[Fanfic] Tower of God - Heritage of Desire: Chapter 3 (WangnanViole)

Ahora que terminé el reto de la semana de KhunBaam de este año, y además empezó la temporada 2 del anime, quiero seguir con este fic, pero no sé qué tanto lograré de esa intención XD Eso me pasa por no planear nada D: Bue, al menos trataré. Mientras, publicaré los dos caps que ya están en AO3 aquí, y también lo otro que no he publicado aquí (como el reto de este año, por ejemplo). También quiero seguir el fic de Jinsung, hacer el reto del 2021 de KhunBaam (el único que no he hecho desde que me uní al fandom), y la otra versión de Fairytales o.o Muchas cosas, lo sé XD

En este cap, Wangnan sigue huyendo de Baam porque lo besó sin permiso y no sabe cómo explicarse ahora. Eso, en resumen XD

*****

Heritage of Desire

By RPMizu

Chapter 3: “Family determination”

Again. Baam has experienced many moments like this one since entering the Tower a few years ago. Rachel taught him many things, but, in the end, those were only words and cannot compare to real life experience. Therefore, when Wangnan’s lips covered Baam’s own, he was utterly confused. When he was still in the cave, Rachel taught him that action was called a kiss, but she only explained that there are different types of kisses and that the one she always gave him, on the forehead, meant caring for someone, a sentiment akin to being family.

For that reason, when Khun kissed him on the forehead that night on the Floor of Tests, Baam did not feel confused at all. He just comprehended that Khun was probably starting to care deeply for him, like family, but being Mr. Khun, he did not want anyone to know yet or see him being vulnerable like that, not even Baam. So he had to do it in secret. Baam empathized and pretended to be asleep, until Khun stopped gazing at his seemingly slumbering figure and left the room. It felt really nice, even better than when Rachel did it, and, at that time, Baam was a little alarmed by this. How could it feel better than being kissed by Rachel, who was his most important person? Now he knows why, he knows better. Khun’s affection was sincere, real. Rachel’s… Rachel’s was not.

Just remembering it makes Baam’s chest hurt, so he tries to get back to the starting point of this thought process. Then Wangnan’s kiss… What did it mean? It felt sincere, like Khun’s. A little troubled, again like Khun’s. However, Khun did not avoid Baam after that happened, maybe because he thought Baam did not know anything about it, or because it did not mean anything to be embarrassed about. With Wangnan, it seems to be a different case. Now he seems not to know how to look at Baam in the eye. Wangnan avoids being alone with him, and spends long hours training with Arkraptor, even though he barely trained at all before that incident. Therefore, Baam has not had any chance to ask about what happened.

It has already been three days since that night, but oh no, this will not continue like this for long. Baam will definitely find him alone one of these days and force him to talk. Baam might be polite and quiet most of the time, but he is equally stubborn and curious. He has to know, especially after seeing Wangnan so flustered about it. It felt nice… really nice. Maybe Baam wants it to happen again, if only to better understand it. Yes, he wants Mr. Wangnan to kiss him once again.

However, days have passed and Baam still has not found the opportunity to talk with Wangnan in private. Well, they are a numerous team after all, so it might be a given even if Wangnan were not avoiding him. Baam sighs deeply, letting out his frustration without thinking.

“Mr. Viole, what do I do with this radish?” A feminine voice almost reaches his ears, but Baam’s eyes are still glued to the frying pan in his hands. “Mr. Viole!”

“Ah.” That brings back Baam from his own world. He glances at his side and finds Yihwa looking at him with an eyebrow risen, clearly annoyed for not being heard. “Sorry, Ms. Yihwa. What were you saying?”

Now it is Yihwa’s turn to sigh, placing her hands on her hips after leaving the bowl of unevenly cut radishes on the kitchen counter. “It’s rare to see you so distracted, Mr. Viole. Ever since those FUG people came to our house, Mr. Wangnan and you have been acting strange. Did something happen?” Well, it does not surprise him that everyone has already noticed his odd behavior, even with him being mostly inexpressive, as he has been ever since he became Viole. It is just he is so confused, and Wangnan avoiding him is making him anxious too. “I-it’s not I’m concerned for you or anything!”

Another strange behavior. Baam really does not understand some of Yihwa’s attitudes regarding him. Yeah, he knows she does not trust him because he is with FUG, and that might be natural for someone from the Ten Families, or even for random people. After all, the only thing widely known about FUG is that it is a criminal organization and that it stands against Jahad. But these sudden reactions, as if she is embarrassed about something, those he does not get. Even after all he has learned, these social things are still kind of a mystery to Baam.

