"So how long have you been the CEO of the company?"

    As the Sonnie and Minhyuk sat in the small restaurant, the lean bodied male briefly peered up from his plate at her question. Taking a moment to chew and swallow his food, Minhyuk smiled as he raised two long digits into the air.

    "Two years," he wiped the corners of his mouth before locking his dark eyes with her own, "I took over when I was 24 years-old."

    Sonnie nodded, "That's a rather young age for such a high-ranking position."

    "I agree, but someone had to do it."

    Suddenly, the usually cheerful man became sullen. Somewhere within her memory, Sonnie remembered his brief explanation of his uncle's passing and father being bed-ridden. Swallowing hard, she chose her next words carefully.

    "If I may ask, what happened?"

    The man was silent for an uncomfortably long moment; the woman's face beginning to heat up as she fidgeted awkwardly in her seat.

    "I'm sorry if it's too personal -"

    "No, it's okay," the man before her suddenly interjected as he straightened up in his seat, "it's a valid question, so I'll answer it."

    Clearing his throat, he wiped his mouth before locking his eyes with her's; the sudden eye contact making Sonnie's breath hitch in .

    "My uncle lost his battle with cancer two years ago and my father is currently bed-ridden. He fell ill around the time of his brother's death, so doctors speculate that it's a grief-stricken illness. I think part of it also has to do with my mother's passing about fifteen years ago."

    The young woman before him suddenly grew stiff causing Minhyuk to halt his explanation; curious eyes studying her, now, rigid frame.

    "Are you alright?"

    Blinking rapidly, Sonnie cleared ; nodding her head furiously as embarrassment spread through her body like a wildfire. She urged him to continue his explanation and after a bit more reassurance, Minhyuk resumed his story.

    "Jooheon and I were both young, so my father had to endure multiple emotional burdens," he explained. "To be honest, my father was never really the same after that day. It was like his mind kicked into overdrive because out of nowhere, he began teaching me the ropes of business at eleven years-old."

    Minhyuk paused for a moment before resuming, "Which was unusual because my father had never really spent time with neither me nor Jooheon. It's unfortunate, but I don't really have any family-esque memories with him; only my mother."

    Sonnie listened quietly, yet intently; too stunned to utter even the slightest response. Their childhoods were vastly similar - almost as if they grew up in the same house. To be honest, she found it to be oddly comforting.

    "Ah," the tips of his ears flared to a bright red as he shifted uncomfortably, "I apologize. You shouldn't see the CEO of your company in this personal state."

    Within an instant, the familiar smile was plastered back onto his corpulent lips. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he shot her a sweet smile.

    "What about you?" His fingers latched onto his final piece of fried chicken as he gestured towards her with the drumstick. "What brings you to South Korea?"

    An anxious sigh escaped her as she ran a hand through her mane. Sonnie had never been fond of talking about herself. Growing up, she was rather shy and that trait had stuck by her side well into her adult years. If given the choice, she would much rather listen to someone else's story than share her own. However, considering the fact that Minhyuk was her boss,  she had no choice but to answer him - regardless of the setting.

    "My mother was from Incheon," she began, "but she moved to the United States for college and eventually met my father their freshman year. They married towards the end of their sophomore year and about a year later, my mother found out she was pregnant with me."

    Sonnie paused briefly to take a sip of her water before continuing, "She quit her studies to focus on becoming a mother - something my father never really appreciated, but there wasn't much he could do."

    "My parents never really had a strong marriage," she explained, "and my father never really cared about my mother. I believe she knew it, too - probably part of the reason as to why she grew ill. After her death, Agnes, the head housemaid, was hired. She raised me up until I was an adult."

    At the mention of Sonnie's mother's death, Minhyuk peeked up at her; a knot forming in his stomach. Studying her, now, sullen expression, he swallowed hard. In that moment, he knew exactly how she felt and it'd be a lie if he denied feeling the urge to reach across the table and hug her. 

    "I strayed a bit off topic," Sonnie tried to recollect her thoughts, "basically, I moved here to feel closer to my mother, if that makes sense."

    "Why Seoul, though? Why not Incheon since that was her birth place?" Minhyuk curiously queried as he finished his meal.

    Shaking her head, Sonnie gnawed at her bottom lip, "I can't bring myself to go there, so that's why I came here instead. Seoul is the closest I can get to her without feeling too emotionally overwhelmed, if that makes sense."

   "I understand," his voice was suddenly soft, "I hope Seoul treats you well."

    Feeling her face heat up, Sonnie bowed slightly, "Thank you, I hope the same for you."

    A small smile graced the man's charming features as he suddenly rose to his feet, "It's getting late, so I should go."

    Shrugging his jacket onto his lean frame, Minhyuk calmly peered down at her, "Thank you for letting me eat with you. Maybe we can do it again sometime."

    Rising to her feet, Sonnie bowed politely as she nodded, "Of course, thank you as well."

    "Also," he added as he pulled out his wallet, "since you were so kind as to listen to me vent earlier, I'm going to pay for your meal."

    "Oh, Mr. Lee, there's really no ne-"

    "I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled, turning on his heels and strutting off before she could finish her sentence. 

    Sonnie watched as he slid the money to Mr. Choi, bidding a farewell to the owner, before emerging into the darkness outside. As if invisible hands began twisting her stomach and heart together like a balloon animal, a wave of anxiety spread through her body as her mind switched to overdrive.

    Had she told him too much? 

    Rising to her feet, she followed ensue - gathering her belongings as she made her way towards the exit. Exchanging farewells with the owner, Sonnie stepped outside; the cool night air immediately hitting her heated face. Closing her eyes for a moment, she remained stationary as she allowed her surroundings to indulge her senses. Inhaling and exhaling a few times, the anxious feeling that had been eating away at her body slowly began to subside.

    Stifling a yawn, Sonnie began the small trek back to her home. Grabbing her phone from her purse, her slim fingers punched in a series of number she had already known by heart. Biting her lip, an immediate smile spread over her delicate, yet striking features at the mere sound of the familiar voice that spoke on the opposite end. 

    "About time you call," Agnes cheerfully chuckled, "tell me about your day."

    A small laugh escaped the younger woman's lips, "Ah, where do I even begin?"

    As she continued her trek under the cloak of black tranquility above her, Sonnie talked to  Agnes about her day - intentionally leaving out a few details here and there. 

-

    As the sun peeked its fiery head above the horizon, Sonnie mimicked its actions as she pulled the blanket off of her face. Using her right arm as a prop, she yawned loudly; her left hand rubbing her tired eyes. As if on cue, the loud ringing of her alarm clock blared throughout her room, earning a groan from the disheveled female as she switched off the machine.

    "Let's get this bread," she jokingly mumbled to herself.

    "Did she really just say that?" Gluttony asked in slight disbelief.

    His question was immediately answered by Pride who now sat next to the older Sin, "I prefer a different term."

    Gluttony raised a brow resulting in the Peacock answering him with a smug grin, "Let's get this gluten."

    A unanimous groan echoed through the attic as the group of demons began mumbling in protest at the purple haired being. The ramblings continued until Wrath suddenly stood; his hand frantically waving in the air as he signaled for the group to stop talking. Immediately, the Sins grew silent; their vision trailing to the sight below them.

    Sonnie stood frozen in place; her eyes wide as the rising thump of her pulse became audible to her ears. Gritting her jaw, she swallowed hard. 

    "Did she hear us?"