Tale of TAL: Ch 11

((Because why the fuck not. It's been established I don't own TAL, Kang Im does. WONT STOP ME AND MY SIS FROM KICKING SHIT UP. Warning: we DO spoil shit. Mostly what hasn't been translated yet from the Korean chapters, so there ARE spoilers if you haven't seen the non-translated pages.))

The day started out the way it was expected.

Noah woke up with Min Jun and Cho-Yi, had breakfast with them, and insisted on coming to the restaurant, if only to see the old man and heckle him. "He's giving you a day off and you want go annoy him?" Cho-Yi scratched his head, clearly confused.

"He's like the Uncle you purposely bother because you can get away with it." Noah said, dressing in his uniform. "Besides I need to clock in later anyway-" Usagi chirped, the ascot in its mouth. "...Usa, don't you da-" The Yongma sprung away with the clothing, Cho-Yi snorting as Noah gave chase. "DAMMIT YOU LITTLE SHIT GET BACK HERE!"

Min Jun emerged from the bathroom, dressed and ready to go, and caught Usagi easily. The Yongma hyperly nibbled her fingers as Noah was given the ascot, Cho-Yi moving behind him to tie it. "Ah, thanks Boss."

"Try to take it easy today, okay?" The TAL smiled. "Even the old man's worried."

The Yongma user sighed. "If I can I'll try."

"Nuna, you have the evening off, okay? But we'll all be on the noon shift." Cho-Yi informed them. He was grateful, really; he'd become quite worried after realizing the burns on Noah's skin had yet to disappear, which meant they were now scars like the one on his chest.

Not to mention Noah had been going quiet more and more, and normally even the strangest of his thoughts were shared with Cho-Yi and Min Jun. (Moreso one than the other but he'd no idea about that).

Noah brushed back his hair as they waited for Cho-Yi to unlock the side door, greeting the old man as Noah blew a kiss and a wink to the human workers, who wound up actually flustered, though more relieved than anything. Normal Noah meant the day would be going smoothly. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" The old man rushed at Noah, swiping at him with a spatula.

"Yo, chill old man. Did you take your meds this morning?" Noah easily dodged. "I just figured I'd cash in a freebie for breakfast."

As the old man started yelling, Noah was alerted by Usagi that the dining room had some action going on. He strolled out and grinned at the sight of Yu Jin's entire group, plus Maru, Mu Young, and Ignatio. "Ohohoho~"

"Noah-Hyung!" Yu Jin rushed over, gleefully jumping into the Yongma user's arms as Noah swung him around in a bearhug. "You look so professional!"

Min Jun poked her head out with a smirk. "I know, it's the perfect lie right?"

"First off, excuse you." Noah snarked back with a grin that indicated just how loud he was cackling on the inside. As Cho-Yi stepped closer to Mu Young and introduced himself, Noah saw the first chance they had. "Hey Boss~! This is that MuMu I told you about, see? He's got his Sunflower with him."

Mu Young and Maru both flushed pink, and Mu Young's arm went to the blond's waist to pull him close, the two sharing a sappy smile.

"They really are adorable like you said Oppa!" Cho-Yi laughed, Mu Young going scarlet as Maru started snickering.

Noah then caught Ignatio by the wrist and dragged the confused gunman over. "And THIS is Ignatio!" Cho-Yi's grinned strained a bit, his cheeks turning a little pink as he held out his hand to shake the other's. "Aren't his eyes just so green, Boss~?" Noah prodded in a teasing way, yelping as Cho-Yi smoothly dragged him off to the corner from an even more confused Iggy. "Well I did tell you they were-"

"Oppa pleaSE WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS-" Cho-Yi was losing his cool very easily.

Noah covered his mouth. "Boss are you-" He leaned in. "Is it a strike?"

