𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 - 𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧

(twenty-seven)

"You two look awful cosy."

I rub my eyes and look up to see my mother. Great, she's definitely going to misread this situation after last night's conversation. I feel the Princess stir beside me as she wakes.

"Mm... sorry, Kim Bora," she mutters, "There was a lot of stuff on Jiwon's bed and I'd feel rude moving her things around. Sorry I stole your bed." She sits up beside me and rests her head on my shoulder. She never has been a morning person. Mama raises an eyebrow and I feel like I need to explain myself.

I tell her, "I saw the stuff on Jiwon's bed and assumed it was a person under the covers..."

She smirks and then shrugs. "Since you two are so comfortable together, I don't have to send Jiwon to stay at her friend's house tonight since there's no shortage of beds." She claps once and announces, "We're eating soon, so be up and get ready to do something fun. Wear something you're fine to get messy in, okay girls?"

Once mama leaves, we get up. Princess Siyeon quietly informs me that she has no clothes to run around and get messy in; if she were to sully any of hers she'd be punished. I tell her it's fine and that she can borrow some of mine. I pull out a dresser drawer whose wheels are misaligned with the track, so opening it is a bit of a fight. Inside are the few articles of clothing I left behind. I pass the Princess a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and grab the same for myself. We get dressed quickly and eat just as fast, excited for whatever mama planned.

She leads us out to the backyard. "It rained last night," she says, "So we're playing tag in the mud!" Immediately she takes off toward the fence, knowing that the last person to touch it is 'it'. Jiwon arrives just on time with her friend Chaesol, being the last to touch the fence. We all run off in different directions, slipping in the new mud and crashing to the ground hard. Princess Siyeon picks up on the game quickly and is very enthusiastic about playing. Mama tags her, and she looks straight at me. She smirks and then sprints toward me, not seeming at all phased by the mud. I try to dodge her, but she lunges to tag me.

I land in the mud on my back with Princess Siyeon on top of me. We're both breathless from the game, so we just lie there for a moment. She laughs at the absurdity of our situation, and I can't help but do the same. We try to get up, sliding through the mud and hitting the ground together again, this time howling with laughter.

"Okay, mud monsters," papa says, "Nobody's going inside my house until you get hosed off." He grabs the garden hose and starts by rinsing off his own feet so he can take a shower inside. He does the same for mama, Jiwon, and Chaesol. Then he gets to me and sprays me directly in the face with freezing water. I yelp and jump back, looking up when I feel hands gripping my shoulders. The Princess smiles and helps me upright again as papa rinses off our feet so we can go inside. Jiwon and Chaesol went back to Chaesol's house so they wouldn't have to wait for a shower, which means we just have to wait for each of my parents. We sit outside in the sun waiting for them to be finished, and when mama calls out to us Princess Siyeon stops me before I can go inside.

She timidly suggests, "Why don't we shower together? We can save water that way." She seems nervous as she adds, "If not, it's totally okay. I just thought it would make things easier, but it's cool if you're not comfortable. I was just thinking it wouldn't be weird since we're friends and we've already seen each other naked—"

"You've what?!"

Mama just happened to walk out at the worst possible time. I'm mortified at the implications of the Princess' comment and how my mother definitely misinterpreted it. "No, not like that," I stammer, "It's because we live together and all..."

Papa cuts in, "No that's actually a good idea. The Princess is right about saving water." He points a finger at her and sternly says, "But no funny business! This is for saving water only, so don't try anything with my daughter."

God, this just keeps getting more embarrassing by the minute. I grab Princess Siyeon's hand and drag her inside. We get into the shower without a word and I offer to wash her hair for her. She accepts and tells me she'll do the same for me. It almost feels like what I do for her back at the palace, except far more... intimate and nerve-wracking. The water here never really gets hot, so we huddle close for warmth. I can't force myself to look her in the eyes, and I try not to let my eyes linger on her body either. I get all of the mud out of her hair as she cleans it off of her body. "Your turn," she says, beginning to lather shampoo into my hair. She stops for a moment and moves my hair away from my back, which is facing her. I shudder as I feel her warm hands trace the raised scars on the skin there, and I almost feel ashamed. I know she blames herself for what happened that night, and I don't want to remind her of it. But her careful touch doesn't seem like she's regretful, more sad than anything. Her fingertips graze over the scars along my back and ribs and I suddenly feel a soft kiss on my shoulder. "I'm glad you've healed," she whispers.

Not another word is uttered as she rinses my hair and we get out of the shower and redress each other. We didn't need more words, I don't think. With the few phrases uttered during that shower, I feel like we had a dozen intimate conversations in that time. It's strange, the way silence makes me feel closer to her.