Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 57: Grandpa

Episode 57: G r a n d p a

Aiko bit down on his lips and gulped, tilting his guilty face back toward Sera's mirrored expression above him.

"Are you two like not going to get off each other or...?" Jin cleared his throat and raised an unsatisfied brow, grilling Sera mostly. In a flash Sera flew back into her original sitting position, taking the seat on the farthest end and covering her face away from the direction of their piercing stares.

Aiko slowly sat up, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he looked down at his curled-up toes. With another quick peek, he looked back up with a shaky smile. 

"Hi, mom."

Hanul's unblinking eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets and her mouth was stuck in a permanent "o". Meanwhile, V's eyes were glued to the side of Jin's perspiring face. A deadly glare.

"M-Mom?!" Hanul nearly choked, coughing. She leaned against the wall, stabilizing herself as she looked back at the older kid. "V...he's done it again?" She breathlessly grabbed his arm, balancing herself up straight.

"Jin, what the fuck!" Pride's distant voice grew closer. "I thought you said you weren't going to throw out the apple bourbon I got from Pari--" Pride paused, looking at V before a surprised smile took over his face. "Brother! How nice it is to see your face again! Your wife should've burned in hell though."

"Pride." V's threatening voice rolled out of his mouth as he began connecting the dots. "How many times have you spoken to Aiko while I was gone?" The mischievous brother lifted a brow and smirked, glancing at the two kids sitting at a distance apart.

"Oh...is something wrong?" His sharp eyes noticed their red, swollen lips. With a wider smile, he pointed at Aiko. "Well, I did tell you that two days was the limit...I didn't really expect that you'd do something so soon! Well, would you look at that! The puppy was actually a wolf! How--"

"PRIDE!" V growled, clenching his teeth as his eyes flared orange. Pride widened his eyes and froze up.

"Yes, well the bourbon you were talking about..." Jin quickly grabbed Pride by the shoulders and walked off quickly. "We need to leave before we get our heads placed on nice a stake. Pride, what the hell did you teach him?! I told you several times to not corrupt V's kid..." Jin scolded him as they quickly disappeared.

"Uhm." Hanul cleared her throat and clasped her hands together. "Well..."

"Who is she?" V furrowed his brows, glancing back at Sera with a familiar gaze.

"F-Father." Aiko stood up nervously.

Sera grabbed her drawing pad and walked up to the door, lowering her head with embarrassment. "Excuse me."

V stood by the doorway, blocking it.

"V, just let her pass. This must be so awkward for her." Hanul quickly held his arm and shook her head. "We can do this later. I just want to catch up with Aiko right now."

He glanced down, narrowing his eyes with surprise as Sera's cold gaze looking back at him. With a rough shove, she ran out of the veranda, dashing up the stairs to her room.

Aiko slightly frowned, glancing back at her trail before looking at his parents with a small smile. "I missed you so much, mom!" He ran into Hanul, practically shoving her a good foot back as he threw his weight on her, crushing his mother into a tight hug.

"Ai-Aiko!" She gasped and flailed her flustered arms around before they softly settled down on his broad back. Finally, with a small and relaxed smile, she tightly hugged him back, smelling his familiar scent. "I missed you too, love." Aiko shut his eyes and buried his face into his mom's hair, a peaceful smile taking him up as he looked back up at V. The memories of what he had done in Abaddon were still vivid and it frankly terrified him, but he had missed his parents a lot more to be stuck up on that.