So he just answers in a quiet voice. In the past, he would have smiled at her kindly, but his Viole facade does not allow him to. He must remember to keep his distance. “Oh, it’s nothing, Ms. Yihwa, don’t worry.”

“I-I said I wasn’t worried!” Then she takes a deep breath, eyes closed. “Whatever. I was asking what do I do with this. Do we need them for that?” She points in the frying pan’s direction.

“Oh, yes, but its best if you let me do this. You aren’t good with fire yet.”

He is just being sincere, but the expression on Yihwa’s face tells him that his words offended her. Everyone knows it is true, though. Last time he tried helping Yihwa in the kitchen, she almost blew up the oven. “I know, I know. Being terrible at the kitchen it’s humiliating enough, but having a FUG helping me improve it’s even worse…”

“You’ll be better in no time, Ms. Yihwa.”

Again, he is tempted to smile at her, to try to comfort her, but he knows he needs to control himself. Being distant is hard when they are all such good people. How he misses the days when he could be true to himself, when he could laugh at Mr. Shibisu’s jokes or eat snacks with Mr. Rak. When he could have a friendly training session with Ms. Endorsi, and not train into exhaustion under FUG’s program. When he could spend the night at the balcony with Mr. Khun, watching the fake stars while he taught Baam many things, as Rachel once did at the cave. How… how he misses those days.

“…Mr. Viole!” That startles him. Once again, he was spacing out. “Are you alright…?”

“…Yes, I’m fine. Just watch closely what I do and repeat, ok?”

He needs to stop thinking about his old team and making his new comrades worry. He knows those days won’t come back anymore, but he can still protect his friends from a distance. He will not let FUG harm them, neither his former team nor this one. They don’t deserve to suffer for being involved with him.

That is when he sees an enormous flame growing in front of his eyes. “What…?” Then, a high-pitched scream pierces his ears. At some point, while Baam was lost in thought again, Yihwa apparently took the frying pan from his hands and tried to cook herself… which was a disaster, as expected. Now she doesn’t know what to do, she is just panicking by herself, doing nothing. “Ah, Ms. Yihwa! We have to extinguish the fire!”

“Y-Yes, you are right!” But it is too late for Baam to warn her. Dread dwells up inside Baam when Yihwa takes a little bottle from the counter and pours the liquid within it to put out the fire… and just makes it worse. “What!? What happened!?”

“…That’s wine, Ms. Yihwa, I was using it before…” Baam’s voice sounds quiet amidst Yihwa’s screams, while she goes to the sink and pours water into a jar, effectively putting the fire out this time. “Thank God…”

“Why didn’t you tell me that was wine!? …Don’t look at me like it was obvious!”

But it was…, Baam wants to say, but chooses to keep silent. He has already upset her with his brutal honesty today, and he does not want to be lit on fire like his poor dish was. Speaking of which, it is now just a pile of scorched black goo, stuck all over the frying pan. He can only take a deep sigh at the miserable sight in front of him. Back to square one.

“Jeez, what’s with all this smoke? Is Yihwa trying to cook again?”

A carefree voice, one he is starting to miss already, comes through the door. Baam turns to look that way immediately, feeling his heart bump up a little in expectation. There is Wangnan, along Goseng, carrying bags of groceries. “At least we have new ingredients to start over with.” He hears Yihwa say, but he can only look at Wangnan. Come on, Baam, hide your anxiousness.

“Yihwa, please, stop burning up the poor kitchen. Remember it’s not our ho-” But Wangnan stops talking when he sees Viole is in the same room. Baam can’t help feeling disappointed at his reaction, even though he did expect it. He misses Wangnan’s laid-back smile. Now the only thing Baam receives from him is an expression of awkwardness.

But now it is not the time to feel down. He has to try and ask him about that night. So Baam takes a deep breath in and gathers the courage to just force Wangnan to talk. Not as if he has to prepare himself that much, he has always been pretty straightforward, after all. “…Mr. Wangnan!”

However, much to Baam’s frustration, Wangnan just flinches visibly before leaving the shopping bags right there on the floor and disappearing through the door. He does not even stop when Goseng complains about him leaving her with all the work. Of course, in another situation, Baam would stay and help the two girls organize their groceries, but now he has to follow the escaping man. The last thing he can hear before setting off after Wangnan is Yihwa openly complaining about their collective strange behavior.

