Recovery and Realization

If you didn't read it in the description, I'll say it again: Please note that the beginning few paragraphs in italics are not my own work. That was me basically writing out what had happened in chapter 91 for the context in the story. That part of the story belongs to the writers and creators of Yona of the Dawn.

It had all happened so fast.

Zeno had jumped in front of the princess, ready to give his life as Hiyou, the drug lord, charged towards them. And in the blink of an eye, Hak was there. Hiyou's sword had dug through Hak's arm, but he hadn't looked pained. He looked like he couldn't feel anything but rage. Hak said nothing to his comrades. He said nothing to the criminal that had threatened his princess. He punched Hiyou across the ground with the weapon still in his arm. When it came out, blood poured from his arm onto the ground in an endless stream, but he still didn't wince or cry out. His demeanor was dark, and he was only focused on the disguised king before him.

Hak trudged across the path to Soo-won. He didn't flinch when his guards came forward, trembling behind their weapons. He bashed in the face of one and the general slashed his sword across Hak's chest. He didn't falter, returning the favor with a swift kick to the gut.

He was inches away from grabbing the king by his throat when Jae-ha stopped him. He tried to reason with him and pull him back, but Hak kept muttering "let go." When the green dragon tried to console him once more, Hak screamed out. He punched Jae-ha in the stomach hard, not caring that he was a comrade. He was in the way. But he stood back up and kicked Hak across the face with his dragon leg. Injured by a dragon and bleeding out, he still stood. They fought back and forth, bringing Kija into the fight. They worried about their seething friend. Soo-won made his escape during that time, and Hak cried out after him. He was the only thing he saw.

So Yona stepped forward and touched his bleeding hand. "Hak," she'd said. "It's alright. I'm fine." He seemed to relax at her words, but he was still tense. His expression was still enraged.

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Hak collapsed not long after that. He held onto every scrap of consciousness like a child who didn't want to take a nap. The dragons carried him back to the campsite and immediately laid him up in a tent on Yun's orders. Yona tried to enter the tent, but Yun wouldn't allow it. He didn't want Yona to see Hak's arm, and he imagined Hak wouldn't want her to see him in pain either.

Yun recalled when he'd found Hak and the princess after their fall off of the cliff. Yona had been much more fragile then. He smiled at the thought of her progress, but his frown returned when he remembered how badly beat up Hak had been. He was barely alive. And the way Yona worried over him was unbearable. They were so devoted to each other that the thought of one of them being injured brought on hysteria between the two. When Hak had regained consciousness after that incident he was like that. He was worried about Yona's physical and emotional states, so much so that he hadn't acknowledged his own injuries. Yun figured out early on that Hak's loyalty and love for the princess came first. Always.

Now he was laid up under his care again. They're such a reckless group, Yun thought. Hak was in bad shape. It was easy to see. There was blood everywhere from the small gashes on his chest and the gaping hole in his arm. How he still stood after all that was beyond the rest of the group's understanding. Yun sighed as he started pulling out bandages and anesthetic herbs.

Outside, away from the group and in the forest, Yona cried against a tree. She'd seen Soo-won again and had had to keep quiet for Lili's sake. It was painful and unfair. But once again, her cousin hadn't outed her. He pretended he didn't know her. And that made her hurt a little more. What is he plotting? What's the benefit of keeping me a secret? Yona couldn't understand. She wanted her companions to understand. There was a reason Hak acted that way. He was almost right to act that way. Almost. Yona didn't know if she wanted Soo-won dead. She didn't think Hak did, even after his aggressive display. She wanted to defend Hak and tell the group that that was the king. The king who killed her father and ran them out of the kingdom. The king with a happy face hiding sadistic intentions. The same king that Yona's life and mind couldn't escape from. Yona cried angry hurt tears and slammed her fists against the tree until they were red and scratched. She bawled and threw a tantrum in the solitude of the forest. She cried because Hak had had to protect her and he'd gotten hurt again because of her. She just wanted to see him smile. It's been so long.