❝ Laugh longer, live louder. ❞

 illusion undispelled 
chapter VIII

Now that I think about it, silver eyes would be as well, without the scar across his eyes. Cold, distrusting… Hot. Exactly my style. She her lips shamelessly.

“Now, what are you going to do to this young lady?” Jongin asked with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

“P-PRINCE KAI!? Your highness!” The shopkeeper burst into a flurry of stammers and Yeon Young snickered at him, arms folded and very arrogant.

“He wanted a fight.” She said simply, ending the silence. “I don’t mind giving him one,” She added. Jongin chuckled at her statement, “I shouldn’t have stepped in, should I?”

“It isn’t everyday a prince charming comes to save me, I’ll let it pass,” Yeon Young grinned devilishly. “Come on, baldie, if I win, I get the sword for free, yeah?”

“You are on, kid!”

Approximately eighteen seconds later, Yeon Young sits on his back, and looks at Aza’s reflective blade, smirking lightly as she hears the man groan in pain.

“I’ll take the sword. You better take care of your swords’ conditions, you almost killed my Eluci.” The man on the floor took no heed of her blabbering and continued writhing in pain. He didn’t even know how he lost and in the one second he could actually see Yeon Young, she was at a distance from him.

Yeon Young grinned as she got out of the store with Eluci in hand, feeling rich and victorious. Should I buy new clothes? I’m filthy rich.

She pondered as she walked without a look back at the weaponry, as if she never made a fuss there or been inside her whole life. Yeon Young lifelessly blinked as the attractive guy from before appeared before her.

“You need something?”

“Ouch, that actually hurts. I thought I had already won you over with my looks,” Jongin cheekily commented and she rolled her eyes.

“How old are you? Hate to break it to you, but there are a lot of beautiful guys in this world. Go travel the world a little more,” Yeon Young shooed him away as she entered a store selling dresses. She didn’t look back to find Jongin shaking his head while smiling as if saying, she wouldn’t know.

“I just wanted to hang out with you, Miss.” Jongin’s eyes twinkled, “You were awesome.”

“So you want to be friends,” Yeon Young stated, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Yeah, and to be honest, you sword style is intriguing,” Jongin admitted.

“You do realize you just gave away your motive for wanting to be ‘friends’?”

“I thought I would be honest.” Jongin shrugged.

“Hmm, I approve of you, let’s go,” Yeon Young took his arm and dragged him out of the shop.

“Wait, wait! Don’t you want to shop?” Jongin frowned, confused as they stopped at the entrance.

“You want to wait as I shop? That doesn’t sound very nice to you, friend.”

“I don’t particularly mind? I have all the time in the world,” Jongin laughed, and kept the words I’m immortal hidden in his head. “I’ll even buy them for you, if you want?” She looked back at him, hair flowing in the wind, and bared a pearly-white teeth grin. “I won’t say no to offers like that.”

“I had a feeling, Yeon Young.” She blinked, how does he know my name? Ah, whatever. She shrugged it off, thinking that she probably let her name slipped somewhere.

“I said I would pay, not become your baggage boy,” Jongin gave her the stink eye, and dropped the bags as they sat at a quiet café, where his fan girls were still whispering and giving him oogly eyes.

“You offered to carry my bags as well,” Yeon Young stated, clearly offended.

“At that time! There was only half of what I’m carrying!” Jongin chuckled and shook his head, “You sure know how to use someone.” Yeon Young kicked him under the table and glowered triumphantly at him, “Says the one who learned all my fighting techniques in four hours.”

“Your student is forever grateful.” Both of them laughed chirpily at his imitation. Jongin ordered for them and Yeon Young sat there thinking about the stupid merchant that Elder Oh was dealing with. She had dragged Jongin around the whole market but there was no sign of him at all. Once the waiter left, she asked him about it.

Jongin blinked at her, “Huh? Yeah, I think there’s around three more markets in this kingdom… Why?”

“My village chief asked me to look for this merchant, she thinks he’s giving her a run for her money.” She put a hand out, “Before you ask me how he looks, I only know he has a moustache and looks like an .”

“Oh well, it’s good though, isn’t it? You got to meet me,” He winked.

“Aren’t you quite the charmer?” Yeon Young snorted as she made that disingenuous statement.

“I would love to hear a sincere compliment from you one day.” Jongin’s eyes twinkled. He received a ‘go ahead and try’ as a response. This was a nice challenge in many years. Although having women fawn and adore you sounded really enjoyable, the adrenaline of courting someone was pretty much preferred to for Jongin any day. She’s just putting up appearances, isn’t she? Everything she says or does is actually very detached. Jongin liked the thrill of the moment he was feeling.

“When are you leaving?”

“I assume it would take three more days for me to look out for him at the other markets.” She stared at Jongin as she ate her cake, “Why?”

“I’ll complete the challenge in three days.”

“Be my guest.” Yeon Young earnestly smiled, as if it was the funniest thing she ever heard in her life.

Jongin stared, as if he whimsically thought to a time where he could fall in love again, even return back to a normal life, and wished for everything that he never could have ever again.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
let the story begin /cackles

◯ darkmoon