Distance Inspires Yearning pv Eun-Ji L.H

Blue in English, Red in Korean

It was a very lovely Friday afternoon so Eun-ji decided to venture outside. Her days have become rather boring as of late since a certain Slytherin boy ceased to annoy her on a daily basis. At first, she wondered whether he decided to ignore her because she didn’t accept his proposal immediately however, he didn’t seem to be angry with her. Perhaps he was just giving her time to think it over as she requested? And well...think it over she did. In fact, the witch caught herself considering his suggestion surprisingly often. She honestly didn’t think it would bother her to this extent but once Hana's pestering stopped, her own thoughts came back full force and it was making her very aware of his presence…or lack of thereof. She still didn’t miss him though. Eun-ji was merely observing the situation. That's all.

Still, as things were, she needed a different distraction from her pent up emotions and so here she was. Wearing a long peach coloured dress, the witch wandered onto the school grounds. She did a little dance routine to to stretch the tired body, when nobody could see her and then continued making her way towards the Great lake. One hand carrying her heels, the other holding a sketchbook. The ballerina was often wearing heels or pointe shoes so walking barefoot on the soft spring grass felt like heaven and she couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She was simply enjoying the sweet serenities of beautiful solitude. Her favourite spot wasn’t too far but she wouldn’t reach that destination today. Hana? What is he doing here?

Eun-ji had to double check again to make sure she wasn’t just seeing things. She could easily imagine the boy wearing a flower crown but she never expected him to enjoy making them. Not alone at least. It was actually quite a nice surprise, especially since she enjoyed making them too. The whole scene looked cosy and the Ravenclaw felt herself drawn to it. Would she be welcome though? They haven’t spoken in a while. Perhaps he was also seeking solitude here. It was hard to imagine but there was no doubt a lot Eun-ji still didn’t know about this particular rogue. The thought only made her more curious. Just because she was longing for some fun of course. She didn’t really need to know. Well, I can at least try. If he doesn’t want my company, I’m sure he’ll let me know.

And so, after much consideration, Eun-ji finally directed her steps towards her peculiar classmate. “Hi. Am I interrupting something?” She returned the favour of asking his own question from a week ago. She then slowly squatted down in front of the blanket, not really feeling like she had the right to invade Hana’s space until he actually invited her. Placing the sketchbook onto her lap and her heels next to her, she inspected Hana’s work. “Your technique looks good but….” She pointed at the long stream of weaved wild flowers next to him. “What is that supposed to be?” In all honesty, Eun-ji wanted to join in on the fun but she was not necessarily good at asking for such things…or asking for anything really. She also wanted to give Hana her reply but felt too awkward bringing it up as soon as they met. Also, it has been a week. What if he changed his mind in the meantime? Not that she would mind of course. This was all just for fun after all. There was no need to be hung up on it too much. She certainly wasn't.

@Hanako Tone

𝟶𝟻 . 𝟶𝟻 . 𝟸𝟹

𝙵𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 - 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢

The loud sounds of walking had his shoulders tensing, yet he kept at the flower crown weaving. This was what he got for being sensitive to sounds. He didn’t know who or where, but they were around the area, at least. A valuable skill during duelling. But when he wanted some alone time? He rather missed the ignorant days where he couldn’t tell if anything was different. He merely hoped with all his heart that whoever it was, they would take a turn and leave the area. Should he start acting crazy and bark like a dog? Or maybe talk in parseltongue. That almost always seemed to unnerve people.

Unfortunately, he might actually have to do that once they hear the footsteps getting closer. His eyes narrowed by the second but he refused to look up who was walking up to him. If he just pretended they weren’t there, maybe they’ll leave. Eyes focused on the flower crown in progress, he choose to ignore anything this person would say.

“Hi. Am I interrupting something?”

And apparently that applies to everyone except the owner of that voice. It took everything, and honestly e v e r y t h i n g, in his energy to not drop the flower crown and dart his eyes to her. Miraculously, he was able to only slowly gaze up at her as he momentarily stopped his hobby. “Depends. Are you here to tell me to wake up from this good dream I’m having? Or are you here to tell me I’m dead? I honestly am not sure which I prefer more. Maybe I need another pinch? “ he joked with his all too familiar cheeky grin.

