How do I talk to her again?
Grabbing his glove, he carefully slid it on with his mind travelled somewhere else. When his whole palm was covered he traced his fingers and pressed his thumb lightly on it. The pain had subdued awhile ago, maybe he would be safe if he joins the class tonight.
"I'm going now." he announced to his father and the man replied with a nod. Opening the door, the cold hit his face and he shivered. The male immediately left the house and went to the woods.
He was late. When he arrived most of the students were practicing with one another. Seungmin let out an invisible sigh, what now?
"Seungmin," he turned to the familiar voice. Jisung lifted his hand to show his sword. "With me?"
The puppy resembles guy hesitated for a second. He glanced around and couldn't spot the teacher. "Where's the teacher?"
"He told us to practice among ourselves."
Suspicious, he thought but nodded nevertheless. Both guys moved to a vacant place and put on their helmets. Seungmin was ready on his stance. He held the sword horizontally pointing towards Jisung and bent his legs. Jisung on the other hand was still fixing his helmet.
"You first."
Eh?
Though it was a bit weird Seungmin attacked first. More like testing the water to see if the guy was not taking it seriously. To his surprise Jisung immediately stepped forward and crossed his sword under Seungmin's. It happened so fast that the next thing he knew Jisung held up their swords and pushed Seungmin back, making the younger stumbled a few steps back.
Without letting him regaining his composure, Jisung attacked again. It hits his sword, emitting a loud clashing sound that echoed through the night that shocked the nocturnal and diurnal habitant in the woods. They began to slash their swords against one another. Both were aiming for their covered head but Seungmin was fast to hit the other guy's lower body.
They halted, got back in their position and continued five seconds later. Seungmin was going to take it easy as he always do whenever he fight with anyone else, including Eunkyung. However this guy seemed serious — too serious for his liking. Even when Jisung's sword hit his wrist and arm he didn't stop. In fact, the older guy didn't hesitate to swing the sword to his head. If it's not Seungmin being fast he wouldn't know what will happen next.
Jisung made the first move again and he held his sword horizontally upwards, blocking him.
"What's wrong with you?"
The squirrel resembles guy twist his wrist to the left to move his sword upwards. As soon as Seungmin's was pointing to the ground, he immediately swung it to his left shoulder.
Again, Seungmin dodged the attack using his.
"Han Jisung."
"What's your business with her?"
Weirded out by the question, Seungmin backed off a few steps. He couldn't see Jisung's face through the helmet but just by listening to his breath he'd rather not to see it. Boy seemed mad.
The wind lightly slapped their bodies. The excessive black ribbon on their helmet waved together with the newcomer as silence engulfed them. Seungmin found out he should be answering when Jisung was not behaving like the usual. But then, what should he say? Both of them are just friends, but would Jisung believe that? They used to be strangers until the princess dislikes his guts and now, she needs to report where she goes to Seungmin.
Jisung is not oblivious, and Seungmin knows that. However, he chose silence.
"Let's get back there." He was about to take of his helmet but Jisung unexpectedly swung the sword to his wrist, slitting it. Seungmin groaned and quickly backed away. He looked at the guy in disbelief as he felt liquid began to draw out but the other guy just stood there. He watched.
And he left.
"Screw it." the younger dropped himself on the ground and took off his helmet. He cut off the excessive ribbons with his sword to wrap it around his wrist. Luckily it didn't cut the pulse area, just at the side under the thumb.
But then, why?
He lightly winced when the cloth came in contact with his skin. To stop the bleeding he dabbed the wound before wrapping it around his wrist.
Things are getting worse.
༆
"Oh my, what's wrong with your hand?"
Seungmin hummed in a questioning manner while painting the flower on the stand. "Just fine?"
"No, it doesn't look fine," Minju stated and she looked up. "Did you do something?"
His eyes slightly widened and he shook his head. "No? Why would I do that?"
"Because covering your wrist with a cloth seems like you're doing it."
"I swear I didn't do anything. I just got hurt from the sword class."
Minju let out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad. Well, did you get yourself treated?"
Seungmin firmly nodded with his lips pursed together. The girl lightly nodded in approval before she turned to her painting paper. The sketch was a dandelion. Dipping her brush into the mixed white paint, she carefully followed the trace she drew beforehand.
Meanwhile the guy picked green with a small dip of yellow. As he painted on the paper, Minju spoke up again. "How long have you joined the sword fighting class, anyway?"
"Started since I was ten, but I stopped for a few years before continuing three years ago."
"That's quite long," she commented. "You don't think of stopping? You spent probably more than five years and it's enough to master the moves."
He remained silent. Minju glanced towards him for a second before continuing, "You've got a few scars already, didn't you?"
Seungmin paused from painting. "Injury is normal."
"No, it isn't," Minju replied without stopping her work. "You have your helmet, gloves and all to cover your whole body during practice. If you got the scar on your wrist then probably you got it from someone who intentionally injured you. You weren't even guarded. Why would they attack you if you aren't wearing the gloves?"
The corner of his lips slightly curled up as he continued his painting. "Quite an observant."
"I'm always observing."
"I like that."
The girl stifled a laugh, "What a pleasure." They fell into comfortable silence. Well, maybe the word comfortable was just for Minju. "You're not stopping?"
"I have my reasons."
"Figured out," she smiled and turned to him to face each other. "Whatever it is, just protect the thing — or person — till the end. You've gone this far not to let yourself fail. But just be aware of the person who hurt you."
