Chapter Text
The first time Lee Jihoon saw Kwon Soonyoung as something different than just one of his younger brother’s best friends was at the King’s Ball two years ago.
The King’s Ball is the most important occasion of the year, and is held annually on the birthday of the reigning monarch (the name would be changed to Queen’s Ball if there was a Queen on the throne). The finest food will be served, and the festivities will often last through the night to the dew mornings of the next day.
That King’s Ball was also the first time Jihoon has ever seen Soonyoung dance.
Properly, that is, not just goofing around with Seokmin or Seungkwan.
Everyone knew that the Minister of Education, Minister Kwon, had a handsome son, but that was all Jihoon really knew about the boy, even though they had basically grown up together. They went to all the same schools, as Soonyoung was permitted to attend all the top private schools along with the children of the nobles and rich people. But while the second prince, Lee Seokmin, had taken a liking to Soonyoung since the first day, Jihoon never really got to know him.
Instead, Jihoon spent all his time with the children of other important nobles, Jeon Wonwoo, son of a duke, Wen Junhui, son of the eldest princess of the Empire of China, and Joshua Hong, the son of the ambassador from the United States of America to South Korea, also an Earl.
He had known that Soonyoung would be performing a dance at the King’s Ball, as Seokmin had told him beforehand, but he certainly wasn’t prepared for how amazing Soonyoung actually was at dancing. And from the reactions of the other members at court, it looked like no one else had, either.
Dressed in a violent clash of red and black, Soonyoung put on a dance that no other performance Jihoon’s ever watched could rival.
The performance led to Soonyoung’s popularity at court skyrocketing, and boys and girls alike were clamouring for his attention, even after he changed into formal wear and politely declined any offers to dance together. In fact, if Jihoon’s memory serves correctly, Soonyoung had only danced with one person that night, his date for the event, the daughter of another Minister.
Even adults wearing fake smiles who think they’re above commoners showered Minister Kwon with compliments of how he raised his son to be so talented.
As the eldest prince, Jihoon also had a date to the King’s Ball, the daughter of a baron or some other. He always took a random member of court as a date, and the press has always labelled him as cold for never being in a serious relationship. But even if he did bring a date, he spent most of that night welcoming members of court who had returned from abroad to attend the King’s Ball, such as Kim Mingyu, son of a duke and has been studying politics in the U.S.
Therefore Jihoon didn’t have much time to dwell over the spectacular performance Soonyoung gave, rather focusing his attention on his duties as the heir to the throne.
However, when Jihoon woke up the next day with a slight headache due to the intake of wine the previous night, already in the afternoon, Soonyoung was all he could think about.
Seeing him dance had painted him a whole new light, and Jihoon thought maybe he should take this chance and get to know his brother’s best friend a little bit better.
So, Minister Kwon was greeted by a servant of the royal family when he answered the knock at his door, announcing that they were there to deliver a letter of the Eldest Prince Lee Jihoon. The letter was penned by Jihoon himself, and was addressed to Soonyoung, who had no clue why the prince would summon him to the palace to have tea, out of all reasons.
But nevertheless, Soonyoung went to the palace and met Jihoon in an outdoor gazebo in the royal gardens at Jihoon’s requested time. The prince was already seated, and a tea set was placed in front of him on the table.
“Your Highness,” Soonyoung had dipped into a bow at the doorway of the gazebo, and didn’t straighten until Jihoon acknowledged him.
“Please, just Jihoon would be fine.” Jihoon waved dismissively, after all, they had been classmates for years before their graduation, “Have a seat.”
After Soonyoung was seated, Jihoon ordered the guard who had escorted Soonyoung to wait outside the gazebo, to give the two of them privacy but still be within reach if there was any danger.
“So, your…Jihoon.” Soonyoung corrected himself, “What did you call me here for?”
“To have tea, of course.”
And so, Soonyoung watched on skeptically as Jihoon poured the both of them a cup of tea.
“Most nobles these days prefer alcohol over tea.” Soonyoung commented.
“Oh, and why is that?”
Soonyoung shrugged, “Maybe due to the feeling of being drunk? Feeling more courageous? Doing things you normally wouldn’t while sober?”
Jihoon raised an eyebrow, “And which do you prefer?”
“Definitely tea.” Soonyoung said quickly, “I never found the idea of being drunk appealing, I tend to do some really stupid things. Which I’m sure Seokmin would gladly share if you were ever to ask…Oh, and I just have a really low tolerance to alcohol.”
Jihoon stifled a laugh when Soonyoung admitted that last part, “Duly noted.”
The conversation helped ease both sides’ nervousness, as even though Jihoon was the one who had invited Soonyoung over, it was a spur of the moment decision, and he had no plan as to how to converse with the boy.
But turns out Soonyoung makes for great company, and Jihoon found himself wearing a smile throughout the time they spent together, which was three hours, until Soonyoung decided it was time to head home.
“So why did you invite my best friend over without telling me?” Jihoon almost had a heart attack when he found Seokmin in his bedroom when he returned from the gazebo.
“Can’t I get to know my own brother’s best friend better?” Jihoon retorted.
“Well, why now? I’ve been friends with Soonyoung for years and yet you’ve never expressed any interest.” Seokmin asked.
“Exactly, so I should start now.”