Where did Mr. Wangnan go? The house is big enough for all of them, but not so much that someone can hide inside and not be found easily. Lucky for Baam, Wangnan stayed in the hallway, looking at the kitchen door with a pained expression. He probably did not expect Baam going after him, and that is why he just stood there and gave away his position. However, when he sees Baam there, he immediately realizes his mistake and retreats into his own room. No, Baam will not give up that easily. He chases after Wangnan, arriving just in time to hold the door with one hand and not let him close it in his face.

“Mr. Wangnan!” His usually soft voice sounds as determined as he is, but when he sees Wangnan flinching again, he tries to tone it down a little. “Sorry… Can we talk, please?” The other man keeps looking at him, probably not knowing what to say. “Please?” Baam repeats, voice quiet but full of honey.

For some reason, Wangnan’s face looks a little red. “…Ok, come in.”

If he weren’t in his Viole persona, Baam’s face would have lit up. Now he has to conceal the party that is going on inside his mind. Wangnan sits on his bed, but Baam does not dare entering further into the room. The distance between them seems abysmal, but he knows it has to be this way. So he settles on resting his back against the door he closed behind him. How can he start talking about this? Well, he does not need to beat about the bush. Even if it makes Wangnan uncomfortable for some reason, he has to know.

“About that night… The kiss you gave me, what did it mean?”

“It was a mistake!” Wangnan answers immediately, standing up and scratching the back of his head nervously. Their eyes do not meet at all. “Sorry, Viole, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to do it.”

“It was… a mistake? …I see…”

Then that means Wangnan does not care for him? Odd, because it felt sincere, just like the one Khun gave him on his forehead. Baam perceived the affection in it, even if it also felt troubled. Baam thought he had learned to identify when someone kissed him with sincerity, after becoming aware of the differences between Khun’s and Rachel’s kisses, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he still has a long way to go. He cannot help feeling disappointed, even if he knows this is for the best. He has to put a wall between his new team and himself, after all. Therefore, if Wangnan does not feel affection for him, then it is best that way.

He has not looked at Wangnan at all after hearing his answer, and his ears just register a faint blabbering in the distance. Maybe Wangnan is still excusing himself, but Baam cannot distinguish any words. Why does it make him feel this sad? Because Mr. Wangnan called him his friend, but now he says the kiss meant nothing, so which one is the truth? Maybe that kiss has nothing to do with Wangnan thinking of him as a friend. The kiss did not mean anything special but his words were true…? He really wishes he could understand these things better.

No, he has to get a hold of himself. Even if Wangnan does not see him like a friend, that would be for the best. “It’s ok, Mr. Wangnan. Then it was a mistake, right? I understand.”

That is when Baam looks up again, with his eyes still concealed behind his bangs, as always. At least this way, Wangnan will not be able to see the disappointment in them. Wangnan looks surprised, though. Maybe his posture is giving him away? Baam tries to straighten his back, feeling self-conscious.

“Ah, ok…”

Baam just wants things to go back the way they were. Well, maybe he should not ask for that either. The wall, Baam, the wall; don’t get close to them. Every friend he makes is another hostage for FUG, he knows that, but the fear of loneliness wins over him once again. He cannot help wanting to be able to talk with Mr. Wangnan as they did before that night.

“Want to help with the groceries? We left Ms. Goseng and Ms. Yihwa with all the work, and we don’t want Ms. Yihwa trying to cook again, right?” Luckily, that makes Wangnan relax a little. He smiles almost as he always did and approaches Baam with renewed enthusiasm.

Well, maybe Wangnan does not feel affection for Baam, but if he can smile this way and Baam can protect him from FUG by keeping his distance, then he does not care. For now.

*****

How stupid can he be, to go and do something like that? Kissing a slayer candidate from FUG… That is insanity, he knows it, but he could not control himself. Viole looked so cute, so lonely… and did not even reject him! He looked confused though, maybe he was in shock… Why, Wangnan, why? He has been asking himself that question each sleepless night since that moment, not finding a logical answer to it. The only plausible reason is that he is, indeed, falling in love with Viole, the boy he thought was a monster, but in reality is gentler than anyone else, willing to risk his own well-being for the sake of his friends and thus living a life he does not want.

