Devil Tao’s POV~

 

“I think there’s really something wrong with you,” Minyoung said wearily.

 

“Like what? Spill it,” Tao said as he continued to walk onto those steep and slippery slopes of that route.

 

“I mean, if you really wanted to get to the top so much then why don’t we just drive to it. You see, how tiring you’ve got us into,” Minyoung whined and nagged.

 

“Miss Kim, you know the definition of hiking? In another words it means walking. So just keep quiet and walk,” Tao got so annoyed by Minyoung’s nags that he wished that his short explanation could shut , “and you just don’t really appreciate nice views don’t you? Didn’t you realize how many picture-like views we had walked pass?”

 

“You always got your way,” Minyoung rolled her eyes, “I see that it was only your memory that was lost and part of your character still remains huh? Still as cocky oh no, it got worst.”

 

“Yah! If you don’t shut your mouth then don’t blame me for tearing it into pieces. Speak one more word and you try,” Tao sent a firing glare into Minyoung’s soul.

 

Minyoung saw his eyes and she thought that she could literally feel her soul burning. She could feel those anger vibes rising in between Tao. She felt so shock that she muted herself mentally as her soul squirmed under his stares. Eeriness grown in her that caused her heart to shiver in fear.

 

‘Why was he so easily annoyed? It was unlike in the past though. His tolerance level was not so low and that stare; it looked so scary. It was that kind of scariness that I had never felt before.’ Minyoung thought as she looked at Tao’s retreating back view and could not help but to feel a distant between them. Or should we say an invisible barrier that neither of them could cross over?

 

‘Am I too fierce? I should’ve chilled my freaking soul. I forget that I’m acting as her love,’ Tao shook his head at what happened a moment ago.

 

“Come on, walk faster. We will be there soon,” Tao said as he turned back to Minyoung who was a distant away from him. He had his fingers intertwined with Minyoung’s and massaged onto her temple with his thumb in order to get rid of that cease in between her brows. 

 

“Now, we should walk at the same pace. Shall we?” Tao said and beamed.

 

He beamed but deep inside of him he felt like killing Minyoung and just leave this mission abandon. He found it so hard to deal with this woman beside him. His patients for her was reaching his limits. His smiles and kind actions towards her was all a lie. He just wanted these to end as fast as it could. At the thought of ending this mission sooner, he fastened his pace unknowingly.

 

Minyoung on the other hand still feeling clueless. Yet again, just when she thought that he was just another stranger, she felt a familiar sensation sent through her body when he had his fingers intertwined with hers.

 

As they trailed past those woods and nice views, the sun was preparing to take a rest while the moon was slowly rising to take over its job. As the sky turned darker and the surrounding got mistier, howls and growls of wolves could be heard that it sent shivers down Minyoung’s spine. Instinctively, she got closer to Tao and interlocked her arms with his in hoping to find some security from him.

 

“You are scared aren’t you?” Tao mocked.  

 

“What do you think? Didn’t you hear those howls and growls? What if we got eaten?” Minyoung whispered.

 

“You could get sillier,” Tao chuckled, “fine, then shall we camp here and continue tomorrow?”

 

“We are going to sleep on grass tonight?” Minyoung asked like kids that were questioning their parents.

 

“I really can’t deal with your silliness,” Tao fake a casual laughter as he pointed onto the opposite direction of where Minyoung was facing.

 

Magically, those camping necessities such as tent, mats and ground trap appeared and landed on the ground like as if they had stayed there for the whole afternoon. Together with a fully set up campfire in front of that small tent, it looked almost like they had waited for Tao’s and Minyoung’s arrival.

 

“Aren’t tent just there? Let’s go,” Tao said as he took the first move towards them.

 

Minyoung followed slowly behind and continued “why didn’t I see it just now?” She scratched on the back of her head while looking all confused as she look around the dark woods like as if she was searching for someone or something.

 

“You must be tired. Come, take a rest here,” Tao patted onto the empty seat of the floor mat beside him. He stretched out his arms and reached for Minyoung’s before guiding her to take a sit beside him.

 

“Ahh! Feel so good to sit down after such a long walk in a day. I’ve never realized how tired my legs are until this moment,” Minyoung said as she gave her legs a few massages, “oh yeah, why will all these things lie around here? Are you sure this is for us?” She continued her questionings.

 

Significantly, her words caught Tao’s attention which caused him to be speechless for a short moment. That’s right, he nearly forgot that Minyoung did not know about his real identity and his supernatural powers.

 

“Huh?” he acted like as if he did not heard what she said clearly in hoping that it could buy him some time to think of a perfect lie.   

 

“I said why do these exist and are you sure we can use it,” Minyoung repeated as he wished.

 

“I..I..Ah yeah it’s for us. Of course it’s for us. I.. Prepared these,” Tao stuttered through his words.

 

Minyoung’s eyes widened the moment she heard his words “so this is why you wanted to go to the top so badly? Reason because you prepared them?”

