Chapter 3:
The Call of Duty
x
The light of dawn seeped into the room. Lili rubbed her bleary eyes as she sauntered over to the window in her silk nightgown. She soon spotted a lovely, pearly glow in the sky as she inhaled the cool and crisp air.
"What a wonderful morning," she sighed while gazing at the scenery.
After tidying up, and putting on her face, she headed to the dining table. Promptly, she saw Sebastian standing with his back turned to her. She knew that he was doing his daily ritual- brewing tea.
"Sebastian, good mor-" Lili stopped midway. Before she could even finish greeting, she caught sight of the auburn-haired fellow who was seated next to Sebastian, having his breakfast.
Having heard his name called, Sebastian turned to the direction of the voice.
"Why, Ms Lili," he said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses.
"Good morning. Have a seat, breakfast is ready." He continued as he indicated a chair to his front.
Lili remained soundless while glaring at the chestnut-haired man as she took her seat across from him. She resisted the urge to grit her teeth. Hmpf. My beautiful morning. Spoilt!
Suspecting that he was being watched, Hwoarang glanced up from his plate and met Lili's face. Her eyes were still fixated on him. This caused him to arch an eyebrow in the midst of munching.
For a few minutes or so, they had their eyes locked together. It was like the two of them were directing invisible, icy stalemate daggers at each other. The atmosphere was indeed tense.
Unfortunately, Sebastian was humming a tune nonchalantly while pouring the tea, completely oblivious to the tension. At long last, Lili turned away and got up from her seat.
Upon seeing this, Sebastian questioned, "Ms Lili? Is anything wrong?"
"You haven't even touched your breakfast yet," he pointed out to the plate full of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon.
"I'm sorry, Sebastian," Lili replied as she pushed in her Victorian-style chair.
"I'm afraid I've lost my appetite." She emphasized, while eyeing the source of her irritation as she drained her cup of tea.
"I'll be going out for a while," she stated as she walked towards the door.
"Oh? So soon? Would you like me to call for the limo?" Sebastian inquired as he took a step forward.
"It's okay, Sebastian. I'll walk instead. I'd just like to be alone right now." She mentioned as she twisted the doorknob and stepped out of the manor.
"Ms Lili…" uttered Sebastian sounding apprehensive as Lili closed the door behind her with a gentle chink.
"Although this is her homeland," Sebastian started. "She's still not too familiar with the streets of Monaco," he continued while wringing his hands.
Having hesitated for a moment, Hwoarang rose from his seat.
"Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on her." He assured while yanking his leather jacket off the chair.
"Yes, thank you Master Hwoarang." Sebastian muttered and his face soon lit up.
"That would definitely alleviate my worries and of course, Mr. Rochefort's most of all." He added, his voice sounding relieved.
Without responding, Hwoarang simply slipped on his jacket as he prepared to take his leave. Before he could even reach the doorknob, he heard the sound of his name being called.
"Master Hwoarang, please wait." Sebastian motioned as he lifted his hand, resulting Hwoarang to glance sideways.
"Would you like any mode of transportation as you trail Ms. Lili? The streets of Monaco are long and vast after all." Sebastian advised.
"No, I don't think I ne-" he stopped short. He then turned his body around.
"On second thought, do you have a Harley that I can borrow?"
-;-
The streets of Monaco were indeed breathtaking. Most of them were paved with small, square, black bricks and there were lots of people. It also wasn't unusual to hear authentic Italian music being played by a musician on the street, and the scent of fresh bread from bakeries would fill the air, causing one to have a whiff when walking past them. In fact, most of the buildings that lined the streets had so much character that they became worn-looking and earthy- coloured.
Lili could almost feel every care in the world floating away as she walked further down the streets. The atmosphere was one of joy and tranquil that she couldn't help but beam with excitement.
"Finally, no more annoying disruptions," She expressed as she stretched out her arms. Especially the red-headed ones.
As she continued ambling around the streets, she heard a frightened yelp. Caught by surprise, she started slowing her steps.
