Raven's Past

It's already dark outside, but Kinrue stays in a playground near Raven's house. She's sitting on the swing, moving it back and forth while looking at the ground. There's no one in the area except to her, even a passerby, you can't see anyone and the silence is too deafening. She doesn't know the reason she ends up here. But before she knows it, she's sitting on the swing with a lot of thoughts in mind. Compared to the roadside, the playground doesn't have a single light. Without the light from the moon, you barely can't see anything.

In the middle of silence, she heard a footstep coming in her direction, so she would look behind and saw Raven. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she heaves a sigh and stops from moving the swing.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I should be the one asking the same question. My house is a few meters away from here, but you..."

She tightened the grip on the side of the swing before moving again. "I want to pass the time. It's my day-off besides I don't want to go home."

"Here, of all places?" He asked. It made her flinch.

"Argh! I'm exhausted from doing those punishment, I don't have enough strength to argue with you. Think whatever scenario running inside that sh*thead of yours."

Instead of talking back again, Raven sits on the other swing beside her. A long silence lingers in between them as the chilly breeze of air brush off in their skin. They can hear the rustling of the falling dead leaves and the sound of a dancing leaves on the tree as the wind blows. Despite of the silence, Raven takes a brief glance in her direction. She has this mixed emotions and deep thoughts look. It's the same as that day, inside the Asura Town and when she comes to his house on its own.

"Did something happen?" He asked.

"Nothing,"

"You should feel contented now, the man you like run with you this afternoon. What's with that face?"

"Are you talking about Lorcan? I wish it's like the same as before, but Lorcan and I are more brother and sister now. Besides, you ruin my mood."

A chuckle escape from his mouth. "Brother and sister? If you ever saw your face that time, you'll never say something like that,"

"Stop annoying me, sh*thead."

"Do you want to go to the seaside?"

Kinrue stop moving the swing for a while, giving him a suspicious glare. "Did you eat something weird? What date is it today? Maybe I'm too exhausted and hearing things out."

"Do you want to go to the seaside? Don't fool around and answer me if yes or no."

"Only the two of us?" She asked without hesitation, but he nod. "Seaside? It's been a long time since I last came there."

A gush of cold wind came, making Kinrue's hair dance along with it. Under the light of the moon, he notices the sad smile form into her mouth as if a painful memory from the past resurfaces inside her mind. Raven stop from moving the swing and stare at her, but after a few minutes passed he continues to move again and look away. A long, deafening silence remains in between them.

"One of my best friend during elementary school drowned himself on the exact day of my competition, a national swimming tournament." He said. It made Kinrue flinch and look at him with surprise.

"Why are you telling me that?"

"His dream is to become an athlete, to enter the national team someday, but I took that dream away from him. Instead of him, I got chosen as a representative of our school. He insisted on fighting me, just the two of us in 200m distance freestyle. But in the end, I still win. Since that day, my friend has never talked and acts weird. He practice more than anyone, even at night that even our coach worried for his health. On the exact day of my competition, right before our turn, we receive a devastating news about him getting drowned in the sea. I blame myself for what happened. It hurts so much that my tears won't come out, but inside of me I want to scream and tell him I regret everything happened. At last, it made me unstable and got disqualified in the competition."

"There's always a person whom effortlessly sitting on the top without doing something because they excel on everything. I know the feelings of it, being compared, being left-out and being not enough despite of doing everything you can do." She heaves a sigh and looks up as the clouds move to hide the moon.

"He still hunts me, even in my dreams. In fact, I don't see my purpos—"

"Stop right there, sh*thead. You're not supposed to tell me all your life stories and worries. Do you expect me to help you cope up with it?" Kinrue abruptly stand up and cover his mouth with both hands. "Don't tell your enemies the weakness you have. It's your loss."

They stare at each other for a few seconds before Raven holds her hand and removes it. He chuckles while looking down and still holding her hand tight.

"You're really something else, empty head. Thanks for reminding me you're one of those people who holds a grudge for me."

"Of course, it's my role to protect my pride." She said, full of confidence.

