No Welcome Mat Here
Searching For AvalonWOOHYUN
I stared at the back of her head, observing her reaction to our lair. I watched her take care of her surroundings, widen her eyes at the depth of the room and finally, whimper when the rest of the house entered the common room.
“Everyone!”
The whole house, including Kairi, turned around to my attention. I noticed a hint of fear in our captive’s eyes as I held her arm and pushed her to the centre of the room.
“Anyone who recognizes her?”
I saw Jiyoon narrow her eyes and step closer. Before she could move in more, Kairi shrunk away and gulped, hanging her head low. I smirked. Where had the pride vanished?
Jiyoon stopped walking and moved back. She shrugged and turned around to look at Amber, who shook her head at me.
“What’s wrong with you Woohyun?” she murmured, though everyone could hear her. “Bringing in the General’s daughter…”
Gasps arose and Jiyoon’s confused eyes widened. She instantly removed her hesitation and stood right in front of Kairi. “It’s you alright,” Jiyoon scoffed and turned to look at me.
“Amber is right,” she said. “Why on earth would you invite trouble? Now don’t go around telling us she’s a spy for us!”
“Hell no!”
Silence fell. It was Kairi who had shouted. Everyone’s eyes landed on her and the courage that I thought had vanished returned. She narrowed her eyes at Jiyoon and shook her head with finality.
“Kill me if you want,” she hissed. “But I’m not spying for anyone. Period.”
“That’s it.”
I grabbed onto her arm and shook her as she tried to struggle. “Where else can you go?” I muttered and dragged her out of the room.
Giving the people behind me one last look, I knew that even I wasn’t as welcomed as her.
L
Typical.
It’s either fight for the system or die, right? I gave out a humourless chuckle at the two retreating figures, only to receive a glare from Amber. “Something funny L?” she said.
I rolled my eyes. People here had no sense of humour. Taking everything seriously was as good as dying of boredom. I watched as Junhyung and Hoya continued with their hushed conversation. What on earth were the two talking about anyway?
Hara quietly slipped her hand into Junhyung’s and blinked. Ugh, the telepathy again. I looked away and glanced at the other members of the family. Luna and Sungjong were sitting with their heads bent together, whispering about something. Sungjong said something frantic and Luna nodded, agreeing with his words. The two saw me staring at them and smiled. I blinked at them and turned back to my magazine.
I yawned. About five minutes had passed. So far so good, Woohyun must have been treating her well.
“STOP!”
Or not.
The scream rang out through the tunnel, freezing everyone in their place. I exchanged glances with Amber, who looked at everyone else.
“What the hell….” Hoya muttered and ran out of the room, followed by an anxious looking Nicole. SungGyu tried stopping the latter but failed.
“What else do you expect?” I told him, as he sighed at her retreating figure. “She’s the only doctor in the house.”
SungGyu narrowed his eyes – was that even possible with him?—at my bad joke and plonked himself on the couch. The North tunnel was full of murmurs and as the figures emerged we all stood up.
“What was that sound?” Leeteuk enquired. Behind him were the other seniors, trying to get the secret out of us with their eyes.
Now we’re dead, Amber mouthed to me as Yoona crossed her arms and nudged Sungyeol to start talking.
“For once,” I whispered to her, as I watched Leeteuk’s eyes widen at our friend’s stuttering words. “I agree with you.”
KAIRI
“Where are you… hey!”
I tried but failed. Woohyun’s grip on me was tighter than before and I could feel bruises forming on my arm. Earlier they were signs of my hard-work in dance practices. Now they were just going to be symbols of helplessness.
“You still don’t know your place do you,” Woohyun hissed, pulling me as I tried dragging my feet back to the light. The tunnel we were walking through was dark and I wondered whether these guys were actually bats in disguise. How on earth could they sense directions in such bad light?
“She asked me if I was a spy,” I hissed back. “All I did was respond. Why? Can’t do that here?”
Suddenly I felt myself flying. Woohyun had thrown me inside a cave-in, which I soon realized was a small room. I noticed the small window, the corn fields hiding this opening too and the decent beds and desk on one side. As soon as I landed on the ground, Woohyun marched in, pulling me up and forcing me to sit on a chair.
“You like responding?” he said, the mock in his tone absent. “Now answer my questions. And don’t even think of acting smart.”
“I’ve told you before!” I spat at him. “I have no idea why I’m here—”
SNAP!
From nowhere, Woohyun had a belt in his hands. My eyes widened and the possibilities showed in his cold gaze.
“Only speak when I ask,” he murmured and bent down to my eye-level. “What’s your father’s name?”
For a moment, I stayed silent. But the second I saw Woohyun raise his arm, I quickly said, “Lee SeoJun.”