"THANK YOU OPPA YOU CAN GO DO WHATEVER NOW." Cho-Yi actually picked Noah up and marched him to the door, pushing him out as Noah cackled. 'So now you'll stop trying to hook me and Boss up, right?' Min Jun asked as she helped by locking the door behind Noah, staring at him through the glass.

'Nope. But please feel free to help heckle those two.' He grinned, miming 'sign language' at random to convince the others there was nothing unnatural going on.

Min Jun scowled redly. 'There is literally no point in trying to hook me up with him now because it looks like they're hitting it off pretty well...I'll just have to get over the fact that Cho-Yi is so cute.'
 
'At least you have bragging rights as being his first kiss.' Noah smirked, crossing his arms.

She instantly bristled. 'THAT WAS AN OMAKE IT DOESN'T COUNT.'

'IT TOTALLY DOES.' He laughed out loud, waving before he strolled off down the street to kill the few hours he'd have before his shift was to start. 'Hmmm, I'll go check on Baek Jeong for now. I can get breakfast with him, since he'll be all 'Korean mother wandering' or whatever it was he said about himself.'

A cut away bubble popped up, showing Baek Jeong's troubled face and the ACTUAL phrase he asked himself about. 'Do you just lie in wait for us to leave an open for you?'

[It's fun for me.]

Noah snorted, and began to trot leisurely. 'Gonna eat soon, doo doo do~' He thought of the stalls on one street close by, fried softshell and fried hotdogs, and pajeon! And Boss couldn't say no since he wasn't watching Noah! 'Ah! Baek Jeong! Sighted at twelve'o'clock!'

'Dumbass it's only nine!'

He grinned as he sped up, shoes clomping as he made his way towards the white haired TAL. 'Whatever!' "Eun Yul~!" He called out, waving once he had the TAL's attention. "Hey! I was going to get breakfast, want to come?"

"I will defend you with my life today." The TAL replied, gripping Noah's shoulders with a serious expression.

It took a lot of willpower not to laugh. "Uhm, okay? I was thinking pajeon and some fried stuff, I've been craving softshell crab." Noah suggested as he led Baek Jeong to the street corner. "Mmmm, although I have a soft spot for nokdumuk*." He then kicked away Kang Im's textbox when the TAL wasn't looking at him.

Then he noticed that Baek Jeong wasn't looking at him.

'SHIT!' Noah THEN noticed exactly what was drawing the TAL's attention from someone who was offering to buy him food. Before Noah could react, though, Baek Jeong's arm had slung around his waist and he was moving at a surprising speed, Baek Jeong grabbing a dazed looking Gamun Be's shirt front, taking them both to the nearby empty alleyway.

"What the HELL."

Baek Jeong clearly wanted to beat the ever-loving hell out of the glaive-wielder. But he hesitated as he glanced to Noah and saw the sheer horror on the Yongma user's face as he took in Gamun Be's state. His vest was untucked and askew, his coat hanging at his elbows and his coat buckles a messy web around his waist and thighs.

Then Noah saw his eyes. '...M...M...M...'

Gamun Be's eyes had the same slits over them that Leon would have had.

"...Rabbit...You understand the situation, don't you?" Baek Jeong's voice was low. He knew by now the story between these two, but...

Noah shuddered, clearly close to either passing out from distress or vomiting violently. Then, Gamun Be's eyes seemed to focus. "...Uh, Baek Jeong-TAL, was it? When did he get so tall? Last time I saw him, he was ya~y small..." Gamun Be then rammed his arm into Baek Jeong's, the TAL grabbing Noah and scooting them back for safety a few feet. The dead red eyes then swiveled to Noah's face. "Ahh, it's that rabbit boy...Wasn't he just so cute with that little baby bunny? What was it? Uhm...His funny-"

"Funny bunny baby." Noah answered, his voice barely a whisper. His throat was tightened up, and he was clutching his own neck while his body was wracked with tremors. "...I have to save him..."

