Treacherous

23 - fuel on fire

"Rona, where are you going?!"

"Meet the one who's behind this."

"What? You can't confront her without evidence, Rona."

"I don't have to. She'll talk."

"No, wait—Bae Rona!"

I shut down Minhyuk's voice as my legs kept on walking. My determination to reach the rooftop and push away whoever was blocking my way was clear. And Minhyuk only could catch up with me from behind with each step calling my name.

By the time I found stability in my standing and steadiness in my breathing earlier, I swallowed back my tears. All that's left within me was a raging fire I carted off the pit of hell. It dipped in red and black until the darkest color one couldn't know was created, specially made for Eunbyeol. I hated her more than what I already did then.

"See you later, Bae Rona. Soon."

Soon? I supposed we really need to meet soon. As in right now.

Despite the weird look people were throwing, I ignored them completely and grabbed Minhyuk to face me. His eyes still focused on where the hysterical Seokkyung laid like a child on the stage. It was clear he struggled with the will to run up there and snatch the girl he loved to give her all the safety he built for her. Reaching her to whisper comfort and embracing her like he was her home.

But we were running out of time and Minhyuk knew the moment he saw me leaving. He knew it right after I received a reply from Ha Eunbyeol to her location. He knew it since he followed me close.

And before Ha Eunbyeol escaped this hellhole she created, I'd like to be the one who passed her the next judgement. I'd like to strangle the answer out of her on why she could act this low. For she the cruel being who put sorrow and misery to the already broken soul.

I needed to know what's left for her and what awaited her to make this choice. Was she simply the biggest pawn for someone to lose or the messenger to warn? Worse, was she the mastermind whom we've been searching and successfully tricked us all. The thing which was clear enough was position would only be determined once we confronted her today.

There was no backing out in the way I turned the knob and locked Minhyuk outside when we reached the rooftop. There was no hesitation in the way I stood opposite Eunbyeol. There was no faltering in the way I strode through the path to her.

Certainly, there was also no mercy in the way my hand struck her left cheek. Hard, it echoed back to the air and marred her beautiful face.

"Are you happy now?" I said. I tried to swallow at least half of my anger, cooling my head a bit in contrast to the swirling hot liquid in my vein. Be the one who had rationality left to not fight like wilds. But then it all burst the second I let out my next words. "Are you happy now that you ruined someone else's life? Happy that you steal away someone else's opportunity?!"

"What were you thinking, Ha Eunbyeol? Have you finally gone insane?" I yelled again. Feeling frustrated not only at her, but everything.

Minhyuk was right when silence never sat right with Eunbyeol. Because when I saw her head kept low in front of me without any friction to move, breath, or even say her objection, my nails undoubtedly wanted to claw at her. She couldn't be acting this calm. Not after the havoc.

And she shouldn't be laughing like getting an injection straight from madness either. She shouldn't have felt like all of this was hilariously amusing and pathetically exhilarating.

"You're indeed the funny one, Bae Rona," she said. She shook her head with every little of her sanity, glancing down at me like I was the one with the problem. "You really are."