Seven Deadly Sins

Lust!

Hana spun her ballpen around and around, stuck and helpless on her quest.

The small mechanical device that Lust had given her was on the table, unmoving and useless for the moment.

Most of the Sins must be in different countries by now, getting stronger while she was at the library, trying to gather more information but finding little to nothing that could be of importance.

What happened to the librarian if Lust was the one who she had talked to? Did he kill him? Wipe his memory? Torture him to death? The list was endless, and with each passing second, Hana grew mentally weary.

Ughh.... how was she going to finish this?

She rested her head on the tabletop, pouting and puffing out her cheeks, thinking and trying to figure out how best to solve this crisis.

"I'm sorry," came a voice from above her, prompting her to stop sulking for a moment to see who disturbed her. "But can you help me find a book?"

She opened her mouth to refuse and say sorry, that maybe he should ask from the reception desk instead, but her words died on her tongue and she decided to help. It wouldn't take too much of her time, right?

She gave a thin-lipped smile and stood as noiselessly as possible, beckoning the boy to follow her as they weaved through the confusing bookshelves of the public library.

"What are you looking for, exactly?" she asked as they continued to walk.

"A book about the Seven Deadly Sins of man," he answered as he walked a few meters behind her to maintain the respectful distance.

Hana suddenly stopped at that, the boy bumping into her back. He stepped back in surprise, but was quick to be by her side as she had stopped moving.

"Are you okay, miss?"

Hana snapped out of her stupor, shaking her head and smiling reassuredly at the boy.

"I'm fine," she said, waving his concern away. "But can I ask why you're looking for books about that?" She gave him a glance to see him with a nervous smile.

Her guard was raised since this boy might be one of the Sins disguised as a helpless school boy about her age, wearing round spectacles and a thick jacket. His eyes were a deep black twinkling in kindness, and his hair was a chestnut brown in a messy style. Hana noted with a little disdain that he was a few inches taller than her. Well, as expected of boys anyway.

"Ah well I heard from my grandpa that the Sins were released from their trap and that whoever released them has the burden of finding them and bringing them back to their box," said the boy.

Hana's brows creased.

She turned her body to fully face him. He stood straighter, meeting her gaze.

"And where did your grandfather hear that?"

She was curious to know, and if this was some sort of joke or rumor going around, then she's not pleased or amused. Could this 'grandpa' be related to her family? What does he know about the Sins wreaking havoc?

"Ohh he's an old friend of the Choo family. They're the ones who always, more often than not, release the Sins accidentally," the boy told her as he leaned against a bookshelf casually. He turned those deep eyes on her and asked, "You're not possibly related, right?"

He squinted his eyes in suspicion, and Hana couldn't help the wry smile directed at him.

"You're looking at the one and only Choo Hana," she said to him, and she nearly laughed as his eyes bugged out in utter befuddlement, pushing himself off the shelf to stand on his feet.