Hyunjae woke up with a huge headache. He groaned as he gripped onto his hair and got up, tripping on his own blanket bundled up around his feet. He cried out in pain as he held his feet and rubbed it as if it would help.
"Oh, you're awake?" Hyungseo jumped down from his bed and stretched out his arms.
"I guess I had a blast last night?" Hyunjae said, fighting with the blanket tangled up on his body.
Hyungseo started laughing then stopped when Hyunjae looked at him cluelessly. Hyungseo crouched down in front of Hyunjae who was still clueless and patted his shoulders as he put on a serene expression.
"You sure had a huge blast." Hyungseo said and walked out of the room, leaving Hyunjae on the floor with a headache and confusion.
Haechan and Taeil slumped down the floor after a few rounds of combat. Jaemin went ahead to get the towels. Jungwoo came in the hall at that moment and scrunched up his face.
"It smells like sweat in here." He commented and leant onto a pillar.
"Jeno and Doyoung just used this room before us. It was way worse." Taeil said, taking a gulp of his water and handing it to Haechan.
Jaemin came back and threw the towels to Haechan who got hit it in the face.
"Oops, sorry not sorry." Jaemin grinned as Haechan glared at him. Taeil and Jungwoo chuckled at the two.
"Oh, hey, Jungwoo hyung. You coming to practice too?" Jaemin asked. Jungwoo shrugged.
"I was just wandering around but if you need a partner..."
"Ooh, it's a rare chance for me to fight with you." Jaemin quickly got two spears and threw one to Jungwoo who caught it effortlessly. Jungwoo walked to the middle where Jaemin was waiting eagerly. He cracked his knuckles and neck and smiled at Jaemin.
"You ready?"
"Always, hyung-nim." Jungwoo smirked when Jaemin got into position confidently. Haechan and Taeil who were sitting beside looked at each other.
"Jaemin's getting his ass kicked." Haechan whispered.
"For sure." Taeil whispered back.
Jaemin let out a shout as he charged at Jungwoo who stood calmly, putting his spear behind his back. Jaemin jumped and aimed at Jungwoo who dodged it gracefully and kicked Jaemin's spear out of his hand. Jaemin managed to catch it but unfortunately, he turned his back to Jungwoo giving him the perfect opportunity to strike.
Jungwoo hit Jaemin with the blunt end of his spear making Jaemin kneel down. Jaemin whipped his leg around to trip Jungwoo. Jungwoo tumbled over to stand up in position again. But Jaemin wasn't resting, he came at Jungwoo again. The two clashed spears and fought breathlessly.
"Jaemin has improved." Haechan and Taeil got startled by Jeno's sudden intrusion between them.
"Why are you so silent?" Haechan hissed. Jeno grinned at him.
"You two were just immersed in Jungwoo hyung and Jaemin's fight." He placed himself between the two.
"Why are you here again? You like the smell of sweat that much?" Taeil asked, letting out a satisfied noise when Jaemin managed to land a blow on Jungwoo.
"I was bored." Jeno shrugged. The three continued watching the fight.
"Arghh!" Jaemin yelled out when Jungwoo kicked the back of his knee and spun a kick around. Jaemin fell down the floor, panting. Then, a sharp spear end came pointing at his neck. Jaemin looked up the spear to see a panting Jungwoo, smiling nonetheless.
"I hate you. You didn't even use your powers." Jaemin grumbled, throwing his spear away and pouting on the floor. Jungwoo chuckled and drew back his spear. He crouched down and lifted up Jaemin's chin.
"Don't whine on the battlefield. You can't win everyone with aegyo like me." He said making Jaemin whine out extra loud.
"Jungwoo hyung's not gonna kill you but I will if you don't shut up." Haechan shouted. Jaemin rolled his eyes.
"It's not fair! You're good at combat and you're a gumiho too! Jungwoo hyung, you're too perfect!" Jaemin complained, kicking his legs. Jungwoo and Taeil chuckled at his tantrums while Jeno was holding back Haechan from clobbering him up.
"But.." Everyone looked at Jaemin, "Why's your hair still black?"
Jungwoo stopped smiling. Taeil and Haechan looked at him nervously with Jeno sending warning looks to Jaemin who looked confused at the reactions he was receiving. Jungwoo let out a small tired smile.
"Here." He handed his spear to Jaemin and walked away out of the hall. They looked at the retreating figure silently. Then, the three turned to glare at Jaemin who winced.
"What? I just asked him a question." Jaemin defended himself.
