33. Invitis Praesidio

 

Invitis praesidio: "Unwanted Protection"

 

 

 

"I had thought that I would get nothing from this..."

 

 

The invitis praesidio opened the doors of her past.

 

 

"... but now, I get that there's something more."

 

 

 

= = = Soundtrack: B2ST - Lightless [Unplugged] = = =

 

I just couldn't understand.

 

I couldn't understand just why I had to go through this.

 

"I thought I was a fighter already. So, why the heck am I being led out of the war like the stereotypical damsel in distress?!" I exclaimed, obviously pissed off, as I cast a glare out the window of the passenger side of Kai-yah's car.

 

We were on our way to one of the resthouses of the SkullBeaters situated in the edges of Seoul, which was still in reach of the city, but is quite a distance from the area of Club Paradise and the SkullBeater-ReapedSoul war vicinity. Very early this morning, Kai-yah woke me up and told me to pack about a week's worth of clothes. I followed him, but sneaked in two sets of clothes, which are the ones I would wear during a gangwar.

 

After all, I'll be fighting against Taemin-sshi and the others again.

 

But now, the truth that I won't be participating in the war shook me to the core with anger.

 

"You DO know that this war was meant for them to take me back, Kai-yah..." I began to say with a hint of sarcasm, but a stern look from him made me shut up.

 

I've never seen this type of look from him before.

 

"Yes, I know. That's why you shouldn't be there." He seriously said before turning his eyes back on the road.

 

We were already exiting the main city's area and going to the suburbs. This was where the resthouse that I'll be staying in was located. The number of cars began to get smaller, so Kai-yah had begun to lighten up his driving.

 

"But then again, you ALSO know that I can fend for myself..." I said again, trying to catch him off guard. But then, the most shocking thing happened.

 

He pulled over at the side of the road and slammed the steering wheel with his hands balled into fists.

 

"I KNOW, SHIRIN-AH! BUT I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU!" He shouted before burying his face in his hands. His breathing was now deepening, and silence overtook me. Kai-yah looked at me, but this time, I was even more shocked to see tears building up his eyes.

 

"I've NEVER had anything as my own, Shirin-ah. I've never had my own family, my own identity, nor my own love. Everything, if not taken from me, I would have to share with somebody. You're the only person that had actually come with me as you are, not minding if I was an illegitimate kid or whatever. You are the only person I could call mine at this very moment, and I'm already happy with that. If I lose even you... I'd break down."

 

Incredible sadness and desperation laced his voice, and it ripped my heart. I immediately reached out and wiped the tears staining his cheeks, my gaze at him softening. He only took the hand that I had used to wipe his tears away and just held it to his cheek, sobbing softly.

 

"I don't want them to get to you, Shirin-ah. I don't want Taemin Hyung to take you from me." He sadly said, his eyes locking onto mine.

 

At that moment, I swore my heart did a loop and I found myself leaning over and pressing my lips onto Kai-yah's.

 

= = = 

 

"Shirin-ah, I might be away for a while, but I'll make sure that I check up on you. If ever the preparations for the war are quickly finished, I'll make my way here and stay with you for at least half a day. Text me or call me if ever something's wrong. I'll try my best to reach you as quickly as I can, arasso?" Kai-yah asked me as he gave out his concerned instructions to me, and I nodded in response.

 

"Always keep yourself safe, arachi?" He took me into his arms and whispered to my ear. I nodded in his embrace, gasping momentarily when Kai-yah sauddenly placed a kiss on my neck.

 

"I'll be going then." He whispered again, and with a parting kiss, he went to his car, got inside and sped away.

 

Now alone in front of the special resthouse in the suburbs, I took a deep breath and let myself bask in the air purified by the trees around me. I'll probably be staying in here for a week, or until the war comes to an end... which would most probably be quite a long time, especially with the weapons that the ReapedSouls sent in from their China-Japan weapon affiliates.

 

Oh well, it's best that I begin unpacking already.

 

= = =

 

A sigh escaped Kai's lips as he stared on at the meadow stretching almost endlessly in front of his eyes. He was almost at the edge of the suburbs, but he just had to stop and escape reality for a while. As he looked on at the grasslands in front of him, he found himself imagining things.

