Chapter 6: Little Sister's Big Secrets
August has come up with tons of ideas on how to start a conversation with Winter, but in the end, the one he eventually chose led him to an undesired position.
Since he did not see her leave her bedroom ever since they arrived home, he thought that she was inside. In fact, she no longer goes out of that place as often as before. It's almost like she really is avoiding him as much as possible. That being said, he decided to go there himself to talk with her.
But then, after knocking on the door of her bedroom for a few times, August is still not getting any answer from Winter. Eventually, he just reaches out for the knob and opens it to take a peek inside. His eyes then widen in complete shock and utter confusion as soon as he sees something that he's sure isn't there before.
At that very moment, he finds himself looking at this wall full of pinned notes, papers with red writings, and even pictures of unfamiliar faces. They are so many of them that they occupy a good portion of the room. It both perplexes and concerns him. He feels like his sister has lost her mind or something.
As much as August wants to venture further inside and looks at the pinned notes more closely, Winter suddenly appears behind him and hastily pulls him out of that place.
"What do you think you're doing...?!" she bolted out exasperatedly, taking him aback.
"Why did you enter my room without my permission?! What is it do you want?!"
He is too stunned to say anything at that moment. This is the first time he is hearing her raise her voice against him. She never shouted at him like this. Now, he is getting the feeling that whatever is inside there has something to do with this one-hundred-eighty change of hers.
"I saw lots of papers on your wall. I should be the one asking what you are up to. What is going on, Winter? You are acting very strange these days," August asked with a firm and assertive tone, not faltering from her incandescent gaze.
"None of your business! Just leave me alone!" Winter retaliated before rushing inside her bedroom in an attempt to escape an interrogation.
"Winter!"
Yet before she could slam the door closed, he immediately held it and pushed it back to keep it open. He is not about to let her get away just like that. Though a little flabbergasted by this, she does not waver as she only continues to push it back as well.
From that second on, the two of them started a reversed tug of war with the door in between them.
"I'm being serious! Just what the hell is wrong?! Why don't you tell me anything?!" August exclaimed through gritted teeth.
"What part of 'leave me alone' did you not get?! And since when did you even bother to know about how I was doing?! Just go away!" Winter shouted back, somewhat vexed by how childish he was acting right now.
"The hell I am! If you won't tell me, I'd go in there and take a look myself!"
"Stop it, August! Stop acting like you cared! You never really cared about me!"
Right then, he stiffened and came to an abrupt halt all of the sudden. She took this opportunity to throw him off guard and shut the door closed in a haste. All the while, he could only continue standing there and staring at where she once was.
What Winter just said has struck a nerve on August.
It gets him coming to a standstill and reflecting on those words. Never did he imagine a day that she would say that out loud. He had thought for sure that she was alright with the way things were between them.
More than anything, he himself did not want to get any closer than that because he knew that they were not truly a family and that she might also leave him someday.
'In the end, I was actually the only one who was thinking that things were fine this entire time,' was all August could think of as he stooped his head low and heaved a deep, subdued sigh.
While this is going on at the other side of the door, a certain someone's mental breakdown is happening inside the room.
Winter keeps frantically pacing back and forth with her face buried in her hands. She felt like her soul has left her body when she saw her brother staring at the wall on her room with that look on his face - the look of someone who has discovered a potential criminal, a sociopath, a psycho or maybe a serial killer. Then again, anyone would get that impression if they saw what he saw.
"But I like my room messy. I feel organized when I'm disorganized. That's why I just attached all of those papers on that wall without thinking much," Winter mused out loud as she turned to look at her misleading backdrop.
This kind of sight will make any witness think that she is on a man hunt or some crime investigation. But in reality, all those pictures and papers only make up a whole bulletin board that will keep her on track of her progression. This is one of the evidences of her dead set preparation for the future.
"Anyway, let us cross Ms. Erica out now. She is out of the list..." Winter trailed off before grabbing a red marker and putting a huge cross on one of the photos.
"That flirt does not need her in his scheme. She ought to leave him alone as early as possible because she can cause more troubles in his other hunts. As far as I recall, she had an argument with one of his most important targets before I traveled back in time. Well, even if she did not, I deemed her as an extraneous variable."
While she was talking to herself, she sat on her rolling chair and faced the bulletin board with a mischievous look on her face. She could not help but be a little thrilled for the events that were about to go down.
'So far, all of the information that my private source has given me were true - where Marcellus Lexington would be, what was his schedule, and who was his target. Of course, I can't depend on my memories alone. So, that person is such a huge help...' Winter thought with an amused smirk, leaning back on her chair and sitting all chilled.
"Well then, let's see who we'll be onto next~"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone