Yona's POV
Our group had been quite sullen for the past week.
While we had the issue of leaving the Port Awa adding to our overwhelming sadness, the biggest source of that feeling was due to the fact that we were down a group member. I guess it goes to show how much we relied on Midori - for she was always the one who we all tried to be like, whether she knew it or not.
That's why . . . that's why it was so hard to tell everyone.
~~~~A week ago - Port Awa (After Midori's departure)~~~~
It was the day that we were getting ready to leave the Port town. At the time, we hadn't known that Jae-ha would be joining us yet, but I also had yet to inform everyone of Midori's departure. She refused to say goodbye herself - she claimed that if she had to tell everything that happened, she may not end up leaving, and that would get everyone in trouble with the King.
I had been trying to work up the nerve to tell someone - anyone - that Midori was already gone, but really, all that amounted to was me pacing around the room on the boat where I had been staying. They all deserved to know, but how was I supposed to tell them?
"Tryin' to run a hole through the boat?" I abruptly stopped before turning to see Captain Gi-gan leaning through the doorway. "Honestly," she sighed before showing a small, sympathetic smile to me, "between you and Midori, I'm surprised I don't already have a hole here." I frowned at the mention of Midori, but before I could say anything, Gi-gan was quick to add, "She came and told me, you know?"
"But . . ." I frowned even deeper, "Midori said she couldn't stand to . . . to say goodbye."
A sigh was the only audible sound within the room, "That's true. Unfortunately for her, I know her well enough to be able to trap as well as convince her to tell me what was going on."
At first, I was a bit peeved that Midori - though against her will, apparently - said goodbye to Gi-gan, but then I realized the beauty of her decision: I now had someone to confide in - someone who knew and could possibly help me with telling the others. . . Though that didn't mean that I was happy to do it.
"Um, Captain?" During these past few weeks in Awa, I had begun to rely on Gi-gan as a type of mother-like figure, "How . . . how should I go about telling everyone?"
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Finally, I decided that staying secluded within my little hole of the boat. I also realized that keeping myself away from the others was only going to make telling them harder, so . . . I just decided that I was going to 'wing-it'.
Hak, of course, was the first to notice my presence, "Oh? Looks like Hime-san has woken up from her late slumber." With that, everyone's (in our group anyway) attention was now on me. Thanks a lot, Hak.
I forced a small smile upon my face, but didn't say anything.
By this point, even Jae-ha - who was very new to our group - was able to see that I was not . . . at my best at the moment, so he decided to bring that up, "Are you feeling alright, Yona-dear?" I could feel everyone's stares. The weight of their gazes were making it harder and harder for me to keep in everything I felt about Midori's current situation.
Though . . . I hesitated too long.
Yoon - the kind soul - was concerned, but willing to set aside my answer for now . . . he knew it wasn't my wounds, as he had been treating them himself, "I'm sure it's just the winding down from the fight, yeah?" Of course, he couldn't know that what he was going to change the subject to would be worse for me to try and answer, "Anyway . . . have you seen Midori, yet?" I was almost positive that everyone had seen my very obvious flinch, but Yoon must've somehow missed it, "I have yet to see her, but I thought she might seek you out . . ." As he trails off, I seem to lose hold on my emotions.
Tears were streaming down my face, but . . . I wasn't sure why. . .
Sure, I was sad that Midori left - that she forgot us . . . but . . . it wasn't her fault - at least, not entirely. Sadness, however, wasn't the main reason behind my tears.
No, I was angry.
Not at Midori, never at her, but instead angry at Soo-won. I knew they were close before, but there had to have been a reason he didn't make an excuse for her to leave. He didn't even try! I . . . I . . .
A slightly forceful slap collided with my shoulder, snapping me out of my mind - at least for a little bit. I turn to my right to see Hak - he was the one to bring me back. Though it was effective, the others were in an uproar that he hadn't tried to comfort me first.
Though, he now spoke in my place, somewhat, "I seen Midori yesterday." The group quickly quieted down, interested to hear about the missing member of our group, "I found her and Hime-san kneeling on the road in the middle of Awa, crying." A frown was now on everyone's face, Midori wasn't one to cry in front of others . . . The first time I seen her cry was when Hak found us that day.
