🎵 바라고 바라
"NOONIM..!" Lee Chan's screams attracted the attention of the villagers who're hiding in their houses. There are those who peek, there are also those who still insist on hiding.
Unfortunately, Mingyu's slash wasn't deep enough to bring down the robber. With a loud roar the robber pulled his sword back--splashing some of your blood then swung it forward again with full force. With the current condition of your hands you know it's impossible to catch it again.
Standing behind you was Mingyu, he pushed you aside to block the robber's attack with his sword. Although he was able to block it, it was clear from the way Mingyu's sword shook that the robber's strength was greater than his. It's not enough to beat him but it's enough to buy you some time. You reflectively looked to your left with your arms outstretched, it was Lee Chan who immediately understood what you meant by it. He's a fast runner, so he quickly darts to where your sword is, then runs back towards you--tripping a few times.
Dokyeom had just finished taking on four robbers with Jisoo's help when he noticed your situation. With only one arrow left, he took a deep breath and aimed at the robber's back. The arrow flew faster than the wind, directly piercing the robber right in the chest. At the same time, you have left a rather deep cut on both of his arms causing his strength to loosen and finally knocking his sword away before he fell backwards.
"Jisoo, come!" Mingyu called loudly as he knelt down to check your condition.
"Are you okay, Your Highness? Are you hurt?" You looked at Mingyu's face, hands, back, literally everywhere to see if there were any scratches on his clothes.
"Are YOU okay, you're the one who got hurt." He furrowed his brows in slight annoyance. His eyes then saw the young man named Lee Chan looking at you but looking too afraid to approach him.
"You. Come here." Mingyu called.
"Chan--" You let out a sigh of relief when you saw he wasn't hurt at all. After squeezing his hand gently, you looked down and gasped rather loudly, "YOU'RE BLEEDING!"
"Huh? Noonim? Noonim--" Lee Chan was one hundred percent sure it wasn't his blood but couldn't explain it because of your non-stop babbling.
Mingyu's eyes twitched, he didn't expect that the quiet commander could be a talkative mom too. His large palm then squeezed both of your cheeks in one grip, instantly silencing your mouth.
"Whuf urr yuu dhuing?" You managed to ask through your puckered lips.
"He's not hurt, you fool. The blood is yours. You're the only one who's hurt." Mingyu sighed as he let go of your cheeks then grabbed your hands to look at the cuts, "Lee Chan, right? Do you have a place we can use as a shelter right now?"
"Certainly, sir!" Lee Chan pointed at a small house near the rough looking dock, "That's my house, you can use it."
For you, getting cuts in a fight is a normal thing, it sure is painful but it's nothing new. Which is why you feel a bit awkward when people treat you as if you are dying.
"Your Highness, I'm okay, really--"
"Your Highness?" Lee Chan repeated, after that he let out a loud gasp as he looked at Mingyu with wide eyes in complete shock.
"...Ah, yikes." You sucked your cheeks and looked away.
Mingyu pressed a finger on his lips before Lee Chan could say anything. Obviously after hearing Mingyu's title, the younger man complied and mimed zipping his lips. At the same time, Jisoo came in very panicked. He immediately tears off some of his clothes and wrap it around your hands to stop the bleeding.
"For God's sake, it's dangerous, what were you thinking?" Jisoo scolds you while pressing another folded cloth on your shoulder.
"I'm fine, it'll heal in no time, reallyAAAKH--" You cried out when Mingyu poked your shoulder with one finger. What's embarrassing is he didn't even put any pressure on it.
"What was that for, Your Highness..!? It hurts--"
"It is hurt, that's why stop acting so tough." He replied while sighing deeply.
Jisoo's face scrunched up as if he could feel the pain on his own shoulder. He almost didn't recognize Lee Chan's presence until his shoulder bumped into his.
"Oh, and you are?" Jisoo asked while scanning the young man, to see if he's hurt or not. Both Jisoo and Lee Chan introduced themselves after they see each other.
"You two take care of Y/N, Dokyeom and I will look around for a bit." Mingyu said as he got up, he brushed the sand off his hands then said again before you could complain, "That's an order."
"This way, sir." Lee Chan invites you and Jisoo to come along. When you walk to his house, you see the faces of the villagers who are much more relieved, but also confused about what they should do now. The rest of the robbers will definitely come again to avenge today's incident.
