Disclaimer: All rights go to their respective owners.Ban Ryu nervously paced back and forth outside the small gate where Soo Yeon had said she would meet him. This was the first time he had ever been inside the home of Kim Seub, Soo Yeon's father, and Ban Ryu was quite sure that neither his father nor hers would approve, but his longing to see her again eventually won out over his reason.
He glanced up for the hundredth time, hoping to catch a glimpse of her radiant smile coming towards him, but all that was there were a grim-faced sentry and the shut gate. Well, who was he kidding? It was barely past the noon meal time and she had said that she would meet him once her father was safely out of the way and snoring in his after-lunch stupor.
Ban Ryu cast a glance around him. The side gate was set away from the main street, where people milled freely about, the ladies carrying colorful paper umbrellas to protect their delicate skin from the glare of the noon sun and men wearing wide-brimmed hats for similar purposes. Most didn't even notice him. All the better, he thought. Almost every person in the capital knew the political rivalry that existed between his family and the Kim family. Tongues would certainly start to wag if anyone spotted him within ten feet of the Kim family's daughter. Especially after that incident.
It was probably the most unlikely way for a couple to meet. Soo Yeon had mistaken him for her brother and had grabbed him by the, ahem, backside, as retribution for the headlocks Soo Ho liked surprising her with. It might have turned out all right, though, if it hadn't happened to be in the middle of the busy market street – Ban Ryu had a good heart, after all, and would have let her off the hook for an honest mistake. Unfortunately, a crowd began to gather, accusing him of assaulting Soo Yeon. Even worse, Soo Ho happened to be nearby and immediately rushed to the defense of his sister, threatening to brain Ban Ryu with a heavy candlestick. And to top off that memorable evening, Soo Yeon knocked out her own brother, re-purposing a wooden pestle normally used for grinding spices.
A small smile crept over Ban Ryu's face as he recalled the event. Then his head snapped up as he heard a dull thud and he turned just in time to see the sentry crumple to the ground, eyes glazed over. Soo Yeon was standing there, framed by the open portal, a wooden pestle in her hand.
She glanced ruefully at the prone figure, but brightened when she saw Ban Ryu. Soo Yeon darted a look over her shoulder to make sure that the courtyard behind was clear, then beckoned Ban Ryu over.
"How have you been? You weren't waiting long, were you?" Soo Yeon took his hand and led him into the courtyard. "I'm sorry. Father –" She stopped abruptly.
"What is it?" The moment after he asked the question, Ban Ryu saw what it was. Not too far away, a servant was heading in their direction.
"This way," Soo Yeon hissed, tugging him behind a building, up the steps of the veranda, and into a room. Ban Ryu realized with a start that it must be Soo Yeon's room, judging by the simple, but tasteful decoration.
He was wondering what he should do, when Soo Yeon steered him over to the bed. They sat on the edge.
"My father is in his room," Soo Yeon said, obviously trying to reassure Ban Ryu, who was still uneasy about entering a young lady's bedroom, even with her consent.
He glanced down, trying to form his thoughts without sounding rude. "Rather than hiding like this, should we just –"
"After what happened to Master Young Shil, you are like a kite with its string cut," Soo Yeon interrupted gently, knowing that the matter of his stepfather was a sensitive one for Ban Ryu. "Your family does not have status or wealth. It is only natural that he opposes," she added, speaking of her father.
"I guess." Ban Ryu replied, looking dejected.
"But you have my love." Soo Yeon took his hand, her wonderful smile lighting up her face. Ban Ryu couldn't help smiling in return and he leaned forward to hug her. Which, of course, was the exact moment Kim Seub decided to walk in.