There was a reason why Jung Jaehyun had told me that, under any circumstances, do not let the Veritas know of our deal. The sole reason to that was because they hated rumors that came from their own kind, they had very no tolerance for the drama that came with it and it was also because if paired with a yellow—they could call court.

You got that right; they could call court.

Nakamoto Yuta had walked away from us, Jaehyun’s lips pressed against mine and I saw Haechan give us one last look when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I had looked up to see Renjun, peering down at me with a piece of parchment in his hands. The parchment had writing on it and as I read it, I saw that it was a notice for me to go to court.

Court? I asked Jaehyun, my fake boyfriend paling at the parchment. , he had cursed. I simply stood up, ready to face the consequences as Renjun brought me over to the other side of the castle—a very nice court. Taeyong was there, pacing back and forth and his eyes weren’t very forgiving when I stood in the middle.

At the side, I caught sight of Lee Jeno struggling.

“Shin Aera, we have called you to court,” Kim Doyoung had said and as I looked around, I saw a few strange faces. “Everyone out. It’s a private matter.”

If I didn’t think the Veritas were stuck up and morally solid, you did now.

As the hustle of everyone left the courtroom, I saw Kim Doyoung stand there with his long robe. He must have had gone to an internship that had to do with the law because he looked very belonging where he sat.

“We’ve heard of the rumors,” Taeyong said, the yellow on his bracelet swirling darker. “We conducted an investigation.”

“An investigation?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Shin Aera, if what we heard from the other houses is true, you bring shame to the Verita house and you have no moral conduct.”

“What—”

“Do not speak unless spoken to, this is a court ruling and Jeno is the witness.” Doyoung pointed over to Jeno who had sat there, his arms crossed across his chest as he glowered at everyone. “He had taken in the truth serum.”

And Jeno looked scared. A part of me knew that he had no idea what was going on and was just as in the dark as the rest of them, a part of me knew that Lee Jeno was scared of being questioned.

Before I knew it, a truth serum was shoved down my throat and I felt a bubble in my stomach. The feeling was peculiar and I gasped, trying to understand why I was compelled to tell them everything. I had to steady myself against the door, Taeyong eyeing me carefully.

It didn’t take long, three minutes in and I had blurted everything out in detail. Nakamoto Yuta coming to me on the first day, Jung Jaehyun coming to be on the second. The people who knew of the bet, a list of all of them would be punished. Jung Jaehyun would go under community service and be monitored by Advisor Chanyeol, Nakamoto Yuta would probably go clean and get praised by Advisor Kyungsoo. I, however, being a blue and the fact that I did not tell my own people of the chaos that was happening, would be held accountable.

It was against Verita rules and we all knew that they weren’t very nice when it came to the disruption of peace.

“Ask him about Kim Bunny.” I found myself blurting out as Jeno hastily made a containment spell after he told everyone that he had no idea. Jeno motioned to his ears as if to say that he could not hear me, sticking out his tongue at me.

“You’re telling him that you started a deal with the devil. Na Yuta?” Doyoung clarified and there was a certain power to Kim Doyoung that made me realize that he did like structure. Hell to those who brought his structure down. “And Jeno had no idea?”

Jeno shook his head, the male beginning to levitate in the confines of his containment spell.

“Jeno, get out of there,” I hissed and he shook his head once more.

“You have to solve this, Shin Aera. There is tension between houses and Taeyong is stressed because he is the head of Student Services. These things fall under his department of care. You caused a house war, using soft power.” Doyoung paused, clicking his tongue. “Emotions. The worst kind. You have to make out—”

“Sorry, make out?” I asked, frowning.

“Make up with both of them.” Doyoung tapped the hammer (Jeno will later tell me it was called a gavel, a court hammer.) against the wooden table. “And until then, I will have to suspend you from Veritas. Hand over your cloak, you are now colorless.”

“Can you be kicked out by your own color?” I asked, Renjun coming up from behind me to tug my cloak off my shoulders. “And where will I go?”

“Moon Tae-il. You will reside with the janitor until further notice. Until then, you are also suspended from the Verita common room.”

I heaved a sigh. I guess I deserved it. Jaehyun would be facing punishment too, but it was obvious they couldn’t do more to him. I thought about the time I’d spend with Aro, finally watching as Doyoung ended the session.

