That basically describes Khun and Rachel's relationship perfectly...
Anyways, enjoy!
"Free food... list.. 6 o'clock...." A screechy voice from the megaphone erupted, but I couldn't care less. I gazed at the ceiling as I lied down on my back, my hand reaching for the top. One hand was pushing back my hair, and I remained expressionless.
Was the tower really such a great place? Was what was up at the top worth risking our lives over?
'Yes. Yes it was.' That was my clear answer only a couple of days when I had just entered tower. At that time, I was so happy that I had finally escaped my family, but I had now entered a new place of despair. The tower. What was so great about it? All I encountered was betrayal, more blood and corpses and the lack of trust. Bam was probably the only one with innocent intentions - chasing after a girl. I was envious of his determination, and recalled Endorsi's words back in the Hide and Seek game.
'It's in your blood.' I recalled, and I sighed as I wondered if being surrounded by monstrous people and blood was truly in my blood, after all my last name was 'Estrada'.
Damn this blood.
Damn this family.
Damn this tower.
I clenched my teeth while for a brief moment as I questioned if climbing the tower was even worth it.
"But anywhere is better than back there." I muttered to myself, and my tummy growled amidst the silence that followed my self-talk.
I remembered that the screechy voice from the megaphone mentioned free food, despite not paying much attention to the details.
I was feeling hungry, and it is a human's natural instinct to eat when they are hungry.
***
"One Evankhell special fried rice." I said to the person at the counter and I waited to collect the order. When I got the food, it smelled a little unusual, so I grimaced at it. Well free food is free food I guess.
As I was looking for a seat to sit down on, my eyes drifted towards a certain regular who was getting out out of his chair, his face showing irritation - it was Khun. However as his face met mine, a small smile lit up on his face and I smirked back at him. There was something that I had wanted to talk to him about today, and it was quite an important matter - at least to me.
I got closer to him as he stood still, then whispered into his ear, my lips only centimeters away from brushing onto to it. "I'll come see you at 5, you better be there. I want to ask you something." He nodded and walked away, and I sat down in a chair nearby Endorsi. Khun was potentially one of the most irritating people because he called himself a genius, and well - he was right. It annoyed me so much that he was always right and that his plans always seemed to work. Whenever I talked to him, I would suddenly be put off guard by his remarks. Sure, he was probably Bam's friend, but I still couldn't come to like him. Or maybe, I just didn't want to get closer to him. Maybe, I was afraid of what was to follow if I did get closer to him.
I turned to my right and noticed that Endorsi was only two seats away from me. As our relationship was quite awkward now, I turned away although we both met eye contact. I had preferred that we didn't interact at all.
"Hey." Endorsi spoke to me first, although I had desperately wanted to eat without any disturbance, especially from her.
"What?" I responded half-heartedly, continuing to eat as my spoon clashed onto the bowl. Her expression then turned into a grin as she looked at me.
"Are you and Khun dating or something? You got the same specific dish and you're even sitting where he was sitting only moments ago. Honestly, it's cute." She poked fun of me as I immediately thought to deny her accusations. Me and Khun, in a relationship? Well if we were in a relationship, it would be more likely that we were great foes instead of lovers. I choked on my food as I burst out laughing.
"Pfff you think we're dating? We're more like enemies at this point. He's irritating to be around. What, the Princess of Jahad wants to date too or something like that?" I joked as she chuckled quietly and continued to eat.
"Well, if you say so." She said and we both went back to silence. We both ate, although I could tell that Endorsi wasn't eating much, as if she was in a daze and too exasperated about something to eat. When I finished eating, I stood up and before I left, I muttered something back to her.
"And you're right. Betrayal, evil, mercilessness... it's all in my blood." As I said those words, Endorsi's eyes widened as she sighed. To her, it probably didn't mean much, as she didn't know my origins. But to me, family was probably the greatest influence to my life. It changed my everything.
From the way I felt when someone killed, helped, cared or betrayed, my reactions were almost like they were trained by my mother.
***
5 pm
I made my way to Khun's room and knocked on the door. The door opened widely as Khun's face popped out in the hole between the door and the wall.
"You're late." He said, and I got nervous for a brief moment. I checked my pocket and the time read 5:02pm. Gosh, that perfectionist.
I ignored him and went inside, shutting the door as I went in. I bit my lips as my heart pounded, what I was going to ask him was greatly confidential. This conversation may have turn out for the worse or better. I had initiated this meeting out of impulse but also from a simple feeling, but it could greatly change my path.
