✓ the hooded princess • kim seungmin

t h i r t y s i x

"You know what, you calling me as Kie is the weirdest thing I've ever heard." the girl said as she limped outside.

The guy scoffed, "He would know if I used Kyra or your real name."

"Please, that's even weirder. Never again call me that."

"Should I call you some lovely names then?"

With that, a fist landed on his shoulder. The guy groaned. "I'm gonna kill you if you do."

"Lads! Please wait."

Both of them turned slowly not to hurt the injured girl. She put an arm around his shoulders as support, "I need to find him." she whispered.

"Easy, you're injured." the male whispered back before the lady approached them. She had a tray of ointments and a faded colored bandage. They looked at each other in confusion.

"Let me treat you first, young lad. The wound will get worse if it is not treated soon and I can tell that you are not from here."

"Ah-" she immediately cut herself off as she was about to reveal her gender while the guy looked hesitant. He glanced to her and when seeing she nodded, he accepted it.

"We appreciate that, but do you mind if we do it ourselves?" he looked around and spotted a small, old cottage a few feet away from them. "We will be just there."

The woman handed him the tray, "Of course you may. Please, treat your friend that looks so bad."

He simply nodded and brought his partner to the cottage. They looked back to see the woman walking back to the entrance and heaved out a sigh.

The girl weakly leaned her back on the wooden pole as the guy inspected the unknown liquids. "How do I use this?"

She sighed and took one of the bottles, "You've never seen them?"

"We don't use this... of course you know since you lived here." he just watched as she took a white cloth from the tray and wiped the trickling blood. The girl hissed and scrunched her face in pain until he took it away. "Lean your side on the pole."

"I don't trust you."

"You think I'm gonna kill you with this?" he asked and she nodded.

"You once told me if you were in your thirties you would kidnap me, Seungmin. Give it back."

He let out a chuckle and shook his head while pushing her hand away gently. Seungmin did not bother to reply as he carefully dabbed it against her cut. "Looks like you need some stitches."

She groaned, "You're exaggerating. I am not losing blood that much."

Seungmin just shrugged and continued treating her with her guidance. Eunkyung had to suppress from making any noises, afraid if the people found out who she was. Somehow the treatment by Seungmin was so slow that she almost closed her eyes due to tiredness of fighting and waiting for it to be done until they needed to bandage the wound.

He paused right after he took the bandage and both of them looked at each other awkwardly.

"I can do it myself." she snatched it from him. "Look away."

He did as what told. Eunkyung sat up properly and lifted her shirt before wrapping it around her torso. It took a bit long until she was done and tuck it with the metal clip. Just when she wanted to lean back on the pole, the pain hits.

"Are you done?" Seungmin asked after a few moments.

"This thing sucks." he turned to her. "I can't lean or sit like usual. And how do we return like this?"