❝Every face wears a mask.❞

ACT I—SEVEN

DRENCHED IN sweat, Aya's breath hitched when the car stopped. She closed her eyes, breathing silently, calming her heart to face the situation.

"Let's do this," she muttered to herself as she looked out of the window.

Jeons mansion－was written in bold, golden letters on a name plate at the entrance.

Aya's lips twitched when she saw the same sight where she was killed and her career was born.

Suddenly feeling infuriated she got out of the car and closed the door with a thud, didn't even give the driver enough time to open the door for her.

Her high heels clicked on the black marble floor as she walked inside the beautiful house. Entering inside the hall room, she found the area darker than usual despite it being only afternoon.

"Open the curtains," she ordered one of the servants who were standing at one side keeping their heads low. Listening Aya's voice the servant hesitated before replying.

"Sir Jeon asked us to－"

As soon as his name came of the servant's mouth, Aya turned her head at his side, looking at him with a sharp gaze.

"I said open them!" She roared, face looking cold as ice and flame dancing within her eyes.

The servant along with the others trembled at the loudness of their mistress' voice. He along with three other servants ran to open the large maroon curtains.

"You imbecile human. Hurry up before she chops your head."

Aya looked sharply at the woman who just entered into the scene. She blinked as her gaze softened when she recognized the woman.

"Carol," her cold voice and frown was replaced by a soft voice and a small smile.

The older woman smiled back. Her wrinkles showed up as she smiled even wider while hugging the girl.

"Now look at you. Who can tell this is the same girl who just roared like an animal and made everyone piss their pants a minute ago?"

Aya broke the hug as she looked at the woman fondly. She frowned when she saw her eye bags.

"You didn't sleep last night.."

The woman kissed her forehead.

"When he told us you're nowhere to be found, Emanuel and I couldn't sleep. Our darling was missing and you expect us to sleep without any tension?"

"I'm－"

-sorry. Why is it so hard to say?

The woman waved her hand dismissing her awkwardness.

"It's fine. I know something must've been wrong otherwise you're not a trouble maker."

Thanks for understanding my unspoken feelings, Carol.

Aya thought but couldn't voice it out. Her flaw, she couldn't speak out her emotions.

Biting her lips, her mind started to get crowd with thoughts of him, Jeon. Carol sensed her getting tensed suddenly.

"Darling, he's just worried."

Aya looked at her with wide eyes as the woman read her so well.

"I-I don't really care. He's nothing to me."

Carol knew where this was coming from. She had seen this bitterness form in front her eyes.

"Just don't break anything this time. I'd really appreciate that. It's tiresome to clean and re-decorate the room."

"I JUST want to break his nose, though," Aya muttered turning the door knob to enter inside his room.

Just as she imagined, the man was pacing in the room, disheveling his hair and grinding his molars.

Jeon stopped. His back tensed as he could sense a figure behind him. He looked behind to find Aya standing still holding the door knob.

His doe big eyes rounded wide as he finally saw her in front of his eyes, safe and sound. A sense of relief flooded through his system as he sighed, closing his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose before opening his eyes.

Warmth was gone. His cold eyes became guarded mirroring Aya's. Aya closed the door as she took few steps towards him. He marched forward wanting to hold her but refrained as he knew she'd snap.

"Where were you?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"That's none of your－"

"That's fucking my business. You are my business, Aya." Jeon snapped.

"Right. I'm just your business. Nothing else."

Jeon's anger defused acknowledging her bitter tone. He didn't mean it in that way.

"Aya－"

She put a hand in front him, stopping him from finishing his words.

"I don't care and I don't want to know. I'm fine. So your business is still going smoothly."

"Love, please－"

"Don't call me that! You've lost your right long ago!"

She shouted. Her emotions talking instead of her mind. Jeon softened. His emotions became unguarded.

"I'm still him. How can I lost my－"

"That's the problem. You're not him. You're not my Jungkook."

"THAT'S THE problem. You did too well and now the editors are having a big trouble to choose only one picture."

Jimin chuckled as his manager rambled. After a very long shoot, he was finally getting rid of his make-up.

"If they want to work with me, they'll have to handle this everyday."

"IF YOU want to work with him, you'll have to bear it everyday, Munchkin."

"You got your answer in your question, Emanuel. It's not what I want, it's what he wants."

Aya voiced as Emanuel continued to braid her hair.

"You see, you're not the only one who's suffering."

Aya felt her cheeks growing warm as she felt the anger recoil within her.

After she spoke those words out of pure anger, she didn't forget to see his eyes which were unguarded.

She saw how much pain they bore. If she was the Aya from before, she would've hugged him to soothe his pain. But time changed, they changed.

"Just because you've seen everything doesn't mean you've known everything. Some truths should never be unmasked."

Emanuel knew that, he knew all along the girl so as the boy he adored so much had been hiding something. But he was in no position to enquire. He could only watch how their hide and seek game was ruining their life slowly inch by inch.

"At least call him with his nickname, Munchkin. Don't you think he deserve that?"

Aya stood up and went near the mirror. She smiled as she saw how the braid made her look like an innocent girl.

"You see this girl over here, Emanuel," with a small smile on her face, she said turning her head at his direction, pointing at her very own reflection.

Emanuel nodded. She looked back at the mirror, her smile being replaced with a blank expression adorned with a pair of pain stricken eyes.

"She doesn't exist. So as Jungkook."

Thank you, Jungkook, for ruining me along with yourself.

"THANK YOU, Hyung. I know you'll take good care of them."

"Of course I will. I'm the best when it comes to children. Plus they love my jokes! How adorable they are, Chim!"

Jimin felt relief washed over him as he finally could get off from his work for today.

"Don't fall for their charms yet. They're devils dressed as angels."

From other side of the phone, Jimin heard his Hyung audibly gasping.

"I cannot believe you just said that about your own children. If you said that again, I'm so gonna disown you, Chim."

"You love me too much for that, Hyung. But I was just warning you for your own good. They are yours for today. I'm just going home and sleep."

Jimin yawned and Jin felt pity for his brother.

"Well I handled you so I'm pretty sure I can handle these two fluffs. Take as much rest as you want, Chim and don't worry about them. I'm your Hyung for a reason. Good night."

Jimin smiled tiredly and hung up the phone. He had no doubt Jin will take good care of them.

He went near his dressing table and stared at his reflection.

"My children," he scoffed.

His reflection mirrored his pain stricken eyes and quivering lips.

"What have you become, Park Jimin."

"WHAT HAVE you become, Jeon Jungkook."

Jungkook sighed as the cold water hit his burning skin.

Aya's comment from before was being played over and over in his mind. He was about to lose control over his mind and he didn't like it at all.

He screamed with a tone full of pain and grief and hit the wall with his clenched fist, wincing when blood oozed from his hand. Jungkook smiled sardonically and saw how the water was fighting to clean the over flowing blood of his hand.

"This is nothing to the pain you bear, Aya. But I'll make sure to give you more pain."

He smiled as the blood stopped flowing. But then pressed his other thumb over the place where he got hurt and released a sigh of relief at the sight of blood oozing again.

"Because the more you'll feel pain the more guilty I'll become. You're right. Jungkook doesn't exist. I-no-you-wait no-we killed him together."

Note :

I hope this chapter wasn't confusing as the perspectives were changing repeatedly. If there's any confusion then please do ask me :3
Happy reading!