“Look, it’s Master Yeowool!” a young maiden says, making the other maidens with her also look at the direction she was pointing at. They were in the streets of the capital on their way to Okta and they have stopped for a while to wait for their other friend to arrive when the maiden have noticed Yeowool passing by.

“I know right! He’s so beautiful as ever!” one gushed, holding her friend’s arm as she gazed at Yeowool who was wearing his elegant flamingo pink robe, looking majestic as always.

“But, who is that person walking beside him?” another questioned, making the others look at Chunhwa who was walking beside the Hwarang in her unique looking moss green hanbok.

“I don’t know. She must be an outsider.” the first maiden who noticed Yeowool shrugs, “I have never seen her before.”

“I have never seen Master Yeowool with a girl before either!”

“But hey, isn’t she the Princess from the North?” one pipes up and they all looked at her as her eyes slowly widen in a realization.

“Could it be that?”

“Nonsense!” the other says, looking at her incredulously. “We all know that Master Yeowool is very popular with men and women but he never went out with either once.”

“But how could you explain that?” she retorts back, pointing at the two who had finally passed by them.

On the other hand, Chunhwa was actually listening at their ‘not-so-loud’ conversation and couldn’t help but duck her head a little as she whispers at Yeowool.

“Is it just me,” she starts hesitantly, “Or are they talking about us?”

The Hwarang couldn’t help but let out an amused smile at her question. “Nope, they’re really talking about us.”

The young maiden couldn’t help but gape at him in disbelief. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Well, I’ve been dealing with the same thing almost all my life.” Yeowool shrugs nonchalantly.

“It’s not that I’m at fault for being born with a beautiful face.”

Chunhwa deadpans at him but before she could give back a comment, a couple of children who were playing, ran in between them. Since the children came from their back, she was not able to foresee them and thus, making her jump back in surprise.

Yeowool jumped back a little as well, but his eyes immediately snapped towards Chunhwa as her face scrunched up in pain— her body slightly crouched to the side and was about to lose her balance if not for his hand that reached towards her waist and hand, steadying her. The young maiden looked up and came face to face with the Hwarang.

“Are you okay?” he asks, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“Y-yeah.” she lies, trying to control her expression but immediately failed once she tried to stand up straight as pain shoots up her ankle. She couldn’t help but stumble towards Yeowool who immediately caught her once again.

“Yah. What’s wrong with you?”

“My foot.” she says quietly.

“What?” the Hwarang dumbly looks at her suddenly embarrassed expression and then remembers her sprained foot from the hunting event a few days ago.

All of a sudden, audible gasps were heard in the streets as Yeowool suddenly lifted her in his arms, making her gasp in complete surprise as well.

“Y-yah. What do you think you’re doing?” Chunhwa starts squirming awkwardly in his arms, a soft blush dusting her pale cheeks. “P-put me down, I’m heavy!”

“Aish, don’t move!” he hisses, a little irritated. “And if you must know, you’re not heavy. Do you even eat?”

The young maiden immediately stops squirming and looked down, her face now completely pink in embarrassment of having a man carry her like a bride in front of a lot of people. Yeowool starts to walk which made her look up at him in panic.

“Aren’t you going to put me down!? People are staring!” she softly hisses but the Hwarang scoffed at her in return and continued looking ahead.

“Then let them stare.” he says nonchalantly. “I’m Kim Yeowool, I can do whatever I want.”

“Where are we going anyway?”

“To the doctor, where else?” Yeowool finally looks down at her. “As if I’m going to let you walk on our way there. I won’t let you ride on my back either. You’ll ruin my hair.”

The Hwarang gives Chunhwa a kitten-like smile before continuing his way— the people who are whispering as they pass by were completely ignored and forgotten as she stares at his face while he carries her.

“Did you just say you would like to meet my son, Your Highness?” Minister Kim Seub couldn’t help but look up at the Queen who was standing and looking out by the window in her receiving room.

