For How Long

Chapter Four

I groggily opened my eyes, feeling a mix of relief and annoyance. Ares's memories flooded my mind, and I realized we were indeed caught in the traps. I looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Mr. Kim's voice echoed from outside the enclosure, "Good morning, young one. I see you had a bit of an adventure last night."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the sleep. Mr. Kim's expression was a mix of amusement and concern as he worked to release me from the trap. "You're lucky I'm here to free you. What were you thinking, running around in the forest at night?"

I shrugged, feeling a bit sheepish. "I wasn't really in control, Uncle Kim. You know ..Ares...he likes to run at night." Mr. Kim nodded thoughtfully, his eyes sparkling with understanding. "I see. Well, let's get you back to the packhouse and get some breakfast. We'll discuss this further later."

"There nothing to discuss and we can go back on our own you should continue with you routine"

Mr. Kim raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by my assertiveness. "Very well, I'll leave you to it. Just be careful, okay? The forest can be unpredictable, especially at night." He nodded and turned to leave, his footsteps fading into the distance.

As I watched him go, Ares stirred within me, still a bit miffed about being caught. I let out a deep breath and began to make my way back to the packhouse, my legs a bit stiff from the trap. The morning air was crisp, and the sun was slowly rising above the trees, casting a warm glow over the landscape.

I walked in silence, lost in thought, replaying the events of the night in my mind. The packhouse came into view, and I quickened my pace, looking forward to a hot shower.

As I entered the packhouse, the warmth and bustle of the morning routine enveloped me. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and cooking breakfast wafted through the air, making my stomach churned I hate this, this warmth, the smell of food makes me sick.

I ran away as fast as I could, only upon reaching the cold corridor of my floor, I felt relief. The nausea and discomfort began to recede, replaced by a sense of calm. I leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths of the cool air. The stark contrast to the warmth and bustle of the packhouse was just what I needed.

As I stood there, I couldn't help but wonder why the cold air had such a profound effect on me. Was it the change in temperature, or was it the solitude? Whatever the reason, I was grateful for the respite. For a moment, I forgot about the traps, the packhouse, and the unease that had been building up inside me.

The silence of the corridor was almost soothing, and I let out a slow breath, feeling my heart rate calm down. I closed my eyes, letting the coolness seep into my skin, and tried to clear my mind. The stillness of the corridor was a welcome refuge from the chaos that seemed to follow me everywhere else.

As I leaned against the wall , a door on the other end creaked open. Jeonghan, he stood there a bit startled to see me as first thing in the morning.

Oh did I mention that Jeonghan and I share a room on the 2nd floor, while Alpha and Luna have theirs on the 4th floor, and my parents are on the 3rd floor. After our siblings moved out, we took over the 2nd floor, and the 1st floor is now mostly for decoration.

As our gaze mingled, Jeonghan's expression quickly shifted from startled to annoyed. He clearly hadn't expected to see me already up and about, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he took in my presence. I knew that look all too well - it was the same one he reserved for when he was tolerating something he didn't particularly enjoy, like when our elders would drop by unannounced.

"Morning," Jeonghan muttered, his voice low and rough from sleep. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flicking away from mine as he seemed to debate whether to approach me or retreat back into the room.

I stood there, taken aback by Jeonghan's simple greeting. A "morning" from him felt like a foreign language, and for a moment, I forgot about the tension between us. It had been a long time since we'd exchanged anything resembling kindness, let alone a civil word. I was shocked that he'd managed to utter something so... normal, instead of lashing out with one of his usual insults, like calling me disgusting. For a moment, I forgot about the distance and pain that had grown between us, and a glimmer of our old friendship flickered to life. I searched his eyes, wondering if maybe, just maybe, things could go back to how they used to be. But the wariness in his gaze told me that some wounds ran too deep.

"Yeah morning" I greeted and was making my way back to the room when his voice halted my steps.

I turned back to face him, and Jeonghan's words caught me off guard. "About the day Seungcheol hit you," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I found out who actually snitched to Mom, and it wasn't you. Guess you took those two punches for nothing." He snickered, his eyes glinting with a teasing light. "But you deserved it, don't you?" The jab was laced with sarcasm, old hurt and anger lingering just below the surface.

I wanted to scream, to shout, to beat some sense into him, to tell him that I didn't deserve any of this crap, but instead, I just murmured a faint "yeah" and retreated back to my room, swallowing down the storm of emotions brewing inside me.

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the conversation replayed in my head. Jeonghan's words stung, but I was used to it. I'd grown accustomed to his jabs and barbs over time. Still, it hurt to think that he could so easily dismiss what had happened.

After a while, I got up and began getting ready for the day. I didn't have much appetite for breakfast, but I knew I needed to eat. As I headed downstairs, I wondered if Jeonghan would be there, or any of the family members . I hope everyone have either left for their work or still in their room. But who am I kidding.
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