.

"Hwa Ryun... what are you doing here?"

Hwa Ryun stared at him, looking almost bored. Not that Khun could tell, of course; that woman was still a mistery to everyone.

"I'm just going to make my tea. You wouldn't mind that, I hope." She responded, irony running through her voice.

Khun just frowned, coming back to his water. "Just do whatever you want."

Hwa Ryun crossed the kitchen, getting at his side to open a cabinet and take out a little box full of tea bags. Khun watched her carefully, pretending not to care about her presence at all.

She put some water on the stove and leaned against the counter. She probably noticed Khun's look, but remained quiet the whole time. Even acting normal, Khun still thinks she's suspicious. Why would she make tea so late at night?

Besides, he didn't saw Hwa Ryun during the day. She's usually around to help making the plans for Jinsung's rescue, but there was no sign of her today in their meetings or around the ship. They made a quick stop, so she definitely just got out without anyone noticing. Something at least weird.

He asked Baam about it, but he just shrugged and said she would eventually be back. He seems to be used to this, but Khun can't put it aside; Hwa Ryun is FUG, someone who didn't care about using Baam to her own desires, putting him in that awful place. Khun won't let anything like that happen again.

After some internal debates, Khun decided to leave Hwa Ryun there for now. He came back to his Lighthouse, ignoring the red eye following him until he left the kitchen.

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Two days later, the same thing happened.

Khun met Hwa Ryun in the kitchen, but she was already drinking her tea when he arrived, sat on the stool close to the counter.

"Is there any specific reason why you drink tea this time?" Khun asked, trying not to let his intentions obvious.

"It's the most silent time." Hwa Ryun replied.

Khun couldn't disagree; he really enjoyed not having to listen Rak's annoying voice every five minutes. But he still thought that was not the entire reason she was there.

He sat at the other side of the counter, in front of Hwa Ryun. Khun could definitely use this time to take out some informations from her, without being interrupted by other people. He mentally prepared his questions, while Hwa Ryun just silently drank her tea.

"Do you think this mission is going to work?"

He didn't need to say anythig else for her to understand what he meant. 

"My god is taking the path he should. I can't see what will essentially happen, but he won't fail here."

Khun doesn't like the way Hwa Ryun just let things open to the other's interpretations. Is it a guide thing to talk in such mysterious way? That dwarf wasn't like that, but perhaps it's someting characteristic of the Red Witches.

"You still calls him 'my god'." He observed, looking carefully at the red-haired woman.

"Because he is a god." Hwa Ryun said with confidence, like it's something as obvious as the water being clear.

Khun frowned. "He's not anyone's god. He doesn't want to be one, and won't fulfill desires that are not his."

Hwa Ryun shrugged, drinking the rest of her tea. "That's not something for you to decide. And not for me either."

They stayed silent again. Khun can't understand why Hwa Ryun and FUG keeps so desesperately considering Baam their god. There's something more aside from him being an Irregular, and the woman in front of him surely knows that.

Independently, he won't let Baam be controlled by anyone, FUG or Zahard. One time was enough, for all of them.

Their conversation ended there, and Khun came back to his work.

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They met again the next night. Khun wondered how many times this situation would repeat itself.

It was almost 1am, and there was a heavy rain outside. However, this time Khun saw her at the living room, which the team used to talk and relax a little. She was on the couch, looking at the water running down the windows.

"So the tea is not the only reason why you stay awake late."

"You're not wrong." She answered, turning her head to Khun. "I do much more things than people think. My job is frequently requested, and the night is always better for such matters."

That confirmed his suspicious that Hwa Ryun was doing things for FUG when she disappeared out of nowhere. Even though there were people in there on Baam's side, many still wanted to kill him. Khun was right about keeping an eye on her.

"Aren't there many guides in FUG? I heard the Red Witches don't have a good relationship with Zahard and the Ten Great Families." Khun asked, slowly approaching the topic.

"That's right, indeed. We hold a certain grudge against the King, for many different reasons. But even with a good number of guides, my lord still asks for me."

Her lord? It's the first time she mentions someone like that. It's obviously someone above her, with more power than Jinsung or a Slayer. Khun's eyes widened. She couldn't possibly be refering to the Head of FUG, could she?

Khun kept that information in his head. It's unlikely that Hwa Ryun is under direct orders from the leader of FUG, but if it's true, Baam is being watched by someone much more powerful than they could handle.

It was too dangerous to keep asking about that, but Khun didn't fully abandon the topic.

"And you're also requested because you're Baam's guide."

"That's not wrong. Many still don't believe in him, and the elders are especially hard to convince."

It was almost ironic. They worked so hard to keep FUG away from Baam, and now they needed their help to rescue Jinsung. Khun promised himself that when all of that ended, he would drive them away like before.

"You may think that Viole is bothered with this, but he's actually coming closer to accept his destiny." She added, guessing Khun's thoughts.

Khun don't like being so open to someone, but it's not something he can avoid, no matter how much he tries. Not with her, at least.

"And what would his destiny be? To kill Zahard?" He asked, some mockery in his voice.

"A part of it, yes." Hwa Ryun responded calmly, directing her gaze to the rain outside. "But my god's destiny is far ahead of our understanding."

Khun also turned to windows, watching the water drops run down the glass. They remained like that for some minutes, until Khun had to supress a yawn.

"It's better for you to sleep for now." Hwa Ryun looked at him, fun written in her eyes. "My god won't be satisfied seeing you tired at the morning."

Khun rolled his eyes, but went to his room anyway. He had a lot to think about, but he knows his sleep will be necessary before the start of the war, so he decided to let these things for another time.

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Their meetings happened constantly for one week and a half, and Khun was actually getting used to talking with Hwa Ryun after his work. Even though it wouldn't last long because of the war.

They used to talk only about Jinsung's rescue and Baam, but now it's like Khun is getting to know her more. A weird feeling, because she's certainly one of the last people he would choose to get close to.

He could avoid her if he wanted; but Khun still chose to meet her everyday. He was doing this to obtain more information about someone who could be a potencial trouble in the future. He was just trying to secure Baam's safety, and that's all.

A part of Khun's brain, however, was saying other things. He simply decided to ignore it, blaming the growing anxiety in his heart for it - he has a war to worry about, so he can't afford to have such thoughts.

"Khun, is everything okay?"

Baam's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked to the boy at his side, slightly raising his head. It was strange to see how much he changed during those two years; his hair was longer and he looked more mature. But out of all things, Khun still didn't get used to Baam being taller than him.

"It's fine. I was just thinking about something." He answered, giving him a smile.

Khun didn't want to occupy Baam's head with unecessary things, so he didn't tell him anything about Hwa Ryun. A war is enough for him, and for any of his teammates.

Baam was going to ask more, but Rak jumped in the middle, interrupting their talk.

"What are you turtles talking about!? Don't let your leader out!"

"Sorry for that, Rak."

"You wouldn't understang anything even if we tell you, you stupid crocodile." Khun provoked, his arms crossed.

"What did you said, blue turtle!?"

Baam was holding Rak so he wouldn't jump into Khun, who was still teasing him, when the ship finally landed at another stop. They needed to restock some things before the start of the war, after all.

The day passed without any problems, and Khun was working at night again when he realized he hadn't seen Hwa Ryun the whole day. It was like that the other time they landed, but even now she was nowhere to be seen.

The ship was flying again, but he didn't saw Hwa Ryun enter - and neither get out. Did something happened?

That was incessantly going around his head, disturbing his concentration. Still, Khun managed to finish his work earlier than expected: it was about 11pm when he got out of his Lighthouse.

He went directly to the living room, where they were meeting during the past days. But the room was empty and the kitchen's lights were off.

Khun knew he was being foolish, but he sat on couch for a while, staring at the windows while his mind was in a different place. A noise coming from behind made him come back to reality, and Khun turned to see Hwa Ryun walking in his direction, a smile on her face.

He chose to ignore the feeling of relief in his chest, focusing on letting his face the most neutral possible.

"Were you waiting for me? I'm flattered."

"I was not. I just got distracted."

They both knew it was a lie, but Hwa Ryun luckily didn't asked further.

When she passed at Khun's side, he noticed she was limping slightly. It was almost imperceptible, but Khun's trained eyes saw it immediately, making him frown again - he was frowning too much these days, but couldn't help it.

"FUG requested you again." Khun commented. It was not a question, but a statment.

Hwa Ryun didn't deny, sitting at his side on the couch.

"I thought they only used guides to lead them the way." He continued, observing Hwa Ryun.

