Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lying in his bed, Bin scrolls through his massive Spotify playlist for a good song to lull him to sleep. Once his trusty classical music plays, he pulls up his text thread with Taeyong and realizes that his brother hasn’t even read his message yet about going for a campus tour.

They’re going to start college soon. He will be majoring in Physical Education while Taeyong chose Fashion. Both predictable career paths, nothing surprising. They have been very different from each other since they were children.

He’s excited to see the pool that Sungkyunkwan University boasted about that made him apply there.

As a prince, he could’ve easily chosen to study abroad but it’s to Sungkyunkwan that he felt gravitated the most. Moreover, choosing to study in his country promotes patriotism which is something the citizens naturally expect of him and the whole royal family.

Unlike his peers, especially his brother, he’s actually thrilled to start the academic year. High school was fun but going to college is a whole new experience now that he’s an adult and he’s looking forward to it.

Bin sends his brother a new text in case Taeyong is purposely ignoring him. Tonguing his cheek, he patiently waits for his message to be read. He hasn’t seen Taeyong the whole day because he was out hiking with Sanha, and Taeyong was surely doing his own thing.

Ten minutes tick by. With a grumble, Bin leaves his bed and puts a robe on before walking out of his bedroom. He nods at the guard stationed by the doors and heads down the hall, past a maid carrying folded linen.

Bin halts in his tracks and politely calls the maid who immediately bows at him. “I’m sorry but have you gone to my brother’s room? No? Okay, thanks.”

Letting the maid go, Bin continues on his way down the hall and makes a couple of turns. Taeyong didn’t want their bedrooms close to each other for some reason.

Reaching his brother’s room, Bin greets the guard before knocking on the door. “Taeyong.”

The lack of response makes him frown. It’s possible that Taeyong might be asleep already (“Sleeping early is a form of self-care, Bin! It’s called the art of beauty sleep, you should try it!”) but his brother is a light sleeper and the softest rustling can rouse him.

Numerous times, Bin was answered with a slipper flung haphazardly at the door with the intention of shutting him up.

“Taeyong, have you seen my texts?”

When he is met with silence for the second time, Bin presses his ear against the door and glances at the guard. “What time did he retire?”

“At 7, Your Highness.”

That’s a bit suspicious, to say the least. Taeyong loves spending an hour at least in the library as a façade when he is only reading gossip magazines.

Bin asks the guard for the key to his brother’s room.

Taeyong is not in his bed when Bin enters. The bed is untouched, not a single crease to tell Bin that his brother was there. He peeks into the walk-in closet, and then the en-suite. Not a trace of Taeyong was found.

The sway of the drapes pull his attention towards the open windows. Bin goes to it, and notices something absurd just as he’s about to shut the window.

There’s a long make-shift rope made out of several thick bed sheets attached to the metal sconce just below the windowpane, cascading all the way down to the ground.

“Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me.”

He looks at the door. Bin cannot tell the guards or they will alert the kings and cause a ruckus in the palace. Jaejoong will unnecessarily lose his shit and Yunho cannot afford that while in the middle of a crucial meeting with the court.

Bin curses Taeyong out in his head. Why does his brother keep doing this? And why does Taeyong never learn from Jaejoong’s frenzy whenever he sneaks out of the palace?

Swallowing the nervousness, Bin exits the bedroom and hands the key to the guard. “My brother is fast asleep. If either of the kings come to ask about him, please tell them not to bother Taeyong. He’s going to be in a bad mood.”

Composure unbroken, Bin goes back to his bedroom. “I’m suddenly craving pizza so I will go out to buy some.”

“I will just have the cook make it for you, Your Highness,” the guard suggests.

“It will take hours.”

“Then I shall ask a butler to call for delivery. You can’t leave the palace at this time of the night alone, Your Highness.”

Bin wears his kindest smile. “Mr. Yoo, I’m 19 now. I’m a grown-up. And as an independent young man, I will go out to buy my own pizza. Don’t worry about me, it’s a part of the training for when the king finally passes down the crown.” His hand tightens around the door knob. “Though if my father comes to check up on me, tell them I’m already sleeping. They forbid me to eat pizza at night because my face bloats in the morning.”

Shutting the door behind him, Bin hastily discards the robe to throw a hoodie on and step into his shoes. He doesn’t care if he’s in his sweats.

Keys, phone, and wallet in hand, he makes his way to the VIP elevator and comes down to the garage, dismissing a butler asking if he needs a chaperone. “No need, the kings permitted me to leave.”

He hates lying but if he doesn’t, then Taeyong will be in even bigger trouble.

Sitting behind the wheel of his Lamborghini, Bin drives out of the palace wondering where the hell his brother ran off to.

Social media is Taeyong’s secondary territory so he perches his phone on the holder and goes to Taeyong’s Instagram where he sees a post from 20 minutes ago.

A blurry picture of a crowd, dim lights, and the location tells him that his brother is currently out partying in some popular club in the city.

“Jesus. Not again.”

On another day, Bin would drive according to the speed limit. But he might’ve gone a bit faster just to get to the club right away, fueled by his worry for Taeyong.

When he arrives earlier than his mentally calculated time, Bin parks right in front of the club, tugs the hood of his jacket over his head and brushes past a valet to get to the bouncer guarding the front door.

“Get to the back of the line, boy—”

Bin leans in to whisper. “You have a royal prince inside and I need to get my brother away from here ASAP.”

The bouncer’s eyes widen in recognition as he takes a step back to show his face. Permitted entry, Bin’s brows furrow in disapproval as he’s blasted with bass boosted, ear-shattering music, nose scrunching at the sight of warm bodies.

How could his brother stomach being in such a place like this? The smell of booze and sweat mix in the air. Bin is well accustomed to the smell of sweat as a workout evangelist that treats the gym as his second home but not with liquor added into it.

Briefly he tries to look around for his brother before checking his phone again. And alas, there’s a new update from Taeyong—a short clip of himself dancing while holding a nearly empty glass.

Searching for the red wall he spotted in the video, Bin shoves through the throng of people and eventually finds Taeyong at the same spot, head tipped back as he gulps the last of his booze.

At least his brother had enough brain cells to wear a cap as a disguise.

Bin pockets his phone and grabs Taeyong’s wrist.

“Oh my god, let me go you pervert—”

“You shouldn’t be here!”

Through the haze of intoxication, Taeyong recognizes his voice. “Oh Binnie! Binnie, how did you find me?! Come join me and my friends!”

“They’re not your friends!” Bin squints at the couple of girls and boys near them. “Do they know who you are?”

Taeyong giggles, waving distractedly. “Probably not! I gave them a fake name! It’s fine, they won’t recognize you either—”

“Because I’m not the one constantly outside showing my face to the public. The kings don’t know you’re here, do they? Come on, we’re leaving!”

