Introducting character

Lee Soo Hyuk

[Dara]

  "So basically there had been a nuclear war that wiped out technology 200 years ago?" I croaked, and the Scholar Lee, the old Historian nodded, his beard.

  I sighed in frustration and leaned back against the polished pine chair. A whole morning was spent in this dusty cramped room with me (and him ofcourse,) struggling to find every little piece of the evidence of what happened to the world I knew, but information had been really scarce- little was left from the event that nearly destroyed humanity.

  The event that I'm not supposed to live to witness had became the aftermath of the world I'm currently trapped in.

  "But I don't understand, how can there be nothing left? I mean, how did civilisation go back in time? Surely there must be people who knew how to create technology that survived!" I argued.

  The historian shrugged, shaking his head as if he had lived through the apocalypse and is now exhausted. 

  "Did you say that you're from the early two thousands, young lady?" Asked Scholar Lee, looking puzzled. I nodded and he lets out a breath of disbelief. "Impossible." He mutters, "How? You must know so much!" 

  He drilled me with a thousand and one questions about the past, which is ironically and absurdly, not my past, such as how the internet worked and the nations that existed. The way his wrinkled eyes light up with surprise and excitment when he receives new information reminded me strongly of Bom. Sighhhh, I miss that walking mess. Wonder what she's doing now that I'm gone. Geez, its thanks to her aggressive that I'm stuck here now and I'm still thinking of her welfare.

  Now go and be a saint , Dara.

  I was so preoccupied in my little own flashback dedication to Bom that I didn't notice that someone had brought in tea and set them gingerly on the table. I nearly jumped when I realised his face was inches from mine. There he was, a short stumpy looking elderly man in his late 60s, his face pale and dotted with age spots and his narrowed eyes staring straight at me. 

  "People that caused this should be responsible." He whispered, his voice hoarse, and I drew my head back to further the distance between us. Why is he so close? And why is he looking at me like this? I swallowed, frozen and unmoving.

  Good Lord, this place is really scaring me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  "Get out, Choi." Scholar Lee barked, staring above his glasses at the old man with digust, and not removing his eyes from me, Choi the creepy man withdrew himself and hobbled out of the room.

  "Forgive me, my servant is always a little out of his mind." Scholar Lee chuckled apologetically and I returned him a reassuring smile before I took my leave. I should be going back now.

[-]

  Dara was still thinking about the things that the scholar told her on her way out that she didn't notice that it was that earlier creepy old man was wishing the dishes and she just greeted him goodbye.

  Choi dropped the dishes that he is cleaning, the clang sounding like a plate or two had shattered in the sink and Dara regained her senses, stopping in her tracks and looked on nervously at the old man who's now hobbling towards her.

  "Someone from the past..." He croaked, his voice raspy, surveying Dara while he wiped his hands on his apron, leaving murky stains. "Nuclear sinners....."

  "Eh? I-"

  "Retribution will come." The old man said slowly, a slow fire dancing in his eyes. 

  "Hey, ahjussi."

  Dara turned at the voice. 

  Behind her stood a tall and dark young man clad in a plain, thin, white long sleeved pullover-like-top (Dara doesn't know what this kind of clothes in called here, but she's seen it back around the straws huts and slumps) and a greasy apron around his waist. Dara gulped. Beneath his slightly dirt smeared face there's no doubt that this man had devilish good looks.

  "Not getting back to work?" He asked again, his voice deep but richly smooth.

  Creepy Choi (which Dara had at that moment decided to name him) glared at Dara, making a hiss like noise before slowly turning away, all the while not lifting his eyes off her. Dara swallowed at the hostility, and hurried out of the dimly lit room.

  "Than-thank you." Dara bowed immediately outside the view of Creepy Choi at the stranger. The latter slung his towel over his shoulder.

  "You don't look like a Dal." He commented, "It's okay though, I don't either." He added quickly, hoping that he doesn't come off offensive.

  Dara took a close look at his face and realised he really does seem darker than the usual Dal people.

  "My mother is a Dal and my father is from Taeyang. When they found out they killed my father and I had to live here in Dal with my mother until she died." The stranger nonchalantly answered upon Dara's questioning look, flashing a boyish smile. "I'm SooHyuk."

  "Hello, I'm Dara." Dara said meekly.

  SooHyuk: ?

  Dara gasped, almost forgetting how people here aren't used to the usual (or her usual, actually) Hello, Heol or Byoong. It was confirmed with SooHyuk's weird out look.

  "Ahh it's nothing it's nothing." Dara laughed nervously, sounding like a strangled chicken.

  "Where're you from, Dara? You have an uncommon name." SooHyuk asked, amused by how flustered this tiny girl looked.

  "I uh- I am- uh-" Dara bit her lips. Should I say the truth? Ha ha, very funny, look at how all these people look at you like you're a nutcase. Better not, I'm sure even in a place like this they would've built something that's equivalent to an asylum in our era.

