Archive of Our Own

“Your Highness.”

Johnny groaned as Taeyong, his personal royal guard, called him.

“What’s wrong Taeyong?” Johnny grunted as he closed his book. He just wanted to have a peaceful day. His parents had been giving him earfuls after earfuls this past few weeks, and he just wanted to have a moment of peace. Is it too much to ask?

“Your parents, his Majesty King and Queen requested your presence in the King’s study.”

Johnny furrowed his brows in confusion. It’s barely 10 in the morning, why would his parents ask for his presence this early?

“Did my father tell you why? And please, don’t call me your highness this early,” Johnny asked as he stood up, straightening his shirt while grumbling.

Taeyong shook his head with a grin, choosing to irk Johnny even more, “No, Your Highness. I was only relaying the message from your father’s Royal Guard.”

“Fuck you.”

Johnny sighed as he stood up, walking out of his own study to his father’s study with Taeyong chuckling behind him. He nodded his head as he passed by several guards. He bowed his head slightly at the Head of the Royal Guard, his father’s guard.

“Your Highness, your parents had been waiting for you,” the old man said. Johnny nodded his head as he entered the study.

“Father?”

“Son! Sit down!” his mother smiled. She was knitting on the couch while his father was sipping his coffee silently.

“What’s wrong, Mother?” Johnny asked as he sat down across his parents.

“So, we’ve been asking you every day about potential bride—”

“Mother, I’m gay,” Johnny deadpanned.

“—Or groom. Yes, we’re aware of your sexuality, Johnny. What I was trying to say is, you’ve been saying no to the matches we’ve offered because you said you haven’t seen them in real life and you don’t want to get married to some stranger who doesn’t have good qualities,” his mother spoke eloquently.

“True. And so?”

“Your mother and I had consulted to several people, and we’ve come to a decision. We’re going to hold a ball, so you could meet people,” his father said calmly.

“What? A ball? That’s ridiculous!”

“There’s nothing wrong with holding a masquerade ball. You didn’t hold any party for your birthday this year—”

“Because they’re a waste of money, duh,” Johnny rolled his eyes.

“Don’t cut your mother off like that, it’s impolite. Anyways, we’re going to hold a ball this weekend, so I want you to prepare for it. We’re inviting the nobles and noblesse from the whole kingdom as well as neighboring kingdoms. We want you to be on your best behavior that day,” the King said sternly.

“Father!”

“No buts, Johnny. You said you don’t want just someone with a pretty face, so we decided to hold a masquerade ball just for you. You won’t be able to judge them by their face, so I want you to mingle and go around, okay?”

Johnny slumped on his seat, grumbling softly.

“Son, you’re going to be thirty in three years. After that you will be crowned as King as the royal laws said. We just want you to settle down soon so you, and your partner, would have some time with each other first, learn the ropes, and ascend into the throne slowly. You’re our only crown prince, you should know your responsibility,” the Queen said softly.

Johnny sighed. There’s really no way out this time, huh?

“Your Highness!”

“Come on, Taeyong!” Johnny grinned, his hair flying around in the wind as he urged his horse to run faster.

“Your—fuck it, Johnny! Stop running away!” Taeyong groaned as he made his horse stop in front of Johnny, causing the prince to finally halt.

“You’re no fun,” Johnny lamented.

“Your fucking Highness, Johnny! The ball is in four hours! You should be at the palace getting prepped! You’re going to meet your future husband tonight; you can’t just ride around and get back being sweaty and smelly!” Taeyong huffed.

“I just want to ride around, Tae. Can you imagine it? After tonight, my parents will get me engaged with someone, and then in a few months I’ll be married! God knows whether I’ll be able to do this kind of thing anymore. I don’t even have the freedom to ride around like this on normal days! Can’t you just cut me some slack for once?” Johnny pleaded as his horse paced forward, on a slower pace this time so Taeyong could ride by his side.

Taeyong sighed. He pitied Johnny, honestly. The poor guy grew up in the confinement of the palace, rarely able to go outside. He glanced at Johnny who looked happy and carefree as he rode his horse, enjoying the sunlight out of the palace’s gate.

“Fine, I’ll let you go this one time. But only for forty more minutes. After this, we’re going back.”

“Yes! Taeyong, I loooove youuu!” Johnny blew him a kiss before pacing his horse forward again, excited to explore the nearby village.

Johnny whistled happily. He had stolen some plain clothing from the palace’s laundry room so he could safely roam the town today. With the added scarf around his neck and lower face, his visual is obscured so no one could identify him as the kingdom’s crown prince.

“Oh, look at that, Tae!” he said happily as he saw a group of young children running around playing on a field.

He watched a small boy, probably not any older than three years old, wobbling on his pudgy legs towards a bush.

Johnny’s eyes bulged as he watched the boy tripped over a rock. Without a second thought he jumped from his horse to help the boy who’s now wailing out loud.

“Kid, are you okay?” Johnny asked worriedly. The boy cried, pointing at his scraped knee.

“Hurt,” the boy said with a slight lisp.

Johnny turned to Taeyong who looked shock, and he was about to ask for help when someone else run towards him.

“Chan-ie! Are you okay?”

The boy, possibly named Chan, sobbed as he raised his arm. This mysterious guy worriedly picked him up, cradling him on his arms.

“Oh, poor Chan. It hurts, doesn't it? We’ll treat your legs, okay. And, uhm, uh, hello. Thank you for checking up on our little sun,” the man said.

Johnny could only dumbly nod because, holy smokes, this man is beautiful. His skin was pale white with freckles subtly decorating his cheeks. His dark hair fell across his eyes and he has the gentlest voice Johnny had ever heard.

“J—hey! We should get back now!” Taeyong hollered from his horse.

“Uh, I think your friend is calling for you,” the beautiful man smiled.

Fuck you, Taeyong.

Johnny didn’t even have the chance to reply the man because the boy had cried again.

“Uhm, I should get going and treat his knee. Thank you for your attention on him,” the man smiled, showing a pair of gorgeous dimples on his face.

“Johnny! Hey!” Taeyong yelled again once the man had disappeared.

Johnny huffed, standing up and walking back to his guard with an apparent frown.

“You fucking spoilsport!”

Kun hummed and bowed at the guard that was standing in front of the gates of the Li’s household.

“Kuuuun! You’re finally here! Come heeere!”

Kun laughed when he saw his friend running from the porch, hugging him and dragging him inside his mansion.

“You’re so excited, Ten,” Kun commented.

“Of course, I am! I’m going to meet the Prince tonight! Oh, Kun! He’s so handsome!” Ten swooned.

Kun only shrugged, he’s seen pictures of the Prince before. He’s indeed good-looking.

“You should help me pick my outfit for tonight! I want to impress him!” Ten clapped his hands as he dragged a clothing rack.

“Why are you so intent on impressing him?” Kun asked curiously as he flipped through the outfits, feeling each and every fabric meticulously.

“This is an important ball, Kun. Haven’t you heard about it? The Prince will pick his groom, or bride, tonight. He’s picking his future spouse! I want to impress him, and who knows, the next thing you know you’ll be friends with the next King,” Ten winked.

Kun laughed as he picked a dark blue velvet tuxedo. He put it in front of Ten’s lithe frame and smiled.

“You’re pretty, Ten. I’m sure the Prince will be attracted to you,” Kun assured him.

Ten sighed as he plopped on his bed.

“It’s a masquerade ball, Kun! We have to wear masks. He can’t see my pretty face, so we have to make sure I have the prettiest outfit!”

Kun put down the blue suit. It’s too plain. Maybe they need something more interesting. He picked a suit, made from the same velvet material. It’s a deep maroon color with delicate gold threads woven into the front, forming an intricate embroidery pattern.

“Do you have a white silk shirt?” Kun asked.

Ten lights up and nodded. He ran to his wardrobe and pulled a nice white silk shirt.

“With a black bow tie and a nice dress shoes, you will look good. Have you got a matching mask?” Kun asked again.

Ten grinned and nodded, “Of course! Ah, Kun! I knew I could always trust you with my outfit. I really can’t wait to meet the Prince!”

“Do you like him that much?” Kun asked, sitting on a chair as Ten shrugged out of his shirt to change into the silk shirt.

“Ah, I think I might be in love with him. He’s so handsome and dreamy and hot… Ugh. He’s so perfect!” Ten swooned.

Kun chuckled as he stood up to help Ten into his suit.

“You look good. The prince will fall in love with you. If he doesn’t, then there’s something wrong with his eyes.”

Ten grinned and nodded.

“Hmm, Kun! I have an idea! Why don’t you go with me to the ball?”

Kun frowned immediately, “What? No, no! Why should I? I’m not invited.”

“Come on! We’re allowed to bring guards. Not like you’re my guard or anything, but I just wanted you to come. You should go out and have fun some time,” Ten said.

Kun smiled sadly and shook his head, “I have work at the pub, Ten. I’m still far from my goal so I have to work hard.”

Ten huffed as he tied his bow tie, “You worked too hard, Kun. You work in the morning, in the afternoon, at night… You need rest!”

“I rested enough,” Kun assured him as he pried Ten’s hands off so he could properly tie the bow.

“You don’t. Whenever you have time, you’re always helping at the orphanage,” Ten pointed out as he began to go through his clothing rack again.

“Of course, I have to, Ten. Mrs. Jung is getting older. She can’t really afford a caretaker so I have to help her. She was the one who took care of me after my parents passed away. I wanted to pay her kindness back,” Kun explained.

Ten gave no reply, instead he pulled a crème-colored silk shirt.

“Wear this. Come with me to the ball. Tomorrow you can go to work again. It’s the weekend, Kun. Have a little fun. The pub won’t die with your absence. Plus, most people would come to the palace tonight. The pub would be relatively empty,” Ten said, thrusting the shirt firmly into Kun’s chest.

“I don’t know, Ten…”

“Come on Kun… Just one night!”

Kun sighed as he held the shirt on his hand.

“Please?”

“Alright…”

“Yeay! Kun, you’re the best!”

Johnny had to stifle a yawn at how boring the party is. He had been whisked left and right, talking to princess and princesses, dukes and duchesses, alongside multiple noblemen and noblewomen. Everyone dressed to the nines, complete with bejeweled masks, seemingly trying to catch his attention.

Johnny is never attracted to golds and diamonds so, well, they were all wrong.

“Your Highness, your father wanted you to meet several noble merchants’ sons after this. He said they were all kind and beautiful and might suit your taste,” Taeyong whispered to his ear.

“More like their taste. Ugh. When will this night end?” Johnny sighed.

“Three more hours,” Taeyong grinned.

Johnny groaned.

“Come on, Johnny. Just pick one. Oh, have you seen that one? He’s cute,” Taeyong discreetly pointed at a slender guy with gold mask and deep maroon suit.

“Not my type,” Johnny shrugged, earning a smack from Taeyong.

“Well, can I get a breather for ten minutes, Tae? I just need some fresh air,” Johnny said.

“Don’t go too far,” Taeyong said, taking pity on his friend.

“Thanks. I owe you,” Johnny smiled as he slipped away silently outside.

Once he’s outside, he took a deep breath of the crisp cold night air, sighing contentedly. He felt slightly suffocated inside. The crown on his head felt heavy suddenly. He was supposed to pick someone from the crowd tonight. He couldn’t imagine it though. No one really pulled his attention. He could hear the music the orchestra played inside the palace faintly.

He leaned against the railing, just enjoying the faint music and the cold night air. The garden is really beautiful at night, he thought. His mother loved the garden so much. One thing Johnny should add to his minimalist list of future spouse criteria is probably that whoever that person is should have a love for gardens. It’s going to be such a pity if no one would take care of the garden like his mother usually does. After he’s crowned, his parents would move to their retirement palace, so no one would take care of the garden anymore.

Johnny sighed again as he watched the blooming moonflowers from the distance. That one is his mother’s favor—

“Prince Johnny, Your Highness.”

Johnny turned around immediately, furrowing his brows at the unfamiliar face.

“Who are you?”