“What, no!” Taeyong tries to pry out of his hold but to no avail, significantly weaker than Bin. “Let go, I’m having fun!”

Playing deaf, Bin practically drags Taeyong out of the club and inwardly winces as his brother begins openly crying. Yet he doesn’t yield even as Taeyong starts clawing at his arm, shoving his brother inside the car and clicking on the automatic lock to prevent Taeyong from jumping out.

He receives a series of punches on the arm as he gets in and steps on the gas.

“You’re so mean to me! You know why I sneaked out!”

“And you know why they won’t let you go clubbing alone!” Bin turns the radio on to somehow muffle his brother’s tantrums. “Because you get piss drunk and you always do shit that could harm you and the palace!”

Fat tears roll down Taeyong’s flushed face. “I hate you! Are you really my brother? Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?! Binnie, aren’t we best friends?!” Taeyong sobs, roughly pulling at his sleeve. “Binnie, look at me!”

“I’m driving—”

“Then stop driving and talk to me! Do you hate me, Binnie? Do you not love me anymore?!”

“Oh god…”

“God—god, where?” Pausing from his childish weeping, Taeyong looks at the sky and waves at it. “God, hello! This is Taeyong, and this is my brother Binnie who hates me!”

The peace doesn’t last long as Taeyong’s wailing fills the car again.

“After I cleaned his butt back in 3^rd grade when he pooped his pants in school, this is how he’s going to repay me!”

Bin hopes that the incoming headache won’t be as bad as before when Taeyong thought he stole his favorite G-string. Turned out the maid simply forgot it in the washing machine.

Taeyong smacks his arm again. “I will remember this day!”

“Night.”

“Oh fuck you!”

Irritatedly, Bin turns the radio’s volume on to drown out Taeyong’s sobs, but it only makes his brother drunkenly sing along and dance in his seat. “Behave!”

Arriving back in the palace, Bin motions for the butler to zip their mouth shut as he drags Taeyong out of the car and into the VIP elevator.

“Unhand me, you barbarian!”

Seeing the horror on the maids’ faces as they step out of the elevator, Bin reassures them with another lie just to keep them from telling the kings. “It’s fine, it’s fine. He’s just a bit sad!”

The guard outside his bedroom simply raises a brow. “I forgot about the pizza.” He’s not making any sense but he doesn’t need to explain himself to the guard.

Bin pulls Taeyong into his room and pushes his brother to the bed.

“Ouchie!”

“Stop being dramatic, you just fell.”

Taeyong flips him the middle finger.

Sighing, Bin fills a glass with water and sits next to Taeyong on the floor, pulling his brother back by the back of Taeyong’s shirt. “Drink that. You’re gonna thank me tomorrow when the hangover spares you.”

Still sniffling, Taeyong empties the glass and shoves it back to his hand. “You’re just like the kings.”

“Probably.”

“I miss my friends, Binnie. We’re gonna start college next month and I know that college parties is a thing and there are plenty of it but it’ll be boring because it’s just gonna be at whoever’s small ass dorm room and—”

“But the kings will be at ease knowing where you are and you won’t have to sneak out just to get drunk while dancing.”

Taeyong pushes his shoulder. “You’re so boring! Don’t force your dull social life down my throat. Do you even know what anything other than red wine tastes like? Do you even have friends other than Sanha? If I’m not gonna party, what do you expect me to do? Go hiking or exercising with you? Ew.”

Bin frowns, putting the glass away.”I’ll have you know I’m perfectly fine with my routine. Look, Taeyong. If you got away doing this shit in high school, then it’s different now. We’re 19. You can’t be careless anymore. Remember what you’re wearing when you go outside and make a mess of yourself around other people.”

“It’s Dior and Chanel and YSL and Louis Vuitton—”

“It’s the palace, the kings, and the entire royal lineage. If you get caught by paparazzis or anybody with malicious intent, who’s gonna take the brunt of it? Every single one of us in this building.”

Huffing, Taeyong glares at the carpet.

“You can party but you can do it here where you are safe. Organize your own. Invite your friends. That’s the only thing the kings want—your safety. They’re not prohibiting you from clubbing because they want to cage you. They just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Taeyong’s lower lip wobbles. “But you didn’t have to drag me like that, Binnie. You know how big you are and sometimes you can’t control your own strength! I’m going to bruise tomorrow! What if you broke my wrist?”

Rolling his eyes, Bin grabs his brother’s wrist and presses a quick kiss on it. “There, no more booboos tomorrow. And sorry, I just didn’t want the kings to know we’re not in the palace.”

They bicker every now and then but Taeyong never really stays mad at him for too long.

Pouting, Taeyong pulls him in a hug. “Okay, forgiven. But buy me that new handbag from Gucci.”

Bin doesn’t like spending money on unnecessary things but if it’s to keep his brother happy, then so be it. He promises Taeyong that he will get the bag, and makes a mental note to lecture all the guards later.

How could they miss Taeyong climbing out of the window and crawling behind the bushes?

In his pink, fluffy bathrobe and fluffy headband in the same shade Taeyong finishes his morning skincare routine and heads out of his bedroom, nodding at the maids and guards as he happily whistles a tune on the way to Bin’s.

He tightens the ribbon around his waist and knocks before dramatically opening the door to announce his arrival. “I’M FEELING ELECTRIC TONIGHT, CRUISIN’ DOWN THE COAST GOIN’ ABOUT 99—”

Deaf to the noise, Bin snores under the covers.

“GOT MY BAD BABY BY MY HEAVENLY SIDE. I KNOW IF I GO I’LL DIE HAPPY TONIGHTTTTTT!” Taeyong adds extra riffs as he stops at the side of the bed with his hands on his hips. “Binnie, good morning!”

Still, Bin doesn’t move and only snores even louder. If the palace is ablaze and a firetruck is literally blaring its siren right outside Bin’s door, Taeyong bets his brother will even have a long, peaceful dream.

“Aww, this is so un-princely of you, Binnie.” He taps the lump on the bed. “Binnie! Bin!” Getting on the bed, Taeyong tugs the covers down and cups his hands around his mouth as he screams right into Bin’s ear. “Moon! Bin!”

He also punches Bin’s arm for good measure.

Wheezing, Bin jolts out of sleep and looks around the room with wide eyes before staring at him in disbelief. “Are you trying to assassinate me?!”

“Stop being so accusatory. Good morning, my dear brother!”

Groaning, Bin lies back down. “I’m still sleepy…”

“Nooo, don’t go back to sleep! Look!” Rushing over to the windows, Taeyong pushes the drapes open to let the sunbeams spill inside the room. “It’s such a good day! We should go out!”

Bin opens one eye. “And where are we going…?”

“To the poolside. We’ll go sunbathing.”

“Uh—no, thanks.” Bin checks the time on his phone.  On his Samsung flip phone. As an avid Apple user, Taeyong gags. “I’m heading to the gym in 30 minutes.”

