So I don't know how many months it's been but i kind of had trouble completing this chapter. Sorry about the wait but hopefully you guys will like it. 

---

CHAPTER 4

LATE FALL

 

Junsu lost count of the days he was stuck in the compound. It must have been at least a month, or maybe even more. He resigned himself to being a servant and go with the flow of things, after all, he had no place to start to find his way back. Every night he would hope that he would wake up in his own bed but each morning he would be woken up by Minki shaking him awake to start their chores. Junsu wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than his hectic schedule when he was an idol. There he would work until early in the morning, maybe get a few hours of sleep before he had to repeat it all over again. Maybe being under Heeyoung's control was better. After all, he did get paid (but Junsu suspected it was more of a bribe than anything else), and he got enough sleep, and fed. But then again, he was a more than a hundred years in the past and he felt the work he was doing was undignified. Cleaning horse manure was not fun when showering was luxury. He reeked. No matter how good this life seemed, this wasn't his. He wasn't made to be a servant. He was made for the stage. His skin had even gotten darker from all the time he spent working outside.

The only thing keeping him sane was that he sung to Areum. It was nice to be appreciated by someone for his voice and to reassure himself that his real life wasn't a dream. Either she would request a song, or Junsu would go sing for her when he got bored. She was the only one he sang around. Singing around the others would make him stand out. He made a few mistakes when he first started. Acting and speaking differently rapidly put the others on guard. However, Minki became friendlier with him. It might have been his amazing personality, but the others eventually warmed up to him. The only thing he didn’t like was that he was stuck inside the compound. He wasn’t even allowed in certain areas. Heeyoung forbade him from going out or going near the Kisengs when they had customers over. He couldn’t find his way home if he was stuck in one area.

---

Sunlight hit his face, waking Junsu. Minki entered the room, letting in the sunlight. The room dimmed slightly as he shut the door. He was smiling shyly at him. Junsu rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting up. Time to start another work day he inwardly groaned.

“Good morning, Junsu hyung.” Minki said brightly.

“Morning.” Junsu yawned.

“I just came back from talking to master Heeyoung.” Minki walked over to their shared closet, pulling it open. “And I convinced him to let you out of the compound.”

“What?” Junsu whipped his head to stare at him. “Seriously?”

“Yes, but we are going to go get supplies for the compound.” Minki grabbed some clothes handing them over to Junsu. “I figured that you were tired of staying here every day. We need to get going. It's going to be a long day.” Minki quickly finished shrugging nonchalantly.

“You're the best Minki!” Junsu cheered, jumping out of his bed in haste. He pulled Minki in a sudden hug.

“It was no problem.” Minki turned away, hiding his flushed face.

---

Junsu couldn't handle his excitement as he helped pack up the wagon that they were going to take. Along with Minki, Chinhae, Youngnam, and surprisingly Areum, were going. The five of them were going to be gone for three days. Junsu didn't know where they were going, or really cared, the landscape and names were different than the future. He was reminded once more how much he didn't remember history. However, none of that mattered. The most important part was that he could finally start searching for his way back.

Since Junsu was well prepared to go on a journey, he finally had the time to enjoy the scenery. The four men took turns sitting in the wagon with Areum so every couple of hours Junsu would get to relax and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

It was dusk when they finally reached the place they were going. Minki mentioned that they were going to gather supplies and sell their own merchandise the next day before returning the day after. And if they had time, IF, Minki made sure to emphasize this fact, they could go and explore and spend some free time out. Junsu hoped that they would be able to go explore, he had to find answers.

They went to the nearest inn, all exhausted from the journey there. Chinhae and Youngnam retired early after eating. Minki, Junsu and Areum remained in the dining area, enjoying the food that they didn't have to prepare for once. It was also fairly empty from any patrons, they arrived past dinner time so they had the dining area to themselves except for the occasional guest passing through.

“What are we going to be doing tomorrow?” Junsu asked Minki.

“We're going to set up a stall and sell the figurines that Jaeshin made.” Minki answered taking a sip of his drink. “We are also going to go shopping for the freshest food to take back with us.”

“That's why I'm here.” Areum nodded. “I'm going to decide what food is the best.”

“So what am I going to do?” Junsu questioned. He wanted to go with Areum. That way he could explore and not stay stuck in one spot. He also had no idea what they were supposed to sell.

“You and I are going with Areum to help her carry the stuff she wants to get. It's going to be a lot since we're going to stock up. Youngnam and Chinhae will sell the stuff we brought.”

“That's coo- okay.” Junsu caught himself. Another one of his problems trying to fit in is his speech. It was hard to speak in archaic terms. Or even in Korean. He was used to slipping Japanese or English in his vocabulary.

“I think that's about it. We should be getting to sleep too. I'm going to head off to bed first.” Minki stood up from the table. Don't stay up too late, we have to be up early to set up.”

“Goodnight.” Areum nodded. She still had food on her plate and was still eating. “I'll finish up what I can then go to bed too.”

“I'll just keep Areum company until she's finish.” Junsu stifled a yawn. He was tired too but he didn't want to leave her alone. Besides, he might even have the chance to ask some questions concerning Heeyoung. That man was a total mystery as well as a total .

Junsu waited until he heard the door slide shut from upstairs to start asking questions. “I'm not sure if you are willing to answer, Minki sure won't,” Junsu began. “But, how does Heeyoung manage to keep everything a secret?” Junsu couldn't help but ask bluntly. He was curious. Minki would never let him speak of Heeyoung in a negative light. It was borderline annoying when Junsu wanted to complain to someone about Heeyoung.

 Areum looked up at him thoughtfully for a few seconds. “He has a lot of friends for someone like him.”

“Friends?”

“Powerful friends.” Areum took a bite from her plate. “They help keep his secret. I'm not sure if they are the same as him seeing as they don't act like him.”

“That would make sense.” Just like Junsu’s colleagues, their private life was held secret. Hell would break loose if any part of their private lives came into the media.

“He has the magistrate, the man in charge of all of the Kisaeng houses in Hanseong, and even a diplomat from China on his side.” Areum counted them off. “And even some other merchants and scholars although they aren't as influential as the others.”

