154. Let It Burn

A regular evening had ended on a good note, the sight of dad Robin dancing in the middle of the living room whilst holding a spatula in his hand. There was a jubilant mood in the air, Stan in the open kitchen singing along as he picked up a set of plates and set them on top of the dining table. He then took his phone and began filming his father.

Both Yeon and dad Joss immediately got submerged into the merriment that dad Joss ran to his pair, joining in as if he had an idea of the reason behind the celebratory mood.

Yeon laughed watching the two dancing as they sang in unison. They did it so naturally and with the music playing loudly, it was hard to tell if they were lip-synching or not. No matter. It had been a while since he'd experienced such a happy atmosphere, excluding his engagement to his fated.

Stan quickly stopped filming his parents and gestured for Yeon to sit beside him at the kitchen counter. He took over the cooking seeming that dad Robin had forgotten about the meal he'd been preparing.

"What's the celebration about?

"The twins are set to be discharged soon. To think Elric delivered successfully without any damage to his womb was something my dad was very much stressing over."

Yeon smiled, looking at his parents. "I haven't spoken to either Niel or Elric but it gladdens me to know everything is going well..."

"I missed you." Stan interrupted. "Nowadays, you spend more and more time with dad. From one lab to another, one annoying uncle to his similar in character brother."

"Still jealous even after we got engaged?"

Stan laughed then continued humming to the music that played as he went on about the kitchen. After a while, Yeon came behind him and inquired what they were making for dinner."

"Dad was in the mood for pork stew but you know him when he is in a good mood. There are other dishes he has prepared and packed ready for uncle to pick later on."

"Can I have a taste. It looks yummy."

"Sure." Scooping some stew with a soup spoon, Stan grinned when Yeon blew on it then slurped it afterwards.

"Yummy. I'll regret moving out and missing your dads' cooking the most."

"They'll probably invite you over many times by baiting you to some meal or two."

"I won't turn them down."

"I bet you wouldn't." Looking at both his parents, Stan added, "this situation is a win to them as it is for Elric. Perhaps they finally got their closure. I used to bother them when I was a toddler that I wanted a sibling. Even though dad Robin's younger sister was almost my age, the furthest she became was a best friend than a sister. If you'd have met her, you'd have loved her. She was a balance of Elric and I, playful and funny at the same time."

"You all must really miss her."

"Yea. Elric kind of replaced the void she left behind in our lives." Stan grimaced. "He has annoyed me from the moment I met him, hardly knowing how to mind his own business."

"Is that your way of saying you care about him?"

"You bet." Stan smiled then looked back at his fated. "Anyway, knowing how much you like Niel, this makes you an uncle to two."

Yeon laughed. "To three. Don't forget Haesol."

"How is it working with dad though? Is it different from the science of fateds?"

"You'd be surprised it's much more complex studying pairs."

"How so?"

"Upon scent manifesting for fateds, everything is black and white. Even half of a manifestation offers direction or something to work with as opposed to pairs."

"I'd thought working with pairs would be easier since you're only left with two primary scents to deal with."

Yeon whispered. "Since we are on the subject of childbirth, how do you think your dad delivered with no calming scent when they both share a weak spiritual essence? He must have gone through hell and back considering he too conceived much earlier before womb maturity. If they had been fated, it doesn't necessarily exempt one from experiencing extreme pain but it helps a great deal having a fated's scents at his disposal. Chances are, that is what saved Elric from rapturing his womb or succumbing to other major and minor complications. Do not forget he was carrying twins while having a stunted womb."

"I get what you mean."

"The post care for pairs is also very much costly, and finance is an ingredient to most relationships breaking up. One may not know if they will be with their pair forever. It's never guaranteed. Occasionally, pairs also reject their partners scent during pregnancy due to constant hormonal change. I'm sure dad Robin must have had a pile of medications to help him cope with all that."

"I can't even begin to fathom how it might have been for him and as a marker, dad Joss must have felt completely useless." Stan remembered how much his parents used to argue before they finally decided to divorce. To think they were now dancing and singing like like highschoolers without a care was an image he never thought he'd see after they got separated.

"Other than that, everything else is direct and relatable to fateds. Anyway, I'm off to pertake in the celebration." Yeon spoke as he walked towards Stan's parents and joined in their merriment.

It was satisfying for Stan to see Yeon happy and blending well, singing in unison with his dads and as they laughed on, he slowly began to feel left out. Turning off the cooker, he covered the pork stew with a lid and just like a jealous lover, he got hold of Yeon's had and began dancing with him, throwing his parents a piercing look.

They laughed at his action and carried on until another song began playing.

"That was good. I'm so happy and hungry at the same time." Dad Robin panted while handing the spatula he'd been holding to Stan. "I'm going to take another shower."

