Chapter Thirty-Two: And When the Morning Comes
The next day, Tian's missing presence was felt very strongly.
"Now I get it! No wonder she made all that food!"
"And got the good sake!" Yun and Hak said nearly at the same time when the realization hit them that Tian had left them, and wasn't returning. Yun had his arms crossed over his chest, scowling deeply.
"The little miss wanted one last good night with us." Zeno replied, even he was feeling a bit disheartened at her departure.
"She could have said something." Hak replied, scowling.
"She didn't because we would have never let her gone off on her own." Yona replied, resting her chin on her knees.
"So Tian left in the darkness of the night when we were sleeping." Kija said, and then glanced over at Shin-Ah and Jae-Ha, the only two who had yet to say anything on this matter.
Shin-Ah had his head down, suggesting his own sadness, but Jae-Ha was staring off in the direction of the trees, scowling deeply as he had his own arms crossed over his chest.
"Tian couldn't have gotten too far." Min-Soo suggested, tapping her fingers lightly together. She felt bad for having been the only one in the group to know of Tian's departure, but she now understood why Tian wouldn't tell them.
"Why would she leave knowing the danger she is facing? Does she really think that just leaving us would put her out of danger? Those people are more likely to attack if she's alone." Jae-Ha stated in a simple tone." Or maybe it just means she didn't trust us that much." He said in a low voice, not meaning for anyone to hear, but everyone heard, and watched silently as he suddenly took off, jumping through the trees as he was intent on finding her, and dragging her back kicking and screaming if he had to…
"Ah! What lovely jasmine tea!" Tian smiled at the clerk.
Tian had stopped at a small shop. She worked for the clerk in exchange for a hot meal and something to drink. Tian realized how low she was on money, and planned to stop somewhere to get more money. Luckily for Tian, she always carried stuff for trade. She could trade one of her silk dresses for a high price. Tian silently thanked BaaBaa for the silk dress, since it would bring her in much money.
"Well, I made the best I could. The costumers ate that Kopachi like nothing else I've ever seen! Are you sure you can't stay longer? Could use the help! I'll even throw in some money. Won't be much, but-"
"No. Your offer is kind, but I can't accept it. I need to move on." She smiled slightly, and sat the cup down." Thank you." She said softly, standing up as she hitched her bag over her shoulders. The aged man nodded, appraising Tian for a moment before shaking his head.
"You're a lovely girl. You best be careful. There's men out there with less than respectable reputation who would-" Tian held up her hand, laughing slightly.
"I assure you, I'll be fine. I'll be going now. Thank you." Tian bowed slightly, and then hurried out of the shop, looking around to make sure nobody was looking at her, she pulled up her hood, and continued on her way.
Jae-Ha had never felt more urgent to find someone in his entire life. He wanted Tian back where he could keep her safe. It hurt knowing she was gone. Knowing that she left without so much as last good, but perhaps the kiss was a last good-bye. He may have initiated it, but she returned the kiss tenfold, which told him much more than words ever could.
Still, knowing how much danger she attracted, the danger she was currently in, it worried him. How could she make such a stupid, dangerous descion on her own without so much as hinting at her true intentions? Sure, nobody would have let her go off on her own, but still….
"I don't want anyone else fighting, risking their lives to fix my stupidity. Yona's safety is your first concern, not mine. I want to keep her safe as well. So if you want me to stay safe, don't go chasing trouble, ok? Espically if it's for me. I can handle myself."
Jae-Ha remembered the day, clear as crystal, when Tian had told him those exact words. She was still healing, and Jae-Ha had joked about fighting off anyone who harmed her if he was her personal escort from that moment on. He may have been joking, but he spoke mostly truth. He didn't want to leave her side. He didn't want to her to leave him.
I just want to protect you. Where the hell are you?!
He questioned to himself, scowling as he dropped onto a tree branch, looking at the ground. He could see the faint outline of footprints in the ground, but he couldn't tell if it was Tian's or not. They certainly looked female, however. Jae-Ha looked off towards camp, sighing as he shook his head.
"I need to get back to Yona and the others." Jae-Ha stated, looking back at the footprint. He wanted to keep looking for any signs of where Tian could have possibly gone off to, but he couldn't just leave the others now even if he wanted to. So, with a heavy sigh, he turned, and sped back towards camp, scowling as he wound up a fist, his fingers feeling Tian's red ribbon gently.
Please. Please be safe.
He thought to himself, pushing himself faster so that he wouldn't turn back, and continue to look for her.
"It's been a while since I've been on the road. Just me, myself, and I. Enjoying nature. Mmm, kinda miss the smell of the sea though." Tian thought to herself, sighing as she ran her fingers over her hair covering.
With the ribbon gone, she was forced to deal with her hair in a different manner. Her hair covering was now in a ponytail. The hair covering folded over the exposed hair with some of her black hair hanging out. The top of the covering, which rested at the knape of her hair, was tied with Jae-Ha's gift.
Tian's slim fingers ran over the engraved flower pendent, her heart heavy. How she missed the group already. She wondered what they were doing. She missed Min-Soo, Joo-Ri, BaaBaa, Mi-Cha, and everyone back in that village. She wondered what they were all doing. Did any of them miss her as much as she missed them? However, Tian had made her choice. She just had to live with it as she continued on traveling.
"Hmm? Are you guys leaving too?" Min-Soo questioned softly, looking down at her hands.
"I'm afraid we have to. Seems like much of your trouble has passed as it is, but if anything else happens, send word. We'll come to you right away." Kija stated, smiling softly at Min-Soo, who smiled, and nodded slightly.
"Right. I'll see you guys later then." She questioned, tilting her head slightly.
"Of course!" Yona exclaimed, pulling Min-Soo into a tight hug. Min-Soo hesitated before returning the embrace. They pulled back quickly enough. Min-Soo smiled ruefully as she whipped at her eyes.
"You guys stay safe, and if you run into Tian… Tell her to stay safe as well." There seemed to be a hidden message behind Min-Soo's words, and the group seemed to understand as they nodded. Min-Soo smiled, waving as the group left on their way out of the village.
Tian…. You better keep yourself alive by any means necessary because… The next time I see you, I'm not ever letting you leave me again.
Jae-Ha thought with a determined nod of his head as he adjusted the pack on his back, and continued walking with the group. He was determined to meet her, find her, and keep her in his sights again. He wouldn't let her go so easily next time. No matter how soon or far off in the future this goal was. After all, when Jae-Ha saw something he wanted, he would stop at nothing until it was his…..
A/n: So! I'm calling it a stop right here! Possibly the fastest ending I've had in a super long time! And certainly the fastest when it comes to romance. Also, this romance happened much faster than my other romance, but hey! It's my first Yona fic! And I'm sad to see it come to such an end! Anyways… Thanks to everyone who gave this story attention,and thanks to everyone who reviewed. You all gave me the inspiration to move on, and get new chappies out. Anyways, I might add in a sequel, that will follow the events of the story. If I can pinpoint an exact date for all this, and if there's interest enough for a continuation of the story. Either way, let me know what you think of the ending! Let me know if you're interested in a sequel or not! Let me know whatever is on your mind! And thanks so much for sticking with me this far! It's been a fun, and happy, and exciting time! Happy Readings!