━━━━༻ ♦ ༺━━━━ pause 00100000 ━━━━༻ ♦ ༺━━━━

Tristan stayed for tea. Actually, there was no tea. Even if there was, Reese wouldn't have offered it to him anyway. The three sat in awkward silence as the redhead glared at the blue-haired male with his arms folded. Tristan completely ignored him while busying himself with a laptop he got from nowhere. Maybe his team of butlers appeared at the snap of his fingers again. Ninja butlers.

(Y/n) took a sip of Reese's ramune and winced at the bubbly fizz of the soft drink. It was pretty sweet. Almost too sweet.

"When will all this"—she made a vague gesture with her hands—"All end?" (Y/n) asked to break the silence. It was suffocating.

Tristan closed his laptop and opened his mouth to respond. Whether because of sheer pettiness or something else, Reese interrupted him.

"We really don't have to wait," he said. "We can leave now."

The blue-haired male held his tongue, irritation written all over his face. Reese shot him a smug smile.

"And what, forget this all happened?" (Y/n) ignored the two's antics. "Forget that our friends were killed and for what?"

"Paranoia," Tristan said quickly before Reese could interrupt him again. "I am no more of a fan of this tradition than you are, which is why I must remove my father immediately. I still bear the Knight name, and I will not let it go down in shame because of my predecessor's foolish decisions."

She nearly snorted. Politics.

"Guess what? We don't care," Reese rolled his eyes. (Y/n) shot him a confused look. Sure it made sense he'd be angry at the blue-haired male, but this hostility of his was news to her. "Have fun with your patricide. We want none of it, you sick bastard!"

Tristan looked like he was seconds away from ripping out the other male's throat. "You may be vice headmaster Grayson's son but that changes nothing," he growled. "You will not speak to me in that manner."

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

His jaw tightened. "Watch your mouth."

"Watch your back," Reese sneered back. "You're a bloody murderer. You only care about your image, but we don't give a sh*t about you so f*ck off."

Reese did understand her initial anger and she was thankful for that, but letting him speak for her this way was a little annoying. She wanted to speak but there was no room for her to cut in.

"I admit I've done bad things but I have not wronged you," Tristan seethed. "I've said again and again I did not kill your friends. Is your skull so filled with your delusions you cannot understand that simple fact?"

"I don't listen to liars, especially a murderer like you!"

The blue of his eyes darkened. "Are you aware of who you're talking to?"

Reese smiled cruelly. "Too aware. Tristan bloody Knight, entitled brat and spoiled b*tch, liar and murderer extraordinaire. That's about right, isn't it?"

They moved faster than was humanly possible. Before (Y/n) could register what was happening, Tristan was on his feet and Reese on the ground, the blue-haired male's features on the threshold of annoyance and anger. Reese was up in a flash, wiping the quickly bruising spot on his mouth.

"So the Ice Prince can throw a punch like us commoners," he sneered. "Thought you only let others do the dirty work for you."

Tristan did not look amused. "Don't test my patience, Grayson. You are walking on a fine line here."

"Well great! I've been doing that my whole life. What's another going to do?"

The testosterone in here is getting stuffy. "Okay, okay, calm down!" She got between them before things could escalate badly. Please don't punch me! "I'm supposed to be the mad one here, so why are you two bickering like squirrels?"

"Squirrels?" Reese snickered after tearing his glare away from the blue-haired male. "That's the best you could come up with? Weak."

"Shut up, you monkey-faced humanoid pink marshmallow." Then to Tristan, "Arguing with him is useless. You don't fight with kids, do you?"

"Hey!" Reese scowled. "Why are you nicer to him?"

"Because he's not a monkey-faced humanoid pink marshmallow."

Tristan still looked annoyed but at least he sat back down and didn't look like an evil corporate boss anymore. "I'll let this go."

Is he expecting me to say thanks? Because I won't. Donkey hole. "Good for you."

His expression looked stunned as she turned back to face the redhead, her voice steely. "Alright, we find the last card thingy, finish this Game, send the headmaster in a package to the South Pole, and then we can start the pity party. Sounds good?"

He nodded. "Okay."

"Told you I was the man in this friendship."

STUDENT COUN:CIL ROOM ━━━━━༻ ❀ ༺━━━━━ αftєя

Tristan massaged his temple and sighed, mentally preparing himself for the maelstrom and walking bomb that would surely burst through the doors any second now. Separating (Y/n) from Reese was the first thing he promised Jaehyun to do and now that they were back together, he knew it was only a matter of time before the blond started wanting blood.

