Honour | WINWIN

Chapter 7

"Why do you look like that?" Lihua asked as Jaehyun approached her, dragging his feet. "Did you come from another terrible date with a consort?"

Her words were supposed to lighten the mood but it seemed to have failed as Jaehyun stopped in front of her.

"Lihua, why did you skip training?"

They talked.

"I wasn't expecting to bump into Kun." Lihua admitted. "They're going to punish me, aren't they?"

Jaehyun nodded.

Lihua took a deep breath. "Tell me what it is, Jaehyun."

She was surprised when Jaehyun stepped forward, putting his arms around her in a hug instead. "It's going to hurt, Lihua. It's going to hurt a lot."

Lihua already had a feeling what it was going to be, but there was still a sliver of hope. She let down her walls, letting herself bathe in Jaehyun's warmth, something she wouldn't even have imagined doing a few days ago.

"Just tell me." Lihua said, burying her face in Jaehyun's chest, preparing herself for the worst.

"They're not letting you compete for the commander position."

There goes that sliver of hope.

Lihua felt tears beginning to pool in her eyes, her one opportunity to get what she always wanted taken away from her because of her own stupidity. Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she didn't know what to feel. Lihua would be a warrior forever, and nothing more than that.

"Hey, I'm here." Jaehyun said, running his fingers through her hair. "Just let it all out."

Lihua cried softly until nothing came out anymore, and Jaehyun took a step back, staring at her tear-soaked face.

"You know, crying honestly never suited you." Jaehyun said, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "Especially when it was because Winwin accidentally smacked you with the fighting stick."

"Just shut up and kiss me already." Lihua muttered, surprising both of them. Jaehyun smiled as he held the girl's face in his hand.

"All you had to do was ask." Jaehyun said, before leaning in towards the girl.

...

Winwin was in his room when he heard Lihua return, her door sliding open. Through the thin paper walls, he could hear everything and was surprised to hear Jaehyun's voice.

"You'll be alright." Jaehyun said softly. "I'm right here."

Winwin covered his head with the covers, hoping to drown out the sounds of the two in the room next door, doing whatever Jaehyun normally did with the other consorts.

I can't believe she's falling for this nonsense.

"Jaehyun?" Winwin heard Lihua say in a frail broken voice. "Can you stay here tonight."

"Of course." Jaehyun responded, much to Winwin's displeasure.

...

Winwin was up early, doing his morning stretches in the terrace when Jaehyun came out.

"Good morning." Jaehyun said with a bright smile. It soon faded once he saw Winwin's serious face. "What's wrong?"

"Do you like Lihua?" Winwin asked bluntly. "Honestly."

Jaehyun paused for a moment before nodding his head. "I do, I genuinely do. She's not like the other consorts to me, she's different, and that's what attracts me to her."