𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐗

𝟑𝟖 | 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

꧁꧂

"We need to talk," Eun-ji sits down in front of Mikael that next day at lunch, the boy raising a brow from how serious she looked.

    "What are you doing here? You're suspended, remember?"

    "It's about (Y/N)."

    "What?" Instantly his attention was completely on Eun-ji, his honeyed eyes flickering with worry and concern that she didn't think she had ever seen, having only ever seen a glare striking across his features. "Did something happen to her? Did that bitch Olivia try and start something again?"

    "No... I'm more concerned about you."

    "Huh?"

    "You've been acting... strange, it seems, ever since you've reconciled with (Y/N)," Eun-ji explained as she tapped her pointer finger against the table, ignoring the glances she was getting from those that had heard about her suspension. "The way you look at her... the way you talk to her and about her... it's as if..."

    She glanced up.

    Mikael's pale skin was now flushed pink from her accusations, and that was all she needed to realize that what she was thinking was true.

    She exhaled softly.

    "Listen to me," she began as she brushed a lock of her dark hair behind her ear before folding her hands together. "I'm telling you this as your friend that feeling anything towards (Y/N) other than something platonic isn't in your best interest. Her mom is marrying your dad, right? Do you really wanna be stuck with feelings you can never have reciprocated?"

    "Of course not," he scowled, slamming his hand on the table and making those around them jump.

    "Then get rid of them."

    "You say that like it's so easy," Mikael let out a bark of laughter that was anything but friendly. "If you think that way, then why don't you get over that fucking brother of mine? Have you even had a proper conversation with Cassius? Or is your relationship only in your mind?"

    "I only came here to help you!" Eun-ji yelled, her usual dark eyes turning even darker.

    "Well I don't need your fucking help!" Mikael shouted right back at her, his lips twisting into a tight snarl as his voice dropped several octaves. "No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try to erase her from my thoughts, I always find her so damn beautiful. You're my friend, Eun-ji... but if you try and turn her against me, I will not hesitate to fucking rip you from her life. Permanently. Do you get that?"

    Eun-ji's brows twitched.

    She could see it now, though.

    She could now see why she had been so apprehensive to the thought of Mikael's feelings for (Y/N): they were too controlling, too possessive.

    It wasn't normal.

    "I see," was all she said as she stood up and grabbed her things, nothing but a cold resilience set on her face as she walked away. "I hope you don't regret anything, Mikael."

    His scowl merely deepened in reply.

    And as she walked away and Mikael stormed out of the cafeteria in the opposite direction, the girl in question that they had been talking about was currently in the art room with Cassius. He had been able to get the room all to himself, so he asked (Y/N) if she would help him finish his extracurricular art project. She was dressed once more in her outfit, and he was once more painting her.

    "I wonder how Eun-ji is doing?" She suddenly murmured to herself in thought, as if able to sense the other girl's agitation.

    "Who?" Cassius mumbled.

    "Eun-ji. My friend? She came over one time and is also friends with Mikael and Jay."

    "Oh. That one."

"Do you... not like her, or something?" (Y/N) questioned, trying hard not to change her expression nor move too much so Cassius' painting wouldn't get messed up, however her puzzlement growing. "She mentioned that you've helped her many times, though. I think you gave her food one time and took care of her when she was hurt."

"That was before it was obvious... her feelings for me," he hummed as he added more details to his painting's face.

"So you've avoided her?"

"In a way, yes."

"Oh... well, I was just hoping that she was okay after everything that happened with Davan and Olivia," she exhaled softly, missing her friend who—while a bit crazy at times—made her feel welcome. "We know that it was those two that started everything, not Eun-ji. But she got dragged into it anyways and was punished. It just—"

"I'd really... rather not talk about her," Cassius interjected, cutting her off.

"I'm just worried about her."

"I get that... but she'll be fine," he continued speaking as he worked, acting as if the whole ordeal wasn't worth his time.

"And how do you know that?"

Finally, he set his paintbrush down and looked up at her, his face a stony mask that made it clear that the current topic they were discussing wasn't something he was pleased with. Cassius wasn't one that liked or disliked anything—he was someone that stayed completely in the middle. However, his mother had opened his eyes up to not only art, but to her as well.

She had allowed him to love.

But she had also allowed him to hate.

And right now, when (Y/N) was supposed to be focusing on him and he her, she was talking about someone else—a fact he very much despised.

"Your friend is an existence that is completely useless and unimportant to me," Cassius stated blankly as he walked towards her, stopping only mere feet in front of her. "So, why would I ever feel the need to pay attention to her? To speak about her? To think about her? I don't. The only one I need to pay attention to is you, and only you." His fingers barely brushed against her (S/C) skin as his eyes lidded, continuing, "You are my muse."

(Y/N)'s teeth grit.

For as she looked into Cassius' hazel eyes that resembled ice, her own only narrowed.

꧁꧂