It was the least he could do to distract his racing heart for a second there. He was merely.. Surprised to see her. After all this time of just minding each other’s business, he had not expected it would be Eun-Ji that would be coming up to him to start an interaction. It was always him that did that. Well, not that he had been doing it recently. Still, it was relatively annoying to get jumpscared like that. Nothing..more about it. Definitely not because of the pretty dress she wore. Okay, yea it was a bit about the pretty dress. A flirty comment was just at the tip of his tongue about it, but he held back. She wouldn't like that, now would she?

Besides that, why was she even here? Did she wanted to check if Hana really was bawling his eyes out because of their previous interaction? She would be sorely disappointed if that was the case. Clearly she believed him when he said he didn’t take any of this seriously, right?

She didn’t continue to just stand there, much to his neck’s relief. With ease, she merely squatted down in front of the blanket, as if respecting his personal space. A gesture that managed to ease the tension in his shoulders that he didn’t even know was there. It was only now that she placed her shoes next to her that he realised she was barefooted. Why? He didn’t need to know. She must've noticed how long he took notice of her shoes, but he didn’t comment on it unless she pointed it out. It was not long before she said something else, taking note of his sad excuse of a flowercrown.

He almost instinctively wanted to hide it. Not only was it failed work, but it was evidence of her being on his mind. And that’s just embarrassing. Still, he held back from doing so. “ Oh this little thing? Just my latest creative invention. It’s uhh.. A jump rope. With flowers. It’s a work in progress. I don’t recommend testing it out just yet.” He jested with the first thing that came to mind. Was what he supposed to say? The truth? Oh hey I made this while thinking of you. That will cause so much misunderstandings, he would rather spare himself.

He paused for a second as if pondering her earlier words, a mischievous grin forming on his face. “ But what did you say about it earlier? My technique was just..good?' Just'?” Time to get cocky. “ I think I prefer to describe it in other words. Talented. Amazing. Show-stopping. Inspirational. One of a kind. Bestest ever. Can’t even compete with anyone else~” he would hav continued but he assumed Eun-Ji would already have a difficult time not rolling her eyes. Or easy, maybe. It was difficult to get her to react to anything. “ I don’t think you can find a better flower weaver than me, Precious” he said so brimming with confidence.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t really the greatest skill to brag. Anyone could weave flowercrowns as long as they received the right instructions. Still, there was a clear difference between how he weaves them compared to someone who just saw a youtube tutorial about it. He had been doing this since he was a kid. And unfortunately for everyone else, he hasn’t really found anyone who could match his skill. Yet.

But what did got him curious was that she was still here. That would be the main reason why he didn’t invite her to sit on his blanket or something. 1) Why would he invite anyone to sit on his blanket. 2) Didn’t she want to ignore him? Why was she starting conversations and asking about what he was doing? She’d get up and leave soon enough anyway, right?

@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Strange... Why was it so comforting to hear Hana tease her right from the start? Shouldn’t she be annoyed? Was she really so used to it that a mere week of silence didn’t sit right with her anymore? Perhaps it was better not to dwell on the fact. She really didn't want dive any deeper into that. “Hmm…Not today. Maybe next time. I don't want to spoil you.” The witch answered thoughtfully. Last time she pinched him, she had an element of surprise and it felt like she won. This time it felt like she’d be the one giving in, which was no fun. Why should he be the only one that could do the teasing? Now that wouldn't be very fair, would it?

When Eun-ji squatted down Hana’s eyes briefly lingered on the shoes. The Ravenclaw self-consciously pulled her dress to cover her feet. She was so distracted by the boy in front of her that she completely forgot about her shoeless state. Truth be told, Eun-ji didn’t like her feet. Her mother made sure the ballet practice didn’t mangle her bones but they were still often full of bruises and scratch marks that the ballerina didn’t bother healing very often. Her pale skin made those especially obvious but it didn’t matter since nobody else usually saw them. Thankfully, Hana didn’t actually ask any questions so Eun-ji allowed herself to relax again. “A jump rope? Really? That’s what you are going with?” The comer of her lips twitched slightly. It was barely noticeable but it was there. What a weirdo. There were so many other things the Slytherin could have said but of course he had to come up with something extra ridiculous.