Baek Jeong grabbed Noah's arm and pulled him forward harshly to snap him from his daze as well as free the younger Chachaoong's throat so he could breathe. "Are you kidding?! Even if you have strong healing, how can you possibly fix this?!" He gestured to Gamun Be, who was now investigating himself and tugging on his clothes.

"...I have to...I have to try...I have to-" Noah couldn't feel. His heart was pounding, his ears were burning, his fingers were icy...But he had no feeling. Even Min Jun's attempts to poke at him were ignored, or rather, left unanswered as only one thing consumed Noah's mind.

'I will save you.'

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Once Noah had left, Cho-Yi thought the heckling was over and he could serve Yu Jin's group and fawn over Ignatio in secret.

NOPE. MIN JUN TOOK OVER IMMEDIATELY.

He thought he was safe as he handed out the menus, stuttering just a little when he handed Ignatio one. "And for today's special, I can recommend Boss's phone number." She slyly chipped in while staring straight at Ignatio, question marks popping up over Iggy's head as Cho-Yi turned beet red and hid behind his menu.

"Nuna!" The tallest TAL's voice cracked a bit as he held her shoulders behind the divider, a cloud of sweat-drops coating him. "WHY ARE YOU AND OPPA TEAMING UP AGAINST ME?!?"

She only smirked. "So it is a strike, huh?" As Cho-Yi bristled and stuttered heavily to the point his attempt at a denial was rendered moot Noah chimed in about Baek Jeong and going to eat with him. 'Dumbass it's only nine!' She snarled at him, getting only the sensation of laughter as she and Cho-Yi went to get everyone's orders.

"So, you're the 'Baby Jin' I've heard about? And to think you're the second king too." The TAL commented as he lounged on Yu Jin's chair.

Yu Jin smiled pleasantly as he craned his head to look up; given Noah and Min Jun had constantly reiterated that Cho-Yi was nice, he didn't have much fear of the new TAL. "It's really nice to meet you as well. Nuna and Hyung always talk about you! You're their favorite person, I think!"

Cho-Yi once again turned red, staring at Yu Jin wide-eyed. "Boss, no. He's already been adopted by MuMu." Min Jun tugged on her boss's shirt.

"B-B-Bu-" Cho-Yi gestured to Yu Jin. "But he's like a bigger version of Usa." That made the redhead muffle a surprised snort, his own cheeks pink, as a few snickers went around their table.

She patted his arm. "I know, he's precious as hell. But he's MuMu's son. Maybe MuMu will give you Iggy instead."

Mu Young spat out his water, Ignatio once again covered in question marks with a confused smile. "Lang will 'give me'? Lang what does that mean?" Mu Young hid his face in Maru's shoulder, shaking with laughter as his boyfriend gave him a bemused look.

"Iggy, don't you think our Boss is cool?" Min Jun prompted, ignoring Cho-Yi's flailing attempts to put her in a headlock and drag her away.

Ignatio put a finger to his mouth, glancing off into space in thought. "Well...I was interested to find out how great he really was, after you and Rabbit and Baek Jeong talked about him." Cho-Yi's red only grew darker at Ignatio's words. "I didn't know he'd be so tall! He's almost as tall as Yong!" Ignatio grinned. "And he gets along with Nuna and Rabbit, and smiles a bunch, so he's even better than Yong!"

Min Jun grinned viciously as a cut away bubble popped up with Chau Yong suddenly sneezing in confusion.

"He gives really great hugs too, just saying." She added.

Cho-Yi looked ready to have a heart attack from mortification. "NUNA-!"

"He picked Rabbit right up so fast before!" Ignatio commented with the same grin. "I've never had a hug where I could be picked up before!"

The TAL made to cover Min Jun's mouth. He failed. "Boss can give you exactly that hug, if you ask after your meal." Cho-Yi muffled his screaming behind his hand, fully aware the rest of his fellow TALs were enjoying this whole scene in amusement. Even Ei Mae, who was biting on his lips to conceal his own mirth.