“Good Lord. Can’t you skip it for a day? You could just swim while I sunbathe, please? Swimming can be a workout too, right?”

“But I don’t feel like swimming today. I’m going to do a lot of swimming once classes begin. Why are you bugging me?”

“Because!” Taeyong stomps to show how frustrated he is at Bin being difficult. “I’m trying to have my revenge on you for pulling me out of the club 3 days ago.”

“Night.”

“And I know you don’t like accompanying me because I’m a bit annoying—”

“You’re a drama queen,” Bin corrects with a bored tone as he sits up and rubs his eyes.

“Shut up.” Taeyong fans himself. “I don’t want to hear facts this early in the morning.” Watching Bin stretch, Taeyong pouts as he makes his way back to bed. “You really hate me now, don’t you?”

Bin playfully pokes his forehead. “Whatever floats your boat, sweetie.”

“A monk is probably more interesting than you.” They both look at the door as they hear a knock. “Yes?”

“…Your Highness, the kings are asking for you at the conference room.”

“At this hour? But it’s barely 9.”

“They’re probably gonna tell us about that European trip,” Taeyong says giddily before attempting to pull Bin out of bed. “Uh. You’re too heavy. Take your own ass to the conference room, then.”

Back in his room, Taeyong changes into Chanel from head to toe. As an aspiring fashion designer, he’s going to be meticulous when it comes to his appearance even if he’s not going out. He won’t be caught dead in a nameless tank top. His image right now is the foundation of his future brand.

Once he’s done—which is 30 minutes after trying on a few tops and trousers and modeling them around his room, Taeyong follows a butler to the conference room where he finds Bin who’s typically channelling homelessness already sat with the kings at the round table. “Good morning!”

Jaejoong smiles at him. “You look wonderful, honey.”

“Why thank you, papa. Bet you can’t tell Bin the same thing.”

“He is at home and he wants to be comfortable.”

Bin shoots Yunho a grin.

Shrugging, Taeyong puts his clasped hands on the table. “Sooo, what is this about? If it’s about the European trip, then I haven’t visited Greece yet—”

“Sadly, it’s not about that trip. I’m afraid there won’t be any overseas trips this time.” Jaejoong exchanges looks with Yunho. “As you both know, you’re finally of age. Maybe still kids at heart, but as you step onto another chapter of your lives, you must abandon a few things to welcome new ones and embrace them.”

Taeyong chuckles, tucking hair behind his ear. “Why do I feel nervous about this?”

Yunho cuts both princes’ curiosities short. “You and Bin are now of age to get married so we are going to look for candidates to be your spouses.”

Jaw dropping, Taeyong stares at Bin who is rendered speechless as well, before turning to their parents. “Haha—dad, papa, it’s not April yet! But if you want, you could tell us Happy April Fools now! Besides, it’s always good to be prepared—”

“That’s why we are going to open an application for hopeful men so we can select the right husbands for you.”

Taeyong shrieks. He can’t deny what he just heard. He’s awake, he’s not dreaming, and the kings are telling them they are about to get married! “Dad! I don’t want to get married! Pretty sure Bin doesn’t want this either!”

“…I didn’t say anything.”

The betrayal makes Taeyong shriek once more. “Well, say something!”

Bin shrugs. “We’ve always known we’re gonna get married young. It’s just a bit surprising, that’s all.”

Frantically, Taeyong holds his head. “Please, we’re only 19!”

“Honey, we’re only going to look for candidates. You’re not gonna get married tomorrow. An engagement has to happen first because the entire nation needs to know—”

“Still! What do you mean you’re going to select husbands for me and Bin? Me and Bin are the ones you will marry off. Shouldn’t we decide whom we want to marry?”

“That’s not the rule, Taeyong.”

He looks at Yunho, unable to completely believe what he is hearing. “But what about my freedom to choose?”

Bin chimes in calmly. “If you were given freedom to choose now, would you choose to stay in that orphanage or be adopted into the royal family?”

Not wanting to argue with his brother, Taeyong chooses to sulk. “W-what if I’m getting married to a dying geezer…?”

“We’re going to put an age limit, of course,” Yunho says. “We have a plan. The palace is going to make a formal announcement tonight and about a hundred men will go through a few challenges before the perfect matches will be handpicked by both of you.”

“Among those that will remain from the selection you made, right?”

Taeyong gives his brother a bombastic side eye as he senses the slight sarcasm.

“Precisely. Worry not, we will only approve applications from who we think will be paired best with our sons. After all, it is mine and Jaejoong’s responsibility to marry you off to whoever is deserving of you.”

Even with the assurance that he won’t have to sleep with a wrinkly old man, Taeyong can’t help lamenting his carefree lifestyle. Back then, he could do whatever he wanted. He suffered stupid consequences like being grounded for a week or getting his phone confiscated. But now…what would happen if he ran away and abandoned his fiancé?

He tries to picture what his future husband would look like but his traitorous brain is giving him an image of a man two seconds away from diving in a casket.

Taeyong feels like putting on a dress and crying. What is this nightmare?

“It’s not gonna be that bad, honey. You’ll find someone you like.”

Well, he can’t do anything about it. He and Bin are merely princes. Their parents are the kings. This is their fate. He will just have to choose the most tolerable man among the bunch, and hopefully they are almost as gorgeous as him. If not, he can always poke his eyes out.

“…Fine. We’ll do this. BUT! If I don’t find the perfect man for me, even from those that will pass the tests, this engagement will not push through.”

Yunho stares at him silently for a moment.

“This is standard royal duty, Taeyong. We must fulfill this even if you don’t find the best candidate for marriage instantly.”

“When and where is this taking place?”

“A week from now so the engagement can proceed before you start classes. The venue depends on the nature of the tests but as much as possible we wish to do it here. It’ll only last for a day anyway.”

Bin nods, fidgeting. “We’re getting married,” he says quietly as though it’s only beginning to sink in.

Jaejoong reminds them that he and Yunho married young as well. “Everything will be fine, so don’t overthink this.”

“Is it only men, then? Or are you going to accept applications from women too?”

“I’m gay.” Taeyong says quickly. “This is non-negotiable.”

“Cool. I don’t really mind but if it’ll be easier, then let’s just look for men.”

“Alright,” Yunho says, beckoning a butler to bring him a document. “Any other objections?”

Taeyong sniffles as Jaejoong comes to hug him and kiss the side of his head.

“Cheer up, baby. It’s not the end of the world. Honestly, I’m feeling kind of emotional right now. You and Bin were just 8 years old when we adopted you. Such cute little kids, and now you’re going to make your own families.” Jaejoong fails to stop the little sob. “Oh no, my lashes!”

Taeyong pushes his papa back to Yunho so he can go and sit with Bin, pressing his face on the ball of his brother’s shoulder.

