Chapter Nine: A Change in the Plan
A\n: I know this is a bit late! Sorry! But thanks to everyone who has stuck through! This truly means alot! And we're finally at the action! Well, a bit before but it is still setting it up for sure! Some things that happened in the last chappie may be put on the back burner for now, but will certainly play a part in later chappies once everything calms down... Or starts to. Anyways! I truly hope you all enjoy this! Happy readings!
It took a few days for the town to calm down from the party. Tian had spent that time with Min-Soo, BaaBaa, and even Ae-Cha and Ha-Seon a bit. There was drinking, and a bit of storytelling. Afterwards, things seemed to settle in their routine. The only difference being that there were more officers around, which made the entire town uneasy. In the past, when there were more officers around, people tended to disappear more often. It was unsettling.
After the whole incident with Jae-Ha at the festival, the green dragon seemed to put a bit of distance between himself and Tian. It wasn't much considering he still accompanied her to town, but there was a distinct difference. Before, they were relaxed. Calm. Sometimes, there would be a bit of playful banter. Now, it felt tense. Mostly from the green haired man himself. Tian couldn't help but worry that she had managed to put him off, but another part of her would reassure her that it most likely wasn't connected. How could it be when she had done nothing?
"Did you and Jae-Ha get into a fight?" Yona questioned one night, setting her bed for the night. Tian jumped in surprise, and then looked at Yona with a slight nervous laugh.
"What? No! Why do you ask?" Tian questioned, sitting on her heels as she took down her hair. Yona watched her for a moment, contemplating her next words.
"I don't know. It's just the air with you two feels different." Yona said, throwing Tian a bit off. Tian frowned, pursing her lips as she looked off.
Is it really that noticeable? She questioned to herself, and then smiled over at the red haired girl that was watching her intently.
"Don't be silly! Nothing has happened! Really!" Tian didn't exactly blame Yona for the look of disbelief the red haired girl threw Tian's way. Honestly, she probably wouldn't believe herself either.
"Alright. If you say so." She said with a shrug, laying down. Tian just sighed as she crawled into her sleeping mat, and began to sleep.
Although a few more days passed, and things didn't seem any better. Tian thought about asking Jae-Ha about his sudden change, but decided against it. Besides, she had other things to worry about.
"Ha-Seon told me some news." Min-Soo told her a week after the party was over. Business was oddly very well. Not that they ever were hurting for business before but it has been booming as of late.
"What did he tell you?" She asked, looking up as she attempted to thread the needle. There was silence for a few moments before Min-Soo spoke in a low tone, leaning closer to her friend.
"He heard some unsettling rumours about this town." She answered a bit cryptically. Tian looked at her with a skeptical eyebrow raised.
"What are you talking about? Stop beating around the bush and just say it." Tian replied in annoyance as she began sewing the hem of the shirt she was making.
"Awh~ You're too serious Tian! I'm trying to create suspense." Min-Soo giggled, winking to her friend. Tian was too concentrated to even be the slightest bit playful.
"I hate suspense. Just tell me." She replied in a deadpan tone, looking in her sewing kit for a floral, transparent cloth. Min-Soo sighed in annoyance, but smirked playfully as she poked her friend's shoulders.
"You're gonna die of a heart attack early on if you don't learn to lighten up." Min-Soo teased, a playful twinkle in her light eyes. Tian smiled, poking her friend.
"I'm just serious enough. Now, seriously, tell me what Ha-Seon told you." She added on, smiling as she found what she needed, and began to see once again. Min-Soo sighed heavily, growing a bit somber as she pulled out some peach colored fabric.
"I guess he over heard some drunk officers talking.I guess they revealed some very scandalous things." Her friend replied, looking at a sketch of another dress. Tian sighed displeasure.
She had actually believed, no, hoped! That whatever Ha-Seon had told her blonde friend would be of use in some way. She didn't want to listen to the drunken escapades of some stupid officers! When Tian spoke next, she spoke with complete sarcasm, showing her displeasure with a distinct frown as she gave Min-Soo a very deadpan expression.
"Lemme guess, which girl they slept with. What she was like, and-"
"No, no! Something better! This town's real truth." Min-Soo announced in a stage whispered as she leaned closer to her friend go tell her the news. Tian looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised. She waited for an explanation.
"Well? What are you waiting for? I'm dying to know what some drunken officers said." Tian was once again speaking with sarcasm, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Min-Soo scowled at her friend, sounding almost offended as she spoke next.
