🌸chapter thirty-one🌸

                                    

                                          
Ever since Ban Ryu announced his relation to Ji-ae, mumurs are all that have been heard through the establishment, ultimately ending in Ji-ae staying in her room.
                          
"You don't seem upset." Hansung said, looking up to study Ji-ae's features before placing his brush back to the paper.
                          
"Because I'm not." Ji-ae answered back, looking at the way Hansung's hair fell into his eyes.
                          
Hansung suggested that taking time to cool down was a good idea, and the task he had set for them both, was to draw eachother as they voiced out their problems.
                          
"Then, how are you feeling?" He asked.
                          
"I don't know." Ji-ae honestly replied. "Confused? Angry?" She suggested to herself, not quite able to put her finger on which one she was feeling the most. "I feel like I'm out of a loop." 
                          
"What loop?" 
                          
"My life." She answered. She placed the brush down and looked up at Hansung. "I mean, how can someone feel so out of sync with their own life?"
                          
"Many people don't a surprise sibling." Hansung said, gesturing with his hands. "It came out of nowhere, like 'poof'." He said, making Ji-ae lower her head.
                          
"How do I even know this is real?" Ji-ae asked, picking up the letter. "It could just be a game someone has played between me and Ban Ryu." She suggested, reading over the letter again. 
                          
"It's real." Someone said, making Hansung jump over to Ji-ae.
                          
"Is there a ghost?" Hansung asked, looking all around the room for any signs but when he saw Ji-ae looking to the door way, he realised Ban Ryu to be stood there. Hansung soon composed himself, clearing his throat before getting to his feet. "Do you think this is a good idea?" 
                          
"I don't care what you have to say." Ban Ryu shot back at Hansung, making Ji-ae stand up. 
                          
"I want to talk to him, Hansung." Ji-ae assured him. Hansung hesitantly nodded, pulling Ji-ae into an embrace and placing a kiss on the top of her head.
                          
With that, Hansung walked past Ban Ryu, shooting daggers at his expressionless face.
                          
"Why are you here?" Ji-ae asked, collecting up all of the paper and brushed off of the floor.
                          
"I wanted to come over here, and tell you that I'm sorry."
                          
"You. Apologising?" Ji-ae mused. "Out of all the people here, I would place you last for accepting your faluts."
                          
"What makes you say that?" He asked back, a hint of amusment in his voice.
                          
"Who took the blame for the argument you started in the meeting hall?" Ji-ae pretended to ponder, placing a finger on her chin. "Oh yeah. It was Sun Woo."
                          
"I had to do what I had to do." He reasoned. "Can't look like a low life."
                          
Ji-ae nodded, though she was not impressed. "What are you apologising for?" She asked, placing the brushes in a pot to soak. She turned, finally facing Ban Ryu, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.
                          
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asked, shaking his head at the younger girl.
                          
"Every second." She answered. "I need to know if you're being sincere."
                          
"Fine." He sighed. He then watched as Ji-ae sat on the floor, making Ban Ryu do the same. "Hang on." Ban Ryu said. "Shouldn't you be apologising to me also?" He asked, making Ji-ae give out a sigh. 
                          
"Okay." Ji-ae said. "I'll go first of that helps you." Ji-ae cleared her throat, straightening her posture. "I'm sorry I called you a dog." She said, counting on her fingers. "I'm sorry I said you get groomed by your step-father." She raised another finger. "I'm sorry I said your ego runs your life." She held her three fingers up to him. "I'm sorry I have said all of those things. The lesson I have learnt is that I need to think before I speak."
                          
"Thank you." Ban Ryu said.
                          
"Your turn." Ji-ae said, watching as he too sat straight and cleared his throat.
                          
"I'm sorry for calling you a nobody." He said, looking up to his younger sister. "I just wasn't ready to accept the fact that I had a sibling."
                          
"One." Ji-ae said, holding up one of her fingers.
                          
"I'm sorry that I caused the scene earlier. I have never been in this suituation before." He said. "Who has ever found out that they have a sibling, half way through their youth?"
                          
Ji-ae lowered her hand, looking over Ban Ryu with sadness.
                          
"I've always wanted a sibling." Ji-ae voiced, earning Ban Ryu's undivided attention. "You know? Someone to always share your secrets with, or gossip about everything with them. It always had this element of togetherness." Ji-ae looked up to Ban Ryu, who pulled something out of his pocket.
                          
"This is what my father attached to the letter he sent me." He stated, he un-folded the paper, handing over the small piece.
                          
Ji-ae took it from his grasp, looking at the piece of paper that had two set of hand prints and footprints, below either one there was a name.
                          
"I never really thought about having a sibling, yet alone a sister." Ban Ryu said. "Being alone for as long as I have, and living in the household I do, you learn to become cold and become void to everyone's and anyone's opinions." He said. He then looked up to Ji-ae, seeing her smiling softly at him. "But seeing as we are siblings, I guess I will have to change my ways. But only slightly." He teased, making Ji-ae laugh.
                          
"Even if I do." He said, becoming serious again. "You need to change yours also."
                          
Ji-ae furrowed her brows slightly, not comprehending what she was needing to change.
                          
"My family don't side with the Queen." Upon those words, Ji-ae already knew what was coming. "We don't like her, neither the way she rules. But, I know that you found your solace in the Queen, so this decision is yours."
                          
"Your making me chose between the woman who took me under her wing, and my family whom I've never even spoken to?" Ji-ae questioned. 
                          
"Just so you know, those are not my father's...our father's wishes." Ban Ryu stated. 
                          
"Even if it is your step-father's wishes, why should I conform to his way of thinking? He's not my father."
                          
"Neither is he mine, but he is the one with control." Ban Ryu said. "I shouldn't even be telling you this, I would kill me if he found out I was bad mouthing his name." 
                          
Ji-ae sat silent, not knowing what to do. She was torn between two families.
                          
"What are you thinking?" Ban Ryu asked, not being able to decipher her himself.
                          
"Nothing." She said. "Let's just stop the converation there, and just work on our brother - sister relationship." Ji-ae finalised, getting to get feet the same time as Ban Ryu. "Are we still the talk of the Hwarang House?" Ji-ae asked, as they exited her room.
                          
Ban Ryu chuckled, shaking his head. "Actually, the topic has moved on."
                          
"To what?" Ji-ae curiously asked.
                          
Ban Ryu smirked. "You and Hansung."