Yeah, Wangnan is a little love-struck, all right, but kissing Viole without permission was another thing entirely. And now Viole wants to know why Wangnan kissed him, of course, but Wangnan cannot tell him anything that does not risk exposing his still budding feelings and being utterly rejected by this boy. So he settles with saying it was a mistake, because, what else can he say? Viole does not seem like the type of person who would react well if he tells him it was a joke, or even understand a joke of that nature. Thankfully, Viole accepts his unconvincing answer just like that and invites him to go back to the kitchen, to help the girls they abandoned there. Wangnan cannot help sighing in relief.

But now something new is bothering him. Why did Viole look so disappointed!? Did he want the kiss to mean something? Then why did he accept his answer and backed up that easily? Even after hearing all of that from that Hwaryun girl, Viole is still a complete mystery for him. Well, Wangnan will settle for this too, though, because he desperately wants to be able to talk to Viole normally again, or at least look at him in eye without thinking Viole might want to kill him for kissing him without warning. Not like there is much to confess, but when he sees Viole acting normal again (and that is distant and silent, but at least not with awkwardness) he knows he is glad he did not say anything compromising.

Yeah, there is nothing to confess. He is just a little infatuated with Viole, that is all. He cannot stop remembering the horrible situation Viole is in, alone, with nobody knowing about it but him, and he doesn’t even know Wangnan knows, so he cannot be of any support for him. That is why he started training like crazy with Arkraptor. He has to make sure they win the next tests, or Viole’s friends might be in danger. Viole’s pure heart will be in danger.

Also, he cannot get that night out of his mind, but that is to be expected. The soft sensation of Viole’s lips against his, his ragged breathing when Wangnan let go of him, those confused yet not rejecting golden eyes… He wants more, but now that he said that was a mistake, he won’t get any more ever again, right? And now Viole is so close to him, remaking the dish Yihwa made into coal, and Wangnan is tempted to confess he lied, that the kiss meant something even if he himself does not really understand what yet. Stupid Wangnan.

*****

And so, like that, the day of the test came, and Wangnan still does not feel either he or his team is ready for it, even after his impromptu training sessions. But here they are, lined up in front of the test administrator and waiting for their rivals to show up. After being proclaimed leader of their team for winning the last test by stealing Viole’s remote control, Wangnan decided the name of their team should be Team Sweet and Sour, of course, in honor of Nia. No one had any better ideas for it, so they settled with this. Well, except for Prince, who even now fights with Wangnan for it, but his suggestion so was awful everyone voted for Wangnan’s idea anyways. Even now, the boy is still shouting at him about it, and Wangnan answers the same way, though he starts feeling childish for doing so. Therefore, he soon leaves Prince arguing alone.

Instead of that, he chooses to look at Viole, as he has been doing all this time, but he regrets it immediately. Well, kind of, if only because what he sees messes up his already infatuated heart. Miseng is offering some snacks to Viole, and both of them look so cute when they start eating side by side in an absolute but comfortable silence. Miseng manages to make Viole feel at ease just by doing that, and Wangnan cannot help being a little jealous about it. Maybe he should start buying sweets and snacks too…

“The rival team… has run away. I think they heard about Mr. Viole being on your team and got scared.” Both he and Goseng cannot help yelling a big WHAT after hearing that. The administrator has to be kidding, right? Then what will happen with their exam? If they can pass without fighting, it would be awesome, but he does not think it will be that easy. It never is in the Tower. “Oh, don’t worry about the exam. I prepared another interesting one.”

That sounds incredibly suspicious. They have to proceed with caution.

Or so Wangnan thought, but those very same thoughts disintegrate into thin air when they are taken aboard a flying ship. He can only delight himself in the scenery before him: the brilliant reflection of the sun on the surface of the transparent mass of water, the flying fishes leaping alongside their ship, the salty aroma of the ocean breeze, the refreshing drops bathing his face, and… and Viole, who looks so completely astonished by it all. Big honey-colored eyes, now uncovered, sparkle full of pure-hearted wonder, and the clean waters reflect beautifully on them. He even has Miseng sitting on his shoulders, perfectly completing the heartwarming image.