Then she winced, eye shutting involuntarily as a spike of pain shot behind her eye. "Ow, fucking what..."

"Nuna?" Yu Jin's laughter cut short when she clasped her hand over her eye, frowning.

She uncovered her eye and blinked it a few times, Sae Ha leaning forward a bit. "I...don't know. I got this weird pain all of a sudden. DON'T CUT MY EYE OPEN, GRANDPA!" She snarled when Sae Ha leaned even closer, the Sun Bi leaning away with his hands up. 'Oi dumbass, did you hit your head or something?' She poked, receiving no reply which was strange. 'Noah? Oiiii. Rabbit-gay-for-all-the-guys!' Still nothing.

"Nuna, the food's getting cooked so you can sit down if you nee-" Cho-Yi began, only to be cut off as Min Jun suddenly yelped in what sounded like sheer agony, clutching her head and staggering about. "Nuna?!" He reached out and steadied her, utterly confused and honestly a bit frightened.

Min Jun's eyes were bulging a bit, and she sounded as though she was being choked as she panted for air. "Oppa- He's- Something's- Something's wrong with Oppa!"

It was visible, the moment Cho-Yi's heart dropped into his stomach. "O-Oi, Nuna! What are you saying?! How can you know that?!"

"Mental link-" She gasped in pain, knees buckling causing her to tumble into her boss's arms. "He's in a hell lotta pain-" Another pained yelp and she shut her eyes, face red from the strain of sharing whatever the hell Noah was going through. "Oppa! Oi- Oppa!"

There was a grinding sound that made Cho-Yi's heart soar then plummet. Noah's teleporting only sounded like that when he was injured or was in severe distress. A moment later, there was a black stain-like opening hovering between the table's nearby, and Noah faded into view. His shirt was covered in blood, his tie had been ripped about the edges, and the top of his head was stained deeply red. He fell to the floor and landed in a crouch, shaking as though he had hypothermia.

"Oppa!" Cho-Yi easily showed his emotions, and right now he felt utterly helpless upon seeing both his charges inside what should've been the safest building anywhere for anyone, one covered in blood and injuries and the other linked in a way she was afflicted too. "S-Sun Bi!" He turned to the horrified TAL, whose pipe was on the table, his mouth open. "Sun Bi! You're a doctor, right? Do something!"

Sae Ha snapped out of his daze, leaving his seat immediately. However, the moment he stepped into Noah's peripheral, the Yongma user screamed as if the mere presence of the doctor was paining him, Noah blindly trying to scoot to escape as his head continued to leak blood. His nose was bleeding as well, and his eyes were dilated in a way that Ignatio and Mu Young knew he wasn't even aware of his surroundings.

"What the hell is all that noise?! You're scaring the-" The old man had come back out, stopping sort at the sight of Noah.

Min Jun managed to get to her 'brother's side with some difficulty, her arms around his neck tight. "Oppa, I'm here, I'm here! It's me! Your Nunim! C'mon, bunnybutt, focus!" Noah began to thrash about screaming bloody murder, Yu Jin hiding against Ei Mae in lieu of Eun Yul not being there.

-SPLASH!-

The screaming halted immediately, Noah and Min Jun now soaked from the pitcher of water Cho-Yi had upended over them both in a moment of crazed panic. He was panting now, arm trembling as he set the glass container on its side and fell in front of the two, looking terrified.

"...Boss..." Noah raised his head, hair now stained dark and eyes full of clarity. "I didn't need a bath...What're you doing..."

Cho-Yi actually sobbed, face trembling as he hooked his arms around Noah and Min Jun, who for once couldn't find it in her to be embarrassed. "Oppa...Noah, thank god..." He said, the old man returning to the room with a medical kit.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"He'll be okay...But what da HELL was THAT?!" The doctor TAL declared after checking Noah over and wrapping his head. There was a split over his crown that only could've come from being either hit on the head, or from the skin being pulled too hard. Currently the Yongma user was out cold in a chair, Cho-Yi in the kitchen to vent his stress with cooking as Min Jun and Yu Jin worriedly hovered over Noah.

