𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 • 𝐣𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐥

IX

jeonghan could do nothing but cry as he tends to the scratches and wounds he obtained from the townspeople throwing rocks at him. he can't face them and tell them, 'what you did was wrong', because they will only make his injuries worse than they already are. maybe they'll rip off jeonghan's stitches, too.

jeonghan wasn't stealing anything from them. jeonghan wasn't even bothering them, just trying to live out his remaining years with his beloved seungcheol—who jeonghan inconvenienced by simply loving him, turning him immortal accidentally. jeonghan is not a monster.

jeonghan was just sending seungcheol off, and he was exposed to the outside world for a second—then it rains. it didn't rain water, no, it rained rocks and insults. the rocks only inflicted physical pain, but their words—their words are scarring. they called him a monster, they called him bad names for loving dresses, they called him a sinner for loving who he loves.

is jeonghan a sinner, when he is the god of love himself?

"if only i may return to glory," jeonghan muttered angrily, looking up to look at his reflection. "if only i can give them proper curses."

jeonghan carries an eternal grudge.

for starters, jeonghan is highly respected and worshipped in asylus. he was born from the pollen of a pink bougainvillea, being the youngest god amongst all gods. jeonghan was a great god. kind, forgiving, generous.

the war of gods, which jeonghan did not wish to partake in, happened inevitably. jeonghan got dragged in it sooner—and of course, he gained all these scars and stitches because of it, turning him into a (and i quote,) ragdoll of misery and monstrosity who calls himself a pretentious title.

it wasn't jeonghan's fault that he turned ugly. it wasn't jeonghan's fault that he had to live in a faraway place, it wasn't jeonghan's fault that people were throwing rocks and words of hate at him. it was the fault of his fellow gods, namely the god of war and the god of creation. let's mention the goddess of music and song, too.

seokmin and junhui started the war. no destruction of properties—and reputations—would've taken place if they decided to set aside their skyscraper-level ego and talked to fix their misunderstanding. a war? seriously? are you two children?

and last but not the least, kaehee, goddess of music and song. the stupid bard who lied to him, telling him that the war turned into a truce, that both parties decided to annihilate all of asylus. it was her who told jeonghan that it was his duty to save all immortals and mortals of asylus, saying that it was his duty after all. lies. lies.

jeonghan knows some of them are still alive. jeonghan knows how to help himself. jeonghan knows how to lessen his misery. he knows how to end his eternal grudge. the god of love and beauty knows how to start his much-awaited vengeance.

in fact, nothing is stopping jeonghan from doing so. well... jeonghan had been waiting for quite a long time now. it's time to come out to the real world, right? it's time for vengeance, and jeonghan's going to start with the foolish neighbors—

knock! knock!

"haaaaaan? we baked your—what was it again? berry burst pie?—we baked your berry burst pie! can we come in?" jisoo's voice came after the knocks, and seungcheol follows.

"we may leave it at your doorstep if you wish to be alone but eat the pie!"

jeonghan immediately runs to the door, opening it for the two gentlemen waiting behind it. they baked my special pie?! "doll, dear! what are you two doing?"

seungcheol coyly smiled, scratching his nape as his other hand held the pie. jisoo was using one hand to support seungcheol in holding the pie, too, and they were both wearing the aprons with the ridiculous captions about being dad chefs when they are not dads. "we made your pie, love."

"i.. sorry for my appearance," jeonghan states, wiping away the tears that dried on his cheeks. the god was still flabbergasted. "i was not planning on opening my door any sooner, but i am intrigued. i never told any of you my recipe for the berry burst pie."

"i think i have watched you baking long enough for me to memorize the recipe," seungcheol chuckled. "can we come in?"

".... i suppose you can," jeonghan offered the two a warm smile. "are we going to eat the pie altogether?"

"and talk," jisoo adds, walking in the room with seungcheol. he shuts the door behind him. "han, those neighbors are stupid! they can't grow strawberries and manage a vineyard! they don't know how to make the greatest pie of all, berry blast! don't mind them!"

"it's berry burst, stupid little human," seungcheol corrected, hitting the back of jisoo's head. jeonghan giggled at their antics. "get it right!"

"my name is jisoo, thank you very much!" the latter protested.

"the pie's name is berry burst, thank you very much!"

"okay, settle down," jeonghan says, giggling. he can sense that the two are happy , even if they were bickering—and that made jeonghan's heart warm. "let's eat the pie you made! i will see if it is up to my standards!"

"alrighty!"

"take the first bite then, my love!"

jeonghan sighed.

there is, one—no, two things that stops jeonghan from letting himself be eaten by anger. one, choi seungcheol, and second, his doll, jisoo. the latter one might be a newcomer, but he knows his way around jeonghan that fast.

they keep jeonghan grounded. he wonders sometimes: what would happen if he never met any of them? the world will probably be reduced to ashes by then.

no vengeances today then, jeonghan guessed. those cute, pesky little lovers (woah there, jisoo is a lover now?!).

(a/n: jsjsjsj i remember the jeonghan from 'royalty' oH GOD HE WAS SO RECKLESS unlike this book's jeonghan, who i love <3)