Chapter 7
Because the boys had been acting up lately, we were all punished together. We had to carry Wihwa one day up the mountain to meditate. The boys were carrying him while I was made fan him. "I told you. Roommates are like one. You sleep together and wake up together. However, someone was wandering around alone at night." Wihwa told us. God damnit Seonu. "That is unspeakable. Do you not agree Dog-Bird?" Dog-Bird is Seonu's nickname.
"You really are something." Banryu told him. "Look at what you're putting us through." Can't blame him with that one. "Hold him up properly." Suho called to the boys in the back, my brother and Banryu. Suho and Seonu were holding up the front and Yeoul was in the middle, holding it from the bottom. The poor boy was struggling and I'd say his back was killing him. I offered but the boys wouldn't let me carry. He was heavy apparently. "We're holding all the weight up on this side," Suho told them at the back, struggling to hold the thing on his side. "Pa-Oh would be surprised if he saw this." My brother grumbled to me and I nodded in agreement. "Now I can finally see the peak." Wihwa said. We reached the top of the mountain finally, after hours of walking and the rest of the boys passing us out. We all sat cross-legged on the peak of the mountain, looking out and I had to be honest, the view was stunning.
"As members of Silla's Hwarang, be like that sun. Be renewed each day, and be passionate each day. Burn away any prejudice or arrogance. You must be reborn. Do you understand?" We all chorused a yes as an answer to Master Wihwa.
We were doing laundry and then later that day as punishment too. Banryu walked over holding an armful of laundry to pass to Seonu and Suho and he dropped it in front of them.
"You should do these for what you have done to us. If you make me receive punishment again, it will not end as easily as this." He said, walking off. "Ah, he hasn't changed." Suho said, sighing. Well, his violent tendencies have minimalised ever since I threatened to use my sword skills on him. It's progress.
"How can he always be so rude?" Suho continued. He turned to Seonu. "You should do my laundry too. I worked really hard earlier. Forget it. Just tell me what happened. What were you doing at that hour?" Suho pressed. Seonu was silent for a while before answering. "You have a sister right?"
I think Suho told him how to treat a sister, because later on when I was talking a walk around Hwarang House campus with Yeoul , I saw Seonu and Aro talking and he tried to take her into a headlock but was really weird and awkward about it. It was quite funny I had to admit.
That night, we were all settling down to go to sleep. I was studying for the assignment the next day and my brother was sitting beside me. Seonu was sitting at the small table and chairs we had in the room and Yeoul walked over to him, sitting down in one of the chairs beside him. "How much do you think you can learn like that? You will be the first to leave Hwarang House anyway. Do not waste your energy. Apart from him annoying you," He paused, pointing to Banryu, "It will still be hard for you to survive here." Seonu put a hand under his chin and turned to look at Yeoul. "Please mind your own business. I have no interest in you." He said, in monotone voice. I laughed a bit to myself. Yeah, there is a rumour that Yeoul could be gay. No one knows. He doesn't deny it, but he doesn't confirm it either. I think he just likes playing around with the rumour, making people think he is, because it's funny. Also, he is a beautiful man, it's almost feminine, and is so confident in himself that people just think he's gay. He put a hand on his heart when Seonu made that comment as if he was hurt. "I feel like I have been put down." He replied.
"A King and water..." Suho thought. "Where could the King be?" My brother snapped his head in Suho's direction, and then looked down at me. "Why does that matter? A King without a face is powerless. You cannot call that a King." Banryu spoke up and I could hear Jinheung sigh in frustration beside me. I was tired so I put my book down and lay my head on his shoulder. "You tired? Why don't you sleep?" He asked me softly. "I will, just let me stay here for a second." I said, and I felt him kiss my head and then held one of my hands. I seriously have no idea where I'd be with my brother.
"Do people not tell you that you are like a tree? You are constantly rude, just like a pine tree." Suho said. They were still talking. Banryu looked unamused. He jerked forwards to Suho like he was going to go for him but didn't. Suho did the same.
Those two I swear. I will knock their heads together one day. I felt my eyes get heavier, and I fell asleep on my brother's shoulder.