"Yesterday, you let me choose between you and Callie, who's drowning in the opposite direction. I didn't remain silence because I want to save Callie. I just don't want anyone to die because of my selfishness."

Kinrue notices his hands trembling and the looks in his eyes show how frightened he is in a mere thought. It's a shock for her to see him act like this since he's supposed to be an arrogant and emotionless rich man. But there's no perfect in this world, even him who has everything in life.

She heaves a sigh and takes her hand back before pinching his both cheeks that made him shout in pain.

"I thought its fun to see you look scared and sad, but I prefer to see your mad, annoying face." She said, before letting him go. "Don't worry, I won't die. Maybe I'll leave someday, but I won't die."

"L-leave?"

"What? Do you expect me to stick with you for the rest of our lives?" She gives him an insulting smirk.

"No."

Kinrue burst out laughing because of his quick answer. "This is more like you,"

"It's enough. You already have fun laughing at me. I'll walk you to the bus stop since it's dark."

"You should go ahead first. I'll be fine here."

"Are you really going to tell me to go home before you?"

"Don't act like a gentleman. It doesn't fit you."

"You... You don't want to go home, right?"

She didn't answer, instead look away from his gaze.

"Let's go home, sleep in my house."

A slight grin form into her mouth. "If you insist so, I'll sleep with you."

Instead of correcting her last words, he didn't say a word, rather stand and walk ahead towards his house. Kinrue follows him in silence from behind, with a wide, playful grin.

After a few minutes of walk, they reach their destination. The lights are on from inside. It's a sign that someone's already there. Although he knows 'that' someone, he still can't help but frown. He open the door and went ahead first just to see Nianan sitting on the sofa. He's busy playing on his phone while wearing a headphone. There's a chips, cup noodles and in-can drink on the center table. It's a mess. Raven can't help but grit his teeth. Since the day his cousin came, he always sees these scenes and ends up cleaning all the messes he did.

It took a few seconds before Nianan notice their presence. He looks at them in surprise, while looking behind his cousin.

"Brother, you didn't inform me. You'll bring the evil woman here. What's this situation? I thought you're fighting? Did you coax her?"

"A month already passed, but he's still here? When do you plan to kick him out?" Kinrue asked, raising her right brows.

"If there's someone who needs to be kicked out here, it's you. Am I wrong?"

"Y-you punk."

"Stop it. Go to my room and change your clothes."

"Oh?! Are you sleeping together again? Brother, you're acting not yourself whenever you're with her. You don't want anyone to lie on your bed or touch the things inside, except to Molly, who always forces herself in. Even Callie isn't an exemption." Nianan chuckles. "Did you grant her a special privilege?"

"This man's annoying like a piece of sh*t. Do you want a fight?" Kinrue snaps and is about to walk forward, but Raven stops her.

Both of them exchange a glance for a second before she let out a sigh and step back. She rolls her eyes out of annoyance.

"Don't mind him, get inside."

She didn't say a single word and walk towards Raven's room, slamming the door hard.

"Can you stop annoying her? It's too hard to coax her, you know?"

"I should be the one asking you, why can't you let her be? Do you think I didn't notice how you always watch her from afar as if a loyal guard? Almost everyone in our circle knows you're too protective of Callie, and now you're doing the same to that woman? Do you even know she hated a person like her?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Auntie, keep asking me about her and Callie keep asking around about your relationship with her. Only Molly accepted your so-called relationship. Hence, you never put a label on it. You're neither one nor the latter."

"So? What are you trying to say?"

"You can't choose two women at once or love them at once. It's a taboo."

Raven chuckles. "Mom isn't the one who told you to stay here. It's dad, right?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'm just bored enough. I want a little entertainment."

"Suit yourself."

He turn his back to Nianan and walk towards his room without looking back.

"Poor brother, you didn't know how the real elite world works. Besides on the basic traits, you need the most is to be smart enough to detect and interpret a lie. A good lie or a terrible lie. Which will you choose?" He mumbles, shrugs his head.