Sure enough, the doors flew open, slamming into the wall and bouncing back. But the figure was already crossing the distance between the entrance and Tristan's table angrily, his normally serene features now one of wrath and his angelic voice light and airy despite the dark words he spewed out.

"What is this?" Jaehyun spat, flinging his hand towards the door. There was a splatter of something red on his cheek, something Tristan wanted to say was paint but probably wasn't. There were dark circles under the blond's brilliant red eyes that now had the appearance of dull, unpolished gems.

"If you're referring to Grayson, it was out of my hands." It was no question. It was obvious what made the boy so worked up. Tristan sighed again and tapped his fingers on his leg. This wasn't going to be easy. "You asked me to dispose of him. I don't work the way you do. He's more resilient than I thought and escaped from the old school building before the rats could get him. If you wanted a quicker job, you should've asked Matthews or done so yourself."

Jaehyun's face twisted into a snarl. "Are you pushing the blame on me now?"

Tristan eyed his trembling fists warily but didn't let it show on his face. "No. I'm simply informing you of my style. I dislike having blood on my hands."

"I would've killed him myself if I wasn't sick that day!" The boy spat angrily, directing his glare to something to the side instead. "Goddammit, those stupid pills don't WORK! I told them not to give them to me anymore!"

Tristan's eyes dipped back to the boy's hands, the shaking now more violent than ever. Forget locking my father up, he thought. "We're almost at the end," he said. "It'll be a day more at most—"

"That's too long!" Jaehyun half-screamed half-sobbed. "That's too long...even Kieran was with her more than I was, and I was the first one! I was there first! He has plenty of flings—why does he get to be with her?"

The blue-haired male sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. "You know I can't control what he does. Whatever his problem might be, it'll pass in a few days. He'll get bored again."

Jaehyun seemed to accept this answer before his gaze turned furious again. "You're worse than him."

Tristan blinked in confusion. "Pardon?"

"You lie to yourself," the golden-haired boy continued as if not hearing him. "Kieran was right. You're a liar. You lie to everyone and yourself. You say you only care about getting what you want, but you're not telling the truth about what you want."

Jaehyun crossed the remaining space between them in an instant. Tristan didn't flinch, didn't react as the cold hardness of metal pressed into his throat, the sharp end against his jugular. "I don't like it when people lie to me," the boy continued in a sing-song. "So, are you my rival? Are you going to try and take my (Y/n) away from me?"

Tristan felt a hint of confusion lift its head in his chest. He hated the feeling. He hated feeling at a loss.

Jaehyun saw something in his expression Tristan himself didn't realize, and a self-satisfied smile spread over the boy's features. "I knew it." He removed the knife from his throat and stuck it into his back pocket. "Oopsie daisy. Nearly broke something again~"

Tristan didn't realize he had been holding his breath before he began to breathe again. Countless emotions ran rampant in his head with confusion leading the chase before they parted way for one thing to become clear.

Emotions were unnecessary. They only made him act in ways uncharacteristic of him. But as much as he despised them and locked them up, they kept on slipping out again and again. And all because of one person.

The feeling was thrilling. It was like a drug, and he craved more of it.

SUMMER:HALL ━━━━━༻ ❀ ༺━━━━━ мєαηωнιℓє

(Y/n) forgot one thing. She forgot to ask Tristan where Jason was. The green-haired male never appeared on any of the cameras and there was no way to message him. Was he or was he not in the Game?

The gears in her head turned as she sifted through handfuls of possibilities and plans for them to achieve the best possible outcome. But Jason's presence was an unknown factor. She had to know if he was in the Game, or it'll ruin everything she was trying to do. It might not seem like a huge difference but it was. Jason was a friend. But if he turned out to be an enemy, things could turn bloody. If he was an ally, she'd need to secure victory with him as well.

But if he wasn't a player, that would mean they were walking blind with an unknown person who was secretly watching them from the shadows. They'd have unknown intentions (Y/n) had no way of finding out. But if it was Jason, his intentions were clear. To avenge his late sister.

She turned to look at Reese. His mood had lifted as soon as they left the dorm and he was humming a tune she didn't recognize under his breath as they walked. What made her say her next words, she didn't know.

"I killed someone."

His head snapped towards her in shock. (Y/n) braced herself and lowered her eyes, preparing for the tongue lashing or disappointment she'd receive. But it was none of that. She jolted when he unexpectedly cupped her face in his head and tilted her head up to look at him. His viridescent eyes were searching as they examined her face and the tired look in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern clinging to every one of his words. "Did they hurt you?"