“There, there.” Bin pats his head. “Just trust them, okay? Especially papa. He won’t marry our dad if he could settle for just about anyone.”

“I don’t want to marry an ugly bitch!”

“…Same.” Bin glances at the kings as Yunho dabs a handkerchief on Jaejoong’s face. “If everyone is ugly,” he whispers, “then we just have to turn the lights off on the wedding night.”

Taeyong shudders. He slumps against the table and half-heartedly listens to the conversation as Bin asks more questions about the engagement. He wishes he could take this shocking news as easily as his brother did.

Jaehyun climbs the flight of stairs as though he had nothing but stale bread the whole day. It’s already 15 past 10 at night, and he’s coming back from his part-time job at a ramen restaurant. Since classes are yet to start, he’d asked the manager if he could work full-time. Tiring, but it’s better to earn more money than sleep all day with a weeping bank account.

Reaching the unit he shares with his best friend, Jaehyun unlocks it and finds Dongmin rearranging his side of the room for the 3^rd time this week. “Even if you flip your desk upside down, this room is still going to be the shithole that it is.”

The apartment is so small it’s literally just a box. A single room divided in three spaces—Jaehyun’s, Dongmin’s, and the sink.

“Good evening to you too. How was work?”

“Terrible.” Jaehyun chucks his shoes off and puts the takeaway on the counter. “A kid ran around for 15 minutes before accidentally bumping into one of the servers.”

Dongmin winces as he sits on a stool, opening one of his notebooks. “I can totally imagine what came after. Did the family at least pay for it?”

“Thankfully. I hope they don’t ever come back, though. I don’t care if they have enough money to pay for the wasted food but it’s a hassle to clean up especially if customers continuously pour in and out. We also have to replace the food and cooking everything again is the worst.” Jaehyun scratches the top of his head. “Actually, if they have that much money, why don’t they adopt me into their family? I’ll take you as my plus one.”

Dongmin snorts and starts writing down in the notebook.

Knowing that his best friend is going to ignore him, Jaehyun sulks while transferring his dinner into a clean bowl. “Stop that, I don’t wanna think about my pending projects yet.”

“You can ignore that but I’ve got a play to write AND direct that will determine whether I have the right to graduate or not. Some acting coaches are going to be cruel this year. They don’t like it when students do better than them.”

Jaehyun brings his food to bed and starts inhaling it as his gaze roams the entirety of the apartment unit. He and Dongmin have been rooming together in the cheapest dorm they can afford since freshman year. Perhaps he could clean his side a bit more to make it look more decent but Jaehyun has already given up trying to pretend he’s fine living in this pitiful place.

He can’t wait to leave. He and Dongmin attend Sungkyunkwan University on full scholarship but that doesn’t cover their accommodation, so Jaehyun relies on his parents who both earn just enough to get through the day as fruit vendors. That is why he’s been working part-time and gaining more stress than money on top of the hardship he already goes through as a Mechanical Engineering major.

Dongmin comes from a middle class family but he has three other siblings who are still in grade school and high school, so it doesn’t really make a difference. At the end of the day, they are still among the poorer students of Sungkyunkwan University.

If Jaehyun could fast forward to graduation, he’d do it. With his major, he will land a good job that will pay well and make him rich someday.

Slurping his food, Jaehyun cranes his neck to look at what Dongmin is doing. “Are you halfway through it, though?”

Running fingers through his hair, Dongmin studies the script he’s writing. “Maybe, but I still have to show the draft before this gets approved again.”

“Why don’t you just type it? It’ll be easier that way. I purge ideas easier when I’m on my laptop. My thoughts catch up on how fast my fingers fly over the keyboard.”

“My laptop isn’t turning on.”

“Damn. Second-hand laptops are still expensive. Do you think it’s broken?”

“Probably just overused so I’m giving it a break. I’ll check it again tomorrow. If it’s still not working…” Dongmin grins at him.”

Jaehyun shrugs, sipping the soup of his dinner. “You can use mine when I have nothing to do.”

“Heh. You’re the best.”

“I know!” Jaehyun sticks his tongue out at Dongmin and finishes his food, burping loudly. Dodging the crumpled paper that Dongmin tosses in his way, he washes the bowl in the sink and leaves it on the rack to dry.

Then he sees a folded newspaper sitting on the microwave. “Did you go out this morning?”

“I just bought some more eggs ‘cause we ran out of them already.”

“I knew it wasn’t that mouse you kept blaming.” Giggling, Jaehyun dries his hands and takes the newspaper with him as he plops back in his bed. “I wonder if they already caught that embezzling motherfucker. You know what I hate the most? People who already have a lot of money but are still taking more than what they need, especially money that isn’t theirs to begin with.”

“Greed is one of the deadliest since, you know.”

Jaehyun hums and unfolds the newspaper, eyes glued to the headline. The royal palace just announced that the princes are of marrying age. Interest piqued, he reads more about it. He feels his eyes open wider the more details he drinks in.

“Hey, Lee Dongmin.”

“What?”

“Did you even read this?”

Dongmin looks at him. “Uh, not really. Actually, that came with the eggs. The cashier said it’s free.”

“What the fuck. The princes are gonna get married soon!”

“Prince Taeyong and Prince Bin?”

“Who else!”

Dongmin goes back to writing. “I figured that’s how their lives work. They get married young just because it’s the protocol. What about it?”

Jaehyun gawks at his best friend. “What do you mean what about it—they are looking for candidates to marry the princes! It says here that everybody is eligible to apply as long as they are bachelors and are within the 20 to 30 age range!”

“Okay…?”

He rolls the newspaper and hits Dongmin’s head. “Are you really not getting it? We should apply!”

Dongmin snatches the newspaper from him and hits him back. “Of course not! We’re nobodies! They’re not going to marry people without status.”

“That’s not what the announcement said. They will welcome anyone as long as they don’t have a criminal record.” Jaehyun drags a chair and sits beside Dongmin. “They are accepting applications until Friday.”

Dongmin shakes his head, sighing. “Jaehyun, we’re not doing it. It’s ambitious.”

“Ambition is not bad and this is our way out of being poor! If we marry the princes, we’re going to be rich! They’re going to share their wealth with us. My parents won’t have to break their backs carrying sacks of fruits anymore!”

“Are you out of your mind? You want to sell yourself to the royals?”

Jaehyun is confused. “What’s wrong with it?”

“You’re marrying for the money.”

He makes a face that causes Dongmin to pinch his cheek. “Everybody marries for money these days and royals have been doing that since the beginning of time. Some of them even marry their own cousins so the money circulates within the family. There’s a reason why that cashier gave you the newspaper!”

“Because I look like a gold digger?”

“Because they know you have a best friend who is a gold digger.”

Dongmin rubs his temples. “Whatever, I’m not doing it.”

