Tainted Entropies

RECKLESSNESS.3

CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE, SUBSTANCE

[Saturday. April 2. 23:11]

Hissing under his breath as though he had been touched by the embers of a burning wood, Kael’s movements were swift—really swift that he had arrived almost immediately outside the barricades, where Arthur was.

However, what good was it that he was there?

Unable to do anything that could save his friend from being publicly shamed, Kael could only stand and watch as the scene unfolded before him.

Arthur, seemingly unnerved by the current predicament he was facing, was staring intently at Inka, who stood only a meter away from the nose of his Audi—she stood there as if watching, scrutinising the man who sat so calmly inside his own vehicle.

It was truly a sight unfathomable even to Kael.

The two who should be the main characters were unmoved, staring coldly at each other, as their surroundings had started its descent into chaos.

Fayi was knocking rapidly on the windows of the shotgun seat where a woman was sitting inside, not knowing what do do—it seemed as though she unknowingly stepped into a landmine.

Kael felt guilty for not interrupting them earlier. Had he stepped in and informed her about Arthur’s complicated relationship, she wouldn’t have come with him so willingly.

In the end, Kael could only watch with pity as Fayi succeeded into pulling out the woman from Arthur’s vehicle. He cringed as he caught sight of blood dripping down the woman’s arm where nails dug crescents into skin.

“How f*****g dare you to cheat with someone who’s already taken!” Fayi raged as if she was the one who was wronged. “Have you no shame as a woman! Have you no respect towards yourself!”

“I didn’t know, I’m sorry!” The woman shielded herself from Fayi's physical attacks as she begged for her to stop and listen.

Fayi, of course, did not listen.

The clamour that Fayi had created seemed to have attracted an audience, making it more difficult for Kael to step in. However, the guilt that he felt had won over his shame of being involved; thus, pushing him into action.

“Fayi! That’s enough, that’s enough,” he warned with his voice lower than normal, before pulling the woman away from her, which earned him a few bloody scratches on his arm. He hissed from the searing pain but endured the attacks. “She already said she had no idea, calm down!” he urged before looking around shamefully at the crowd.

Fayi’s nose flared, looking like her eyes had found a new target of her rage. “Oh, good! Look, Arthur, your enabler friend has come to rescue your cheater ass!” She scoffed derisively before glaring at the woman who cowered in fear behind Kael. “Rescuing a w***e instead of sympathising with the victim, see!”

“Wasn’t she also a victim, she had no idea about Arthur’s—” He felt a stinging sensation on his cheeks. The area affected grew larger and larger until he could feel his face tingle from the impact. Fayi had already slapped him before he realised.

“What the f**k—” he muttered frustratingly under his breath “—was that for!” His eyes widened with shock, and a tightly restrained fire of rage seemed to peek out of his pupils before he was able to collect himself.

“For siding with a w***e, of course! You and Arthur are literally partners in crime, and I am embarrassed to be acquainted with you—”

“Fayi,” Inka spoke, her voice as calm as the surface of a winter stream. It was so cold that it sent chills into Kael’s guilty system, yet so warm that he had also felt relief from having her stop the killing machine that was Fayi.

Kael had wondered whether the current that ran beneath the surface was as calm. He had doubts, of course. Who could remain calm during such times? Even if she could mask herself with pretentious tranquillity, it was impossible that the same could be said to the emotions that she felt deep inside her heart. After all, it involved Arthur, whom she was most certainly in love with. How could she possibly not feel anything?

Fayi was immediately stopped from uttering another word as she anxiously waited for her friend to continue.

“She already said she didn’t know. You don’t need to be so aggressive.” Just then, a carefree smile broke out of her face.

It was uncanny, to say the least.

It was the first time tonight that Kael had heard her speak. And it was to stand up for the poor girl that was bleeding from the multiple scratches on her arm.

Following that, she finally took a few steps closer to the driver’s seat, where Arthur had soundlessly stepped out of whilst everyone watched the side-story.

The door was opened wide, covering a portion of Arthur’s lower body as he leaned forward to watch the debacle that transpired before him. “Hi.” He greeted Inka as if it was the most normal thing to do in such a situation.

Inka's smile widened, her eyes forming silvery crescents that seemed to pose as a threat even though it was most certainly an innocent gesture. “You seem so out of it. Did you drink too much?”

Arthur shook his head. “No.”

“Want me to drive you home so you can sleep?”

Arthur pursed his lips before throwing Kael a vexed glance. “I’m not drunk—”

“You are.” She placed her hand above the door frame of the car before looking up to meet Arthur’s blank gaze. “Let's go home, then?”

Kael was at a loss for words.

After a few beats of silence, Arthur’s face broke into a wide grin—which took Kael by surprise. He never smiled so wide in his entire life; and to smile at such time was truly . . . unsettling.