He thinks it was self-defense. She shook her head and broke away from his touch. "I-I kind of lost it," she admitted quietly, shame and regret filling every nook and cranny of her soul. "I can't say I didn't mean it either because I did. So I killed them."

His eyes remained kind and it only made her feel worse. "Did they deserve it?"

"Does anyone deserve death?" She whispered.

Reese took her hands in his after a moment and opened her fist. "These don't look like the hands of a killer," he said teasingly. "You could barely open a water bottle."

"Adrenaline is a thing." She had no heart to make excuses. "You don't understand. I killed someone, Reese—"

"I do understand." He wrapped his fingers around her hand, locking her securely in that time vault she knew there was no getting out. "Are you going to do it again?" She shook her head. "Do you feel like doing it again?" She shook her head again. "Then nothing changed. You're still the (N/n) I know and nothing's ever going to change that. No one else is more important to me. We'll make it through this and everything will be back to normal again, okay?"

Will it?

"Trust me."

She did trust Reese. It was an unconditional trust they had in each other. Even if one of them gained a significant other, it would always be each others' words they believed first. Many years of friendship guaranteed that.

She redirected her focus to a large tree that hung outside the window as they walked. It was a nice tree. It looks like a great sleeping place.

They turned a corner. (Y/n) wasn't sure where they were going but from the serious look on the redhead's face, he had a destination in mind. But they barely took a step in the hallway when (Y/n) realized she was the one walking.

"Reese?" She turned around, his name hanging on the tip of her tongue. He was gone. Alarmed, (Y/n) ran back where they came from but there was no trace of the male. Raising her voice, she called out his name. "Reese!"

There was no response. She traced their steps and threw open the doors, her worry growing by the minute each time she didn't find the red-haired male. He wouldn't have just left her. He wouldn't have. That could only mean someone purposefully separated them. But who and how?

The (e/c)-eyed girl held back another shout. If someone had forced him away, that someone might still be around here. She craned her ears but the only sound was the obnoxiously loud ticking of the grandfather clock standing in the corner. It was a dark brown that had the smoothness of water but the texture of wood. She turned in the direction it was facing. It was nothing more than a gut feeling but it was better than nothing, especially with her nonexistent sense of direction.

Her steady pace increased into a sprint as she darted through the hallway in a straight line, in time to catch a glimpse of a figure turning the corner. She wasted no time in chasing it as quietly as she could. If the person started running she couldn't hope to catch up with her speed.

The person finally stopped. They weren't alone. (Y/n) pressed herself to the wall and leaned as close as she dared to see who they were. She couldn't make out their faces; the taller male's back was to her and hid the other person's frame, but the way the first person stood with his weight shifted to one leg and his hands in his pockets and how the second person rocked back on their heels told her everything she needed to know.

It was Leon and Jaehyun. What are they doing here?

Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice her as Jaehyun walked up to the black-haired male. "How did it go?"

"Fine," was Leon's gruff answer. He didn't say anything else.

(Y/n) frowned. What are they talking about? Do they have something to do with where Reese went? She took a good look around the hallway. No tied-up or unconscious redhead was in sight.

Jaehyun made a suspicious humming sound and eyed the taller male. "Did you kill him?"

(Y/n) didn't see his answer, especially not through the fresh wave of fear that came with the blond's question. Him...is it Reese? She wanted to jump out of her hiding spot and demand answers but the sensible part of her knew that if she did, they could easily do to her whatever they did to Reese.

Time in the Game made her distrust friendship. At least, the ones that weren't as strong and as long as hers and Reese's. One look at the outline of the muscles under Leon's black shirt made the darker portion of her imagination run rampant. Reese was pretty strong, but she wasn't sure he'd be able to put up much of a fight with the black-haired male.

If they did anything...I need to know where he is—

"(Y/n)!"

The sudden call of her name made her squeak in alarm and flinch. Her head swiveled around to stare straight into a pair of bright crimson eyes. Jaehyun's face morphed into a happy smile when he saw her. "Found you!"

The innocent words he had spoken the last time she's seen him sounded much more ominous now with her newfound knowledge. (Y/n) forced herself to remain calm, to push down the anger that rose up her throat, but it was too late. Jaehyun spied the change in her expression and his smile faltered.