He had originally wanted to see the Queen in order to bring up the topic about Chunhwa and his son together but it seems that the tables have actually turned and the Queen is actually the one who wants him a favour.

“I heard that your son is brave and excels in sword-fighting in Hwarang.” Queen Ji Soo says, still looking out.

“You are too kind.” the minister says with a soft smile, looking down his lap.

The Queen finally turned around towards him with a small smile.

“Actually, I have a special request for your son.”

The soft smile that had been in Minister Seub’s face immediately fades as he looked up at the Queen in confusion.

After almost half an hour of being carried by the Hwarang, Chunhwa was carefully placed down on a wooden bed situated just in front of the house of the residence they have entered.

“Oh,” she perks up, looking around with a little familiarity. “This place seems familiar.”

Yeowool couldn’t help but smile at her cute behaviour.

“Stay here, I’ll just call for Master Ahnji.”

‘Master Ahnji?’ Chunhwa tries to recall the familiar name as she nods at the Hwarang who immediately turned away to call for the doctor.

A few seconds later, Master Ahnji came out together with Sunwoo— shocking her as she had finally recalled who the man is after seeing his face and suddenly remembered that this is Ahro and Sunwoo’s father. Yeowool was telling something to him at first and then the three finally made their way towards her. The doctor also had a surprised look when he had finally taken a good look at Chunhwa.

“A-aren’t you Lord Guhae’s grandchild? Lady Chunhwa?” the doctor couldn’t help but ask in complete astonishment.

“Yes, I am.” Chunhwa couldn’t help but smile. “It’s been a very long time Master Ahnji.”

“Indeed, you were just a small child when I last saw you.”

“You two know each other?” Sunwoo couldn’t help but ask as he looks at his father while he instructs Chunhwa to raise her injured leg up and take off her shoe.

“Ah, yes.” the young maiden looks up at Sunwoo while Yeowool raises an amused eyebrow at this. “My grandfather used to bring me along to Master Ahnji sometimes when he likes his health to get checked.”

“Ah...”

Master Ahnji looks up from examining her foot to look at them. “Sunwoo has mentioned that there was a young instructor at the Hwarang House. I didn’t know it was you.”

The young maiden couldn’t help but chuckle softly at that, “Yes. That’s me.”

“Anyway, how is her ankle, Master Ahnji?” Yeowool clears his throat and sits next to Chunhwa on the wooden bed.

Master Ahnji looks down at her foot once again as he starts to put some needles.

“Your sprain seems to be a week old. Did you have Ahro take a look at this before?”

At that question, Chunhwa started laughing nervously when Yeowool sends her a glare.

“I never bothered because it was not really painful. Haha....”

“Aish. At least have it checked!” Yeowool hisses irritatedly.

“Yah, do you think I have the time to have it checked with your trainings?” she retorts back and he was about to answer her when Sunwoo suddenly spoke up.

“But you were only watching us, though. You could’ve just left us for a minute under the commander’s supervision to have my sister check your ankle and then come back.”

The bickering pair looked up at Sunwoo who was looking down at Chunhwa with a frown.

“It’s...it’s because I need to watch you guys carefully!” the young maiden immediately counters, looking embarrassed. “Your training is more important than my sprain.”

She looked back at Yeowool, “And I told you it doesn’t hurt that much that is why I completely forgot about it—”

Without warning, he flicks her forehead with his fan and Chunhwa gasps, looking offended at him.

“Yah! That is not how you treat a lady you !” she almost screams, the middle of her forehead already throbbing in pain.

“It only serves you right for being stubborn when Hansung and I told you to have your foot checked after the hunt.”

Sunwoo, who had now been completely ignored, shook his head at their bickering.

“I should leave. See you at the Hwarang House.”

Hearing him, Chunhwa opens as she turns her head towards him but he was already walking away. She looks back at Yeowool who only smirked teasingly at her— she rolled her eyes at him.

