82
Their Kingdom Panorama
“What’s wrong, Eunhyuk?” Ryeowook asked. “Why don’t you just tell him that she does?”
Eunhyuk turned back around and glanced at Donghae’s outfit before turning to the others, “Haven’t you been able to tell that from the beginning Victoria was utterly stressed about something? When she had no one to seek out, she came here.”
Donghae felt his heart sink.
“I don’t know where you two met or how you know each other,” Eunhyuk told, “but Victoria came here crying. She’s always troubled or hurt, and from what I’ve gotten from it, it’s because she’s hurt by those who have money.” Eunhyuk looked him straight in the eyes then lied, “She never spoke about you once, so if you want to look for her one way or another, just don’t.”
“Hyung,” Ryeowook called.
Yesung strangely remained utterly quiet.
Donghae stared at Eunhyuk.
“Why?” he asked.
“Eunhyuk’s right,” Yesung spoke up, “Victoria has never spoken about you once. If you only want to cause her trouble, don’t look for her. You don’t know how sad it is to see someone as rich as her coming here looking for comfort. I mean she’s rich, why would a rich person end up coming here to make friends with some homeless people? It doesn’t make sense.”
Donghae looked at them.
“She comes here…to look for comfort?” Donghae asked.
“Then, Victoria, if you’re ever bored and you’re looking for trouble I’m just down that way,” he pointed down to the left where the fenced shelter resided.
Victoria had actually came there…to look for him, but instead she’d found these three?
“You should leave,” Eunhyuk told putting his arms behind his head.
Donghae glanced at Yesung who turned away from him. Sensing that he was no longer invited there he turned around. Ryeowook chased after him and grabbed his arm when he reached the door.
“Hyung!” he called.
When Donghae looked up he felt his heart stop. He’d met Victoria right around the entrance. His eyes grew wide and his heart jumped. She really did come there. Victoria, however, didn’t look any different from being calm. She just stared at him.
“Victoria! Yesung and Eunhyuk are bullying Donghae,” Ryeowook complained.
Victoria eyed Ryeowook then Donghae once more before pushing them aside and walking into the shelter. Donghae watched as Eunhyuk and Yesung turned to her.
“So, how about that drink?” Victoria greeted.
Donghae strutted toward them and took a hold of Victoria’s arm.
“You…never told me you came here,” he said.
Victoria turned to look at him.
“Don’t touch me,” she told with the lowest and most dangerous voice he’d ever heard from her.
Pulling his hand away he asked, “Why are you so different? You’re being so cold.”
She didn’t answer.
“It’s because of Saturday, isn’t it? Isn’t it?” he questioned.
Victoria nodded after a long moment of silence, “Yes, but I’m not doing this because of you. Lee Donghae, my world doesn’t revolve around you. In fact, after Saturday morning I only realized what I should have realized earlier. I’m just an object in everyone’s eyes.”
Donghae felt angry.
“An object? Do you really think that of yourself?”
“No, it’s what you and the others see me as,” Victoria turned away, “in the beginning I was only someone to push around, to put the blame on, cornered to marry Cho Kyuhyun.” She turned back to him. “Thank you, for letting me see you Saturday. It really opened up my eyes, Lee Donghae.”
It kind of annoyed him how she called him by his full name.
“You’re just angry,” he stated, “you’re angry with what you saw. If you don’t want to see me, you didn’t have to change your position in the company. I would have quit.”
“I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood,” Victoria said, “my position right now is what I’ve obtained with my own hands. You weren’t there, so you don’t know. I don’t care if you quit or not. Seeing your face won’t affect me. I won’t be as silly as to be sad or hope for more from you. I’m not naïve.”
“I don’t believe you,” he told, “you think when you see me, you feel when you see me. You’re only being like this because I left you first and you suffered alone!”
The others in the shelter turned to stare.
Victoria stared at him with fiery eyes. In a matter of seconds her fist slammed into the side of his face.
“You…deserve at least that much,” Victoria muttered.
Eunhyuk, Yesung, and Ryeowok stared wide eyed, but they were too shocked to mutter a word.
“Don’t forget the fact that I was a delinquent,” Victoria reminded, “you hurt me, you always hurt me. This time, I’m not coming back to you. You’re just like So Rae, Mi Sun, and the others. Liars and two-faces.”
Victoria turned to look at the others. Without a word she turned and walked out of the shelter. Eunhyuk and Yesung followed her, but Ryeowook remained with him.
“Hyung, are you ok?” he asked worried.
The pain from where her fist had struck him hurt…a lot.
/\_____/\
Victoria ventured out onto the street unaware that she was being followed.
“Victoria!” Eunhyuk’s voice made her stop.
She realized she’d forgotten about them. When she turned around both Yesung and Eunhyuk hurried toward her.
“Where are you going? You walked so far,” Yesung panted.
“You ok?” Eunhyuk asked.
Victoria felt bad, “Sorry. I didn’t mean for you guys to see that.”
Eunhyuk smiled, “That was quite something, though.” Eunhyuk imitated her fist. “Did it feel good?”
Victoria couldn’t help but laugh, “It felt good.”
They became quiet.
“You aren’t going to ask?” she questioned.
Yesung turned to look at Eunhyuk.
“I won’t bother, unless you open up first,” Eunhyuk easily told.
His words lifted some burden off her shoulder.
“Then lets go for a few rounds of drinks, if I feel like it then I’ll tell you a story,” Victoria suggested.
/\_____/\
Ryeowook rushed back to Donghae who was now sitting in their area with a bottle of water.
“Here,” Ryeowook handed the bottle to him.
