BOSS | NCT

o29

I stared at his eyes, serious and thirsty.

I was supposed to say, Stop. To tell him, It's not right. To scream at him and say, No or Are you sick or That makes us worse than them.

However, I found myself asking, "How?"

Dark-haired boy's eyes flicker. Then he would face me and say my name "Jeena," then he would hold up the lighter so it's right in front of our faces "Do you know what this is?" he asked and I nodded "Do you know," he whispered "What it can do?" he tensed then touched the button of that thing then pressed it with his thumb and then . . . flash.

The lighter emitted a small fire. Like a candlelight. But I'm not awed by the warmth and brightness that it produced; I am awed by the color it sets.

Red.

Little boy and I would stare at it for a few seconds. But he looks more mesmerized by it than I do. The red light would pour on the outline of his face, making him glow like a sun. "So much beauty, this thing," he mumbled, almost to himself, then added: "Don't you think so?"

I nodded and murmured "Yes."

"But do you know beauty could be dangerous?" he asked and the way he looked at the fire, almost seemed as if he's eager to swallow it down his stomach "Beautiful things," he breathed "could be lethal."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked.

Then he would look at me in the eyes. Looked at the fire again. Blew it off like a gentle breeze. "What I'm trying to say is to let it all burn, Jeena," his eyes found mine. "Let it all burn."

I pursed my lips together and looked at him. Little boy looked back. Then he held my hands, wrapping it tenderly. His fingers would move up to my cheeks, tracing the scar and running his thumb across it delicately. "These people that hurt you. This hellplace that imprisoned you. This world that was so unfair to you .  .  ." he breathed "Let them all burn." I nodded and nodded and nodded a dozen times, then repeated the words that he just said in my mouth.

      let them all burn . . .

All I could see is Lucas' back as I walked behind him.

He's dead silent.

He didn't say anything after our argument nor did he look at me in the eyes after that. Strange thing it is that he let me follow him silently. I guess he's just planning to take me back to the headquarters and after that, nothing.

My heart still aches in a way that I thought I couldn't handle. The words that he said made me feel like a half of me was erased. Not to mention, I feel terribly, terribly mortified at every actions that I did earlier. Do I disgust him now? Do I . . . Do I creep him out? After what just happened, it's clear that our feelings for each other are not mutual. I don't know anything about romance. I don't even know anything about what happened just now. I don't know how to react to a heartbreak. Should I bury it? Keep it? Endure it? Forget it? Wait. Does that even matter? Does anything that I feel matter at all when I'll just be gone sooner in the end?