The silence was unbearable. It was like there was this pressure in the room, and as things began to get revealed, the pressure became more intense.
Though it hurt . . . though it tore me apart, I spoke quietly, my words spoken choppily, "Mi . . . Midori was injured. When she . . . When she was separated from us." Yoon's eyes widened, usually he was the first informed about an injury, but he had been left in the dark about this one, "P-pretty badly, actually."
"Lost a lot of blood," Hak muttered, sourly. I had been able to tell him about Midori's memory loss, but I hadn't been able to tell him of her whereabouts since then. There was a look of regret crossing Hak's face, but it was quickly concealed, "She had a bandage covering her eye . . ."
I gulped before letting the cursed words leave my mouth, ". . . Lost her memory . . ."
"What?!" Both Yoon and Kija were surprised - audibly. For Shin-ah, well . . . he just got somewhat depressed, but stayed quiet. Jae-ha, he. . . he didn't seemed fazed - not even in the slightest.
And I wasn't the only one to notice.
Yoon took it upon himself to turn to the quiet ones in our group, a suspicious glint in his eye, "Did either of you know?" Shin-ah was an obvious no, but the same couldn't be said for Jae-ha, "Jae-ha?"
An audible gulp caused any of us who weren't looking at him to turn to face him, "I . . . I was aware." Yoon was about to explode onto Jae-ha in a fit of fury, but the latter was quick to interject, "She was afraid of your reactions!" Everyone froze - not sure what to do, so the green haired man continued, "She hadn't the slightest clue she was traveling! What was I supposed to do?"
There was a huff, and Yoon stood, "Well, since she's so injured, I guess I should try to find her."
I hung my head. Here it was . . . the moment I had been dreading since she left.
"You won't find her," I mutter, you could still hear the tears in my voice. It was silent then. Everyone was wanting an answer, and the only one who had it was me, "She's not in Awa anymore."
Hak, though irritated, spoke in a half-joking manner, "Come on, Hime-san, is this really the time to joke around?"
"I'm not joking!" My anger from the situation Midori found herself in was leaking into my voice. I was very worked up, so I continued, "She left last night!"
Everyone was quiet again, but this time, there was an overwhelming layer of sadness and anger that washed over the group. The uncomfortable atmosphere was deafening.
Calming myself slightly, I spoke up again - trying to get everything out into the open, "She didn't have a choice." I glanced over to Hak, "When you found the two of us crying, we already knew she had to leave. . . We ran into Soo-won." More anger filled the air around us, but there was nothing that I could do except continue, "I . . . I was able to hide from his companions, but Midori wasn't able to. She isn't apparently an enemy of the state . . . yet . . . so. . . so she was able to have a more-or-less civil talk with them. General Joo-doh was accompanying Soo-won, and he spoke with Midori. . . and . . . and it was getting to be too much for her to keep up with." I was crying again, but I knew that if I stopped, I wasn't sure if I could bring it up again, "Midori had to tell them she didn't remember them. . . and that she was looking to remember her memories, so she was going to travel. Joo-doh was insistent upon escorting her to Fuuga - as that was where she claimed to be heading next. . . I wasn't able to help, and Soo-won didn't do much to get her out of it either, so she was stuck traveling with them . . . they left last night . . ."
~~~~~~~~
The past week was quite hard for us after everyone knew.
It had been especially hard on Hak, though. While he was Midori's brother, even Shin-ah wasn't taking the news as hard as he was.
. . . I wonder if something happened between the two before the mission?
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I apologize for my lack of updating.
As I mentioned last chapter (I think), I wanted to write about how the others took the news. I honestly think I could have done better, but . . . but it was taking so long to write.
I think that the next chapter will also be with Yona and the group. Talk about what Hak's been feeling.
HONESTLY - I thought Soo-won's POV was hard to write without making him too out of character, I can only imagine the trifles I will have with Hak's POV next chapter. Hopefully it'll be better than last time.
Anyway, how is everyone's summer? I'm not doing too much - besides working on the weekends, so my summer's pretty boring. Which means I really have no excuse for not updating . . . Oh, well!
Hope you guys liked the chapter!
~Ashley