Hyukjae fidgeted nervously on his chair as he was having breakfast, sometimes glancing at Sungmin who was sitting across him. He knew he had to face an ‘interrogation’ later, because there was no way the older would let it go just like that.

Sungmin didn’t say a word last night, but today would be his suffering day. Hyukjae was sure of it. Seeing him with a strange guy (named Lee Donghae) was one thing, and leaving the store without saying anything would certainly make the older mad.

“So, Lee Hyukjae,” Sungmin spoke after a few minutes of silence, “Do you have anything to say to me?”

“Umm…” Hyukjae scratched his head.

What was he supposed to say? That he ended up being a devil’s lover? He was quite sure Sungmin would never believe that kind of thing even if he’d die.

“Do you know why I closed the store earlier than usual yesterday?” Sungmin asked.

“N-no, I don’t,” Hyukjae answered timidly.

“Because there’s this stupid yellow brat who left the store while he was still working, with a guy that looks like a gigolo or something.”

Hyukjae almost burst into laughter hearing the word ‘gigolo,’ but seeing Sungmin’s pissed off face he had to hold back. “Hyung, I’m sorry that I left the store, but it’s not like I did it on purpose. That guy-“

“Who is he?”

“A…friend.”

“A friend? I know all of your friends, and I haven’t seen his face before. He looks like a drug dealer to me.”

“Well, he’s a new friend. He…he had something important to talk to me, so…yeah,” Hyukjae tried to convince the older, though it didn’t seem to work at all.

“What kind of thing did he want to talk about that you have to come home at night?”

“It’s…c-complicated…”

“He’s not a sugar daddy, is he?” Sungmin stared at the blonde wide eyed.

“Hyung! I’m not that kind of person!”

“Whatever it is, don’t do it again, or you might get fired,” Sungmin said in a serious tone, “Uncle Jaesuk trusts us to manage his store and we need to work hard for him. He’s being so kind to us, this is the only thing we can do for him. Do you understand, Lee Hyukjae?”

“Yes hyung,” Hyukjae looked down, knowing that he had no right to argue even though it wasn’t entirely his fault. But then again, he was the one who got himself involved in this .

“You’re cleaning by yourself today, as a punishment.”

Hyukjae’s eyes went wide at the latter’s words, but before he could object, Sungmin had already left the dining table and walked into his room. He waved his hand slightly before he closed the door, and it made Hyukjae even more annoyed. He loved cleaning, but he wasn’t fond of the idea that Sungmin was sleeping while he needed to clean.

Sighing, he stood up and took the dishes on the table, before bringing it to the kitchen. He could feel the cold morning breeze came blowing through the opened window, causing him to shiver slightly.

He quickly closed the window, somehow having a bad feeling when he looked outside, even though there was nothing he could see there. It seemed like it was going to rain, and for some reason, the weather was colder than usual.

Right after he had closed the window, Hyukjae was startled by the sound of something dropped coming from the living room.

“Sungmin-hyung?” Hyukjae called, but there was no answer.

He then felt it again, the uneasiness when he realized how silence it was around him. Something’s not right, he thought.

He walked out of the kitchen, but Sungmin was not in the living room. Nothing was there. But when his eyes landed on the slightly opened front door, he could feel shiver ran down his spine.

Who opened it? Did something get in?

Taking a deep breath, he approached the door slowly and turned the doorknob, but when he peeked outside, there was nothing. He sighed in relief, because he would definitely faint if there’d be something out there ‘waiting’ for him. Maybe Sungmin-hyung forgot to close the door, he thought to himself.

He closed the door back and went to the kitchen, completely unaware of a pair of eyes who were watching him from afar.

__________________________________

“It’s been a long time since you pay me a visit,” Heechul said, faking a bright smile as he looked at the two devil lords sitting across him, calmly drinking tea.

They were in good terms, but they weren’t close friends, and he could feel the tense atmosphere surrounding them.

“We just thought that we should talk more often, regarding our kingdom issues and so on. Don’t you think so, Lord Heechul?” Lord Kaz, the ruler of Kingdom Zamonia said, giving a smile that somehow looked kind of wicked to Heechul.

“Kingdom issues,” Heechul repeated, raising an eyebrow as he switched his attention to the other lord beside Lord Kaz.

Known as Kael, the reserved and quiet ruler of Kingdom Azeroth, he was famous for being one of the ‘last men standing’ during crucial wartime. Though he didn’t really talk much, Heechul knew he could be dangerous when it came to the things that he wanted.

“So,” Kaz rested his arms on the table and clasped his hands together, “How is your kingdom, lord? Is there any problem that you wish to consult with us?”

“As you can see Kaz, my kingdom is as peaceful as ever,” Heechul smiled and leaned back against his chair, his piercing eyes staring intently at the two.

Kaz quickly darted his eyes away and cleared his throat, while Kael’s face remained expressionless as he took a sip of his tea. They were all powerful, but some of the emperors like Heechul had this some kind of intimidating aura around him, and it made others feel daunted sometimes.

“So,” Heechul spoke, breaking the sudden silence, “Where is he?”

“Who?”

“That young, powerful lord of your kingdom, Kael,” Heechul said, looking at the latter who calmly placed his cup on the table and nodded.

“I did invite him,” Kael said, “But he refused.”

“He refused to meet me?”

“He’s on vacation.”

“Must be nice, we emperors can rarely leave this place,” Kaz sighed, “Where did he go by the way?”

“The human world,” Kael answered flatly.

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