 

“Yes, yes. Didn’t I said that I wanted to continue our date that was ruined? So yeah, I prepared this,” Tao tried to keep his words as steady as possible; in afraid that Minyoung would catch his fake acts.

 

“Fine,” Minyoung buy it easily and crawled towards the entrance of the small tent.

 

‘Perfect. She’s really is one stupid woman,” Tao sneered in his thoughts.

 

Not to mention, there was only a single tent that Tao summoned so naturally he would be sleeping in it together with Minyoung. He wanted to enter that tent too so much as he was also worn out by the walks but just when he was about to reach it a sudden thunderbolt flashed right in front of him. It was so close to him that it cause him to retreat and draw his hand back instinctively.

 

He looked up to the sky and thought ‘it does not look like it is going to rain though.’ Yes, he was right. It was not going to rain in like the next two days. It was just something else. By scratching his head, he continued his movements and finally got into the tent without any hindrance as he thought.

 

“Tao,” Minyoung felt weird as this name slipped through her tongue. She just could not bring herself to call him Zitao like what she would do in the past though.

 

“Tao,” she called again as she moved closer to Tao who was beside her, “thanks for making efforts to prepare this. It must be hard right? Coming all the way here to prepare and have to come back here again with me. You must be tired right?” She continued.

 

“Pff..” Tao hissed softly and rolled his eyes.

 

“I know you are not like what you were in the past anymore. It must be hard for you to start a new life isn’t it?” Minyoung continued her words as she approached to the back of Tao’s and gave him some massage on his shoulders, “how did you spend it before you found me again because mine was horrible without you.”

 

As she continued in her words she was reminded on how she spent the two years without Tao and how she suffered from lovesick through it. Her massages on his shoulders turn weaker before it slowly turned into a back hug instead. Tears brimmed her eyes at that moment.

 

“I’m so glad that you’re finally backed to me. I really miss you,” Minyoung hugged him tightly and shut her eyes lightly which caused tears to roll down her cheeks and wet her eyelashes. Softly, she nuzzled against the crook of Tao’s necks.

 

Tao rolled his eyes and thought that Minyoung was insane. He even got a little annoyed by Minyoung’s actions but not until her tears damped up the collar of his hiking jacket.

 

“Yah! Why are you crying?” Tao said and slowly pulled away those arms that were wrapped around him.

 

‘God, she really knew how to choose timing huh. She should’ve known that a crying woman is always my weakness. Damn her!” Tao cursed under his breath.

 

“Yah, don’t cry,” he continued on comforting her while he wiped away those tears with his bare fingers.

 

Minyoung did not dare to meet Tao’s eyes and so she got her gazes focused onto her fingers that were intertwined with each other’s. She took deep breaths and tried to get rid of those uncomfortable lumps in before she looked up at him again.

 

“Are you alright?” Tao said with full of concern while his palm was still caressing onto Minyoung’s cheek.

 

Minyoung got so choked up that she did not wish to utter any word. She was afraid that if she was to allowed words to roll out of her tongue then tears would be flowing out from the edge of her eyes again. She tried to keep up a forceful smile but it was like as if the corners of her lips weighed tons that kept pulling them down so instead of answering, she just nodded in return. 

 

A moment later, she calmed her heart down and wiped away those tear streaks that formed on her face. After what had happened, it was just a moment of awkward silence. It was broken only when wind outside of the tent started to get stronger and stronger. Even when both Minyoung and Tao were seated inside of it, those strong winds never failed to surpass their weight and threatened the tent to fall at anytime.

 

They tried to ignore it but those winds never ceased. It got so much stronger like as if tornado was just a few feet away from them.

 

“Let’s get out of here to somewhere safer,” Tao said and pulled Minyoung along with him.

 

As they were out of the tent, a distant rumble of the thunder can be heard. In no time, it was getting closer and clearer. Both Minyoung and Tao fastened their pace as they knew it very well that it was going to be raining cats and dogs soon. However they were too slow; slower than the speed of those clouds that clustered together. The clouds that clustered together had gotten so heavy that it caused a downpour. Those raindrops were piercing cold accompanied by the cool winds. It soaked them to the bone within seconds.  

 

The rain put out the fire in front of the tent and caused the heat that linger to evaporate to the sky in a form of smoke. It looked almost like thousands of soul was escaping from it. Instantly, the surrounding turned even darker than it was supposed to be as the only light source (moonlight) was shielded away by those stubborn clouds.

 

“See, didn’t I ask you to cancel the trip? Who’s the one who insisted on doing this?” Look, we are all drenched now. Wow, what a good plan you got there,” Minyoung said with all sarcasm when they reach a place where it could shield them from that heavy and merciless rain.

 

Tao could not believe that she really did it. She sneered at him. Oh god, how much he wanted to teach her stubborn mouth a lesson.

 

“Please! I really don’t get how a small mouth like yours could be filled with nonsense. You really can’t shut your mouth do you? Keep quiet for a moment will you?” Tao hissed.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Minyoung sighed as she swept off those water droplets on her waterproof hiking jacket.

