Maybe it’s the sound of the waterfalls. Or perhaps it’s the wild birds chirping a song. Or trauma doesn’t want him to be in peace. But whatever it was, Miyojin suddenly woke up. Feeling the ache in his head, he knew that he had not slept for long. The bright surroundings also told him that it was not even noon yet.
He let out a sigh as he began to stretch his arms. But then, he felt it, another warm presence nearby. And it wasn’t only nearby. He was touching it.
He looked to his left side only to be greeted by a tired but pretty face. Xia Yu was sleeping on her side facing him. His arm was touching her hands that were between their bodies.
Her soft snores gave away how deep in sleep she was. She looked so delicate when sleeping. It reminded Miyojin of the first time they met. He thought she was a sweet fairy despite his initial dislike of her. But he later learned that behind those sweet smiles was a fierce and intelligent woman.
That thought brought Miyojin back to the conversation he had with his brother. The one that occurred right before the attack. He promised him that he would try to open up to Xia Yu. Treat her like a friend and get to know her better.
Brother…
Miyojin felt the ache in his heart as wet heat began to form in his eyes. If only he knew he was going to lose Zhujin this soon, he would not have spent the past few months ignoring him. It seems like fate only gave him those last minutes to make up with him. Then, it brutally took him away that same night.
Miyojin returned his attention to Xia Yu. He can’t blame her for following through with Zhujin’s command. There must be survivors. They need to report what happened. It would be terrible if all of them died. No one will know what happened.
Xia Yu knew the Xieye Sea very well. If there was someone who could find the way after getting lost in this place, it was Xia Yu. So, she already solidified her position to survive.
But what Miyojin doesn’t understand is why the other person should be him. Is it because his brother is a skilled fighter and can hold off the enemy? Is it because Miyojin is too weak to even defend himself that is why he needs to be protected?
Miyojin began to feel the weight of his inexperience. If he could have been like Zhujin, the Crown Prince could have escaped with Xia Yu. There’s no denying for Miyojin that Zhujin is more valuable than him. And yet, his brother still chose to save him instead of himself. He even said that he’s the Crown Prince now.
“I’m not a Crown Prince. I’ll never compare to you,” he murmured.
Tears began to fall from his eyes. How could this happen to them? Zhujin’s gone and they are on an unknown island in the middle of a vast sea. But he also knew he was still lucky. For one thing, he is still alive. Another is that Xia Yu is also alive and with him.
With a hopeful smile, he held Xia Yu’s hand. Just the feeling of another person with him amidst this tragedy made it bearable. The hopeful feeling brought about by Xia Yu’s presence made Miyojin comfortable. And that seems to be enough for now. Once again, he fell asleep.
So… one can imagine Miyojin’s shock when he woke up later that day only to find Xia Yu missing from his side. He immediately rose up and frantically searched around. She was nowhere in sight. Their luggage was still beside him but no Xia Yu.
With a panicked heart, Miyojin began to run while looking all around. Where could she be? Where would she go? Not wanting to venture further into the forest, he tried his luck by running towards the beach.
And he was indeed lucky. The moment he reached the sandy beach, he spotted Xia Yu. But to his surprise, she was pushing the boat towards the sea. In an instant, a terrible thought came to his mind.
“No!” he shouted as he bolted his way to where she was.
“Xia Yu!” he screamed again.
This time Xia Yu heard him. She turned around to find the prince running towards her with a panicked face. And this confused Xia Yu. She stopped pushing the boat and waited for the prince to reach her.
But the moment Miyojin was in front of her, he forcefully grabbed her by the shoulders. Then, he began to go hysterical.
“What are you doing!?! How could you break your promise and attempt to leave me here!?!?”
With wide-eyed confusion, Xia Yu stared at Miyojin and then said.
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean by that? You’re the one who’s pushing the boat to leave me here!”
With that said Xia Yu finally understood why Miyojin was being hysterical. This behavior of his flicked the irritation in her.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!!! I was going fishing! It’s already past noon and we haven’t eaten anything yet.”
Oh…
Realizing his mistake, Miyojin loosened his grip on Xia Yu’s shoulders. There was an awkward silence between them as Xia Yu only stared at him. As embarrassment crept within him, he let her go. Not meeting her eyes, he said his apology.
