Taehyung's Hanbok was a royal purple, and Seokjin's was a citrus orange.
When Taehyung was ushered to the stylists, they were shaking their heads in disappointment as their observant eyes settled on the dark circles under his eyes. This didn't affect them though, as Taehyung suddenly looked as if he had ten years of sleep within a few seconds.
Seokjin's stylists were in awe to how perfect Seokjin's face was. One girl in particular held his face in her hands, as if she were studying his bone structures. She then rushed over to the other girls, telling them what men to marry so their children would have a face like that.
Outside the palace, the streets were crowded. The houses were dark but the streets were covered in lanterns and beautiful colours.
"Jimin, Jungkook and Namjoon are down there," Seokjin said to Taehyung as they awaited for their call.
Taehyung nodded, and the two men tried to guess what colour everybody's Hanbok would be. Taehyung guessed that Jimin's would be pink, and Seokjin guessed that Namjoon's would be blue. They didn't settle for an answer when it came to Jungkook.
Amongst the crowd, the people wearing the pink and blue Hanboks were trying to squeeze through the crowds. Jungkook's hanbok had ebony silk, and thus relied on holding Jimin's hand in order to not get lost.
Along the main road to the emperor's castle, lanterns were hung high over their heads. The sky was beginning to turn a candyfloss pink, signalling the beginning of the parade. Hoseok needed to be carried towards the courtyard near the gate, where he would be carefully put down so he could dance.
Jungkook was ecstatic. He always wanted to see Hoseok dance, as all the previous years before he would only have to look forward to the food due to the extremely large crowds. Since, Seokjin and Taehyung was going to be there, they were counting on getting to the front to see them again.
Namjoon brought some food from the stands. He gave Jungkook a cake, who gratefully accepted it with sparkling eyes. Jungkook proceeded to eat an entire box of cakes without any questions.
The bustle of the crowd grew to silence as the gates to the castle creaked open. With that, the Hwarang stood before the crowd, their beauty taking each breath. Seokjin stood nervously as he practiced, with his skin burning from all of the eyes glued to him. Taehyung was at the back, awaiting for the parade to progress. There were simply murmurs in the crowd, but as soon as the Hwarang progressed, the people erupted into joyous cheers and laughter.
Seokjin's eyes, although they were supposed to remain forward, were darting desperately in search of Jungkook, Jimin and Namjoon. He could only imagine the proud smile upon Namjoon's face, Jimin's crescent eyes and Jungkook's smile spread across his face as they lay eyes on each other. Taehyung was also on his own search for the rice farmer in his Hanbok, although he questioned whether he had one at all. he could imagine the colour being a dark blue, signifying the sky above him that faithful day.
Each flower that was thrown in their path reminded Taehyung painfully of the lillies. Was he supposed to die that day? Could he be another restless spirit in search for answers from the Rice Farmer?
Taehyung simply couldn't focus. Thankfully, the sun and moon were in the sky. It was time for Hoseok's dance.
Seokjin and the other Hwarang assigned to protect Hoseok encircled the area of his dance. Jungkook saw his Hyung and cried out, "There's Seokjin Hyung!"
And with that, Jimin lost the warmth of Jungkook's hand, and the youngest was lost in the crowd. Jimin's eyes grew wide and filled with worry, as Jungkook suddenly disappeared in the sea of people.
"Namjoon-Hyung! Jungkook's gone!" He said with desperation shaking his voice. Namjoon managed to comfort the younger, who was nearly in tears due to the worry and guilt.
Hoseok's chariot gave off a glow, as if the sun was seated inside. The velvet curtains were pulled back and there was Hoseok, with his veil over his face. The sky was stained orange as the man looked up to the sky. Only once a year will he have to reveal his face to the crowds, and this has been going on since he was simply a child. The heavy yet elegant garments were all but a part of his everyday lifestyle, but why was he so nervous?
Two women lifted his veil, and the crowd gasped. For some, it was a sight they were used to seeing every year, but Hoseok's beauty was so great that seeing it will instantly silence millions. The music began to play.
Taehyung, who was guarding the emperor's chariot noticed that with each note, the sky grew darker and darker. Clouds began to sweep over towards the moon and the sun, which was a sight he never imagined seeing. When he heard the emperor scowl and direct a member of the hwarang, Taehyung's stomach churned.
Amongst the crowd, he swore he saw a glimpse of a familiar farmer's hat. He shook this off as a simple illusion of anxiety, but the clouds still travelled towards the sun.
If the sun was to be covered during Hoseok's dance, he had to be re-veiled quickly, and rushed out of the people's sight.
Jungkook, still excited to see his Hyung made his way to the front of the crowd. He was bewildered by the sight of Hoseok's dancing.
His silky garments followed his graceful moves, and with each footstep, the flower petals beneath his feet flew upwards. The beaded crown across his forehead emphasised his deep brown eyes, which were illuminated by the sun's rays. He moved like a swan, like a white swan. Jungkook snapped out of Hoseok's hypnotising dance as Jimin's smile suddenly flashed in his mind. That's when he realised that Jimin must be worried sick since he let go so suddenly.
The moon was covered by the clouds now.
Taehyung was told to alert Seokjin about the clouds. When he quickly paced to the older, it was as if a hundred soldiers behind him were following, with their thundering footsteps and bloody war cries. Seokjin's smile dropped as he saw the younger panting and begging for an ear to listen.
To his right Taehyung saw Jungkook, was covered by another Hwarang solider.
The sun was suddenly hidden by grey clouds. Hoseok's footsteps were a lot more anxious. The ray of sunshine looked back for the reassurance of the emperor, but it was far too dark to see him. All he could see was the vague outline of a man in a golden chariot, not Emperor Min.
A raindrop fell upon Hoseok's face.
Jungkook was rooted to the spot as the rain began to fall. Hoseok had to hold himself up with force as he felt the cold water touch his skin.
Taehyung's eyes widened as he saw Agust in the crowd, looking completely unfazed by the icy rain. That's a sudden flash of thunder illuminated the sky, followed by the echos of bellowing thunder.
The Hwarang in front of Jungkook dropped to the floor.
Hoseok dropped to the floor.
Jungkook dropped to the floor.