"Mostly. But guides are not bad fighters either, and sometimes their help is inevitable."

Khun didn't like that at all. He couldn't figure out why, but seeing her like that was really bothering him.

Seeing his expression, Hwa Ryun looked at him, her teasing smile reappearing. "I appreaciate your concern, but there's no need to worry about me."

Khun froze. He felt like his mother caught him stealing a jewel, like it happened sometimes when he was a kid.

He wasn't worried about Hwa Ryun. He doesn't care about what she does or where she goes, as long as it doesn't affect anyone in his team. But even though he kept thinking that, that treacherous little voice was saying the contrary. And deep down, Khun knows that this little voice was right.

Khun heard Hwa Ryun chuckle at his side and he looked away. Hearing her laugh is an extremely rare thing, principally in such a genuine way, and it made his heart skip a beat. Why is he even feeling this way? Something like that doesn't happen since... since Maria.

Eyes wide in realization, he almost didn't registrated Hwa Ryun saying something and leaving the room.

Khun tried to assimilate everything. He isn't supposed to feel... this. 

When he became an outcast of the Khun Family, he promised to himself he wouldn't let this type of things assume his head again. But now, Khun isn't sure of what to do. What does he even feels for Hwa Ryun, to start with?

She could be different from the rest, but considering his feelings as love might be too reckless. The last time, when he just let his guard down, when he trusted Maria, he ended up alone.

His mother's voice echoed in his mind once again. He doesn't hear her often now, like the times he was at the Floor of Tests; but she still comes back sometimes, her strong and imponent voice resonating in his head.

Don't trust anyone, Aguero.

Khun clenched his fist. He won't make the same mistake twice.

Making his best to put everything aside, since their mission would start tomorrow, he went to his room. He can't let those nonsensical feelings disturb everything.

He layed on his bed while trying his best to fall asleep. His dreams were filled with the red-haired woman, but he still managed to sleep fine.

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The next day, when Khun gathered with the others, his eyes met with Hwa Ryun's while he reviewed some things with the team.

Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, letting her face more apparent. An intrusive voice in his head teasingly said she looked pretty - more than she usually was - and Khun couldn't help but compare her to a bright and shiny ruby, like the types he would safely keep in the jewel box he had as a child.

it was necessary all of his control to not blush in the slightest, focusing on pointing some details of the plan for his teammates.

Hwa Ryun did notice something though, because she couldn't avoid a little smile, different from the ones he saw in her face before.

Maybe, just maybe, Khun could give this feeling in his heart a chance. He had a strong impression that it would be different from Maria, so perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give it try.

When they finished everything, Khun waited for Hwa Ryun at the door, making Baam and the others go ahead. When the red-haired woman passed through him, they exchanged smiles.

As Khun walked by her side, his mother's voice, along with Maria's, slowly faded again.

Chapter Text

The Zahard Empire is the most famous entertainment and modeling company in Korea, also recognized worldwide. The Princesses of Zahard, a group made of selected young woman, are definitely the center of people's attention, but anyone who works at the company is admired and recognized in some way.

That's why Quant is very proud for working at the Zahard Empire. He's part of the recording section, so he's not someone who people really care about, but he still has some status. And the company pays really well.

Quant's job is, in theory, to help recording and taking photos of the Princesses and the others models of the company. He sometimes help with documentaries too. But in reality, most of his time is spend making coffee for his superior, Hansung. Even though he'll never admit it.

Hansung is actually not the chief of his departament, but since Evankhell is not someone who can be... controlled, he ends up being the responsible for her job. So Quant has no choice but to obey him, making his instant coffee around four times a day.

So when Lero Ro, his long time coworker and best friend, came to him saying they had to travel to help recording a documentary, Quant got really excited with it.

"Is it for real!?" He asked for the fifth time, leaning on Lero Ro's chair.

"It won't be if you keep screaming like that." answered Lero Ro, looking around while apologizing to their coworkers, who seemed bothered.

Quant knows he's being too loud, but he absolutely doesn't care about that now. He won't have to make Hansung's coffee for five days straight!

"Hansung will let you here if you keep behaving like that."

Lero Ro's reprimand made Quant stop almost immediately, and shortly after Hansung called them.

Quant never liked his superior's choices of decorations, which were just slightly better than his taste for coffee. The weird pictures on the walls always let the dark-skinned man uncomfortable, so he focused on looking at Hansung while standing at Lero Ro's side, a little behind him.

Hansung was camly drinking his instant coffee, and the silence on the room was making Quant anxious. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to finish his drink.

"I suppose you two already know about your travel." Hansung started, looking at them cautiously. "I just wanted to remind you two that this is not for your entertainment; you're going there to work, so watch out for your conducts. I don't want to receive any claims because of my subordinates."

"We won't cause any trouble, mr. Hansung." answered Lero Ro, looking sideways at Quant.

Quant raised an eyebrow, not understanding why he was directing that look to him. The yellow-haired man watched amusedly their interactions from the other side of his table.

"Well, I hope you two have at least some fun there." Hansung emphasized the word "fun", and Quant just wondered what the hell he could mean by that.

Besides, he was looking at them with a weird smile on his face, like he knew a very interesting secret. Quant doesn't like that expression, that appears on Hansung's face quite often - and only when he's talking with him and Lero Ro.

"We hope so." Lero Ro responded again. Quant is used with him talking for them both, so he didn't really care. 

"That was all I had to say. Also, Quant, " Hansung added, when they were getting out of his room. "you stay here. I have something else for you."

Quant audibly gulped, discreetely turning to Lero Ro. His coworker just gave him an apologetic look and got out, softly closing the door.

"I see that you two still have a good relationship." Hansung commented.

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Let's see... your personalities are very different. It's actually intriguing how well you two get along."

"We've know each other for a long time, I guess."

Lero Ro and him met while they were still on highschool, and have been friends since then - something the teachers really liked, since Quant would finally have someone to hold him from breaking stuff and getting into trouble.

Either way, Hansung's smile grew even bigger, making Quant get really concerned. He decided to end this conversation the fastest he can, in any case.

"But what did you want to tell me again?"

"Oh, I need more coffee."

Quant would've preferred to break Hansung's cup - and the man's face with it - but for his sake, he prepared his superior's instant coffee again. Why can't he make his own coffee, goddamnit!?

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They travelled two days after that, and Quant was looking excitedly at the airplane window as they flew. He had never been on a plane before, so it was being a very cool experience - even more because the company was paying for everything, including their hotel stay and food. Despite what Hansung said, Quant felt like he was on vacation.

It didn't took long for them to arrive, and Lero Ro quickly went to do the check-in while Quant took a look around the place. Before going to their rooms, they had to talk with the people from the company that were there.

While they were walking towards the place they had agreed to meet with the others, Lero Ro was explaining some things to Quant, even though he didn't really paid attention to any of it. The only part that he essentially heard was that the documentary they were going to help is from both the Zahard Empire and Wolhaiksong.

Wolhaiksong is an American film company, also recognized worldwide. Most of it's popularity comes from Urek Mazino, a renamed actor and rapper. Quant got really excited upon meeting a celebrity like him, but his expectations were reduced to zero when Lero Ro said it was unlikely that he would be there. He should have expected that, but he was still disappointed when they arrived at their destination.

"Oh, you two must be the ones from the Zahard Empire, right?" A voice greeted them, coming from a man with black hair and grey eyes, wearing a dark formal suit.

"Yes, I'm Lero Ro and this is Quant." Lero Ro introduced them, shaking the man's hand.

"I'm Yuje, and I'm here as a representative from Wolhaiksong. Thank you for coming here to help."

Yuje was really polite, not really the type that Quant likes. Not bad, but still disappointing. He was expecting something else, considering people talk so much about Urek Mazino, like he's some type of superhero or something.

Lero Ro was about to say something when another voice came from behind Yuje, shouting his name. The man sighed, looking at them with an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that. You see, I was very opposed to bring him here, but he convinced the boss."

Quant was going to ask who he was referring to, but his question was answered almost immediately when a muscular man came towards them, followed by a shorter man with blue hair, walking slower because he was completely focused on whatever he was doing on his phone.

"Yuje, where was my- oh, new babies!" The one in the front noticed them just a little after. He was shirtless and had a backwards cap. Quant didn't even need to look at the tattoo on his back to know his identity: Urek Mazino.

Lero Ro was as shocked as him, but still had the decency to not stay with his mouth agape like Quant, who had to hold himself to not scream the man's name.

"I'm Mazino, even though you probably know me already." He greeted them, then pointing at the blue-haired man behind him. "This is Hachuling, and you already met Yuje."

