#xu minghao x male reader

[nakylvr]

Uhmmmmm, I might need stoner minghao now that I have read your keeho story 🤭 (also with male reader pls, but the reader is clearly a bottom)

why of course my dear friend 🤭 stoner!minghao is so real

— STONER!MINGHAO WHO...

xu minghao (svt) x male!reader

warnings/tags: language, drug usage (marijuana), nsfw themes under the cut, non-idol!minghao, established relationship

main masterlist | svt masterlist

stoner!minghao who wears sunglasses 24/7 even indoors cause he's usually high as hell trying to do normal things

stoner!minghao who is the chillest guy ever when he's high, just sitting in the corner silently watching everything

stoner!minghao who goes and buys the most expensive clothes when he's shopping while high

stoner!minghao who met you through one of your friends at a party to which by the end of the night you were already high and making out with him

stoner!minghao who owns every smoking device possible, he's basically one of those influencers that post on instagram and twitter but without the actual influencing part since he doesn't film himself smoking, but he has a cabinet with everything he has

stoner!minghao who uses his resin with the rig to get himself super fucked up when he's out of bud only to have a bad headache afterwards and wonder why

stoner!minghao who celebrates 4/20 every year with his craziest smoking device (a 4 ft long bong...)

stoner!minghao who gets butter from his friend to make the most delicious but completely undosed edibles that leave you both laid on the couch or bed

stoner!minghao who experimented with mushrooms once and never did them again, he tried watching a show and couldn't stop focusing on all the colors, deciding to just stick to weed

stoner!minghao who likes when you sit on his lap with people around, especially at a party where you're both smoking and he can't keep his hands to himself

stoner!minghao who smokes a blunt while you ride him

stoner!minghao who hotboxes his car and pulls over in an alley to fuck you in the backseat

stoner!minghao who gets more vocal when he fucks while high, dirty talking to the max and constantly saying how good of a boy you are for him and how he loves that you take him so well every time

stoner!minghao who will gag you with your boxers if you're getting too loud and his friends are in the other room, pushing your face into the pillow to keep you quiet

stoner!minghao who takes a while to cum when he's high for some reason, so when you've came twice he's just barely getting to his first orgasm

stoner!minghao who will fuck you in a dressing room when shopping cause you just look so good in that outfit you're wearing that you end up having to buy it since it's ruined with cum stains

stoner!minghao who will overstim you to oblivion just cause he wants to until you're physically shaking and on the verge of tears

stoner!minghao who loves seeing you cry when you deepthroat his cock and he fucks your face, wiping the tears with his thumbs as he makes you swallow every last drop

[vkooksupremacy]

Cute moments with them

Poly Soonhao x Male Reader

"Y/N, you have to stop Hoshi hyung." Minghao groaned, tugging his lovers hand as he dragged Y/N to their boyfriend. "He won't stop."

"Let him be, Hao." Y/N said. "If he wants to be a tiger, Woozi hyung will stop him."

"True." Minghao mused. "His guitar is dangerous."

"Now, let's go. I feel like eating grilled pork for lunch. If Youngie hyung doesn't want lunch, he can stay a tiger forever."

"Hey!" Hoshi yelled. "I can be a tiger and eat lunch you know?"

Y/N simply flipped him off, And he and Minghao left Hoshi to chase after them.

____________________

"You look tired." Minghao murmured, running his hair through Y/N's brown locks. "You should go sleep."

"I can't." Y/N mumbled. "This is due tomorrow."

"You should sleep. You don't work good on a sleep deprived mind." Hoshi spoke up, watching Y/N and Minghao. "Can't you ask for a deadline extension?"

"My boss is strict." Y/N said. "I've asked for a previous one, he didn't accept."

An hour later, Hoshi and Minghao, awaking to an empty bed, found Y/N asleep over his desk, face stuck to his laptop.

"Cute." Minghao whispered, picking Y/N up with practiced ease and carrying him to the bed. "Sleep well, Y/N/N."

____________________

Y/N, Minghao and Hoshi sat on the floor, playing uno.

"Please..." Hoshi begged. Y/N, who'd lost, watched in enthusiastic silence as Minghao took a draw 4 card.

"I'm sorry..."

"After all we've been through?" Hoshi cried dramatically.

"Uno." Minghao said, and Y/N cheered.

"Go baby!"

"What about me??" Hoshi whined.

"You're such a big baby." Y/N whined. "Here, I love you too."

Likes, reblogs, and shares appreciated!

[nunan-neomuyeppeoseo]

⧼ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪᴠᴇ = ◆ ғʟᴜғғ = ✶ ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛ = ☐ ⧽

⧽ ᴀ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʜᴜsʙᴀɴᴅ, ᴀ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʟɪғᴇ - x.ᴍɪɴɢʜᴀᴏ x ᴍ.ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ⧼ □✶ ⧽

[seventeenficsformalereader]

Painting; Minghao

Minghao teaches you how to paint :D

Contains: Male reader, Xu Minghao, Kissing/Making out, Pet names.

Genre: Fluff

~Not requested~

Really short, sorry for that :( I'll try to make some longer ones in the future.

===============

You groaned out of frustration once again as you slowly started to lose hope on you actually being at least an average painter. You and Minghao have been in your shared apartment in his artroom for an hour or so. He had set up a vase of sunflowers on a table and an easel with a painting surface for you to paint on. He had done it before, and this will definitely not be the last time he'll do it. You have been talking about your desire to learn how to paint, but whenever you try to do it, you feel like you can't get anything done.

Everything seems to fail and you feel like you can't do anything right, but atleast Minghao is there to support you.

"Just remember that it's art. It can't go wrong, and you can't mess it up. The way the painting looks is the painters thing to decide. There isn't a right way to do art." He explains, while holding your waist and kissing your neck every now and then.

"It doesn't look right to me" You answered and squinted your eyes a bit, thinking that why it doesn't look as good as you imagined.

Over the past few years you and Minghao have been painting together, you have gotten pretty good, but it still feels like you should do something else. Painting isn't for everyone, but Minghao insists that you at least try before quitting.

You added a little more detail on the flowers and you then decided that you were done. "This has to be the best thing i've ever done." You said while smiling to yourself. "It looks great. My baby boy has learned so much" Minghao said slyly and kissed the side of your neck once again.

"I think you deserve a reward for being such a good student. Having the motivation to listen as i teach you." He smirked and you already knew what was coming.

He spun you around so that you were facing him. Minghao snaked his big hands around your waist once again, pulling you closer to him as he strated kissing you agressively. You were already out of breath, even when he just got started. He bit your lower lip gently so you opened your mouth just enough for him to shove his tongue down your throat. You have your hands pressed against his chest and you were grabbing his shirt, trying to pull him even closer even tho that wasn't even possible probably.

You let him explore your mouth with his tongue and that's exactly what he did. He swirled his tongue around your wet cavern for a good 3 minutes until you needed to pull away to properly get some air. As you pulled away from his lips, a string of saliva connected the two of you. He gave you two more kisses before letting you breath completely. You looked into beautiful eyes while breathing heavily and he let out a long sigh. "You are such a pretty boy. I'm glad that i have someone like you" Minghao said.

and you soon felt a small smile growing at the corner of your lips, and you couldn't help but to let it expand into a big, bright smile. He smirks at you and gives you one last kiss on your lips before pulling you into a tight hug.

After a pretty long and oddly comfortable silence, you decide to finally speak up. "I'm hungry" You say in a whisper and he lets out a soft little chuckle. "Was painting too tiring for you, baby?" He asked while smiling. He felt you punch his chest a little and he let out another chuckle. "I can cook you something if you want to" "That would be nice." You replied as you relaxed into his embrace.

===============

A/N: Minghao is love, Minghao is life <3

[127luvr]

Hmm Minghao(svt) x male reader who is also in svt and they habe a little museum date and then look at the sunset while being completely smitten for eachother like it's literally tooth rottening sweet

Heaven’s cloud ☁︎.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Xu Minghao x Male Reader

Xu Minghao is not one to say I love you often. He’s never felt it necessary to verbally express how he was feeling—he’d much rather show it with his actions. Whether it was tying your shoes for you—or sharing a sip of his beverage before you could ask—or simply snaking his arm around you. Around your waist—around your shoulders—no matter what, Minghao always found himself linked to you.

“Hao.” He loves the way the nickname sounds rolling off your tongue. Loves the way your hand finds its way to the left side of his jacket to pull him in closer. “What if people see us?”

“(Y/n). I��m wearing a hat, thick glasses and a mask. What are they going to recognize? The lower half of my ears?” You want to laugh with him, to feel as carefree as he sounds as he pulls you in by your belt loops. You can see his eyes glint behind his glasses, a fondness that only appeared when he was looking at you. “Besides, we’re in the same group. If anything, we can just say we were hanging out you know? As bros.” Even with the mask covering the lower half of his face you can hear his smile—the laugh that doesn’t quite escape his mouth to not catch anyone’s attention.

“And do bros loop their fingers through their other bros belt loops or am I the exception?” Minghao pulls himself away from you—the draft of cold air hitting you almost instantly—winking as he walks to the other side of the art exhibit.

The room is full of priceless art pieces. Some you could spend hours gazing at—wondering what meaning they had hidden under all the brush strokes. But none of them came close to Minghao.

Not when he stood in front of the blandest painting in the room, baggy jeans threatening to hit the floor if it weren’t for his platform shoes. He’s examining it, letting his eyes seize it up and down and side to side. Anything to keep his attention on the painting instead of turning his gaze towards you. You can’t help but take a picture, letting a warm smile take over when you finally make your way over to him.

“It’s a nice painting.” You see his shoulders jump up in surprise, not expecting you to be this close but he stands even straighter, offering nothing more but a hum of recognition. “However, you’re much nicer to look at.”

“That was bad even for you.” Hao still refuses to face you, his eyes never leaving the painting. You stand next to him, finally directing your full attention to it, trying to see what lured him to this specific piece.

It’s nothing special. A simple ombré effect that starts with orange at the top, a lemon yellow in the middle, and finally a blue at the bottom. You can see why he’s examining it—the blending is seamless—not a single stray brushstroke in sight. And while it may be plain at first glance, the brush work is unmatched. If it weren’t for the signature at the bottom you would’ve never guessed this was hand painted.

It’s a nice sight—the two of you standing next to each other—enough for your arm to brush against his but not enough to where it could look suspicious. You have a feeling you’ll see pictures taken from a distance of both of you but for now you bask in the moment. Choosing to lean your head on Minghao’s shoulder, breaking his cold streak. He wastes no time in wrapping his arm around your waist, bringing you in closer. Hints of his cologne seep through your mask, the familiar scent weakening your legs.

He turns his head towards you, pulling his mask down under his bottom lip, making sure to press as close as he could to your ear, “Wanna get out of here?”

Although his wording was suggestive, the two of you ended up walking next to a nearby shoreline. Kicking the sand you cross as you watch the water creep up on the two of you slowly. Minghao keeps your hand in his, bringing it to sit in his pocket intertwined with his own. It’s sweet. It keeps you warm in this cool breeze. Never too hot and never too cold.

You see the same colors in the sky as you did in the painting. The blueness of the sky being taken over by a blend of orange and yellow with a hint of pink. And while it’s not as seamless as it was on the canvas, it manages to take your breath away. And suddenly you’re standing next to Minghao like you were in the museum. Watching the sky diligently in silence with him. He looks so peaceful from the corner of your eyes—lost in thought as he gazes towards the horizon—he’s never looked more beautiful. You pull your phone out again with your free hand, taking a few steps back to capture the moment. He knows what you’re doing—the awkward shuffling of your feet on the sand without letting go of his hand humoring him.

“(Y/n).”

“Shh, you’re going to ruin the picture.” But you both know you really don’t mind—not when the image of him is forever ingrained into your mind. Always there even when you close your eyes. But it’s nice—the first few pictures you take of him are tame. He offers a big grin with his mask pulled down to his chin—until he finally reaches over to cover your camera as you continue to take pictures. The last few are completely black. They’ll make for a nice post one day.

[haocovr]

Imagine

You are a old ethereal looking vampire who lives in an old traditional chinese home with your partner for eternity . All that people know about you is that even their grandparents talk about a gorgeous couple that lives in the wood near the waterfalls that refuses to meet the new generations .

You and your husband live with the nature and are the definition of calm and completely inlove . Living since the prosperous tang dynasty made you wise and knowing of what's to happen . You build yourself a get away with the man you married when you were once human . He was a well known General while you were an official favored by the emperor because of your beauty you were to beautiful to even consider human and so breathtaking that some forgot you were a man .

Both , you and your husband were well known and liked by the people but one fateful day when Xi'an got attacked and your mansion went up in flames , the fateful night your perfect life was to end . The night you and your husband became creatures of the night that drink human blood with beauty so captivating that people want to get sucked dry by them .

After that you and your husband fled to the woods where you could live peaceful and cherish eachother day and night . So now even though it's been hundreds of years the love you have for eachother Is endless, the love you hold for your husband is so sweet and seemingly never ending is so endearing.

Your lovely husband and

the love of your life

xu minghao.

[haocovr]

Omg. This is so cute and ahhh

Imagine hao's reaction when he ask y/n to draw something for his new tattoo then y/n draws bunch of little hearts so hao will always be reminded how lovable he is. My heart HSHSHSH

omg this would be so sweet :(

minghao came up to you nervously, glancing at you as you read a book. you felt his stares and turned your head to see him give you a shy smile. "what's up? you okay?", you ask, closing the book and putting it down.

"yeah, just...i wanted to get a new tattoo...and i wanted you to draw something for it", he explains softly making you gasp softly. "you want me to draw your next tattoo?", you ask and he nods. "okay! oh my god that's so sweet of you", you exclaim and he's so happy.

you grab a pen and think of a few seconds, tilting your head to the side, wondering what to draw. you get a idea and give him a small smile, proceeding to draw a bunch of little hearts near his wrist.

"this is so you'll always be reminded of how loveable you are and how much i love you", you saw and he grins, happy.

he gets it tattooed asap and he's showing it off to everyone. t's like he's wearing his heart on his sleeve -literally.

[hamilando]

ੈ✩‧₊ Paint an immortal love ੈ✩‧₊

Paring : Xu Minghao x Male reader

Word Count : 0.8k

Song : Strawberries and Cigarettes by Troye Sivan

Genre : Immortal au, angst to fluff

TW: Implied homophobia, death

A/n: This was requested, I got the inspiration to write this after such a long time!!! Feedback is much appreciated! Questions and requests are always open !

It was a losing game but he still chose to play.

Immortals falling in love with mortal was not forbidden, but looked down upon. It was considered to be crumbling a dried rose. A rose which once smelt of warmth, reduced to pieces of angst. Y/N and Minghao promised to stay together, yet they both knew it was promise which couldn't be kept. Those sneaky escapades of Minghao and Y/N had to be said goodbye, yet one wouldn't remember and one could never forget.

Minghao was an immortal who would just roam around the streets of the mortal world. The mortal art decepting how the they perceived the world, be it with a field of dandelions or a court full of thorns. The museums he visited displayed a pulchritudinous array of art, portraying god and mortal emotions.

It was one of those lonely nights, when the museum did not have much rush, the gale could be heard, a sign of the winters approaching.

Minghao was staring at the painting, the painting decepting two souls with intertwined hands, it was rumoured that the painter had painted it for him and his lover, homosexual relationships being a sin in the society. Minghao never understood the reason about being in love considered to be a sin.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

Minghao looked back to see a guy staring at the picture as well, a small smile resting on his face.

"Indeed it is."

"If only the painter was a female, falling in love with him wouldn't be a crime."

The two of them stood in silence, the silence speaking way more than words could ever speak.

Minghao glanced at the guy next to him, features no less than a angel.

Brown hair which matched his caramel eyes, small lips with a settling smile, a rouge tint to his cheeks, probably due to weather.

"I wish I could relive this painting."

Minghao looked at the guy, confusion written all over his face. The guy seemed to understand that and gave a light chuckle.

"Experience the love of an artist, become someone's muse. Get my love immoratalized for this world. Let the world know what love can be."

"This painting depicts a relationship between two men, would you want that as well?"

"If love can cross borders, it can cross languages, why can't it cross genders?" The guy turned his full attention to Minghao, replying with a slight spark in his eyes, waiting for his response.

"Not all borders are meant to be crossed, exepcially when the other side has thorns."

"If no one crosses border with the fear of thorns, the path will never clear. Someone needs to cross the border and remove the thorns."

Minghao just smiled, never meeting a mortal with such solitary thoughts. He lent out his hand, a friendly gesture he hoped the guy would reciprocate.

"Minghao"

The guy gladly shook hands, flashing a bright smile," Y/N"

The hands which shook, created a bond which could only be broken by time. The two young men, ignorant of others around them, fell in love with each other deeply everyday. Be it reading the newspaper together, snuggled together in the bed, the noises of the coach in the background or their late night escapes in the pub, a beer in hand, flushed cheeks and eyes full of love.

Minghao was hesitant to start this relationship, knowing he will live on with just memories, but for Y/N, he was ready to give the happy memories and carry on with the bitter memory of losing the loved one.

Relationships are built on trust, yet Minghao could never have the courage to tell him that he was an immortal, that he would indeed keep the promise of loving him forever.

Yet as the leaves turn brown, the sky turns grey, the lover's blood lost the warmth, lost the red tint. Y/N passed away young, a death not deserved, a death placed upon him for fighting for his love, shot at a rally for letting men love men, for letting the seven colours fly, only for him fly away as white dove.

The color of Minghao's life left, the monotonous routine taking over. A whole lifetime at his disposal, yet he longs to be with angel. Years passed, yet that smile could never fade away from his mind. Minghao lived on, visiting the museum every fortnight. Staring at the painting which made his lover immortal.

The night was nothing special, the museum being empty at night, Minghal standing carelessly in front of the painting, remembering his lover when his trance was broken by an another guy, voicing his thoughts.

"It's beautiful isn't it? Only for their love to be forbidden."

Minghao snapped his neck back to see a guy, black hair, pale lips, different from his lover, yet the same glint in the eyes which he could identify in thousand other eyes, those eyes which made him smile like never before. The eyes which made him love, which made him realise the importance of a heartbeat, those eyes which stood before him

again, life giving him a chance again, a smile creeping on his face in years.

"Till death do us apart, yet the same eyes, the same I love you stands before me."

[pasteidolons]

𝔥𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔤 - 𝔥𝔧𝔰 | 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔦

pairing: hong jisoo x female!reader genre: historical au, fluff, angst, smut (later routes), supernatural members: lee jihoon, choi seungcheol, wen junhui, kwon soonyoung, jeon wonwoo, lee seokmin, kim mingyu, boo seungkwan, lee chan, xu minghao, lee chan, choi hansol warnings: crass humor and language, blood, violence, mentions of suicide, alcohol, minor character death, 660's sexism, crossdressing, medical procedures, political upset, historical inaccuracies for the sake of plot progression word count: 24k

taglist: @reiofsuns2001, @hipsdofangirl, @lovrehani

DISCLAIMER: as some parts of the hwarang series appear in every route, some scenes will appear the same with major to minor differences within the text.

𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢 || 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔦𝔦

𝔉𝔢𝔟𝔯𝔲𝔞𝔯𝔶 1𝔰𝔱, 661 – 𝔖𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔫 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 The cold, gray sky of winter greets you with its hollow breath as you swing the door to your room open, any heat that has accumulated overnight swiftly dissipating as swaths of blustery air invade the space. From the looks of it, thick, gray clouds have begun to accumulate over the city outside the walls of the Hwarang’s compound, forecasting at least a light blanket of snow in the coming hours. You’d have to make sure that the fires from the kitchen aren’t low so that the ondol keeps warm under the building’s floors. 

Before you move to exit the room, you reach to grab a jacket from your handful of things, sighing as you catch sight of a piece of paper hidden under your coat. It’s the letter that had brought you here in the first place. Nearly two weeks have passed since your arrival at the Hwarang’s headquarters, the same frigidity that had met you on your first meeting is still ingrained into them, the same distrust, no doubt, but it isn’t as if you can leave. 

 A frown as you look down at your clothes after shrugging the jacket onto your shoulders. Instead of your father’s clothes that you’d arrived in, they’d given you robes of their own. Not the blues of their commanders or warriors, but the deep green of their lesser ranks; of the pageboys, cooks, and less desirable positions within their numbers. They were and are foreign to you, you’d much rather wear the clothes that feel more familiar, even if they are men’s. But you aren’t meant to raise suspicion, just keep your head low until they find out more information of your father’s whereabouts. A female hiding out in the Hwarang’s headquarters would raise suspicion, start rumors, and with how much they hold themselves to a gold standard, it would be irreparable to their reputation. 

Jihoon, the Hwarang’s commander, had given you strict instructions to keep up the facade as a male. Saying that, while it would be harmful to their reputation if the word got out, it would also be a beacon for those looking for your father, or perhaps even you. Only those that you’d met on the first day, as well as a handful of others within their leadership, know of your true identity.

As you move your hands away from the hem of your jacket, your fingers brush against the blade that Jihoon had given back to you the day you’d arrived. It’d been somewhat ceremonial in your household, not a thing of use as there was no need for it. Your father had claimed it to be an heirloom kept in the family since the birth of Silla as a kingdom. You aren’t sure of the validity of that statement though, as the metal isn’t tinged with rust, it looks newly forged at times.

Regardless of the validity of the blade, your father made you take several lessons with your town’s local head guard, who’d only taught a girl because her father was a well-known physician. Also, because your father could treat any injury you sustained while practicing, which wasn’t ever needed as any scrapes or scratches you obtained healed fairly quickly. When you were little you didn’t think much of it. Yet as you grew older you realized that you healed faster than most. Your father said it must’ve been a gift from the Heavens but urged you not to tell anyone about it. And you hadn’t, fearing that those around you would treat you like a witch or a monster if they were to find out.

Swordplay was never something you took much interest in, seeing that you’d probably never put the techniques you’d learned to use. Besides, you aren’t a bloodthirsty fiend looking for a chance to use it anyway, you’d rather help people than hurt them. 

You’re pulled from your thoughts for a brief moment as a wang-do, one of the common Hwarang soldiers, passes by your room. They lock eyes with you for a moment, a scowl sneering onto their lips before they break their gaze and continue to stride past. Private rooms were only given to personnel of a higher rank within the Hwarang, and seeing how you are a newcomer, you can somewhat understand the resentment some of them have with your staying not in the typical quarters of those of your rank. 

With more guilt than not as you accept the hospitality of the Hwarang, you try to help out as much as you can, despite the wishes of the commander. To the average wang-do, it probably seems as if you’re receiving special treatment from the captains. Despite the actuality of them keeping watch over you to make sure you wouldn’t spew their secrets; it would be confusing, aggravating even, from an outsider’s perspective. But, even if you were allowed free reign of the headquarters, it’s not as if you could speak to any of them, most were nobles from families of high wealth. And your father isn’t poor by any means, but the wealth disparity between the nobles of the capital and nobles of the countryside is nothing to scoff at. 

So, you remain alone, for the time being, finding that the best way to not draw attention to yourself is to become practically invisible. Maybe if Jihoon allowed you to go out and search for your father you would find yourself more useful, but he’d just left for Hanseong a few days prior. Seeing as the man in charge of your stay here isn’t available, maybe your best bet would be to stay in your room until something of note happened, despite how aggravatingly boring it is. 

The room is practically empty, only a bed, a small chest of drawers and a writing desk to keep you company. It reminds you of when your father would leave for his patient visits, disappearing for days at a time and leaving you alone at home. Although it isn’t the same, those visits had the promise of return. Waiting for someone you knew would come back and waiting for the unknown are vastly different things.

As your reflections manifest into exasperated sighs, you barely notice the sound of approaching footsteps heading towards your room. 

“There you are!” Youngmin, the head of the Hwarang, exclaims once he catches sight of you. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you; I didn’t think you’d be in here!” He beams at you for a moment before stepping into the room with a tray in his hands. 

“Oh, I’m… sorry?” you apologize as he sets down the tray onto the writing desk nestled into the corner of the room. 

“Ah… wait… This is your room?” He questions as he straightens up, looking around at the interior for a moment. 

“It is,” you nod, wondering what he’s thinking about. 

“Then I just barged into a woman’s room without even announcing myself!” He looks flustered, his cheeks turning a tinge pink as he realizes his mistake and takes a few steps out of the room.

“It’s alright,” you try to assure him, “After all, it’s not like there’s anything here that I wouldn’t want you to see.”

“Hmm,” he sighs, trying to compose himself, “I thought since we’d assigned you to be Jihoon’s page your room would be next to his…” It seems as if Jihoon had neglected to inform Youngmin that you hadn’t actually been made a page. That isn’t in the least bit surprising with how coldly the commander had been treating you. 

“I’m not fully equipped to entertain guests, but you’re welcome to come in if you’d like,” you offer, motioning for him to come back inside the room.

“You don’t need to worry,” he waves his hand as if to brush off the thought, “And, if I may, I’ll take you up on your offer.” Youngmin then steps back into the room, and as if he notices your hesitant demeanor, he speaks up once more, “And please don’t feel nervous around me, as long as you’re here you’re a guest of the Hwarang.”