"(Y/n)?" He asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" She echoed the word. Her voice came out as a hollow sound as she took pleasure in the fact it did not waver. "You're asking me if I'm okay?" Leon appeared from behind the corner, his expression betraying nothing save for the slight parting of his mouth when he saw her.

Jaehyun looked confused. "What's wrong?" He reached towards her hand. "Did something happen?"

(Y/n) snatched it away, her anger getting the best of her. "What's wrong? What's wrong? Why don't you tell me, Jaehyun? Tell me all the things you and your stupid clique have been doing." She raised a hand as he began to protest. "Don't even try to hide things from me. I already know."

The blond's face looked sad as he looked at her. "Everything?"

Her eyes only hardened. "Everything."

"Oh." He looked down, his bangs shadowing his eyes. If he thinks that's going to give him pity points, he's wrong, she scoffed. But when he looked up, he was smiling, his face happier than ever. "Really? That's great!"

(Y/n) recoiled. "What the hell do you mean? Did you not hear what I said?"

"Mhm, I did. And it's great that you know. It means I don't have to hide anything. It's great when you don't have to hide things from the people you love."

"What?" She was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Jaehyun merely giggled and took her hands in his before she could protest. "I can have you alll to myself now! This means Tristan's almost done. He kept his word for once."

"What—" (Y/n) spluttered, her words stumbling over each other in their rush to get out. "Excuse me?" She yanked on her hands, but his vice-like grip didn't loosen. "If you know, then aren't you even the least bit guilty? You caused the deaths of so many innocent people!"

"So?" The word made her blood freeze. "Why do they matter?"

"Because they're people," she snapped. "And many of them are my friends. You call yourself my friend and claimed to be helping me when all you do you is hurt them left and right. You're a hypocrite!"

"Hypocrite!" The dark look faded from his eyes. He laughed. "That's mean, (Y/n). But if we're talking about hypocrisy, then aren't you the biggest hypocrite of them all?"

"W-what?"

"You killed the redheaded b*tch," Jaehyun continued with a giggle. "And the blonde bimbo. You basically killed them all. Whose fault is it but yours?"

First came the chilling numbness at his words. The shock, the disbelief—everything. Then came the self-denial. It can't be true! But deep down, she knew it was true. Last was the anger. Anger came to her when there was nothing else to do, no other choice to be made, and when all she wanted to do was push the blame off her shoulders and onto someone else's.

Her hand was fisted and flying towards the blond before she even registered it happening. Jaehyun blinked at the fist nearing his face innocently, completely unfazed.

Leon was on her instantly, so fast she didn't have time to blink or escape. He snatched her wrists with a single hand and twisting their bodies, he shoved her against the smooth surface of the wall. He handled her like a mannequin, keeping her in place easily as if she was nothing more than a doll. Nevertheless, that didn't prevent her from kicking and lashing out with every chance she got.

"Let me go!" (Y/n) strained her arms and twisted against him, ignoring the pain that lanced up her arms as she twisted them at painful angles. "Get your hands off me!"

"You're going to hurt yourself." His voice was a low rumble as he leaned closer to her ear. She scoffed and tried to headbutt him.

"No, I'm going to hurt you! You just helped killed a bunch of people who have their own families and lives to live and you people don't even care?"

Jaehyun danced around Leon's large frame and peeked at her. "If a person died in Switzerland right now," he said. "Would you care?"

"No, but—"

"Exactly! Why care about people you don't even know? That doesn't make sense."

"It's not the same here," she spat. "They are people I know and care about. Yes, I'm a hypocrite and you can call me whatever the fudge you like but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter. You killed them, so don't expect things to not change so you can entertain this stupid friendship game of yours!"

Hurt flashed over his face before it darkened, his eyes fading into two cold orbs. "You don't mean that." His voice was menacing, leaving no room for argument. "You don't mean that, (Y/n), do you? You're not going to cut me off...are you?"

His pitiful look was nothing in her eyes now. She glared at him mercilessly despite her vulnerable state. "I don't want anything to do with you, a**hole."

Jaehyun searched her expression helplessly for signs that she was joking or lying. There was none. His expression broke and tears filled his eyes. "It's not true," he sobbed, shaking his head. "You're lying...you care for me! You promised we'd always be friends—you said so yourself!" He hiccuped and as if one command, his tears stopped. Something seemed to come to him and he looked up.

"I know. You're being tricked, aren't you?"

(Y/n) furrowed her brow. "What the hell?"