After all the introductions were made, Yuje explained to them that they would start the recordings tomorrow, so they could take the rest of the day to explore the city. It looked even more like a summer trip now.

Quant managed to get a good impression of Urek, despite his... reckless manners. The way he just walked around shirtless was still really strange for him - and although Lero Ro didn't say anything, he certainly thought the same. But a celebrity is still a celebrity, so at the end of the day Quant even got his autograph.

"I'm going to hang this in my room." He said to Lero Ro as they walked back to the hotel.

"At least try to look a bit less... surprised the next time."

"Why did you want me to do? It's Urek Mazino!"

"I know who he is, Quant. But you're not a turist. You work at the Zahard Empire, and they won't have a good impression if you keep behaving like that. You remeber what mr. Hansung said, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

Lero Ro sighed. "You work at the most famous entertainment company in South Korea. Aren't you supposed to be a little used to things like that?"

"All I do is prepare instant coffee the whole day. It's not like I meet celebrities on a daily basis, y'know." Quant retorted.

They got the keys at the reception. There was only one room reserved for them, but none of the two cared about sharing one - they used to be roommates during their school times, after all.

Their room was on the 6th floor, and it was very spacious. Yuje had invited them for a dinner with everyone that was going to participate of the recordings, so they took turns showering and getting ready, only arriving on time because Lero Ro kept rushing Quant, who spend an eternity on the shower.

There were more people than Quant though, and he could recognize some famous people around. His job really escalated quickly, he thought why directing his gaze to where Urek was, making his mouth drop for the second time. The woman talking to him was Ha Yuri, wasn't it!?

The black hair tied with a red ribbon is her signature, and Quant already saw her multiple times on his phone. Despite working at the Zahard Empire, he never really met any of the Princesses. Getting away from Hansung is surely giving him luck!

"Hey, Lero Ro!" Quant called the man at his side, poking him. "It's Ha Yuri!"

Lero Ro turned his head faster than Quant thought, his eyes open wide. "Where?"

Quant pointed at where the two celebrities were, and he felt that his coworker was a little too shocked. Did that woman really let him more surprised than Urek Mazino?

Talking about that man, he spotted them just some seconds after Quant spoke, and waved at them. Yuri also turned at them, and she just looked shocked. She just came into their direction, with a confused Urek following her.

"Yuri-" Lero Ro started, but got interrupted by a soft kick from the black-haired woman - a "soft kick" for her standards, of course, because it definitely seemed to hurt.

"I haven't seen you in like 8 years or something and you don't even care to text me saying you would he here!?"

Lero Ro put his hands up in a sign of surrender, while Yuri looked at him with her arms crossed, an annoying expression on her face. Urek and Quant just silently watched the scene unfolds, the latter definitely more shocked.

"I didn't know you would be here!" Lero Ro explained. He looked a little embarrassed with the situation, since most people had turned to them to see what was happening.

"I don't believe that."

"Yuri, did I ever lied to you?"

They stared at each for some more time, and Yuri seemed to accept Lero Ro's explanation. She then just hugged him, and her mood changed so fast that Quant had to rub his eyes to check if he wasn't seeing something wrong.

"I have a lot to tell you! C'mon!" She said, grabbing Lero Ro's pulse and pulling him to somewhere else, barely caring about the reactions of the people around them.

"Y.. Yuri, just wait a second-" Lero Ro was cut by Yuri, but Quant didn't heard what she said - she was surely fast.

The dark-skinned man looked at Urek, who just shrugged.

"Yuri has always been like that. I had no idea they knew each other, though."

The crowd eventually dispersed, but they were still talking about whatever had just happened. Quant only knew that he was going to kill Lero Ro for not mentioning, not even once, that he knew a celebrity like Ha Yuri.

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"You could have said you knew her, y'know!" Shouted Quant to the yellow-haired man at his side of the taxi.

They were going back to the hotel, the dinner - which was more like a party - having already ended. Quant only got to talk with Lero Ro now, since he stayed with Yuri most of the time.

"I already said sorry for that." Lero Ro said, rubbing his forehead. "I studied with her when we were kids, but I hadn't seen her since that time, so I thought it wasn't worth mentioning-"

"You knew a celebrity and never thought it was worth mentioning!?"

Lero Ro only sighed, looking at the driver in the front seat, definitely a bit worried with their talk. When they arrived at the hotel, Lero Ro gave him a tip.

Quant was still irritated with him when they got into their room, and Lero Ro froze at the door.

"What is it?" Quant asked, sitting on the bed to take his shoes off.

"Quant, there's only one bed." He carefully said.

"Eh? Of course not, there's-"

Quant looked around, going to point at the other bed, but there was none. The bed he was sitting on was the only one in the room. It's certainly a mistake, but he's not sure if he should blame the hotel or whoever made their reservation.

"The room service is not available now." Lero Ro said, closing the door. "It's past midnight already. Do you mind sharing?"

Quant would have thought more about that, but he was feeling too tired to discuss now. He yawned, shrugging as a response.

A while later, as Quant was lying in bed - at his side of the bed - he regretted his decision a little. He honestly doesn't mind sharing a bed with Lero Ro, but it makes him feel a little weird, for whatever reason. Either way, he eventually fell asleep and actually managed to sleep really well.

The next day they started the recordings. Yuri would be a part of it, as well as some other Princesses and Urek Mazino - he was there only because of the deal made between the companies - so Quant had even more chances of meeting more celebrities.

Aside from Yuri, Androssi, Anaak Jr. and Garam were there too, and Quant intended on getting more autographs now, especially because he was an actual big fan of Androssi.

The irritation he felt with Lero Ro the last night had already disappeared, and the recordings went smoothly. He just felt a little annoyed with Yuri and Lero Ro casually gossiping in the back. He's not sure why, but he doesn't like it.

And unfortunately for Quant, it stayed like that for almost the whole travel. They would go back the next day and Lero Ro was still passing a considerable time with Yuri. Urek could be seen with them sometimes, but most of the time they were talking alone.

It didn't take long for rumors to spread around, and there were already some people talking about Yuri "secretly dating" a yellow-haired man.

Lero Ro kept insisting to everyone they didn't have anything and were just old friends, but even Quant didn't know what to believe now. He just knows that he's feeling more irritated than usual, and the fact that he just passes most of the time with Urek sobbing at his side because Garam rejected him again is not helping either.

At their last night, Quant was pratically pissed, and he's not even sure why. The way Yuri keeps so close to Lero Ro when they're together just makes him angry, and Quant doesn't know how to control his anger. He really needs to break something or he'll go crazy. At least, that's what he was thinking when Lero Ro entered the room, looking tired.

It was later than usual, and Quant didn't have a doubt that Lero Ro was with Yuri. The yellow-haired man saw his scowl and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong? Did mr. Hansung called you?"

"No." He answered shortly, because he's also terrible at hiding his feelings - especially with Lero Ro, who obviously noticed his bad mood immediately.

But he didn't asked further, and a while later they were both on their shared bed. Quant had the same expression from before, and he knows Lero Ro is waiting for him to say what's letting him like that, since that's always what happens. But the dark-skinned man was decided to stay silent this time, so the room was really quiet.

Quant's stubbornness only last ten minutes.

"Ro?" He called.

"Hm?"

"Do you and Yuri have something?"

Quant didn't want to ask exactly that, but he always say things before thinking about them first. Lero Ro only stared at him with surprise.

"No, we're just friends. I know it seems weird, but she always dragged me around like that." He explained. The silence continued, and Lero Ro seemed to consider something. Then he just sighed and added. "Also, I don't like girls. Romantically."

Quant's mind almost collapsed with that. Or it actually did, he couldn't really tell. He just looked at the man at his side, and a part of him was just relived that there was nothing between Lero and Yuri; but the other part was asking why he was feeling like that. And that's when the realization fell on him.

He thanked the gods for his dark skin, which would make it hard for Lero Ro to notice the red on his face, and everything looked really weird. They had slept together for four nights straight, but now Quant is not sure if he can easily fall asleep at this man's side.

Quant's mind was racing a mile a minute and he just made an impulsive decision, as usual. He grabbed Lero Ro's shirt and pulled him for a kiss.

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The next day, Quant woke up confused. He sat on the bed and yawned, stretching as he looked around. At first he didn't remember anything that happened last night, but the memories slowly came back to him.

The dark-skinned man looked at Lero Ro, still sleeping. He wasn't wearing a shirt, was he?

Quant carefully looked inside the sheet that was covering them, only to find out they were both naked. A big mirror in their room also showed him red marks all over his neck.

