Swords And Knives
Darah kept pondering over various questions in her mind until she saw Ryu stepping down towards them. Are you going to get mad for some reason? Because my mind keeps telling me that you will. Because I feel like I know parts of you even though not fully.
"Stay here for a while Devin. You must be tired." Ryu smiled faintly, keeping a hand over his shoulder. Devin didn't expect it, his dull face lighting up in reassurance. Maybe it was because he didn't expect it… They had already spent too much time apart so of course there was some stiffness in the atmosphere every time he was near Ryu. But now he felt relaxed.
"Of course. I wanted to ask you the same…" Devin said embarrassed, scratching his neck as Ryu smirked.
"You don't have to ask… That's not how we are."
Devin nodded, smiling as he walked beside Ryu to the couch. Darah smiled seeing the two and headed upstairs to get changed in between. Mrs. Ruo grabbed cold beer for the two and set it on the table. Ryu was especially tired today so he didn't mind how cold it was and began to take small gulps.
"So… Is everything Okay with her? Won't Mr. Sheng get mad if he knew?" Devin asked, feeling genuinely curious about Darah.
"I don't know Devin… I've been thinking about it too…" Ryu muttered, looking at the ceiling as he sank into the softness of the leather couch. Devin played with the drink in his hand, whirling it before he took a gulp.
"Don't you think it would be a mess if people got to know of her staying here? What about moving her elsewhere? That would be more appropriate…" Devin said as a matter of factly, considering how it would be satisfactory for her too.
"I thought it would be that simple. But the more I try, I feel like I'll be making a mistake." Ryu sighed, closing his eyes.
"But, why not!? She's a grown woman, Ryu. You can't keep her here…" Devin raised a brow at him.
"I can't afford to lose any more…" Ryu didn't look like he had completed his sentence but he stopped himself anyway. Devin looked at him blankly.
"I've decided. She will stay here. That's the only way I can keep the both of us safe." Ryu said firmly, taking another huge gulp of his drink. That wasn't enough for Devin. He stared at Ryu's long frame, messy hair… something wasn't right.
"Lang Han… It's him. There's no one else who's got the guts to threaten us. The one who attacked her and Lyra that day was his uncle. They're all after us." Ryu said calmly as he took another gulp. Devin was silent in his seat. Was this why he was so persistent in keeping her here? In that case he couldn't protest. Not even Lyra tried to question his choices.
"Do you really think… Mr. Sheng killed him that day? Lang Han's father?" Devin asked in concern.
"He's never told me. Our old man has done pretty fucked up things so you can guess for yourself." Ryu muttered as he gazed into space. He recalled the last time he asked his father about it, when Ryu was just Sixteen. Aldric only patted his head and stared back with a guilty expression and said nothing.
"One thing I know, is that Lang Han wants us, Aldric's children, because he wants the old man to feel the same pain he did. He's roughly the same age as me, now that I think about it. Losing his father at that age must've filled him with rage." Ryu looked quite emotionless about it when he took another gulp but it puzzled Devin. It looked like he knew Lang Han before...
After a while of talking, Devin left after he received an urgent call from his assistant. Ryu waved him bye, still sitting over the couch in exhaustion. But the faint sound of footsteps interrupted his train of thoughts, looking sideways to see those brown eyes drawing closer and closer. A lazy smile appeared on his lips.
"Is he gone?" Darah asked in doubt as she looked around.
"Yes he is ma'am. Do you need something?" Ryu smirked. She bit her lips and nodded, feeling stupid about walking downstairs. His gaze turned soft as he looked at her closely and found himself admiring her black dress… How couldn't he? Black was his favourite colour.
Darah felt her heart racing all of a sudden. Why are you looking at me like that, you creep! She turned around a bit awkwardly, as if trying to go upstairs again. Ryu felt funny looking at her adorable actions at times which she was too oblivious to. How come a girl in a midlife crisis is so calm about it? Was she so used to this perhaps… And he found it weird how she never once tried to contact her parents. It looked like they had abandoned her.
"Who told you to leave?" He said all of a sudden with a playful gaze, Darah turning around awkwardly again. What is up with this guy!
"What?" She sounded tired and so far from being afraid of him unlike before, which comforted Ryu internally. He extended his hand and pointed to the couch facing him.
"Sit there. I have questions and they've been bothering me for a while."
He's ordering me around now… Darah pursed her lips, shooting a glance at him as she sat before him.
"Ok. Go on." Darah said softly. He nodded.
"That day at your place, when that man threw that knife at you. How did you catch it with that precision? You're a clumsy girl for all I know. How?" His gaze was sharp and Darah found her heart beating out of her chest. Calm down! It's your gaze that's making me so nervous! She felt like a criminal even though she wasn't, for the moment.
"I-I… I don't know. I've just always liked knives, swords... I just felt like I could catch it then. "
Darah took a deep breath. Ryu looked like he wasn't satisfied, staring into her soul.
"Lie… You wouldn't learn it all of a sudden."
"It sounds stupid but no! I'm not lying!" Darah found herself getting defensive and calmed down. Ryu got up from his seat and advanced towards her. Leaning down, he gazed into her sparkling brown eyes silently pleading for innocence.
"A natural love for swords and knives… Come with me."
Darah's heart skipped a beat. Come where?