" Please, don't lie to me, unless, you are sure I will never find out the truth. "
-Ashleigh Brilliant
" Ah, Sora you are- " He paused, " Judging by your expression, he finally came to you, didn't he? "
The young woman scoffed, " So you knew?! " She angrily stepped toward her childhood friend. " How much do you know? " With her hand on her side, she corrected herself, " No, actually, since when did you know? "
" Don't get me wrong, Sora. I only met him yesterday night after he came asking some questions about Yoongi. Actually, it's partially my fault for what had happened to him. "
She frowned, " What do you mean? "
Jaebum gazed at her before a deep sigh escaped his lips, " Take a seat first. "
The woman warily stared at her friend before she took a seat in front of him. With her arms crossed, she said, " Explain. "
" Yesterday, I called you to talk about the hybrids that have gone missing around Hongdae. I suspected that Yoongi could be the next victim since his physical features were similar to the others. However, since you weren't answering your phone, I decided it was best to call Yoongi. I warned him about the case and let him go home, but I never suspected that those people would go after him so quickly. "
She took in Jaebum's words and declared, " Still, you could have told me sooner, Jaebum. You could have called me after you knew what had happened to Yoongi because, for all I know, he could not have come back home, and I wouldn't have known the reason. I get what you were trying to do with Hoseok, but this, it's not cool, Jaebum. It's about my hybrid we are talking about, about Yoongi, for god sake! "
" I get it, okay. I know I messed up. But first, tell me. How is Yoongi? How is coping up with all of this? "
She turned her eyes away, " He doesn't know. Actually, he didn't even tell me about what had happened to him yesterday. Can you believe that? That fool preferred to keep that for himself and suffer. "
" What? Why would he- "
" Hoseok. He saw Hoseok. " She stated.
Jaebum frowned, " I don't get it. Why would Hoseok has anything to- Wait, don't tell me... "
She nodded, " It looks like Yoongi has started to develop some kind of complex toward Hoseok. I only put the pieces together this morning, but the reason why he didn't say anything was that he was afraid I might replace him now that Hoseok is back. "
" ... I guess it would be a natural behavior since he lived all alone for years, and now that he found you and his home, he is scared. " He said thoughtfully, " If that's really the case, it would be best if you started to have a conversation with him. Otherwise, it could get dangerous. "
Sora agreed. She couldn't let Yoongi having those toxic thoughts. She stood up from her seat and walked toward the window behind Jaebum. The coffee shop was right in front of her.
What was Yoongi thinking right now, she wondered.
" Sora. "
She hummed before she faced back Jaebum.
" How did it go, with Hoseok? " He carefully asked.
Sora sighed, " How did you think it would go? " She said as she sadly glanced back outside, " After almost six years, the first thing that leaves his lips is to tell me that my hybrid is related to an investigation of missings hybrids. "
Jaebum sighed, " ...When I first saw him yesterday, the first thing he would ask me was about you, you know? He had never forgotten about you. "
At that, she felt her heart wavering, " ... Then why didn't he call me, Jaebum? Why didn't he come to see me sooner? Why... " She snickered, " All this time, I've been making excuses for him! All these years, I knew he was alive somewhere. Yet, I didn't how he was. Why did he leave? Why he didn't tell me anything? I... I don't even know what to do, Jaebum. What should I do? "
She started to feel her eyes stinging, and before she knew it, she broke down in tears.
" Oh, Sora... "
Jaebum took her in a hug and patted her back like she was a child. " Byul, I can't tell you what you should do or not, but I think it would be a better idea if you were to hear Hoseok's side of the story. "
She pushed Jaebum away, " Aren't you just protecting him? "
He shook his head, " Trust me, I am as mad as you, but knowing Hoseok, he wouldn't have left us for nothing. He must have had his reasons for not contacting any of us after all these years. "
She fell silent.
" Byul, look at me. " She looked up and saw Jaebum smiling at her, " Why are you crying? You look ugly when you cry! " He said as he playfully ruffled her hair with his hand like they were younger.
She gently pushed his hands away, " Who are you calling ugly?! And what's up with calling me Byul again? That's when we were kids. " She sulked.
However, Jaebum seemed to enjoy her reaction, " That's right, that's how you should react! " He grinned.
Sora scoffed, but when she saw my friend giggling, she couldn't suppress her smile, but it soon fell.
" Say... " She started.
Jaebum hummed in a questioning manner, " What? "
" What should we say to the others... " She looked at him, " About Hoseok. They have all been looking for him... And now he is suddenly back. Jackson and Joy too... We have to tell them. "
" Don't worry about that. I will take care of that. However, you- " Jaebum looked at her up and down. " You should go wash your face and... wear proper clothing for work. "
Sora stared at her reflection in the window. She forgot that she was only wearing an oversized shirt and shorts, but it wasn't really evident that it was actually her pajama.