The blond looked relieved as he smiled at her. "Don't worry, (Y/n). I'll take care of those liars for you. They can't turn you against me anymore. And then we can be together! I prepared a room for you to live in with me already. You'll like it. I know you will. I know you the best after all—"

"What the actual f*ck are you talking about?" (Y/n) interrupted, trying another futile attempt to escape Leon's grip. She looked up at the black-haired male. "Leon—what?"

If she was trying to find sympathy in the male's gaze, there was none. He reached over with one hand and brushed the bangs from her face. It was an affectionate gesture and the realization made her flinch away. He looked unfazed as he shifted his hold to a more comfortable one while making sure she couldn't break free.

"The world is a dangerous place," he murmured. "I can't protect you when you're in the worst place of them all."

(Y/n) spluttered and shook her head, trying futilely to wrap her head around the sudden change of events. Their words were so absurd it was almost believable but their actions said otherwise. She believed their actions more so than she did their words.

"We'll go to the student council room first, okay?" Jaehyun continued, excitement written all over his face. "Then we'll show you where you can stay. Don't worry about the Game—Tristan finally decided to end it, so technically we're the winners, which means we can have any wish we want. You wanna know what I wished for?"

I really don't.

But he said it anyway. "To be with you! You've been at our dorm already so you'll settle in quickly. There were a few changes to the place to suit your arrival but it's no biggie. We'll work things out..."

The rest of his voice faded away as her head scrambled to put the pieces together. The conversation went from her accusing them of killing her friends and her hypocrisy to...them offering her a place to stay? No, that wasn't quite it. There was no offer. It was a demand.

(Y/n) couldn't struggle even if she wanted to. Leon had easily picked her up and carried her to the student council room even as she flailed around. She might've been nothing more than a fish flopping in a bag as it was being carried to the chopping board for all he cared.

Chopping board...were they going to kill her instead?

Jaehyun opened the double wooden doors, a bright grin on his face. His mood had been a zero just a few moments ago but now he suddenly a ten. Kieran was already in the room, but (Y/n) wasn't surprised by that. The male looked up at their entrance and immediately glanced away when he saw her, not before she caught a flash of regret in his eyes. But when he looked back, his eyes held nothing again.

This time Tristan was the one on his feet. The blue-haired male was by the window with a watering can in his hands as he watered a bonsai pot. He barely flinched at the sound of the doors flying open. He set down the can and didn't look at them as he came closer. Only once he was a few steps away did he stop and his first reaction was to raise an eyebrow.

"Matthews, do put her down."

Leon had a sheepish look on his face as he set the highly irritated (h/c)-haired girl on her feet. Without missing a beat, she bolted straight in the direction of the entrance. But of course, Leon had to be both the Hulk and the Flash in a teenage boy's body and she ended up running facefirst into him instead.

Her nose started to hurt. Like really hurt. Her head tingled at the memory of a similar incident.

She managed a half-grunt, forcing emotion she wasn't feeling. "Excuse me."

He didn't move and only tilted his head.

She tried again in a stressed tone. "Please." When he didn't respond and only tried to steer her into the nearest armchair, she decided she had enough of being manhandled and his caveman behavior. So she did what any sane female would do in this situation.

Aim a kick at where the sun doesn't shine.

But of course, nothing went the way she wanted. She ended up missing as he easily sidestepped her. Now she was back over his shoulder.

Great.

Tristan tapped his foot impatiently. "By put her down I did not mean pick her back up again."

"No, I'm fine up here," (Y/n) retorted dryly. If she had to pick between staring at the ground all day with constant pain in her stomach and sitting in a room with all four of the P4 gathered, she'd go for the first option. "No, seriously. Don't mind me and continue your stupid corporate boss evilness."

Either everyone was deaf or she was speaking in another language since Leon set her down onto an armchair. As soon as his head was turned, she tried to escape again only to miserably fail.

The man had the instincts of Tarzan. Or a wild animal. It was not funny.

(A/N: My mental picture of Leon is questionable at best now)

"Would you like—" Tristan began.

"A cup of tea? No thanks."

He frowned but chose to ignore it. "How about—"

"No."

"(Y/n), please—"

"Find the scrunchie I lost in Brazil for me and then I'll talk."

He canted his head in confusion. "But you don't wear scrunchies."

I'm not even going to ask how he knows. "Exactly."

The male sighed defeatedly and took a seat on the couch across from her. The coffee table between them suddenly felt too narrow and Leon's presence behind her too suffocating. She couldn't move back or forward, not when there was a wall of thorns in front of her and a wall of flames behind. Fun.