“That much???” Junsu asked shocked. Who knew that man was that powerful? “How?”

“You don't know even half of the power he has.” Areum continued to eat. “If you ever seen him entertain guests, then you'll get it.” Areum shook her head. “I wouldn't go on his bad side if you know what's good for you.”

“Trust me, I know what it's like going against the powerful.” Junsu let out a short laugh.

“You did?” Areum looked impressed. “How did you manage that?”

“It wasn't easy.” Junsu sighed. “I was practically banned from the public in all of Korea and I haven't seen my two friends in years.”

“Was it worth it?”

Junsu looked down at his hands at the sudden question. Was it worth it? He asked himself a lot after his decision to separate from his label and two of the people he considered family.

“I apologize for speaking so candid like that.” Areum apologized when Junsu didn't answer.

“It's okay. I just haven't really thought of the incident since then. I've been focusing on the present.” Junsu gave her a reassuring smile. “I don't want the past to hold me back.”

“I understand.” Areum nodded. She stood up, finished with her food. “I'm done. Should we go back to our rooms?”

“Yeah. We have a lot to do I guess.” Junsu yawned.

They walked up the stairs to their rooms. Junsu was ready to crash. Their conversation took a lot out of him. He didn't feel like thinking.

“Have a good night, Areum.” Junsu smiled at her.

“Wait.” Areum called out to him as Junsu was walking to his own room.

“Yes?”

“Uh,” Areum began to fidget, playing with her sleeves. “Would it be okay with you if you sang me a song?” Areum looked at Junsu. “It's okay if you don't feel like it!” She quickly added.

“No, no, it's fine.” Junsu said. “I haven't sang in a long time.”

“Just one song.” Areum lifted her small finger. “I've been feeling a bit homesick.”

“I know what you mean.” Junsu let out a small chuckle. “Let's go in your room, I don't want to disturb the other guests.”

“Thank you.”

“It's no problem, that's the point of my music.” Junsu opened Areum's door. “To share with others.”

---

Junsu walked to his room, trying to be quiet as he entered. Minki would be asleep by now. Junsu somehow ended up singing a few songs before he left Areum's room. Maybe he was a little more homesick than he cared to admit. He muffled his yawn as he slid his door shut.

“Oh, you're still awake?” Junsu asked as he saw Minki sitting down in his bed. The light was on as well.

“Yeah, I heard you singing.” Minki shrugged. “It was nice so I sat up to hear it better.”

“You heard that?” Junsu shook his head, slightly embarrassed. “Thanks.”

“Uh, yeah.” Minki nodded to himself. He looked at Junsu for a few seconds, a question on his lips but he turned away at the last second. “Let's just go to sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

“So you don't mind if I sing for a little bit?” Junsu asked feeling for his blankets in the dark.

“No, it’s fine.” Minki shook his head. “I don't mind.”

“Thank you.” Junsu laid down in his bed. Junsu couldn’t think of anything that he really wanted to sing. So he just sang what came in his mind. With his new situation, he felt that he could come up with some new songs. If only he had a notebook with him. Junsu deflated. He turned to face Minki. “Hey, Minki?”

“Yes?” Minki looked over.

“Do you think that I could find some stuff so I can write?”

“Write?” Minki sat up. “You know how to write?”

“Yes.” Junsu said slowly. “I want to write down some songs that come to mind. But I don’t have anything that I can use to write.”

“I don’t know.” Minki shrugged. “There are not a lot of people who know how to read, much less write. That’s usually reserved for those with rank.”

“Oh.” Junsu sighed, dejected. He turned to stare at the celling. “Do you know how to read or write?”

“I know how to read most of the flyers in town.” Minki paused. “And master Heeyoung taught me how to write the necessary things when I am not with him.” Minki confessed.

“If you can somehow manage to get me some things to write with and on, I’ll teach you how to write more than that.” Junsu grinned at him. “I could write a song for you. Or even teach you how to sing. Have you ever done that before?”

“Do you really want to write that badly?” Minki asked.

“I have a lot on my mind.” Junsu stretched, yawning. “Besides, learning a new skill is fun.”

“Then I’ll try my best to get you the paper and ink.” Minki told him. Minki’s face flushed so he quickly went to turn off the lamp. “I’m not sure about the singing part. I never tried to sing before. I don’t think I will be that good.”

“You’ll be fine.” Junsu laughed snuggling under his covers. “Singing is just another way to express your feelings. It doesn’t matter whether if you sound good or not, what matters is that it makes you happy.”

“Singing makes you happy?”

“Yes. It’s what made me into the person I am now.” Junsu sighed. “I’m grateful that I was able to experience everything that came from doing what I loved. Even if I had hardships, I would do it all over again.”

 Minki didn’t say anything. He felt that Junsu was speaking to himself than he was to him. Just who was he? He was clearly someone from the upper class. Silence descended upon them after Junsu’s small spiel.

“Well, that was in the past.” Junsu broke the silence. “So I’m going to face the future standing tall, singing along all the way.”

“That’s a good philosophy to follow.” Minki agreed.

“You think?” Junsu smiled. “We’ll I guess we should go to bed. A long day tomorrow right?”

“Yes.” Minki approved. “Good night hyung.”

---

Junsu woke up by the sound of people walking by his door. It must be breakfast, Junsu thought. He turned to the side to see that Minki wasn’t in the room. He must be getting ready to leave. Junsu muffled a yawn getting up to get dressed.

Junsu walked out of his room and was hit by the smell of freshly made breakfast. His stomach grumbled loudly and he his lips. It was time to eat. He rubbed his stomach as he walked down the dimly lit stairs. It was still dark outside and the lights that were used to illuminate weren’t that bright. He hoped to spot someone he knew as he squinted trying to make out the silhouettes at the tables but only strangers were eating at the moment.

Instead, he found an empty table and sat down. Junsu sighed as he eyed the other customers. They weren’t really talking to each other. Just quiet mumblings here and there.  At times like this he wondered how he managed to live without a cell phone. He couldn't text or even play games. How did he even get along without a phone when it was so boring?