Mingyu saw a drop of blood drip from the tip of his sword. Although he often used his sword in practice, it was the first time he had used it in a real fight. He still remembered the vibration his sword gave when it penetrated the enemy's flesh. As he thought, he hated it. He hated the feeling, the look of blood splatters, he hated admitting the fact that he almost took someone's life personally with his own hands.
Dokyeom, on the other hand had been checking the robbers one by one to see if there were any survivors to interrogate. Unfortunately there aren't any. He then watched Mingyu from afar, surely knows what his master was thinking, so he decided to approach the troubled Mingyu.
"I still remember the first time I got blood on my sword." Dokyeom said softly while standing next to Mingyu.
Compared to Dokyeom's, Mingyu knew that his sword was nothing. Dokyeom's sword was covered in blood, from the tip up to the hilt. It made him wonder if Dokyeom had ever felt the same way.
"That must've made you feel uneasy." Dokyeom said gently.
"More like, it makes me wonder if I'm doing the right thing."
"Depends." Dokyeom shrugged, "Depends on the reason why you draw your sword."
"The reason." Mingyu murmured to himself while staring at his swords, "I did it because we were attacked, and Y/N was in a difficult position--"
"Then that's reason enough." Dokyeom smiled as he patted Mingyu's arm as a friend, "What other reason do we need than to protect?"
Mingyu was at a loss for words for a moment. The blood on his sword felt like a terrible sin at first. But after hearing Dokyeom's words, wouldn't it be a bigger sin if he didn't protect when he had the chance? Moreover, that incident was also a wake up call for him to become stronger. Luck might be on his side this time, but he couldn't rely on luck forever.
"Dokyeom-ah." Mingyu called, shaking his sword to clean off the remaining blood, "Will you train me again when we return to the palace?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
Before Mingyu approached Lee Chan's place, he looked around once again with a sigh. It was a shame that he couldn't gather further information about the robbers after traveling quite far. But then again, he was also glad he came all the way there. Who knows what they would do to the village people if his group didn't come.
Mingyu asks Dokyeom to approach the villagers and ask them to gather at the dock later. Dokyeom immediately carried out his order. While letting him do that, Mingyu took the time to go to the small house that Lee Chan said belonged to him. The wooden door made a creaking sound when Mingyu pushed it. Inside, Lee Chan, who was laughing with you, was shocked and immediately knelt down.
"Your Highness..! I couldn't thank you enough for saving my village..!"
"You should thank them, not me." Mingyu looked at you and Jisoo, also thinking about Dokyeom when he said that. After Mingyu instructed Lee Chan to got up, Lee Chan went back to your side.
"Lee Chan might be young, but he's in charge for almost everything going on in this village." You said, patting Lee Chan's shoulder gently.
"Is that so." Mingyu hummed then looked at Jisoo, "Jisoo-ah, help Dokyeom to gather the people outside."
"Make sure not to grip anything too hard, it's best to let it dry first." Jisoo said to you before he went out. Luckily he brought herbs that could help stop the blood flow. He crushed it and smeared it on your hands before wrapping a cloth around your palms.
Mingyu grabbed a wooden stool from the corner of the room to sit in front of you and Lee Chan. Out of habit, the way he sits really resembles the way the King sit. Lee Chan couldn't take his eyes off Mingyu, but somehow his eyes filled with gloomy clouds.
"So, I heard you and your people are stranded here. Which land are you from?"
"We used to call Jaehwa our homeland before we were expelled, Your Highness."
"Jaehwa.." Mingyu muttered quietly, no wonder why they're very skilled in fisheries. He knew for a fact, fisheries and harbors are their main source of income, "And what was the reason for your expulsion?"
A glint of hesitation shows on Lee Chan's face, which easily detected by Mingyu. However Mingyu didn't immediately press for an answer. He let Lee Chan resolve the conflict within himself, only when Mingyu felt Lee Chan is getting way too pressured that he decided to speak again.
"My father is the King of Baekje. A blessed land I would say." Mingyu said proudly, "We have almost everything we need. Food, talent, peace, home."
Lee Chan looks like a child who is captivated in a fairy tale. His lips were slightly parted because he was too deep in thoughts while listening to Mingyu closely. The way he raised his hand when he wanted to ask a question was so adorable that you couldn't help but smile.