"Just because they're drunk, doesn't mean it's not true. People who are drunk tend to be more truthful, ya know?" Tian sighed, shaking her head. She focused on the shirt as the silence continued. Maybe it wasn't even worth her time hearing, and Min-Soo was just going to tell her something stupid.
"Those thugs aren't just a normal gang. Terrorizing a town just because they can. There's a reason. And the officers are in on it." Min-Soo spoke a bit cryptic, suggesting that what she had to say was indeed worth looked at her, eyebrow raised.
"You had my interest before. Now you have my attention. What is going on?" She questioned, trying to joke around. She hated to admit that this was pulling her in. Tian was more interested than she initially thought she would be.
"The truth is, this town is really a slave trading town." Min-Soo spoke in a way that suggested she was both excited and a bit hesitant on revealing the news. Her honey colored eyes looked at Tian with a contemplative expression, gauging her reaction. Tian felt shock run through every fiber of her body as she heard the news. She blinked. Tian wasn't sure what to say, nor what to do for the first time in a long time she felt... Afaird.
"What?" Tian questioned after a moment, looking up at Min-Soo with her eyebrows drawn together. Min-Soo looked at her friend, biting her lips.
"There's more officers around because they're rounding up people. It's an operation around Kouka. I want you to be careful." The blonde girl replied, touching Tian's hands. Tian nodded, wrapped in her thoughts to really reply.
What had she gotten herself into? How could she not have noticed this before? More importantly, how can she continue to let Yona and the others continue on this mission knowing how dangerous it was now?
"... And apparently the officers are involved which is why they're paid so much to keep their silence. Apparently they thugs running this town are nothing more than lowly henchmen who do the work of their superiors by bringing potential slaves to them." Tian was telling Yona and the others this in the safe compounds of Min-Soo's own home. In the cellar, where they'd be safe from any prying eyes or ears.
There was silence for a few moments as everyone took in this information. It was hard just to say what should or could have said. Everyone came into this whole ordeal thinking they were dealing with a simple gang problem gone way too far. Now to find this new information out...
What could any of them say? Or even do? It was a much bigger problem than any of them even expected.
"Tian said you guys would help out, but are you prepared to deal with this? It's more than you guys originally thought you would have to take care of." Min-Soo was speaking with more passion than Tian was, who simply delivered the news rather robotically.
"Hey, we said we'd help out. We're not backing off now just because of this new information." Hak was the first to reply, seemingly snapping out of his surprise much faster than the others.
"Exactly. Besides do you really think this will scare us away?"
"Besides, this is wrong. We can't just leave now." Jae-Ha and Kija spoke at the same time. Their tones almost matching one another.
"It's going to be harder for sure, but we will fulfill our promise to you guys." Yona promised, smiling in what she hoped came across as reassuring.
"I'm going to get some tea. Anyone want some?" Tian asked, standing up. Her green eyes scooped the room,but when nobody replied, she shrugged, and left the room.
There was a tense silence for a few moments. Min-Soo looked at each member of the group with a contemplative expression, biting at her lower lip. Finally, she sighed heavily, shaking her head. It seemed to break everyone's thoughts as they looked up at her with a curious expression.
"Tian... She's... She's like a sister to me. I know her very well. I know she can handle herself in any situation, but I worry for her. The officers... They tend to round up people like her. The ones that put up the most fight. Even when they come back, they're never the same. Listen, I know this may be hard to do, but if you could please keep a watch on her! I don't want her to wind up in such a deplorable situation!" She was begging, bowing slightly as she spoke out her plea. Everyone wasn't sure what to say, but it was Jae-Ha that spoke next, a usual charming smile as he touched her hands, causing Min-Soo to look at him with a surprise expression.
"We meant what we said when we told you all that as long as Tian is in our care, nothing will harm her. Especially after this news. You have to trust us." Min-Soo looked at him, a bit teary eyed, but nodded when she saw the expression those eyes held. She'd have to trust them. What else could she have done?
For the rest of the day, Jae-Ha kept a closer eye on Tian. She seemed to be walking around in a daze. In her own mind. She didn't seem to pay much attention to the world around her, evident by her shaking her head, and having anyone repeated to her what they had just said. Jae-Ha found himself worried for her. What was going through her mind?
After awhile of noticing the behavior, it bothered him to the point he where he couldn't simply ignore the action. That's when he decided to just out ask her.
It was nearing dusk. She was silently cutting some potatoes with Yun for that night's potato and fish stew. Tian had brought some fish over from the market she worked at. She had been stocking them up on food, which they were all grateful for. So far, Yun and Tian had been cutting in silence.