Ugh...there he goes again. “I don’t need to look for one. I am one.” The witch shrugged after Hanako’s long onslaught of self-praise. Unlike the owner of the flowers, Eun-ji didn’t sound boastful. It was like she was merely stating facts. Her grandmother taught her how to weave flowercrowns and, same as Eun-ji, she was a perfectionist. An extreme one. Honestly, it was hard to say, which one of them had better skills just watching him work but she was pretty sure they were at least equal. “Are you brave enough to test it, Gollum?” She raised her eyebrow. It was a challenge. Surely, with his personality, he wouldn't refuse a little matchup? Not that she was particularly interested in that aspect. The Ravenclaw wasn’t necessarily a competitive person but she liked making flowercrowns yet she was hesitant to outright ask if she could join him. It felt strange, considering she still owed him a reply to a certain proposition. However, how was she supposed to bring it up? Besides, even though she was considering saying yes, Eun-ji still wondered whether she was being insane so it might be nice to spend some time with the boy to make sure she could handle it. Fun sounded great in theory but even too much fun could kill you.

By now, her legs were getting a bit tired, so she switched up her position, opting to sit on her heels instead. Contrary to what others may have thought based on her appearance, Eun-ji wasn’t afraid of dirt. She looked neat and fashionable at all times but that only happened after Mrs. Hunt insisted on changing her wardrobe to represent the family. Eun-ji always liked to look clean and put together even before but she didn’t wear designer clothes and was comfortable in simple jeans and t-shirt. That was one of many things she was no longer allowed to do but at this point she was also used to her new style so she no longer minded as much. That being said, she was someone, who loved animals and wandering in nature so dust and earth did not bother her. And in any case, if her dress got dirty she just had to use one spell to immediately fix the issue. He is not going to chase me away, is he? Why was she so nervous about this? There was no reason to be. She could make flowercrowns alone too...anytime she wanted. It was no big deal.

@Hanako Tone

𝟶𝟻 . 𝟶𝟻 . 𝟸𝟹

𝙵𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 - 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢

Her response to his earliest remark had him let out a simple laugh. “ Not sure if I should be looking forward to that or not~” There was a very subtle flirtation in his words, but he purposely held it back. As if masking the confusion her words got him. ‘Next time’? When was there going to be a next time, Hunt? The urge to ask was almost overwhelming. But he certainly got her message last time they talked. Bringing up now would only make him look like he was hopeful. Now that- was something he didn’t want to give away. Not that- he expected- anything- of course. Ahem.

She then snarked back at his jump rope remark, to which he mischievously grinned and merely shrugged his shoulders. Oblivious to how lighter they seemed now compared to when he was alone. “ You didn’t catch me in one of my most creative moments. “. He hated himself for thinking about the most minor change in her expressions. It was really the small things that got him invested. What could she have looked like if she stopped controlling her expressions so much? Like he was getting a small step closer to seeing something on her face apart from her usual nonreactive nature.

He held back a sigh. She really shouldn’t have done that. Now it felt like he was slapped with the annoying reminder of what he… well ‘missed’ is a bit too big of a word to use. Every little thing just seemed like he was a step to winning. The prize being none other than the accomplished feeling that he broke her usual composure. Getting under people’s skin is one thing he guilty relished in most of the time.

Despite that, it felt like it was him who was on the verge of breaking his own composure. Not that he had much in the beginning, but she certainly had a way of getting him all confused. Pleasantly surprised would be a better word for it. “ Oh?” he asked, his smile never fading, yet this tone made it obvious he didn’t believe her. “ You ?” Yet another thing he learned about her that was not what he expected considering her image. Prominent family, untouchable aura, designer everything -, when did she even have time to learn such a thing? It was not really a hobby he expected her to have. Newspaper collecting seemed more like an respectable activity. Like that old man, Grey.

“ Well, I won’t believe it until I see it. You have quite the rare talent of peaking my interest, don’t you? Do give my heart a break, sometimes.” He joked, finding it more difficult to hold back his comments. Especially with her use of that nickname. So, she didn’t want to hang out with him anymore. But she wanted to keep their nicknames? Hanako was growing increasingly tired from just how much he thought this through. Perhaps she enjoyed their previous interaction just enough to use the nickname, but not enough for her to stay for more fun? The suggestion of her actually enjoying his company passed by and he almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

It took him a lot not to show a surprised look at how she proceeded to comfortably sit. It was no use hiding it. However little he tried to show, Eun-ji had proven herself to be perspective. And unfortunately for him, he didn’t have much of a grip on his expressions. Wasn’t she just going to get up and leave anytime soon? Comfortably sitting down doesn’t really show her intention to leave. Perhaps it wasn’t so absurd to entertain the thought of her actually enjoying his presence. Then if so, why hasn’t she said anything? He was oh so dangerously close to teasing her about it. Let’s see how it goes.