“Is it okay if I join you?” A random man asked Junsu, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Junsu replied nodding. Junsu bit back a yawn. He didn't want to seem rude.

“Are you here for the last days of fall?” The man asked Junsu.

“Last days?” Junsu asked.

“Yeah. Winter is almost here. Everyone from all around are heading here to get supplies before it's too late.”

 “Oh.” Junsu nodded. “Are you here for supplies?”

“Me?” The man laughed, his eyes scrunching up. “No. I'm a performer. I think I could make some money while I'm here.”

“You're a performer?” Junsu perked up, looking at the man with interest. “What do you do?”

“Just play a few instruments, your usual stuff. It's just me for now. I'm trying to find others to join me.”

Junsu smiled at him. Maybe he could join him, run away with a one person circus. Junsu inwardly snickered.

“Hyung.” Minki strolled up to his table, already dressed to head out. “Good morning. Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.” Junsu replied. There went his chance. There was no way he would be able to escape from under Minki's watch. Not that he could go far with his slave brand.

“Here is your breakfast, sir.” A young woman brought the man a bowl of rice and anchovies.

“Nothing better than anchovies and rice before a long day.” The man smiled at them before digging in.

Minki made a face, turning away from him. “I'm going to order breakfast. I'll be right back.”

Junsu shrugged at his soured mood and turned back to his new acquaintance. “I'm Junsu.”

“I'm Hyunjae.” The man greeted back.

“How long are you going to be here? I'd like to see you perform.” Junsu asked.

“I'll be here for about five nights.” Hyunjae said thoughtfully. “I'm going to see if I can find anyone to join me. It's a big town so there should be someone.”

“I'm a performer too.” Junsu said.

“Really?” Hyunjae lit up. “What do you do? Can you play any instruments? Do any dances?”

“I dance and sing.” Junsu replied. He would have added that he could play the piano, but it hasn’t been introduced to Korea yet. Was it even invented?

“Do you want to join me?”

“I would, but I'm a slave.” Junsu gave Hyunjae a half smile.

“Damn.” Hyunjae pouted. “If I were caught with you, I would most likely lose my head. Better not to risk it.”

“If I weren't, I'd would go with you.” Junsu sighed. “I haven’t performed in a while.”

“Who did you perform for? Commoners? Or you one of the royal performers?” Hyunjae asked.

"Uhh. I guess everyone?” Junsu said. “I don’t mind who I perform for, as long as I get to sing and dance.”

 “I get that.” Hyunjae laughed. “I’ll practice in front of livestock as well but they aren’t the best audience. They don’t even appreciate my jokes.”

Junsu laughed, liking his new acquaintance. “At least they don’t hit you for making horrible jokes. I would do gags but they rarely land.”

 “Did you perform with others?”

“Yes. I used to perform with four others but two of them stayed when the rest of us wanted to leave.”

 “That’s too bad.”

“Yeah. So it was just three of us. Sometimes I go perform on my own as well.”

“Then you must be a good performer. It’ll be cool to see if we are compatible.”

“Yeah. That would be fun.” Junsu agreed.

Hyunjae glanced behind Junsu, smirked slightly and then got up. “I guess I'll be leaving now. Maybe tonight we can get together and I'll let you see my performance.” Hyunjae bowed at him, leaving him just as Minki set a bowl in front of Junsu.

“What did he want?” Minki asked with a disgruntled look at Hyunjae's retreating back.

“He was just having breakfast.” Junsu took a bite from the food Minki brought him. “He's a performer. If I wasn't working for Heeyoung, I'd go with him.”

“A performer? Trust me, their way of life is worse than ours. You should be glad to have all of your needs being taken care of.” Minki scoffed eating from his small bowl of noodles.

 “Performing is my passion.” Junsu replied, not quite sure what made Minki get into a bad mood. “So what are we going to do today?” He asked instead.

“We're going with Areum and help her get all the food we will need. The others already left to go set up their stand.” Minki told him. “You are the last one to wake up.”

“What?” Junsu said shocked. “But it's still so early.” He glanced out the window. “The sun isn’t even out yet.”

“It'll get busy soon and all the fresh food will be gone by then.” Minki informed him. “We have to get the best as soon as it comes out.”

 “Sleeping in one day will be nice.” Junsu sighed.

“We'll be done by the afternoon. You can come back and sleep for the rest of the day.”

“Really?” Junsu perked up. He couldn't remember when the last time he had the afternoon off. It sounded like heaven. “Then let’s get going!”

 “Okay. You can wait outside with Areum. She's already by the wagon.” Minki slurped up the last of his noodles. “I'm going to pay.” He stood up, looking much more cheerful. Junsu nodded trying to eat as quickly as possible.

“Good Morning.” Junsu greeted Areum a few minutes later.

 “Good Morning.” Areum bowed. “Are you ready for today? It will be overwhelming. There is going to be a lot more people here than you are used to.”

 “I think I can handle it.” Junsu shrugged. After all, he was always swarmed by teenage girls when he walked through airports.

“Are you guys ready to go?” Minki walked out to them.

 “Good Morning Minki.” Areum bowed to him. “Yes. I was just about to tell Junsu how important it is for him not to get lost.”

 “Don't get lost. Or you can end up in the wrong part of town and get robbed.” Minki nodded. “You need to make sure not to get separated from me or Areum.”

“I won't.” Junsu scoffed. “Even if I did, I think I can take care of myself.”

“If you say so.” Minki smiled. “But even elderly ladies will beat you if you get to close to them. They might think you’re trying to steal their good. But enough about that, let's go now before it gets even later.” He walked towards the barn where their horses were.

“Hey, I can take an old lady!” Junsu shouted as he ran after Minki’s retreating back.

---

“You weren't joking when you said it was busy.” Junsu said while staring at the crowds of people thickening as they entered the city. There was so many people that it was hard to get the cart through the road.

“The crowds will lessen as the day progresses.” Minki said. “We'll have to put the cart at the edge of the market and carry everything for now.”