The archer paused until Cho-Yi had come back in with the first few dishes. It was only fair that he knew too, right? "...Oppa and I...have a mental...link? A connection, in a way...We hear each others thoughts and can feel each other's pain...It's been this way for a long time. I think because of Usagi."

She looked at the bunny Yongma, in semi human form as the restaurant was still closed. Usagi had its head under Noah's left arm, giving its master the saddest gaze a Yongma could express.

Cho-Yi carefully set down the dishes and looked over at the two.

"...Oppa feels so much pain healing the people he wants to help...Even though he was so scared of losing me, he tried...Even though touching Leon hurt him so badly...even though it slowed his own healing to do so..." Her hands bunched tightly. "...Gamun Be...He was...Bi Gak hurt Gamun Be so badly...Oppa went insane healing Gamun Be."

The tears hitting her lap just added to the blood stains from Noah. Ignatio's jaw was set in a tightened way, his eyes narrowed. "Gamun Be is at your house, King-Nim. Baek Jeong-Nim took him...Oppa ordered him to..."

"U-Understood!" Yu Jin squeaked out, holding Noah's shoulder in worry.

Noah made a noise, gaining everyone's attention as his head dropped forward, then rose back up, his eyes open and dazed. "Oppa!" Min Jun grabbed him in a bearhug. 'OH MY GOD NEVER DO THAT AGAIN BIG SIS!'

"I feel like I got put in a blender head first." Noah said, reaching up to grip Yu Jin's hand and giving the red head a confused look. "Which I think is an accurate assessment..." 'On a scale of one to I might want to go ask Jack to kill me, how angry is Boss?' 

Cho-Yi finished bringing out the dishes and turned to Noah, his face haunted as Noah gave him a shy look in return. "Oppa...you really fucked up this time." Min Jun commented as an answer.

"I'm not disagreeing, but you could phrase it prettier."

The TAL bit his lip for a moment before putting his foot down vocally. "Well from now on you're banned from doing anymore dangerous things Oppa!"

"...B-Boss?"

Cho-Yi snapped and cut Noah off. "No! We almost lost Nuna and just now you too! I can't handle the thought that you two got hurt so badly and I couldn't do anything except stress about it afterwards!"

"...I mean, it's kind of our purpose, no avoiding injury..." Noah fiddled with one of Usagi's coils.

Min Jun was paling a bit. "B-Boss, really, it wasn't even that bad for me...but I do agree, Oppa, what you did was really stupid."

"We already AGREED ON THAT YOU CAN STOP." Noah yelped, his head throbbing a bit.

Cho-Yi cut in. "No. You are. You're both stopping this- this- WHATEVER IT IS, and it's ending NOW."

"EH?!"

Yu Jin echoed Noah's shock. "Ch-Cho-Yi-Nim, that's a bit...I mean, they've been helping a lot of people..." He vouched as Min Jun sent Noah a mental scolding. 'Nice going idiot. Now Boss is gonna watch us like a hawk and we're pretty much screwed in saving everyone else.'

'...THEN-' Noah gritted his teeth, and stood up abruptly, starling Cho-Yi. "ABEOJI THAT'S NOT FAIR WE'RE THE ONES WHO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, NOT YOU!" Their TAL caretaker's jaw dropped and hung open. "WE GOTTA ENSURE EVERYONE'S HAPPY, IT'S THE WHOLE REASON WE DECIDED TO COME HERE AND START DOING EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE! I JUST SAVED A GUY FROM SUICIDE BY INSANITY AND HE'S GOT LITTLE BABIES OF HIS OWN, WOULD YOU HAVE PREFERRED THEY BE ORPHANS INSTEAD OF ME HELPING HIM?!"

