Desert • Flower | TaeJin || BOOK 3#

XLIII. Endless bad news

"Is it my idea or is it glowing a little?"

Jin shakes his head, chanting softly, sitting on the jade edge. The girl takes a deep breath, a slight smile forming on her face until it disappears just as softly. Jin kisses her hand and climbs down from the jade. Eunji places the cover and Taehyung watches Yune, looking so fanciful and tender.

"Maybe she'll wake up this year, finally." says Jin, a sad, wistful sigh accompanied by his hopeful smile. Taehyung nods in agreement. Even though it's been said for three years now.

Jin knows what he has to do, to guide Yune so that she can return home. That his entire light can return. The problem is that it is taking too long. No matter how hard they try, it's totally on her and it's frustrating. Jin wants to see her open her eyes, tell her that everything is okay and that there is no longer any danger that can hurt her. Taehyung hugs Jin from behind, his hands hovering on his body and his forehead resting on the kisaeng's shoulder.

"He will soon wake up. We must have patience... And hope."

Jin nods with pursed lips and the urge to cry. It's a long time, she's going to be very confused when she wakes up and sees her body change. Every week she gets a cleaning and because of the same thing, every month she happens to have her period, her breast is bigger and more defined. She will have to dress different, do her hair different, act different. This is what they wanted to avoid, but again: there is nothing they can do but insistently ask her to come back so she can follow their voices.

. . .

"Another problem?" says Jin exhausted. "It seems as soon as there's one, all the others decide to emerge." He puts a piece of meat in his mouth.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what happens over there as long as everything is still in order here," Taehyung admits nonchalantly. "Considering the situation, I wouldn't be surprised if, at some point, an explosion happens here either."

"My lord, don't be paranoid why would it happen here?"

"Bad luck! Relationship! How should I know!" says Taehyung in exasperation. "Misfortunes always happen in a chain, and I'm afraid that chain includes us."

"The only way it does is if one of our neighbors is a traitor from that circle where General Jungkook is infiltrated!" says Jin in an attempt to reassure him. "And it's impossible that they are without being there. Or that..."

"Ummm?"

"You once told me that Lord Oh's daughter married a nobleman from the capital Isn't it ?" Taehyung gives an affirmative, unaware of the large web of relationships forming inside Jin's head. "There is a nexus, weak, but there is. Lord Oh passed away last year, his household left in the hands of his son-in-law for lack of male children..."

"Jin? Hey? Your bulgogi is going to get cold-"

"In the last letter, the one that came by the river, were the surnames on it?"

"Kim, Jung, Rhee, Li, Park, Chung and Cheong."

"Mrs. Oh's husband is Cheong, they trade cloth and they used to also deal in selling underage girls for prostitution purposes" Jin muses quietly. "He may have link and..." Jin puts a piece of meat to his mouth and chews it reluctantly.

"So? Jin, don't leave me with half information. It was interesting." says Taehyung, sounding like a child left wanting more dessert.

"Better tomorrow, when you can order to do things."

"Pfff, ouch, Jin." Taehyung laughs at the sight of him with full cheeks and saucy lips.

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