Chapter Six
Eun

Every time I close my eyes I see those wide, blameless marine blue irises. Every time I look at the clock all I see is the hands both at twelve. Every time I play cards and I come across a five, I immediately freeze up. Every time Sehun embraces me with his arms I flashback to a time when I had done the same to Jong Min. Every time these moments occur, I cry. And every time I cry, I can’t stop.

      “Are you… crying again?” I open my eyes to see that Sehun’s lips no longer press against my own. Embarrassingly, I bring the back of my hand to my tear stained cheeks and watery eyes. An unexpected force wraps around my wrist, yanking my hand away from my face.
“You’ve been strange since yesterday, Eun. Is everything alright?” Sehun’s words bounce right off me as if he’s just mouthing his sentences.

      “At least answer me.” Sehun sighs as his thumb smears away the left over tears. The sadness in his silver eyes is more penetrating than his death glare at times like this. Really, I rather have him shooting daggers at me than stare miserably at me with sympathy for something he doesn’t even know about.
“It should be alright since you said it would.” I respond in a soft murmur.
“But it’s not.”

      “Care to expand, Park?” Sehun smirks that lopsided and arrogant smile as he presses my back against the cold wall.
“Don’t you… ever miss your family Sehun?” the question comes out intentionally slower than usual and timidly from my lips. Just like that, his charming smirk is wiped clean off his face. The atmosphere has taken on a whole new level of iciness.

      “It’s the past Eun. There’s no need to linger in the times gone by, hopelessly dreaming of everything to be returned to what they used to be.” His words hurt more than the unnerving and sharp tone he speaks with.
“But don’t you?” I narrow my silver eyes on his face, doing my best to forget what just came out of his mouth, but it’s harder than it seems. Hopelessly dreaming? What does he want me to do? Look at the bad side of everything? At times like this we have to have hope or we’d just be outlines of what used to be.

      “Don’t I what?” Sehun sneers with that edgy attitude of his blooming in clear sight now. I bite down on my bottom lip. Goodness…This guy…
“Seriously!?” My voice rings up and down the empty corridor. I smack his arm away from the wall and find myself uncontrollably grinding my teeth like two washing stones.
“It’s so hard to have a conversation with someone as emotionless as you Sehun!” I press my palms against his chest, driving him straight back into the opposite wall.

      A gasp of agony escapes from my throat. I glance down at my bandaged hands with abhorrence. I gulp down the air that’s filled with anger and clench my fingers into fists, providing another piercing sting up my arms.
“Eun,” We both turn our heads. Straightaway, I turn my gaze away from the Cruor with humiliation.

      “You’ve gotta be more careful with these hands of yours.” I roll my eyes as Jongin holds my hands like they’re made of thin glass. The troubled expression on his face swiftly thaws away though once he senses my mood. 
“What’d you do this time Sehun?” Jongin chuckles at the Cruor. When Sehun only responds with his death glare, Jongin turns his eyes back on me.
“We can’t have our beautiful prodigy be infuriated by Sehun, or else her flawless complexion will melt away.” Jongin laughs as he winks in my direction.

      “Just say why you came to get us.” Sehun demands in that icy tone that tells you that if you make another move to piss him off you may have just said your last words. Jongin firmly places his hands on his waist with that conceited smile of his planted on his tanned face.
“Who said I came for the both of you? All I need is our stunning Eun.” Jongin chuckles as he swings his arm over my shoulders. The flicker of jealousy that ignites in Sehun’s silver eyes is enough to satisfy me and make Jongin feel like he’s won.

      “Why?” I ask, knowing well that there haven’t been any problems in the last two weeks. Jongin shrugs his shoulders.
“Who knows? It’s confidential information.  All I’ve been told is that the council wants to see you as soon as possible.” Jongin explains. I huff out a breath of exasperated air and cross my arms.

      “Is it another one of your messes Jongin?” I ask, searching his face for any sign of truth.
“Psh… They wouldn’t find out about this one.” Jongin mutters under his breath. My eyes broaden.
“This guy… Always getting into trouble. You’re not gonna gain any favor of the council if you keep creating problems for me to fix.” I stab Jongin in the shoulder with my finger.
“I told you Eun, it’s not because of me this time. At least I don’t think so.” Jongin glances up at the ceiling with that contemplating expression upon his face.

      “Just get going Eun.” Sehun mumbles. I look at the Cruor, knowing all too well how easy it is for him to be overcome by stinginess.
“Let’s meet later tonight. I have to stay inside when it’s time.” I sigh. The peculiar looks given in my direction aren’t acknowledged by me.
“When it’s time for what?” Jongin and Sehun had that uncanny habit of speaking at the same time.
“Just meet me later Sehun.”

      As I reach my fingers out for the door knob I feel the nerve-racking sense that something’s off. I slowly pull my hand back to my side, not sure if I should enter or not. This could just be me being me, paranoid and too alert. Instantly, I feel my heart press hard against my ribcage when the door suddenly opens for me.

      “You’re here.” The deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes become more visible as he smiles with those fangs of his.
“The council asked for me. Why wouldn’t I be here?” I snap back, knowing very well that the members of the council will give me all their tolerance because of my extraordinary status in society. It’s difficult to not smirk when the moment long expression of irascibility makes an appearance on council member Jang’s old face.
“I respect the council very much Councilman Jang. It’s an honor to be called down.” As effortlessly as a mendacious snake, I flash a smile that could make even the deadliest assassins appear angelic.

      I look on forward with superiority as Councilman Jang forces a smile that’s a window showing me his endurance that has been worn thin over the months because of me.
“Of course Eun, we respect and treat you with the same level of respect we have for our fellow council members.” His nervous laugh is almost too much for me to look at him anymore.
“Shame on the council then.” I tsk, slipping right through the doorway.

      “What?” Councilman Jang hurries right after me down the narrow hall.
“You should have a greater level of admiration for a Cruor prodigy like me. Without Eun Park, the Cruor wouldn’t run as efficiently as it does today.” I explain in a deadly serious attitude as I press my palm against the scanner.

      When the door slides open, I find myself staring into a flatteringly fitted out room, but there’s an absence of about fourteen people. Immediately, I whirl around on the back of my heel, facing Councilman Jang with a curious appearance.
“Where is the rest of the council?” I demand from the old Cruor.
“This is private business that only two Cruor know of, you and I, so I apologize for misleading you Eun.” Councilman Jang sighs, and by the way his nervousness has disbanded into thin air and is now replaced with a confident quality, I already know what this is about.

      “So you’re working with the very people that turned you into a monster?”