Ignatio prompted in small text between Noah yelling. 'Babies? Eh, does that mean Gamun Be's Ga Ram and Ga Be?'

"AND FURTHER MORE WE CAN HANDLE GETTING HURT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE FOR THE GREATER GOOD SO SOMEONE LIKE YOU WHO ISN'T EVEN INVOLVED SHOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING!" Noah finished, red-faced and panting as the room's occupants sat in stunned silence.

Cho-Yi was staring wide-eyed and silent as Min Jun's jaw hung in the same fashion as his. "...holy shit." She uttered.

"...Uh...UH. I-I didn't mean to yell-" Noah suddenly realized he'd just yelled at Cho-Yi.

Before he could properly panic, though, Cho-Yi spoke. "You called me Dad."

"...What." Noah stared as Kang Im's textbox popped up. 

[Abeoji means father. Dumbass] 

"...sHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-"

Min Jun was squinting at him. 'I am kinkshaming you sooooo hard right now.'

"I-I DIDN'T MEAN TO-" Noah began to panic-

Until Cho-Yi suddenly grabbed him, starry eyed exactly like Steven Universe. "Call me Abeoji as much as you like!" He then bearhugged Noah who let out a pained 'HOIF!'

"OH GOD I'VE LEFT THE GROUND HELP-"

Mu Young, now looking a bit upset, turned to Yu Jin and poked him. "Hey-"

"I will not call a twenty something year old Father." The redhead immediately shot down, Mu Young whining and clinging to Maru for comfort. Ignatio was prompting if he could get an 'off the floor' hug too.

Min Jun then decided the mood had lifted enough. "...But...anyway...Boss, Oppa is right. We've been doing a lot lately to try to help people, and things would have turned out a lot worse had we not been there." Cho-Yi finally paused in hugging Noah, and set him down on his feet, Usagi moving to hold its master upright.

"...I can't understand that. I really can't."

Noah immediately tried to protest. "But we-" Cho-Yi held up a finger.

"But...I know I feel proud of you guys helping everyone out. These guys too, right?" He pointed his thumb at Yu Jin's group.

Noah nodded. "And more to come...We have to do this job, A- Boss. We want to do this job."

"Boss, when we're sure things will go for the better, and nothing bad will happen to anyone...we promise we'll stop being so reckless." Min Jun vowed, trying to reassure the still uneasy Cho-Yi. He bit his lip, clearly still worried as Usagi helped Noah into a chair next to Yu Jin, who held onto his Hyung's shoulder.

Mu Young decided to then put in is two cents. "If it helps, we do most of the dangerous shit. These two pop in at the last minute usually."

"EXCUSE ME MISTER 'FOUGHT-A-BLIND-MAN-AND-LOST'?!" Noah snarled.

Mu Young colored red in the face as Min Jun and Maru snorted. "HE RAN AWAY AND SHUT THE HELL UP YOU WEREN'T THERE!" It took a moment, but Cho-Yi joined in the laughter as he wiped at his face.

"Alright, alright. I can't say I have a lot of choice, anyway..." He pulled Min Jun close, looping his other arm around Noah to hug them tightly. "But I'm keeping you to that promise. Both of you. You're very important to me now."

As Min Jun wibbled a bit, Noah managed a smile. "Don't worry Boss. Now that there's a doctor around you don't have to panic-run to the hospital."

"I can refuse to treat idiots, yanno." Sae Ha pitched in. Noah's eyebrow twitched as he gave the doctor a glare. 'I'M SAVING YOUR SON LATER, YOU PRETTY EYED ASSHOLE!'

Min Jun broke in before Noah and Sae Ha could fight. "This is all fine and dandy now but..." She yawned. "....I'm exhausted because this idiot made me panic." 'I'm glad you're alright though...Try not to do that again? Please?'