The man in front of him grinned wickedly as he bowed down.

“Oh, you’ll know about me soon, Your Highness. How are you enjoying the party, so far? A nice party, I must say. Has anyone caught your eyes?”

Johnny frowned. Who is this dude?

“Ah, I knew it. No one did. You’ve never one to like these kinds of parties, don’t you? You’re a unique one, Prince Johnny.”

Johnny scoffed, ignoring the man.

“There are many options to choose from, Your Highness. Your parents certainly invited only the prettiest tonight,” the man chuckled.

Johnny shrugged. Most of them were pretty, he had to admit.

“But I know you’re not just looking for pretty faces, don’t you? You’re not even looking for a husband. That’s not what you want,” the man said, stepping closer, too close for Johnny’s comfort.

Johnny felt his goosebumps rising when the man slithered his hand across his shoulders.

“You’re tired of living the glitzy life. You want to feel normal. To feel…. Free.”

Johnny froze, and the man chuckled.

“I hit the bull’s eye; I believe. I can help you if you’d like to,” the man said.

“What do you mean?” Johnny frowned.

The man grinned, lowkey creeping Johnny out. “Well, I can help you be free… Away from responsibilities. No more being caged inside this stuffy palace. That’s what you want, right?”

“H-how… how do you know?” Johnny frowned.

The man cackled, baring his yellow teeth. “Oh, Your Highness… I always know! Now, do you want me to help you?”

Johnny frowned.

“I don’t trust you. I don’t even know you,” he said.

Johnny’s parents and the royal guards, and the royal teachers, and practically everyone in the palace had educated him on stranger danger ever since he was a kid. He knew this man is not one to be trusted.

The man smiled.

“Well, let me introduce myself then,” the man said, offering Johnny his hand.

Johnny eyed his hand skeptically.

“My name is A. Nice to meet you, Your Highness. I’m looking forward to give you some help,” the man grinned again, still offering his hand.

Johnny raised his brow warily, but he accepted the handshake nonetheless.

“Okay… But—ouch! What the hell?!”

He retracted his hand, looking at the small puncture wound on the side of his ring finger. He watched a few drops of blood oozing from it.

The man cackled, and Johnny felt his stomach turning as he watch black fog wrapping the man.

“Thank you for the blood, Your Highness. I hope you enjoy your new freedom.”

Johnny gasped as the man disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a trace of black mist.

Johnny then felt his body buzzing uncomfortably. He held onto the railing, trying to ground himself. He felt his head spinning and his muscles contracting. With a groan, he dropped to the ground.

Taeyong begun to grow restless. Where the hell is the Prince? He knew Johnny could be a little shit sometimes, but the man had promised not to bail from the party!

Taeyong excused himself for a moment, smiling at several guests and nodding his head at other guards, before going out. He looked around confusedly. He swore, ten minutes ago he could still spot Prince Johnny near the garden!

“Taeyong! Hey, Taeyong!”

Taeyong turned around. He heard Johnny’s familiar voice. But, where is he?

“Johnny? Your Highness? Where are you?”

“Here! Taeyong! Here!”

Taeyong furrowed his brows as he turned around in confusion. He sighed deeply as he folded his arms across his chest, “Johnny, come out of your hiding. It’s not the time to play hide-and-seek. Your parents are going to start looking for you!”

“I’m not playing, you fucker! I’m down here!”

Taeyong looked down and screamed. He jumped backward, landing on his butts as he saw a green slimy frog on his dress shoes.

“Get away! Ew!” He unsheathed his sword, trying to shoo away the amphibian.

“Geez, Taeyong! Don’t kill me! It’s me! Johnny!” the frog jumped, trying to dodge Taeyong’s sword.

“No way! Johnny! Where are you? The fuck, dude, I’m not falling into your trick!” Taeyong stood up, still swatting the frog away with his sword as he looked around.

Where did Johnny hide? Behind the bush? Or behind the fountain? Could he possibly be hiding behind the tree?

“Lee fucking Taeyong! It’s me! I’m Crown Prince Johnny! Do you not trust me? Look. I’m the crown prince, I was born on February 9^th, I’m friend with you, Royal Guard Lee Taeyong, a pain in the ass sometimes. You have a mole under your chin, you hate spicy food, you like pretty boys, you hate it whenever I sneaked out…”

Taeyong gaped as he watched the frog jumped around while stating random facts about him and the prince that only Prince Johnny himself knew.

“Johnny? I-is that you?”

Taeyong put his sword back into the sheath and crouched down, picking the frog up. It croaked before grinning, “Yeah. It’s me.”

Taeyong felt like fainting.

“Noooo! Don’t faint on me! Ya, Taeyong!”

Taeyong shook his head as he slid down to sit on the flower, examining the creature on his palms.

“You’re really Johnny?”

The frog, somehow, rolled its eyes. Now, that’s more like Johnny. Taeyong began to be convinced now.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“H-how?!”

The frog sighed again before leaping down from Taeyong’s palms, choosing to sit on his knees instead.

“I don’t even know myself. One moment a strange guy with witch-y vibe talked to me, the next thing I knew he disappeared into thin air and I turned into a frog! Now, the most important thing is, how the hell I’m going to turn back into a human?!” Johnny huffed.

Taeyong blinked his eyes.

“Oh, shit. Right. Oh, God. Your parents! Oh, dear Lord…” Taeyong groaned.

The prince got cursed by a witch-y looking man into a frog, and now he needs to help turn the prince back into human. This is not on his job description! He definitely didn’t get paid enough to deal with these kinds of shits.

“Yes, it’s shitty, Tae. Now, what should I do?!” Johnny hopped back to Taeyong’s hands.

“I don’t know… I mean, in fairytales, the frog prince got kissed and turned back into human…”

“Kiss me then!”

“What the fuck?! No! Johnny, ew!” Taeyong groaned, swatting Johnny away from his hands.

“Why? Come on, I’m hot, Taeyong!”

Taeyong retched and shook his head, “The hell, no! Especially not in a frog form! Look, for now, don’t get into trouble. I’m going to go into the library and read some books, see if I could find something out. But I know for sure, I don’t want to kiss you. Not in your human form, and definitely not in your frog form!” Taeyong huffed.

Johnny rolled his eyes as he hopped again, letting Taeyong stand up.

“Be quick!”

Kun sighed as he watched people around him converse with each other. He didn’t feel like he fit in this kind of crowd.

Sure, Ten had dressed him up and did his make up so he looked way better than he usually did, but this is not his usual scene. Kun doesn’t belong in the palace, flirting with noblemen and talking about whatever rich people talk about.

Kun belongs in the kitchen, cooking, covered with sweat and filth. Kun belongs in the pub, serving people, working hard so he could save enough money to fulfill his dream. Kun doesn’t wear expensive silk shirts and comfortable linen pants like this. Kun wore ratty old cotton clothes, not entirely comfortable but serves its purpose enough as clothing.

Kun sighed for the umpteenth time that night as he watched Ten talking with a fellow noblemen’s son.

“Hey, Ten,” he tapped Ten’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Kun?”

“I think I want to step outside for a moment. Will you be fine?” He asked.

“Aww, why are you leaving? You haven’t even seen the Prince!” Ten whined.

“I’m not leaving, I’m just taking a breather. And plus, I don’t think I need to see the Prince. I bet the Prince is not interested of seeing me either. Instead, you… should see him. Charm him, okay? I’ll be outside,” Kun patted Ten’s back before slipping through the crowds, swiftly exiting the ballroom.

He smiled as he inhaled the night air, enjoying the fragrant smell of the flowers that grew in the palace garden. He smiled as he noticed the beautiful roses. He hummed as he approached the bushes, smiling as he admired the pretty shades.

His parents, when they were still alive, used to work for the Li’s, Ten’s family. His mother would spend her time as a seamstress, and occasionally working in the kitchen, while his father would tend the garden and help Ten’s father on his business trips. Kun spent his childhood either playing with Ten in his room, or helping out in the kitchen and the garden. He loved cooking and he loved gardening. When his parents passed away from a sickness, Ten’s family was kind enough to help organize a funeral. Kun himself wouldn’t have the fortune to give his own parents a funeral. They even offered Kun to stay at the mansion.

But of course, Kun rejected his offer. Ten’s family had done so much with the funeral, and they were so kind for letting a measly peasant like Kun to befriend their son. Kun decided to get homed in the local orphanage, but still helping around in the mansion until he’s old enough to apply for job.

Once he turned eighteen, he got his first job as a waiter, which he still worked at until today. Juggling three to four different jobs is not easy, but Kun needs all the money. Not just to sustain his life, but to achieve his dreams as well.

Ever since he was a kid, he had lived in poverty. Sometimes, his parents wouldn’t have enough money to cook a decent meal, and Kun had to suffice with eating scraps from the Li’s kitchen. But he was grateful. The scraps from the Li's kitchen were a luxury on itself. There are people who were even less fortunate than him, people who couldn’t even eat a grain of rice. Kun’s dream is to open a kitchen. A kitchen for the poor village people to eat for free, and for them to seek shelter during the cold harsh winter. His second dream was to help the orphanage he spent several years growing up with. He felt pity for the young kids who never got adopted there. He remembered his two most favorite out of the bunch. There’s Haechan-ie, the clumsy three-year-old who hurt himself this morning, and then there’s Chenle the baby, the newest addition to the orphanage. Kun wished these kids could grow up well, with proper food, and proper education—unlike him.

Kun sighed as he continued to walk, stopping in front of a bush of moonflowers. The white petals were so pretty under the dim moonlight, and the smell was so fragrant. Kun loved the moonflowers. They’re just so peculiar! They only bloomed at night, and they have a very wonderful scent. They also looked very pretty. Back when his father was still alive, he planted the moonflowers on the back of the Li’s mansion. His mother loved it so much. After they passed away, no one could take care of them and the plant ended up dying.

It’s nice to see a well-grown moonflower plant again after so many years. Kun smiled wistfully as he touched the white petal.

“Do you like moonflowers?’

Kun jumped at the sudden voice. He clutched on his chest and turned around, seeing no one in sight. Was he hallucinating?

His nose began to sweat behind the black mask that adorned his face—a trait that he picked up from his father. He slipped a finger to wipe the beads of sweat away and cleared his throat, “W-who’s there?”

He heard a croak and looked down to see a green frog staring at him with beady eyes.

“Eeeek!”

Kun jumped back in shock, scared out of his life.

“No, no, don’t come closer! I’m sorry! I won’t disturb you!” Kun put his arms out defensively as the frog hopped closer.

“I don’t bite, I’m a frog!”

“Aaah!”

Kun shrieked. He couldn’t believe his ears! The frog talked?

“D-did… did you just talk?!” Kun asked bewilderedly, still clutching on his chest.

“I just did!”

Kun gaped and shook his head.

“No way. I must’ve been dreaming. Oh, dear God. This must’ve been the sleep deprivation. Ten was right, I was too tired. God,” Kun shook his head vehemently as he turned around, ready to go back inside, find Ten, and excuse himself for the night. He probably needed to sleep.

“No! Hey! Don’t go! I’m real and I can talk!”

Kun paused as he watched the frog hopped around, landing on top of the garden lamp shade.

“Oh, it’s warm. Anyways, hello! I’m a frog, and yes, I can talk!”

Kun had to slap his cheek twice to assure himself that he’s not having a fever dream, and that yes, he’s looking at a talking frog.

“W-what do you want from me?” Kun asked in fear. The way the frog was looking at him made him feel uncomfortable.

“Well, let me introduce myself first. I am Crown Prince Johnny of the kingdom Agata—”

“What the hell? The prince? Isn’t he inside?” Kun scratched his head. This frog is hallucinating! Or was he the one hallucinating?

The frog rolled his eyes and hopped from the lamp shade, approaching Kun, causing Kun to shriek again, “Don’t come closer!”

“Excuse me, I’m a frog. I can’t possibly bite you or kick you. Anyways, I’m the prince! You should believe me!”

