~ a lily among thorns~

"you are my moon"

"Ji-Dwi! Where have you been? I need my pillow back," Han-sung exclaimed as he spotted the Hwarang walking up to the table. Everyone had congregated for dinner. "You have a habit for disappearing."

Ji-Dwi muttered a quiet apology, before taking a seat next to Nari. The girl looked at him with concern, unable to miss his dull expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked him softly, placing her hand on his arm.

Ji-Dwi shook his head, brushing off the matter.

"I'm alright," he murmured, sporting a half-hearted smile. His eyes remained downcast as he picked at his food.

Nari slowly lowered her hand back into her lap, a frown lining her lips. It was obvious to her he was lying. However, she was unsure how to express comfort when he refused to tell her what was troubling him. Helpless, she continued eating, closely keeping a watch on his mood.

"Is anyone else curious about the king being in Hwarang?" Han-sung asked. "Who do you think it could be?"

Nari glanced up at Seonu, who was glaring aggressively at Ji-Dwi.

"Perhaps it's just a baseless rumor," Nari proposed, causing a wave of confused looks on certain faces. Most people knew Nari would jump at anything to believe the king was close-by.

"Perhaps," Yeo-Wool replied, silently relieved at Nari's suggestion. He found himself constantly worrying over Nari's wellbeing in regards to her mission for the king.

"What do you think, Ji-Dwi?" Suho asked, quite curious about his opinion. "Do you suppose the king is in Hwarang?"

Ji-Dwi placed his hand over his cup, spinning it gently in a circle.

"Why do you all worry yourselves over that man?" he questioned sternly. "He is not someone worth thinking about."

The table fell silent as Ji-Dwi's unexpectantly serious answer left his lips. Nari stared at him with surprise, noticing something was definitely wrong. She reached out to grab his hand, but he stood up before she could. Quickly, he walked off, leaving a group of confused and worried friends behind him.

"What was that all about?" Suho muttered.

Ban-Ryu scoffed, taking a sip from his drink.

"You probably annoyed him with your continuously babbling mouth."

And so, Ban-Ryu and Suho began fighting with one another – a rather common turn of events. Ji-Dwi's exit was soon forgotten by all but one. Nari's mind still lingered on his absence.

"What's upsetting him?" she wondered, the thought consuming her focus. "Is it something I did? He wouldn't even look at me..."

Dinner eventually passed, and the group slowly made their way to bed. Nari was the last to leave the hall, and as she ponderously walked towards her room, she made the decision to take a quick stroll outside in order to clear her head. She only intended to keep near the building, but her mind had distracted her to the point she hadn't realised she'd strayed so far as the river. Quietly laughing at herself for being so unpredictable, she crouched down, running her hands through the soothing water.

"Oh, how I wish I was as care-free as a stream," she sighed.

Glancing upwards, something immediately caught her eye. A figure was sitting on the bank of the river, a few meters from where she stood. Squinting through the darkness, her stomach churned as she recognised who it was. Slowly, she crept up to where he sat.

"Hello," she greeted gently, taking a seat beside him.

Ji-Dwi was unresponsive. His eyes were locked on the giant moon hanging in the sky. It wasn't that he didn't want to reply. In fact, he yearned to just converse with her. Every time they talked, he felt warmth in his heart. However, he couldn't even bring himself to look her in the eyes. Guilt was building in his chest as he considered the unavoidable challenge handed out to him by his Mother.

Nari sighed, accepting she'd been ignored. She looked up at the big ball of silver Ji-Dwi was gazing at, becoming fixed on its magnificent beauty.

"The night reminds me of a story my mother once told me," she began with a smile, thinking back on the memory of the tale. "A little girl once lived in a house, forbidden to go outside by her mother and father. The land was at war, and danger lurked around every corner. However, although she found comfort behind closed doors, she longed to see the night sky. One time she'd caught a glimpse of a star through the window. She'd never seen anything so beautiful. After that, she wanted nothing more than to see another. She concluded nothing could be more beautiful than that glistening dot of light. So...she hoped, and she prayed, until one night, she managed to sneak out without her parents catching her. She was most excited to see a hundred more dazzling stars twinkling in the sky. But...it wasn't long before she saw the moon – full and bright. You can imagine the stars quickly became dull in contrast to its glory. She'd journeyed outside thinking that the stars were the only thing that would make her happy...little did she know that a much brighter light was in store."

Nari looked back over to Ji-Dwi, who seemed unfazed by her words. Even so, she continued to speak.

"When I first came to Hwarang, I thought the only thing that would make me happy was finding the king...but instead I found you. The king is a star, but you are my moon, and I think I'm ready to move on because of that."

Ji-Dwi turned his head away, feeling overwhelmed with pain. He had listened to every single word Nari had spoken, each one touching his heart dearly. He was in a crisis and was unable to figure out what to do. Despair inching through his body, he suddenly turned back to Nari, grabbing her hand.

"Trust me when I say that I love you!" he cried; his voice filled with desperation.

Nari, shocked at his sudden outburst, nodded her head quickly.

"I know you do," she answered him. Although she did not know why he was suffering, she felt his pain as if it were her own.

Ji-Dwi turned his attention down to Nari's hand. His eyes fell to her palm, the place he'd have to cut in order to frame her of crime. He looked for a long while, considering whether or not to get the job over and done with...but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not then...not there. Instead, he walked Nari home, pretending to be alright. But nothing could compare to the sorrow in his heart.