Tale of TAL: Ch 20

((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. We don't own 'New Soul' by Yael Naim either.))

"Blarrrrrrrgh."

New Years was in an hour. And Noah was making inappropriate grumpy noises while refusing to leave Min Jun's side. She promptly shoved a bean bun into his face, looking around at the others while her Oppa flailed for air.

Normal clothing was swapped for hanboks, Ei Mae wearing the blue one she recalled him originally wearing. Cho-Yi was in a grey and blue one that matched the inverse one that Min Jun was wearing, something Noah had been swearing wasn't intentionally done. The old man was currently cooking up a storm over the open pit they'd found outside, perfect for roasting sweets and baking traditional food for the event.

"Nuna~! Hyung!" Yu Jin had several fans in his hold, giving one to each Min Jun and Noah. "Are you excited?!" He asked, a childish glee filled glimmer in his sunny eyes.

His own red, pink, and yellow goldfish decorated hanbok complimented him perfectly.

They gave him matching grins as he raced off to keep distributing the fans. Hiljo was red-faced and goofing around, bearhugging anyone who'd let him hang off them and keep his soju from spilling. (Aka exclusively Chau Yong). Mir was tightly wound around a resigned Haje, who held his not-boyfriend steady as Mir had as well gotten into the alcohol Baek Jeong had brought with Cho-Yi's help.

Most of the TALs barring Ei Mae, Ara, and Yangban had dipped into the booze for New Year's, Ha Na Rin hanging onto Ara as the younger female TAL braided her hair. Jenna was helping with the other braid, her own ponytail tightly tied with several ribbons.

Yangban was leisurely playing one of his instruments, Sae Ha actually lounging close to him as Mano tried to aim little stick section he was snapping off a branch at Ignatio. Ignatio being the support beam for a very tipsy Cho-Yi. "NUNA~!" The tallest TAL called cheerfully, his drink sloshing a bit. "NUNA! OPPA~!"

"Oh lord, our dad is drunk." Noah muttered with a grin to Min Jun.

Mu Young wasn't being shy about his relationship with Maru, kissing the blond with one hand wound in Maru's hair, the other holding their shared wine flute full of soju. The day had been celebrated with games and food aplenty, and it had been on Yu Jin's timid request that the sebae had been done, the sides of the occupied for everyone to bow to each other. Ga Ram and Ga Be were currently with Gamun Be, playing with sparklers as Shade and Shadow chased Ju Ze and Usagi in play.

Yu Jin finished with the fans and hugged a pink-cheeked Baek Jeong, who snorted in laughter and drunkenly kissed the redhead's nose with a grin.

Ei Mae stood near Min Jun and Noah, holding out his untouched flute to toast them. "I must admit...I didn't foresee any of this...But I'm glad you two have been here with us." And the sight of a calm smile beneath the mask really set in the honesty of his tone.

"Wow, coming from you that's almost creepy." Min Jun decided to flatly blurt out.

The TAL's smile turned into a sneer. "Good." And he moved away, leaving the two to look at each other and snort. 'Same old Ei Mae.'

[Isn't that good though? Before they'd have changed so drastically by this point in time.]

Kang Im seemed...almost positive. 'We said we were writing a happy ending.' Min Jun stated. 'Even though we took to paying the prices, we'll keep it up til the new ending.'

[The prices you paid are...]

'Is that a bit of guilt?' Noah teased. 'Well, no matter. We swore we'd do whatever it took. We love all these people.'

[And they appear to feel the same.] Kang Im pointed out the stolen fond glances they were being given by everyone around them. Maru was muttering to Mu Young as they grinned at Min Jun and Noah, and they weren't alone. Multiple looks of warmth were shared around the group, all aimed back on the two standing shoulder to shoulder, one missing an eye and the other covered in scars.

'...I think I'm gonna cry.' Noah hid his face in Min Jun's neck, smiling and trying not to let the redness around his eyes get out of control.

She slung her arm tight around his shoulder, hand resting on his side as she pulled him towards the benches around the pit to sit down, smiling and taking the chance to drain her flute halfway, teeth worrying the edge of the glass as she let the burn of the alcohol simmer in her belly. 'I love it here. It's dangerous and it hurts, but it feels good to be alive in this story.'

Alive, even if not all completely together.

"...I'm a new soul, I came to this strange world, hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take." Noah suddenly sang. "But since I came here, I felt the joy and the fear, finding myself making every possible mistake."

