บท 6: V: Acedia

Jisoo got out of Building B feeling tired. She took a deep breath, stretching her arms before making her way to her next and last class in the morning. Her schedule's all messed up because she transferred in the middle of the second semester so her classes were all scattered in different buildings.

"Jisoo!" Hyeri's energetic voice made her turn in surprise, a smile creeping all the way up to her face as the girl stood in front of her.

"Do you still have class? Which building is it?" She asked.

"Building D," Jisoo answered. "Math Class."

"Ack! I have Chemistry in Building C." Hyeri winced in reply making her laugh. "Let's go together, our buildings aren't far from each other anyway." She grinned locking their arms together before pulling her away.

"So, What do you think of Demian so far?" Hyeri asked as they walked.

"Bearable," Jisoo uttered, she pursed her lips unsure if she should tell Hyeri about what happened earlier this morning, she sighed deciding to take a shot.

"About Namjoon--"

"Oh no..." Hyeri stopped at the mention of his name, her friend's eyes wide with worry "What happened, did you see him do something bad too?"

"Well-"

"Namjoon's been acting strange lately..." Hyeri said with a sad look on her face as they began to walk again.

"He's a kind person, everyone in school knows that. He isn't the type to say such rude things to others or do something bad, but earlier this morning he didn't act like himself at all."

"Namjoon broke one of his fangirl's cameras today. It was new, and she actually only ever took one picture of him at the lockers, she wasn't stalking him." Hyeri explained like he was pleading for Jisoo to believe her "But Namjoon misunderstood that, he thought she had been following him and broke her camera. I feel bad for the girl really, I was at the lockers too when that happened, I saw the whole thing."

"...Then later after my second class, I heard he had a fight with another student. One of my classmates told me he just suddenly started talking rudely to her while Jin and Hoseok tried to stop him."

Jisoo bit her lower lip feeling bad for Hyeri, she couldn't tell her it was she who Namjoon got into a fight with, it would hurt her if she found out. It was clear how disappointed she was that the person she admired suddenly changed into a different person.

"M-maybe he's just not in a good mood." Jisoo told her friend trying to cheer her up a bit "I mean I heard he's got a very bad headache."

"Yeah... I hope so." Hyeri uttered, "Maybe he'll be fine tomorrow."

Jisoo wanted to talk about Taehyung and Jungkook's strange behavior too but she decided to keep it to herself, she didn't want to add to Hyeri's worries. The talk about the Academic king's sudden change was enough for today.

"I'm going in now" Hyeri uttered as soon as they arrived at her building "I'll see you later." She said with a chuckle waving her hand before running inside the building.

A sigh escaped Jisoo's lips as she stared at her friend's running figure, she turned her back looking at the time on her wristwatch. She luckily still had a lot of time before her next class. She lifted her head up a person's figure catching the corner of her eyes.

Jisoo's gaze landed on the boy with raven black hair sitting under the shade of the school's oldest tree. His skin was very pale; it was the very first thing she noticed about him. She would have actually mistaken him for a ghost if not for his reddish lips that proved there was the blood rushing in his veins.

'Is he skipping classes just to sleep?'

She shook her head at the thought it was not her problem anyway. She gave him one last curious look before taking the path to her Building.

The thought about the Seven Demons she accidentally released suddenly rushed through her head causing her to anxiously grip the straps of her bag tightly.

She still didn't know how to start looking for them. How do you look for a demon anyway?

The loud sound of clattering metal disrupted her thoughts. She looked down feeling something bump on her foot.

Apples...

Apples were rolling towards her. Someone must have dropped them. As soon as her eyes caught sight of the metal basket on the ground, a boy had taken it on his arms.

He was rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as he stared worriedly at the scattered fruits around him. A tired sigh escaped from his plump lips before he started picking them up and putting them back on the metal basket.

Jisoo bit her bottom lip feeling sorry for the guy, the sweat trickling down the side of his face made it obvious he had been doing a lot of work. He must be one of those working scholars.

"Hey!" She called, picking up the apples that rolled near her feet before approaching him.

The boy gave her a startled look at first, probably wondering what a stranger needed from him, but his questioning eyes immediately lit up when he saw her carrying some of the fallen apples towards him.

"T-thanks..." He uttered, a small smile flashed on his lips as she placed the fruits on the basket.

"No problem." She smiled back before taking the rest of the apples on the ground.