Kun shook his head again. Should he really believe a talking frog that it’s the prince?

“If you don’t believe me, I can answer all the questions about the prince. Try me!”

Kun bit his lips, pondering. What question should he ask?

“The prince’s crown… What was the gemstone that decorated it?” Kun asked.

The frog grinned, “Easy! It’s emerald! I love the green color, that’s why I picked it for my crown when I turned eighteen!”

Kun blinked his eyes in shock. Okay. What else should he ask?

Kun never goes to school formally so he doesn’t know that much about the kingdom’s history aside from the things he had read from the books that Ten owned.

“Hmm… What about the first song that the orchestra played tonight?” Kun arched his brow challengingly.

The frog scoffed, hopping again to sit atop a decorative rock.

“It’s called the Aquarius Waltz. It’s the song that was created on the day I was born. Do you want me to sing it?”

Kun watched with large eyes as the frog hopped around, whistling to the sound of the song that was played earlier that night. Is… is the frog really the prince?

“Phew! It was hard whistling with a frog mouth! So, believe me yet, young man?”

Kun could only weakly nod.

“H-how does this happen? A-are you really the prince?”

“For the umpteenth time! I’m the prince! I was fucking cursed! I don’t know how but there’s this sus guy with black magic that cursed me, and now I have to reverse the curse because my parents will be looking for me. Don’t want the King and Queen to get mad, don’t you? So now, I need your help!”

Kun gripped the hem of his shirt that had gotten untucked as he blinked nervously, “M-my help?”

“Yeah. Do you see anyone else? It’s so easy, come on, I’m sure you’ll be able to help.”

Kun sat down on the garden bench, watching as the frog leaped and settled down next to him.

“Have you ever heard the fairytale about the frog prince? Do you know how the curse got reversed?”

Kun didn’t know that many fairytales since he didn’t have the luxury of having books as a kid, but he remembered the one distinct story his mother used to tell him before he went to sleep. The Frog Prince, he knew that story.

“Um… In the story, the curse got reversed when the frog prince was kiss—HELL NO! I’m not kissing a frog!” Kun scrambled away immediately.

“Hey! But I’m a prince! It’s going to be an honor to kiss the prince, you know? Let me tell you, these lips had never touched any other lips before! I’ll allow you to have the bragging rights of kissing the prince,” Johnny, the frog, smirked.

Kun grimaced and shuddered, “Oh, thank you very much, Your Highness, but I’m not interested in kissing you both in human form, let alone in frog form.”

Johnny groaned, as he hopped into Kun’s knees, causing the man to shriek.

“Please! You know what, after I turned back into human, I’ll grant you any wish you have. I’m going to be a king in three years, so I’ll be able to fulfill your wish. What’s your name, huh?”

“K-Kun. My name is Kun.”

“Okay, Kun, I promise you, I will grant any of your wish if you’d kiss me so I could turn back into my human form. I swear!”

Kun watched the frog lift one of its front legs, and forming a cross on his heart.

“You… You would?”

“I would. I have many wealth, as you can see from this palace,” Johnny said confidently, pointing to his grand palace.

Kun bit his lips as he played with the tassels of his mask, pondering about the delectable offer.

The prince would grant any of his wish…

His thought immediately went into his dream village kitchen and his miserable saving that probably won’t ever be enough to build that kitchen. He thinks about poor Haechan and Chenle and also the other kids at the orphanage.

If the prince could build the kitchen for him… Then he can use his savings to help provide for the orphanage.

The offer was tempting.

“So? What do you say, Kun? I could really grant any, I repeat, ANY, of your wish, no matter how expensive it is,” Johnny said again.

Kun fiddled with his shirt and gulped, “I… I have one wish.”

“Good! Tell me!”

Kun cleared his throat as the frog watched him expectantly.

“I… I want a village kitchen to be built on the village near this kingdom’s town center.”

“Village kitchen?”

Kun nodded, smiling dreamily, “A kitchen where I can serve food for every single people in the village who can’t afford their own food so everyone can eat!”

Johnny blinked his eyes and shrugged, “Fine with me. I can build you a kitchen, and even provide the cooks for it as well!”

“You can?!”

“Duh, of course. I’m the crown prince and future king,” Johnny rolled his eyes, flipping his imaginary hair.

“W-wow…”

“Now, now, what do you say? Do we have a deal? A kiss for me, and a village kitchen for you?”

Kun watched the frog offering one of its tiny legs—or arms?—for a shake.

“Come on, don’t we have a deal? Once I turned back into human, I’ll ask my people to build the kitchen immediately. Tomorrow I’ll hold the meeting immediately. I promise,” Johnny said earnestly.

Kun sighed deeply. But then he remembered his village people and the kids at the orphanage. Well, what choices does a measly poor man like him could have? Maybe this is God’s answer to his prayers. Maybe by steeping down low and kissing a frog, he could finally make his dreams come true.

“Soooo?”

“Fine. It’s a deal,” Kun said, grimacing as he shook the frog’s leg—or arm, whatever it is.

The frog whistled happily before jumping into Kun’s hand, causing goosebumps to raise on his arms immediately.

“Come on!”

Kun grimaced as the frog puckered its slimy lips.

“Oh, my dearest God…”

“Come on!”

Kun took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.

Dear God, please give me strength!

He clenched his eyes shut as he went for a quick peck.

Johnny smiled as he felt Kun’s plush lips against his slimy one.

He pulled away and smiled. He counted to three and opened his eyes.

“Huh?”

Where’s Kun?

Johnny lifted on of his arm and shriek.

Why is it still green and slimy?!

He heard another shriek and he looked to his left, gasping as he watched a similar looking creature hopping around and croaking and screaming.

“What the hell?! You said?! What the fuck!!”

Kun hopped around, still screaming at his new appearance. Why the hell is he turning into a frog as well?

“Hey? Why am I a frog?! You said after kissing you, I will turn you into a human! Not you turning me into a frog as well?!” Kun hissed.

Johnny shook his head, “I don’t know! I don’t understand as well!”

The two frogs were both freaking out, unaware of the presence of two men slowly approaching them.

"Hey!"

Both Johnny and Kun whipped their heads and widened their eyes in shock as they saw two men coming towards their direction with two flashlights.

"Why are there these pesky pests in the garden? Throw them out!", one of the men said.

They squinted their eyes and trembled.

"Y-Your Highness… I think your gardeners are coming for us…" Kun whispered, grabbing one of Johnny's arms—or legs? Kun would settle for arms, it felt weird to be footholding instead of handholding.

"Run!" Kun said upon instincts as the two men came closer with seemingly two frog traps. He pulled Johnny with him and the two of them hopped around the garden.

"Where can we hide? Hey! Your Highness!" Kun shrieked as one man came close.

"I don't know! I've never hid in the garden as a frog!" Johnny yelped as one man nearly stepped on his feet.

"Oh, shit. Hey, it's raining, oh my god," Kun groaned as he leaped as far as he could with Johnny following suit.

"There! There are small gaps on the gates!" Johnny pointed to the gates that surrounded the palace.

Kun let Johnny take the lead and he hopped behind the prince, jumping as fast as their legs could.

"Let's jump out and then we ca—AAAAAAAAA!!!"

Johnny yelled and scrambled to hold Kun's hand, and both of them yelled as they skydived from the gaps between the gates… all the way down to the water sewage.

The two of them made a loud splash as they landed on the water. Kun was sure it was his first time ever drinking sewage water. He quickly swam to the surface, coughing as he finally breathed some air.

"Ugh, that was disgusting. Did you forget that we're frogs now, not human, and we can't just jump? Huh? Your Highness?"

Kun looked around, panicking when he didn't see the other frog. He swore the other dude held onto him when they fell down!

"Your Highness? Your Highness?! P-Prince Johnny?!"

He dove back, holding back his breath. The water was murky so he could barely see anything. He swam back to the surface and panted.

"Your High—"

"OH GOD!"

Kun sighed in relief as he watched Johnny appear on the surface, coughing and gasping for air.

"Your Highness? Are you okay?" Kun asked, swimming closer.

"I'm fine. God, where are we going now?"

They were both floating, following the water current. It was raining heavily and they both can barely see anything.

"I don't know! These sewers will only lead to—AAAAAA!"

Kun yelped when a stray log hit him and Johnny. They both scrambled and stumbled as they climbed the log, holding onto it for their life as a rush of water current from another sewer washed them away.

"I think…. I think we're fucked."

Kun doesn't know how long they had been 'sailing' the sewer, holding onto the log and bracing the cold rain. Maybe because he's a frog now, he could tolerate the coldness, but the way the raindrops harshly pelt against his face is definitely unpleasant.

He could feel himself getting sleepier as the water rocked their makeshift boat, a.k.a log, and he could see the prince dozing off as well. Well, today has been tiring. Of course, he's sleepy. Kun tried to fight his drowsiness but as the rain began to stop and the night became darker, he succumbed to sleep eventually.

When Kun opened his eyes, it was still very much dark, but he's no longer floating around on sewage water. His log had gotten stranded somewhere he didn't recognize, but it's muddy and there's a river in front of him. So, the sewer ended up into the river and he's now stranded at a river bank. He blinked his eyes and yawned. The moon is still shining brightly so it's still night, but he doesn't know the exact time. He glanced to his left, relieved to see the prince still holding on to the log, sleeping peacefully. At least he got a companion. He wouldn't know what to do if he's alone. And plus, he needed to ask the prince's responsibility for turning him into a frog! There's no way he's letting go of the prince.

Well, they're stranded somewhere unknown, and he's tired, so he should probably sleep so tomorrow morning, he'll get some energy so they could find a way back to town and figure out how to reverse the curse.

Kun was beginning to slip in and out of consciousness, when his ears began to hear some crackling noise as well as a soft hissing sound. He sat straight and looked around anxiously, and his eyes widened immediately when he caught sight of a grayish snake with black spots on its back. He trembled and gently shook his frog friend awake.

"Y-Your Highness… Your Highness, wake up! Oh god, Prince Johnny!" He half whispered half shouted as he fervently shook the prince's body.

The prince groaned, "What the hell, Taeyong? I'm still sleepy!"

"Who the hell is Taeyong? Prince Johnny, it's me, Kun! And uh, you better wake up before we got eaten by a predator on our first night as frogs…"

Johnny opened his eyes wide immediately and gasped as he watched the reptile slithering closer.

"Fuck, run!"

Kun leaped into a nearby branch, hopping quickly with Johnny following suit.

"Wait, wait, don't run away! I don't bite! Well, at least not frogs!"

Kun gaped.

He met a talking frog earlier this night and now he's meeting a talking snake?

"Now that I'm a frog I can talk to snakes?!" Johnny screeched.

"Well, apparently you could. Please come back down, I'm not going to hurt the two of you! I don't eat frogs! I mean, no offense, but your texture is just disgusting!" The snake said.

Kun was still skeptical, but Johnny hopped down a level lower, but still maintaining a safe distance with the snake.

"I overheard one of you… Are you… are you really Prince Johnny?"

"You know me?" Johnny pointed at himself in surprise.

"Your Highness!"

The snake bowed his head.

"Uh… You know him?" Kun asked awkwardly.

"Let me introduce myself, Your Highness. Um, I'm Yuta. I used to be a guard in the palace."

"You do?!" Johnny grinned before hopping down, coming closer.

"Yes!"

"B-But you… How…"

The snake, Yuta, smirked—or at least what seems like a smirk.

"Probably the same way you turned into a frog, Your Highness."

"So, you met this sus guy with black magic and spiky ring too?!" Johnny exclaimed.

Yuta nodded, "That's Arang. He's… he's powerful."

Kun deemed the snake nice enough so he hopped down and cautiously sat behind Johnny.

"What about you? Who are you?" Yuta turned to him.

"Me?" Kun squeaked in surprise.

"Yeah."

"Uhm… I'm Kun."

"How did you get turned into a frog?"

Kun sighed, "Because I was stupid for trusting the Prince."

"HEY!"

"What? I kissed a frog and now I'm a frog too. Geez," Kun scoffed.