Judge robe off his shoulders, he became a different person. More friendly, as if he was sad that he had to go through all that.

“I hope you understand why we’re doing this, Aera,” Doyoung told me and I nodded, the tall blue patting my shoulder. “We can’t go easy on you. We’re the one color that goes hardest on our own people.”

“You kicked me out of Verita, Doyoung.” I gave him a pointed glare but Doyoung cracked a smile.

“Either me or Advisor Suho,” he said when Taeyong appeared. The effects of the truth serum were still lingering and I saw Jeno behind all of them remove the containment spell and leap over the chairs, exiting the room as fast as possible.

“One question,” Taeyong asked and I nod. “Who are you in love with?”

The question hit hard and I found my lips speaking on their own accord.

“Nakamoto Yuta.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first thing I got when I reached Tae-il shack was a big hug from Aro and constant hums of comfort. My brother must have heard something and that night, as I hugged Aro tightly against my chest, his breathing lulling me to sleep, I saw Tae-il stand up to walk away.

Sleep wasn’t coming easy and it was at night when my emotions came crashing down and I began to second guess everything I had been doing. I sat up slowly, moving away from Aro to head over to the side of the stream to see Tae-il levitating.

He must have sensed me, the male turning with his broom in hand when he spoke.

“Who is it?”

Funny, how I was right in front of him yet he had no idea who it was. I took a step forward when he visibly relaxed.

“Shin Aera.” He breathed, his defensive stance leaving his shoulders. “What are you doing awake at this time of night?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” I said before pressing my lips together. “Can you see me, Tae-il?”

My question was awfully blunt but Tae-il didn’t seem bothered by it, the male shaking his head towards my direction.

“No. But I know the way you walk,” he answered, dropping the broom. “Come with me, let’s take a round.”

A round with Moon Tae-il would be a round around the school. I stood beside him, Moon Tae-il basking of the peacefulness of the night.

“I have heard of what happened,” Tae-il began and I nodded, forgetting that he could not see me. “But I won’t question why you agreed to get caught up in a familial war between stepbrothers instead, I’ll let you ask the questions.”

“Is it because you know I don’t want to talk about it?”

“It’s because I know you have no answer to it. You’re probably asking yourself why you started the bet in the first place. Did you do it because you were bored? Did you do it because you thought it would add some spice in your life?”

“That’s where you are wrong, Mr. Moon,” I answered. “I did it because I didn’t want to be played.”

“How did that work out for you?”

“It’s backfiring.”

“Then it’s time you come clean.”

Moon Tae-il’s advice was something that I had tucked away into the back of my mind and I would follow it very soon enough. I was curious about his eyes, however, and I asked him what had happened.

“The sun clan took my eyes. Haechan’s clan.” He smiled at me. “The war between clans wasn’t that long ago and there is a reason why the blues and yellows are so adamant on peace. Taeyong and Doyoung, especially. They are educated on the history of clans and shield benders. War starts with people thinking of winning.”

“What happened?”

“War.” He didn’t want to talk about it so I didn’t push. “I was held hostage for three days, my eyes gorged out when they found me. There is a bad side to every color, Shin Aera. Yellows are capable of being merciless, too.”

I heaved a sigh.

“There is so much internalized hate on the yellows and my clan was the only clan that had white, we were worshipped. The Sun clan hated it. We were wiped out and I’m the last of my kind. I came to work here under protection.”

“Do you hate them for taking away your eyes?”

“The walls of the castle whisper to me. Sometimes, that is enough.” He gave me a small smile when our round finished and I saw Haechan standing in front of our shack. I lifted up an eyebrow, the male spotting both of us and jogging towards us.

“Our Head Boy is sick,” he began, Tae-il frowning. “ed up sick. He’s kicking everyone and refusing to eat.”

“Head Boy?”

“Yuta, Aera. Yuta. Do you have any medicine? Taeyong is gone and the infirmary is empty.”

“I have it. Does he have a fever?” Tae-il asked, trudging into his shack before fumbling around in a small bag. I could tell that he had bottles and bottles of medicine, the male shaking it near his ear as if he was using sound as a confirmation. “Here you go. Aera, do me a favor and make sure he takes it.”

Haechan’s eyes dragged over to me and he nodded.

“I mean, if there is anyone who could enter his room, it would be you,” Haechan said hopefully and I sighed.

