Queen of Roses

13) Rabbits, Horses, & Snakes

This was quite possibly the most unpleasant situation Jisoo could have imagined. Out of all the people on this trip, she just had to be paired with the vile, self-centred, and annoying man that is Min Yoongi. Since the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew they were not going to get along and every moment after that had just further validated this fact. Needless to say, forcing them to be alone with lethal weapons in their hands was a very bad idea.

Now, as they walked through the forest with the sole purpose of finding food, an awkward silence engulfed them. Despite searching around the endless trees and shrubs for the past hour, they were still empty-handed, on-edge, and starving. There were absolutely no animals in sight – not even a small chipmunk or rabbit. The lack of conversation throughout the entire hunt made this experience even more unbearable.

They had just climbed a low hill when Jisoo finally sensed a moving object in her peripheral vision. Immediately, she came to a complete halt, causing Yoongi to crash into her from behind.

"What the fuck-" he began to say but was sharply cut off when Jisoo raised a hand, gesturing silently down and to the left.

They both turned their heads slowly and peered down. There, beside a small pond of water at the base of the hill stood two small fawns accompanied by a larger doe. They were quenching their thirst with the clear-blue water of the pond in oblivious bliss as a handful of birds chirped a cheerful melody above them and several butterflies, white as snow, fluttered around them. It was such a peaceful scene that Jisoo was beginning to feel a wave of guilt rush through her.

However, she waved this feeling away within a split-second, remembering that she was ultimately here to keep the Princess alive. And feeding her was a sure way to do just that.

As watchful as a hawk, Jisoo began to slowly move in closer, feeling Yoongi's presence not far behind. Stepping quietly on the soil, she hid behind a tree several feet above the pond. It provided the perfect cover to remain undetected while also bringing them to a close enough distance to ensure they would successfully shoot at least one of the fawns.

Still, Jisoo could not help the slight hesitance as she loaded an arrow into her bow. Carefully, she took aim at one of the fawns, and then switched her target to the mother doe, unsure which life to end.

Before she could make a decision; however, Yoongi lost his footing and tripped, his chest crashing against her back and his heavy figure causing both Jisoo and himself to stumble down the hill. They rolled down the short incline together, their bodies resembling two interlocked logs as a mixture of soil, pebbles, and twigs attached onto their skin and clothing like magnets.

With a loud thud, they landed right beside the pond, Jisoo absorbing the majority of the impact and Yoongi landing directly on top of her. He stared down at her with wide eyes as Jisoo winced under the pressure of his chest pushing against hers. Seeing him from this close, she supposed he was not the worst looking man in Goryeo. She might even say he was handsome if she was not too busy suffocating.

"I... can't... breath," she managed to croak out, her throat dry and her body throbbing in various places.

"Ya, I have that effect on people," he replied in what Jisoo presumed was supposed to be a smooth tone.

"No... I mean I literally cannot breath... you are crushing me."

"Oh."

Jisoo narrowed her eyes, trying to snap some sense into him, "seriously, can you get off me?"

He blinked at her in a daze before finally pulling himself together, "oh yeah sure."

"Sorry," he muttered as he hastily rose to his feet.