~ a lily among thorns~

"you're in love!"

"So how did it go?" Yeo-Wool asked, as him, Suho, Hansung and Mouse all sat patiently waiting for Ban-Ryu to arrive at the gate of the Hwarang House.

He looked at Nari for an answer but she remained staring off into the distance, unaware of her surroundings.

"Mouse?"

Still without a reply, Yeo-Wool walked up to the girl with a roll of his eyes and snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"Yah!" she cried, totally surprised by the sudden noise.

She looked up for an explanation, only to see the men looking back at her earnestly.

"Oh...sorry," she stuttered. "Repeat what you just said. I wasn't paying attention."

"Clearly," Yeo-Wool scoffed. "How did things go with Ji-Dwi? Did he take the bait?"

"Well..." Nari began.

Yeo-Wool waited again for her reply, but the young girl spaced out once more, as if staring into an endless abyss.

"Mouse?!"

Nari jumped again, her mind travelling back to reality.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised, bowing her head.

She softly slapped her cheek, trying to make herself concentrate.

"Are you alright?" Hansung asked with concern, not liking to see his friend so distracted.

Nari looked up to meet his eyes, giving him a rueful grin.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I was just..." she sighed, not bothering to finish her sentence. "No, I didn't manage to convince him. He figured out the moustache was a fraud and the rest is history."

Yeo-Wool raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's interesting," he said wryly, leaning back in his seat. "That's an awfully calm way to tell us that. I thought you'd be up in arms."

Nari shrugged, resting her head on her hand and staring back into the distance.

"I'm just confused," she thought to herself. "That's all it is."

"Perhaps something happened at the river?" Suho pried, trying to dig out information.

"No!" Nari suddenly blurted, immediately regretting her hasty reply. " I mean...nothing happened."

Yeo-Wool pulled out his fan and began waving it delicately through the air, cooling down his face in the hot outdoor weather.

"We are only here to listen," he stated casually, trying to urge Nari to speak her concerns.

"Really, nothing happened," she protested quietly, now pulling her hands into her lap.

Suho wouldn't have it. Promptly, he leaned across the table, lookeing Nari dead in the eyes with a cheeky smile. She looked back at him, wide-eyed and scared.

"If nothing bad happened, but you're still caught up in the memory...that can only mean one thing!" he exclaimed, holding a finger in the air.

Nari looked at him with concern, knowing he was up to no good.

"...what?" she asked cautiously, having no idea what crazy things were going through his mind.

Suho cleared his throat dramatically.

"You're in love!"

Hansung gasped with excitement; however the smiles of both Yeo-Wool and Nari disappeared instantly. Suho had announced the words louder than the town crier, and Mouse's face whisked around in a panic to make sure no other Hwarangs were around. Spotting no one nearby, she turned back to Suho, leaning across the table to meet him.