12 Buckets of Water Pt.3

Gyuri continued to curse as if it would alleviate the pain she was experiencing on her shoulders. She grimaced as she tried to adjust the weight of the heavy buckets evenly between her aching limbs. She was dogged tired.

It had almost six hours since she had been sentenced to hours of pain by Madam Zhou. After Junmyeon had left, Madam Zhou had decided to discipline her by making her carry more buckets of water for a longer duration...

"Gyuri, do you know what these buckets represent?" she had asked with muted fury.

Gyuri shook her head.

"One of these buckets represent 'discipline'" she informed her. "And the other represents 'determination'. These are the two values which I expect all the servants in the Kim household to have." She gestured at the two buckets, "but it seems that you do not possess these values as you blatantly disregarded your earlier punishment to wrestle with the Young Master."

"Madam Zhou, in my defence-"

"Silence" Madam Zhou ordered. "I am not done talking." She pointed to the two additional buckets. "I realised that what you lack is not only discipline and determination but dedication and desire as well."

Gyuri was baffled by her comment.

"In order for you to learn your lesson, you will have to carry all four buckets that represent these four core values which you lack."

"All four?" she had exclaimed in shock. "For two hours?"

Madam Zhou shook her head. "No, all four for eight hours."

"What?!"

"I was going easy on you by only giving you only two hours before. But obviously, that was not enough of a punishment if it did not deter you from committing the same mistake again." She shook her head before adding, "No, eight hours will do. You will not eat until those eight hours are up."

Gyuri continued cursing as she struggled to stay standing up straight. She was feeling slightly lightheaded now. How long has it been since she had last eaten anything? She thought she was starting to see double.

"Two more hours," she muttered to herself. "Just two more hours. We can do this..." But despite her newfound determination, Gyuri's legs started to give way and she collapsed on the floor, dropping the buckets and spilling its contents on the floor.

"Oh, shit!" she exclaimed. But she couldn't help feeling slightly relieved that the additional weight on her back had finally been lifted. Delicately, she moved her fingers about as they have been fixed in the same position for the past few hours. "Ow, ow, ow..." she moaned as she tried moving her arms and shoulders: they were both stiff and sore.

"Are you alright?"

Gyuri jumped at the sound of someone's voice. She blinked several times while trying to locate where the voice had come from. She had been standing in the heat for so long that she couldn't tell whether she had imagined it or not. But she needn't wait too long to confirm her suspicion because when she blinked again, Namjoon revealed himself from the shadows and stood where there was better illumination.

"Oh... it's you" she whispered weakly.

Namjoon knelt down so that he was on eye-level with her. "Hello, Gyuri." He inspected her appearance and a worried expression flitted across his charming face. "What happened to you? Why are you still out here?"

Gyuri swallowed before replying as her mouth was dry. "I was being punished" she explained and she started swaying a little.

Namjoon looked at her alarmingly, "Punished? Whatever for?"

But he didn't get a reply as before he could, Gyuri fainted in his arms.