Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

41 |2| Belonging

He tries a few times to unscrew the cap of the bottle but due to his bandaged forearm and the pain shooting up every time he exerts force, he finds it hard to do the simple task. After a few unsuccessful tries, he finally gives up. He decides he would rather be thirsty than torturing himself with the sharp pain emanating from the wound on his forearm. After getting treated by the doctor in town, he realizes how Yeosang's medicinal skills are far superior; it usually only takes a few hours for any wounds he touches to heal. He has no rights to complain, because he doesn't want to let the other palace occupants to know that he's injured. He has made sure to keep extra precaution by wearing only long-sleeved shirts; he wouldn't want the people in town to be questioning him on why his forearm is bandaged.

After the incident yesterday, he tries to avoid from going to the central forest for the time being. He is still shook by it, and although he barely admits it, he's scared for his life. No words could explain how grateful he was when Wooyoung appeared out of nowhere and saved his day; he can't bear to think what would happen if he were to fall from the tree. He could be paralyzed or even worse... die.

He knew Wooyoung was frustrated by his decision to keep it a secret, but that was the only decision he could make right then. He doesn't want to alarm the rest with the distasteful news, especially Yunho and Akira. They had been through so much but it seems that their trial is only beginning; Nyla only appears to be a stopover and the queen is making sure that they would remember that they're still residents of Lucida.

He has only spent his day milling about in town, having no place else to hang out besides his house and the palace. Trying to avoid questions from both his family and the palace occupants, he figures that the town is his best bet. He had never felt so bored in his life; no one to talk to, no goods to bargain. He has only been observing people from the side as he sits down on the stone bench, and his eyes are starting to get tired. When his eyelids are starting to get heavy due to his lack of activity and movement, he figures it won't hurt to catch some shut-eye in the middle of the busy streets. They can't attack me when there are a lot of people, can they?

He wants to drift off to sleep, but he only finds himself closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall. He is still aware of his surroundings and he can hear people's feet shuffling to sit beside him and leave shortly after. He keeps his position, but only then his ears catch a conversation that makes him interested. Still pretending that he's asleep, he tries hard to capture every single detail of the dialogue. The two people conversing seem to not realize that he is there, or rather they think that he can't hear anything because he's asleep; they're talking about the palace occupants of Nyla and the two new settlers - Akira and Yunho.

"Did you hear about it? The palace has taken in new residents again and this time they're from Lucida," the first person starts. It's a woman's voice, a familiar one but he cannot quite place it yet. "Did you see the two of them at the ball? They say that they're a general and a lieutenant from Lucida. Isn't it foolish of the palace occupants to be accepting someone with such positions from Lucida? I don't mind if they're commoners or noblemen from the other kingdoms, but servants of the queen? And Lucida?"

"Someone also passed around the story that the girl has black blood," the second woman's voice offers, putting emphasis on 'black'. "Can you imagine? Someone from Lucida with that kind of blood? It still amazes me how easy it is for the young masters to accept people like that into the palace."

"Maybe they are trying to uncover who the Shadow King is," the first person speaks up again. "What if Lucida is trying to take over Nyla? We're going to be doomed."

"No one is getting doomed," Mingi opens his eyes and stares at the two. He finally notices why the first voice seems familiar; it's Yeosang's sister, Yoojung. She's sitting with what he assumed is another nobleman, because that's the only blood colour that she will mingle with. "Kang Yoojung what do you think you're doing spreading rumours about the two of them?"