Choices (Yona of the Dawn)

Chapter 12

Rather than finding Yona right after running into Soowon, I stayed wandering the city and didn't get back until a while later. The Yona I saw when I got back was the Yona I didn't expect; I thought that run-in with Soowon must have shaken her up but she was running around brimming with eagerness and energy. I glance over to Hak who wears a concerned look on his face as he watches Yona smile brightly at the pirates. If anyone else understood Yona and could see through her, Hak would definitely be one of those people. I must have been staring at him for a long time because the next thing I noticed was a shadow looming over me. "Did something happen?"

I stared into his eyes, internally weighing my options. Should I tell him the truth? I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and looked away from him. "Both you and Yona are acting really strange..." He sighs as he plants himself down on the ground next to where I stand. I must have looked worse than I thought. I felt like I was betraying him if I didn't tell him the truth but seeing as to how calm he is right now, Yona probably didn't tell him anything yet, either. "Really strange, how?" I finally manage to ask. He shrugs and goes back to watching Yona running around with the pirates. I glance over at him. He probably knows, even if none of us uttered a word about Soowon– Hak probably made a guess by now.

"Hak." I finally say. He turns his head and meets my eye. "I think I've finally figured out what I want to do– what I need to do." His face did not leak even the slightest bit of what he was feeling inside. It looked as if he was trying to see through me. "Where are you going?"

"Just somewhere far. I heard about it in the city and wanted to look farther in it." I give him a small smile, "I just don't know how to break the news to the others yet."