The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 161: Girls' Talk of Love

"Really!! What a thing to do to a girl's body!!" Tetora chimed in, her fingers drumming delicately across her own skin while Ayura just looked disinterested in where this conversation was going.

Calista subconsciously sank further into the white water, trying to hide her multitude of scars and blemishes that were exposed from what her undergarments didn't cover. If they thought that Yona was scuffed up, they wouldn't have any nice words to say when it came to her.

"I'm learning the sword to defend myself." Yona replied simply, not even looking down to glance at her battered body.

They were all sitting in a circle in the hot spring, though Calista was a bit closer to Yona than the other girls, just in case.

The fighter cracked a smile as Ao let out an adorable, "P'kyuuu~", as she splashed around playfully.

Ayura arched an eyebrow at Yona's admission, interest piqued. "The sword?"

"Oh my, and with a small body like yours?" Tetora quipped back lightly.

Yona blushed, though it was unclear whether or not she was flustered by their comments or if she took it as words of praise. "I'm still bad at them though."

"You have such strong men with you. What need do you have in taking up the sword?" Tetora inquired, swimming over to her.

Yona's lavender eyes grew a bit distant and she swallowed thickly. "They're all trying to shield me. I don't want to drag them down."

She looked up as a hand covered hers in the water and she smiled gratefully as Calista's show of support.

Hak, the four dragons, Yoon and even her friend right beside her, Yona would not allow them to sacrifice themselves for her. That is why she wanted to get stronger, so she could protect them too.

"It's fine!! Let them protect you, I'm envious." Tetora cooed with a light laugh, waving her hand as she emphasized the latter portion of that sentence, just as Calista retracted her touch to rest her hands in her lap.

"Tetora, your true colors are showing." Ayura noted bluntly and Lili huffed under her breath, muttering how it was unreal that so many men were following her but only one other girl.

Such imbalance.

Yona fidgeted, causing the water to ripple around her. "Besides, I want to be acknowledged."

Tetora filled in the blanks for her as the princess trailed off and tilted her head to the side. "By the one you love?"

Trying not to burst out laughing, Calista grinned at the slightly panicked expression that flitted across Yona's face. Looks like she was getting closer to coming to terms with those feelings she approached her about for advice back in the day when they were at the Wanderer's Market.

"—Not that." Yona denied, even though her voice shook and a faint tint of pink was still present on her cheeks.

Tetora tsked lightly, delicately shaking a finger at her. "That won't do!! With that many men, you're lying if you say there isn't a single one of them you have feelings for!!"

"I said it's not that!!" Yona burst out, but her panic was getting the best of her and it was making her lose her calm.

Lili looked at the flustered red-haired girl out of the corner of her eye. "But three of those men have gone to the red-light district, right?"

Calista blinked at her candor. A silence fell over the group of five and it was only broken with Ao cannonballed into the pool and splashed water in her face.