The next time Jihoon saw Soonyoung was at a party at Junhui’s mansion. Almost all members of court were invited, and of course, Seokmin brought Soonyoung along as his plus-one (Seungkwan was the son of the owners of the biggest gossip network in the country, so he already had access to all these events so he could report on them).
Jihoon didn’t bring anyone, as a date or a plus-one, as all of his friends were already invited, and he deemed the event not important enough to bring a date. But he was happy to see Soonyoung, who upon seeing the prince, smiled brightly and waved.
They hung out a few more times, Jihoon would either invite Soonyoung to the palace or Soonyoung would wave Hello to him when he was in the palace to see Seokmin. They almost never saw each other outside of the palace, as the only other places they got to see each other is when there is a party thrown by another noble or some royal event such as the Royal Soccer Games. But they had each other’s numbers, and Jihoon who normally wasn’t fond of texting found that he was happy to talk with Soonyoung over text.
Soons
so seok was originally gonna eat dinner with me but he ditched
do you wanna come
Lee Jihoon
Where?
Soons
my house
Lee Jihoon
Would your parents mind?
Soons
i think they’ll be ecstatic if the eldest prince himself comes to visit
Lee Jihoon
Alright, I can come.
Soons
:D in an hour?
Lee Jihoon
Okay.
That was the first time Jihoon has personally been inside the Kwon Household. Turns out that Minister Kwon and his wife weren't even home, leaving only Soonyoung and Jihoon, as well a bunch of servants inside their house. But Soonyoung didn’t ask the servants to make an extravagant meal for Jihoon, like what’s happened every time before when Jihoon visited the home of a minister. Instead, Soonyoung just ordered Japanese takeout from a normal restaurant. Jihoon found that he preferred this over the 5 course meals the ministers would treat him to.
“I’m sure father would scold me if he found out I’m serving takeout to our future king.” Soonyoung laughed.
Jihoon smiled, “It’s fine, the takeout tastes good anyways.”
“Well I can’t really cook, and I feel bad asking the servants to cook another meal when they’ve been given the rest of the day off.” Soonyoung said, “There is chocolate cake in the fridge though!”
“Chocolate cake and Japanese takeout, who could ask for more?” Jihoon had joked, “Seriously though, this is plenty enough already.”
“As long as you’re fine with it.”
“Of course,” Jihoon replied, “Why did Seokmin ditch you again?”
Soonyoung scoffed before saying, “He’s hanging out with Minghao.”
Jihoon thought back to the son of the ambassador from the Empire of China, “The son of Ambassador Xu?”
“Yep.”
“Why would he ditch you if you guys already made plans?”
Soonyoung shrugged, “It’s not that much of a big deal, plus, Minghao is busy, and Seokmin doesn’t exactly get to see him much.”
“Does he do that a lot?”
“What, ditching me?” Soonyoung questioned, “It’s really alright, Jihoon, plus, I wouldn’t have been able to have dinner with you if he didn’t!”
Jihoon can’t argue with that.
“So Seokmin hyung told me you’ve been spending a lot of time with Soonyoung hyung lately.” Chan, the youngest of the three princes, commented as he and Jihoon took a stroll in the royal gardens.
“And why is that a concern?” Jihoon raised an eyebrow.
“I never said it was a concern, but people have taken notice.”
Jihoon stopped in his tracks, so Chan stopped beside him as well, “Who?”
“A lot of people, Jeonghan hyung, for one, you know, son of the Lord Chamberlain?” Jihoon knew who Jeonghan was, so he nodded impatiently, gesturing for Chan to continue, “He asked me if there was anything between the two of you…Oh, the press, too.”
Jihoon became alarmed at that, as he hurriedly whipped out his phone and typed his own name into the search bar of the Royal News , the one Seungkwan’s parents own. He didn’t find anything out of the ordinary, other than the usual reports on his clothing or newest public appearance.
“Try Soonyoung hyung’s name.” Chan said, looking over Jihoon’s shoulder.
Jihoon searched the name Kwon Soonyoung, and sure enough, the first article to pop up is of Soonyoung visiting the palace. It should be no news to anyone by now, but the title stated that Soonyoung might be here for more than just Seokmin.
Jihoon gave the article a quick scan, first, he was glad that the article wasn’t written by Seungkwan, instead by a high ranked reporter Seungkwan constantly complained about. Second, he felt increasingly mad at the press for the not so subtle implications of something happening between him and Soonyoung.
“Call Seungkwan and ask him to ask his parents to take it off.” Jihoon told Chan before striding back towards the palace.
“I’m not your secretary!”
Jihoon had walked straight into his father’s office after he heard what Chan told him, and luckily, the King agreed to help take such articles down. However, while Jihoon was concerned for Soonyoung and how this would affect him, he’s sure that the King was more concerned for Jihoon’s own reputation.
Soons
hey…so, uh, have you seen the articles about
you know, us?
Lee Jihoon
Yes, but father is working to take them down, and I have asked Chan to contact Seungkwan about it.
Soons
oh!
sorry :(
Lee Jihoon
What are you apologizing for?
Soons
well, for damaging your reputation
should i stay away from the palace for a while
Lee Jihoon
No!!
Soons
:0 that might be the first time ive seen you use exclamation marks in text
are you sure? i can meet up with seokmin elsewhere
Lee Jihoon
It’s fine, really, I enjoy your company.
