Coward

At New Dawn Middle School;

"Yujun! Yujun! Hey, can I borrow your bio notes?", Sumi spoke bending over Yujun's table in an attempt to catch her breath. She had to run all the way to Yujun's class from across the hall.

"Geez, why did the school decide to separate us? We've been in the same class since grade 7 and_"

"And you got used to depending on me?", Yujun teased with a raised eyebrow. "What, No! You've got it all wrong. We're friends aren't we, best friends at that, so it's normal for us to lean on each other once in a while", Sumi reasoned with puppy eyes.

"I'm not Zane so that won't work on me y'know", Yujun said smirking as he stood on seeing Sumi's crumpled face.

"C'mon Yujun, seriously?", Sumi whined with a sad pout, making Yujun raise both his hands in mock surrender.

 "Okay, okay. You win, here", He said handing her his note from his locker. "Gosh Yujun, you're a lifesaver. What would I do without you", she spoke with sparkling eyes and a big smile, staring at the note in her hands.

"How do you even manage to pass your exams when you're so unserious like this?", Yujun asked looking clearly amused.

"It's not like I'm unserious, I'm just a little careless is all", she snorted in reply.

She was about to say more when Nicholas rushed into the class, and started to whisper something into Yujun's ear.

"Hey, don't do that! It's annoying", Sumi complained, seeing as how the two were now laughing together without her. "Sorry Mimi, it's guy stuff", Nick said back and Sumi just rolled her eyes.

"Have you spoken to Mia yet Nick? I heard she's in town", Yujun asked suddenly, staring straight at Nicholas. Nicholas just brushed his head back and cleared his throat.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?", Yujun asked slightly confused.

"I might've heard about it but...nevermind", Nick replied and Yujun narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him now. Nicholas was definitely hiding something, but he decided not to push the topic.

...

It was already dismissal time, and Yujun and Sumi were headed to a nearby coffee shop for some refreshing after school milkshakes. Their ride would also be waiting for them there as per their request.

"God I'm so tired already. Let's just take a taxi", Sumi mumbled and Yujun turned to face her.

"Sumi you know we can't just take random taxis for safety reasons. Besides, I don't think it's that far...We can walk a little more". Sumi frowned slightly but didn't complain anymore.

They walked some more when ... "Ouch!", Sumi cried as she fell to the ground. Yujun instantly stopped walking and went towards her. 

He crouched down beside her as he spoke a bit worried. "Are you okay, did you get hurt?"

"I'm fine, it's just...ow!", she cried as she attempted to stand. "I think I sprained my ankle", she stated and Yujun was already squatting before her, his back to her. 

"Hop on, I'll carry you", he said and Sumi smiled in delight before getting onto his back.

"Aren't you tired though", she asked after some time. 

"You've been carrying me for quite a while now". 

"It's nothing, really. I've carried heavier"

"Aww my Yujun is so strong...Wait a minute, are you saying I'm heavy?!", Sumi spoke horrified as she replayed Yujun's words in her head. 

Yujun couldn't help but burst out laughing now, which only made Sumi more annoyed.

She leaped off his back and continued down the path on her own. She stopped midway and turned to face Yujun, who was staring at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"What?. Now we're even", she huffed before facing forward and walking on. Yujun just blinked, speechless, before letting out a slight smile. He didn't know how he still managed to keep falling for her tricks. Not that he was complaining though.

...

In a highly advanced prison at country V;

A man in his early forties was seated, looking out a small window located high above him in a dimly lit room.

He could only see the sky from this angle, night time was already approaching. He peered outside for a little longer, before looking down at the pictures in his hand.

He gritted his teeth in anger as he stared at the recent pictures of Kim Minho and Ayra at country C. 

"Look at you smiling widely like that. You look so happy...I should be nice and let you be happy for a little longer right", Marcus spoke calmly, his gaze fixed on Ayra's smiling face.

"It's just that I'm quickly getting tired of being trapped in here for too long". A pause. "You claim to love me huh?, Is this how you treat me after all the years I spent tolerating you!", he finally burst. He wished he had killed them both back then.

A devious smile appeared on his face as his eyes made its way to Kim Minho.

"Well, maybe not the both of you. Who knew you'd eventually be of good use to me my son. Time, it's all a matter of time before everything falls into place, and then...then let's see just how wide you smile", he uttered menacingly with a crazed laugh.

His eyes then made its way to a small replica of the black and blue ribboned gift box on his little side table. A satisfied smile lighted up his face as he remembered how, he was informed, his son reacted. Did they really think that they could erase him so easily from their lives? What a joke. He was the mastermind here in this little game of chess. He knew exactly how to use his pawns well.

Cowards, that's what they all are to him. Ayra was still running away from his even now, even though she's had him chained in here for god knows how long. She'd come to see him a day after the birthday incident to confront him. 

And despite how calm, collected and composed she seemed, he could still see it, that sliver of fear in her eyes.

Oh, and how could he forget the biggest coward of them all?. His younger brother - Kim Chan - could've stopped everything from happening back then, but he backed down with the excuse of being selfless.

"Pathetic", Marcus muttered under his breath.

'Does he think he has the upper hand now, just because I've decided to stay put for now?!'

"Sire, your dinner is ready", an officer interrupted, and Marcus was drawn back to his immediate environment. He easily slipped the pictures into one of the pockets in his uniform and turned to face them.

 Another officer stood guard by the door as the first one began to set the table. They'd have to feed him since they couldn't take the risk of freeing his hands. 'Idiots', nonetheless, Marcus complied and let them feed him.

His prison cell was actually not that bad, considering the fact that they still made effort to treat him like royalty in little ways like addressing him by his title. However, it didn't change the fact that it was still a prison and therefore highly unfit for a King of his caliber.

'You'll regret doing this to me my sweet Ayra. You better keep running, because as long as you're on the surface of this Earth, I'll hunt you down and find you'.