⊱Joie de vivre⊰
Joy of living
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Classical music was soothing the overwhelmingly posh atmosphere of the restaurant. For a place that was holding over fifty people, it was rather serene with the piano notes overruling conversations. The numerous chandeliers hanging overhead were shining brighter than the soft glows of the sun sauntering in through the tall windows that surrounded me.
I didn't understand what it was that I loved about the sun during this hour, but I sat next to the window with warmth seeping into my skin. The feeling was intensified. I felt more... alive.
People sitting around the mahogany tables and scrolling through their phones were dressed in formal attire, expensive and stylish ones. The type of clothes my mother used to make, so these people were filthy rich. Nothing unexpected there since the hotel itself was not affordable for an average person.
A bonsai tree, a rose bouquet in a glass bowl, a small vase with blue decorations, plates and silver utensils rested on the table before me like every other table there. The aesthetics of it was definitely pleasing, alleviating the migraine I had after waking up even a little. I reminded myself not to sleep unless it's nighttime because damn, daytime sleep was one way ticket to agony-land.
After calling for the waiter and ordering a huge platter of seafood, I rested my head on my chair and settled my gaze at the people bustling about. The streets were busy. A normal day in a normal world. Boys in school uniforms were laughing with each other. Girls, too, were chatting with their friends. Children were bouncing with their hands in their parents'.
A normal day...
"Ah!"
A pained wince prompted me to turn to the source of the sound. Envy, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and dress pants, plopped down on the chair in front of me with a grimace.
"Slept well?"
His pale lips turned downward as he groaned. "Hardly. It's hard to relax when your muscles are throbbing like you're dying."
"We won't die," I sighed, watching him rub his sides.
He forced a smile. "Touché."
"Extra care wouldn't hurt while we're outside," I mumbled, turning to the window. Men and women all walked in a specific direction, most of them probably going home after a long day. "It's not like we're invisible to others now. We're here like any other human."
"Alright, alright. Don't rebuke me as if it's your life purpose," he whined, hissing in pain and slumping back in his chair. "Let me breathe for a sec."
I bit back my words. Rebuking him just might had actually become my life purpose.
The warmth of the sun was no more and the sky was painted darker shades of blue. The clustered buildings of all heights were twinkling with yellow squares. The world was lulling into the evening.
Clangs of metal tableware interrupted my musings. A huge platter with all types of seafood, bigger than I expected, was placed on the table between Envy and I. I had a hard time suppressing my laugh after seeing Envy's eyes bulge out.
Thanking the waiter as he left, I grabbed my fork and put some shrimps on my plate. My mouth was watering at the sight and it never happened before. Spending the whole day without eating anything, I was quick to shove the food into my mouth.
And it tasted divine!
Gosh, food tastes this amazing?
A rumble tumbled out of Envy's stomach and he, too, was trying his best to take the meat out of the crab fast. I would have ridiculed his desperation but I was the same.
A satisfied and embarrassingly loud moan escaped him as he closed his eyes, tilting his head backwards, when he chewed the meat and the women sitting around us instantly turned to him with stunned expressions. He must had forgotten that he wasn't alone nor invisible.
"Now what did I say," I huffed, snapping his eyes open. They were dazed and totally lost in the delectable taste of seafood. "Extra care, idiot. Extra care."
Blinking a few times, he regained himself and sat up straight while mumbling an apology. He continued to eat in silence but his expressions were anything but. Closing his eyes and hanging his mouth open every time he took a bite, he was ascending just from the flavor.
The infuriating thing was, the women were still gawking at him, but I forced myself to heed no attention to their hungry eyes. At least Envy wasn't.
"Why don't you just marry that lobster?" The words came out a bit too bitter to my liking.
With a huge grin that pushed his eyes into crescents, he piped, "Maybe I will. Food is life!"
I didn't expect such a happy answer from him, so I just let him be. "We should plan our route before diving into a crowd like that."
"Go ahead."
"Are you not gonna...?" I raised a brow, confused by his simple answer.
He continued devouring the food, not looking at me while talking. "I told you before. You draw the map, I'll follow. It's not like I'm the one trying to prove something. Be grateful that I'm following you like this."
