Be With You | Park Seonghwa

2

The smell of something burning woke Seonghwa up, blinking several times to adjust to the bright light now that his arm was away from his face. He glanced around and finally found the source which was you, roasting what looked like some sort of a vegetable on the fire.

Seonghwa took a few moments to recall the events of the previous evening. He had been travelling back from his parent's home back to the castle- it was both a relief and a pain that the castle and his parent's home were at the opposite ends of Eden. For some reason, his parents always liked the fact that they lived so far away from the castle, even though it meant they would not get to see their son more often. For their privacy and relief, Seonghwa travelled unnoticed whenever he visited them.

"There are just some things you'll never understand, son," his father used to say, "The castle and those who dwell keep rotting in their soul with every passing day."

Seonghwa really did not understand. The people who lived in the castle weren't all that bad. The King... majority of the public had a problem with him but since Seonghwa was the King's Right Hand, he could understand that every action, every step that the king took had to do with the eventual greater good- something the public couldn't understand well.

And perhaps you were one of them too. Seonghwa wondered why you hated the King- it was painfully obvious on your otherwise emotionless face- and he got that from just one meeting.

He also wondered how he had missed how frail you looked- as if you had been starving for a while now. There was no way you were that quick both mentally and physically while you looked like a sick kid. Perhaps it hadn't always been like that for you-

Seonghwa didn't realise he had been staring until you clicked your fingers when you spotted his eyes on you. "Done staring?"

"Sorry," he groaned as he tried to move, finding his arm very numb and sudden panic overtook him as he got up abruptly and tried to shake it-

"Don't worry, the numbness will fade with time," you took a bite of the potato you had been roasting.

Seonghwa visibly relaxed and you shook your head. You roasted the rest of the potatoes while he went to clean himself up first. He settled down in front of you after that, changed and looking paler than before. You offered him some and he glanced at you before he took a bite, making a face. "I wish we had some seasoning."

"Be grateful you have something to eat other than what you have in your bag."

"I lost most of my food it seems," he shook his head.

"Why were you being chased in the first place?" You asked. He hadn't really given an answer earlier.

"Let's just say they found out who I was. We're not on good terms."

So he was staying tight-lipped. You whistled, "Do you think you'll encounter more of them on our way? Because we need to be prepared if we do-"

"What about you?" He scanned you again- it looked like a habit of his, "Do you think those 'guards from the border' will come after you again?"

You scoffed, "Sarcasm noted. I think they won't, because they don't know who I am. They don't recognise me. On the other hand, you..." You purposely let your eyes travel all over him rather slowly, "look very recognisable, Mr. Park Seonghwa."

Seonghwa tried stifling his smile, "I guess we'll just have to be careful then."

"Ah, so you're used to it," you nodded, blowing on the fire and taking Seonghwa by surprise- you were quick. You knew more than you were letting on. "Where are we headed?"

"We?"

"In case you forgot," you raised a brow, "you owe me your life."

"So you want to accompany me back to the castle?"