The sight of her sitting on the ground seemed to be enough to catch his attention again. Another sight he didn’t expect to see from the girl. He assumed she would tense at the idea of soiling her dress, but she seemed rather alright with it. If Eun-Ji had caught him staring ( a thing she should be used to at this point ), he would innocently smile. “ Just enjoying the view, Precious. Don’t mind me.” There certainly was no lie in what he said.

Still, he didn’t dare offer her a seat on his blanket. Why would he? She was going to leave pretty soon anyways. He had little hopes that she would stay longer than she needed to. Perhaps after she showed her so called skills in flower weaving, she would take that victory and leave him alone. Which was a good thing, really. Right? Of course it was.

He did however made her access to wildflowers easier by taking his flower basket and putting it in between them. " Well here you go. Let's see what you got~".There was still a considerable amount of freshly picked flowers. He didn’t expect to finish them all by the end of the day, but with Eun-Ji, perhaps that was possible? The way the basket was placed was like some sort of bridge between the edges of his blanket, and the grounds Eun-ji sat on. It was a comfortable barrier, certainly. So what was this unnecessary guilt poking in his chest. His eyes glanced around the area until they landed on his large thermos.

“ Do you like english breakfast and grapefruit? “ he asked sincerely, not thinking too much about it. As Eun-Ji agreed, he went ahead and removed the top cover of the thermos. Acting like a cup, he gently poured her an adequate amount of the tea before handing it for her to take. “ Apart from being lucky to have my presence brightening up your day, you get to drink a specially brewed tea by me. Another one of my many talents, I assure you. Don't go falling for me just yet~” he teased with his usual flirty jester tone coming back.

It was actually only when he handed over the drink that he realised this was oddly familiar with how they interacted last week. This was.. A weird sense of nostalgia. Hey, maybe it was her turn to tell him that she wanted to to be more with him. AHAHAHAHAH aaahh the absurdity!

slight godmodding allowed by@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Hana’s sounded somewhat doubtful when she mentioned her skill of making flower crowns. She wasn’t sure why that was the case. Wasn’t she often perceived as a creative person? Then again, perhaps that was a matter of the past before she carried herself around like a rich young lady, which she was not. Sure, her maternal grandparents were extremely wealthy and they wanted her to represent them but their money were in no way her own. They only used it on her whenever it suited their own agenda. The people Eun-ji actually considered family were financially stable however they worked hard for it and didn’t waste money on any unnecessary things. Those are the people that raised her yet many of her classmates weren’t aware. The shiny bling that followed her everywhere seemed to be all they needed to assume things about her. That’s why for the past two years, the Ravenclaw often seemed to surprise people with little stuff like this. It was a somewhat bizarre situation to be with. Well, no matter. I’ll just have to show him. The girl thought immediately. “Then you better watch carefully.” She retorted without hesitation, her own heart quickening with excitement. I'll make you eat your words. How long has it been since she got to weave flower crowns with somebody else? “As for your heart…It’s not mine so you take responsibility for it.” The witch added nonchalantly, already eyeing the basket full of flowers.

Somehow, her sitting on the ground also seemed to fascinate Hana. Probably for the same reason as her flower crown weaving hobby did. He was bound to be surprised a lot in the future if that was the case. There were many things about her that weren’t visible to outsiders. Not that she planned to get too close. It just seemed fun hanging around the boy. There was no one else that wanted to keep her entertained so there was no harm in giving some of her time to him, no? It was just that. No other particular reason. “Yes yes, you do that a lot. You might as well sketch me at this point.” Eun-ji commented as she laid her own sketchbook aside. She did not actually expect him to do so of course. It was simply a fleeting thought brought to light by her own action. She was just teasing him and Hana would be probably able to tell as well. Even if it was subtle, he seemed to be getting better at reading her. I do wonder if he enjoys drawing? He doesn’t seem like someone that could sit still for long…then again I never thought I see him sitting alone, weaving flower crowns either so who knows. The witch caught herself thinking. Why was she so curious about such unimportant things all of the sudden? It was ridiculous really.

Thankfully, her silly thoughts have soon been dispersed by Hana, who placed the flower basket closer to her reach. The Ravenclaw didn’t hesitate to inspect its contents and make a perfect selection for her own flower crown. She was already starting to work, her movements fluid and confident when the Slytherin spoke again. “English breakfast? Hmm…I don’t have it often but I do like it.” She answered without looking up. It wasn’t until she heard a liquid being poured that she did. “Oh? For me?” Eun-ji actually smiled then. A small one but a smile nonetheless. “Thank you.”