"Why did you say almost for such a blessed land, Your Highness?" Asked Lee Chan after being given permission.
"As much as I hate to admit it, our land still has its flaw." Mingyu stood up after glancing at the door, "Baekje is still in the early stages of building our own harbor and I heard from my commander that the people in this village are very talented."
Lee Chan looked at Mingyu and you back and forth, "You are a commander? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked you half whispering.
You shrugged while replying in the same volume, "You didn't ask?"
"Right." He immediately agreed.
"That's why.." Mingyu walked to the door and opened it with one quick swing, revealing the number of villagers who were eavesdropping on the conversation. In the middle of the crowd, Dokyeom's squeezed face can be seen. Mingyu sighed with his other hand on his hip. He did ask Dokyeom to gather people but didn't expect it to turn out like this--he tried his best to not to laugh though, he understand it must be painful for Dokyeom as well.
"I tried." Mouthed Dokyeom, as if he could read what's in Mingyu's mind.
"Which is why--" Mingyu repeated, looking away from Dokyeom's face, "--I'd like to invite you and these people here to come and stay in Baekje."
Hearing that, of course a commotion errupted amongst them. Here and there Mingyu could hear questions that they didn't have the courage to ask directly. Despite all of that, Mingyu just focused on Lee Chan. His gut feeling told him that if Lee Chan agree, everyone else will.
"Noonim, what do you think?" Lee Chan looked at you, looking very unsure. He's not used in making a big decision.
"Trust us." You simply said, "It's true that by bringing you to Baekje, we'll get benefits. But in return, Baekje could be your home."
"And you'll get protection." Mingyu added, "If you stay in Baekje, you're Baekje people. And if you're Baekje people, your protection is guaranteed by the palace."
Lee Chan pressed his lips while looking down at his fingers that are fiddling his crumpled clothes. He then took a courage to look directly into Mingyu's eyes to ask a question.
"What is the requirement? Surely nothing is free, right, Your Highness?"
Mingyu raised his three fingers.
"First, you have to tell me the reason for your expulsion. Two, you're only serve the King of Baekje." Mingyu folded two fingers then pointed his last finger at Lee Chan, "Three. Live in peace."
Even after hearing the requirements, Lee Chan still thought they were too good to be true. He tilted his head to the side while furrowing his brows a bit.
"Or would you prefer if I asked you to catch five thousand fish every day?"
"NO."
"Nooooooo..!"
"NOOOO--"
The villagers including Lee Chan immediately answered. Lee Chan noticed how the villagers looked at him with more passionate eyes now, the words protection and peace affecting them the most. Especially after the incident with the robbers. They nodded in return to encourage each other to tell Mingyu the truth.
"We...used to work for the richest nobleman in Jaehwa. But he didn't pay our wage for months. We work for free but we couldn't even get free foods." A woman said from the doorway, she was holding a toddler in her arms.
"A lot of us were sick but we couldn't buy any medicine." Added a middle aged man with hoarse voice.
"So I burned down his harbor. Made a distraction to took some money so we could survive." Lee Chan said while looking down, ashamed of what he did.
You stared at the side of Lee Chan's face while replaying the story once again in your head. At first glance the story might give the impression that they were bad people and deserved to be expelled.
"All you did that day was to survive." You gently placed a hand on his knee.
Deep down Mingyu was glad that the reason was not as bad as he feared. This way, he'll be able to stand up to the ministers if they every want to bring the topic up to the King.
"Know that even in Baekje, any wrongdoings will also have consequences." Mingyu warned them, looking into every eyes he could see one by one, "This is the trust I place in you. Don't do that again and don't disappoint me. You will no longer work for anyone. Work for yourself and live a new life."
To get something they probably hoped for and prayed for day and night, you can understand when Lee Chan and the villagers knelt down to thank the Crown Prince for the new life they had gained.
You followed Mingyu outside. After smiling at each other, you looked away far to the ocean while walking side by side along the beach. Neither of you said anything. A smile remains on your face after realizing that even without five hundred coins, it is still possible to make dozens of people smile. Mingyu looked towards his coin bag when there was a sound in his footsteps, he was also thinking the same thing.
It doesn't always take something big to make people smile. Sometimes treating human with humanity is enough.