"Did you just make my Yulia cry?," Luciel's stern voice interrupted the dance.
"No! No..." Elijah seemed to have gotten back to his senses as he quickly let go and excused himself. "I-I'll be back."
"Eli..."
"He'll be fine," Luciel smirked knowingly. "This is just new to him."
Yulia nodded in defeat. But her sadness was immediately replaced with awe when she realized Luciel had dyed his hair black. "Your hair, it's black!"
And my, how good he looked.
Luciel was dressed in dark burgundy, a black bow resting between his collars. Forget what the girls said about him a while ago, he looked nothing cute nor younger than his age. He looked just like a model straight out of a magazine.
"It's my natural," Luciel said. "I've grown tired of the orange hair, kinda looks like a human tangerine."
Yulia giggled. "It suits you very much."
"I know," Luciel huffed. "It better do. I spent hours in the hairdresser for this." Then he offered his hand, which Yulia gladly took.
Yulia smiled softly. Indeed, there was something about Luciel that instinctively draws people to him. She felt relieved, something she had never expected from anyone else's presence. When Luciel was there, it seemed everything would be alright.
Before she could help herself, she ended up faking a dramatic sigh. "Ciel-ge, I really like you."
Luciel's brow raised for a moment before he chuckled. "I suppose this is not the romantic type of like. Or else someone will flip."
The girl also let out a lighthearted laugh before shaking her head. "Of course not. I think... as a brother..."
Luciel's lips momentarily parted, his eyes widening. He was caught off-guard, again.
She was so much like Adrienne.
"Perhaps I really should adopt you," Luciel teasingly stated.
He lost. The girl really held a special place in his heart no matter how hard he tried to keep a wall between them.
"Why do I keep getting emotional? This is Genesis's fault for leaving me with you and Elijah," Yulia pouted playfully. She had not seen the guy yet, even once.
"Well, that's a popular date for you," Luciel teased. That wasn't fully a joke, though. Genesis was indeed very popular and well-loved in the school.
"What's he performing?"
Before Luciel could answer, a soft, melodic harmony filled the hall, accompanied by the excited whispers of girls.
It was Genesis on stage, with a guitar in his hand. "Mic check, fit check. Am I looking good?," the playful guy joked.
"As usual!," one girl shouted back.
"Ah, but you'll always look the best," Genesis flirted back, watching as the girls erupted into squeals.
"I didn't know he could play!," Yulia exclaimed.
Luciel snorted. "His guitar skills are mediocre at best."
"Huh?" Yulia was puzzled. But when Genesis started to play, she realized why.
He wasn't bad. He was just...ordinary. Or maybe she and Luciel were both trained musicians, hence their sensitive ears.
"But..." Luciel turned to the stage, his expression visibly softening. It was as if he was looking at something extremely precious to him, and that didn't escape Yulia's notice.
And that same moment, Genesis's eyes strayed to their direction.
"Let me let go of anything that doesn't have your scent."
And those eyes never left.
"Let me stay in the past if you won't stay in the present."
Another strum.
Yulia knew everyone's heart had melted already. Genesis was charming. He was every sense of that word. But his eyes that screamed utmost sincerity were another thing.
Was he singing for someone else personally? But as far as she knew, Genesis was single and preferred to play around.
"But why won't you? Where do I start?"
"H-his voice is good."
Good was an understatement. The girl was awestruck. She never thought his voice would be one of the reasons why he was so popular. Surely, there were still a lot of things she didn't know about her friends.
"Want to go outside?," Luciel quietly asked.
"Go out?," Yulia repeated as if she had heard it completely wrong despite knowing she heard it clearly.
Luciel shook his head dismissively. "It's nothing."
Yulia just watched as Luciel completely went silent, his expression unreadable.
Was there something she didn't know?
"Be alert," Luciel suddenly reminded. "Once the light goes off, don't ever let go of my hand, okay?"
Yulia tilted her head in confusion. "W-what's happening?"
"Ah, it's nothing dangerous," Luciel assured. "But it's a tradition. When the lights go off, guys are free to grab whichever partner they want to dance with or steal them from their dates."
Yulia's eyes widened. "Whaaat?"
"Yeah," Luciel chuckled. "Feel free to imagine how many fights it resulted to the next day."
Elijah had finally returned, quietly making his way to the two. Yulia instinctively looked away when she noticed the soft flush of red on the tip of his ears.
"Oh? Are you taking her back?," Luciel grinned teasingly.
"Whatever," Elijah muttered under his breath. "I'm just here to inform you I'll be on our tab-"
Before he could even finish, a loud snap blared through the hall followed by the switching off of the banquet lights. Squeals and giggles filled the dance floor as one girl after another got snatched from their partners' hands, some complaining while others laughing it off.