Within seconds, she saw two burly men in a deserted street alley, with large, distasteful tattoos on their arms, using rattan canes to beat a young boy, probably not more than ten, who was trying to run away.
Furious at the morbid sight, Lili dashed towards the men and flashed a swift kick to their necks, causing them to tumble to the ground. Lying on the floor, the men struggled to their feet, evidently pissed by the sudden interference.
"You annoying chick, get out of the way!" one of them bellowed as he rushed towards her.
Lili immediately positioned her stance and darted out of his reach. Then, grabbing him by the collar, she swung around and delivered a roundhouse kick down to his head, smashing it to the ground.
As he writhed in pain, the other man brandished a sharp pocket knife in front of her, beckoning her to attack if she dared. Observing this, Lili narrowed her eyes and kept still.
"Not so hot now, are you girlie?" he smirked as he ran up to her and directed his knife to her face.
Effortlessly, she ducked it, stepped between his legs and kneed him neatly in the groin while applying her finishing blow, throwing him into the air.
"I'm sure you'll have an excellent career as a soprano," Lili let out a soft giggle whilst turning her back to him when he toppled to the floor in pain.
Noticing that the boy was still cowering in fear in the corner, she approached him with a reassuring smile on her face.
"Everything's okay now," she assured as she pulled him up.
Before the boy could respond, like a bolt form the blue, a vehicle zoomed past them and screeched to a halt. As the car door creaked open, a crowd of bulky men came to sight.
Or not. Lili frowned as she examined the gang of thugs.
Without hesitation, Lili hid the little boy behind her as she acted as his shield.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" she demanded, her voice curt.
In a second, a man in sunglasses with a white suit appeared into the scene. With hands in his slacks, his eyes met the two bodies lying on the ground. Lili assumed that he was the gang leader.
"Tsk. Seems like my minions failed to kidnap that boy after all. Pathetic fools." He said with disgust as his eyes flickered towards Lili.
Sensing danger, Lili tilted her neck briefly. Her gesticulating action was quickly understood by the little boy as he bowed in gratitude and fled. Lili then heaved a soft sigh of relief. She didn't want the boy to witness any more bloodshed than necessary.
"Well, missy." The gang leader's voice was cold.
"Since you interfered with our work, I'm afraid you'll have to take the boy's place." He said with a sly grin.
Lili stayed motionless as she mentally counted the men. She was badly outnumbered.
"Grab her." He snapped.
For a short while, Lili managed to handle the fight. However, once the thugs flourished their weapons, she knew she was in trouble. Caught off guard, a pair of strong arms pinned her hands behind her back.
Eyes widening, Lili twisted free. Nonetheless, she was soon kicked from behind. She went out like a candle in the wind, her ankle spraining as she fell over. One of the men caught her arms, twisting them behind her back once more.
"You're a feisty one, missy." The gang leader commented as he knelt to meet her face when she turned away.
"But if you cooperate," He caught the tip of her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.
"I promise you that you won't risk getting that pretty face in-Argh!" he yelled as he placed a hand on his head.
As he fronted the ground momentarily, he spotted a garbage lid. Enraged, he glanced sideways to the direction of the thrown lid.
"Paws off, punk." The red-head in goggles said loftily.
Lili's eyes widened when she saw him. Hwoarang?
"Why you little squirt! Get him!" the leader ordered while pointing an accusatory finger at Hwoarang.
In a split second, the men who surrounded him had all landed to the ground moaning and groaning in agony.
"Is that all you've got?" he challenged, clearly irked.
The leader, stunned by his quick reflexes, tried to slowly retreat his steps in an attempt to run. But before he could flee, he was slammed into the brick wall. Intimidated, he made no move whatsoever to get out of the position.
"Pl…Please…Le…let go of me…" he pleaded.
Hwoarang then held him by the throat. "If you ever touch her again," his voice was harsh.
"I'll friggin' kill you. Ya hear?" he said in a raspy voice as his eyes darkened with anger.
The leader nodded profusely in response before he was released from Hwoarang's grasp. Without delay, he scurried off to the vehicle and drove away as quickly as he could, abandoning his subordinates.
