I looked at him with curious eyes from under Jun Hyung’s arm. I felt my brother trembling from anger.

“Youuuuu?”he hissed, tensing his body up. “What are you doing here? This forest is out of your reach!”

“Hmmm!”the newcomer’s mocking smile made me frown. “I don’t remember your family buying this forest, Jun Hyung. So I can’t see any reason for not being here.”

“You…!”

“Me!”he laughed. Now, who was that arrogant guy? Laughing at my brother like that?

Seung Ho stepped in front. But even so, the newcomer didn’t seem impressed at all.

“What are you doing there, stranger?!”Yoochun frowned. “Show your respect to the Crown Prince Seung Ho!”

“Oh! My apologize, prince Seung Ho!”the latter bowed while looking straight at Seung Ho. “I did not recognize you there, surrounded by all those peasants.”

W-what?!

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember meeting you before,”Seung Ho smiled, hiding his true feelings behind that polite smile.

“But of course you wouldn’t remember me!”the guy wearing black laughed. “How would you remember the one that passed the national exams with full marks? Just how would you remember your teacher’s son? I am Kim Jong Woon,”he stepped closer.

Seung Ho’s body tensed up for a second, but his smile never left his face. “Oh, so it was you, Jong Woon! Long time no see!”

“Of course! ‘Coz after all, I was sent to exile together with my mother 10 years ago,”the latter smiled, showing his white teeth in the sun.

“So you’ve returned.”

“So I have returned.”

There was something in the air. Something chilly. There was a battle going on between the two of them. A silent and deathly one. A cold war.

“But really now, geek, what are you doing here?”Jun Hyung couldn’t help himself from snapping once again.

“Hunting, what else?”Jong Woon caressed his bow, looking down so that he could hide that strange spark from his eyes.

“Hunting, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“C’mon, guys,”Seung Ho began walking towards our horses. “We should let him enjoy his day. We can return to your house now, right?”

Jun Hyung nodded. For some strange reason, he made me remain still behind him, hiding from Jong Woon’s curious eyes. He even made me ride the same horse as he, the other one following us without a rider on. The ride back was silent. The guys were acting strange. I was just trying my best to hold tight on their presents and on my brother’s waist, without falling from the saddle. The Gayageum was on my back, tied with one long red ribbon around my body.

“What? You’re back so early?”mother smiled as she saw us entering the courtyard.

Jun Hyung helped me get off from the horse. “Mother, we’ll go in the garden. Please send the maid with some cookies.”

She nodded and disappeared as I followed the guys towards the perfumed garden. The pavilion was the best place for us to gather around the table that was there. I placed the music box in front of me as I sat between Jun Hyung and Seung Ho.

“I can’t believe the guts that guy has,”Jun Hyung hissed, hitting the table with his fist. “How dares he? Just how? That forest is the only pla