Master's doll [𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝]

【ＧＥＡＲ ７】

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∂ση'т gєт тσσ ¢ℓσѕє, ιт ιѕ ∂αяк ιηѕι∂є

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 A loud slap resonated in the room where three people were in. A boy a bit taller than Rea staggered backward, his cheek turned red. Rea with a small fabric up in his nose let out an inaudible gasp. Taurent was furious, he thought it was just a matter of nose bleed but he didn't even notice the boy's mechanical leg was broken.

The atmosphere was silent and suffocating. Taurent took a step forward and raised his hand again, Haemi covered his face with his arms. Rea, whose leg was still not fixed, fell to the floor from his chair, anxiously crawling to them. The pale boy hugged Taurent's leg, shaking his head.

"Let me go, Rea. Careless boys need to be taught a lesson for not keeping their words."

Haemi dropped to his knees. He wiped his face with his sleeves as he wept, his words of apologies repeated. Haemi had continuously expressed his regrets, Rea even felt sorry for him. Furthermore, the matter of him having a pair of prosthetic legs was not known except for the two of them and the people who had ever lived in the manor. Suddenly, an expression of determination was seen on Haemi's face, he exclaimed, "But Sir, you can teach me how to fix it!"

"So you could break his leg again?" Taurent snarled, his arm risen up to strike the boy again.

Rea shifted his gaze to Haemi who bit down on his lower lips. He replied, "I want to take care of him too!"

Taurent's train of thoughts snapped. He then slowly walked towards the boy in front of him, leaving Rea on the floor. Rea desperately tried to stop the man, afraid that he would hit Haemi again. Taurent then roughly pulled Haemi up to his feet and pushed him to the door. The boy's back thudded against the sturdy wood.

"What do you know?" Taurent chuckled, "There was once someone like you who claimed they would protect him. A woman that I trusted. Do you know what she did? She pushed Rea out of the window when Rea was unable to walk when I was not home. So, tell me, why should I believe you, the boy who said he would take care of Rea but came back with blood trickling down his nose and his prosthetic leg broken?"

Haemi's eyes were wide in shock. He looked at Rea, whose face was drawn with worry. He never meant for all of that to happen. If only he knew, maybe he wouldn't pull Rea to such a crowded place, maybe he wouldn't ask Rea to go to the circus with him. But at the same time, Rea wouldn't know how amazing the performance was or how sweet the candies were.

Haemi's hands turned into balls of fist. He was desperate, he wanted to be friends with the other boy. They had seen each other but never talked. It was not even a month they were able to spend time with each other.

Taurent raised an eyebrow as Haemi suddenly mumbled, "Lollipop."

"Rea, how was the lollipop?! How was the circus? Do you like it?!" Haemi shouted. Rea was taken aback and nodded wildly. Taurent breathed deeply and spoke, "Now, you gave him a lollipop. Have you ever heard of cavities? Are you going to brush his teeth for him?"

Once again, Haemi fell on his knee as he spoke, "I will. I will brush his teeth, I will help him with his work, I will help him with whatever you have done for him, so when you are away, I can take care of him."

As if kneeling wasn't enough, the young boy went lower. Haemi's forehead was on the floor as he spoke between gritted teeth, "Just, don't keep him in the dark. He deserves to feel whatever kids like us are experiencing. So please, don't push me away from him."

Taurent crossed his arms and tapped his fingers against his arms as the freckled boy continued to beg him silently. The man, without saying anything, turned and brought Rea to the bed. Haemi listened to the movement but he still stayed.

"Get up and come here."

Haemi immediately stood and rushed to the bed as Taurent folded up the pale skinned boy's trousers revealing his wooden leg. Haemi observed Rea's expression to see if he was in pain, but he didn't. It was not bone that was broken, so the boy did not feel any discomfort.

"What do you think about this, Haemi?"

Haemi looked up to the dollmaker. The man started to dismantle Rea's cracked left leg, leaving a round wooden joint. Haemi reached out to feel Rea's right. Wood, both of his legs were artificial. The freckled boy was filled with curiosity, he wanted to ask but he was afraid he would bring distress to jade eyed boy.

"This wasn't done by you, was it Sir?"

Taurent sharply turned to Haemi, "Do you think I would ever hurt him?"

Haemi shook his head. Haemi asked again if it was because of the woman. Rea kicked him with his other foot gently and denied him by shaking his head no. Haemi figured that it must have happened before that.

Haemi concentrated on how Taurent replaced the broken one with another. Taurent was so attentive with everything; the screws and the gears were all checked to perfection to make sure that there would be no damage.

Taurent stood on his feet, taking his tool box in his hand and the unusable leg in his arms. He instructed the young boy to go back home to let Rea rest for the day. Haemi's shoulders slumped; his guilt still had not gone away.

Haemi then bid his goodbye and slowly walked to the door that Taurent held open. Haemi took his time going downstairs, observing the dolls and mannequins in the house. Most of the dolls were the ball jointed type, and almost all of the mannequins were of Rea's size. His steps became slower as a thought started to creep its way into his mind.

Haemi felt chills. The uneasiness he felt became heavier as his thoughts went darker. Everything in the house reminded him of Rea. Didn't this seem to be an obsession? Taurent keeping the boy to himself, getting mad for an accident that was already explained wasn't caused by him. Looking at the style of clothes on the dolls and the mannequin, they were of the same designs and styles on Rea, Taurent definitely made everything for the boy.

The freckled boy caught a glimpse of a familiar shadow. Haemi's breathing quickened when he saw a silhouette of a woman through an open door. He carefully peaked inside, a tall mannequin of red hair with a flowing red dress. Haemi started gasping for air as if he couldn't breathe while looking at the very human-like mannequin. He recognized the feature very well. The figure of Taurent's late wife who was said to die out of sudden sickness.

Haemi stepped back and ran out of the manor. He quickened his pace, afraid Taurent might have caught him peeping into one of the rooms. The boy stopped near an alleyway and vomited. He wished the thought that had been swimming in his head was not true; Taurent couldn't possibly turn his wife to his own mannequin.