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The concept of love, has been rules and principles for Seo-Yul. It always has been. From the day he could remember, all he heard from his father was how to sustain the pride of their house that's affiliated with the Royals. Mother's caring gaze that never reached before his father's pride as he was displaced to Songrim, not refusing to his father's love, he took the opportunity rather as an gift. Atleast to him, it was love. An transactional that only goes one way.

Rules and principles were his mind and heart, the unnecessary correlations between other students that came to Jeongjingak without the same mind as him didn't interest him until, the leader's only niece that ceaselessly tested his uncle's patience and one of the prominent house's heir that surrounded by rumours latched onto him rather instinctively.

They were the embodiment of trouble and he should sustain a reasonable distance between the two, he repeated that words every single day, yet something never let him to.

It was strange. First he thought they were just being antic to him, like the others who found him to be boring as if he was shackled to rules when he wasn't. Rather than being shackled to it, he was the one who held on to it.

The prospect of having principles as morals were something easier than hearing your heart's undecipherable words and lead your actions along to an unfilial end.

However it was comprehensible that everyone else found him so, he understood that. Yet, why are these two so adamant to be with his side?? The answer was unclear and strange, but not stranger than Jang Na-ra.

The twin sister of the newfound friend of his.

The first time his gaze met hers was in the Jang household itself. Honey biscuits stuffed in her mouth and a certain amount occupied in her hand as she stared at the unfamiliar face in bewilderment of the sudden intrusion to the kitchen. The boy was simply lost his way while being a seeker of a game he was forced into by the duo, and now only to find the girl's little biscuit heist.

For a simple second they stared at each other in confusion and puzzlement of each other, her young heart beating in the speed of light by the revelation of that she's been caught red handed, and his were beating in a haste by trying to save his calm posture, ignoring the laughter that were etching up to his mouth by the human facade of an squirrel by the biscuit stuffed round cheeks.

It didn't take long enough to realize it was his newfound friend Uk's twin sister Dang-gu has been boasting about that he'll introduce her in time, Since Uk wouldn't to anyone. Atleast not long after scruntizing thier intentions towards his sister.

As if the girl came to be aware of the identity of the boy that is slightly shorter than her, by remembering the words of her friend Dang-gu, who was eager to introduce his new friend.

" I ───"

Before the boy could utter a word, the girl who was approximately at least five feet away from him, sped towards him with a fist of honey biscuits that's from her brother's stash that she has been well.....borrowing.

" You must be Seo-yul! here, take this and don't mouth a word to my brother. "

Her little fingers making way into his small ones with the honey biscuits as an bribe to his silence, which the boy reluctantly took for the second in confusion by the pressuring.

The wide tug of her lips that tried to portray an innocent smile which turned into a warning by the choice of words, yet studying the difficulty in the young boy's eyes that jumped back and forth to her and the little bribe, Na-ra quickly understood his uptight.

" Don't worry, I'm actually paying back for what's my brother has done. He was the one who took from my biscuit stash at first── I'm simply paying back for his actions. " An uncertainty in his gaze questioning her actions still interlying even after her justification.

" It's a good lesson for him to know so, shhhh. "

The sweet warning of the six year old Na-ra was something that strained the boy's principles at first, not because of the warning or the bribe in his hands, it was the odd reasoning excuse she came with to hesitate his principles that appeared to weight less.

Yet, the truth came out awfully soon as Uk walked into the crime scene and from that day on, Seo-yul happened to be another witness of Jang siblings bickering along with the summer boy without his endorsement.

The strange encounters of his life that latched onto his mind and soul for better.

✿

" Open the door! "

Park Dang-gu's voice that contained the sudden need of incursion to the room full of secrets by the cause of books of sorcery, and Na-ra at this hour was something the two didn't think ahead to transpire.

" Why the hell is he here?!? "

Na-ra, obvious panic that interlaced in her whisper-yell, solely by the higher odds of misunderstandings and revealing of secrets that are beyond their relation that scattered on the table made the other to be more conscious of the circumstances.

" I-I don't───"

" Stop talking and help me!! " Her figure that already abandoned him and started to collect and shove the mountain of books in the closet in minimal time, urging the one who was too flustered at the moment.

" Yes but── "

" Yul! Open the door!! It's urgent! " Once again Dang-gu's desperation to converse filled the room, the two inside staring back at each other aware of the time isn't allowing them more so, the boy quickly pried off the blanket that planted on the bed before positioning to conceal the remaining books which earned a critical stare from the girl.

" It's Dang-gu. "

As if those words were reasoning enough, the girl nodded her head before walking towards the door to open it as the wheel of time was spinning enough to make the man outside to be ceaseless and bold on his knocks.

" You don't mind him seeing you here? "

The words of anticipation for something underlying in his voice, a contrast to the circumstances they were in he couldn't help but to question her mind for the moment to hear an answer that could tear down one wall of secret the two build on to wreck on the future from everyone.

