Empire | ATEEZ

027

"No but, really, I'm so, so sorry," San mumbled again, almost hectically by now despite how he had been spilling apologies ever since Mingi had helped me out of the training room with him trailing along after us.

The hitman was sitting on a lone chair in the corner of the infirmary, keeping his distance as he fumbled with his fingers, looking awfully guilty as he glanced at the blond's back.

"It's okay," I assured him, wincing slightly as Mingi dabbed my bleeding eyebrow again, mumbling a small apology under his breath, "I'm okay. It was my fault anyway. I wasn't concentrating."

Mingi scoffed at that though he didn't say anything as he continued to clean the cut above my eye, most of the skin surrounding the place where I had been hit already bruising as it began to turn an angry colour of purple.

San looked down again, still looking guilt-stricken as he swung his legs back and forth over the side of the chair and bit his lip.

I sighed, "What is with you guys?" I chuckled, straightening myself slightly as I tried to lighten my voice, to make it sound brighter and more cheerful seeing as both men were currently acting as if the hit had killed or seriously maimed me.

"It doesn't even hurt that much-" I tried but my words faltered as Mingi touched the sore skin again, hissing at the small flare of pain caused by the way his thumb brushed over the cut.

I fell silent, cheeks burning with mixed embarrassment and regret that I had once again pulled him into an uncomfortable situation which had, when I thought about it, been entirely my fault.

My eyes went to his  face as he suddenly leaned closer. His dark ones were focused yet far-away until, when his hands finally left my face, seemingly done with their job, they found mine as well and the look within them changed drastically.

Taken-aback for a second as we stared at each other, close enough to share breath, I felt my cheeks burn even fiercer as I chuckled awkwardly, mumbling a small "Thank you," as I tried to move away which caught in my throat as he held me back.

There was something I couldn't quite decipher, couldn't make out, in his eyes as a shaky breath left his lips and he said, "Nari, I-"

But whatever he had wanted to say was drowned out by a cry of surprise from behind him as the door to the infirmary burst open with such force that San went toppling off his chair as Seonghwa stormed into the room and turned to Mingi and me with a look that I was much easier to recognize.

Rage. Pure, raw rage.

He  finally looked at me. After an entire week of immature and pathetic arguments, cold shoulders, and disregard, he was finally looking at me.

But as I finally managed to pull away from Mingi, suddenly feeling small and panicked and regretful at how close we had been sitting, I wished that he hadn't.

He didn't say a word as he prowled forward, crossing the room in a couple of steps, barely glancing at the treasurer as he grabbed my arm and dragged me off the bed with a strength that seemed almost foreign to me, dangerous, as I stumbled after him.

〄

I felt the air leave my lungs as Seonghwa slammed me against the wall of one of the meeting rooms, the sound of my back hitting the hard wood echoing throughout the empty room as he simply stood there, glowering at me.

And despite the pit of sadness still growing at the bottom of my stomach at how he still hadn't said a single word to me, at how he had acted like he had the right to simply drag me out of there, I felt anger well up inside of me.