Chapter 68 (1/2)

Chapter 68: Chapter 7 Excommunication-3

Li tired easily, and so they cut the conversation short, and she sent them on their way. Then she turned to Dee. He was still staring at her up until then, and he swallowed when she gave him her attention.

She ignored him and walked away. As he saw the back of her, his heart dropped, and everything in front of him turned red. Without him knowing, he was running after her.

”Hey! Who do you think you are!”

Dee grabbed SoYoon's shoulder roughly, but she removed his hand without flinching. She was incredibly strong.

He frowned then grabbed her with his other hand. ”Don't ignore me!” he exclaimed as SoYoon removed his hand again

”Do you have business with me?” she asked.

”F*ck, how would you know if I have business with you or not?”

”When you saw me last time, you didn't say anything.”

He had been hiding from her, so he hadn't thought of the possibility that she had seen him. He cursed. SoYoon looked up at him blankly.

Dee, sensing her staring, yelled at her, ”What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He yelled because she was looking at him, yelled because she ignored him. SoYoon sighed. ”He doesn't even have anything to say to me,” she mumbled under her breath.

Dee retorted, ”I do. I'll tell you while we go there.”

”Go where?”

”Wherever you are going.”

”Do you even know where I'm going?”

”It's going to be the mart or somewhere like that, isn't it?”

Home, requests, Heart, Mad Hatter, mart, restaurant, sometimes March and Dor—that was SoYoon's routine. She had been on her way to the mart to buy soap and so said nothing back and continued walking. Dee followed one step behind her,

The late-spring wind blew past her and into the Twins. They breathed deeply the soap-scented wind.

Thin body, thin shoulders, and her white neckline—they saw through her hair. They had seen the red mark on that neck a couple of days ago, which twisted their insides. Their hand reached for the spot. She blocked that hand.

Dee glared at her with red eyes. ”Do you hate it that much? I can't even touch you?”

”What?”

”You let that Heart punk do that to you. Did you like it? You sounded euphoric.”

”Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

They crept up close to SoYoon. The tangy scent felt so close they could touch it. Impulsively, they reached out their arms and hugged her. As they did, they saw her white neck under her collar. They touched the place with their lips, then unable to resist any longer, they opened their mouth wide. A little, just a little bit—that was all they wanted.

Before they could sink their teeth into it, SoYoon kicked them and twisted out of their grasp. She rubbed at her spit-filled neck.

”Why are you always drooling on me?Do I look like prey to you?”

Prey: before, they would have taken the term positively. Now, they couldn't decide how to take it.

SoYoon looked at the sunset. Only a fingernail-sized sun remained. Central's mart closed when the sun went down. Unable to finish her errand, she turned back around. Then Dum, pretending to be Dee, asked her.

”Why aren't you saying anything? Didn't Dum try to imprison you last time? Is that information not worthy of telling me?”

Whether they bared their teeth and attacked her or intruded into her house in the middle of the night or imprisoned her or kissed her, her reaction was always the same.

”Yes.”

Twins' heart dropped heavily. But at her next words, they lifted their head and looked at her.

”Because it happens often.”

The Croquet Games established her position as White Rabbit, but her small, thin stature didn't go anywhere. Those who didn't realize her strength did all in their power to try to trick her, and those who knew tried to get her to their side.

Most of the methods used to achieve this were threats and imprisonment, so to her, this was something barely worth registering as danger. In that respect, Dum's attempt was pretty novel. No one had tried something like that.

That night, Twins were lost in thought.

For a girl who thought imprisonment was normal, pinning her down through brute strength was useless. They would have to think of another way to tie her down. At least that tactic didn't require them to create a new space.

They looked around their home, where they found themselves to be the safest. If only that girl were in here with them. Such a happy image made their head tingle.

Thinking through the night about what they had to do the following day, Twins finally fell asleep early in the morning. The next day, they opened their eyes in the bright sunlight. The weather seemed especially nice that day.

After placing an order with their chef, they dressed up as Dee and headed to SoYoon's house.

***

After leaving Dee in the dark, SoYoon returned home to find Mad Hatter there. The moment he saw her, he clung to her and started to complain.

”You didn't return to me after we left each other that day. Instead, you went to that man's house.”

”I had business with him.”

”Then let's just say I came here because I have business too.”