You offer him a small smile before looking down to the tray he’d carried in. A look of shock comes over your face as you realize what he’d brought, “This is—!”

Youngmin chuckles lightly, “I take it you’re a fan of sweets then? Jihoon’s adoptive mother likes to send them to us every once in a while, and hardly anyone touches them.” Several assorted hangwa lay on the dish, their colors vibrant against the gray gloom of the light shining in from outside, next to a steaming cup of tea. “Go ahead and have some, if you’d like.” 

“Thank you very much,” you nod and make your way over to gingerly pick up one of the confections. You look at the pink treat for a moment before taking a bite out of it, savoring the sweetness of it before turning back to Youngmin, “It’s delicious.” Snacks like this were only limited to holidays or festivals back home, it’s shocking to hear that Jihoon’s mother had sent such a thing on a whim. 

“I’m glad you like them,” he smiles. Something about Youngmin’s presence holds an aura of warmth, that makes you feel more relaxed than you had been with any other member of the Hwarang since your arrival. “Ah, I’ve also heard you haven’t been able to go outside?”

A nod, “That’s right. But if that’s what’s needed for me to stay here, I wouldn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble by going out.”

He looks almost sympathetic as he parts his lips once more, “I see… I’m glad you understand. I know that Jihoon can seem a little intimidating at first but he’s a truly caring man.”

To see the man who’d kept you in relative solitude for a few weeks as a caring person didn’t seem fully right… But Youngmin knows him much better than you do.

“He may be a little strict with you, but only because he’s trying to do what’s in your best interest.” Youngmin sighs, a telling sign that maybe he hadn’t agreed with everything Jihoon had done before. “I’ll speak to him once he gets back, I know this must be hellish for you, but I can only ask you to hang in for a bit longer.”

“Alright,” you nod, “Thank you.” Even if Youngmin’s visit hadn’t done much to change your living arrangement, it had lightened your mood ever so slightly. 

After Youngmin had departed and you’d been left to sulk in your room for a while, you notice that the sun was slowly sinking into the sky. The clouds of earlier in the day had parted to let the golden light shine onto the headquarters as the sun made its descent into the horizon. It feels as if time itself has stopped, the sun hanging in the same place for an unimaginably long time.

All this time in solitude is doing a number on both your mental and emotional state. Any hope of getting out of your isolation seems to slip with each passing moment you spend alone. You had come to the capital to find your father, not get swept up into a world where your life lay on the line should you slip up and say something you shouldn’t.

Even if they were showing you more hospitality than you could’ve asked for, you know that you can’t trust the Hwarang completely. 

“They can’t all be that bad… right?” you mutter to yourself as you sit at the small drawing table, flipping through the letters you’d brought with you.

“Has anyone ever called you ‘gullible’, before?” A voice behind you causing you to jump and turn to see who’d spoken. 

Your gaze hardens as you see Boo Seungkwan standing in your doorway, arms crossed with a small frown painted on his lips. “What are you doing here?” Asking as you push yourself to your feet, brushing off your pant legs before facing him fully. 

“You didn’t notice me? It’s my turn to keep watch over you,” he sighs, “You talk to yourself a lot, don’t you?”

Had you really been thinking aloud earlier? You bite your lip and try to mentally remind yourself to never do that again as you’d never know who could be listening in on you here. Before you can retort, Hansol steps in from the hallway.

“I think that’s enough picking on her, Seungkwan.” He frowns at the other.

“Did you hear me too?” You question, somewhat embarrassed about how this was playing out. 

“I only just arrived,” he shakes his head in the negative. “I came to tell you that dinner is ready but,” Hansol’s eyes narrow ever so slightly at you, noticing how incrementally flustered you’re getting, “have I interrupted something?”

“Nothing at all!” You insist, trying to calm yourself.

“I was going to let the two of you continue to speak, but if I had left you two alone, I knew that he’d probably try and get you out of sorts again,” Hansol notes somewhat stoically, probably thinking of the times where he’d been in the exact same situation. His shoulders shrug before the sound of more approaching footsteps reaches you. 

Soonyoung rushes into the room with loud, heavy stomps. His eyes are somewhat frantic, his voice somewhat annoyed as he speaks, “Hey! It’s dinnertime and I’m absolutely starving.” 

“Sorry about that, I’ll be there soon,” Hansol apologizes to the younger.

Soonyoung then looks to you, “You too, hurry up or Junhui’s gonna eat all of the food again.”

“Sorry Captain Kwon, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” You say as he begins to turn on his heels to leave before stopping himself.

His lips purse together before he looks back at you, “Look… can you drop the ‘Captain Kwon’ thing? Just call me Soonyoung, everyone else here does.”

“Are you sure about that?” You question with an inquisitive tilt of your head.

“Why not? We’re practically the same age, aren’t we? And we don’t need honorifics either, I’m not one of those uptight nobles.” He frowns slightly.

“Alright then… Soonyoung.” 

“That’s more like it,” he grins, “Now let’s go.”

The walk to the dining area is more familiar than any other route you’d taken thus far during your stay with the Hwarang. Meals are the only time of day that you really are able to leave your room and have company, even if that company was the other captains of the Hwarang.

“You’re lateee,” a whine from Wen Junhui as he sits in front of his meal, the lids still atop the dishes so as to not let the steam out. “Who’s responsible for this? My stomach’s crying and I think my soup’s already gone cold,” he frowns as everyone finishes filing into the hall. 

“You mean ‘growling’,” Soonyoung snickers as he moves to take his seat next to Junhui, you move to sit on the other side of Junhui, next to Mingyu. “Sometimes it’s really easy to tell that you’re not from here.”

“That doesn’t even matter, you should all apologize to my stomach,” the taller’s hands fly to his abdomen as the remaining captains take their seats, “it’s been desperate for food since this morning’s practice routines.”

A small ‘tch’ from Mingyu as he rolls his eyes at the two, “A commoner correcting a noble, I never thought I’d see the day.” There’s a tinge of sarcasm to his voice as he speaks, the tone disappearing as he pipes up once more, “Alright, now that everyone’s here we can eat.”

There’s general chatter amongst the captains as they start to uncover their dishes and begin to dig into their meals. You sit and eat in relative silence until Junhui’s voice begins to raise on your right.

“There’s hardly enough here to feed a kid, let alone a guy like me,” you turn your head and watch his gaze trail down to Soonyoung’s tray to his right, “I guess I’ll have to take yours…” His now empty hands make a grab for the bowl of rice situated atop Soonyoung’s tray. “Survival of the—”

“Survival of the fittest my ass, Junhui,” the other retorts, sticking out his elbow and hitting the other square in the chest. There’s a hollow thud reverberating around Wen’s ribcage, it sounds painful, but he doesn’t look phased at all. But it did stop him from trying to snatch Soonyoung’s meal. “Why’re you always stealing my food?”

Junhui laughs, you hear Mingyu also let out a small chuckle to your left. “It’s because of the size difference, Soonyoung. I’ve got a bigger body; therefore I need more food.” 

“No way, I’ve gotta eat too!” Soonyoung protests, his elbow still locked in place trying to hold the other back. 

“You’d think they’d be more civil around a woman,” Mingyu, at the tailend of his laughter, notes about the two, “but they’re always like this.” 

“I think I’ve gotten used to it by now,” you respond, setting down the cup of tea you’d been drinking before looking at Hansol, who’s gaze seems to have drifted across the room to the bickering pair.

“How we’ve managed so long without them killing one another is beyond me,” he says before eating a spoonful of the soup in front of him. “Are you not eating?” Hansol questions Seungkwan, who sits next to him. The latter sits reclined back in his seat, seemingly watching the entertainment in front of him instead of touching his food.

“I’m alright. If I eat too much in one sitting I get slow.” He nods, reaching for his cup.

“What do you mean ‘slow’?” Junhui pokes, gaze shifting from Soonyoung to Seungkwan for a moment and then down to the food on the older’s plates. “But if you’re not going to eat…”

“Go for it,” Seungkwan scoots the tray forward with his elbow, passing it over to Junhui as his hand is still occupied with his cup. “As long as I’ve got makgeolli, I’m alright.” 

“Sounds like I’m going with makgeolli too,” Mingyu sighs and passes a few plates from his tray onto yours after noticing that most of your food was already eaten.  

“You don’t have to—” you begin to protest before Seungkwan speaks up again.  

“Don’t worry about eating too much or being a freeloader,” he says, a weird bubbling of guilt arising in your stomach. 

“I understand but I can’t help but feel a little bad…” You state as you look down to the newly acquired plates in front of you.  

“If you’re going to let that get to you, you’re never going to get anything you want,” Hansol says pointedly, continuing to eat the mix of soup in front of him.  

“A- alright,” you nod, picking up your utensils again and beginning to pick at the newfound food on your tray. Because you never had much contact with others during the daytime, it makes having dinner with the captains something of an entertaining and frightening experience every night. But it’s fun. A small smile curls onto your lips at the thought of some normalcy for a moment when you hear Mingyu speak again.

“You know we’re not going to hurt you, right?” He’d seen your smile, probably seeing it as you begin to relax, and he seeks to soothe your anxieties about them even more so. His own lips have a soft smile of their own, an honesty brimming with it. Maybe they’d all been trying to put you at ease with their antics.  

It was troublesome to navigate, you have conflicted feelings about staying with them and taking up their time and resources, but it isn’t as if you have much of a choice. They seemed to realize that too and instead of scorning you for it, were trying to make the best of it.  

But before you could ponder on the notion for much longer, Song Eunseok enters the room.  

“Captains?” He asks somewhat quietly, but the noise of his arrival had turned all heads towards him. “Do you have a moment?” Voice soft as usual, his eyes teem with a quiet anxiety that you hadn’t ever seen during your brief acquaintance with him. The gaiety that had once erupted in the room comes to a fizz as he begins to speak once more, “I’ve just gotten a letter from Sabi, Seungcheol’s been gravely injured during a skirmish.” 

Your brows raise as Seungkwan shouts out, “What the hell happened?!”  

“A group of Baekje revivalists were laying siege to the chancellor’s home, Seungcheol and Jihoon arrived in time to subdue them, however, Seungcheol was injured at some point during the fight.” 

“Is he going to be alright?” You ask, your hands clenching together, nails digging into the skin.  

“According to Jihoon's letter he is gravely hurt, but the wound is on his left arm.” Eunseok’s teeth gnaw at the insides of his cheek for a moment, “It will be hard for him to draw an arrow or wield a blade but it’s almost certain that he will survive this.”   

“That’s good,” a sigh of relief leaving you, but the air lies tense from the other captains as they await more answers regarding their comrade’s status.  

“Seungcheol should be returning in a few days,” Eunseok nods, a solemn tone to his voice, “I’ll go and talk with Kwak some more regarding the situation, if anything else arises I’ll let you know.” He was already halfway out the door by the time he finished speaking, talking over his shoulder in a bated anxiety to rival that of the rest of the room.  

“An injury so bad he can’t hold a bow or sword?” Hansol almost thinks aloud, “He may have severed an artery. He may never carry a blade again if that’s true…” You now begin to understand the severity of the situation, why the air grew heavy and the voices grew low. “If he were to fight one handed against an opponent of similar skill he would almost certainly lose.”  

“... If push comes to shove he’ll have to take it. Seungcheol’s not just going to give up like that,” Seungkwan frowns, the cup in his hand settling down onto the table in front of him with a small clink before his hands fall into his lap.  

“Don’t say that, Boo,” Junhui’s face mirrors an equal grimace to that of the elder’s. “It’ll look bad if captains start joining the Furies.”  

“... Who?” You question, trying to follow their conversation as best you could but finding yourself lost as they begin to speak of things unknown to you. “The Furies?” 

“Furies,” Soonyoung begins, “They come from something you drink where any injury can be cur—” 

“Soonyoung!” Before you know it, Mingyu is on his feet and striding around you to the captain. The elder captain’s hand reaches down and pulls up the younger by the front of his robes.  

“Ah—” Soonyoung’s voice catches in his throat, his eyes go wide as if he’s realized he’d said something that he shouldn’t have. 

“You’re overreacting, Kim.” Junhui stands, trying to pry Mingyu’s irontight grasp away from Soonyoung. “It’s my fault anyway, I said something first.” When Mingyu relinquishes Soonyoung’s green robes from his grip, Junhui shoots the younger a sympathetic look, “Sorry.” 

“I should’ve watched myself,” Soonyoung sighs, his hands moving to straighten his now wrinkled garment.  

Junhui’s gaze then turns to you, his tone becoming sterner, “Everything you just heard is something you should never repeat. I know you’re probably curious, but we can’t say anything else about it, so don’t ask.” The cold weight hiding behind his eyes is enough to make you feel uneasy about what you’d just heard. You’re not even sure what they were talking about, but it seems important enough to stay a secret.  

“Those Furies that Soonyoung was talking about are pitiful men,” Seungkwan states as he pushes himself to his feet. His voice held none of the snideness that it normally had, taking on a flatter and emotionless tone. A sate sort of melancholy coming over him, it’s clear he has something on his mind.  

“It’s nothing you have to worry about,” Junhui says to you as he breaks the silence, “So don’t try and get worked up about it.” 

Seeing as you were only a guest of the Hwarang and not an actual member among their ranks, you can understand their secrets. But it doesn’t make you any less curious.  

“Try your best to forget about it,” Hansol warns, not so much to you but to your circumstance, “The more involved you become with our affairs will only put you in more danger.” 

The wall built up between you and the captains was almost tangible at this point, not an easy thing to scale or break through. 

Dinner ended in relative silence, you excused yourself to your room and hurried back to collect your thoughts. You exhale a large sigh as you enter, your mind hopping from the fate of the Hwarang’s colonel to what the Furies were. It reminds you of the rakshasa from the Buddhist texts your father had made you read as a young girl. The phrases ‘something you drink’ and ‘becoming a Fury’ bounce around your skull before you stop yourself. Hansol had asked you to forget, but it feels as if him saying that only makes you want to remember. 

For whatever reason, the Hwarang captains were keeping hush about whatever ordeal was occurring. Was it to protect you? Regardless, sticking your nose into their business would only be detrimental to your stay with them. 

With that in mind you try to clear your head as best you can before slipping into bed and trying to drift off to sleep.  

𝔐𝔞𝔯𝔠𝔥 3𝔯𝔡, 661 – 𝔖𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔫 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 It’s been a little over two months since you’d joined the Hwarang at the headquarters in Seorabeol. Jihoon and Seungcheol had returned from their expedition to Sabi, but morale among the men was low. For a while after their return, due to Seungcheol’s injury, a few operations within the organization became hectic due to his absence. The wounds he’d acquired were grim, draining most of the goodness in his nature before your very eyes. He’d spend days locked away in his room, the silence deafening to those who would venture in and try to speak to him.  

On the rare occasion that he did leave his room, his temper lay short before he’d barricade himself away in his abode once more. The Hwarang had offered to let him return to his family for recovery’s sake, but he insisted that his duty remain with his compatriots, despite his abysmal attitude.  

Even though you too were holed up away inside of your room, the ways in which the two of you coped with the ordeal were vastly different. Seungcheol was trapped within himself, fallen from whatever pedestal he thought was his to a mere memory of what once was. You, on the other hand, were merely looking for ways to help your hosts.  

In doing so, you now find yourself wandering the halls of the Hwarang’s main building looking for Lee Jihoon, who hopefully has an assignment for you to complete. Much in fashion for the commander, he was nowhere to be seen. You debate on whether it would be impolite to go to his room directly when an unknown soldier walks up to you. 

Their face is unfamiliar to you and they aren’t wearing the blue robes associated with the Hwarang on patrol. There is a chance you’d never seen them before, but by the way they are looking at you, you can surmise that that isn’t the case.  

“You… wouldn’t have happened to have seen Commander Lee… would you?” You ask as they approach, their gait long and almost prideful.  

“And who are you?” They question, looking you over with scathing eyes as if to detect your character, “Mind telling me what you’re doing here?” 

“Oh well… it’s a long story,” you mumble out, noticing their gaze sharpening on you.  

“Don’t make me repeat myself!” Their voice raises, the sternness only growing, “Answer me!” 

Fumbling out your words, you introduce yourself quickly.  

“Hmm,” he ponders, gaze softening ever so slightly, “I heard that the Commander recently acquired an apprentice warrior as a new page, it must be you.”  

“I am,” you respond with faux cocksureness, not realizing that the men had referred to you as an apprentice warrior under the Hwarang.  

“Why don’t you enlighten me on how you came to know the Chief and Commander?” The man’s scrutinizing gaze continues as you straighten your posture, shifting your weight from foot to foot. “I heard you’re from Toehwa-hyeon, but how were you able to squeeze your way in here?” 

“I didn’t ‘squeeze my way in here’,” you retort, not liking how this man was addressing you. 

“Judging by how defensive you’re being, it sounds as if I’ve gotten it right.” He almost scoffs at you in disbelief, “This isn’t some place for a common boy without any worth in his duties or on the battlefield to walk in without earning it. I’ll ask you one last time: how did you come to know the Chief and Commander?”  

You stay silent, unsure of how to address him or what answer would be the right one. Yet, before you can begin to formulate a response, he steps forward and grabs the sleeve of your robes, “I, Suh Kangjoon, am asking you a question.” With the way he states his own name, it’s as if he’s trying to signal himself as someone of importance, but you’d never heard the other captains speak of him before. “What makes you think you can ignore me?” Rather than have a calm air as he asked, his tone had almost shifted to that of a petulant child.  

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” A voice barks off to the side, coming from one of the hall’s entranceways. Both Kangjoon and you turn to see Jihoon standing in the doorway, an almost scowl painting his lips as he watches the scene before him. Once Kangjoon had realized it was him, his hand falls away from clutching at your robes and returns to his side.  

“Very well, Commander,” he wets his lips as Jihoon approaches before clearing his throat and speaking once again. “I’m here on business with Gukseon Kwak.” 

“Is that right?” Jihoon’s voice is tipped with a poisonous edge, as if he didn’t fully trust the character in front of you. “He failed to mention that to me.” 

“He wrote to me with special orders to aid him while Colonel Choi is out of commission,” he begins, “I have the letter if you’d like to read it.” 

“That’s quite alright,” Jihoon waves him off, “but I think it’d be in your interest to know that Kwak is out on training runs with Kwon’s squadron today.” 

“Then I suppose I’ll have to come back at a later date,” the air of faux civility between the two was nearly palpable, Jihoon doing nothing to hide his distaste whereas Kangjoon only looked at him snidely. The newcomer begins to turn on his heels, heading for the exit before his pace slows and leaves the two of you with a few words, “Is it true that you’ve welcomed him as your page, Commander?” 

“Yes,” Jihoon nods, glancing at you for a moment before returning to look at the other, “but it’s no concern to you.” 

A flash of an uncaring smile, “Forgive me, then. I’ll try not to ask more as it seems to be out of my jurisdiction.” Another step before he stills, “I do, however, question your predisposition toward keeping those from higher ranks close to you,” his eyes widen in faux surprise, “Ah, it seems I’ve forgotten myself, please excuse me.”  

Once the stranger has exited the building, only then do you feel a sigh of relief overcome you. But before you have the chance to dwell on it for too long, Jihoon speaks up. 

“You shouldn’t be walking around the headquarters without my permission, you know.” 

“I understand, Commander, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” you begin to apologize. 

“Your presence here isn’t known by the other factions of the Hwarang, only those staying here at Shoshin,” He explains, “be mindful of anyone that isn’t a Hwarang from this sect, understood?” 

“Understood,” you nod. “But can I ask who that man was?” 

“That man is a captain of the Hanseong Hwarang. His name is Suh Kangjoon.” Jihoon looks as if he’s wracking his brain for an adequate description of the man, “His archery and swordsmanship are decent, but he’s well read and has a knack for military tactics.” His voice lowers a bit for his next statement. “He’s cunning, so be careful.” 

“Okay.” 

“Regardless of that,” his voice back to a decent volume as his gaze hardens at you, “if you’re not attending to someone then I fully expect you to stay put in your room.” With that, you suppose, he meant to dismiss you back to your quarters as any strict commander should and would have done. 

A wordless nod, understanding that asking any more of him would cause his mood to sour even more so after his meeting with Suh Kangjoon. Jihoon turns on his heels the same time as you, drifting away towards his room on the opposite end of the compound while you shuffle back to yours. 

𝔍𝔲𝔫𝔢 15𝔱𝔥, 661 - 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 The air thick with humidity sweeping in from the coast, the entirety of the Kingdom of Silla lies in mourning after the death of the posthumously named King Taejong Muyeol. With the lauded last year's effort of him uniting both Silla and Baekje, the former kingdom to the west of Silla, hanging over the heads of every citizen, his death felt like a sharp blow to all. For the first few days of the month, the Hwarang had traveled to Banweolseong, the King’s palace, to pay their respects to the fallen monarch, leaving you alone with only Eunseok as company.   

Once the Hwarang had steadily returned to the compounds, an air of normalcy once again began to hang over the inhabitants and the buildings themselves. Yet, midway through the month, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty called in aid from Silla to attack the kingdom of Gogoryeo. The kingdom resides to the north, and the Tang emperor wished to pincer it from both sides so that it would fall under either Tang or Silla rule. 

Whereas this may have been the wishes of Taejong Muyeol, the new king, Munmu, found issue in sending out an army so close to the prior monarch’s death. Yet, as an almost tributary state to the Tang, Silla was forced to comply by sending soldiers to the front. No members of the Hwarang were called, as they were to remain in their cities and keep patrol when the officers that normally stood guard could not.  

It’s a cooler day of the beginning of summer, you’d just come back to your room with your laundry when Hansol appears at your door. He stands there for a moment, allowing you to put down the basket of clothes in your hands before speaking, “Commander Lee would like a word with you.” 

A wordless nod and you begin to follow him. Hansol leads you to the main hall, only stopping at the entranceway and gesturing you inside, you step into the room and hear Hansol go in behind you, closing the door after he enters. Looking around, you spot Jihoon, Seungkwan, Mingyu, Junhui and Soonyoung standing around the hall. It seems as if only the captains and you had been summoned for this meeting.  

“I know you’ve been waiting for this, but the time has come to finally let you out,” Jihoon says once everyone’s settled into a comfortable silence.  

Your lips part and you can barely contain the gasp forming in the back of your throat, “Really?” Unable to contain your excitement, you try to compose yourself before speaking again. “So, there really was someone who saw my father in Hwango-dong?” You question, only hearing rumors of someone who’d seen a man with your father’s profile in one of the city’s districts. 

“We’re not sure if it’s true or not,” Jihoon cedes as he nods his head, “It’s our intention to let you verify for us. Considering that you’d recognize him the best out of everyone here.” 

“So, where is this man who said he saw him?”  

“The initial report outlines Jeolin Inn in Hwango-dong, Hansol’s assigned to do a preliminary check.” Both your and his attention turn to the man Jihoon had named. Did this mean that you were to accompany him to check or were you to wait here until after he’d swept the area? 

“That doesn’t mean that Heo is a guest of the inn though,” Kim chimes in. 

“Yeah,” Junhui agrees, “Being sighted in Hwango-dong could just mean he was walking around Seorabeol.”  

“Exactly,” Jihoon sighs, crossing his arms and looking at Soonyoung, Junhui and Mingyu, “That’s why I’m asking the three of you to take her out on your rounds to assist her in her search.” 

“All of us?” Soonyoung’s head tilts in confusion, “We normally split up and go our separate ways on our rounds.” 

Rather than entertaining Soonyoung with a response, Jihoon looks back to you. It was a quiet way to say that they were still in charge of looking over you, needing to make sure you wouldn’t try and make a break for it should they take you out in search for your father. 

“We get what you’re trying to say, Jihoon,” Seungkwan notes, “but I don’t like that you’re making us do all of the babysitting. I thought you were planning on patrolling as well?” The teasing lilt to his voice returns, “So, for your benefit, why don’t you show your adorable page the ropes by taking her out with you?” 

“Aren’t you the one who pushed her onto me?” Jihoon scoffs, “I’m not taking any of your shit today, Li. She isn’t my page.” 

“Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t, but a lot of the wang-do are beginning to believe it.” Seungkwan notes, crossing his own arms. “There’s always a grain of truth in every lie, so why don’t you give her a job already?” 

As the two continue their stalemating conversation, Mingyu moves to your side and whispers something to you, “Seorabeol isn’t the safest place right now, as you know, so you don’t have to force yourself to leave. I mean we all know what your dad looks like, so it’s not just your risk alone to bear.” 

  It seems like you could either explore where your father had last been seen, patrol the surrounding area, accompany Jihoon as his page, or stay here, from what Mingyu had suggested.  

“I think I should stay behind today,” after a moment of thinking, you come to the conclusion. There was no assurance that your father is out on the streets of Seorabeol still, and the looming threat of danger still hangs over the city. 

“What?!” Soonyoung frowns, “But what about your father?” 

“I have to understand my place here too, though… We don’t even know if he’s there anymore,” you give him a small smile and nod, “I’m sure more chances will come.” 