Pssh. Coward.
"I could have actually handled it by myself, you know." claimed Lili as she rose to her feet.
"Shouldn't that be thank you?" he turned to face her with an eyebrow raised.
Lili then adjusted her gray corset and black wristbands as she dusted herself off.
"Hmph. I see no reason to th-" she winced. Surprised at her reaction, Hwoarang took a glimpse at her feet. Did she twist her ankle?
"Can you walk?" he spoke, his voice calm.
"Of course I-Ow!" she exclaimed in pain. Lili lifted her left ankle slightly as she carefully rubbed it.
"Well, I just…can't seem to put my weight on it…That's all." she admitted softly.
Both of them remained silent for a few seconds. Eventually, Hwoarang strode over to her and mumbled, "Hold still," as he abruptly picked her up, placed her over his shoulders and started carrying her out of the alley.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Lili questioned fiercely. "Put me down this instant!" she ordered while kicking and thumping incessantly.
"Darn it! Will you just simmer down already?" Hwoarang commanded as he continued walking. "You can't walk, right?"
"That may be so, but you can't just lift me up and carry me like I'm some sort of inanimate object or something!" Lili shouted without stopping for a breath.
Hwoarang rolled his eyes and ignored her protests even though he attracted quite a few stares as he headed down the street.
"Listen you, you… tangerine biker boy! I- Hey!" hollered Lili as she landed on the seat of a bike.
Astonished, she took a good look at the bike. It seemed familiar.
"Wh…Where did you get this motorcycle?" she inquired suspiciously.
Hwoarang then mounted the bike and gripped the handles as he took the front seat.
"I borrowed it." He answered impassively.
"Now hang on tight, Princess." He continued as he flicked the key causing the engine to power up.
"Huh?" asked Lili, looking puzzled.
In a flash, the bike sped off without warning, startling Lili.
"EEEK!" she shrieked as she clutched Hwoarang's jacket firmly when the bike cruised down the road with immense speed.
-;-
The wind was beating against their faces and they could feel their hair flapping in the wind as the bike zoomed excitedly on the expressway.
"Can't you go a little slower?" Lili blurted out while closing her eyes.
"Look, Princess. I can't go any slower! This is the normal speed of a bike!" Hwoarang stated loudly as they whizzed past other vehicles.
They swerved precariously past cars and other motorcycles. Detecting another perilous cargo lorry coming close, Lili shut her eyes to ease her fears.
"If I ever fall off or get into an accident, I'm blaming you!" She hailed as her grip on him tightened.
Ha, just as I thought, she's a scaredy-cat after all…
Hwoarang smirked as he lifted his mouth into a mock smile.
Suddenly, the bike jerked to a stop. They had already arrived at the Rochefort Mansion, unbeknownst to Lili, for she was still holding on to Hwoarang's jacket tightly.
"Princess," Hwoarang spoke.
There was no response.
"Hey, we're here."
Lili then unwillingly raised her head up to face reality, though she was still clinging on to Hwoarang's jacket.
"…You can let go now." He mentioned as he cleared his throat.
Hearing this, she directly released herself from him as she got up from her seat.
"You…you should really learn to control this piece of contraption," she said huffily while running her fingers through her hair.
What! This piece of contraption was actually yours to begin with, y'know! Sheesh…
Just then, Hwoarang's thoughts were disrupted.
"Ahem. I still require your…assistance." She said with a hint of denial.
Unable to believe his ears, he turned to her. Lili then pointed to the white flight of stairs leading to the manor in an awkward manner.
"Well, hurry up! What are you waiting for?" she grunted as she folded her arms across her chest.
Sigh…Is it too hard for her to ask a little politely?
Before Hwoarang could haul her up, he was brashly stopped by Lili.
In a half-bent position, Hwoarang then looked up at her quizzically. "What's wrong?"
"You don't think I'm actually going to let you carry me like that again, do you?" she said sourly.
He then let out an audible sigh as his shoulders drooped.