Viole looks like a little kid (a very quiet one, but an innocent kid nonetheless) who is seeing the ocean for the first time ever. Is it possible Viole really has not seen the seas until now? Maybe he comes from a floor without any oceans, but his reaction is still a little too, well, pure-hearted and innocent. It is so unbearably cute Wangnan has to force himself to look away and concentrate on the flying fish. He can hear Yihwa complaining about how they all act like noisy children, but she is putting tanning lotion on as she speaks, so she does not sound convincing in the slightest. Even the test administrator is wearing goggles and a cap, while carrying a floating tube. Everyone is so into the beach spirit, that no one is surprised when some of them, including Wangnan himself, even starting playing beach volley.

Maybe they should all go to the beach together when they have time to spare; it would be so much fun. The eight of them are like a family now, even if they all still seem to be keeping some secrets from each other. Especially Viole, the object of his constant attention, but Wangnan is not the exception either, so he knows he has no right to complain about it. Either way, times like this are extremely precious to Wangnan, so he will make sure they go on a trip to the beach one of these days. Maybe he could see this innocent look on Viole’s face once again. And maybe he could also see Viole wearing a swimsuit… No, Wangnan, stop.

His daydreams about a shirtless Viole with wet hair and pearly skin dissolve into thin air when the ship shakes terribly, as if it is being attacked by some sea monster. It is not far from the truth: the thing that is almost wrecking their ship is a gigantic… whale? Something like that. The test administrator says it is called Zigena, the sea creature famous for their Zigena flower. Are they really going to take the test… inside that thing? “You got to be kidding…”

However, apparently is not a joke at all. The administrator calmly explains they have to go inside the body of that enormous creature and retrieve a flower of Zigena. Of course, as if that is a simple feat to achieve. As they board the lifeboat provided by the administrator, they all watch the ominous animal in horror. Not only they have to steal a jewel from an endangered animal, but also they have to risk their lives while doing so. It is obvious that these bastards are making regulars do their dirty job. Nothing new at the Tower, eh?

They divide into two groups, but, to Wangnan’s misfortune, he and Viole end up in different sets. Wangnan’s will go in first, and Viole’s will wait for the Zigena to flip sides and enter through the other blowhole. He can only pray Viole and the rest will be safe, although his own group is not safe either, obviously. The recent violent movement is proof enough. But Wangnan will not hesitate. Viole will be safe, he is strong, and he has Horyang and Yihwa with him. All he has to do is concentrate in finding that damned flower and pass this test as soon as possible. All of it smells like trouble, a trap, but they have to complete it nonetheless. In order to move on. And for Wangnan, to help Viole keep his friends safe.

Yes, for Viole. Wangnan still wants to go up the Tower for the sake of fulfilling his dream of changing everything, and he wants to keep his team safe too, but most importantly, he knows now he is doing everything for Viole, the sweet boy who masks himself as a slayer. So when he sees a little piggy (or something like that) with a strange flower on its back, Wangnan immediately throws himself over it. He has to catch it at all costs. Arkraptor is the one to react more wisely, commanding Miseng and Goseng to combine their abilities to have better chances to catch it. However, it still escapes Arkraptor’s grasp, and Wangnan cannot help getting angry and insulting him, even if it was not his intention at all. He is even desperate enough to send Miseng through a suspicious hole alone. Arkraptor is right in saying she probably needed this to feel valuable to the team and grow some self-confidence, but still… She is just a little girl, and Wangnan is putting her in danger because of his confusing feelings for Viole.

Therefore, when Arkraptor asks about his sudden change of attitude, Wangnan cannot deny him an honest answer. He owes his team that much. “We shouldn’t fail this exam. If we do… one of Viole’s friends dies.” Arkraptor looks shocked at his words, but Wangnan continues nonetheless, adverting his eyes. “Every time we fail an exam, one of Viole’s friends dies. He is going up the Tower… to protect his friends.”

The image of that night, the lonely look in those innocent golden eyes that he insist in keeping covered, the tender smile that only lasted for a few seconds, the taste of his soft lips… Everything makes Wangnan’s chest warm and ache at the same time. And his own next words hurt even more, piercing deeply into his heart. “The place where Viole truly belongs to… is not here by our side.”

Why do these words hurt him this much? He truly is… in love with Viole, is that it? The more he thinks about it, the more convinced he is. But Viole… He knows Viole does not belong with them, with him.

“There are things I fear more than death.”