Yuta chuckled.

"Are you guys going to see Master Moon too?"

"Master Moon?"

Yuta slithered closer and curled next to their abandoned log.

"Mm hmm. He's a pretty famous psychic. He can't reverse the curse himself, no, because Arang's magic is too powerful. But Master Moon can tell you how to reverse the curse."

"Have you gone to him?" Kun asked curiously.

"I have."

"Then why are you still a snake? How long have you been… um, y'know, cursed?" Johnny asked this time.

Yuta sighed, "It's difficult. It's been a year, but I still haven't succeeded in reversing my curse. But anyways, are you going to see Master Moon too, Your Highness?"

Johnny shrugged, "Truthfully, I don't know. But that could be an option. Kun and I got swept here because of the rain, and we're just kinda lost right now."

"I highly suggest for you to seek Master Moon's help, Your Highness. I can take you there if you want to! I mean, I'm not a palace guard anymore given my circumstances, but I'd love to help you and guard you."

"You would?!"

Yuta nodded.

"Oh, thank you! Maybe we could help you reverse your curse as well!" Johnny smiled.

Yuta smiled bitterly, "That would be nice, even though I doubt it. But well, we should probably wait until the morning. The water current is too strong right now."

"Okay. Should we take shelter somewhere then?" Johnny asked.

"Cool with me," Kun shrugged.

"We could rest there," Yuta said. The two frogs hopped along, following the large snake into a hollowed out old tree bark.

Kun leaned against the bark, watching as Johnny chat with Yuta. The snake seems chill, curling into a ball as he talked with Johnny, but Kun was still wary of him.

"So… You used to work at the palace?" Johnny asked, opening up a conversation.

"Yes. I was on a different troop from Taeyong though. Lee Taeyong, he's still being your personal guard, right?"

Johnny hummed, "He is. So where did you work?"

"I was part of the, uh, investigative task force."

Johnny was silent for a few seconds.

"Were you… were you the one who was sent to investigate in Juan hyung's disappearance?"

Yuta smiled wryly, "I was part of the team."

"They never found out, right? It's been… what? 20 years? Even my parents had given up," Johnny chuckled bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. We… worked really hard. I was so close… but then this happened."

"This? Your curse?"

"Yep."

Kun perked up, still not saying anything but paying attention to the interesting conversation.

"Did… Did your curse had anything to do with my brother's disappearance?" Johnny asked in a small voice.

Yuta nodded.

"Arang. It was all because of him. He wanted to take over the kingdom. He was the one who made your brother disappeared. We never knew if he was cursed, like us, but we knew that it was Arang's doing. I was foolish, I thought I was doing the right thing for my troop by facing Arang by myself. And well… Look where it gets me now."

"I'm sorry," Johnny mumbled.

"Oh, it's not your fault, Your Highness. I was just… Greedy. See, I wasn't the son of someone prominent. The fact that I could be part of the royal guard and included into the investigative troop was a feat on its own. But I thought I could do more, more than my peers. I was wrong."

"Is Arang that unstoppable? What… what will happen to the kingdom now?"

Yuta unfurled his body.

"I don't know. But I'm sure he's forming his plans now. The kingdom lost two of its crown princes. We have to stop him, but first, we need to reverse your curse first."

Kun blinked his eyes and cleared his throat, wincing when he produced a croaking sound instead. He totally forgot he's a frog.

"Um… I'm sorry… But I'm a little lost…?"

Yuta chuckled, "Kun, right? Did you work at the palace? A new worker, perhaps? I never saw you before."

"Ah, no! I'm… I came from the village near the kingdom. But, uh, I'm not really informed about the kingdom situation."

"Well, twenty years ago, my brother went missing. He was eighteen at that time. We never knew where he went."

"Twenty years ago? Ah… that means I was still young. That's why I don't remember the news," Kun mumbled.

"Well, there's no use to dwell on the past. We should get plenty of rest. The road to Master Moon's cove is still long. We have to be able to reach far enough before the next storm hits tomorrow night," Yuta said.

Sleeping on muddy ground is not the best feeling ever, but Kun had slept on the floor multiple times before so he's not too bothered. 

He stretched his arms, or since he's an animal now, front legs. The sun is shining quite brightly. The other two is still very much asleep but Kun is used to sleeping late at night and being awake before even the sun rises so it's amazing that he's awake this late.

Anxiously, he peeked outside. He could hear wild birds chirping but he didn't see any animals in sight. He felt hungry, but he didn't think he'd eat a frog diet. The thought of eating worms or flies creeped him out. Can frogs eat fruit? Well, he aspired to be a vegan frog then.

Carefully Kun hopped outside. Maybe he could identify some wild berries or shrubs that they can eat. He hopped closer to a bush, examining the small dark purple fruit. He smiled victoriously. Elderberries, one of his mother's favorites. He carefully plucked one and hummed as he chewed, savoring the tart and sweet taste.

"What are you eating?"

He gasped as he turned around. Johnny was looking at him, still yawning.

"B-berries," he squeaked.

"Is it edible?" Johnny blinked.

"For human, yes. For frogs, I don't really know. But I'm still breathing, so probably, it is," Kun shrugged as he picked a few more, setting them down on a makeshift plate made of leaf.

Johnny jumped closer, looking at Kun curiously as the younger examined the berries.

"How about this one?" Johnny pointed to a stem of delectable looking red berries.

"Oh, no! Not them, Your Highness! They can kill you!"

Johnny stepped back immediately.

"Rule of thumb, just pick aggregated berries. Or those that are dark colored. Most of the time, they're edible," Kun explained lightly.

Johnny nodded and went to work, sticking close to Kun, and only picking what Kun picked.

"Oh, we can also eat the leaves, Your Highness!" Kun smiled, picking some of the leaves as well.

"How did you know about these kinds of things? Did you work for the apothecary in the village?" Johnny asked as he watched Kun chew on a piece of leaf.

"Nope. I work at diners and pubs. But when my father was still alive, he worked as a gardener, and my mother used to work in the kitchen. We were poor, so my father would often take me to the plains or the woods to forage," Kun smiled fondly at his childhood memories as he passed a leaf to Johnny.

Johnny eyed it before deciding to give it a try. It tasted… leafy. Like how those leaves in salads taste. Nothing extravagant. Not his most favorite, but he's hungry so he'll take what he can.

"You must've had a lot of fun as a kid," Johnny mused.

Kun shrugged as he hopped near the river bed.

"As much fun that a poor kid can have. My parents work for a rich merchant family. We lived together with other workers there. The merchant had a son my age, so I was lucky at least I could be friends with him and learn a thing or two. But mostly, I played with the animals there, or in the plains and woods. Nature is a free source of entertainment," Kun smiled as he washed a pebble.

"So, you're the adventurous type?" Johnny teased.

Kun rolled his eyes as he began mashing a few berries into mush.

"I'm just… normal. Aren't all kids like that though? I like jumping and running around in the fields, picking flowers for my mother, fishing and foraging with my father…"

Johnny sat on the edge of the water, dipping his webbed feet on the shallow edge.

"Not really. We can't do that in the palace."

Kun frowned, "Why?"

Johnny shrugged, "I guess my parents were just super protective of me. My brother was much older than me. At the times of his disappearance, he was 18 while I was 7. If only he didn't disappear, he would've been a king already right now. After he disappeared, I wasn't allowed to leave the castle."

Kun smiled empathetically. He pushed a piece of leave with a few mashed berries and shredded leaves.

"Wild Forest's Salad by Chef Kun for your Royal Highness."

Johnny laughed, "Thank you."

"I kind of wished to be able to play like you did in the past," Johnny mumbled.

"Why? Isn't it more fun at the palace? You have books and toys! And… I don't know. What do you have at the palace?" Kun asked as he chewed his salad slowly.

"But it's boring, you know. I want to know what happened outside. The only friend I had was Taeyong, my guard. His father was the head of the royal guard at that time, so Taeyong was trained ever since he was a kid. He was my friend, my guard, my brother too, I guess."

"At least you have a friend, then, Your Highness. My only friend was Ten. He was the merchant's son. I was able to attend your ball because of him, actually. I was thankful he wanted to be my friend. His father was rich and I was basically a nobody."

"It doesn't matter, I guess. Taeyong was a guard, I was a crown prince, but we were the best of friends. And now I met you too! We can be friends! You'd be like… my second friend, I guess. I have no other friends aside from Taeyong," Johnny said sheepishly.

Kun blinked, "You wanted to be friends with me?"

"Of course!"

"But you're the prince…?"

"And so? Like I said, it doesn't matter. We're on an adventure together, we should be friends!"

"I… I'm honored, Your Highness."

"And please, don't call me that. Just call me Johnny!"

"Oh, no! I can't do that! That would be impolite of me. You're going to be the next king!"

Johnny pouted, "Please?"

Kun felt pity for the prince actually. He smiled as he splashed some water, "Okay then!"

Johnny gasped as droplets of water hit his face.

"Hey!"

Kun laughed as Johnny splashed him back. Well, they're frogs now, but no one said that frogs can't have fun, right?

"So… where are we going?" Johnny asked as he helped Kun row their makeshift raft.

Yuta who was slithering underwater with ease surfaced and grinned, "Master Moon's cove. It'll be a long journey. We might need to make a few stops along the way since the two of you would need to eat and rest, Your Highness."

"And what about you?" Kun asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine. I eat only once a week anyways," Yuta smiled.

"How did you find Master Moon, Yuta?" Kun asked again.

"I asked around. It took some time, but I found him eventually."

"Was he scary?"

Yuta laughed, "I'd say he's the exact opposite of it. He's just a bit… unique."

"But he can reverse our curse?" Johnny asked.

Yuta shook his head, "No. He'll tell us how to, though. That's the thing with Arang's curse. Only you can reverse it by yourself."

"What do you mean?" Kun frowned as he stopped rowing for a while.

"Well… You'll know it once you talk to Master Moon later."

"When will it stop raining?" Kun sighed as they hid inside a hollow rock which provided a cave like shelter for them.

"It's the monsoon season, it'll rain every day," Yuta explained as he curled into a ball.

"We haven't eaten anything aside from random fruits. I'm hungry," Johnny muttered as he sat near the cave opening, watching the raindrops harshly pelt against the rocks near their cave.

"There are insects," Yuta grinned.

Kun shuddered as he watched several bugs that resided inside the cave.

"I'm not eating bugs," Kun said.

"Trust me, you can't stay vegetarian as that type of frog. You're going to need your bugs, flies, and worms," Yuta said.

Kun groaned, and Johnny hopped closer to Yuta.

"But you don't eat frogs?"

"No. I did try eating it before, though. Like I said, not a fan of the texture. I preferred rodents, and maybe fish. But not amphibians, god, no," Yuta hissed.

"How… how did you adapt?"

Yuta chuckled, "Either I eat or I die. I didn't eat for months until I decided I don't look good being emaciated. I tried fish, then I started eating, um, rats. One good chunky rat can last me for a week. That's a good deal for me."

Kun shuddered.

Johnny eyed the bugs and grimaced.

"Just give it a try. There are many varieties of bugs and insects here. If you don't like that, you could try other species tomorrow," Yuta assured him.

"God, Your H—I mean, Johnny, you're not really thinking of eating it, right?!"

"Bugs are a good source of protein, fat, and calcium," Yuta grinned.

Johnny closed his eyes and Kun shrieked when he watched Johnny's long tongue darted, catching a bug.

Johnny grimaced as he chewed, causing Yuta to laugh.

Kun was close to fainting, basically.

"Mm… Not too bad?" Johnny scratched his head before catching another one, causing Kun to flop on the ground weakly.

"You should try one, Kun. It's not that bad."

"Oh, God… How can I turn into a frog, meet a talking snake, and eat bugs in less than a week," he lamented.

"Come on, give it a try!" Johnny grinned.

"Do I really have to?" Kun asked timidly.

"It'll fill you up better than just leaves," Yuta answered, still curling into a ball but smirking as he watched the two frogs.