Gaping at him in disbelief, I clenched my fork. His last words were a stab. A stab with the bluntest knife, digging into my flesh until it pierced me. To have him follow me was, in fact, God's idea, not Envy's free will...
As expected, my existence was of no value to him... Even the slightest pity would have been much appreciated.
I was doing this for him after all.
"Okay, bitch. Then don't complain while following the path I drew on the map," I spat, finally purchasing his costly attention. "Follow God's orders and do what I say, dipshit. Then maybe you wouldn't be whining like a baby after getting beaten up. Honestly, you deserved those beatings, pussy ass."
Envy looked stupefied for a moment before chuckling humorlessly and brushing back his green bangs, revealing his thick and intimidating eyebrows. "Wow, you're a heaven creature, aren't you? Act like it and curse a little less, will ya?"
"I do whatever the fuck I want," I fumed only to realize how my emotions were affecting me, pumping my blood and clouding my reasoning. They were supposed to be dampened, but I felt the most emotional and capricious I had ever been.
"Fucking human qualities," I mumbled, rubbing my face in exasperation.
"You're freaking me out, Kindness. Did you get some sleep yourself?"
Inhaling deeply, I put on a calm demeanor and faced him. His tan skin was glowing like melted honey under the dim lighting of the chandeliers, his hair tousled suavely, and the creases between his furrowed eyebrows were prominent. He had no reason to worry for me and I had no reason to be upset with him.
"Tomorrow we'll go meet some of the most popular celebrities in the country and if we can't meet anyone, we'll move to the next country and so on."
He nodded. "Sounds like a plan. But only celebrities?"
Pondering for a moment, I decided, "Mostly celebrities. We should try people from all ages."
"Okay, ma'am," he agreed and stabbed a shrimp to put it in his mouth. "I'm gonna order more food. You want?"
I stood up after wiping my mouth with the red napkin. Few of the other women gave me side eyes and I felt jealousy emanating from them. I, the enemy of envy, was triggering jealousy.
"No, do whatever you want, I don't care," I rambled, hastily walking away from the table.
"That was not kind of you," Envy yelled from the back to which I rolled my eyes.
On my way out the door, I caught a glimpse of the rooftop lounge picture on a flyer and decided to head there because I undoubtedly needed some air.
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A gasp left me as I stood at the edge of the rooftop with my hands clutching the railings that reached just above my hips. The picturesque scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. The whole city was expanding into the violet horizon at my feet, the deep blue night-sky with numerous tiny pearls blanketing it snugly.
I was engrossed in the beauty of the sight before me, relishing in the gentle nostalgic breeze that smelled like comfort. It smelled like life, my past and everything relaxing. Indistinct car noises in the distance and hushed chatters of the others on the rooftop were blending with the soft jazz music playing at the bar behind me.
Twirling the maroon liquor in my glass, I slowly sipped the drink with my eyes wandering from one odd building to another. The city felt alive and my tongue felt alive from the tang of centuries old wine. Perhaps it was made while I was still alive.
"Joie de vivre," a deep voice uttered beside me before the man sipped his drink. "It would be real joy to witness this scenery every evening... So beautiful."
"I know. And we can." I turned my head to the green haired man who was already looking at me. "You can. When I'm done with my task, you can. And until then... I can."
He chuckled under his breath. "Taking advantage of the situation?"
A faint smile tugged my lips as I looked back at the sky. "Taking advantage of the situation."
"Good for you." He took another sip from his wine. "Good for you."
It seemed both him and I weren't in the mood to argue, just enjoying the evening with life buzzing vivaciously around us. Everyday was about constant battles of guiding people to our paths... not this. Taking a break for the first time was a breath of fresh air after being confined with no sunlight for millennia.
And I didn't know if I would ever get a chance like this again when our agreement expires.
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If Taehyung doesn't stop posting shirtless pictures, I will sue him for making me so weakhearted like WTAF
And his AUDACITY to say that he's reading ARMY's posts when he himself posted that first pic to oh idk MAKE ARMYS GO CRAZY AND T̶H̶I̶R̶S̶T̶ ̶O̶V̶E̶R̶ ̶H̶I̶M̶
I'm also questioning why he's my bias 😭
Anyway, excuse my rant. Do tell me how this story is going. Hope it's not boring 😅