~ Chapter Sixty-One: Games ~

The Fallen

***

The second quake nearly got Suho sandwiched between my mom and me when we were going down the stairs. After so painstakingly and embarrassingly having explained that me landing on his lap was an honest accident, she asked how I was feeling, and when she could tell that I was doing better, Mom told us to join them downstairs, just in case another earthquake would hit. 

"Are you alright, Mrs. Miyano?" Suho asked as he helped her steady herself and she gratefully grabbed his arm. 

"Yes, thank you, Suho- oh. You're a strong one, aren't you?" she asked while squeezing into his bicep as I groaned out of humiliation. Of course, leave it to my mother to be able to notice these things during alarming situations.

"Mom," I called, forcing her to focus again. 

"Oh! Yes, come on, kids, to the dining room," she ushered us away where I saw Mr. Tabi peering out the window with my father, Miss Kumiho standing behind them. Being in the same room with that woman nearly made me want to puke out of utter reluctance, but I had a role to play. I stood near Suho when we entered the room, but I made sure to keep a healthy enough distance. My shoulder was pinching me where she had touched me before. Could it be that I was allergic to her after all? Could wolves be allergic to other wolves? How would that even work?

"This is not normal," Mr. Tabi mused, pushing up his glasses while looking outside. "Why weren't we warned about seismic activity today?" 

"I hope no one got hurt," Miss Kumiho mused in concern, but I swallowed the bile upon hearing it. Suho turned to look at me as well and took hold of my hand without asking. The way he gripped it told me that he didn't care whether he was embarrassing himself or not, despite the fact that his hand was a bit clammy and shaking. 

I do not like this woman, it sounded in my head. I glanced at Suho when he said it, but his gaze was fixed on the woods. She knows something. The sound of thunder, those earthquakes- they're no coincidences.

You don't suppose that she's the one who...?

Suho shrugged subtly. I'd keep my options open concerning her. If she's a wolf like you said, it wouldn't be strange for her to have some powers as well. 

Great. No worries then, eh? 

I flinched lightly when Suho squeezed my hand a little tighter at hearing my sarcasm and I sighed, feeling jaded beyond relief. How could anyone expect a teenager to cope with all the things that I went through? Just summing everything up in my head was giving me an ulcer. And still, the worst part of all of this was that my parents were still in the dark. My parents, whose greatest concern right now was hoping that there was no damage to the car due to the earthquakes. I seriously envied them for a moment. How pathetic is that?!

I vaguely heard the adults talking about what they should do and whether they should call for help. They all looked outside when a bunch of car alarms went off.

"Honey, I'm going to check on Mrs. Sinar next door. She's an old woman and I just have to make sure that she's not injured," Mom told my father, already wearing her jacket. 

"Maybe you should wait a while longer. We don't know what's going on right now. What if more earthquakes are coming?" Dad asked, stopping her before she'd race out the door.

"More reason for me to check up on the old woman. She's all alone, Ryo, she must be frightened," Mom argued and I felt a little pang of pride well up in my chest.

"Alright," Dad conceded, a tender look in his eyes. "Should someone come with you?" he asked. 

"No, if I need help, I'll let you know," she assured.

"I can go with you, Mrs. Boss," Mr. Tabi then offered. "It's no trouble, it'll give me an excuse to go check on my car as well," he added quickly when he saw that Mom wanted to decline. Dad was nodding his head at the suggestion and Mom eventually agreed. 

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Tabi. Miss Kumiho, I won't be long, I'm sorry that I have to borrow your date," she excused herself. Miss Kumiho greeted her with a smile.

"Not at all. I'm glad Seunghyun can make himself useful," she replied, causing poor Mr. Tabi to grin a little nervously.

"I'll go get my jacket," the teacher said.

Mom then turned towards us. "Suho, Jae, I want you two to stay inside the house. Suho, you're our responsibility for now, so please stay safe and allow Jae to pamper you if necessary- but no monkey business, you hear?" she instructed, briefly more General than Queen at the moment, but she looked like a hero to me. Look how calm and in control she was in moments of true emergency... I wish I could be more like that. 

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you," Suho bowed quickly and I knew she saw his hand wrapped around mine, but she didn't comment on it. She patted his shoulder and winked at me. 

"Mom, be careful," I said. 

"Don't worry, baby, I'll be right back," she waved and quickly went on her way with Mr. Tabi. I glanced at Miss Kumiho just for a moment, since what Suho said bothered me. If she was responsible for all of this, she better not think of creating another earthquake or so help me God, I'll rip out her pretty, little-

I've asked D.O. to keep an eye on her, Jae. Nothing will happen to her, Suho interrupted and I smiled gratefully at him. 