"I'm so terribly sorry, Queen Nunim, next time I almost lose my mind I'll make sure to keep quiet." He replied dryly. 'But seriously hhhh can you take me with you I can't stand let alone chop.'

Cho-Yi patted their shoulders. "Actually, I'd like you to go with Sun Bi and King here."

"Eh? But-"

The TAL pointed at Min Jun. "She goes so if something happens, I can get a call instead of finding out by one of you dropping in again like the last two times."

"...I mean I'm not complaining, I get hot doctor guy, but-" Noah was cut off by Sae Ha spitting out his water, looking appalled as he mouthed the words to himself and glared at the Yongma user.

Min Jun resisted for a moment. "You sure you'll be able to handle things, Boss? I don't think the old man's gonna be too thrilled about two of his employees kinda..." She made a 'poof' motion with her hands. "...out of the blue. Unless you have a good excuse."

"I've got these two newbies. AND YOU TWO BLEED HERE TOO MUCH ITS UNSANITARY!" The old man declared from the kitchen door.

The archer bristled. "HEY I'VE ONLY BLED ONE TIME SINCE I STARTED WORKING FOR YOU."

"EITHER WAY ITS UNDIGNIFIED FOR A CHEF." He responded while flailing his fist, Cho-Yi small texting him to take his blood pressure medication, holding the two protectively as a tick mark throbbed on his head. 'His hand is so close to your boob right now.' Noah pointed out with a mental laugh.

'Thanks perv, I didn't notice until you pointed it out.' She replied with powerful sarcastic tones.

He shook himself. 'My head is so spinny, I'm trying to keep my thoughts straight.' Yu Jin steadied Noah again before perking up and turning to Cho-Yi. "Well, we'd best get back...As soon as we get-"

"Your boyfriend's food?"

Yu Jin turned beet red at Noah's question. "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND."

"And your Hyung ain't banging his subordinate either, I suppose?"

Mu Young spat out his water yet again, coughing violently as Maru sat staring at Noah in shock.

"...Oppa, does your mouth, like, not have an off switch? At all?" Min Jun glowered at him.

Noah just grinned in a dazed way. "Not with blood loss~!"

"Hahaha, he's hilarious like this!" Ignatio laughed, Mu Young pinching his cheek a moment later with a small textbox reading 'Can you NOT encourage him?'

Noah banged his fist on the table. "I'll encourage myself. And you." He pointed at Ignatio. "I encourage you to stop sneaking glances at Boss and just ask him out already." Ignatio went beet red as Mu Young let go of his brother's face.

"And can you stop playing matchmaker?" Min Jun was now pulling on Noah's, tick-marks aplenty on her head.

He whined rebelliously. "NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"I vote I go get my herbs and knock him out." Sae Ha put his hand up.

Cho-Yi was silently steaming red smoke as Noah gave Sae Ha a flat look. "I will only agree to that if you kiss me first."

"WHY DO WE KNOW THESE TWO?!" Mu Young snarled, Maru patting his shoulder.

Min Jun still had Noah's cheeks and pulled again. "I agree with that vote, Sun Bi-nim."

"Oh, also...Gamun Be might...have a small crush on me, so he might do something weird." Noah chipped in.

Ignatio burst into laughter. "Pahaa! Small? After you kissed him he wouldn't stop talking about it! Y'know he actually spotted you a good twenty minutes before we came over and saved you?"

"...THANKS IGNATIO, I DIDNT KNOW. I FEEL SO MUCH SAFER." Noah said loudly as shocked looks were shared around the table, Min Jun making choked noises and yelling 'YOU GODDAMNED RABBIT WHORE!' as a very angry chibi. "IT WAS ON THE CHEEK." He protested.

Cho-Yi had a betrayed look on his face. "My son already kissed a man and now it's serious..."

"DON'T YOU START TOO." Noah snapped.

Min Jun had a flat catty look. "You signed up for this, own up."

