An Eye of Malice

"Malice is always authentic and sincere."

—Mason Cooley

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"What are you doing there? You told us your shift is at the café today."

"Kai asked me to compete. His father held a bartending competition. He forgot to inform me and basically dragged me here just minutes ago. I called as soon as I finished dressing up."

A sigh escaped my lips when he said this. Kai was abusing his authority. He knew Thorn is a man of part and he used it to his advantage. I can't fault him though. Thorn owes him a lot of shifts already so I guess this is him asking for payback.

"Do you need a cheering squad?"

"Come on, Wit. I can get that without calling you. I just wink and the girls go cheering. Chanting my name."

Arrogant rascal.

"Cheeky. You'll get a slap later for saying that."

Thorn just laughed at what I said. His voice was loud, but I could tell the little strain at the end of his laughter. Hah. He must be nervous. If I report this, he'll really receive one or two slaps later.

"Phi will slaughter you if she doesn't get her coffee. We promised her that when we left the park." I opened up, reminding him that the initial itinerary for this evening was the café, not the bar.

He halted his laughter and cleared his throat, refocusing on our conversation instead of coming up with solutions to evade the slap he would receive later on. "That's why I called you."

"Nope. I'm not taking your place on this one, Thorn. The last time I took the blame, Phi nearly went nuts on me."

"No. I want you to go to the café and get her coffee before heading here. I already asked Non to make her favorite blend. Fetch the coffee first before going to Phi. That will calm her down so she won't rage on me for changing plans."

Thorn's timing is actually perfect. I was near the intersection of the café and just needed to take a turn to get there. Following his plan was now the best choice so I did as he said and took my time traveling to the café.

"What time are you competing? I hope we get to see you perform." I am not much of a bar person. The only time I go clubbing or even visit bars is when Thorn performs.

His low chuckle could be heard from the other line. "I'm competing last. Asked Kai for it. With your driving speed, I need to be last so you can watch."

I could only roll my eyes at his teasing. "You'll hear no cheering from me."

"Ohoi! I was just kidding!" he replied, chuckling. "I need you, Wit~"

Ah.

Yes.

Now, this is what you call a joke.

"I'm here," I stated, having no intentions of replying to his desperate attempt to take back what he said about my driving.

I pulled into the driveway and not a moment too soon, Non came out with a cup of coffee in his hands. "Nong Non~"

"I just brewed it, Phi~" he said as he handed it to me through the car window. His signature beret looked flashy this evening as it matched the rustic wood interior of the cafe. "Should still be fresh for P'Vine."

I gave him a grateful smile. Non is young and is working the evening shift in the cafe for extra income. The three of us adore him not simply because his visuals are pleasing to the eye, but because he pays great attention to details. He knows what Vine would want from the tone of her voice and the expression that she makes. He knows just how sweet Thorn wants his coffee and what dessert would excite him the most.

He's the other reason why the cafe is always filled during the evening. When Thorn isn't available for the evening shift, Kai would place all his trust in Non and no other employee would argue his decision. Non is the best kid there is to trust in handling customers.

"Thank you, Nong," I muttered after settling the coffee in the passenger seat. Afterward, I took out the payment and made sure to include a huge tip for our hardworking junior.

Non received it with a huge smile. "Thank you, Phi! Please send my regards to P'Vine."

I nodded my head in acknowledgment. "Have a great evening, Nong Non."

And with that, I was en route to Vine's Taekwondo center. A cup of coffee as an offering and a prayer ran through my head. I hope this is enough to keep my head sticking to my neck.

*****

Noise. Smoke. Passion.

3 words I dislike but now I'm currently mingling with. The club that Kai's family set up is regal as it targets those with higher standings in society—those with deep pockets. However, it is still a club and clubs are my least favorite places.

My nostrils were already flaring up as we passed by the dance floor. The area was already filled with people, grinding bodies with one another, in both friendly and sensual manner.

I didn't dare linger my eyes on it and continued traversing to the bar counter, holding P'Vine's hand safely in my hands. I didn't want to let her go, afraid that she'd get lost in the crowd. A lot of men were already eyeing her when we walked in so losing her in such an area worries me.