Thank you. And you guys, too. I know you're all listening, I directed at the pack for good measure. 

No, we weren't! came Chen's panicked reply, followed by a yelp. 

Idiot, Xiumin piped up, sighing. 

Oh, oops. I mean, no, huh? What? Listening to what, noona? his childlike laughter made me chuckle softly, while Suho only rolled his eyes, trying to hide his annoyance. 

"I can see why you love her so much, sir," Miss Kumiho suddenly said, which surprised more people than just me. "I'm sorry if that seems rather bold on my part, but she is an admirable woman. Your love for each other is strong. Not many people can revel in such a bliss." 

...Okay. Awkward. I could tell that my father wasn't really sure how to respond either, but what surprised me most about her sudden statement was that, unlike how she had been behaving throughout the evening, she actually seemed sincere when she said this. Almost - longingly? Was that the word to describe it? I haven't been able to read her at all, until just now. Just a little, though, as though she had briefly put her guard down, showing a vulnerable side to her. 

Then again, it could just as easily been a ruse. 

"Well, to be fair, Yoona is very easy to love. I'm afraid I'm completely stuck to her," Dad finally answered, though it kind of looked like to me that he was trying to make a point. 

I cleared my throat when the atmosphere was becoming awkward again. "So," I started, quickly trying to think of something to say when all eyes were on me. "Uh, what should we do?" I asked. 

"Nothing, sweetheart. We'll just wait it out and see. I'm gonna check on the car in the garage. Why don't you take our guests and see if the TV works. Maybe there's a news report on this," he instructed, but every fiber of my body was screaming 'no'. Was he seriously going to leave us with this woman? 

"I'll be right back," he promised, actually freaking leaving us with this woman. Dad was such a scatterbrain at times. He looked so preoccupied just now. Even Suho stiffened next to me. 

"Well, this is all very exciting, isn't it?" Miss Kumiho remarked. "It's been a while since I last experienced an earthquake." 

Why was it that every time this woman opened , big, fat lies dropped out? There was a part of me that just wanted to skip the act and asked her what the hell she wanted from me, and who she was, and if she could explain what was happening to us, and where the earthquakes came from. She was obviously hiding something, she obviously knew something. That taunting, provocative look in her eyes said enough. The one thing that prevented me from confronting her head on, was the miniscule chance that we were wrong about everything, wrong about her. Not to mention that if she was the one responsible for the quakes, who knew what she might do if I managed to piss her off? 

"I wouldn't necessarily call it exciting, Miss Kumiho. I'm actually rather curious about the fact that the warning center didn't announce this," Suho corrected ever so amicably, forcing her attention away from me. 

"Hm. Well, Mother Nature is fickle, Suho-sshi," I didn't like the tone of suggestion in her voice. "Difficult to tame, no matter how much strength you think you possess," she nearly purred. Yeah, keep it up lady, you're not suspicious at all... 

"But, perhaps you'll get your answer once we check the TV," she then said, looking expectantly at me, as though that was my cue. 

"Oh. Ah, yes, um-," whoo! Way to show this potentially dangerous woman how eloquent and not easily intimidated you are, Jae! I mentally smacked myself. I recovered and opened my mouth, suddenly surprised that the sound of a ringtone came out of it. It took another second to realize that it wasn't me and Suho frantically reached into his pocket for his cell phone. 

"Oops, sorry," he apologized, flustered. He bit his lip when he read the caller ID and quickly looked at me. I stood a little closer to him when he let go of my hand. 

"Ah, it's my dad," he muttered. 

"You should answer, Suho-sshi, he's probably worried about you," Miss Kumiho said, but Suho was reluctant to do so. 

"It's okay, I'll call him later," he replied, putting the phone away, when it rang again. 

"You should answer," I then nodded, but he signaled with his eyes at me. 

Are you crazy? And leave you alone with that woman?!

What could she do to me with you in the next room and Dad in the garage? It's fine. We don't want to raise any suspicions, do we? I told him firmly and I could tell that he resented it that I made a valid point. 

"Yeah, okay," he gritted through his teeth, though there was a smile on his face. "Excuse me. I'll be in the kitchen." 

"And we'll be in the living room," I replied. Suho nodded and I heard him tell Kris to keep an eye on me before he picked up his phone. 

"Apparently the whole island shook," Miss Kumiho mentioned before gesturing towards the living room. "Shall we?" 

