Chapter 11
Arcanum
Chapter 11
The Model;
A wooden stool sat in the corner of the warm, smoky room; a round seat on four long legs.
“What’s this?” Taehyung questioned, sliding his backpack off his shoulder and dropping it against the wall.
Yira stood next to him, pointed to it, and smiled. “My mother figured since you’re here quite often, that it is only right that we give you a chair.”
Taehyung looked surprised. It was unexpected for him to receive any form of welcoming or acceptance beyond what was usually given to a customer. “Uh, you’re alright with this?” he asked.
Yira pulled out her chair and sat down, sliding a lock of her long hair over her shoulder. “You’ve been here quite a while. It’d be rude to ask a friend to keep standing.”
Colour rose to his cheeks as he felt a little flattered. In the past months they had existed in a grey area where he didn’t quite know what to call their relationship. But admittedly he felt a small twinge of disappointment at the label.
Yira gestured for him to move, flicking her hand towards the corner. “I suggest you should sit down now.”
“Why?”
The door swung open and the edge rammed into his back, making him curse in pain and hop forward.
“Son of a- not again!” he yelled as he grabbed the door only to see a young girl standing before him, her face caught undecidedly between being apologetic and laughing.
“Are you- I’m r-really sorry for laughing but-” she said, stifling a giggle. “Are you okay?”
His anger quickly subsided as he saw her smile. With silver hair parted from the side of her forehead and slight freckles across her nose, she looked like she could model yet there was something modest and rounded about her features.
“I don’t know why I’m laughing,” she explained, covering a grin behind her hands. “I’m so sorry; it’s just your reaction-”
“I’m fine,” he replied, smiling. “A little pain’s nothing.”
“He doesn’t mind,” said Yira.
“Oh good,” the girl smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know someone was standing behind the door.”
“Taehyung, go sit down,” Yira directed. She looked to the girl and put on her most welcoming retail smile. “Please have a seat.”
Taehyung observed as he sat in the corner. The girl wore a simple white shirt and a pair of jeans and she walked casually, yet confidence showed in her pace despite her modest air and attire. She carried herself with the relaxed ease of someone with no insecurity.
She sat down and pulled thirty dollars from her pocket, handing it to Yira. “My friend recommended that I come here,” she said. “She said you could help.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Yira smiled. “Please make yourself comfortable and explain what’s bothering you. Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks but,” she pointed to Taehyung, “what’s he here for?”
“That’s Taehyung,” she introduced. “He helps out. Pay him no mind unless you want to.”
The girl looked to Taehyung with mild curiosity, but she smiled at him with a cheeky expression before returning to Yira, surprising him.
“Okay, where do I start?” She said, patting her hands onto her lap as she searched for a beginning point. “I guess I should start with introductions. My name is Lee Chaerin, and I’m a model. I go by the name CL.”
No wonder she carried herself so well. Taehyung wasn’t surprised.
“Aside from photoshoots, I have a large following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,” she continued, speaking casually and calmly. “And a lot of people know me from these so when they see me in the streets, the often try to talk to me, so the feeling of being watched isn’t uncommon for me.”
“Sounds quite tiring,” Yira smiled.
“Oh no, I love my job. I can’t say the attention is always convenient, but I love being with people you know?”
“I think I understand,” she replied.
Taehyung rolled his eyes. Yira was the most solitary person he knew. She rarely concerned herself with other people unless they paid for it.
“So like I said, I’m used to the feeling of having eyes on me but…” her voice grew soft and uncertain. “Lately…”
“You feel that gaze of someone specific,” Yira finished for her.
“Yes, but not just that,” she said. “It’s not always the same person or just one person. It’s just that sometimes I get the feeling like there’s somebody or some people watching me, and not in the usual way, in the creepy, uncomfortable way. I can’t give any logic behind it, it just feels that way.”
“Gut feeling is a highly reliable instinct,” said Yira in a knowledgeable voice.
“Yes, sometimes I look behind me and I swear these kids are looking at me. They look suspicious but I never have any clue who they are. I don’t know what they want from me. But every time I go home or go to school, I get the feeling it’s the same person. But can never tell who it is.”
“And you want me to tell you who it is?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “I want it to be over. I don’t think I’m in any immediate danger but I get the feeling I shouldn’t let it drag on. I’m losing sleep and that’s really not good for my job.”
Yira blew out a long breath of air and dragged the crystal ball to the centre of the table. She dropped her finger on lightly on the top, as if holding it in place and she looked into the glass with a dull, bored gaze, propping her chin up by her other hand.
Taehyung found this strange. Yira usually made an effort on the theatrics even though he knew they weren’t needed for her. But today she acted like it wasn’t even worth the effort.
