Chapter Twenty-Seven

It had been almost two weeks since Jessica’s hospitalization in Aurales. Her wound had pretty much recovered despite the incident last week. The doctor came earlier in the morning and said her stitches could be removed in a few days’ time and after which, she would be free to go.

That was supposed to be good news to Jessica–– if Yuri hadn’t told her what happened to Dehan, the town she used to live in.

“Sica?”

Jessica was standing by the window when she heard a familiar voice calling for her from behind. She spun around and met Yuri’s concerned face.

“Hey Yuri!” Her lips immediately curved upwards the moment her eyes captured the tanned hunter standing by her ward’s door. Like a sun rising every day, Yuri never failed to visit her. Life was much duller being restricted within these four white plain walls, but Yuri’s appearance acted as the rays in her life, brightening up her day, allowing her to forget the boring moments she had to spend from morning till night.

Jessica moved away from the window slowly and cautiously. Though her wound had recovered, the doctor warned her not to have any aggressive movement again, or else if the wound tore open again, she would have to go through another round of suffering.

Yuri quickly came up to her and lent a hand. She set Jessica down on her bed carefully before grabbing a seat on the chair beside it.

“Has the doctor come yet?” She asked.

“Yup!” Jessica answered with a cheerful smile. She took the blanket and covered it over her legs. “He said my stitches can be removed in a few days’ time and I’m free to go after that. But…” Her cheerful expression suddenly turned sour.

Where can she go after she discharges? Her home has been destroyed already, she doesn’t have any places to go to.

Yuri noticed the obvious change in Jessica’s mood. Needless to say, she must be thinking about her hometown again.

“Hey Sica…” Yuri interrupted the blonde’s thought, causing her to shift her attention onto her. “Let’s stay in Aurales!” She said, revealing her set of white teeth with a wide grin.

Jessica was confused for a second, but immediately understood Yuri’s intention. The rosy lips of hers pursed into a straight line as the blonde tried to suppress the swelling tears evoked by Yuri’s kindness. Yuri had not only saved her life, she accompanied her every day too, easing her from boredom, taking her to joyfulness. She couldn’t ask for more, yet Yuri was always giving her even more.

The kindness and graciousness of Yuri touched her heart. No one, except her father and that hard-headed girl back at home, had ever consider her feelings or regard her as a normal girl like those on street, who was in need of love and care. A stranger like Yuri, she wasn’t expecting this outcome. She thought her savior was going to leave her alone after their first encounter, but she was wrong.

Yuri is different from all those indifferent people she met in the past.

“But… where do I stay? I don’t really like all these medicine smell.” The touch in her heart didn’t last for too long. Jessica quickly regained her composure within the next second and asked with her nose wrinkled.

Yuri laughed at Jessica’s silly actions. “What are you thinking? I’m not asking you to stay HERE. I meant to stay in the dorms. We have a very big dormitory here and I live with Tiffany, Sooyoung and one more dong-saeng who you haven’t seen before. Our dormitory is quite spacious, but there are only four rooms. I can ask the headmaster for permission if you don’t mind sharing a room with me.”

“Will I bother you?” Jessica asked timidly.

Yuri shook her head, “I don’t usually stay in dorm unless I’m taking a rest or sleeping. You can treat it as if it is your home. I’m sure everyone will welcome you.”

Jessica bit on her lower lip nervously, “Even Tiffany?”

“Uh…” Yuri hesitated to reply.

Tiffany mentioned before she doesn’t like Jessica.

“Yuri?”

“Huh?” Yuri looked into the pair of innocent eyes that was lookng back at her. How could she bear to let her know the truth? “Uh… I think she will be more than happy to see you around. I mean, you’re her fan right? There is no reason she will dislike you, isn’t it?”

“But, she doesn’t seem to be happy the other day.” Jessica only met Tiffany once, and that was when Tiffany stomped out of the room right after they shook their hands.