 

A little girl running amongst the grassblades, revelling in the sunlight, with a young boy running tiredly behind her. She turned around to face the young male and her lips parted in a small 'o'.

 

"Omo, Jonghee Oppa, you followed me?" The little girl asked innocently as her older brother began to pant for air. But at the question, the boy just smiled.

 

"Of course, Haerin-ah. Appa will kill me if I let you out of my sight, you know." He said jokingly before kneeling down and opening his arms, in which the little girl ran into.

 

Light on her steps, came Shirin from the distance. She patted Jonghee's hair lovingly before placing a kiss on the top of his head, which made the boy chuckle.

 

"Mianhamnida, Umma. Haerin-ah has been pretty active today, so I had to chase her. Has Appa followed you already too?" He asked her, and with a smile, Shirin nodded.

 

"Neh, son. He'll be here in a minute."

 

A chuckle escaped Kai's lips as the scene he imagined unfolded in front of his eyes. His angel with angels of her own, all in the middle of the meadow of tranquility far from the hustle and bustle of the city. He had in his mind what he wanted to happen in the future he yearned for... to have a family with the woman he loved.

 

Well, isn't that going too quickly and too far at this point in time? He probably should snap out of it. He still had a brotherhood war to attend to.

 

With chuckles still escaping his lips, he shook his head before getting back inside his car and continuing inside the main city's borders: his mind racing with thoughts of how to outwit the enemy... but his heart was left with Shirin in the peace and quiet of the resthouse in the suburbs.

 

As Kai's car sped away, a young man stood up from his crouching position behind the grass blades. He was about three or four years older than the second-in-command of the SkullBeaters, but he looked young nonetheless. He had a small smile on his face as he stared on at the young man's car getting smaller and smaller in the distance, and a sigh escaped his lips when the object fully disappeared.

 

He remembered Kai very well.

 

That young man was just about thirteen years of age when they first met. He was being beat up by a group of five who had been his bullies in school. That group had been a brotherhood of their own, a part of an official brotherhood who preyed on the defenseless kids, may they be rich or poor. He couldn't take it when he saw Kai tearing up due to the pain, and with his friends who had agreed to come with him, he helped the little Kai out.

 

They never met again ever since, because news had gotten to him that the young boy he saved had changed his house... which was a wise move for him.

 

"So, that little boy being beaten up about five or so years ago... actually became like us."

 

= = =

 

Breathe in.

 

The clean air invaded my lungs as I walked through the meadows behind the SkullBeaters' suburb resthouse, my hands outstrectched to feel the tips of the grass gently scrape my hand. I closed my eyes and let myself be fused into a world I had never been in before, and just gave in to the temptation of letting my guard down.

 

Breathe out.

 

I increased the pace of my steps, and my walk became a run. I felt wind on the sides of my face and enjoyed it, so I ran even more. I didn't know why but peals of laughter erupted from my frame as I did this. It felt like I was a child again, and somehow, it felt like I had a touch on my real past.

 

Suddenly, I stopped running as a voice of an old lady echoed in the field.

 

"Chaeyeon-ah? Chaeyeon-ah, is that you?"

 

I turned towards the owner of the voice and found myself looking at the form of the old woman I had sat beside the bus when I was going back to the Song House to retrieve my stuff and leave for the last time.

 

"Omona, I'm sorry, young lady. I have mistaken you for someone else. I thought you were my daughter." She said cheerily before chuckling.

 

"Halmoni?" I asked her using the term 'Grandma', becuase I really didn't know her name back when I had a chance to sit with her. She hadn't told me anything about her name while we were talking.

 

At my voice, it seemed like the old lady recognized who I was... for she smiled and held her hands out for me to take.

 

"Oh, the sighing young lady in the bus!" She remarked happily, and I took her hands with a smile before nodding.

 

"Yeh, it's me, Halmoni." I said softly before looking into the the old lady's eyes.

 

That was when a sudden observation raced in my thoughts and sent electric shocks throughout my entire body.

 

Halmoni's eyes looked exactly like mine.

 

= = = =

 

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