"Come on, try at least one. Imagine in the future you could tell your future children, 'Hey, your dad had eaten bugs before!', I bet your kids will be amazed," Johnny said excitedly.

Kun sighed, scooting closer to Johnny.

"Come on," Johnny laughed.

Kun held onto Johnny and clenched his eyes shut before catching one bug.

He flailed around as he chewed, causing Johnny to laugh.

"Oh my god!"

"See, that wasn't too bad!" Johnny smiled.

"You're nuts! I'm sticking to being vegetarian!"

The water current was quite fast but steady after the rain that washed the river last night, so Kun and Johnny didn't have to row that hard as they coursed the river on their makeshift raft. Yuta was slithering with ease underwater and Kun enjoyed laying on his belly, looking at Yuta's dark scales glimmering under the sunlight whenever the snake surfaced.

"Hey, look, kids!" Johnny pointed out.

Kun turned his head and saw a few kids, probably from a nearby village, playing at the river bank.

"There's a small village nearby," Yuta explained shortly.

"What are they playing? Looks fun," Johnny commented longingly.

Kun smiled as he watched the young human kids running around.

"Tag. It's called tag. You've never played tags before?"

"Nope. My childhood is basically nonexistent, remember?" Johnny replied sourly.

"We can play sometimes… Once this all ended though," Kun suggested, feeling pity for the prince.

"Just the two of us? Is it possible?"

"Well, it's more fun if there are more than two people. But I used to play it with just Ten when we were kids."

"Promise?"

Kun blinked when Johnny shoved his webbed front foot.

"Umm… I don't think we can link pinkies, but well," Kun chuckled as he settled for a high five. Johnny smiled; he didn't seem to mind.

Kun watched the kids playing with a wistful smile, suddenly remembering the kids in the orphanage, especially Haechan and Chenle. How are those two babies doing? Can Mrs. Jung take care of the kids on her own?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Johnny asked when he noticed Kun beginning to grow silent.

"Huh? Oh, I just missed the kids in the orphanage."

"Orphanage?"

Kun hummed.

"After my parents passed away, I stayed in an orphanage. I still live there until now, so I could help the owner of the orphanage to take care of the younger kids."

"Oh really? Must've been fun, surrounded by kids," Johnny nudged him softly.

Kun laughed and nodded, "They could be a nuisance sometimes, but they were fun to be around. Ah, I miss the two youngest. I hope they're doing well without me."

"How old are they?" Johnny asked curiously.

"The youngest? Well, Haechan is still a toddler. He just turned two this year. He can walk already, but he's so clumsy! He's so cute and he's a ball of sunshine. And then there's Chenle. He's not even a year old yet. His mother passed away when she gave birth to him, and his father already passed away from working at the mines. I love all the kids equally, but well, I might… have cared for the two youngest more."

"Because they're the youngest?"

Kun nodded, "Most kids got into the orphanage at the age of four or five. Meanwhile Haechan and Chenle got there when they were both infants. It made my heart sad. I promised myself that I'll work so hard and I'll take care of them in the future."

"Like adopting them?" Johnny raised his brows.

Kun shrugged, "If I could, that would be nice. They deserve a lot of love and care. I want them to be able to go to school and have lots of friends, unlike me."

"That's so noble of you. You're so kind. I'm sure Haechan and Chenle would be very happy if they could stay with you forever."

Kun smiled as he glanced at the human kids as their raft sailed further away.

"Don't worry, we'll get to Master Moon, learn how to reverse our curse, and work for it. After that, you can meet the kids again!" Johnny assured him.

Kun grinned, "You too, Your High—I mean, Johnny. We'll reverse your curse first, so you can go back to being the prince. I'm sure everyone's worried over your disappearance. We can think about reversing my curse later!"

Johnny smiled, eyeing as the other frog turned his attention back to watching the kids from a far. Kun is definitely someone too kind for his own good.

"I-Is this the place?" Kun whispered, scooting closer to Johnny as their raft began to enter a cave.

"It is," Yuta said confidently.

"It's…. Spooky," Johnny nodded with a shudder. This place is weird.

There were skulls of God knows what animals decorating the walls of the cave, and Johnny felt like fainting whenever he saw a bat flown past by his head.

"I feel like I just got chills even though I don't have a single hair on my skin," Kun mumbled.

Yuta chuckled, "Come on, leave your dinky raft there. Climb my back."

"Y-your back?!"

"I can swim faster than you row that thing. The quicker we reach Master Moon's place, the less time you have to spend in this cave."

Johnny didn't hesitate at all to hop onto Yuta's back. The black and gray scales felt cold to the touch.

"Come on, Kun," Johnny smiled, encouraging the other.

Kun sighed, a bit dejected because he was proud of his makeshift raft that they made out of a random piece of wood, but Yuta was right. He probably should trust Yuta.

Hesitantly he leaped, only to slip into the water instead.

Johnny laughed before reaching one of his front legs into the water.

"Climb, come on."

Kun huffed as he took Johnny's front leg, climbing onto Yuta's back.

"Alright, let's go."

Yuta was considerate enough to swim at the surface so Kun and Johnny didn't have to drown, and pretty soon, the gruesome sight of bats and skulls began to dissipate and the cave ended up in a cove kind of situation.

Kun straightened up when he saw a red macaw on the entrance.

The bird flapped its wings and screeched loudly.

"Oh my God, it's going to eat us, God," Kun grimaced, squeezing Johnny beside him.

"He won't. Jaemin is harmless. Right, Jaemin?" Yuta grinned.

The macaw screeched again.

"Master Moooon! Masteeeer! A guest! Yuta is back! He brought friends! Masteeeer!"

Yuta flicked his tongue and the macaw screeched again, flying in circles, high key sending the two frogs into a state of fear.

"Jaemin, calm down. You're scaring my guests."

Johnny and Kun were still holding onto each other in half panic-half fear as Yuta slithered confidently into the cove. They saw a short man sitting on a throne like structure, with a fluffy grey cat sleeping on his lap.

Kun froze when the cat opened his eyes, blinking slowly. The light reflected on his green pupil, and normally Kun is not afraid of cats, but the fact that he's a frog right now, any other animals bigger than him scared the shit out of him.

"Hello, Yuta. Still stuck in your serpent form, I see," the man grinned.

Yuta hissed, "Sadly."

"Oh, you bring friends?"

"You could say that."

"Then why are you still slithering?"

Yuta sighed, "Fine. Acquaintances. This is Prince Johnny from the Kingdom of Agata. And this one is Kun."

The man raised his brow and frowned.

"Another one from the palace? Arang, that pesky little shit. Come here. Jeno, go play with Jaemin. I have to attend to my royal guest."

The cat, Jeno, hissed and let out a screeching meow as he jumped down from the man's lap, before strutting to join the macaw. He sat on top of a crystal table, flicking his tail.

"Hello, Your Highness. I'm Master Moon."

Johnny blinked as he saw the eccentric looking man in front of him. He had silver hair and he wore multiple crystal pendants on his neck.

"Come here."

The man opened his palms.

"Go," Yuta said, slithering closer to Master Moon's extended hands so Kun and Johnny doesn't have to jump too far.

Johnny was the first one to jump, and he gave Kun an encouraging smile. Kun hesitantly jumped, and scooted closer towards Johnny.

"You're Johnny? Juan's brother, right?"

Johnny nodded slowly.

"Arang did this to you?"

"I… guess so? That's what Yuta told me."

Master Moon then turned to Kun.

"How about you, little one? How did Arang do this to you?"

Kun sighed, "I don't know who Arang is. I just… uh… kissed this dude and I… turned this way," he said embarrassedly.

Master Moon laughed and touched the spot between Kun's eyes, before smiling.

"You are indeed a kind soul."

Master Moon turned to Johnny and did the same thing before chuckling knowingly.

"So, Your Highness, you asked this poor man here to kiss you? And turned him into a frog instead of reversing your curse?"

Johnny smiled sheepishly, "Please, just call me Johnny, and…. Yeah. I did that? Was I wrong? I mean, usually in stories…."

Master Moon chuckled.

"No, you're not wrong. Well, at least not completely. You just missed another point. It's not just about kissing a random stranger. It has to be a kiss with love."

"T-true love?"

"Mmm.. that would be the safest bet. But what I mean, is it has to be a kiss from the heart. So, someone has to kiss you with their heart, sincerely. Not someone who would kiss you because you offer them money in return or something."

"Man, that's going to be hard," Johnny sighed.

"Not really. I'm sure you'll be able to find someone you love, or loves you pretty easily, and that person would kiss you with sincere feelings."

"Can I kiss my dad then?" Johnny asked innocently, causing Yuta to stifle a laugh.

The macaw squawked and the cat purred mockingly.

Master Moon chuckled, "Jeno, Jaemin, be nice. And you, Your Highness, I think you know what I mean by a kiss with sincerity and love. And no, not love by your parents."

"So, if I kissed someone I love, or loves me, sincerely, it could reverse the curse?"

"Yes, if both parties are sincere."

"And we can beat that Arang guy?" Kun asked timidly.

"Sadly, no. You know his ring?"

"Oh, the spiked one!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Exactly. That one. Have you ever seen it up close?"

Kun shook his head. Heck, he had never even seen this magic man himself.

"No, I didn't even know he had that thing until the time it spiked my finger, which hurts a lot by the way," Johnny sighed.

"When the spike punctures your skin, it sucks a little blood into the ring. All the blood he collected from his victims was the one who kept his magic alive," Master Moon explained.

"So, do we need to destroy the ring to turn Johnny and I back into humans?" Kun asked.

"No, not necessarily. If you both get a kiss with love, the curse can be broken. But Arang will still be around. If you want to banish him for good, then you should banish his ring."

"I… don't know about that," Kun said slowly.

"Beating him will indeed be very hard. I think you should just focus on turning back into human first, Your Highness. The palace needs you, and your people will need you too," Master Moon smiled.

"I agree. We can think about beating that son of a bitch later. Well, should we get back to the palace now?" Yuta asked.

"The palace?"

"Yes, of course. That's where you belong, Prince Johnny. We'll convince someone that you're indeed a prince, not just a random magic talking frog, duh," Yuta scoffed.

"Oh, wait! Taeyong knows!"

"Taeyong knew?"

"Yes! He knew I got… turned into this. He's supposed to tell my parents about this. I mean, I asked him to take care of the problem for a moment. I was also looking for ways to end the curse but I ended up turning Kun into a frog as well, and then I got chased out of my own palace by the gardener, made a stupid decision of jumping into the sewer, and finally swept by the storm into your river," Johnny recited his experience in detail.

"Well, we should go back to the palace quickly and meet Taeyong, then. You've been gone for days already," Yuta said.

"Better get going then. I wish the two of you luck in finding your true love's kisses! And Yuta, I hope you find your key to breaking your curse too," Master Moon smiled kindly.

"Thank you, Master Moon."

"Before you go, let me cast a safe charm first."

Master Moon touched the space between their eyes and whispered something in a language both Kun and Johnny didn't understand before letting them down back into Yuta's back.

"Now, you won't be turning people into frogs if you kissed them," Master Moon chuckled.

"That's great. I should be the only victim to that," Kun said, turning to give Johnny a pointed look.

Johnny grinned sheepishly, "Sorry. Thank you, Master Moon."

Master Moon brushed him off casually, "It's my pleasure, Your Highness. Jaemin? Show them the way out please."

The macaw squawked excitedly.

"Out! Out!"

Yuta hissed playfully at the red macaw, but he followed his lead nonetheless.

"Take care!"

"Thank you, Master Moon!"

Johnny watched the moon shining as Yuta swam effortlessly across the river, bringing them back to the palace.

"Will I ever find someone who loves me and would kiss me?" He mumbled.

Kun turned around and scooted closer.

"I'm sure you will. I mean… You're the crown prince. A lot of people love you, I'm sure," Kun said comfortingly.

"People love me when I'm in my handsome human form, not when I'm green and slimy," Johnny deadpanned.