Unlike, Hana, she had no issue expressing her gratitude. She was raised to be polite and give credit where credit was due. It was just a tea and yet she felt strangely grateful. Actually, it has been some time since someone offered her something. Eun-ji cooked for others quite often so she thought nothing of it when she offered a meal to Hana last week. It wasn’t until now, when she was getting something in return that the realisation hit her. It made her feel a bit regretful but at the same time, she got a warm, soft feeling in her chest as she took a sip of the delicious brew. “It’s lovely…not enough to melt my cold unfeeling heart though so no need to worry.” She shot the boy down quickly. The compliment was sincere but there was no way she wouldn’t take a jab at the boy for his last comment. Eun-ji already suffered one crush and it only ended with her in tears. It was actually Flash, who promised to have a tea with her yet here she was, sharing one with Hanako Tone. The witch had no idea how things suddenly turned out this way but she definitely didn’t plan to fall in love again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

@Hanako Tone

Made by lovely Eun-Ji

𝟶𝟻 . 𝟶𝟻 . 𝟸𝟹

𝙵𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 - 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢

“Then you better watch carefully.” He didn’t need to be told twice. How glad he was is evident from the grin he showed her. He continued to scoot just slightly closer to her so he could see her flower crown making skills better. I mean a better view of her face was a bonus. He stayed within the safe realm of his blanket area. Stopping just before the edges of it, enough close to easily tuck her hair behind her ears. Something he’d fantasized about doing for a second there. Wait what? Okayyyy, maybe he’s just that bored. Time to ignore it and pretend he didn’t just think of that.

“As for your heart…It’s not mine so you take responsibility for it.” her retort had him let out a faux sigh. “ Really wish it’s as easy as you make it sound, Precious. My heart tends to go in directions I never want them to “ he started it off as a joke of course, but as the words spilled out of his mouth, the less lighthearted it sounded. As if he was personally disappointed in the fact. Memories of him and Rainwood threatened to reach through the surface and invade every space in his mind. It took a lot not to shake this head to distract him from them. Eun-Ji was right there, after all. It only took another sight of her lovely face to anchor him back to reality. A reality without Rainwood. It brings a cheeky smile to his face. “ Don’t worry, Precious. I still want you “ he attempted to jest, finding himself to hope once again that she didn’t notice his slight wavering earlier.

It was then she made a comment about sketching her, to which he couldn’t help but laugh. It was rather amusing that she was so used to him checking her out at this point that she didn’t even seem that bothered about it. “ Psftt with the drawing skills I have? I wouldn’t be able to capture a fracture of what I’m seeing. You might even be insulted by it, even. I don’t think anyone would fancy a stickman figure as their portrait.” he shrugged. Artistic abilities was not something he possessed nor even tried to. Wouldn’t even draw a stickman for her if she had asked. It just seemed like too much work. He noticed the other item she bought along apart from her shoes, being a sort of notebook that remained closed. “ I suppose the same can’t be said for you?” Just as the question was said, he almost wanted to face-palm himself. Hello? What happened to not asking about her at all? Now he couldn’t take it back without being weird.

Perhaps feeling somewhat guilty he was stubborn in sharing his blanket, he opted to share his tea with Eun-Ji. To which she accepted, and Hanako went ahead and got her a cup of it. He wasn’t thinking much about it, but he had already formed a response if she had rejected it. This was for the girl that rejected him after all. However how she responded would cause his brain to malfunction for a few seconds, and it showed with how his eyes slightly widened at her as thanked him.

She seemed to have a habit of doing this to him. Just leaving him unexpectedly dazed from the things she does. Once he snapped out of it, he shower her a familiar cheeky grin. “ Oh man “ he chuckled. “ If you’re going to make that face again, I’d ought to make you tea more often~” he flirted, unable to hold himself back. “ …But I suppose you wouldn’t like that, hm?” it didn’t contain any disappointment, Hanako make sure of it. Yet its devoid of his earlier mischief was noticeable at least. Before it came back in full swing with his next cheeky comment. “ No biggie. I’ll just have to wait until you start craving for my tea more. Preferably, me. But if tea makes more sense then sure let’s go with tea ~” he jested. Nevertheless, the sight of her smile still remained on his mind stubbornly. And he’d always prefer to think over his crumbling relationship with Rainwood. He’ll take it as a win.