"Wit!" Thorn yelled out while jogging at us.

Behind him was Kai, whom I hadn't seen in a while. His face was now more pronounced thanks to his jawline which seems to have sharpened in the time I was absent in his life.

He was quick to offer us a wide smile. "Wit! Vine! It's been a long time"

Like a golden retriever wagging his tail, he waited for us to arrive where he stood before pouncing at the both of us. "I missed you."

A mixture of sandalwood and citrus fruit greeted my nostrils and I felt myself inhaling sharply, taking in his refreshing scent. Damn. He smells expensive as usual.

"I doubt you missed me," Vine jokingly said before jabbing his side. "You quarreled with my twin, didn't you? You stopped visiting us so Ma has been yapping about you lately."

"She mentioned you when I went to get the car," I reported which made Kai give out a chuckle, delighted to hear our mother adoring him like she would do to her sons. Our mother is kind and loves unconditionally, so getting dotted upon by her is a blissful experience.

Vine who was comfortable around Kai, was now slinging her arms around his shoulder. "Your charisma is something else. You managed to capture our Ma's heart."

"What use is it anyway? I can't even- - -"

"Here we go again," Thorn grumbled before facing our confused glances at Kai's begrudged face. "He's been like that for some time now."

"Wait," Vine muttered before she forced Kai to look at her. "You were unable to visit us because you're heartbroken?"

Kai remained silent which made Vine immediately hug him, caressing his back as comfort. "Gosh! You should have told us. We would have comforted you and shared your sorrow."

"Right," he said in a sassy voice. "By what? Drinking with me till we pass out?"

"You make it sound like a bad thing,"

"It is!" Thorn and Kai answered in chorus. They were already accustomed to the horrors of a drunk Vine and they witnessed quite an atrocity the last time they went Drop Drinking.

Vine in her bad mood is enough to make us cower. We fear her when she's in a bad mood. But when she's drunk, we shudder and we end up collapsed in exhaustion from neutralizing her.

Offended, Vine turned to me but I agreed with them instead. "It's a bad thing, Phi. That's why I'm no longer allowing you to do Drop Drinking."

"If Wit thinks that, it only means it's that bad, Phi," Thorn said as he patted Vine's shoulder to console her. "No more Drop Drinking for you."

"I don't believe it's that bad. You have no proof."

The three of us who were present during the chaos she made the last time she got madly drunk looked at one another. We all had the same thoughts and it was written all over our faces.

"We were too busy holding you back to even think about capturing proofs." I bravely replied, shuddering at the memory. "Reliving that memory brings me anxiety, Phi. Don't you ever do it again, "

Before she could refute it, I redirected her gaze to the people slowly swarming the bartending area. The DJ was slowly hyping up the crowd, building tension in the air using his sounds. With this many girls around, everyone immediately realized that the bartending competition was about to start.

"Where is she?"

I nudged Thorn who repeatedly looked at the entrance of the bar with worry. He said he didn't need any cheerleader but he invited his girlfriend anyway. Such a liar he is.

"I'll look out. You should be preparing already."

"You sure?"

"Trust your brother, will you?" I muttered before pushing him towards where the other competitors were waiting. Kai already left our side and was talking to the staff, preparing the flow of the competition.

He patted Thorn on his back as soon as he reached the podium. With the way he's acting, even bystanders would be able to tell that he has favorites. Thorn, not wanting to gain unnecessary malice, slowly blended with the rest of the competitors.

"I thought for sure they started already," Vine commented before leading me near the entrance of the club. If we stay here, it would be much easier to spot Thorn's girlfriend.

I turned to look at the podium once more and caught sight of Kai. He has partial control over this competition. "Kai must have done something again."

"Thorn is surely lucky to have met a boss like him."

Kai just suddenly came into our lives and he made an impact. Each time I look at him, I remember how he managed to ensnare almost everyone in the family and his presence remained—always lingering.

He's now Thorn's best friend and one of his greatest supporters.

"Thankfu---"

I was unable to finish my words as my body stumbled down. My arm hit someone and he was in a far bigger proportion, causing me to lose balance. As soon as my butt hit the hard floor, I yelped out a groan of pain causing Vine to panic.

