Harris walked down the hallway with dim eyes. His hands clenched until his knuckles turned white. He ignored his friend's greeting as he walked faster toward the rooftop.
Shrouded in silence, the man looked up at the black sky. He repeatedly struck his chest as though he could eradicate the agony that had ensnared his heart.
Let it be, he thought. It was better for him to feel physical pain than heartache.
He didn't wish to cry, nor did he wish to scream. He just wanted to relieve the tightness in his chest that arose from seeing what Drey did to Brissia, or maybe vice versa.
Harris squinted, reluctant to remember how the two of them made out in the room. Brissia's promise to him felt like mere words. Never had he caressed Brissia as freely as Drey had. He felt like going crazy at the sound of the two moaning.
"Harris?"
His hazel eyes widened as he heard Brissia's voice. Even when the girl was standing next to him, he didn't move an inch.
At first, Brissia was astonished. However, as soon as she remembered the key she had stolen from Drey's room, she took it from her trouser pocket and put it in Harris's palm.
"Look what I've got!" she said with a wide grin as she walked in front of him.
Harris glanced at the key for a moment before looking up slightly reluctantly at Brissia. His heart burned with rage at seeing Brissia smile at him like nothing had happened.
He stood up, approached Brissia without saying anything, making her back off with a fading smile.
"Harris, what's wrong?" Brissia inquired, trying to hold him back. However, Harris grabbed both her wrists.
"I recall you not wanting to get into troubles because of one man," he said in a low tone and quiet voice. "But look like I'm not the only troublemaker here."
Brissia winced, making Harris's teeth grit. He moved closer to her, bringing their noses together. The moment she felt Harris's ragged breath and saw his tightly fisted hands, something clicked in her mind.
"Harris…"
"Don't say a word."
She pressed her lips as Harris backed away and turned around, looking annoyed for some reason. But a second later, she pulled Harris's left arm, making Harris who was off guard unable to dodge.
Chup.
His eyes didn't blink. They met Brissia's glazed eyes as the girl moved her lips slightly away from his.
"Then say what's on your mind," she whispered, looking up at Harris slightly with a sympathetic gaze.
Harris locked his gaze on Brissia for a moment. He then moved closer to Brissia, cupped her face, and kissed her more intensely.
"Did he do it like this?" Harris murmured.
"No, no one—"
"Don't lie, Brissie."
Brissia gripped Harris's shoulder as he took her breath away. He pulled Brissia's body closer to his, making Brissia squint her eyes.
"I'll tell you what's on my mind. Your presence has lulled me, carried me all in on your paths, and deepened my wanderlust about everything with you."
Harris's slightly hoarse voice drowned her in his fondling, tugging hard at her common sense and will to resist.
"You've unlocked the hell inside me, Brissie. I'll burn all the joys within the paradise you and Drey stepped in until nothing remains."
Brissia's eyes opened wide. With all of her strength, she shoved Harris, causing him to lose his hold and look at her in shock. However, the girl then fell to her knees, prompting him to catch her quickly.
"I think... you're mistaking me."
"What?" asked Harris, frowning.
Before he could hear more specifics, he caught a presence of a girl with shoulder length brown hair, walking from the stairs toward them. Her voice, face, and gaze were identical to the girl in his arms. However, her shirt's top button was open, revealing red marks.
"Who's that, Harris?"
Harris pulled Brissia quickly, burying her face in his broad chest, and staring in disbelief at a girl standing five meters away. "Who... I mean, where did you get those?"
Brissia pulled Harris's sleeve lightly, making him glance at the girl.
"She'll be gone in ten seconds. Keep distracting her," she whispered.
"What are you referring to?"
Hearing a more arrogant tone from the girl over there, Harris looked at her with trepidation. "Your neck."
The 'Brissia's twin' rubbed her neck briefly with an indifferent look.
"Ah, I had to seduce Drey to put him under my heel."
Such light words would definitely have fueled his jealousy if there wasn't the real one he was holding tightly.
"…Five, four, three…"
Brissia's copycat frowned seeing Harris muttering to himself. She walked over to touch Brissia's shoulder, but as she did, she vanished from view like a hologram, leaving the two of them solely.
"Hah!"
Breathless, Brissia laid on the rooftop. Harris looked at her questioningly while kneeling next to her body. However, he was taken aback as he recalled what he had done to her a moment earlier.
"Why did you act so strangely, Harris?"
Harris turned to Brissia in surprise, who was sitting in front of him with a look of embarrassment mixed with annoyance. He hurriedly got up and stepped away from her.
"Hey, no running away from me! What did you witness my doppelganger do to cause you to behave this way?" she asked.
He ruffled his hair, giving Brissia a complicated look.
"She… fondled Drey."
Brissia widened her eyes. Harris winced when he saw Brissia's disgusted look. Her reaction made Harris's prejudice collapse instantly. Thus, Harris extended his hand to Brissia and said, "Nevermind. It wasn't you is what matters."
A small chuckle escaped Brissia's lips as she walked with him down the rooftop as dawn began to rise.
***
Practicing face to face, Harris could barely keep his focus on Brissia's moves. Out of the many agents practicing martial arts, Harris felt he was the only one overwhelmed by her tactics.
"Isn't it odd that she was aware of our intentions?"
Harris dodged Brissia's kick, turning to Drey who was calmly walking down the hallway.
"Yeah… it is."
Seeing the direction of Harris's gaze, Brissia punched him lightly in the jaw, causing him to stagger backward.
"Tsk, Harris... I told you not to think about anything," said Brissia, helping Harris up. However, she felt someone's gaze was lingering on both of them.
"Hello, Brissia."
As if that icy voice was a great warning, Harris immediately got up and turned his back to Brissia. Drey glanced at Harris with a confused smile, but Harris kept his eyes on him.
"Don't touch her."
Drey chuckled lightly at Harris's words. "Would you like to hear a secret?"
"Sorry, we have to focus on training."
As Harris pulled Brissia away to another direction, Brissia turned in surprise at the hand gripping her arm, causing Harris to glance back quickly.
"Looks like we hit it off that night, like a lock and key destined to be a pair."
Brissia and Harris froze, hiding their surprise when Drey emphasized a phrase.
"What?"
Drey, Harris, and Brissia stunned at the cold tone of a blonde girl who appeared out of nowhere.
"You're dating someone's lover, cousin?"
What surprised Harris and Brissia even more was that Fayrl casually leaked her kinship with Drey.
"Ah, are they really dating?" Drey replied, smiling knowingly.
"What the... you crazy imp," Fayrl said before pulling Brissia and Harris away from Drey, occasionally glaring at the gray-eyed man to keep him from following them.
"Brissia, what did you do with him? He's dangerous, just a reminder."
"Nothing," Brissia said, making Fayrl look at her suspiciously.
"You two seem to be hiding something."
"Some things are better kept under wraps, Fayrl."
Brissia gave a faint smile hearing Harris mimicking her words, causing Fayrl to stare at him blankly.
"I heard you made contact with Noir Dust. Did you forget something?"
"Err… well… I didn't have breakfast this morning."
"That, you always miss it every morning."
Brissia laughed softly at Fayrl's toneless reply. Seeing Fayrl walking away after glancing behind them for a moment, Brissia sighed.
"We're moving?"
Harris responded to Brissia's question with a slow shake of the head. "I heard there will be a celebration in the hall at nine a.m. Drey and most agents will attend it."
Brissia nodded as she put her right hand into her trouser pocket. She clutched the golden key while Harris's eyes followed hers through the gently falling snow and onto the far-off sea.