Junsu made a face as he helped Areum down from the back of the cart she was riding in.

“It's not that heavy.” Minki grinned at Junsu's soured expression. “All the heavy stuff we will buy will be later. For now, it's just food.”

“Fine, fine.” Junsu relented. It was better than chopping wood for once.

 

 For the first few purchases, it wasn't as bad as Junsu had thought. Minki took most of the items bought and put them in his bag. It was only when they were buying rice did the really heavy items come in. Not only were the items heavy, but with the amount of people rushing by, it was hard to keep their balance. Thankfully, they found the stall where Chinhae was selling the work from YESUNG. They dropped off their haul, giving themselves a break.

 “How much did you sell?” Minki asked Chinhae.

 “We sold a lot surprisingly.” Chinhae grinned. “Youngnam managed to get some to even pay more than we were selling them for.”

 “Wow.” Junsu nodded amazed. “How did you manage that?”

“You know, my charms.” Youngnam smirked. He leaned back against the post behind him.

 “Well, we are going to go get some other stuff, so we'll leave this with you.” Minki pointed to their groceries.

“We'll bring them to the cart when we get done. We still have a few things left unsold.” Chinhae said.

 “The cart will be at the entrance of the market.” Minki told them. “We'll be going now. We'll see you later.”

“What are we getting now?” Junsu asked Minki as they walked away.

 “I'm going to go talk to the fishermen and butchers.” Minki said. “You two are going to go find some clothes for Heeyoung.”

“Oh.” Junsu nodded. Carrying clothes sounded a lot better than carrying meat. “So we meet up at the cart?”

 “Yeah. I should get there a bit later than you guys.” Minki began to walk in a different direction. “If you need help just go get Chinhae or Youngnam.” Minki was soon out of sight as the crowd swallowed him.

“It won't take that long.” Areum said as she led him farther away from the crowd. “We should already have our stuff ready. They know what master Heeyoung likes.”

“Do they also know about Heeyoung?” Junsu asked.

“Well, I probably shouldn't be saying this....” Areum paused looking around before moving closer to Junsu. “One of the people who works there is also like Heeyoung.”

Junsu looked at her incredulous. Just how many people are not “normal?” Not like Junsu could judge, he did his own fair share of cross-dressing.

 

Once they arrived, they were practically in and out. There were other customers waiting for their turn so Junsu didn't get a good glimpse of the cross dresser. He did happen to see a more masculine woman so he guessed it could have been him. After all, seeing so many males cross dress, in the industry it was easy to spot some signs of a more masculine body.

 “Are we going to meet up with the others at the cart now?” Junsu asked as he lifted up the basket filled with clothes over his back.

“Yes.” Areum began to walk back towards the market area. “We are going to take a short cut through here. The cart is pretty far from here but it's far less crowded.”

 “Okay.” Junsu followed her.

They were walking for a few minutes when a bright light caught Junsu's attention. He stared at the shabby looking stall. There was pieces of metal hanging from the front of the stall. He could also faintly see smoke coming from the entrance. As they got closer, he was hit with various unnatural scents.

“What's that place?” Junsu asked Areum as they passed. He looked at her and noticed that she lifted her arm to cover her face.

 “It's a shaman's shop.” Areum quicken her pace. “My mother told me not to trust them.”

“Why?” Junsu looked back at the shop. He rubbed his nose, trying to rid the smell out of his nose. It smelt familiar for some reason. He knew he smelled it before but couldn't remember when.

“They have a mysterious power that my family didn't trust.” Areum shrugged. They told me years ago. It's just best to ignore them.”

Junsu saw something move from the inside of the stall, but he turned away. He was going to come back here. Maybe this shaman had the answers he was looking for. Junsu sped up to catch up to Areum, feeling a pair of eyes watching him.

---

Everyone was already waiting for them when they managed to make it to the cart. Chinhae and Youngnam were sleeping in the back of the cart with Minki watching over them.

“We're back.” Junsu called out to them as they neared.

“We apologize for taking so long.” Areum bowed.

“It's okay.” Minki shrugged. “We weren't waiting that long. These two were just tired.” He took the basket of clothes from Junsu, setting it in the back of the cart.

“So what are we going to do now?” Junsu asked.

 “We're done for the day.” Minki told him. “I'm going to take these two back to the hotel. If you're tired you guys can go back and sleep.”

“Can I stay here and look around?” Junsu pointed back at the market place.

“If it is alright with you, I would also like to look around.” Areum glanced at Junsu.

 “Okay.” Junsu smiled at her. It would be nice to have some company.

“I'll drop off these guys first.” Minki reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag. “I'll give you two some coins to buy some food. I'm sure you two are feeling hungry by now.”

Just mentioning food made Junsu's stomach rumble loudly. “Thanks Minki. You're the best.” Junsu thanked him cheerfully.

“It's no problem.” Minki looked away. “I'll be back soon to bring you two back to the inn. Try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone.”

---

“Let's buy a snack first so we can enjoy exploring properly.” Junsu told Areum. “Do you know if there is anything interesting to see in this town?”

“I don't come here often so I'm not sure.” Areum shrugged. We usually leave in the afternoon but Minki decided to stay a bit longer this time.”

“Well, I'm not complaining. It's like a vacation.” Junsu stretched his arms out.

“It is.” Areum agreed. “What do you want to eat?”

“Whatever is the closest I guess?” Junsu hummed looking around. “I'm more interested in seeing things that aren't food.” He wanted to go back to the shaman's stall. Although it creeped him out, he knew that there would be answers for him.

 

“Aren't those ribbons pretty?” Junsu stopped at one of the stalls where an assortment of colorful ribbons lay on display. He was trying to walk back to the shaman's stall but the bright colors caught his attention.

“They are.” Areum replied looking at the ribbons.

“What color do you like? I think a blue one will look nice on you.” Junsu picked up a light blue ribbon putting it next to her face. “I don't think I ever seen you wear any ribbons in your hair

“Well, I'm a slave.” Areum sighed. “We don't wear nice things like that.”

