#heh... 127...

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[ 01 ]

it was a lovely morning atop mount hua, the sun was warm that cold morning, and the disciples had just come back for a quick meal before another round of training. it's a rare peaceful start to the day, and nothing could —

you what?!

it was a peaceful start to the day, interrupted by the loud shouting of their newest entry to the sect. the kids continue to shovel down their breakfast, no time to waste on being a busybody and wonder what their samae was losing her mind over when the demon that trained them to the bone expected everyone to be back in one hour, on the dot. latecomers be damned, he was going to give those kids hell... nobody wants to be a part of the hell chung myung is creating up on mount hua. nuh-uh.

yu iseol pries the pot of tea away from her junior sister's hands. the poor girl had been so astonished by what she just heard that she did not notice how the cup of tea she'd been pouring had overflowed out and onto the table.

tang soso takes in a shaky breath.

sago... you... you're joking... right? please, please please tell me you're not serious right now!

you only shrugged nonchalantly at her disbelief, reaching over with a towel in hand to wipe of your junior's mess. summer was coming soon and that means ants would be having a field day with any spilled foods. now that would be a bother.

sago don't ignore me.

of course you don't answer.

the girl wanted to know about everyone's crushes and gossip a little before the next training period. and of course the discussion had included you as well.

so, you told her.

problem wasn't the apparent age of the man you had set your sights on, it was the relation he had to your new samae.

tang soso puts her head in her hands, feeling as though she's going through the five stages of grief all at once.

my father? sago, you like my father?

yeah? i thought i made that clear just now.

the young woman could only cry out in exasperation. there was no way this was happening to her right now!

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[ 02 ]

tang soso had steeled her resolve to introduce you to other romantic options other than her father. even if she had to sacrifice one of her own brothers for her cause.

hey, sago...

yeah?

you were carrying some old blankets from the dorms to the main storage, not really paying attention to your junior sister's words at that moment.

sago, what do you look for in a lover?

uh... nothing particularly comes to mind.

you respond absentmindedly, watching your steps as you two went down the stairs.

come on... something has to be there!

you put down the blankets in their designated place, you frown as your brain racked for a answer. tang soso shuffled on her feet, growing impatient with the lack of answers.

i guess i would like if they were older.

well that ruled out all of the third grade disciples.

i think it'd be nice if they were handsome.

oh her poor brothers... tang soso felt she had to apologise to all of them later for thinking of them like this.

and i guess i would like if they were mature.

the junior sister's ears perked up — could this mean that there's still some hope?

also i would want them to have their shit together.

baek cheon sasuk...! not him too!

you watched the pained expression flashing across your samae's face. as much as her performance was interesting to watch, you still had a job to do. excusing yourself, you left the storeroom going off to finish your other chores.

noticing you were escaping away, tang soso calls out after you, she wasn't done with you! how could you sago!

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[ 03 ]

tang soso was going to visit her family for a short overnight stay, she's asked her favourite senior sister to come along, and then the two of them could have a girls night all alone together... the possibilities had the maiden going about her following days with a hop in each step. nothing in the world now was going to dull her shine! not even the devil atop mount hua!

on the day she was to set off, tang soso spots yu iseol standing by the front gates where they were to meet up. and together with her beloved senior was —

why is she here.

wah... this samae is being rude again...

yu iseol's eyes dart between the two, she really didn't mean for this to happen, she had assumed it was a short trip with friends and you were her friend... soso was also her friend...

no fighting.

her stoic voice cuts the tension between you and your samae. the two of you step back and look away like children being scolded by their teacher, tang soso was even pouting from being scolded by her beloved iseol-sago.

no more fighting or i'm not coming along.

yu iseol puffs her cheeks cutely and you just can't help but remember the scruffy little girl the sect leader had entrusted under your care all those years ago.

iseol-yah, don't be upset okay? we're not fighting.

you rub the younger girl's head, ruffling her hair playfully trying to get her to smile. it works and your junior sister finally loosened up.

