BELLADONNA

Chp33: hydrangeas

I rested my head lightly on Wooyoung's arm, exhaustion washing over me as I struggled to process the endless stream of official records detailing the victims. Each name and story felt like another weight added to my already burdened mind.

"Are you okay?"

Wooyoung asked softly, glancing down at me with concern etched across his features.

"I'm just tired,"

I replied, my voice muffled against his sleeve.

"All this reading... It's overwhelming. I never thought I'd be learning about the gruesome details of a family member's life-or death."

He gently wrapped his arm around my shoulders, offering me a sense of comfort in this chaotic moment.

"I get it. It's a lot to take in. But we're making progress, and we need to keep pushing through. We'll find the answers we need."

I nodded, appreciating his encouragement, though I still felt the heaviness in my chest.

"I just wish it didn't have to be like this. I wish we could just go back to how things were before-when the biggest problem was what to have for breakfast or whether I should binge another series on Netflix."

Wooyoung chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, those were the days, huh? But I have to admit, I'm glad I'm here with you instead of being stuck in some mundane routine. This is... well, it's definitely not boring."

I couldn't help but smile at his attempt to cheer me up, though the reality still loomed large.

"True. Just wish the stakes weren't so high."

We both fell silent for a moment, lost in our thoughts, the glow of the laptop screen casting a soft light over our faces. The tension hung in the air, but in this small bubble of comfort, I felt a flicker of hope.

"Let's take a break,"

Wooyoung suggested gently, breaking the silence.

"We can grab a snack or something. Clear our heads for a bit. We've been at this for hours."

I looked up at him, grateful for the offer.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. A break would definitely help."

As we stood up and moved away from the laptop, I felt a bit of the weight lift off my shoulders. Maybe a moment of normalcy was just what we needed to recharge. After all, in the midst of this chaos, a little lightness could go a long way.

As we headed downstairs, our hands intertwined together, a small comfort in the chaos that surrounded us, we reached the kitchen where Wooyoung's mother was preparing what smelled like a hearty meal. She turned to greet us, her face lighting up with a warm smile.

"Omo! Are you two dating?"

she exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she noticed our hands clasped together.

I felt my cheeks flush at her question, and I glanced at Wooyoung, who looked equally caught off guard.

"Uh, um..."

he stammered, clearly not expecting this turn of conversation.

"It's not-"

I started, but Wooyoung interrupted, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Actually, we're just-"

he began, but his mother wasn't having any of it.

"Oh, come on! You can tell me,"