Sparkling | YOONMIN

XXII. Wasted Time

[Recap on Sparkling]

"Let's begin, shall we?"

🌟~· Sparkling ·~🌟

   Four men gathered around a large, wooden table for the sixth time that month, the bags under their eyes bigger than their enthusiasm. Shoulders sagging, frowns etched in their faces like scars, and most of all, the light in their eyes gone.

   "Anything?"

   No one offered anything positive, murmurs sprinkled all along the other three, speaking only negative excuses.

   "You know what happens then."

   A light chime rings through their ears and everyone had different reactions. The mildly tiny one with a pinched face glances around before settling his gaze down at the dark oak. The second, blazingly taller than the last one, clenched his jaws and fists, and the migraine only started then. The third, yet most chill of them yet, had frozen in his spot. The last one was a relatively handsome stranger, and he was, ultimately, the one to answer the door.

   His blood runs cold when he could see the witch that had hired them. His smile is alluring and compelling and also utterly scary. They always are.

   And he's got a gun. Hidden in the large coat he's wearing.

   "Jeon? You said you'd drop by on the 5th." He tried to not let on that he was nervous but the beady sweat dripping down his face wasn't in on that fact. Nor was his shaky voice.

   "You know me, surprising people is my second favorite past time!" He cheerfully waved him off, pushing past him and his disgusting sweat. "So, any news on my brothers? They aren't that hard to find, you know." He glances around at the small apartment they had settled in. Dreary beige walls had nothing on them, dull brown couches sat a little ways away from them. If he looked into the kitchen or the bedrooms, he was sure they'd be just as boring.

   Perfect for him.

   "We think that they went into hiding!" The smallest one blurted out and the others froze in their spots. The sudden outburst didn't seem to reap anymore time for them. The way Jeon's eye twitched clued them in. Wrong answer.

   "How would they know anything about going into hiding? They had their memories taken away, they forgot everything about this world, including me, and yet they know how to hide from us?!"

   No one said anything. A war could've been raging outside the front door but they'd only be scared of the storm in front of them.

   Jeon sighs pitifully. He knew it wouldn't have been easy. It never had been from the beginning. Sending his brothers away and being left all alone. He missed them so dearly. He promised them he wouldn't forget their names, wrote them down everywhere and every day. The people working against him, the whole reason he sent them away, took that from him too.

   "You've disappointed me. Again." The trembling fools knew that. "You know what comes next."

   They had to gather the rest of their strength to address him. Jeon nods, turning from them and going towards the front door. "It's been a pleasure." He mutters, as he closes it behind him. A moment after the door is shut, he snaps his fingers and then moved on to the emergency exit stairs, feeling an increase in the heat.

   The news would probably call it an accident. They'd find a left on stove, or a unattended fire in the fireplace. In any case, they'll never know the truth. They never do.