Kintsugi // ATEEZ [Ishihara Sequel] ✔

28 Betrayal

A few months ago

Akira's head gets hit with something solid as she's busy daydreaming on the front steps of the library, and she glares when she notices the familiar face grinning from afar. She sees him throw an apple up and down, chuckling as he sees that he has managed to get a headshot with the apple. The only thing that's easing her anger for having an apple thrown at her head is when the puppy quickly jumps from the horse before coming over to her and licking her fingers.

"Jeong Yunho," Akira starts. "You're lucky Mars is here to ease my burning heart. Or else you'll be getting not one but two apples to your head. You're really asking for a death wish."

"I was let off early today," Yunho says as he chomps through an apple and alights the horse. "The restaurant ran out of ingredients because they didn't expect the heavy volume of orders in one time so we're done for today."

She looks at her watch before picking up the apple targeted at her head and walking over to the pipe to wash it. She takes a bite out of it before sitting next to Yunho on the steps, with Mars eagerly placing each side of his legs on both of their legs, looking quite comical as he tries to balance himself with his legs spread out.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Yunho smirks, leaning back as he chews on his apple and swallowing it, enjoying how sweet it is. "Managed to get him off of you today?"

"He didn't come by today; he said he's doing something in town. Buying groceries or what not," she replies. "He asked me to go with him but Wooyoung said he needed to learn how to live without me again," she chuckles. "Wooyoung said that Seonghwa became too dependent on me, said he's never seen his brother like this."

"He didn't even want to come out of the palace before you came into the picture," Yunho utters. "Now he's setting aside all of his time to come and see you. Hah... it still feels so surreal."

"What? That your general finally fell for someone?"

He shrugs. "That we're living a normal life like this."

"You're going to jinx it, I swear."

"Our lives are already jinxed."

She pauses to think. "You're right."

Yunho takes a huge bite out of the apple again, slowly chewing as he utters, "So is he the one?"

She lifts his eyebrows; feigning innocence either intentionally or unintentionally.

"It may have been years since you've said it and," he quickly adds when it seems that Akira looks like she wants to refute him, "you may have said it while you're a child, but I know that you told Emira that your goal in life was to have a happy family. So," he repeats, "will he be the one you're building one with?"

Akira clears her throat, looking away as she clamps her lips, pretending that she has not heard of his question. "That was such a long time ago," she mumbles. "It's not even valid anymore."

He chuckles. "So you don't want a happy family with Seonghwa? Ah..." he smiles, "he's probably going to cry a river once he hears you say that."

"You know that's not what I meant," she quickly backtracks. "I mean," she relents, "who wouldn't want a happy family, right Mars?" she asks the puppy, receiving a bark in return. "I'm just being realistic."

"How realistic are you trying to get?"

"We both came from Lucida, and he has lived all of his life in Nyla. He's a nobleman while I'm-"

"I'm disappointed in you," he says casually, alarming Akira as she blinks. "I never thought that you still keep this mentality with you."

Her shoulders drop as she tilts her body to the side, rolling the half-eaten apple in her hand. "I'm just... being realistic. You know Seonghwa's past with Lucida; years worth of hatred don't just disappear like that."