The test was today. I was a little nervous. Some of the boys had sticky notes stuck to the boys in front of them. Suho did it to Yeoul and Hansung did it to Suho. But it must have been hard to pass because I passed and so did Banryu. No one else.
Later that evening, we were eating dinner. Yeoul was staring at a green leaf he held in his chopsticks. "What is this? Is it a sprout?" He said, off in a daze.
"It tastes good." A voice spoke up, and it was Hansung? What was he doing here? "It tastes like mom's cooking." He was way too innocent for this it's adorable. I felt the need to protect him all the time. He had this childish innocence about him that made everyone in Hwarang House fond of him.
"Why are you here?" Yeoul asked, looking at him confused. We're supposed to eat with roommates. He's not our roommate. However it doesn't bother me. We're all friends here. Well, supposed to be anyway. "I like it here. My roommates are annoying to eat with." He said, looking at Banryu, and glared at him. Banryu looked at him in confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked. "They're your friends. They're not nice." Hansung pouted, and went back to eating his food. Banryu sighed, and I could almost see a bit of guilt on his face. He was sitting beside me. He then looked at Seonu. "I told you, you cannot survive here." Because I was sitting beside Banryu and with the chopsticks in my hand, I turned them upside down in my hand and use the top to jab him hard on the hand. He pulled his hand back instantly. "Ah!" He said, holding his hand. "He already has a fail he'll be gone soon." Banryu said, trying to explain his actions. "What did we talk about?" I asked, through gritted teeth. "Are you that proud that you passed?" Yeoul spoke up. "Besides, you're not the only one who passed. Harin did too. And I also think that Dog-Bird's answer was the best." Banryu threw down his chopsticks and looked at Yeoul. "What?" He asked.
"Everyone thinks so too, do you not?" This kid lives for the drama. Every one quiet. "The anniversary of a death....Is that very important?" Seonu asked. I looked down at my bracelet. "Who's death?" Suho asked him. "She said our mother." We all looked at him, sympathy in our eyes. "You should go then. We finished our assignment." Hansung said, an innocent look on his face as he put food in his mouth.
We were all lying awake in our beds that night. None of us could sleep. "This is a prison. We finished the assignment. Why must I sleep with you?" Suho complained, sitting up. "Then leave." Yeoul told him, coming down from his own bed.
"You said it's like a prison. You should go home to your family too." He said, looking from Suho to Sun-Woo. Banryu jumped up in his bed. "I am warning you. Do not do anything stupid. Don't make me suffer because of you." He did have a fair point, if I had to suffer once more because of them, I will hurt them.
"What is your plan?" Suho asked, curious. "You would not do something stupid."
"I have paved the way slightly." Yeoul smiled, and started explaining that he gave Wihwa and his assistant strong liquor to pass them out. "It is the killer of all liquors. One drink, and your body grows weak. Two drinks, and you do not recognise your own parents. The killer of all liquors." He explained.
"Are you saying Hwarang House is unguarded right now?"
"Go if you wish to go. Stay if you wish to stay. But it will be better to go, since you will take the blame just the same." He answered. "Do you think this lunacy makes sense?" Banryu asked, annoyed. "Tattle if you want. But it'll be after we leave here thought." Banryu pretended to go for Suho again, and got the same gesture back. "What will you do?" Yeoul asked my brother. "I'm going." He said. "I don't know," I hesitated. "I thought you had a reason to go." Yeoul asked Seonu. They all ended up leaving, and Banryu and I were in the room still.
He got down off his bed and sat down at the desk in the room. "These jerks." He mumbled to himself. "Why don't you leave? That way, being punished will be worth it. Because if you stay here, you're going to get annoyed at them again, and I'm gonna have to knock all of your heads together." I joked. "Come on. Let's go. I said I would make Hwarang House fun for you. I have a bone to pick with my adoptive mother, but we can have fun after I rip her to pieces." I added. He smiled. "Oh my god, is the mighty Master Banryu laughing at a joke I made?" I teased. "Shut up." He said, but his voice was playful. "Come on. Live a little. I told you I'd help you grow to love the place. So, this is phase one of many." I smiled at him. He nodded in agreement after a moment. I clapped excitedly and we put back on our shoes and outer robes and went outside, cautious of our surroundings. We got to the wall where we could climb over. He hauled himself up and jumped over first, and then waited for me to haul myself onto the wall and helped me down the other side.
