Me And My Proof

When I step inside, the dark red and wood storm up into my eyes. This room is decorated with amber wood, red fabrics, and red lanterns. To the left side of the hallway, there's a wooden counter and a medium-sized weighing scale on the counter. There's an old man with a long beard wearing black clothes, almost the same as two security guards. Behind him, there's a big cabinet with tiny lockers in order with the sign of a traditional word on each one. To the left is a tea section. The tea set is on each table, and a lot of herbs and tea leaves are on the tray. 

And the sound of the door in front of us is sliding to the right side. And Mr. Laith goes inside, Raden, me, and Emris.

The red light turns to be slightly faded away and gives me a softer light. The words that come into my mind are 'clean' and 'neat.' On the left is the wooden board with many paper notes on it, organized in a row, giving the perfect space between each other.

"What an honor..."

The sound of the man in front of us, sitting behind his desk, writing something on the paper. He says to Mr. Laith without looking at him.

"We have something to discuss. Dr. Zhen."

Mr. Laith.

"Should I be concerned? Since you brought the whole team with you."

Dr. Zhen.

"...Yes and no."

"What is it?... You come here after the match…should it be the other way around?"

"The boy that you captured earlier…"

"...How did you know? You were never interested in my business…or my work."

He still talks to Mr. Laith without any glances being given.

"He owes you 2 million, right? Here, 2 million for the boy."

"You know the boy?"

"Quarterly."

"Is he that important for you to rush in here and give your most valuable part to you?"

He asks and swifts his eyes quickly at the black bag.

"..."

Then Zhen shifts his eyes to me.

He's very pale and looks younger than I saw in the Underground.

"Is he more important than the rest here?"

He keeps asking.

"..."

"If not?"

"I will try to make you consider it again."

Mr. Laith talks to him while his hands are always in his pocket.

"Hehehe. Hmpt? Like you did with Udemy?"

He chuckles calmly, his left hand still moving, writing something.

He gives me a harrowing, calm vibe.

"..."

Mr. Laith stands still.

"Laith…You always let the emotion run your beautiful brain…Does she know?"

"..."

"That you lost your shit and killed all the Udemy's men…for her."

"!!"

I try to stay calm, but my eyes glance at Mr. Laith, who tries to hide his face from me.

"Not all."

Mr. Laith corrects Dr. Zhen.

"I always admire you, Laith… you're the coolest and most vicious person I've ever known…you always have the potential to be a…true villain…the mastermind..."

"..."

"And you're so good at finding the unique ones…The Amalgamare, the Shades, and...beautiful princess."

He shifts his eyes to look at Emris and Raden and back to me.

"Heh. Thank you for your compliment, but I would like to return to what I said."

"..."

He stops what he's doing on his desk and watches us all over again in detail with his eyes. And he stops at my body and smiles a little.

"How about I take the deal…this 2 million of what he owes. Tomorrow, she will fight with Da Ming, and only if she wins, you can take the boy back. But if he comes back again, it will not be your problem anymore... I will forget that you have stepped into my business. And if she loses, the boy is mine—2 million is still mine…and her... will be mine."

"!!!"

"...What do you say…take it or leave it."

"Heh."

Mr. Laith makes a sound in his throat and pushes his glasses closer to his eyes.

I feel something.

I glance at the shadow under my feet, the tiny smoke floating around my feet area, and start to float further away. Raden senses something and steps forward.

Emris holds my hand behind my back.

"Team leader."

Raden calls him.

"Hehe..."

Mr. Laith grabs his glasses, pushes them upward, and puts them over his head.

"You know, Dr. Zhen, I am a very possessive person...What is mine will always be mine..."

Is he talking about me?

"Heh..."

"That makes me want to have her more..."

Dr. Zhen leans his body closer to Mr. Laith and gives him a calm smile with a terrified look.

"What do you say? If not...just walk away. I have so much work to do."

"How can I know that he's still fine?"

I ask out of the blue.

Mr. Laith stops his action immediately.

"Huh...what a sweet voice...I make sure that he's fine...Roelle Reize."

"Doctor."

Then another voice comes in. The big man is wearing a long black cover with long pants, showing his muscles and his chest. The black hair with one eyelid eyes, sharp eyes like a hawk, the same as the man I fought this evening.

"..."

He looks at me and stares at me without a blink. His action is so obvious that he can't wait to punch me in the face.

"Starstruck, Da Ming?"

Dr. Zhen teases him.

I'm about to step forward, but Emris pulls me back. I look at him and smile.

"..."

He glares at me so hard. I touch his hand and push his hand out.

'Roelle...you say to behave...'

I walk to Dr. Zhen's desk and stand beside Mr. Laith, who has red amber in his eyes and covers all the beautiful dark green.

"I need proof."

I tell Dr. Zhen.

"Hee..."

Dr. Zhen smiles so wide, making everyone shocked.

"Why don't you...come to see..."

He tells me.

Mr. Laith's aura is a whole mode of frustration. His smile is gone, and his hands are out of the pocket. His shadow is darker.

Dr. Zhen gets up and walks out from his desk to Da Ming's stand, where the other door is behind him. And turns to look at me.

"Coming?"

He asks.

"Roelle..."

Mr. Laith calls me in a growling way.

"!!"

I use my left arm to lock his right arm and hold him.

"Do you mind if I let him tag along!?"

I excitedly drag Mr. Laith to Dr. Zhen and ask him.

