I woke up feeling refreshed, the warm sunlight streaming in through the curtains. Perhaps from a good night's sleep, my whole body felt refreshed. As I was getting out of bed and getting ready to leave, Yeon knocked on the female lead's door.
"You woke up early. Did you sleep well?"
"Thank you for helping me yesterday. Thank you, Yeon-ah."
After a brief chat and all the preparations, I headed out. Having vowed the night before to do well and work hard here, I was eagerly anticipating the events that lay ahead. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the palace with Yeon-i, and as expected, Yeon-i's group greeted us with beaming smiles, their gaze fixed on us. Of course, they were greeting Yeon-i, not me.
"Yeon-ah, did you sleep well?"
"Yeah- what about the others?"
"Let's get better. We can take riding lessons together."
Come to think of it, there were three fewer people than yesterday's group. The horseback riding lesson was optional, so only those who wanted to could take it. Unlike those who had taken horseback riding lessons many times before, this was Yeoju's first time in this world, and she was both fascinated and terrified. She was stunned to find herself in a riding arena she'd never been to in her current life, and she looked around the arena in a daze.
"We're a little late, so I guess there aren't any horses available... What should we do?"
"Yeon-ah, you go ahead. I'll catch up soon."
There was only one horse ready at the riding arena. Six people, one horse. While they were wondering what to do, they, without a moment's hesitation, put Yeoni on first. Yeoni, seemingly accustomed to horses, mounted effortlessly without any assistance and rode effortlessly, gradually moving away from them.
"Wow... cool..."
Yeo-ju looked stunning as she galloped across the expansive riding arena. Ho-seok, perhaps finding Yeo-ju's expression blank and absentminded, followed Yeon-i's every move amusing, let out a faint chuckle from beside him.
"Phew, you were so sad yesterday. Not today, I guess."
"Huh? Hi, Hoseok!"
Hoseok, who had arrived late, had joined the horseback riding lesson. At the bright and cheerful greeting of the female protagonist, the eyes of Jungkook, Jimin, Namjoon, and Seokjin, who had been waiting for the horse, turned to Hoseok and the female protagonist. The female protagonist smiled brightly at Hoseok and thanked him, saying that he had been able to sleep comfortably thanks to him yesterday. Hoseok, flustered by the female protagonist's bright smile, quickly looked away.
"He, he, he doesn't ride a horse?"
"Ah- I have nothing left to say. I've been waiting!"
"……"
As luck would have it, a boy who'd just finished horseback riding was returning his horse to the professor. Yeoju, who had never ridden a horse in her life, was eager to try it, so she hurried over to the professor.
"Professor!! I'll ride that horse!!!!"
Hoseok burst into laughter again at the sight of Yeoju running towards the professor, shouting in a booming voice. He quickly regained his senses and gently slapped his cheek. "Why am I laughing?" Hoseok shook his head vigorously, his expression returning to its original blank expression. Yeoju, finally in possession of the horse, carefully led it to the starting point to mount it. The question was, how did she mount it?
How should she mount the horse, holding only the handlebars? What should she do once she's on board? Her mind was as blank as a sheet of paper. Then, at some point, Jeong-gook, who had arrived at the starting point, had brought his horse alongside her. Finally, feeling like she had someone to ask, she exulted and immediately asked him.
"Excuse me... Could you teach me how to ride a horse?"
"what?"
The female protagonist, already mounted on horseback, looked up at him and asked him to teach her how to ride. Jeong-gook found her speech absurd. Surely there had been a horsemanship test during the palace entrance exam, but she didn't know how to ride. He couldn't understand how she entered the palace without even being able to ride.
"You don't know how to ride a horse?"
"Yeah.. It's my first time riding it.."
"her…"
Jeong-guk was fixated on the female protagonist, seemingly intrigued by her appearance. At that moment, Yeon-i, perhaps having finished class, returned her words and walked towards her.
"Lady, have you ever ridden a horse?"
"huh…"
"Then Jeongguk can teach you. He's the one with the highest equestrian grades in the palace. He's the best rider-"
"Jooyeon, that's not it.."
"Then, please-"
Yeon-i tapped Jeong-guk's back a couple of times before leaving. An awkward atmosphere hung between Jeong-guk and Yeo-ju, and the only thing that broke the silence was Jeong-guk's faint sigh.
"This stepping stone is called a stepladder. First, step on it and climb up."
"this?"
"No, the one in front of it."
Frustrated that the heroine couldn't find the stirrup, Jeongguk dismounted and went to find it himself. She quickly found it, smiled brightly, and tried to climb onto the step. However, the step was too high, and she lacked the strength to climb on her own. She struggled, stepping onto the stirrup and holding onto the saddle. Unable to bear it any longer, Jeongguk lifted her up with all his might.
