❥﹒In a world where the fearsome sorcerer Nishimura Riki is known for his dark and dreaded cursed techniques, everything changes when a voice from the past calls out his name.
But this is no ordinary voice - it belongs to his long-lost first love, s...
"There's always a chance the worst could happen," Kuroi panted, her breath ragged from the intense fight and their hasty retreat. Her face was pale, and her steps faltered as they ran. "You're much faster than me, so go on ahead! Hurry to Sunoo's side!"
Haru hesitated, torn between her duty and her loyalty to her friend. She wanted to stay and ensure Kuroi's safety, but the urgency of their mission weighed heavily on her. It felt like a painful choice she had to make.
However, Kuroi approached the conflicted girl, her gaze filled with a somber determination that brooked no argument. Haru refused to leave her side, her worry etched deeply into her expression as she was unsure if Kuroi could be left alone as a non-curse-user.
"It's okay," Kuroi reassured her, though her voice was shaking. "Your mission was to protect the vessel of Taehyun-sama, so go. Don't worry about me, Yang Haru."
The words hung heavily in the air, a stark reminder of the sacrifices they had to make to fulfill their duties. Haru's heart ached, but she knew she had no choice. She nodded solemnly, a silent promise to return once their mission was accomplished, and then she turned.
𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 - 2021
Haru's once bright and crescent eyes were now furrowed, carrying the weight of disappointment and sorrow. She hesitated to look at the trembling pink-haired boy, who struggled to regain control over his tears. "I'm sorry. This was my mistake," she admitted, her voice tinged with regret. She knelt before the vessel, her head bowed as her own tears fell, mingling with the dust and debris on the ground.
Riki remained silent, his hand gently patting Sunoo's back in a reassuring manner. Behind his ever-present sunglasses, his eyes remained hidden, yet they were focused on Haru, silently urging her to find strength in this difficult moment.
Though he wanted to offer comfort, their friendship since 5 had never ventured into the realm of physical embrace, making the situation awkward.
Haru continued to chastise herself, voicing her self-blame as she bowed before Sunoo. "I underestimated how much our enemies would value Kuroi," she confessed, her voice heavy with remorse. She raised her head, looking toward their main mission. "I'm sorry. It was immature and unprofessional."
Seeing Haru in such a state was difficult for Riki, and he decided to intervene. "It's not solely your mistake or fault," he reassured her, his tone gentle but firm. "For now, we need to focus on their next move. They might offer to arrange an exchange for her. It's not ideal, but we have some leverage because we have Sunoo."
Sunoo clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on the dusty remnants of the building destroyed earlier by Riki's powers. Riki approached Haru and carefully lifted her up, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, a gesture she didn't initially register.
Haru nodded, her glistening eyes looking through the shades of the blonde, knowing he has something in mind... "What's the plan?" she asked monotonedly and drained, though Riki blamed it for whatever happened with Kuroi.
Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I'll take Sunoo back to Jujutsu High. We can have Sunghoon or someone else stand in as his body double during the exchange." His voice held a sense of determination as he laid out a rough plan. "As long as they set up the location for the deal, we can make it work."
The pink-haired stands up abruptly, shaking his head vigorously. "I'm going to this deal, too!" the duos' eyes were on him, trying to read him. "I still can't trust you two yet!"
Riki suddenly looks offended. "Huh?! You're still saying that after all this you-," The blonde is about to start, but Haru places a gentle hand on his shoulder, making him shut his mouth quickly.
"Even if you do manage to save her," Sunoo continues, though his voice begins shaking and he looks down once again, trying to get a hold of himself.
"What if Kuroi isn't back before I assimilate with Taehyun-sama? I haven't..." His voice goes quiet and he's gripping onto the fabric of his pants, tears leaving him once again. "I haven't even said goodbye to her!"
Riki lowered his gaze to the ground, his steps heavy and weighed down by the situation. He let out a deep, almost shaky breath before mustering the strength to approach Sunoo. Placing a reassuring hand on the young vessel's shoulder, he offered a small, supportive smile.
"The kidnapper will reach out to us eventually," Riki began, his voice filled with both resolve and concern. "If they turn out to be more cunning than we anticipated, and if taking you with us puts Kuroi's chances of survival at risk... we may have to make the difficult choice of leaving you behind."
Haru's eyes widened in shock as she processed Riki's words. She blinked rapidly, struggling to come to terms with the gravity of the situation. Her mouth fell open, caught off guard by Sunoo's calm acceptance of the plan, as he wiped away his tears and replied,