“The person following you is a boy,” she answered. “Black hair in a crew cut, tall height, square build, thick skull,” she listed in a dull drone. Her eyes looked up to her face. “Your ex-boyfriend,” she finished, pushing the ball away. “Although you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Chaerin looked down and nodded.
“You just came here for confirmation,” Yira explained. “For someone to tell you what you knew all along. You didn’t need to spend thirty dollars for that, although I couldn’t say I’d complain.”
Chaerin sighed. “We broke up a few months ago. He was getting suffocating. He wasn’t happy that I put my career ahead of him. I wasn’t going to cut down on my job for a high school relationship so I broke it off. I figured it would be simple, easy sailing after that.”
“You came here for confirmation because you had hoped for that episode to be over. You didn’t want him to still be a problem. You didn’t want to believe it was him for that reason.”
“Ugh,” she groaned, rolling her eyes. “It’s frustrating. I just want to move on.”
“Your ex-boyfriend,” Yira began. “Soohyuk is his name, right? He’s the type that believes the girl should put him first and fit to him. He wasn’t too happy that you didn’t think of him as very high on the totem pole. So obsessively, he’s been bullying the younger students in your school into following you, and tailing you home.”
“Oh God.”
“He’s not the violent type,” she continued. “Aggressive and possessive yes, but bodily harm isn’t something you should particularly worry about, although he will try to sabotage your relationships.”
An irritated expression showed on Chaerin’s face. “That jerk…” she muttered.
“Take the next few days to decide on your course of action,” Yira advised. “Until then, be careful when you go home.”
Chaerin sighed and pulled out of the chair. “Thanks. You’ve been a great help. Now I just have to deal with getting rid of him.”
“Good luck.”
“If you don’t mind,” Taehyung cut in, stopping Chaerin before she reached the door. “I can help walk you home. I can’t be of much help but if it makes you feel any safer-”
“Really?” she asked with bright eyes. She turned to Yira. “Do you mind if I borrow him from you? Just for today?”
Yira smiled and nodded. “Take him for as long as you want. That’s what he’s here for after all.”
“Thanks,” she grinned, hooking her arm onto Taehyung’s. “I live a short walk away so I won’t keep you long.”
As they passed under the clacking waterfall of bead hangings, Taehyung looked back to Yira one last time, as if uncertain of his actions. But she sat there, unconcerned, her dark, almond eyes staring deep into the hourglass.
***
“She’s a little intense isn’t she?” Chaerin said with a smile.
Taehyung nodded as they passed under the bare branches of nearby trees, a few remaining leaves swaying in the warm breeze.
“Yeah, she’s like that,” he agreed. “It gets pretty old when you’re always around her though. She acts all calm and charming but I’m pretty certain she hates talking to people. But she’s nice…at least I think.”
“It must be awesome working with her though.”
“I guess if you have good anger management.”
Chaerin laughed. “She’s amazing. I didn’t believe it when my friend told me about her, but she described Soohyuk down to the last detail, and she got his name too. She just looks straight through you.”
“It’s not always welcome though,” he complained as they walked by a line of parked cars.
“It’s her eyes,” she said. “They’re pretty powerful. Man, if she modelled then she would be tough competition.”
Taehyung’s thoughts travelled to the image of Yira modelling. He didn’t want to admit it but he knew she’d do well as one. She was a beauty, if an unusual one. With her long, black hair, deep, dark eyes and her exotic face, she would have every boy falling at her feet.
A tall, towering apartment building appeared in the sky before them, modern in design and built from a dark, plum coloured brick.
“That’s my place,” she said, pointing to the top. “I live pretty far up.”
“Must be a great view,” he commented.
As the crossed the empty road, the snapping sound of a twig from behind him pulled him out of his thoughts. His ears pricked up and his eyes started darting around the area, searching for the source.
The taste of the air seemed to almost change and he became aware of someone’s intense glare on the back of his neck. It didn’t take psychic powers to feel that it was angry, almost to the point of being livid, burning like hot lava.
He grabbed Chaerin by the arm, surprising her, but her expression changed to one of concern as she felt his tense silence and the firm grip around her arm.
“Keep walking,” he told her softly, too quiet for anyone else to hear. “Act normal.”
“What’s wrong?” she hissed, following his direction but fear showing in her eyes. “Is he here?”
“He’s following us,” he whispered. “Stay close, we’re almost at your house.”
“Is he going to do something?”
He jerked his head towards the street. “He’s behind the cars.”
“Oh God.”
As they arrived under the plum brick walls of the building, he held her by the shoulders and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “When you get inside, hurry and shut the door as fast as you can, he can’t get you if-”
“Get away from her!”
The two jumped at the voice as they turned to see the angry figure of a muscled boy appearing from behind the cars, wearing shorts and a V-neck. He stormed up to them, his arms swaying violently at his side and his feet stomping on the ground. His face was red with fury. But instead of approaching Taehyung, he headed straight for Chaerin.