Soons
:D
i can also talk to seungkwan about it
Lee Jihoon
Great.
Even though Jihoon tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, it was clear that this incident still damaged his and Soonyoung’s relationship. After all, the press was kind to no one (well, except maybe Jeon Wonwoo and Kim Mingyu), and Jihoon wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle all the hate being directed towards Soonyoung if it was him.
The articles were taken down within days, but not before it blew up and started trending. By then, practically the entire country knows of how Soonyoung visits the palace regularly to meet with the eldest prince, who was famous for keeping to himself.
The King had put a stop to all of Jihoon’s meetings with Soonyoung, and even disallowed him to visit the palace other than for official royal events, so the two could only communicate over text.
Soons
look at this cat
[cat.jpg]
Lee Jihoon
Very nice.
Soons
reminds me of you haha look at how grumpy it is
Lee Jihoon
What?
Luckily, the press always finds something new to conspire over, so within a few weeks, all speculation around Soonyoung and Jihoon died down, especially after the palace put out a statement stating that the two of them were simply friends. So with the aid of Seokmin, soon, Soonyoung resumed his visits to the palace. The two also met outside the palace more often, at exquisite Italian restaurants or taking walks by the Han River.
Their close friendship has lasted all the way until now, two years after when Soonyoung first danced at the King’s Ball. He performed at last year’s King’s Ball as well, and as this year’s King’s Ball is coming up, Jihoon knew that Soonyoung would be performing again. Although he’s yet to see Soonyoung’s dance himself.
However, for this year’s event, it’s not all fun and games for Jihoon like previous years. Even though the king was still healthy and well, there have been rumours of him passing down the throne to Jihoon. And there are many speculations on whether next year’s King’s Ball would be held on November 22nd, Jihoon’s birthday.
He knew there was at least some credibility behind these rumours, with how the King is letting him do more of the planning for the King’s Ball instead of handling it himself. Jihoon knew that the King’s Ball isn’t just a birthday celebration, it is also the biggest royal event, a place for everyone at court to put on a show, no matter what political issues they might be dealing with behind closed doors.
“Your Highness, do you want new curtains? We can do velvet, or maybe a dark navy…”
“Whatever, I care less about the curtains that aren’t gonna be used anyways.” Jihoon answered, walking away, but it wasn’t even twenty seconds before another servant stopped him.
“Your Highness, the florist wants to know if you want the centerpieces purple or white.”
“Go with a pale purple,” Jihoon didn’t stop in his tracks, Soonyoung was bound to arrive any second and he wanted to go to the throne room to welcome him. Instead, he’s trapped in the Grand Ballroom, getting pestered by the servants.
“Will there be a dress code, Your Highness?” Another servant, one with a clipboard, came up to him.
“Anything, I don’t care.”
“Your Highness!” a servant called from behind, so Jihoon had to turn around and address him, “The Royal Chef is concerned about the amount of lobsters we’ll be able to serve, should I…”
“Prepare crab or whatever! That’s not important!” Jihoon snapped.
“Hey Ji…” Someone tapped on his shoulder, causing Jihoon to whip around immediately, ready to yell.
“LEAVE ME ALO…” Jihoon trailed off when he saw who it was, “Oh, Hi Soonyoung.”
“Uh, bad time?” Soonyoung asked tentatively.
Jihoon sighed, “Sorry, just stressed about the King’s Ball, father put me in charge this year.”
“Oh, well, do you want a break from all of this?”
“Please.”
Soonyoung is ready to whisk Jihoon out of the ballroom, but not before Jihoon yells that the servants can prepare everything like it was in previous years and he’ll be back soon to make changes.
“Wow, I never knew that it was so hard, planning for such a big event.” Soonyoung comments, as they strolled through the gardens. It was their regular meeting place now.
“I supposed I should be used to it, like all the other children of high ranked nobles.” Jihoon says, thinking of how Junhui, or even Mingyu, when he was still in South Korea, could plan these things in the span of only two days. “But the fact that I’m not a party person doesn’t exactly help.”
“Well, I, for one, love parties,” Soonyoung says excitedly, “Ones where I don’t get drunk out of my mind, that is.”
Jihoon laughs, possibly for the first time that day, “I’ll make sure that we serve non-alcoholic drinks this year as well.”
Soonyoung gasps, “Just for me?”
Jihoon rolls his eyes, “No, for the high schoolers who aren’t of age yet. Have I mentioned we serve non-alcoholic drinks every year?”
“Oh, I must’ve missed it then.” Soonyoung says innocently.
Jihoon shakes his head, but that didn’t stop the hint of the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.
“Are you bringing a date?” Soonyoung asks, and Jihoon pales slightly.
“Shoot, I knew I was forgetting something.” He mutters, “Do you think it’s possible for me to attend alone?”
“Jihoon! You’re the Crown Prince! You have to bring a date!”
“I know, I know, I’ll find someone.” Jihoon grumbles, “Who are you bringing?”
“Park Seoyun, daughter of an earl.” Soonyoung says, “Father is really happy about her status.”
“He cares that much about the status of your dates?”
“I think he’s still trying to raise our family status by having me marry or date a noble’s child.” Soonyoung says, slightly annoyed, “I don’t understand the point.”
