unfortunate. | 연준 √

eight

"Saying sorry is like picking a star..."
- Pentagon, "Humph!"

Yeonjun starts to comb my hair, both of us sitting behind the screen as the beautiful white light swirls around us. He doesn't seem to struggle with brushing my hair as I have, sweeping all my wisps of hair from my front to be tight and pieced together with the rest of the strands. He's quiet, humming to himself as he puts my hair into a high bun. I wish I knew what this hairstyle was called- and as much as it will help me fit in, it was awfully horrible for how I look...

"All done!" He exclaims, standing up first. He lends out his hand, and I gladly take it. Helping me up, he dusts the nonexistent dust off my shoulders, glancing at me up and down as I can tell he's proud of his work. "You look very cute, Youra."

I know this shouldn't be considered flirting in the Joseon period, but is he trying to make a move? I mean... I think I'm too "twenty-first-century gal" to understand his intentions. Yeonjun's probably just being nice as he usually is. 

"Thank you," I chuckle, him leading me out of the bathroom. As soon as we turn to our right, we both flinch, seeing an awfully confused Chanyeol waiting outside. "What the-" Chanyeol closes his fan, pointing it at Yeonjun as it shakes from his hand's tight grip.

"Hey, Choi Yeonjun! Keep a hold of yourself, you got that!?" Chanyeol says, scoffing. "You went in there while Youra was bathing!? Why, have you no manners, you fool?" I would intervene but then Chanyeol would just point that dreaded fan at me and call me the fool instead. So, as they dispute, I wait for them to stop so we can just go eat. Talking sure does burn calories...

Since they wouldn't stop bickering any time soon, I grab the fan from Chanyeol's hand and point it at him, the boy flinching as he looks at me curiously. "What?"

"We have to get to the banquet hall,-" I point it at Yeonjun, who immediately surrenders with his hands in the air. "-so lead me there or get hit with this." I beckon to the beautiful, hand-painted fan, and Chanyeol sighs, taking it back before placing it behind his back. "Okay, let's get going then." He responds, leading the way as I follow, Yeonjun behind me.

It's silent as we swiftly stroll there, Chanyeol making our grand entrance... as he pulls open both doors. However, it doesn't go as planned and his arms stretch too far, one pulling away from the handle and yanking him face-first into the door. Yeonjun and I stifle our laughs, watching as Chanyeol groans, holding his nose. Looking towards us, he scolds us inaudibly, turning back to the big room.

Over Chanyeol's shoulder, I see Sana- all prim and perfect. What did you expect? Nothing less, and maybe next time, more. I take a seat on Sana's side, but far away from her. As long as I can't see her, she won't be a problem for me. Yeonjun and Eunwoo sit either side of me, all three of us looking at each other with curiosity in our eyes.

"Why are you sitting here?" Eunwoo mumbles to Yeonjun, who just shrugs.

"Suddenly I can't sit anywhere?" He mumbles back, leaving me in the middle of another quarrel that I can't handle. "Start eating, hyung, or you'll starve!" Yeonjun whispers, sticking his tongue out before bowing to the servants and eating his food. I bow as well, seeing Seungwan smile at me. She beckons towards the food in front of me, and so I start to eat.

"Thank you for the food, Seungwan," Sana speaks, my eyes wandering up to see Seungwan bowing at her. I never thought I'd see the day that Sana- Minatozaki Sana- would have such power over our department manager, Seung Seungwan. I guess past lives are so real yet so scary. "How is it, Min Youra? Are you enjoying supper?"

"Yes, I am," I respond without looking up- because I know darn well she's looking my way. So, I stare down at the various metal bowls, smiling to myself. "Thank you for letting me join you all for the meal."

"Oh, it wasn't me!" Sana starts, and I know just from her personality, she's going to try to tear this whole palace to shreds. What a nice princess. "It was the princes. They've always had such kind hearts to help the less fortunate." I can feel the visible smirk on her face, how she picks at her food ungratefully. "It's so weird how you're a deity that fell from the sky, but you've given no powers, no wealth, no offers? Must be terrible to be such a disappointment given to us by the gods themselves."

Eunwoo freezes as I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, my mouth shut as I stay quiet, getting hit by her ugly insults. "Sana, that's enough." I take a good glimpse at how she froze up- hesitant. Something's going on between Eunwoo and Sana- but it may just be one-sided. 

"A-And you can't even provide Joseon with heavier rain? How irresponsible." She continues, making me snicker under my breath. This was going to get interesting the moment Eunwoo pops the cap off his composure. "I've never seen such an incompetent woman. Even worse- using these princes for your own self-benefit!? How deceitful-"

"I said that's enough!" Eunwoo slams his utensils onto the wooden table, staring daggers into the wooden table before he turns to her, fists clenched- he looks like he's about to kill her. Sana flinches a few times over, licking her lips as she looks down. "...Enough of that." I stand up, Yeonjun grabbing my hand as I don't even look at anyone, staring ahead at the night in front of me.

I can't say anything. I'm frozen by the doom that this could get me stuck here- that my time is running out, and that I won't be able to get back to my normal life in Seoul. Sana's powerful in this lifetime- and in every life that we seem to associate with each other in. She's a leech that lives in my destiny- and I can't pull her off. "I'm finished eating. Please, continue." I almost inaudibly whisper, pulling Yeonjun's hand off of my wrist as I exit the banquet hall.

I want to scream at her, I want to pull her hair out- but with her being the Crown Princess... having armies and soldiers of thousands... against me? I'm powerless no matter what circumstance I come across her with. I walk my way out to the battlegrounds, getting a glimpse of the empty, unguarded gates. That's odd... aren't the guards are on high alert at this time?

"Youra!" Yeonjun exclaims, swinging his head back and forth before we meet eyes. Jumping from the flight of stairs, he grabs a hold of my shoulders, shaking me lightly. "Why didn't you do anything? I know you could've said something back! Or- or at least politely told her that she's wrong! Why didn't you... why..." He's out of breath, tilting his head as he leans his body weight on me.

"...Why?" He finally huffs out, and before I could continue, the hairs at the back of my neck suddenly stand straight, shivers dragging down my spine. Grabbing a sword from the wooden rack, I grab Yeonjun, trying to run for the entrance to the palace. However, by a mere second, we're surrounded- men in black hoods holding their weapons at us. We've been captured despite being in the most protected part of Joseon.

That's why the guards weren't there.

"Hand us the Wangseja, deity!" One says, pointing their sword at me. So they want Yeonjun... but for what? "If you do, you won't get hurt."

"I wouldn't get too hasty just yet now, sir," A voice erupts from the entrance of the hallway, my eyes lingering up to see the three princes, all holding their swords out. "Leave now, or we'll have to handle you ourselves," Seungcheol says, gritting his teeth. I've never seen Seungcheol so serious- why I've never seen any of them so solemn... this surely hasn't happened before, right...?

The hooded man chuckles, shaking his head. "Get them! Make sure the Wangseja stays alive!"

And at this moment, the war had erupted.