Swallowing, I lifted my chin and nodded. Alone with this woman. Right. No problem. It's just for a few minutes. What harm could she do, right? Right? I winced a little when my shoulder pinched me again and I gently rubbed the pain away with my hand. Miss Kumiho sat down on the couch with ease, while I felt like a stranger in my own home, fumbling with the TV. Seconds passed without a word being uttered between us, until I started hitting the remote with my hand in frustration since the TV wouldn't be . 

"Perhaps there's an outage," Miss Kumiho answered, watching me in amusement. "It's not uncommon after an earthquake. Why don't you let that rest for a while, darling, and come sit here. You must still feel a bit ill, after what happened during dinner. You should rest," she said in a honeyed voice that trickled over my skin, producing goosebumps. 

"Oh, uh, n-no, that's okay." Sheesh, turned into a meek little puppy already, Jae? I scolded myself, chewing my cheeks while focusing on the remote, smashing buttons. 

"Well, here, allow me-," Miss Kumiho suddenly reached her slender fingers towards the remote in my hand and just a brush of her skin against mine made me jolt and drop the device on the floor. Smooth, Jae. Smooth. You're doing great! 

"Oops," she chuckled at my clumsiness. We both reached for the remote, but she got there before me. I stepped back then, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. Miss Kumiho only smiled at me, but her eyes didn't smile along. I didn't look at her, even though she was staring. 

"I get the feeling that you seem to be a bit...frightened, around me, Jae-sshi," she then mused and this finally caused me to look straight at her. A look of satisfaction graced her face, but I wasn't going to look away again. Remember, you've a role to play. Stop letting this woman get to you so easily! I reminded myself and forced a polite smile on my face. 

"Frightened? No, not at all," I replied, feeling thankful that my voice was steady and strong. "It's just that I don't quite know you," I added when I read the skepticism off her face. 

She smirked like a cat who was about to scratch the curtains to smithereens. 

"I see, stranger danger. Your parents taught you well," she sounded like she was joking, but knowing something about this woman, she probably wasn't. "Still, there's no need to be so tense around me, Jae-sshi. We are no strangers, after all." 

I blinked my eyes at her, feeling trapped and panicked. "Right. You work with my father and you're dating my Biology teacher," I nodded, still playing pretend even though I already felt like I was being driven into a corner. 

"Exactly," she said lightly. "No need for so much caution," she coaxed, making herself comfortable on the couch as though that would make me relax as well. 

"Still," I continued, clearing my throat. "Doesn't mean I know you," my statement must've been the equivalent of a puppy bite compared to all her evil majesty, especially when she let out another throaty laugh. 

"You don't like me much, do you, Jae-sshi?" she then stated, a twinkle in her eyes. "That is why Suho-sshi stuck to you for the entire night. This is the first time I've seen you without him," she continued and I hated that she made me feel so uncomfortable. 

"It's sweet, though, the way he protects you, but I suppose that's to be expected," she continued and I started to panic. Did she know after all? Was she waiting for the opportunity to be alone with so she could- what, exactly? 

Stay calm, Jae. Don't accidentally expose yourself. Don't give her that pleasure. We're here, Luhan's voice sounded, soothing over my nerves. 

Can you get a read on her at all? I asked, my fingers twitching near my side. 

She's thinking multiple things at the same time. Everything is jumbled, Luhan explained in frustration, but all I could think about was who would do that, think multiple things at the same time. The sense of dread froze the blood in my veins. She knows

"Um," I hummed since I took too long to answer. "I-I don't...k-know, uh..." goodbye, little shred of confidence I had left. 

I stepped back when Miss Kumiho rose from the couch, walking towards me like she was gliding over the floor. "Don't know what, darling?" she mused, handing me the remote I dropped. 

"Nothing. Never mind," I answered, grabbing the remote while making sure that I didn't touch her. 

"Oh, the little comment about Suho-sshi," she then snapped her fingers, grinning at me. I resented how amused she looked. "Well, what I meant to say was that it was expected of a guardian," she elaborated, but her suggestive tone made me on edge all over again. I nearly hissed when the pain in my shoulder stung fiercely, but I kept from touching it. 

"Guardian?" I questioned, pretending that everything was fine and dandy. 

"Why, yes, of course," she stared at my eyes intently, making me want to jump out of my skin. "His name," she mused, that feline smirk on her lips again. "It means 'guardian'," she explained simply before laughing in mirth when I visibly relaxed. 

God damnit. Was this woman playing me?! 

Despite shooting her subtle glares, I managed to chuckle soullessly now and then, but I knew that I was treading on thin ice. She noticed, of course, that I wasn't letting my guard down and that I obviously did not trust her. Something in her hazel green eyes snapped then, and I stepped back to create a little distance between us. What was keeping Suho? 