I stumbled a bit coming over because the ground was a bit lower in the town but he was there so I didn't fall. This was the Banryu I wanted to see everyday. "Hey, how about we go wherever we need to, and meet beside the river in an hour?" I suggested and he nodded. I went the palace, standing outside the building where the throne was. Last time I was there, it didn't go very well.
"What are you doing here again. You're not welcome." A voice I knew all too well spoke up. "Aren't I? I lived here for years before you shipped us out of the capital," I snapped. I was shocked at my new found courage. She was too by the look on her face.
"Do you think you have the power to be better than me? To help your brother protect that seat?" She asked. "No." I answered honestly. "To put it into your words, I'm not your real daughter. You know, yeah, that's right, but I am a Princess. The last one of my family. Jinheung and I are too small and weak yet." I answered. "I'm glad you know that. But you will never be a real Princess again. Leave Hwarang. If you leave Hwarang and wait quietly, I shall take care of the rest." She said. I don't know why but I didn't believe her. "I don't believe that for one second. I really don't. The more we wait, the stronger you get. A child cannot walk from the start. The child must fall and practice for its legs to grow stronger, and for him to be able to walk well. I must practice walking, in order to take the path I want. I will become stronger in Hwarang. I can promise you that." I told her. "And so will my brother."
Banryu's POV
I parted ways with Harin, and I found myself going back home. "Of all the places to go to, I go here." I said in disbelief with myself. I heard noises and hid behind the wall, watching and waiting to see who it was. It was my father and stepfather. "Please wait here. I will call a servant." My father told my stepfather, getting of his horse. "It is late. I do not need a servant. Let us not draw attention." My stepfather told him, and so my father did something I never thought I'd see. He got down on the ground on all fours, allowing my stepfather to use his back as a step, getting down by stepping on his back. Unbelievable.
Haneul's POV
I arrived back in the town and went to the river where I saw Banryu waiting. But as soon as I got there, I could see Banryu was looking at Suho with wide eyes, and Suho had something in his hand and was about to hit him. I ran over and grabbed the nearest thing I could, and ran at Suho, and before he could hit Banryu, I hit him over the head, knocking him out and he fell over the barrier near the river, not into the water but he was hanging over the barrier.
Banryu looked at me with wide eyes. "Well he looked like he was about to kill you, you looked terrified so my protectiveness kicked in and so I kind of knocked him out." I explained, shrugging my shoulders. "Kind of?! Harin he's completely unconscious!!" He said, his voice a little loud. "Well I wasn't going to knock you out was I? He was the one acting out of violence not you." I said simply.
"Yeoul, help us take him somewhere where he's safe until he wakes up." Yeoul helped us. We brought him to a safe spot and Ban-Ryu looked quite out of thought.
Banryu's POV
I couldn't get the image of my stepfather using my father as a stepladder. Something about it was unsettling to me.
"Hey, everything okay?" Harin's voice pulled me out of my head. "Yeah, um, can we talk?" I asked. She looked at Yeoul and after he raised an eyebrow and smirked at her she started to laugh. He winked at me. "Let's go." She said, and took my arm and dragged me away to go for a walk.
I was silent for most of the walk, because I didn't know how to start it. "So what did you want to talk about?" She asked, looking at me. "Let's sit first. You might swing at the nearest person if I tell you now." I said, joking and smiling at her. She was a little peanut but she was also a firecracker. I learned the hard way.
We found a small bench in a secluded area. "So I said I'd tell you what was going on with me. I'm going to tell you now because I'm after seeing something that I wish I didn't, so I realise I can't keep this to myself anymore." I told her. "But I do not want you releasing your tiny rage on my father or stepfather okay? You may be small, but you're scary." I told her, making her laugh. Well it was a giggle but it was the cutest thing I had ever heard. She nodded.
