CHAPTER NINETEEN | REASONS

Is it really possible to tell someone else what one feels?

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"How's your job going?"

Mark let out an exasperated sigh as his back pressed against the wooden chair, "I don't know? Still a job." He shrugged, bored eyes wandering over the old man's office.

Papa chuckled, shaking his head before turning around, an amused smirk tugging up the corner of his lips. Mark hissed, "What are you ugly smirking for?"

"Seems like Dallia made you ponder, doesn't she?"

"You told me to understand her—"

"And you followed," Papa interjected, the smirk on his face spreading widely and that made Mark realize what he was doing.

He had been playing in the hands of Papa all along. Mark scoffed out in annoyance, standing up as the tension boiled in him. With clenched fists, he glared up at the older, "What are you trying to do this time?"

"Mark, I'm not doing anything, I just told you to understand her and you did- that was all you."

The latter looked away promptly, fiery eyes almost burning through the darkened carpets. "Should've just killed her then and there on the first day."

"Then what's stopping you?" Papa's words echoed in his mind, his breath hitched as he thought about it.

He heard that before- not from Papa, but from Dallia herself. The scene had flashed right before his eyes, the moment had been thirsting for bloodshed, his hand that pressed up her throat to choke her loosened.

Then, she asked, "What's stopping you."

He shook his head vigorously, trying to shove away everything that lingered his mind. The reasons why he couldn't kill her were still blurry and unreadable as if his own self had refused to kill her.

Not answering Papa's question, Mark rushed out of the place, reappearing in Dallia's room.

Cracking a few of his finger joints, patiently waiting for the girl to come home. He was agitated – troubled why he couldn't kill her just yet. Pulling out the knife he had always kept inside his black coat, staring at it for a good second.

His mind flashed a quick vision; a gory, bloodshed vision that he was about to do any minute from now.

"You're going to kill her today?" Mark shot his head up, and in an instant, the burning anger that was he was trying to calm down bubbled upon the face.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Tricks?" He seethed, cocking the tip of the knife towards her direction and she back away, her hands up momentarily.

Trixe gave him a faint smile, shrugging shamelessly, "I told you I'd find her."

"First, Jaemin, and now you? What do you life reapers even want from her?"

"Ahh, so that's why Jaemin's being held captive, huh?" Trixe hummed in realization, a dry chuckle escaping her lips. "I just find her interesting."

"And lead her to her own death? Yeah, sure. Not gonna happen again."

Trixe scrunched her nose at his bitter comment, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she leaned back against a free wall. "Oh, Minhyung-ie, still can't let go of the past? You do know you were one of us, right? You were a life reaper too!"

"Don't call me that." He growled, throwing the knife towards the female who had ducked down right on time before it had hit her.

Trixe lightly gasped, a visual smirk on her lips. She looked back at the knife, the tip of it perforated into the wooden wall. She chuckled, "You do know you can't kill me, right?"

Mark rolled his eyes, "Just leave Dallia alone."

"Hmm? That's fascinating."

"What is?" He grunted, reaching to yank out the knife.

Trixe grinned, "It's the first time I heard you call your 'jobs' by their names." She patted his back making him scowl, "Improvement, Mark! Improvement."

"No, I did not. Can you stop it? You're literally so annoying, Tricks."

Trixe shook her head, making her way towards Dallia's desk to sit on her swivel chair. Her busy eyes scanning over the young girl's belongings, catching the sight of the sewing kit.

About to reach out for it and grab it, she stopped mid-way as Mark pulled the chair back harshly, "Stop snooping around."

"I just wanted to see her kit, I heard she loves to stitch herself." She emphasized, looking up at Mark who glared down at her.

"Listen, I don't know why the fuck you're after her when you can literally pester other humans. I won't let you anywhere near Dallia."

"You said her name again!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands like a joyful kid. "Seems like you are beginning to grow attached to her. Starting with the name then comes in the feelings- and by then, you're gonna face the same problem you did years ago."

Mark gritted his teeth, grabbing her by the collar, yanking her up forcibly. Peering down at her dead in the eye, he voiced out, his tone laced with venom. "I am not the same person you think I am."

Trixe hummed plainly, reaching up to pat the top of his head. "Oh, Minhyung, I'm just saying." His grip around her collar loosened, bringing her back on her two feet.

He lets go making her turn away, fixing the collar of her outfit. "She's not Harin, Mark."

"I don't care—"

"Even if she's not- if your heart wants her, it'll still find a way to love her."

"I will never have feelings for her. Nor will I befriend her."

Trixe chuckled, "Keep denying it. It seems like you're already friends anyway. And I know you, Mark. If you really treat her as a job, you would've killed her the moment you met her."

"I will kill her! So stop bothering me, and don't you ever steal her away as you did to Harin."

"I just made Harin my friend- she did the rest." Trixe smiled wickedly at the male. Seeing as Mark had no intention of retorting, she cleared her throat, "Anyway, I won't steal her away, it seems like I'll only end up annoyed."

"I mean, come on? I lead people to their own deaths and sins, how will I be able to lead her when she believes she's fucking dead." Trixe explained. After looking for files and information about Mark's job, she had realized how different it was from Mark's previous jobs that she had fun messing with.

And after observing Mark with Dallia for a few days, she had noticed how the young girl acted and it was a big problem.

"And maybe that's the reason why you can't kill her. Other than the fact you're slowly becoming attached- seems like you're bothered by the fact she believes she's dead."

Mark pursed his lips together, though it may have seen like Trixe was telling the truth, he still couldn't bring himself to believe her.

After all, he was similar to Trixe and he used to be a life reaper himself.

He hates liars. He hates himself.

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