~ a lily among thorns~

"he's grander than an angel"

Rays of sunshine beamed down upon Nari as she strolled down the streets of the capital. Crowds of townspeople hustled past her, but she met them with a smile, happy to be out and about in the outside world again. It was the morning after her agreement with Ban-Ryu and she was off to find his secret lover. Unsure of just where exactly to look, she wandered past the lines of stalls that outlined the roads – recalling her day out with Yeo-Wool. At the thought of it, she smiled, pleased to have been the recipient of his kindness. Suddenly interrupting her thoughts, a young couple brushed up against Nari, trying to squeeze past her in the bustling ocean of eager families who were earnestly awaiting to witness the goods of the day.

"Excuse me," she called after them, the two stopping and turning their heads back to face her. "Sorry to bother you...but have you heard of a young girl named Soo-yeon?"

The pair looked at each other, then back at Nari.

"Sorry, we haven't," the man spoke up, before gently pulling on his wife's hand to follow him away.

Nari sighed in disappointment.

"How am I supposed to find her in this giant place...Ban-Ryu wasn't exactly helpful enough to give me some pointers," the girl complained inwardly, pouting with annoyance.

She walked forward a few more steps, looking in all directions for a possible friend of Soo-yeon's. A small boy came into view, wearing a dark blue outfit, swirling patterns carefully embroidered on the sleeves.

"He looks...rich," Nari thought with a chuckle. "Maybe he'll know her."

Slowly, she made her way towards him, crouching down when she got close enough.

"Hey there," she greeted with a smile, meeting the youngling's eyes.

"Hey," he replied back comfortably, taking a bite out of a piece of fruit in his hand. "Are you a Hwarang?"

Nari grinned, looking down at her uniform.

"I am," she answered, making the boy look at her in admiration.

"Are you on a mission right now?!" he asked excitedly, forgetting about the food in his grasp.

"Hm...you could say that," Nari said with a laugh. "Would you like to help?"

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed, his heart racing with anticipation. "I've always wanted to go on a mission!"

"Good...I need you to find someone for me."

"Who?"

"A young woman...she's around the same age as me. Her name is Soo-yeon."

The boy scratched his head, quite clueless as to who Nari was referring to.

"Do you know her?"

The boy hesitated, before slowly shaking his head.

"Oh..." Nari sighed. "That's okay...I'll just-"

"Byung-yeon! There you are," a woman cried, clasping onto the boy before Nari could finish. "You need to stay where I can see you."

"Sorry Mother," Byung-Yeon sulked, seeing her to be clearly distressed.

The woman checked over his dirty face to see if he was hurt, before turning to Nari.

"Oh...hello there. Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh, no. I was just-" Nari began as she stood up to leave, but the boy pulled on her uniform.

"Wait!" he cried, before turning to his mother. "He's on a mission and he needs to find a girl."