Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

11 Scare

Seonghwa sits at the bench, taking in the cold night air. He is the only human around, but he can hear the crickets' conversation with each other. He tries to tune them out, focusing on his own thoughts instead. There is a reason why he is always wary of people from outside; he always believes that they bring in trouble. Now, he cannot stop thinking about Akira and her real intentions of coming to Nyla. He knows that she is hiding something, yet he does not know what. It keeps tugging at him, yet he's not able to pinpoint anything. Akira is not a nobleman. That is as far as he knows. He and Yeosang have seen the colour of her blood when she was bitten by the snake. She must have been here under the queen's orders... but who is she, really?

"Are you listening on to the crickets?" Jongho suddenly appears beside him, still clutching on to his guitar.

"Not really, I'm just thinking about things here and there."

"It must be about Akira, right?" He takes a seat beside him without asking and starts plucking away. "She really is someone interesting. Makes me miss my family back home."

Seonghwa glances at him. "Does your family still not know that you're in Nyla for almost four years now? You're turning 20 soon."

He strums. "No... they still think I'm in Lucida. I should be sending them some money but I'm just not getting any inspiration lately, so money's a bit tight."

"Really, you could ask any one of us, though?"

"Nah, I don't like to trouble anyone. I'm really curious on how my family's doing but I'm too ashamed to go back to Lucida. Even here in Nyla, I'm not really much of a great musician. Remember how I came here because I wanted to become one because I couldn't back in my kingdom? It's not really much of a difference here. I remember coming into the palace 4 years ago and you hated me so much that you wouldn't even talk to me for months. You do have a way of making people question themselves."

Seonghwa bites his lower lip, embarrassed. "It's not that I didn't want to talk to you, but I didn't know how. I guess I just need time to adjust with people from outside because they... scare me."

"You're still thinking about that time... aren't you?"

"I do think about it from time to time, but I'm getting better."

"You're making great progress, Seonghwa. It shows when you're trying your best to communicate with Akira. It's not perfect, but you're getting there."

Seonghwa is reminded of why he started to hate people from outside in the first place. Why he'd rather spend time with plants and animals. Why he believes that people outside of Nyla only brings in misfortune. His darkest memory.

"Some things do take time. You're a great musician, but you just need some inspiration and time," the older says, obviously trying to change the topic.

"You really do flatter people a lot."

"At least that's the best I can do besides talking to plants and animals," he chuckles. "I can at least be a comfort to other people. Other than that, as San has mentioned, I'm not the best at socializing with people."

Jongho taps on his guitar and proceeds to look at the sky. "It's funny how things turn out this way, isn't it? I just wish that one day I can finally return to Lucida, proud of who I am."

Seonghwa looks in the same direction, nodding slowly. "One day it will come to that. It may be near or far, but it definitely will come."

---

Akira keeps tossing and turning in her bed, her mind a mess. The moment she said how there is nothing to be proud of in Lucida to them keeps repeating in her head and she feels as if she has just betrayed the queen's trust in her. Whatever it is, she will always have to put the queen's favour in first place. It doesn't matter what her thoughts are. It doesn't matter what she feels. The queen is always first. After all, Queen Emira is royalty while she, Akira Hwang is only a lowly servant. Why should her thoughts matter? If the queen instructs her to do it, then she must without any questions asked.