“I told you it was a misunderstanding…” Yuri took Jessica’s hand and squeezed it lightly. “She wasn’t mad at you. It’s just that she isn’t used to being so close with people who she doesn’t know. You got to give her some time to adapt to it. I’m sure she will see you as a friend one day…”

She will do her best to make Tiffany accepts Jessica.

“I hope so…” Jessica smiled at Yuri.

She is not the kind of people who will be easily defeated.

Yuri returned her a smile too.

“Let’s not talk about me. How’s everything for you? You’re always here… Wouldn’t that hinder your job?” Jessica asked. Yuri had been visiting her too frequently, from day till night. She thought hunters were supposed to be busy.

“No worries. The mutants never appear again ever since that night.”

It is a good thing that mutants had disappeared, but who knows what Satron is up to this time?

Yuri sighed.

“Who are the culprits anyway? Do you know?” Jessica casually asked.

“It’s Satron.”

“Satron?” Jessica repeated the name after Yuri. She looked slightly surprised, but most of it was shock.

“Yeah,” Yuri looked at Jessica with a surprise look. “You don’t know them?” Everyone should know them even if they hadn’t appeared for a long time.

“Of course not.” Her eyebrows furrowed deeply into a frown. She thought she knew something about them–– “Ah!” She suddenly exclaimed. “A friend of mine is from Satron!”

“Pardon?” Yuri’s eyes widened uncontrollably. It was her turn now to be shocked.

“She is my childhood friend. We used to play together since we were the only children in the neighborhood. She told me something about her father being the leader of this group called Satron… I… I don’t quite remember the details since that was about ten years ago. And I hadn’t seen her for a long time……” Jessica’s face was turning pale as she narrated the piece of vague memory in her. “Yuri, ar–are you sure… Satron is the one who did… this?” She asked with stutter. Her heart was thumping madly against her chest as she realized a fact which she didn’t want to face it as the truth. “I… I don’t believe someone I know of would bring harm to the society…”

Yuri didn’t want to believe it as well. She couldn’t even imagine Jessica having association with Satron. It was as ridiculous as saying, Angel and Devil were friends. There must be a mistake somewhere.

“What is your friend’s name?”

Satron might be secretive, but Yuri and the other Aurales’ members still knew a few things about them. For example, the leader of Satron was a man in his fifties. He had a daughter around her age and the name is……

“Kim Hyoyeon.”

*

The siblings were both engulfed in their own thoughts after Yuri told Hyuk-Jun what she heard from Jessica. With his fingers randomly tapping away on the wooden office desk, Hyuk-Jun allowed his mind to digest the piece of information under the unmelodic tune played by his fingers.

One being the victim of the mutant and the other one is the creator of the mutant… How irony it is for them to be friends.

“Oppa, what’s on your mind?” Yuri asked. She rested her elbows on the table, leaning her chin onto her fist.

Hyuk-Jun looked at her with a frown, “Is the source reliable?”

“This isn’t a source oppa. Jessica knew Kim Hyoyeon. They were friends until the age of fourteen when Jessica and her family decided to move. I understand you have doubts in believing Jessica’s words, I, too, wish that she made a mistake. But no, Sica mentioned Kim Hyoyeon’s name herself. I wouldn’t think that is a coincidence. Besides, she also mentioned that the Kim Hyoyeon she knows of claimed herself to be the daughter of the leader of Satron. Unless you’re telling me there is more than one Satron in this world, or else…”

Whatever Jessica said must be true.

“I get you…” There can’t be so many coincidences in this world. But it sure is coincidence enough for them to discover a victim who knows a member of the Satron. “We might need her help then.”

“I have a suggestion Oppa. I’ve wanted to tell you this actually.”

“Shoot.”

“I think you’ve heard about it already. The town Jessica used to live in, Dehan, is the one Fany and I reduced into ashes weeks ago. So the thing is, there is no place for Jessica to go now…” Yuri paused for a second, stealing a glance at her brother to see if there was any disapproving expression on his face. “I want to bring her to our dorm. She will share a room with me.”