To make things even worse, at this time Wangnan did not know there was someone else with them inside the Zigena. Now, a message is glowing in all of their pockets. It’s from Prince, and says Viole is in danger. Wangnan feels his soul drop to his feet, because not only the object of all his efforts is now in peril, but also what kind of person or monster could put Viole in danger? It has to be a ranker, no doubt about it. So he runs alongside Arkraptor, with all his might. They do not have much time left to reach the point Prince signaled, where Viole and the threat would fall.

He never imagined the one threatening the most powerful member of their team was a shirtless guy with the most ominous presence he has ever sensed. “So now… let’s start the game, babies!!”

Horyang and Prince, who know the situation better, are the firsts to launch against him, but the stranger counters Horyang’s attack as if it is nothing, claiming only an Opera would stop him, and only for mere seconds. Wangnan joins the fight too, of course, with Arkraptor and Yihwa, who arrived just in time too, but none of them even leaves him a scratch. Worst of all, he is focusing only on Viole, who is still falling down after the Zigena’s flip. An enormous power, like none of them has ever sensed before, gathers around the man with red eyes, as he calls out his own attack, and Viole does not even flinch, gathering some blue, mysterious power of his own to stand up against it. Nevertheless, it is obvious that this is too much to withstand, even for Viole, so Wangnan is ready to jump recklessly in between them or unto the man’s back, to try to stop him even if he knows is futile.

But none of that happens. Instead, the two fighting men stop moving abruptly when both see Miseng coming out from a hole on the side. She is clearly too invested in catching the little pig with the flower that she does not see the danger she is in by jumping between those two. Viole reacts first, and his determined golden eyes change into surprise, then into deep concern, and finally… into unimaginable pain. In an instant, Viole is on the ground, covering Miseng with his own body, a gruesome wound opening on his back and bleeding all over the Zigena’s flesh. The mysterious man is standing next to him, holding the pig with one hand.

Wangnan runs towards them, with Arkraptor and Horyang following him, but they brake suddenly when the man looks at them with no expression. Wangnan cannot help trembling from head to toe, and he can see his comrades are in the same state, but he is no less determined to protect Viole and Miseng.

However, the man is willing to give them the other flower, the one that is not on the pig. Why? “Now that this little one has been born, I don’t need that flower anymore. I’ll just give it to you. Take it.” Well, with this, they have passed the test, but why though? “And tell him, when he wakes up, that it’s the reward for his courage.” Wangnan can see tenderness now on the man’s face, and wonders if he has been enchanted by Viole’s selflessness too. Probably, because he smiles proudly at Viole and then takes his leave. “The courage to protect a teammate while facing the strongest man.”

That is when they all he see it, on the man’s back. “Mazino… Urek Mazino!?”

So they tried to fight against an irregular, and one of the strongest beings in the Tower? They are lucky to be alive then. But that is not what is important now. Miseng looks shocked, sitting on the ground by Viole’s side, and copious tears come pouring out of her big, innocent eyes. Everyone runs towards them, and Wangnan turns Viole’s immobile body to make it face upwards, careful not to make his wound even worse. Amidst his team’s and his own concerned screams, Wangnan wipes the long bangs off Viole’s eyes, which are dull and lifeless, and they make Wangnan’s heart sink. There is so… so much blood around him. It feels like Viole’s life is flowing out of him, in the form of warm, red liquid, and Wangnan cannot do anything to stop it.

How did it come to this?

Now Viole is resting in his room, and his master from FUG is with him. How can Wangnan explain what happened and not be murdered by this man while doing so? He said he liked their team, so he would allow them to go up the Tower with Viole for a while, but now that his precious pupil put himself in danger like this because of them, maybe he is regretting that decision. Wangnan looks from the door as the man carefully caresses Viole’s forehead. A soft whisper comes out of the older man’s mouth. “Idiot…”

Seeing he can’t do anything, Wangnan goes into the kitchen and sits in front of an equally concerned Goseng, who offers him a cup of coffee. It has been two days already, and Viole still has not woken up. At least they passed the test and a conspiracy around the Zigena was uncovered, but it caused a huge blow on the Yeon Family, and thus Yihwa has not even come out of her room since then. And of course, Viole is…

And now this man, Jinsung, is telling him they have to leave Viole’s side. He expected it, of course, but he is still taken aback by it. “I was wrong. I didn’t know this would happen… I will let you leave alive for Viole’s sake. Just forget about FUG and Viole, and get away from here. Leave tomorrow morning.” Wangnan cannot stop staring at the man, dumbfounded. “I wanted Viole to make friends, but I didn’t know that would put him in danger.”

