Kintsugi // ATEEZ [Ishihara Sequel] ✔

57 Disappearance

Ileara; when the curse disappeared

"Now I understand why I'd rather live alone, away from people," she points a finger to the sky. "Forget about falling in love."

He doesn't say anything, merely smiling as he hears her grumbling quietly, complaining about why humans are so complicated.

She finishes with a sigh as she tilts her head. "But still, I'd like to experience that at least once."

"I thought you did?"

She blinks before scratching her head. "Ah right, but I told you I've forgotten all about it since it's a very, very, very long time ago. So if I were to fall in love again, it'll be like experiencing it for the first time." She beams as she looks at him, her eyes flicking to observe any changes on his expression.

Is it not working?

"I'm sure you will, one day."

"I do hope so," she chirps. Then she plays with her fingers, looking visibly restless as time goes by. "Look," she says, "I thought about it and I know that for you it's too fast, but to me, it's just that I've found someone after a long time of being alone. So for once, I'd like to feel it."

"What do you-" he says but stops as Sara scrambles up to crouch in front of him, blocking his view of the sea.

She grabs his arms lightly, biting her lower lip as she shakes her head. "Sorry. I was just- forget about it. I must've lost my mind for a second."

"Sara..." he trails off as he looks at her; she seems restless, even more as she keeps darting her eyes. "Are you- are you alright?"

"I'm sorry," she utters, already standing up as she places a hand on the railing, grabbing it as she distances herself away from him. All through saying it she only looks fearful, as if she has done something that she shouldn't.

"Calm down," San says, already scrambling to get up as he puts out his arms. "We can talk it out-"

He stops talking as he feels something brewing under his skin, the same feeling that he had gotten as he was overtaken by the curse. He drops to the ground, his chest feeling tight and his skin burning up as he struggles to take in a breath. He reaches out his hand to grab a hold onto something, but all he can feel is betrayal creeping up on him as he sees that Sara is only staring at him, as if waiting for him to suffer throughout.

Why isn't she doing anything?

You wanted to die, remember?

Now that she's doing what you had asked her to, you're feeling betrayed?

"I'm sorry," she repeats again as she crouches in front of him, merely watching him struggle with the curse on the ground, his breath hitched. She smiles, but he sees that it wasn't a mocking one, merely a sad one as her trembling hand holds his face.

He stares into her eyes, and he can't do anything as she leans forward and brushes her lips against his before her tears drop. For a moment he gives in to the kiss, as if he's only trying to find something to focus his mind on rather than the extreme pain radiating through his body.

"You..." he utters, already immobilized as he feels something choking him, and he can only shout in pain as the episode of him overtaken by the curse repeats again, this time seemingly worse.

His mind flashes to the drink she had offered him, as she was so insistent on making sure that he took it.

"You," he manages, "did something to the drink you gave me, didn't you?"