The Blood Red Rose {Shin-ah x Reader}

Chapter 2- Chasing Bells

~Y/N~

The loud giggles of an overjoyed girl could be heard from within the caverns of Seiryuu village. Children and adults alike stopped to stare at her as she rushed by them barefoot, with a furry bundle clutched tightly in her hands.

She didn't pay any mind to the strange looks she could tell she was getting from behind all the villagers' masks. She visited often enough that she was actually surprised they weren't accustomed to her randomness yet.

She ignored the voice of her mother, who called out warnings for her to slow down before she hurt herself. There was no way she could with all the bottled up excitement she had within her.

"Ah, let's see... take a left at this torch here, then a right up ahead. And beyond that, there should be a staircase." She mumbled to herself.

Her pace never slowed, even after the torches that lined the walls disappeared, and she was enveloped in darkness. Left with only four senses and her memory to guide her farther into the depths of the cave, she focused on listening for the one sound she had been looking forward to all month.

"Hello?" (Y/N) questioned eagerly. She brushed her fingertips against the rough wall and felt her way along a particularly sharp turn. "Hey, are you here?" She paused, then tilted her head to listen. She repeated this process several times before she finally heard the response she was waiting for.

The soft chime of bells in the distance announced his presence, and as always, the gentle sound was like a melody to her ears. "Seiryuu," She breathed and placed the small ball of fur in her arms onto the floor. "I'm so happy to see you again! Or, well... hear you, I guess. I've never actually gotten to see you."

She laughed off her own words, but secretly, she wished she could get a glimpse of the man she explored these tunnels with ever since she was six years old.

Another set of bells jingled near her feet, and she could almost sense the man stiffen at the unfamiliar sound. (Y/N) simply beamed. "Oh, how rude of me! I almost forgot to introduce you guys. I brought a friend for Ao."

She giggled as she heard the curious chattering of Seiryuu's pet squirrel nearby. "This is my new kitten. Her name is Bastet. She was a stray, so I figured mom and I could take her in. I attached a bell to a string around her neck so she can explore the tunnels without getting lost," She explained.

As usual, she didn't get a reply from her friend. She didn't know a thing about him - only that he tended to prefer silence, and the entire village didn't seem to acknowledge his existence. He rarely ever talked to her, and when he did, he spoke so softly that his words could almost be mistaken for the whisper of a breeze.

"Of course, I made sure Bastet's bell sounds different from yours. I wouldn't want to get you two mixed up." (Y/N) faintly heard the patter of Ao's paws as she ran off, and Bastet quickly followed after. "Speaking of bells..." She shyly twisted a strand of hair between her fingers. "Do you want to play the game today?"

Loud chimes instantly filled the air, and she could picture a shadowy figure rapidly nodding its head in her mind. She giggled at the image her mind had created. Adorable...

"I'll take that as a yes! I've been super excited about this, too. Alright, go on ahead, then. I'll give you a head start." He followed her instructions immediately, the sound of his bells fading as she assumed he turned into a different corridor. She waited for a good ten seconds before giving chase.