"Let's eat first. The meal is ready." Stan suggested.

Just then, both dad Joss and dad Robin's phones rang. They looked at each other in surprise upon identifying the identity of the caller.

Dad Robin wore a concerned look on his face. "It's Elric's mother. I hope all is well."

"I'll answer and put her on loudspeaker..."

"No honey, the kids are here."

"Maybe it isn't concerning Mora but Elric this time..."

"Just answer it." Stan said. "Eventually, we are bound to find out everything."

Dad Joss answered his phone however, the conversation only lasted a few seconds for Elric's mother only advised for them to switch on the television.

"Oh my goodness!" Dad Robin exclaimed. "Another fire?"

"How? Are they trying to eliminate evidence?" Stan asked.

"By burning their properties? It's ridiculous! Elric's mother assured the prosecutors were professionals and under constant watch! They couldn't possibly have been bought already!"

"...Says no one was hurt dad..." Dad Joss mumbled quietly.

"Thats a relief."

"Though I'm kind of happy about the fire. I hope they lost a lot of money." Dad Joss added, his eyes fixated at the bottom of the screen as he read the caption, explaining the details of the incident.

"..And their stocks plunge..." Stan added.

"Stannie!"

"What? I won't pretend to feel sorry for them! They deserve much more damage than loosing a vaccation home..!"

"That house was probably worth millions! It will have an adverse impact on their wealth."

"You can't be hot and cold dad, pick a side and stick with it. Mora and her family have done outrageous things to us. To Yeon! To me! I'm relieved no innocent person has been hurt, but I'm definitely enjoying their losses whether they will experience the effect or not. Elric's mother did say herself they might get away with what they have done after the case was taken from her firm. She is a renowned lawyer who is putting her life on the line for all of us when she doesn't have to! Of course I'd definitely enjoy their demise and I don't regret wishing them much more suffering!"

Stan's parents were left speechless. It's true everyone was stressed about the constant back and forth and the fact that Mora's father had rigged the system had them constantly on their toes.

"Yeon, are you okay?" Dad Robin asked upon noticing his loud silence.

"This will disarm them and cause a minor chaos. I might not even have to be involved at baiting Mora anylonger."

"Have you been uneasy about the plan all this while?"

"Not really, but when someone else took the case, yes, I was initially. They probably burned their home on purpose. Fire is one of the best ways to eliminate DNA among other probable evidences. These people might be smarter than us."

"I don't think they started the fire." Dad Joss said, pointing at the screen. "Look."

"Mijin?" Yeon was the most shocked of them all. "What is she doing there?"

"She seems to be giving a statement." Stan responded seeming unsurprised to which Yeon's expression suddenly relaxed into a light chuckle.

'She promised me she'd seek help... I should have known to never take her word.' "She swore to make Mora pay for everything. Does she know much of her involvement with this puts us and my parents at a disadvantage?"

Dad Robin agreed. "Her presence there is definitely questionable and will ultimately jeopardize the case considering the circumstances behind the first fire. What is she up to again?"

"I told her to seek help, but as usual, she only listens to herself."

"Yeon, perhaps you're underestimating your sister far too much." Stan said. "If she told you that, she lied."

"I know. I also know she won't rest until she gets even with Mora."

A brief silence was felt in the room before dad Robin spoke. "She ran off as well as soon as she delivered. Yeon, your parents phoned us every hour looking for her."

"She moved out two weeks ago after returning willingly. She is living by herself now but none of us know her whereabouts." 'She also hasn't contacted me since our meeting."

"But isn't she risking a lot? She is handling everything the wrong way as it is. Elric's mother has been following the case closely..."

"Honey, I think we know what is going on here." Dad Joss said. "Don't you think she knows well what Mijin has been up to considering how vigilant and meticulous she is?"

"If she did, she'd have stopped Mijin from being involved."

"Exactly."

"You don't mean...Elric's mother is Mijin's accomplice? That's absurd!"

"I think she is just letting things happen." Stan said. "The case was taken away from her therefore she has no responsibility to protect her opponent. Aren't you also forgetting she mentioned Mora's father threatened Elric's life?"

"Oh my word..." Dad Robin appeared to be in panic. "That means no protection whatsoever is given to Mijin!" Looking at Yeon, he asked. "Is your sister going to be alright?"

Yeon smiled in response, though unsure of his sister's circumstances at heart. "She always plans ahead. For her to execute such a daring move and show her face to the media, she knows what she is doing."

"I agree." Stan nodded then drifted his eyes back to the screen and watched Mijin confidently giving her statement to the reporters of the incident. She seemed confident in herself as she narrated how she met with the fire as a passerby. "She is a formidable fiend, and vengeful for that matter.