"You can't ask him about that!" Jeno said, slapping Jaemin on the shoulders. Jaemin let out a yelp and rubbed his pain away.
"Why? Is it a sensitive topic? I'm not a gumiho so I don't know." Jaemin said, still scared of the glares. Haechan sighed.
"That's cause he wasn't one either." Jaemin squinted his eyes.
"Not what?"
"A gumiho. Jungwoo wasn't a gumiho before." Taeil explained.
"What? How does that work? Did he just turn into one? Like magic?" Jaemin asked, genuinely confused. Haechan and Taeil looked at each other.
"It's a long story. But Jungwoo became one because of a gumiho's sacrifice." Taeil said.
"Sacrifice? You mean that gumiho's dead because of Jungwoo hyung?"
"Stop asking questions. Jungwoo hyung is sensitive about it." Jeno hissed at Jaemin. Jaemin pouted. It wasn't his fault he didn't know about it.
Jungwoo was standing outside the hall. He didn't leave yet for some reason. His face was stoic, emotionless. He left after hearing Jaemin's last question.
He walked out of the building, down the steps, out of the courtyard. He walked on until he reached a secluded spot on the hill behind the residence. The place was a small cliff overseeing the capital with a rocky path leading to it. Jungwoo stood in silence, not particularly focusing on anything.
He stepped back and went to a tree. He crouched down and removed some twigs and rocks, uncovering a small long chest. He opened it, seeing the bow and three arrows which were always in the chest. He took it out and walked back to the edge. He gripped onto the bow hard.
"Ahjusshi... can you please give me some money? My little brother is really sick." A young Jungwoo begged while tugging at a rich man's robes. The man looked at him with disgust and pulled back his robe making Jungwoo stumble over.
"Damn kids. Why did your parents even give birth to you when all you do is disrupt others." The man grumbled and walked away but not before kicking away at Jungwoo's stomach. Jungwoo let out a yelp at the pain. He sniffled but he didn't cry. He can't.
"Hyung? Is hyung hurt?" A smaller child walked up to him. He sat down and cupped Jungwoo's face and looked at him with wide innocent eyes.
"Hyung shouldn't be hurt." The child said in a small voice, almost crying. Jungwoo cracked a small smile. Yes, he can't cry.
"Don't worry, Sungchan. Hyung is strong. Hyung will never cry." The little kid nodded and hugged Jungwoo, burying his head into Jungwoo's chest. Once Sungchan couldn't see, Jungwoo let a drop of tear down. He can't cry.
A small rustling noise made Jungwoo turn around, aiming his arrow at the sound direction. He relaxed once he saw it was Kun. Kun smiled when Jungwoo put down his bow and turned his back.
"Why are you here again?" Kun asked.
"No reason."
"I heard from Haechan. I'll be sure to remind Jaemin not to bring up the topic again."
"No need." Kun looked at Jungwoo for a while. He walked around a bit, standing in front of the tree where Jungwoo took out his chest earlier.
"You cannot be weak, Jungwoo. I doubt you have forgotten why you are still alive." Kun smirked when he saw Jungwoo clench his fists but didn't turn around.
"The competition was just a threat to the Hwarangs. Soon, there will be an actual war. I need you to focus and not to anything stupid. We don't have time to reminisce dead brothers and cry in sorrow. As far as I know, the war will be bloody." Kun said, stepping closer to Jungwoo. He stood upright beside him. Jungwoo still didn't respond.
"Don't make your brother's sacrifice a waste." Kun said in a low voice. Jungwoo turned to him this time with a strong gaze staring at Kun. Kun stared back for a while, then walked away.
It was silent again.
"Isn't it cool, hyung? I'm a gumiho!" Sungchan said. The brothers were now teenagers. Perhaps that's why Sungchan's gumiho persona just became evident. Jungwoo had been scared out of his wits when Sungchan's eyes suddenly flashed blue and his hair turned green on his 18th birthday.
"Yes, yes. But knowing you, we might get chased out of every village we get in." Jungwoo calmed Sungchan down. Sungchan pouted.
"But we have Kun hyung and Haechan hyung!" Sungchan said cheerfully. Jungwoo nodded. They met Kun and Haechan on their way to moving to another village. It was by entire coincidence they had met in the forest road.
The two brothers had met with a rogue tiger and Sungchan just got his powers so he didn't know how to deal with it. At that time, Kun and Haechan jumped in to save them.