  "Uh- I'm Ji-" Dara took a double take, remembering how Jiyong had told her that heads will roll should she be addressing him so carelessly in public. "I'm the Ice Lord's guest."

  SooHyuk raised a brow as Dara bowed to leave, his eyes fixated on the girl's back.

  Hmmm... The Ice Lord's guest? That's interesting.

  Dara found her way back to the Kwon's residence, and before she could pull open the doors to her room, an arm shot out horizontally, blocking the doors from opening. Dara looked up and was met with a pair of curious looking eyes, with severe dark eye bags beneath them.

  "So, Dara, is it?" The owner of those panda like eyes coughed, trying his very best to sound authoritative. Dara surprised a laugh at how his chest is puffed up, trying to look as majestic and handsome as he could, with his arms folded behind his back. Even in her frozen age, he looks much younger than she is. (It's calculated in her frozen age as in the age she is when she met the accident because if not she'd be 300 years older than anyone who's alive then)

  "You must be the Ice Lord's younger brother." Dara said, badly stifling her sniggers.

  "Hey, I'm the fifth heir of the Kingdom, prince seungri-" Seungri began indignantly, feeling rather ridiculed at how she openly laughs at him.

  "Yes, your highness." Dara snorted, flashing Seungri a playful grin, which made the young prince withdrew in the absurdity. This is really one weird woman that knows no rule.

  Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion by the gates as the same men that Dara saw on her first day here, the ones donning leather and armour, which the maidens had told her that they are the generals and soldiers, came galloping on their horses into the courtyard, shouting words that seemed incoherent, before they removed a semi conscious Jiyong one of their stallion. To Dara's horror's, his front was bleeding rather heavily.

  "Get the physician!" Jiyong's right hand man, the one in a beard shouted while he and another soldier dragged him into a room.

  "Oh my god. Is he going to die?" Dara whispered in alarm, horrified at the gruesome sight. 

  "He'll be fine." Seungri reassured, however looking rather worried himself with a frown stuck on his kid-like face. "This is common."

  Dara turned to him in shock. "Common?!"

  "Hyung is the best warrior in this land." Seungri sighed heavily, looking on as Jiyong's right hand man re-emerged out of the room, his hands soaked with blood but looking relieved. "And to reward him for that our father sent him to guard the boarder, which is supposed to be the most dangerous since boarder wars and invaders break out frequently." He said, a harsh bitterness evident in his voice before he turned to leave.

  Dara swallowed, wondering what is between their family and if Jiyong would be alright.

[Dara]

I paced up and down my room. Outside, the night crickets are already having a full out concert. It's the second night since a literally bloody Jiyong is half carried through that front door and they're saying that he's running a fever so he needs more rest.

  Aish, I should be worrying over how to get back to my own time instead!!!!!

  He's fine right? They said his vitals stable and this isn't the first time it happens. GAHHHHHH. I mean, he did save my sorry two times. Not once but twice!!!! I should be concerned if I'm humane! Yes, Dara, you are a humane 21st century woman with compassion and gratitude.

  /Mind flashes to how his lips curl upwards when he trapped me between himself and the wall/

  GAHH Y THOUGHTS I COMMAND YOU TO LEAVE MY MORTAL SHELL!!!!!

  Unable to stand my own brain that has been nagging at me to take a look, I tiptoed out of my room, careful not to make a sound. It seems like people during this time phrase sleeps early.

  Carefully, I got myself over to the other end of the residence, and creaked open the doors. I hadn't really been in here before, the room of the Ice Lord's. In the darkness, the space is light up near the bed with two dancing candle flames.

  I edged closer to the bed, and there he was, his crimson hair plastered to his pale face, a bandage slinging across his chest. BADAM BADAM BADAM. What's that sound? I stifled and listened, and oh, it's just my irregular heartbeat.

  Maybe because it's weird for a woman to be creepin into a man's room in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT even in the glorious and open minded 21st century????????

  I turned around to leave, now reassured that he's no longer dripping in blood. A hand grabbed my wrist and I looked back in shock, for a moment frozen on the spot for fear that he had woken up, but Jiyong remained fast asleep, his expression not tortured but suggesting that his sleep was not peaceful either, with his brows knitted together. He called for his mother in a slur once or twice, and something about that makes him look more like a child than he really is.

  "Jiyong." I said softly, and he stirred, opening his eyes slowly.

  "Park Dara."

  "It's okay now." I hushed, giving him two awkward pats before turning to leave again, until a felt a small tug and turned around.

  His hand is still on my wrist.

  "Stay." Jiyong said when my eyes met his, and instantly I could tell that he couldn't sleep well for the past few days.

  I reached for his forehead and he flinched slightly. It's still burning. I thought of how he called for his mom, and sat down on the floor beside the low bed.

  The Ice Lord didn't say anything, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Flutters flutters~

I had a surprising surge of subscribes in the last update /jump jump/

I'm aiming for 25 subscribers by the next one >:)

Meanwhile, pyoong, hello everyoneeee!

Leave some biscuit comments and upvote this story okay?

Till the next time!