Comfort

"Miss Lyra, it's time for dinner." 

The girl was busy giggling at her phone that she barely noticed her servant standing out the half open door awkwardly. 

"Miss Lyra!" The young lady called out again. Noticing Lyra wasn't responding, Zeke barged in. 

"Big sister!" He called out firmly with a glare. Lyra lost all interest in her phone and turned to him with a pout. 

"What! Can't I have one second to myself!" 

Zeke sighed. It was true that she had been busy with her schedule lately… But how was he supposed to tell her that she had been giggling an hour away on that silly pink phone of her's! If he did, she'd either get mad and argue with him or just completely shut him off. The perks of being treated like a little brother, he guessed. 

"Big sister, you've had an hour to yourself now. Look at the time!" Zeke retorted regardless at the vintage styled clock in her room. Her dinner time was usually 8:30 but now it was 9:30. Something clicked her only then. 

"Oh…" She looked at her phone blankly. The servant shook her head and went downstairs to set the table. Zeke had a peculiar doubt in his eyes as he went beside her, lying all comfy in her bed. 

"It's him isn't it!?" Zeke grabbed the phone from her hands. Lyra gasped and tried to get it back but he blocked her with his hands while at the same time reading through the chats with an amusing smirk. 

"Oh look, you're being lovey dovey again. I can see hearts every five seconds." 

Lyra was embarrassed, cheeks red. She knew he'd make fun of her... Anyone would!  It was now obvious to Zeke too that she caught feelings pretty quickly. 

"Give it to me you shit head! Or I'll fire you!" Lyra knew life would be lonely without her bodyguard brother. But giving a warning might make him behave more properly. Zeke had this peculiar habit of reading into her eyes and cared deeply about her. He knew exactly how she felt… And for that very reason, Lyra couldn't let him go, no matter how bratty he was. Zeke was once again silent to het tantrums. 

These feelings, they're not okay, Lyra thought. After all, Allen was an RnB agent and having any sort of relation with him which was remotely unprofessional would entirely ruin both their careers, especially her's before it even started. 

"Do you think it's wrong?" Lyra gazed at Zeke with her puppy eyes. 

"To love someone? No. But to fall in love with different dudes every two months!? Yes!" 

Lyra threw her pillow at him with a pout. How could he be so cruel with his words, even though it was true!?

"Oh Zeke! Do you think I should talk with Darah about this? Maybe she'll be able to find out if my feelings are just temporary or if something's wrong with me."

"She's not your doctor for god's sake." Zeke placed a palm to his face. Lyra bit her lips and turned dull. 

"She might know something about love… Well, I'll see her anytime later. But for now, I will see my most trusted advisor…" Lyra looked like a witch planning something malicious. 

"What advisor?" Zeke asked, a glint of curiousity in his eyes. 

"Mina Yang, my life guide. Everything from love to death, there's nothing she doesn't know of. She sees everything through her crystal ball" 

Zeke was dumbfounded. He had nothing more to ask. Say a word and she might say even more stupid things. Except that Lyra knew Mina wasn't just any cheap con artist… There were things she knew that Lyra never thought of. A very noble gift of reading into people's minds. 

_____

Darah's feet felt cold on the freezing ceramic white floor. She fell over the bed and pulled the sheets to her neck. There were only three words running through her mind… "Make it stop" as she thought back to how he held her hands, embraced her dearly like he knew her since ages… 

Ah shoot! I can't get it out my mind! She twisted in her bed like a worm every two seconds, trying to think of something else. She had to continue her classes which she had left out for several weeks at her coaching institute. At this rate, she felt like she was going to lose her focus before she could even get back on track. She didn't want to end up being a loser… not at least academically. It would be a disgrace to all the times she braved through the bullying to get at least okay grades even though not perfect like her sister. 

A sudden wave of loneliness took over her as she sat straight on her bed. She knew it was that feeling again, where she felt like she was being dragged into darkness. 