" It's Dang-gu. "

An hesitant answer that earned a quiet disenchanting nod from the former before she agitatedly opened the door for the blond boy, who stepped in rather  hurry enough not to notice the one that let in for the initial second.

" Yul,Na-ra is missin- wait, Na-ra??...What are you-omg, are you two?!?──"

" No. "

Dismissing the incomplete accusations that were very much true, she wilted down the dreams of the boy that bloomed even for a minute second along with another who's getting familiarised to the concept.

" Then why are you─── "

" Just to borrow a book───Now ,why are you here?? " Dodging the inquiries as if an arrow that is soon to be hit on the mark, if it wasn't for the boy being the dimmest candle on the cake, Na-ra discarded his confusion that led to the right path.

" Oh yes! mu-deok and Uk have been searching for you every corner.....A little advice, I would hide if I were you. she looks and sounds furious just for asking around someone. " 

The flashback of the furious look on the woman that was all too similar to his uncle, when his vine was looted off by him traveled down from his memory lane. The other two glanced at each other in confusion and questions interchanging their mind of why she needed her at this hour, and before the answer could play out, the one who could answer walked into the trio with her pupil.

" I told you she would be here! "

✿

The Silence that enveloped the room was more than far-fetched away from the word pleasant. After drawing out her brother and Mu-deok from the dorm room of very much possessing the dangerous words of knowledge at the moment, the relief filled in her til the pair of cavilling gaze fell onto her and for her own rescue from the piercing gaze she glanced behind, yet to no avail as Yul were already in the hands of her brother and the one who give up the chivalrous advice were nowhere to be seen.

" The umbrella I gave you for exchange of yours and which you gave it to someone else── who was it? "

" I swear I didn't give that umbrella to someone intentionally. I gave up for a good inten───"

" Who did you give it and where. " It wasn't even a question at this point, her voice was demanding answers with an urging pressure at every end of words.

" I'm really sorry, I know you brought it for me even if it was expensive─── "

" Don't need to apologize but, did you give it to another woman?? Who was she?? "

" Well, yes but───"

" God, answer the question! What kind of woman was she?! How did she looked like?!? " The frustration of slow answers and stuttering of the girl etched onto every question raised by Mu-deok that mixtured with the sore matter of Na-ra giving up something she granted even as an exchange.

Meanwhile on the other hand, Na-ra was in the middle of having flashbacks of muttering how young-hee was the sternest when it comes to reprimanding, and now she was hoping for young-hee to take over, if it means Mu-deok will halt hers.

Already aware of her maid teleporting into the room is zero chance at this point, her gaze jumped onto the boy beside that did the outmost to protect her moments ago yet, she was encountered with a pale face that mirrored hers.

Mentally taking notes of never to be this harsh like, her gaze jumped again in the plea of rescue to her brother. Then again, the man was the pupil of the woman in front of her.

" Why do I feel like someone else is taking over my position... " Whispering out his thoughts, watching his sister getting her ears bled by his Master; for a mere second, his sister's place was replaced by his own figure as a foreshadow flashed over his eyes.

Something that the future held solely for him.

Time brewed out, so did the conflicts, and in the end, the conclusion of So-yi the 'blind' swindler being the lost saintess of Jin family  ───jin Bu-yeon was predicted out and Dang-gu, who came to bestow the old news to the four that the jin family found their elder daughter finally, in the delight of no other rigid obstacles stood in front of him to purse Cho-yeon, was battered by the news of jin Bu-yeon who he already welcomed as his sister-in-law in mind is actually rather a fake.

Agreeing to not pass the word to Master park so another conflict wouldn't arise between Jinyowon and Songrim, the others quickly dispersed from the group leaving the Jang siblings as it was requested by the younger.

" You love Mu-deok, don't you? " A fire in the gun, the abrupt words from his younger sister turning his head nineteen degrees as if the words came out from her mouth is so foreign, from her.

" Y-You───"

" Don't even try to deny it, you look like a fool when you look at her. It's literally written down on your forehead. " 

Partially insulting her brother as always when the chance arrives, the acceptance of his antics or his choice were visibly lingering from the girl who used to scrutinize and draw the path he never took while dismissing his.

" You are.....Content with my choice...? " The foreign behavior from the girl taking aback his senses of defending his choice from his sister for once.

" Well...Kim Do-joo won't be───At first. But you are her golden child so, I wouldn't be too anxious. "

" So condescending.....Why are you so nice all of the sudden?? "

Questioning as if he's hearing her words of accepting his choice for the first time without the rambling of variable setbacks of the choice were..... astoundingly strange───and somewhat pleasant, even when the conscious of confusion lingered by her words.

" It hurts me to say this.....But I think, I have come to like your decisions so far. So don't make me regret saying this."

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𝐈'𝐦 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 ,𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 (TдT):

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬,

𝐈'𝐦 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞
𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟕 𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟖𝐭𝐡
𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 :).

𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐬
𝐈'𝐦 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧
𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨, 𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧.

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐮𝐮𝐮 ♡