"Dr. Zhen, you see...Mr. Laith and I cannot be separated... And I don't want to go there alone..."

I tell him.

"!!"

Mr. Laith's red eyes fade, and his shadow stops spreading the tiny smoke around the floor. And he looks a bit stunned.

"Please..."

I beg Dr. Zhen with my light blue eyes while everybody's watching my action, including Da Ming beside me.

"Huh...yes."

Dr. Zhen tells me and leads us inside.

"Let's go, Mr. Laith."

I hold his arm and drag him inside. I glance at Da Ming, my next fighter, who is staring back at me.

"Ah!!"

Mr. Laith accidentally makes a sound.

"You guys stay there."

Then, Mr. Laith tells Emris and Raden.

Before the door shuts, Emris quickly tries to get inside, but Da Ming puts his arm across the door to block Emris. I glance at him and move my mouth. 'It's okay.' And the door shuts.

I turn my face to the front, following Dr. Zhen while holding Mr. Laith's arm. I look up to see him. He looks much better than earlier, and his cheeks are pink. 

The room we get inside is much like a hallway to get through another side. A lot of yellow paper, fabric-like, hangs on the ceiling, and the traditional words are written in black ink by hand. I look up to see, but Mr. Laith is shifting his head from side to side to avoid them.

"For protection."

Dr. Zhen.

I look at him with curiosity.

"Even so, I'm a doctor; it doesn't mean I don't believe in these things."

We cross the hall to another room, but it's dark. Then, someone approaches Dr. Zhen and turns on the light for us, showing the room inside. 

Geez.

I see the cages along the sides with people in them. Some cages have only one person inside.

'This is prison.'

They look all frightened.

"..."

Mr. Laith loses his arm and holds my hand properly.

We stop walking as Dr. Zhen stood still right in front of a specific cell. My heart is pounding like crazy. I hold Mr. Laith's arm tighter and grab his hand harder. Mr. Laith notices my reaction from my face and my gestures. Then, he also pulls me closer even though we don't even have space between us.

I turn my face to see the body inside the cell. He topless with bruises on his body, wearing only jeans. The orange hair that I always remember his head moves suddenly and slowly looks up and shifts his eyes to me, but his sight must be blurry because he tries to blink his eyelids to focus the view.

"..."

"Did he do something…why was he beaten up?"

I ask.

"He tried to run away, I think...so they probably beat him."

Dr. Zhen.

"Ro–"

"Dr. Zhen."

I quickly interrupt Aven, calling my name.

"I take the deal…that you offer…"

"!"

Mr. Laith squeezes my hand.

Dr. Zhen walks to me. I can see his face clearly. He looks young for the doctor. His black eyes turn to soft brown. His black hair is more ash than jet black. The corner of his mouth is slightly up.

"...If you do as you say every word."

I repeat.

"...Of course, I remember every word…and…you're scared of me that much?"

Dr. Zhen glances at my hands, which are grabbing Mr. Laith's arms so hard. Then, I lose my grip and step to him, but Mr. Laith holds my hand tight so that I do not move away from him.

"Or perhaps not you…"

 Dr. Zhen glances at Mr. Laith.

"I'm scared, to be honest, Dr. Zhen…"

And I look up at him, and I look straight into his eyes.

"..."

He bends his body to see and observe my face directly.

"...Why do I feel I don't believe you?" 

Dr. Zhen speaks in a low voice. I can hear the vibration in his throat.

"Can you…not let anybody touch him until the match's done?"

I take another step closer, my nose almost touching his sharp nose.

"..."

He glances at Mr. Laith's hands that grab mine so tight while my body is closer to him.

"So he's important to you."

"...Yes."

"Hmpt. I like your honesty."

"...Please."

I beg him again but with a steady voice.

"And I like you begging…"

Mr. Laith's aura is covering behind my back.

"...Sure, you have my word."

He looks at my lips, my nose, and back to my eyes.

"..."

Then he bends his body back and is about to raise his hand to touch my head.

"!!"

Mr. Laith pulls me back instantly, away from Dr. Zhen.

We walk back to Dr. Zhen's office. I open the door and see Emris pushing Da Ming against the wall. 

"Roelle."

Emris.

I walk to him and touch Emris's arm, and he releases his arms. Then, I glance at Da Ming.

"..."

More than a minute.

"Hm."

And Dr. Zhen comes in between. 

"Are you guys falling in love?... I hope not."

"...Your brother is more handsome."

I tell him.

"What…"

Da Ming.

"I hope you stay true to your words, Dr. Zhen…I believe you."

I turn to Dr. Zhen and tell him.

"Heh."

He gives me a smirk.

"!!"

Then, he touches my head.

"I want to cheer for you, Roelle Reize.. But I wish you lose…so I can have you."

"!!!"

Everybody's shocked by his actions and words. 

This fucking bastard…

'This fucking bastard…'

Emris immediately grabs my arm away and drags me out of the room.

"Wait…"

I tell Emris, but he ignores me.

"What an overprotective team…"

Dr. Zhen talks to himself. 

Then, Laith and Raden are about to leave the room.

"See you tomorrow night, Laith."

Dr. Zhen.

"Hmpt…"

Laith walks closer to Dr. Zhen and gives his red eyes to him again.

"You better wash that hand…"

Laith tells him, and Raden drags him out. 

Two of them are still stunned by what happened. Dr. Zhen looks at his palm, which is touching the girl's head.

"Da Ming…you better win tomorrow."