Quant blinked to his reflection. Then his face burned like fire, and he buried his head on his hands. Things really escalated fast for him.

Chapter Text

Karaka is not the biggest fan of flowers, and he's also not good at interacting with other people - why would he, if he can stays in his room all day, watching the news and playing his guitar?

He doesn't like flower shops yet he was at one, sat behind the counter as he waited for a client to come in. Karaka asked himself why did he even agree with this whole thing, to start with.

Jinsung, his... almost adoptive father, insisted on taking him out of his room to help Viole at the shop. Viole is Jinsung's actual adoptive son, but that doesn't mean Karaka has to be nice with him and help the flower shop he owns because he likes it - Jinsung is already rich, so why would they need more money?

Still, Karaka couldn't deny his request, and now he's at this situation. At least the shop has an air conditioning and the wifi is not bad, so he can distract himself with his phone.

The shop is sometimes busy, but today it's very quiet, for his relief. According to Hwa Ryun, Viole is out doing something, so Karaka would have to talk with the customers. Again, he's not a social person.

He rested his head on one of his hands, using the other to scroll through his phone. Not really paying attention on what he was seeing, Karaka's thoughts started to go somewhere else, his fingers playing with the red earring hanging on his ear - an old habit of his, according to Jinsung.

Karaka was thinking if he should ask for a payment when the little bell at the entrance rang, indicating he had a client to attend. With a sigh, he raised his head.

He saw a tall woman with a long black hair tied in a ponytail, followed by a very small man with silver hair. Something tickled his mind; those two actually look familiar...

Karaka shrugged it off and was about to say something like "welcome", but the woman's loud voice interrupted him before he even managed to open his mouth.

"Ah, this is better! It's so hot outside, isn't it, Evan?"

"It certainly is." Answered the man at his side, Evan, who was looking around until he saw Karaka staring at them. "Ah, good morning. We're looking for Baam, is he not here today?"

With Evan's words, the woman also looked at the counter, some curiosity in her eyes. Indeed, Karaka thought he had already seen those red eyes before, though he's not so sure. He turned to Evan to answer his question.

"He had some business to do. I'm in charge of the shop today."

"Ah, is that so? Well, we need flowers anyway-"

"Eh, he's out?" Complained the woman, interrupting Evan and looking a little annoyed as she crossed her arms. "He's always around..."

Before the ruby eyes, which almost demanded a more elaborated response, Karaka just shrugged. "I'm not sure about the details either."

Karaka stayed silent for a bit more, thinking if he should offer his help. Viole obviously knew these two, and considering they called him "Baam" - a nickname his friends usually used - they were probably close. He shouldn't be so rash; if Viole gets upset, he'll definitely suffer from Jinsung's wrath.

"Can I help with something?" He asked, trying to sound at least a bit friendly. They should have put Xia Xia in his place, she's way better at interacting with others and a really smart seller. Karaka mentally decided he would pay her for doing his job the next time.

"That would be good actually." Evan answered, then explaining they needed flowers for a photoshoot, handing out a list with some flowers's names.

Karaka took it without saying a word and got up to get what they needed. He doesn't understand why those modeling companies use actual flowers, - aren't the fake ones cheaper? - but he silently started doing his job.

He was picking up some peonies when he saw the black-haired woman staring at him with a raised eyebrow, her arms crossed while she leaned against one of the flower shelves.

Karaka frowned slightly, bothered by her gaze. He remained silent, trying to ignore her and concentrating in his task. He would've preferred they remained like that, but the woman started talking.

"I never saw you around here."

"I don't usually take care of the shop."

Karaka moved to get the next flowers on the list, and for his discontent, she followed him.

"Are you friends with Baam?"

"Not quite."

Karaka could have elaborated more on that, but he was responding shortly, trying to end the conversation the fastest possible. Yet the woman kept talking, either because she didn't notice that or because she simply wanted to irritate him.

"What's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to."

Karaka just got some carnations that had a light shade of red and went back to counter. The woman followed him again, definitely a little annoyed.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question."

"I did."

"You can't answer a question with another question."

Seeing that Karaka still wasn't willing to tell his name, she leaned on the counter, resting her head on her hand. She opened an encouraging smile in an attempt to convince him to speak, the red ribbon in her hair swinging.

"I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours." She instigated, sounding convinced he would answer this time.

Karaka only remained quiet, feeling more uncomfortable than anything. Why would he even want to know her name? He's good on his own.

The woman pouted, a mix of disappointment and annoyance on her face. But it was all quickly substituted by obstinacy, and Karaka wondered if he should be worried about why someone was so determined to discover his name.

Evan appeared right when she was going to ask something again. Karaka mentally thanked him for that, and after the payment was done, Evan explained there would be some people to pick up all the flowers later.

Karaka nodded and reserved everything for them, pretending not to see the woman's glare as they got out of the shop.

It was only after the bell rang with their exit that Karaka allowed himself to sigh in relief. He came back to his phone, trying his best to let that woman out of his head. She was weird, and he was sure he had already seen her face somewhere...

Karaka was scrolling without thinking before, so he didn't remember seeing the photo in front of him, with some models from Zahard's company - he never refers to him as his father, even in his mind - posing to the camera. Actually, they were the most famous model group now, The Princesses, and Karaka's eyes widened when he recognized the woman with black hair.

Oh, he had just met a celebrity, hadn't he? And Ha Yuri, out of all people... well, that explains why she looked so pretty.

He heard Baam talk a lot about her, and if he recalls correctly, she's also Jinsung's nephew, so he should have recognized her. But in his defense, he only follows the news about things he have an interest about; and fashion is not something that attracts him at all - too much unnecessary drama.

But all of that just brought another question for Karaka: why would a model like that woman be so interested in him?

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Yuri was really bothered. She and Evan went to get some flowers for a photoshoot - the company could send some employees to do that, but Yuri prefers doing it herself to see Baam's cute little face - and nothing went like she expected.

She already got a little irritated when she discovered he was not there, and the yellow-haired guy who attended them just made it worse.

It was already weird that he didn't recognized her at all. If he did, he hid it very well, and even refused telling her his name!

Yuri doesn't expect for everyone to react like her fans; but she's really famous, and it isn't a normal occurance when someone just treats her like a normal person walking around. That actually attracted her attention though, and her curiosity only grew when he kept avoiding her.

That man may be a little strange and bothersome, but he's certainly interesting. Besides, he's handsome. 

Yuri particularly likes cute guys, but it's not everyday that she sees someone with a hair like that, falling like a golden waterfall over his shoulders. The earrings and accessories he wore were also a little peculiar, so she couldn't help but follow him around. However, contrary to her expectations, he practically ignored her! Her, Ha Yuri!

"In what are you thinking?" Evan asked at her side.

They were in front of the company's building, and Yuri had a scowl on her face while thinking about that man. She shook her head and put her hands on her waist, determined.

Well, if he didn't want to tell his name, she would just ask Baam about it. Because it's simply unacceptable for someone to treat her like that! And Yuri always finds a way to get what she wants.

"Nothing, shorty. Let's go."

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The next day, Karaka was playing his electric guitar, concentrated on the sounds on his headphone, when he heard a noise on his door. He knows it's Viole just by the way he softly knocks on it. He stopped playing, using that moment to adjust some things.

"What is it?" Karaka asked, not taking his eyes off his red guitar.

"Could you help with the shop today again?" Viole's voice came from behind the door, finally making the blonde look at his direction.

"I don't need you to attend, just help me organize some new flowers." He quickly added, certainly expecting him to say no. "I don't know where Hwa Ryun is and the shop always get busy at fridays. Please?"

Karaka wanted to deny, but he only sighed and answered he would be out in ten minutes.

"Thank you!" Viole's happy voice made it impossible to go back on his decision.

Taking off his headphones and putting the guitar aside, Karaka started to prepare his things. He told himself he was doing that for Jinsung, but it didn't help his mood in the slightest. At least he doesn't need to talk with other people.

Karaka had to drive them to the shop, and his attentive gaze noticed Viole seemed a little anxious. He only gets like that when he's hiding something - he's terrible at lying, and the best he can do is omit one thing or another. Karaka frowned, but stayed quiet.

A while after, Viole opened the shop and Karaka started to help him organize some things on the shelfies. There actually wasn't much, so he would finish it before he expected.

Although it was still morning, clients were already getting in and out. Karaka had just taken a box full of camellias when he heard two very familiar voices, precisely the same ones he heard yesterday.

"How is my favorite cutie doing?"