“Sure thing, love,” he said, his tone changing ever so slightly with each word pronounced.

Moments after, the car drove off into the night, leaving an ominous silence behind it, and an unexplainable anxiety looming over Kael for some reason.

As he looked around, he noticed that the relatively thin crowd dispersed and disappeared completely, leaving only him, Fayi, Joaquin, and the woman, standing on an already empty parking space.

Fayi was the first one to react with a scoff. She eyed the woman from head to toe before rolling her eyes. “Inka’s too nice, letting you off so easily.” She turned on her heel before walking out.

Kael sighed in exasperation before patting the woman’s head. He could only offer a bit of comfort. “It’s his fault. You didn’t know.” He started treading his way back to the dense crowd of people. However, before he could disappear from her earshot, he paused and looked back at the woman. “You should go home. If you want to sue her, we’ll help. Either way, you should be cautious next time to avoid this from happening again.” He smiled before being completely absorbed by the crowd with Joaquin.

“How will we get home if Arthur already left?” Joaquin asked before rubbing his face. “God, he’s so stupid!”

Kael chuckled before joining Ali and her group. They were standing near a liquor station, chatting with each other. “Akemi’s too wasted to drive himself home, so we might be able to at least go back to Solomon if I offer to drive for him.” He shrugged before taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He puffed out a cloud. “Yeah, he’s stupid alright. Stupid to the point that I suspect that he might be high on something.” He turned to Ali.

Raising her brows as she sucked out the last of her own cigarette’s smoke, Ali hummed as if asking.

“What are the chances that Arthur might have been drugged?” Kael asked while pouring himself a cup of beer from the table full of cheap booze.

Ali laughed before physically dragging the unknowing, almost incapacitated Akemi into the conversation. “Yeah, you can ask him about that. I heard this dude was looking for his own cup after you left to tend to that fiasco.”

Kael grunted as his gaze shifted towards Akemi, who was now completely unable to open his eyes, looking like he was experiencing euphoria. He also seemed to be at the brink of collapsing on the ground if not for Ali’s constant tending.

The dumbass really had servants scattered around the city.

“Well? Got anything to say, Akemi?” Kael crossed his arms on his chest before exhaling a huge cloud of smoke that dispersed languidly into the cool summer night’s breeze.

“Yeah!” Akemi raised his finger, startling Aliana. “I’m planning to apply for a job at the café Leo’s working at!”

“Not that!” Joaquin laughed at Akemi’s pitiful state. “We’re talking about your drink.”

“Oh. That.” Akemi suddenly opened his eyes as if trying to battle the shutting down of his own body. “Yeah, I might have unconsciously mixed up the drinks. My bad.”

Kael could only shake his head in disappointment. “Well, case closed, I guess. It’s already been done.” He sighed before staring off at the direction where Arthur’s vehicle disappeared into the dark roads of the mountainous province.

He wandered why Arthur was addicted in doing such things. It really was just straight up cruel to cheat on someone who hasn’t done anything relatively bad to you, right?

And to do it so boldly, too, was anyone’s guess.

“How far do you think they were at when Inka caught them?” Joaquin mused as he sipped on his beer.

Such an obscene topic. Kael hadn’t thought much about if, for he was far more concerned about what would happen to Arthur when he arrives home.

However, when it was finally brought up, Kael’s attention was piqued for some reason. “I guess they didn't go past kissing—”

Just then, a vague memory flashed through his eyes.

His lips quivered, as if scorched by a blazing hot, yet wet pair of lips. He subconsciously lifted his fingers to caress his lips so gently that it almost relived the vague memory of him kissing someone.

Who was it?

“I bet. Good thing they hadn’t gone past that. Imagine if they had, though. The consequences it might’ve brought would surely be borne by the poor lady alone.” He shook his head before starting a conversation with Aliana about some girl he saw somewhere at the rave.

Kael hissed under his breath, the noise fading into the background as he sank deeper into his thoughts. Good thing they haven’t gone past kissing?

Hah. Had they?

He downed his drink before licking the corners of his lips. I’d be f****d if what I’m remembering right now is—

“You’re gay?!”

Joaquin’s voice snapped him back to reality. However, the words that the boy just uttered were enough to spark a flame in Kael’s mind; as if lighting a torch inside a pitch black cave, his memories seemed to grow more vivid.

Horrific.

He stared blankly at the cigarette wedged between his fingers as it continuously burned, he had already forgotten to suck on it.

The warmth that the burning embers from his cigarette brought to his skin was the same warmth that he felt when he’d asked Arthur that night. He was also smoking that time, right?

The words resonated through even the deepest parts of Kael’s person as a cold shiver ran through him.

“Do you want to find out?”

Ah. He really was f****d.