Samurai ↔ Nishimura Riki

eighteen

dedicated to all the BEST MOMS OUT THEREEE. ILY MOM AND YOUR NAGGING HABITS EVEN THOUGH YOU DONT EVEN KNOW I WRITE ON HERE HAHA. 

The kettled whistled.

"The tea's ready." Rena lifted the boiling tea kettle gingerly. Careful to not burn her hands, she inclined her head. "Would you like some tea?"

"Of course. Thank you, Rena." Ms. Cho smiled warmly as the nurse poured uji tea into her cup. She takes a sip and sighs contentedly. "Great brew."

After filling all the cups, Rena bows. "Thank you, Ms. Call me if you need anything else. I'll leave you four be. Excuse me," she hurriedly whisks out the room, sliding the door shut.

Hyewon pokes her rice. The feeling of being in her mother's presence after so long felt foreign to her. "How have you been, Mother?" she finally asks after minutes of debating over what to say.

Mrs. Cho harrumphs. "I don't know what the academy or the palace taught you, but I've told you countless times, Hyewon-ah. Call me Mom, not Mother." Her fingers gently hold the teacup. Wisps of steam rose from it as she blew on the tea. "I see no reason to be formal, we're family after all."

"If you say so, Mo-Mom." she corrected herself. "You ignored my previous question, but nevermind. Did you know I was here?"

She raised an elegant eyebrow. "I should ask the same of you. Perhaps this is a sign from the gods that you should finally visit the mother you've been neglecting since you went to the palace." She tsked. "Did Heeseung never tell you? I come every week to volunteer my time and we have tea time at lunch. A lady must have something to occupy her time." Her mother wrapped her hands around Heeseung and patted his head. "My nephew is there more than my own daughter, how sad."

Hyewon shot him a piercing glare. He avoids her gaze, looking very uncomfortable as he shrinks into his seat. Coward. "Actually, Mom, someone forgot a very important detail in the letters he has been sending to me." she says sweetly, plastering a fake smile on her face, coating her words with venom. She'd get her revenge one day.

"I didn't know that you were coming here today, Aunty," Heeseung defended, his words muffled as he was stuffing his cheeks with rice like a hamster while talking.

Mrs. Cho gave her a look. "Still. You have time to write to your cousin, but not your very own mother? My my, I certainly didn't raise you to be like that. Heeseung's a darling and he's doing a very fine job of being my replacement child." She gave no hints showing that she was joking and placed some meat on her plate. "Hyewon, you've gotten skinnier. Eat more or else you'll become like the Hwangs's daughter. All bones and no fat."

"Mom, Yeji isn't skinny-"

"Shh." She shushed her child by shoving food into her mouth. "Eat. Don't talk."

Frankly, Hyewon was quite embarrassed by the display of affection her mother was showering her with. But she chewed dutifully and swallowed.

Meanwhile, Ms. Cho scanned Riki in an up and down motion. "You're handsome for your age," she says, nodding approvingly. "I've never seen you around or at the academy, so I assume you met my daughter more recently. What's your name?"

He gave Hyewon a nervous look, which she returned by a kick in the shin under the stable, mouthing, Say something, you idiot.

She found it amusing that he had the audacity to trash talk to her, but when it came to her mom, he was absolutely speechless. She liked it better when he kept his mouth shut.

The prince forced a smile, perhaps holding his leg, where the brunt of her kick was, and cleared his throat. "My name is Riki, Madame." he answers politely.