To say he was not touched, was a lie. Minju was just a classmate who's now his partner for the painting project but in all honesty, she was the first friend — aside from Felix — who had expressed her worry genuinely towards him. Usually a person would have more than one friends but Seungmin don't have that. He's outgoing with his classmates but they were not as close as he was with Felix. Just casual friends.
Because if he truly cares about more than one friend, he's afraid if one day he hurts them or vice versa. Taking care of people's feelings are hard. He didn't even look after himself and how does he do that towards others?
When Minju said that he felt contently happy and warm inside.
"You're worried?" he asked with a playful smile.
Minju chuckled, "You're a friend, Seungmin. Of course I am."
He's happy to hear that.
༆
"I'm walking with Han again for today."
Seungmin looked up from his book to see the girl who he hadn't talked to for a few days next to his desk. The boy just nodded lightly and focused back on his book. "You're not eating?"
Eunkyung was startled at the sudden question. "Why aren't you?"
"Not hungry."
After the short response the girl fell silent. She just stood there, not knowing what she should do. When Seungmin thought she already left Eunkyung spoke up again, "Are you mad?"
His eyes stopped moving from reading the next word. There was a long silence between them. Though he was staring at the same word he couldn't recall what it meant as his mind was flying somewhere else.
"I'm not."
He's not mad. Just... disappointed.
That doesn't sit right with Eunkyung. How is he not mad? Even the princess actually did not want to admit her wrongdoings she still feels bad deep down in her heart. Everytime she tries to ignore it there'd be a small voice whispering that tingles her in a way.
She thought she can ignore it, but a princess is still a human. She still could feel guilt whenever she wanted to be heartless. And that takes a lot of courage.
Her eyes fell on his left wrist where the bandage was. Unknowingly her heart clenched. did he get hurt again...?
"What..."
Seungmin glanced to her, silently asking the girl to continue. However she shut her mouth, eyes not leaving his wrist and he noticed that. Sighing, the male closed the book and turned to fully face the standing princess. "Get something to eat."
She met his gentle eyes. There's no hatred or anger hidden there, only genuine worried look. She felt embarrassed by the look, by the small sentence. The urge to hide behind her long, black hair was tempting. How could he still act nice after what she'd done to him?
She doesn't deserve to be protected by him.
"I'm not hungry."
"It's not about you're hungry or not, Your Highness." the male got up and cleaned his desk.
"You're not eating either."
"We're about to now," he sent her a small smile. "After you."
"I'm not—" before she could end her sentence Seungmin had already held her shoulders from behind and guided her to the door. They were lucky the classroom was empty and students were not around the hall.
"I'm not hungry you cannot force me to eat." she pushed his hands away with her eyebrows furrowed. "Can you stop be—"
Her words trailed off when she realised what she was about to say. She could see how the male sighed and pursed his lips, probably was almost done with her behaviour.
"Eunkyung be honest with me," he said after a few seconds of silence. The princess stiffened. When he calls her with her real name then he might be serious. "Do you really feel uncomfortable with me around? If you are then I can tell the King to stop this. I won't keep you around anymore. You're not a rebellious kid who will leave the castle so they might agree with this."
She silently gulped as she felt intimidated by the gaze he was giving and the guilt ate her more than before. Embarrassed, she tore her gaze and looked everywhere but him.
Why is it so hard to say it?
"You are, aren't you?" his voice softened a bit. As much as he's worried about the girl he cannot stick to her like a glue twenty four hours. By stick means, look after her like how the King wants. Of course she'd feel discomfort all the time.
Even though the King wasn't the reason why he wanted to do this in the first place, her privacy comes first.
When the princess didn't give any answer he spoke again, "I will inform the King about this then. It's been a few weeks and you haven't done anything against his will. It should be fine. Just be... more, extra careful."
Eunkyung whipped her head to the guy at the last sentence. "I'm walking with Han today."
Seungmin nodded, "You told me that earlier."
"Why," she lightly groaned and looked away again. That made the guy confused. She pursed her lips and her eyes looked watery.
The door of the dining room opened and a group of girls came out. Seungmin pushed her to a small hallway that was hidden from the main and closed the door. The hallway was a second option to go to the library. Students don't usually use it because of how closeted it looked.
"Don't you get it?" the princess snapped out of sudden and her voice echoed in the small hallway.
"If you're acting like this I'll never understand what you're trying to say, you know."
"I'm walking with him!"
"Eunkyung, please—"
"Don't you suspect him?"
The hands that massaged his temples and held his waist dropped. Seungmin blinked his eyes and when realisation hits he inaudibly gasped.
With that a small tear rolled down her cheek as she gritted her teeth and pursed her lips, looking at him with rage. "Because of you I am suspecting my nine years best friend."
"I don't like you, Kim Seungmin. But I want to know what you already know."
"Eunkyung,"
She sniffed and looked down. "Is your wrist okay?"
"You cannot force yourself to do it, it's fine."
"Have you treated it?" her voice trembled, obviously feeling sad over what she just did.
Han Jisung? Her best friend for nine years? How could she do that?
Really, the princess thought she was a disappointment. To her family, her sister, her sword fighting teacher for cancelling classes out of sudden, Seungmin, and now, Jisung. How would the guy feel if he found out the girl was doubting him?
Eunkyung silently sobbed. She couldn't even look up to the guy to say sorry. She's disappointed in herself.
Seungmin sighed. Awkwardly, he put a hand on her shoulder and slowly pat it a few times before rubbing it gently. The thought of the stubborn, athletic and emotionless (as what he heard from the students there) princess crying in front of him never crossed his mind. Now he had seen it he didn't know what he actually needs to do to calm her.
"Are you still not hungry?"
Food, maybe?
༆