"Well, you know my family isn't necessarily on the side of the Queen. Suho and I were given a letter from each other, suggesting we go have a fight in a sacred place. We were found by the Queen's men, and realised, neither of us send a letter to the other. We were set up. We were taken and tied up and told the only way we'd get released is if we join Hwarang. All the boys agreed to it, but I was the only one who was left, because obviously, joining Hwarang to protect the Queen is going against my family's beliefs. By the way, please don't mention this to anyone. I don't want it getting out. I don't know what my dad would do to me if he found out I told someone what he did." I said, pausing. Her eyes changed to concerned but stayed silent and nodded.
"Yeah, so I was the last one there, because I didn't want to join Hwarang but my father bailed me out. He wanted me to join but I kept saying no. He punched me, hard." Her face was hard to read. "He told me my stepfather would be more brutal if I didn't do it. Next thing I know, I'm standing in our living room, Father has blood dripping from his mouth, and my stepfather is wiping his bloody hand with a rag. And then I found myself at the Hwarang ceremony..." I trailed off, and sniffed. I didn't want to cry in front of her, yet here I was, and she somehow made me feel safe. She didn't say anything. "Then when I came back to the town, I went back to my house, of all places I know, I go back to the place I fear the most, and saw my father offer himself as a stepladder to my stepfather to get off his horse."
"I'm sorry you were made join against your will. You seem like the type to like having your own freedom. It's not fair on you." She told me. "Yeah, well I'm here now. And I've already screwed it up with the other guys. You were right. I am weak." I said, looking at my lap.
"Listen, you'll get there. Just continue being yourself. You have a lot more freedom than I ever did, and ever will, from what it looks like." She said, laughing to herself.
"Do you want to talk about it? I mean, you briefly mentioned it in your little fit of rage but you never went into detail. But it sounds tough. If you want to talk about it, you can, I won't tell anyone." I said to her.
"Okay, but it's going to be a lot to take in. And, you will definitely look at me differently, but promise you won't treat me any differently after I tell you." She said, pointing at me. I nodded. She looked around as if she was afraid of someone over-hearing us. Who is she...
"Well, you know the Kingdom of Goguryeo?" She asked. I nodded. "Yeah, there was a huge fire assassination on the Royal Family there about 23 years ago and there was one survivor and no one knew where she wen-" I cut myself off. No way... "Yeah, that one. There was a huge assassination on my family and it killed all of them. I was left. Little three year old Haneul. Mainly because my adoptive mother's father knew them. My father heard rumours about the attempt and made plans for him to get me so I'd get out. Almost as if he knew they wouldn't make it..." She trailed off, and I could tell she was starting to get upset. I mean who wouldn't. "I remember my father telling me that day a load of times that he loved me, and that he always will. Then the next thing I knew, I was being carried away from the burning palace in his friend's arms, and brought back to him and his family while I bawled my eyes out. I was three...And yet I still remember it so vividly. Jidwi and his grandfather were the only ones who treated me like family. My adoptive mother treated me like dirt on her shoe, and so did her daughter, Jidwi's sister, which caused them to grow apart and why we are now so close. He grew up protecting me. He was the only one I trusted after his grandfather died. He was the first ne since my own family to help me feel real family love again after losing my own." She finished. Wow.. That's rough.
It made sense though. Her and Jidwi were so close. Aro and Dog-Bird are siblings too but they're not as close, but I guess they were separated for 12 years, and only reunited a few weeks ago. So it makes sense. Jidwi and Harin have been with each other for 20 years+ nearly. It made me jealous that I didn't have a little sister to protect. But part of me is also glad I'm an only child, given my home situation being an absolute mess.
She's a lot stronger than me, I realise. One punch from my father and I'm broken almost and hating life. But she's been hated all her life and she's still standing. I can learn a lot from her it seems.
"So that's why I joined Hwarang. I wanted to spite my adoptive mother to show her she didn't intimidate me to the point of hiding or becoming weak. It would only make her stronger, and prove to her that she was right with what she was saying, but she isn't. She is not aware of what I'm capable of." I had no words.
I stood up and turned to face her. I held out my hand. She looked at it confused but took it and I pulled her up gently, and into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and she did the same, no hesitation. "Your family would be very proud of you right now....Princess."