Desperation rises within Jaehyun. He grabs Dongmin’s hand and doesn’t let go. “I’m only doing it if you’re with me! Dongmin, don’t you want to live better than this?”

At the reminder of how they live, Dongmin’s resolution wanes. “…Of course, I do. That’s why I’m studying hard so I can have a high-paying job. What you want to do is ridiculous and I doubt they’ll choose you.”

There’s no doubt that all young men coming from old money will try to score a spot in the palace. But if money is the only thing that matters, the palace wouldn’t open the application to everyone.

“Don’t be so pessimistic, please? We don’t even know if they’re going to read our application. Just please send yours, okay? Pleaseee?”

Dongmin worries at his lip. “We’re only 22.”

“And the princes are 19.”

“The point is I’m not even thinking about marrying until I’m 30.”

Jaehyun chuckles. “This marriage is surely just for the sake of keeping traditions. Plus both the princes are good looking so honestly, what’s the harm in trying?”

The longer Dongmin keeps quiet, the more hopeful Jaehyun gets. His best friend doesn’t listen when he’s determined, so Dongmin’s silence only means one thing—consideration.

“…When are you sending your application?”

“Tomorrow.” Jaehyun grins. “Let’s start on it later.”

Dongmin groans, forehead hitting the desk. “Gosh, fine. Fine! Just let me do my script for now and be quiet. I can’t focus.”

“YEEEEEEES—Oops, sorry! Okay, I’ll leave you to it now. Work well, Dongmin!”

Diving back to his space, Jaehyun starts taking note of the application process. He’s actually very serious about this. He trusts his own skills that he will get hired by a prestigious company once he graduates but why wait for that when the answer to his financial problems is already here?

This is his ticket to becoming one of the richest men in the country in just one day.

By some miracle, Jaehyun and Dongmin are among the Lucky 100 that got short-listed and were given a formal invitation by the palace to join the competition. Jaehyun confirms, genuinely thrilled, while Dongmin only says yes out of shock until he realizes what he just did.

On the day of the competition, they are up at 4am and getting ready to leave by 5. They don their most presentable clothes—nothing fancy, just dress shirts and trousers they’d wear to a job interview.

Dongmin foregoes the tie. If he looks underdressed, they might ask him to go home and that’s a win for him. That’ll get him out of this situation.

“There’s still a lot of time for us to spare,” he says as he checks his phone.

“It’s better to be there early so we can prepare—”

“That means I can still back out!” He yelps as Jaehyun grabs his shoulders and forces him to turn around. “What—”

Jaehyun looks at him like he just said the most blasphemous thing. “Are you seriously getting cold feet now? You can’t leave me! I don’t wanna go there alone! We’re going to win this competition together!”

Dongmin swats at Jaehyun’s hands. “I told you I didn’t want to do this…”

“But we already told the palace we’d be there. What if they get angry because we didn’t show up and send security to track us down? That’s the palace—they probably already have our address and everything about our identity.”

So they already know about that day Dongmin got sick back in 3^rd grade and vomited all over his classmate’s bag?

He turns back to the mirror to fix his hair. “This is your fault.”

Jaehyun pokes his back. “Relax! Whatever happens will be good for you. You lose? Okay. You don’t wanna get married this early anyway. You win? Then you get to marry none other than one of the royal princes.”

“I just think we’re about to make a big mistake.”

“Law of attraction, dude. As long as we think positively, nothing will go wrong!”

Dongmin hopes something goes awry so he can go back to living his ordinary life.

They take a cab to the hills of Gwacheon. As expected, they are the only ones taking public transportation as everyone is arriving in their own luxury cars.

Dongmin suggests getting off the cab at the gates so it won’t be too embarrassing to have a valet open the door for them. Together, he and Jaehyun walk while sleek black cars zoom past them with their roaring engines. Someone even comes in on a horse.

“I’m very close to running out of the gates.”

Jaehyun grips his wrist. “You’re going nowhere.”

“My anxiety is skyrocketing, Jaehyun.”

“They’re not going to bite us!”

Showing their invitation with the royal seal, they follow the flow of men to the ranch behind the palace. Apparently, 2 out of the 3 challenges will take place there—archery and relay horse riding.

And they are no masters of those. Archery is alright, they’ve joined extracurricular clubs back in high school and archery was a favorite activity. But relay horse riding? God forbid they break their spines if they fall.

More men trickle into the ranch. They are made to stand in rows and columns facing the dais dripping in crimson from the grand canopy, the drapes, the carpet, and the plush seats.

Dongmin fiddles as he anxiously looks around, envious at how confident Jaehyun seems. Everybody looks regal in their suits, obviously hailing from noble and reputable families. His anxiety tells him they are being judged for wearing dollar store outfits.

Feeling his sweat dribble down the back of his neck, Dongmin considers high tailing out of there. He will just suffer Jaehyun’s wrath later—

“Excuse me. How old are you?”

He looks at the man on his left. “Um, 22.”

The man smiles. “You don’t sound so sure.”

“…I am 22.”

“Don’t you think you’re too young to be here?”

“The palace allowed 20 year-olds to apply.”

“Touché.” The man’s smile broadens. “So, what do you do?”

Dongmin already knows where this conversation is going. He's not a good judge of character but he believes that 90% of these men are breathing with bloated egos. “Trying to earn my theater degree in Sungkyunkwan University.”

“Oh wow, that’s actually amazing. I graduated 6 years ago from Yonsei. Which family did you come from?”

“What do you mean?”

The man chuckles, flexing his wristwatch embedded with diamond stones. “Whose son are you?”

Dongmin smiles sarcastically. He won’t let anybody, not even the royals, insult his parents. “Lee Wooshin and Song Miyeon.”

“Do I know them?”

“Do you? If you’ve been to Gwangyang and dined in Lee’s Humble Gogi, then maybe.”

Frowning, the man mumbles to himself while typing on his phone probably to look it up.

“It doesn’t even exist!”

Dongmin huffs. “Of course. It’s a small restaurant with five tables. It’s even smaller than the princes’ bedrooms.”

The man smirks before looking him up and down. “In other words, you don’t have money.”

Dongmin gawks. “Excuse me—”

“What’s up?”

He glances at Jaehyun. “This man just said I don’t have money.”

“…Well, we don’t.”

The man asks why they’re there if they have no assets to brag about. Dongmin is tempted to flash him his bubble butt.

Jaehyun chortles. “Oh no no no, I don’t agree with that tone of yours, sir. You seem like an educated person so you should know better than to judge strangers’ financial status.”

“Or lack thereof.”

A sharp gasp leaves Jaehyun. “My goodness. We don’t care how much money you have, Gerard. Clearly, it’s useless because if money is what the princes are after then you should’ve already won. But here you are competing with penniless boys like us.”

Seeing the anger brewing in the man’s eyes, Dongmin elbows Jaehyun. “Drop it,” he whispers before pushing Jaehyun back to his place. “How did you even know his name?”