"Wit! Are you okay?!"

There were a lot of people in this vicinity so I was quite embarrassed by what happened. It was partly my fault though for not noticing and for absentmindedly roaming after knowing that the crowd was gathering for the competition.

Before I could answer her and accept her outstretched hands, someone else's hands came into my view causing me to slowly tilt my head and search for their eyes.

"I'm sorry." the stranger who bumped into me said, his voice a bit husky but still audible despite the loud sound erupting from the huge speakers of the club.

He was offering me his hands and was staring directly at me—his face filled with worry and genuine apology. I couldn't help but stare at him as well and as I did, one of the spotlights hit his spot, revealing his wavy mid-length brown hair.

It looked a bit disheveled which made me think of the things he did in the club. What naughty things did he do that have caused his hair to turn like a nest.

"Are you okay?" he asked once more, now seeking for my answer with his dark chocolate brown eyes. His brows were now furrowed, perplexed by me continuing to sit on the cold tiled floor.

I don't like this position, but I was so awestruck by his strong features that I was unable to move. Even Vine was stuck in her place, observing as the man continued to offer his hands despite seeing hers already open for me to take.

"Wit?"

Great. Now I'm stuck choosing between the two.

"What are you doing?" Kai suddenly asked as he arrived from behind Vine. What he did caused Vine to retract her hands and jog to him who was inquiring on the sideline.

Mr. Stranger took this opportunity and offered his hands closer to me. "Let me help you up."

Well, he's kind enough to apologize despite it being my mistake, so who am I to decline his offer? I immediately stretched out my hands and accepted his. He pulled me up without much effort, flexing his biceps to the crowd as he did so.

"Thank you," I politely said as I dusted my pants. Once done, I looked back at the stranger and offered him a smile. "I apologize for bumping into you."

I thought for sure he would reply to what I said immediately. But he remained silent instead and simply looked at me. For a second, I was filled with confusion and an uncomfortable feeling slowly started settling in.

"Uhm---"

"I'm the one at fault earlier," he suddenly interjected with a sheepish and shy smile resting on his face. "Are you injured? I hope that didn't leave any scratch or bruise on you."

"I'm fine. Just startled by what happened."

"That's good."

I was supposed to offer my apologies once more because clearly, I was the inattentive one earlier. Before anything could be said, Vine's inquisitive gaze sent me to be aware of my surroundings once more.

My eyes trailed off to her and she was just on the side, waiting for me...quite impatiently considering how furrowed her brows were.

"I'm still here." she mouthed which I immediately replied with a nod.

I turned to the stranger one last time before giving him a bow of apology. "Sorry again...and thank you for the help."

Afraid that Vine would fetch me herself, I jogged to her side without hearing from him again. As soon as I arrived, I offered Vine a smile asking for her understanding. "Sorry for the wait."

"What did Kai say?"

Vine raised her brows before giving me a smile. "You go first. What did that hottie say? Did he ask for my number?...or...did he ask for yours?"

"No, Phi. He simply apologized for bumping into me." I replied while shaking my head at the absurdity of her question. "I thought your type was nerdy men?"

"That man can surely rock a nerdy style too," she replied before checking out at the man who was now but a retreating figure in my eyes.

"Stop checking him out, Phi. You're so obvious."

"Let me check his socials then," she muttered as a rebuttal to my statement. "What's his name?"

"He didn't say."

Vine who was already opening her application was suddenly stuck solid. It took her a few seconds to react to what I said. "What?"

"Mr. Stranger seems conservative so he didn't say his name," I replied with a chuckle causing Vine's shoulders to slumped in dismay. "So what did Kai say?"

"I thought for sure he'd give it. He seemed interested."

Her monologue caused me to shake my head with a smile resting on my face. "What did Kai say, Phi?"

Clearly bumped for a missed match, she answered me with a flat tone, clearly showing her sudden fluctuation of disinterest. "He already has someone looking out for Thorn's girlfriend. We should go back to our spot since he prepared it already."

"Then why are we still here?"

"To catch a glimpse of that hottie," she grumbled before holding my wrist. "Let's go. He's no longer here anyway."

She was gently pulling me close to her, holding my wrist securely. "I can walk just fine, Phi."

