"Why are we here again?" Soo Young mumbled, letting out a huge sigh. Uk sat silently beside her. Four fishing rods were visible before them, but only the two of them were there to keep watch.
"I swear, those two royal brats need to learn a lesson! They were the ones who eagerly and desperately asked us to go fishing with them! But in the end, it's just us!" Soo Young grunted in anger. Uk silently laughed at the physician, watching her stomp her foot like a frustrated giant.
"You dare to give orders to the daegum?" Uk asked subtly, glaring at his royal boyfriend, who was comfortably napping under the shade of a tree.
"I'm not like you, always bending down on your knees for your lovely boyfriend..."
"Yarh, who says that, huh?"
"The whole Red Ruby knows how you always shrink in front of the daegum!"
"He is royalty! How can I say no?"
"Then ask him to look after his fishing rod!" Soo Young challenged Uk. The older man gulped, staring at Min Jun, who was slowly waking up from his nap while they were having a small bicker. The prince flashed a smile at Uk, making him flutter like a dead leaf.
"With that soft, milky skin? No way I would allow it!" Uk shook his head, making Soo Young grunt in disappointment. She swung her hand up, giving Uk a slap on the head. He yelped in pain, gazing at Soo Young, who stuck out her tongue at him.
"What was that for, agassi?!"
"To knock some sense into you!" Soo Young glared at Uk. He winced, rubbing his head where it hurt.
Suddenly, one of the rods started moving. Soo Young quickly dashed to the rod, but unfortunately, it was moving so vigorously that it fell into the water.
"Shibal!" Soo Young shrieked in horror. She slumped to the ground, refusing to get up when she realized the fishing rod belonged to Dan.
"Yarh... yarh! Why did you let it go!? My fishing rod!" Dan jumped from his seat, marching toward Soo Young, who slowly rose to her feet, brushing dirt off her hanbok.
"Oho, now it's my fault? It's your loss, not mine! You're the one being reckless!" Soo Young bravely fought back. Uk scooted away a bit.
"I only asked for a simple thing, yet you failed to do it! Women... Sheesh!"
"Oho, now you're pouring gasoline on the fire!" Soo Young charged forward, pulling Dan's hair and dragging him into a catfight. The two kept tugging at each other's heads while yelping in pain. It was a chaotic scene but also a funny one to watch.
"What happened?" Uk almost jumped in shock when Min Jun suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The prince rubbed his eyes, still groggy from his nap.
"They're having a dispute..." Uk replied to Min Jun, who rested his chin on Uk's forearm.
"What caused the dispute?"
"A fishing rod and... being a woman, I believe," Uk explained further. Min Jun nodded, then stared at the pair in disbelief.
"I want to help, but there's no use. I'll just let them work this out themselves," Min Jun said. He stood there, cringing as he watched Soo Young gain the upper hand in the fight with his cousin.
With grunts and screams, the two continued to wrestle with each other, with Uk and Min Jun as their audience. Soo Young fought with all her might, while Dan struggled to keep up. The scene resembled two kids fighting in a sandpit at a playground.
Suddenly, Dan's legs misstepped. He was about to regain his balance when he unfortunately dragged Soo Young along with him, straight into the lake. The good news was that the lake wasn't that deep, at least not near the bank.
But the bad news was that both of them ended up wet and cold.
From their spot, Min Jun and Uk could hear wailing and screams of cold coming from Soo Young and Dan.
"I think they've reached an agreement..." Min Jun said, flashing a smile at Uk, who shook his head, letting out a chuckle.
"Yarh, it's all your fault!" Soo Young pushed Dan away from her. She almost stumbled but managed to find stable ground to stand on.
"How dare you yell at me like that? Do you know who I am?" Dan grunted while trying to find solid ground to stand properly.
"Sorry, but our fathers are on the same level! Mine has the upper hand—he leads the army!"
"My father can even buy the army! Matter of fact, he can even buy you for me!"
"Oho, do you think I can be bought? If you come to my house with that money, I'll shoot everyone with my bow!"
In response, Dan moved forward, still unsteady. He looked deep into Soo Young's eyes. The woman was wet all over, but she still looked ethereal as usual.
"Then I'll kidnap you before the convoy sets foot in your house. You're small enough; I could carry you on my shoulder..."
"Try me, then. Let's see who can lift whom..."
Dan hissed in anger, his ego fully challenged. He gritted his teeth and grabbed Soo Young's shoulders to flip her, but she didn't budge at all. Dan gasped, both in pain and embarrassment.
"My turn..." Soo Young smirked. She pushed Dan with all her might, sweeping his feet out from under him. The man gradually lost his balance and almost fell, but not before he managed to grab Soo Young by the waist, pulling her down into the water with him.
Soo Young landed right on top of Dan. The man grinned widely as he looked at her.
"Told you, you're small..." Dan whispered slowly to Soo Young, making her blush all over. She quickly got to her feet, leaving Dan lying in the water with an undying smile on his face.
After their tiresome tussle, Dan slowly got up and walked toward the bank. Soo Young had already reached the bank, and with Uk's help, she managed to climb up despite her wet hanbok. Fortunately, she wore dark colors today—a blue-black inner layer with a purple coat.
Dan slowly reached the bank, his eyes still fixed on Soo Young. The woman hid behind Min Jun, muttering some unknown words, likely cursing Dan. Uk reached out his hand to help Dan, but suddenly, he felt the man's grip tighten. Uk's eyes widened.
"No... Don't even think about it!"
Despite the warning, Dan pulled Uk into the water with a mischievous laugh. The scene caused laughter and chaos at the bank in the late evening.
Uk became the latest victim of Dan's naughty antics. He pushed the man back into the water, causing the prince's cousin to stumble again. They laughed as they watched their own silly antics.
Uk slowly walked to the bank, trying to find something to grip. But Min Jun extended his hand to him. Uk took it with a smile, locking eyes with Min Jun. The prince looked like a divine being bestowed by the heavens, making Uk got mesmerized by his beauty and totally forgot where he stood by now.
Taking advantage of the moment between the two lovebirds, Dan suddenly pulled Uk by the waist, dragging Min Jun into the water as well. Uk held the prince tight to avoid a hard fall, making Min Jun land in his embrace, as wet as a dog caught in the rain.
"Are you alright, daegum?" Uk asked in a panic. Min Jun looked up at Uk, his eyes half-lidded and lips slightly pink, making Uk's heart race.
Everyone watched them anxiously, ready for any consequences. Perhaps Dan would lose his life for causing a prince to fall into the lake.
Suddenly, Min Jun burst into laughter. His sudden reaction put Uk at ease. The prince slowly got to his feet and helped Uk up as well. As they entwined their hands, Min Jun whispered something that made Uk blush. The prince sheepishly smiled, walking slowly toward the bank, before hearing someone scream his name from afar.
"Orabeonim!"
All four of them turned their heads simultaneously, looking for the owner of the voice.
It was Myung Yu, and she didn't look happy at all!