tang soso looks at the both of you, appalled. it was so unfair that you got to touch the yu iseol so casually without the other stiffening up from awkwardness. why did that only happen with her? why can't she have a friendly relationship like the two of you? ah... it's so unfair...

the three girls bid their goodbyes to the others and headed down the mountain with promises to buy their friends souvenirs from sichuan when they came back.

the brown-haired girl grumbled to herself, purposely within your earshot with the hopes to piss you off even more.

you know, soso...

keeping up with the annoying senior sister act, you lean down to whisper in the other girl's ear.

you're not slick and you're shit at flirting. just so you know.

eh?

you smile serenely at your samae, waving her off as you skipped over to your little sister's side calling out her name in a sing-song voice.

eh?

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[ 04 ]

the trip home was supposed to be tang soso's long-awaited alone time with her beloved iseol sago, only for a bothersome someone to intrude and be the cockblock the whole time.

you shrug off the girl's daggered glare, pointing out another food stall that would surely pique yu iseol's interest — and you not-so-subtly pushed the girl away from your other samae.

oh so you're trying to be funny, huh? when all three of you were in her house, and you ever tried to make a move on her father, she's sure as hell going to let you know what it's like to be absolutely hilarious.

sago—

iseol-yah! say ahhh, i got us some choushou!

this fucking cockblock of a senior sister.

tang soso bites her bottom lip and looks up to the heavens, will any of her ancestors up there take pity and help a poor love-sick girl in her time of need? all she wants is to spend some time, maybe even a little date with her crush?

she glanced over, only to be met with your unblinking eyes.

jumping back with a quiet screech, she shivers as all the hairs on her body stood up. the passers-by all looked at her with judgement, what weird girl, they all thought. but tang soso could only grimace from the embarrassment. god, why were you such a creep!

soso-yah~ come here~ don't stray too far and get lost~!

lost? get lost? in her own hometown?

tsk.

clicking her tongue, tang soso reluctantly drags her feet towards her two travelling companions. the three of you weren't expected to arrive at the estate until sometime later in the evening, and it was only noon right now. there was still too much time to spare.

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[ 05 ]

arriving at the familiar gates of her birth home has never filled her with such joy before. finally, she had a fighting chance to shake you off—!

the imposing doors swung open and the attendant on the other side rushed out to greet the girls.

oh my goodness! come in quickly! you there!

the attendant points to one of the younger servants.

go tell the aides that the young lady and her sect sisters are here!

the old attendant barely managed to finish their sentence before the patriarch himself appeared at the other end of the courtyard. tang gunak walked so fast, his eldest son trailing behind had trouble even keeping up with the hem of his changyi flowing back.

ah! father!

soso perks up, she's always been close to her father — being his only daughter and all. growing up, he's always doted on her. at times it was so much that it felt a little suffocating. but they say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and being away from home for months and years at a time did make her miss her family on lonely nights after another exhausting day of training.

the now energetic girl runs over and jumps into her father and older brother's arms — the two men barely catching her properly, all decorum thrown into the air as they fuss over her, bombarding her with questions like are you eating well? you look so thin, your cheeks are so hollow! when it's dinner you better not go to bed without finishing at least three bowls of rice!

tang soso wriggled out of their tight grasp, giddy and just happy to be home, far away from that mad demon they left behind in mount hua.

oh right!

she gestures at the her two sect sisters to come closer.

i brought some company this time, i hope you don't mind that father...

you know i wouldn't mind... you silly girl.

tang gunak smiles down at his daughter, gloved hand resting atop her head. truly she hasn't changed much from childhood, always doing whatever she wants. he was confident he'd been used to it by now.

ah father-! dont do that, you'll mess up my hair!

the girl whined, swiping her old man's hand off her head. stepping back she clears her throat, introducing him to her special guest, and the freeloader that decided to tag along.

i brought home iseol-sago with me! i'm sure you remember her father, we've gotten real close since i joined mount hua!

