HWARANG Rewritten✅

11. Park Young-shil's daughter

Chapter 11.
Park Young-shil's daughter.

Bu-jae entered with none other than Park Young-shil in tow. "Show your respect to Gakan Park Young-shil," he ordered the Hwarangs making everyone sit straight with curious and rapt attention.

Sa-do had frozen with a dropped jaw and probably would have continued gaping and catching her father's notice had Ji-dwi not nudged her foot with his, breaking her stupor. Blinking blankly, she finally returned to reality and sat up properly, keeping her head lowered, obscuring her face and identity. She sent a quick prayer to all the deities above that this didn't end badly.

"But why is Gakan here? Is it because of Ban-ryu?"

"Who knows?" The hushed conversation between Han-seong and Yeo-wool calmed her nerves the slightest bit. That made sense. Park Young-shil must be here for his adopted son. Jang-sik had confirmed that he hadn't even realized that she had left.

"Since I am here, I would like to speak to one of the Hwarangs," Gakan informed.

The man did have terribly impeccable timing. He came today out of all days because Poong Wol Joo was not here as he had to go to the palace for some business. Bu-jae nodded and called Ban-ryu out.

The Hwarang stood up but Park Young-shil shook his head declaring, "no. I want to talk to Seon-woo Rang."

A wave of confusion arose. "Young-shil Gong is looking for the Hwarang the Queen Dowager picked?" Yeo-wool mused. Sa-do risked a glance at her roommate. Seon-woo's face was impassive as he got up and followed her father out. He wasn't here with good intentions, if anything, that much she was sure and she was worried about Seon-woo. The class started to empty as Bu-jae dismissed them.

Soo-ho and Yeo-wool joined Ji-dwi and Sa-do. "What do you think Gakan wants with Gae-Sae?" Soo-ho asked rhetorically.

"Let's go find him. I'm not so sure of Gakan's intentions," Ji-dwi presumed, getting up, as they headed out of the classroom.

On noticing an absence, Yeo-wool turned back and called out, "hiya Jae-won! Come on." The boy ran back pulling Sa-do to her feet and dragging her along.

They waited outside the barrack where Seon-woo and Park Young-shil had gone in. Sa-do was pacing and fidgeting endlessly and the others were confused as to why their roommate was so wired up suddenly.

Soon Ban-ryu too joined them after meeting his father. "What's wrong with that one?" he asked, nodding his head towards Jae-won, who had now taken to biting his nails. The others merely shrugged.

After a while a flustered Seon-woo exited the warehouse, his face a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Oh you are back," Yeo-wool said, being the first to notice his arrival.

"Is everything alright?" Soo-ho's question along with the concerned look of his roommates snapped Seon-woo back to reality and he nodded. No one asked anything else as the six Hwarangs started for their room.

"Sa-do?" a voice called out and Sa-do turned back instinctively without thinking it through and was met with an enraged Park Young-shil. Gakan had thought that the face looked rather familiar and called out the tabooed name on a hunch, but he hadn't imagined finding her here.

The others noticed that Jae-won was no longer beside them and turned back to see Gakan marching towards their roommate, who was a few steps behind them, with blazing eyes. Park Young-shil reached Sa-do and slapped her hard. Simultaneous gasps echoed from the five Hwarangs as Sa-do held her cheek which was stinging sharply. What was going on?

"Just what do you think you are doing here, you useless thing?" Gakan seethed as he roughly shoved the young Hwarang with enough force to send her plummeting. Sa-do let out a pained cry as the unforgiving rough ground scraped her knees and elbows.

The other boys were so surprised and bewildered that they remained rooted to their spot. They watched as Jae-won struggled back up and if anyone paid close attention like Kim Ji-dwi, they would have noticed the shaky hands, trembling with fear.

"Why does it matter? It's not like you even noticed my absence."

What absence? Did Gakan know Jae-won? And what was up with the bitterness and resentment in his tone? Did one of Silla's highest nobles wrong their roommate? But they barely knew anything about Jae-won and his background.

"You think you can just get away with something like this? Just you wait till I talk to-" but Park Young-shil never got to complete his threat.

"Yes sure. Go ahead. But if you open your mouth, don't expect me to keep quiet either."

The boys couldn't see Jae-won's face but the way the old man's face screwed up was indication enough to the amount of dirt the Hwarang had over him.

"You wouldn't dare." Park Young-shil tried to sound confident but the doubt reflected in his beady eyes.

"Oh wouldn't I?" Sa-do scoffed, eyes narrowed and fists clenched at her side, "you really think I don't have the courage to do that. Give me some credit. I am your daughter after all."

That elicited more gasps as everything suddenly made sense. All the secrecy. The lack of family background. The fact that they never met Jae-won during showers. He- no she- was Park Young-shil's daughter. But seeing how they had never heard of her meant that Gakan had kept her existence a secret from the world. Which obviously explained her constant fidgeting and pacing from earlier on.

Park Young-shil made to slap Sa-do again but she caught his wrist before it came near her face. "Not this time father," she ground out with gritted teeth.

Recognizing this for what it really was, a defeat, Gakan straightened his robes and strode away with an annoyed growl. "Father?" she called back, not turning to face him. "I played by your rules my whole life. Now it's my turn. Be ready. I will take you down when I am strong enough." Her voice was strong and unwavering. It was a vow that she would fulfill at any cost.

Sa-do waited till Gakan was out of sight before she took a heaving breath. That had been intensely exhausting. She finally noticed her roommates waiting for her. She a step towards them but then her world blurred and spun.

Ji-dwi noticed the unsteady step she took backwards and ran to her, catching her before she could fall. The others rushed to their side.

"We need to take her to Ah-ro." Ji-dwi was already in action before Seon-woo even uttered that suggestion as he locked his other arm under her knees, easily lifting her up. He moved swiftly making sure not to move her too much. The others quietly followed, too stunned to speak.