Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

12 Worry

Wooyoung bursts through the door with San, their foreheads creasing with worry. They find Yeosang, Seonghwa and Jongho already cramped up in Yeosang's room. Wooyoung sighs in relief when he sees that Akira is not badly hurt, despite having a few cuts due to the fall. According to the two who found her, she was lucky because she fell on the bushes surrounding the building. So the impact wasn't as hard as it would be if she were to directly fall on the ground. Yeosang is inspecting her, putting a green-coloured paste on all of her cuts. Seonghwa and Jongho keep pacing back and forth, looking worried. Akira is still unconscious, and even her face looks pale. She has had a long day and even then, it still isn't over. San looks over at Seonghwa, before quietly whispering, "Can I meet you outside for a second? I need to talk to you."

As they make sure that they are alone and no one can hear their conversation, San starts to speak up. "There is something different with her, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Seonghwa asks, hoping that San isn't asking what he is trying to avoid.

"Seonghwa!" San raises his voice but quickly lowers it as he looks around. "You're the only one who knows that she can't see colours."

Seonghwa keeps quiet, prompting him to speak further.

"Only you and Yeosang knew that the colour of her blood is... different. That means only you know that her colour of her blood is different and that she can't see what colour her blood is."

"San, you're stretching it way too far. She might not see colours but the people around her must have told her what colour her blood is. They can't be lying to her since the moment she was born."

"Don't you understand the situation? Lucida is a kingdom that prides themselves in separating their people based on the colour of their blood. Akira is an ambassador of Lucida, which means she has had direct contact with the queen. If Lucida is a kingdom that values their own blood, how can the queen lets someone like Akira - having this kind of blood - live?"

"I think you're being too critical. Maybe she was an exception. Maybe she was just a special case. Maybe she was the queen's friend. I don't know!" He throws his hands before brushing them through his hair in frustration. "She just fell out of the second floor and that is all you worry about? The colour of her blood?"

San sighs. "I'm not worried about the colour of her blood. I'm worried about her real intention of being here. I'm worried about their queen's intention of sending her here. Our kingdom might be in danger."

He looks at him in disbelief. "Choi San. Our guest, the ambassador, just fell out of the second floor and it's really a miracle that she survived. We don't even know how she fell - was it intentional, or did someone make her do it? Someone was hurt." He doesn't want to listen to San any longer as he marches back to Yeosang's room, shutting the door and leaving the servant alone in the hallway.

The rest in the room turn to look at him, still looking worried. Akira doesn't give any sign that she might wake up soon, so Wooyoung quietly says, "She's probably going to wake up earliest by the next morning so it's better for us to get some rest too. We can discuss about this tomorrow, together with Hongjoong, Mingi and San." They nod solemnly, all seemingly not wanting to leave. They eventually leave, but Seonghwa decides to stay back.

"Is it fine if I crash here tonight?" he says meekly.

"Well, it's a miracle that you even ask," Yeosang chuckles, but without the energy that he usually has.

They switch off the lights. As Akira is occupying the only bed in the small room, both of them wordlessly take place on the floor. It is a cold night, but the feeling is overwhelmed by their concern towards her. Seonghwa takes the spot near the bed and Yeosang lies down on his left.