Kintsugi // ATEEZ [Ishihara Sequel] ✔

21 Revelation

San spreads out his fingers, grinning as he sees that all his nails have been painted black. He whistles as he pushes his chair back, walks over to the full length mirror before looking at his hair which has turned half white. He chuckles in satisfaction seeing his appearance, picking up strands of his hair which have turned white, rolling them in between his fingers before he drops them.

"Hah... I wonder when the rest are turning white too."

Then he smiles at his reflection, checking out his teeth to see if they have turned sharp, but it's still his normal set of teeth, so he's disappointed in that sense. However he traces the faded black branches all over his skin, making him look like he had been scribbled with markers all over, but he likes how he looks now.

The others kept telling him that there's something wrong with him, that he should see someone able to cure him but he pushed all of them away, saying that there's absolutely nothing wrong.

In fact, he feels even greater than before. Even more powerful.

Perhaps this is the taste of power that comes with the position?

But he likes it... very much.

No one can tell him otherwise.

He turns around and spots Wooyoung in the doorway, holding a pair of shoes that San had requested this morning. He walks over to him, snatching the shoes from his hands before looking at them, nodding in satisfaction.

"This is good," he utters to Wooyoung, who's frowning as he tries cooking up a reply. "Get me two more in different colours. New ones, I don't want used ones." He shakes his head, "Not for someone like me."

"The shoes cost more than what you usually wear," Wooyoung finally says, disappointed. "You're using up the money that is for Nyla. If we buy two more it's going to-"

"So?" San says with a sharp glare as he pushes his tongue to the inside of his cheek. "Are you saying royals like me don't deserve to have the best and expensive items?" He drops the shoes to the floor, mood already ruined. "I'm the king of Nyla, I should be able to get what I want."

Wooyoung looks desperate, his mouth hanging open as he lets out an exasperated breath. "You never cared about these things!"

The king looks at him in disbelief, tilting his head as he can't believe his ears. He can't believe that this mere commoner is talking to him like this. "Yah." He kicks the shoes away, feeling enraged. "How dare you talk to me like that. You should be grateful that I didn't kick you out straight away. Where will you even live in this kingdom, hmm?"

Wooyoung's eyebrows knit together, speechless. He licks his lips before he blinks a few times; it has been two days since San's 'change' and they're not sure on where they'll be going with this. The king has completely changed into someone they don't recognize, his appearance and attitude a complete 180 from before.

Not only his attitude and appearance, but his lifestyle and demeanour, as if the old Choi San is hiding among all the dark and brooding aesthetic. Even the skies in their kingdom look gloomy, as if the sun decided to hide and never show itself again. They have heard of a few concerns brought in from the people of Nyla about the seemingly alarming condition of their kingdom, but it seems that to San, that is not his priority as the king.

Instead, he's too focused on himself that the others remain perverse to his change, mind stuck on how they're going to reverse back this... whatever that he went through. They don't even know what to call this change in him, but for now they quietly agree on one.

A curse.

"Did Mingi get my message?" San continues talking as he goes over to the sofa, leaning against it as he crosses his leg over the other. "That I want to make sure everything in this palace is brand new, even the compound and around it. The archway entrance especially," he makes a face, "what kind of entrance that looks like it's about to crumble any second is fit for a king? Ah!" He snaps his fingers as he remembers something, "The carriages too, change them to gold, but only for mine." He closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath. "I should hire a personal assistant. How about you?"