“What about Tiffany?” Hyuk-Jun uttered his curiosity almost immediately. That was the first major question which popped out in his head.

“Oppa!” Yuri felt as helpless as before. How many times must she tell Hyuk-Jun that there is nothing going on between her and Tiffany in order for him to understand? “She’s coming to my room, what does that got to do with Tiffany?” She swore she would have killed Hyuk-Jun for more than a million times if her eyes were daggers.

“Chill. Your overreaction only proves me right.”

Yuri gritted on her teeth, the loud intake of oxygen implying the annoyance building up in her chest. However, as much as she wanted to strangle her very own brother, it was not the right time to do so now.

“So what’s your answer?”

Hyuk-Jun pondered, “Has her report come out yet?”

“Yeah, I saw the professor two days ago. He told me Jessica won’t turn into a mutant.” Yuri wasn’t sure if she should be happy with this result. No doubt it was good news that Jessica was finally safe, but if that was the case, it meant humans didn’t just turn into mutants because they were attacked by them, or get in contact with them.

So… what exactly is the cause behind all these mutations?

“I can approve your request then.” Hyuk-Jun heaved out a sigh of relief.

He is not trying to be bad, but there are too many non-hunter members in Aurales. If this casualty turned into a mutant out of the sudden, he is basically putting all the members’ lives in risk.

“By the way Yuri, one thing I’ve noticed, you seem to have gotten very close with that casualty. I want to know your real intention in letting her staying in your dorm. Is it for the sake of tracing Satron and giving her a place to stay, or did you…” Hyuk-Jun suddenly stopped, those penetrating gaze like the eyes of an eagle piercing through the person in the reflection of his eyes.

Yuri jerked back a little with surprise, catching off guard by Hyuk-Jun’s abrupt movement. She arched her eyebrows and returned him glare.

Enough of the suspense, just spit it out already!

Clearly understood the message in his sister’s eyes, Hyuk-Jun retreated and continued with his unsaid words, “Did you fall for her?”

“WHAT!?” Yuri shrieked before she even realized it.

“Ouch!” Hyuk-Jun covered his ears and shot a glare at Yuri. “What’s with that screaming!?” Now, THAT was what he called over-reacting. “Don’t tell me you really fall for her!” Hyuk-Jun merely thought of it as a joke when he randomly asked her that question, but Yuri’s reaction was definitely telling him he hit right on the jackpot!

“I’M NOT!” Yuri immediately denied. But the sudden increase of her heartbeat was telling her otherwise.

“Gosh, you really fall for her! What are you going to do with Tiffany? She’s going to kill you!”

“OPPA!” Ugh! Not Tiffany again! “For the millionth times I’m saying this, Tiffany and I are just partners! Strictly partners with no affection! And I don’t like Jessica, can you stop jumping into conclusion!”

“You know more than better whether I am the one jumping into conclusion or you denying your feelings. Say,” Hyuk-Jun leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms. “I didn’t know you’re such a fickle person.”

Yuri rolled her eyes at him. First Sooyoung questioned her with Tiffany and now Hyuk-Jun insisted she had a thing for Jessica, should she make a (fake) confession to Yoona so as to prove them wrong?

“Enough say, I’m not in the mood to discuss this with you. You said you’re going to approve my request right? I’m going to move Sica to our dorm today then. And also, if you don’t mind, please keep this as a secret between you and me. I don’t wish to see the whole of Aurales interrogate Jessica. Good! Bye!”

“Hey!” He was too late, Yuri already went out of his office. “And she said she doesn’t have a thing for that casualty, yet she is acting so protective towards her.” Hyuk-Jun mumbled to himself grumpily. “And honestly, what’s with the rush…OH!” Hyuk-Jun suddenly jumped up from his chair and stood up. With a click on his fingers, his right fist met his left palm. “That’s right! She said she is going to let her stay in her room! Gosh, what does she wants to do with a patient?”