“I bet he’ll be ecstatic if I took you as a date then.” Jihoon jokes.
“He definitely would.” Soonyoung smiled, “But I’m a taken man! For this event, at least.”
“I suppose I would have to ask earlier next time, then.” Jihoon’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he says the sentence.
“And I’ll make sure not to get taken before you ask.” Soonyoung laughs.
“And here I thought you didn’t like to please your father.”
When Jihoon stood across the ballroom, watching Soonyoun’s soft smile as he danced with his date, Seoyun, the thought that maybe it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to ask Soonyoung as a date floated into his head. He quickly dismissed it as the effects of the alcohol he consumed, and chose to distract himself by conversing with Joshua.
Jihoon was sure now that his father planned to hand him the throne within the next year or so, judging based on how the King was assigning him more tasks than usual, and allowing him into the executive meetings he was previously not allowed to attend. This led to him being more busy than ever. He skipped parties and stopped attending the charity events, instead sending Seokmin or sometimes even Chan in his place. Understandably, this caused his brothers and some of his friends to worry over him.
“Jihoon, please, we need to get you out there, you can’t keep locking yourself in your room!” Seokmin pleaded, he got the key to Jihoon’s room from the head butler.
“I’m telling you again, Seokmin, I am not attending whatever party is happening this time!”
“Kim Mingyu is coming back,” Seokmin said softly, causing Jihoon to pause.
He had known that the famous Kim Mingyu was returning to South Korea, after four years in the United States, it was the reason why Jihoon was able to get away with staying in his room for weeks without getting blasted by the press. Because of course, they were all too focused on the country’s golden boy (or maybe silver boy? Considering Wonwoo was also extremely beloved by the press).
“And why should I care?” Jihoon asked coldly.
“Because he’s throwing a party, and everyone's invited,” Seokmin explained, “Wonwoo is gonna be there, and it’s not going to be pretty.”
Jihoon pondered this slightly, it was well known in court that Jeon Wonwoo and Kim Mingyu had a long lasting rivalry, and seemed to be constantly getting on each other’s nerves.
“It’s at the Kim’s mansion, for goodness’ sake, I don’t freaking care if Wonwoo or Mingyu smashes one of their vases again.”
Seokmin sighed, “Then…what about Soonyoung? He’s going.”
This was what really got Jihoon’s attention, he hadn't seen the other boy in weeks, even their texting ceased. As much as Jihoon hates to admit it, he missed Soonyoung’s company.
“If you don’t want to do it for yourself, then do it for our family. For the crown,” Seokmin played the last card at his disposal, “The news about Mingyu will blow over soon, how do you think the press will react to you not showing up to a single public event in the past two months?”
It was an effective play, and Jihoon reluctantly agreed to attend the party at the Kim’s mansion. Seokmin beamed, before summoning servants to prepare outfits for the both of them for the party. It was one of the more informal parties, so Jihoon saw no need to bring a date. Neither did Seokmin, but Seokmin did leave early to meet up with Seungkwan to head to the party together. Jihoon briefly wondered why they weren’t also going with Soonyoung, but his brother disappeared before he could ask.
This left Jihoon to arrive at the Kim mansion alone, as Soonyoung hadn't responded to his texts asking if he’ll be there, and all his friends already had plans. Of course, the second he stepped out of the car, he was almost blinded by all the flashing bulbs aimed at him. Jihoon didn’t spare any of the reporters outside his attention, instead focusing on walking up to the steps towards the mansion. It’s been a while since he’s been here, as Mingyu had been gone for the past few years, and the duke and duchess themselves only ever invite other old nobles over.
Like always, Jihoon’s entry to the ballroom made everyone else in the room turn towards him. The members of court all give a curtsy or bow, no matter their status, as he was the highest ranked person in the entire room. Jihoon gave a curt nod of recognition, before joining Wonwoo near the walls.
Wonwoo gave an even deeper bow when Jihoon neared. Even though everyone thought the two were good friends, Jihoon knew that they were only acquaintances at best. He sometimes even despised Wonwoo for being so perfect, since it in turn makes his life so much more difficult.
“No date?” Jihoon asked cordially, to which Wonwoo responded with a smile.
“You and I both.”
Jihoon raised an eyebrow, this was unusual, Wonwoo almost always had a date on his arm, in fact, Jihoon never saw him alone at an event in the past four years.
“Where’s Soonyoung?” Wonwoo asked, which caused Jihoon to question even further, as far he knew, Soonyoung and Wonwoo were practically strangers.
“I don’t know,” Jihoon shrugged, “He didn’t respond to the texts I sent right before I came.”
Wonwoo hummed, before his gaze landed on something behind Jihoon, “Speak of the devil.”
“What, calling me a devil?” Jihoon turned around to see Soonyoung joking. He wrapped Wonwoo in a hug first before turning to Jihoon, “Your Highness! Long time no see?”
Jihoon smiled at Soonyoung, who was dressed in jeans and a crisp white shirt. However, he soon frowned, as a girl wound her arm around Soonyoung’s. The girl was dressed in a pretty poofy peach coloured knee-length dress, and her heels looked painful to walk in. Jihoon focused in on her perfect manicured nails that clutched a white purse as she held onto Soonyoung.
“Your Highness,” The girl gave a short curtsy, before straightening again. Jihoon had to admit that she was extremely pretty.