“You should. Even if you're not supposed to.” Junsu turned to the stall owner. “How much?”

“You don't have to buy that!” Areum exclaimed, her face turning bright red. “You don't have any money.”

“You're right, but Minki does.” Junsu smirked shaking the coins in his hands. “But, I want to get you something. Once I saved up some money, I'll buy you something nicer.” Junsu handed the money to the woman at the stall. “Here, let me tie it to your braid.” Junsu walked behind Areum.

“But...but...we're in public!” Areum moved away, looking around hoping no one heard them.

“Umm.... okay.” Junsu cocked his head to the side wondering why she was so flustered. “We can go somewhere less crowded.” He turned his head trying to find a pathway. “There's one. Come on.” 

Junsu led her to an area, behind the stalls. “I don't think it's such a big deal.” He just wanted to buy her something nice. “Or is it?”

“I'm a slave and we don't get anything nice...also...you’re a man....” Areum blushed.

“Well....” Junsu stopped. Guess he can't give females gifts here either and here he thought that idol fans were extremely critical. “Then if you don't want me to tie it to your hair, then I can tie it around your wrist. Like a bracelet.” Junsu held out the ribbon. “Hold out your hand. That way you can hide it and it won't seem scandalous.”

Junsu tied the ribbon around her wrist, making a bow at the top. “I hope Minki won't mind.” Junsu laughed.

 “Thank you.” Areum gave him a small smile, her face getting even redder.

“Now, let's go see some more stuff.” Junsu turned away heading back. “Do you know if there is some type of river nearby? I think that would be nice to walk around.” Junsu said aloud.

When Junsu didn't get a response, he turned around and saw that Areum wasn't around. Did she get separated from him? He looked at all the pedestrians trying to see if he could spot her. When he couldn't see her, he decided to go back to the area they were in previously. Why would she disappear? Junsu

Once he returned to the area, there was still no sign of Areum. Junsu began to walk down the street, trying to find her. He heard a muffled shout. Junsu turned around, trying to find the source of the shout. When he couldn't find it, he turned away. The voice didn't even sound feminine.

Junsu shook his head, he needed to find Areum. The longer it took him to find her, the more he began to panic. All he came across were old men. There wasn't any women around. Areum was still a young girl. His pace quicken, looking at every direction, trying to find a clue to where she would be. He was heading farther away from the marketplace. Junsu was listening to any sound he could. He didn’t even walk that far from her. His back was turned for a few seconds.

The sudden sound of toppling objects caught Junsu's attention. Rushing as quickly as he could, he found Areum pushed up against a wall, surrounded by three men.

“HEY! WHAT DO YOU THREE THINK YOU'RE DOING?” Junsu shouted rushing to put himself between him and Areum.

“What do you think you're doin?” One of the bigger men asked back, grabbing the front of Junsu's shirt. “This doesn't concern you. I suggest you get out of my way.” He tried to pull Junsu away from Areum, but Junsu kept himself planted in front of Areum.

“I think it does.” Junsu tried to look as threatening as possible. He saw from his peripheral vision that the other two men looked ready to jump him. Thinking quickly, Junsu concluded that the man in front of him was their leader. If he could take him out, the other men, won't bother him. “She's with me.”

The man scoffed, grinning cockily. “If she was with you, then why was she by herself?” He shook his head. “I found her, so I get to keep her.”

“She's not a toy!” Junsu spat out. “You're disgusting to even think about women that way. She wasn’t even alone. You tried to kidnap her!”

“I'm not going to let a slave talk down to me.” The man no longer looked amused. “I was going to let you go, but this amount of disrespect needs to be punished.”

Junsu felt himself being thrown to the right. He crashed into one of the man's henchmen. Hands grabbed his arms holding him in place painfully. He heard Areum shout as the other man shot out his arm.

 Moving as quickly as he could, Junsu jerked himself, with the other man, out of the other man's range. He needed to get himself and Areum out of this situation. Junsu shouted to Areum to run away, and once he saw her retreating back, he turned to face his attackers.

The man holding Junsu wasn't as strong as he thought, and with a few sharp twists he threw the man off balance, successfully freeing himself. However, now he was up against three people. Junsu distanced himself from them, as he tried to remember the self-defense techniques he was taught. Where was his bodyguards when he needed them? There were logs surrounding them so they were hidden from view of the street.

Junsu kept his eyes on the two men slowly approaching him. The one who grabbed him first, didn't look like he was going to get involved. Which was an advantage for Junsu. The other two looked about the same build as him so Junsu thought that he could at least take one of them before running away.

Thanks to his dancing skills, Junsu was able to maneuver out of the way for the first few punches thrown his way. Junsu didn't want to hit them. He wanted to stay on the defense. His face was too pretty to be hurt.

Junsu managed to block the few punches that managed to land on him. But the longer the fight continued, the more hits the other two men managed to land on his body.

As Junsu tried to retreat, one of the men stuck out his foot, tripping Junsu. Junsu fell hard on the ground, getting a face full of dirt. He rolled quickly out of the way as a foot crashed down, sending dust everywhere, where his face was a few seconds ago.

“If you want to get out, you're going to have to fight.” The leader taunted him.

Junsu didn't spare him a glance as he stood up, wiping away the dirt from his face. The man was right, but Junsu didn't want to fight. He would get his handed back to him if he tried. He just needed to escape. Junsu wished he was back in his own time, his bodyguards wouldn't even let these creeps breathe the same air as him. His body was sore from the fall and the punches he received. He needed back up ASAP.

“I'm holding back, I don't want to embarrass you and your little friends.” Junsu spat out.

“Why aren't you a gentleman?” The man replied. “You're just talk. I can see that you have no skill.”

He was right. He saw right through Junsu. Junsu couldn't look threatening if he tried. He had a face of an adorable angel. He needed someone like Changmin to come help him. That kid was a force to be reckoned with. Junsu's body was sore, if he didn't escape he would be beaten into a pulp. As much as he hated the idea, he was going to have to hit back to escape.