"Uh, Master Moon didn't say anything about the person having to love you in your frog state, though?"

"He didn't say that?"

"I'm sure he didn't. We just need to find someone who loved you back when you were stil—Wait! I know!"

Kun shifted and faced Johnny excitedly.

"Remember my friend? Ten?"

"The rich merchant son?"

Kun nodded.

"On the night of the ball, he was so excited about meeting you! He really idolized you, and he said he might even be in love with you!"

"He said that?"

"He did! Okay, after meeting Taeyong, we should probably look for Ten. I'll try convincing him. And plus, once you turned back into human, he'd be so thrilled!"

Johnny took some time to ponder about it before nodding.

"I guess we can do that. Thank you for the suggestion, Kun. I really appreciate it. I hope it works. After that, we'll look for yours, okay?"

Kun smiled wryly and shook his head, chuckling dejectedly.

"I don't think it's possible."

"What do you mean? Of course, it's possible to reverse the curse!"

"It's possible because you're the prince, Your Highness. You've got thousands of people who love and adore you. And me? I'm an orphan, I'm poor, and the only people who truly loved me are probably my late parents."

Johnny frowned immediately.

"Don't say that. We'll find someone."

Kun smiled and shook his head, "I've kinda accepted my fate. Just promise me you'll keep the end of your promise to build the village kitchen. I probably won't be able to cook there, but I'll visit the place every day. I bet the people in the village will love it a lot. On winter days when foods are scarce, this village kitchen will be very helpful for those in needs"

"We'll find someone for you, and then I'll build the village kitchen. I'm sure there's someone for you," Johnny insisted.

Kun chuckled, "I'm not that important, Prince Johnny. We should focus on reversing your curse first. I'm not asking to be turned into a human again. I know it's going to be very difficult in my case. All I want is for you to be a human again so you can go back to your family and your people, and then you can build the village kitchen. And probably a frog enclosure in the palace for me?"

Johnny can't believe that Kun can still joke about it.

"Why can't we turn you back into a human too? I'm sure we can do it. Let's think. Have you ever fallen in love with someone? Maybe that someone also loved you too?"

Kun shrugged, "I'm not sure. After my parents death, my focus had been working to keep myself alive. I'm also working to build my dream village kitchen to help the unfortunate village people, and also working so I could help Haechan, Chenle, and the other orphanage kids."

Johnny had to admit, Kun was so admirable. He had never met someone as selfless and as kind hearted as Kun. People with a generous heart like Kun was the one who's supposed to be a prince, not someone like him.

"Enough about me. I'm boring. How about you? Have you ever fallen in love?" Kun asked.

Johnny shrugged.

"I don't really know, since I spent most of my lives in the castle. Let me think…"

"Really? No one? Not even a crush? Or like a love at first sight kind of thing?"

Johnny then smiled, remembering the handsome freckled man from his trip to the village.

"I think… I think I have one."

"Oh, that's cute! That could be your second option if the one with Ten failed. We should try really hard so you can be a human again quickly. The people will need their crown prince back."

Johnny shrugged, "The king is more important than a crown prince."

"But aren't you going to be a king too in the future?"

Johnny nodded as he folded his knees and hugged them.

"In three years, supposedly. But I don't know. I'm actually scared of becoming a king. I'm starting to think how it's better to be a frog instead."

"Why? You'll make a pretty cool king for the kingdom!"

Johnny shrugged again, "I don't know… I'm just scared that I'm not going to be a good king and I'll just end up disappointing my people. I spent years being caged in the palace without exactly seeing the outside world aside from lucky times when I could escape. I don't know what's happening around the palace. I don't think that makes a good king."

Kun sighed and scooted closer, putting an arm around Johnny.

"Don't be sad. You're a nice guy, Prince Johnny. I'm sure you have a kind and pure heart. You've still got three years, right? After you became a human, you could talk to the King and Queen and ask their permission to be allowed to go out more often, with the royal guards' supervision, maybe? That way you can see all the villages and hear from the people."

"You think I could be a good king, Kun?"

"The fact that you're worried of disappointing your people means you truly care for them so you're worried of not satisfying them. You're a good person, Johnny. I'm sure you'll make a very wise King. Just promise that you will try to listen to the people's needs more often. I'm sure you don't even have to promise me that. I know you'll do that yourself," Kun smiled.

"Let me promise you this then. I'll build the village kitchen in your village, and then we'll start building more in other villages too. That would be very helpful, right? And I think we should add funding for orphanages as well. And maybe senior homes too."

Kun beamed before giving Johnny a quick hug.

"Thank you so much. That means a lot for us, villagers."

Johnny smiled back, feeling more at ease now.

"You know what, Johnny?"

"Hmmm?"

"If the kiss worked with Ten, you should consider marrying him."

"Marrying him?"

"The reason the King and Queen, your parents, held the ball was to find you a partner, right?"

Johnny hummed.

"Ten is a very good guy. He's witty and funny, and he's also very nice. He's handsome too! You won't ever be bored being with him. He came from a good prominent family, and Ten is also a very sweet person. I think he suits you," Kun smiled, nudging Johnny slightly.

Johnny shrugged. He had never met this Ten guy before. He's not sure.

"Just think about it," Kun smiled.

Kun and Johnny were beaming as Yuta brought them to the palace. They've been coursing through the river for a few days, stopping every now and then to rest and eat. And for the first time, Kun and Johnny saw Yuta ate a mouse. He had to curl into a ball and sleep for like two days to ingest the rodent before he had the strength to bring them back to the palace. But after his meal and his rest, Yuta was stronger and he was able to swim faster, and now they've finally arrived at the damned sewer that they fell into.

"Hold on tight," Yuta said.

The two frogs held onto Yuta's scaly back with all their strength as Yuta slithered up the ledge and through the gaps of the gates, and they found themselves back in the palace garden.

"Now what?" Kun asked as they hopped down from Yuta's back.

"Find Taeyong before we got chased by the gardeners again," Johnny said firmly.

"Oh, right, especially now that we have a snake with us," Kun nodded.

"To the guard's chamber? Or where?" Yuta asked.

"I doubt Taeyong would be in his room. Let's try my—wait! There's him!"

Kun turned to see a man in the royal guards uniform, walking with a stressed expression.

"Taeyong! Taeyong! It's me, Johnny!"

The guard perked up and unsheathed his sword, looking around carefully.

"Whoa, calm down with the sword! It's me!" Johnny jumped into a garden lamp, landing right on Taeyong's line of sight.

"Your Highness?! Oh god, you're back! It's been days!"

The guard picked Johnny up and sighed in relief.

"The whole palace is in chaos, you know! And you weren't the only person missing from the party that night. Someone went missing from the Li household," Taeyong sighed.

"Um… Regarding that… Uh… he's the other missing one," Johnny grinned sheepishly and pointed at Kun who's sticking close to Yuta.

"He—A SNAKE?!"

"No, not the snake! The other frog! Taeyong, don't harm the snake! He's part of the palace too!"

Johnny leaped down in panic when Taeyong began to move his sword around.

"Nice to see you again, Royal Guard Lee. But please, don't kill me," Yuta chuckled.

"Y-you know me?! I mean, the snake can talk too?!"

Johnny sighed. It's going to take a lot of explaining with a lot of patience with Taeyong.

"Yes, he knew you and he talked. He was cursed. Just like me. You know him, Taeyong. This is Yuta."

"Yuta…. Nakamoto Yuta? From the investigative task force?"

"Yep. That's me," Yuta said before flicking his forked tongue out.

"H-how… How this all… happened? And is this a cursed frog too?" Taeyong pointed at Kun who was cowering behind Yuta.

"Yeah. But him… it was more of my fault. But, can we find a place to talk first? Somewhere safe, so I won't be chased out of my own palace by the gardener," Johnny snickered.

"Let's go to my quarter in the guard's chamber," Yuta sighed.

"Gosh, you have to know, Tae. Kun and I were chased out by the gardener, and we were swept by the sewage system and ended up in the river and that's how we met Yuta," Johnny explained as he hopped, following Taeyong to his quarter.

"Please come in," Taeyong said, opening the door.

Kun hopped in cautiously. The guard's chamber was nice. It was pretty spacious, but maybe that's because Taeyong was a high-ranking guard.

"Make yourself comfortable," Taeyong said as he sat down on the small couch, and Johnny hopped with ease to sit on the arm rest.

Yuta slithered easily and curled at the coffee table and Kun looked around anxiously. He's in the palace! Yuta is a guard, and Johnny is the crown prince, so they are allowed to sit and rest however they want. But him? A mere peasant like him?

"Take a seat, Kun," Johnny said, patting the space next to him.

Hesitantly, Kun hopped next to Johnny, and bowed his head respectfully at Taeyong.

"You're Ten's friend, right?" Taeyong asked curiously.

"Um, yeah. W-was he looking for me?"

"Oh, dear, you don't know how scared he was. We were basically flipping around trying to locate the two of you!"

"Well, I have to apologize for that, since I was the one who turned Kun into this," Johnny confessed.

"How did you even manage to do it?" Taeyong asked.

"I…. I kissed him?"

"You—WHAT?! Your Highness! Johnny! Are you out of your mind?! That only happened in fairytales! You can't just kiss random dudes in hope it would turn you back into human!" Taeyong exclaimed bewilderedly.

"I know, I know! I already apologized to Kun, and I probably owe him the world, so I need to, y'know, shift back into a human and pay him back. And preferably turn him back into human too," Johnny grunted.

"I-it's okay, I should be the least of everyone's concern! I mean, he's the crown prince, the people need him, so let's focus on him first!" Kun said quickly, not liking how everyone was focusing on him.

"Anyways, regardless of who we're gonna reverse back into humans first… I brought them to Master Moon. The man already told them how to break the curse," Yuta spoke up.

"Really?! That's good. I bet it doesn't involve kissing random strangers," Taeyong said, looking at Johnny pointedly.

"Oh, sadly, Taeyong, it does involve kissing. I was just kissing the wrong person at that time. It was supposed to be a kiss with love and sincerity or something," Johnny said smugly.

"Still, someone who's not a stranger then. Now, we have to find someone who loves you to kiss you?"

"Sincerely," Kun added.

"Who would love someone like you, hmm…?" Taeyong said jokingly.

"Taeyong!" Johnny whined.

"Uhm… Can I say something?" Kun spoke up timidly, raising one of his hands as he did so.

"Oh, sure!" Taeyong smiled.

"Mm… you've met Ten, right?"

"Yeah. He's cool and nice, a bit wacky, but an all-around great guy. He was so worried about you, so probably we should see him next," Taeyong commented.

"Uh… so… Before we went to the ball, Ten said something to me. He said he was very excited for the ball, and for all I've known, he was very interested in the Prince. Prince Johnny. He even said he might be in love with the Prince. Maybe… maybe we could try him? He's a trustworthy guy. I think it's better for Johnny to kiss him instead of some random strangers…" Kun spoke up slowly.

"Ten? He loves you?" Taeyong scratched his head.

"Well, that's what Ten said to me that night. He was so excited to go to the ball so he could meet Jo—I mean, Prince Johnny."

"Can we visit him now, then? I mean, the quicker we settle down this problem, the quicker we can calm the ruckus that has happened," Johnny asked.

"Yeah… yeah, sure," Taeyong nodded.

Kun hopped hesitantly, following Johnny and Yuta who travelled the palace ground with familiarity and ease.

Kun watched as Taeyong took a horse out from the stable, and reached down to pick Yuta and Johnny up, before offering his palm to him.

"Come on. Ten would be delighted to see you," Taeyong smiled kindly.

"Thank you," Kun mumbled as he hopped into Taeyong's outstretched hand, letting the man put him and Johnny inside his satchel, alongside Yuta who had curled comfortably.

"I hope it'll work," Johnny muttered as the horse began to move.

"I'm sure it'll work. Kun said it himself, that Ten dude has feelings for you. You just need to be sincere when you kiss him," Yuta commented.

The two frogs looked at each other and sighed.

