~ a lily among thorns~

"a life for a life"

"You can do it!"

"Come on Mouse!"

Nari peered hesitantly around the corner of the hallway, eyeing Ji-Dwi who was busy tending to his own business. She was surrounded by Hansung, Suho, Ban-Ryu and Yeo-Wool, who were all urging her to go test out her new 'abilities'.

"You guys are making me more nervous than I need to be," Nari sighed, her eyes still locked on her target.

Suho gave her a hefty pat on the back.

"Be a man," he teased.

Nari rolled her eyes, cursing under her breath.

"I really regret last night."

Without a second thought, she rounded the corner, causing an uprise of whispered cheers to erupt quietly from behind her. Her eyes still on Ji-Dwi, her mind trailed back to the pointers her friends had given her a few moments prior.

"Less hips, more shoulders"

"Legs further apart"

"Elbows out"

"Head high, chest puffed"

Nari adjusted her body to meet those standards, plastering a final pride filled smirk on her face for completion.
Striding with a little too much exaggeration towards Ji-Dwi, she began clearing her throat in a manly tone, letting him know she was present. The Hwarang, who had thought he was alone, looked up quickly to spot a chicken-like figure bouncing towards him.

"Mouse...?" he murmured, a little caught off-guard at the weird sight.

Nari pretended not to see him, keeping her eyes on the path ahead. When she came to pass, she rammed her shoulder into his side, causing him to fall back a few steps.

"Oh, Ji-Dwi!" she exclaimed, her tone as low as she could make it. " I didn't see you there!"

Ji-Dwi raised his eyebrows suspiciously, certain it was impossible to miss someone in such a small hallway.

Nari coughed into her hand, before resting it on her hip.

"How have you been?"

Ji-Dwi pulled his gaze from Mouse back to the books that he had been sorting through.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? Especially after last night."

Nari's face burned red as her embarrassing ordeal was brought up, and she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Uh...well..." she began as she watched Ji-Dwi flick through the pages of a novel. "Maybe I got a bit carried away."

"I'd say," he stated bluntly, closing the book and picking up another.

"Getting drunk isn't all that bad," Nari laughed nervously. "It makes you feel invincible!"

"You're just a boy. All your age think they're unbreakable, drunk or not," Ji-Dwi sighed, placing down the second book and turning to Mouse once again.

"Well, that's not all it does to you," Nari confessed proudly.

She leant in close to Ji-Dwi's ear, bouncing with excitement.

"After my first drink, I've started to turn into a man!" she bragged.

Ji-Dwi stared at the bundle of enthusiasm before him.

"I'd rather you didn't explain any further," he stated bluntly, turning to leave.

Nari laughed, running to follow along beside him.