kingdom falling | gyuricky

eleven | my poor sleep habits

i realised i left out an entire chapter when i imported this, i'm so sorry it's fixed now!

The next day was a weekend, and other than some morning lessons they had to attend on miscellaneous subjects like the history of weaponry taught by a senior from Seven Star Manor and the study of medicinal herbs guided by Dewspring Estate, the rest of the day was left open for the cultivators to do whatever they wished. They weren't allowed to leave the peak during the week, so most of them spent the weekends traveling around the neighboring towns just for a break from the scenery.

Gyuvin woke up well-rested, which was a win considering the events of the past few days, and since that morning's lesson was on calligraphy writing which he as a talisman user had had drilled into him since childhood, he breezed through it without paying much attention. He spent more of his time drawing the backs of people's heads and showing them to Hanbin next to him than actually learning, since the calligraphy paper was enchanted to wipe itself clean every couple of minutes, so the chances of him being caught were minimal outside of the one one close shave he'd had where a senior had appeared behind him out of nowhere and he'd quickly spilled the pot of ink onto the table as a cover-up, all while Hanbin and Gunwook tried to stifle their laughter on either side of him.

They were dismissed soon after, and the few of them decided to go down the peak to one of the nearby towns, just to have a meal and visit the little streetside stalls dotting the busier streets of the town. Gyuvin pulled Hanbin along, obviously, who then invited Zhanghao, and Gunwook and Jiwoong both invited their partners along too, making their usual party of four considerably more lively.

Gyuvin deliberated for a second, then knocked on the door of Ricky's room.

"Ricky, we're going down the peak to have some food and just walk around. Do you want to come?" he offered. "Hao-hyung is coming, if that helps."

"I'd be happy to," Ricky answered, closing his door behind him and heading out to join the rest of them. Gyuvin had half-expected him to decline, but he was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. Over the past two weeks of observation he'd grown to realize Ricky didn't just avoid him, but seemed to avoid almost everyone. Out of the disciples from Moonrise Palace Ricky seemed to be closest to Zhanghao and this younger boy named Yujin, but even then he hardly ever stuck around them, or anyone, outside of mealtimes and mandatory training hours. He was either in his room, or reading in the study hall, or practicing his sword technique by himself in some secluded outdoor grove. On top of that, his resting face was so habitually expressionless that it was sufficiently intimidating to most, meaning no one really dared to go and bother him for any reason.

Gyuvin did, every once in a while; he'd find leaves to blow at Ricky using wind spells, or prance over to swing Yuexi at him when he was training only to dart away laughing when he retaliated, or creep up behind him to drop flowers in his hair without him noticing. Ricky had been genuinely stumped for a good couple of days about who exactly was leaving flower petals in his hair all the time, until he finally figured it out one day after he caught the perpetrator himself red-handed. He'd respond the same way to all of Gyuvin's antics, with a little sigh and a soft smile that bent the corner of his eyes upwards ever so slightly, but he never lost his temper or got annoyed at any of it.

Gyuvin was beginning to think Ricky was really just a very easygoing and softhearted person trapped in a intimidating body. He was well built and willowy, with a straight back and wide-set shoulders and a jawline that only served to accentuate the sharpness of his features. There was no doubt that he was ethereal, inhumanly beautiful, but there was just this inexplicably icy aura about him that everyone else seemed to take as a sign to back away. That layer of ice that only began to melt away when he smiled, and Gyuvin took it upon himself to continue teasing him just so he would smile more.