- Unforgotten Past -

|Next Morning|

Things were awkward for Viole's new teammates since there were new members in their house. Apparently Ha Jinsung and Nox haven't decided to leave yet.

Nox, he had woke up in the early morning just to prepare their breakfast. When they all woke up, they found both Viole and Nox were trying to prepare them breakfast. And after he prepared all the foods, he never ate with them, giving them the impression that he was a quiet man and a loner.

Nox learnt how to cook from Viole. Since Viole was good in cooking, then he was also a good cook. But he was still a slayer candidate and a guest in their house. And because he rarely talked and had always left to look for Viole after he cleaned the house, it was hard for them to get along with him.

When he was sweeping the floor, Yeon came and approached him.

"You are a slayer candidate" Yeon said. "Why are you doing all of these?"

"Because I want to make myself useful" Nox answered.

"Useful?" Yeon didn't expect that kind of answer.

Nox then added, "So brother will praise me."

Yeon immediately understood it. So he did all of it so that he would earn a praise from Viole.

"But why are you wearing that mask?" Yeon asked him. She thought that it would be more convenient to move around without the mask that he had.

"You want to know?"

"Don't get me wrong" Yeon said. "It's pure curiosity."

Nox put his hand on the mask and covered one of his eyes. He responded, "There are several reasons for it."

Yeon thought that it should have been "reasons" instead of "options". But since he said options, then Yeon assumed that he might tell her to guess the reason why he would wear that mask.

"First, I want to make myself cooler by wearing this mask. Second, I want to hide my face and to be unrecognizable. Third, my face is ugly and creepy, so I wear this" Nox said to the her. "Which one do you believe the most?"

Yeon pondered about it. The three options were simple but they were still hard to choose. She replied, "I think that the three of them are the same."

"They aren't" he said and held the broom again. "But if you really want to see....then next time I will show you."

Yeon knew that there were people who used the word "next time" because they didn't want to do it. She thought that Nox was unwilling to show his face and therefore, she lost her interest and then left, leaving him to sweep the floor on his own.

A few moments after Yeon left and then Wangnan came as well. When Nox noticed that Wangnan has been looking at him, he asked him, "What's wrong?"

Wangnan, he recalled his talk with Hwaryun. The red haired woman told him how the twins ended up in the FUG and how they were forced to pass every single test and to be their weapons.

FUG knew that Viole and Nox won't be able to ignore their friends who needed help. They were the type of people who valued relationships a lot. And it was also because of that, FUG used their old friends to control the two of them. Thinking about the "Gods" in the FUG being treated poorly and were also their victims, he didn't really see them as villains anymore.

"Nothing."

He turned around and then left Nox to finish his work.

Nox knew what Wangnan was talking with Hwaryun but he pretended to be indifferent. Because of Hwaryun, Wangnan seemed to change his attitude toward them. He didn't fear them and maybe sympathized them.

Nox didn't enjoy getting sympathy by someone else. But with an important even getting near, the center of this team, Wangnan, he should be knowing it before convincing the others.

Nox hoped that his brother would he able to get along with them.

|Three Days Later|

Nox wanted to go to follow Viole to finish the test with him but since he had climbed the tower and passed this floor, he can't go.

Nox had warned them to be careful and careful since he knew that something would happen there. He didn't want Viole to get hurt even the slightest.

But a man could plan while God could disposes that plan. When they returned, Nox and Ha Jinsung found their beloved Viole were badly hurt. If they didn't treat him, then Viole might lose his life!

When they went to take the test, the opponent's team had left. The supervisor told them to look for the Zigena Flower, the flower that was used as Yeon Family's crest. The flower was extremely rare and hard to find.

The Team Sweet and Sour, the name of Viole's new team, didn't know that there was someone extremely dangerous on the mission.

Turned out, there was an irregular resting in the place where they were looking for the Zigena Flower! The name of the irregular was Urek Mazino who even lasted 10 minutes of match with the head of Arie Family, Arie Hon.

The real reason why they sent those regulars there was because they didn't want to lose more rankers. Besides, wasn't there Jue Viole Grace the slayer candidate who was said to tie with a ranker on a fight? He was the slayer candidate, if they got rid of him, wouldn't that be nice?