“Um…” Jihoon blinked, he was blanking on the girl’s name, which was bad, as she was probably a member of court. Luckily, Soonyoung saved him before the silence stretched on for too long.
“Jihoon, I haven’t introduced you two properly, have I?” Soonyoung grinned, “This is Seoyun, my girlfriend.”
Jihoon felt his throat go dry, since when did Soonyoung get a girlfriend? He now recognized Seoyun as Soonyoung’s date from the King’s Ball, but he didn’t expect Soonyoung to enter a serious relationship. For months, at that.
“Oh, yes, of course,” Jihoon plastered on a smile as he made eye contact with Seoyun, who was beaming at him, “I apologize, I’ve been a bit caught up with work lately.”
“Oh it’s not an issue at all!” Seoyun gave a high pitched giggle, “Soonyoung’s told me all about how great you are, Your Highness!”
Jihoon stared at her in disbelief, “...Really? Well, that’s simply just great! You’ll both have to come over for tea sometime!”
Jihoon knew that Wonwoo was starting to look at him weirdly, but he forced his smile to stay on.
“We’ll take you up on that offer,” Soonyoung replied, before smiling at Seoyun, “Dance with me?”
Seoyun took Soonyoung’s outstretched hand, “Bye Your Highness! It was nice seeing you again Wonwoo!”
“Bye Wonwoo! Bye Jihoon!” Soonyoung waved as he led Seoyun towards the dance floor.
“Since when did you get on a first-name basis with Soonyoung?” Jihoon asked Wonwoo before the other had the chance to say anything, “And the hug?”
“Well since you have been closing yourself off in your office for the past two months, Jun has been spending all his time with Minghao, and Joshua’s family got called back to the States, I decided to find some new company to hang out with.” Wonwoo stated matter of factly, “Soonyoung makes for great company, in case you didn’t know.”
“I knew,” Jihoon grumbled.
A smirk graced Wonwoo’s lips, “I’m guessing you didn’t know nor expect that Soonyoung had a girlfriend.”
Jihoon just stared at him, unamused.
“Well I’m going to get a drink, the Kims have a great selection of wine.” Wonwoo moved to head towards the drinks, “Oh right, Soonyoung’s bi, so you still have a chance. In case you were wondering!”
“I…What?” Jihoon didn’t get to formulate a proper response before Wonwoo disappeared into the crowd of people.
“You look like you’re having fun.” Seokmin said dryly when he found Jihoon half an hour later leaning against the wall. Alone.
“I told you I shouldn’t have come.” Jihoon sipped the drink in his hand, “Where is Mingyu, anyway?”
“Better ask Wonwoo than me.” Before Jihoon could wonder what that meant, Seokmin stole his drink and took a sip, “How many drinks have you had?”
“Just this one, don’t want to get too tipsy before the host even gets here, do we?” Jihoon said sarcastically.
As Jihoon took his drink back, all conversation in the room ceased, and all gazes landed on the man standing at the doorway. Kim Mingyu has finally made his appearance, looking as handsome as ever, maybe even better. Mingyu surveyed the crowd, before seemingly spotting someone in the crowd, too hidden for Jihoon to see. But he did see how Mingyu’s face lit up and winked in the general direction of that person. Mingyu spoke a few words of gratitude for coming to his homecoming party, before the party-goers resumed their previous activities.
As the crown prince, Jihoon made no move to head towards Mingyu, instead waiting for Mingyu to come to him. Soon enough, Mingyu walked towards him, greeting him with a bow.
“Your Highness, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
When Mingyu straightened up again, his height made Jihoon have to look up to him. It was hard remembering Mingyu was younger than him when he was so tall.
“Indeed it has, let me welcome you back on behalf of the monarchy.” Jihoon was glad for this conversation, it was basic etiquette, something Jihoon could do in his sleep. And, well, after that confusing encounter with Soonyoung and Wonwoo, Jihoon needed this normality.
Mingyu nodded along, and his smile turned into a full on grin, showing his canines, when he spotted Seokmin beside Jihoon.
“Mingyu!” Seokmin tackled him with a hug. Jihoon knew the two were good friends, so he left, giving the two some space.
Soon, however, Chan, who was also attending the party, sidled up to him, drinks in hand.
“Looks like you need a new one,” Chan handed Jihoon one of them, taking Jihoon’s empty one and giving it to a servant passing by.
“Thanks.” Jihoon gulped it down, he was so ready for this night to be over.
“Oh, did Soonyoung hyung bring a new date?” Chan commented, and Jihoon followed his gaze to Soonyoung twirling Seoyun in the center of the ballroom.
“No, that’s his girlfriend.” Jihoon said, surprising himself with the bitterness in his voice.
“You don’t seem too happy about that.”
“Yeah, because he didn’t tell me about it.”
Chan raised an eyebrow, “Hyung, are you sure that’s the only reason?”
Jihoon furrowed his eyebrows, “Why else would I be upset?”
Chan shrugged, but Jihoon frowned at the smile that appeared on the third prince’s face. He clearly knew something Jihoon didn’t. However, Jihoon didn’t have much time dwell over this, as he watched Mingyu finally approach Wonwoo out of the corner of his eye.
