[Guest Writer: Takenoko] To Meet the Height of Birds – A SKKS fanfic

Hello all! I’m a newly initiated Sungkyunkwan Scandal fan and budding fanfic writer for this lovely series. (“Takenoko” means “bamboo shoot” in Japanese, if you’re curious =P). Miss Tofu was kind enough to offer me a chance to share some of my ongoing SKKS drabble series here. I hope all the readers of The Lunar Annals will enjoy this small offering and token of my appreciation for my favorite character from the show, Moon Jae Shin ;)

--This series started off as a collection of "hidden moments" from the drama, wherein Moon Jae Shin thinks more about the mysterious, infuriating, captivating new roommate that he seems to be slowly letting into his life, whether he likes it or not. These are all most likely going to be short, drabble-length vignettes, some fluff, some angst, some general. Please let me know what you think! :)

Title: To Meet the Height of Birds (Episode #1)
Characters: Jae Shin, Yoon Hee
Genre: General, Romance

Words: 500

Summary: And you have not stolen my breath yet…

o.o0o.o

The hiccups don’t stop until he’s well into his second bottle of takju, and the sheer number of times he’s been unable to suppress a full-body spasm have already cost him a cup’s worth of the milky-white, fermented beverage. He swipes briskly across his mouth with the back of his sleeve, taking a vindictive pleasure in refusing to use the handkerchief to clean up the spill.

Not that he is using the stupid bit of cloth for its intended purpose, either. The cut on his arm had stopped bleeding, thankfully, leaving nothing but an oozing scab that could be easily hidden by the voluminous folds of his tattered black robes. He looks down at the pale blue square of rough linen, noting the telltale handiwork of someone just learning embroidery. All the silks in his father’s home have Qing embroidery, chain-stitch, adorning the edges, and this scrap is rubbish in comparison, but…

No woman- scratch that, girl- had ever offered him such a personal item before.

“Let me repay your kindness.”

He had looked down at the top of her bowed head, at the sleek plait that hung meekly down her spine, and remembered the girl’s earlier pleas.

“I beg of you, that money is money that even my life wouldn’t be worth. So please, return that money to me. Please.”

The wave of fury that swells inside his chest is almost unbearable. He remembers once, many moons ago, when his younger self had begged for the return of a precious toy arrow gone astray, picked up by a group of Banchon kids as he’d run into the center of the village square to retrieve it.

Her earnest lack of pride reminded him of his own pitiful attempts and grated against memories he’d tried for so long to suppress.

“Don’t bow your head to anyone. Don’t kneel for anyone. It will become a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it will be hard to fix.”

Hyung had taught him that. Had drilled it into his head so much he could now recite it like a grade school lesson. Hyung had been the one who took him by the hand, scrubbed away the dirt and tears staining his face, and firmly showed him how to set his shoulders, grit his teeth, and march back in to demand what was rightfully his.

But this girl, this infuriating creature who gave away handkerchiefs without a thought: who had taught her about holding onto one’s pride? About fighting for what was yours, even if- especially if- the fight wasn’t fair? Life wasn’t fair. And she’d probably never had anyone to show her how to deal with that. But all appearances against the contrary, she’d plucked up enough courage only moments after all her bowing and scraping to give that bastard exactly what he deserved.

He chuckles, remembering the pained yell one of the unlucky bandits had let loose. Strong teeth.

Strong girl.

Maybe not so hopeless or pitiful, after all.

*hiccup*

“Damn it.”

o.o0o.o