Viole knew that he wasn't the match for Urek Mazino. The difference on their current strengths were like the heaven and earth. But he can't back down or give up in the test.

Urek Mazino wanted to see the world outside the tower. He wanted to look at the endless sky, the sun and everything. But Bam, money, glory and fame...or even the outside world...those things are meaningless compared to the memories of the past along with his old friends.

FUG had threatened them. When they showed a slightest hesitation in being slayer candidate, one of their friends will be killed. When they tried to run away, then their old friends will be killed one by one. If they failed the test floor, then their old friends will be leaving them to a place that they won't be able to reach even when they have ascended to the top of the tower.

He had no choice but to fight him and when he returned, he was badly hurt.

Nox was filled with anger. As he watched how Viole slept on the bed unconsciously, he gripped on the white blanket tightly. Akraptor noticed that and brought the others to leave the room, leaving Nox in the same room with Viole.

Nox knew that he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't strong enough to not be threatened by anyone. If he was strong enough, then he won't be used by anyone. If he wanted to avoid this kind of scene again, then he had to be stronger, stronger than anyone.

And after that, he would make sure that whoever hurts him and his beloved one will suffer more. He would make sure that he would punish those people and make them pay for it!

But first, he should do something else. He should calm down. According to the Manhwa, Ha Jinsung would ask Wangnan to leave and abandon Viole again. He can't let that happen. He didn't want Viole to be alone again.

|Rooftop|

Nox saw Ha Jinsung there but he didn't see any Wangnan, not even his shadow. Perhaps he had left to buy groceries with the others.

He stood next to him with his fingers crossed each other.

"You will break my brother's heart if he knows that you asked his friends to leave his side" Nox said.

"It's for his own good" Ha Jinsung said.

If his teammates were stronger, then maybe he won't get hurt like this.

If Ha Jinsung requested to the elders to choose teammates for Viole and him, then those elders won't argue with him and immediately prepare it. First, it was too guarantee that their Gods won't be hurt like this. If a slayer candidate was easily hurt or fail on a floor, then it would be a humiliation for FUG. Second, with their chosen regulars around, then they could spy on them. Those chosen regulars would be their eyes and they would be troublesome to get rid of.

Nox took a deep breath, "You know.....ever since I entered FUG, I couldn't meet my brother freely. We could only meet each other for once a month."

"....... I remember that" Ha Jinsung said and closed his eyes. "I am your teacher after all."

|Past|

The FUG had made the decision to separate the two of them. They thought if the slayer candidates were trained together, then they won't be able to concentrate with their training. Considering how harsh will they training be, then they would be busy worrying about each other rather than improving.

It was because of their mercy and Ha Jinsung that they were able to meet with each other once a month even though it was only for an hour.

The loneliness that they felt was too strong to be ignored. The two of them really wished that all of this was a dream, that becoming the part of FUG and everything was just a dream, a nightmare. They were very lonely that they would never miss the time to meet with each other and to talk about everything like they haven't met for years.

Compared to Charlotte, Bam was a faster learner and his recovery was faster than her. But Charlotte wasn't that strong. To make her stronger, they were even harsher on her. So whenever Bam met Charlotte again, he would always be worried since his only sister was badly hurt because of him.

Hansung Yu had told him that Charlotte jumped willingly from the shinsu bubble just to follow him. He had advised him to focus everything to be an obedient slayer candidate if he didn't want to lose her. Whenever he saw her with wounds, his heart seriously ached.

Knowing that it was because of her wounds that made Bam worried, Charlotte decided to wear something black. In that way, she wished that Bam won't notice whatever wounds she had on her and would be less worried. She didn't wait for a whole month just to see his sad and worried expression.

But of course, as the time passed, Bam figured out her trick.

"I'm fine, brother, I'm really fine" she tried to reassure him. "We only get to see each other once a month. I don't want to see you worried."

"You know that in this way, you aren't healing your wounds. You are just covering them" Bam said.

"I will get better" she lowered her sleeve. "I will get stronger soon."

In the Manhwa, Bam's training hasn't been shown specifically. He endured everything for 7 years yet remained devoted and loyal to his friend. Charlotte really admired him.

