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Yeon, as a functional member of society, was doing just as she had been taught since birth. Stopping terrorists. Unlike the rest of her team, who felt ok with allowing Viole to leave the apartment unsupervised, but it was understandable they were either neets, kids or full-blown transgressive people.
“There is no need for anyone else to come, it is just a quick trip to the supermarket.” Viole had said.
That roughly translated to: Going to plan something evil with some FUG person. Such blatant lies would never pass her by, even if said in his soft, comforting, lovely voice.
Everyone agreed and nodded. Wang and Akraptor wanted to slack off, the kids were playing and Goseng and Horayng were hitting off.
So, it obviously fell to Yeon to stop it.
She left giving him five minutes of head-start, time fruitfully used to put on better clothes and some make up, because she had to behave with the class of a Yeon.
It was not hard to find Viole, even if there were a half dozen marked places around them, their pockets now tracked one another. A result of the nearly fatal fiasco of running into Jinsung. The idea was so that they could warn one another about any FUG or Yeon ranker that should be avoided.
Yihwa, obviously, had seen past that trick too, it was nothing about her safety, it was so the criminals from FUG could avoid her preying eye.
Entering the same marketplace as Viole had, she nodded to the guard at the entrance, giving a long look to see if he seemed suspicious.
Just some old balding guy, he would not be FUG.
From the people she met, mainly Viole, Hwaryun and Jinsung, she could guess all FUG would be kind of pretty. Like, Jinsung was handsome in a rough kind of way for his age, but that came from the Ha ancestry. The red head guide… well, even if it fanned some jealousy in her, Yihwa had to admit the girl was gorgeous. And then Viole–.
Her face grew red just thinking she got to share a room with him.
She spotted him at the candy corridor, not a surprise. Viole had a simple blue shirt with white stripes and light brown pants to go with his long, wavy, smooth hair.
She guessed it made sense, since they were doing a secret meet up, the long cape with red eyes would be very obvious, and for real. He rocked it in both styles.
Wait what. Yihwa gave soft taps to her brow. “Bad girl, dumb thoughts.”
Viole had vanished during her ramble. Dammit. Gliding along the halls she looked left and right, somehow even in the small shop she did not find him.
“WHAT?” How could someone with features so… Distinctive, be so hard to find?
-Hey, Ms. Yeon, how are you?- The message appeared in her pocket. It was from Viole. Her heart stopped, glancing all around to see if he had found her.
There was no one nearby.
-Fine, why? Something amiss on your shopping?-
-Just wondering, what brand of shampoo you use again?-
No way, was he….?
-Wait a little, I will check-
Walking to the hair products she saw him crouched on the floor, reading the lower products. Standing far away, at the corner, Yihwa considered how nice his back looked too.
Guessing enough time had passed she messaged him.
-Strawberry shampoo, brand QHC. But why do you want to know? You use girl’s stuff?-
-Ms. Yihwa, there are no products for long hair for guys… and I kind like the smell-
Her face grew so red she could have been on fire.
-You like the smell of my hair?-
She watched a flustered Viole get red too, nearly as much as the label on his hand. Viole started to type something, he kept typing for a good minute. After some desperate hair-fix the boy gave up and moved along.
Prowling at a reasonable distance she saw Viole enter the paying line. He had tons of candy, chocolate bars, a Quant-cola and the hair product.
As her eyes roamed aimlessly from the boring ‘beep’ of the products she saw birthday candles hanging in a plastic bag.
“Ohh.” Her eyes widened with realization as the smile on her face cracked. It was supposed to be around that week. Gosh, how had she forgotten it.
Yihwa quickly grabbed a candle bag, twenty were a lot, but she didn’t mind. Sprinting by the bakery she grabbed one single big chocolate cupcake with white cream on top.
“It will be only this, thanks.” She said putting the things on the paying counter.
“Miss Yihwa?” An almond, velvet voice asked behind her.
“Viole, what a coincidence.” She said turning to him. The boy was frozen by a magazine wall, flipping through one, a plastic bag swaying on his wrist.