 

Instinctively, she searched through that haversack that Tao had with him earlier on for a towel to dry herself up. How lucky was she that she found one; solely the only one? As she was about dry herself up she looked at the sight in front of her; she saw that clumsy Tao who just used his hands to wipe away those water around his neck and parts where his arms was exposed.

 

“Like hell this will help,” Minyoung shook her head and went over to help him with a towel, “do you know there’s something called towel? You brought it and you did not want to use it? I say, men are all like this; careless like this,” 

 

Well, she started her nags again.. 

 

“Yah, enough!” Tao said and knocked onto Minyoung’s forehead with his knuckle.

 

“Ouch,” she groaned and looked up which caused her lips to meet Tao’s who got his focus on her.

 

Flush of red appeared on Minyoung’s cheeks and she could feel that it was getting warmer as seconds ticked by. She kissed him once again, although this time was unintentionally. Butterflies filled her stomach which caused her to lose her focus and her gazes to turn into blank stares.

 

“Ahem,” Tao attempted to escape from the awkwardness by clearing his throat intentionally. 

 

He looked away and began to retreat from Minyoung to the surrounding of the hut. He acted like as if he got something serious to do with this hut as he touched onto those walls unknowingly.

 

“Why don’t you just teleport us back?” Minyoung suggested a subject which cleared the awkwardness completely.

 

However, those words of Minyoung were like bombs to Tao. He felt his heart sunken. How the hell did Minyoung know about his real identity and all those supernatural power that he possessed?

 

“In the past you would surely do it when things like this happen,” Minyoung continued her unfinished sentence.

 

Phew, it was in the past. She was talking about her ex that left her. Tao heard and let out a sigh of relief. No wait, did she just said in the past? So does that mean that her ex got the ability to teleport too?

 

“In the past I would do this? Really?” Tao asked to confirm what he just heard.

 

“Yes, of course. Not only that, you can also heal physical wounds just by one touch, control time and many more supernatural powers,” Minyoung explained, “you forget about all this? Did that accident that happened cost you so much that you really forget about everything between us?”

 

Goddamn, just how many bombs Minyoung wanted to throw to Tao that night?

 

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Tao shrugged and acted all sleepy to get away from this topic. He was so afraid to face Minyoung’s question because he could not really lie well though. He was not as smooth as those professional liars. Moreover, he was not trained to lie but to serve the Empire. 

 

He sat down on the ground and leaned against the wall behind him, “I’m tired, let's talked about it some other day." He escaped the question. 

 

"Fine, anything you like," Minyoung sighed. 

 

"I'm going to sleep. What about you?" Tao asked. 

 

“Yes, me too,” she replied as she walked towards him. God bless her that a sudden cool air was sent down her body which caused her to shiver and sneeze.

 

“Aissh you women,” Tao hissed as he took off his hiking jacket and gave it to Minyoung instead.

 

Gentlemen enough huh?

 

“Let’s take a rest now. I’ll hug you like this and keep you warm through the night. Hope that you won’t catch a cold,” Tao said and gave in to his feelings for the first time that night. Who knew? No one knew that he had been struggling with his inner feelings so much through the day; from the moment he saw her. Finally he was so worn out with those fights that he gave in. He gave in completely.

 

‘Just for tonight, just one night,” he thought as he embraced Minyoung tightly.

 

Slowly, both of them drifted into sleep. Minyoung felt so bliss even when she was sleeping in that worn out hut because she was in Tao’s embrace at that moment. For two years, she had been sleeping alone, eating alone and doing everything alone. Only she knew how much she had gotten used to Tao’s accompany and existence during those days when Tao was down for his mission. That night, she felt more than just happiness because she was able to listen to that soft heart beat and feel those warm body heats of Tao once again.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

“Come back now,” Chief sent the message into Tao’s ear from the Empire.

 

That firm and stern voice caught Tao’s attention and woke him up form his deep sleep. He hated how his Chief chose this timing to ask him back. He hated how he had to release the embrace that was wrapped around Minyoung. Just when he had allowed himself to follow his feelings, his Chief just had to ruin it. However, he got no choice because that was an order. He knew how serious the matter was when Chief used this kind of way to communicate with each and every single Devil.

 

With a light effort, Tao vanished into the air.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

 

“You’re in danger don’t you know?” Chief asked.

 

“Danger?” Tao asked in total oblivion.

 

“You’re being spied by one of our enemy. Why is your vigilance so weak?” Chief scolded.

 

“I would do better next time, Chief!” Tao assured.

 

“Fine, I’ll let it go this time. Now just stay in this Empire and continue on hunting her down some time later when the angel is gone,” Chief demanded and sent Tao back into his room at a swing of his wrist. 

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A/N:

Hey there, since it's Yixing's birthday and I'm pretty happy I decided to post a chapter here. Yay! ^^ As promised a longer chapter but I hoped that you're not bored by it. The other Tao will appear again in the next chapter so stay tune.