Cursed Love (Geminifourth)

CHAPTER 13: Thinking about him

GEMINI

I was sitting on a park bench, watching the world pass by. From afar, I noticed Fourth walking to class, his face pale and drawn. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, shaking my head. Why do you always look so stressed?

Fourth was different from the others. He was always sticking his nose into other people's business, but not in an annoying way. It was like he genuinely wanted to help, even when no one asked for it.

I sipped my orange juice, the cool, tangy flavor refreshing on my tongue. A part of me knew that I could tell him everything if I wanted to. He wasn't like the others, who only cared when it benefited them.

But still, I kept quiet.

Yesterday, I left my house. I found a cheap hostel and rented a room for myself. I have enough money to live there for at least seven days-longer if I'm careful. And do you know why I left? My aunt.

I took another sip of juice, thinking back to the fight.

Yesterday, someone came to our house, a man I'd never seen before. He handed some papers to my aunt, and when I asked what they were, she got angry. Really angry. It turns out that my mom and dad had left the family company in my name before they died.

They wanted to make sure my future was secure, but my aunt... she wants the company for herself. She's been planning this for a while, I think.

She wanted my signature so she could claim ownership of it. But I didn't want to give it to her. That company was the last thing my family had given me-a legacy of love and hard work. How could I let her take that away from me?

We argued. It got ugly. Her son stepped in, and we ended up fighting too. The whole thing spiraled out of control. And then... she did it. My aunt, furious and spitting venom, grabbed a bottle of holy water and splashed some on me.

"You're cursed!" she screamed. "You can never bear this water! Cursed boy!"

I could still hear her words echoing in my head as I sat there in the park. I wasn't sure if I believed her or not, but it stung all the same. That's when I decided I couldn't stay there anymore. I packed up what little I had and left. I don't know what's going to happen next, but at least for now, I'm free from her.

I glanced at my watch. I had to head back to class. Sighing, I stood up from the bench and made my way back to school. As I entered the classroom, I noticed the teacher still sitting at her desk, scrolling through something on her phone.

"May I come in?" I asked quietly.

She didn't even bother to look up but waved her hand lazily in my direction. "Sure," she muttered.

I stepped inside and spotted Fourth at his desk, his eyes glued to his phone, probably watching dramas. I sat down on the bench, but he didn't acknowledge me. It was like I wasn't even there, lost in his own little world.

My life feels like a mess right now. Worse than it's ever been. The company, the fight, my aunt-it's all too much to handle.

The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts and signaling the start of the next class. I didn't know how I was going to get through the day, but at least for now, I didn't have to deal with my aunt.

........

All the classes ended just like that. Satang, Winny, Dunk, Joong, and Fourth quickly packed their things and were ready to leave. I wanted to approach them-actually, I wanted to approach Fourth. I had expected him to ask me something, anything.

Why didn't he ask me about the bruises? The class is over, he could've said, "The day's done, now tell me what happened."

But no. Nothing.

Why am I even thinking about him so much? It doesn't make sense. Annoyed, I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the class. I hailed a taxi and made my way back to the dorm, trying to shake off the thoughts in my head.

My place wasn't that far, but it felt like the ride was taking forever.

When I got to my room, I dropped my bag and collapsed onto my bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I felt the emptiness creeping in. My dad's office, his hard work... all of it, gone. My aunt had taken it. She forced my hand, literally. She took my signature.

What now? I thought. I groaned, rolling over to stare at the wall.

I lay there, feeling helpless, but then a thought crossed my mind. Are they hanging out somewhere? The guys had packed up quickly, almost as if they had plans. Maybe they went to a restaurant. I reached for my phone, opening the group chat, but then I hesitated.

No, I have to act like I don't care. I have to be mysterious.

I put the phone down and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. As I let the hot water run over me, I replayed the day's events in my head. The bruises. Fourth's silence. My aunt...

Suddenly, Nina's voice echoed in my mind, clear as if she were standing next to me. "Don't talk to Fourth! He's not a good person!" Her words from earlier, so serious, rang in my ears.

(A/N- Nina is some jealous stupid spirits! Spirits like Fadey.. Akin.... More...🤚🏻)

"Why are you so worked up about it?" I'd laughed it off when she said it. "I don't even like him, but as my classmate and group member, I have to talk to him." I'd tried to brush it off with a joke, but now, standing under the water, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to her warning.

Suddenly, I heard a soft crack. I turned my head and saw that the mirror had a small fracture in it, barely noticeable but enough to make me pause.

"Nina?" I whispered to myself, knowing she wasn't really there but feeling her presence all the same.

What's going on with her? I thought, but I pushed it aside. I finished my shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself. As I reached for my phone, a notification flashed on the screen. Fourth and Winny had posted something on their stories. I clicked to see what they were up to.

They were at a restaurant. "Park Valley" a place not too far from my dorm.

FOURTH

I took a sip of my juice as Winny leaned over. "Fourth, didn't you ask Gemini about those scars?" he asked, looking curious.

I chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yeah, but he didn't say much."

Joong threw in his guess. "He probably got into a fight with someone," he said with a smirk.

Satang laughed. "Nah, I bet it's a hickey, and his mom saw it and beat him up for it."

Everyone burst out laughing at that, including me-but my laugh felt hollow. The truth was, I had avoided asking Gemini in the last few classes, and I hadn't invited him to join us here either. I was testing something, trying to see if ignoring him would make him think about me-or about us as a group.

I bet he's wondering why I didn't follow up, I thought to myself, taking another bite of my vanilla cake.

"Didn't he see our story?" I muttered under my breath, glancing at my phone. Sure enough, Gemini had seen it. But there was no message from him, no reaction.

Winny caught me staring at my phone. "Dude, what's up with you? Why are you so pressed about whether he's texting you or not?" he teased, leaning back in his chair.

Dunk grinned, joining in. "You like him or something?"

"No! Never." I protested, shaking my head, though I felt a twinge of something I couldn't quite place.

Dunk raised his eyebrows, still smirking. "Then why are you getting all worked up about it? New ship unlocked, huh?"

"Bro, you're cooked," Joong said, trying to hold back his laughter.

I rolled my eyes and took another sip of my drink, pretending I didn't care. But deep down, their teasing stuck with me.