DUAL

//13

Chaeyoung's breath stuck in her throat. At the same time, the upsetting feeling that was once sitting in her gut climbed up so high she almost threw up. His name came out only in broken breaths. Her feet attached to the ground for the longest time before she finally made a move, trying to run toward the door and knock it with her whole heart.

"Don't." A voice came out of nowhere.

Once again, her feet stuck as she tried to search for that voice. From behind a large tree just beside Jungkook's house, a figure appeared slowly and Chaeyoung didn't need a whole second to identify him.

Jungkook's grandfather walked with silence as his friend. He stopped by a small cart a few steps in front of the house, picked an empty pile from inside it. His eyes examined the old pile before he gave his head a slight nod. "I needed him to bring some water, but it seems like I have to do it on my own," the old man said.

Not knowing what to say, Chaeyoung looked down for a moment, feeling like the argument she had with Jungkook was guilty of it. Jungkook's grandfather must have despised her, too, for hurting his grandson's feeling. "I am sor –"

"You have come at the wrong time, child."

Chaeyoung looked up and saw the old man getting closer. Unlike her expectation, the old man's face calm, malice was not written on it. He looked slightly exhausted with sweats glistening on his old skin and she recalled what Jungkook told her, that his grandfather trained himself on his own to not let his skills die.

Perhaps, staying silent was the best at the moment. His grandfather had heard most of her conversation with Jungkook, she was certain. Though she felt like saying something, anything, would eliminate the awkward air, it didn't feel right.

"Talking to a young-blooded man of the Defense Sector would only waste your time," he said. "Wait until he finds peace. Only then your words will get a clear path to get to him."

"When will that be?" she asked and realized how desperate she sounded. "Will it... will it be anytime soon?" When she looked at him, his eyes were at somewhere else. Albeit brief, she caught the sight of the faintest smile on his face.

"When he wants it, he will find it."

*

Jimin stood at the door to his sister's room, watching the two women in his life interacting silently. His sister sat with her lips sealed tight, her face solemn, her pose rigid and if it wasn't for the movement of her fingers slightly fidgeting on her lap, Jimin would have thought that she was a statue.

His mother's hands were busy on his sister's hair, combing and braiding, making sure there was no strand falling. Yet, he could see clearly how forced his mother's hands looked. She might have been mostly silent, but Jimin knew that she had tried to stop this from happening behind their backs, only to meet with rejection of his father every single time.

When the Koo family arrived, Jimin caught his father's eyes, warning him to drop the frown off his face. He caught a similar look thrown at Chaeyoung, only sterner than what he got.

Luckily, his sister wouldn't be engaged right away. It was only a day to warm up with each other. Nevertheless, when his eyes settled on Junhoe, he felt his hatred grow. Just recently, Taehyung and he saw Junhoe with a girl from the Cultivation Sector clinging to him before they went inside a hut, doing who knew what.

How was this man the best choice? He could find more fine Healers who deserve to be at Junhoe's spot now.

"Is this not a day to get to know each other better?" said his father after an hour of both family members spent on talking. "We know the both of you already know each other, but it would be wonderful if you can be more comfortable around one another, do you think not?"