LIVING | 하루토

9 - New Faces

"r-ruto?" a female voice called out as haruto instantly separated himself from me.

i turned around and came face to face with a stunning woman who had the brightest and shiniest eyes i had ever seen— her hair was a cute shoulder-length light brown with bangs as she smiled up at haruto, her hands clasped.

"kei-.?"

"i've been worried about you!" she exclaimed as she flung herself onto haruto, hugging him tightly as he stumbled backwards, struggling to keep his balance from the sudden force.

kei..?

i wouldn't be surprised if she's haruto's girlfriend. she is gorgeous, almost surreal. they seem close as well... s-so she must be his girlfriend. or at least his person of interest. there's no way a guy like him is single anyway.

she's got this aura to her.. that makes her look just so stunning in whatever she does.

i... probably should go. i have no purpose of being here anyway.. i belong in Cepil. showing up here with haruto is an embarrassment, i don't belong here. i watched as she embraced him and caressed his hair gently and oddly enough, i found myself feeling somewhat... betrayed?

he hesitantly wrapped one of his arms around her, as she cupped his face into her petite hands.

"how are you? are you off for the training?" she asked as haruto smiled at her awkwardly and gently removed her hands from his face as he reached out to me.

"i-i'll get goin-"

"oh! my sincerest apologies, i just got so excited to see ruto again.. i forgot to introduce myself!" she smiled widely as she scratched the back of her neck. i stood there awkwardly, plastering a smile on my face as my heart shook within my ribcage - trying not to make it obvious that i wasn't from here.

"i'm kei! you see, ruto and i have a bit of a past.." she chuckled slightly as she reached her hand out for a handshake.

"i'm a hybrid as you can tell. powers are earth and a bit of water," she said; it was pretty obvious since her pupils were of brown and blue.

"and you are?" she batted her eyes into mine.

i'm not even from here, i'm not a hybrid- i have nothing to say i-if she asks what hybrid i am.. what do i-

i took a sharp breath and plastered yet another awkward smile as my heart pounded against my chest even harder this time. it was like a drum.

boom, boom, boom.

"yena acoff," i smiled as my hands trembled before shaking hers. she gripped my hand firmly as we exchanged awkward smiles and chuckled at each other. god, it was so tense that i wanted to disappear right there and then.

"hey.. i recognise this shirt," she said as she caressed the sleeve of my shirt before looking up at me and then back at haruto.

i gulped as i fiddled with my fingers behind my back.

"isn't this yours?" she glanced up at haruto, waiting for him to respond.

instead, he stood there with his arms crossed; as if he didn't want to talk to her. he seemed to have put on his tough front, which confused me since i thought they had a past.

shouldn't he be happy to see her too?

"did dear yena here perhaps.. not have any clothes before you got here?" she tilted her head as she looked dead into my eyes, not breaking eye contact. she seemed like she was on to me.

she must be that close to him that she's familiar with his clothes huh.

"she just spilled some water when we were about to go, kei. leave it," his ice cold voice finally broke the silence between kei and i. his bulky physique towering over her.