♟
Genesis quickly made his way down from the stage with the limited visibility he had. Never in his life had he ever cursed his bad eyesight till this time. But there was nothing he could do.
Complaining could wait.
He needed to go down and take Luciel with him.
They had only parted for several minutes, but he had already lamented the fact that he was on stage singing for the pleasure of some random girl instead of spending time with him.
Luckily, his Luciel was quite easy to pin on the dancefloor. Luciel's new hair color and dark rogue would be the death of him. Not to mention, his supposed date, Yulia, was also an eye-catcher with her silk beige dress.
Grabbing the hand of the person Genesis had so focused on, he made his way backstage. "I've been looking at you all this time but you won't even look back."
And at the same time, the lights had returned.
"I know your eyesight is bad," a thoroughly irritated voice swore. "But won't you at least know which hand is Ciel's?"
"What the fuck," Genesis cursed.
Elijah stood before him, looking really pissed. "Yeah, what the fuck."
"What are you doing here? Get out!" Genesis pushed the younger guy to the door.
"It's you who brought me here," Elijah argued, wincing in annoyance as his back made contact with the door, resulting in a loud bam. "And why are you-"
Genesis quickly placed a hand on his mouth when they heard whispers from outside the door.
"Someone's gotten this room already, babe. Let's find another one."
"No, let's wait first and see who these people are!"
Elijah tore his friend's hand off his mouth and shot him a dirty glare.
Genesis sighed. "Great, now we're even having a scandal."
The younger guy paid him no mind and walked over to the vendo machine which was kindly provided by the school for the performers. Tapping on the vendo keys for a bottle of water, a shadow casted over his squatted figure.
"Just say it," Elijah sighed. He knew Genesis had been itching to talk to him lately.
"You've been awfully quiet since our last visit," Genesis observed. He reached for the drink Elijah handed and popped it open. "You heard, didn't you?"
Elijah glanced sideways, taking him into his peripheral. He'd never really know what's in Genesis's mind.
It seemed Genesis confessed to Luciel on purpose while he knew Elijah was listening, back on the balcony of his room. "I don't intend to get in between you and Ciel, but he's very important to me. I won't avoid him just to give way for you, at any cost."
Genesis smirked. "The view you hold of me is very low, ain't it? You don't trust me?"
"It's not that. I know you'll do everything in your power to protect him," the other replied, sipping off his drink to soothe the burning in his throat. "But I care for both you and Ciel. I don't take sides, I just want to keep what we have as it is."
"And if that's not what I want?"
The younger remained silent, the air thick with tension. Elijah had always known the only person Genesis would value that much was Luciel, but he would not hold it against him.
Genesis went through so much.
Elijah got back to his feet, placing a hand on Genesis's back. "Whatever. Just please be patient with him. Don't ever let him cry alone."
And Luciel went through just as much.
They both deserved to be happy, and their youngest wanted nothing more but to see them achieve that happiness. Together or apart.
"Eli."
"Hm?"
Genesis caught up with Elijah, placing an arm over his shoulder. A small smile graced his face when he realized just how much Elijah had grown. "On a second thought, there's nothing better than having another who cares for Ciel as much as I do."
Elijah sighed, unsure if it was out of exhaustion or relief. "I told you, I care for both of you."
"And what about the girl?," Genesis jeered.
Elijah shot him an unimpressed look. "What about her?"
"What about 'Give me a chance, I'll treat you better'?," Genesis teased, adjusting his tone to match that of Elijah's.
Elijah pulled away from Genesis's grip, shaking his head in annoyance. "Shut up."
"Ah, youth can be so sweet!"
♟
Luciel led Yulia to one of the balconies in the hall, somewhere far from the commotion of partners searching for each other. He wordlessly let go of her wrist and beckoned her to come closer to the marbled railings.
He was sure Genesis had already disappeared with some random girl.
But for some reason, Elijah went missing, too, which was unlikely since he was never the type to approach girls himself.
The balcony seemed like a perfect viewing spot, overseeing the beautiful garden below. "How... did you find this?"
Luciel smiled a wistful smile and pointed to the signage's crest.
HE.
If her memory served her right, that wasn't an abbreviation, but Luciel's last name before he was adopted by Sir Zhang.
Luciel He.
"Genesis told you already, right?"
Yulia looked down, ashamed that she chose to investigate instead of letting Luciel talk about it himself. She failed to return the respect and privacy he had given her. "I'm sorry."
"No wonder you suddenly started involving yourself in my business."
The embarrassed girl shook her head. "It's not like that! I don't... mean to meddle."
