Chapter 12: Instant coffee

(A/n: wrote this while sleepy so there might be some mistakes)

2.5k words

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'What does hell look like?' Thought Khun with eyes dead as fish.

They will be dying because of some idiot alligator. He would have never thought that he would die like this even in million years.

The both of them got into a quarrel.

"This is not something you solve with your bullshit instinct, you dumbass!!!"

"Then what!? What were you going to do!? Do you even have a good solution!? There are no clues!! What are you searching for!?"

"We're not even sure if there are no clues!! So wh-"

"Then did you find one!? Did you find it-"

*Smack!* ×2

*Thud!* ×2

Before they even continue, a red hair smacked them in the head as they fall to the ground at the same time with a thud.

"Stop making this more complicated, you two idiots." Said Kai as Khun was about to complain to him before he cut him off. Rak also tries to comically attack him for smacking him but he just gave him a dozen of chocolates as a bribe before Rak instantly munched it and stopped annoying him.

"You-"

"I remembered your 2nd flaw now." He said as he gave him his hand for help.

"Huh?" Khun doesn't know why he needs to bring out his flaws with their current predicament but he is still willing to listen. It would not hurt to know your flaws before dying after all.

Khun then grabs his hand and pulled it with force as Kai tumbled to the ground head first.

*oof!*

Kai falling to the floor head first created a web-like crack on the floor much to Hansung yu's annoyance. Looks like he will need to ask Neon dude to repair the floor or else someone might trip because of it.

Khun then stands up by himself before looking at Kai as he extended his hand to him the way he did.

Kai got annoyed a little before grabbing it and standing with its help. After standing up and rubbing his head a little, he spoke.

"You don't trust anyone." Said Kai as he looked at Khun's eyes.

He also got betrayed a number of times so he can also tell if someone has gone through the same experience. The instant moment that he looked into Khun's eyes, he instantly knew that this man has gone through some much worse life moments than him. Of course, Kai would also count that maybe this man is just overly dramatic or something. Maybe he got dumped by his girlfriend and decided to not trust anyone anymore...

Kai then continued.

"I don't know what happened to you in the past nor do I care but I would tell you this now that we're in the early stages of the tower:" Kai said as he seriously looked into his blue eyes with his heterochromia one.

Even Khun got a little daze from looking at his golden and red eyes.

"If you can't also trust us as your team mates or allies, then it's better if you just say it to us directly. It's much better if we just separate here than be in trouble when the time comes that you decided to do everything alone because of your trust issues." He said those without any hint of his normal(?) attitude that Khun and Rak wondered if it's really him who is speaking.

Hearing him, Khun felt like he is splashed by cold water in the face as his thoughts became clear. This already happened to him the second time. And the first one also happened to be him also mentioning a flaw of him. He got irritated by it a little since those realisations literally came from an idiot battle maniac but he will still consider it nonetheless.

'I...can't trust anyone huh. That's right. I'm the true idiot in our trio for thinking like that. And to think I even had the gall to dream of being a ruler.' thought Khun as he started realising his mistakes.

He can blame it to their family treading a path of no mistakes by not trusting anyone but is that really the only reason? No, he always thought that he can do everything by himself ever since his family have been cast out. He always thought that it would be much better for him to do everything alone than rely on anyone. Him gathering allies is just a means for him to have some disposable henchmen that he will use to avoid danger. That's his true hidden thoughts even for Kai and Rak.

And those thoughts are currently drowning him with guilt now that they are most probably in death's door. (Literally)

'What kind of ruler thinks like that? I would die from shame if I became a ruler that will push his people to fight his battles just to ensure his safety. Just thinking of it makes me want to puke.' he thought.

He imagined his self sitting on a large sofa eating grapes while he watches his people go to war and dying just to ensure his safety. Imagining it makes him feel like a feeble princess that needs to be protected which is something he would rather die than experience.

He realised all of those now but...

'It's already too late to realise my mistakes. I can only hope that the door that the gator picked is the right one which is something impo- no. It's possible. An instinct of a hunter should not be disregarded.' he thought as he finally started to trust his team mates a little. Although he started to trust in a really wrong timing since this is simply a test of-

Seeing his eyes Kai instantly noticed the changes from it as he grinned.

"Hoh~ I see that your eyes is much clearer now~ finally started seeing da truth, vampire~?" Asked Kai as he turns back to his lazy mode. He is just too sleepy currently and he is actually starting to like acting playful. How should he describe it...well, it's kinda...fun? Trolling people somehow gives him joy that he never experienced before.

He is not someone who can take life seriously anymore so acting serious is something that he only does when absolutely necessary. Like lecturing this blue vampire turtle when he is going da wrong way for example.

"Shut up. I just realised some things. And besides, what even is the use of you pointing out my flaw if we're going to die anyway." Said Khun as he still didn't realise that what Kai said is part of the test.

Khun would also never admit that he already started to trust the gator a little. He would do anything to stop making the gator act proud to him as much as possible because it annoys him to his very core. That's why he still said that they would eventually die from the gator opening a door by his instinct even though he already raised his expectations from the gator's instincts a little.

In short, a tsundere.

"Eh~ but we passed though?" Said Kai with his head tilted to the side a little.

"Huh? What do you mean?" He then looked at the opened door to search if there's something that implies that it is indeed the correct one before all three of them heard three claps.

"Thanks for the show, regulars. This test has been a little boring for me since all of the previous regulars do is either yolo their way out of here or just argue and die. But you three gave me some drama to watch so thank you for that." He said as he asked if they like a coffee for a reward. Khun said no thanks but Rak and Kai obviously took it and drunk it in one gulp.

