Roulette ♧ 엑소

t h i r t y e i g h t

$ t h i r t y e i g h t $

Miran didn't leave her bedroom until she heard police sirens outside her house. She walked out into the living room to see her mother crying, frantically telling the police what had happened. Her eyes studied the room to see the door was destroyed and she figured that had been the gunshots she heard. She hadn't left the room, even through that, knowing that Baekhyun wouldn't hurt her family when he knew well that she still cared about them. Her boyfriend was long gone and in his place were two police officers.

As they saw Miran approaching them, her mother turned to her desperately. "You know that man's name, Miran. Tell the cops so they can find him and put him in jail.

Miran only eyed her mother, unwilling to speak about Baekhyun in front of the authorities. He and the rest of the Pack were criminals, wanted by the authorities. But they were very good at keeping a low profile and hardly had any run ins with the police. The twenty year old gave a shake of her head. "I don't know his real name."  Miran lied, playing innocent. But they didn't know she was lying, not even her mother. 

"But they call him Light." Her mother informed the police.

One of the officers jotted the information down in a notebook. The other just listened intently to what Miran's mother was saying.

Mrs. Nam continued. The police were, of course, eating up her lies. Because he was a wanted criminal, along with the others, the police thought he would be capable of any terrible act. It didn't help that he had seemingly broke into their house and refused to leave without seeing Miran. "He came in here months ago with his gang and took my daughter from us by force. He kidnapped her, and raped her. My daughter is pregnant with that criminal's child. He has to be thrown in jail--"

Now Miran was outraged by her mother's accusations, especially because none of it was even an ounce true. Her words took on a tone of anger and her eyebrows furrowed. "Wait a minute. That's not how things happened. Light would never hurt me, he loves me. The only reason I left him is because we found out he was still married--"

Her mother cut her off with a gasp. "And he's married!"

Miran instantly regretted informing them of that fact. In Korea, it was a crime for a person to commit adultery. But Baekhyun didn't know he was cheating on Minha because he thought she was dead. 

"Young lady, covering up for a criminal makes you an accomplice." The officer said to her in a menacing tone. 

But her mother was quick to step in. Since she had done nothing when her father gave her away to the Pack, she was now overcompensating by trying to protect her and keeping her by her side. That wasn't what Miran wanted anymore. "She doesn't know what she's saying." Her mother insisted. "My husband and I will take her to a clinic because we think she has Stockholm Syndrome." Miran was taken aback by her mother's words. She knew exactly what Stockholm Syndrome was. It was when a victim of kidnapping later showed feelings of trust or even love towards their kidnapper. But her situation had never been of kidnapping. 

She was free to leave the pack the entire time and she had willingly chosen to stay, long before she and Baekhyun got involved with each other.

"I don't have Stockholm Syndrome." Miran tried to argue, but she was ignored.

She really regretted returning to her parents' house now, but she really had nowhere else to turn and she needed some distance from Baekhyun.

-

Iva refused to talk to Tao or any of the other male members of the Coven. The only people she talked to were Ciel, Mariel, Meilin, and Hyuna. Whenever Tao came into the room, she would get up and leave. Tao couldn't stand the hurt he saw in her eyes each time he locked eyes with her.

He thought to do something nice for her, to help their situation a bit. He had decided to go to a bookstore he had found in town and spent nearly two hours trying to figure out which books she would like. He finally decided on three, their titles reminding him of the four books she already had and loved so much. Twenty Love Poems & A Desperate Song, How Sad It Was To Say Goodbye, and Reasons & Landscapes of Love.

Tao had almost gotten interested in the last one, which was about a woman who had lost her lover and waited for him at the beach where they'd meet in secret. When she heard news of his death, she committed suicide by walking into the ocean until the waves consumed her. He left the store with the three new books and headed back home. 

He knocked on the door to Iva's room and waited for her to answer. A minute later she opened the door and she was holding one of her books in hand. The moment she saw him, she tried to close the door again, but he had been quick and slid his foot between the door and the door frame. He gently pushed the door open and seeing no way out, she walked back into her room, walking to sit on her bed. He saw it as a good sign when she stopped dressing and behaving like she had given up on life.

But he then remembered it was more of Mariel and Ciel's doing. They had taken Iva shopping for new clothes and a make-over so that she wouldn't be recognized by anyone who knew her husband. 

She sat on the bed and proceeded to continue reading her book, determined to ignore him.

"Why won't you talk to me?" He practically whined at her.

But she gave him no answer. Instead, she continued reading her book. But the expression on her face said enough. You know why, she rolled her eyes. To say that she was still upset was an understatement. She was hurt.

Tao heaved a sigh. Rather than continuing to try, he walked over to her bed and set a box with a big red bow on it. She side glanced it for a second and then went back to her reading. Without saying more to her, he left the room, closing the door behind himself. As soon as he was gone, she set her book down on the bed and picked up the box. She pulled the lid off and saw three new books, with titles that she was surprised he had picked out for her. They were exactly ones she might have picked if she had gone with him to the bookstore.

Her heart melted at his gesture and her expression softened.

Iva jumped right out of bed and hurried towards her door. She pulled it open and looked into the hallway. But he was already gone. 

Still, she had decided to try to give her new life a chance. She was hurt by what he did, but he had apologized. He was truly sorry, and she understood that he was really just doing his job. But she felt like her whole life had been ruined. Everything she had and ever wanted had been thrown away.

Now she had to learn to be someone else.

-

apparently adultery is no longer illegal in korea as of 2015. but pretend it still is illegal because it makes this chapter more dramatic. so we're nearing the middle of this story and there is still so much for me to tell. so im kinda in the works of planning a third book. but im going to need a name that has to do with lotto and money and all that.

i kinda wanna go with "diamond" because of exo's new album. but "ka-ching" could work too. if you all have any suggestions, let me know. it doesn't even have to be an exo song.

it could be shinee, sj, bts, anyone. roulette was named for red velvet. so there.

thank you for your support.

-clary