Luciel patted the girl's head. He turned back to the midnight skies, soft moonlight gracing his skin. He smiled to himself rather bitterly, before turning to Yulia. His decision was full, it was now up to Yulia to make hers.
"If you decide to be with us," he started. Yulia peered at him, her eyes full of determination and curiosity. Luciel knew he would never be able to go back seeing that look in her eyes. "You'll know every single thing you can use against us and the only thing we can do is hope you won't betray our trust."
Yulia bit the inner of her cheeks, keeping in the sudden gush of emotions she got from Luciel's reluctance. Though she was sure she would not ever betray them, Luciel's vulnerability made her think twice.
Was she deserving of this?
What did she really want from them?
Elijah was right about her approaching them out of curiosity, but now, she had grown to love them. She had grown past her interest in their mystery. She now wanted not to know, but to help even without knowing.
With the same trust she wanted from them, she decided to accept them wholeheartedly for what they chose to offer and what they would not.
"I didn't have anyone...," Yulia admitted. She didn't have enough confidence for this, but she had determination. "But when the three of you came, I feel accepted. Validated. Maybe Eli will call me selfish again, but if I ever betray you, it's no one but myself who I'm betraying the most."
Yulia's words were sweet, but the pain behind her tone was bitter. Luciel nodded in surrender.
Eli, huh...
"The three of us met in a... an institution due to some unfortunate incidents."
Yulia could feel the underlying poison in each word Luciel spitted out. She just knew the experiences weren't any good.
"Elijah," Luciel brought up his name ever so fondly. "He was the most lovable child anyone could've ever met."
Yulia pursed her lips together, her eyes softening at the mention of Elijah's childhood.
"He was only a child, but the world had a way of messing up people," he smirked, pain marring his features. "I failed to save him. I failed to keep my promise of protecting him. And before I knew it, he's already... that."
"I tried doing the same for Genesis," Luciel reminisced. "I tried my best to help him so he won't end up like Eli. But I failed, again."
Failed?
"But," Yulia interjected in panic. "They seem fine right now, all three of you."
Luciel shook his head. "There are some things that look alright on the surface, but are broken on the inside."
"What... do you mean?"
Luciel motioned for her to sit next to him on a wooden bench. "I'm just lucky they choose to stay by my side despite all the times that I've failed them."
"I don't know much about your relationship," Yulia muttered quietly. "But you... were a child too. I don't think you deserve to be so hard on yourself for things that are out of your control. And judging by how protective they are of you, I'm sure Eli and Gen understand that and also treasure you dearly."
Luciel refused to acknowledge her claims and just responded with a smile. "Yulia, promise me one thing."
A promise?
"What is it?"
"If anything happens, take care of Elijah for me."
Yulia felt her heart drop to her stomach. She remembered the time they had first met. A prank or not, Luciel was only going on and on about one thing. "You... aren't going to die, are you?"
A small chuckle escaped Luciel's lips. "No."
"Promise me," Yulia squinted her eyes, trying to hide the fear she had in them from surfacing.
Luciel understood her concerns. But after he met Yulia, things already started taking a turn. He offered his pinky to the agitated girl, noticing how blotches of pink formed on her cheeks from crying. "I, Luciel He, promise Miss Yulia Lim, I'm not going to try and take my life."
Then, he smiled.
Yulia could feel tears spilling from her exhausted eyes, but she did not hesitate one bit and grabbed his pinky with hers. "Ever?"
"Ever."
♟
— TEN YEARS AGO —
"Don't come near him! He's a weirdo!"
Luciel chose not to entertain those childish warnings from the others. He squatted down to match the younger kid's sitting height and beamed at him. "Hello, Elijah."
Contrary to what he had expected, Elijah looked up at him with bright eyes and a cheeky smile. "Hi, Luciel-ge!"
"You know my name?," Luciel asked in surprise and partly delight. He had missed being addressed as an older brother.
"I know everyone," Elijah grinned. "Even those who don't want to play with me."
"D-don't mind them," Luciel cooed in panic. "They're just not used to having you around yet."
"I don't think so," the smaller kid replied, his chubby cheeks flushing pink from the heat. Anyone could tell by his soft, baby-like skin that he was from a good upbringing. "It's just that I am more knowledgeable than them."
Luciel raised a brow, analyzing the kid.
He had heard of him on enough occasions to know he was not all talk. The Xia family was well-known for having exceptionally talented and intelligent children, but the third son was regarded as a prodigy.
A genius in the very sense of the word.
"Ehh," Luciel teased, taking a seat beside him. His eyes widened when he got a glimpse of what the little boy was reading. It seemed like a picture book of the bacteria he would see in a soap advertisement. "You must be really smarter than most of us, huh. If not all."
He was sure even adults wouldn't just nonchalantly decide to study a book about microorganisms.