“I don’t know his name but he looks like a Gerard.”

The royal guards march in just as Dongmin opens his mouth to retort. Trumpets blowing, the royal family walks in and climbs the dais.

This is Dongmin’s first time seeing the royal family in person. The kings are popular for their kind gestures towards the sick, the children, the woman and the elderly, but they’re not losing among the younger generation because of their faces.

King Yunho looks like an intimidating feline while King Jaejoong looks like a mesmerizing god. And even though their sons are not biologically theirs, the princes somehow resemble them. Prince Taeyong has King Jaejoong’s pretty features while Prince Bin is like the not so mini version of King Yunho.

The princes sometimes join the kings in public appearances and Dongmin has always felt like Prince Bin is more serious than Prince Taeyong. Also, he has heard less rumors about him but Dongmin doesn’t really care for gossip.

As the kings deliver their speech, Jaehyun scoots closer to whisper. “They’re so cool.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Try to look like you’re eager to be here. They might kick you out.”

Stealing a glance at the Gerard-looking man and seeing how determined he appears, Dongmin fixes his posture. Even though he’s only there to accompany Jaehyun, he doesn’t want to embarrass his parents. They know he’s there to compete so he will try not to get eliminated from the 1^st test.

“And now, to officially begin the competition, stay in your places as you will be handed bows and arrows. The first challenge is archery. Good luck to everyone.”

Palace guards distribute their weapons. The rule is to have all 10 arrows stick on the target board. If an arrow falls, the candidate will not advance to the next test.

Dongmin and Jaehyun keep quiet as they await their turn. The only noise comes from the arrows slicing through the air and hitting the boards. Successful candidates walk back to their spots in glee while the defeated men are escorted out of the ranch by palace guards.

Dongmin gulps as Jaehyun’s column goes. He only focuses on his friend. Even if he doesn’t have the same wish, Dongmin wants Jaehyun to win. Anxiously, he chews on his nails everytime Jaehyun hits the target.

When the 10^th arrow sticks to the board, Dongmin nearly shouts in joy.

“I’m going to the 2^nd challenge!”

“Congratulations—”

“Next!”

King Yunho’s thundering voice has Dongmin trembling while walking forward. He steps on the X on the ground and psyches himself up. Jaehyun is the better archer between them but he’d also won medals before. Out of practice, but Dongmin should still possess some of the skills he’d learned all those years.

He takes his time before releasing the arrows. Being fast doesn’t guarantee a win. Dongmin curses under his breath as the 8^th arrow buckles. When it stops, he sends the 9^th off. Holding the 10^th against the bow makes his heart pound.

The seconds that follow after he releases the 10^th arrow don’t sink in until he’s walking back to Jaehyun and a royal guard escorts a sobbing Gerard out of the ranch.

“We did it!” Jaehyun high-fives him.

They patiently wait until everyone is done with their turn. At the end of the 1^st test, the remaining candidates are gathered and counted.

32 men have been disqualified. 68 are heading to the next challenge.

Oh shoot, Dongmin thinks. He’s not getting out of there anytime soon.

Standing behind their parents, Bin watches as the 2^nd challenge begins almost immediately. This requires teamwork. The remaining 68 will be divided in groups, and 2 candidates will ride together on a single horse. Like a sprint relay, they will be passing the sheathed sword to their teammate and the last two shall get to the finish line. If the sword is dropped, the team’s race restarts.

Any kind of race gets Bin hooked so he is more observant and attentive as the competition goes on. “You can tell who has not ridden a horse before, who does it for leisure, and who actually rides professionally.”

Bored, Taeyong checks his newly manicured nails. “There’s only one thing I want to ride and it’s—”

Covering his brother’s mouth, Bin pulls Taeyong away from the kings. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

Taeyong pushes his hand off. “Well that’s what I wanna talk about because this is so boring! Do we have to be here? We can’t even choose who we want to marry until the third competition is done and the final batch is decided.”

“It’s fun to watch the games.”

Taeyong grumbles. “Honestly, why didn’t dad and papa just make us choose among the 100 candidates? It doesn’t really matter if they know how to fire an arrow or ride a horse, does it?”

“If it’s not clear yet, this is actually for their own personal entertainment.”

“What a load of crap.”

“Don’t even use your phone—” Snatching his brother’s phone, Bin pockets it and shushes Taeyong as Jaejoong glances at them. “Can’t you be on your best behavior for today?”

“I haven’t posted on Instagram for a week, Binnie! I’m just going to take some pictures and upload it on my story.” Taeyong takes his phone back and straightens his royal blazer. “Chill, I won’t make it too obvious that I’d rather be shopping than standing here for decoration.”

Bin watches Taeyong in case his brother starts video calling one of his equally elite friends until the crowd reacts as one of the candidates falls off a horse.

“Oooh, that’s sexy.”

“The hell?”

“Oh my god, Binnie,” Taeyong sidles up to him. “Don’t you think this one is super handsome?” He zooms into one of the pictures he’d taken.

The man is good looking. Very much so. A lot of the candidates are attractive but most of them are in their late 20s, and this one looks like he’s only a few years older than them.

Bin scans the crowd and pulls Taeyong closer as he spots the man. “I see him.”

Taeyong giggles. “Gosh, I hope he wins. But if not, I’ll just beg the kings to manipulate the standings or whatever. We can do that, right? I mean, we’re the royal family.”

“I thought you don’t wanna get married?”

“That’s before I saw him.” Taeyong bounces on the balls of his feet, clutching the phone to his chest. “Oh no, Binnie. I think he’s gonna look even more dreamy up close. What if I tell you I’m falling for him?”

“Then congratulations. Isn’t that what marrying is about?”

Amused, Bin watches Taeyong’s crush get on a horse before another man hops behind him.

His smile falls off.

He doesn’t really give the idea of marriage much thought. 19, 20, or 21, if the palace tells him he shall marry, then he will. What’s important is they have a good heart, so Bin is not really looking for a candidate to root for.

Yet this one, he wonders what their name is, is so fucking pretty it’s hard to not have a bias. This man is the cutest one Bin has ever seen in his life.

Taking his eyes off of the guy, Bin looks at his brother who is now scowling down at his phone. “What is it again?”

“I’m trying to look for a hacker for hire. I wanna know this guy’s name but the advisors won’t give us the catalogue until later.”

“…Maybe you should wait until the competition is over?”

“But I want to know his name now!”

Bin approaches the kings. “Are we not really allowed to check the candidates’ profiles until the final batch is decided?”

Yunho doesn’t look away from the race. “The catalogue will be ready once we know who wins the 3^rd test. Why are you asking?”

“…Nothing. I just want to check their profiles.” For Taeyong’s sake and for his own. It doesn’t mean a thing. They are getting married to two of these men.