“General Lee, the military chief of Paragon City?”
I gulped, tears forming in my eyes. “Yes.” Self-realization hit me like a wave. In the crowded room a few minutes ago, I had found the guts to speak up for myself. I was ready to fight each one of them. But alone with Woohyun I felt limp and weak. It was a sensation I had felt for a moment before entering their hideout.
“And you’re his daughter? Blood-related? No sibling or step-siblings?”
“No,” I replied in a monotonous voice. “I’m his only child and yes, he’s my biological father. And before you ask, he did not get remarried. My mother died giving birth to me.”
Woohyun cocked his head to the right. “Hmm,” he said, amused. “Of course you’re playing along. The easy part ends here.”
Suddenly he held my chin and forced me to look at him. My insides twisted as I failed to recognize the emotion in his eyes. It was like staring into a dead body’s soul. Empty, an untold history, haunted.
“Now,” he started, his breath brushing against my mouth. “Avalon.”
I waited. Woohyun stared at me and narrowed his eyes. He pulled my chin, making me flinch.
“I said, Avalon,” he muttered. “Don’t pretend, I know you have something about this.”
I blinked at him. “I swear, I have no idea about this… what are you talking about?”
Woohyun let go of me, almost making me fall of the chair. He was heaving, almost as if he had been exercising for a long time. He ran his hand through his hair and stared at the window, his hands on his waist. Chills ran down my spine when he turned to look at me and held both sides of the chair.
Suddenly I was pushed against the wall. The chair, now toppled down on the floor, was thrown as my back slammed against the cold stone. My shoulders were near to being crushed under his hands and my eyes let go of the tears I was holding back.
“Stop…” I begged. Woohyun continued staring at me and asked, “Where is Avalon?”
“Stop, please…” Woohyun stepped in closer, his body heat rubbing against my mine.
“Where’s your bravery?” he scoffed. I let out a cry as he started hurting my arms, digging his nails into my nerves.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, I – STOP!!”
My strength gave way as Woohyun crushed his body on mine, refusing to loosen his grip on my arm. My left shoulder was now numb and I heaved in between cries, I started losing my breath.
“I’m not letting go,” he breathed into my ear, making me squirm. “Until I hear the truth. If the father is your general, you’re bound to know something. Where’s AVALON?”
Woohyun shouted out the last word and brought out the belt from earlier. I shook my head and tried pushing him away. But he was too strong, more strong than I could have imagined.
“You answer me, right now.” He wrapped the belt around his fist, his nose touching mine.
“Where’s. Avalon.”
I whimpered. “I don’t know.”
Woohyun’s face darkened as my endless tears ran down his face too. He grabbed my face and opened his mouth. “You—”
Suddenly, he was nowhere near me. I shook my head, clearing my vision and widened my eyes as I saw Hoya pull Woohyun away. The breath knocked out of me, I collapsed on the floor and buried my face in my knees.
I wasn’t awake anymore.
HOYA
“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU???”
Woohyun threw my arm away and pushed me. I pressed my lips in a firm line and pulled him before he could go to her.
“Woohyun, get back to your senses. WOOHYUN! NAM WOOHYUN!!”
“MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS HOYA!!” Woohyun’s eyes were wild, hair out of place and his chest heaving up and down. I looked down at his hand and cursed.
“What,” I pointed at the belt. “What on earth, are you doing with that?”
Woohyun stared at me. Finally he threw the belt away and raised his palms. “Happy?”
I turned to look at the girl, gritting my teeth. “Look what you’ve done.”
Woohyun blinked and turned around. Casually, he shrugged. “What?”
I could have punched the wall right then and there. “Look at her arm you moron!”
I heard footsteps behind me and sighed in relief as Nicole ran to Kairi. “Oh my god… Who did this?”
Nicole grimaced as I nodded to Woohyun, who looked away and walked out of the room. “Leave him be,” she said and motioned for me to sit next to the now unconscious girl. I hesitantly walked forward and flinched as Nicole lightly pressed the ugly purple bruises, some of them bleeding.
“I need you to take her to the medical room,” Nicole said. As the doctor in the house, Kairi’s family background could not have mattered less. “Now.”
I blinked and my lips. “I—”
“Lee Howon you pick her up RIGHT NOW.”
Fine, I muttered inside my head and lifted up the limp body. I felt nauseous at the sight of the marks on her body.
“Woohyun can’t be near her,” I muttered, Nicole following me. “Not anymore.”
From my peripheral glance, I saw Nicole stare at me and nod. “I’ll be with her at all times.”
But more than Kairi, it was Woohyun I was scared for. These marks, this behaviour….
Animal. That’s what Woohyun was now. An animal thirsty for revenge.
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