Chapter 60 (1/2)
Chapter 60: Chapter 6 Sudden Change-8
Realizing that the girl who never once tried to look pretty looked pretty in his eyes, Tweedle Dum headed to SoYoon's house. For some reason, he felt embarrassed thinking about seeing her face so that he stood in a place far away from the house and spied on the two presences he felt inside. He heard the low voice of a man. The voice sounded familiar, as if he'd heard it a couple times before.
”Hey...very...shape...”
What was he saying? He walked closer to the direction of the sound and realized that he was standing on the other side of a bathroom wall. Inside the bathroom, he felt the presence of two people very close to each other.
Standing there frozen, he heard high and low voices intertwined in speech. No, it can't be. In denial, he only came to his senses upon hearing the sound of him punching the wall.
”Get lost.”
A familiar voice growled at him maliciously. It's him—Heart. The moment he realized this, the sound of SoYoon's short gasp made its way to his ear. Dum understood what Heart had done to her in that moment.
He stepped back and walked quickly away. When he returned to his senses, he had already arrived home. He plopped onto a chair and repeated the sounds he had just heard.
”What is happening?” Feeling a wave of emotions, Dee woke up from his sleep and asked him. Dum told him about what he had just heard. Dee was quiet for a second then blurted out, ”...What is this?”
The SoYoon they knew spun in their minds. To them, she had always been a cold and relentless girl. But that girl, with Heart...it felt like her fingers were squeezing their heart and lungs.
They remembered the times they had made their advances to her. That had not been a lie. But with that face, she only treated us like that, they thought. Filled with jealousy and swallowing their lust, the brothers started to realize their feelings for her.
”I want this girl.”
Twins smiled. No more of this nonsense. If we want it, then we can get it, they figured. Let's enjoy her until we come and bite her breasts to our heart's content. Achieving that would be comparable to the time they had bitten their mother and first come out into the world.
”That girl is too strong for her own good. So the first thing we must do is to make a trap she cannot escape from.”
Dee agreed to Dum's plan. ”If we drug her, she won't be able to do anything.” They got up from their seat to start making a foolproof trap.
***
Because SoYoon had been stuck with Heart for half a day, she decided to go to Mad Hatter's the next day. She felt strangely uncomfortable, but she couldn't prolong finding a solution to her problem with the research facility.
She had been walking for some time when she saw March and headed toward him. Recently, she had arranged it so that simple tasks went straight to him instead of going through her. And for that reason, he was holding several bags in his hands containing cigarettes and alcohol. They carried on a lighthearted conversation about frivolous topics until he carefully brought up something he wanted to ask.
”She's awake, that girl. But—but she can't talk or even move yet. She spends half her day sleeping mostly.”
”How does she look?”
”To me, I think she's doing better.”
”Do you want me to take her?” SoYoon asked March, not wanting to burden him. But he jumped and shook his head vigorously.
”No! Oh, I mean, Dor seemed to have gotten attached while we were taking care of her.”
”That's fortunate.”
Dor, who looked to be 12 and had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old, was 15. The girl looked to be about 14. Other than March and SoYoon, Dor didn't come into contact with anyone else, so she might become a good friend to her.
”But how did she wake up? Did she open her eyes?”
”Huh? Um, yeah,” March answered hesitantly.
SoYoon looked in front of her, so she didn't realize it, but his cheeks grew red. March chewed his lips. The part of his lips that had touched the girl's dry ones itched like crazy.
Saying goodbye to March, SoYoon went straight to Mad Hatter's. She stood in front of the door and put her hand over the knob. She felt a strange nervousness, but she took a quick breath and opened the door.
It was dark inside, and she felt a presence in the bedroom.
”Mad Hatter?”
She stepped inside while calling for him.
”Over here.”
She heard his answer through the crack in the door. Taking it as permission, she stepped into the bedroom.
Inside the bedroom, a hint of alcohol was in the air. Mad Hatter was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, but he opened them when she got close. His face looked sunken on account of his dark circles. SoYoon narrowed her eyes without realizing it.
At this, Mad Hatter smiled slightly then pulled her into a tight hug.
”These are in the way,” he mumbled as he tossed her mask and sword into a corner and buried SoYoon and himself inside the blanket. The body warmth emanating within the small space felt cozy.
”I'm tired. I was at Outhouse up until only a few hours ago.”
”At least get changed.”
”That's such a hassle. Or you can dress me then.”
”Just sleep. And let me go.”
She cold-heartedly released his hand from her blood-stained suit. Mad Hatter laughed as if the air was deflating out of him then rolled over with her still in his embrace. It became difficult to move once they were rolled tightly within the blankets.