Elysian - Woosan

twenty eight

Wooyoung pulled the bow back and released it, sending the arrow into the target with a loud thunk.

It hit the target right on the bullseye. The arrows he was using were made out of bone and had been sharpened, so they could easily be used in combat.

He still hadn't decided how he was going to execute the attack. 
If he could even call it that.

The right word would be betrayal, Wooyoung thought.

He picked up another bow and aligned his eyes on the target again, then released it, taking careful aim.

His fingers were shaking slightly as they strung the arrow back. He took one more breath before pulling the string back and letting it fly.

He felt a looming presence behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

He knew San well enough to sense when he was watching from a distance.

"What are you doing?" The older asked. He sounded curious.

"Practicing," said Wooyoung. "I've been practicing for weeks now." He'd been training for months, if he was being honest.

Trying his best to ignore San's piercing gaze on his profile, he positioned another bow and lined up his next shot. With his eye still on the target, he pulled the string tight and loosed it with an almost deafening crash, sending the arrow flying at the edge of the target. It stuck there.

His hands shook slightly. 

He turned to San, but the taller was already looking at him.

"You don't have much practice with your weapons yet, do you? But I guess we're both bad liars," he smiled gently.

He grabbed another bow and aimed his own target. When he looked over at Wooyoung again, his smile faltered.

"Let me show you how this is done, okay?" His voice had dropped lower, deeper than usual.

Without waiting for a response, San let loose, loosing his arrow just as quickly as Wooyoung did. It landed exactly at the center of the target.

Wooyoung tried to follow his  example, aiming his bow towards the same target. Instead, his arrow found its mark three inches from the middle of the target.

He was doing just fine before. Why did he feel so nervous in front of the other?

San gave him a small smirk, then turned back to his own target.

Wooyoung frowned, watching San's every move. The older was moving slowly, methodically, making sure not to miss a single arrow. And yet, somehow, the movements seemed so familiar. It made Wooyoung feel uncomfortable.

He tried again, this time managing to get closer to the center, this time only getting two arrows past the outer rings.

When Wooyoung picked up another arrow, San walked up to him and stood behind him.

"That's better," murmured San, his breath tickling Wooyoung's ear. "Now let's start again."

Before Wooyoung could protest, San moved behind him, grabbing a different bow. They were almost touching each other. San rested his left hand on Wooyoung's shoulder and placed his right hand on his own weapon.

Wooyoung flinched when their arms touched.

San chuckled and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Relax," said San. "I'll keep you safe."

Wooyoung took a deep breath and nodded curtly.

With a smile San turned Wooyoung's bow over in his hands. He traced the lines with his finger, tracing the curve of the bow, then the feathers. He moved down Wooyoung's arm until his fingers brushed against the back of Wooyoung's hand. As he traced the back of his hand, Wooyoung felt a strange heat rush through him. It spread from his palm to the tips of his fingers.