Those of Us Alone

Chapter 31: You're Oddly Excited to Be Walking into Human Trafficking

Midori's POV

It wasn't long before we were all ready (in the sense that we looked the part, I was still looking for the mentality). Soon, Yoon, Yona, and I were making our way onto the deck.

While Yoon and I spoke quietly about the plan, a shadow loomed over me. Yoon stopped talking, and I turned to face Hak in slight annoyance, "Why? It's slightly cold out, the least you could do is let me bask in the sun's rays." There was a thick silence between the two of us. Poor Yoon couldn't really move with the unnatural silence that was between the two of us.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Though his demeanor was slightly relaxed, the animosity in his voice promised anger, so I put up a brave face and followed him off the boat and away far enough so that those on it would not be able to see or hear us.

"Hak -!" He moved closer to me, his emotional control slightly breaking as he backed me into a tree. The silence hadn't lessened in the slightest, rather it became more prominent as time passed, "Ha -!" His fist slammed into the tree beside my head. In my over-emotional state, I let out a very high pitched 'scream' of sorts.

My eyes widened, and it was all I could do to keep from crying.

~~~~~

Hak's POV (A/N: OHOHO, I haven't done this in a while)

Midori's scream had been a surprise. Usually, she'd never show her intimidation, but today seemed to be different.

I froze. What was I doing?

My sister - who had already gone through so much - was staring at me as if I was a monster. I didn't want to scare her, I just . . . "M-Midori - "

Gasping for air, she whimpered, "I - I . . . Y-yona will be f-fine!" I tried to place my hand on her shoulder to calm her down but "N-n-n-no worries! I - I can han-handle it!" She was shaking.

Taking a step forward, I try to calm her down, "Midor-!"

"E-Everything will go g-great, you'll see!" She shakily moved back towards the boat - keeping her eyes locked on me, "B-but, y-you know, I-I have to get b-back - so we can-can head out! S-s-s-so, I - I am going b-back. S-s-s-see you!"

I was stuck to the ground watching Midori, my sister, flee from the scene - away from me. When I could no longer see her, I felt my knees lock.

I hit the ground, my hands clenched into fists as I realized what had just happened.

1) I just scared Midori. 

It wasn't even like a jump-scare, a well-natured scare! I betrayed whatever trust we had built up over the years! And just because her past was a secret! What kind of brother am I?

2) Midori is now even more on edge.

She already seemed unstable!

What have I done?!

~~~~~

Midori's POV

As I arrived back to the boat, Yona and Yoon were already descending onto dry land. 

"Midori!" Yoon yelled at me. I took a deep breath and looked up, a fake smile adorning my face. I waved as the two came closer to me.

Yona threw her arms around me as she finally reached me, "I was wondering where you had gone!"

I held her close and then released her, facing my two companions, "Sorry, sorry! Hak just had some . . . encouraging words of advice for me." Yoon, who had been there with me when I left with Hak, looked slightly alarmed - he must have felt the anger radiating off of Hak as well.