"So, what did you want to a-" Khun said, but I quickly interuptted him. My heart was pounding, I was trembling from anxiety. But I knew that this was something that I had to do.
"Do you know who I am?" I asked sternly, sitting down on his bed comfortably while stood up. I trembled - this was a test. Khun is smart. He'll tell the truth if it needs be for his plan, but will lie if else.
He raised his eyebrows and looked at me.
"A member of the Estrada family. The daughter of Azrael Estrada, the head of the Estrada family, a hidden family that rivals the 10 great families. You're really bad when it comes to lying." He said calmly, although that last part annoyed me. I sighed in relief, this was all going to plan.
"Anything else?" I asked, fidgeting with my fingers.
"I only got to that point by eavesdropping on my father. A distinct feature of the Estrada family include their snow-like white hair and blue eyes that resemble crystals. As in literally, your eyes look like crystals, which was how I was able to find out your identity."
He was right with that last part. The eyes of Estrada born people including my father and his children possessed crystal blue eyes, which shone brighter than a star. My eyes followed me everywhere I went, which always reminded me of who I truly was. My blood could not be changed. My eyes could not be changed. I would always be an Estrada, no matter what I did to get rid of that last name. Though to outsiders our eyes simply looked 'pretty', to us they were a sign of our bloodline. In Estrada, if your eyes weren't blue or crystal-like, it was almost perfect evidence that you weren't from this family, and you would be abandoned or killed as a baby. In the family, it was said that the more your eyes resembled crystals, the more blood of father you carried. Mother always complimented my eyes and spoke of how my eyes shone like the purest crystal in the world, and that they were beautiful.
But living in Estrada changed me. At times, I wanted to pluck them out and remove them from my sockets, but that was essentially just killing myself.
But there was something that he had not spoken of yet, which was the fact that Estrada people should not be in the tower. What was that all about? Even I did not know about that information, and I had only coincidentally learnt of it by interacting with Khun in the Crown Game.
"What's the reason for us not being able to climb the tower?" I asked hesitantly, after taking a deep breath.
"I just know that it's a fact, but I have yet to figure out the reason. Come to think of it, your eyes truly do resemble crystals. They're blue like mine, but they have a different sort of presence. They're beautiful." When he complimented me, it suddenly felt like my heart would burst from pounding too quickly. I guess compliments did feel great no matter who said them. I started to feel embarassed and my face went red, and I momentarily forgot why I was here in the first place, asking these confidential questions. Khun looked at me and smirked as he savored this embarrassing moment for me. That jerk always knew how to make me get on my tippy toes.
"I- I guess thanks? I mean thanks guess? Sorry I meant... You know what? Uh.. thanks." My brain was doing a 360 degrees turn as I blurted out the most nonsensical words as I embarassed myself more every time, and Khun laughed every time. Well, this is embarrassing. How do I manage to embarrass myself every time I talk to Khun?
Then, I remembered suddenly why I was here in the first place.
"R-right! So the reason I asked you those questions were to, well confirm if you knew my identity like how I had speculated, but also - I want to join your team for the future. I know you probably hate me or think I'm annoying by now, but I need to join your team. The reason I basically revealed my identity was so that you could trust me." I said, and Khun looked dumbfounded.
"So you basically confirmed the existence of a hidden family to join my team? Well that's some dedication. Besides, if you asked, I would've let you join anyways. You're strong enough, and I'm sure Bam would've encouraged you to join anyways." I face palmed myself as I realized that what I did basically didn't influence his decisions at all, but only confirmed his suspicions.
Why was I so set on telling my identity in the first place? Was it because I didn't want to lie to him, like I always had before? But why did I want to join his team in the first place? Sure, I respected him for his cunningness and intelligence, but there was nothing more than that. Right...?
I realized that I was sitting down and Khun was still standing up, and wondered if he was tired. After all, we had just gone through a series of tests to get to this point. Damn it, why am I caring about if he's tired or not? I stared into his eyes when we met eye contact, and I unconsciously found myself appreciating his beauty. Again. Usually I was not the type to judge one's beauty, but when it came to this man... all my standards of my morals and judgement were broken.
Khun POV
I realized that Malisia's been staring at my face for a while now, and this is certainly not her first time. Was she always the type to judge people's looks?
That girl... she makes me run wild.