“I-I’m sorry. I misjudged you. I just- I thought…” he said, choking the last words. Then, he felt something hot roll down his cheeks. He couldn’t speak anymore. What is going on? Why are there tears?
Hearing his choking sounds, Xia Yu drew closer to him. Lifting his chin, she saw him on the verge of a breakdown. The sight tugged something within Xia Yu’s heart. She pulled him close in an embrace. This action of hers initially shocked Miyojin. But then, he burst into tears.
Miyojin hugged her back and began to silently cry on her shoulders. He says he was sorry over and over again between his sobs. Xia Yu rested her chin on his shoulders as she began to soothe his back. She remained quiet until Miyojin had calmed down.
“It’s alright. I’m sorry too. I was being insensitive when I left your side without telling you. I didn’t consider what you’ll feel.” Xia Yu said.
“No, you have nothing to apologize. It was me who was thinking too much.”
“No. It’s only natural for you to think that way after what you have been through since last night. You almost got killed. You lost your brother and you can’t even mourn for your loss. And on top of that, you’re now stranded in a place unbeknownst to you.”
Xia Yu broke from the embrace. But she still held Miyojin by the arms. She looked at him with an encouraging smile.
“I won’t abandon you. Don’t be afraid and be strong.”
Those words from Xia Yu had pulled something inside of Miyojin. He felt like crying again. But it wasn’t out of sadness.
“I promise to you that we’ll return to the palace whatever it takes. We’ll find those responsible for this and make them pay. Then, we’ll properly mourn for Brother Zhujin. Is that plan alright with you?”
Miyojin broke into a sad smile and nodded.
“Do you want to join me in fishing?”
With a slightly happier smile, Miyojin nodded again.
Miyojin had never eaten something this tasteless in his whole life. But since he was so hungry, it was tolerable. He turned to Xia Yu as she ate her share of the fish. They were lucky to catch such a big and meaty fish. They also caught some smaller fish for breakfast tomorrow.
The silence between them as they ate made Miyojin think back to what happened earlier. He was still a bit embarrassed about what he did. Now that he is thinking about it. He wasn’t the only one who lost a brother. She did too.
They were in the same boat. She also experienced what he had experienced. But yet, she didn’t break down as he did. She remained calm and rational throughout. On top of all that, she even saved him from drowning. She also comforted him after he shouted and broke down in front of her.
“Tomorrow, we need to venture deeper into the forest.” Xia Yu suddenly spoke making Miyojin break his train of thoughts.
“What are we going to do there?”
“We need to find a higher terrain and find the highest tree. I need to see where we are exactly,” she stated.
“Oh, alright.” is all Miyojin can say. After all, it’s Xia Yu who is leading him out of here. The best thing he can do now is to follow her.
“Then, we’ll begin first thing in the morning. So, rest up.”
“It seems like this isn’t going to get any higher.” Xia Yu said as she saw the downhill up ahead.
True to their plan, Xia Yu and Miyojin both woke up at sunrise. After having some breakfast and taking a bath at the waterfall, they both set out into the forest. After a long walk, they came across two trees that bore edible fruit. They were lucky enough to have sufficient space in the luggage for the fruits.
And now they came across a downhill, an indication that they might be at the highest part of the island. The next step is to find a high tree. They found one large tree that they could barely see the top.
Using the rope and knife they had, Xia Yu began to climb the tree. She was very grateful that her uncle, General Cheng, taught her ways to climb a tree. In just a few moments, she was able to reach the top.
With the spyglass and the compass, Xia Yu began scanning the vast sea for any hint of land. As if fate was on their side, she spotted land in the southwest. After observing the land a bit more, she began to make her way down the tree.
Miyojin felt the tree shake. He immediately stood away from the tree and looked up. He saw Xia Yu already halfway down the tree. The prince was definitely impressed by how good of a tree climber Xia Yu is.
The moment she landed, she began to tell Miyojin what she had seen.
“There is land in the southwest. But sadly, I don’t think it’s the Great Yong Empire. The location and the shape of the land are unfamiliar to me.”
“It’s still good news. Hopefully, we can find people there that can help us find our way home.” Miyojin said with a happy tone.
“That’s true. In my estimation, we can reach it in a day and a half.”
“Then, let’s prepare to set out.”
And with that, the couple began to prepare for their journey to another unknown location.
