Behind These Walls | Park Banryu

XVIII

"Who does he think he is? Does he think he can just act like nothing happened? That jerk." I mumbled to myself as I aggressively shoved my clothes and other items in a bag.

I heard my door slide open and someone walk in. "Areum?" I turn my head and Suho standing there with a worried expression. "I saw Banryu near here, did he hurt you?" he asked and I shook my head.

"Nope, he just talked to me." Suho's eyebrows furrowed. "Talk to you? What did he say?" "He just asked me why I became a Wonhwa."

"Huh? Why would he suddenly care." Suho questioned. "Don't worry, I pushed him away." I smiled. Suho exhaled sharply. "Good. Are you heading out now?" "Yeah, I packed all my stuff. I'll see you around." I bid goodbye and left.

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Suho POV

"Why do you care all of a sudden." I storm into the dorm and everyone's gaze goes to me. "What's wrong with you?" Yeowool groans.

"I told you to stay away from her." I scolded. Banryu sits up and sighs. "Why are you getting mad when I just asked her a question?"

"I don't care. I told you to stay away from her." I walk closer to him. He gets out of his bed and does the same. "Why are you being so protective? You don't own her." he sneered.

"I'm being protective because I know you'll hurt her." I snapped back. "I didn't mean to, I was only saying the truth." Banryu scoffed.

I punched him hard in the face. He stumbled back a bit before giving a punch back. We started having a fist fight and threw cuss words at each other from time to time.

"Break it up, stop it." Yeowool and Hansung pull us apart. "What's going on with you two and Areum?" Jidwi chuckles lowly.

I shrug Hansung off of me and aggressively lay in my bed.

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Areum POV

"I won't be needing any assistance for the next few days. I will let you out for now. I will call you when you are needed." Princess Sookmyung says to Seonwoo and I.

"But the queen-" "I'll take care of it. You are dismissed." she interrupts. We bow before making our way to the door.

"Also, make sure no one outside hwarang knows you are a Wonhwa other than your family." she stops me. "That won't be a problem, your highness." I respond before leaving.

___________

"Oh? You're allowed to leave?" Suho asked. "Yeah, the princess doesn't need us for now so she let us go. I just need to make sure no one outside of hwarang knows I'm a hwarang." I answered.

We walked out the gate in silence until I saw a familiar woman just outside the gate.

"Ahjumma?" I called out to her. "Areum." she approached me. She pulled me into a hug. I giggled. "Did you miss me that much?"

"I did. I'm sorry." she started to cry. I pulled away from the hug and held her shoulders. "Huh? Ahjumma, are you okay? What happened?" I asked in a concerned tone.

"Areum." she sobbed. I waited in silence and confusion, not knowing what was going on. "Areum, my daughter." she breathed out.

My breath hitched and my hands fell from her shoulders. "Mother?" my eyes started to brim with tears.

She nods and cups her hands on my face. "Areum, what happened? What happened when I was gone?" she cried louder. "Mother, you remember me? You remember me now?" she nods and pulls me into a hug.

I sobbed into her shoulder. I was happy to have my mom back.

Suho POV

I watched the two women embrace each other as they cried. I smiled slightly as I saw Areum finally with her mom.

They pulled away and Areum noticed that I was still there. Her mother looked towards me. I was a little startled and bowed before walking off.

Areum POV

"Mother, we shouldn't be out here. Let's go home." I grab her hand and rush home.

We entered the small house and sat at the dining table. "Areum, what happened to your brother?" she asked softly. "After we lost you and father, he had to work hard to make money for us. He overworked himself and fell ill." I sighed.

"How have you been?" I smiled at her. "Don't worry about me. What about you? How did you end up there?" I asked.

-Flashback-

"Just throw them there." A voice said. My body along with my husband's was thrown to the ground and left there.

I opened my eyes and crawled slowly to my husband's unconscious body.

"Dong Chul." I shook him. "Dong Chul." I cried louder. I placed two fingers on his neck to feel his pulse but I felt nothing.

I tried to sob out loud but nothing came out. Next thing I knew, everything went black.

___________

I slowly opened my eyes. I squinted at the light that shone through the window beside me.

"Omo, she's up." someone says. A young woman rushed to my side. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

I groaned and tried to sit up but immediately fell back because of the pain on my chest.

"Careful, your wound is pretty bad. What happened?" she asked. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what happened but I couldn't.

"I-I don't remember." I said rather quietly. "That's alright, I'm sure you'll remember after you've regained your strength. Just get some rest alright?" I smiled at the girl.

She was about to leave until I caught her wrist. "Wait, what's your name?" I asked her. "Hyejin."

-Present-

"Hyejin took care of me. We were poor but we managed. She would ask me from time to time if I remembered what happened that day but I just couldn't." my mother explained.

"I'm just happy that you're here with me now and you remember me." I smiled softly. "Me too sweetie."

I poured both of us a cup of tea to refresh ourselves. "Was that man your boyfriend?" I spit out the tea that was in my mouth and started to cough.

"N-no." I respond. "He is handsome, I wouldn't mind if he was my son in law." my mother smirked and took a sip of her tea. "Yah! Mom!" I whined and she laughed.

"Anyways, you're a teacher for the hwarang. Your father's teaching really helped huh?" I nodded. "So what did you teach them this week?" I stiffened.

"U-uh actually, I'm not an instructor anymore." I say nervously. "Oh, why is that?" she questioned. "I-I'm a Wonhwa now." I said, more like whispered.

"What?" My mother's eyes turned cold. "Areum why would you do that?" she exclaimed.

"My friend was originally supposed to be a Wonhwa but I took her place. I didn't want her to get hurt so I took her place. I also wanted to get revenge." I responded. "Areum, stop. I don't do this. This is dangerous." she argued.

"No mom, I want to avenge you, father and my brother." I argued back. "Areum, this is dangerous." My mother said strictly.

"I know, and I don't care. I want to avenge our family." My mother sighed and held my hand. "You're stubborn, just like your father." I chuckled at her words.

"Fine, but on one condition." "What is that mother?" I asked.

"I want to help avenge our family."