“If you say so,” he sounds a bit jilted, “But if you’ve already made up your mind there’s no convincing you…” 

After that, the men deliberate their plans before heading off to their respective destinations and you return to your room. The thought of not going eats away at you, maybe it would’ve been better to take the risk and venture out… 

“If you’re going to regret it that much, you should’ve gone with them.” 

The voice behind you startles you from your thoughts, you swivel on your heels to greet who’d interrupted your thinking, “Seungkwan… I’m not regretting it.” Yet, you are, so much so that you can’t bear to look into his eyes. But he smiles wryly, putting a hand on your shoulder. 

“Not at all?” He asks with a grin, “Not even if you knew Hansol and I went out of our way to convince Jihoon?” 

“You what…?” The revelation sucks the air from your lungs, not expecting him to say that at all. Had you wasted their kindness? “I’m sorry! I didn’t realize—” 

“Ah, well, it was actually Hansol that convinced him. I just stood behind him and nodded lightly.” 

“Even so,” you say as you look at him, “I’m sorry… I’ll apologize to Hansol later— Should there be another opportunity, please give me another chance to join you.” 

Seungkwan hesitates for a moment before responding, his eyes focusing deeply on yours, “You may be able to accompany us, but you’d better keep that blade sheathed. We don’t need any recklessness holding us back.” His eyes are serious but his smile remains bright, “If there’s any sign of you becoming an issue, I won’t hesitate to put my blade through you.” 

“I understand,” you say, nodding plaintively. 

The Hwarang says nothing more as he removes his hand from you, turning on his heels and making his way out of the main hall.

𝔍𝔲𝔩𝔶 7𝔱𝔥, 661 - 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Kwon Soonyoung and Boo Seungkwan stand in the great hall as you enter. The past few weeks had given you no information on the whereabouts of your father, despite you going on patrolling rounds with the different Hwarang captains. You assume the information, or lack of, was the reason for your summoning today by Lee Jihoon. Although the presence of the other two Hwarang captains make you feel somewhat more relieved, you wouldn’t have to face the Demon commander alone. 

“You asked to see me?”  There is a sour look on Jihoon’s face as you ask, something clearly eating away at him. 

“It’s about your father,” he begins, and you perk up for a moment. Jihoon’s frown stays on his face as he looks at you, a sinking feeling in your stomach as you can already tell you won’t like what he says. “I think it’s best we stop searching for him for the time being.” 

“Why?” You can hardly stop yourself from blurting out the question. You’d only been able to search for him for what felt like a handful of weeks, if you were to stop now there was a major possibility you could lose any leads you have. 

Jihoon remains collected, his arms crossing as he speaks again, “We have reports of activity from Baekje loyalists. It would be more than foolish to let you wander the streets in search of your father at a time like this.” 

“Then, are you asking me to stay here until things are resolved with the loyalists?” You question with a tilt of your head, unable to hide the disappointment in your voice. 

The commander nods before turning to Soonyoung and Seungkwan, “That being said, as for now she isn’t to accompany any captain on their rounds.” 

“So that’s why you pulled us in here?” The question is more like a musing as it falls from Soonyoung. It seems like he too hadn’t known why he was called here and it was now beginning to click. “You know, she’s never caused any issues when we took her on our rounds… I feel kind of bad now that she can’t tag along.” 

“Mhm,” Seungkwan nods, “even if something were to happen, as long as she’s not hopping into the fray it should be alright. Besides,” he smirks at you, “it’s not like she could outrun us if she tries to escape.” 

“I won’t run,” you protest firmly, knowing that he was fully joking. Eyes lingering on Seungkwan for a moment before you look back to Jihoon, “I made a promise when I agreed to stay here. I promised I’d look for my father, I can’t hold myself to that if you won’t let me.” 

“Staying with us is putting yourself at risk,” Seungkwan shrugs in your periphery, “if you don’t mind that, I don’t mind you joining us.” His gaze travels to Jihoon, his lips parting, “We’ve had witness reports, I don’t see why we should stop looking when we still have information coming in.” 

“You might have a point, Boo. But are witness reports a justifiable reason to put her in harm’s way?” The commander rebukes, his hands falling to his sides. “By taking her out with us, we’re placing an unnecessary burden on our shoulders.” 

“If I lose the opportunity to search for my father,” fists clenching at your sides, your nails digging into the skin of your palms, “then any future chances of finding him will be nearly impossible.” 

Jihoon looks at you, eyes searching yours, his gaze hardening. You think he’s about to refute you, before he starts speaking again. “You need to follow the orders of every captain you’re on patrol with. No sidetracking them. Am I clear?” 

“Yes,” you nod, “of course.” Unsure of how to show your gratitude, you bow towards him. 

“I’m not going to be the one ordering you to join them,” the commander huffs as you rise, “that’s up to your discretion.” 

It feels like no time at all before you reach the city’s streets accompanying Seungkwan on his rounds. 

“It feels like there’s more people here than usual…” You note as you walk, having to move to the side several times to let flocks of people pass by as the street lay cramped. 

“Mind yourself,” Seungkwan notes, pulling you to the side, out of the way of a passing cart. “Try not to wander off or something. Remember that you’re here to keep me company on my rounds.” 

“Sorry I was just distracted by everyone!” You say, brushing off the dust on your pants, “The city’s much livelier now.” 

His eyes twinkle and he smiles voraciously; you can sense him relax. “Well, there’s a summer festival happening soon, things are busier, I’ll give you that.” His smile wanes just a bit, “Of course, some of those loyalists are acting pretty strange too. What I’m saying is, watch yourself, alright?” 

As you walk down the street with his division, no one comes within a few yards of you; they step away as soon as their eyes catch sight of the blues. You’d noticed this phenomenon briefly when you’d first joined the Hwarang on their rounds, but it seems clear that the people of Seorabeol hold some sort of respect for these men. 

You stop every so often to ask some of the less intimidated passersby if they’d seen your father. Yet, after a few hours of searching, you finally meet someone who claims to have seen a man matching your description.

“Oh, yeah… I think I might’ve seen that guy a while back, over at Joon’s.” As he speaks, he points toward a store selling inkstones and brushes.

“Thank you!” You say as Seungkwan catches your eye, giving you a stern look. It almost looks as if he’s going to scold you when— 

“You there! Are you from the Kang household?!” The cry comes from a Hwarang, and Seungkwan turns from you, his lips tightening into a thin line. “Your household is currently under investigation by order of the Crown.” 

“Well shit…” Seungkwan sighs out, reaching for his sword as he looks at the men in question. “I guess they would choose the worst possible time to stir up trouble.” 

Like leaves scattering in a storm, the townspeople move out of Seungkwan’s way as he moves towards the commotion. For a moment you panic in the mass of fleeing citizens, but perhaps realize it’s best. If you stay too close, you may distract Seungkwan from his duties. 

You duck off into a nearby alley to watch, planning to return to the men once the tension simmers. 

“Hey kid,” a gravelly voice of an elder shopkeeper cries out, “Come over here, you don’t want to get caught up in that.” 

Time and time you’d been told to be wary of strangers while with the Hwarang, and you’re about to politely refuse his gesture when you realize that his shop is the one that the civilian had pointed out to you just moments earlier. 

“Excuse me, but is this Joon’s?” 

“Yes,” the man nods, “It is.” 

“Great!” You cry out, only before being interrupted by another shop employee. 

“Kang! This guy was just with the Hwarang!”

“What?!” The elder says, his eyebrows raising. 

“Huh? I’m not a member of the Hwarang.” You push, but the elder already seems to be backing up into his shop, obviously disinterested in helping you now. “No—it’s not like that! I’m just looking for someone!” Even if you’d just been walking with them, their reaction seems a bit excessive. 

A laugh behind you and you see Seungkwan standing there with his arms crossed, “You really have the shittiest luck, don’t you? Still, I guess you could say the same about them, or me.” He gives a small, unconcerned shrug before reaching for his blade and barreling his way through the door of the shop. 

Joon’s explodes with the clang of blades, men swearing and scrambling. 

When you return to the Hwarang headquarters, Seungcheol has a number of… less than pleasant words to say. Seungkwan and you kneel for quite some time as the colonel berates you before the other speaks up. 

“You don’t need to lose your head over it Seungcheol,” Seungkwan sighs, “After all, we arrested a couple of loyalists.”  

After the fighting was finished, you’d discovered a massive arms cache, as well as plans for a new meeting for the loyalists. No one had bothered to explain to you what had been going on, however, and you’d been completely lost. 

“Not something to lose my head over?” Seungcheol frowns, “My head is right where it belongs. Perhaps you should inquire after yours. The man claiming to be Joon Hyunjin was, in truth, Kang Kwanghyeon, a loyalist spy. You were aware that the Hwarang were allowing him to operate in hopes of gathering enemy intel?” 

“Yes,” Seungkwan nods, rising to his feet as Mingyu walks into the hall, “but we didn’t have a choice this time. I had to bring him in.” 

“Well at least it wasn’t a total bust,” Mingyu adds, “Like Seungkwan said, they did arrest some guys.” 

“But don’t you feel bad for Wonwoo and Chan?” Soonyoung asks, trailing behind Mingyu. Had they been outside the doors this whole time? “They were staking out the place to keep an eye on Kwanghyeon.” 

The corners of Soonyoung’s mouth twitch into a smile, but Wonwoo interrupts him to continue. “We appreciate your concern, Soonyoung, but nobody needs to lose any sleep on our account. We hadn’t been getting anywhere with him the last few days, Seungkwan did us a favor.” 

Chan nods in silent agreement. “His arrest is over and done, you won’t hear any complaints from us about it, though.” 

“You’re the definition of stoic and reasonable,” Junhui sighs out, crossing his arms, “Seungkwan on the other hand…” It doesn’t seem as if he’s going to let Seungkwan get away without rubbing his mistake in his face. 

“It’s all my fault,” you say, “Some loyalists were causing trouble, so I tried to get out of the way… I was going to go back to Seungkwan after it settled but the crowds pushed me too far away.” 

“But who was tasked with looking after you?” Seungcheol asks, his eyes glaring at you, expression hard and angry. “A captain of the Hwarang can’t even track a charge. Is this the best we can do?” When you’d first met Seungcheol, he’d been nice, if anything a little quiet. After his injury, however… It was as if he’d become an entirely different person. 

“I told her she could go.” Jihoon says as he walks into the hall, “They were only following orders.”

Seungcheol’s eyes trail him as he moves to stand at the head of the room. He gives the commander a tight, wry smile, but only receives a peaceful, impartial glance in return. 

“If you’re here, then that means you’re done interrogating Kwanghyeon, right?” Mingyu asks expectantly. 

“They’re going to wait for a day when the wind picks up, then set Seorabeol on fire and kidnap the King while everyone else is losing their shit.” Jihoon answers, “So they say, at least.” His voice is calm and measured, but you can all feel the import of his words. 

“Burn down the city?” Junhui scoffs, “Those loyalists are crazier than I thought.” 

“Whatever their reasons, we cannot ignore them,” Hansol says plainly. 

“They’re probably meeting tonight to scramble together a plan without Kwanghyeon in it.” Jihoon says, “We need to get ready to move out.” 

“Understood,” Hansol nods. 

“Finally,” Junhui says as he stretches, several pops coming from his back, “I’m getting chills.” 

Even though each man displays their professionalism differently, they are all clearly prepared. As they quiet down, Jihoon turns towards you, as if he’d only just noticed you’re standing there. 

“We did get some information on Heo, apparently he visited Joon’s with some men from the west.” 

“What?” 

“So, the rumors that he was seen in Seorabeol were true, but that’s all there is to it.” 

There are so many questions running through your head that you want to ask but you know that no one here has an answer for them.

Preparations for the raid begin immediately after the captains are all gathered in the main hall. There was even more commotion by the time dinner rolled around. The halls now darkened save for the braziers and candles that light the entrances and walls. The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife.

 It still affects you all the same. Your encounter at Joon’s created some of their current headache, and you hope to make up for it. Yet, any offer of assistance now is rebuked, it became quite clear that you have very little to offer when it comes to preparing for a raid. At the end of it, you stick to the wall, standing there quietly to avoid being a burden.

“Youngmin has only twelve men ready to fight,” Hansol murmurs to Mingyu. 

“And Jihoon and I have twenty-four a piece, everyone’s sick!” Mingyu says exasperatedly. There had been a swift food poisoning epidemic earlier in the week leaving many men bedridden. It’s like they’re now divided in half. Youngmin would lead a group of a dozen men to Wonweol Inn and Jihoon would lead twenty-three to Jeolin Inn on opposite ends of the city. “Do you think we’ll bring ‘em along tonight?” Mingyu asks, “It’d be perfect…” 

Them?

“I heard they won’t see combat for a while. They’re having… difficulty adjusting.” Hansol frowns. “They stop listening to orders as soon as they see blood. It’s rather inconvenient.”

The topic confuses you, yet you feel as if you’d heard something similar a while ago. Both of the captains hadn’t realized that you’re listening to their conversation. But it’s crucial that you don’t speak up. 

“They’ve gotta be spinning in their graves… Didn’t they choose to do this so they could fight?” 

“Mingyu… You can only say that after someone’s actually dead.”

“I guess you’re right,” the younger of the two captains sighs out, “They aren’t really dead, are they? They’re actually harder to kill now…” 

Now you really know you’re not supposed to be listening to this. To remove yourself from the area, you quickly begin to walk outside of the main hall, but as you open the door, you nearly run into another figure. 

“Huh? What’re you doing here?” Youngmin says as he holds his arms out to steady you as you brake in front of him.

“Oh… I… I couldn’t just sit there…” You explain to him how you feel useless in this situation, that you’d left your room to try and help but found nothing you could do. 

“Of course,” he smiles, trying to comfort you, “I know how you feel! The men are pretty excited, aren’t they?” 

“Yes,” you nod, not knowing if excited was the best term for him to use. Bloodthirsty may have been better. 

“Would you care to join us?” He asks simply. 

“What?!” You sputter out, not expecting him to say that. “You mean go on a raid with you? I don’t think that I could—”

“You see, many of my men are out with food poisoning, so we’re a bit understaffed. We could certainly use a messenger, but if you’d rather not, there’s no need to feel obligated.”

“Well, alright,” you nod, remembering that Youngmin’s group had lost the most men due to the sickness, “if I’ll just be a messenger, it should be okay.” 

His face splits into a grin and you find yourself on the way to Wonweol Inn to accompany their raid.

After you arrived at Wonweol, you were sent off on several short errands nearby. When you return, you hear Junhui talking to Seungkwan. 

“Looks like we’ve hit the jackpot on this one. Not sure if they’re brave, or stupid, for meeting right next to a government building.” Junhui says, glancing at the building next to the Inn.

“I knew they’d be here,” Seungkwan sighs, “After all, they’ve had a record of meeting at Wonweol.”

“Sure,” Junhui says, crossing his arms, “but the night Kwanghyeon gets arrested? That just seems sloppy to me. Aren’t they afraid of looking suspicious?” 

“Well obviously they’re somewhat less than normal,” Seungkwan quips, “They are meeting at Wonweol, aren’t they?” 

Their conversation is somewhat lighthearted, which doesn’t quite match the subject matter. As you approach, Soonyoung notices you and jogs over. 

“How’d it go?” He questions, “Did you see anyone from the Guard?”

 You shake your head before answering, “To be honest, I didn’t really see anyone nearby.”

“So, they still haven’t made their move? We told them that we’d be here before dark…” 

“Calm down, Soonyoung,” Junhui says as he walks over, lightly slapping the other on the back, “It won’t do us any good if they show up anyway. If this is gonna happen, we’ve gotta do it ourselves.” 

“I guess… It’s just that running in on our own seems a little reckless?” Soonyoung frowns, and Kangjoon, who’s on standby behind Soonyoung, nods in agreement.

“It is reckless.” He asserts, “We should wait for the Guard’s reinforcements.”

“If you believe that’s the best course of action,” Youngmin cedes, “Then why don’t we wait a little longer.”

Yet, no matter how long you wait, the officials still haven’t made it. 

You find yourself looking up at the sky. The moon inching further across the scape the longer you stay in the recesses of Wonweol.

“It’s getting late…” Junhui murmurs.

“What do you want to do, Chief?” Seungkwan asks Youngmin, “It’d be pretty shitty if we just sat here all night.” 

Youngmin had been quiet all this time, yet when Seungkwan spoke to him, he stood up, ready to address his men.

“We can’t wait a moment longer. Seungkwan, Junhui, Soonyoung: you all, follow me.” 

Seungkwan nods quietly but firmly as Kangjoon speaks up, “I will secure the front entrance so you guys can have at it.” 

“Aren’t you coming?” Soonyoung questions, surprised. 

“It’s all good,” Seungkwan quips, “I mean, we don’t want him in the dark and then mistakenly stabbing us you know? Oh, actually… We may mistakenly stab him.” 

“What are you suggesting, Seungkwan?” Kangjoon frowns as he shifts his weight from foot to foot. 

“Now, now.” Junhui intervenes, “If you want someone charging, we want someone reliable anyways. So, with that said, take care of the outside, Kangjoon.” 

“Can you stay away from the Inn?” Youngmin turns as he asks you, “Things are going to get dangerous. That place is full of rebel soldiers. We don’t intend to allow them to escape, but… better safe than sorry.” 

“Alright,” you say as he smiles at you, motioning for the men to join him in rushing the inn. 

The battle begins in earnest. The yells of men and the clang of swords fills the air soon after the Hwarang make their way inside, the sounds roll out of the doors and windows of the inn. 

You can hear feet pounding up the stairs, the screams of men dying and the wet thud of bodies dropping to the floor. 

“Damn it!” You hear Junhui shout out, “There’s too many of them! We need backup! Is there anyone outside?!” 

There had been moments prior, but all of the men who’d come with the captains had run around back and couldn’t hear Junhui call out. Kangjoon, on the other hand, is stationed outside, arresting any man attempting to flee the building. 

Is the only person left to really help you? Your thoughts interrupted when Youngmin yells out—

“Seungkwan! Are you alright?!”

 “Damn it Soonyoung! Don’t die on me!” Junhui calls out from somewhere else inside the building.

You have no desire to enter a slaughterhouse, with men killing and maiming one another. Even if you do, you have no illusions about your skill with a blade. You’re sure to be killed before you even draw it. 

Perhaps though, instead of fighting, you can rescue the wounded and pull them from the inn. This is how you find yourself drawn closer to the fray, only running inside when you hear Junhui yell out once again. 

Inside, it’s pitch black. The smell of blood hits your stomach like a fist. Black masses lay crumpled on the floor; the bodies of dead or dying men. Where are Seungkwan and Soonyoung? 

Entering the building had seemed a good idea on the outside, but now that you look around the charnel house, you realize that there is no way you can carry two men outside. 

With the fighting going on, and in the darkness too, you’d only be an impediment to the Hwarang should you choose to stumble around blindly in the dark— Looking around the inn, you cannot see a singular face that you recognize. It’s not until an unfamiliar face shouts out at you and raises their blade, do you fully realize the severity of your situation. 

Yet, before the blade meets your flesh, another sword juts out and parries it away from you. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Junhui shouts out to the revivalist, “You’re fighting me!” The Hwarang swings again and ends up burying his sword deep into the man’s stomach. 

Eyes trained on the blood pouring from the wound and now the man’s mouth, you can’t find it within yourself to look away.

“Would you mind checking upstairs?” Junhui asks quickly, his eyes trained on a few more men stumbling into the main room, “No one’ll get past me. I promise!” With that, he pushes past you and heads towards the group of men, your eyes focusing on the bright crimson trailing down his hand from a cut he’d received earlier. “Get going!” He calls out as his blade crashes against another’s.

And so, you do, quickly slipping by the throng of fighting bodies as you travel quickly up the staircase, your feet thudding along the wood. 

The scent of blood has traveled upstairs too, stinging your nose with its metallic tang as you look around the hall. Without another thought, you open the nearest door and run into the room. It seems like this darkened corner of the inn hasn’t been tainted with bloodshed yet, the interior clean and tidy. 

“Pray tell, why are you here?” A voice calls out from the dark and you realize you aren’t alone. At the open window, someone stares off into the darkness, the breeze of the night carrying his voice to you.

He wears no uniform belonging to either the revivalists or the Hwarang, just pale-yellow robes embroidered with a flower you can’t make out in the dark. 

Even as you stand shocked, you have a plethora of questions; Why is he here? What is he doing? Who is he? 

It seems like he hasn’t partaken in the battle, only looking to the streets coated in moonlight as the fighting wages downstairs. He seems calm, almost serene in the way he stands and throws a look back to you. 

“Who are you?” You find yourself asking as his reddened eyes pierce into yours. 

“Are you the one asking questions now?” A small smile dances along his lips as he only replies with a question himself. “Worry about where you are more than you’re worried about me.” 

His words snap you from the tranquility of the moment. Right, he’s an enemy, isn’t he? Instinctively, your hand reaches for the blade at your hip, his brow raising at your movement. 

“Planning on joining the fight?” As his gaze lingers on the steel, his eyes widen, “Wait, is that—?” The man now stands facing you directly, taking a step towards you as his eyes remain fixated on the blade. 

Just then, the door to the room flies open and a bloodied warrior saunters in, looking frantically to the stranger, “Hey, the Hwarang raided—” His report stops when he lays eyes on you, “Who the hell are you?!” Without hesitation, he reaches for his blade after not recognizing you as one of his own, and begins to swing at you. Although, before his blade can reach your head, a loud shout comes from the first man you’d encountered. 

“Quiet!” Almost in a blink of an eye, he’d unsheathed his own sword and charged at the already bloodied man, downing him with a singular strike. Once the man falls to the floor, the closer of the two looks to you, “Didn’t I tell you? You should be more concerned about yourself.”

“Why did you…” Your eyes still focused on the man who lays dead or dying at your feet, “Isn’t he your ally?” 

“If he were an ally, I wouldn’t have cut him loose.” His self-possession quiets you as he sheathes his sword.

It’s obvious that he isn’t a member of the Hwarang. You don’t know his purpose here either. 

Above anything, his gaze captures yours, enamoring your senses as if he were the only thing that matters right now. His eyes draw you into a lucid hypnosis, filling you with doubt about if he is a threat to you at all.

“…Thank you,” you’re able to say once you regain a bit of composure. 

A smirk crawls to the corner of his mouth, “Looks like you have some manners despite staying by the Hwarang’s side.” He’s mocking the men that had taken you in, and yet, you can’t bring yourself to argue against what he’s saying. 

“Why did you save me?” Questioning as his gaze falls to the blade at your hip. 

“Does that belong to you?” Ignoring your question, he imposes his own. His eyes glimmer almost burgundy from the silver light of the moon refracting into the room. 

“It does…” your hand now hovers near the blade as he lets out a soft laugh. 

“Then you can thank your blade.” Before you can ask him why, he turns but not before giving you a sly wink. “My business here is done. You can do whatever you want.” He takes his time walking towards the open window, jumping through it without any hesitation or final words. 

Your feet carry you to the window, but there isn’t any sign of the stranger. No footprints, no up kick of dirt—nothing. He’d made it clear that he wasn’t aligned with either side here tonight, so then why had he been at the inn? 

Standing there dumbfounded, you sense a presence entering the room behind you quietly. A prickle on the back of your neck and you slowly wrap your hand around your blade. 

“Are you alright?” The voice of Lee Chan startles you and you spin on your feet. You look at him with a puzzled expression, hadn’t he gone to Jeolin with Jihoon? It’s then your shoulders let go of their tension for a moment, reinforcements had arrived. 

𝔄𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔰𝔱 2𝔫𝔡, 661 - 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Ever since the raids on both Wonweol and Jeolin Inn, the Hwarang had become stricter on their rounds around Seorabeol, looking for and capturing any of the Baekje revivalists that had escaped that night. Rumors had begun to plague the streets that the loyalists were looking for revenge on those who tried to stop their rebellion. On top of that, the Hwarang were under harsh scrutiny of their opposers in the Crown’s court, despite them having stopped a meeting that was calling for the kidnapping of Silla’s monarch. 

Yet as the days creeped more lethargically into the summer, it seems as if the tensions that had arisen earlier in the season were dying down. Life was somewhat steady again. And due to your efforts during the battle, the Hwarang were growing more receptive and encouraging of your involvement with them. A small victory, for sure, but you were now allowed to complete chores in solitude now rather than being watched over by one of the captains. That’s where you find yourself now, sweeping away the dust that had accumulated in the overnight winds in front of the complex. 

You’re humming to yourself, brushing the boom atop the agate stone of the entrance when you hear gentle footsteps walking up the stairs to the main gate. 

“Excuse me,” a soft voice calls out to you, “Is this the Hwarang headquarters?” 

You look up from your work, your lips parting in mild surprise at seeing a familiar face, “It is.” 

“Ah, yes- hello,” the man smiles at you, the sunlight glimmering off of the purple silk of his robes, he then pauses, his eyes widening. “You’re…” 

“Huh?” 

As if he had telepathic means to tell if you’d strayed away from your task, the front entrance of the hall swings open, Jihoon standing in the doorway. He looks from you to the man and then back to you, pausing as if to let you speak. 