It doesn't take long for Taeyong to bring them to the Li's residence. Kun peeked out and saw his friend in front of his big house, pacing back and forth.

"Taeyong!"

"Ten," Taeyong said as he stepped down from his horse, letting one of the Li's servants took his horse to tie it down somewhere safe.

"How was the search for the prince and my friend going?" Ten asked in panic.

"Hey, calm down. I… I've found them."

"You found them?! Really?! Can I see them?! Especially Kun??" Ten asked, basically jumping on his heels.

"Um… Promise me you won't freak out?" Taeyong asked slowly.

"Why would I freak out? Oh dear, did something happen to them?"

"Kind of…?"

Ten gaped and nodded his head.

Taeyong sighed and set the satchel down.

Johnny was the first one to leap out, followed by Kun. Ten watched the two frogs in confusion, but then shrieked loudly when Yuta slithered out of the bag.

“SNAKE!”

"Hey, hey, calm down!" Taeyong sighed as he held Ten down.

"Get them away from me! What are those?!"

"Ten, it's me, Kun," Kun decided to talk.

"TAEYONG, IT TALKS!"

Ten jumped and hid behind the palace guard, causing Taeyong to sigh deeply.

"Ten, I specifically asked you to not freak out. Yes. The frog talks, and it's your friend, Kun. The other one is the Prince, His Highness Prince Johnny."

Ten shook his head vehemently, "No, there's no way in hell those slimy creatures were the Prince and my friend!"

"Ten, it's really me. What should I do to verify my identity? Okay. I am Qian Kun. I am 26 years ago. My parents had passed away a long time ago and I lived in an orphanage. I worked at Mrs. Jing's diner in the morning, Mr. Kim's restaurant during the day, and at Uncle Han's pub at night. I wanted to build a village kitchen, that's why I work very hard and you always chastised me for it. And oh, I was friends with you for more than two decades already. You are Li Yongqin, also 26 years old, your father is a merchant, one of the wealthiest ones here in Agata. You love pretty clothes and music, and—"

"What's my favorite number?!" Ten asked suddenly.

"Ten. That's why it's your nickname."

"What's my current favorite color?!"

Kun sighed, "Last time I checked, red."

"What's my favorite animal?"

"Cats."

"My favorite food?!"

"The hotpot at Mrs. Jing's diner, the one I specifically cooked, not too spicy but not too bland, not too much vegetables, but with extra shrimps," Kun recited flatly.

"Wow, that's oddly specific," Johnny commented in amusement.

"Taeyong, he really knows! Is he really Kun?" Ten said, still freaking out as he shook Taeyong's shoulder and pointed at Kun.

"Yes, Ten, I am Kun, and I'm a frog now. Can you please stop freaking out? We need your help. Urgently," Kun sighed.

Ten looked at Taeyong with a lost expression, and Taeyong smiled.

"Look, they're not lying. There's this… magic shitty man who cursed Johnny, and Kun got involved. And this snake, this is Yuta. He used to be a palace guard, a member of the special task force that dealt with the old missing prince. It turned out everything that happened was because of that witchy guy."

"Oh, my poor Kun," Ten cooed as he crouched down, looking at his friend who now sported a green slimy look.

"Can you please help us, Ten? We met someone who told us how to reverse the curse. This is Prince Johnny, the one you liked! He's the crown prince, the next in line for the throne. We have to turn him back into a human," Kun pleaded.

"H-how can I help?"

Johnny sighed before hopping closer.

"I don't think we've met properly before. Let me introduce myself. I am Johnny, yes, the prince. And I'm sorry to be bothering you but Kun said you could help turn me back into a human."

"Wait, I'm still confused. How can I help the two of you?" Ten scratched his head.

"The man we met, Master Moon, was a powerful psychic. He said the one way to reverse the curse was through a sincere kiss, preferably from someone who loves me so they would kiss me sincerely," Johnny explained.

"You said to me you really liked the prince and you're in love with him, Ten," Kun said.

Ten felt himself blushing immediately.

"Kun! Don't say that out loud!"

Taeyong chuckled from the side and Ten turned even redder.

"Can you help me? I promise I can grant your wish, whatever you want after helping me," Johnny said earnestly.

"Yes. We just need to turn him back into a person before his parents get even crazier than they already did," Taeyong nodded.

"Of course, I'd love to help. But I have to kiss the frog…?" Ten asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Please, Ten?" Kun asked hopefully.

"Okay…"

Johnny felt his heart hammering in his chest as he jumped closer to the pretty man who was crouching before him.

Ten carefully scooped Johnny into his palms and bit his lips anxiously.

"So… I just kiss him?"

Kun nodded.

"Okay… Here goes nothing..."

Johnny shut his eyes close as he felt Ten's plush lips made contact with his slimy ones.

He kept his eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them.

He was still sitting on Ten's palms.

"Nothing happened…?"

Ten furrowed his brows and connected their lips a few times, causing Johnny to yelp.

"It doesn't work?" Ten asked nervously.

"That's weird… Ten? You were kissing him sincerely, right?"

Ten nodded quickly, "I have no hidden motives, whatsoever! Trust me!"

"You… you love the Prince, right?" Kun asked.

Ten blinked his eyes.

"I… I guess it was just infatuation then?" Ten said apologetically.

Johnny chuckled grimly before hopping down from Ten's palms.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, it's really fine. I'm very thankful you were still willing to kiss a mere frog like me."

"Oh, Your Highness, what are we supposed to do now?" Ten asked worriedly.

"We'll figure something out. And if I indeed have to turn into a frog permanently… Maybe that's for the best?" Johnny shrugged dejectedly.

"Prince Johnny…"

Taeyong crouched down and pouted.

"Taeyong, it's fine. It sucks being a frog, but I'm constantly learning! And I have Kun as a frog friend too. I'll be fine. I think, me being a frog and having to complete the journey to see Master Moon and back here had brought me so many wonderful experiences. I even gained new friends! Back in the palace, you were my only friend, Taeyong. But now I have Kun, and Yuta! And I got introduced to Ten too!" Johnny said, trying to be positive.

"Friends?"

Johnny turned to Yuta who looked surprised.

"Yeah! Friends! Aren't we friends?"

Yuta gaped, "Your Highness? Y-you really see me as a friend?"

Johnny frowned, "Of course, Yuta! You were so kind to me and Kun, and you were pretty fun and amusing too! You were very helpful as well. I'm happy I get to know you and befriend you!"

Yuta felt like choking up, and the four others blinked their eyes in confusion when they saw light emitting from the reptile's slender body.

"Yuta?! What happened?" Kun asked in panic when Yuta's body began to fluorescence brightly.

He watched in pure shock as the snake's body began to float and shine brighter, before settling down back to the floor.

But there's no more water snakes.

Instead, they saw a handsome young lad with sharp eyes and dark brown hair.

"Yuta?! It's really you!" Taeyong jumped, approaching the man.

Yuta stared at his hand in disbelief before slapping his face, feeling smooth skin instead of scales.

"I… I'm human again?!"

The two frogs and Ten watched the scene dumbly as Yuta pinched himself.

"My curse! My curse has been broken!" Yuta jumped in glee.

"H-how…?"

Yuta smiled shyly as he rubbed his neck, "The one way to break my curse was by acquiring a true friend. Prince Johnny just said I was really his friend, so my curse was finally lifted. Your Highness, thank you very much," Yuta said before bowing deeply to the frog in front of him.

Johnny smiled widely, "Oh, Yuta! I'm so happy for you! This just goes to show that it is indeed possible to break the curse!"

Kun began to smile as well, "Wow, it is indeed possible. We have hopes to break your curse too then, Johnny!"

Yuta and Taeyong nodded immediately.

Johnny shrugged, "I hope so. It's going to be hard to find someone who sincerely loves me for who I am, not as Johnny the Prince. It's going to be even harder now that I'm a frog. How about we go to the palace again? We'll talk to my parents, and then we can figure out the next plan."

"Your Highness, I'm sorry for not being able to help…" Ten apologized again as he bowed.

"It's okay. Like I said, I understand it. I rarely go out so it's understandable that it's going to be hard to find someone who loves me."

"So, we're going back to the palace? It's going to be dark soon," Taeyong said.

"Yes, we should," Johnny nodded.

"Let me lend one of our horses for Yuta, at least. He had to go to the palace too, right? That's the least I could do," Ten said quickly.

"That would be lovely. Yuta could help explain everything to my parents, and also inform them about… uh… my lost brother," Johnny said.

Ten nodded, hurrying to ask his servant to prepare a horse for Yuta and to bring Taeyong's horse.

After the two stallions were ready, they bid goodbye to Ten and rode back to the palace, with Kun and Johnny safe inside Taeyong's satchel. Once they arrived, Kun decided to stay outside as Johnny and the two guards went to meet the King and Queen. Kun felt uncomfortable having to meet the two most prominent figures of the Kingdom. Yuta and Taeyong were Royal Guards, at least. But him? He's no one. He's sure Johnny, Yuta, and Taeyong could explain the situation clearly to the King and Queen.

He chose to stay in the palace garden, hopping around as the night began to settle in. He smiled as he hopped closer to the moonflowers. The plant began to bloom as the sky darkened progressively.

It's beautiful. And they smelled nice too. Looking at them made him miss his parents.

He settled down between the tall grass, admiring the beautiful flower.

"Hey."

Kun jumped—literally—when he heard someone's voice.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you," Johnny said sheepishly as he leaped closer.

"How did the talk go?" Kun asked as Johnny settled down next to him.

"My parents were hysterical. They wanted to consult a few people first about what to do next. But well, they're glad that at least I'm still alive. Yuta is going to go back working with the task force, this time as a leader since he knew the most about Arang. Now that we knew how to defeat him, they're going to raid for his coven and finish him once and for all," Johnny explained.

"Will Yuta be fine?" Kun asked worriedly.

"I believe he'd be fine. As long as nobody got spiked, then no one will get cursed. Yuta planned on going to see Master Moon first for guidance."

Kun sighed, "That's good. How about you? What are you going to do now?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. Maybe I'll ask my parents to build me a nice frog enclosure here and you can live with me here," Johnny joked.

Kun rolled his eyes, "We should keep trying to find someone who might be able to kiss you sincerely."

Johnny shrugged, "I don't know, Kun. After my brother's disappearance, I was banned from leaving the palace. People never really knew me aside from being the sole crown prince. Everyone probably only saw me as a handsome and spoiled royalty. Even Ten admitted that what he has for me was probably just infatuation."

"Don't be like that. You're a genuinely good guy, Johnny. You have a kind heart. Yuta was just a guard but you treated him as a friend. You saw Taeyong not as just a guard too, but a best friend. You forgave Ten even though he couldn't turn you back into being a human. And me… I'm a mere nobody. But you treated me equally, and you even promised me you'll help me build the village kitchen," Kun smiled.

"Ah, regarding the village kitchen, I've talked to my parents about that. They said it was a brilliant idea, and they would propose it at the next senate meeting."

"See? I didn't manage to kiss you into a human again, but you still keep the end of your promise. You have a noble heart, Johnny. It's a pity if we didn't manage to turn you back into human again. You'll make a good king."

"I don't know about that, but if I really found a way to be a human being again, once I became a king in the future, I promise to do my best, and like you said, try to listen to what the people need, and also see them myself."

Kun smiled, "We'll find someone who appreciates you sincerely and would kiss you with love and sincerity. I'm sure we can find someone. Or maybe someone you also love back too!"

Johnny chuckled, "That seems too far. Love? I don't know. Have you ever really fallen in love, Kun? Or maybe smitten? Enticed?"

Kun took a breath and smiled as he stared at the now fully bloomed moonflowers.

"Not really. I don't know, actually, how love feels like. Like I said before when we were still in the river, I don't think I've ever fallen in love, or accept love from anyone aside from my parents. But they have passed away for years, so I just spent my life being lonely and also poor, so I was just always working and working. The only ones I have are probably Ten, and the kids in the orphanage. I'm a human being too, well before being a frog, so I've probably seen someone and fancy them, but I know myself. I'm poor, and I'm a nobody. Who would want me?"

