~ a lily among thorns~

"we were a happy family"

"Yah! Stop stealing my food!" Seonu demanded as he caught Hansung digging his chopsticks into his bowl.

Hansung shrugged, popping the thieved fare into his mouth without a care. Seonu sighed with defeat, giving up on his scolding.

"By the way, where's Mouse?" Hansung asked, before even finishing his mouthful.

The Hwarangs were gathered in the dining area for their evening meal. Each one was so concerned with filling their stomachs that none had noticed Nari's mysterious absence.

"Good question," Yeo-Wool muttered, looking to the empty space beside him. "The last time I saw Mouse was this morning."

Ban-Ryu looked down at the table awkwardly, remembering the earlier happenings. He also hadn't seen her since then, and was not anticipating the uneasiness that would accompany their next encounter. Suho, however, chuckled to himself with pleasure.

"I wonder where HE is!" he exclaimed, emphasising his use of pronoun.

Yeo-Wool shot a fiery glare his way, jabbing him in his side.

"OwEE!" he cried, making an unnecessary scene, causing Ji-Dwi and Seonu to become even more suspicious.

Yeo-Wool groaned, placing his head in his hands.

"This is going to be fun," he told himself sarcastically, dreading having to deal with the extra two Hwarangs.

Suddenly, a crash sounded from a distance behind the group, followed by a loud slurred apology that rang across the hall. The men turned around in confusion, wondering what the cause of the ruckus was. To Yeo-Wool's horror, and the other Hwarang's puzzlement, a small figure stumbled towards the table, attempting to balance a food tray in its grasp.

"Mouse...?" Yeo-Wool breathed, trying to make sense of the scene.

The girl let off a weedy smile, before swaying a little too much to the left. Nearly losing her composure, Ji-Dwi and Yeo-Wool both stood up immediately, in case of a fall. However, she managed to retrieve her stability, reaching the table to where the others sat.

"Let's eat!" she yelled a little too loudly, slamming her tray on the surface.

She fell onto the seat with a laugh, attempting to pick up her chopsticks. Ji-Dwi and Yeo-Wool both hesitantly returned to their places beside her, one confused and the other dreading what was possibly to come.

"Are you alright?" Yeo-Wool questioned quietly, not wanting to set her off.

Mouse hiccupped, and then turned her face towards him.

"Eat up!" she demanded, causing Yeo-Wool to recoil from her strong smelling breath.

"Have you been drinking?!" he gasped, the scent of alcohol still wafting heavily through the air.

Suho's eyes lit up.

"Where did you get the bottles?" he asked excitedly, hoping to have his own share.

Nari giggled at the questioned, waving her finger at him cheerily.

"No, no, no!" she slurred, hiccupping contently before pointing to herself. "I—I drank them all!"

At the word 'all', she flung her arms into the air, whacking Ji-Dwi in the face.

"Ach!" he exclaimed, the sudden attack leaving his forehead throbbing.

Yeo-Wool glanced at Ji-Dwi apologetically, before forcing Nari's arms back into her lap. She complied nonchalantly, a drunken grin glued to her lips. She looked around the table, her eyes landing on Ban-Ryu whose own eyes where still lowered to the ground.

"Yah!" she said loudly with her finger pointed at him and her eyes rolled back. She attempted to get up but Yeo-Wool shoved her back in her seat desperately. As if undisturbed, she continued. "I think *hiccup* I think I owe you an—an explanation!"

Ban-Ryu slowly turned his eyes to hers, not knowing what to expect. Once gaining his attention, she shoved some food into her mouth from Ji-Dwi's bowl, much to his annoyance, and began her story.

"I'm here—I'm here because of the king!"

Ji-Dwi froze, looking at the drunken Hwarang anxiously.

"Mouse, I think we should go," Yeo-Wool suggested pleadingly, grabbing her wrist to leave.

However, she shook his grip away, shaking her head angrily at the interruption. She drunkenly threw herself closer to Ban-Ryu so he could hear her better.

"You see, I used to have a mother and a brother!" she continued, causing Yeo-Wool's face to melt into an expression of despair.

Ji-Dwi, his heart frozen in his chest, listened carefully however.

"We were a happy family!" she exclaimed, dramatically expressing her words with her hands. "But! But! My mother *hiccup* she saw the king! The king didn't like that!" she slurred with a chuckle, a few tears running down her face.

Ji-Dwi's heart sunk as he realised the ending of the story. Anxiety and pain surged through his veins at the thought of the outcome.

"Mouse, we really should leave!" Yeo-Wool urged, but she ignored him, emotion overwhelming her.

"So—So he sent his little minion after her, to *hiccup* to slaughter her right in front of—of our eyes!" the bibulous Nari yelled, slamming her fist onto the table, causing her cup to fall sidewards, spilling the contents everywhere.

Ban-Ryu looked back at her expressionless, whereas Seonu listened in intently, the boy's story similar to his own. Guilt overwhelmed Ji-Dwi as he saw the emotions flowing down Mouse's face, yet he remained silent, having nothing to say.

"So, mark my--*hiccup* mark my words!" Nari announced, so the whole dining hall could hear. "I will take my revenge!" she stumbled to her feet, holding her empty cup high in the air. "And nothing—nothing can stop me! Not even the fact *hiccup* that I'm a gir--"

Her words were cut off by Yeo-Wool clasping his hands over her mouth and dragging her back into her seat.

"That's enough!" he begged, the girl squirming in his grasp, her shouts murmured by his protective cover.

Ji-Dwi looked at Mouse with grief and confusion, the boy in a real drunken mess. The other Hwarangs stared with disbelief, surprised at the Hwarang's state.

"She's kind of hot when's she's drunk," Suho said to himself quietly so no one else could hear.

He smiled proudly, before taking a sip from his drink.

"Hansung, give me a hand, will you?" Yeo-Wool pleaded, trying to pull Nari away from the table. Hansung got up quietly to help, assisting in dragging Nari out of the dining area into the sleeping chambers. The other Hwarangs were left clueless at the situation, especially Seonu and Ji-Dwi who were still left in the dark about her mysterious identity.

Once the two managed to force her to bed, they stopped and stared at each other.

"That was an extremely close call," Yeo-Wool whispered anxiously, rubbing his forehead.

"Hm," Hansung hummed quietly. "I wonder how things came to this."

Yeo-Wool turned his head to the unconscious Nari lying under the covers of her bed.

"I'm not sure," he muttered. "But one thing is for certain. Tonight, she shared too much information and she's going to regret it tomorrow. Ji-Dwi and Seonu must have become suspicious by now. Just the idea of her being a girl will make it clear that she is. The disguise she uses now simply isn't going to be enough."

"What are you suggesting?" Hansung asked curiously.

Yeo-Wool wrinkled his forehead in thought.