"Do you enjoy playing games, Jae-sshi?" Miss Kumiho asked out of the blue. 

My mouth was dry when I answered. "Depends on the game." 

"Ah, a cautious player. I bet you're the kind of person who won't play a game if they know that their chances of winning are slim," she guessed and I frowned at her. "Me, I enjoy playing games. All sorts. I'll even go so far to admit that I'd play dirty, if I had to," she giggled before pretending to be serious. "If you were worried about me possibly showing a romantic interest in your father, you needn't worry, Jae-sshi. He's not the one I'm after." 

Okay. Okay. This is the sentence that I was not eager to hear. Of all the ways she could have phrased that, she opted for this way, as if she purposely gave me no other choice but having to reply with 'oh, well, gosh diddly darn it, who exactly are you after then, ma'am?' and you know what? I'm not playing her game- she's gonna play mine

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Kumiho," I started, as my anger reignited my confidence and bite. "I wasn't worried about that at all, actually, considering that my father would never go for a woman like you. You see, he prefers women who leave some things to the imagination," I explained in a sugar sweet voice while suggestively appraising her scant attire so she'll know exactly what I mean. "That is to say, - while we are playing the guessing game -, that you appear to be kind of person that would easily do anything to gain the attention she desires. I suppose a strategy like that will guarantee many easy wins." Alright. So I went a little overboard, but it wasn't like she wasn't asking for it! 

Miss Kumiho glared, that twitchy smile still present before she scoffed as though amused at my attempt to insult her, but something told me that I hit a nerve. Whether I was thrilled about that was a different matter entirely. What I did know, however, was that we acknowledged knowing something about each other without having to say it out loud. If this was her way of telling me that I should be prepared for whatever 'game' she was going to play, then I should let her know that I wasn't going to be scared away so easily- even though I felt like I was going to need new underwear somewhere between now and the near future. Gimme a break, okay? I'm in a very conflicting position at the moment. You try being stuck between playing the hero while knowing that the enemy might have more dirty, more powerful tricks up her sleeve!

I braced myself for a retaliation from the woman, and oh man, did it come. She stepped towards me with a scowl that could still be mistaken for a cold smile and stood still when she stood right in front of me. I locked my jaw, lifting my chin slightly to show some defiance, whilst my toes were curling at the ground. 

"One word of advice, if I may, Jae-sshi. A cautious player such as yourself won't stand a chance in the games I play," she stated, nipping my nose derogatorily.  

"I think I'll manage," I replied, moving away from her touch. "I bet I'll even win without having to play dirty, though I understand from this conversation that playing dirty is your favorite gaming strategy," I beamed, just like she did after hearing my response. 

"Is that so?" she asked, obviously entertained. 

I met her gaze steadily, accepting the challenge by giving a firm nod. I probably shouldn't have done so, based on the huge smile that appeared on her face after I said it. She leaned a bit forward to whisper to me. 

"Then tell me, Jae-sshi," the words flew from like silk drenched in arsenic. "How is your shoulder feeling?"

I didn't want to show her that I was startled, but my wide eyes most likely gave me away. Miss Kumiho smirked then and I mustered all the self-control I had to prevent from asking her right on the spot about who she was and why she was doing this. 

She winked at me. "Let's play, shall we?" 

Neither of us flinched when the front door opened and Mom came in with Mr. Tabi. I wasn't even feeling relieved at hearing her chat about Mrs. Sinar and the mess outside. All I did was glare at Miss Kumiho, wondering to myself why the heck I wasn't shoving my shoe in her face already. 

"Ah, Mrs. Miyano! I'm glad you're back," Miss Kumiho greeted while my stomach twisted into a knot. "I was worried something might have happened. We'd all be devastated if you were injured," she oozed, though she winked at me again. I balled my fists and felt my own nails digging into my skin while I trembled. Did she just threaten to hurt my mother? Did that just happen? 

"Thank you for saying so, Miss Kumiho," Mom replied casually. "Where is everyone?" 

"Mr. Miyano is in the garage and Suho-sshi is in the kitchen talking on the phone with his father. Jae-sshi and were just getting to know each other a bit better. It turns out that we're both fond of games, though currently I'm at the lead," she taunted and I could literally feel the slumbering wolf inside of me perking its ears in agitation, opening one eye before awakening with a vengeance. 

Oh, that is it! I'm gonna bite her!

No, you're not! Suho suddenly came running into the living room as if on cue, smiling apologetically for startling Mom. 

"Ah, Suho, there you are. Is everything alright? Does your father know you're safe with us?" Mom inquired.

