Deus Didymus: Rend

Chapter Sixty-Three: Memories

"Look at that!! The group's coming together!"

Irene rolled her eyes, "Oh great, more are showing up..."

Jaesang raised an eyebrow. He scanned Hikaru, tilting his head, "I thought IZLand's pillar was a girl named Hana."

"She's just here for now. We're not actually gathering, Psy hyung," Rain replied.

"Although we would need two more to get most of us together!" Namjoon added.

"Make it one~"

Namjoon held his arms out, waving toward the approaching man. "Shownu hyung!! It's been a while!"

Hyunwoo nodded, smiling, "How's it been?"

"Great now that most of us are here~"

Irene shook her head. She gestured toward the door with her head, "Let's go--before the last one shows up."

"I've been here the entire time," Minjun said from above.

The Hanam lifted their head, furrowing their eyebrows. The man leaned on the banister clad in silky pajamas. His disheveled hair and husky tone told the audience everything they needed.

"Jun. K hyung... Have you been living here?" Namjoon questioned. "Why aren't you helping your country? You know... with the whole war going on..."

Minjun shook his head, "I don't want to. The old man's gone crazy."

"So you're just letting your people die out there?" Irene questioned, disgust spreading across her face.

"Hey," Minjun glared. "I'm still doing what I can to stop the stupid war. It's not easy reasoning with a senile old man who's gone insane. Plus, I asked IU to lend the Hanam space so less people would die."

Hikaru turned to Psy, eyeing the man, "What about you? Aren't you too important to be stepping away?"

"There isn't much for me to do that doesn't end up being a waste of time," Psy shrugged. "I can't stop the fighting myself, and I can't reason with JYP."

Minjun turned his head toward the small Hanam, squinting, "You're questioning the Pillars, but what about yours, Ezaki?"

"According to my peers, she doesn't do anything unless her best friend is with her," Hikaru replied. "If you can get the guy here, she will follow."

"Will she speak?"

Hikaru crossed her arms, "That's for you to find out."

Namjoon stretched his arms, groaning as he fell backward onto one of the many expensive couches. Its velvety surface cushioned his fall, causing him to bounce harmlessly.

"I'm bored. How about we have a duel?"

Irene started toward the door, "Pass."

Hikaru followed in suit, leaving the six remaining pillars alone. They eyed each other, grinning.

"Last one to the beach has to pay for the damages!!"

Youngeun squeezed her damp ginger hair with a towel. A portrait of herself and Yeseo standing next to Yujin, Xiaoting, Hikaru, Mashiro, and Chaehyun sat comfortably against her mirror.

Initially she struggled to fathom the idea of working with the seven women. Two of them, especially Xiaoting, felt like entitled, prodigious students who knew not of the world's reality.

The woman hummed, slowly and subconsciously, shifting to open vocals. She sang an airy falsetto while the stars twinkled in awe. Inside the nightstand beside her bed, Youngeun thumbed a hairpin given to her by her best and worst students.