"Lady Yuri, please be a little quieter, we're in public..."

Turning his head to look at the counter, he saw Yuri and Evan standing in front of Viole, who appeared to be happy with their entrance. Karaka did not wanted to be interrogated again, so he quickly came back to his task, intending to put those flowers in their place and go back to the storage, staying there until they get out.

Karaka was placing the last flower on the shelf when he felt something softly grab the hem of his shirt, pulling it slightly. He looked down and his eyes met the brown ones of a child, who stared at him with curiosity. It was a little girl with short brown hair and a typical schoolgirl uniform.

Karaka tilted his head to the side, confused. She released her grip, putting her hands in the pocket of her pink backpack and taking out a small chocolate candy. She put the candy on her palm and offered it to him.

"H...hm, I'm Miseng." She started a little hesitant and shy. "I'm sorry if this bothers you, but I thought you really looked like a prince, so I wanted to give you some candy."

It took some seconds for him to understand what she meant. Karaka is not good with kids, so he didn't know how to react. He never expected a kid to approach him like that, much less call him a prince.

He carefully picked the candy Miseng offered him.

"Hm... thank you for that." Karaka muttered, still unsure of what to do.

"You're welcome, mr. prince!" The girl said with a smile.

A voice came behind them right at that time, belonging to an older girl with brown hair tied in a ponytail and glasses that covered most of her face.

"Miseng! What did I told you about handing out candies to other people!? Also, don't run away like that!"

'Shouldn't you warn her about not accepting candies from others?' Karaka thought, seeing her take the girl's hand.

"I'm sorry for that." She said, bowing slightly.

"Don't worry about it." Karaka answered, standing there awkwardly.

When the girls moved away, Karaka looked at the candy on his hand. It was a chocolate caramel flavor, one that he particularly likes. But he didn't even got to think about that when another voice just made him freeze on the spot.

"You don't talk much, but fascinates people like a charming prince."

Karaka completely forgot about his plan of hiding staying in the storage, so he turned to face Yuri looking at him with her arms crossed and a grin. He looked away in awkwardness, staring at a fixed point over Yuri's right shoulder. He saw Viole and Evan still talking, but the woman in front of him called for his attention again.

"Hey, don't think you can avoid me, Karaka. Or should I call you mr. prince from now on?"

"Karaka is fine." Karaka answered, still not looking her in the eyes, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. He remembers he didn't tell her his name, so Viole certainly told her - if by his own will or forced to do it he couldn't tell.

"You can call me Yuri then." She winked at him, and Karaka was unsure of how to feel. He fought the urge to run away, still refusing to look at her directly.

"Are you free tomorrow?" She asked out of the blue.

Caught off guard, Karaka took some moments to process what he heard. His increasing internal panic made him answer without thinking. "Yes."

The black-haired woman opened a bigger smile. "Great! You know, there's a movie I really want to see. Could you meet me at the movie theater at night?"

"Sure." He responded automatically again, immediately regretting his answer. But he couldn't go back now.

"Lady Yuri, we need to go!" Evan's voice called her in the background.

"I'm coming!" Yuri turned to answer his question, quickly looking at Karaka again. "Baam will pass my contact to you. See you tomorrow, mr.prince~!"

As Yuri got out of the shop, Karaka just stayed still, his brain barely managing to process the sequence of events that had just happened. His whole face burned like fire. God, he just wants to hide in the closest hole right now.

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Karaka found himself nervously standing at the entrance of the movie theater the next night. Viole indeed passed her number to him and she send him the hour and place they would meet.

He tried to think of that as a simple friendly hangout, trying to distract himself while scrolling through his phone.

Karaka had taken some red roses from Viole's shop, not wanting to meet Yuri empty-handed. After all, people usually give gifts in those type of encounters, right? 'Even though it's not a romantic date...' Karaka thought, choosing to believe in that to calm his nervousness.

It was quite cold, but he barely cared about the breeze on his face - his black leather jacket also helped with that. He was actually a little insecure about his clothes, because he has no idea of what you're supposed to wear in things like that. Viole had nodded in approvement, but can he really trust in his judgement?

"Hey!" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked at Yuri approaching him.

She was wearing black pants, short boots with heels and a high neck shirt, plus a red blouse covering her. Karaka felt the burning sensation on his face come back again; it was only the start of their date and he was already a blushing mess. Great going, Karaka.

He awkwardly gave her the little bouquet he brought, and Yuri's widened when she saw all the roses. Her cheeks turned pink, and she opened a genuine smile as she got the bouquet, making Karaka's heart skip a beat.

"Eh, even bringing roses to me... you're really a charming prince." She teased him, making Karaka shift his eyes to somewhere else, embarrassed. Yuri laughed at his reaction, and they entered the place.

The rest of the night went smoothly, and even though Karaka is not much of a movie person, he actually enjoyed watching one with Yuri.

When they got out the weather was even colder than before, so Karaka put his hands in the pockets of his jacket to prevent them from freezing. He turned to Yuri, who was holding the bouquet he gave her.

"Thank you for this night." She said, smiling at him again.

"I should be the one to thank you." Karaka hesitantly mumbled, not knowing if the blush on his face was from the cold or something else. Yuri laughed again.

A sudden idea came across Karaka's mind, and he wondered if it was worth trying. He realized it wouldn't hurt to ask, so he looked at the woman on his side again.

"Do you want a ride?"

Yuri looked up from her phone, seeming delighted by the invite.

"Sure."

Karaka lead her to his red motorcycle, - he got it as a birthday gift from Jinsung, because again, he's rich - glancing at Yuri's surprised reaction.

Karaka took her to her house, doing his best to ignore the hands involving him, her head slightly resting on his back. When they arrived, Yuri got out, momentarily staying at his side.

"Thank you for the ride." She thanked him it with a teasing smiling, making Karaka think she still had something else on her mind.

"You're welcome-" He started to say, but got interrupted by the soft press of Yuri's lips against his.

Karaka's mind just stopped and he froze. It was a very brief kiss, and before he even had the chance to process what was happening, Yuri was already moving away in the house's direction.

"See you next week, Karaka!"

As Yuri got into her house, Karaka just stayed on his motorcycle, trying to force his brain to work. He drove until he was out of the house's sight and stopped at the first place he saw, taking some moments to put himself together.

Everything in the last two days just happened so fast... it was a weird sequence of events, but Karaka thinks that it might have been good, after all.

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 ° :*. Bonus scene :*.° 

"Come again!?" shouted Wangnan's voice, directing his perplexed and indignant gaze to his older brother, who was sat on the floor fixing something on his electric guitar.

"You heard me the first time." Karaka said, trying to avoid looking at the yellow-haired boy in front of him.

"There's absolutely no way you got a girlfriend before me!"

"We're not dating yet-"

"Yet!" Wangnan interrupted him, sounding almost betrayed. Karaka rolled his eyes. "She's a literal celebrity, and she kissed you! This is unacceptable!"

"You're being too exaggerated."

Wangnan ignored him, continuing to complain about his older brother's love life. Karaka only sighed, testing the strings in his guitar.

Chapter Text

Rachel always wanted to be someone famous.

She desired to be one of those celebrities that appeared on the TV, being revered and recognized by everyone. Beauty, money, pretty clothes and fans that would never get tired of her - what else could she ever ask for?

But Rachel was never destinated to be someone like that, someone important. She's just another ordinary person, who belongs to the common people that watch their idols from below.

That, she learned, was Baam's destiny, not hers. He would get everything she ever wished for, without even having asked for it, and shine in the spotlights in a much higher place - one that she couldn't even reach, with people she would never have.

The world is unfair; the ones who are most eager for something will never achieve their goals, while others will receive all the blessings, despite not having done anything to deserve it. It was a matter of pure luck and she hates that, but she's slowly learning to accept it.

Rachel isn't and will never be famous, but at least she can stay close to the stage, helping behind the scenes. It's better than nothing, and it makes her think she's not a complete failure, after all.

"Rachel, is something bothering you?"

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she raised her head to look at Yura's face, watching her through the mirror with some preocupation. Rachel made her best to open a smile.

"Not at all. I just had something on my mind."

It's not entirely a lie, and even if it was, Rachel wouldn't care; this is not the first time she uses a smiling face to mask a lie, and won't be the last either. Lying helped her survive and get her to where she is now, so she'll stick with this habit.

Yura's worried face was replaced by a smile, and she changed her attention to the person currently doing her makeup. Rachel still doesn't understand her sudden questions, confused of why someone would care about her.

