Finding You

A FAREWELL TO INNOCENCE: ONE

Author’s Notes: This is the first of three chapters that consist the short prequel to Finding You.

—

It was the day of the winter solstice of 1685. And Son Eon Jin had an ominous feeling that it was indeed going to be a long night.

Above her, hues of rose and orange were almost covering the once-clear blue sky, prompting her to walk in haste — almost breaking into a run. Her red chima billowed as she braved the cold wind that marked the arrival of the ox month, while not too far behind her, the sound of rushing footsteps was echoing hers.

“Son Eon Jin!”

Her companion’s call did not halt her from trudging the path with heavy stomps, ruthlessly crushing the sparse grass that endured the autumn season with her newly-bought onhye.

“Wait for me, Son Eon Jin!”

She hissed in annoyance, then grumbled, “We should not have gone further into that part of the woods. I told you many times over: anywhere beyond the clearing is uncharted territory for you and I.”

“And now, the sun is already setting, which means” — she rambled on — “I should expect another hour of reprimanding from my mother and grandmother for not keeping my promise to work on my problematic behavior.”

She trailed off as her mother’s recent lecture on propriety rang in her ears.

“I really must be out of my mind to express my grievance to someone who could never relate to it,” she sighed, her shoulders falling as she resigned to the fate that awaited her at home.

Her patient — and rather, unlucky — listener was Kim Tae Pyung, the rascal who lured her into the mess she found herself in. And annoyingly, it was rather typical of him to chuckle at her exasperation.

He caught up with her in a few strides, though he maintained a safe distance knowing how fuming mad she was at that instant.

“I will explain to them myself that it was my fault that we lost our way and came home late,” he assured her in between ragged breaths. “You do not have to worry.”

She did not answer, and he closed the remaining gap to fall into step with her instead of provoking her to react.

Then, he asked her, “Do you really believe that I am going to let you stand through the chastising on your own?”

To that, she only rolled her eyes.

“Eon Jin, I am a better friend than you give me credit for,” he told her, and she subtly noted in her mind how he hesitated somewhere along the line.

Seeing how she pursed her lips together, he knew that she must have caught his slip. So he darted his focus to the horizon ahead of them, pretending to search for the exit that was merely a meter away from where they were.

She laughed to ease the slight tension, then murmured, “I shall be the judge of that once Mrs. Pyeon begins chasing you with a broom.”

“Ahhh…” he stared skywards, looking helpless. “She used to like me when I was younger.”

“She still does.”

“Your handmaid despises me, Eon Jin. Ever since the elders brought up the possibility of holding our coming-of-age ceremony this year, she has been throwing daggers my way whenever she sees us together — and I wonder why.”

“Oh, I know why,” she breathed out while smiling shyly to herself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”