What Lies Beneath ✅

Peal 29

I sat next next to Seoho who was still sound asleep. I looked out at the dark sky from the room we stayed in. We no longer had to keep traveling as we had Mr. Lee back. Dallulel was still in ruins and I wasn't keen on going back home. I found myself poking Mr. Lee's face and admiring how squishy it was.

I heard someone knock on the door then open it.

"Ju." a familiar voice called out.

"What's up, Keon?" I said as I turned in my seat.

"Just wanna talk." he said as he sat on the bed.

I motioned for him to take my seat as I was going to move Mr. Lee to the bed. After getting him situated, I sat next to Keonhee.

"So, talk. What's on your mind?" I asked with my head resting against my arms.

"Well, I was thinking about things. We'll be splitting up soon, won't we? We already graduated from Dallulel..." said Keonhee as he looked out the window.

"We never did find out what happened to everyone at Dallulel." I said quietly. I still wanted to know what happened to Minjun.

"That too...Are you going to head home?" he asked, now looking at me.

"If Mr. Lee doesn't plan on rebuilding Dallulel, then most likely." I replied with a sigh.

"You can always come with me." Keonhee said with a smile.

I shook my head as I never felt truly welcome whenever I visited his family. They probably looked down on me social standing wise.

"You know, I never told anyone this, but...I'm not their biological kid." he admitted quietly.

I sat up in surprise at the news. It made sense, but didn't at the same time.

"Do you know anything about your biological parents...?" I asked, hoping he had some good news.

"Only that they were borderline poverty and my current parents were kind enough to take me off their hands. They lost contact with my bio parents after a few years. They only took me because they wanted a male heir." explained Keonhee with a hint of sadness in his voice.

I patted his back as I didn't think anything I said would help. I never would've thought he and his parents weren't blood related due to how alike they were.

"Well, my offer is still available, Ju. Unless you plan on staying with Hwanwoong." said Keonhee with interest.

"Knowing him, he probably made plans with Youngjo. I'd just be intruding." I said with a laugh.

I heard a moan come from the bed and I turned to see what was going on. I shook my head as Mr. Lee held a pillow in a fetus position.

"I wonder what Geonhak's going to do...People and creatures are going to continue to go after him. Will he be okay..." I thought aloud.

"Don't worry about him. He's survived on his own before. Now wouldn't be too different." said Keonhee happily.

I frowned as he seemed to happy about it. His smile disappeared when he looked at my face.

"Ju...Think about it. You'll just be putting yourself in harms way if you continue to be around him. I don't want to see you get hurt..." Keonhee said as he stroked my hair.

"I don't want Geonhak to get hurt either..." I said as I drew invisible circles on the table.

Keonhee startled me as he quickly turned me to face him.

"Do you hear yourself? Are you really willing to get injured just to keep that annoying, self indulgent prick safe?" Keonhee said in a raised voice.

I furrowed my brows then pulled away from Keonhee. I stood up and glared at him.

"Wait, Ju-" he started, but I cut him off.

"Yes. Yes, I'm willing to get hurt in his stead. Yes, I'm willing to do anything to protect him. Of fucking course I am, Keonhee because it would pain me to death to see the person I like in pain. It would hurt even more knowing I could've done something to prevent it. Yes, I'm stupid for being so willing, but romance makes people do crazy things. You should know, Keon." I said in a pitch that was borderline shouting.

I had said it aloud. The ugly truth that I had wanted to keep buried in the back of my mind. The door opened and the others had come in.

"What's going on in here...?" asked Hwanwoong.

I gave Keonhee one last look before pushing my way out the room. Of all people who had to hear it, it had to be him. I didn't get far when I heard a commotion behind me and Youngjo shouting Geonhak's name. I turned and hurried back to see what was going on. I poked my head into the room then let my mouth fall agape at the sight. My body started to shake at the memory.

"Geon, let him go!" Youngjo wailed as he pulled on Geonhak.

Hwanwoong was trying to pull the icicles out while Youngjo kept pleading with an unresponsive Geonhak. It was the same as before. The menacing aura he gave off. I hurried over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Geonhak, please..." I asked quietly.

Everything was quiet until I heard Hwanwoong calling out to Keonhee. I looked up and saw Geonhak staring at his hands.

"You fucking shit!" Keonhee roared as he wobbled over to us.

I quickly made him float in the air in fear of bloodshed. I looked at Geonhak and hoped he'd give me answers.

"What happened?" I asked him softly.

"I don't know...I saw you leave looking upset and everything after that...was completely black." said Geonhak as he looked at Keonhee sitting cross legged in the air.

"It's your emotions." a voice behind us said.

We all looked and saw Seoho sitting up with his eyes closed.

"Your feelings for Dongju are strong enough that they manifest into something dangerous if fed by negativity." said Mr. Lee.

I felt my cheeks burn at the mention of feelings and my name in the same sentence. Would he deny it? What would I do if he did? What if he didn't?

"Feelings huh..." said Geonhak as he looked at me.

My blush had probably darkened at our gazes meeting. I quickly covered my face so that only my eyes were visible.

"You know, there was someplace that I wanted to go see." Hwanwoong said as he dragged the other three out the room.

I quietly thanked Hwanwoong as he was the only one who seemed to get the message. I turned my attention back to Geonhak who smiled.

"I don't know about you, but I feel something right here when I see you." he said as he placed my hand over his heart.

"Funny, I do too." I said as my eyes turned into crescents.

We fell silent again, unsure of what to say to the other.

"Are you going home...?" I asked in almost a whisper.

"I'll probably travel more. I want to see what Magicia has to offer since I was grounded for most of my life." replied Geonhak as he left my hold.

I figured he'd say something like that.

"And in all honesty, I never really had a home. That is until the five of us became close." he said softly before producing a heart made out of ice.

"That's the sappiest thing I've ever heard you say." I said with a smile.

"And, it may not be the last." he said as he walked over to me.

I tilted my head in bewilderment.

"Ju, you may be stubborn, annoying, and bratty, but as I got to know you more, you opened up to me and showed me sides I never thought existed. I hope you could open up one particular side to me, even if people are around." he said with a smirk then booped my nose.

"You asked for it." I said before pulling him closer to me so I could kiss him.