He spun around to keep an eye on the two, and it seems like half the attendees did too. They watched as Mingyu greeted Wonwoo and the girl beside him in an almost cordial fashion, they all seemed to collectively suck in a sharp breath when Mingyu leaned forward to whisper something in the older’s ear. However, the expected argument or fight didn’t break out. Instead, Mingyu simply smirked before inviting the girl beside Wonwoo to a dance. Wonwoo just shook his head at a younger, a smile that someone might even call fond gracing his lips.
“Am I dreaming or did what I think happened just happen?” Chan asked, jaw falling at the sight of Mingyu and Wonwoo having an almost friendly interaction.
“It just happened.” Jihoon confirmed, although also quite surprised himself. The two sons of different dukes have had countless fights over the years, the most memorable being at Mingyu’s going away party 4 years ago. It was held at the palace, and a vase had fallen victim to their fight, ending up in shattered pieces on the floor. Luckily, the vase was easily replaceable, so Jihoon didn’t really mind.
“I bet that’ll make the headlines tomorrow,” Junhui, who had sneaked up to the two princes, commented, “Wow, I think that’s the first time Wonwoo’s even genuinely smiled at Mingyu.”
Jihoon spotted Seungkwan huddled with several other reporters on the other side of the room, and agreed that indeed, it would make the headlines.
However, the first article that stared up to Jihoon the next morning was not, in fact, about Mingyu and Wonwoo. Instead, it was Soonyoung’s name and picture that burned into his eyes.
The cover image was a beautiful photo of Soonyoung and Seoyun, arms linked together as they exited the vehicle together and walked down the walkway towards the Kim Mansion. Both of them wore smiles as they waved at the flashing bulbs. The article was a short one, simply commenting on how the “Soonyun” couple of Kwon Soonyoung and Park Seoyun, made their first appearance at a public event together after announcing their relationship a few weeks ago. Jihoon scrolled through the images in the article, pausing at one of Soonyoung and Seoyun holding hands as they greeted Jihoon himself last night. The article conspires that the Crown Prince had given his blessings for the couple. The comments were overflowed by adoring fans of the couple, and Jihoon even saw his own name mentioned here and there.
Guest commented 3 minutes ago:
Wow they look really cute together! Hope the relationship lasts long <3
RAMYEONNNNN commented 8 minutes ago:
yesss my favourite couple! soonyun for life!
AIJNCBUHE(@!*&^$TYGR!CHU!3 commented 13 minutes ago:
anyone remember that one article conspiring something happening between soonyoung and jihoon? Lol look at how that ended up to be
tteokbokki replied to AIJNCBUHE(@!*&^$TYGR!CHU!3 12 minutes ago:
LOL yes i remember
glad the prince is being a supportive friend to soonyoung tho
AntiRoyals commented 15 minutes ago:
#AntiRoyals #StopThisClout
CaratsForev commented 17 minutes ago:
Aww <3 hope to see more of them in the future!
b1b1mbap commented 21 minutes ago:
i’ve been rooting for them since the king’s ball!
New Group Chat (why hasn’t anyone bothered to name this chat?? - jun) (4)
Lee Jihoon
royalnews.kr/trendingnow/kwon-soonyoung-and-park-seoyun-makes-first-official-appearance-together-after-making-their-relationship-public
Joshu
?
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
:0 aww is our jihoonie jealous
Lee Jihoon
?
Joshu
wow wish i was there! soonyoung and seoyun look so cute together!
also @jUnNNiEeeEEE <3 please just change the group name instead of writing such a long message in the brackets
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3 has renamed the group to “Jun and 3 Idiots”
Lee Jihoon has renamed the group to “New Group Chat”
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3 has renamed the group to “aww why :(”
Joshu
…jun you just called the crown prince of south korea an idiot
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
well…technically i’m a prince too :D
Joshu
and the son of the ambassador from the states too
wow imagine if that one sentence severed relationships between THREE countries
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
>:(
Lee Jihoon
Where is Wonwoo?
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
omg yeah i hope his parents’ secretaries arent having a heart attack over what happened last night
Joshu
??? what happened
OH MINGYUS HOMECOMING
did wonwoo get in a fight with him again?
Lee Jihoon
Quite the opposite, actually.
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
lol fr ive never seen wonwoo smile that softly before
Joshu
ok i gotta see this
someone drop link?
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
royalnews.kr/trendingnow/first-interactions-of-Jeon-Wonwoo-and-Kim-Mingyu-upon-the-Kims-return
royalnews.kr/trendingnow/a-look-at-the-Jeon-Kim-feud-throughout-the-years-latest-development
royalnews.kr/trendingnow/how-kim-mingyu-and-jeon-wonwoos-relationship-has-changed
Joshu
oh they’re trending in so many articles
Jihoon clicked on one of the links Junhui sent as well, as he was too focused on the Soonyoung and Seoyun story to read the Mingyu and Wonwoo ones. Of course, the media likes to stretch everything , and the entire article made Mingyu and Wonwoo’s relationship seem so much more scandalous. Of course, there were also dubious reporters who think that all the events of yesterday night were just a performance.
But Jihoon can’t help but admit that one specific photo, taken right as Mingyu was leaning in towards Wonwoo, both wearing gentle smiles, made it look like there was something happening between the two.
