Samurai ↔ Nishimura Riki

eleven

One week. That was how long Riki hadn't seen Hyewon.

He sat in the banquet hall, alone once more, eating his breakfast quietly for the seventh time in a row. Riki shouldn't care, in fact he should have been relieved that she was absent. It had been undeniably awkward the ride back to the palace and he wasn't sure how much else he could take before his pride collapsed.

Surprisingly, he had no classes for the day, which he found quite strange. It was a rare occurrence for his classes to be canceled. But nonetheless, he was grateful for the day off.

Riki looked out the window. Today, he thought to himself, was a good day for horseback riding.

So after breakfast, wearing a simple clean white shirt and long black trousers, he walked down to the stables with a carrot from the kitchen in one hand. When Bisco had caught sight of him, the horse nickered and pawed the ground.

"Morning, Bisco," the prince greets. Offering the carrot to him, he soothingly pets his mane. "Are you ready for a ride?"

The horse munches on the carrot in satisfaction and snorts, which Riki took as a yes. He leads Bisco out of the stable and saddles him up before mounting and swinging his legs over the majestic creature.

At his signal, Bisco begins to trot down one of the many paved paths the palace had for horseback riding, the speed rapidly increasing. Trees blurred as they sped through the forest.

Eventually, he slows to a small trot. Riki breathes in the fresh air mixed with the scent of pine trees. He relaxes and looks around the scenery, only for something shiny to capture his eye. He frowns before leaping off the horse. Perhaps he should check it out.

"Come on, Bisco," he coaxes. "We'll scout the area before going back, okay?"

The creature seemed to hesitate straying off the path, but after a few nudges, relented, following Riki with reluctant steps.

Holding the reins gently, he guides Bisco into the forest. They weave their way through the rows of trees until a clearing appears.

As it turns out, the sparkle was caused by a small river coursing through the woods. The water was crystal clear, running between the banks of the river. Huge rocks were scattered near the water. And to his surprise, a girl sat on the banks with her legs dangling in the water, her back facing him. She seemed to be wringing her long, black hair.

"Stupid kappas and water spirits," she muttered, twisting water out of her hair like a cloth. She froze for a good moment before continuing to talk to herself.

Strangely, it felt like déjà vu. It took a few minutes before Riki realized who she was.

Hyewon. He groaned mentally. He had not been expecting to encounter her on his morning ride.

Taking a step back, he accidentally stepped on a small twig. Snap! He flinched slightly before turning back to her. He doubted she could hear it, considering how much distance was between them.

"I know you're there, Nishimura. Don't bother hiding. I'm sure you're out there."

Crap!

Stay silent, he thought to himself, maybe she's bluffing.

"If," she continues without turning, "If I perhaps look behind one of those trees, I'd find a prince and a horse. You've been watching me for a while now. Don't even deny it."

She definitely knows. Riki composes himself before stepping out into the sunlight. Attempting to hide his embarrassment and achieve nonchalance, he brushes off the imaginary dirt off his shirt.