Chained - A Jae-ha Fanfiction

Chapter 5

The next morning was the same as the day before. The children arrived again, but this time they were banging on all her walls with wooden sticks. Jae-ha chased them off again, and when she had gotten up to join them for breakfast she called him on it. "Thanks for getting them to leave." She tried to smile but found it hard so she left it at the gratitude.

He did smile down at her. "No problem."

After another delicious breakfast thanks to Yun, they once again traveled across the village to where the villagers were already working. They found another sort of secluded place to work and started quickly.

As Jae-ha was walking past her with an empty basket she leaned forward just enough to reach and brush his sleeve.

He stopped and turned to look at her. "What is it?" His deep purple eyes bore into hers, even though part of his face was covered by the way he styled his bangs.

She dropped her gaze and suddenly felt shy to ask him for help, but was determined to treat him better. "Would you help me again today? Like you did yesterday?"

He chuckled. "Sure."

Without any complaint on her end, or his, she allowed him to lift her onto a low branch after she had set her crutch against the base of the tree. After he handed her a basket he started to walk away.

"Wait..." She called out.

He turned back around. "Yes?"

She didn't know why she had called him back, so she came up with a quick excuse. "Umm... I was thinking you could help harvest this tree. I can only reach so far, and with your jumping ability you can get the fruits higher up." She felt awkward and self-conscious.

A strange look flitted across his face, like he was confused, but then a teasing smile formed on his lips. "I thought you didn't want help."

She willed herself to smile, though she sighed before she spoke. "I want to try."

They weren't the exact words she wanted to say, but he seemed to understand that she was trying to be better, and be nicer to him.

"Yeah, let's see if that way is more effective." Instead of jumping, he climbed the tree with ease and sat a few branches above her. They worked in silence before she decided to break it.

"Where do you come from, Jae-ha?" She said it as she plucked and examined an orange before placing it into the basket in the crook of her elbow.

"A far away village, though I made my home in the Port of Awa." He explained.

"What did you do? How did you work?" She asked to keep him talking.

"I was a pirate, working to liberate the port from the evil man who ruled the land." He chuckled. "It was a band of fishermen thrown together to fight. But they were my family." His words were filled with a wistful happiness.

"Why did you leave?"

It was quiet between them for a few fruit pickings. She didn't want to pry and she wondered if she had upset him by asking. She was about to say something, maybe apologize or change the subject, then his reply came.

"My master came to find me, so I chose to follow her." His words were filled with reverence and conviction.

Her? With that little piece of information, Rensa was able to put the picture together. Yona was travelling with the Four Dragon Warriors, and they were all gentle and polite around her. She must have been the Crimson Dragon King from the story. It explained her fiery red hair and care for others. The way Jae-ha spoke of the girl made her wonder if he had feelings for her. "You found your purpose and followed it, that's admirable." She murmured.