“Phew… Thank you, Jungkook!”
“Since this is your first time riding it, I’ll show you how to ride it.”
Soon, Jeong-gook was mounted on the horse Yeo-ju was riding. He grabbed the handle from behind Yeo-ju, who was holding the horse's handle. Because of this, Jeong-gook found himself embracing Yeo-ju, flustered and surprised by his own actions. However, Yeo-ju's expression remained unchanged. She was simply thrilled to be riding.
At Jungkook's signal, the horse began to gallop. The sudden start threw Yeoju's balance backward, but Jungkook held her steady, leading the horse effortlessly. As they galloped through the expansive riding arena, an indescribable joy surged through them. Yeoju, beaming and waving at Yeon-i, who was visible in his field of vision, brought a faint smile to Jungkook's face, a sense of pride filling him.
"Jungkook, can I ride alone now?"
Jungkook quickly hides his smile as the female protagonist turns around and asks him if he can ride alone. When the female protagonist asks if he can ride alone, Jungkook says yes, thinking it's probably fine, and then slowly stops talking. Although he says it's his first time riding a horse, Jungkook switches to another horse and follows the female protagonist, just in case something happens.
"Is this how I ride it?"
"Be careful not to fall, hold on tight to the handle."
"Yeah, this is really fun-"
The smile on Yeoju's face never left his mind. Seeing her fills him with pride, and a smile spreads across Jeongguk's lips. Soon, Jeongguk abruptly averts his gaze from Yeoju, hiding his smile. He was utterly dumbfounded as to why he had smiled, why the corners of his mouth had quirked at the sight of Yeoju.
“Why is he like this…”
While Jungkook was lost in thought, the heroine's horse suddenly stopped and shook its head from side to side. Whiplashing the horse with the handle didn't move it, so she lifted one foot to dismount. At that moment, the stalled horse suddenly broke into a gallop. The horse galloped at incredible speed, leaving the heroine speechless. She screamed as the horse galloped wildly, and when Jungkook came to his senses, she saw the heroine already running away.
"Kim Yeo-ju!!!"
She couldn't control it. No matter what Yeoju tried, the horse wouldn't stop. Jeongguk quickly started his horse and followed Yeoju. Yeon-i and the others seemed surprised, and they reported this to the professor first. The horse's increasing pace frightened Yeoju, and she finally closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head.
"Jungkook… help me…"
All I could think about right now was Jungkook. The woman's grip on the handle gradually weakened, and she eventually let go. At that moment, Jungkook, who had been chasing her, tucked his horse close to hers, quickly lifted her from the horse as she was about to fall, and placed her on his horse. Jungkook's horse gradually stopped, and thanks to him, the woman's consciousness gradually came back.
"Kim Yeo-ju, are you okay?"
“……Jungkook…”
The female protagonist eventually burst into tears. Jungkook must have been so surprised that he patted her shoulder and felt her trembling violently. The professor chased after the horse she had been riding, while Yeon-i, Hoseok, Jimin, Namjoon, and Seokjin ran towards her and Jungkook.
"Hey lady!! Are you okay?!?!"
"Jeon Jungkook, what happened?"
"I don't know, why did the horse suddenly break out?"
"Lady... I really thought you were going to fall off your horse... Oh... sigh..."
Everyone's attention turned to Yeon-i, who burst into tears. The female protagonist, who had been startled herself by nearly falling from her horse, wiped away her tears and comforted Yeon-i, thinking that Yeon-i must have been equally shocked by what she saw.
"Yeon-ah, I'm okay - I'm alive thanks to Jungkook."
"Thank goodness..."
"Yeon-ah, don't cry. Kim Yeo-ju is okay."
"Wipe your tears and let's go, Yeon-ah."
Actually, she wasn't okay. Just thinking about what had just happened still made her tremble. Falling from a horse wasn't such a minor accident. If she'd fallen from her horse, considering the worst-case scenario, she could have lost her life. But Jeongguk had saved her, and thanks to him, she wasn't hurt. Jeongguk returned the horse, and they left, taking Yeoni with them as she cried. Left alone, Yeoju collapsed, her legs giving out, and only then did she burst into tears again. She took deep breaths, repeatedly inhaling and exhaling, to calm herself.
"I almost fell off my horse, but I guess it can't be okay."
"uh…?"
He was one of the group that had been accompanying Yeon-i. He extended his hand to Yeo-ju, and she was deeply moved by the hand extended to her. Taking his hand brought her a sense of security, and she naturally leaned on him. Then, he immediately helped Yeo-ju up and supported her. Meanwhile, Jeong-guk returned his words and walked back to where Yeo-ju had been.
"Kim Yeo-j..."
But the heroine had already left, and only a thick book was left there.
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