hydra | svt

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

joshua

today is friday, one of my only days off as a barista at orbit cafe. i take my time getting ready this morning, enjoying a steaming cup of coffee (one sugar and a splash of milk) as i bite into my toast. although the sun sews the land with her golden rays, the threatening bobble of grey clouds looms dangerously close over the hotel room i'd be occupying for a couple weeks until i'm able to afford somewhere more private. the sun tries her best not to succumb to the pressure generated by the angry mob of clouds, kissing my cheeks as i step out with a tote bag slung over my shoulder.

i readjust it often, the weight in the bottom of it doing nothing to prevent it from sliding down the soft knit of my cardigan.

considering my complete one-eighty in career choice, i'd decided to finally cut my spiritual ties by returning all but a couple of my astrology and tarot guides but don't get me wrong, i adore the stars and will always be passionate about the divine arts; i have no plans in disposing of my tarot cards either so i'd still be able to read for people, but since my time in this parallel universe is transcient, it may be best not to get too attached to any ideals whilst i'm here.

and besides, i've met the zodiac spirits themselves thanks to junhui - no guide or textbook will ever give me the same experience.

i have most of the day to myself: jun is working an unfortunate nine-hour shift today and wonwoo, minghao, hansol and mingyu are probably a world away in jeju by now. social media has been quiet and it's given me time to clear my head and mull over the less-than-ideal situation i've been thrust into. my mind has not yet properly registered the weight that comes with my true identity and the reason why i've been plopped into this universe at all: wonwoo had mentioned something about an evil council of villains who want to eradicate and have complete control over both magic and non-magic users.

and we were expected to prevent that.

i shake my head as i appraoch the local library. it's as empty as ever; people in this decade who still loan and read physical copies of books are very few and far. on my way in, i see a scattering of college students occupying the large tables decorating the middle of the floor. the bookshelves that surround them are lined with books of all shapes and sizes, some rows organised neatly and others unkempt and filled with gaps.

as stealthily as possible, i creep over to the front desk; i'm generally not a loud person but something about being in the hushed ambience of a public library, where the loudest sound is the scribble of a pen or the thud of a book being closed, that commands absolute silence.

there's no one sat in the greying desk chair as i begin to unload my books onto the counter top. the old-fashioned desktop displays the sleep screen, indicating that no one has been here for a while. i wait a little longer, clearing my throat every now and then to try and alert a member of staff. despite not officially being on the roster for work, jun had asked me to stock up on supplies and had loaned me the company card for today only - i wanted to get this over and done with quickly. as i work up the courage to knock sharply on the wood, i hear a mouse click.

someone's here.

"hey! i'd like to-"

i shift my gaze up for my books for just a split second to study the employee. however my entire world stills as i become drunk on the familiar sunshine beam, honeyed skin and hickory eyes that almost disappear into crescents with the sheer power of his smile. his raven hair sweeps over his eyes in a manner that is unstyled but somehow suited to his soft features and high cheekbones. on the burgundy polo he wears, required to by all library employees his nametag shows two syllables.

SEOK MIN.

"uhhh are you alright sir?"

seokmin shatters my train of thought gingerly, his smile dropping a fraction to peer at me with worried eyes. i snap out of it immediately, placing a soft grin on my own lips instead of a horrified 'o'.

"hi! uhm, sorry about that. i'd like to...return these books." i slide the stack of books towards him and he dutifully begins processing them. he asks for my library card, which i fumble about for in my bag. upon realising i left it at the hotel, i curse.

"you forgot it? no worries, i can look you up in the database!" his positivity is contagious and my worries melt away. as i give him my name, his demeanour changes slightly but before i can register the change, he's back to normal.

"joshua hong? huh, that sounds kinda familiar! have we met before?"

i force myself to shake my head. seokmin shrugs his shoulders, continuing the process of typing, scanning and stacking. before long he's finished, yet for some reason i still hover by the desk.

"i've processed all your books," he says, as if to prompt me. "so you're free to go."

"oh right, thanks. um..by the way, is keiji here?"

i inwardly cringe at my bluntness but seokmin pays no mind to it, letting an airy laugh saturate the silence of the library.

"akaashi? no he's taken time off for...personal reasons. i'm working as his temporary replacement for now!" his pride is evident as he explains the absence of the usual librarian, a quiet twenty-four year old with a mop of ebony locks and piercing gunmetal-blue eyes, hidden by the thick rims of his glasses.

"temp... got it," i mumble before excusing myself.

the minute i step back out into daylight, the smell of fresh grass revitalising compared to that of old books, i allow myself to unravel just slightly. my walk becomes a jog as i head towards the direction of the supermarket, gripping the handle of my tote with unnerving strength.

what are the odds that seokmin is here in seoul, and has been working less that fifteen minutes away from orbit cafe? i have no time to ponder the detail as my hands automatically find their way to the seventeen groupchat. i type out a message, short and simple but pause before i can hit send.

they're probably busy. and i'm more than capable of handling it myself.

for once in my life i decide to be spontaneous about something; instead of taking a right towards the supermarket, i carry on towards the residential homes with only one desitnation in mind. i'm barely able to pull the route from the depths of my memory, not slowing my pace until i arrive on the doorstep of the jeon residence.

luckily, wonwoo's mother seems to be out, the gravel driveway looking barren without the sleek bmw i'd seen parked there the last time i was here. in fact, the entire street seems to be elsewhere as i fumble beneath the welcome mat, ignoring the way it scratches the skin of my forearm. i close around the cool metal key and pray that no one reports me for breaking and entering as i slide it into the lock. it turns as smooth as butter and i pull the handle down gently in case someone is actually home.

much to my fortune, there's no one in and there doesn't seem to be an alarm system in place. not having the heart to walk around wonwoo's house in my sneakers, i slide them off and shut the door behind me, locking it but leaving the key in place. i want to leave as quickly as possible, the stillness of the hosue making my skin crawl.

i dash up the stairs and easily locate wonwoo's bedroom, pushing past the door and heading straight for the bedside cabinet; he's said before that he keeps the rings in the bottom-most drawer and to my luck, they're there. i also notice the keychains he must've collected from his battle so far, the one of the sheep making bile rise in my throat.

i take the box out fully and rest it on his carpet. it's good to check just in case, right?

as my fingers press on the locks the way i'd seen wonwoo's do, panic begins to cloud my senses. unlike wonwoo's fingers, mine don't seem to be unlocking anything: the latch feels like it's glued shut and i struggle with it for a few minutes more, my face getting hot and my breaths becoming short as i fight with the damned thing. still, the box doesn't respond to my touch and i give up, knowing i'd have to leave soon.

it's like my hearing becomes amplified due to the fact that i'm sneaking about somewhere that i shouldn't be; paranoia gets the best of me and i replace the box the best i can, the sudden urge to just leave the neighbourhood entirely overwhelming me. i race back down the stairs, swallowing hard, and clumsily slide my shoes on. my hands shake as i lock the door and shove the key back under the mat.

nonchalantly as i can, i walk to the end of the street before i break out into a sprint, my bag bumping against my side, this time in the direction of the supermarket.

what happened to the rings?