Korven pauses her admiration of the aesthetically decorated room, turning to Yunuh. "That is why I'm here." She says, not hiding her sarcasm.
Yunuh leans over the coffee table between them. "So you're a journalist?" he asks.
Remembering the lie she told to secure this informal meeting, Korven just nods.
"So what, you want to know about his childhood, how he was when he was young, that sort of stuff?" Yunuh asks, as if he were reading off a list built on personal experiences.
Korven maintains the ruse, "So you've done this before?"
Yunuh's face shifts, looking like he just remembered something of grave importance. He cleans up his smile and answers Korven's question, "No, the media usually talks directly to Quyin, maybe asking a few questions to Sinxu if he's the only one available." Yunuh says.
Korven watches as Yunuh stumbles on a few words, almost as if he's second-guessing himself,
"Yeah?" she asks, trying – however, unsuccessfully – to convey a supportive tone through her question.
Yunuh looks back up at Korven, a solemn expression settling over his face. "Well, the thing is," he starts, "My family, well, they don't really talk to me, so I'm very left out of the loop when it comes to matters about Quyin and Well, the rest of the family."
Yunuh forces an awkward smile back onto his face; Korven infers that Yunuh is afraid he's disappointing her because of her lack of knowledge.
"Wait, what?" Korven asks,
"Well, like, my family cut me off a few months ago, so I don't really have the information that you need," Yunuh admits, starting to sweat and shake in shame.
"And you didn't want to mention this earlier?" Korven asks, annoyed t
that he didn't mention this online.
Yunuh rises from his seat and starts pacing, stumbling like a drunk man.
"Listen, why are you so stressed? I promise it isn't that important." Korven asks, annoyed but empathetic towards the poor boy who is clearly living through the same circumstances as she is.
Korven seems to have at least partially calmed Yunuh down; however, his attempt at hiding his sweating, red face.
"So can you tell me why your family cut you off? That may be important," She asks, knowing that while that information may be useless right now, it may have importance in the future.
"Uhh, well, it was complicated, and it isn't really what I want to be talking about right now," Yunuh says while scratching his head.
"So is there anything specific you need to know?" Yunuh asks, feeling the tension in the room returning to how it was minutes ago.
"Just some basic information, but more than that, I would like to know where Quyin currently resides?" Korven asks calmly, hoping to calm Yunuh further.
"Strange, you people usually ask questions like how was childhood with a miracle? Or, what was Quyin like growing up? Everything about his current life is public, you know, hes probably the most famous TV personality in Kilder." Yunuh jokes.
Korven mentally compares the lives of Quyin and Yunuh, "If I were Yunuh, I would be very jealous of Quyin."
Korven remembers something Yunuh had said earlier, "What do you mean? Didn't you say you don't talk to journalists?"
"I said not anymore. I did one, maybe two interviews back before I got disowned." Yunuh says before pausing, clearly not in the mood to be reminded of his past.
Before Korven could ask anything about Yunuh's family, he cut her off. "Do you want a tea, or perhaps a coffee?" he said, walking over to his kitchenette and bending over to open a cupboard full of ivory and Golden mugs. "Going with the theme, huh," Korven thought to herself.
"Just a water, please," Korven said, not wanting to waste her or Yunuh's time. Instead of just opening another cupboard and grabbing a glass, Yunuh paused to think for a moment and picked up a mug from the already-open cupboard.
"I don't have any cups, sorry," he admits as he opens his fridge and pours Korven a mug of water.
"Thanks, man. Can I use your washroom real quick?" She says, standing up,
"Oh, I don't have one," Yunuh says. He walks back to the coffee table between the two couches and places the mug of plain water opposite him.
"Yeah, you do; I saw it when I came in," Yunuh says, wondering why someone would lie about not having a bathroom.
"Well, obviously I have one; I meant it doesn't work," Yunuh says in a defensive tone that adds fuel to Korven's growing flame of suspicion.
"He only brought me water, but he walked over there before even confirming that I wanted one; he says he doesn't have any cups but has a dozen golden mugs. As well as that, he doesn't want to talk about what happened to him and his family, even though he brought it up. There's something wrong with him."
"You didn't bring yourself anything?" Korven asks, trying to prod further into the host's strange behaviour.
"I wasn't thirst,y" Yunuh says, wiping a drop of sweat off his now almost bright-pink, blemishless skin.
"Something is going on with him," Korven thinks, only now starting to tie the growing mound of suspicious behaviour together. "What does he want with me? He isn't acting like a normal person, not like any I've ever seen."
Korven avoids prolonged eye contact and instead starts to admire the cheap yet well-constructed decorations covering the wall. Golden and white metal tools that seem to have no use other than as decorations. The same shades of gold and Ivory that—
"HOLY SHIT," Korven yells after mentally connecting red string as she grips the pistol in her pocket.
Yunuh jumps back in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"Tell me why your parents disowned you," Korven demands harshly—every mishap and strange occurrence now makes sense.
"Excuse me?" Yunuh responds, his tone changing to defensive as his eyes dart around the room.
"Tell me." Korven repeats, "Why are you living here?"
Yunuh starts to sweat, looking in every direction except at Korven. After 30 seconds, he starts talking but is immediately cut off by Korven.
"N,o no, no. If you are about to tell me something made up,p save yourself the time; if you wanted to tell me, you would've done so after I asked the first time, not now that I'm acting aggressively."
Yunuh's face shifts into a portrait of terror. "You're wrong, I—" He's cut off once more.e
"In fact, I know exactly why you got disowned. Do you need me to tell you the story?" Korven says, in an air of confidence that gives her the energy to jump onto the coffee table, spilling the mug of water all over the plywood tabletop.
"What?" Yunuh asks, his voice trembling with honest terror.
"You met a man, or someone who works for a man, who told you that the future belongs to him; his charismatic demeaner was more than enough to convince you to join his community. He chose you because of your connection to your cousin, Quyin." Korven stops to catch her breath but continues before Yunuh can get a word in.
"You live in that community, working for that, the man you worship as Father Guardian. He is using you to find out what information I have on you people; however, you were unsuccessful in doing so, and that is why you are drenched in sweat, about to burst into tears."
A tear starts rolling down Yunuh's red cheek, not out of fear anymore; his emotion reflects that of honest pity.
"Please listen to me, Father Guardian will forgive you of all your sins if you join us, don't you see that this is the way to salvation?" Yunuh steps onto the coffee table and places his hand on Korven's shoulder, hoping to connect with her.
"You're brainwashed, working ina cult to kill your own cousin!" Korven yells, attempting to scream past the manipulation of the cult.
"Father Guardian isn't here to cause any harm; he's an angel sent to build a prosperous world full of miracle's he wouldn't want to kill anyone unless they go against his vision for the ultimate future."
Before Korven can respond, Yunuh reaches into his pocket and plunges a kitchen knife into Korven's chest. Reacting quickly, Korven pushes Yunuh back, causing them both to fall apart. With one hand, Korven covers her chest wound; with the other, she pulls out her pistol.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots, both hitting Yunuh on his way down.
Or at least they should have hit.
The bullets, both hitting the intended target, instead of returning the wound that Yunuh had caused on Korven, had magically flown through Yunuh's body, leaving no wound. The tears in Yunuh's eyes poured like a Kilder winter night. He falls to his knees and begins to pray, whispering just loud enough for Korven to hear, 'Father Guardian'
"Don't you see?" Yunuh says, eyes reflecting pure euphoria.