Taking a deep breath, Junsu stopped moving away from the two men, lifting up his fists. Junsu dodged the first hit, and swung back blindly. Junsu was surprised when he managed to hit one of the men. He heard him fall on the ground. However, his surprise was quickly replaced with pain as his head snapped back as he was punched in the face.

Junsu stumbled back, his vision spinning, trying to get away. His head was throbbing from the force of the hit. Another hit landed on his face, sending him to the ground. Junsu spat out blood that filled his mouth. He needed to get away. Feeling his dignity slipping away, Junsu tried to crawl as fast as he could so he would be able to stand. Junsu turned just as he felt a rush of wind go past his ear. It was a foot aiming for his head.

“Hey!” a loud shout came into the scene.

Junsu wiped the blood dripping out of his mouth as he turned hoping to see a savior. Blinking away the dust that got caught in his eyes, he finally made out the profile of Minki.

“CHULSOO!” Minki stood indignantly in front of the man. “Stop your men.”

“Why?” Chulsoo scoffed. “I’m only teaching this dunce his place. It doesn’t concern you.”

“This man is working under master Heeyoung.” Minki snapped back.

“Tch.” Chulsoo's eyes widened a bit but he composed his face. “Fine, leave him.”

“There better not be any interference with us or master Heeyoung will know about it.” Minki snarled looking taller than the older man. Has Minki always been that tall and muscular? Junsu thought. Minki waited until they left the area before running to Junsu’s side. “Are you okay?” Minki asked, his face full of worry.

 “I’m fine.” Junsu said through a muddled mouth. “They just pushed me around a bit.” Junsu pushed himself up against the nearest wall. “Where’s Areum? Is she okay?”

“Yes. She is back in the inn with the others.” Minki answered. He reached into his bag, pulling out a handkerchief and a water bottle. “Here.”

“Thank you.” Junsu took the items handed to him. The blood made his stomach turn from the iron taste. Hopefully he didn’t break any teeth or bone.

“Areum told me what happened so I came here trying to find you.” Minki told him as he waited for Junsu to clean up. “It was a good thing it was Chulsoo and not any other thug. Otherwise I would have gotten my kicked.”

“Who was he then?” Junsu spat out the last of the blood from his mouth. His mouth was throbbing painfully.

“He’s a magistrate.” Minki huffed. “A corrupt one at that.” He turned where the men had left. “If master Heeyoung hadn’t discovered a dirty secret of his, then we’d probably be in jail by now.”

“How is Heeyoung- master Heeyoung,” Junsu corrected himself when he saw the look on Minki’s face, “how is he just an owner of a Kiseang house?” Junsu didn’t know whether to respect or fear Heeyoung. He wondered how powerful the cross dressing man really was.

“Master Heeyoung is the greatest.” Minki said proudly. “Can you stand?”

“Yeah. My face is just sore.” Junsu stood up.

“We’re going to have to walk back to the inn.” Minki told him apologetically. “I ran over here as soon as she said you were in danger.”

 “It’ll take more than a few punches to break me.” Junsu smiled at him. “I managed to send a few hits their way as well.”

“You were great considering it was two against one.” Minki agreed.

---

 Back at the inn Junsu was fussed over by Areum. She looked like she was going to break down at any second.

After sending her off to get clean cloths and water, the others turned to him, waiting for the story. Not wanting to move his abused jaw, he let Minki fill in the others as he went to his room.

Junsu collapsed on his futon. He hoped that Minki wouldn’t paint him as a wimp. If his jaw wasn’t so soar, he would have made himself look good. He sighed, rubbing his jaw. Life was good until that point. The pain in his jaw just reminded Junsu that he wasn’t dreaming. If only he had some painkillers. Little things like that made Junsu realize how miserable he was. When would this horrible experience end for him? He didn’t even get to see the shaman’s stall. They were going to leave the next morning. He sighed dejectedly. He wanted to go home.

 A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. “Is it okay to enter?” Areum’s meek voice sounded from the other side of the door.

“Come in.” Junsu said while pushing himself up in a sitting position.

Areum walked in going to his bedside. She had two bowls and a handful of cloths. She set them down on the ground before she bowed down in front of him. “I apologize for putting you in trouble. I hope you can forgive me.” Areum apologized tearfully.

 “It’s okay. You were in trouble. If anything happened to you, then the pain in my jaw would never compare to the pain I would feel if you got hurt.” Junsu said. “You did nothing wrong. Those men were trash.”

“Still,” Areum sniffed. “I am guilty for the pain in your face.”

“It’s fine.” Junsu shook his head. “The pain will go away.” Junsu was bad at comforting people. He hoped that Areum would stop crying. “Besides, it gave me experience fighting. I did manage to hit one of them.”

 Areum didn’t say anything, but she gave him a shaky smile. She wiped off the tears with her sleeve, sniffing loudly.

“My jaw hurts to talk but once it feels better, I’ll sing you a song. Okay?” Junsu suggested. “I’ll should be better in a few hours.”

“I’d rather you not hurt yourself any more than necessary.” Areum dipped a cloth in the bowl filled with water.

Junsu accepted the damp cloth from Areum. When he put it against his face, he sighed. It felt much better. “If you don’t want me to sing tonight, then I’ll take you to a show.” Junsu removed the cloth from his face. “I met a performer this morning. He said he is going to perform for me. You can come too.”

“Thank you for the offer.” Areum gave him a small smile. “I’ll let you rest now.” She stood up, walking to the door.

After Areum left, Junsu reapplied the cloth to his face, basking in the coolness. He soon fell asleep.

---

He woke up a few hours later by Minki.

“Junsu hyung.” Minki shook him gently. “It’s time to eat.”

“Wha?” Junsu replied sluggishly. He winced as rubbed his face.

 “That man you talked to this morning is waiting for you too.” Minki added. “I told him I was going to wake you up.”

 “Oh.” Junsu yawned. “Then I guess I better go meet up with him.” He spotted the lamp that lit up the room. “Is it that dark already?”

 “Yeah.” Minki stood up. “The others are eating too. I also ordered you some food.”