What can Wangnan say to that? He lowers his gaze, not able to bear the concerned look on this man’s face any longer. He knows Jinsung is right, and he has to be the only one in FUG who truly cares about Viole if he allowed them to be by his side either way, but it’s true they are far too weak to be of any help to their slayer candidate. It would be better if he has strong comrades who help him keep his friends safe. Sure, no one would have won against Urek Mazino, not even this guy beside him, so what happened now is not technically their fault, but it is true that if something like this happens again, Viole will surely put himself in peril again, in order to protect them. Such a gentle soul, under the clutches of FUG…

Still, he knows he cannot to leave Viole like this. He has to make sure he returns to his friends. Well, he has to stop lying to himself: he does not want to leave Viole’s side, he wants to be with him for as long as he can. Maybe he is… in love with Viole.

Therefore, he cuts the topic short and offers Jinsung to buy cigarettes for him. He is escaping, he knows it, but there is nothing else he can do right now. He goes to the market with the other men in his team. They all sit on a bench when they are finished with their shopping, and he can hear them argue about something, but he is not listening. He is still deep in thought about what Jinsung said.

It is when he hears Viole’s name that he starts listening for real. “Don’t borrow money from him. We need to leave here today. Isn’t it dangerous to go up the Tower with Viole? So…” He tries to bring up the topic on his mind, but they continue fighting, to his annoyance. “Argh! You jerks!! Listen to me!! I’m serious!!”

“So what? Why take Viole off the team?”

Arkraptor’s accusatory look makes Wangnan flinch, but Prince is the one to make him angry again. “No way! I need to buy my lighthouse and he’s got the money! If we’re going to leave someone out, it should be you! I’ll go up with him, you idiot!”

This little prick… “Shut up, jerk! I want to go up with Viole more than you do!” Then it becomes a super embarrassing fight to decide which of them wants to go up the Tower with Viole more.

Until Prince snaps. “Darn it! Then why do you want to kick him out!? To keep our team out of danger? Did you became a coward after you met that hip-hop freak!? You can’t tell us the reason Viole has to pass the test, because we might get scared and run away? Do you think we’re all selfish cowards!?”

Wow, this really surprises Wangnan. Maybe because Prince is the son of the guy who threatened so many people, including Wangnan himself, into accumulating loan after loan, but he didn’t think this kid would be such a committed friend. Yeah, he feared everyone would abandon Viole if they knew in how much danger they are by being Viole’s friends. Because every friend he makes is another hostage for FUG. Arkraptor is the one who voices his thoughts. “I want to help Viole meet his friends. Even if you said that, nobody would have run away.” Then he smiles at Wangnan, feeling completely confident in the rest of their team. “You know what? Viole should be thankful to have found such a good team.”

Arkraptor is right, of course, and Wangnan has to be thankful too. Viole is not alone against the world now, and Wangnan is not alone in trying to help him either. They are all in this together, and even if they are still kind of powerless, that reassures Wangnan like never before. It is so good to have friends, to have a family. He hopes Viole can perceive this too when he wakes up. Viole…

So at night, he meets Jinsung on the roof and gives him some candy instead of cigarettes. Then he invites him to have dinner with them. “Oh, and… We decided to make our own path.” The confidence his team has bestowed upon him allows him to look cool even in front of such a dangerous guy. “It has nothing to do with FUG, the Ten Families, nor Jahad. It’s our own path, the path we want to take. But we’ll take Viole with us. Just wanted to let you know.”

With that, he leaves Jinsung behind, before he can murder him for his arrogance. It doesn’t matter, though. Nothing will take away his desire to help Viole, to be with him. He will help Viole even if it kills him.

So he talks with his team about it, he tells them everything he knows, even if he knows he will have to repeat himself afterwards, because Yihwa and Miseng are not present now. They are taking care of Viole, although Wangnan is still concerned by the possibility of Yihwa burning Viole up. Goseng is worried about the same things that clouded Wangnan’s mind when he first talked with Jinsung, but now they don’t matter to him, and he wants to convey it to them too. “Don’t worry. There will be a way.”

And the only method to discover that way is through the red-haired guide who told him about Viole in the first place, and Wangnan is determined to make her collaborate with them. “You told me secrets Viole keeps. You told me because I can take that path, right? Then I’ll take it.”

