Innocence in Lust ✔

XXI. WANING GALES

That too... You nod in response.

There is the long pause again. The silence makes you feel so afraid. Why? Because it seems that everything is what you had thought. He is just finding reasons to make you feel better. Reasons that are intentionally good, yet needles that painfully prickle your every pore. With your fear, you find refuge on the floor. You can't bear to look at them.

"We thought it was the best thing we could do." Jimin mutters.

The words simmer longer inside your head before you react.

"T-the best thing that you could do?" You gasp with great offense.

'Was that all? Was that their very best... for a person who they thought their soulmate?' Your heart aches.

Snatching your hand, Jimin chases for you to hold but you keep it against your chest. "Don't mock with me." You couldn't stop wincing. "There is no way a soulmate would do something like this. If I am that is... Just tell me the truth." Your voice wavers but strong with anger that bubbles inside you.

"Baby – "Jungkook starts with great concern. The smirk has morphed into a frown. Abruptly, you stand, halting him from speaking any further.

"Don't baby me." You snap. "You already had a hunch from the start. Are you saying that everything was just a test? As easy as that?" Your voice loudens. It feels so unfair. You had been constantly castigating yourself from feeling the emotions that you thought you shouldn't have. How many times had you nipped the bud again and again to stop it from growing into a full bloom. You can't let it grow and then just let its petals die into an already deserted heart. You can't just wish for them. You can't just simply want them, though your body would vibrate with happiness with them around. You felt undeserving, only to know that they had been your soulmate all along?

You sniff as your chest heaves. You feel betrayed. You don't want to sound more pathetic, so you just keep it in.

"Babe" "Baby." There is a plea on their voices as they step towards you only to stop them with your palms.

"Don't you know how afraid I was for falling to the likes of you?" The words spill before you can think more rationally. Yes. It's not their fault how you felt that way, but at least, you knew that eventually you would embrace that fall. You had made yourself believe that there is no fruition with all your naïve hoping.

"Shouldn't you be happy?" Jungkook says with wide confused eyes.

"Kook-ah..." Jimin seemingly wants to stop Jungkook but the younger continues anyway.

"You said you love us... This is good right?" His chest heaves with his reason.

"Happy? Good?" You can't believe what he is saying. Your fists shakes as they tighten on your dress.

'Couldn't he understand what they had been doing?' Your lips tremble.

"Am I right?" He seemingly begins to doubt himself.

"Should I be happy that I had been utterly played with my own soulmates?" You finally shake the words out of your tongue. "God. I assimilated everything as delusions because I am an Aphrodite. I feel tinier in everyday because I had been helpless with my own soul, thinking that I had been crazy for feeling so. I-I..." Exhaustion hits you with your confession as your volume lessens into a quite whisper.

Your knees buckle but Jimin catches you and hugs you so tightly even with your weak shoving.

"No. Listen." Jimin pleas. "I am so sorry. I knew we shouldn't have done that. We were considering to tell you... but we need confirmation."