"Smart is subjective," the little boy replied. "I just happened to be more interested in things, that's why I said I'm more knowledgeable."
Luciel couldn't point out if the kid was being humble or making fun of him for not sharing his definition of smart.
But Luciel was confident the kid was smart and that was the only debate he could win against him.
"But apparently..." Elijah started scribbling, his handwriting revealing just how young he was. "Some kids are scared of what they don't understand, so they'll make fun of it to look superior over their fears."
"And you're wise too," Luciel chuckled.
Elijah shook his head, not giving off an ounce of sadness over his observations. "I understand them. If you read Jean Piaget's theory, you will understand. Maybe their developmental as-"
"Wait! Wait, kid. That is too hard for me!"
♟
"Eli! What are you doing?!"
Blood everywhere.
Broken glass rested on the crying child's feet.
Luciel quickly pulled Elijah into a tight hug, letting the younger one sob against his chest. "Eli, what's wrong?"
"No...," the child's meek voice whispered against his ear. "I didn't mean to do it, Luciel-ge."
Luciel's arms tightened around Elijah, caging him in protectively. He didn't know what was taking the nurse so long to arrive. Distressed, he carried the child away from the mess himself and sat him down on the bed. "Eli, tell me what happened? Did anyone bully you?"
"I didn't mean to do it," Elijah continued to sob.
Luciel hung his head low, inspecting the open wound on Elijah's feet.
News was vicious, labeling the child crazy, but Luciel would never believe a soul as innocent as Elijah would be able to do such things.
But what could he tell him when he did not even know the full story?
"I just want to learn... I just wanted Eze-ge to praise me like how he always would. But he's not going to do that, not anymore."
Ezekiel Xia— the child's eldest brother who had died of drug overdose.
"Lian-ge told me it was my fault!" His outburst had just gotten louder, sobs racking his chest. Tears wouldn't stop streaming from those once bright eyes. "Lian-ge said it's because I made mom and dad put too much pressure on Eze-ge that he killed himself."
Elias Xia did...?
"He said if I weren't a genius, Eze-ge wouldn't have to put so much work into catching up to me or meeting mom and dad's standards," his voice broke painfully. "He said I was a burden to them... to him, too. That this wouldn't have happened if I were average."
Luciel could only stare, not knowing what to say. He did not expect such tragedy behind those jolly, innocent eyes.
"I just wanted to learn. I love... Science, I love Math. I love spelling bees. I love reading almanacs. I love it when I can join Eze-ge and Lian-ge when they're studying. I love it when I understand them!"
"Eli..."
"Luciel-ge, why can't everyone just be nice and love reading and studying and school? Why did they have to put pressure on my Eze-ge?"
It was the society.
Luciel couldn't bring himself to tell him that. He was not the least prepared to take on Elijah's questions. He was but a child himself.
He didn't even fully understand what was on his father's mind when he pointed the gun at his mother's head.
"I'm so sorry, Eli... Luciel-ge's here."
"I shouldn't hate myself," Elijah whimpered as he tried to keep his voice steady. "I shouldn't hate myself because I understand I didn't do anything wrong. But if not for me, Eze-ge would still be alive..."
"No, Eli. It's not." Luciel shut his eyes tightly, helplessly. He could only do nothing but share his pain. "You've been so strong... From now on, let Luciel-ge protect you, okay?"
♟
Present
Monday
Yulia knew it would be awkward, but she tried not to think much about it. However, the abnormal pounding on her chest seemed to make her goal to act normal harder.
It would be the first time they'd meet again after the party.
The party where Elijah claimed to accept their friendship. What could be so different, right?
Yulia snapped out of her trance when a cold bottle suddenly made contact with her cheek. She immediately turned to her right with an annoyed expression, meeting Elijah's nonchalant one. He was fixated on what Luciel was ranting about so the girl considered it unintentional.
Then again, that irritating iffy feeling in her chest returned.
"Good morning," she greeted softly, taking the drink from his hand and looking back down to her notes, pretending to study.
Elijah just hummed and took the seat beside hers. He took out his phone and began scrolling through a popular video streaming site, watching some sorts of microorganisms swim under microscopic lenses.
Yulia curiously peered. "What sample is that?"
"Tap water," Elijah replied. "It's showing the comparison before and after sterilization."
"So that is?"
"I figured that's E-coli," the other openly entertained Yulia's questions. "It's one of the easier ones to identify since it's rather common.
"It looks like Plankton," Yulia giggled.
Genesis and Luciel paused from talking, noticing the obvious lighter atmosphere between the two.
Elijah stared at the girl helplessly as she started naming the bacteria, his lips subconsciously lifting into a small smile. "...what a weirdo."