yu iseol, bows her head awkwardly.

and... this is my other sago... she came along with us too... i guess.

you bowed respectfully, arms out with a fist in your palm.

greetings to the tang clan patriarch, and greetings to the tang clan young master. though i believe this isn't the first time we've met? is it mr. patriarch?

hey. wait a minute. what do you mean it wasn't the first time you've met her father?

yes, it isn't our first time meeting. though i wasn't able to catch your name that time, regretfully.

huh?

huh?

tang soso, aged twenty eight feels like her whole world had just been rocked upside down.

and what were you doing? smiling politely at her father as you told him your name while his gaze was focused on you? what was that glimmer in his eye?

tang soso thinks she's going to have a stroke.

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[06]

dinner came and went, the girls had a nice long relaxing bath in the large tub specially prepared for all three of you. and when that was done, you excused yourself and left your youngest samae in yu iseol's care.

stepping out of the warm confines of the guest house, you shivered as the cold air of the second month hit you. wrapping the borrowed sleeping robes tighter around you, you wondered if all noble ladies were dressed this lightly all the time?

walking under the sheltered walkways, your footfalls land quietly against it's polished wooden floorboards. step by step you followed the path until you reached a pavilion — it sat atop a small, man-made pond. the cold air made colder no thanks to the still waters around you.

as you were slowly getting lost in thought, a warmth suddenly envelopes you, and a sigh of content escapes your lips.

you're early.

his voice whispered lowly in behind you. giggling, you spin around to meet face to face with your secret rendezvous.

the tang clan patriarch looked softer in his nightwear, his hair tied loose over his shoulder with a few strands hanging over his head.

your hand reached out, tucking the flyaways behind his ear.

tsk-tsk. shouldn't the tang clan patriarch be more mindful of his image?

you chastised playfully.

i could say the same to you, shouldn't a proud disciple of the great mount hua sect be more mindful of catching a cold?

tang gunak chides as he helped you put on the thick changyi that was draped over your shoulders earlier.

his hand reached for yours and you took it, interlocking your fingers togethers while leading you to sit on a bench overlooking the pond.

your acting earlier was something. pretending like you didn't catch my name when you said we've met before...

your head rested against the older man's arm, taking in his deep scent of aged pine and oak as your thumb rubs the back of his hand absentmindedly.

...i'm sorry my love. though it is true that i did miss out on your name that first time we met, didn't i?

he placed a chaste kiss to the crown of your head apologetically, like he'd always do whenever you got a little upset.

yes. and then you'll forget to ask me again for at least half a year...

but i did eventually got your name, didn't i? and besides didn't you also say you liked the way i call out to you whenever we have s—

your hand quickly clamped over his mouth, your eyes darted around to check if anyone heard what he was about to say.

the older man only laughed, amused by your embarrassment and your hands fall to your side in the process. taking the opportunity, he cups your face in his hands, lifting it as he leans down to kiss you properly.

and just like that you forgot just what you were so vigilant about.

his tilts your head, kissing you deeper and you feel his tongue prod at your lips, asking you to let him in and you do, gasping into his mouth as it wraps around yours, one hand already on your lower back as he pushes you down with your back flat on the bench.

tsk. you crazy old man.

shall i take this somewhere private then?

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[07]

when morning rolled around, tang soso's first order of action was to burst into your room — with a groggy yu iseol in tow.

she had been so sure she was going to catch you in the act of something, she didn't know what it was but she knew. she could feel it in her bones, you did something last night.

but alas, there you lay in your bed, fast asleep with a leg hanging over the edge without a care in the world. blankets and pillows in places they were expected to be, things in the room still in their place and your bag still hung in the place where you left it last night.

tsk.

tang soso looks down at your sleeping face, feeling her rage boil even more in annoyance. god, you pissed her off. did you even know she couldn't even sleep properly last night? did you?

wake up! c'mon we don't have all day you hag!