Jaejoong pats his hand. “We will let you read about them later.”

Dropping the subject, Bin stands beside his brother. For now, he will name those candidates Pretty Boy 1 and Pretty Boy 2 who might have not even seen a horse before.

But they are fast learners, picking up the basics from their rivals. Pretty Boy 1 controls the reins while Pretty Boy 2 is in-charge of passing the sheathed sword.

Bin tenses as Pretty Boy 2 almost falls after passing the sword to their teammate. Not sure why, but he finds it endearing how Pretty Boy 2 smacks Pretty Boy 1 out of embarrassment.

“Cute.”

“What?”

He waves dismissively. “Your pick just survived the race.”

The relay horse riding comes to an end faster than archery. 28 men just got sacked and 40 stay to fight each other for the last test.

And among those 40 are the men that have already caught Bin’s and Taeyong’s eyes.

A moment of respite is granted to the contenders. The palace understands that it is impossible to hold the competition non-stop even if Challenge 2 was the only physically tiring test in the series.

Jaehyun looks at the remaining men with him and Dongmin as he tries to wrap his head around the fact that he actually reached the 3^rd part of the competition especially after that nerve-wracking relay horse riding. Seeing Dongmin nearly almost practically gave him a heart attack but thanks to his reflex and the occasional weight lifting, he managed to keep his friend from face planting on the ground.

With a goblet of wine in hand, he loiters by the courtyard with Dongmin. “How many goblets do you think they have?”

“500, more or less. Royals hold extravagant parties every now and then and they don’t share glasses and plates, etc.”

Jaehyun eyes Dongmin’s glass of water. “Whenever we talk about the royals, you always sound like you hate them.”

Not everyone is a fan of the royal family, but those that do not like them do not make it obvious. Dongmin has no problem clashing with the majority.

“I don’t hate them; I just don’t see what’s so special about them. Sure, they help the needy. But isn’t that what we should all be doing? Help those who need help? They’re gaining way too much recognition.”

“But they’re not bad people.”

“No, they’re not.” Dongmin drinks his water. “But not everyone has to like them just because the kings are our kings and the princes are the princes.”

Finding no wrong in his friend’s opinion, Jaehyun hands his goblet to a server passing by and beckons Dongmin to follow him.

They roam the grounds where they are allowed entry, visiting the exquisite palace gardens with an enormous range of plants, so colorful and vibrant as spring is just around the corner.

“Jaehyun, are you gonna get mad at me if I say I wanna go home now?”

“Uh, no. I actually wanna thank you for doing this for me. But won’t it be a waste to go home now since we’ve reached the last part of the competition? I say you should continue just for the sake of finishing it but I guess that’s still up to you.”

Dongmin rubs his arms. “My social battery is draining.”

“We’ve hardly interacted with anyone except for Gerard.”

“Being around people even if I’m not talking already counts as social interaction for me.”

Jaehyun chuckles, nudging Dongmin. “If you’re such an introvert, why are you in theater?”

“Because I like performing. The applause makes up for the distress.”

Leaning into the bush of flowers, Jaehyun takes a whiff of their calming scent. “I can accompany you to the gates if you want. I was kidding about them sending off security to track us down. Ready to be disqualified?”

Reaching for the flowers, Dongmin caresses the pink petals gently. “I wonder why the competition is not about measuring your strengths as a partner. How does archery and horse riding make you a good husband?”

“I think it’s just for the spectacle, honestly. We’re talking about royals here. The true challenge awaits in the 3^rd part.”

“Isn’t it kind of unfair for those who lost the first two games? Maybe they’ll make a better husband than me. We just lucked out.”

“…Sometimes, it’s not about what you can do but how favored you are by God.” Jaehyun agrees that it’s quite unfair but for someone like him, it’s more unfair that the rich still want to get richer by marrying the princes. “So are you staying or not?”

Dongmin glances at the others who are now being escorted inside the palace, and puffs his chest in a show of bravery. “I’m a man, and no man backs out from challenges.”

“That’s the spirit. Let’s go!”

Jaehyun grimaces as a palace guard reprimands him for being too loud, and tugs Dongmin so they can join the other contenders.

The last test takes place in the throne room. Jaehyun’s eyes shimmer in awe as he looks at the stunning ornaments of the interior, the detailed intricacies of the walls, tall windows, and high ceiling that looks like a dome.

Simply standing there already makes him feel like royalty. What more when he actually marries one?

Soon, the kings and the princes enter and take their seats, with Prince Taeyong by King Jaejoong’s side and Prince Bin by King Yunho’s.

“Welcome back, everyone. This is the last test in the competition. Before we proceed, I would like to thank you all for showing interest in having a union with the princes. However, as impressed as we were by the display of your talent and determination in the first two rounds, this is where we will know your hearts’ intentions. All you have to do is answer a question—there is no right or wrong, but your answers will tell us what kind of people you are.”

King Jaejoong speaks more softly than King Yunho but is nonetheless captivating.

“While the engagement, and later on, matrimony, establishes maturity of the princes and their readiness to take on bigger responsibilities, we wish to only hand our sons to the best men that will respect, cherish, and protect them. I hope that my underlying message was clearly delivered to you, gentlemen.” King Jaejoong signals an advisor. “Now, we will begin.”

Names are called and contenders receive questions like it’s some beauty pageant’s Q&A. Jaehyun is not nervous but he needs to be careful of his answer. He needs to sound smart and assertive, and make them think there’s no other choice but to select him. He has to win the kings’ hearts before he gets to marry one of their sons.

“Lee Dongmin.”

With hands curled into fists, Dongmin comes to the front. Jaehyun knows that when Dongmin does that, he’s shaking.

The advisor picks a rolled paper from the transparent glass box and reads the question. “Is one person’s life worth more than the others?”

Dongmin takes a brief moment to gather his thoughts but the second he opens his mouth, words continuously dribble out.

“It depends on how you define worth. Each of us has an individual value to society. If you ask a random civilian to choose between me and the kings, they will choose the kings because they have left more impact on the nation compared to me who has significantly less power and influence. But if you ask my family, they will tell you I’m more important because they have an intimate connection with me. It all boils down to the perspective of who the question is aimed to. For me, everyone matters. We have our own unique purpose in this world that will benefit a particular group of people.”

Seeing that even some of the contenders nod their heads in agreement, Jaehyun smiles to himself. Yet the kings show no sliver of reaction to prevent suspicions of favoritism. But if he were them, Jaehyun would save Dongmin for one of their sons in a heartbeat.

When Jaehyun’s turn comes, his gaze darts towards Dongmin’s for a second before he looks expectantly at the advisor, not failing to notice how Prince Taeyong has perked up in his seat.

“Is it ever acceptable to lie? When and why?”

Maybe it’s just him but Jaehyun thought the advisor’s lips curled into a smirk.