"Yes, ma'am, he told me to take care and sends his thanks and warm regards to you and Mr. Miyano," he said. 

"It is no problem at all, sweetheart," Mom answered amicably and suddenly looked at me. "Jae, baby, is there something wrong? You seem annoyed," she noticed and I grunted. "Come now, don't be like that. Whatever game you were playing with Miss Kumiho, it is just a game. Don't be a baby about it," she scolded good-naturedly before going to the kitchen again. "While we're waiting around anyway, I'm going to do the dishes," she announced. 

"I'll help you, Mrs. Miyano," Miss Kumiho called after her. She patted my hair and I was inclined to follow, except that Suho stopped me. 

Traitor! Let me go, I'm not leaving that woman alone with my mother! I growled, hardly reacting when Mr. Tabi excused himself to make use of the toilet. 

Not before you calm down! Suho growled right back. Why are you letting her get to you so easily, Jae?

Because she knows, Suho. She knows! She may not have confessed it out loud, but she doesn't need to. My shoulder, where she touched it, she did so on purpose. She asked me how my shoulder was feeling, why would she ask that if she hadn't known that it was injured? I sprouted angrily before taking a deep breath. On top of that, she mentioned that she was after someone, most likely me!

Suho listened patiently to my tirade and inner freak out, rolling a hand over his face. You're sure about this? What prompted her to say such things? 

How should I know how a psychopath thinks, Suho? All I know is that I don't like that woman knowing who my father is, who my mother is, how you look like and that she's in my freaking house doing the dishes with my mother, right after she sneakily made it clear that she was aware who I was all along! This was a mistake, a bad idea from the start! She played me, Suho! Worst case scenario just became reality!

I desperately grabbed Suho's shoulders. "What am I supposed to do now?" 

Suho's look of sympathy and concern was the last thing I wanted to see right now, but when he was obviously pondering about something, I waited. He furrowed his brow, lost in thought, gnawing on his bottom lip. 

I can't think of anything- except...

I shook him. "Except what?" I whispered. 

He looked reluctant just having to say it out loud and the sudden sound of protesting voices from the others in our heads told me that I was probably not going to like what he thought up. 

"A direct confrontation," he uttered softly. We'll follow her around whenever we can, get to know her, see what she's up to. If that doesn't clear things up, we confront her. Demand she tells us who she is and why she's after you. If we don't like the answers, well... he cleared his throat. 

Well, what? I asked. 

Suho looked me soberly in the eyes. She's a threat, Jae. We're wolves. We protect our own. At all costs.

I startled lightly at the statement. He wouldn't mean... would he? I shivered. What do you mean 'at all costs'? I then asked, hoping that it didn't mean what I thought it meant. You're not gonna- you know, I slit my throat with my finger and I don't think I've ever been more than relieved to see Suho's astonished and shocked face. 

No, no, no, not that! I was more thinking in the lines of having Kai teleport her to the Arctic or some desolate place on the planet where she wouldn't bother us anymore, he explained and I chuckled. 

Good, because she's not worth all that trouble anyway, I said, to which Suho agreed. 

Don't worry, Jae. We'll take care of this together, figure it out together. We won't allow that woman to do anything harmful. Game over. 

I smiled sadly at him. No, Suho. I'm afraid that the game has just begun. 

 

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Nin-Nin
Hi guys~ my first original ebook is available on Amazon and I'm having a lot of feels. If you have the time, check out my previous blog post for more details - I'd appreciate the support <3 Thank you and have a lovely weekend! Love, Nin-Nin

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Wanderer_bj
#1
I don't even know how many times I have read this.😍
BeckyBooGirl
#2
Chapter 4: This is one of my favorite exo fanfic. I have read this story 5 or 6 times already and still love it like i did when I first read it❤
InspiritCarolyn
#3
This is one of those fics I can come back to again and again without getting tired of re-reading it. Each time I read it, I love it the same as the first time.
aonani_k
#4
Chapter 109: I finished it once again and as before, I enjoyed reading such a great story. Hope all is well. :)
aonani_k
#5
Chapter 2: It's been years since I read the story and today I just felt like re-reading it! Glad it's still here. :)
Sehixneeo
#6
Chapter 109: Argh, I will never ever forget this story. Ever. 🥺💛
Jaerin
#7
Chapter 109: This story will always be one of my favorite, a masterpiece 🤧💞❤️
Pxnellyxq #8
Chapter 107: WHAT IM LEGITIMATELY SHOCKED AND TEARING UP
Pxnellyxq #9
Chapter 100: why is the white wolf making me feel emotional :///
Pxnellyxq #10
Chapter 61: Stinky kumiho