“Is this who you’ve been dating?!” he accused, ing his face in her personal space. “Is this your new boyfriend?! Is that why you dumped me?!”
Taehyung moved his arm out in front of Chaerin protectively, stepping in between them, but rage sparked in her eyes and she lunged forward, pointing her finger into his face.
“You son of a , is that why you’ve been following me? Keeping tabs on who I date?!” she snapped.
“So what?! Who is this guy?!”
“That’s none of your business! I dumped you because you were a controlling, needy . I chose modelling over you because you know why?! You’re not that important. You don’t get a part of my life, you don’t get a say in my life! I picked my career, and I’d do it again! Any day!”
Taehyung struggled to hold her back, but she was determined and wild. But he held strong because he knew in a fight she’d get hurt, and even though Yira said Soohyuk wasn’t violent, the look in his eye gave him grave doubts.
“How dare you follow me? We broke up ages ago, get over it! How pathetic are you that you bullied kids into stalking for you? Let them go! If you stalk me again I’ll call the police!”
Soohyuk grabbed her by the shoulder; twisting the fabric of her shirt and making her pull a look of disgust.
“Hell no!” he barked, his voice sounding like gravel. “I’m not leaving until you tell me who this is!”
Taehyung grabbed him by the wrist, twisting it off Chaerin. “So what if I am?” he asked, gripping hard onto Soohyuk's bone and making him claw his hand in pain. “What are you going to do about it?”
Soohyuk stepped back, his eyes wide and glowing red as he stared into Taehyung’s stern eyes. Chaerin’s mouth fell open in a gasp as she knew what was coming, and Soohyuk pulled back his arm with his hand in a fist.
He swung a punch at Taehyung, but before anyone could even see what happened, a thwack rang through the air and Soohyuk was on the ground, coughing and gagging from a quick strike to his throat.
Chaerin was in shock. She stood by the side frozen, stunned by what just happened. Taehyung wore a similar expression, but his was tinged with confusion. He hadn’t intended to hit him that hard. It was a defensive reflex but he had forgotten that the other party was weaker than him.
But he shook off his concerns and stood over his body. The boy didn’t deserve pity after his actions.
He hauled him up by his collar and pinned him to the wall. “Listen up and don’t you dare say a word,” he commanded coldly. “If you weren’t happy with your getting dumped then you should have at least had the guts to tell her in person instead of getting a bunch of kids to do it for you.”
Soohyuk’s eyes were defiant and he tried to jerk out of his grip, swinging a second punch, but a quick jab to his stomach knocked the air out of his lungs. The boy was fit, but he wasn’t a threat to Taehyung. All height and muscle but no fighting ability. In a one on one fight, Taehyung could hold up pretty well having been taught by his father.
“Look here, I don’t care what you do,” he told him as he squirmed in his grip. “But don’t bother her anymore. You’re going to apologise and call off your little workers, and you’re never going to come near her again, you got that?”
Soohyuk coughed as a response and nodded weakly.
“And what do you have to say to her?” Taehyung narrowed his eyes.
“S-sorry…!” he wheezed.
Chaerin nodded but her eyes were hard.
Taehyung let him go and he dropped to the ground, coughing dry breaths.
“Don’t come near her again,” he warned.
Clutching his throat, Soohyuk scrambled to get away, stumbling in his haste as he disappeared down the street.
“H-he’s gone?” Chaerin breathed. “It’s completely over? T-thank you!”
Taehyung looked sheepish and he hid his hands in his pockets. “Sorry about that. I didn’t intend to hit him that hard.”
“No, no!” she said, shaking her head with a big smile on her face. “Thank you! He deserved that. Where did you learn to fight?”
“My father is a policeman and he taught me a few things,” he explained. “But it was really supposed to be used for self-defence…”
“That’s awesome!” she praised. “But I really wish I could have taken a swing at him too.”
“Sorry about that,” he apologised jokingly.
Chaerin grinned. “Don’t be.”
Taehyung chuckled lightly and stepped back. “I really should get going now since you’re home and all…and sorry for implying I was your boyfriend. It seemed like it would take his attention off of you.”
“Then thank you for being my pretend boyfriend,” she giggled gratefully. She took a step towards him, until the top of her head was just under his chin. “But you know…” she began, resting her hand on his shoulder.
Before Taehyung could react, Chaerin had her lips pressed against his in a soft, warm kiss, lasting just a bit longer than he had expected. The scent of her perfume like cherries and rosewater wafted from her neck.
They parted and she looked up at him with an impish grin. “You don’t have to play pretend you know, if you don’t want to.”
Taehyung looked at her with an expression of amazement, and she stepped back and giggled.
“So,” she asked. “Do you want my number?”
author's notes
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