“Thanks.”
Ryeowook watched as Donghae chugged the water down.
“It’s nice seeing you again, hyung.”
Donghae turned to him with a smile.
Sitting down beside him Ryeowook crossed his legs.
“When Victoria started coming by, she always brought food with her. I think it’s because she realized we were often hungry. So, hyung, Victoria isn’t a bad person, she’s really nice and somewhat pitiful,” Ryeowook told.
“I know,” Donghae agreed.
“There was this one day where she brought us into this dress store with her,” Ryeowook recalled, “she looked really lonely and sad. I mean, she should have brought a girl with her, but instead she took us to help her buy a dress.”
Donghae stared at the ground.
“She must have hurt a lot,” Donghae quietly said.
“Hyung, how do the two of you know each other?” Ryeowook curiously wondered. “Do you work together?”
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Donghae responded, tilting his head up. “A lot has happened.”
Ryeowook stared at him half confused, half mesmerized.
“Hyung, do you love her?” Ryeowook leaned his chin into his palm.
Donghae fell silent.
“Even though you two argued just a while ago, it really looked like you really cared,” Ryeowook pointed out, “I wonder how it feels like to be in love. Is it really great?”
Ryeowook turned to Donghae who was now lost within his own memories.
“Hyung?” Ryeowook called.
Donghae blinked his eyes and fiddled with his fingers, “You can worry about each other, show that you care, or just take a stroll together. When you walk, you walk in step with each other, slow down to the other’s pace. When you hold hands, you can feel the warmth the other has to give. And when you see the other, your heart never stops racing. Being together is just so full of happiness. It is great.”
“Whoa…” Ryeowook commented astounded then turned serious. “Hyung, should I tell you what really happened?”
Donghae turned to look at him.
“Saturday morning Victoria came here crying. She cried a lot that even when Eunhyuk comforted her, she couldn’t stop crying.”
Donghae turned away. The overwhelming pain and guilt he felt couldn’t measure up to Victoria’s.
“Apologizing isn’t really enough, either, Ryeowook,” Donghae told. “Victoria is set on hating me right now.”
“When you hate someone, you also really love them,” Ryeowook tried, “it’s a philosophical thing. Maybe, Victoria’s at her breaking point right now and she’s putting up walls in order to protect herself. Maybe, it’ll take more than just apologizing to get to her again, you know?”
Donghae didn’t say anything.
Ryeowook put an arm around his friend, “Have strength.”
Donghae turned to his friend and smiled.
“Eunhyuk is closest to Victoria, so he’ll obviously take her side,” Ryeowook explained, “and Yesung must have followed them for food. So, don’t be mad at them.”
/\_____/\
After the fourth cup, Victoria crossed her arms on the table.
“Kidnapped?” Yesung repeated with mouth open in shock.
Victoria nodded, “Then we just met up again at the company, where my father discovered me.”
She went on to telling them about So Rae, about Cho Kyuhyun, her stepmother, her father, and Mi Sun. The failed engagement, Donghae pursuing her, then breaking up, and to where they were at right now. By the time she ended her tale the sky had started to darken.
“I’m drained,” Victoria admitted leaning her face against the back of her hand.
“Why don’t you just go back?” Yesung questioned.
Victoria glanced at the tabletop while Eunhyuk scanned her face.
“No,” Victoria replied after a long while, “because I have priorities at hand. There are things that I feel the need to do.”
Victoria looked at Eunhyuk and smiled.
“You can read my mind, can’t you?” she asked.
Eunhyuk looked away.
She suddenly wondered if he was mad at her. Turning to Yesung for an answer was a fail because he only shrugged. Yesung seemingly cleared his throat loudly before getting up.
“I feel like I’m interrupting something,” Yesung told. “I’ll go get some more snacks.”
Grabbing the rest of the change on the table he walked away. Victoria then turned to look at Eunhyuk who was still looking elsewhere.
“You two are obviously very close,” Eunhyuk started, “I don’t get why you’re putting yourself in this kind of position.”
Victoria looked at him.
“I can see where Donghae’s coming from,” Eunhyuk stated, “you’re being too naive right now if you’re trying to put up a cold front to hurt the ones who’ve hurt you. That’s playing out stupidity, Victoria.”
Her stare turned into a small glare.
“I know, you were hurt and you didn’t deserve any of it,” Eunhyuk sympathized, “but who are you most angry with? Your sister or Donghae?”
Victoria turned away.
“It’s not going to change anything,” Victoria explained.
“Think about why you’re being like this,” Eunhyuk tried. “You’re indirectly asking for someone to come to your rescue.”
“No, I’m not!” Victoria shook her head. “It’s because I was hurt and I’m tired of being the only victim! I was hurt, Eunhyuk! I’m tired of hurting! Why am I the only one who’s hurting?! I told you I can’t carry all this by myself, so why do you keep assuming I have to play good all the time? I’m tired of it!”
“Did I tell you to hurt alone?” Eunhyuk calmly asked.
Victoria’s frown slightly disappeared.
“I’ll come to your rescue, I’ll hurt with you,” he added. “If you don’t want to go to Donghae or anyone, come to me.”
Lifting her almost swayed eyes up at him she pressed her lips together to suppress the feelings of how touched she felt.
“I bought some snacks!” Yesung came running back to the table.
***Woohoo!!! Donghae received a punch! :D
***And yea...in this chappy I definitely did purposely imply a bit of EunToria :D
***Yesung and his food xDDD
***And don't you love it how Eunhyuk and Yesung lied to Donghae for Vic? Cause I did xD
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