“Commander,” eyebrows raising in surprise, “This is-” 

Before you can finish speaking, the stranger almost gleefully runs to the commander. 

“I knew it!” he says, an unhidden delight in his words as he smiles at Jihoon, “It’s me, Seokmin, long time no see!” 

“Y- Wait, Seokmin?” Jihoon looks surprised as the other announces himself, “What are you doing here?!” 

A laugh from Seokmin, “Are you surprised? I’m visiting Seorabeol with the Crown’s orders.” He waves his hand, “But forget about that. I can’t believe it was you connected to the Hwarang! I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Congratulations, you really followed your and Hoseok’s dream.” 

The name lingers in the air heavily for a moment between the two, you’ve never heard of a Hoseok before. Looking at the two of them, it must’ve been at least an acquaintance of theirs. 

Jihoon doesn’t let the weight last, breaking it with a small smile. “Come on, if I were to fully do that, I’d be a general by now. The Hwarang aren’t treated much better than the city guard at this point.” 

“Still,” a somewhat nostalgic look in Seokmin’s eye, “I’m sure he’d be happy either way. The Hwarang are famous in Seorabeol, and gaining even more notoriety in other cities. With the raids last month, you’ve gained even more popular support.” 

Jihoon looks humble for a second, breaking his gaze with Seokmin to look at the ground. “We’re still working on that,” he mumbles out as the other laughs at him. 

It was an odd thing to see Jihoon flustered, you’d really only seen a mild variant of his embarrassment when Seungkwan would really get under his skin. But you’ve never seen his cheeks go flush before. With Seokmin’s teasing and knowledge of something that seemed to have happened years ago, it would suggest that they’ve known each other for a while. Are they good friends? 

Once you sense their conversation coming to a lull, you speak up, “Commander, can I ask who this is?” 

“Oh, yeah. You two haven’t met, I take it?” Jihoon muses and turns to look at you. 

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet.” Seokmin nods, “My name is Lee Seokmin. I’m a Naegeumwi.” 

You introduce yourself quickly. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” he smiles and gives you a short bow. 

Jihoon then gazes at the cloudless, sunny sky for a moment, “We don’t need to talk outside like this, why don’t you come in?” 

As the two make their way inside, you set the broom that is still in your hands next to the doorway and scurry off to the kitchen. You return to them some while later holding a tray of tea and assorted goods. After you set down the tray, Jihoon tells you to stay, so you take a seat a little way away from where the two are conversing. 

“You said you’re here on Crown orders? What are you here for?” Jihoon asks, his hand hovering over his steaming cup of tea. 

“I’m currently working in one of the Sodang units.” Seokmin explains. He goes on to say a few more things about his duties, but you’re unfamiliar with a majority of the lingo they use, so you try to follow along to the best of your ability. 

Jihoon, glancing at you and seeing your viable confusion, speaks up, “He’s in the Naegeumwi, entrusted with protecting King Munmu and his family.” 

“Oh wow,” you look at Seokmin, “I’m honored to meet someone with such a high ranking.” 

“Please,” he says, bowing his head humbly, “I only acquired this position because of the connections my father has.” 

“Why would someone with his rank need to visit the Hwarang?” You question Jihoon. While the Hwarang work under the Crown, there was no direct connection, whereas it seems as if Seokmin works quite literally with the king. 

“Are you asking why he’d know a bunch of washed-up nobles and commoners like us?” Jihoon asks, almost teasingly. You nod gently, so as to not offend him. “You see, not only is Seokmin a Naegeumwi, but his father’s father was Lee Alcheon.” Once again noting your confusion he clarifies, “A Sangdaedeung under Queen Jindeok some years ago. He opened a fairly prestigious school after his time in office, and now Seokmin here is the heir to it. The school I attended socialized often with the Lee school and that’s how I came to meet him.” 

“That’s right,” Seokmin nods, “When I heard that I was heading to Seorabeol I knew that I had to find you.” His eyes shine with admiration towards Jihoon, but the commander just scoffs and rolls his eyes at him. 

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Lee,” Jihoon sighs, “And remember: Seorabeol isn’t exactly a relaxing getaway.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind… However, even if it is dangerous, it seems even a woman can join the Hwarang?” Seokmin looks at you coyly before returning his gaze to the commander. He judges both the surprised look and glare from Jihoon for a moment before raising his hand to his mouth in surprise, “Was that supposed to be a secret?” He waits a moment, seeing as there’s no answer, he continues, “It’s not difficult to tell. I mean it’s not her fault.” 

“I know,” Jihoon’s probably recalling the first he’d met you; he’d been one of the first to figure it out, “Only a fool couldn’t see.” He resigns himself into a sigh, “Her reasons for being here are somewhat complicated, so we’re having her dress as a man for now. Only a handful of men in the Hwarang know of her circumstance, so I’d prefer if you didn’t speak about it in front of anyone.” 

“I understand,” the guard agrees. 

The three of you talking must’ve drawn the attention of the captains, because as Seokmin was about to begin teasing the commander some more, they slowly began to filter in. 

“Seokmin!” Junhui says as he sees the guard, running over to him and throwing an arm around his shoulder, “I thought you’d said you’d visit sooner!” 

“We thought we heard your voice somewhere, Wen thought he was hallucinating,” Mingyu notes as he greets Seokmin. 

“Junhui, Mingyu,” a smile curling onto Seokmin’s lips as Junhui relinquishes him from his grasp, “And everyone else! Long time no see.” 

“Can’t believe you’re in Seorabeol too now, are you here to train?” Junhui asks. 

“Don’t be stupid, Wen. I bet he’s here to protect something or someone important, right?” Soonyoung questions as he looks to the guard. 

A breathy chuckle from Seokmin, “It’s… something like that.” 

“If you’re in Seorabeol, then it must’ve been a good job offer.” Hansol notes, as he looks at Seokmin. 

Seokmin nods silently to affirm him while Seungkwan speaks up, “If that’s the case: be careful. Don’t be stupid and go off dying on us.” 

“Thank you for the warning,” Seokmin looks to the elder, “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“We should go drinking to celebrate someday, hell, we could go now if you want!” Junhui shouts out, eager to get out of the headquarters for a bit. 

The rest of the captains surround Seokmin for a while, immersing themselves in conversation and banter with the guard as he, too, seems to get lost in it all. So, he really did know all of them. 

“Despite him being in the Naegeumwi, and heir of his grandfather’s school…” Jihoon’s eyes hold a fond warmth as he looks onto the commotion happening in the room. “He doesn’t hold that over the heads of the ranks lower than him. No one can escape his amiable nature.” The commander then turns to you, “Whenever he visits, be sure to let him in.” 

“Alright,” you nod, not bothered by that order at all. Seokmin seemed to bring a warmth to the Hwarang men that you hadn’t seen too often, it was probably good for them. 

The men spent an exorbitant amount of time regaling about memories and incidents that had happened with their friend, and before they or you knew it, evening descended upon the compound with the orange glow of the setting sun. Seokmin notes this at one point and says he has to depart back to his duties. 

“I’ll try to drop by again soon,” Seokmin smiles, a twinkle in his eyes, before he turns on his heels and heads towards the city. You watch him as he leaves, his tall figure becoming smaller and smaller with every step before he eventually disappears down the pathway. 

Even if he was an important person and a friend of the Hwarang, he was an enigma to you. Seokmin was assuredly high amongst the bone-ranks, maybe even higher than the Hwarang’s commander, yet upheld himself with integrity and mindfulness to everyone he came across. You’d never been made aware of a noble that was like that before, most adhering to the rigid structure of the realm. 

𝔄𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔰𝔱 15𝔱𝔥, 661 - 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 It’s hot. Blazingly so. The city is blanketed by a heat so unknown to you that you found yourself perspiring as you awoke that morning. You’d thought you’d been sick until you walked into the main hall and saw the other captains in a similar state to yourself. There was nothing to be done about it except for staying in the shade or perhaps cooling off by a river. 

Yet, that’s not what was in store for you. Ever since your actions on the nights of the inn raids, Jihoon has been much more forgiving in his attitude, allowing you to resume your patrols with the captains. And seeing as Kim Mingyu was about to head out, you decided to tag along. 

You regret that decision almost immediately when you step onto the city’s streets, the crowds not doing anything to damper the rays of sun beaming down onto you. 

“Mingyu?” You ask as the two of you walk down the street, “The Hwarang patrol both night and day, right?” 

“They do,” he nods, wiping the sweat that had accumulated around the headband on his forehead, “Why?” 

“Why is it that you do? Wouldn’t that be more of the city guard’s job?” You question as you pass by an armory, the heat of its fires only causing you to perspire more. 

“Because most of the city guard’s been called to the front,” his shoulders shrug, “Emperor Gaozong called them to help his forces root out Goguryeo last month so they’ve had a decline in their numbers… I’m not sure when they’ll be back, I heard the King was leading generals to Siigok Garrison so I can only assume it’ll be a while.” 

“So, you’ve become the city guard then?”

“I mean, in a way,” he thinks, “We arrest thieves, people who’re looking for fights and who don’t pay for their meals. And then there are those who think they’ll just mooch off of merchants...”

It wasn’t fully the answer you’d been expecting, maybe along the lines of it. The adoption of the guard’s role was something new, but you couldn’t fault them for it if the city needed their swords. Before you’re able to continue to question him, a few men in Hwarang blues down the road seem to be trying to wave Mingyu down. Getting closer to the scene, you can make out Junhui’s figure and a few more Hwarang men.

“Hey!” He smiles as the two of you stand before him, he looks to you before asking, “Find anything about your dad?” 

“No,” a small shake of your head, “Nothing yet.” 

“Ah, cheer up,” he says, gently hitting you on the arm as he sees your downtrodden frown, “There’s always tomorrow.” 

“You’re right,” pepping up slightly at his words. Junhui seems to be able to energize and lighten the mood whenever someone was feeling low, it was something you’d noticed over the course of getting to know him. It was almost as if his optimism was contagious. 

“Did you find anything fun, Junhui?” Mingyu questions, probably wondering if there was any more reason for Junhui flagging you down other than wanting to say hello. 

“Nothing in particular…” Junhui admits, “But, all of the people on this street are acting really busy.” 

You think he’s being a little over dramatic, but a closer observation of the pedestrians and shopkeepers has you thinking a little more critically. There was almost a nervousness, an anxiety, threading itself through the air and in their movements. 

“It looks like they’re… packing up?” You observe, eyeing one merchant in particular boxing away his things.

“You think they’re worried about the war with Goguryeo or the Baekje guys?” Mingyu asks Junhui, crossing his arms. 

“I thought that the Baekje threat was resolved...?” You say, looking from Mingyu to Junhui, confusion seeped into your voice. 

The taller rests his hand atop the hilt of his sword, “We didn’t tell you, did we? Those Baekje bastards have been showing up again, that’s why we’ve been having extra rounds.” 

“Even if we did weaken them at Wonweol,” Mingyu frowns, “I can’t really imagine them standing idly around when we’ve put some of their men in the ground. And now that the king’s absent… it’s a little trickier for us.” 

“Were the loyalists planning on doing something?” You ask, the way Mingyu had spoken leads you to believe something had been in the works. 

“Not sure,” Junhui says with a shake of his head, “Other than what we found out after the raids we haven’t gotten wind of anything else.” 

“It doesn’t matter, though,” Mingyu notes, “All we’ve got to do is do our jobs. The loyalists attack Seorabeol, we drive them out. It’s as simple as that.” The Hwarang just accept the cards they’re dealt and never seem to complain. 

“If the loyalists continue their stunts, then we’re probably going to get orders from the king to do something whenever he gets back,” Junhui sighs, not knowing how long the sovereign would be out of the capital. 

“What do you think he’d decree?” A tilt of your head as you ask, unknowing what more he could make the Hwarang do. 

“In the past the Hwarang have fought almost as their own regiment, he might do that.” Junhui shrugs, his hand moving from his sword and down to his side. 

“That doesn’t happen too often,” Mingyu nods almost approvingly and then turns to you with a joking smile, “You should join us.” 

You laugh at the sudden invitation, knowing full well the offer wasn’t real. Seeing as the female version of the Hwarang, the Wonhwa, had been thrown away since before the Hwarang themselves were even conceptualized, it was a long shot to think that you could march along their ranks. As much as you want to help these men, you’re not sure that they’d fully accept you into their ranks. But if you could aid them like you had on the night of the raids on the two inns, you wouldn’t mind doing something like that again. 

“If you want me to go with you, I wouldn’t be opposed,” you shoot back at Mingyu, cracking a small smile at him. “If you need me to help, I’ll do whatever I can.” 

His smile deepens, the dimples on his cheeks beginning to show, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind if the time comes.” 

𝔄𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔰𝔱 18𝔱𝔥, 661 - 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 “Excuse me,” you say quietly as you make your way into the main hall, the wooden handle of the teapot in your grasp course on your palm. The heat of its contents rises up to try and weaken your grip on the vessel. “I brought you all some more tea.” 

The Hwarang captains and men sit in various spots around the hall, you’re not sure why they’re convening, but they’d been in there for at least an hour discussing some matter at hand. 

“Thanks!” Junhui calls out and beckons you over, he takes the pot from your hands and begins to pour tea into his already halfway filled cup, “It’s almost like you’re our servant or something.” 

More so a page, but you weren’t going to correct him quite yet. You take back the pot and look around for anyone who might need a refill. Spotting Eunseok trying to catch your eye, you make your way over and fill his cup. 

“Thank you,” he says once you’re finished, quickly bringing the cup to his lips and blowing on the warm contents. 

“It’s no problem,” you smile, voice barely above a whisper as you try not to disrupt the main conversation flowing throughout the hall. As you’re about to move away, Seungkwan swipes the pot from your grasp, pouring his own cup of tea and taking a drink of it. His face contorts for a moment and you question, “Does it not taste good?” 

“It tastes fine, I guess,” his shoulders shrug as he leans back in his seat, “It could stand to be a little warmer though, maybe you’re just taking too long to pour it.”

 “Oh,” you frown, taking the pot back from him, holding your free hand to the side of the vessel for a moment to test the warmth, “I’ll go and brew some more.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Soonyoung butts in, motioning for you to hand him the pot, “I like it lukewarm because it’s easier to drink, right, Hansol?” 

“Right,” the aforementioned captain nods, “It’s easier to drink on a hot day like this.” 

It looks as if Soonyoung’s about to speak again before Youngmin barges into the hall, a stoic expression drawn onto his face. 

“The Hwarang have received an official request from the Crown to head to Sabi. All available men must get ready to set out at once,” Youngmin says, a sternness in his voice hinting at a notion of pride somewhere hidden away in its depths. There’s general excitement beginning to buzz among the Hwarang before he continues, “It seems as if they’ve noticed all of our hard work as of late.” It’s then he lets himself break out into a prideful smile; it was clear he was proud of the work the Hwarang had achieved in the past few weeks. 

As you scan the faces of the room, there is one in particular that has a sour expression forming as Youngmin finishes. 

“We don’t have time to celebrate,” Jihoon says, rising to his feet, “We need to get moving now, so get off of your asses and go!” The captains and other men then begin to follow his lead and stand, “Those loyalists are already in Seorabeol, we need to cut the head off of this snake before it lays any more eggs.”

Once the men filter out and it’s only you and the captains, Jihoon speaks up, “Only when there’s somewhere else to go, they tell us to haul ass?” He shakes his head, “We may not be the Guard or the Watch, but it doesn’t mean we’re any less expendable.” 

“Soonyoung and Seungkwan,” Seungcheol says after Jihoon’s done mumbling to himself, “You’ll remain here. I know it’s not what you want, but your injuries from Wonweol are still preventing you from active duty.” You glance to his hand, knowing full well that the colonel would be staying behind as well.  

“Speak for yourself,” Seungkwan frowns, clearly perturbed by the orders, “It’s not like my injuries didn’t recover. But I’m not at peak performance, even I can realize that. So, if you want me to hang back, I guess I can…” 

“That’s bullshit!” Adversely, Soonyoung points to his forehead, the cut he’d received during the raids still an angry pink where the skin had been slashed. “This is just a scratch, Kwak’s just being too careful.” 

“Are you being serious?” Mingyu scoffs at the younger, “I heard you in your room crying about how much it still hurt last night.” 

“You bastard,” Soonyoung pouts, “Don’t you want me out there with you guys?”

“Oh, believe me, I do, Kwon.” Mingyu shakes his head, chuckling, “I just want you at your best. Not crying into your pillow because of a scratch. Even you heard him, right?” He looks to you for affirmation. 

“HEY!” Soonyoung whines, you think he’s going to clamp his hand over Mingyu’s mouth but the other moves away before he can. “Don’t ask her! And can you try to keep your mouth shut for a little while?” Soonyoung then gives you a sideways glance as if to ask if you really had heard him complaining yesterday. 

“...Your injury still hasn’t healed, Soonyoung.” You don’t explicitly admit that you heard his grumblings, even though you had. The band he normally wears with the Hwarang insignia hides the scar well, but without it, like he is now, it’s a stark reminder that he isn’t quite ready for the front lines again. 

“Hm, you said you wanted to go with us if we ever got the orders, didn’t you?” Junhui interrupts the lull in the room as he asks you a question. “Are you still up for that?” 

Even if you said that you’d join Junhui and Mingyu when you were out with them the other day, you thought you’d been joking, or half-joking at least. It would be risky if you did join them. 

“I don’t see any reason why you can’t tag along,” Youngmin says with a nod of his head, “Opportunities for the Hwarang to move under Crown command alone are rare.” While he’s supposed to be the leader of the Hwarang, Kwak Youngmin was very easily swayed by his men’s words.  

“What?” Soonyoung says, almost confused as he looks from Junhui to Mingyu. “If she’s going with you, then maybe it isn’t such a bad idea for me to tag along too, right?” 

“You’re still not where you need to be,” Junhui says, nudging the other with his elbow gently, “Just stay here and heal up.”

“Are you sure it’s okay that I go with you?” You ask, still not fully convinced they want you tagging along with them. 

The captain and colonel sigh at your reservations.  

“We can’t promise that you won’t get injured, or worse.” Jihoon says, a distressed glint in his eyes as he speaks to you, “I think you should stay here.”  

“Staying here would be an undue burden on the rest of us that stay,” Seungcheol argues back, “We’re not here to be a source of entertainment for you.” 

“Seungcheol…” Hansol speaks up, “So, as long as she’s not being burdensome, she’s free to go with us?” 

Is he standing up for you? It seems to be the case as Seungcheol looks at him in surprise, his eyes widening at the captain.  

“You’re really in favor of taking her along with you?” The colonel asks, his brow furrowing as he tries to understand the rationale.  

“She was an asset to us as Wonweol,” Hansol’s shoulders shrug, “Taking that into consideration, I hardly believe that she can be considered a ‘burden’, when recalling that.” 

“Great!” Youngmin exclaims, relinquishing the two from their conversation as his hands clap together. “I’ll take full responsibility for your inclusion, that is, if you want to go with us.” 

“Do whatever you want to do,” almost as if he can sense your hesitation, Seungkwan speaks up. The two of you make eye contact, and a smaller version of the smirk he almost always has plastered on his face curls to his lips. “Just as long as you know that this is a battle you’re going to, not a party.” 

Maybe you’d be able to help them out as you had on the night of the raids. It was a strong maybe, but you couldn’t let that hinder your decision making, could you?  

“I’d like to participate,” you find the words falling from your lips before you have the thought of saying them in the first place. Perhaps it was your subconscious speaking for what you truly want.  

𝔄𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔰𝔱 24, 661 - 𝔒𝔲𝔱𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔒𝔫𝔤𝔰𝔞𝔫, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 (𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔢𝔯 𝔅𝔞𝔢𝔨𝔧𝔢 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔤𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔡) Entering the territory of the former kingdom is more eye opening to you than you had ever thought it would be. Rather than the calmness that had been exemplified by the King’s announcements back in Silla, there is an anxious tension wrought in the villages and towns as the Hwarang sweep through. Even though they were only passing by, the inhabitants would warily gaze upon you, the captains, and the rest of the men as if to gauge how hostile their new countrymen would be. 

The main goal is to reach Ongsan, a former Baekje fortress that stands on the once border between the two Kingdoms. It seems as if the same group of loyalists from Seorabeol had taken over the now-emptied armament and claimed it as their headquarters. The Crown assigned the Hwarang the mission of expelling them, in a way of their gratitude for their performance on the night of the Wonweol and Jeolin Inn raids. 

Judging from what the captains were saying this morning, it seems as if you’re not too far from your destination. You don’t know the layout of this land, the towns are unfamiliar and the faces just as so.  

For the most part, the men have been silent, only the odd gripe from one of the Hwarang. The absence of both Seungkwan and Soonyoung are notable, their voices seeming to fill in large gaps of silence when in attendance. It’s not until your troupe stops in front of a walled gate, presumably leading into a city, that Youngmin speaks up. Before the group stands a few other soldiers, from Silla by the looks of their armor.  

“My name is Kwak Youngmin, leader of the Seorabeol Hwarang. I am here on orders from Kim Seokmin, an army general under His Majesty King Munmu.” He stands before an officer of the troupe that was already there. 

Kim Seokmin is one of the most influential members of the Crown’s court. The father of Kim Mingyu and former Hwarang himself, he acquired favor from the kingship due to his efforts in a handful of Baekje rebellions in the decades prior. 

The officer looks confused, his brow furrowing, “You were told to report here? Did you not meet with the men from Unghyeon?” 

“Unghyeon?” You mouth the word in the same confusion the officer was expressing. It’s a Silla fortress some distance away from where you all stand now; it hadn’t been brought up in any conversation the Hwarang had had on their trek. 

“Several generals and their troops were sent there to convene before the attack,” Hansol leans over to you and whispers, “If we were meant to meet with them, it’s most likely the message to tell us to do so was intercepted.”  

“Does that mean they know we’re coming?” You ask quietly, looking around to the other captains to try and gauge what they’re thinking.  

“It’s likely they’ve put the pieces together,” Hansol nods solemnly, “But I can’t imagine they have the numbers to rival both us and the other group.” 

“This could still get messy, though,” you sigh, hoping the break in communication wouldn’t be but so impactful to the mission. 

“Regardless of that, our aid has been formally requested,” Youngmin stands firm as he speaks to the officer, “If you could relay this to your commandi-” 

 “If that’s the case then I suggest you try and convene with the King’s garrison,” the officer states as he cuts off Youngmin, “We can’t let you in here because we have no idea what’s waiting on the other side.”

“Our orders say to stay stationed here,” Youngmin frowns, clearly frustrated with the lack of cooperation. 

“There’s nothing we can do about this, Chief,” Hansol speaks up, stepping over to Youngmin. “If they won’t allow us access here, maybe it would be in our best interest to try and find the others.” It looks as if Hansol was going to suggest something else before Kangjoon interrupts. 

“Find the others?” He shakes his head almost angrily, “Kim’s orders were to stay stationed here until we were signaled to enter the city. Why would we ignore a military command when we haven’t received anything to tell us to do otherwise? I think we should remain here on standby.” 

“If this was a camp that we were stationed at, that might make sense, Suh.” Hansol states with a frown, “But this is, or very soon will be, the front lines of a battle.” 

“Are you really trying to go against me?” Kangjoon nearly snarls back, the mere thought of someone going against his wishes enraging him, “Don’t forget that I’m the Hwarang’s War Counselor.” 

“And I’m the leader,” Youngmin interjects, “Hansol’s made a good point. We’ll look for the other group’s camp and hopefully get a better understanding of the strategy at play.” 

And with his words, the Hwarang begin to walk along the narrow pathway surrounding the fortress in search of the other group of generals and soldiers that are on their way from Unghyeon. Your group eventually finds the ally camp to the eastern front of the fortress, wooden spikes that had been hastily made surrounding it. A few soldiers come out to greet a few members of the Hwarang as you enter, they might be friends or family members who haven't seen each other in quite some time.  

Almost as soon as you’d entered the camp, Youngmin is ushered into one of the tents to speak with a few generals. You’re not sure who’s in there, but with the pallid complexion of the Hwarang’s leader upon his exit, you can assume it had been higher ranks than he’d been expecting.  

The orders are now to travel to the Southern Gate, the opposite end of where your original orders had been to go with a general and his troops.  

“If these guys say anything, and I don’t think they will, just let me know, okay?” Junhui says as everyone begins to leave the encampment. “Park Kimsu’s not a friendly face around here.” 

“What do you mean?” You ask, not noticing Mingyu saddling up beside you. 

“What he means is, his father’s an enemy of my father,” Mingyu says, a gruffness to his voice as if he’s recalling something. “His father’s probably the one that sent the Watch out the night of the raids to try and take credit for what we did.”  

“That and he’s a major prick,” Junhui adds, “I can’t imagine his men are much better.” 

“Come on you guys,” Youngmin says as he slows his pace in front of you three, falling in line to your steps. “We can’t talk about them like that,” he contradicts his words by letting slip a sly smile for a few seconds before straightening his face and resuming his position at the front of the line.  

