what's scarier? to fear the unknown? or to fear the known?
ᅠᅠ╰─> HAM HARU trudged beside the red-haired teen to the convenience store, fingers fiddling with the hem of her scarf.
Given the circumstances, she wanted nothing more than to detach herself from the pulchritudinous close for another fresh arc and quietly cascade in the shadows of this chronicle. However, one of the main cast─a.k.a. Kwon Eunhyung─trampled on that idea by inadvertently joining forces with her in escaping from the spotlight.
I didn't expect him to escort me...now I'm forced to purchase something. The girl had planned on using this excuse to distance herself from the unwanted attention her group will endure later on by bystanders without the intention of buying anything, but all that got sucked up by the drain.
Ham Haru peered over her shoulder to see Kwon Eunhyung, ignoring the sudden background of blooming flowers adorning his comely stature. This boy is too kind for his own good. His pure-ish heart is often overbearing, to be honest...
"Hm? Is there something on my face?"
Ah, I stared too much. Her lips formed an innocent grin that didn't accurately mix with her former thought.
"Nah, I was just thinking about what to buy. Maybe you wanted something."
Surprised, he stifled a laugh. "You were worried about that? Don't be. I just came to accompany you, after all."
Ham Haru felt an arrow pierce her heart. Though it pains her to admit it, she too was a victim of Kwon Eunhyung's benevolence. Sometimes it stroke her as strange that he wasn't a natural born psychopath or womaniser. It would've been a match made in heaven, given that he had the sufficient keys to play the role in that area of expertise.
Scanning the beverage section, Ham Haru fixed her glasses in contemplation, not noticing her friend drawing close.
"Having trouble deciding?" Ham Haru lifted her chin up to meet with Kwon Eunhyung's wondering gaze.
"Sort of...anything up your radar?"
His mind dove into deep thought. Considering how he was promoted from 'childhood friend' to 'close friends' after years of cultivation by her, the girl's interests and limited personal data should no longer remain foreign to him.
A simple, but eye-catching cartoon of milk offered him to steal a glance the moment he raised his eyes to the various options. Apparently, it seemed to be waiting for his attention this whole time. That's on a poster...a new product?
Kwon Eunhyung already had one for the taking. Stretching his long, thin fingers, it grabbed his chosen drink and handed it to Ham Haru.
"It's a new brand, according to the store. Maybe you'll like it?"
"Uwah~! Not a bad idea. This one is duly noted!" Throat readily parched to swallow the brand new liquid, Ham Haru couldn't wait to try it out. However, the vigor building up soon crumbled once her eyes landed on Kwon Eunhyung's hands.
Scratches, and a tiny bruise. Though not evident to one's naked eye from afar, there were small spots discoloured. Call it the spoils of war, if you may.
"...Aka babe, was this from the fight earlier?" Snatching the cold cartoon from his grasp, the ebony girl carefully held his palm in worry. "Why didn't you say anything...were you planning on keeping quiet again?"
A sheepish laugh with a tinge of guilt escaped his lips. Usually their roles were reversed, so being the one scolded now was a bit awkward. "It's not a big deal...I dealt with fights in the past, so I've grown accustomed to it."
Ah...
Ham Haru knew that.
Though the boy became transparent to her not too long ago, she had already been well-versed with their backgrounds. Not just his, but everyone else's upbringing. Their likes and dislikes, their favourites and least their cup of tea, their pasts, and even...their futures.
Everything.
A strange thought crossed Ham Haru's mind, silencing the very next words she planned to utter. Though this wasn't the first time that memory replayed in her head, she really ought to learn to be callous just like Kwon Eunhyung's hands.
"...next time, even if it's tiny, tell us right away, okay? How could I let these delicate hands that take care of me be abused like this?" Her heartfelt words, though spoken in a manner of a Cheshire cat, unknowingly touched Kwon Eunhyung. There were times when he felt the younger one in their relationship, as Ham Haru is technically an older sister; however, that reminder left a warm impression. Pink dust softly landed on his cheeks while a loving smile found its way to his face.
"Haha, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." He ruffled her silky hair, blind to Ham Haru's inner strife.
Little did she know, he too, was a victim of her own benevolence.
....
"I'm finally sleeping next to Haru unnie!"
That night, Ban Yeoryeong flopped on Ham Dan-i's bed next to the Ham twins. After a decade-long wait, the ebony girl was finally sticking around for overnight stays.
"Ughhhh─so tired...Haru unnie, you and Eunhyung are lucky to have missed the mob of fans." Ham Dan-i groaned, recalling the events before the night had greeted the other four. Unbeknownst to them, Ham Haru actually prayed for the latter to occur in her absence.
"Yeah." Ban Yeoryeong agreed, totally clueless that she was partially at fault for the matter. "I wonder why people came crowding over us before."
The Hams rendered a vacant stare against her innocence. Hours ago, they were mistaken for idols, resulting a crowd of paparazzi to bombard them with selfie sticks and requests for autographs. Aware of the cause, hearing her oblivious queries kind of provoked their patience. Probably if someone were to ask the twins if they would miss Ban Yeoryeong right now, the possible answer would be yes, and a with every knife so far.
Ham Haru slid off the bed. "I'll brush my teeth. You guys can go on ahead and sleep if you want."
"Okay!"
Like usual, Ham Dan-i noticed her sister excusing herself a lot. It hasn't been long since this habit morphed into a routine. Though she wasn't sure if Ban Yeoryeong or the Four Heavenly Kings caught wind of that behaviour, she was positive something was up.
She tossed and turned, facing the wall when the door shut behind Ham Haru; conflicted.