"Mind telling me what these fruits are for?" She asked.

"Oh. They're for the canteen. The kitchen staff told me they'll be making apple pies for today's lunch's dessert."

"Really?!" Jisoo's face lit up at the information.

"Really." He replied in a chuckle.

"I love Apple Pies!" She stated, "Especially when it's newly baked!"

"I mean don't you just love the crisp crust and the hot-sweet apple filling?"

A dreamy sigh escaped from her lips at the thought of eating the pie she loved so dearly. Her smile immediately faded when she realized that the boy was still in front of her.

'Crap. He must think I'm weird now.' She mentally scolded herself 'Stupid apple pie loving witch! You could have just told him you liked the food and ended the conversation with that, you didn't have to rant about it and sigh dreamily like a lunatic!'

The boy let out a laugh disrupting her from berating herself.

"You think I'm weird, don't you?" She uttered feeling embarrassed.

"Yes," He answered to her dismay, "But in a good way. It's actually nice to hear that someone is looking forward to eating the apples I worked hard carrying to the kitchen." He laughed good-naturedly.

A smile appeared on Jisoo's face "Are you kidding? Who doesn't love apple pies, I bet you, a lot will be looking forward to eating them today!" she said excitedly.

"I hope so..."

She stood up adjusting the straps of her bag, the boy stood after carrying the basket of apples in his hands.

"Well, I have to go now..." She uttered with a grin, she lifted up her wrist, eyes landing on her watch "I only have five minutes before my class starts."

"Wait, I didn't-"

Jisoo waved her hand at him as she ran towards Building D unable to hear what the boy was trying to say.

______________

It was lunchtime, but Jisoo wasn't feeling hungry at all, not at the thought of Demons lurking around her new school being her fault. Hyeri actually invited her to eat but she ended up politely declining the offer.

Her main focus right now is finding the students hosting the demons then jot their names on her pocket notebook so she could give them to Saeron. They need to keep a close watch on the hosts to keep the Demons from causing trouble while they're still preparing for the spell to cast them away.

"Hah. Easier said than done," she whispered to herself as she sat on the empty bench at the school garden. Few people hang around the area since most students prefer eating lunch in their classrooms or the school canteen.

The Demons of the Seven Deadly Sins...

The Seven Sins...

'What were they again?'

Jisoo's forehead creased trying to remember what was once a lesson thought to them in grade school. Her eyes lit up when the names started to pop in her head one by one.

'Wrath, Pride, Avarice... Gluttony, Lust, Envy... '

Six... She only remembers six... what was the other one?

An irritated groan left her mouth when she couldn't remember, 'what was it?!'

"Oh... Jisoo..." she scolded herself in frustration "You 'had' to go inside that room and read the book... why do you have to be so stupid!"

"If you're going to be fucking noisy then leave. My head hurts and I'm trying to have a peaceful sleep here." An irritated voice uttered startling her.

Jisoo frantically turned around from her seat only to find a boy lying on the grass behind the bench she was sitting on.

'Holy Shiznitz! Why didn't I notice him there earlier?!'

'Wait a minute... I know this guy!'

He was the boy she saw sleeping near the old tree this morning. 'Huh... funny finding him asleep again. Does he even go to class?'

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you." Jisoo said, completely turning around to face him.

She looked down at his sleeping figure, silently studying his facial features.

'Why, will you look at that, he's actually more handsome up close.'

Ah, how she envies that pale skin and red lips of his. He looks like the freaking boy version of snow white and sleeping beauty.

The side of his lips suddenly twitched into an amused smirk surprising her.

"You actually said sorry to me." He said eyes still closed.

"Well... you were here before me, right?"

"Yes, I was."

"Then I owe you an apology for that."

A long silence occurred making the atmosphere awkward. 'Wow. Is he asleep again? That was fast.'

"Sweet dreams?" Jisoo uttered unsure if it was the right thing to say to a stranger who fell asleep in front of you.

She grabbed her pocket notebook beside her before slowly standing up from the bench to make sure she doesn't disturb the guy.

"Where are you going?"

"Oh... I... Uh... I have a work to do." she said. Right, she can't waste her time there. She needs to find those demons before they cause trouble.

"Work?" the guy uttered finally opening his eyes. He seemed to dislike hearing the word by the tone of his voice.

