IKIGAI l KIM TAEHYUNG

Chapter 19: Hera

I woke up gasping for air as a sharp pain shot through my head. Another dream.

Taehyung held my hand affectionately as he smiled at me. Clad in black royal robes, the moonlight complimented his honey skin perfectly.

He leaned in slowly, about to kiss me.
"Can I, Velma?" Who could honestly deny him? Well, me.

"Before you do anything Taehyung, you need to know what you're getting yourself into." He threw a confused stare at me.

I glanced at the bunch of lanterns lining up the path to the lake. As my gaze followed them, a small fire lit inside all of them, illuminating the path.

He was looking at all of this with immense shock.

"This isn't all." I told him as I raised my glove covered right hand halfway into the air and some of the water from the lake rose high up. I then twirled my hand and the water formed into waves that were thrashing up into the trees. As I released my hand, the water came crashing down back into the lake.

"What..." He was trying to find the right words to say. "What just happened?" He asked dumbfounded, still clutching onto my left hand.

"I can control fire and water, Taehyung. I discovered this when I was little. I understand if you don't want to associate with me anymore." I smiled sadly at him, leaving his hand. It was his choice, yes, but it won't be easy for me.

"I..." He looked into my eyes before he hugged me tightly.
"I only exist in two places, Velma. Here and where you are. You'd be foolish to think that I'm letting you go away from me anytime soon." He whispered into my ear and then broke the hug, caressing my cheek.

"I love you for who you are. The powers are just an an added present." He grinned, before continuing, "So, Can I, Princess?" He asked once again.
"Yes." I answered breathlessly.

He kissed me with such gentleness, as if I'd break. I could feel him smile against my lips.

Yeah, I was going crazy. It all started the day I left him. My helpless brain found this idiotic way to cope with it. Dreams. An alternate reality where we both were engaged. Where my name was Velma. Where I could control some elements. Fire and water. Where we were both happy.

Even if I found much humor in these dreams, I couldn't bring myself to laugh at them. I, in fact, longed for a life like that sometimes.

If yearning had a shape, it would look awfully like me.

I looked at my phone. Three missed calls from Jungkook. Fuck.

I quickly fixed my monster-like hair and ran for the hall. It must have been important.

"Well, I hope you had a good night's sleep." He was quick to comment sarcastically on my late arrival.
"Oh, I did in fact, thanks." I shot back at him with a sickly sweet smile before a voice answered in my head. Oh I did not, in fact, thanks. But he didn't need to know that.

"Quit your cat-and-mouse chase." Ms Romanoff ordered sternly as she sat beside us in the hall. "What is it?"
"To put it simply, Taehyung has lost 8 of his men too, in the same way we did. Which means, there's a bigger threat looming over us." He spoke slowly, studying our reactions.

So Taehyung was not behind this. I don't even know why I believed that so quickly.

My relief was short-lived as I realized that now 16 people were dead mysteriously. There was a killer on the loose, probably smarter than all of us to not leave any evidence.

I looked over at our leader who seemed to be thinking hard, before she said, "I won't take his words to be fully true, but for now, we will believe that."
"What do you want us to do?"

"Form alliance." She spoke as if she were talking about the easiest task in this world.

"What?" Jungkook and I both questioned her at the same time and glared at each other.

"You heard me. It would be nice to have him on our side as we figure out all this. I expect you both to come up with a plan considering you're the closest links to him that we have at the moment."

"You want me to blow my cover?" Jungkook smirked. He seemed excited.
I, on the other hand, looked like I'd rather poke out my eyes than look Taehyung in the eye.

"Yes. You have until evening to think about it. "

This day couldn't get any better. First the dream, then this. Universe certainly had a sense of humor, when it came to my life.

"Guess we get to work again. What a golden opportunity, right Hera?" He was totally enjoying mocking me.
"I know right. What partner can be better for me other than some incompetent pain-in-the-ass?" I patted his shoulders.

He ignored my comment and just muttered something about we can't discuss this in the hall. After all, not everyone would be in favor of having Taehyung's alliance.

Hell, that was if Taehyung agreed.

"Meet me in my room in 10 minutes."
I nodded. Sometimes I forget that I'm the senior one here, by the way he behaves with me.

I knocked at his door. I could faintly smell some kind of candle scent coming from there.

"You're..." He glanced at his watch before continuing, "3 minutes early. No worries. I am kind enough to let you in."
I glared at him as I entered the room.

Everything was dark and dimly lit. A song was playing in the background. An incense stick was lit on his bedside.

To be honest, I liked the vibe.

"So, I have decided that you will tell him about the basic things. Like how people also died here in the same way and that we would like his help." I told him.

"Yeah, you wish. You're quite literally telling me to all the work and also experience his wrath when he gets to know that I was a backstabbing fucker too."

"Which is why, you will tell him you were a backstabbing fucker in the end."  I imitated his tone. "That's when I come in. Quickly leave the room and leave the wrath part to me." I honestly didn't know how I was going to get Taehyung to agree but I can't let Jungkook probably get shot in the head while I just stand.

"Oh, yeah. Snog him senseless. He will definitely succumb to that." He chuckled.

Well, it was definitely an option.

Who am I even kidding?

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some more reveals coming your way, ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people
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