"Let. Me. Go!"
While trying to set himself free from their grips, Kai growled furiously. His satin black eyes lit from within with a red glow. His voice was inflamed and belligerent. Aylin couldn't stand there anymore and just watch silently. Without thinking anything, she ran to Kai and, almost hugging him, she mumbled in her low, soft and scared voice, "Kai, please! Please calm down."
Patting his cheeks, Aylin almost forced him to look down at her, "KAI! Look at me!"
"Let me-" Kai stopped abruptly in the middle of the sentence as he looked into Aylin's eyes. Her slightly teary eyes and scared expression were enough to guess about her internal turmoil. Her sweet, feminine scent hit his nostrils as he felt her warmth against his chest. Her face was closer than he expected.
Instantly, a soothing sensation filled his heart, replacing the wrath.
The red glow of his eyes soon faded away. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed down. The guards also let go of his hands and waited silently.
While examining his fist, Aylin asked in a worried tone, "Are you ok? Your hand is bleeding."
Sighing loudly, he also looked down at his hand as he answered, "It is not my blood. Don't worry."
"Oh!"
Aylin was standing so close to Kai that she could feel his hot breath against her forehead. Taking a step back from him, she bowed deeply to the guards as she muttered apologetically, "I am sorry for creating trouble. It will never happen again, Mister. It was just a miscommunication."
The first guard asked in his gruff voice, "Why are you here, Kids? It is not your playground. Go and fight in some other places."
Aylin instantly countered in her timid and clear voice, "We are here to… Umm… Visit the Blossom Palace as customers. We-"
Interrupting Aylin, the second guard burst into a hoarse and bitter laugh as he taunted, examining both of them, "You? Dream to be a customer of the Blossom Brothel? You are not even worthy to be our servants. Just get lost from here already before we kick you out."
Aylin's face darkened in disappointment. She was searching for an appropriate answer when Kai took a step forward and asked a weird question, surprising everyone, including Aylin, "So, this is how you all treat your Royal customers in the Blossom Palace? I should complain to the Head lady about it."
The second guard asked, glaring at Kai, "Royal customers? What are you rambling, kid?"
Instead of answering him, Kai pulled out a golden member card from his robe and raised it in front of the eyes of those guards. Their dark eyes showed the tortured dullness of disbelief. The second guard mumbled incoherently, "But- H-how! I-"
But, Kai ordered impatiently, turning back from them, in an annoyed and authoritative tone, "Get lost now."
The First guard also tried to speak something in an apologetic tone, "Young Master, we are extremely-"
However, Kai cut him in the middle of the sentence as he ordered in his deep yet young voice, "I asked to leave us alone. Scram!"
"Alright, Young Masters!"
"Please forgive us for our ignorance."
Both of the guards bowed to them as they left hastily with scared expressions. Aylin was watching everything dumbfoundedly. She was too surprised to ask or say anything. After asking for some water from the nearby stall, Kai began to wash his bloody hand as he asked in a slightly disappointed tone, looking at Aylin's blank and puzzled face, "Lin? What's wrong? Are you scared of me?"
His voice cut through her thoughts.
Instantly shaking her head, she declined as she walked to him, "Umm... How? How did you get that card? Only Royals of the Island can- Are you a Royal relative or something?"
Kai shrugged casually as he answered in his teasing and cheerful voice, "What if I am?"
"Seriously? B-but then why are you here?"
"Eh! I am just teasing you. My brother traded a valuable gem with a Royal relative of Arcelia and he gifted this card to my brother. We have never used it before though."
"Uff! You guys are really rich, Kai."
Kai chuckled again softly as he patted Aylin's head. But, his smile disappeared suddenly as he asked in a cautious and apologetic voice, "Lin, I am sorry for before. I again lost control of my temper. Tell me the truth, did I scare you?"
Aylin bit her lower lip as she looked up in Kai's direction. Kai captured her eyes with his. Those satin black, earnest eyes weren't satisfied. He wanted her to answer truthfully as if he was trying to read her heart.
They were standing under a tree as the soft breeze of the evening was tousling their hair. The twilight fell as the setting sun had turned the blue sky a brilliant orange, then soft pink merging to a pearl; the plum velvet of night had come out of the east, spangled with stars.
In that soft glow of twilight, they were standing, facing each other, beside an empty and deserted side of the alley. The soft glow of the sun was glimmering in Kai's eyes and his tall shadow was looking all of a sudden, very lonely and helpless. Aylin felt an unknown ache inside her as her heart whined in pain.
She couldn't answer but instinctively, she took a step forward.
Kai asked again with his gloomy and disappointed look (no hint of his usual playfulness), "Lin, should I take it as yes? Your silence means a yes. Right?"
"Umm... No, I didn't mean that."
"Then what? Tell me the truth only. I want to know what you think of me? Were you scared of me like everyone?"
Kai also took a step forward as he leaned toward Aylin. She could feel his chest rise and fall. His hot breath was brushing against her face. He was breathing faster than usual. Nut, when she looked into his eyes that had been so honest with her, she saw fear. Her fear.
Still looking into his dark eyes, Aylin thought, 'How can I bear to keep looking? These eyes are going to burn me down if I lie to him.'
He raised one of his hands and cupped her hair and his other hand grabbed her wrist, pulling it near to his chest. His touch was unexpectedly gentle. Telling her, begging her, not to turn away yet.
He whispered again in his deep voice, "Am I that scary to you, Lin? Were you scared?" his dark eyes flashed in a familiar display of impatience.
Aylin mumbled awkwardly, without breaking eye contact, "Yes, I was. I- I was scared."
Kai watched with keenly observant eyes. A look of tired sadness passed over her features. Then sighing, he took a step back, letting Aylin go, "Hmm! Of course. You should be scared. Whatever, let's go."
He already turned to leave or hide the disappointment from Aylin.
But, Aylin grabbed his wrist from behind as she mumbled nervously in her low and silken voice, "Kai, I was not scared of you. Umm... I was scared for you. I didn't want you to get hurt. I just wanted you to stay unharmed. I got so scared when the guards approached you. I- I-"
A new and unexpected warmth surged through him. He was momentarily speechless in surprise. Turning his head, he looked at their hands first and then looked up with utter disbelief. As their eyes met, Aylin felt a shock run through her.
But, Kai stared at her and then burst out laughing. His laugh was marvellous and catching. The teasing laughter was back in his eyes. Pinching her cheek with his free hand, he answered cheerfully, still laughing, "My my! You never fail to surprise me, my Lin. You are so naive yet so adorable. What will I do with you?"
"Eh?"
But, Aylin was lost, lost in the charming smile of that mysterious teen.
As a thought popped up in her mind, "Who will be scared of such a handsome man! No evil person can stir my heart and make me feel the way he does!"