Yeon gave him her prettiest, most warm smile. Trying to throw off any suspicion. It worked so well he blushed and looked away from her glowing pink eyes.
“Ohhh, you could have asked me to buy that for you.” Viole said facing the cake and candles.
“Ahh, no need, I can handle this myself.” Turning to the cashier she made her pocket visible.
“Do you want me to pay?” He had the audacity to ask.
“I have my own money, no need for your charity.” Or for FUG money. She finished in her mind.
Yihwa hoped against hope he would have left, but of course Viole waited for her outside. Rolling her eyes, she wished he would be just some brute, being a gentleman made things so much harder for her.
They walked side by side for a while, no words uttered. Only enjoying the cool breeze of the city.
“Cake and candles are a thing people do to celebrate stuff, right?” He asked with half contained curiosity.
“You sound like an invader from another world talking like that, in the Yeon family it is normal enough.”
“What are you celebrating?”
“It is personal.” She cut him off.
“I offered to pay because your money is a loan, right? It is bad for you to get involved with the loan sharks.”
“Ahh, no. no.” She clarified. “My loan was paid already, even after the Zigena thing I haven’t been branded a traitor, and so the Yeon family just paid all the recorded loans linked to the family-regulars.”
“Ohh, didn’t know they did that. Good to know you are in no trouble for being on a team with me.”
The smile on his face looked genuine. It annoyed her; bad guys should not smile like that.
“It is my choice, even if I get in trouble it is not your fault.”
Viole hesitated for a moment.
“It is not like you can’t just leave though; can you pass a test on your own? Like I mean no offense, serious, just… wondering.”
“None taken.” Yihwa answered, turning away and blinking to keep the tears from flowing.
If Viole noticed, she could not say, but they walked in silence until the apartment.
A wave of “Hi.” “Hello.” “You are back.” And even, “When you even left, Yeon?” Washed on them. She marched straight to her room, slammed the door behind her, threw the cake over the table and flopped on the bed. Letting the mattress devour her tears.
----
“Yihwa!” Miseng called knocking on the door. “Can you come outside really quick.”
She was not in the mood for anything now, but being mean to kids was not on the list of things Yihwa did.
“Sure sweety, give me a second.” Fixing her hair Yeon didn’t even care to put something less wrinkled.
The hall was empty and Miseng gone, the whole place was dark, only the kitchen’s lights were on.
She had cried through the afternoon and into the night, Yeon realized with shock.
Rubbing her eyes to the blinding white lights of the kitchen she was caught unprepared by the collective roar.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY YEON!”
The girl gaped at the rushed, yet cutely decorated room. Balloons hang from everywhere possible. A big party cake was carried to her. For pairs of candles were lit.
19, 23, 25, ??
Yeon saw it was a gamble.
“I am killing whoever said 25.” She blew the 23 before the others, her heart clutching hard. None of the numbers were right, but she would be dead before admitting for how long she was stuck on floor 20.
Miseng and Goseng laughed higher than the rest, having just won less house-duty. Prince and Wangnan grumbled.
As the hours ticked by, everyone smiled and had fun, the pile of snacks quickly decreased.
“How you guys even arranged all this so fast.” She asked Viole. Going to stand by his side with her back to the wall. It was not unusual to find him a few meters away from other people. All cold silence and quick eyes.
They had a privileged look at everyone’s back, as the rest of the team goofed and joked around the Zbox.
“Maybe I said Viole would pay the shop a visit if they failed.” He said with a half grin, pretending to sip on his already empty cup.
“You rascal.” She gave a little tap to his back.
They smiled at each other for a moment. It was surprising how cute the smile was, it was rare for Viole to not have at least a hint of gloomy on him. The moment lingered. Her hand was on top of his then, somehow. They came closer, leaning near, her lips felt puffy.
She was really doing that? A thousand things floated on her mind. Viole passed a hand on her hip. Pulling her so close their chests touched. Yihwa could feel his breath on his red cheeks.
“Who wants a toast?” Arkraptor shouted, producing from his pocket a champagne bottle.
They parted away at once, just in time to evade the teammates that turned to face them.