Before, I told myself that I'll only give her enough care for her to live, but not so much that it changes my life and thoughts. When I'm set on a plan, it's a must for me to complete it. Sure, she's lied to me countless times, but it's so obvious that they're lies that it somehow hurts me. I already speculated that she was from that family, but now that she's confirmed it herself, it somehow makes me feel better. The fact that she told me herself, and trusted me with probably one of her deepest secrets in her life enlightens me. It brings me joy that she can trust me, well to an extent. Every time we've talked, we always end up bickering, but it makes me happy that she's human too after all. She has feelings, emotions.
When I'm with her, I find myself putting my guard down, although it's not like me. After being abandoned, my trust in almost everyone has been broken, and making new connections without me doubting the other person has been hard. When I entered the tower and met Bam, I felt my barrier crumble and I allowed him to gain my trust, and I gained his. It was almost instantaneously, it was a feeling that I had when I saw Bam.
As for Malisia, the barrier didn't crumble instantly. When I first saw her, I immediately knew that she wasn't an ordinary regular - she was hiding something. But as I talk to her more and more, something changes within me. The wall that I put against her crumbles slowly but surely, and her laugh of joy keeps me at peace.
I don't know about her backstory, or why she's climbing the tower. I don't know what kind of family the Estrada family is, I don't know about their traditions, and all of that. But I know for sure that she's someone I want in my life. I don't know what kind of relationship we have. Are we rivals? Friends? Enemies? I can't tell for sure, but I want to stay with her no matter what.
Bam and Malisia seems to be close. They're in the same class since they're both wave-controllers, and Bam is a friendly person in the first place. But when I see her smile and laugh when she's with him, a certain emotion rises in me, though it shouldn't. It's wrong. But I guess it's a good thing that she has someone to genuinely enjoy the time with, alas she can't be with me all the time - the world doesn't work like that.
Her eyes are the brightest eyes I've ever seen. They're like crystals, and they shine brighter than the stars in the night sky. They're beautiful, like they're straight out of a fictional fairytale. They defy the laws of this world. It's stunning. Every time I see those eyes, they somehow make my heart pound - it's not like me. But inside, I know that my heart doesn't pound for her eyes.
They pound for her. She's messed up my mind, she's making me crazy.
But I know I shouldn't. A Khun in love with someone from Estrada? It's a story out of a novel. It can only remain in my fantasies. It's a beautiful love, straight out of a fictional fairytale - like her eyes. I can only look at them, but I can't keep them for myself.
Is it alright for me to feel this way?
"Ah, I forgot to tell you. I found a way for Rachel to keep climbing the tower with Bam." I said, trying to distract myself from whatever was going through my head.
"Oh really? That's great! So, what's the plan?" She asked, and my lips trembled from seeing her so excited. I went on explaining the plan to her, judging her every movement.
She's leaning in closer to me, that's a sign of interest. Her cheeks are red. Is she into me?
No, I'm probably being delusional. She's messed my mind up completely.
While I was in my half daze, the door was barged open by a certain crocodile. He was still in his 'mini' form, and he first looked angry but when he saw Malisia in the same room, his expression completely changed.
"What, is it mating season again?!" Rak yelled out, and I felt my face becoming red. Again, it was out of character for me to act like this. I glanced over to Malisia to check her reaction, and I noticed that she was beet-red too. I liked the fact that it wasn't just me being embarrassed, and that potentially she liked me as well.
"W-What! We were just discussing something... There's nothing like that between us!" Malisia tried to deny Rak's accusations, and seeing her stutter made me smile. It was cute seeing her nervous and break that tense character of hers.
"Hm... Come to think of it, you're the turtle who helped us in the Crown Game!" Rak exclaimed as he dropped his tough act again and waddled towards Malisia. She bit her lip, she looked nervous. Rak then observed her eyes as if he was running a full on analysis on them, then bounced back when he concluded his observations. "That's it, you're Crystal Turtle!" And after the crocodile yelled that out, he waddled out of the room like a penguin and we both chuckled at his cuteness.
You're so interesting, Malisia - I want you for myself. And only myself.
A/N: Yay, another Khun POV! I tried to dedicate this chapter in delving into their feelings towards each other, especially Khun. After the heavy chapter in the previous chapter, I wanted this one to be more light-hearted yet still maintaining the mood of the story.
Also if you were confused about the implications of the crystal blue eyes when it says that you'll be killed/abandoned if you don't have crystal or blue eyes, it basically implies that you were probably birthed by your mother who committed infidelity. This is because Azrael Estrada's (the head of the family and the father of all children) blood is so strong that the crystal-ness and blueness of your eyes is basically already certain to be present.
Also don't worry, Malisia's mother's (Ece) identity and intentions will be revealed, at one point. Though I can't tell you when ^_^
Once again, thank you for reading!