𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | 𝐚 𝐭𝐱𝐭 × 𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

sixteen - a space in time

curses and cries

"i've been seeing soobin and yeonjun running around lately. what do you think they're up to?"

"they said they were trying to take a picture of a 'rare' moment from the bell tower."

"huh? like what?"

"dunno. apparantly they're preparing materials for the yearbook."

"we're barely even halfway into the year."

"yeah. but i guess photography takes time."

"and choi beomgyu's been limping; it must be really important, what they're doing."

"must be. all i care about is that choi yeonjun won't be taking our photos. i would look like a tomato in front of him!"

"me too. or choi soobin. or choi beomgyu. just the photography in general."

lia listened to the endless chatter and laughter, struggling to swallow her lunch.

this is just the beginning.

do you want to see what's going to happen next? hehehe~

of course, you do. you're always watchin~

was it you, who hurt beomgyu?

what are you gonna do about it? you can't even see me! hahahaha.

lia clenched her fist till her knuckles turned white. do whatever you want. I'll eventually kill you one way or the other.

having made herself clear, she got up and left her lunch, uneaten.

"i've been seeing them hang around with that trash prez a lot lately." the girl's eyes immediately found lia as soon as those words escaped her lips. she looked away pursing her lips into a obvious look while her friends acted like they hadn't been wanting to listen to the gossip.

lia did not get angry at them, neither was she annoyed, or interested. she merely gave them a pointed look and walked away.

the girls sniggered amongst themselves behind her back.

now lia was annoyed.

useless chatter. useless lips. useless-

her silent tantrum stopped at the realisation of how ugly her thoughts were. "what the hell," she mumbled to herself, appalled as she passed by her peers.

since when was she capable of such thoughts? she couldn't remember. no matter how irritated she was at her snobbish peers, she would never regard them accordingly. her mother taught her how to keep her mouth shut on such occasions-to be brave and resilient.

"...lia!" a yell startled her to senses.

with a surprised look she found herself on her bench surrounded by the chaos that ensued in the absence of a teacher. soobin was sitting before her, worried.

"are you okay? was it the voice again?"

lia hesitantly shook her head, trying to make sense of how and when she teleported her. had she been so caught up in her head she hadn't realised the passing of time?

likely. but then, it was strange.

"you look shaken. what did it say?" soobin demanded.

her eyes quivered as she said truthfully, "it said it harmed beomgyu and threatened to do more to all of us who know of its existence."

soobin clenched his fist. "it weakens its victims by inciting fear to weaken their spirits, threatening, harming and mocking. the next time it talks to you, talk back. challenge it and show it that you're not an easy prey. okay?"

soobin was very serious and worried. lia couldn't help but feel light in his presence. he just was that reassuring.

she bit her lips and dauntlessly nodded. her spirits at ease now that she had someone to tell her so.

"how is beomgyu? does he have to wear the cast for long?"

this time, soobin relaxed his shoulders and livened up his expression. he shrugged, "he'll be alright. the doctor advised against rigorous motions or exertions but the idiot's practically prancing like a horse without a care. he's tough, he'll be fine."

now that he had mentioned it, lia remembered seeing the boy hopping along the hallway begging ryujin for something like a desperate child. her lips quivered into a smile. soobin was right. a wounded ankle wouldn't bring down that boy.

when she emerged from her amusement, she found soobin staring wordlessly at her. his eyes scanning her like an intriguing piece of work. she suddenly became conscious of her face. under such piercing gaze, who wouldn't?

"do i have something on my face?" she cautiously pressed the back of her palm against her cheek.

he smiled. it was uncomplicated and light-hearted. "no. i just was... distracted."

she couldn't say anything. his answer obviously had a double meaning, even an idiot would think so. the first meaning was that it was a casual reference; he was merely lost in thought. the second— and lia wished she was being delusional— was that he was flirting; purposely trying to imply that he was distracted by her face. now, no common man would find distraction in a lady's face unless he was adoring her beauty.

or that he thought she was weird.

"i'll take it as a compliment," she chuckled languidly as a means to cover up her erratic heartbeat and blushing cheeks. "oh. what happened in the tower?"

soobin did not reply immediately. he slowly began, "gyu said he saw someone trying to jump so he ran into the tower. i'm guessing it was an illusion."

lia nodded. "was it a girl he saw?"

soobin was caught off-guard. "yes. what's wrong?"

lia squinted her eyes. "i think i understand what it's playing at. it's not only threatening us by harming us but others too. the confidence in the voice, the mockery and hints." she did not understand how she came to realise all of this. she was just that type of person who would be busy in her thoughts but the next moment, she would be struck by an Eureka! horrified, lia continued, "i think it's got its eyes on someone."