“Really? After the whole bet?” I asked and Haechan shrugged.

“Consequences. Get the rest of the medicine, I’ll wait for you outside.”

And with that, Haechan moved out of the shack.

“He still gets uncomfortable around me, given our family history,” Tae-il mused, shoving a bag into my hands. “Make your way out, then.”

I nodded and was about to leave when Tae-il grabbed my hand, the swift motion making me freeze.

“Come clean, Aera,” he repeated. “That’s the only way one can gain peace.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The walls of the Corsiva Common Room were dimmer than usual, the emerald green with black shadows bouncing back and forth from the walls. Haechan was silent when he led me in and I told him that I got it from there, Haechan giving me a tired smile.

“And hey...” he began, lips pressed against each other. “I’m sorry you had to be dragged into all this.”

Haechan did seem apologetic and I told him that it was my own choice as well. I wouldn’t be part of it had I just refused. Haechan left, leaving for the dorms when I could hear heavy coughing from the other side of the door. I pushed the door open, Yuta’s back towards me when he turned.

“Aera?”

I hummed, closing the door with my leg and placing the medicine down at the side of the bed. It was hard not to worry. His face was flushed and his forehead was painted with sweat, Nakamoto Yuta looking ed up as the fever coursed through his body. I placed a hand on his skin, the heat making me gasp the same time he had flinched, pulling away.

“You’re sick.” I sighed, sitting down on the bed when he sat up. I saw how he struggled to do so, the male finally running a hand through his hair. All I wanted to do was hug him but I was never in the position to do so. “I brought medicine.”

Yuta cleared his throat and I tried to find something to talk about. The atmosphere was so tense that I could cut it with a knife, Nakamoto Yuta’s eyes never leaving mine. Did he know of the bet being found out by the Veritas? Surely, he did. Haechan seemed to know.

The question is, did he know of the bet I had with Jung Jaehyun to bring him down? The Veritas knew of me backstabbing Yuta for Jaehyun, but it was still a wonder if everyone caught on.

“I got kicked out,” I began, Nakamoto Yuta’s face unchanging. “They found out about my bet with you.”

“I heard. My room is always open.” He breathed, a hand going out to rub my cheek almost lovingly. “Are you sad about it?”

“Just… I don’t think so,” I said carefully, Moon Tae-il’s voice coming up in my head. Come clean, he said.

I had looked up at Yuta, the male pulling me forward until I had my face against his chest. He had no idea. He had no idea about my bet with Jaehyun and a part of me wanted it to be kept that way. Yuta peered down beside me, his eyes on my lips when he pressed his lips over mine so softly, I sighed.

“I thought you said your lips were mine.”

His eyes were filled with an emotion I couldn’t point out. His heart was beating under the palms of my hands and his silver hair made him look so ethereal from where I was at. His fingers traced my lips ever so gently when I slowly physically pulled myself away from him.

His hands tightened around my wrists, his red lips making me feel like I was in a trance when he spoke.

“You’re different from them, aren’t you?” His question made me blink and the softness was gone. “I keep telling myself that but why is it that I feel like there is more to you that I don’t know?”

“I feel the same way,” I answered. Why wasn’t I angry? I knew what he wanted to happen since the start. “There is nothing about you that I’m sure about.”

Yuta breathed heavily, giving out a small cough when he looked away. He looked frustrated, like there were so many things he wanted to say but he couldn’t.

“I want you to end the bet,” he said it as a demand, looking towards me.

“And when I do, what happens of us?”

What happens when I don’t have to pretend with Jaehyun anymore? Would Yuta be fulfilled and not be the same person he was?

“What do you mean by that?”

“What happens to us?” I repeated and for the first time, I felt a rush of emotions that I’ve never felt before. “All this kissing, all these hugs, and you acting like this. This all stops, doesn’t it?”

“What is this about?” he asked and I huffed, moving away from him.

“I like Jaehyun, Yuta,” I concluded when his expression began to change. “Not in a romantic sense. I actually like him… As a person.”

“You know nothing about Jung Jaehyun.”

“No,” I corrected, shaking my head. “I know nothing about you. I’ve spoken to Jaehyun more than I’ve spoken to you. And I like him but with you—”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I’m not supposed to feel this way.” I finally told him, sitting back down and rubbing my eyes with the palm of my hand. “Because it’s a game for you. I know what you wanted to happen. You wanted me to fall in love with you. Break Jaehyun’s heart. This is why I came back to agree to the bet in the first place.”

