𝗗𝗘𝗝𝗔-𝗩𝗨 | ᴀᴛᴇᴇᴢ

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬-𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 ─ 𝗢𝗛, 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗬 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠, 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗘

Somi was staring adoringly at Mingi, even though it wasn't the right moment to get lost in her feelings for him. The male, on the other hand, looked as if been petrified, he didn't even blink since he received that news. 

The grip on her shoulders tightened even more as if checking whether he was dreaming or Somi was actually in front of him, "What do you mean?" He repeated, this time with more urgency and lightly and delicately shaking the girl, who was about to shrink from how he was holding her. 

The woman bent her arms so that she could touch one of his hands. They were huge if compared to hers and tensed, "Mingi..." She breathed as her eyes began to burn for the upcoming words and the expression that would've painted on his face after hearing them. She momentarily closed her eyes and bit her lower lip for the second time that morning, fully aware that she would find her limbs chapped and filled with searing cuts as soon as she would've checked herself in the mirror. There was no going back, plus, he more than anyone else deserved to know: "Amnesia is the consequence of my talent usage. It means that I'll struggle to remember the déjà-vu I witness and it could only get worse." Sugarcoating wasn't her forte, though she attempted it for the sake of his happiness, although already partially gone.

Mingi panted, the news and whatever will come after were making it hard to breathe, and his brain seemed to not yearn to elaborate on the announcement.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He inquired with a quivering voice.

Somi commenced fidgeting, "I never had the chance to."

"You did." He argued bitterly, "When you revealed your secret talent to me, you could've simply added it as another collateral effect."

She shook her head, even if silently agreed with him, "If you had known it, you wouldn't have let me participate in Jongho's research."

His face contorted with confusion and soon his tone expressed it perfectly, "Of course! Why would I ever allow something like this to happen when you're already aware of the consequences?" His hands finally came off her shoulders and fell heavily on his hips while freeing a disbelieved scoff. He rubbed his forehead with his fingers and squeezed his eyes, hoping that would've helped him to think faster and wiser. 

Seonghwa was still observing the couple from afar, upright next to the grey pouffe and lingering for the right moment to express his opinion. When he noticed that Somi and Mingi weren't talking but just standing one in front of the other, he decided it was the right time to say his lines. 

"We should tell the others-"

"There's no need to." Somi interrupted him, earning an eye roll from Mingi who began to wobbly pace and breathe thinkingly. The girl glared at the blue-haired male before resuming her speech, bluntly and voluntarily ignoring his reaction, "It's not that I know that for sure, it's just a hypothesis..."

"Which just turned into a certainty." Spat sarcastically Mingi.  "Listen: I appreciate your help, we all do, but after knowing what you'll face in the future... We can't let you continue with this, especially since it doesn't concern you."

The oldest male in the room nodded, she could spot him from the corner of her eye, "Mingi's right. You shouldn't have been involved in the first place." His voice was sharp and clear and the words printed in her brain as if fire-branded. Suddenly, after hearing that sentence she feared the most, she felt her shoulders slumping, and every trace of self-confidence built until that moment disappeared and the idea of turning useless was far from being only her paranoia. That's it, she thought, they don't need me anymore. 

Noticing the dread and the discouragement ruining Somi's delicate facial features, Mingi stretched one of his arms towards her cheek, nonetheless, as he was about to lay his palm on her skin, he abruptly halted his movement when his brain slapped him to reality from looking like youngsters grappling with his first crush by reminding him of her talent, which she had been talking about until that moment, just to be picky.