 “Thanks Minki.” Junsu stretched. “I’ll meet up with you guys in a bit.” He moved his jaw around, thankful that the pain subsided a little.

 “When you were asleep I got this for you.” Minki went to one of their bags, pulling out some parchment, ink, and a brush. He brought him the items. “I didn’t have that much money so the quality might be less than what you are used to.” Minki placed them in front of a dazed Junsu.

 Blinking at what he saw, Junsu gave him a giant grin, regretting it because his face was still sore. “You’re the best!” Junsu reached over, running his fingers over the items.

“It wasn’t that much.” Minki looked away, abashed. “But you saved Areum so this isn’t that much compared to what you did.”

 “Still. I haven’t gotten to write in forever.” Junsu pulled Minki in a quick hug. “This means a lot more than you think.” Junsu reached for the brush. It was better than nothing. He would have to practice writing with a brush.

 “Well, the food will be getting cold so I’ll go down first.” Minki stood up going to the door.

---

            Junsu sighed happily before setting his stuff in his bag and joining the others. He walked downstairs, looking for his… coworkers? Friends? Junsu thought. Would he consider them friends? They were certainly more than coworkers. He grew closer to them, especially Areum and Minki, without thinking about it. The thought of them being his friends felt odd. He didn’t really belong with them. He was an outsider.

 “Hey, Junsu, We’re over here.” Youngnam called out to him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

 Junsu turned seeing them all sitting around a table, the whole tabled filled with food. Junsu’s stomach rumbled as he caught sight of the meat on their plates. He felt his mouth salivate. They never had this much food at the kiseng house. Meat was a delicacy meant for Heeyoung. Occasionally they would get to eat some but for the most part it was rice, and vegetables.

“That looks good.” Junsu hummed sitting next to Minki.

 “I ordered you some soup hyung.” Minki turned to him, handing him a bowl. “I don’t think you can eat anything that chewy.”

 “Oh.” Junsu sniffed seeing the bland bowl next to the meat the others were scarfing down. “I guess you’re right.” So much for a feast. His jaw was still throbbing dully.

  “So, Junsu,” Chinhae said with a full mouth, “Minki told us you went up against two men.”

  “Yeah.” Youngnam nodded. “That’s impressive considering you don’t look like a fighter.”

 “And came out with only a few bruises.” Chinhae added.

 “I don’t think I could take them. I mean, look at me.” Youngnam laughed flexing his thin arm. “I don’t think I even look threatening.”

 “You look like a little prince.” Junsu said without thinking. It was true. Youngnam was older than him, and strong, but he didn’t look like it. He was lanky for a servant with soft features. Even Junsu looked stronger than him before he started working. He began to eat his food as delicately as he could. Moving his jaw was still painful.

“Who do you think would win in a fight though? Me or Youngnam?” Chinhae puffed out his chest.

 “You obviously.” Youngnam snorted. “But I bet I can hold my own against you.”

 “Hey, Junsu!” A voice interrupted their chatter. It was Hyunjae. He looked breathless as he came up to their table. He bowed at them before speaking. “Do you mind if I join you?”

 “Of course. The more the merrier.” Youngnam spoke up patting the space in front of him.

 “Hello, my name is Hyunjae.” Hyunjae introduced himself. He took the plate that was offered to him, filling it up with the food on the table. “I’m an entertainer.”

 “Is that what you are doing here?” Chinhae asked.

 “Yes. I’m making some money as well looking to recruit some people to join me. It’s just me so far. Would you like to join me?” Hyunjae grinned.

 “No thanks, I think being a clown would be a bad decision.” Youngnam declined.

 “Ah, well. Your loss.” Hyunjae looked unbothered by the rejection. He turned to Junsu. “What happened to you? You looked like you got run over by a cart.”

“He was in a fight.” Minki huffed. “He was protecting Areum from some men. He was amazing.”

“Did you really?” Hyunjae sounded impressed. “I got in a few fights myself.” He chuckled. “I ended up worse than you. I’m not much of a fighter.”

“I think the only fighters here are Chinhae hyung and Minki.” Youngnam said. Junsu agreed eyeing Chinhae’s and Minki’s muscular arms.

“I can see that.” Hyunjae agreed merrily. “Hey, I still owe you that performance, Junsu. Why don’t you all see it with him?”

“Really?” Youngnam perked up. “This is a good outing then. Delicious dinner and then a performance?”

"’Least I could do for since you let me join you for dinner.” Hyunjae gave them a crooked smile. “It’ll have to be outside. There’s no room inside to have a proper performance. I’ll go get a fire started so we can see have and have some warmth.” Hyunjae jumped up. He bowed. “I’ll let you guys know when I’m ready.”

 “He’s really energetic.” Minki commented as Hyunjae left the dining area.

“You have to be if you want to perform.” Junsu shrugged with a smile thinking about how energetic he was when he performs. Even when he felt like he was dead on his feet from performing, he managed to keep himself performing with the same amount of vigor. “I’m going to get Areum. I told her that she could come see him perform.” He stood up, slurping up the last of his soup. “I’ll be back in a bit. I want to try some of the meat.”

---

“Is it alright if I come in?” Junsu knocked at Areum’s door.

“Yes.” Areum answered.

Junsu opened the door. He spotted her having her dinner in her room. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“It’s fine. I was finishing up.” Areum gave him a smile. Junsu smiled back halfheartedly when he caught sight of her puffy eyes. She must have still kept crying when she left his room. Junsu sighed. He didn’t want her to cry over him. He was tougher than he looked. He wasn’t worth crying over.

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that the performer I mentioned earlier is getting ready. So when you’re done, you can meet can go downstairs where we are.” Junsu told her.

Her eyes lit up at his words. “Yes. I’ll be down soon. I have to look more presentable first.”

“Okay.” Junsu nodded. “We’ll be waiting. The others are still eating.” Junsu gave her a small wave before exiting the room.

---

 “I wonder what he is going to do.” Junsu heard Youngnam say as he went back to the table.

“Have you ever seen a performance? I bet he’ll just act ridiculous.” Chinhae pondered.

