Puppet Under Strings (unOrdinary)

Episode 12

Seraphina's POV

At Wellston Hospital...

"Sure, he can come in. He's my dad." John told the lady at the door.

"Alright, then." she waved her hand goodbye. "Well, I'll leave the three of you to talk."

"Come in, sir."

A familiar face came into the room. Just as I thought.

"John! Are you okay?!" an older man with black gelled hair and wrinkles burst in with a worried face. That was William alright. He held onto John's shoulders. "My editor told me that a pretty shady building was recently discovered as the criminal organization Ember's headquarters! And that you were there unconscious and sent to the ER in this hospital!"

"ACK! Dad, slow down! I'll tell you everything!" John grimaced in pain. "And please don't grab onto my shoulders like that! They hurt like hell!"

After William let him lay on the bed peacefully, John explained everything to him. About getting kidnapped from those lower Ember lackeys from day one. Being sent to that white room that I never got to see. Meeting his mother again after so many years. And being brainwashed by one of her employees and forced to fight us Royals. Literally everything.

"I would've never thought Vanessa would've come back for you. Even after all these years..." William's words drifted off into his thoughts. He turned toward John. "I thought I had tried my best when I called off my relationship with her and moved you to your own apartment, but..."

"I let my guard down. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Dad. Knowing how cruel Mo..." I saw John struggle to say Mom in front of the two of us.

And honestly, who could blame him? If she was my mother, I'd have the same reaction.

"Knowing how cruel Volcan is..." he corrected. "I would've expected her to come get me at some point. Whether it be earlier or later."

He turned his head to the side. "I'm sorry. I just can't call that woman my mother. Not after everything she did to me."

"That's understandable." William responded. "Just know that you are important, John. I do love you and I'm sure Sera does as well. Don't you, Sera?"

He turned to me.

"I love you, too." John's words from earlier suddenly echoed in my head.

I felt my face go hot.

"Um..." I said.

"Hm?" John raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Seriously!? John, you traitor!

"O-Oh..." it seemed like he finally got the hint. 

He turned the other way in his bed and pulled up the blankets to cover his blushing face. I turned my head to the side, averting my eyes from John.

"Huh?" William seemed confused.

Good. Keep it that way.

Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a huge grin appear on his face. 

He patted John's head in approval. "I'm proud of you, son." he stated triumphantly.

"Oh my fucking god." John mouthed.

"No need to be so embarrassed. I understand." he replied. He then turned to me and shook both of my hands with a comforting smile. "Haha. I really thought John just didn't get along with girls, but it seems you proved me wrong."

He winked. "I'll be leaving him in your care, future daughter-in-law."

"Eh?"

"OHMYGOD, DAD. JUST STOP."

"Haha! I KNEW it! You really are dating!"

"No, we're not! We just found out that we like each other back! That's all!" John shouted.

"I didn't even know I liked John until now." I kept on touching my two pointer fingers and blushing. "I always thought it was admiration, but..."

"And just look at Sera!" William laughed. "She can't even comprehend what just happened!"

"That's not funny, Dad! You broke her, so unbreak her!" John told him.

"Huh?? John. What the hell does that even mean?"

John sighed. "I wake up from two months of unconsciousness and this is the first thing that happens to me. Unbelievable."

He turned to William. "You hear that, Dad? I'm talking about you."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

"And there's still things I want to know. Like how you and Volcan met. How your marriage even worked out. Because of the whole hierarchy thing in this world, I'd assume that most low tiers couldn't marry high-tiers because they're weaker. So how did you manage to do that?" John asked.

I snapped out of my daze. 

Come to think of it, what John said makes sense. Just like the interactions in Wellston, in the world outside of school, it's no different.

"I want to know, too." I said.

"Hm. Well, I guess you two deserve to know because of what you had to go through with John's recent incident." William thought. 

He paused for a bit. 

"Alright, I'll tell you."

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