Jisoo froze as he sat upon the grass ruffling his already messy hair. A tired yawn came out of his mouth before flashing a faint smile.

They were beautiful dark orbs, his eyes. Meeting them was like drowning into a bottomless pit. It was scary but strangely comforting. It made her lose any reason to walk away like suddenly, finding those demons weren't so important to her anymore.

"Come here..." He said.

The boy slowly reached for her hand pulling her towards him in surprise. She gasped when she landed on his arms, his left hand on the back of her head as he laid her down beside him on the green grass. His other hand wrapped on her waist pulling her closer until she could hear the sound of his heartbeat.

It sounded so peaceful.

"E-excuse me..." Jisoo uttered her cheeks turning red as she realized the sudden situation they were in.

'What the heck is happening right now?! Oh my god is this guy a pervert?!'

"Hmmm?" he replied with a faint smile on his lips, his eyes were closed again.

'Is he going to sleep like this?!' Her mind went haywire as she placed her hand on his chest trying to push him away from her.

"I-I think you mistook my being polite for flirting," Jisoo uttered frantically. "Please let me go."

"No."

Her heart drummed nervously "W-what?"

Times like this, she regrets not reading any vanishing or teleporting spells in her ancestral book.

He opened his eyes again and her dark eyes widened as it met his. She stopped struggling. Her forehead creased as she felt her body weaken.

'Why do I feel so drowsy?'

"Don't you feel tired?" He asked. His voice felt like a lullaby to her ears. "Sleep, Jisoo. It is for the best."

Jisoo saw him flash a warm smile as her eyes slowly closed. Sleep? Why does she have to sleep, but then again why does she have to work? Wasn't it better to just laze around?

'But how does he know my name?' She wanted to ask that question but she was too lazy to move her lips anymore.

Sloth...

That word popped into Jisoo's head before she was fully unconscious, it made the hairs on her back stood up in fear as her eyes fluttered open to look at the person in front of her.

The Seventh Sin! It was Sloth! The guy is one of the hosts!

"Let go of me!" Jisoo cried using every bit of her strength she could gather to push him. She frantically sat up on the grass moving further away.

The guy let out a mischievous chuckle as he sat up facing her. She looked away trying to focus on the green grass around them, afraid to be put into sleep if she looked at his eyes again.

"Kang Jisoo." He called her name but this time it wasn't just him.

There was a second voice joining him whenever he talked. It was deeper and colder. It was the demon of Sloth himself.

"Your blood has allowed us to break free from the prisons of hell." He uttered. "For that, we owe you our service."

"Yeah about that.. err... It was a mistake." Jisoo replied frantically "Can you like tell the other demons to go back to hell and -"

The boy suddenly lunged towards her in surprise, his dark eyes boring into hers as his hands made its way to her neck. She gasped for air trying to push his hands away from her.

"Let m-me go-" her grip on his hands tightened.

"I see you have made contact with an angel." He said grimly "How unfortunate, we were supposed to grant you your wishes in exchange for setting us free."

"I-I..." Jisoo's forehead creased as his grip on her neck became stronger. She was running out of oxygen to breathe.

"You have decided to get rid of us. Now I have a reason to kill you."

Cold sweat started to trickle down the side of her temples as she stared into his venomous eyes.

Saeron's words crossed her mind making her gasp.

"S-somnus." She uttered the spell with the hope of it saving her. It was a chant Saeron had thought her during breakfast.

Jisoo felt the boy's grip on her loosen. She watched him drop on the ground unconscious. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as her body shook in fear. She felt herself sob uncontrollably as tears stream out of her eyes dropping on the skirt of her uniform.

She almost died...

"I'm so fucking stupid!" She uttered before wiping the tears off her eyes.

She finally learned her lesson: never to test a spell's authenticity.

Jisoo froze when the boy's body suddenly moved. He groaned startling her. 'Is he awake again?'

"How long was I asleep?!" he asked forehead creased in confusion.

"I-I don't know..."

She stared at him fearfully as her hand blindly searched for the notebook she dropped when he pulled her towards him earlier. She caught sight of the name tag he had on his chest.

Jisoo warily stood up, heart drumming as she ran away from the garden with her pocket notebook in hand. She heard him call her before she turned around the corner but there was no way she was going to stop.

The spell Saeron taught her had a time limit. It won't be long till the demon inside him wakes up again.