『Schadenfreude』▷ jaesahi。

c r o w n h e a d

Step, step, step.

Two pairs of feet stepped onto the floor, a pair slightly slower than the other. Students turned their heads as they descried two figures from their peripheral sight, instantly catching on to their impeccable appearances and thunderous magnetism.

To their lure, everyone was too taken; too drunk on their charm to notice how one of them seemed to make sure to be a step behind the other person. One at the front, with an amiable guise keeping his aura of a puissant man under covers; and another one at the rear, gentle and mysterious as the moon— together, they created an unparalleled image that imprinted itself to the depths of all and sundry's minds.

Nearly tripping on her feet, a girl approached them bravely. She set her eyes on the one at the front, pulling out all the confidence she had in her system to get out these few words.

"Hi," her cheeks were rubescent as she spoke. "A-are you new here? What's your name?"

Creases formed in between the brows of the one at the back, placing an arm in front of his company as if to block the man from the girl. At the shake of the latter's head, his hand was dropped back to his side albeit loath to do so. The other one turned to the girl, making her all the more jittery.

Then, he smiled.

"I'm Yoshinori," he introduced. "This is my friend, Haruto. We're exchanged students from Japan."

Thrilled by the response, the lass bumbled at her feet. "Is that so? I-"

"Yoshinori-san," Haruto called. "Let's go. This woman is not worth your time."

Everything stilled afterwards. None dared move once he had spoken, all simply marveling at the wonder that was Haruto's voice as it echoed in the silent hall. It was cavernous as his obsidian eyes, pleasant as the foam of the sea and they needn't understand what he had said in his mother tongue for they were much too purloined by his voice. Like the first snow drop of winter as it fell to the ground from the skies, it spread into their hearts and seized it in immediate. A blessing sent from the heavens; Haruto's voice was.

Yoshinori sighed at his friend's words, taking his wrist to pull him away. Before he did so, he proffered a smile. One rich as honey and tender like a saint's extended hand, once again grabbing everyone's eyes, then he tugged Haruto to leave.

The other didn't complain, letting Yoshinori drag him across the path. Dispersing like the birds flying away from disaster, the students soon composed themselves and left as the two sauntered to their destination.

However, they stop in mere seconds of walking as Yoshinori halted, frozen as though he had seen a dead man awoke. Haruto glanced at him, wondering if something was wrong.

"Dae."

Haruto paused. It was rare of him to utter that name.

"Yes, sir?"

"Did you see him?"

"Pardon, my lord?" the raven eyed male was flummoxed, but soon understood what it was upon seeing the pain and longing in his liege's eyes. "I did not. My deepest apologies for this failure."

Yoshinori smiled, orbs of burnt umber swimming with grief. "Do not be," he told him. "Perhaps it was I who was mistaken."

There was but one person to shaken him so. And if it were really him, there were no means to make sure true. That person was often likened to the sand; he could be seen, he could be felt, but every time he was grasped he kept escaping again and again. Or perhaps he was the sun— you could see him and be left with what was the paltry of his existence, but he was too far away and perilous to touch.

Haruto couldn't empathize with such feelings, but he still placed a hand on his lord's shoulder to offer comfort.

-----

Jaehyuk let his vizard fall, a lour forming on his face before it was quickly replaced by a lovely, friendly grin. No one noticed amongst the many people that sat around the table where they held the group study, barring the person who was the paragon of a model student to many.

"Is something wrong?" Yedam inquired, looking at him with honest worry. "You look a little blue, sunbae."

"Not at all," Jaehyuk assured. "I just remembered something."

His visage cracked once again when Yedam turned away.

This time, however, it wasn't quite the scowl he had worn a few seconds before. It was a grin so unnerving it could make even the bravest man's skin crawl, worthy to induce a blood-curdling scream.

He's here.

He's alive. He's alive, he's alive.

He's here!

He curled, burying his face into his two palms in a fruitful attempt to hide the frenzied, contumacious fleer that was threatening to rip the edges of his lips. He couldn't control it. He couldn't stop the impudent, jeering grin that bloomed on his face like an autumn crocus.

His fellow students voiced their worries at his seemingly ill disposition, but he was far too crazed to hear them.

My dearest prince.

Jaehyuk let out a muffled laugh.

We'll meet again soon.

-----

Can't believe I wrote a wholeass paragraph describing Haruto's voice.