“It’s lovely…not enough to melt my cold unfeeling heart though so no need to worry.”

“ So..it’s either I improve of my brewing, oorrr let your heart stay as one huge block of ice?” he joked followed by a lighthearted laugh. Something he had realised he’s done a lot recently around Eun-Ji. Still, he did little to hide his appreciation for her drinking his tea. It was always a warm feeling when someone enjoyed his tea. He does not share often either, so when the time came - he’d always feel an annoyingly warm feeling in his chest. Sadly, really. But he shouldn’t mistake that for anything more than it is. Appreciation.

@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Hana didn’t invite her to his blanket but somehow he ended up sitting right next to her anyway. Only the basket filled with flowers safely separated the two. Surprisingly, Eun-ji found that she didn’t mind. She was the one who told him to observe her skills and he did so. Nothing special about it. “Yes, hearts tend to do that but all the same...it is still your responsibility.” The witch shrugged. Hana was definitely bound to be busy though. It was true that his heart seemed to be all over the place and she couldn't help but wonder whether that would ever change. She honestly couldn’t imagine living like that, it looked exhausting. Well…a little bit fun too but mostly exhausting.

“Don’t worry, Precious. I still want you.” For once, Eun-ji decided not to indulge him when the nickname reached her ears. Hana was joking of course but it sounded slightly off and she honestly wasn’t sure what to say to that. It almost made her embarrassed. Almost. In order to avoid any awkwardness, it was better to focus on her flower crown weaving. Hana would no doubt come with something else to say soon enough. Ooor he could just stare and she’d have to take the initiative. “Alright…I’ll pass then.” The Ravenclaw was actually kind of relieved. What if he could draw and actually wanted to sketch her at some point? She would hate that. People staring at her for too long, made her feel incredibly self-conscious. Mr. Hunt used to do just that when observing her ballet practices and made her extremely uncomfortable. “Me? Well…I am…” Eun-ji paused to think about it. “Decent?” In reality, she was quite good but she hardly ever dared to evaluate herself that way unless she was talking about dancing. That was one skill she’d be always confident about without hesitation. “I don’t do portraits though.” This much was true. Not because she couldn’t do them but because she preferred drawing alone. Occasionally she’d sketch people from distance as they were doing something ,such as duelling, but that about it.

Somehow, Eun-ji soon found herself not only weaving flower crowns, using Hana's flowers but also drinking his personally brewed tea. A short chuckle rang through the warm spring air, making the girl pause for a moment. How long has it been since she made someone laugh? As of late, it felt like she was rather good at doing the very opposite. Could she maybe make him laugh more often? That would be nice… Wait no. Why would she care about such things? Was she intoxicated by the scent of flowers in her lap? Or was it the tea’s fault? Eun-ji put the half-drunk cup aside for now though she fully intended to finish it. It was a good tea. Alright, I'll let him have this one. “Why not? It’s free tea… What’s not to like?” She retorted as she resumed her weaving work. Focusing on the activity made all the flirting more tolerable. “I might actually indeed crave it more often.” She still couldn’t quite bring herself to revive the topic from last week so she opted to drop some hints instead. I should really stop overthinking this.

By now, the flower crown was finally starting to take shape. It was very much like her. Even a flower crown made from wildflowers had to have some kind of structure. She adored the messy ones as well but it didn’t come to her quite as naturally. She was projecting her need to stay in control on almost everything. “So..it’s either I improve of my brewing, oorrr let your heart stay as one huge block of ice?” Raising her eyes for a moment, she pretended to think about his sentence. “Hmm...I suppose so yes. I’d like to see you try. That would have to be one hell of a tea, young man.”

@Hanako Tone

Made by the lovely Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

𝟶𝟻 . 𝟶𝟻 . 𝟸𝟹

𝙵𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 - 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢

When she had joked about him needing to take responsibility for his heart, he almost wanted to jest with her. Like it sounds like she had experience in that sort of department as well. But he easily decided against it. That was…way too personal of information. One he didn’t need to know much details on either. And he doubted she would even want to share such a thing.