She wanted to help him until the end, to accompany him until the end and there she was, becoming someone else for her brother.

"Actually, if you take brother's friends away from him, then you will only make him sad" Nox said. He looked at his teacher, "Do you know he meet in the middle of this test?"

The FUG didn't care what kind of obstacles lied on the tests. They just cared about the results. But still, the curiosity as a teacher who wanted to know who beat his student badly made him ask about it.

"......Urek Mazino."

Shocked, Ha Jinsung immediately turned his head around and looked at Nox. Nox looked around as he wasn't lying.

"You.... don't tell me that you are lying again."

Why would a high ranker and an irregular like him go and meddle with the regulars' tests?

"If you believe it me, then it's good. But if you don't believe me, then I can't do anything about it" he said.

He didn't need to tell Ha Jinsung that Viole was hurt for shielding Miseng. He didn't want to make him felt that the Team Sweet and Sour was too helpless and weak.

To be honest, Nox envied Urek Mazino. He was strong and unyielding, no one dared to trample or to mess with him. How wonderful would that be if he could be as strong as him?

Looking at how serious Nox was and the circumstances, he won't be lying to him right?

He looked again at the sky. At this time, he wanted to use the cigarettes. But the last time he used the cigarettes around Nox, Nox fought with his master to get rid of all cigarettes and got rid all the cigarettes he has been keeping. Nox even caused problems for him and pester him around until he agreed to not smoke again.

"He really has gotten stronger....." Ha Jinsung said. He looked at Nox, "Then what about you?"

Nox looked at Ha Jinsung.

"Viole wants to be stronger to be with his friends" Ha Jinsung said. "Then what about you? What is your reason to go this far?"

Nox smiled under his mask. He answered, "Money, fame, glory, achievements.....they are meaningless for me. I want to be strong enough to protect my beloved ones, so that we won't be trampled or used by anyone. I want to make them feel secured around me and to shield them from any kind of danger."

Ha Jinsung, "........"

As what he expected from one of his disciples, he knew that Nox would answer this. It was because he can't forget the past that he was used.

He sighed. He knew what precisely the young lad wanted. He wanted him to agree to let Viole and him to spend their times with their new friends. Honestly, he really wished that the two of them could be happy as slayer candidates.

"Well.....do whatever you want" Ha Jinsung said and left the rooftop.

"Then will you let my brother stay with his friends?"

"I will think about it."

"I will take that as 'yes'!"

"Don't jump to the wrong conclusion."

Nox knew that Ha Jinsung had always favoured his disciple Jue Viole Grace. Now, he just need the Team Sweet and Sour to not change their mind to leave Viole ans everything would be fine. He returned to his brother who was still unconscious.

While waiting for him to wake up, he pulled a book from his drawer and opened it. Inside the book, there was a pencil. He then flipped through the pages that were filled with the people from the past as he began to draw them.

Nox didn't want to forget them. He didn't want to forget about them and thus, decided to draw their appearances one by one. His skills in art has improved because of this and his drawing was getting better and better.

Strangely, whenever he drew each of them, he would feel happy. Perhaps it was because he missed each of them greatly and was happy even if he could only draw them. He was very lonely and he really missed them.

But if this book was found by FUG, then there would be a serious problem. But it was fine. He just had to do it secretly and carefully.

By the time Viole woke up, he noticed that Nox was sleeping with a book opened on the table. He stood up and then put the blanket on him so that he won't feel cold.

He wanted to take off the mask but he was afraid to wake Nox up. At the end, he couldn't do anything with the mask.

But his golden eyes found the drawing book that hasn't been closed yet. When Viole knew that Nox was drawing each of the memory that he could recall about the Test Floor, he formed a small smile.

It was a happy and sad smile.

But if FUG knew about that book, then they will get into very serious trouble that he carefully took the book and flip through each page. He didn't know that Nox was good in drawing. After he finished looking at it, he put it inside the drawer and then left the room.

When the members of the Sweet and Sour saw him awake, they were happy and were about to call his name. But they paused when Viole put his index finger on his lips, gesturing them to be quiet.

"My younger sibling is sleeping" he said to them. "Let's not wake him up."