"We have a different situation, but I think I understand your feelings. I have everything, I still have my parents, but I spent a majority of my life contained within the palace gates. I've never met anyone and engaged in a relationship."

"So you've never even, I don't know, at least being interested in someone? Not really being in love, but like, attracted?"

Johnny chuckled, "I sneaked out of the palace sometimes. Of course, I've been enticed by someone before. And then there's this guy… He was probably the last human being I was genuinely interested in before I became a frog."

"Oh, tell me about it!" Kun asked excitedly as he scooted closer.

Johnny shrugged, "He was very pretty. I was sneaking out to the village in the morning the day the ball was being held. I wore disguises so the man probably didn't recognize me. But he was very beautiful, and breathtaking. I don't know… I just fell in love at the first sight with him. He was helping a kid too, and he has a very soft voice. But well, I don't think I'll ever see him again."

"Aww, that's cute! We'll find a way to turn you back into human again, okay? And then maybe you could meet the man again!"

Johnny sighed deeply.

"All this life you only have Ten, and I only have Taeyong. But now we're frogs while they're human. I don't know about what will happen in the future, to be honest. As a frog, I don't think I'll have someone who would stay by my side. Taeyong will still have to work as a guard, he probably won't have time to deal with a talking frog like me."

Kun scooted even closer and playfully nudged the prince, "In case you have forgotten, I'm also a frog. We can be frog buddies."

Johnny turned to him and smiled, "You'll be my frog buddy?"

Kun nodded, "Of course. We'll be the best frog duo in the whole kingdom."

"Let's stay together, yeah? And maybe get ourselves accustomed with eating bugs."

"Ew! I'm going to be a vegetarian frog!"

Johnny chuckled and Kun laughed along.

"But really… You'll stay by my side?"

Kun nodded and smiled, "We only have each other now, Johnny. Who would want to be with talking frogs like us? It's going to be Johnny and Kun, frog mates for life."

Johnny smiled and sighed softly in relief.

The two were wrapped in a comfortable silence, just watching the pretty moonflowers that were blooming under the bright moon light.

Johnny turned to the frog beside him and smiled. The light reflected against Kun's emerald green skin, reflecting it and creating a shiny look.

"You know what, you are a pretty fine frog. Isn't that cool? You're pretty even though you're a frog. I'm sure you'll be even more beautiful as a human. It's a pity that I never really knew how you look since you were wearing a mask on the day we met," Johnny mused.

Kun was thankful that frogs can't blush, because if he was a human right now, he'd be a blushing mess.

He cleared his throat and smirked, "I'd say you look the same. As a human and as a frog."

"Hey! I was the most sought-after bachelor in the whole kingdom!" Johnny protested.

Kun laughed and hopped away to escape the prince's wrath, "Well, that was all in the past, isn't it?"

Johnny laughed as he leaped, crashing against the younger one. The two frolicked and laughed on the grass, momentarily forgetting that one of them is Johnny the crown prince and the other one is Kun, a mere poor villager.

"Take back what you said!" Johnny said.

"Johnny looks the same, frog or not!" Kun insisted with a playful grin.

"Hey!"

The two laughed and Johnny leaped, landing on top of Kun.

The frog below him panted after their play fight, gazing at Johnny's blinking huge eyes.

Kun was really a magnificent frog, Johnny thought. It'll be nice to see him as a human. Imagine how pretty of a man he will be? He's pretty even as a slimy frog! And he also has a very kind heart as well.

Without a second thought Johnny leaned down, pressing his lips against Kun's, causing the latter to gasp into the awkward kiss. It was weird, kissing as frogs. But something inside Kun stirred and he closed his eyes, immersing himself in the kiss.

Without them knowing, a flurry of light surrounded them, lifting them slowly a few inches above the ground, as the moonlight casted a pretty glow around them. Of course, they didn't realize it at first.

Kun was the first one to come into realization when he felt fingers tangling through his hair and he let out a soft whine. He pulled away immediately and gaped when he came face to face with probably the most gorgeous man he had ever met.

Also, the crown prince in the kingdom he lived in.

"Y-Your Highness?"

Johnny blinked his eyes, as he saw a man under him. A full-grown man with dark hair, and a velvet black mask obscuring half of his face.

"K-Kun?!"

Kun scrambled away immediately and trembled as he looked at his fingers. They're fingers. Real fingers. Not webbed toes. His hands went to his face and ripped his mask away. He touched his own face and gasped. He felt his own face, and none of the froggy features he was getting accustomed too. He began to laugh and jump in glee. He's back as a human! Something broke the curse!

Meanwhile Johnny was still sprawled at the ground, watching the other man jumping around in excitement. His eyes rounded when he saw Kun's face clearly for the first time. The pale skin. The freckles. The dimples. The beautiful dark hair.

It's not the first time he has seen this face. That time in the village… the beautiful man was Kun!

"Johnny! Look, we're human again!" Kun laughed as he offered a hand, helping Johnny stand on his feet again.

"The kiss… We kissed and… it worked?" Johnny asked in disbelief.

Kun, upon realizing that he just kissed the prince, felt his face burning.

"I-it does?"

Johnny began to laugh as he stepped forward and pulled the shorter male into a hug.

"The man I fell in love at first sight with… the one I saw at the village… it was you. You were the pretty guy!"

Kun gasped and pulled away as he looked at Johnny with utter disbelief.

"M-me?"

Johnny chuckled and nodded.

"And uh… I kissed you sincerely just then. I think… I think I might have developed feelings for you after our journey together. And of course, the kiss worked. I feel in love with you at the first sight back then!"

Kun felt himself getting even redder, if that's even possible, and he rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"T-that means I feel the same way then…? Because the kiss would only work to break the curse if both of us were sincere..."

Johnny felt his jaws begun to hurt because he was smiling non-stop.

"We're human again, Kun! My parents will be happy! I'll become a king, and I'll build your dream village kitchen as I promised!"

"Y-you would?"

"Of course! Look, frog buddies for life, right?"

Kun chuckled and nodded shyly.

"God, I was right. You were so beautiful as a human," Johnny sighed as he tucked a stray hair behind Kun's ears.

"Um… thank you?"

Johnny laughed as he took Kun's hands, squeezing them softly.

"Kissing as frogs was a bit awkward. Now that we're both human, can I kiss you again?" He asked slowly.

Kun was clearly surprised, but he bit back a smile and shyly nodded, gasping when Johnny didn't waste any time to cup his cheeks and pull him in for a kiss. A proper one. Without frog lips.

When they parted, they were both panting and smiling.

"Let's go inside and tell Yuta and Taeyong? And my parents too?"

Kun smiled softly and nodded.

"Okay."

So many things changed in the Kingdom of Agata after they turned into humans again.

The king and queen rejoiced when they got their son back, and this time with a significant other. Kun was a bit hesitant because of his status, but Johnny's parents didn't really care.

The people of Agata were finally notified about the Prince's condition. People willingly help the task force that was led by Yuta to capture Arang. It's not that difficult when everyone was involved. People were mad because Arang took Juan the oldest prince, and cursed Johnny the second prince. They found Arang's coven and destroyed the ring, destroying the man too in consequence.

There's no more Arang. No more curses.

Yuta found himself working back in the palace as a guard, making new friends, and still befriending Taeyong and the prince.

Taeyong and Ten hit it off really well. Johnny and Kun had the best time of their lives teasing the two.

Johnny and Kun finally got married, and the kingdom celebrated it with joy. As Johnny promised, they built the village kitchen right before winter hits, and people now had a place to eat and take shelter in to survive the cold and harsh season.

Johnny finally stepped in as a King after his 30th birthday. He spent more time outside the palace, accompanied by Kun, Taeyong, and Yuta. He talked to his people, visited even the farthest villages, and continued building village kitchens and other facilities like doctor's offices, orphanages, and schools.

Kun finally went back to his orphanage, and with Johnny's help, they conducted a renovation and hire someone to help Mrs. Jung to manage the orphanage.

Johnny finally met Haechan and Chenle. Haechan was indeed the boy he saw that day, and he was completely smitten by the two chubby cheeked cherubs. He didn't hesitate to say yes when Kun asked if he could bring the two toddlers with him so the four of them could live together at the palace.

Summer has come again, and Johnny bowed his head when a villager curtsied at him.

"Take a rest, Taeyong. Or go meet Ten," Johnny said. Taeyong grinned and nodded gratefully before bowing.

"Your Majesty."

Two males bowed before him.

"Are my family inside?" Johnny asked.

"His Majesty Kun is in the kitchen. Prince Haechan and Prince Chenle are helping the servers inside. Captain Yuta are with them."

Johnny smiled and nodded, "Thank you. Take some rest," he patted the two guards' shoulders.

Johnny greeted the villagers as he entered the building. He smiled proudly as he watched people eat and other villagers gathered to help cook food. It's summer and foods are abundant, so people come to cook for everyone. He looked around and found his two little devils, perched on two chairs as they scooped up soup for some villagers. Yuta who was keeping them safe spotted him. Johnny raised his finger in front of his lips and shook his head. Yuta grinned and nodded.

Johnny greeted the people and they bowed to him.

"Your Majesty!"

"How was the food, sir?" Johnny asked kindly.

"It was good, Your Majesty. Thank you for always caring for your people!"

"It's my responsibility as a king. Enjoy your food," Johnny smiled as he excused himself so he could say hi to other villagers.

After making small talks around, he quietly approached his two boys.

"Hey, boys."

"Dada!"

Chenle was the first one to leap and jump into his embrace. Johnny laughed, pressing a kiss into the five-years-old's forehead before opening his arm to welcome Haechan into his embrace as well.

"Having fun?"

Haechan nodded eagerly, nearly slipping from his position. Ah, this boy. Always clumsy.

"Be careful, little sun. What did you do today while I was away with Taeyong, huh?"

"We helped Uncle Yuta in the stable to brush the horses! After that we went with baba here! We helped baba cook and now we helped serve the food with Uncle Yuta!" Haechan chirped.

"The two of you did?"

Chenle nodded excitedly, "We make soup today!"

"That's nice. Continue your work, okay? Dada wanted to say hi to your baba first," Johnny said, pressing a kiss to their hair before letting them go.

"Please keep an eye, or maybe two eyes, on them, Yuta," Johnny chuckled.

"Of course," Yuta chuckled along.

Johnny whistled, bowing his head at villagers who bowed at him as he walked towards the back, where the kitchen was located. When he got inside, he saw his husband, laughing with several villagers as they cooked God knows what.

"Hi everyone! Any work for me?"

A middle-aged woman gasped and curtsied quickly.

"Your Majesty, King Johnny! It's such an honor that the whole royal family came to help!"

Johnny chuckled as Kun smiled softly at him.

"It's nothing. So… what should I do?"

"Ah, no, no! You should just rest, Your Majesty! Having His Majesty King Kun here was already a blessing," the woman politely declined.

"Let him be, ma'am. When else can we make the King work?" Kun said playfully.

"You heard him," Johnny sing-songed with a grin as he approached his husband, pressing a kiss on his temple before picking up a pot which was filled to the brim with bubbling soup.

"Should I bring this out?"

"Oh, thank you so much, Your Majesty!"

Johnny shrugged and smiled good naturedly before leaving with the pot in his hands.

Kun smiled softly and shook his head.

Who knows this will happen?

One time he was poor and struggling, the next time he was a frog lost in a forest, and suddenly he's ruling a kingdom with a very handsome and kind-hearted King as his husband and two beautiful sons.

Kun glanced outside to see the moonflowers that were planted next to the kitchen building. Dusk had approached so the petals had begun to bloom. He smiled to himself.

He's happy and definitely no longer lonely.

Johnny who was outside laughed as he scooped soups for the hungry villagers. There's no more being lonely inside the palace. He now has a loving husband and two cute sons he could call family.

It seems like the two royal frogness had found their happily ever after.