"Can't have you bumping into someone again," Vine said before eyeing me for a second. "Are you sure you're okay? No pain? No bruise? No scratch?"

She worries too much.

The look on her face seemed so serious that I had no heart to refute with a chuckle. "I'm really fine, Phi. No lies here. No cover-ups."

"If you feel dizzy or can't take all of this, you have to tell me. Don't go bottling up your discomfort again." she said with a tiny hint of her scolding voice. Those who knows me would say the same thing.

Because I do have the tendency to bottle up my feelings.

I received too much that I don't think its right for me to demand more or even voice out complaints. What used to be consideration, slowly became a habit, and now it's my behavior.

"Okay," I timidly replied, allowing her to pull me amidst the crowd. Our table was located near where the crowd was gathering; only slightly elevated so we could see the competition and the dance floor.

Vine managed to bypass the crowd, even daringly going pass the muscular men eager to watch the fun unfold. I look like a baby chick getting dragged around right now, but it didn't matter. Vine

wouldn't want to miss her twin's competition.

While Vine was busy pulling me along, I suddenly felt a shiver run down my spine. It's as if a cold air blew through and my senses tingled with warning.

Someone is watching me.

I could feel their eyes heavy on my shoulders. They were observing...quite intensely that it was making me anxious. Ever since I was a child, stares filled with malice always terrified me to the point of shiver. It was something that never went away no matter how safe I felt around my family and friends.

My heart began to race as I felt the stare lingering even more, watching my every move. I could feel them looking even at my most minuscule of movement. Every breath that I took and every sweat that dropped from my forehead was monitored closely.

I could feel them staring.

They weren't staring because of mere curiosity. I was sure of it. Rarely eyes such as this linger around me which made me panic even more.

It was a stare that bore malice.

Vine must have felt my hands turning cold because she immediately held in tighter. She stopped in her tracks and pulled me closer to her, hiding me in her back. "What's wrong?"

"Someone...is staring."

At my words, her ears immediately perked. She glanced around the room and made sure anyone staring would be alarmed and intimidated. "Can you sense where?"

There were far too many people for me to dissect where the stare was coming from. I know they aren't far, but they aren't that close either. They kept a safe distance, somewhere they can see everything that I did.

I was far too afraid to even look around now. I was afraid they'd do something if our eyes met. So I kept my head down and just cowered in Vine's back.

Perhaps because of her actions, the malicious stare disappeared and a sense of relief washed over me. "It's gone."

"Let's go home. I'll go tell Thorn." she said with conviction. Vine knows my trauma well. She had seen the severity of this and came to terms that I'm never going to get better.

But I don't want my trauma to control me. I always stiffen when it happens, but as years went on, I've learned to live with it. So long as the stare disappears, I can focus on calming myself down.

Thorn wouldn't perform well if he learns of what happened. So I thwarted her plans and held her hand with a smile.

"No," I replied and looked her in the eye, trying my best to calm my still racing heart. I tried hard to ease back a genuine smile. "Thorn can't afford distractions."

I was supposed to say more when a hand suddenly gripped my shoulder. "Ahhhh! Shit!"

"Wit???"

"Nana!" I exclaimed while clutching my chest. "You scared me!"

"Do I look like a ghost to you?" she asked with her usual sassy voice, contrary to her angelic beauty. "I came here in a hurry and yet you'd greet me like this?"

Vine immediately pinched her side for saying this. "Tone down that attitude, Nana. Someone was watching."

At this, Nana's gaze softened and her touch become more gentle. "Want to go out?"

"No! Thorn is going to perform soon."

"Leave him behind. He can handle his own." she sassed which made me chuckle.

"I know you don't mean that." I stood on my ground. "I'm really okay now. Let's just go to the front and blend in."

"Goodluck with that." Nana muttered, flipping her hair. She knows she's beautiful and she has no trouble flaunting it.

This attitude of hers made Vine and I look at one another and chuckle to ourselves. This girl sure says a lot when Thorn isn't around.

"You stay close, okay?" Vine whisperers to me before she dragged both of us to the front, acting as our shield and protector.

Watching her back made me feel the greatest security.

>>>To Be Continued