Chapter 78 - After an year [2]

That voice managed to catch Moon Jiwoo, and her eyes widened. Turning her head back, she stared at the figure who took a bite out of her cookie, and a gasp escaped from her mouth.

"Thief, you are back already," she voiced out, "That's shocking! I thought it will be taking more time for you to train."

Over this period of time, it seemed that Oh Sookyung had grown to become more mȧturė, and she could see how he had managed to gain some muscles due to the training.

Raising his hand, Oh Sookyung flicked on his head and said, "Is that what you can say to someone you have seen after a year and half?"

"Your Highness," Hyungwon enunciated before bowing.

"Spare the formalities, Hyungwon," he stated.

"Wow! You have become really manly now. Let's go out and fight! I am really curious to see who is stronger now," Jiwoo vocalised, staring at Sookyung with a glint in her eyes.

"Ouch!" 

A wince escaped from her mouth when someone hit her at the back of her head, and turning back to look at Hyungwon, she glared at him.

"What was that for!"

"Behave properly with the Prince. You can't show him the same attitude that you had a year and half back. Respect him," Hyungwon expressed while staring at her sternly.

Scoffing at him, she stuck out her tongue towards Min Hyungwon before voicing out, "No, I don't want to. Why do you have so much of a problem with it when this thief doesn't care?"

"Thief? Can you actually call me by my name?" Sookyung questioned.

Looking at Sookyung, Jiwoo stared at him from top to bottom and then, questioned, "What was your name again?"

A chuckle escaped from Oh Sookyung's mouth while he shoved his hand into his pocket, and shaking his head, he said, "You are as rude as always."

Turning back, Sookyung walked out of the kitchen, and seeing his distancing back, Jiwoo found herself following after him while her mind was filled with countless questions towards him.

Standing beside him, Moon Jiwoo wrapped her hand around his shoulder, and matching her pace with his, she said, "Don't you have some stories for me? I want to know more about where you trained and what you did."

"I did not expect for a day to come when we will be chatting about some matters. Surely I have gotten some stories, but why should I share them with you?" Sookyung raised one of his eyebrows as he stopped in his steps.

Giving him a bored expression, she spoke out, "Why are you treating me like some reporter? If you don't want to tell me about it, it's alright. It's not as if I wanted to spend with you in the first place. I will just go and enjoy things with Shihyuk."

She removed her hand from around his shoulder and strutted forward when Sookyung grabbed on to her wrist, leading for her to halt in her steps.

"Who is Shihyuk?" he asked.

Looking back, she faced Sookyung and gave him a wide smile before voicing out, "My boyfriend."

Hearing her words caused laughter to elicit from Sookyung's mouth instantly, and a frown in Jiwoo's face at that. Creases appeared between both of her eyebrows while she glared at the man before her.

"You have someone you are dating? Are you sure its not a scam or something? You get fooled really easily for your information," he pointed out.

"Do you want to get beaten up? No matter how much stronger you have gotten, you would not be able to beat me," she smugly said, "At this moment, I really want to beat the crap out of you."

Raising both of his hands, he shook his head and stated, "No, I am gentleman, and I don't fight against the women."

A chuckle escaped from her mouth at that, and Jiwoo spoke out, "What's with that you are trying to pull now? Being courteous towards women doesn't suit you. But I swear if you let this quality of yours be a burden on me, I will beat you up to the point that no one will be able to recognize you."

"Don't worry. This quality of mine is reserved to only few, and you happen to belong in that few. Aren't you happy to know that?" he said— a sparkle appearing in his eyes.

A sigh escaped from her mouth at that before she vocalised, "Why do I have to be included in the few? I really wanted to fight against you, Oh Sookyung, and let myself taste victory. I haven't fought against someone else for a long time."

"You actually sound disappointed, Shin Daerin?" he asked.

"Well, there is no need for me to waste my time with you if you don't want to fight against me. I will go and find Shihyuk now. Spending time with him is better than wasting it with you," she said.

°°°

"Oh Sookyung had returned it seems," he spoke out.

Turning her head, Moon Jiwoo turned to face Min Shihyuk. Both of them were seated on top of the log while they stared at the starry sky above them. the bright moon stood out in the night sky.

"Yeah, he did. That just means that my peaceful life is over. Although I anticipated his return, I don't want to be involved in the troubles. It's not like I will be able to help it," Jiwoo said.

"Do you want to run away from here and all of your responsibilities? I can help you with it," he vocalised.

"Really? That sounds great, but I don't think so I will be able to. I don't know whether it is my instinct or I truly want to do it, but I don't want to escape from this. Just doing this gives me a thrill, and I don't find myself being as frightened as I was back then. I don't know where I got my courage from," Jiwoo expressed.

"You have grown up a lot, Shin Daerin," he stated, "But as I have mentioned, you are a precious person to me. That's why, if it gets too hard for you, I can take care of it."

"I am flattered, but you should not go around throwing those words around. I will fall for you sooner or later if you do that," Jiwoo vocalised as a wide smile appeared on her face, and she winked at Shihyuk.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yup! You are literally the definition for my perfect man," she stated, "Oh! Wait! Let's chat tomorrow. Look at the time. It's time for the dinner, and I will be missing all of those delicious food if I am late. That Oh Sookyung can be a huge glutton I am telling you."

"Alright. I will let you go now. Take care of yourself," he voiced out, "And don't get into too big of a fight with Oh Sookyung. Try to hold yourself back regardless of what happens."

"What are you acting as if I will do something serious? I am better at controlling my temper than I was a year and half ago. You personally saw my progress. There is no way I am going to do anything foolish."

°°°

Moon Jiwoo threw the piece of tomato at Oh Sookyung's face while her eyes glared at him. They held anger in them as Sookyung turned his head slightly and evaded the tomato.

Moon Jiwoo, Oh Sookyung, and Han Minhyun were dining together. While Minhyun remained silent the entire time, Sookyung and Jiwoo bickered the entire time.

"I have thought that you will learn to do something about that anger of yours, but it seems that I was wrong. Are you sure you even have a boyfriend and it's not an imaginary character you have made up in your mind?" he raised one of his eyebrows.

"Asshole, what about you? I am sure no girls wanted to date you for sure! Who would want to date someone as pathetic as you? When there will be danger, I am sure they know that you will throw them into the danger before running away," she vocalised.

"Can you stop bringing up that matter? It was a long time ago, and I bȧrėly knew about the things that happened to me back then," he said, "And you were supposed to be my protector. That's why, there was nothing wrong with what I did."

"You justifing that cowardly action of yours is foolish," she said, "I was as clueless as you, but you did not see me being as lame as you. I feel really ashamed to consider you to be the Prince."

"Moon Jiwoo, didn't you want to fight? Let's go outside and do it," Sookyung stated.

A wide grin formed on her face at that, and she said, "You want to do that? Sure, let's go outside. I was waiting for this moment ever since you have walked in. I can't wait to taste victory."