Top Comment
MW17 commented two hours ago:
Anyone else think they’ve had unresolved sexual tension since like, six years ago? Just me? Ok
Liked by 2.3k people
Guest commented two hours ago:
Definitely not just you! I always thought there’s something happening…
Joshu
0.0 i just read the articles
wow i cant believe i missed that
@wonu what did mingyu say to you??
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
i visited the jeon mansion an hour ago
his parents said hes not home but also refused to tell me where he is
@wonu have you gotten murdered by your parents yet
if you did can i inherit your laptop
Joshu
jun…
Lee Jihoon replied to jUnNNiEeeEEE <3 “ his parents said hes not home but…”
Maybe he hasn't woken up yet. It’s eight in the morning after a party.
Oh Joshua, we’re not bothering you, are we? It’s evening for you there?
Joshu
no, of course not :)
we just had dinner so i’m just chilling in my room
everything just wrapped up in the east coast so now we’re gonna head towards los angeles to visit friends and family before we go back to south korea again next week
oh and look at me with the son of the korean ambassador to the states :D
[image.jpg]
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
IS THAT VERNON
I HAVENT SEEN HIM IN SO LONG
TELL HIM HE HAS TO VISIT DURING THE SUMMER
Lee Jihoon
Send him our best wishes.
Joshu
I’ll relay the messages :)
Wonu replied to jUnNNiEeeEEE <3 “if you did can i inherit your laptop”
im so glad you care about my wellbeing
jUnNNiEeeEEE <3
WONWOOOOOOOOOOOOO
WHAT HAPPENED
TELL US EVERYTHING 👀
Joshu
spill the tea
Instead of pestering Wonwoo for the details like Joshua and Junhui, Jihoon instead muted the chat, choosing to finally get out of bed and get ready for the day.
However, before he could make it far, Seokmin and Chan bursted into his room, both already dressed, although in casual wear and not what they usually wear during work days. And before Jihoon could react, Seokmin and Chan had tackled him back onto his bed.
“We’re here to stop you from locking yourself in the office again and not coming out.” Chan announced.
“You’re what?” Jihoon blinked at his two brothers.
“We’ve made plans with Soonyoung! We’re going on a trip today!” Seokmin exclaimed, “I’ll go find something for you to wear.”
Seokmin hopped off of Jihoon’s bed to head into his closet, while Chan stayed beside him on the bed.
“Chan…” Jihoon sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead, “I need to work today. There’s a bill on the rights of government employed workers that needs to be negotiated with the ministers, so I need to meet with Minister Kwon today.”
“I know,” Chan grinned, “But Soonyoung hyung managed to convince his dad to agree to meet next Tuesday instead just for you, so we can go out!”
Jihoon’s arguments dissolved in his throat, Soonyoung almost never meddled in the work of his father, saying he hated the position. But he had talked to the minister, just so Jihoon’s schedule was cleared.
“But security clearances…” Jihoon said weakly.
“Seokmin hyung talked to Seungcheol hyung who talked to Jeonghan hyung since they’re close, and Jeonghan hyung talked to his father, Lord Yoon, who agreed to dispatch some of the royal guards to follow us discreetly.”
Jihoon sighed again, if even the strict Chamberlain Lord Yoon agreed to it, then there really is no way out of this outing. He pulled himself to his feet and joined Seokmin in the closet, looking for some casual wear for the occasion.
He ended up with a hoodie and some black jeans, since it was starting to warm up outside, in spring. It’s an attire that he wishes he could wear more often, since it was so much more comfortable than any of his usual outfits, picked by his stylists.
“Oh, Soonyoung asked if he can bring Seoyun along, since he stayed over at her house last night.” Seokmin said, reading from a text on his phone, and Jihoon tried not to think about the implications of that statement.
Instead, he shrugged when both Seokmin and Chan turned to him for an answer, “Sure? If he wants to? Why are you both asking me?”
Seokmin pursed his lips as he typed back a response, “...Okay I’ll tell him you said yes.”
The three princes rode in a royal guard vehicle that can fit seven people to Seoyun’s home, also home to her parents, the Earl and Countess. Soonyoung and Seoyun exited the house together, Soonyoung dressed in a jean jacket and trousers, and Seoyun in a sundress that Jihoon thought was a bit too flimsy for the still chilly spring breezes.
Seokmin was sitting in the front passenger seat, with Chan in the second row and Jihoon in the third. So when Soonyoung helped Seoyun into the car and she took the only other seat in the second row, Soonyoung joined Jihoon in the last row. Jihoon gave him a wave, which was answered with a bright grin and a cheerful “hello”.
As the three in front of them chatted about where they’re going, Soonyoung and Jihoon sat at the back in silence. It was only broken after Jihoon spoke up first.
“So, uh, thanks for talking to your father and all that.” Jihoon said.
“Oh, it’s no problem, " he agreed pretty quickly.” Soonyoung laughed.
Jihoon nodded, “How did you ask him if…uh, you were staying over at the Parks’?”
“Phones exist…?”
“Oh, right, yes.” Jihoon wanted to slap himself mentally, what sort of stupid question was that?
The two didn’t say anything else the whole car ride to their destination, which turned out to be a park. To Jihoon’s surprise, Seokmin and Chan had even brought along blankets and baskets of food for a picnic. The five found a nice spot to lay down their blanket, with their guards standing underneath a clump of cherry blossom trees that are yet to bloom, trying their hardest to blend in with the scenery.
