[CONTENTID1]A Secret Unknown[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]A SELECTION OF CHOCOLATE-BOYS[/CONTENTID2]
 

[CONTENTID3]

The week lingered with nothing but rain, sleet and snow. A cocoon of pewter darkness wrapped the world in icy shivers, forcing smiles upside down and laughter to die into nothing but imagination. Everything optimistic was a paradox. Students failed their tests. Good people lost their jobs.

The only person who was joyous in this occasion was a man with nothing but dark thoughts inside his head. Oh, he was so happy he could dance around with glee and rub his hands together until he ate nothing but the misery of all those that he passed. With his dark jacket and his dark gloves, he blended in well for the incoming peak of the winter season.

Oh, Mr. Darkooness had never felt so happy before. His head snapped towards the invisible force that glowered at him over the fourth wall. A sepulchral smile encapsulated his dark physiognomy and he threw his head back in laughter.

“Why hello reader,” he chuckled darkly, waving a hand at the invisible force. A few passersby sent him deranged glares before they strutted back to their business. “Have you been enjoying the drama so far? Hmm?”

He gave the fourth wall a Cheshire Cat smile. “Well of course not! Everything was so dark. I loved it, and you know why, do you not? Hmm?” He tittered again. “The protagonist of this story is in so much trouble lately, that I can’t help but feel delighted.”

His lips fell back into a terse line. “But you’ll probably curse me for this happiness won’t you? Let me make you even more angry then.”

He clicked his fingers and somewhere in the distance, a boy by the name of Lee Sungyeol was rushed into emergency for his heart had stopped beating. Doctors frantically stabbed his chest with a serum in order to revive him and when he didn’t, they opted to sent shockwaves. Instantly, Lee Sungyeol was saved from death once again…

Mr. Darkooness his lips deviously because the tears from the fourth wall rained upon the story’s universe. For a long time, he knew that the fourth wall regarded him a silly villain but his true face was only being revealed now--

“Hello!”

The villain of the story flinched when he heard that annoying voice from before. His powers poofed away and suddenly, the sun peeked through the clouds and spread waves of sunlight upon the cold city.

Stonily with a snail’s pace, he turned to face Donghae, who had a drastic, cheerful smile that made Mr. Darkooness want to punch him out of existence.

“I’ve been looking all for you,” said Donghae, and he searched inside his satchel, pulling out the same picture of a red-haired man like last time. “Have you seen him anywhere?”

Mr. Darkooness grimaced. Perspiration gathered along the edges of his forehead. He gritted his teeth, wishing for a some meteor from the skies to crash land on this fool that he hated so much. Donghae merely blinked at him so innocently that it reminded the villain of puppies.

And oh boy, did Mr. Darkooness hate puppies. He hated anything that was cute. In fact he hated cute and fluffy dogs with their tongues hanging by the side and their eyes with stars.

He hated anything that reminded him of sunshine, rainbows and ponies! Mr. Darkooness hated the world!

“What have I told you before, you fungal toenail!? No! Nononononono-- NO!”

Donghae appeared unfazed by the rather derogatory comment. He blinked again with that childlike innocence that caused Mr. Darkooness to cringe with disgust. He was so sickeningly cute, that Mr. Darkooness wanted to puke out black sludge all over his face.

“Are you sure that I haven’t seen you before?” Donghae narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin.

Mr. Darkooness cursed silently and leaned back. “Not at all! Not at all! Now go and poke your snotty nose somewhere else.”

Donghae stared at him with incongruous concentration for such a long moment, that Mr. Darkooness’ dark heart drummed against his chest like an erratic percussion instrument. The blood pounded against his ears until all his years of conjuring dark thoughts vanished in the hustle of a breeze.

Just then, Donghae’s ‘look-at-me-I’m-a-puppy’ smile reappeared and he bowed politely. “Okay. Have a good day, sir.”

When he vanished, Mr. Darkooness let out a sigh of relief.

“When I finish with Kang Suzy, I’ll make sure that you’re next…”

-

Myungsoo’s sudden confession left her perplexed. Her heart trembled with strange waves of confusion. It fluttered when she thought of his tears and the sadness that imbued his words. She didn’t have a friend to discuss this with.

Sure, there was Jongin, who was surprisingly much nicer to her than before but he was till her irritating cousin who spent his hours outside doing stuff that Suzy would rather not ask. She didn’t have a single friend whom she could talk with.

Krystal did apologise but there was a void between them now. Suzy had never felt so awkward just thinking about her friend who now seemed like a stranger. After she managed to coax Myungsoo out of his suicidal thoughts, she simply texted Krystal to let her know that Myungsoo was indeed seeking attention. The girl sent her many messages after but Suzy kept away from her phone.

The mere thought of investing in more friendships left her head dizzy with somnolent thoughts, and her chest empty with a perpetual vacuum. There was only one person that she trusted to unravel the burden in her heart, and that was so Heechul.

Suzy left her home and knocked on her neighbour’s door. Heechul pulled the door open.

Suzy sensed something unusual about his idiosyncrasy from that moment. His posture was slightly bent and his face was pallid. A lurid frown swept across his features. He tried his best to dispose of this foreign aspect of him but Suzy saw through his guise.

“What’s the matter kid?” he enquired, in a tone that she derived was harsh. “Cat got your tongue? Why’re you staring at me like startled tortoise?”

“Huh?”

Heechul shook his head. “Come on in.”

She followed him inside the all too familiar house with the scent of mint and cats hovering in the air. Suzy paused when she noticed a new face sitting in the living room. He was dressed in a white blouse and dark jeans. He appeared to be around Heechul's age, and when he saw her, he gave her a smile that seemed too kind for his rigid face.

“Heechul, since when did you have a girlfriend?” It was a tease, but the question caused her to stare at her shoes timidly.

Heechul clapped her shoulder until she cried out and scowled at him.

“Erase all thoughts from that dirty head of yours,” Heechul said, but she noticed the playful tug at the corner of his lips. “Hangeng, this is my neighbour, Suzy. And blah-blah. I hate introductions.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.”

Suzy performed a perfunctory bow. Something coiled around her heart over the fact that Heechul called her a neighbour. Surely they surpassed the stage of acquaintances.

Was he not her friend? Was he not her best friend? Heck, he gave up a week of his life to nurse her but the sudden coldness in his demeanour made her wish to cry out. A sense of betrayal surged through her veins, and perhaps it showed in her face because the men in the room watched her with a curious expression.

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