It made him recall of the things he did know about her before they started talking more. Truthfully, it was not until this year that he started paying close attention to her. But he had heard a few things about her and Holmwood. Why this guy always seemed to have sprouted some sort of jealousy from him was unbelievable. Hanako always did mask his envy towards the boy by just talking behind his back a lot. But it was like he always seemed to have some form of close relationship with the girls Hanako was somewhat interested in. Adlai was one of them before, and it was not really a secret Eun-ji and him were..close.

Noooo no no stop. He pushed the frown off his face at the thought that started to spiral in his brain. Hanako wasn’t here with the same intentions Holmwood had when it came to Hunt. He was here for fun, and that didn’t include going on dates, or sitting together in class and all those gross stuff that… he definitely did not smile a bit thinking of. Of course. Just fun. Plain fun.

Jealousy was the last thing he should start feeling of when it came to Eun-ji. He knew what.. happened last time he allowed his jealousy to run rampant. It was still a nagging feeling in his chest occasionally, even with people he’d consider his friends. But he always had some sort of control over it. He doubted he would need to deal with any of it when it came to the Ravenclaw next to him. Said the person that just frowned at the thought of Eun-Ji and Holmwoods close relationship.

Her lack of reaction to his joke about wanting her earlier had him barely suppressing the frown on his face. Only managing to keep a weak casual grin. Did she not like the nickname? Did she not like him being this forward? He was getting more confused as to what she allowed him to do. Its not like this was the first time she dodged his joking. But before she always did react even just a little bit. Like an unimpressed ‘hmm’ or a raised eyebrow, or even a small sigh. It was difficult to read her in the first place, but this was the rare time he found himself feeling a sort of disappointment over the fact. Something which had his immediate response to is to scold himself for even caring. Well, its not his problem. Surely. Whatever. He will just leave it at that.

Eun-ji answered his earlier talk about stick figures with curtly, not so trilled of the idea of a stick figure drawing of her. “ You knowwww, maybe stick figures won’t be so bad. I promise to make you the prettiest stick figure I’ve ever drawn~” In contrast to his prior thoughts about not wanting to draw her, he suddenly finds it an amusing idea. Possibly due to how she rejected the idea, and Hanako was fond of doing things people don’t want him to do - most of the time. Hmmm a stick figure of Eun-ji…even the imagination of it managed to get a chuckle out of him.

Eun-ji started to answer his accidental question about her drawing skills. A simple question he realised he was stupid for getting worked up over. What? As if asking her a useless question like this was going to make either of them fall for one another. Ridiculous, really. She was here sitting down and making flowercrowns. If she didn’t want to engage with him that much, then she wouldn’t have been here now should she?

“Why do you not sound so sure?” he lightly snickered, suddenly interested in her drawing skills. He was a simple boy, really. Just give him enough information, and he’d get bored. Give him a vague answer like that, and he’ll try to poke at it. At this point, it wouldn’t really hurt to get to know her more, would it? Still, everything he said was in light jest, so it wasn’t like he made it his mission to know her artistic abilities if she didn't want to share. All his questions would be answered if he just took enough of a peek at her sketchbook (or at least, he assumed that was the book was for). A temptation he didn't think he would care about, really. When did knowing useless things like this seem worth his time? Well, no matter. He wouldn't ask for it anyway.

Some artists would hide their art with all their might. He wasn't sure his satisfied curiosity was worth making eun-ji upset over. The conclusion seemed to breeze past him without him noticing. Unable to realise he had prioritised her over his own curiosity. A rare occurrence, that's for sure. One he didn't seem to notice, due to his company that seems to have a talent of taking his attention away.

“Why not? It’s free tea… What’s not to like? I might actually indeed crave it more often.”

“ Wooww “ he faked a hurtful tone, unable to keep the grin off his face. “ I can’t believe you’re making me jealous of my own tea.. This is a different level of cruelty ” The joke flowed through him naturally. He suddenly took a few seconds of silence as if contemplating. “ You’re saying if I mentioned free tea in my last deal offer with you, you’d accept?” His question didn't hold the same lightheartedness most of his jokes had. And the expectant look he sent her was clear that he hoped for an answer. He was disappointed in himself, really. In the end, he couldn’t help but ask. Since she had entered his space, all she did was confuse him. All she was doing wasn’t the action of someone that wanted little to do with him. In fact, she seemed to make an effort on her part to even engage with him more in comparison to when they had dinner. It was no big change, but it was noticeable enough.