"I THOUGHT IT WAS CUTE, BUT HE TRIED TO MAKE OUT WITH ME WHILE I WAS HEALING HIM- fucking hell." Noah slapped a hand over his face. Then lunged to grab Cho-Yi who'd started for the door with murder in his eyes.

The archer had a sweat-drop on her head. "Uh--Boss?"

"ABEOJI DON'T HURT HIM, I JUST SUFFERED TO SAVE HIS DAMN LIFE!"

Cho-Yi struggled to get Noah's grip off him. "NO ONE DEFILES MY KIDS AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!"

"WELL THEN GO BEAT UP BI GAK, HE HURT MINNIE!"

That got the TAL to pause. "Bi Gak?"

"...One, he's the reason my shoulder got messed up.  Two, WE ARE NOT SENDING BOSS AFTER BI GAK." Min Jun howled.

"I'M NOT LETTING HIM HURT GAMUN BE EITHER." Noah screeched, stubbornly clinging despite being in pain.

Yu Jin was observing the family-esque scene with concern. "...Should we do some-"

"No, leave em." Sae Ha, Mu Young, and Ei Mae all droned, Maru and Ha Na Rin sighing with sweat-drops on them as Ara and Ignatio shared a confused look.

Min Jun gave Yu Jin the wibbliest look she'd ever conjured. "King-nim, please don't let Boss go after Bi Gak!  He'll get himself killed!" How could the redhead resist his Nuna?

"U-Uhm...Cho-Yi-Nim!" When the TAL tunred to him with a question mark over his head, Yu Jin tried to reassure him. "We'll look after Noah-Hyung and Min Jun-Nuna, so don't worry! And well, Bi Gak is..."

Ei Mae cut in and took over. "He's not your problem, so don't worry."

"Right! So uhm, Eun Yul's meal?" Yu Jin continued, Cho-Yi perking as he turned and scurried back to the kitchen, 'Ah right! I completely forgot!' dumping Noah in a chair next to Yu Jin.

Noah hugged Yu Jin and whimpered. "Today was a bad day to go get breakfast." His arm was patted as Yu Jin chuckled sheepishly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"They're both out cold still." Yu Jin had answered Min Jun's cellphone when Cho-Yi got a break later in the evening. They'd brought the two back and had both in futons in the main room, Usagi perched loyally next to Noah even despite Shadow and Ju Ze's attempts to play with him.

Sae Ha had seen to Noah's wounds more fully once he had his medicines, Gamun Be hovering nearby like a lost puppy throughout the process. Baek Jeong had been keeping the glaive-wielder at arms length uneasily, and welcomed Yu Jin back by hiding behind the redhead as he chowed down on his food. It was clear there had been an argument, as neither one would look at each other, but Baek Jeong had promised Noah he'd take care of Gamun Be.

Gamun Be was introduced...quite awkwardly, and was hovering between Ignatio and the unconscious Noah.

It was when Yu Jin began prompting what they should have for dinner that Min Jun woke up, rolling onto her front with a tired groan and opening her eyes in a glare that forewarned the world not to mess with her. "Nuna!" Yu Jin was immediately by her side and helping her to sit up.

"Ugh...What time is it?"

Mu Young was sitting next to his twin, Maru having gone home to study. "Evening. We were about to get dinner started."

"I feel like crap. Ugh." She rubbed her head.

Yu Jin had a cup of water for her by the time she'd cleared the scum out of her eyes. "Here Nuna." He sat back down next to her, looking worried as she drained the cup.

"....Well? You've got a fuckton of questions, I can tell." She could feel the stares on her from the TALs, and set the cup down as if she were setting down a chess piece. Noah's deep even breathing behind Min Jun assured her that he was fine, as was Usagi who cooed and nudged her thigh, pushing itself into her hands for her to play with. "...So, where do you want to begin?"

Gamun Be momentarily looked over at her, before his gaze dropped back to Noah.