"Then what do you want me to do? Piggyback you?" he asked, obviously vexed.
"I thought you'd never ask," she answered sweetly as she leaned back against the bike marginally.
"Ugh," Hwoarang then straightened up while putting a hand to his forehead.
…What a pain… He thought to himself.
"Well? I'm waiting…" Lili whispered as she examined her fingernails.
There was a brief pause.
"Wo, wo, wo. Hold it, You're really asking me to do it?" Hwoarang questioned with a blazing gaze.
"Asking? You volunteered!" Lili argued as she pointed at him.
"Look, Princess! I sneered, there's a difference!" he denied.
"You're my bodyguard now, aren't you?" Lili continued.
Hwoarang then remained silent as he turned away. Even a bodyguard has his limits…
"Listen biker boy," Lili began. "You wouldn't want me to tell my father how uncommitted you are, would you?"
Upon hearing this, Hwoarang's ears twitched.
"He might even tell your Master about it," Lili drawled. "I'm sure your Master wouldn't be too happy about hearing that, would he?" she said in a taunting manner.
Rendered wordless, Hwoarang crouched down in front of Lili.
"Alright, fine. I'll give you your stupid piggyback ride," he said drily.
Lili grinned in triumph as she hopped onto his back, savouring the moment of victory.
Darn princess blackmailer…
Hwoarang then clenched his teeth as he carried her up the steps. If her mansion had a dumpster, I'd dump her right in!
-;-
When Hwoarang stepped into the manor along with Lili, a figure loomed into view. It was Sebastian.
"Why, Ms. Lili and Master Hwoarang! Welcome home." Sebastian said civilly.
"And may I just add, that is a rather interesting manner to come home in," he continued as he pushed his glasses up his nose.
"What? No Sebastian, you misunderstand!" Lili mentioned as she held up her right hand while hanging on to Hwoarang's shoulder on the other.
"She sprained her ankle." Hwoarang revealed.
"What! My goodness! Are you alright, Ms. Lili?" Sebastian asked with concern.
Lili bobbed her head in reply. "Don't worry Sebastian. It doesn't hurt at all."
Hwoarang then stole a glance at her. "I'll bring her to her room," he said, his voice firm.
"Yes, thank you Master Hwoarang," said Sebastian thankfully.
"I shall fetch the first aid kit and ice pack at once, Ms Lili!" he added as he promptly left the hall.
Reaching her room, Hwoarang carefully placed her down, enabling her to settle on the bed.
"You better lie down for a while," his voice was dry. "And you know, there's no need to put on a strong front."
Lili's eyes widened at the unexpected sentence. "…That's none of your concern," snubbed Lili as she crossed her arms.
"Whatever," Hwoarang's voice was a little amused.
When he stood up to leave, Lili spoke. "By the way…" Surprised, Hwoarang stopped and turned to face her.
"...Thank you," she uttered, diverting her gaze away.
Unable to believe his ears, he looked at her with agaze eyes. In a few seconds, he turned his back on her and wrenched the door open.
"It's fine," Hwoarang's tone was flat.
He then looked sideways briefly. "I'm your bodyguard after all."
After saying that, he shut the door and left the room.
I take that back! This is my longest chapter! *O_o*
Hahas! Sorry for the wait guys! But yeah, been busy.. .
Katieisawesome: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! I didn't want to change their personalities! Otherwise, it might not be very convincing... And yes, I've read that ff too, it was great! ^^
Digijc: Hahas, thx! I tried to make it as real as possible! ;)
ennairaBACKWARD: I've finally updated! Hehes! And thank you for your review! Much appreciated!^^
gamegirl07: Thx! This is my first ff, so I'm still working on it! Yup yup, I really like this pairing too! XD
Obsessiveangel: Thank you! ^^ I think they're a gr8 couple too! Me likey his reactions as well, coz that's the Hwoarang we all noe and love! XD
Thanks for reading and wishing all of you all blessed and exciting new year! ^^ (P.S: Remember to review! They always make me happy! ^_^)