"Will you listen and not act like a disagreeable child for once?" There was irritation laced into his voice, but it was not as harsh as before.

(Y/n) audibly snorted. The fear was gone and in its place was nothing but cold, relentless anger. "Will you listen and not act like an uncivilized brute for once?" She sneered, copying his mannerisms mockingly.

She heard Kieran cover up his snort with a cough behind her and Jaehyun giggle. But Tristan was anything but amused. "My attitude depends on you," he said. "So if I'm a brute, what does that make you?"

Wow, screw you too. "Go jump off the planet."

"Your insults are getting less and less convincing, love," Kieran chuckled, an arm tossed lazily over the back of his seat.

"I don't want to hear that from you, you overgrown mite."

Tristan's eyes narrowed. "Is it so hard to quietly cooperate with us? Then we can end this quickly and I'll have fewer brats screaming in my ear all day." It was obvious he meant Jaehyun but the boy in question didn't seem to register the words.

"You're asking me to cooperate?" (Y/n) snorted. "When I'm being kept here against my will? I don't know the scientific term for this. I'll have to use my dictionary—oh wait, I can't. Not with caveman over here shadowing my every move. In layman's terms, I guess we could call it 'Angry Girl Is Held Hostage And Someone's About To Lose An Eye.'"

"I don't see how you're a hostage when you're being offered tea in the best quality couch from abroad."

"So can I leave?" His hard look was answer enough. "You see? You can't expect me to be cooperative when creep face over there's eying me like he's never seen a girl before and sunflower's about to crack his head open losing his sh—donkeys."

Tristan looked over at the golden-haired boy. Jaehyun stared back in confusion.

"Haha, made you look."

"(Y/n) White, I swear—"

Life lesson #3 or whatever number it is now. Be as annoying as possible when kidnapped. Chances are the kidnapper will so so pissed off they'd set you free. Or blow your brains out but how could anyone get anywhere in life without taking risks?

AKA learn from Reese.

"Swear to what? God? I didn't know good Christian children are allowed to, I don't know, arrange their father's death? Assist in the murders of twenty or thirty kids? This is why I'm an atheist."

She was surprised they let her finish and even more surprised when the corner of Tristan's mouth quirked up and a chuckle escaped his lips.

"What's so funny?"

He shook his head, bemused, and brushed a lock of his hair that had escaped the rest from his eyes. "My plan will go on no matter who lives or dies," he promised, his expression tightening to the point she had to look away. "Look at me, (Y/n). I cannot promise you no one will get hurt but I can promise you one thing. You will not be put in harm's way. I am no hero but by removing my father, no one else will get killed. The Games will end. Since the moment I decided to remove your name from the kill count, your life became one I was responsible for and therefore the only one I care about. I will not apologize for that. Ever."

She was at a loss for words, her blood draining from her body, and the strength fading from her veins. Tristan Knight wasn't someone who showed he cared. He wasn't someone who cared at all. And now he wasn't just an emotionless robot she could predict.

And it terrified her.

Her eyes didn't know where to look. Tristan's expression was too soft, Kieran's eyes too bright, Jaehyun's smile too cheerful, and Leon's presence too heavy. She settled for staring at her lap instead and her hands, her fingers curling loosely around thin air. Her skin was clean and washed with no trace of the murder she committed the day before. Yet she still felt powerless and small, more tired than ever under the weight of their eyes.

"I've finally done it," Tristan said softly, rising up from his end of the table to take a seat beside her. She flinched at his close proximity, forgetting the presence of the others for the moment, but there was no place to run to. (Y/n)'s mouth felt dry and she couldn't speak but the question was clear in her eyes.

"I've frightened you enough to the point you can't call me a popsicle anymore." His tone was one of amusement as he spoke the nickname. He knew?

"You wish," she croaked out, feeling like Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother who had lost her false teeth.

There was a strange sensation on her hair. She didn't want to turn her head or move at all. (Y/n) watched him tensely as he combed his fingers through her long (e/c) locks. He let the strands fall from his hands as Jaehyun watched on disapprovingly, (Y/n)'s presence being the only thing that stopped him from throwing a knife at the blue-haired male's head.

He looked up at her, his eyes remorsefully blue and dazzling hypnotic. "It's about time I stopped lying to myself."

━━━━━༻ ❀ ༺━━━━━

A/N: I've asked who's your favorite characters so far, so this time it's who's your least favorite? Including the ones that are already sent to a happier place.

Secondly, thanks to iiliveforhentai again for this fanart!