The Dawn of A New Sky - DISCONTINUED

XXXIV

Hak's Interlude - Watching Her (2)

"What were you doing on that ledge?" Hak asked as he moved back a bit. Looking at her again, he took in her whole appearance. Her long red hair was as unruly as ever although she managed to tame it a bit by tying it into a high ponytail. Her clothes were clearly of excellent quality despite the plain colors she had chosen to wear. 

"Ah, I was trying to hide from someone." She answered as she rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed.

"Did you play a prank on that 'certain someone', Princess?" He smirked.

She shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, I believe that person is trying to court me." She had said it in such a serious tone that he couldn't help but actually believe her. Certainly, she was slightly childish but she also had a mature and reliable side to her that some people couldn't help but find her attractive.

Including him, himself.

"That man, Kang Tae-Jun, keeps visiting the castle to present me some gifts and invite me to join him for outings. Obviously, I've been refusing his offers but he's awfully been way too persistent lately." She said, annoyed.

"The son of the Fire Tribe's Chief, huh?" He noted out loud.

"Yeah," she said downheartedly.

"Why not just tell him that you like Soo-Won then?"

It hurt him, telling her that, but he ignored it.

"..." 

She looked at him with such shock that he wondered for a second whether he shouldn't have suggested it to her or not in the first place.

"H-Hak, y-you baka!" She cried out with tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "I don't like him that way!"

"Your reaction tells me otherwise."

"I really don't like him that way! Why won't you believe me?" 

And then the first teardrop fell.

Drip

Followed by waterfall of tears, flowing down across her cheeks and dripping down from her chin. It took her a moment before she, herself, realized that she was crying. In haste, she began wiping her tears away with the sleeves of her clothing but it just kept flowing.

"I-I'm sorry about this. I don't know what's coming over me." She said as she continued wiping it away. "It just won't stop, see?" She gave him a mirthless laugh.

He sighed, it was probably his fault. He hadn't meant to push so much.

"Look, I'm sorry, Princess, so please stop crying. Okay?" He apologized as he slowly reached out to wipe her tears with his own hands.

It was like magic, her tears suddenly stopped.

(He pretended it didn't happen though.)

She sniffled. "I really don't like him that way." She muttered before she proceeded to glare at him. "I'm not telling Kang Tae-Jun that, alright?"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. It's not my problem though. But you'll have to find a way to get along with Lord Kang Tae-Jun."

"How cold," she murmured before she chuckled. "It's just like you though, Hak. I'll be going then." She began walking away. "Perhaps if I prank him, he'll stay away from me." A dark glint appeared in her eyes. 

And then she left, leaving no trace that she had ever been there.

(Maybe except for that heavy dent on the grass where she had landed on.)