Baam cared, Rachel reflected as she made herself useful by helping to prepare some things for Yura's show. She enjoyed the way Baam treated her, almost as a superior being, a salvation... although it got tiring to deal with it, and he quickly found something else to hold on, making Rachel understand that he never actually needed her - she was the one who needed him.

Yura seems to care too. But differently from Baam, Rachel is not sure how to deal with it. The vague feeling of joy and pride she felt with him weren't there anymore, and she's only left confused and disconcerted. Besides, Baam was a nobody while Yura is a celebrity.

As soon as Rachel had finished her task, Yura called her.

"Rachel, what do you think?"

She had turned her chair in Rachel's direction, allowing her to see the makeup done. Yura is also asking her opinion more frequently now, but Rachel decided to let this observation for another time, lost in the beauty of the woman in front of her.

Her blue hair was tied in an elegant bun, one lock of hair falling at each side of her face. She took some seconds more on her light blue eyes, highlighted by the makeup. Rachel always had the impression that Yura is shining, stars sparkling around her - much like she wanted to be.

A twinge of envy hit her and she desperately wished to be on her place, to be her. She swallowed that feeling, trying to push it down the best she could.

"You're as pretty as always." She said, hiding everything behind her classic smile. "The makeup really fits you."

Yura accepted her compliment easily, not even noticing Rachel clenching her fists slightly and releasing them two seconds later. She asked for Rachel's company until the start of her show, as usual, so both girls sat together on the couch of another room.

The blue-haired singer didn't look anxious at all; actually, she seemed more relaxed than anything. Rachel had asked her once how could she remain so composed and calm before her presentations, and still hadn't forgot her answer.

"Yura?" She called, looking at the woman on her side.

"Yes?"

"How can you stay so calm before your shows? Don't you get nervous at all?"

"I do, actually. I got more used to it with the time, but I still fell anxious whenever I have a show." She opened a smile before continuing to speak. "But since your company always calms me down, this feeling is much more bearable."

Rachel rested her head against a pillow, closing her eyes while enjoying the softness of the couch. Hearing a light chuckle at her side, she opened her eyes again and turned to look at Yura, who was watching her with interest. Her head was also resting on her hand and her cheeks were slightly pink, making Rachel raise an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"Ah, nothing."

Yura turned to look at somewhere else, and Rachel got puzzled by her actions. She closed her eyes again anyway, resting until Yura had to get up because she would be on the stage in some minutes.

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As always, Yura's show was a huge success. It was all over the internet the next day, and when Rachel entered her Instagram, there were only photos and videos talking about it.

Rachel decided to take a look at the comments, and all she saw were people praising and evying her voice and beauty. The same twinge of jealousy from yesterday hit her, but a feeling of satisfaction and even hapiness overlapped it. She was glad everyone liked Yura's presentation, and it was better for her to focus on that.

At that moment, she received a text from the said singer.

- Hey, are you free right now? -

Rachel and her exchanged some texts, arranging to meet at an ice cream shop Yura really likes. Getting up from her bed, Rachel quickly changed clothes and got ready, looking at herself in the mirror.

Her hair was loose this time, falling over her shoulders. It's usually too messy, so she prefers using her classic ponytail, but it seems fine this time. She passed her hand through her face, bothered by the freckles. It's ugly, she thinks. If only she had been born with a better body...

People that are born with remarkable beauty are really blessed by God, Rachel thought. And God never cared about her. Sighing, she took her shoulder bag and asked for an uber. While she was in the car, she looked at the people's comments again.

As she was scrolling down, she saw someone saying Yura's voice was horrible. Well, you can't please everyone, after all. Still, she couldn't help but frown and reply in Yura's defense, her hands moving almost as an automatic movement.

When Rachel arrived Yura still wasn't there, so she waited for her outside the shop. After some minutes she saw the blue-haired woman approaching her, wearing sunglasses and a hat to not be recognized.

Even disguised, Yura looked really pretty, her summer dress swinging as she walked. Yura is indeed a beautiful woman; how could someone not like her, with that natural beauty and talent?

They walked inside, and Rachel felt much more refreshed with the air conditioning - it was in the middle of the summer, and the sun was dangerously glowing above their heads.

After they got their ice creams, the girls sat on a table close to the window. Rachel was in the middle of a bite of her chocolate ice cream when Yura started to speak.

"So, what did you thought about the show yesterday?"

"It was amazing." She replied, no hesitation in her voice.

Rachel remains behind the scenes all the time, but she still watches the whole show from the side. It's not the best angle, but at least she can see Yura up close. And when she said it was amazing, she wasn't lying. It's always an amazing experience, even though she's not part of the actual audience.

Yura opened a smile, but it wasn't much convincing.

"Do you think so?" She asked, stirring her strawberry milkshake.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I think that?" Rachel asked back, an eyebrow raised.

Yura shrruged instead of answering, diverting her gaze to the window. Rachel tried to reason her behavior, deeply confused of why she would be so insecure of her liking the show, even doubting her answer.

The comment she answered in the car came to her mind, and she wondered if Yura had seen it. That person certainly wasn't the only one complaining about her, and famous people also tend to receive offensive messages and hate across the internet.

Rachel didn't like that at all. She wouldn't let her friend's self esteem be shaken up because of some stupid comments. Who even are those people, to talk about her like that? There were all ordinary, with no talent at all, jealous of her fame. But isn't she the same, after all?

Shaking that last thought off her head, Rachel involved her hands around Yura's, and the woman immediately looked at her, making their eyes meet.

"Your show was wonderful, Yura. Your voice was divine and you looked prettier than anyone there. Honestly, it even let me a bit jealous." Much more than a bit, she thought bitterly. Her expression didn't betray anything though, and she kept talking. "Don't believe in anyone that tells you the contrary, because I'm sure they would do anything to be at your place, to be you." I would do anything to be you. 

Yura was looking at her with a surprised expression, a pink blush on her cheeks again. Rachel felt awkward after saying all that, the words coming out of her mouth before she could properly think about them. It sounded really weird saying that all of a sudden, didn't it?

Rachel took her hands away, helding them firmly on her lap. She lowered her head slightly, feeling ashamed to look directly at Yura, her cheeks burning a little. Still, she saw a small smile appearing on the woman's face as she took a sip from her milkshake.

"Well, thank you then."

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At the night of that day, Yura entered her apartament. She had spent the entire afternoon with Rachel, even though it felt a bit awkward after their little talk in the ice cream shop.

As soon as she took her sunglasses and hat off, Yura standed still for some seconds. Then, she finally allowed herself to break into a blushing mess, covering her face with her hands.

Rachel's voice echoed in her mind, only making her more embarassed. How could she just drop so many compliments and not expect Yura to react like that!? She thankfully managed to control her composture, but her heart was consistently beating like crazy on her chest the rest of the day.

Your voice was divine and you looked prettier than anyone there, said Rachel's voice in her head, making Yura groan. God, Rachel can't simply play with her heart like that...

Although Rachel doesn't know what she's making her feel. Yura will tell her about her feelings in the future, she's just not sure if she's prepared to do it. Does she even feels the same thing, to start with?

Rachel was always so nice and kind to her, offering to help her right away when they were still talking through Emily, a really popular messaging app. Her company is soothing and comfortable, so Yura can't help but let her heart fall for her.

She's been trying to get closer to her, asking for her company and opinion a lot of times. Rachel probably noticed that, but since she never questioned her about it, Yura is taking every opportunity she finds.

Walking to her room, she wondered if she should just confess already. That anxious feeling would pass, and if she was rejected... well, she could find a way to deal with it. She only fears that their relationship will get unsettled if that happens.

As Yura was undressing to take a shower, she decided it would be better to say everything that was trapped in her chest. She only hoped Rachel wouldn't hate her for it.

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Rachel felt that Yura's actions yesterday were strange, especially when they were in the ice cream shop. The vibes felt a bit off during the rest of the afternoon, and she felt guilty for making things weird between them.

But since Yura seemed quite happy today, it probably wasn't anything she needed to worry about. The next days passed without any problems, and soon there was another show occupying their minds.

This time they went to Daejeon, and Rachel couldn't take her eyes off her window, amazed by the large and modern city. She was indeed lucky to be able to visit such places, even if it was just to help Yura behind the scenes.

She envied Baam once more, for getting that and much more. He was in Seoul with his band now, and Khun certainly was there too. They get a happy and desirable life, while Rachel is a nobody in the world.

"Rachel, is everything okay?" Yura asked, and Rachel blinked to come back to reality. She turned to the singer sitting next to her in the limousine and smiled.