By the time you all arrived and set up your small camp, night had fallen quickly, plunging the surrounding area into an inky black, save for the lights several fires dotted around the site provided. Youngmin, Jihoon and the captains had gone off to speak with Park Kimsu and his officers, leaving you and the rest of the Hwarang to sit around camp with little else to do.  

They return what feels like hours later, their shoulders sagging and eyes looking tired as if they'd just run for that time instead of sitting in on a meeting. Eunseok, who had accompanied them, walks over to you with a small and lethargic smile.  

“For the most part they’re being cooperative,” he sighs, “The only reason Kimsu was paired with us is because his father asked for it, though.” 

“Why would he do that?” You ask with a tilt of your head. Earlier, Mingyu has said that his and Kimsu’s families were something along the lines of enemies. 

“I don’t know,” Eunseok shakes his head, “Maybe to rile us up? Regardless of that though, we’re here to watch over the gate and make sure no one escapes.”

“Regardless of that, they’re treating us like reserve troops,” Junhui’s voice is strained as he walks over, his arms high over his head as he stretches. Once he drops his arms down, he speaks up, “They’ve left smaller reserves around the South entrance because the biggest fight is going to happen at the North Gate.” He sounds a little disappointed, as if he were anticipating a big battle.  

“We don’t know what they’ll do exactly,” Hansol says as he trails after him, “We may very well see battle.” 

But that means waiting and seeing as the sun isn’t to rise for a long time, that means waiting overnight. As the crowds disperse and settle into their tents, you find that the Hwarang, at least, are sleeping in shifts so that if the call to arms were to come at night, there would be someone to rouse everyone else.  

“You can rest your head on my shoulder if you need to,” Mingyu says as the two of you sit down to keep watch, the flames in front of you seem like they’re trying to lull you to sleep. 

“I’m alright,” trying to stifle a yawn behind your hand as you shake your head. You’d feel wrong trying to sleep when you know these men could get called to face death at any moment.  

A nervous anxiousness coils around your stomach until you find yourself falling asleep later in the night, not awaking until the sun’s barely peeking over the horizon. When you sit up from the laid down position you’d slept in, you notice that the men had kept a silent vigil all through the night. Even as you were drifting in and out of consciousness, you noted that there were men posted around the camp, looking for anything or anyone suspicious.  

A little while later a large boom reverberates through the surrounding forest. You first think it’s a crack of lightning, or maybe the subsequent boom of thunder that succeeds it, but the sky is clear today, not a cloud in sight. It had echoed like thunder, startling the birds in the nearby trees, and causing more people than just you to jump in shock. 

“What was that?” You question Hansol as he walks past you, seeming to look for someone coming in from outside of the camp. 

“It looks like the main army is beginning to siege the fortress,” he says, his eyes narrowing as scans the tree-line. The soldiers and Hwarang within the camp are moving by now,  

“Let’s get a move on!” Jihoon shouts out from somewhere deeper in the camp, his voice nearing as he continues to speak, “They’re not going to pause the fight until we get there, so get moving!” 

“We were told to stay here,” Park Kimsu says as he emerges from his tent, probably stirred from the commotion outside. The general watches the scramble of men in the camp race for their weapons and armor for a moment before he turns to Jihoon, “You don’t command my men.” 

“Our job is to siege the fortress, not sit on our asses and wait for this to pass by,” The commander bites back, he was almost yelling at the general. “We’re here to root out these loyalists, that won’t happen if we just stay here!”  

“We haven’t even received orders to push!” Kimsu quips, his brow furrowing at the Hwarang.  

“If you have any pride in your position, forget the damn orders and move your men,” Jihoon huffs, straightening the band around his forehead, “They aren’t going to willingly surrender.” The commander and general stare harshly at one another for a moment, almost as if they’re testing each other in a battle of wills. Jihoon, seeing as it was useless to try to neg the other any further, spins on his heels and begins to stalk off.  

“Where are we going?” You whisper to Hansol as Jihoon passes by, muttering something to himself.

 “To face the enemy head on,” He says quietly, “Which, in our case, means the Southern Gate. The main fight is meant to happen at the Northern Gate so I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to divide our numbers to get more support up there.” 

“I see,” You nod, the same nervousness invading your veins once again, it was now riddled with an adrenaline that was probably the only thing making you think clearly. 

Jihoon’s rage at the general seems to have roused the reserve troops, who now, instead of loitering around the camp, seem to be mostly readied up. Led by both Park Kimsu and Lee Jihoon, the army and the Hwarang march their way to the Southern Gate.  

It was only a short trek to the destination, but the remains of skirmishes that seemed to have happened moments prior litter the ground. Soldiers, dead and dying, lay on the ground, chunks of wood from the gate lay in reddened splinters as arrows, both broken and intact, lay riddled where fragments of the gate’s doors once stood. The group that had come before you seem to have successfully made it into the city, but not without losses of their own. You can see both Baekje and Silla armor on the bodies of the fallen soldiers.  

Even if you tried to mentally prepare yourself for what you might see, the reality of it all still shatters your heart.  

Though the Baekje and Silla forces were nowhere to be seen, had your allies driven them further into the fortress? After a quick moment of assessment, Jihoon orders a few captains to investigate what happened, Youngmin sighing as he does so. 

“Had we known a group of Silla warriors were coming in beforehand we would’ve joined them and lost fewer lives.” He frowns as he looks over the scene, looking up once he sees Hansol returning from his survey of the area.  

“It looks like our forces attacked the gate earlier this morning, were repelled briefly before the flank on the Northern Gate began,” the captain recounts, looking to Jihoon, “After their forces were divided the army at the Southern Gate was able to advance into the fortress.” 

“Do you have any word on what’s happening at the Northern Gate?” Jihoon questions, obviously beginning to silently plan a course of action.  

“They’re still fighting,” Hansol nods, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as if he can tell what Jihoon’s thinking, “The King’s garrison has yet to advance into Ongsan.” 

“Lee!” Mingyu shouts out as he returns from his own survey of the area, running from the direction of the pass to reach the stronghold. “There’s supposedly Baekje reinforcements coming from the west as well, not many, but enough to make a dent in our numbers if we let them.” 

Jihoon’s expression of confidence wavers momentarily as he listens to Kim as he approaches, but before he can comment on it, Chan also races over to the group of captains from surveying inside of the fortress.  

“Commander,” he starts off, a thin sheen of sweat coating his brow, glinting in the daylight now hanging overhead, “It’s believed that the men who led this are heading for the heart of the fortress to try and kill the loyalists trying to run for it.” 

The commander thinks after listening to the cumulative reports, contemplating as to what the next move should be. Although Youngmin is the recognized formal leader of the Hwarang, you’d come to learn the most major decisions were given to Jihoon to make. This was no exception, the crowd of captains anticipating his orders while Kimsu was speaking with his own men of what to do next.  

“It looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Jihoon’s lips curve into a small smile after a moment of silence. “Kim, take your men to the pass to deal with any incoming loyalists. Lee, Choi,” he turns to Chan and Hansol, “follow the men into the fortress, but make sure to keep an ear out if Kim needs any reinforcements at the pass.” 

There’s nods and affirmations from the captains and officers before the commander turns to Youngmin, “I’m sorry for giving you the hardest one, Chief. Can you speak with the higher ups back at the main camp about a punitive measure for the group that got here before us? As far as both Kimsu and I were aware they weren’t supposed to do that, and I’ll bet they’re doing more in there than just routing out the loyalists. If we’re to do anything about that then we’ll need the higher ups permission.” 

While an independently run body from the Crown’s army or guard, the Hwarang still need permission to act under that guise of pseudo-Crown rule and dole out their justice. 

“I’m sure I can do something about it, and if not me, my father,” Youngmin nods, a smile forming as he thinks it over. You’re not sure who Youngmin’s father is, but if his son is the leader of the Hwarang, his position in the Crown’s council must be higher than anyone else’s father in the organization. It would still be tricky to gain that permission with all of the Hwarang naysayers and adversaries within the council.  

“Eunseok, can you go with him?” Jihoon asks and turns to their youngest member, “Someone has to keep an eye on him.” 

“Of course,” He nods, “I’ll do my best.”  

Jihoon smiles wryly at him before turning to the remaining Hwarang. “The rest of you are following me into the fortress and to the Northern Gate. As for you,” he looks directly at you, “You can’t go with Youngmin, but other than that it’s up to you.” 

You know he doesn’t know where to place you. It’s not as if you’re one of the Hwarang he could command to a role and set you there. Maybe having you decide your own fate was a way to take the burden off his shoulders.  

“I’ll go with you, then,” you say after a moment of contemplation. Along with Jihoon, a group of Hwarang, and a group of regular soldiers, you’ll race into Ongsan and try to open the Northern Gate for the King’s garrison to make way into the fortress by suppressing the loyalists inside.  

The groups disperse shortly after, Mingyu and his men heading to the pass, Youngmin and Eunseok leaving for the main camp, Chan and Hansol leaving for the heart of the fortress, and then Jihoon and you making way to the Northern Gate from inside the fortress itself.  

Jihoon, you and the group of soldiers accompanying you race through the fortress. Seeing it from the outside had hidden how expansive it is on the inside, large courtyards and twisting hallways have your mind running in circles as you slowly run out of breath. You come upon another seemingly empty courtyard before stopping in your tracks. There’s someone standing in the middle of it, someone wearing neither Silla nor Baekje armor. In fact, they are dressed more like a noble than a fighter. 

The sun is shining so harshly onto the courtyard as you approach that it’s hard to get a good look at his face. It’s obscured in the sunlight and the light yellow of his robes and the glinting silver of a blade in his hand is doing little to help that. There’s a strange aura surrounding him, almost as if he's waiting for something to happen. 

Jihoon, perceptive to that, motions for everyone to stop before encroaching on the character. The Hwarang stop in their tracks, save for one man too eager or arrogant to follow the commander’s orders and charges towards the figure with his sword out. The stranger seems to have only waved his arm once before the Hwarang falls to the ground, the dull sound of his body hitting the stone below echoing around the courtyard, the clangor of battle raging in the distance. 

“What the hell?!” Junhui shouts out, shoving his way through the throng of Hwarang and over to the fallen man. The man’s unresponsive, a thick pool of blood beginning to stain the ground under him. The rest of the men, first taken aback by the stranger, now glare at him for the loss of their comrade.

“Commander… He was at Wonweol!” You say, finally realizing where you’d seen this man before.

“You’re Hwarang, aren’t you?” The stranger speaks up, his blade tapping against the agate stone of the walkway, “I can tell because of those blue robes of yours.” He sighs out, “A bunch of pretty nobles playing soldier, aren’t you all old enough to know to stop playing pretend?”

The man’s words are enough to make the already on-edge men agitated. Egged on by the harsh ridicule of someone they’d only just come upon. Each Hwarang, either noble or not, had their reason for joining. Taking their choice into question was cruel and that was clearly painted on their faces now. 

“First, you ruin my plans at Wonweol and now you’re trying to play hero,” They snicker, “You’re not even real soldiers, are you?” His gaze travels down to the fallen Hwarang momentarily before lazily and almost arrogantly meeting Jihoon’s eyes, “I’d turn back if I were you, unless you want to end up like your friend here.”

“You’re the swordsman who beat Seungkwan at Wonweol?” Jihoon asks, the tension in the air thick and palpable as he speaks. “I heard you were quite good, but these are pretty big words coming from such a small man.” The smile on the commander’s face is anything but amicable. 

“And I heard that you all were talented, for what you are, but this sorry display is telling me otherwise.” The now adversary snickers, once again glancing at the dying, or maybe he was already dead, Hwarang. “The man I fought at the inn; his name is Seungkwan? It’s a bit of a stretch to call him a real swordsman.”

You know from watching the men train that Seungkwan is skilled with a sword, but he had been injured by this man. Is his prowess with a blade more prolific than the Hwarang captain’s?

“Insult Boo all you want,” Junhui stands from the body of the crumpled soldier to face the stranger, his hand reaching for the sword at his hip. “But why did you kill this man?” The hiss of the steel leaving the sheath cries out as he tears it from the scabbard, the captain’s teeth baring. “If I don’t like your answer then I won’t hesitate to tear you down right here.” 

“How prideful,” you can almost hear him roll his eyes, “The king says for you to ‘Jump’ and you say, ‘How high?’. Why are you chasing after men who’ve deserted their own movement? Or are you trying to let your own men in at the Northern Gate? Either way, your combatants are going to kill themselves before they’ll let you take this place by full force.” 

You glance at Jihoon and the men around him, not even one looking as if the other’s words were outlandish. It seems as if the man in front of you had stopped your assault on the fortress to spare the pride of the Baekje loyalists. From the stranger’s point of view, you can understand what he was doing and why he feels right about it. But that gave him no right to slay one of the Hwarang.  

“Is taking someone’s life for the sake of another’s pride just?” You speak up, distraught from this situation entirely, “The only one who can save your pride is you, not letting that responsibility fall into someone else’s hands.”  

A grin splits onto the other’s face, “There’s some truth in that, I suppose. Are you saying that I should let the Hwarang demolish any pride these men have just to simply gain favor with the Crown?” Despite the curvature of his lips, his voice is not amused.  

“That’s not what I…” The reddish-brown tint of his eyes scrutinizes you as you try to justify yourself, quickly falling away with the harshness of his demeanor.  

“Here I was, thinking you were trying to say something intelligent,” Jihoon steps in once your voice trails off, “but you’re just acting like a child. This is war, not a council meeting debating ethics!” 

“What did you just say?” Knuckles turning white with the newfound grip on his blade, the stranger questions accusingly at Jihoon.  

“The loyalists started a fight knowing their kingdom had been defeated already, and now they’re running away in shame because they’re too cowardly to face the consequence of their actions,” Jihoon argues, a heated tone to his words, “They don’t deserve honor! They’re traitors to their new kingdom by trying to incite a rebellion, you think that deserves an honorable death?” 

“You don’t seem like a coward,” Jihoon states, “So are you ready to accept the consequences of what happens when you kill one of my men?” 

“Those are some big words,” The stranger says as he raises his sword from his lax position, the gore from the fallen Hwarang still clinging to the blade, “Do you really think you can defeat me?” 

The answer isn’t verbal, but a ringing sound as their blades meet. They step back from one another, Jihoon’s grip tightening on his sword as he glares at the other. Now, the commander’s skill seems unrivaled but the thought that this stranger had beaten Seungkwan, the Hwarang’s best swordsman, lingers in the back of your mind as you watch.  

Next to you, you can see Junhui reaching for his own sword. If he were to leap into the fight, it would most certainly help Jihoon gain the upper hand. 

“You can’t,” you say and reach out, your hand falling onto his forearm before he turns to look at you. Meeting and fighting with this stranger aren’t why you and the Hwarang are here. The mission is to aid the forces at the Northern Gate. It isn’t any question whether this man was an enemy, a dangerous one, at that.  

Even if Jihoon can’t defeat him, he would never let the Hwarang abandon their mission, especially after his speech. 

Junhui turns away from you and watches the two men clash for a moment more, gritting his teeth and finally pulling his hand away from his sword. “Lee, I’m going to take your men for a second if that’s okay with you!”  

“Just go already, loudmouth!” Jihoon says as he once again falls away from the stranger, “They’re all yours!” 

“Alright!” Junhui calls out and turns to the men, “We’re heading for the Northern Gate, run straight there and don’t stop until those Baekje bastards have been put in their place!” 

The soldiers roar with a renewed vigor and begin to follow the captain. 

The stranger huffs something out as he watches the men run off, his hand clenching his sword as if he’s about to follow them. 

“You’re not fighting them, so pay attention,” Jihoon calls out to pull the stranger’s focus back to him. “If you don’t, I’ll cut you down from behind instead.”

 “Don’t get in my way!” The stranger shouts, bringing his sword down to meet Jihoon’s, the swing causing Jihoon to reel back once receiving it. 

Now that there is more of a distance between the two, the stranger’s gaze once again travels to Junhui and the running Hwarang. You think for a moment to stop running with the men and try to stand your ground with Jihoon, but relent after a bit, continuing to go further on with the rest of the troops.  

“Keep running!” Jihoon calls out, closing the distance between himself and the stranger, positioning his sword upwards once more.  

“You don’t even know your limit,” The stranger scoffs. 

You stop for a moment, finding yourself unable to keep up with the men and draw your blade instinctively. Knees locking together, your swordsmanship wouldn’t be useful in battle but maybe, just maybe, you can buy the other men some time. 

The next thing you know, a high pitch screech of metal rings out and you’re on the ground. The stranger’s hit had blindsided you, and when your eyes refocus, you see his blade pointing down at you as a trickle of blood runs down your face. 

“That blade…” The stranger murmurs, looking to the steel that had fallen out of your grasp and lay only a foot or two away, “A familiar sight indeed.” Their eyes lock onto yours, “Hey, do you even realize what’s happening? The wound on your face is already starting to heal.” 

Your hand flies to your cheek, fingers brushing over where the cut should have been, but it has already healed. The pain had stopped and the blood had staunched itself. The stranger’s crimson eyes widen.

“Who would’ve thought I’d meet you here. And a female Demon, no less…” His gaze is scrutinizing, “What is your name? And how did you come across this?” 

Before you can answer, a dull clang of metal cries out above you as Jihoon swings his sword from behind while the stranger parries it in front. 

“Get away!” Jihoon shouts out angrily, holding his sword, ready to strike again. 

“Bastard, stay out of my way!” 

“I’m the one you’re fighting!” Jihoon reiterates, “Or do you only prey on the weak? I didn’t take you for a bully.” 

“How dare you, you monarchist dog,” The stranger near growls out as Jihoon looks at you. 

“Go on ahead!” He says and suddenly, energy jolts through you.

You scramble off of the ground reaching for your sword, urgency picking up your feet as you begin to dash away. Even if Jihoon had been there, you don’t think he’d seen your cut heal, at least you hope he hadn’t.

Demon. One of us.

The words of the stranger reverberate around your head as you run, but you can’t dwell on it now as you run to catch up with Junhui and the other men. 

By the time you and the rest of the Hwarang make it to the Northern Gates, it seems as if the King’s garrison had broken through already. There’re skirmishes happening all around the entrance but are soon quelled by the introduction of the Hwarang into the fight. Jihoon hadn’t arrived as the battles waned to a close and the sun began to sink down into the sky. Several higher ups order a few of the captains to look for any remaining loyalists in the compound, leaving you to stand and wait for a sign of the commander or a returning captain. 

“I’m sure they’ll be back soon,” a voice says to your right. You’re met with the face of Officer Jeon, or Wonwoo as you’ve come to learn. Like Chan, he acts as a spy for the Hwarang but typically deals with Yamato forces, but he had accompanied the men to Ongsan this time, only showing how much more this mission meant to the Hwarang. “I know they will.”

You can only nod your head in response and scan the area, looking for one of the faces you hope to see return. Every passing moment feels like an eternity, slowly inching by as the sun sinks lower and lower into the sky. 

 It’s dusk when you see a figure emerge from the depths of the fortress, the darkening sky obscuring most of their features, but as they near the now lit courtyard you stand in, you can see that it’s a familiar face. 

“Commander!” You shout out and race over to him, relief flooding your system. 

“I’m glad to see you’re alright,” Wonwoo says, following closely behind you as you stop in front of Jihoon. “It doesn't even look like you’ve been hurt.” 

In the light of the fires, you can see that the Hwarang hadn’t been injured, but he wears a dark expression over his face. 

“I hoped we would have a real fight, but it looks like it was over almost as soon as you all arrived,” he frowns, “held up by a Hwarang opposer, no less.”

“Who was he?” Wonwoo asks, tilting his head slightly. 

“His name is Hong Jisoo. I don’t know if his father’s a part of the council or if he’s just a lackey under one of them, but he’s clearly very anti-us.” 

“But if he’s still working under Silla rule, why did he try to stop us from going after Baekje?” You question, confused by the swordsman’s actions, weren’t both sides there to stop the loyalists? Something about this isn’t settling right with you. “Does that mean he was betraying Silla?” 

“I don’t know about that, but I do think he was trying to stop us from getting here,” Jihoon sighs out, closing his eyes as if to recall the situation, “The soldiers who broke us up were also confused by whatever game he was trying to play. But they didn’t try to command him to do anything after we’d stopped fighting, so he must have meant something to them.” 

“He must have some notoriety in their ranks, then,” Wonwoo muses. 

“He’s a lazy piece of shit who uses his rank or his money to do whatever he wants, more like,” Jihoon says with a bitter edge to his voice. “If he flaunts that around he has no right to try and teach me what his definition of pride is.” 

Before Jihoon can ramble and rant about Jisoo, Junhui and the detachment of men he’d left with returns to the battle site. Junhui stops for a moment upon seeing the commander before breaking out into a large grin. The smile doesn’t last long though as he approaches, the curvature of his grin turning downwards.

 “We found a few runaways, but they were already dying or dead by the time we got there.” At Junhui’s words you feel your heart drop. It’s not that you were sad that the loyalists were dead or that the Hwarang hadn’t been able to capture any one of them, only that more lives had been lost in the conflict.  

“Honorable suicide, then?” Jihoon nods, not sounding angry at the result. “Good for them.”

 “Good?” You ask without thinking, how is that ‘good’? Only hours prior the commander was trying to stop the loyalists from succeeding in that mission, but now that it’s been done he’s lauding them. 

“You don’t understand,” the commander says and looks towards you. “As Hwarang, this isn’t good for us. We failed and let them kill themselves. They’re dead, what good would it be for me to ignore what they’ve done? It doesn’t matter if they’re an enemy or my friend, a man who dies with his honor intact deserves at least some respect.” 

“I guess that makes some sense…” You mutter, not fully understanding the reasoning or what he was trying to convey.  

His expression softens slightly, “The longer you stay with us, the more you’re likely to understand our mindset.” 

Now that this group has come back together, you make your way to the campsite to meet with the rest of the Hwarang you’d parted ways with that morning.  

The event of the loyalist takeover of Ongsan and their eventual expulsion from the fortress comes to be known as the Ongsan Rebellion to the citizens of Silla. And while the Hwarang had been called to action, their efforts were stymied with unforeseen circumstances and were able to find little in the way of gaining major approval with the Crown. Communication with the King’s garrison and the army alongside him had been poor and much of the Hwarang’s time had been spent waiting for battle with the rest of the reserve troops. 

And even when they were called to arms, the Hwarang found a strange opponent at every turn:  

Hong Jisoo, who had defeated Seungkwan at Wonweol, had claimed to be a member of the pro-Watch camp of the council during his encounter with Jihoon. It still isn’t determined who his family is and why his stance is so firmly against the Hwarang. 

Hwan Minhyun, the man who had injured Soonyoung at Wonweol was also in attendance at the battle. While little more is known about him, he had claimed to be in allegiance with Hong Jisoo. 

And then there was Xu Minghao, who also fought along with the prior two men with little mention of his full allegiance.  

Whoever these men are, it’s clear to see that they’re no allies of the Hwarang. In fact, it seems as if they’re set to become one of their greatest enemies.  

The battle claimed the lives of thousands of men, the king ordering his garrison to behead any survivors they found. Even then, some Baekje loyalists were able to escape westward, further into the territory that used to be their homeland. With the end of the Ongsan Rebellion, the king passes an edict labeling any man that fought alongside the Baekje loyalists to be branded a traitor in the eyes of the Crown and an enemy of the court.  

𝔖𝔢𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 8𝔱𝔥, 661 - 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 With the events of the raid on Wonweol Inn and the Ongsan Rebellion taking place within only a few short weeks of one another, it was causing a certain unrest to take hold within citizens of Silla. The Hwarang are doing their best to double up on their work to make citizens feel protected, but with the return of most of the Guard and Watch, it’s difficult for them to receive missions as big as the raids and rebellion had been. And even if they are assigned a task, the Crown overworks them, seemingly wanting to bleed them dry.  

The Crown’s approval of any of their missions spreads them thin, even with the newer recruits they’d received from Podang and Gochang, it isn’t enough to keep an appropriate amount of people to instill peace. After many long and arduous meetings, it’s decided that Soonyoung, to slowly introduce him back into his role after his injury, will travel to Hanseong, one of Silla’s northernmost cities, to do preliminary scouting for future recruits.  

The burning sun hits your face as Youngmin and you see Soonyoung off, a bag slung around his shoulder having been packed the night prior.  

“I’ll be on my way now,” The Hwarang nods at the two of you, “Make sure no one gets in trouble while I’m away!” 

“I’ll try my best,” you smile at him. His presence would be missed at the headquarters, even if the other men didn’t want to acknowledge it. 

 “Find us a solid list of men, it doesn’t matter if they’re nobles or not,” Youngmin notes, putting his hand under his chin for a moment. “But seeing as it’s Gochang, you might encounter more nobles there than usual. I’ll join you there next month to see who you’ve recruited.” 

“Isn’t there someone who you’re looking for?” You turn to Youngmin, “I remember you mentioning someone once.” 

“Oh, did we not tell you?” Youngmin sounds a tad miffed, “His name is Kim Gongmyung. Classically trained and the rumor is that he’s very well versed in strategy.”  

