Crescent // ATEEZ ✔

23 [part]

They are all waiting for her answer of what Aeon she is; her lips feel dry and she keeps taking a look at both Yeosang and Seonghwa briefly from the corner of her eyes, silently pleading for help. She opens her mouth again when no sound comes out from the first bid, but the second one only hears a croak arising from her throat.

"Why does it matter anyway? Once she's in our team, things like Aeons don't matter. Plus you know that system's bullshit," Yeosang jumps in, nodding slightly at Byul as a sign of reassurance. She looks visibly relieved as he came in to the rescue.

"Why did you ask that question? You know I hate hearing that word," Seonghwa expresses to Akira, but his voice is soft, giving the opposite of the impression of him being angry.

"Because I know you hate it; if you're angry you'll leave this parlor and leave me alone," Akira replies jokingly, already turning around to head to the back. "I need to finish this book before we get another customer. And stop pouting, you look like a gigantic ugly duck."

"Did you just call me an ugly duck?"

"I'm glad your hearing is still intact. Now go or you're going to scare our customers away."

"But you already have a customer." He pulls her hand, purposely making her lose balance and land against his chest. Taken by surprise, she doesn't have time to react as she loses her grip on the book and it falls to the floor.

"Ugh, how much longer do I have to witness this?" Yeosang says as he looks on through his fingers, already feeling like he's going to bring Byul out of the parlor and leave this instant. It's too bad the car key is with Seonghwa or he'll zoom out of here as fast as he can. "This is making me feel nauseous."

"Really? You're here to get a tattoo on your own will?" Emira asks again, looking at Byul. "Not because they threatened you or something?"

"Hey," Yeosang protests.

"Nah, I was just joking. Of course I'd love to get one."

"What kind of tattoos are you planning on getting, and where? I don't think you're planning on getting them on your arms or legs since I can see some bandages sticking out," Akira walks past Seonghwa and approaches Byul.

"Anywhere but there," she replies, bringing her sleeves down further to completely cover the bandages.

"If you say so, I'll gladly do it. You two hooligans go and have a date while I draw. Only come back when you're needed," Akira pulls Seonghwa's hand and links it with Yeosang's, pushing them out of the tattoo parlor while they are hand-in-hand. Making sure the door is closed and that the two men are no longer in sight, she turns to Byul.

"Now that those two are gone, you can talk to us freely, we don't bite. You're not a new recruit are you? Were you one of their targets, or involved in a mission went wrong?"

When Byul remains silent, Akira guides her to take a seat and sits beside her.

"Were you being forced to stay with them?" she asks again. "If you are, you can tell us."

Byul shakes her head fervently, trying to cut off the suspicions as quickly as how she brought the topic up. "I wasn't forced into anything; they did nothing like that. Fine, it's true that I'm not a new recruit and that I was accidentally involved with them, but they weren't bad to me. I'm pretty sure that you know them well and if you're being suspicious of them, then you're just making me worried when I wasn't before. And don't you at least trust Seonghwa?"

Akira lets out a sharp breath at the mention of her trust towards Seonghwa, and the ghost of a sad smile appears on her lips.

"It's because I trust Seonghwa that I'm asking you. I know them well enough to know you're not a new recruit and that you were not even a trainee there." She takes a look at Byul's face, unsure of how far she knows.