He didn’t say anything and I felt tears prick the back of my eyes but I managed to keep it in.

“And this is me coming clean because I’m tired,” I said to him, giving him a shaky breath. “There was no loyalty in this in the first place. When I agreed with Jaehyun—”

“You spoke to Jaehyun about it?”

“I spoke to Jaehyun about it the moment he came to me to tell me what you had in mind,” I snapped, Yuta looking away. He was fuming. “It was a game to us, Yuta. A game. How you act like this is all real is beyond me.”

“Did it work?” he suddenly asked, throwing his feet over the edge of the bed to stand up.

“Work? Do you want it to work?” I asked, finally getting on my feet. “So, you could both me and Jaehyun up? Sorry to tell you, Yuta, that Jaehyun doesn’t feel that way with me. I just want you to admit it. Admit that you were ready to play in the first place.”

A beat of silence.

“That was the original plan,” he finally said and I looked down.

“I know.”

“But I can’t believe you were backstabbing me—”

“I only do that to people who backstab me first.” I shook my head. “There was no bet in the first place. It was us playing each other.”

“You don’t know what I feel,” Yuta suddenly said and he turned to me, his face rigid.

“No, because you never tell me. You were never honest.” I ran a hand through my hair. “You’re spoiled, Yuta. You are spoiled and you’re selfish and you think that everyone is in the wrong. You don’t care about anyone other than yourself.”

“Don’t act like you’re any different,” Yuta snapped and I scoffed.

“Why do you think I’m here?” I just wanted to leave. I did my part. “Because I actually care.”

I didn’t bother to look at him to see how he looked like before I left.

Because I didn’t want to feel disappointed when it would be obvious that he didn’t feel the same way.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I had headed straight for the shack until morning came. It would be a lazy day for all of us and Aro could tell I wasn’t at my best. By the time it was noon, I knew that staying by myself would be the death of me so I had sent Jaehyun a message and almost immediately, he told me to go see him.

By the time I opened the door to his bedroom, the ‘regular, huh?’ password still active, Jaehyun was on his bed. He was bundled up in blankets and I waved my hand in front of his sleeping face when he stirred and he stretched.

“It’s noon,” I told him and he gave me a smile, bounding up. “How are you asleep at noon?”

“I need my rest.” He shrugged and leaned back before inspecting me. “You good? I had to do community service the other day. Yuta most probably will be yelled at by Advisor Kyungsoo today. He was sick yesterday so they didn’t get to it. You should probably prepare yourself for when he finds out we were in it together.”

“I told him yesterday.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I told him yesterday, when I went to give him medicine.” I shrugged, trying to play it off. “And I got kicked out by my own color.”

“Haechan messaged me. I know.” Jaehyun tsk-ed. “No other color hard on their people as much as the blues.”

“Mhm, tell me about it.” I sat down, Jaehyun giving out a yawn when I found myself burying my face in my hands as I let go of my tears. Jaehyun looked stricken by the tears, the male panicking for a moment before he threw me a sock to which I threw back. “Really?”

“That was for you to wipe your tears but yeah… not the best choice. What happened?”

“He’s so ignorant, Jeffrey! He’s so ing ignorant! He thinks whatever he’s doing is right.” I gasped out, falling back onto the bed to see Jaehyun scoot closer to take a good look at my face. “I told him everything and… Jesus Christ. He called me a backstabber when he was the one backstabbing me this whole time!”

“Jeffrey, on the other hand, everyone likes Jeffrey,” Jaehyun began to narrate. “Do you want Jeffrey to give you a hug?”

“ off, Jeffrey. Ugh.”

I rolled to the side, turning my back on him when he poked my side.

“I got kicked out of my color. I fought with Yuta and Jung Jeffrey is no help,” I grumbled under my breath, whipping my body around to face Jaehyun, my face streaming with tears. “And do you know Moon Tae-il is blind?”

I cried out loud, Jaehyun blinking rapidly at my words when his voice rose an octave at the news.

“He’s blind?” he squeaked, his face contorting into shock. “What happened to his eyes?”

“I don’t know, Jeffrey! I don’t know!”