“To be honest, I haven’t met him but only once or twice,” Soonyoung relents, “But at the least I’m sure he’ll let me speak to him.” 

“That’s all we need,” Youngmin nods with a small smile, “His father’s on our side in the king’s council, and if we approach him kindly, I’m sure it’ll be within his interest to help us.” The leader seems confident just by his facial expression, but there’s an air of unsureness coming from the younger Hwarang.  

“Alright, I’m going!” He lets that discontentment fall from his features seconds later, nodding his head before speaking. Soonyoung then turns to you, “I’ll do my best to find any information on Heo while I’m there, so just hang on until I get back!”

“Be careful!” You call out to him as he turns on his heels, bounding out from the main hall and towards the exit. As you watch him leave, and the smaller he seems to get the further he is from you and Youngmin, the more melancholy you feel. Youngmin looks different though, a small smile residing on his face as he watches the Hwarang set out. “You look excited, are you thinking of all the new members you’re getting?” 

“Of course, seeing our numbers increase is great. Even more so if they’re strong and able,” he says as Soonyoung finally disappears outside of the main entrance.  

𝔖𝔢𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 27𝔱𝔥, 661 - 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Time passes quickly after Soonyoung’s departure. So fast that the date of Youngmin’s departure for Hanseong arrives with little resistance. The morning before he’s meant to depart, you find him standing in one of the compound’s courtyards, quietly watching the wind pass through the leaves overhead. 

“Is everything alright?” You ask as you approach him quietly, not wanting to startle him.

 “Hm, oh, hello,” he looks at you with a small smile, “I’m alright, are you doing okay?” 

“I am,” you nod, “I’m just thinking about how you’re leaving tomorrow.” 

“I see,” he says with a short chuckle, “I can’t leave Soonyoung alone for too long, can I? Who knows what sort of trouble he’s already found himself in?” 

“I’m sure your absence here is going to affect the men like Soonyoung’s is,” you sigh out, already knowing the feeling of having such a pivotal character of the captains gone for nearly a month now. Youngmin is the Hwarang’s leader. If anything, this will be a larger blow than Soonyoung’s departure.

 “It’s only a month,” he tries to reassure you, “I’ve been gone for longer before. And besides, Jihoon will make sure everything runs smoothly while I’m away.” Youngmin probably isn’t aware that his kindness and Soonyoung’s strange but bright personality were things that kept you mentally intact day after day here. With both absent from the headquarters, you’re not sure what kind of emotional blow it’ll have on you. 

Your discontentment with the situation must have placated itself on your face because Youngmin looks at you now with a sad, small smile.  

“Is there anything you want me to bring back for you?” He questions in hopes that it might make you feel better, “I’m going to stop in Toehwa-hyeon on my way back, did you want a memento from your hometown?” 

“Oh no,” you shake your head, grateful for his offer, “You don’t have to worry about me.”

 “Are you sure?” Youngmin pushes a little more, “If there’s anything I can do for you, and as long as it’s within my power, I will.” You don’t want to ask any more of him, he’s so accommodating already that you’d just feel wrong in asking him to bring you something. 

“There is one thing…” You pause for a moment, “Could you train me?” 

“Are you-?” Youngmin’s brow furrows as he thinks of your statement, “Are you talking about fighting?”

 “I am,” you nod quickly.

 “Oh no… I think that would be a bad idea,” he sounds cautious, tentative, “I get really aggressive when I teach, if I ended up injuring you, I don’t think I’d be able to forgive myself.” 

“I see…” You probably sound defeated, your shoulders shrugging downwards at his words.  

“But that statement came out of nowhere… Did you have a reason for asking?” 

“If I’m going to help watch over Shoshin while you’re gone, I want to be able to instead of hiding while everyone else puts in the effort.” 

Youngmin chuckles nervously at that sentiment, “But you’re not one of the warriors, so I doubt you’d ever have to raise your sword to an enemy.” 

“You’re right, but I still want to be able to protect myself if something were to happen,” you insist gently, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. 

Youngmin mulls it over for a moment before perking up into a smile, “Well, if that’s the case, I’d love to teach you a few things.” 

The leader runs around for a moment, returning to you with a pair of practice swords and two cords so you can tie up your sleeves without getting hindered by them. Rather than use the traditional wooden practice swords of the Hwarang, Youngmin’s opted for the lighter bamboo variant as to not accidentally injure you with the splintery cousin.  

“Let’s start,” he says as he stands beside you, his own bamboo sword raised outwards. “I’ll warn you though, the style we teach at the Kwak school and the Hwarang are a little… arduous.”  

“I’m ready,” you state firmly and raise your own bamboo sword out to the open space in front of you. 

“Then let’s begin with your stance,” he says, looking towards your feet with a scrutinizing gaze, “You mentioned you’d trained before, right?” 

“It was mostly for self-defense, but I was taught how to use the blade I have with me,” you say as you look down to your feet, trying to position them correctly.  

“Then I won’t have to worry about teaching you a new form,” he notes, “Just get into the stance you’re most comfortable with.” 

With the smooth grip of the practice sword in hand, you fall back into the stance you have memorized from all your practice sessions. Your hold on the hilt of the weapon tightens as you await instruction.  

“Too weak!” Youngmin shouts out, different from the calm tone his voice typically carries. “If someone’s coming from your front to attack you, the first thing they’ll reach is your sword and your arm. Tighten your grip more or they’ll knock the sword right out of your hand, be wary of that.” 

“Okay!” You nod and try to hold onto the sword even tighter, the knuckles on your hand beginning to ache with the strain. It was somewhat endearing to know that he isn’t treating you any differently because you’re a girl. 

“Now you’re holding on too tight,” he notices the tremble from the overworked muscles of your hand, watching the fake blade quiver in the air. “Because you’ll be a bit weaker than most you’ll ever fight against, you should try your best to avoid someone attacking you from the front. To do that you’ll need to dodge or redirect the blow from their sword, but since you’re holding onto it so tightly…” 

You’re not sure how much time has passed since Youngmin had begun his instruction, but the sun is hanging low in the sky now as you try and retain everything, he’s been teaching you. 

“It’s getting late.” He muses after you finish swinging the sword for what feels like the thousandth time. It’s cause enough for you to look up at the reds, oranges and purples that are beginning to saturate the sky. And almost as if you’re pulled from your training, fatigue sets into your bones and causes you to collapse to your knees. Your limbs shake with exhaustion, clothes dampened with sweat, your breath hollow as you try to suck in more air than your lungs allow you. 

Youngmin looks over to you as you collapse, his stern expression from training you softening to one of concern. “I’m sorry!” He says, a panicked tone overtaking him, “I got so into it that I pushed you way too hard!”

 “I’m fine,” you breathe out, offering him a weak smile, “You ended up teaching me like that even though I’m not your student, thank you.”  

“I see,” he doesn’t sound fully convinced, but the worried edge to his voice subsides a bit, “If that’s how you feel then I’m glad I could help.” His face holds a mixture of guilt and hesitation, though, “I am sorry, I haven’t fully trained someone in years, and I suppose I went a little overboard.” 

“You mean before you became the Hwarang’s leader?” You ask as you shakily rise to your feet. 

“Right,” he nods with a nostalgic smile, “Jihoon, Seungkwan, and Eunseok all attended my family’s school. Seungcheol, Soonyoung, Junhui and Mingyu joined us afterwards, Hansol never fully joined but would stop by often. We don’t have time for it now, but we used to test our skills out against each other nearly every day.” 

The topic of the ‘old days’ often came up when the captains were tipsy or drunk on their alcohol. Youngmin’s father had been high up in the Crown’s council when he was alive, but later left to start up his own fighting school, much like Lee Alcheon had done. 

“All of that training must’ve been tough,” you wonder aloud. 

“It was,” Youngmin nods in agreement, “But it was fulfilling, in a different way than what our work is now.” He gazes off into nothing as he reminisces, causing a pang of envy to invade you for a moment.  

“Earlier you said you weren’t my student,” Youngmin says, looking at you, “Since I am technically a master of my family’s school, and I spent today training you… I think that more or less makes you a disciple of the style as well. That would make you a student like a few of the captains.” 

His words cause a smile to break out on your face, “Thank you.” Obviously, it isn’t an official method, and it was hardly a full day’s worth of instruction, but it made an unbridled happiness bubble within you. “I’m so grateful for what you’ve taught me today.”

enjoy what you read? leave a comment! it helps with motivating us writers to keep producing content for our lovely readers ❤

[wongyuseokie]

Zen | x.m.h

Summary: You have muscle soreness, so your boyfriend suggests yoga. It’s hard to stay calm and focus when he looks that good though. 

☆ 18+ minors dni |☀︎fluff | ♕ smut |  ♥ completed works

Word Count: 2473 Pairings:  Xu Minghao x Female Reader Genre/Trope(s)/AUs: Smut, fluff, PWP

Content Warnings: Is Minghao being a yoga instructor a warning? 

Smut Warnings: Fingering, oral sex (female and male receiving), unprotected sex (wrap it up y’all), multiple orgasms. Idk. It’s just filthy. Nipple play. Squirting, fingering. Mirror sex? Sorta. Face riding sorta?

Authors Note: Thank you so much to @flowerboykun for helping me look over this!! 💕 and always thank you to my soulmate @here4btsfics for helping me edit and beta this ilysm 💕 Authors Note 2: @the-boy-meets-evil happy Valentine's Day to you my darling! I hope you enjoy 💕💕💕💕 lot's of luv ur fave demon.

Banner Credits: @classicscreations

 Cross Posted to AO3

© wongyuseokie 2023. All rights reserved.

“Hao, I’m only doing this to show you I love you,” you complained as you plopped down on the yoga mat. 

You had been talking about how you were sore and tired, and your boyfriend suggested yoga, and after a few kisses and puppy eyes, you agreed. 

“Hao,” you said breathlessly as Minghao sat behind you.

“You look hot, by the way,” you complimented as you checked out his reflection in the mirror in the living room. 

“Focus, kitten,” Minghao said, his voice low and husky. 

“Okay, first of all. I’m very hands-on, so if anything makes you uncomfortable, please let me know. Still, there will be gentle touches to help optimise your yoga session and, of course, to help correct any positions,” Minghao explained, his hot breath fanning over your neck. 

You squeaked out a ‘yes,’ as Minghao pulled you closer into his body; his legs were placed on either side of your body. 

“Okay, you’re slouching. Let me, okay?” Minghao said softly, and you nodded as Minghao smiled. You smiled back at him, you could see his reflection in the mirror, and you could see how you were practically locked up in his embrace, not that you minded. Minghao smelt sweet, like oranges and lemons; you wanted to press your face into his neck and take in his scent. 

“Where’s your mind at? Bring it back to the room, and keep your eyes on yourself in the mirror,” Minghao said, making you nod as you moved your eyes back to focus on your reflection of you and Minghao in the mirror. 

“Okay, your back needs to be straighter,” Minghao said as he wrapped an arm around your waist, resting under the swells of your breasts. As he pulled you closer into his body, you bit your lip to keep from moaning as he pulled you into him. You had to suppress another soft moan as your body brushed against his taut body. 

“Good girl,” Minghao praised as he moved his arm away and placed it on your thighs.

“Take five deep breaths in and five out, and then we can start with stretching your legs out,” Minghao suggested, and you nodded, doing as he said. 

You took in five deep breaths, shuddering as Minghao did the same, feeling your pussy flutter as his hot breath fanned over your neck. 

“Good, now open your eyes slowly,” Minghao instructed, his voice soft yet commanding you to want to submit yourself to his touch. 

“Open your legs, spread them out, and I’ll slowly help you stretch them out,” Minghao said, knowing exactly what his words sounded like and how incredibly suggestive they were. 

“Uh, sorry?” You asked, confused at precisely what Minghao wanted from you. 

“Should I show you?” Minghao asked, and you nodded at his reflection, making him smile. 

Minghao moved his hands across your thighs, helping you to uncross your legs and keep them stretched out in front of you. 

“You seem wound up,” Minghao noted with a smirk as he placed his hands on your thighs. “You know, kitten. Sometimes, there are unconventional methods to try out, to put someone at ease,” Minghao purred into your ear, making your pussy clench. 

“Do tell,” you said breathlessly as you felt Minghao turn you around in his grip to face him. Minghao smirked as he leaned in to place his lips on yours, making you melt into the kiss immediately. 

“Relax, sweet girl, if I want to stretch you out properly, I need you to calm down, trust me, I’ll make you feel good,” Minghao said as he moved to kiss you again. 

Minghao’s plump lips moved against yours slowly as you slowly eased into his touch. You sighed in pleasure as he moved his soft lips against yours, felt him run his tongue along your lower lip, and opened your mouth slightly to allow him to push his tongue inside. 

Minghao’s hands wrapped around your thigh as his fingers trailed closer to your cloth-covered cunt. 

“Relax, sweet girl. This will be the best yoga class ever. You’ll feel relaxed,” Minghao purred, and you felt yourself give in and nod. Minghao’s hands moved up to the straps of your sports bra, he pulled away from the kiss to look at you, and you nodded. Minghao pushed your sports bra straps down, hissing when he saw your breasts. 

“Fuck, so pretty,” Minghao praised as his hands moved down from your neck to rest just above your breasts. Minghao moved to start massaging your breasts. 

Minghao squeezed the soft tissue and tugged on your hardening nipples; he replaced his hands with his mouth. He wrapped his lips around your breast, sucking and gently biting your nipples before moving on to the next one, 

“Fuck,” you moaned as you gripped onto him shaking slightly. Minghao pulled his mouth away from you as he pulled you into a kiss. 

“Did you cum from me simply licking your tits?” Minghao asked, and you nodded shyly as you hid your face between his neck and shoulder, and Minghao felt himself harden further as he felt your breasts on his chest. 

“Fucking hell, what will happen when I get my tongue inside you?” Minghao teased, and you squirmed, making him laugh. 

You moaned at his words as Minghao moved his lips back to your breast, his lips sucking your breasts while his thick tongue flicked your nipples. 

“Hao, I’m going to cum,” you moaned as he kept playing with your breasts. You shook on his lap and squirmed as you came down from your second high. Minghao pulled you in for a kiss. 

“Seriously, do you know how hot it is that I can make you cum by just playing with your tits?” You blushed as you hid your head in the space between his neck and shoulder. 

Minghao moved his hand up your thighs, rested it on your leggings, and smirked before speaking. 

“Lie down, and let me take this off you,” Minghao said, and you nodded as Minghao pushed you down onto the mat, pulled off your sports bra, and then tugged off your leggings, leaving you in your damp underwear. 

Minghao moved to place his fingers on your underwear, groaning as he felt the sticky material.

“You’re already fucking wet?” Minghao smirked at you and nodded, sitting up a bit as you watched him touch you. 

“Fucking hell,” Minghao said as he trailed his fingers along your wet folds. 

“Pretty,” Minghao praised as he ran his fingers down to your entrance; he moaned, feeling your wetness. He collected your arousal and trailed his fingers back to your clit. 

Minghao rubbed on your clit in circles, agonisingly slow. He pulled you in for a kiss as he kept rubbing your clit. 

Minghao pulled at your lower lip with his mouth, making you moan. Minghao slipped his thick tongue inside you as you kept whimpering into the kiss. You stilled as your orgasm hit you, his fingers slowly helping you to ride it out. 

Minghao pulled away from the kiss gently as he moved his fingers to your entrance and wet his fingers with your release. He brought his fingers back to his mouth, sucking as he moaned, tasting you. 

“Fuck baby, you taste so good. Come on, open your mouth,” Minghao spoke, and you opened your mouth slightly as Minghao placed his fingers on your lips, sucking his fingers clean. 

“I need to taste you some more, princess,” Minghao said as he placed your legs over his shoulders, smiling as he laid down between your thighs and pushed his thick tongue inside you. Minghao groaned as he tasted you and then moved his mouth to wrap his plush lips around your clit as he sucked. 

Minghao flicked his tongue against your clit, each flick making you arch your back and back into his mouth. He pushed two fingers into you and fingered you hard while you practically rode his face. 

“Fuck,” you gasped as Minghao added another finger. You moaned as you held onto his forearm, as Minghao rubbed his thumb over your clit, while his fingers thrust inside your cunt.

“Pretty girl, one more, give me one more,” Minghao coaxed, and you whimpered as he sped up his fingers inside you, his words pushing you over the edge. 

“Fuck, yes, Hao. Fuck,” you mumbled as you came on his fingers. He slowly pulled his fingers out of you, brought them to his lips, and sucked. “You taste incredible, baby,” Minghao praised as he smiled at you. 

“There are other things to stretch, maybe your mouth as well,” Minghao said cockily, and you nodded as Minghao stood up to strip himself naked. His thick cock stood proud and erect against his toned abs. 

“Come here, baby, let’s test that mouth of yours,” Minghao said as he laid down next to you, and you turned around to get on your knees, and you moved to kneel between his thighs. You would never do something like this, but he was intoxicating, it was like he put you under a spell, and you were willing to submit to his every request. 

You moved your mouth down his body until you reached his thick cock. It was hard and ready; it was begging to be touched. You wrapped your lips around his thick length. You moved your mouth up and down his length, and he started groaning and fisting his hands on the yoga mat. 

“Fucking hell, Y/N, you take me so well.” You moaned around his cock, the vibrations making him buck into your mouth. 

“Fuck Y/N, let me fuck you,” Minghao moaned, and you nodded at him feeling your cunt clench at the thought of his thick cock splitting you open. 

Minghao ran the head of his cock along your wet fold, making you whimper as he did so. He pushed in and went as slow as possible. You were so tight for him. The way your cunt wrapped around him, he thought he would cum right then. You were so wet, warm, and tight for him. 

“Fucking hell, you are so fucking tight.” You moaned as Minghao grabbed your waist and started to thrust into you. 

“Fucking hell Hao,” you sighed as you fell forward, holding the yoga mat for support. 

“So good,” you whimpered as he kept pounding into you. Minghao was so incredibly thick, and his thickness was splitting you in two. It felt so good the way he stretched you out. 

“You like that?” Minghao asked as he slapped your ass. 

“Yes, fucking hell,” you moaned as he kept fucking you, his thrusts relentless, the way he angled his hips to hit the spot inside you that had you begging for more. You wailed as you came, clenching around his cock. Minghao groaned as he came soon after, making you moan as his warmth filled you up. 

He pulled out of you slowly and moved down, placing his mouth on your pussy. His hands grabbed your ass and spread the cheeks apart as he stuck his tongue inside your cunt, licking his cum out of you as you shook with the overstimulation. 

Minghao fingered your cunt until you snapped and wailed as he made you squirt, you felt your legs tremble, and your orgasm took over you. 

Minghao gently laid down next to you and pulled you into his arms. 

“That was so fucking hot,” he groaned as you blushed, hiding your face in his toned chest. 

“Wasn’t that better than a typical yoga session?” Minghao asked. 

“How do you feel?” 

“Zen.” 

[vkooksupremacy]

You're the only colour I see

Xu Minghao x Male Reader

Y/N and Minghao were obviously in love. To everybody around them. Even to themselves. They were certain they were soulmates. But they decided to wait until they were 18. What's more, they shared a birthday.

"Y/N, what if we wake up tomorrow and we're not soulmates?"

"I'll battle god face to face. With swords and guns." Y/N smirked, settling into bed beside his boyfriend. "With the power of Master Oogway, no less."

"That turtle guys fictional." Minghao laughed. "He can't help you."

"Watch me." Y/N scowled. "Night, Hao."

"Night."

Y/N felt nevous when he woke up, keeping his eyes closed and willing for Minghao to be his soulmate.

"My eyes are still closed." Minghao said from the other side of the bed. "Ready?"

On the count of three, they opened their eyes. Y/N blinked.

"I've never seen this color before." He said. "I told you we'd be soulmates!"

"I'm sorry for doubting you." Minghao said sarcastically. "But now I can ask you to be my boyfriend."

"Who would I be to refuse?" Y/N asked, rolling out of the bed.

"I mean, we've been in love since forever, even before soulmates."

____________________

"Ughhh." Mark groaned. "Look guys, it's the soulmates forever couple."

"You can't say anything. Not like you don't cling to Renjun at every given moment. And it's not like we kiss everywhere." Y/N retaliated, as Minghao carded his fingers through the other's hair.

"Shut up."

"Anyway, bye, I'm going hang out with my LOVELY boyfriend." Minghao said, dragging Y/N along with him.

The couple sat on a bench still hiding hands. Their love was evident in the way they looked at each other, hearts blossoming from their eyes.

Slowly they began to lean in, and their lips met, eyes closing and melting into the kiss. It deepened, Minghao sliding his hand into Y/N's hair as Y/N's hand went onto Minghao's neck.

[alohajun]

♡ DEAR TOO MUCH — XU MINGHAO

slytherin!minghao x hufflepuff!reader | wc : 1.1k words | content : possible grammar and spelling mistakes, lowercase intended, fluff, mild angst, strangers to friends, hogwarts / harry potter au | loki's lines — this is the one (of a couple) entries for the exchange event by @kflixnet. this one's for @sodafy <3 this was my first time writing for hao and i really hope i did it justice! dsgdfhg hope you like this, have a great day <33

“hey, there! you must be minghao!”

the raven-haired male turned at the cheerful voice, brows furrowed amusingly as he saw you in front of him, enthusiastic as ever.

“yep.” he curtly nodded, scooting to the side to make space on your lab table. “you are y/n, i’m assuming?”

“the one and only!”

“good to know.”

as an overenthusiastic hufflepuff, you were always told to take it down a notch as your attitude could be overbearing to people — especially slytherins. 

and seeing minghao’s slight smile and brief replies, you figured you were going a little overboard with your energy.

“uh, if you ever feel like i’m too much, please don’t hesitate to tell me,” you quietly stated, a small smile on your face. “i’m trying to work on it.”

xu minghao didn’t know why, but hearing you say that made him frown, realizing you must’ve been told on multiple occasions to calm down. 

on any other day, the raven-haired male would’ve made some sort of snarky remark, but seeing the way you nervously smiled at him, all he could do was shrug off your comment.

“i’m not much and you are too much; i think we balance out each other well.”

as the days passed by, you and minghao only got closer — or at least, that’s what you thought. you were constantly rambling, and he kept listening to whatever you had to say, never complaining.

“there were these pretty rings at this stall on knockturn alley. they were so beautiful with these butterflies and little flower engravings!” you gushed, pouting as you looked at your empty fingers. “i couldn’t buy them, though. gyu was in a hurry, and we didn’t have time to go shopping.”

minghao only hummed in response, like he always did, signaling that he was listening to you. he walked around the table as he followed the recipe for the potion you were making in class today, not really bothered by your lack of help.

“ah, and there was this bracelet with a little golden snitch charm, which was the cutest thing ever!” you cooed, remembering the accessory you wanted. “but they sold them in pairs, and i don’t really have anyone to wear them with, so i didn’t buy those either.”

the raven-haired male hummed again in response, frowning at the book in his hands. “the letters are smudged on this book. i’ll go get another one,” he stated, moving to the back of the class as you stayed in your place.

you never really minded minghao not replying to your talks. just the fact that he listened meant a lot to you. 

but in the back of your head, you always wondered if he truly listened or just nodded to make you stop talking.

“the idiot ran away because you were talking his ears off.” your brows furrowed as you saw your gryffindor friend, mingyu, frowning. “he’s a slytherin, for merlin’s sake.”

“what’s that supposed to mean?”

seokmin sighed. “he’s not listening to what you are saying,” he confessed. “i know you are trying to make friends, but this guy is probably not it.” he gave a sympathetic smile.

“oh.”

“don’t get your heart broken, okay?” mingyu walked by, ruffling your hair affectionately. “i don’t want to have any points taken off gryffindor for teaching a slytherin a lesson.”

you stayed silent after the exchange, taking this time to think about everything. maybe they are right. maybe that’s why he hasn’t been responding to me properly. you sighed, going back to taking notes on your work.

xu minghao returned with another book, going back to his work — expecting you to continue your ramblings about your day. however, when you barely spoke to him, he raised his brows in concern, looking over at you.

“everything okay, y/n?”

“yeah, the potion seems to be brewing fine. no explosions so far.”

the raven-haired male frowned, knowing very well that you knew he wasn’t talking about the potion. his gaze darted to the table behind you, noticing mingyu and seokmin glancing over at you worriedly from time to time.

were you told to calm yourself down again? but why?

minghao shouldn’t have felt anything when he saw you with a blank face — in fact, he shouldn’t have been dying to see you smile and ramble again, like you always did.

he only left you for two minutes, and you changed so drastically that he couldn’t help but think that he had something to do with it.

was it because he never replied properly? was it because he didn’t seem like he cared?

whatever it was, xu minghao didn’t like it — mostly because he didn’t like seeing you down.

the great hall was crowded, as always; the chattering and giggling of children filling the entire room. you sat with your friends, picking at your breakfast, completely oblivious to their looks of worry.

“hey, y/n.” seokmin broke the silence, getting your attention. “are you still down about yesterday? because–”

“i’m fine.”