"They can teach me how to fight! I can protect you, hyung. No one will ever beat you up now!" Sungchan said, eyes twinkling in excitement. Jungwoo smiled at his little brother and patted his head.
"Yes, my little brother will protect me." Jungwoo smiled. Sungchan grinned in satisfaction.
Jungwoo sighed and shut his eyes, feeling the slight breeze on his face. He can't cry.
If he knew what would happen, he wouldn't have said that. He would have lived far away from the capital, away from all this imperial mess.
The last image of a tried Sungchan resurfaced in his mind. Sungchan's last words resonated in his head, making him feel dizzy.
"Your little brother will protect you."
Chanhee sighed and turned around to face a grinning Sunwoo. He was on the way for breakfast when Chanhee couldn't shake off the odd feeling he got behind him. Chanhee huffed out and walked to the opposite direction of the dining room and to the back of the training area, secluded from outside.
"Why are you following me?" Chanhee said after he was sure they were alone. Sunwoo tilted his head.
"I wasn't. I was just heading for breakfast."
"Then why did you follow me here?" Chanhee crossed his arms and jutted his hips.
"I thought you might be lonely." Sunwoo grinned. Chanhee sighed again.
"Sunwoo, I though we decided to keep it discreet." He massaged his forehead. Sunwoo stepped closer and took away Chanhee's hands away.
"You decided to be discreet. I decided to follow your wishes."
"You aren't!" Chanhee protested a little when Sunwoo wrapped his arms around him and hugged him closer.
"Don't worry. I'll be discreet." Sunwoo said in a hushed tone. He smiled at the flustered Chanhee and pecked his lips
"Except when we're alone." Sunwoo said and continued to take his sweet time, observing Chanhee's visual.
"F-fine. But let's go inside separately." Chanhee broke the hug. Sunwoo smiled at the blush on his face.
"Why don't you want the others to know though?"
"Are you really asking cause you don't know? If they knew, they will never live it down. Youngjae and Changmin are gonna tease me to no ends." Chanhee pouted angrily. Sunwoo smiled and pinched his protruding lips. Chanhee let out a small yelp and glared at Sunwoo.
"Yah!"
"Why don't you call me that now?" Sunwoo asked, tilting his head as he brushed some specks of dust off Chanhee.
"Call you what? Yah?" Chanhee furrowed his brows in confusion as Sunwoo shook his head. Sunwoo leant in next to Chanhee's ears and whispered.
"Oppa~" Chanhee's eyes widened and his face flushed red. He started hitting Sunwoo everywhere as the latter blocked and laughed.
"Why *hit* the hell *hit* are you *hit* talking *hit* nonsense! *slap*" Sunwoo laughed as Chanhee got embarrassed at the suggestion. Sunwoo caught Chanhee's hands and grasped it firmly.
"Awww, don't you remember? You called me oppa that night." Sunwoo tilted his head in amusement as he looked at the confused look on Chanhee.
"I didn't call you that last night." Sunwoo shook his head slowly.
"Not last night. That night." Chanhee frowned.
"That night? But I've never called you oppa...... " Sunwoo grinned as the realization dawned upon Chanhee.
"Channie iz hurts. Oppa pleashe carry meh."
"Umm...but-"
"Wahh!! Meanie oppa! Oppa won't carry Channie!"
Chanhee slowly covered his mouth with his hand with his eyes wide open. He looked at Sunwoo as if trying to confirm the fact. Sunwoo nodded, still grinning.
"Forget it." Chanhee said firmly. Sunwoo smirked.
"Or what? Or Channie will eat me?" Sunwoo teased. Chanhee gasped and clutched his head as memories came back flooding.
"Ok, ok. I'll carry you. Come on."
"You should. Or Channie will eatchu!"
"Oh my, that's so scary."
"Yes! Channie is scawry."
Chanhee screeched as he remembered it all. Sunwoo chuckled and pulled down Chanhee's hands from his pink hair. Chanhee's face was full of utter dismay as if his whole life had been ruined.
"It's ok, Channie. Channie was cute." Sunwoo patted Chanhee's head. Chanhee sighed and leant in towards Sunwoo's chest, trying to hide his face. Sunwoo bit his lips and continued stroking his hair.
"Is Channie shy?"
"Shut up."
A/N After the competition and festival, it's sort of a rollercoaster so Imma let them have some fluff. Anyways, how's the story?
I feel bad that I need to have a short one week hiatus when I haven't been updating much. Remember, I'm always sending lots of love to you all!!!💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