“Yeah. There really isn’t much one person can do.”

“Hey, save that piece for Junsu hyung. He said he wanted to eat some meat.” Minki slapped Youngnam’s hand away from the plate. “That’s the softest meat we have.”

“Aw, don’t be meant to me!” Youngnam cried out playfully.

“Quit complaining. You kept stealing food from my plate.” Chinhae snorted.

“Areum is coming down soon.” Junsu said, interrupting their little spat. He took a seat next to Minki taking the plate with a small helping of meat he offered to Junsu.

“Hey, Junsu, what do you think Hyunjae will do?” Youngnam turned to him.

“I’m not sure. I don’t remember what performers do.” Junsu shrugged.

 “What do you mean you don’t know?” Chinhae turned to him. “I think one night I caught you singing. Were you a performer before you joined us?”

 “Me?” Junsu asked. He quickly picked up the piece of meat, popping it in his mouth. He ignored the dull throbbing in his jaw as he chewed. What was he going to say? He was a performer, but not from their time.

“Yeah. We don’t know where you came from.” Chinhae said. “You’re still a mystery to us.”

“Ah, well.” Junsu cleared his throat. “I don’t really remember much on how I got here. From what Areum told me, I got sick when she found me.”

“That’s odd.” Chinhae said eyeing him.

“Maybe he got cursed?” Youngnam laughed. “Did you piss off some witch?”

“You don’t believe that stuff do you?” Chinhae looked at him. He rolled his eyes.

“Of course I do.” Youngnam huffed. “I have a friend who got cursed.”

“Oh, really? Then what happened?

“He disappeared and no one knew where he went! No trace of him anywhere. Just gone!” Youngnam’s eyes grew big as he explained.

“So you didn’t know what happened to him?” Junsu asked.

Nope. I left my village and came to work for master Heeyoung but he disappeared for like two years and no word from him before I left.”

“He could had easily moved without telling anyone.” Chinhae shook head. “That doesn’t prove that it was a witch.”

“Well, that’s what I thought if he didn’t return from the mountains one day looking he met the devil”

“And then?” Junsu leaned in to hear better.

 “I’m not sure what he saw or what went down. He never told me. He just came back shaking and stayed in his house for the next couple of days.”

“Maybe he got attacked by some wild animal.” Chinhae said not bothering to listen as intently anymore.

 “No. He would have told us if it was. If it was a wild animal, we can take care of it ourselves. Plus, he wasn’t bleeding.” Youngnam snapped back. “Then the next few times he would come out he looked like he was being followed and then one day he disappeared.”

“Are you sure he just didn’t owe some money and he was being watched by some loan collectors?” Minki asked.

“So he left without telling anyone so he wouldn’t be found?” Chinhae added.

 “NO!” Youngnam shouted, slamming his hands down on the table. “Actually…” He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. “Well…” He crossed his arms leaning back. “Yeah. Yeah. I think that makes a lot more sense.” He relented.

  The others busted out laughing as Youngnam put his head against the table in shame. People from the other tables looked at them wondering why they were suddenly so loud.

“How long did you think that? You’ve been here for years!” Chinhae howled out.

  “Witches are still real! Even if I don’t have proof!” Youngnam said stubbornly with a cross look on his face even though his face was a bright red.

“You’re a fool!” Chinhae said between laughing.

“You believe me, right Areum?” Youngnam stood up running behind a confused Areum.

 “What’s going on?” Areum asked looking between the men.

 “Youngnam believes in witches.” Minki said trying to stop his chuckling.

“Well, I was raise to not mess with witches. They may or may not be real but I am not willing to risk the chance if there is such a thing.” Areum said with a neutral tone.

 “Well, I’ll let this slide since you actually have someone on your side.” Chinhae wiped a few tears from his eyes.

Junsu shook his head, still chuckling. “Should we go see if Hyunjae is ready now?” He asked getting up.

“I guess so. Everyone is staring at us anyway.” Minki got up followed by everyone else.

They ran into Hyunjae at the door as he was coming back inside. “Sorry about that. It took a while for the fire to start. But it’s going strong now!” He told them cheerfully as he led them out to the back.

They ended up standing near the fire. Something Junsu was thankful for as it was a little chilly outside.

“Welcome to a very special performance I have prepared for you!” Hyunjae said energetically as he bowed in greeting.” He grinned at the cheers he got from the five of them. “Well I’ll first start off with a little dance to get everyone in the mood.” Hyunjae picked up a small drum and began to play.

 After his dance, Junsu noticed that Chinhae disappeared only to reappear as Hyunjae was telling jokes. He wondered where he went but got his answer when he pulled out three bottles of soju. Minki shook his head and rolled his eyes but turned his attention back to Hyunjae. Junsu gleefully took the bottle handed to him taking a giant swig clearing his throat not expecting it to be so strong. He felt a lot more cheerful after that, joking with Hyunjae and the rest even throwing a few of his gags out.

“Why don’t you perform for us now Junsu?” Hyunjae asked falling back to make room for Junsu to join him.

 “Me?” Junsu hummed merrily. “I don’t know. What do you guys want to see?”

“A song!” Youngnam suggested. The other nodded.

“Okay.” Junsu agreed.

“Oh. I can provide the beat.” Hyunjae said running to get his drum. “Do you have a song in mind?”

“Not really. You can start a beat and I can sing whatever comes to mind.” Junsu stood scratching his head. He suddenly felt self-conscious as he stared at the expectant faces in front of him. Singing in front of thousands of people was less intimate than singing in front of people he doesn’t know that well. Not wanting to blow his cover he began to sing traditional Korean songs dancing around. Cheering from the others encouraged him to keep performing, soon inviting Youngnam up to dance with him.

They were fairly drunk but didn’t care as they didn’t have an audience so they ended up dragging Chinhae, Minki, and Areum up and they were stumbling around,dancing, and, laughing as Hyunjae beat his drum merrily. 

---

Welp. I hope you guys enjoyed. I am not sure when I will get to update again. but hopefully it won't take a year. lol