“we just don’t want you to be hurt, okay? we could be wrong and–”

you dropped the fork in your hands, clattering it against your plate. “i get it, okay? i’m just kinda sad because i really thought of him as a friend,” you muttered, looking down.

seokmin half-heartedly smiled. “hey, maybe we can–” the screeching of an owl cut him off, followed by it swooping low by their table and dropping a little package.

right in front of you.

brows furrowed, you gently took the package in your hands, slowly removing the wrapping before opening the little box. 

a confused smile took over your face as you saw the very accessories you had been eyeing at knockturn alley. all the way from the rings with the butterflies and little flower engravings to the bracelet with a little golden snitch charm; it was all in the box. 

did mingyu feel bad and buy those as an apology? 

you noticed a note at the bottom of the box, realizing it was definitely not mingyu as you read it. 

dear too much, i suck at this whole friendship thing, so i’m sorry if i ever make you feel like you are annoying me. i promise you are not, and i promise i am listening to you. sincerely, not much.

it didn’t take seokmin long to figure out who the package was from, seeing the way you smiled as you read the note. plus, the way the slytherin kept trying to see your reaction from the other table wasn’t exactly slick either.

“from minghao?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“i guess he was actually listening to my stupid ramblings, after all.”

© 2023 ALOHAJUN | PLEASE REFRAIN FROM COPYING OR REPOSTING MY WORK WITHIN OR OUTSIDE THIS SITE

[seventeenficsformalereader]

Best Friends? ;Woohao

Wonwoo is in love with his best friend, M/N, and decides to distance himself from him to get rid of his feelings. Meanwhile he gets a new friend, Minghao, which Wonwoo introduces to M/N. What Wonwoo doesn't know, is that Minghao falls for M/N too.

Contains: male X male X male, mentions of family issues, homophobia, fighting (Wonwoo gets hurt slightly), some angst, bad words/cursing, underage drinking, alcohol, mentions of alcohol, mentions of drugs, bullying (M/N gets bullied because it's funny),

Genre: Fluff, Angst

~Not requested but 100 follower special~

High School AU

A/N: Thank you so much again for 100 followers and maybe someday i'll get 200! Who knows? But i am so happy for this and i love you all so much for showing your love for my writing and this motivates me to keep writing! Thank you all and enjoy reading!

===============

Wonwoo POV:

I felt my lips curl up into a smile while i was looking through my gallery. There was a certain folder for photos that i have captured. But they aren't just some random photos that i have moved to the folder, no. They are photos of M/N. So many memories of him. I keep looking at the photo where we are at the beach. He was about to go swimming and the sun hit his skin perfectly, making it shine. His perfect body looking even more perfect with his smooth skin under the sunlight.

I wish he could've stayed longer at my place today, but he had to go study for the upcoming exam. I understand him though. His grades aren't that good and if he fails this test, he might actually have to be held back. I kept looking at the photos. I wish i could hold him right now. Have him next to me, cuddle while watching movies. It would be a dream come true. If only he was here with me still...

Which made me look at the time. 1.35 am... I better get some sleep.

~The next day at school~

M/N POV:

I was sitting in front of the door to our classroom, when i spotted Wonwoo. He was wearing his usual white headphones and he had a smile on his face as he was looking at his phone. I wondered about what he was smiling at, but brushed it off when he walked up to me. "Good morning" He said as he sat next to me and put his phone away. "Morning" I answered, but after that i remained silent. I was still a bit sleepy because i didn't get much sleep last night, but i was happy to hear that Wonwoo slept well. Or i believe he did, given his energetic looking eyes behind his glasses.

"Did you study for long last night? You look tired" Wonwoo asked, looking a bit worried. "I stopped studying at about 11 pm, but i couldn't go to sleep yet, because of my parents. They were fighting... again" I said the last part quietly, so other people around us wouldn't hear it. "I get it." He stayed quiet for a bit before speaking "Would you like to come over tonight? It's Friday so i thought you would want to" I thought about it for a moment. "Sounds fun, i'm in!" I said and smiled slightly. We walked into the classroom and sat down on our spots.

Unfortunately, when the teacher picked our seats, me and Wonwoo didn't get to sit next to each other, but i'm fine with sitting next to Joshua. He's from LA or something but he's a cool guy.

~After class~

I walked out of the classroom and started complaining to Wonwoo about everything. The previous class, the next class, the whole school.. But he seemed to be understanding and threw a couple comments and agreements here and there as i spoke. Wonwoo and I walked in the hallway towards our next class, but i suddenly felt a foot kicking the back of my knee and making me fall forward.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed in annoyance and when i turned around, i saw no one else but Lee Hae Kwan. (Just a random name, no one specific) He had been a little full of himself always and his way of thinking is that the whole world is above him, and he is the king. I think it's pretty childish, and i am not the only one who thinks that way, but he doesn't seem to get it.

He let out a laugh when i got annoyed and the rest of his "gang" laughed along. Wonwoo helped me up and looked at Hae Kwan angrily. "Oh is the little gay boy gonna cry? Maybe you can cry at your little boyfriend here" He and the rest laughed again. "This is seriously getting out of hand. You need to calm down." I said as i regained my balance, grabbing my back pack and putting it on again. "How dare you tell me what to do? If we weren't in school i would beat your ass!" He raised his voice a little "Are you afraid of getting detention?" Wonwoo questioned and shook his head slightly. "What? NO! I'm just concerned about your little boyfriend who might not be able to walk anymore after i snap his legs in half!" He said and walked away past us with the rest of the "gang", pushing me off from the way.

"I wonder when he realizes that he is the most childish person ever." I said quietly and then continued walking towards our class. "I'm sorry you have to go through that... But i'm right here for you, okay?" Wonwoo said comfortingly as he grabbed and squeezed my hand a little, before letting go. I smiled slightly at the nice and comforting action.

~Time skip, after school~

Wonwoo POV:

When i got home, i immediately ran upstairs to my room and started cleaning it up, so it wouldn't be so messy. I know that M/N doesn't mind it when my room is a mess, but i want it to look good for him, and maybe i want to seem like a clean person for him.

For him... Sounds funny when you think about it. I'm doing all this for him. I should not have these feelings for him, i shouldn't. We have been best friends since forever... I can't afford to lose him after everything we have gone through.

i stopped cleaning, and was about to grab my phone to text M/N not to come, but i heard the doorbell ring suddenly, so it's too late for that now.

I also heard my mother open the door for him, and i quickly rushed downstairs, so my mom wouldn't embarrass me somehow like she always does. As i got downstairs, i shooed my mom away. I greeted M/N and grabbed his arm, pulling him up to my room quickly. I heard him let out a laugh as i did so, and i suddenly felt embarrassed, but i didn't let go of his arm as i still kept pulling him upstairs. I let go of him when we made it to my room, and i closed the door.

"I have a surprise" M/N suddenly noted, and i couldn't help but be curious. "What is it?" I questioned as i sat down on the edge of my bed. He opened the plastic back he was holding, and it had 2 six packs of beer inside. "i was thinking that maybe we can go out tonight and have a little party of our own." He said as he set the plastic bag down. My mouth was wide open and my eyes wide. "Where did you get those?" I asked him and when i saw his little guilty face, i decided that he probably doesn't want to answer. "I mean it's Friday, we don't have school tomorrow.. Why not" I said and smile slightly. I was so happy to see him smile at my agreement, and it made me smile even more.

Eventually night came, and my parents went to bed at 11 pm. But now it was 1 am and we were ready to go out. "Make sure your phone is charged" M/N mentioned and i looked at the battery of my phone. "Yup! 78%" I said and he smile. "Great! Let's get going then." I opened the window of my room and slowly climbed out. M/N handed me my back pack, his own and the beers, before climbing out too.

He took his stuff and then slowly climbed off the roof. I followed after him and we both made it to the ground safely. "should we go to that one flowery garden where we aren't supposed to be allowed, but the owner doesn't give a fuck?" M/N asked me and i only nodded. I have never done anything like this. It was new to me, but i enjoyed the thrill of all this. The feeling of getting caught was present at all times, but i felt good.

We eventually got to the garden and we climbed over the locked gates and sat on the middle of it. M/N pulled out two beers from the bag, handing me one and taking one for himself. He opened it immediately, but i hesitated. M/N looked at me concerned. "Never drank beer before?" He asked and i nodded slightly. He chuckled.

"Go on then. Try it, it's good!" He said as he kept drinking it. I opened the can and too a sip and my face twisted to confusion and disgust at the same time "what do you think?" M/N asked and had a slight smirk on his face. "It's.. weird. I have never tasted anything like this before, but i guess it's drinkable." I said and M/N laughed slightly.

"I'm glad you at least tasted. If you don't want to drink it, it's fine." HE said as a reminder, but i shook my head. "It's okay, i can drink it." I answered and sipped on the beer again.

~Time skip~

It was currently 4 am? 5 am? I wasn't sure about it. My phone battery had died and so has M/N's personal battery. He had his head rested on my lap as he was scrolling through his phone. We were sitting in a park on the grass and more and more people started to pass by. There were some people who were walking their dogs, running, on a walk or jogging.

I looked down and saw M/N slowly put his phone down and he looked at me. I couldn't help but smile when he stared up at me. I know i shouldn't be feeling this way, but he looked so handsome when the morning sun hit his face in a perfect angle, making his smooth skin look more beautiful than ever. He slowly lifted his head and sat up, stretching his limbs. He had drank at least 8 beers during the night. I, myself, had 3, so i wasn't that drunk. But M/N was, and still were. He opened the last beer and was about to drink it, but i stopped him. "Maybe you have had enough. And there are some people who might know that you are underage and might call the cops on us or something." I said as i snatched the beer from him and pouring it on the grass, emptying the can and putting it back inside the plastic bag. "Fine, whatever." He mumbled as he stood up, taking a hold of a nearby tree so his balance would stay.

I got up too and then helped him walk to a bench in the park. We sat down on it and he let out a huff. "Tonight was fun, even if i don't remember some parts from it" M/N said and chuckled slightly after. "Yeah, it sure was. Maybe we should head back to my place. My parents will probably wonder where i am if they see i'm not in my room. And my phone battery died so we have to go."

"Will you get me something to eat from the store before we go back?" M/N asked and smiled slightly at me. "sure, let's go" I grabbed his shoulder with my other hand and i took a hold of his hand with my other as i helped him stay balanced. He could still walk, but it would look pretty weird if he did try to actually. We managed to get to the small store in the corner of the street, and walked inside.

I immediately took a bottle of water. I saw M/N take some chips and a chocolate bar. He walked to me and placed the items in my hand. "Could you please pay? I don't have my wallet" He asked and looked up at me. I couldn't say no to him, even if i wanted to, which i didn't. I would do anything he ever asks of me. I really gotta get myself together. I can't love him, it's wrong.

We went to the cash register and i paid for the stuff. "Is your friend alright?" The cashier asked and i turned to look at M/N, who was staring at the small toys and laughing at them. "Uhh.. he probably just needs some sleep." I answered and grabbed the stuff, then M/N and walked out of the store.

We got back to my place and i somehow managed to get a drunk person to the roof and inside my room through the window, without him falling.

M/N immediately laid on my bed and closed his eyes. "Ugh it's so soft!" He said as he hugged one of my pillows.I let out a chuckle and gave him the bottle of water. "Here, drink this. You need it" I said and he sat up and drank some of the water that i bought. "Mm it tastes so good!" He said happily and he set the bottle on the nightstand before laying down and closing his eyes. "Good night" I said as i turned around on my chair to look at the PC. I hear a humming sound from behind me, and then i start playing.

~Time skip to Monday again~

M/N POV:

I was running on the streets, quicker than i even knew i could. I had a reason for this. Today at school, Wonwoo wasn't being his usual self. He was more distant. He looked really uncomfortable and uneasy whenever i tried to talk to him. Every time i tried to talk to him, he didn't even react. He was just on his phone, pretending to ignore me. I wonder if he's mad at me for the drinking... no he can't be. I never pressured him to drink.. I need to know what's going on. But not now. The reason i am running is-

"WHOA!" i was pulled into an alleyway. "You really think you can run away from us?" Hae Kwan said and one of his gang members held me in place. I stayed silent, thinking that maybe they won't beat me to death if i just stayed quiet. Hae Kwan walked towards me and grabbed my chin. "I asked a question." He stated and let go of my chin before taking a step back. "Fuck off." I tried to stop myself from saying anything, but failed miserably. "Oh? The little fairy boy has some nerve doesn't he?" I wanted to attack him. Punch him, kick him, make him suffer in the most horrible way possible. If only i wasn't being held in place by two people, then i would do it.

Hae Kwan let out a laugh, then stepped out of the way and nodded. One of his "peasants" waked closer to me and punched my stomach hard. I let out a breathy groan and the two people who previously held me let me go and i fell to the ground, holding my stomach in pain. The person who kicked me lifted my head by my hair and kicked me in the face. I felt my nose start to bleed and Hae Kwan walked to me and grabbed my hair too before harshly slamming my head against the ground and then kicking my stomach again. I felt like i couldn't breathe and i held my stomach and nose in pain.

"HEY!" Hae Kwan and the others heard someone and they decided to run off, not wanting anyone to know it was them. The said person ran up to me and pulled me into a tight hug. "Wonwoo?" I asked and i lifted my bloody face to look up at him. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that i wasn't here when you needed it! I'm so so sorry!" He apologized many ties but i shushed him. "It's not your fault. And i'm sorry for anything i did! I felt like you were mad at me for something because you were so distant in school today. But i actually would understand why you are mad-" "I'm not mad at you, okay?" I looked at him and he helped me up. "Thanks" I said and saw some movement and turned to look at the person who was standing there. "Oh right! This is Minghao. I met him after you left my place. My mom told me to go to the store to buy some stuff and we bumped into each other accidentally and then started talking and- you know what, i don't think you care" Wonwoo said and let out a laugh.

"Hey! I'm M/N. Nice to meet you!" I reached my hand out for Minghao to grab it. He shyly took my hand in his and shook it. "Nice to meet you too." He said and put his hand back in his pocket.

Minghao POV:

When Wonwoo introduced M/N to me, i couldn't help but feel my heart flutter. His hair looking so clean and soft, and his smooth skin looking perfect in the sunlight. I wanted to smile at the sight of him, but i held back. I couldn't help but stare at him. Is it even possible for someone to look that hot or am i dreaming? I swear i have never seen anyone like him. Someone who is so perfect in every way and- My thoughts were stopped when he gestured for me to shake his hand. "Hey! I'm M/N. Nice to meet you!" My cheeks turned a slight color of pink after hearing his voice, but i quickly composed myself and shook his hand.

M/N POV:

The rest of the school week went pretty fast. Me, Minghao and Wonwoo became great friends and we already had a couple inside jokes among the three of us. It was Saturday currently, and we were all at my house, because my parents were out for the whole weekend. They told me not to have any friends over, but i never listen to them anyway.

We were all chilling in the living room, listening to some music and talking now and then, but most of the time we were on our phones. Suddenly Minghao got an idea. "Should we go out? Like just hand around and do something? Maybe we can get some spray cans and spray some walls!" He said excitedly, and i lifted my head from the couch cushion. "That sounds great!" I answered almost immediately, but i saw Wonwoo hesitating. "But it's illegal. We could get in some serious trouble for it." Wonwoo said, a tiny concern evident on his quiet voice. "It's only illegal if we get caught" Minghao said and got up. "I think we have some spray cans in our garage. Let me go find them real quick." I got up and started to walk to our garage, but Minghao stopped me "I'll go with you!" He said and i nodded.

Minghao POV:

Me and M/N walked into the garage to find some spray paint cans and i couldn't help but stare at his back when he walked in front of me. I wanted to grab his hips, pull him close to me and kiss his neck. I was fighting the urge to do it actually. We got to the garage and started searching for the spray paint cans.

I couldn't help but stare at M/N as he was searching. His body looked so good even when he was wearing over sized clothes. His face looked so handsome and pretty at the same time. I couldn't hold back my urges anymore. I walked up to him and..

M/N POV:

I was so focused on finding the cans that i didn't notice Minghao walking up to me. I felt him wrap him hands around my waist and pull me close to him. My eyes widened and i almost jolted away, but he kept me close. I felt like running away, but i didn't know how to. Running has been everything i have ever done and now would have been the moment.. but for some reason i couldn't do it. He leaned close to my ear and whispered "Let's stay like this for a while, please?" I felt my cheeks flush and felt him turn me around so i was facing him. "Your face is red, you seem to enjoy this" Minghao said with a slight giggle. My face turned even more red and i looked away in slight embarrassment. I saw from the corner of my eye, that Minghao was staring at my lips. I started to panic from the inside when i saw it and i slightly pulled away.

"Maybe we should go back... Wonwoo must be waiting for us" i whispered quietly and not waiting for a response as i walked out of the garage and back to the living room where Wonwoo was waiting. "What took you so long?" He questioned and looked at me and then Minghao who walked in after me. "Guess we lost track of time trying to find them..." i said awkwardly and sat back down.

"We didn't find them. Maybe we should just go to the movies or something." Minghao said and avoided eye contact with me. He must feel guilty for what he did just a few moments back. Wonwoo nodded and i agreed too. So we decided to go to the movies then.

~Time skip~

After some movie we had watched in the movie theater we were walking back to my place, all three of us. I, for some reason, was walking between the two taller boys and i couldn't help but have a slight gay panic. I was talking about the movie when suddenly Minghao interrupted me. "I need to use the bathroom, is there any nearby?" He asked and Wonwoo pointed at the public bathroom stall nearby. "Oh god no, not the public one" I said and punched Wonwoos arm playfully. "There is a way better one in there" I pointed at the store that was at the corner of the street. "Isn't that the store where we went when you were drunk?" Wonwoo asked and i smile. "Yup! The bathroom is the best in there" I said and Minghao nodded and walked in the store.

"Hey M/N" Wonwoo said and i turned around to look at him. "What is it?" I questioned and looked at the taller boy in front of me.

Wonwoo POV:

There is something very important i have to tell you.." I said hesitantly and when i saw M/N nod, i took it as a sign to tell him. "I don't want to ruin anything that we have between us. I know that we have been best friends since forever, but i can't help but feel like i want to be more than friends with you. I always feel more happy when i'm with you and you make me feel like the happiest person on earth. I know i shouldn't feel like this because i might lose you for this, but i needed to tell you." I took a deep breath after i was done and i waited for any kind of reaction from him. I stood awkwardly under the gaze of the shorter male and i felt myself grow more nervous when he didn't respond. "Wonwoo.." M/N said suddenly and i looked straight at him.

"yes?" "You do know that we can't go back to what we were now that you told this, right?" I nodded slightly and looked away. "I know. But i can't live with the fact that you don't know about my true feelings"

M/N POV:

Wonwoo looked somewhat guilty and I heard Minghao approach us again and that's when i remembered what happened with Minghao earlier.

"This can't be happening... This can't be true" I think to myself and i start to panic again, not too much but slightly. "Is everything okay in here?" Minghao questioned and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I blinked a couple times before pushing Minghao away.

"I need.. some time alone. To process things.. I'm sorry" I said and i speed walked away from the two boys as fast as i could.

Minghao POV:

Me and Wonwoo watched as M/N almost ran away from us. He was more speed walking but he left fast. I turned to look at Wonwoo who looked guilty "What did you say to him?" I asked and looked at the direction M/N went and then back at Wonwoo "I told him about my feelings towards him.. I knew i shouldn't have done it. We have been best friends for a long time and i except that everything will go well if i tell him? God i'm so stupid." Wonwoo explained and looked down embarrassed, sad and guilty. "You.. like him too?"

Wonwoo lifted his gaze from the ground and looked at me "Too? What do you mean? You don't.. do you?" Wonwoo looked a bit shocked, but i nodded slightly. "I do.. i somewhat told him when we were in the garage looking for the spray paints.." I said quietly and looked away, still feeling bad about what i did then.

"So if we both like him.. and we told him at the same day.. He must feel overwhelmed and anxious. We should apologize" Wonwoo said and i nodded. "Yeah, we should. Let's go back to his place and talk to him." I said and so me and Wonwoo went to M/Ns place.

Wonwoo POV:

Me and Minghao arrived at the house and knocked on the door. We waited a couple minutes, but there was no answer. I knocked on the door again but we still got no answer. Minghao decided to just open the door and walk in and I hesitated, but followed after him.

We walked upstairs to M/Ns room. I went first and Minghao followed. I knocked on his room door before opening it slightly and walking in "M/N? Can we talk?" I asked softly as me and Minghao walked deeper into the room.

Minghao pointed at the bed and i looked over there and saw M/N laying there, back facing us. I sighed and walked closer to him. "Hey... We just want to talk, okay?" I asked and he turned around and looked at me.

"What do you want?" He said somewhat annoyed yet sadly. "We came to apologize." Minghao started, then looked at me and waited for me to continue. I nodded and turned to look back at M/N. "We are sorry for making you feel like that. You must feel overwhelmed from the fact that we both told you about our feelings at the same day, and we didn't even know that we both liked you.." I explained to M/N and i saw him nodding at my words.

"If i'm honest, i am a bit afraid.. Not about the fact that i don't know which one to choose but.."

M/N paused and looked away and I furrowed my eyebrows. "You can tell us" Minghao said and took a step closer. "I can't choose. I think i.. like you both. I can't choose between you two." M/N said and avoided eye contact with us.

My jaw dropped slightly and Minghaos eyes widened. "You- You like-" "Us both?" Minghao finished my sentence and we both stared at the shorter male who is now in a sitting position on the bed. He nodded slightly.

"I don't know why. I don't know how but i do. I fell for you both and i don't know what to do.." M/N said and pulled his knees to his chest and hid his face in his hands "I'm sorry.." He said and i quickly sat next to him and hugged him. "You don't have to be sorry. We can work something out. I know we can" I said in a comforting tone and Minghao nodded. "We can make this into something. We can work it out." Minghao repeated and sat down on the bed too and hugged M/N from the other side.

"Really? You aren't mad at me for running away like that? And you think we can work it out?" M/N questioned and looked up at me and then Minghao. "I know we can" I said and smiled at him.

"I really do like you both.. it's impossible to choose between the two of you" M/N said and let out a laugh. Minghao grabbed his chin and turned his gaze to look at him. "Can i now do the thing i wanted to do earlier?" He asked and M/N smiled. "I wouldn't mind it-" Minghao connected their lips and I watched it for a moment before i turned M/Ns chin to my direction and kissed him too.

When i pulled away, I saw that he was bright red and looked somewhat embarrassed and very flustered.

Minghao chuckled and i smiled at M/N.

"Let's make this a good relationship. If we all agree on it, then we can make it work" I said and M/N and Minghao both agreed. "Thank you" M/N said and me and Minghao hugged him again.

===============

[tyongf-nct]

☆ fantasy - reader x chae hyungwon x xu minghao smut (1k) ☆

I posted a poll about a dream I had about a threesome. I decided to jump on it and insert two kpop idols after you all voted that I write it! From Monsta X I chose Hyungwon and from Seventeen, Minghao. They are my respective biases and I am self-serving, so to my fellow hyungwon and minghao girlies--you're welcome lmao

**I'm putting an extra warning here. This is VERY dirty! Don't read if you don't want to see anything mentioned in the tags!**

dynamic: fem!reader x chae hyungwon x xu minghao

warnings/tags: smut, threesome, established relationship (reader x hyungwon), vaginal sex, oral sex (male and female receiving/giving), idol x idol interaction, idol x reader interaction, making out, lots of saliva, snowballing, multiple orgasms, unprotected sex

~

Hyungwon knew you had a crush on Minghao and never failed to tease you about it. You had been dating Hyungwon for quite some time and the three of you were close friends. The sex with Hyungwon was already mind-blowing, but when he suggested inviting Minghao into your bed, you couldn't resist the temptation. Hyungwon had a giant cock and a skilled, dirty mouth, so adding the beautiful and graceful Minghao, with his smooth confidence and nimble fingers made for a leg-shaking session.

It began with Hyungwon eating and fucking you like usual, filling you up and bringing you so close to the edge but never quite letting you slip over. Minghao was apprehensive at first, keeping to himself to observe as he touched himself with a slicked hand and flushed cheeks. Minghao cursed under his breath as you and Hyungwon moaned, gripping one another tightly as if you couldn't bear to let the other go. Passion was intertwined with the sex you two had, but the true intensity began once Minghao joined in. He was underneath you with your back to him, holding your legs with long fingers as Hyungwon fucked into you roughly.

You could feel Minghao's hard cock pressing against your ass but Hyungwon was feral, bucking wildly into you as he cursed endlessly. Hyungwon leaned over you loomingly to bite at your neck and nibble down you chest until he reached your breasts, sucking each of your nipples into his hot, wet mouth one at a time.

“You like that?” He never seemed to shut up. “You like being filled up and fucked so well?”

Of course I fucking like it, you thought to yourself. You were a moaning, drooling mess. At some point the two men switched places so that Minghao was on his stomach between your legs to eat you out as Hyungwon gripped your chest and whispered his dirty observations into your ear. Minghao's tongue was like the devil, evil but perfectly tempting.