Why did she come here in the first place? Why did she stay? And for how long? Hanako would appreciate some sort of heads up after a whole week of thinking she didn’t want much to do with him. Before he could get his hopes up. Wait hope? What exactly was he hoping for? Oh yea, definitely just want to see her pretty face more. What else could he be eager for?

“So..it’s either I improve of my brewing, oorrr let your heart stay as one huge block of ice?”

“Hmm...I suppose so yes. I’d like to see you try. That would have to be one hell of a tea, young man.”

“ Oh you really shouldn’t have said that. I tend to be very determined when I want to be, as you know. I suppose if it keeps your attention on me, that's just a bonus~“ he jested with a short laugh. To be fair, he’d rather not even try to melt her heart. The attention on him would be greatly appreciated, sure. Just not so keen on the warming her heart part. And it should be obvious enough with the amount of jokes he threw at her. Could anything he say be considered genuine at this point? He’d hoped so. There was a limit to how close he’d allow them to get. And from experiencing, ‘warming’ hearts was just another way of falling into a trap. He should know, his heart had been ‘warmed’ by others before.

Percival Rainwood was one. The tears he had shed for him was enough embarrassing already. Dealla Prince was another. Hanako found it hard to say no to anything she asks of him. Wyatt was… someone who Hana had a soft spot for. Adlai's whole personality was basically a fireplace for people with frozen hearts. All of them caused more trouble for Hanako than he wanted. For better or for worse. And ‘trouble’ was the last thing he wanted from Hunt. Harmless fun didn’t involve trouble. Just as the way it should be.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that the flowercrown Eun-ji was almost done making it seemed to be the last thing on his mind.

@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji raised her eyebrows. “Do you by any chance actually have a split personality?” She asked when the boy suddenly seemed interested in drawing her after all. Honestly, she wouldn’t be surprised at this point but it was most likely that he just liked to go in the opposite direction every chance he got. The witch shook her head and picked up her sketchbook, using it to gently tap his head. It has been some time since she's been this playful with someone. It was a bit unsettling. “Suit yourself then.” She said nonchalantly. She didn’t usually let other people draw in her sketch books but if it was just a stick figure, the witch figured it wouldn't be such a big deal. Simple as that. It was not that Hana was special or anything of course. He was being nosy so she merely thought she might as well make him pay for it. Besides, it would also allow him to make his own judgement about her drawing skills. She was indeed a little bit doubtful of them but there was no way she would say as much aloud. Letting him decide seemed much easier to her. OOC: If he opened the sketchbook, there would be plenty different drawings. Some scenery, some animals, a few duelling sketches and people doing stuff in general (lot of dancers and ballerinas especially) Style wise, you can use this for reference: https://www.artstation.com/bielebny

“I can’t believe you’re making me jealous of my own tea. This is a different level of cruelty” The Ravenclaw almost chuckled at that comment. “Cold unfeeling heart, remember?” She reminded him instead. There was a short pause on his side then. It made Eun-ji nervous. Hana rarely shut his mouth to consider his next words so whenever he did so, it made her wary of what’s to come. “You’re saying if I mentioned free tea in my last deal offer with you, you’d accept?” Ah. If he is mentioning it now, that means he is still interested, right? She answered his following question about his brewing skills and her own heart but she couldn’t help thinking about his previous statement. Perhaps this was her chance to give him the reply. Until now, the witch wasn’t quite sure whether he still expected one. After all, perhaps his silence didn’t mean he was giving her time to ponder about it but rather that he came to regret his words. A momentary lapse of judgement maybe? However, it didn't seem to be the case after hearing that question.

And so, the Ravenclaw finally gathered her courage to answer. “I don’t think revealing your secret tea brewing skills would made much of a difference back then.” She said thoughtfully, whilst continuing to weave her flower crown. “Although perhaps it might have been a small bonus point so I wouldn’t have to think about it for a whole week.” Probably not. It was quite busy week and Eun-ji couldn’t seem to find the right moment to bring it up either. Had she not met him here today, it might have taken her even longer. Still, there was no reason to tell Hana that. They were just playing around after all. Neither of them desired to be too serious about this so he probably wasn't worried anyway. Lee Eun-ji, there is no need to agonise about this anymore. Just say it and get it over with. She reprimanded herself mentally. “In any case, I have been feeling a bit bored lately and you are a fun distraction…” The Ravenclaw paused for a moment. No, she shouldn’t just leave it at that. “Sometimes.” She added with a pointed stare. “So I might just take you up on that offer if you are still interested.”

@Hanako Tone