The Pheasant, that fell from the Sky || Hwarang

- 04 -

It was already dark outside as Yeseul sat outside on a pyeong-sang in the paper lantern lit-up courtyard and coloured cloth in a big wood vat. Only one was left after this one then she would've finished all her work for the day. The purple colour in the vat directed her thoughts towards the Hwarang and through that to Yeowool. Yeowool was in her mind pretty much all day for the last few days since the parade. She wasn't even sure why. His name just jumped into her mind randomly and made her think about the times they met. How he smiled at her and how he talked to her all curious. Never before had a man talked and looked at her like that. And never before had she had these bizarre feeling of having to smile whenever she thought about him. But then again, she thought, that this might just be how he acted to everybody and that she just interpreted to much into it. After all she rarely knew anything about him and they had only met about four times.

»What got you smiling?«, a familiar voice asked suddenly into her right ear. Yeseul looked to her right and found Yeowool in his Hwarang robe sitting next to her on the pyeong-sang, a closed fan in his hand again. She gave him a surprised look. It took a second before she found her words again.

»What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the Hwarang house?«

»I – We sneaked out«, he answered, »What are you doing?« Yeseul looked down at her slightly purple coloured hands that held a piece of cloth into the vat. After realising it had enough colour, she started wringing out the coloured water.

»I am colouring cloth«, she explained, »So we can make hanbok out of this.«

»Interesting.« Fascinated he looked at the dark coloured water in the vat. Yeseul stood up and hung up the newly purple coloured cloth on one of the clothing lines.

»Only this one left, then I'm done with my work for today«, she said as she picked up the last still beige fabric and sat down again.

»Let me help you so we can walk through the streets afterwards!«, he suggested. Yeseul was surprised by his suggestion. He wanted to take a walk with her?

»But be careful with your robe. It's a dark colour, it easily colours white fabric«, she explained as she looked at her apron that was full of dark purple stains.

»It's going to be fine.« They started colouring. Even though Yeseul was constantly worried about his robe they worked great together.

»Do you colour all the cloths yourself?«, he asked after some time.

»No, not that many. A lot of fabric is already coloured when we get it so we only sew them into hanbok.«

»Is the purple in my uniform coloured by you?« A cheeky smile graced his face.

»Could be. I did colour some purple cloths but it could also be coloured by my parents or our employees«, she explained, »It's done.« Yeseul stood up and took the cloth.

»Wash your hands with the water in the bowl behind you«, she said and hung up the cloth on the clothing line before washing her hands herself. Yeowool stepped behind her and opened the apron just as Yeseul had her hand on the knot. They're hands met. Yeseul didn't know how to act. Her heart beat faster. She slowly let her hands fall back to her side. The Hwarang put one arm around her to get the other side of the apron before putting it on the pyeong-sang. Now he was fully able to see the light yellow and white hanbok she was wearing.

»Let's go«, he said and walked ahead. He seemed completely oblivious as to why she stood there frozen for a second. Yeseul shook herself and followed the Hwarang.