Seokmin and Chan got out a frisbee and started playing around with that, which involves mostly Chan getting chased around by Seokmin. Jihoon looked on fondly as he started unpacking the food they brought, still seated on the blanket.
“Here, let me help.” Soonyoung grabbed one of the baskets and started taking out containers and even smaller baskets. Seoyun, also deciding to help, started arranging them in a nice fashion.
“So, did you two get together after the King’s Ball?” Jihoon asked, for the lack of a better conversation starter.
“Yeah!” Seoyun smiled as she looked up to answer Jihoon’s question. On the other hand, Soonyoung kept his head down, focused on unpacking the food instead. “He took me on a date after the event, and, well, now here we are.”
Soonyoung gave a small smile at her comments, but didn’t say anything in response.
“Oh, that’s nice.” Jihoon nodded, “I apologize again, I’ve been so busy lately and haven’t been paying attention to things going on…”
“No no, of course it’s fine, you’re the crown prince after all!” Seoyun laughed, “I’m lucky enough to be in your presence, Your Highness.”
“Please, just call me Jihoon for this trip.”
Seoyun nodded at that, but Jihoon winced when she still called him Your Highness and the Crown Prince for the rest of the day.
Jihoon had to admit that he enjoyed spending more time with his brothers and Soonyoung, especially on such a nice day. But unfortunately, he can’t say the same for Seoyun. And not just because she kept addressing him and his brothers by their formal titles, but also because she kept latching onto Soonyoung’s arm whenever she wasn’t talking to Seokmin, and how she kept making Soonyoung take pictures of her. However, the bit about the titles irritated him especially, whenever he was having fun or relaxing, he always asked everyone around him to address him by just his name. He didn’t know if he was being oversensitive or not, but it also felt like a dig at Soonyoung, who was the only one out of the five who didn’t have a title.
Jihoon could see that it got on Seokmin and Chan’s nerves a bit too, but none of them said anything the whole day.
After they went to a diner for dinner, they started heading back to their homes. Seoyun was dropped off at her home first, and Jihoon was glad that Soonyoung didn’t leave with her, instead just wishing her a nice remainder of the night, nodding when she promised to text. They dropped off Seokmin and Chan at the palace first, as it was on the way to Soonyoung’s house. So that left only Jihoon and Soonyoung in the car on the ride to his home.
“Sorry for making you come all this way, I really could’ve come back alone.” Soonyoung apologizes as they neared his house.
“No it’s fine, we really haven’t had a chance to spend some time alone together lately.” Jihoon responded.
Soonyoung sighed, running a hand through his hair, “I really didn’t want to bring her.”
“Huh?” Jihoon turned to him confused.
“Seoyun,” Soonyoung clarifies, “I stayed the night at her place because my parents told me to, so when Seokmin called me this morning about his plans, she overheard and made me ask if I could bring her along.”
“Oh.” Jihoon said, “Why would she wanna come?”
Soonyoung shrugged, “I guess most lower ranked members of court like her and me don’t get the chance to hang out with the princes themselves. I think maybe that’s why she wouldn’t stop calling you guys ‘Your Highness’ and why she kept making me take photos of her and you guys.”
So he had realized too, Jihoon thought. He hadn’t realized it until now, but throughout the whole day, he hadn’t seen any gesture of affection initiated by Soonyoung. The most they did was hand holding, and that was initiated by Seoyun. No kisses, no hugs, nothing couples usually do. Even his smiles directed at Seoyun were diminished.
“I haven’t seen you in such a long time, and I really wish she wasn’t there when we did. See each other, that is…” Soonyoung trailed off.
Jihoon smiled, just as the car pulled up to in front of Soonyoung’s house, “Me too.”
Soonyoung gave him a smile, before waving and getting out of the car, “See you, please text more?”
“Okay.”
The two do resume their texting, but don’t get to see each other nearly as much as before, as Jihoon was still busy with work and from Seoyun’s social media, he could see that Soonyoung was busy with, well, keeping his girlfriend happy. The only reason Jihoon took notice of what Seoyun’s social media account is was because she had tagged him and his brothers in the countless posts she made about the picnic. Needless to say, this made the PR officer of the royal family less than happy, as the press was eating this up by the spoonful, and spinning tales out of it.
Soons
seoyun is wanting to visit the palace again
Lee Jihoon
Wasn’t she here just two days ago?
Jihoon knew because he had texted Soonyoung to come over to hang out, but Seoyun had shown up with him, leading to Jihoon forcing a smile as he conversed with the girl while Soonyoung shot him apologetic glances from behind.
Soons
i know…i’m beginning to think that the only reason she wanted to date me was because i’m close to both you and seok
Lee Jihoon
That’s not true.
She definitely likes you for who you are and not your connections with us.
Soons
maybe…
but you also don’t know how desperate some people at court are, just to get you or the king to spare them a single glance
it’ll be the talk amongst everyone for days
its like getting 15 minutes of fame, except for seoyun its more like a month of fame
Jihoon didn’t know how to respond to these texts, so he didn’t, instead shutting his phone off and focusing on the laptop in front of him.
The text came in the middle of April, on a soft spring day. The cherry blossoms that have been blooming at full force starting to wilt and wither.
Kwon Soonyoung
i broke up with seoyun