Wicked Fate

TENTH CHAPTER

In the Devil's wrath

Immersed in memories of screaming and tears and hollow pains, Ji's eyes were drier than ever before in almost painful control.

This house was witness to his defiance and his continued anger.

His father had ritually drilled in his mind that there was no course for him except the path that he had also taken and when Ji discovered his love for Science more than the Arts and Humanities, his father had thrown out the chemistry set that Seungri had given to him for his birthday.

That was the first time he had ever been angry with his father and nothing much has changed since.

He couldn't comprehend it then and he still cannot comprehend now why his Father was so close-minded about him venturing into what he really wanted.

Their family – his mother, aunts, uncles, cousins – had all been very supportive of him, even praising him for his brilliant mind, but it was never what his father wanted. His grandmother had told him that his father's stubbornness was the product of a mistake she had made before but he guessed now that he would never know what that mistake was.

No one talked about it. No one told him of it. And he didn't really ask because he didn't want to know.

He heard the floor boards creak on his right and felt his eyes widen at the sight of another person inside the house.

Dara.

"Ow!", she exclaimed, standing only a few meters away from him, the wind lifting her hair that isn't up in bands today and blowing it around her face, her expression uncertain.

"Sorry", her voice faltered and it was obvious that she was supposed to do something but couldn't decide now whether to do it or not, "I didn't mean to disturb you."

He wishes she hadn't, because he is in no mood for company and this sudden desperate need for isolation that the house awakened in him fuelled his temper. "Then why did you?"

Dara flinched at his directness as he didn't look anywhere near like this before but she didn't retreat. "You were supposed to be at Teddy-oppa and Mai-unnie's lunch. We assumed you'd forgotten."

"I needed some space."

"I understand."

"Really?" Since when had any of these islanders understood?

"I think I do", she answered.

He could feel the blood throbbing in his veins and wanted to lash out at her but controlled himself, "What are you doing here Dara?"

That was the first time he had addressed her anything other than NursePark and he saw her becoming more anxious by it. "When you didn't show up, everyone thought that I should bring you lunch."

It was then that he noticed the basket by her feet. He could see a bowl of sliced apples and whipped chocolate cream and another bowl piled high with Bom's specialty – honey cured chicken breasts. And white and blue checkered napkins.

A picnic.

"Dara, if you have any sense, you'll leave right now", he warned her.

Her eyes flew to his – worry mixed with fear. She looked different, softer and not at all rigid, with her hair down and her eyes not covered by those glasses but he still didn't feel very sociable.

"I've been feeling pretty angry even before you came", he told her harshly, "I know you all mean well but I don't wish to take a trip down memory lane with any witnesses."