"Darah… Please come down for dinner in a few minutes alright?" A motherly voice interrupted her wave of dark thoughts. It was Mrs Ruo, half open door giving a peek to her black and white dress. Darah suddenly got reminded of her mother… 

"I'll be there." She smiled. Mrs Ruo nodded as she went back downstairs. Darah's smile slowly faded to it's previous state, her hands fidgeting in restlessness. She gave a brief glance and aimed for the phone. It had been a while since she rang that number…

 I never really disliked them. I just never understood them after all. Maybe it's my fault. Darah told herself as she heard the repeated rings with the phone against her ear.

A lady in her late forties picked the call on the other side. Her tired voice sounded a faint "Hello?". 

"Mom?" Darah sounded hesitant even though her heart fluttered in happiness.

Mother Chen gave an almost fightened gasp. Was it really true what she was hearing!? She felt a deep pang on her chest listening to that long forgotten voice. 

"Darah! Oh my god what has been up with you!" 

Darah felt her eyes getting warm after hearing her slightly angry voice after a long time. 

"Do you know how many times your institute called me up! You've been bunking classes haven't you! You can't do one thing right! You've done nothing but waste my money!" 

Darah's hopeful expression in her eyes dropped the moment she heard that. A bitter pain pricked her chest… She ignored it anyway and continued. 

"Mom.. I've not been feeling great lately." She sniffled, thinking back to her old days. No matter what she did, she couldn't get some horrible faces out of her mind. Even though her parents didn't help her back then, she hoped kind words at least now… Just once. 

"Of course you wouldn't feel great. You've left us all alone here, putting us in nothing but agony. Everyone keeps asking us about your whereabouts! What do I reply to them? They see you as some outcast! This was not how we brought you up Darah. Not to be some, runaway!" 

Darah gripped her phone tight hearing her mothers crying voice. It hurt her just as bad but they'd never understand. They never did. 

"Look Darah. Come back. We don't care how bad you're keeping up with your studies or your plans about the future. Listen to me. I've found a great match for you with your aunt's request! I'm sure you'll love him-" 

"No." Darah replied instantly. Her mother scoffed on the other side. She half expected it. 

"I'm dealing with a bad time now. I can't come to terms with your plans until I feel like I'm okay. " Darah said softly even though at the brink of tears. 

"All you've given me are excuses! Look at how far better your sister is!? Why can't you just be like her!" 

"Because I'm not her!" Darah screamed at last, breaking into ugly tears. Her mother went silent on the other side. 

"Why! Why can't you just understand that whatever I'm saying isn't made up! You cannot just expect me to grow up into a person that fits into your vision! I don't give a fucking damn about it! You still call my problems excuses!!! Why!? Are my problems not actual problems to you!?" 

Without expecting a reply, she cut the call and weakly tossed the phone over the bed. She found her shoulders shaking, unable to hold in the tears again. "Don't cry…" She whispered in a low voice but it wouldn't stop. It gushed out of her eyes like a water dam. Suddenly she heard the door creak open fully behind her. She froze in a trapped state.

"You're being awfully late. Skipping dinner again?" It was Ryu's deep voice again. But for some reason, it sounded demanding this time. She hoped he'd leave that instant because the moment he'd try to get a word out of her mouth, she was sure her voice would break. Please don't see my face… But her worst fear relived itself when he stepped near her. She didn't want to cry in front of him. 

"I'll be d-downstairs in a minute." Shit, my voice broke! Darah cursed herself, her eyes streaming endlessly. 

"Is that so…?" Ryu replied in a cold voice, his hand on her wrist, making her turn around. She lost all the gathered up strength remaining inside her then and there. 

"Don't look at m-me."

The moment she faced him with her head held low, her lips trembled and broke into painful sobs. He couldn't think of anything else seeing her like that. In an instant, Darah felt warm hands around her body, pulling her into a tight hug for the second time that day… She hadn't felt more relieved. His body was so warm against her's that Darah almost felt herself slipping into a dreamland.  But how strange it was, that she felt like she'd hugged him a thousand times before.