화랑 - a tale of curiosity [ON HOLD]

🌸chapter thirty-three🌸

Ji-ae was currently on her way to go and retrieve some of Ah Ro's famous rice cakes, that the said girl had critically acclaimed herself. And Ji-ae being the nice friends she is, decided to go and see whether these tales she was being told were true.

She ventured to Ah Ro's little room on the site, expecting to see Ah Ro, but instead she saw a man stood with his back to her a few metres away from her.

"Excuse me?" Ji-ae spoke up. "Who are you, and why are you there?"

"Ji-ae?" The Hwarang called, slightly turning around to show Ji-ae his face and that's when her brows furrowed.

"Sam?" She whispered, looking around to see if anyone can hear her.

"You really need to learn to start calling me Ji Dwi, aren't you the one that came up with it?" He mused, though he wasn't laughing. "Anyways, do me a favour and remove that needle right there." He said, gesturing to the spot with his eyes. Ji-ae followed and saw the location of the needle and began laughing. "What?"

"Ah-ro has taught me a few acupuncture spots and I think this happens to be one where you become temporarily paralysed. Am I right?" Ji-ae mused, the corners of her lips turning up. "What did you do?" She asked, teasingly leaning forward.

"N-Nothing." Sam said, looking any where else that wasn't Ji-ae's questioning gaze.

"There's a reason she calls you a pervert." Ji-ae reasoned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Again, what did you do?"

"Nothing you and Hansung haven't done." Sam teased, leaving Ji-ae's mouth a gape.

"And here I was, thinking if I should remove the needle for you." Ji-ae mocked, she walked around to the shelves in the room, grabbing an ink pot and a brush. She then came back and stood in front of Sam and dipped the brush in the ink.

"I know what your thinking, so don't do--"

With that, Ji-ae cut Sam off by slowly dragging the brush across his forehead, colouring in his brows as she did so. Sam remained silent as the girl placed the brush back and sighed.

"What a masterpiece." She chimed. She waltzed around to stand in front of him again, and pulled the needle out of his skin. "Don't say I didn't help you." Ji-ae said with a small smile, placing the needle on the table as she walked out from the room.

She then continued looking for Ah Ro, so when she found a girl over looking the house's wall, she wandered over and joined in with the conversation. Straight away, Ah Ro handed her a rice cake and Ji-ae was easily amused by the way it flopped in her hand.

"There's some like that. The rude, cruel, nervy punk." Ah Ro said, gaining Ji-ae's attention.

"Who are we talking about?" Ji-ae asked, showing a kind smile to the girl she noticed to be Soo Ho's sister; Soo Yeon.

"Ah Ro has an admirer." Soo Yeon answered, pointing the rice cake at her friend. "But she doesn't want to admit it." Ah Ro groaned, shaking her head at Soo Yeon. "Anyways, a lender is generally like that."

"I have never hesitated for something in my whole life, but you keep making me stop." Ah Ro recited. "If he's saying that, that must be him worrying, right?"

"20-silver-coins guy, did he say that?" Soo Yeon asked, no longer eating the rice cake with this new information.

"You owe someone some money?" Ji-ae asked, munching on her rice cake, earning a nod from Ah Ro.

"I'm not talking about that guy, I'm talking about another person." Ah Ro answered Soo Yeon's question, making Soo Yeon smile.

"This is why the person who learned love from a book is hopeless." Soo Yeon mused, teasing Ah Ro. "My dear, worrying is like if a salt seller worries. "What if it rains today?" and a wooden clog trader asks, "What if it doesn't rain today?"  Those are real concerns." Soo Yeon reasoned, making Ji-ae nod along with her answer. "You keep making me hesitate."  Isn't that usually a normal way to show love?"

"Love?" Ah Ro questioned, then turning to Ji-ae. "You're in love. You must know." Ah Ro said to Ji-ae, making her shrug.

"Everybody shows it differently. Not one person is the same with the way they show love." Ji-ae answered, making Soo Yeon swoon.

"That was so wise." Soo Yeon said, batting her eyelashes. "Anyways, so what you're saying is, you're concerned about the other person because of that guy?" Soo Yeon suggested, making Ji-ae look between the two girls. "A girl who has both her hands full with two men. Yeah, I knew you would accomplish something a big thing in here." Soo Yeon said, waving the rice cake viciously in Ah Ro's face.

"Love, my ass." Ah Ro said, earning a flick on the forehead from Ji-ae.

"Language." Ji-ae warned, making Ah Ro pout.

"Just eat the rice cake." Ah Ro said, lying her head on her folded arms as she started thinking.

Ah Ro and Ji-ae spent a few more minutes conversing with Soo Yeon until they started to leave. Ah Ro lead the way, constantly rambling on about her thoughts to no one but herself as Ji-ae was quietly finishing the rice cake beside her.

"Oh." Ah Ro sighed, placing a finger on her chin. "It's bothering me."

"What is?" Ji-as asked, now licking her fingers as she finished the rice cake.

"How am I supposed to confront the pervert from now on?"

"I had a feeling this whole thing was about him." Ji-ae raised. "You don't really have to pay him back that 20 silver." Ji-ae highlighted, though she knew Ah Ro wasn't listening from the way she kept murmuring,

"If my brother finds out about this, this situation will get complicated." She told herself, "But still, if I leave here, then I won't be able to pay my debt back."

"You'll just have to endure it." Ji-ae said, making Ah Ro nod.

"Let's endure it. I have to," As Ah Ro was cheering herself on, Sun Woo came to an abrupt stop in front of the two girls. making them both jump.

"Oh my, you scared me." They both said in chorus.

Ah Ro then turned around to evade the encounter, but Sun Woo soon followed after, landing infront of her again.

"It looked like you were avoiding me just now." Sun Woo commented, making Ah Ro shake her head,

"N-No I wasn't." She said, pointing to behind Sun Woo. "I had to go check up on Pi Joo Gi, that's why." Ah Ro said, making Ji-ae face palm at her stupidity.

With that Sun Woo tackled Ah Ro into a headlock, making her cough out slightly. Ji-ae stood by and watched the scene unfold as Sun Woo then stroked Ah Ro's head and let her go.

"Go." He said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Even though it was my first time, I did it pretty naturally." He said to himself as he walked away, leaving both the girl's dumbfounded.

"What was that all about?" Ji-ae asked as she looked at Sun Woo walking away.

"What is this extreme awkwardness?" Ah Ro asked herself, placing her hand on the crown of her head. "Did he massage me?" She asked herself, then looked to Ji-ae who just began chortling and shrugged.