Kai also asked for more but Hansung just said no as he hugged the box that held the instant coffees to protect it from Kai who is trying to steal it.

Still hugging the box, Hansung comically run away as Kai and Rak ran after him trying to steal the coffee box.

Getting irritated from the scene, Khun decided that it's enough as he yelled...

"Can you both stop!?!? We're already in the verge of death and you still have the energy to waste for some shitty instant coffee!?" He said still not believing that they actually passed. Hearing him, all three of them slowly looked at him with dark eyes.

Khun visibly flinched as he looked at the angered coffee addicts. They then started speaking and walking towards him as Khun slowly backed away.

"You dare..."

"You impudent blue turtle..."

"I know you only drink blood as a vampire but...how dare you..."

It's then Khun's time to run as the three angered instant coffee addicts ran after him while yelling...

"You don't know how godly it tastes so you should just zip your mouth, you damn regular!"

"Does blue turtles like you have something wrong with your tongue or something!?"

"Yeah! What the f#ck's wrong with you to actually have the audacity to mock instant coffee!? Do you know how many times it saved my life!? Huh!?"

'What the hell's wrong with what I said!?" Khun can only think full of confusion as they caught up to him before they proceed to beat him up.

---

"So...we passed the test?" Asked Khun with 3 bumps in his head. He also still has some left over coffee powder in his mouth because they forcefully made him swallow the coffee that is still in its powdered form for his punishment.

It surely was one of his worst nightmares. The bitterness is one thing but he also choked from it as he also felt the bitter powder go into his nose which he considers as one of the worst feeling one could ever feel in their entire life.

Anyways, after he recovered a little, Hansung told him that they passed much to his shock.

Hansung said that as Kai told him, him not trusting anyone is what made him not able to realise the meaning of the test even though it's quite simple.

They simply have to open a door before 5 minutes to pass the test. He also said that the clues have already been laid out infront of him. The screams, the clock, and him saying that there's no further clues. All of those are very simples clues that he could've easily noticed if he trusted a little.

The fact that he ignored Neon dude's theories to the point that he didn't even considered it and threw it away made this test much harder for him.

After revealing it to him, it's then Hansung yu's turn to also get shocked as Khun thought about it and actually did not complain as much as he expected.

'Looks like his effect to him is much more than I thought. Irregulars really are different kind of breed.' He thought as he looked at Kai that successfully stole his coffee box. He is currently making another coffee as he just gulped the previous one in one go.

It's quite irritating but he still has many boxes of instant coffees so he's okay with only one being stolen.

"Anyways, Khun Aguero Agnis, you might have already realise it already but I will explain it again." Said Hansung as the three got a little shocked as he actually knows Khun's name.

"You are someone who can't do anything without confirmation, Mr. Khun. If you do not see it for yourself as correct, you can never open it."

"But Mr. Khun, this world will not wait for you until you have the answer. Although this doors were all correct. After a few moments, they will become your death."

"At times, you will need allies who will open that door wether by their instinct, because they want to gamble, or even if they just want to face the unknown."

He then looks at Kai and Rak before he bowed to all three of them.

"Looks like all three of you are perfect allies for each other so congratulations."

"Now then, let's end this test here."

He said as the trio proceeds to enter the door. Kai pocketed some instant coffees for future use while Rak is eating chocolate again.

"Ah, Mr. khun." He called out to him as Khun turned to look at him.

"?"

"Your luggage seems to be very heavy."

He said as Khun realised what he is talking about as he just ignored him and also entered the door.

They then entered the door while Rak is boasting about his instincts and that they should become his underlings while Khun is just covering his ears with his index finger. Kai is currently in his new favourite ride which is Rak's shoulders.

---

Hansung then encountered more regulars that was able to pass the test in normal and weird ways.

There's a group that managed to pass because of someone opening a door because his god told him. When the other two learned that they passed, they also started worshipping whoever the god that their team mate is worshipping.

Another group passed because they let their team mate who hates having his sleeping time interrupted. He just opened a random door making them pass the test much to the other two's shock.

Another group passed because a guy in a violet jumpsuit figured out all the clues as his two team mates praised him for actually having a use besides being a burden.

And the last one...

"Kyaaahhhh"

*Thud*

The group on cloaks managed to pass the test after also figuring out the clue. When they are about to enter the door, one of their members...tripped at the crack that Kai's head created as the individual's head also somehow ended up in the crack.

"Why the heck is there a crack here, huh!? Do you want to damage my face or something!?" Said the girl in cloak as she rubbed her head.

"I'm sorry, Princess Endorsi, a group of regulars accidentally created that crack and I am still testing you regulars so I was not able to repair it." Bowed Hansung as he talks to the girl in cloak. He also did not mention the fact that the regular's head also ended up in that same place to not cause unnecessary problem to the red head. Who knows if this princess is too sensitive and decides to take revenge.

"Nyahahaha~ that's what you get for wearing a high hill during a test, nano!!" Said the other girl in cloak playfully.

"A princess tripping over a crack...quite shameful if you ask me." Said the boy in their group.

"All three of you shut up before I rip your tongues!!" Yelled Endorsi as she stood up and dusted her clothes.

"Yes." Said the three of them immediately. Don't wanna anger a princess just for something petty.

---

After that little scene, the three entered door passing the test.

Hansung finally sighs from relief as the test is finally finished.

He then smiled joyfully as he took out another box of instant coffee as he made a cup of coffee and sipped from it before releasing a happy sigh.

"Instant coffees really are the best."

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