Ever since that incident a year ago...I couldn't openly discuss with Haru unnie about the things I've experienced in this web novel world anymore. It doesn't seem like she's aware of it, so I refrained from confiding her. But what if she knows something...?
"What's wrong? Are you lost, miss?"
A fragment of doubt surfaced when she recalled a petite maiden with lush, black hair offering a cartoon of chocolate milk to her like a stranger as she sat by the gates of the supposedly 'Woo Ju-in's' house.
That familiar, eerie chill crawled back to Ham Dan-i's spine.
...when they disappeared...why didn't she...?
"Dan-i, are you okay? Are you feeling sick?" Ham Dan-i snapped from her trance when Ban Yeoryeong loomed over her shoulder, pondering on whatever could've made her friend this pale.
"N-No...I was just wondering."
"About what?"
When they locked close eye contact, Ham Dan-i was once again reminded that she was her childhood friend─an anonymous one, at that. Friends can share their problems with each other to gain comfort and advice...but was Ban Yeoryeong even a friend she could consult with regarding her fictitious predicament?
"...the truth is..."
But if I can't even tell Haru unnie...what chance do I have with Ban Yeoryeong─a girl whose origins I do not know of? Do I even know if she'll...believe me?
"I," Ham Dan-i blinked with an empty smile. "was thinking about sleeping."
"What~"
Ban Yeoryeong, who thought something bad had occured, sighed in relief. Good thing it was just about sleep.
"Then I'll turn off the lights, okay?"
Ham Dan-i nodded. "Okay!"
With the lights killed, the two girls lay in darkness and in silence. It wasn't long before the younger Ham twin could hear the gentle snores Ban Yeoryeong made.
...I was exhausted before, but now I can't sleep.
Compared to the dozing off beauty, Ham Dan-i quietly stood up and left the room to search for her sister. She demanded for answers, and maybe this was the moment she could attain them.
.
.
.
"Unnie."
Ham Haru turned around to see her younger twin standing by the doorway with a perturbed expression.
Taking a sip of coffee from her mug, she asked, "...what's wrong? did something happen, dear sister?"
Unlike that time during March last year, the girl no longer addressed Ham Dan-i like a stranger. Only her unreadable smile remained plastered in her look.
"I..."
She then realized Ham Haru's actions.
Coffee, not toothbrush. In the kitchen, instead of a bathroom.
Ham Dan-i stretched an ominous grin.
"...thought you were brushing your teeth."
Her older sister comically blinked, face drench in white paint.
"And here you are, leisurely drinking coffee at this time."
As if perceiving the bigger problem in this kitchen wasn't how hot her coffee was, but how disappointed Ham Dan-i is by ditching her alone with the purple chick again─cold sweat trickled down her neck.
"S-Sweetie, uh─"
The appalled expression on Ham Dan-i was just too scary, implying what she was gazing at was no different than a failure of society.
Forget trying to reason! A profound and relatable quote is key to salvation!
Ham Haru folded her hands on the table in solemnity.
"Sister...blood is thicker than water. Love knows no bound. Boyfriends, girlfriends, and friends all have the word end, but family has no end─!!"
The birds rested on a nearby standby flew away when a loud smack echoed throughout the whole neighborhood.
"Ow..." Ham Haru rubbed her stinging head, it felt like deja vu. "you really don't hold back, huh. To think you were raised this violent..."
Ham Dan-i crossed her arms to justify. "And to think you still don't care about your sister left alone with a stranger...!"
Seconds past, a minute flew, the kitchen was engulfed in silence.
It took a moment for them to register that uncomfortable statement.
"...if dearie heard you, I don't think she would be too happy to know that."
Ham Dan-i pursed her lower lip, guiltily knowing that Ham Haru was referring to Ban Yeoryeong. It wasn't supposed to be like that...but after that incident...
The ebony girl noticed the grim look on Ham Dan-i.
Well, this can't be helped... Ham Haru dejectedly smiled. She knew all too well how things were advancing in this world; and her younger twin wasn't an exemption. It won't be long until the day of revelation. Right now, waiting was the only option.
"Hmm, well, right now, a good night's sleep is what we need." Ham Haru patted her sister's shoulder as she headed out first. Her shadows trailed behind as she bathed in the dark bedroom.
"No..."
The sudden whimpers of Ban Yeoryeong halted the Hams in their tracks. The girl was pitifully laying down in agony.
"Haru unnie... Dan-i...don't go...!"
Ham Dan-i was riddled with frustration. The sheer audacity to call herself her friend when all she did was hide her true feelings in fear of being left alone once more.
She got on the bed and held Ban Yeoryeong's quivering hand. The trembling stopped once she was assured Ham Dan-i wasn't letting her go.
"It seems she feared the same thing you fear, huh..." The ebony girl mumbled, knowing Ham Dan-i didn't need to open her mouth in order to give the answer that was obvious. Apparently, Ham Haru knew why the brunette followed her to the kitchen. More like, she knew everything before the story even began. Her irrelevant jokes and childish antics back there were nothing but a facade to prevent Ham Dan-i from digging deeper in the subject. For the puzzle pieces will be in place when the board is set.
For now, waiting was the only option.
A smile ran across Ham Haru's face. To think they were acting fine and jolly with each other during the reunion this morning─how ironic.
I wonder...could I fear the same thing too, perhaps?
She imagined Kwon Eunhyung, Woo Ju-in, Yoo Chunyoung, Eun Ji-ho, Ham Dan-i, and Ban Yeoryeong drifting far away into nothingness, leaving her swallowed in a dark abyss.
Ham Haru's lips were grinning, but her eyes flickered a different tale.