“And why are you crying over Moon Tae-il?” he asked, looking like he was also trying to stop his own tears.

“I’m not. My eyes are sweating and it’s very hot in here.” I sniffed, sitting up when my bracelet flashed a dark shade of blue, words coming up on the conveying stone. “Jeno’s asking me where I am.”

“Tell him you’re here. The more the merrier, they say.” Jaehyun answered and I did just that. Two minutes in silence, I could hear a very loud and aggressive “I said, ‘regular, huh?’! Let me through!”.

It was followed by heavy marching when Jeno pushed open the door, looking like he had gone through hell and back when Jaehyun tilted his head at the younger male.

“Did you scare the portrait, Jeno?”

“It wouldn’t let me through,” he snapped. He had dark shadows under his eyes and bad as my situation was, Jeno looked worse. “I had to sit in a containment spell for two hours until the truth serum faded because of someone…”

Lee Jeno gave me a look.

“Someone had to mention Kim Bunny at court.”

“What’s up with you?” Jaehyun asked, Jeno falling back onto a chair and leaning backwards. We waited for his answer when he sat up, both Jaehyun and I jumping at his sudden movement.

“I think I’m in love.”

We laughed, Jeno scowling.

“No, seriously. I think I’m in love.”

“Well, do you know Moon Tae-il is blind?” I asked and Jeno made a face at me. Jaehyun was snickering with amusement.

“Guys, I just told you that I’m in love and we’re talking about Moon Tae-il?”

“Geez, no one cares about you, Jeno.” I joked, Jeno’s face darkening. “Alright, I’m just joking but, really… What is wrong with you?”

“I just told you!” Jeno snapped, exasperated. “I think I’m in love with Kim Doyoung’s sister!”

“Uh… Kim Bunny?” Jaehyun asked, looking confused.

“Does Kim Doyoung have another sister?” Jeno asked back and Jaehyun lifted his shoulders into a shrug.

“I really hope he does. Why would you be in love with Kim Bunny?” Jaehyun asked Jeno when a voice came from the door, the devil of the topic showing up with her palet uniform and her hair tied up in very high pigtails.

I just knew that she did it herself.

“What about me?” She asked, her eyes shining brightly when her gaze fell on Jeno and her expression darkened for a moment. “Oh, Jeno is here. I was finding you, Aera. People said they saw you come into the Integrita Common Room.”

Jaehyun’s eyes fell onto Jeno who sunk lower into his seat like he wanted to disappear and then onto Bunny who seemed nervous and awkward. I finally nodded to show her that I was listening, asking her what she needed me for.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked and she shook her head slowly.

“No? I’m fine.” She began to twirl one of her pigtails with her finger, blinking rapidly. We all waited for her to leave but she didn’t, the female smacking her lips as she waited by the door. “So? When is Jeno leaving?”

“What?” Jeno asked, finally sitting up and turning to stare at her. “Why do you want me to leave?”

“I… I have something to talk to them about,” she mumbled, Jeno shaking his head stubbornly.

“But it’s my time with them!”

“But it’s important, Jeno!” she finally said and Jaehyun and I exchanged glances.

“What’s so important?” Jeno demanded, Kim Bunny paling.

“Uh… Nothing. I’m going to go,” she finally said, closing the door and disappearing. We thought she was finally gone; Jeno, Jaehyun, and I relaxing when my bracelet suddenly turned into a bright yellow. Two messages came up, words from Bunny telling me to go out of the room so I could talk to her.

Right at that moment, Jaehyun’s bracelet also flashed yellow and he looked up at me.

“Jeno,” I began, Jeno giving me a questioning look. “Mind waiting for us for a second? We got something to handle.”

“I’ll wait right here but when you come back, we’re going to talk about me and me only,” he muttered, closing his eyes. Jaehyun stood up to press a hand against Jeno’s forehead and telling him to get some rest, both of us heading out of the room just to see Kim Bunny waiting for us.

“Alright, little kid.” Jaehyun lowered his voice. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

He had swung a hand over my shoulder, tapping his foot rhythmically as if he was her older brother and had no time to lose.

“Okay.” She pressed her hands together. “Okay so… my heart goes….”

She began to jump up and down. I had no idea what that meant but it seemed like Jaehyun caught on.

“Boing boing?” He asked and she blinked.