"Yes, it's fine. I just got distracted by the view."

Yura also opened a smile, the concern on her face disappearing. She was going to say something more, but they were interrupted by the driver's voice, annoucing they had arrived at the hotel.

They spent the day wandering around the city, but Rachel still had energy left for the show. After taking a shower and getting ready, Yura requested her help with the figurine, so she went to the room next to hers - Yura made sure they had neighboring rooms.

The singer actually had called her for her company, so Rachel only sat on her bed for most of the time. That allowed her to notice that she looked quite anxious; she seemed to be trying to hide it, but it was still apparent on her eyes.

Rachel figured it was because the show would be bigger this time, with much more people watching. It explained why she called her, yet she thought there was something more behind her eargerness.

Yura almost didn't speak while they were in the car, also more quiet then usual when she was getting her makeup done. Rachel debated if she should do something, her thoughts about Baam temporarily forgotten.

In the end, she just silently watched the singer's weird behavior. Rachel only acted when Yura was called to get on the stage, tired of seeing her nervous. She grabbed Yura's hands, holding them together. She smiled sincerely to her surprised expression.

"Good luck there." She said simply. She's not really good with encouraging speeches, after all.

A blush appeared on Yura's cheeks, and after a moment of internal debate, she turned to check if there wasn't anyone else in the room and quickly leaned in for a kiss.

Rachel had no chance to process the situation, only seeing Yura close the distance between them and feeling a soft press on her lips. The singer moved away before she could even react properly, getting out after mumbling something that barely reached Rachel's ears.

It took some seconds so she could understand what happened, and her heart was beating unsteadily when she slightly touched her lips. Yura kissed her. The realization made her eyes widen once again, and the room was suddenly too hot for her to bare. 

It all made sense now - Yura's behavior around her, the weird actions and sudden talks - and Rachel only asked herself why. Why her, out of everyone? There were so many people better than her, superior in every way; but Yura still chose her.

Falling down on the couch, Rachel had a lot to think about.

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After the show, Yura just pretended like nothing happened. Rachel played along for a short while, not wanting to say anything in public.

They got in the hotel and silently went to their rooms. Yura was talking about the show, probably to keep the topic of their kiss away, but she stopped when they entered the elevator, giving way to an awkward silence.

Rachel knows the woman at her side is nervous, and she is too; but it's not like she can ignore what happened. She only decided what to do when Yura was getting into her room, after murmuring a "good night".

Grabbing the singer's hands once more, she made the blue eyes meet hers.

"Why... why did you kissed me?" She asked carefully.

Yura lowered her eyes.

"Because I like you. I really like you." She answered slowly, finally looking into Rachel's eyes. She seemed a little upset, but it was well hidden behind the little smile on her face. "I don't know what came over me to... do what I did. It's fine if you don't feel the same, I just didn't want to-"

"I never said I didn't like you." Rachel cut her out, making Yura blink in surprise.

"You... don't?"

"I'm not really sure. I don't know what to think, actually. It didn't feel bad, so I think I could give it a chance." Rachel explained. She looked away, a bit embarrassed. 

The growing smile on Yura's face, along with the blush on her cheeks, only made her more ashamed. Still holding her hands, she heard some words slowly come out of her mouth.

"Thank you."

Chapter Text

Princesses of Zahard. Representing the Empire and the King's authority and worshipped by the citizens of the Tower, they're envied by many, some willing to kill and even die for this position.

Taking that into account, Garam knows she should be very grateful to be another one of the shoes displayed in the King's showcase. However, she's not. At least, not during the current circumstances.

The original purpose of the Princesses got lost in the middle of a fierce competition, resulting only in blood and more chaos.

Garam wondered if it was worth it to put herself in this hopeless and meaningless situation. How is wealth, fame and power worth anything when you're most likely to get killed in a fight with one of your so-called sisters?

During her first years as a Princess, it seemed like everything was just lost in chaos, an endless nightmare. At least she had Yuram at her side, making it more bearable.

And when it all looked helpless, she appeared. The news of dead Princesses temporarily gave espace to Eurasia Enne Zahard, and she quickly fell into people's liking. Her pacifist personality only highlighted her more in the middle of the whole blood bath, and when she was given the Colorless December, many didn't doubt she would end that tragedy.

Garam finally saw a spark of hope, a way to actually end that nightmare. A Princess as powerful as Enne directly affected the fights among them - after all, it's very new to see a direct descendent from two Family Heads. The situation among the Princesses almost seemed to calm down a little.

Therefore, she desperately clung into that small hope, choosing to believe that the salvation had arrived. She had to believe, or she wouldn't be able to remain sane. 

However, Garam never expected to get close to the person she started to admire and respect so much. She was satisfied watching her actions far away, through the TV or simply observing the change in her surroundings.

Still, she saw herself meeting Enne in person. It was a mere coincidence, finding her in one of the upper floors, casually walking around a calm and almost empty area. Garam easily recognized her because of the long pink hair, and she had seen her multiple times on the news.

The tension in the shinsu around her was also hard to ignore, although Enne was probably hiding most of her power.

She was divided between trying to start a conversation and just walking away, - Garam should be careful around someone with Enne's status - but she was spotted first.

Some quicky introductions were made, and she felt a mix of joy and surprise when Enne recognized her, recalling having seen one of her fights on the TV. They ended up talking for a while, and the pink-haired woman seemed to be glad another Princess dislikes the violence of the competition.

Garam didn't let her curiosity take over and maintained her composture, staying aware of her surroundings all the time, - it was hard to not let the overflowing power coming from the Princess control her - but she still felt delighted by being able to talk with Enne, sharing her thoughts with someone that actually understands her point of view, unlike Yuram.

Enne was willing to "talk with someone of a similar mind", as she said, so she proposed they exchanged contacts. Garam hesitated at first, but after thinking carefully at it, she accepted. Nothing bad can come out of it, after all.

As Garam walked to her residence, she stared at Enne's contact on her Pocket. Her mind went to Yuram, and she decided it would be better to keep her number private for now - she'll tell her twin sister about their meeting, but undesirable rumors can begin to spread if it looks like they're close.

Garam was happy with their interaction, but she still wished her heart wasn't beating so fast.

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They sometimes talked through the Pocket, and they eventually started meeting in person too.

Garam was getting to know Enne better, the formal tone of their conversations slowly becoming more casual. The competition was not only what they talked about, and it felt like they were actually developing a small friendship.

She was satisfied with that, and the feeling of starting to trust another person in that mess is surely good - although something is bothering her.

Garam had a strange sensation whenever she met the pink-haired woman, or even when they talked remotely. Enne's presence is comforting, but it also makes her yearn for more.

The way she just wanted to get closer was weird and a constant feeling in her heart, and Garam couldn't help but get concerned about it, especially because it kept growing in her chest.

She doesn't get close to people easily, and the competition puts Garam's distrust and doubt on the edge; but Enne attracted her like a magnet, even though they hadn't met each other for much time.

Maybe because she's someone she deeply admires, her main inspiration in midst of this whole chaos. Either way, it's awkward.

"Is something on your mind?" Enne's voice snapped Garam out of her thoughts, and she turned to see the pink-haired woman looking at her direction with interest.

They were walking through a beach in the 94th floor this time, the fake starts shining above their heads. Enne likes places without much people around, preferring calmness and peace instead of the usual noise of the cities, so they usually meet at night.

"Not really, I just got distracted." She answered, smiling slightly. She couldn't tell Enne about her thoughts, not when she doesn't even understand what it all means.

Enne didn't look satisfied with her answer, but changed the subject either way, probably noticing Garam didn't want to keep talking about that.

While she talked, Garam's attention diverted to the peaceful sounds of the waves on her left side and Enne's voice on her right. She now understands why she likes those places so much; it's a real blessing to have some tranquility in the situation they're in.

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The next years were quite hard for Garam to endure.

The competition tightened again, and she didn't had the luxury to encounter Enne for many months. She caught herself feeling rather upset, longing to meet her again and missing their casual talks. Did she really got that attached to her?

Some days after her brief fight with Adori, who's currently overwhelmed by the competition, - although Garam has to admit that she's considerably talented and strong - Enne finally contacted her.

She was waiting for an invite from the pink-haired woman, still unsure about how their relationship should be because of the friction between the Princesses. They wasn't supposed to get along, after all; people would usually expect that one of them ends up with their head rolling on the floor at their first encounter.

Enne suggested for them to meet at a park close to a city in one of the lower floors, and Garam fastly answered her text, feeling more pleased than she should be.