To his surprise, it doesn’t take much more to convince her. Apparently, there will be a chance for them to meet Viole’s friends in two years from now, at a place called the Workshop. Two years… He will have two years with Viole, and then say good-bye, right? No, he should not think like that, he knows that will be best for Viole. Still, it hurts knowing there will be a good-bye soon.

So he goes to Viole’s room, after knowing Yihwa and Miseng have come out. He sits by his side and looks at his still sleeping face. No, he is in something like a coma, right? He has been passed out for two days now. Poor Miseng has been crying ever since, convinced it is all her fault. And Wangnan… he misses Viole’s quiet voice so much. He smiles sadly at the image in front of him. At least the blood has been controlled, and the wounds have closed up on the first day. The only thing that is left is Viole opening his golden eyes once again.

“Everyone likes you, Viole, you can be sure of it. We will help you with anything you need, because we know you would do the same for us, or you wouldn’t have put yourself in such danger for Miseng’s sake.” Could it be too risky to kiss him right now? He is asleep, he will not know a thing, but someone could come in and catch him red-handed. Still, it is too tempting, even more when he brushes his bangs away and can see Viole’s sleeping face clearly. “When will you wake up, Viole?”

It is just a kiss. It is nothing that terrible, right? He looms over Viole and, without a second thought, he presses his own lips against Viole’s, delighting himself in the soft sensation. But he breaks contact when Viole opens his eyes suddenly. “I knew it wasn’t a mistake!” he hears Viole say in a hoarse voice, and he does not understand right away what he is referring to. He is too happy to see him conscious again.

“Viole? You are awake!” He jumps at Viole again, hugging him effusively, but he separates when Viole moans from the pain. Ups, he should not have done that. Viole is still hurt and recovering, after all. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“…That doesn’t matter now.” Then Viole looks at him, big eyes full of determination. “This kiss, what does it mean? Why do you kiss me? Be sincere this time, please.”

He cannot deny an honest answer to those pure eyes. Viole has caught him red-handed, as he feared, so it does not matter now if he is sincere, right? It surprises him that Viole has not rejected him yet, though, so he ventures himself to ask for more. He is tempting his luck, he knows it, but the adrenaline does not allow him to think clearly. “But it is alright… right? You haven’t reject me, not even once.”

Viole looks at him with evident confusion. “Why should I reject you? How?”

“You should reject me if you don’t want this. Then you want this… right?”

Before he can think this through, his mouth is already on Viole’s, giving in to the desire bottled up inside of him. Viole freezes up bellow him, but then again, he is not pushing him away. Furthermore, he is returning the kiss now, with shy movements of his lips. He hasn’t kissed much, eh? That is so cute, it is irresistible. So he dares to go even further, pressing his tongue against Viole’s lips until he opens them and allows him to enter. God, it is even better than in his dreams. Yes, he has dreamt a lot about kissing Viole again, but he did not think the real thing would feel this good. And the quiet moans Viole makes against his mouth are fueling his desire even more.

But then Viole breaks the contact, and this action returns Wangnan into reality. Dear God, he has messed up badly, isn’t it? He wants the earth to swallow him right now, and disappear before Viole punches him across the face for kissing him. But what comes out from Viole’s mouth is even more surprising than whatever he would have expected next. “This type of kiss! What does it mean?”

“…What…?” He means… what Wangnan thinks he means? “You know what kissing is… right?”

“Of course I know!” Viole sounds so offended that Wangnan sighs in relief. But that relief is short-lived. “But I don’t know what this kiss means. It’s different from doing it on the forehead, right? It feels different, at least…”

Wait… Viole knows what a kiss is, but he doesn’t know what a kiss on the lips means? Has he lived under a rock or something? Is he joking? If so, it is a terribly strange joke. No, it is not a joke at all; these innocent looking eyes tell him otherwise. He really does not know anything… “Viole…”

“Tell me, please, what does it mean? I have waited for this for days now, but I am afraid to ask someone else.”

Cold sweat runs across Wangnan’s back. Did he… did he steal Viole’s mouth virginity? And not only that, he stole his first kiss and Viole did not even notice it, because he still does not understand this type of kisses, for whatever reason. He guessed Viole has not kissed much by how clumsy his way of returning the kiss was, but he supposed it was because he spent so much time training with FUG, not because he had not kissed at all.

Wangnan has stolen the first kiss of a boy that is so innocent he does not even understand what just happened.

For the very first time in his life, Wangnan felt like utter trash.

- END CHAPTER 3-