~ a lily among thorns~

"i can read you like a book"

"You really have to stop doing that," Yeo-Wool groaned as he clutched his throbbing foot.

Him and Nari were sitting on a cluster of rocks besides the river, away from the rest of the Hwarangs. It was the following morning, and the men had taken their daily trip to wash their garments. Nari was bent over, hastily scrubbing Yeo-Wool's clothes in the flowing water.

"Sorry," Nari replied half-heartedly, swiping the loose hair from her face with the dry part of her wrist. "But you deserved that one."

Yeo-Wool scoffed, eyeing her with disbelief.

"You kicked me in the same place as last time!" he complained with a pout. "Now it's going to take twice as long to heal!"

Trying hard to hold back her pride-filled smile, Nari gave him an unapologetic shrug and continued with her cleaning. Yeo-Wool rolled his eyes at her complacency.

"Yah, you should be happy," Nari exclaimed, noticing the man's unsatisfied demeanor. "I gave you my meat and I'm doing your washing...just like I promised."

Yeo-Wool silently took in her words, a smirk lining his lips.

"That's true," he reminded himself, happy to have a little free time.

The pair shared each other's company in silence for a bit before Yeo-Wool spoke up once again.

"Do you remember our first real conversation?" he asked Nari, curious as to whether she did.

The girl thought for a moment before replying.

"Was it when you complimented my skin on the first morning?"

Yeo-Wool chuckled, recalling the moment.

"That wasn't really a conversation," he answered. "I was actually thinking of the day we were combat training; the first time I started teasing you about liking men."

Nari raised her eyebrows as she started squeezing the water out of Yeo-Wool's soaking uniform.

"How could I forget," she murmured with a scowl.

Yeo-Wool sighed with a smile, then turned his head towards her.

"Seeing as you really do, have any caught your eye?"

"No," Nari was quick to deny.

However, an unexpected person appeared in her mind. Ji-Dwi. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, wondering why she'd thought of him. Yet, memories of the night they'd talked on the way back from Octa filled her thoughts.

"Hiding is shameful," he'd told her, but his eyes had betrayed him.

She remembered his tanned skin and sharp jawline, which had both been illuminated in the glistening moonlight. She also recalled the way he'd looked into her eyes, which, only now did she realise, sent butterflies coursing through her stomach.

Nari glanced up from her spot on the rock, catching a glimpse of the Hwarang in the distance, working diligently amongst the others. Her mouth dropped slightly as she realised that maybe one had caught her eye.

"Mouse?"

Nari came back to reality as Yeo-Wool's voice pierced her thoughts.

"Mm?" she answered, looking at him curiously.

"I just remembered something..."

Nari stared at him in confusion as her fellow Hwarang smiled in amusement.

"The other morning," he continued. "You walked in on us having showers..."

Nari's heart dropped as she listened to Yeo-Wool recall one of her most horrifying moments. Her face began to scrunch up with embarrassment and her face turned bright red.

"Please pretend that never happened," she began but Yeo-Wool interrupted her.

"And then," he exclaimed. "Suho asked you to pass him his towel!"

Nari buried her head in her hands whilst Yeo-Wool nearly tumbled over backwards in laughter.

"This isn't funny!" she cried, but Yeo-Wool didn't even hear her over his disbelief.

Annoyed, Nari dove her hand into the water and flicked it upwards, making droplets splash all over Yeo-Wool's dry hair and clothes.

"Yah, not the hair!" he cried, joy still lining his words.

In return, he shoved his hand into the river and splashed the girl back. Nari couldn't help but laugh as she stood up in defence.

"You asked for it," she said sweetly, before grabbing onto Yeo-Wool's hands and pulling him into the water. His shriek was quickly cut off by the river engulfing his whole body, a cackling Nari standing on the shore. After a few seconds, his head surfaced, an unamused frown upon his face. He was about to curse at Nari but was interrupted by distant laughing. He turned his head, only to be met with fingers pointing his way.

"Yah!" he yelled at the Hwarangs, finding a stone from around his feet and throwing it in their direction.

Unfazed, they returned to their work. Yeo-Wool crawled slowly out of the water, not even sparing Nari a glance. She just gleamed at him as he sat back down beside her.

"Now you know how I felt yesterday," she muttered quietly with a smile.

Yeo-Wool scoffed, before letting off a tiny grin. He nodded, accepting his defeat. The pair sat in silence gain, Nari continuing to scrub the clothes.

"I think you and Ji-Dwi would make a good match," he suddenly said out of the blue. "You share personalities."

Nari stopped, before looking up at Yeo-Wool.

"Do you really think so?" she asked hesitantly.

Yeo-Wool raised an eyebrow at her with a grin.

"So, you actually do have feelings for him," he smirked, ceasing rinsing his drenched hair.

"I never said that!" Nari defended herself, trying hard not to blush.

"You didn't have to say anything," Yeo-Wool informed her. "I can read you like a book."

Nari scowled at him, starting to wonder if the Hwarang could actually read her mind. He'd been able to figure her out bit by bit, without her even having to speak.

"It's okay," Yeo-Wool sighed. "I think you'd make a good couple."

Nari ignored him, trying not to smile as she thought of the idea. Distracted, she became careless with her hands in the water, accidently slicing her finger across a sharp rock.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, as blood began seeping through the piece of fabric she was washing.

"Give me that," Yeo-Wool instructed, taking the clothes from her hands as she brought her finger to her face, inspecting the cut. "Are you alright?"

Nari tried clutching the wound to contain the blood, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. She bent down to rip a piece of fabric off her uniform, but Yeo-Wool stopped her.

"Here," he said, ripping it off his own and wrapping it around her finger. "This should help."

"Thanks," Nari winced, the bandage digging into the open cut.

"Be careful next time," Yeo-Wool cautioned her, tying off the piece of fabric. "Even though you're a Hwarang, you're still a girl, and- -"

Before he could finish, the duo heard a thump and a gasp sound behind them. They quickly turned their heads, Nari standing up in panic. There stood Hansung, his finger pointing right at her, eyebrows furrowed and mouth wide open.

"Girl...?"

"This can't be happening right now...not again!" Nari screamed internally.