At night, Garam headed to the agreed spot, appreciating the view of the illuminated city at her right. Enne is indeed good at choosing places for their meetings.

Talking about her, she was walking around the park in a slow pace, waiting for her. Her hair and dress were swinging with the cold night breeze, and she was apparently lost in thoughts like her normal self.

Perhaps because they didn't saw each other for some time, Garam couldn't repress the thought that she looked beautiful, even prettier than usual. She felt her heart skip a beat, and it was necessary all her willpower to not blush in the slightest.

Enne finally spotted her, waving her hand at her direction. Garam greeted back, walking towards her.

They talked for a while, walking side by side at the park, completely empty. It felt really comforting to stay with her again, and it might be her imagination, but she seemed to be closer than before, their hands almost touching each other.

Garam suddenly felt hot, despite the cold wind on her face. She's not supposed to experience those things, but her mind is desperately begging her to hold Enne's hands.

She firmly held back, aware of the severity of her thoughts. Garam kept those things far away from her mind, only allowing herself to think about it when she was back in her room, laying on her bed.

She has some notion of her emotions now, and got surprised at how deeper they are. She was dragged away by Enne's beauty and presence, turning her admiration into something completely different.

She shouldn't feel that; she can't, reminded a voice in her head. It's the most strictly forbidden rule for the Princesses, and that can very well kill her before the blink of an eye. Still, Garam can't find a way to get rid of this sentiment - and she doesn't want to either.

Love shouldn't exist in her life, but it's the only thing occupying Garam's head now. And she keeps wanting more.

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With the realization of her feelings, it became harder to hide it.

Garam tried her best to not let her thoughts and desires obvious, but it's not easy to avoid glancing at Enne's lips or blushing because of the sudden proximity, her heart stuttering inside her chest.

Enne probably noticed her strange behavior, slightly pushing her to discover what's wrong. She's smart and cunning, - as expected of Gustang's daughter - so Garam fell many times on her little schemes, anxiously trying to change the subject and avoid her questions.

She feels bad for giving the impression that she doesn't really trust Enne, but explaining her emotions is not an option. It would only let both upset, aside from the possibility of it ending up on the King's ears, meaning their execution.

Although Garam wasn't sure of how long she could endure this situation, she would do her best to suppress it all.

"You're getting too distracted lately." Enne suddenly commented, making Garam come back to reality again.

"Am I?"

Garam looked away from the pink-haired woman, occupying herself with the view from the rooftop they were in.

"Yes, you are."

"The competition is probably messing with my head a bit."

It wasn't entirely a lie and she hoped it would be enough, but Enne can be very stubborn when she wants to.

"Still, I can't help but wonder that there's something more behind that."

Feeling a drop of sweat running down her face, Garam risked a look at the woman on her side. Her head was resting on her hand, and she was staring at her with curiosity, waiting for an explanation.

"It's nothing, really." Garam said, wanting to change subjects the fastest possible. But before she could even try, Enne's voice cut her.

"Garam, don't try to lie to me."

Enne had a determined look, decided to get the truth in a way or another. With Garam's silence, she pouted slightly. She's not only stubborn, but also quite childish sometimes - something that probably came from her mother, Eurasia Blossom.

Cute, her mind betrayed her, and she had to move her hand to her ears to hide the redness. 

Either way, Garam remained quiet. Telling her would free her chest from the bitterness and anxiety of hiding it, but there was a high chance their relationship would be shaken.

Enne didn't ask further, and she only came back to that subject when they got up, Garam already preparing herself to get off the rooftop. She got caught by surprise when Enne gently grabbed her wrist, making their eyes met.

The proximity was enough to make her heart skip a beat, but now pink eyes were deeply staring at her blue ones. She felt the panic rise up again, but she couldn't move or speak, unable to even look away.

Their faces were centimeters away from each other, and after what seemed to be an eternity, Enne realized the position they were. Eyes wide, her cheeks turned pink and she tried to move away a little, but Garam kindly held her hand.

Many voices in her head were alerting Garam of how forbidden and wrong those actions are, but she ignored them all.

She approached her lips, stopping millimeters away while silently asking for her permission. But she didn't even need to do anything because Enne advanced first.

Wrapping her other hand around Enne's neck, Garam closed her eyes and fully surrended to her heart's wishes, temporarily forgetting about the reprimanding voices in her head.

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Garam wished they had at least some time to appreciate their new discovery, enjoying each other's presence and comfort for a while. But life had other plans.

Yuram had a mission to do, like many others she already did. Garam didn't worry about her twin sister, since it was a normal occurrence, the only regret in her head being not telling her about her relationship with Enne.

She didn't expect the news that reached her, saying that Yuram had gone insane after igniting two of the Thirteen Month Series, and also didn't expect the difficult choice that fell upon her: letting her twin sister live at the risk of their family being labeled as enemies or killing her and avoiding that.

Running to where Yuram was, the scene in front of her was devastating. Many people she knew, their allies, were lying motionless on the floor around her, including another Princess of Zahard. Her twin sister was further ahead, holding her two weapons stained with blood.

Blue August was resonating in her hand, and Garam held it firmly while debating what she should do. She knows what will be better for everyone, but she doesn't want to go through that way.

Still, when Yuram advanced on her, possessed by the spirits of the Thirteen Months, Garam had no choice but to fight back. She tried to make her come back to her senses, calling her name and holding back to not hurt her, but it was no avail.

A while after, her sister's body fell on her, blood soaking her clothes. Garam could barely feel her breathing now, and she held Yuram with shaky hands, both Blue August and Indigo July laying at her side.

Garam's head was spinning and her vision was blurry, but she could still hear her twin sister's heart slowly coming to a stop. Silence fell upon the only woman standing in the middle of all the bloody corpses, and nobody heard her scream or saw the tears rolling down her face.

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Garam wasn't in her best state of mind during the next years, the images of Yuram's blood on her hands and her lifeless body on the ground still too vivid in her head, and the news of Enne going insane just a while after didn't help.

In the middle of her troubled thoughts, Garam came to realize that everything was indeed very awkward. First her sister, than Enne - it didn't look like a coincidence, and above all, she knows Enne wouldn't go on a rampage all of sudden.

The Enne she knows would never randomly kill Rankers and High Rankers, especially considering her pacifist personality, so something surely happened.

Garam hid for some time, barely managing to meet Enne after she also disappeared. They didn't have much time to talk, but she could see that Enne was as tired as she was, yet with a feral glow in her eyes.

She wondered what the pink-haired woman find out, what was making her look so disappointed and angry. Still, when they held hands, Garam could identify the familiar kindness of the woman she loved, as comforting as ever. Their weapons were resonating and encouraging them to fight, and although it was tough to control it, they never did.

But with the time, even Enne couldn't resist the temptation of the Thirteen Months in her head and the countless waves of Rankers and High Rankers going after her. With her mind shattered, she was taken to Zahard, while Garam managed to keep hidden.

Hearing about how she was condemned and sealed was not a surprise, and Garam felt relieved that she wasn't executed. The curiosity and yearning to see Enne again led her to the mysterious labyrinth she was kept, and with some difficulty, they were in front of each other again.

Chained and trapped, Enne looked weaker than she had ever seen, and one could say that she actually went insane. But Garam knows her better, and although she couldn't free her, she could at least understand the motives behind Enne's actions.

She didn't believe about the "hidden companion" at first, but after she got Arlene's pocket there was nothing more to doubt.

Despite her whirlwind of feelings, she was still rational enough to not get caught by the people that were still after her, and Gustang's offer came right when she was at her limit.

A safe place to live in exchanged for Arlene's prophecy was a very low price to pay, if Garam was being honest. She still doesn't understand entirely the Family Head's motives for helping her, but she didn't have much of a choice - if she didn't accept Gustang's help, her head would be rolling on the floor in less than a day.

Accepting his help makes her feel bad, given he condemned his own daughter, but she only survived thanks to that.

The Floor of Death isn't exactly a friendly place, far from welcoming, but she could at least have some tranquility there. It became something like her home, in a way or another, and it helped heal her shattered mind with the time.

Still, she catches herself thinking of Enne quite often, her longing never passing. With the boy's arrival, perhaps she could see her again in the future.

Garam smiled bitterly, watching the boy and his group get away from the Floor of Death through the screen Gustang kindly prepared for her.

Even with thousands of years, she still couldn't forget the comforting and shiny presence of Enne, and she doubts she'll ever find another person like that.

And if that young boy could actually change the Tower, if the prophecy is indeed true, then maybe Garam could have her at her side again, without any restraining chains.