"Do you want any extra help? I'll gut the fish." Jae-Ha offered, kneeling next to them with a grin on his face. Tian didn't react,except for pausing in her cutting for a second before continuing on in silence. Yun completely stopped, and glanced over at the other man.
"Sure. Since the others are out getting supplies, I suppose you can do something." Jae-Ha had almost forgotten the others had left almost ten minutes before hand to get some supplies. Yona had asked Tian if she had wanted to go as well, but Tian declined almost immediately.
Jae-Ha took the bucket filled with cold water, which held the fish, over to the small creek that was a few yards away from the campsite. He then began to clean and gut the fish. Tian glanced at him, biting on her lips, but then went back to cutting the potatoes up, and filling the pot with them.
There was silence for a good twenty minutes. Jae-Ha was humming in low tones to himself as he finished the fish off, and sat them back in the now empty pot, he had dumped out the water shortly after finishing the first fish.
"The potatoes are done. I'll go get some water for the stew." Tian offered, standing up as she shook out her hands. Yun looked at her for a moment.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Just get the leek out and began to cut it. I'll fill the pot up, and begin to boil the water." Yun nodded.
"Alright." Tian nodded, grabbing the pot, walking over to the creeks waters.
"Getting the water ready?" Jae-Ha questioned, picking up the fish bucket. Tian didn't bother looking at him as she dipped the pot into the water.
"Obviously. Did you finish the fish?" She answered in a slight clipped tone. Jae-Ha found himself slightly relieved by the tone, and relaxed slightly.
"Obviously." He answered, smirking slightly as he threw her word back to her. Tian tensed for a moment, and then sighed as she shook her head.
"We need the fish cut into small portions. Can you do that?" She questioned, her dark green eyes glancing at him. Jae-Ha nodded, still with that little smirk.
"Of course!"
"Then stop wasting time, and do it."
"Mmm, so forceful. I like that about you." He flirtatiously teased as he walked to her. Tian sighed in annoyance, and shook her head."Do you mind if I do it here?" He questioned, setting the bucket and himself down on the ground. He then grabbed the knife, and began to cut into the fish.
"Can't ask for permission when you're already doing it." She replied, taking the pot of the water, and looking into the pot.
There was more than enough water in the pot. Yun would be expecting her back at any moment, but Tian found herself wanting to stay near Jae-Ha. It was an odd, almost alien feeling to her. But, they were actually interacting for the first time in days, and she liked it way more than she would have expected. She just didn't want to move.
"What's wrong?" Jae-Ha questioned when she didn't move for a few minutes. He knew that if he didn't ask what was on his mind at that moment, he likely wouldn't have the chance to ask again. So, he took the opportunity in front of him while he blushed, and looked at him with a slight scowl.
"What are you talking about?" Her tone was defensive.
After hearing the news from Min-Soo, Tian had to admit to herself that she felt scared. It was a reason she hadn't been into town. She didn't want to draw attention to herself anymore than she already had. Not to mention, she didn't want the officers to know any of the others had a connection with her, and have them get into trouble. That was the last thing she wanted. But she wasn't about to admit that. Not out loud anyways.
Jae-Ha glanced at Tian with a more serious expression than she used to see on him. Her hands tightened on the pot's handle. He looked away after a moment, but he continued speaking.
"You haven't been yourself since you told us the news. You've haven't been acting like you usually do." Tian was silent for a moment.
Something in the dark haired girl wanted to tell the man before her the truth. Tian wanted to tell him how scared she was. How worried she was. She wanted to tell him these things. She wanted... She wasn't sure what she expected, but she wanted to tell him. However, another part of her shut away those feelings quickly. What was the use in even getting close to someone who just confused her? Still...
"It's nothing." She replied standing up with the pot in her hands, and walked back to the campsite. Jae-Ha watched her for a few moments, and then turned back to the fish at hand.
Jae-Ha couldn't understand why he wanted to know her feelings. Yes, he was worried about her naturally. Tian was acting strange, and not like herself. However, what he didn't understand was the need to want to know what was causing her to worry. He could only guess that it had something to do wit the truth of the town, but why it worried her so much that she would act out of character, and why he wanted to know so desperately... That was another alien feeling he couldn't understand. Not fully anyways.
"So stupid..." He whispered to himself, shaking his head as he finished cutting the fish up. He then glanced towards Tian, who was mixing the ingredients together. He shook his head once again as he stood up, and walked towards them. He could only hope she'd be better soon...