“Are we interrupting som–” Miseng started, seeing how they stood side by side. Goseng covered her mouth.
“Will you two join us on a toast?” The older girl said breaking the awkward moment.
“Sure.” Viole gave Yeon a quick look of -we finish later- and headed there.
…
In the end they got loud and tipsy. Yihwa waved each and every one to their beds. Akraptor carried a drunk Wangnan. Horayng, thanks to the demon’s resistance was fine, thank Headon, moving him would be hard.
Even Miseng got tipsy, they only allowed her one glass, but no one said ‘who’ and everyone gave her one.
By the end only she and Viole remained, wrapping things up,
A crooked half smile adorned his pretty face when everyone left.
“Sorry for being nosy, all I wanted was ask about what they thought the cake was for, a thing led to another and well…” He gestures the whole mess.
“Don’t mind, everyone had a great time, me included.”
Walking closer she hugged him. “Thanks for the day, it was really fun.”
“Was it really your birthday though?” Viole hugged her back, blatantly pulling her by the hips until their bodies connected in all the right ways. “They were really certain about it, but your reaction earlier didn’t fit so much. Akraptor figured you were sad for being away from your family…”
“I am not.” Yihwa felt tears falling into his shirt. “I have a family right here, don’t I?”
“Yes, we do.” Viole kissed her brow.
They stayed like that, her head resting on his shoulder, but the lovey-dovey mood from before was gone.
“It is not my birthday.” She explained at last.
“Sorry for being nosy then. What was it about, after all?” His golden eyes met hers. The red from crying didn’t mix well with the pink. It made her look swollen and red. “You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to.” He added as safeguard.
“I want now. Wait here.” Going on a quick trip to her room she fetched the cake. Opening it on the kitchen table, where the previous much larger one had been devoured.
Half of the cream stayed on the wrapping. She didn’t mind.
Putting a single straight candle into it Yeon cleared all types of paper from the vicinity.
“Help me if something goes wrong.” Taking her fingers to a few centimeters above the candle and arranging her fingers to show her intent on snapping her fingers. Catching up to it, Viole wrapped her hands around her belly, ready to either full her back or to use flow control.
She clicked her middle finger to her palm and a ball of fire erupted. A bit bigger than needed, but only the intended candle ended up lit.
His hands started to slip away, but she held them there.
Yihwa’s pink eyes stared at the flame. It devoured the wick, and kept going. Of course, it did. Her flames were hungry and needy, just as much as her, but more violent.
The candle’s spiral coloring stood no chance, the flames licked blue, then write, and blue again.
“Wax is dripping on the cake.” Viole pointed out. She ignored him.
Soon enough the candle was gone, the flames eagerly licked at the chocolate and cream. Both burned just as easily. Viole watched dumbfounded, feeling Yeon tremble in his arms and unable to show any more support.
“I had the same team since floor two.” Yeon started to explain, without breaking visual contact with the burning sweet.
Viole knew she was crying by how the voice sounded.
“We made a massive twelve people team, and didn’t lose a single person until floor twenty… then… then.” Her voice cracked and he knew what was to come. A mad sad cackled left her lips, astonished with being so honest about it. “We lost everyone, in one go, everyone but me.”
Viole gripped her tighter, he knew just how much it hurt to lose the people that were precious to him.
“I was so discouraged a whole year passed before I took another test, and the same thing happened. I started to do this then... I burn my favorite type of cake in their honor, so I never forget it, and vowed to only eat it when I manage to not harm any more friends.”
“You didn’t and you haven’t. For four tests now, there is no need to torture yourself like this anymore.” He whispered in her ear.
Yihwa turned to face him. “It is only because of you.” She pulled him into a kiss. It was intimate, slow, wet. She was still crying. When they parted Viole’s eyes were moist too. Yeon knew her face was a mess, but now, that did not matter.
“Please, please.” She gripped his shirt so hard it made a soft tearing screech. “I don’t want to kill this family too, we even have a kid with us, I could not take it, don’t leave me.”
“I won’t.” Viole kissed her again.