Min Jun grinned as he sang, Yangban's tune suddenly changing to fit the Yongma user's melody. Noah sang the lines again now with the instrument, his Nuna reflecting on the 'mistakes' they had indeed wound up making. Even though they paid off in the end. She hummed along as Ga Ram and Ga Be ran over to their mother.

"I'm a young soul in this very strange world, hoping I could learn a bit about what is true and fake." Chau Yong felt a pulse around his navel, knowing it was Jack. So...even the First King liked music.

Noah's next line made quite a few heads perk up. "But why all this hate? Try to communicate. Finding trust and love is not always easy to make." 'Damn straight it isn't.' Mu Young's thought bubble read as he nuzzled Maru's neck and kissed the edge of his boyfriend's ear. 'But God it's worth it.'

"...This is a happy end...Cause you don't understand...Everything you have done...Why's everything so wrong?"

Yu Jin felt something warm burning his throat. But he felt happy indeed. Here at the end of the year, after months of watching everyone fight around him, for him. Filling up and expanding the house where once only two people resided. Even though they were all still in danger, thanks to Bi Gak and everyone who didn't believe he should be King...

"This is a happy end. Come and give me your hand. I'll take you far away..." Noah's voice held the note as Min Jun's line of sight filled with everyone's reflections on meeting the two and Yu Jin, reuniting with loved ones and making amends. Even Baek Jeong and Gamun Be had returned to a rocky but clear friendship.

Min Jun smiled, and suddenly took over. "I'm a new soul, I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take. But since we came here, felt the joy and the fear, finding ourselves making every possible mistake."

Noah broke into laughter as she repeated the chorus, Ga Ram and Ga Be joining in with their squeaky children voices that couldn't really keep up, but adding even more fun and cheerfulness regardless. When Noah restarted the song, there were far more voices that sang along, tipsy ones and mirthful ones, and even Yangban quietly hummed just under the rest of the din.

A few more rounds lasted until Cho-Yi and Ignatio both yelled, falling over and flailing about in the leaves and dirt. Those singing broke into cackles, Min Jun facepalming and setting Noah down to go help the two tall idiots they loved.

Gamun Be sidled up to sit beside Noah as she fought, and ultimately lost as Cho-Yi dragged her down thanks to her weak legs, the redfaced archer now secured between a laughing Ignatio and a drunk Cho-Yi. Noah didn't look over, but when fingers curled over his own, he turned his hand to let their palms connect, Gamun Be's skin warm. He hummed the songs beginning notes again, Gamun Be joining in as Min Jun called for help when Ignatio kissed her cheeks and Cho-Yi did the same just because he was too drunk and goofy to hold back.

"YEEEEK! OPPA SAVE ME!"

He bit his lips inward and turned to Gamun Be, clearly fighting not to laugh.

"DAMMIT YOU RABBIT WHORE, I SAID SAVE ME-HYEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She flailed even harder when Ignatio tried to keep her cheek again, and wound up getting her neck thanks to her panicked movements.

By now most of the drunken elders were laughing, Chau Yong somewhat debating to help her until Hiljo abruptly swung him around and French-dipped him in a very passionate kiss. Needless to say, the laughter was laced with howls of delight, Noah catcalling about how romantic old men could be.

Once the laughter had died down and everyone was seated around the fire, the old man insisting last minute tteokguk was absolutely necessary though everyone had eaten to the point of even Cho-Yi and Baek Jeong bursting.

Ga Ram and Ga Be had fallen asleep by the time CountDown came, both girls in the laps of Noah and Gamun Be. Yu Jin held Baek Jeong's arm tightly, their fingers laced together. He looked around at the TALs, the friends he'd made thanks to Nuna and Hyung, and the two in question themselves.

[For all victories, there will be sacrifices.]

Yu Jin jolted, wondering why the pit of his stomach had curled a bit inward as the the fireworks were set off.

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

"Some angels will be getting their wings tonight, apparently."

Mu Young flipped Noah off in good humor.

"Yours already flew by during that spell bullshit, you leather fetishist." The rabbit sniped, Maru covering his face as his boyfriend childishly stuck out his tongue as everyone made their way back to their rooms. Ignatio and Cho-Yi had disappeared already, Min Jun nearly taken with them by accident until Jenna saved her, the 'panda' now koala-hugging her savoir as Ara carried a passed out Ha Na rin on her back.

Chau Yong had a very cuddly Hiljo wrapped around him, the elder's face as red as his hair as Mir smirked at the two, Haje punching his not-boyfriend in the ribs.

Sae Ha had dipped into a little too much soju, and both Mano and Yangban were trying to keep the doctor TAL from falling as he insisted he could walk back up the stairs without any help. Eventually Sae Ha did give up and let his son drag him up the stairs as Sae Ha whined for Bellflower to save him.

