Those of Us Alone

Chapter 61: Jae-ha's Insight on Midori

Yoon's POV

Yona's strained voice stopped all of the bickering instantaneously.

Everyone's attention was on her as she spoke passionately, "Us arguing between one another isn't going to help the situation!" She took a deep breath before speaking in a calmer tone, "I don't think Midori would want us to find out about herself from anyone other than herself."

There was a frown set upon Hak's face as he muttered, "It's not like she'd tell us anyway. . ." 

"Hak . . ." Yona spoke softly, and Hak dropped his head, shaking slightly.

His voice was soft and full of regret, " . . . I . . . I really don't want to hurt her . . ."He brought his hand up to his face, no longer fighting against Kija, " . . . but . . . I don't know how to fix . . . to fix this . . . mess . . ."

I frowned slightly, but looked over to Jae-ha, "As much as I don't want to breach Midori's privacy . . . I think . . . it might be useful to know at least a little bit of what's going on."

Jae-ha looked down, but nodded nonetheless, "Let's see if we can find an inn, then I'll try to recall what little bit that Midori told me."

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Midori's POV

"He's an idiot!" I mutter under my breath, making my way into my room at the inn that I was staying at. "Stupid, stupid Hak!" I ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself down.

I plopped down onto a cushion at the table in the corner, "Why is it always so hard to talk to him lately?" There was a screech from my window, causing me to jump, slamming my knee on the table, "Ow!" Turning to the window, I glared at the messenger bird, before realizing what I was supposed to be doing.

"Right, information," I sighed, grabbing the parchment that I was working on earlier, "the thing that got me into this mess."

As I wrote what I had found out about the situation here in Saika, my mind kept going back to the vital information that Hak imparted upon me . . .

 "I know about your betrothal, Midori! Gramps told me a few weeks before the princess's birthday!"

My confusion had to be written all over my face, it was clear from the looks that I was getting from the group - who were at Hak's back. Still, I couldn't help but ask, "My . . . my betrothal?"

"To the King!"

 . . . I guess I still have some questions to be answered at court. 

So much for taking off with the others - not that it would be super enjoyable at the moment. With the blow up between Hak and I, the trip would probably have been more awkward than my trip from Awa to Fuuga - and I didn't have memories for that. . .

I just managed to seal the letter with a wax seal and hand it off to the messenger bird when a hesitant knock echoed from the door. I sighed, getting up from the table, please don't let it be Hak - I don't want to fight right now.

As I turned the knob, I opened the door to see my brother.

Luckily for me, it wasn't Hak, "Shin-ah?"

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Jae-ha's POV

Everyone, minus Shin-ah and Midori, were sitting within our shared hotel room, waiting to hear about the latter of our missing members.

I sighed, "Where to start?" Looking at the two who knew Midori longer than anyone else, "What . . . What exactly do you already know?"

Before Hak could make a comment, Yona-dear spoke quietly, "Most of her early life was spent in Awa, and that it wasn't great."