“There,” Master Ahnji suddenly says, now removing the needles. The two turned their attention to him as he looked up at them at the same time. “I suggest that you have Ahro check this again after three days. Also, I think it’s best if you avoid walking and putting pressure on this foot too much if you want it to get better as soon as possible.”

“Alright, I understand.” Chunhwa nodded and bowed to him in thanks, Yeowool thanked him as well before the doctor completely stood up and walked back inside their house.

She was about to stand up when the Hwarang suddenly crouched down beside her, his back turned to her.

“Master Yeowool?” she blinks.

“Hop in, I don’t want to carry you in my arms again.” he says, not looking back at her.

“But I can still walk—“

Yeowool turned to look back at her with a warning glare. Without any choice, Chunhwa sighs and climbs into his back with a small pout.

“Why do I feel like you’re treating me like a weak being? I don’t like it.” she tells him as he started walking. He couldn’t help but smile as the leaves of the trees around them fall down upon them like rain.

“Then who do you like? Master Sunwoo?”

“Huh? Where did that came from?” she asks, peeking from his shoulder with a confused look.

“You don’t have to deny it, Miss Chunhwa. I saw the way you suddenly felt embarrassed around him earlier.” Yeowool slightly craned his head to look back at her.

“Do you like Master Sunwoo?”

“What? No! What kind of nonsense is that?” she looked at him incredulously and he couldn’t help but chuckle as he turned his head back towards the front.

“Then, do you like someone?”

“Honestly, do I have to answer that?”

Yeowool shrugs a little despite that Chunhwa was on his back. She sighs.

“You’re so weird, Master Yeowool. Do you know that?”

He couldn’t help but grin sheepishly even if she could not see him do so.

“I know.”

The next day came too fast for everyone’s liking. The Hwarang men are back once again in the Hwarang House in order to train for the sparring event that will be happening tomorrow.

Jidwi finds himself leaning on a pillar with a frown on his face. He had actually skipped the afternoon training as he had a lot of things to think about, especially Sunwoo’s words about him killing the Faceless King once he finds out who he was.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

A voice interrupted his thoughts, making him look to his side and see Chunhwa standing beside him with an eyebrow slightly raised— the scene before him feeling a little like déjà vu.

“Miss Chunhwa.”

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have training?” she asks, looking at him with an unbelievable look after a second, “Don’t tell me you skipped?”

Jidwi couldn’t help but chuckle at being found guilty. “And how about you? You’re not even in your uniform.”

“Oho!” Chunhwa waggled her index finger at him. “For your information, Master Wi Hwa told me to take a rest today since I have been working hard into training you guys in order to get out alive in that sparring event.”

At the mention of the sparring event, the atmosphere between the two of them seemed to get a little bit heavy all of a sudden.

“What do you think will happen during the sparring tomorrow?” she couldn’t help but quietly ask, leaning on the pillar where the Hwarang was leaning in a few moments ago. Jidwi looked at her but did not speak.

“To be honest, I don’t really know what the Princess is thinking nor how this sparring will give you a pass or a fail. But,” she gave him a worried smile. “I hope none of you will die.”

He gave her a comforting smile in return. “Don’t worry, even if we want to slit each other’s throats when we first arrived here at Hwarang House, we will not kill each other now.”

She softly chuckled, sighing as she looked up at the sky. “That’s comforting to hear, then.”

‘I’m afraid....’

‘I’m afraid of everyone getting hurt for something like this. So please...’

Chunhwa looked at Jidwi who was now also looking at the sky.

‘Do not kill each other.’

Author's Note:

Hey guys~ I'm sorry for not updating for a month ;____;
I'm really busy with my life right now and e happens
so I sincerely apologize. I apologize for the lack of feel in this
chapter as well. My writing has gone kinda bad. I apologize
if my update did not satisfied you. I will be posting chapter 16
and chapter 17 as well within this week as an apology gift ;u;

Until then, thank you for the support! 

- flyingjunmyeons [20170711]