𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐒

THE TALES OF JUNGSU

"and why do you wanna learn how to fight with fans?" his chief laughed, leaning back in his chair.

the fourteen year old scoffed. "is there a reason why i shouldn't?" after all, it's just another fighting technique.

the man laughed. "jungsu, you're a boy. i won't teach you-" "so what if i am?!"

he sounded truly upset. "that doesn't matter now, does it? fighting is fighting!" but the chief wasn't the same opinion.

"an upcoming mighty warrior like you shouldn't spend his time learning that non-sense!"

jungsu paused, just looking at his chief with a disappointed glare. was it really that important to divide fighting techniques into gender?

"fine. i'll learn it on my own then." the teen turned around and just wanted to leave, before he was stopped by the chief's words.

"then i'd have no other choice than to ban you from being a part of us."

he froze in his steps. the ganghan fighters were his only family left and the chief knew. that was probably his method of trying to keep jungsu away from it.

and jungsu understood. "i'll prove myself worthy." he spoke, turning around to face the elder man again with narrowed eyes.

"i'll give you a year. come back on exactly this date and fight me to prove that you really want to stay. if i defeat you, you're banned."

[...]

"you'll end up in a burn out if you keep continuing to practice" someone suddenly exclaimed as they entered the gym hall.

the big fight was tomorrow. jungsu was lucky enough to have found himself a master, who was willing to teach him.

but a year was way too little time to master the technique and jungsu knew. he knew he would lose.

the chief was a skilled fighter, more than thirty years of experience. also he was way stronfer.

jungsu has never fought someone older before, only other trainees. the chief was also a lot more stronger.

so the teen knew that he will lose everything he took years to build up.

turning around to face the person who entered the hall, he smiled, exhausted. "seungmin, aren't you supposed to be at the royal ball?"

that explained his fancy clothing - the silk jade green robe with all the golden details, the traditional make-up and his crown on his head.

seungmin just chuckled and came closer. "supposed to? indeed. want to? nah." he took off his crown and sat down on one of the benches, parting it to signalise jungsu that he should join him.

the elder eventually gave in and sat down next to seungmin, silently gasping for air. jungsu has been practicing the whole day already, too frightened to accept that the big fight was the next day.

seungmin sensed that jungsu was worried and he also knew why. so he just grabbed his hand. "everything will be okay, su..."

jungsu nodded and looked away, his leg bouncing repeatedly as he chewed on the inner side of his cheeks, hoping to come down.

his cheeks reddened, though they were red before. maybe this was the reason he didn't want to look at the prince.

it was painful to look at seungmin. he was the sun, shining prettily in its full glory. there will always be people surrounding him, he was the centre of attention wherever he went.