Hyungwon's dick slipped down between your legs as Minghao continued to lick and suck at your center. You could see Hyungwon's tip poling through right by Minghao's lips. To your horror--and complete pleasure--Minghao smirked with dangerous eyes before leaning in and sucking Hyungwon's cock into his mouth.

You moaned so loudly you felt the vibrations in your chest, alternating between gasping for air and cursing up a storm at the intoxicating sight. Minghao switched between swallowing Hyungwon's thick length and licking long stripes up your core.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Hyungwon groaned tightly as he started to slide his cock up and down your lips, rubbing against your hole and clit as Minghao held his lips open to lick feverishly at the both of you.

The sound of spit and your wetness echoed throughout the room and you felt your body tense as the two men pulled a shaking orgasm from you. You thrashed on the sheets as they groaned, allowing you to calm down before switching positions once again.

Several moments later, you were back to being fucked by Hyungwon with Minghao under you, this time as you faced Minghao. Your breasts bounced with the effort of Hyungwon slamming into you, his balls slapping against your clit and his big hands placed on either side of Minghao's head resting on the pillow. You held onto Minghao's shoulders desperately as you kissed sloppily. Every so often, Hyungwon would grip your chin roughly to kiss you--though it was less a kiss and more so him shoving his tongue into your mouth.

“You feel so fucking good,” you cried. Hyungwon smiled wryly and you felt Minghao shudder beneath you.

There was so much saliva between the three of you that it was dripping down off your chins and down your necks. Once you had been pushed through one more slow orgasm, Hyungwon slipped out of you to let Minghao slide in with ease. You cried out, clenching around the new feeling of Minghao's cock inside your wet and open hole.

Hyungwon gripped your hair to hold your face away and leaned down suddenly to kiss Minghao, much to your utter shock and delight. Watching your boyfriend and friend kiss with a new kind of fever brought about an intense, desperate hotness you hadn't felt before. Hyungwon pulled himself off of Minghao to kiss you next, then you and Minghao’s lips met. It continued like that, the three of you switching between one another until Minghao groaned that he was close.

"I want to swallow every drop of your come," you gasped, shivering at the almost animalistic growl Hyungwon let out as he yanked you off Minghao's cock and pulled you down the bed. He stopped once you faced Minghao's cock, mouth watering at the beautiful dick covered in your own arousal.

You quickly swallowed it until you gagged around him, Minghao voicing a quiet warning to be careful but sighing with pleasure nonetheless. You loved the sensation of being filled, so you continued to suck until you choked. Minghao's deep moans turned to slightly higher-pitched whines, his smooth hands sliding through the strands of your hair as he gripped your skull, fucking up into your hot, wet mouth as he spilled his seed.

"Don't swallow," he gasped, and you knew what his warning implied. You kept the come in your mouth obediently, crawling up his body until your lips were merely inches from his.

"Say ah," he commaded with that honey-sweet tone. You shivered, sharp pleasure wringing your gut as you opened your mouth to spit Minghao's own come into his mouth. All three of you moaned, Hyungwon's hands gripping your ass so hard you were sure there would be bruises there tomorrow. Minghao sloppily passed a slick combination of saliva and come between the two of you, and after a few rounds you finally swallowed the proof of his orgasm.

It wasn’t long until Hyungwon was spilling his own seed inside you, the warm come filling you up as you and Minghao watched with blown pupils. Heavy panting filled the quiet of the room as the three of you recovered; sweat, come, and saliva creating stickiness on your skin. After cleaning up and wiping your sore center gingerly, you settled into the two men and basked in the warm comfort of an occupied bed.

[nishloves]

in another life; xu minghao

reader x the8 // angst // words : 1.4k// warnings : mention of death (nothing in detail), psychiatrist. // masterlist synopsis : you never imagined your life without minghao; hell, it was too tormenting to even think about it; so how are you expected to let him go after you have loved him for so long? [a/n] : a failed attempt at me trying to write angst lol, hope you all like it <3

sometimes when you walk by the old birch tree, you could still see him sitting near the trunk, a book in his hands as he absent-mindedly gazes at the fallen autumn leaves.

sometimes when you start up the radio, you could swear you hear him chuckle beside you as your favourite song plays, and as you try to move yourself on the beats of the song for old times' sake you could feel his hand on your waist, guiding you through the moderately difficult choreography he had put together for your dance competition.

sometimes you can still see him sitting on his favorite coffee-colored armchair slurping the black coffee as he gently gazed at you, his hands shaking slightly as his head moved as if saying that he noticed you without you calling out to him.

sometimes when your hands trail over the keys of the piano, singing an unsung melody you could almost see his fluid body dancing to your beats.

he's gone; you try to remind yourself. he's gone from your life; you try to console yourself.

but it doesn't hurt any less than it did at first.

you swore you could feel him sitting right next to you as you watched the stars atop the hill where you both very happily trekked; those glittering jewels were still the same, but you weren't.

it didn't hurt any less, you didn't know any more.

did you really require a psychiatrist as people said?

you promised yourself you wouldn't come back to this town, yet you see yourself wandering here aimlessly at the end of the month, for those exact five days.

all their words seem monotonous now. they seem the same, they feel the same.

you lay your head on the trunk of the birch tree, tears welling in your eyes as you peered at the full moon, smiling at the night sky gives good dreams, right?

you smiled as tears trickled down your face,

"I want to see you again, minghao."

you whispered as a leaf flew into your lap, this time you smiled gratefully as you closed your eyes, "I miss you, minghao."

"y/n?" you heard him call out to you, your eyes fluttering and squinting because of the sunlight in your face as you gazed up at him.

"hao!" you breathed in delight, your chest swarming with warmth as tears dropped from your eyes.

he's here! he's present! right before you!

"y/n," he said, his eyes widening as he stepped back from you.

your brows furrowed, why was he going away from you?

"hao," you called out, your voice soft and near-breaking as the said male stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes shaking as he looked at you, "is it you y/n?"

"who else?" you asked, your hands rushing forward to touch him.

he pursed his lips, his body shaking under your touch as he asked, "what are you doing here, y/n?"

"I came to find you," you breathed out, your voice heavy as you tried to remember just why you and minghao had parted; you couldn't remember it. "i couldn't forget you- i love you too much to let go."

"to find me?" he asked, a wistful smile on his face as he patted your head, "you came all this way to find me?"

"i never left," you admitted, watching him shiver underneath your touch. why was he so shaken up? you wondered as you leaned your head on his chest, his heart pumping and racing strangely calming you down,

but did ghosts or spirits have heartbeats?

"I missed you, hao."

"I missed you so much, y/n," he replied his voice strained, his hands around you now as he clutched you closer to him, trying to imprint your figure in his mind.

"can we get back together?" you asked, your words a bumbling mess as you tried to pour your heart out after all this mess.

"they'll will think of me as insane."

"hao?'' you asked, your eyes fluttering as you admired his angelic face, you didn't remember why you parted, you couldn't remember anything at all- anything that happened in the past few months, but he was here; right in front of you! saying that he missed you too, did anything else matter for now?

"can you kiss me, minghao?" you asked, your body and heart yearning for the warmth you desired for all these months, yearning for his gentle touch as he could only nod at you.

his lips were still so much in sync with yours, they were hungry, passionate and full of yearning almost as if he was trying to pull your soul out. he buried his hand in your hair and pulled you towards himself, "y/n," he breathed, tears dripping from his eyes as you gasped.

"hao!" you wiped his tears away, your hands cupping his face as you asked, "what happened? why are you crying?"

"i am hallucinating, right? have i finally gone insane? should i really meet a doctor?"

"what?"

"you're gone, y/n," he breathed out, his lips quivering as you felt yourself lighten physically. you're gone? but you're right here?

"I am right here, hao, I'm telling you, I'm always here. I missed you!"

"you shouldn't be here, y/n," he whispered in your ears, you didn't like seeing him cry, he shouldn't cry.

"what do you mean?" you asked, you could see a strange light around you both as you cradled minghao in your arms, your sobs never-ending.

"what do you mean, hao!?"

"you died, y/n; you died months ago," he said, as he desperately tried to hold your now vanishing figure as your eyes widened.

you died? but you were living, right here! right now! wasn't it minghao who was gone? who were all those people whom you talked to, you clearly remember your hallucinations of minghao sitting and— oh... oh.

"hao," your voice was soft as you clutched him closer to yourself, an unknown easiness felt in your bones.

you pushed him slightly away from you, trying to ingrain every detail of his in your soul, how beautiful he was, how fleeting yet purposeful his touches were, how kind he was.

"please, don't leave me again, y/n," he whimpered, burying his face in your neck as he tried to hold onto your diminishing figure.

you could only smile sadly.

"don't let me haunt you, hao," you whispered, hugging him closer to you, "forget me."

"I can't, I can't, I can't! i love you and only you! please," his voice broke as he tried to grab onto your fleeting figure, "please y/n, please— you...you can't just go like this!" he retorted, his voice sharp, "you can't go away after meeting me like this..."

you gently kissed his cheek as you realised your hands were borderline transparent now.

"minghao, you deserve everything. so please don't dwell on me; move on and live your life, find someone to love, find someone else to call—"

"I can't, y/n; I love you, I will only love you," he wailed.

"minghao," your lips connected with his forehead as you smiled, "we will meet in our next life; let me be the ghost of your past, i won't ever forgive myself if you stop living your life to the fullest because of me."

"y/n," he breathed, relishing in the way of how your lips felt for the last time.

"let me go, minghao."

"I don't want to."

"you need to," you smiled at him, "for me."

"comeback... please," his voice quivered as he desperately tried to hold onto your disappearing hand, his eyes red.

"you're amazing hao," you whispered, tucking back a strand of his hair. "please live on, live on... for me."

"i will be the happiest when i see you doing well here, right here," you looked up at the morning star, intertwining your hand with his as you kissed his knuckles.

"let me go."

"i love you," he whispered slowly, as if reminding your soul about where you belonged.

he reluctantly put his hands away from you, writhing in heartache as he saw your figure depart, slowly vanishing piece by piece, at last your smile vanished too, haunting him for eternity.

yet he smiled at your last words, the words which had barely slipped your lips,

"i will love you for eternity too, minghao. find me in another life."

"i will," he whispered clutching his coat, "I will."

to my dear y/n,

in another life when the world falters in front of you and we haven't found each other yet, remember me. someday when all you need is an embrace, run back to me. someday when you feel like you're not enough, i will fill your cup with all the warmth you had given to me, come back to me. someday when you have no one to love, love me. love me for i will always be here with baited breath, yearning for your return as you think back to me. someday when you reunite with me again, i will say all these words to you; because even if we aren't meant to be, even if we aren't soulmates, i will always cherish you. whether it is the ghost of your embrace or you in flesh, i will only ever love you. so please, please wait for me in another life as i sweep you off your feet there too.

with love,

minghao

[fantasy-svt]

I don't want you to get hurt

Chapter 1 | Masterlist | Chapter 3

Description: Injured by a boat propellor and then almost being sold, Minghao finds himself at your clinic thanks to Chan. He can't deny that he enjoys being there.

Pairing: Xu Minghao x gn!reader (platonic) Word Count: 3.3k words

"Do you think I could just jump in?" Chan asked as he peered over the tank, trying to catch the creature inside. You scoffed as you turned away from him, instead choosing to inspect the chart instead.

"You said you found him in Norway?" You looked up from your chart to the man before you, who nodded as he started his story once more. You shook your head at him, just writing down the information before turning to the tank again. It was huge and so far you had yet to see the hybrid that you came to help, who was probably hiding himself near the other side of the tank. The rustling of clothes beside you made you sigh as you called out Chan's name, not having to look up to know that the otter planned to jump in.

"I can get him, it'll be fine!" Chan insisted and at this point, you felt no reason to argue. Although, he didn't really get the chance as a loud thud was heard from beside you. Turning your head, you were met with the stare of a very handsome face, one that you presumed belonged to the hybrid you were meeting. Long blondish-grey hair and a very intense stare that made the hairs on your neck stand up for just a few seconds. He didn't look like you expected him to, most whale hybrids you had met were taller than the normal human and definitely more robust. Yet this hybrid was just a normal height and on the leaner side, however he was definitely toned nonetheless.

How'd you know? Well, he was naked for one.

"Not to sound like a prude, but why is he naked?" You asked, turning your head away from the hybrid and looking at the man again. He just explained that the hybrid did not want to take anything from them. You nodded before turning to Chan, holding your hand out before looking at the hybrid in the tank. Chan handed you some clothes, which you quickly threw over the edge of the tank. The whale hybrid didn't move his gaze from you, letting the clothes sink to the ground.

"Put those on, we can talk after." You said, watching him closely for any kind of reaction. He didn't react for a few seconds before suddenly turning his gaze away from you and instead to the clothing, a clicking sound softly ringing from him before he swam downwards and dressing himself. Then he swam upwards again with great speed, launching himself above the water and propping himself up on the edge of the tank. He whined softly, almost like a whale would normally do, and you smiled at him.

"Can you come out of the tank?" You asked, watching as the hybrid stared at you again. Then he pushed himself up, climbing over the edge before dropping himself. Once he stood before you, he just waited. You did the same, waiting for any kind of movement of the male.

"Minghao." He spoke, his voice sounded like a soft melody that you assumed came from the low whine he produced earlier, and you nodded before writing it down. You looked up to him, only to find that he was not in front of you anymore and rather stalking around you and Chan. You took a good look at him as he was circling Chan, noticing the webbed fingers and toes, soft white spots on the front of his chest and neck. The freckles on his face seemed to light up in a way and you couldn't help but chuckle at how excited he suddenly seemed to get once it clicked that Chan was a hybrid too. You'd never see someone jump so high in the sky before, certainly not a whale hybrid, as he held on to Chan's hand while smiling oh-so- brightly. However, that also revealed the large gash on the bottom of his ribcage as he jumped up in happiness again.

"Could you hold still for a second, please?" You asked him and he looked at you, frozen in place as you carefully lifted his shirt. You noticed the slight twitch from his body, but continued to lift the shirt nonetheless before inspecting the wound. It wasn't just one gash, it was a few close next to each other and you could only frown.

"Did you get hit by a boat propellor?" The question seemed to startle him a bit before he nodded. You looked closer to the wounds, which were deep enough to see the slight white of his ribcage.

"I need to stitch this... Can you sit down, I brought my stuff." You said and Minghao looked at Chan, who nodded reassuringly, before sitting down and slightly leaning to the side to expose the wound. You smiled before getting your stuff, now glad that you decided to bring your anesthetics and stitching equipment. He didn't flinch when you inserted the needle with anesthetics nor did he ever flinch as you stitched up the wounds. When finished, you applied some bandages before nodding at him.

"Done." You stated, smiling at the hybrid as he softly poked the bandages before he looked back to his tank. Sensing his thoughts, you quickly pulled out something else and softly sticking it on top of the bandage. It was a thin elastic material, made specifically for water hybrids so they could swim without any worry.

"You can swim with this on, no worries." You gave him another reassuring smile before turning back to the man who called you, ready to start explaining the medicine the boy should get. Instead, the man just shook his head before you could even start.

"He's not staying here, so don't bother me with the details. Just give me a list that I can stick on his box." The man spoke, clearly not sensing the sudden drop of the mood as he rambled on.

"He's being shipped to Canada later today, they've been looking for whale hybrids for quite awhile now. Getting the population back up, you know the usual drill." He continued and you folded your arms with an annoyed sigh, glancing at Minghao before turning back to the man before you.

"And you got his consent?" The frown on the man's face said enough and you scoffed. "The law states that a hybrid has the right to chose what to do with their lives, thus for such decisions that you are making I assume you had consent? Otherwise this rescue center might have some legal trouble on it's way..." You mumbled the last part, not too quiet so the man would still hear you, before turning to Minghao.

"So, what are you doing with your life then?" You gave him a smile, trying to convince him to actually make the decisions on his own. Minghao looked up before glancing at Chan, who had been sitting beside him and talking to him with a smile. You had no doubt that Chan had told him his whole life story, he had done that quite a few times now, and you could see that the wheels in Minghao's head were turning.

"I want to work in your clinic." Minghao finally said, his voice suddenly serious and monotone unlike before. Now that, you did not expect and it was definitely a first, but you took it nonetheless as you turned back to the man with a gentle smile.

"Seems like he's coming with me instead. Might want to call that breeding center..." You gave another fake smile before guiding the two hybrids out of the room, pausing in the door and leaning back.

"Breeding is illegal in Canada, so I'd call the police if I were you or you might get a little visit later."

"Renovations are finished." One of your nurses gave you a smile as you arrived at your clinic. Your eyes widened in surprise before you entered the doors, seeking out the new building. A sanctuary, where hybrids can live and heal without trouble of finding a sanctuary that wasn't full already. Just one for your patients. The best part, however, was the small building on the east side. Your house, which was supposed to be big enough for you to live in. However, it seemed like the architect or builders had different ideas as the house was big enough to be called a mansion that was big enough to house at least 30 people if not more.

"I asked for a tank..." Chan whispered in your ear and you turned your head, looking at him with a look of a combination of annoyance and surprise. Then you sighed, rolling your eyes at him before moving your gaze to the buildings. The were placed in a circle with another large building right in the middle of it along with some sort of garden. You started to walk, wanting to view the habitats firsthand.

The first building left of you was an aquatic habitat, reaching about 4 floors. On the right was a marine one, which was filled up with different corals and plants inside as well as rocks to hide from view. On the left was a freshwater aquatic habitat, which was much simpler than the marine one when it came to decorations.

The second building next to it was a forest habitat, which was consistent of 3 parts. The left one was the temperate forest. It looked like a typical rainforest, large trees and a variety of plants to color the room. The middle room was the tropical forest, which looked like the amazon rainforest with dense climate of plants and you could only imagine how humid and warm it would be there. The third and final room was the boreal forest and this one was filled with coniferous trees that shielded the artificial light.

The third building was the largest when it came to surface level. Two levels high and at least two football fields big with bright green grass that made you want to run in there.

The fourth building was a desert habitat, which consisted of a large field of sand and a blazing heat that made the view distorted.

The fifth and final building was a mountain habitat and when looking inside, you noticed the thick fog that hung low on the ground while snow covered the floor. Unlike the tropical forest, this one seemed to be on the colder side.

Then finally, the building in the middle. It looked like some kind of common place for people to eat and interact with each other. The garden around it seemed for the same purpose, chairs and tables already placed in between the blooming flowers and bushes.

Overall, it was a very pleasant surprise that you certainly did not expect to be finished this early. You wished you could appreciate it a bit more, but instead Chan was quick to drag you off in excitement of his new home.

The first thing to note was the massive swimming pool, which seemed way deeper than a normal one would be, and it seemed to excite both Chan and Minghao. You decided to enter the house while they inspected the pool, pausing in the doorway as you noticed how large the building actually was. 2 offices to work in, 6 bedrooms, a large kitchen, 4 bathrooms and a small gym. Way too much for what you actually needed, but you ignored it. It was already build, you could find different uses for the rooms and having a gym would really be handy when you finally got motivated to start exercising again. Walking up the stairs, you started to inspect the rooms before opting to take the one with the office connected to it. Chan chose the one that was closest to the pool, which Minghao opted to use as well. You found it ironic how quick Minghao had opened up to the younger and how he now clung to the otter hybrid.

"Alright! You two can settle in, I'm going to get to work."

The sweat on your skin made you grimace as you actively tried to wipe it all off, but to no avail. The desert was certainly not something for you, the heat had caused you to undress until you only wore some flowy shorts and a tank top that was drenched in your sweat. An injured sidewinder hybrid, unlike others of his kind he was graced with a lower body resembling the body of a snake, that forced you to stay in the desert habitat for nearly an hour. If it wasn't for the fact that the lighting was artificial and thus harmless, you swore you would have a heat stroke.

The soft breeze that blew past you as you exited the habitat made you sigh in relief before pulling the towel around your neck down to wipe your body once more.

"Hey doctor!" Voices rang in harmony, multiple hybrids giving you wide smiles and happy waves that you gladly returned. Being open for only a week, the center had filled up quickly with hybrid from all over the world. It was surprising to say the least, but it was something you loved to see. Some stayed longer than others, opting to help out at the clinic or in the center itself, but most moved on with their lives fully healed from their injuries.

Nonetheless, you were happy.

"Ma'am?" Silence was interrupted by a melodic voice that you quickly recognized as Minghao's, making you turn your head slightly with a smile.

"I told you, just (y/n) is fine." He seemed appalled by the idea, mumbling that ma'am felt correct to him. "Ma'am is a bit insulting, you know? It makes me feel old... I'm not even thirty yet, so I am far from being old." You gave Minghao a smile before continuing on your way with the whale in tow. Unlike before, where he walked with a slumped back and heavy footsteps, he now walked freely. A soft spring in his step, shoulders back and head held high in pride.

Over the week he had grown past his initial doubts and fears, choosing to express himself in all kind of ways. His style, although you didn't get it, was more fashion based and his makeup made his natural features shine brighter. You particularity loved the glitter he adorned his freckles, making them sparkle in the sunlight. You could only thank Chan for whatever he did to make Minghao feel so comfortable.

"Are you okay?" He asked and you nodded at him, bringing the towel up to dry up your wet hair while trying to ignore the sudden chill that ran over you.

"Are you?" "Ah... Yes. Chan is with the kids and I don't find them that appealing... They bite." His statement only made you laugh, tilting your head forward as you tried to hold in the laughter. Minghao could only roll his eyes at you before asking if he could help somewhere else.

"Not really... My shift is over now unless an emergency arises, so I'll be doing paperwork in my office. You are welcome to join me, if you wish." With a gentle smile and Minghao nodded before following you.

Once in your office, he settled in the bean bag while you moved to your room to change into something else. The tank top was first to be discarded, replaced by a breezy oversized shirt while your pants were changed into another pair of shorts. When you took a look into the mirror, you could only sigh as you saw your reflection. You were tired, no other way to explain it. The bags under your eyes had grown, your skin had grown deadlier compared to your usual complexion and you didn't even want to het started on the mess that your hair had become, dead ends reaching further than they had ever had. You shook your head, ignoring those thoughts as you moved back to your office.

To your surprise, Minghao was leaned over your desk and inspecting the document with a pointed glare. You raised an eyebrow as you walked over, pulling your chair to yourself before sitting down and crossing your legs as you waited.

"These are wrong, you know that right? They're trying to scam you." Minghao spoke up after a few minutes, to which you frowned as you shuffled closer to read the documents. Minghao leaned over you, pointing at certain phrases that didn't make sense as he explained why.

"You're good at this... Really good." You grinned at Minghao, who only shrugged at you before grabbing another chair and rolling it closer. That's how you found yourself in this position, side by side with the whale hybrid as you went through every document. While he seemed confused by some things in the documents, others things seemed easy for him. You could only wonder where the knowledge came from, but that question was soon answered when Minghao spoke up again.

"Traders tend to talk business a lot... I picked some stuff up here and there." He gave a gentle smile and you could only grin as it was the first time he ever did so in your presence. He didn't seem to pay attention to it, continuing his reading and marking certain parts with your pen. You hadn't even noticed that he had plucked it from your hand, but he had and was using it very diligently.

"Do you just want to take over?" You joked, to which Minghao looked up and pause before nodding. "It'll give me something to do." He smiled and you nodded, rolling back and watching as he hunched over the papers. You'd read everything afterwards, for now you could relax. And thus you're eyes started to close, making you drift off and soon you were asleep.

Minghao had a soft smile on his face as he heard the soft snoring from behind him, fully aware that you were sleeping. Lifting his head, he looked at you before shrugging off his jacket and gently draping it over you. Then he sat back down in his chair and continued his work, the smile on his face not disappearing.

That was until Chan burst into the room, whom Minghao quickly shushed before pointing at you. Although Chan remained quiet, Minghao could see that he seemed worried and anxious.

"What's wrong?" Minghao asked, laying down the pen and standing up to calm Chan down if necessary. It was then that he noticed the large gashes on Chan's arm along with a bite mark on his hand. He inspected them carefully before looking at Chan's face, but his eyes seemed lifeless and pointed at you. So Minghao called your name, which prompted in you waking up quickly and not so elegantly. You seemed dazed and sleepy, but that quickly disappeared once you noticed Chan and his distress.

"They brought in this hybrid, he's... he's really aggressive and I didn't want to nurses to get hurt - I tried to muzzle him to be safe, but he bit me and-" "I got it Chan. How about you get those treated first while I go down." You gave a smile before looking at Minghao, who nodded before forcing Chan to his room to treat the wounds. You on the other hand, getting ready to head to your practice.

"I'll come." Minghao's voice rang out and you turned before shaking your head, but Minghao followed anyway. "Chan is sleeping, all his wounds are clean already and I covered them all properly. I'm not letting you get hurt." Minghao continued as you speed-walked down the hall and to your practice.

"Didn't know you cared." You teased, but Minghao scoffed at you.

"Chan asked me too." He said and you chuckled again, nodding as you grabbed your doctor coat and tied your hair back. Minghao followed you inside and you handed him a thick leather jacket, explaining that it was for protection before turning to head inside. Minghao stopped you, however, and turned you around to check if you were protected as well.

"I don't want you to get hurt either, of course."