"Secret"

"Love may be a battlefield, but ours will always and will be worth the fight."

Joonmyun didn't take long for him to arrive in his destination. He was amazed by the river bank's crystal clear waters that makes him want to go and jump for a swim. How he missed this. When he was little, he used to play there with his cousins and with Sehun who just sits at the side watching them having water fights.But there's one thing he couldn't forget. The boy's eyes, his smile, his gentleness, his everything. He got lost one time and bawled his eyes out up until someone behind him asked if he was alright.

-Flashback-

"Why are you crying? Is everything ok?"

"..Huh?.." Joonmyun sniffs and turns around; eyes still full of tears.

"Why are you crying, pretty girl?" he smiled.

Joonmyun was about to protest that he was a boy, but he was quickly moved by the unknown boy's action. He wiped Joonmyun's tears and handed him the handkerchief with a white lotus printed on it. His cheeks flushed a bright red when the boy smiled again and said,

"If you are looking for your friends, they're right over there. Don't worry."

"...T-thank you." 

"Your'e welcome. I'll be going now."

Joonmyun quickly realized that he didn't even asked who he was. 

-End of Flashback-

"I was SO not manly back then." Joonmyun muttered to himself and laughed at the memory then went to tie the horse on a bamboo tree. He loosely untied the waist cloth and slid the hood behind his head. He thought there was no one there so there's no reason for him not to take off the disguise. Slowly he removed the waist cloth and proceeded to undress himself for a dip in the river.

He was working his way on the top; letting the white linen brush gently on his shoulders revealing white, supple skin. He was half way through then suddenly a fast gust of wind just passed his right cheek near the ear. Infront of him was a bamboo tree with a poison dart piercing its hard stem. That's when he realized that he was being targeted. Question is...by whom?

Yifan's POV

I went back to the river bank considering that I never finished my quiet time with nature earlier. As I was walking to my usual spot, I heard something. At first, I thought it was just nothing until I felt the ground shake a little. Then I heard footsteps and branches giving off those crunch sounds whenever they are being stepped on. In the corner of my eye, I saw three people chasing...a woman!?

With a fast pace, I catched up with them. I was just behind the attackers and I examined their bodies as closely as possible. I noticed every single one of them had a tattoo behind their neck. The symbol was familiar although I can't focus on it right now. Not when I was about to surge myself to a bamboo tree but luckily I was fast enough to duck my head and not get a big, painful dose of a chlorophyll filled tree.

The woman tripped on her robe and stumbled before her attackers. I stopped and prepared my blade.

Joonmyun's POV

They were surrounding me, the three of them; holding what it seems to be another poison dart and had it in one of his sticks that they blow. I panicked and made a gesture not to kill me. They went near me and stared below; eyes without mercy.

"Please! No!" I begged them as I was in the verge of crying. 

"Lord Zhang will be pleased to hear of your death."

Lord Zhang!? That bastard! He was trying to kill me all along!

"Any last words...?" said one of them.

I shut my eyes in the hopes of my silent death. As he was inhaling his breath for him to get my skin pierced with the dart, I was startled by the deep unknown voice.

"Wrong move." he then drew his blade and slit the throat of the one who was about to kill me. I watched him defend me while I lay there helpless on the dirty ground. He threatened one of them to go back and tell Lord Zhang that if he doesn't stop with this unnecessary war between his empire, he'll end up dying under his horse or the two men which he just recently killed to save me. I flipped back the hood on my head.

"Tell him the Jin Empire will NEVER bow down to his will until our last dying breath." 

Only one of the attackers were sent back to Lord Zhang's; dropping his weapon. There was an awkward moment of silence between us two but was broken when he spoke to me with a gentle voice.

"Are you okay?" he bent his knees to level our faces. I don't know what came over me but I just stared at him; my eyes completely glued to his face. He was very handsome, tall, has eyes that could rip your soul apart and at the same time be quite charming. It reminded me of the boy who also helped me when i was young here. 

I snapped back into reality and responded, "Thank you." I bowed my head slowly before him so that he won't see my cheeks turning pink.

He stood and held out his hand to me. I warmly took it and he pulled me up. I brushed off the dirt that left another stain on the besides the fish oil. 

"I am Yifan. What's your name?"

"My name's Joon-"

I shouldn't tell him my real name. It would blow out my disguise as a woman. Hmmm, think Joonmyun, think. 

"...Joonhee."

Wow. Way to go Joonmyun. Like he's going to fall for that lame name.

***