Gamun Be paused by Noah and cleared his throat, cheeks reddish as Noah snickered. "Oh no. I'm sticking with the ass-ristocrat tonight. You earn your wings some other day, Hero boy."

The old nickname made the glaive-wielder turn an even darker red.

Mir waved to Yangban and kept his arm around Haje's waist as they left the TAL to accompany Noah as they both made sure the rest of the group got in safely. Once they'd the chance, they returned to their shared room, the TAL immediately going to wash up as Noah decided to just flop down to rest.

Unfortunately, there was too much running through his head.

'...Oi, Nunim? You awake still?'

It was a moment before she replied. 'Yeah. I'm in the bath. Rolling around got dirt up my butt and everywhere else you'd never want it.'

'Beautifully depicted.' He said sarcastically. 'Actually...That doesn't sound half bad.'

Once he'd assured Yangban his return wouldn't disturb the TAL, Noah headed down to the bath. Thankfully, their link allowed them to simply speak out loud when they were close enough. They wouldn't have to yell even though there was a wall between them.

"Hard to believe it's been half a year since we first came here, huh?" Noah prompted as he scrubbed down.

As she had the entire bath, Min Jun was stretched out as much as she could while still relaxing, her legs floating in the hot mineral water as she leaned her head to the wall. "Mmm...Time flies by when you're busy fighting for your life...And the lives of others."

"And god did we save a lot. Though, I kind of wish I'd done more for Leon..."

[That was an impossibility. You did enough sending him off in peace.]

They perked up. "Kang Im returns~! Where did you go?" Noah grinned as he washed his hair clean.

[I had my own social events to attend to. It's not like time stopped just because you're in the story, after all.]

"...Ah...That's right..." Noah sobered up from that.

[As well, I've been pondering some of the things you've mentioned.]

Min Jun shifted in the bath as she felt 'Noah's presence suddenly close to the wall. "Oh really?"

[I'd like to hear about this 'AfterMask' you were talking about.]

"...Huuuuu." Noah was sneering. "I bet you would~"

[A-ARE YOU BEING SMARMY?!]

Min Jun sighed. "If you can't read anything on it yet, then you shouldn't think about it."

[Th-That's-! You're keeping secrets in MY story!]

"Hmmm. If we can do that at this point, it might not be your story much longer." Noah smirked.

The prompt from Min Jun was quiet. "...If that's true then we don't know what'll happen either. I wonder what'll happen once King-Nim doesn't need us around?"

"The most likely route is that we'll just drop out of existence." Noah replied as he twisted his hair between his fingers. "He'll still have his TALs and the guys we saved too. He might not even need us much longer, really."

[And you're fine with that?]

"Well, it's not like we'd have any say. So we'd have to be fine with it. We've expressed wanting to stay and wound up being hurt because the way things were meant to go isn't onboard anymore." Noah replied. "Besides, Yu Jin is a big boy. He can take care of everyone that's in his household since they're all a family and understand that."

Min Jun was now freely floating on her back, staring up at the starry sky overhead. "...Besides that, he's a good boy...He'll be able to understand what will be, will be."

[...I think you put too much credit into what a child can understand.]

Just inside the men's bath changing room, a small figure stood with his back to the door, frame shaking as he replayed the conversation snippets he'd heard.

'I wonder what'll happen once King-Nim doesn't need us around?'

He bit his lip.

'He might not even need us much longer, really.'

Blood pounded loudly in his ears.

'Yu Jin is a big boy. He can take care of everyone that's in his household since they're all a family and understand that.'

The young redhead sprinted away from the door and out to the foyer, clutching his head. 'Without Nuna? Without Hyung? But-! But they've been here from the start!' His golden eyes bulged a bit.

'I can't- I can't understand if they aren't around! If they aren't here-' Thoughts of Noah fighting Yangban to make him open up, how easily they forgave Leon, Min Jun fighting to save Hiljo and his kids, '-If they aren't here I can't do anything! I can't everyone else who wants me out of the way!'

A sob echoed in the foyer as his fingers tightly griped his hair.

'I won't-! I won't be King if it means they go away! If being King means I have to say goodbye- If I lose them because of that-! Absolutely no way!'

A tiny crack suddenly refracted the light out of the crystal he wore.

'I  w i l l  n e v e r  b e c o m e  K i n g  i f  i t  m e a n s  s a y i n g  g o o d b y e .'

[What a twisted web we weave, when we tell stories.]