She nodded, " Yeah, I will go change my clothes and ask for some makeup from Lisa. "
Jaebum nodded, " Lisa starts her shift in half an hour. Want me to text her to bring you some clothes? Because it doesn't seem like you bought your phone with you. "
Her eyes enlarged as she patted her pockets in search of her phone and cursed when she couldn't find it.
" ... Yeah, please do. "
He nodded before he took out his phone and texted their friend. " ...Done. You can wait for her in your office, she said she would be there in ten minutes. "
" Thanks. Ah! About Yoongi's file- "
" I will take care of that. Just go to your office and wait for Lisa. "
She nodded her head and turned to leave Jaebum's office before he called out her name.
" Sora, whatever you do, don't overthink too much. You don't need to feel responsible for everything. "
She smiled at him and left his office to go to hers.
When Sora arrived at her own office, she immediately sat on her chair and softly banged her head against the desk. She then wrapped her arms around her head and groaned. Too much was happening that she didn't even know what to think first.
She sat back against her chair and turned to look outside the window.
Her eyes were immediately being pulled up by the sky. Baby blue sky, soft clouds, and a shining sun. Rays of light slowly penetrated through the glass until it gently kissed her skin and warmed her up like an embrace from a mother. Her gaze then followed the spring birds dancing along with the wind as flowers were casually taken into the breeze.
The scene before her looked so peaceful in contrast to her chaotic heart.
Knocks then pulled her out from this quiet scenery as she bore her eyes at the door and answered, " Enter. "
The door quickly opened to reveal, without much surprise, her beautiful friend, Lisa. " Sora... "
She walked toward her and took her in a hug. " Jaebum told me about what happened! "
Sora smiled as she gently pushed her away, " Yeah... "
" Are you okay? No, that was a stupid question... Hum, Jaebum told me you might need this. We pretty much wear the same size and the other things I bought them on the way here. " Lisa handed her a bag with clothes and makeup, and another one was full of sweets.
She chuckled, " Thank you, Lisa. "
She took a chair and sat next to her, " I can't believe that Hoseok is back. And now Yoongi is also in trouble... " She sighed. " Did he tell you anything? On where he was all this time, or why he left? "
Sora shook her head in a no motion, " Nothing. Actually, I didn't really give him the occasion to as Yoongi was the first thing that I had to think about. If he decides to stay around, we might end up by knowing... "
She nodded, " That's true. " She then took out her phone and said, " My shift is starting in five minutes. I'm catching up with you at lunch, okay? "
She nodded, " See you later." Said Sora as Lisa was leaving her office.
She looked at the bag that Lisa gave me, " I have to change... "
The sound of glasses hitting each other, the noise of the coffee machine turning on, and the soft laughter and chattering of the customers. The cashier tapping on the cash register, the loud voice of the waiter asking for the customers' orders, and the soft music playing in the background. All rhythm and all the movements of every creature that entered the coffee shop was creating a symphony.
However, all those sounds that were once considered like music to his ears suddenly became like background noises. All the smiling faces, all the gentle words he was hearing, all the colorfulness that he was seeing, turned dull.
He didn't know why today was a different day, or maybe he did but didn't want to acknowledge it.
His dark eyes swiftly bore into the customers that were enjoying their drinks and asked himself, " If I was human, would I have been able to not worry about waking up one day and finding out that somebody else would have taken my place? "
The wolf snickered at his own stupid question and turned his head away. All he could do was to watch and enjoy the last bit of liberty and happiness that he had left. Before she was to discover his lies, and for that man to find him again.
Everything was a simple question of time.
As the day came to an end, the sunset had reflected across the cotton candy-like clouds, turning them into rays of orange with bands of pink, and the road of a cloudy night took place.
The daylight was long gone, as Yoongi sat for a moment under the starless and moonless sky. As if darkness and isolation was the only thing that was surrounding him, and as the breeze kissed his skin, he knew he was outside.
Though, what the wolf didn't know, was that he wasn't alone. At each step he took on his way to his guillotine, he was being followed by the same man that he thought was his executioner. At every step he took, he wondered what kind of expression the woman Yoongi cared for would show him when he would come back home.
After all, Yoongi was no fool. He knew the moment that Hoseok had saved him, Sora would end up knowing everything.
Furthermore, it wasn't the only thing that was bothering the young male. Last night's accident was pretty clear to him that he had been exposed. It was only a question of time, he believed. As soon as he got adopted by Sora, he knew it would be the end of his runaway, but also the beginning of an unhappy ending.
He was actually surprised that they haven't made their move sooner. They even had a hard time finding him, thought the hybrid while he was walking beside the road as he was recalling Jaebum's warning about those kidnappings occurring around Hongdae. Or maybe were those warnings for him from this person? He questioned.
He shook his head. It was too late to think about it. All he could do was to face his owner's disappointing expression while preparing himself for leaving her and everyone around her.
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