"Run! Run!"
Screaming voices assaulted his hearing. Whether distant or near, the sound waves traveled straight into his ears. Each time, they sounded dreadful and aching, causing his heart to tremble like fallen leaves.
He raised his sword high, shielding himself from the attack. The horseman was not an amateur, which made the fight even more gruesome. The chance to live was nearly zero. One silly mishap, and his head would be the payment to Hell.
"Captain Ahn!"
He quickly turned his body around, just after managing to kill the horseman. From afar, he could see his right-hand man fighting for his dear life.
"Azuki!" he screamed loudly.
"Captain! Run! Run!"
His pupils dilated when he saw Azuki fall to the ground, still clutching his sword. He wanted to march towards Azuki's dead body, but the current circumstances prohibited him from doing so.
Heaven declared that today, he couldn't join Azuki and the rest of his fallen soldiers.
Not today.
***
Uk opened his eyes slowly. The heat from the Sun burned his skin slightly. He shut his eyes again, letting out a small grunt while stretching his body. He lay for a while on the fluffy futon, staring at the beams of the ceiling in his room.
After a light breathing exercise, Uk slowly rose from the futon. He grabbed a hair tie placed on the book next to him and tied his messy dark hair. He couldn't bother checking himself in the mirror. He was alone, and there was no need to impress anyone with his bare face.
When he reached for a glass of water, he felt the real ache in his back. Yes, talking about last night! He agreed that he had gone overboard. But, for the sake of his job, he had no choice but to push himself.
The prince's voice, screaming and kicking him, still echoed in his ears. Even this morning, he could feel Min Jun's rage against him. The young prince was so angry that he swore to kill Uk if he got the chance later.
A tough road to start. Blimey!
A knock at the door startled Uk. He fixed his hanbok first, just in case he looked indecent. Then, he slowly reached for the door and opened it from the inside.
"Good morning, gisa..."
"You can call me by my name. I'm no longer a knight," said Uk. The man nodded slightly.
"Gi- I mean, Uk-ssi... du beonjjae wangja is summoning you," the man informed Uk.
"Certainly. I'll be there after..."
"But, daegun jaga insisted that you should see him now."
"I haven't had a shower yet. At least let me dress properly-"
"No need to. This will do."
Hastily, the man grabbed Uk's hand and dragged him out of his room. Uk was too stunned to react properly, his body just swaying along with the man.
***
"Gisa Ahn, daegum..."
When the eunuch announced his arrival, Uk still stood stoically at the door. He couldn't process how he ended up here, and why the prince summoned him so hastily.
"Gisa-nim?" the eunuch called his name, but Uk still stood there.
"Come in! What are you, deaf?!"
Only when he heard Min Jun's stern voice did Uk step into the room. From afar, he could see the prince waiting for him on his small throne, wearing his royal red robe. His hair was still a mess, but he looked sober, unlike when Uk first met him last night.
"Daegum..." Uk bowed politely before Min Jun. The prince sneered a bit and chuckled.
"Did you just wake up or what?" Min Jun pointed his finger at Uk, addressing his appearance.
"I was trying to buy some time to get dressed, but your eunuch insisted that I should come in a hurry..."
"Yes, I did. I just want you to know how it feels when someone forces you to do something you hate," Min Jun casually threw shades, being sarcastic while pouring some tea into his cup.
"If this is about yesterday, I am truly sorry..." Uk bowed slightly, then looked up, locking eyes with Min Jun.
"You should learn a thing or two before sticking your nose into someone's private life," Min Jun glared at Uk. "At least, introduce yourself properly," he continued.
Uk quickly realized his mistake. The prince was right. He should have at least told Min Jun his name and why he was there yesterday.
"I'm truly sorry for that. I think I should introduce myself-"
"No need to. I know who you are," Min Jun glared at Uk. He pushed a scroll on his table with his slender finger.
"Your name is Ahn Uk. Your father was a cavalryman from The Messenger Unit named Ahn Yo, died during the Second War Era while delivering a message to the Capital. Your mother, a lady from the Hu Clan, died due to illness. You joined the army when you were 16, the youngest knight ever knighted. You're now 32 years old, 12 years older than me," Min Jun recited all the basic details he knew about Uk.
"Your swordsmanship is excellent, as is your combat skill. You can speak four languages, including something called sign language... I don't know what that is, anyway! Your hobbies are pottery, exercise, and reading..." the young prince laid himself against the chair while recite the information to Uk.
"Based on your hobbies, you do live like an old ahjussi..." Min Jun concluded, making his final summary about Uk, impressed the man with his knowledge.
" I shouldn't be reckless at this age," Uk replied.
"I think, being a knight made you have that lifestyle. If you were just a normal man, you might end up like seja jeoha, my brother. He has a wife, but that doesn't stop him from having two more concubines," Min Jun chuckled a bit before continuing. " With that amount of ladies, he still pays a visit to the Concubine Lane, the one that you visited last night," Min Jun's claimed made Uk blushed and awkward.
"But... Come to think of it, we can't blame anyone. It's in our blood. All of the men in the Ki Royal family have a high sex drive," Min Jun smirked at Uk, leaving the older avoided his eye contact with the prince.
"I believe it's inappropriate to discuss the matter, daegum," Uk quickly interrupted before Min Jun could drag it further. It was impolite for him to interrupt the prince, but it was more impolite and rude for him to listen to such personal matters about others.
"Why? It's normal anyway. We're both men. People talk openly about it at the tea house," Min Jun insisted.
"They're just mere people, daegum. But, you're daegum, and I'm your bodyguard," Uk reminded Min Jun of their roles.
"You can pretend that I'm your friend, then! Besides, that's how I can learn about you. All of your information right now is just on a piece of paper, something so obvious!" Min Jun looked unimpressed.
"I can't do that, daegum. I can't be your bodyguard if I befriend you. It will blur my judgment and I might not take my job seriously," Uk insisted.
Min Jun sighed. He slowly rose from his seat, walking towards Uk and gazing at him. He stood only a foot away from the man, letting Uk's height tower over his small build.
"To be honest, I don't need a bodyguard! I can take care of myself better than anyone else. However, since you look interesting to me, I have a reason to keep you here with me," Min Jun grabbed the collar of the hanbok Uk wore. He carefully tugged it properly so Uk's chest wouldn't stick out, leaving those stewards with indecent imaginations.
"I acknowledge your skill as a knight, Uk-ssi. But you're not a knight anymore. So, I'm curious about how well you'll guard me," Min Jun said, his voice in a lower tone.
"I will do my best to protect you, daegum!" Uk replied sharply.
Min Jun snickered again. His eyes lingered on Uk. The man was still in his stern composure, even more tense than before Min Jun approached him. With a mischievous gaze, Min Jun slowly tugged Uk's collar, bringing their faces closer.
"Fine then! But, let me warn you... I'm not an easy person. I love challenges, and I am a challenge myself. Hope you and your heart can handle it well..."
With that, Min Jun bumped his nose against Uk's sharp nose, making the older man jump a bit in shock. Uk quickly stepped away from Min Jun, holding his uncontrollable breath as his heart raced.
"I... Have a nice day, Min Jun daegun!"
Uk hastily exited the room, leaving Min Jun laughing to himself. His mischievous side never failed to make thousands hearts tremble. He sighed, looking out the window with a lingering laugh.
"This man is really attractive!" he murmured to himself.