“When the word ‘lie’ comes up, we always automatically assume a negative connotation. While lying is almost always attached to a morally wrong action, there are times it is deemed necessary and justified. For example, when you have to protect yourself or someone else from immediate danger. In that context, a lie becomes your savior.”

“And if you lie for selfish reasons?”

Surprise echoes in the throne room. No one else has received a follow-up question. Even the kings are startled by Prince Taeyong’s interjection.

“Pardon…?”

“Is it considered evil to lie to gain something for yourself at the expense of another person’s trust?”

Jaehyun holds the prince’s gaze and loses himself in those gorgeous eyes until one of the kings clears their throat. Blushing, he speaks. “Um—it’s always bad to be parasitic, Your Highness. Regardless of the circumstance, one must not take advantage of someone else’s trust for their own selfish comfort. Even if the reason seems valid for one party.”

The royal advisor chimes in before Prince Taeyong could make a comment. “Thank you for answering. Your turn is done.”

Jaehyun saunters back to Dongmin.

“What was that…?”

He has no idea. Prince Taeyong has shown nothing but boredom and disinterest since the 1^st part of the competition, not like Jaehyun has been watching him. He doesn’t want to assume but could it be because of his face? He’s not being arrogant but it’s a fact that he and Dongmin are easily the best eye candies out there.

As soon as everybody has given their answers, the kings hold a muted discussion with the advisors while the princes are left chattering between themselves. Eventually, King Yunho announces the final list of successful candidates for deliberation.

Ecstatic feels too weak a word to describe his emotions as Jaehyun gets called. He is one step closer to his dream of marrying into the royal family and becoming among the wealthiest men in the country.

He can no longer stifle a smile when Dongmin is called as well, grabbing his best friend’s hand. “You’re freezing.”

“I’m going to pass out.”

Giggling, Jaehyun discreetly pinches Dongmin’s meaty butt.

Sitting with a leg crossed over the other, Taeyong contentedly sucks on a strawberry lollipop while waiting with Bin for the kings to come into the conference room.

“Isn’t that your 3^rd lollipop?”

“Are you counting?”

“I’m waiting for your diabetes diagnosis.”

The brothers behave as the kings enter the office. Taeyong shoots Bin a grin as he sees the catalogues in King Yunho’s hands.

“The profiles of the 25 candidates are here. You can both browse it and see for yourselves which ones you want to get to know more.”

Beaming, Taeyong excitedly flips through the pages. Jaejoong chuckles at the happiness radiating off of him.

“My, look at you. Weren’t you the one who was strongly opposed to this?”

Bin exposes him. “I think he’s got a crush.”

“Crush? I found the love of my life.” Taeyong looks at his parents. “Dad, papa, please forgive me for how I acted before. Of course I didn’t know better and I should’ve just trusted you. But you understand how scary this is for a 19 year-old boy, right?”

Browsing through the profiles, Bin bites down his tongue to keep himself from making a comment that will earn him a punch on the arm. “Are we going to hold an interview?”

“Right after you decide who you wish to be engaged to.”

“This is so ridiculous but so exhilarating at the same time,” Taeyong says as he looks at the photos of the other candidates, nose scrunching in distaste. “This Jang Soohyun looks like a human cone.”

“It’s 2023. We’re not insulting people’s looks, Taeyong.”

“I’m not insulting him, I’m describing him! Don’t take offense on his behalf, Binnie. You’re so handsome, so different from this human cone. You are…” Taeyong blinks a few times as he thinks of an accurate comparison. “You’re shaped like a uterus.”

Bin promptly chokes on his own spit. “What?”

“Papa, doesn’t he look like a uterus?”

Jaejoong seems like he doesn’t know whether to scold Taeyong or support him. “…Your brother worked hard for that body.”

“…Sometimes, I don’t get how his brain works.”

Taeyong ignores them as he bites down the lollipop, flipping pages until he finds the one he’s looking for. Grinning, he shows Jeong Jaehyun’s profile to the kings. “I want him.”

“Are you sure?” Yunho takes the catalogue from him to read Jeong Jaehyun’s profile.

“It’s either I get engaged to him or I set the palace on fire.”

Jaejoong waves a hand. “Give him what he wants.”

“…If this is who my son wants to marry, then I have nothing against it. We ran a basic background check on everybody, nothing too serious, and we didn’t find anything suspicious about him.”

“Of course! He’s like an angel sent from above. God, look at him!” Taeyong snatches the catalogue back and fights the urge to pepper kisses all over Jeong Jaehyun’s photo. “He should be a model! Why is he trying to be an engineer? That’s a waste of face. Maybe I could convince him to be my muse in the future.” He toes at Bin’s leg. “Found a nice guy?”

Bin wishes to be fair but he can’t get his mind off of Lee Dongmin. Finding the man’s profile, Bin scans it and finds nothing special, nothing remarkable, but that face is pulling him in and is making him want to keep Lee Dongmin to himself.

He’s not a possessive man but somehow, he really wants to have his hands on this theater major. Giving up on being reasonable, Bin closes the catalogue.

“Lee Dongmin seems like he’ll match with me. He and Jeong Jaehyun appear to know each other and they go to Sungkyunkwan as well, so it’ll be easy for me and Taeyong to spend time with them.”

“Suddenly, I’m excited to go to college. Dad, can’t you ask Sungkyunkwan to adjust their academic calendar?”

“That’s impossible. What are we gonna tell them? If you are both sure about your picks, we can call for them  now.”

Without objection, Jaejoong orders the palace guards to bring Jeong Jaehyun and Lee Dongmin to the conference room.

They didn’t have to wait for too long. Awestruck, Jeong Jaehyun and Lee Dongmin join them in the office, seemingly confused as to what they are expected to do.

“Take a seat!” Warmer than Yunho, Jaejoong is the one that offers the men a bright smile. “Good afternoon. I hope the food was satisfying.”

“It felt like a feast, Your Majesty.” Jaehyun blushes as he stammers at the end. “Thank you for being hospitable.”

“It’s our small thanks for working hard today. Anyway, I think you both have an idea why you got called.”

Yunho sets his serious gaze on the chosen fiancés of his sons. “The princes have finally decided. They want both of you—”

“I want Jaehyun!” Taeyong exclaims unabashedly, leaving his seat to shake hands with his pick. “Hi, Jaehyun! You’re going to marry me!”

Jaehyun stares at him, dumbfounded.

“…Taeyong, there’s a more dignified way to announce that.” Yunho sighs and resumes his announcement. “The princes have chosen the two of you as their potential spouses. Prince Taeyong…obviously wants Jeong Jaehyun, and Prince Bin will be engaged to Lee Dongmin.”

“…Oh my God,” Dongmin mumbles to himself.

Yunho glances at Bin as the prince looks away as if trying not to laugh. “I believe they wish to talk to their respective fiancés in private for a bit before the formal announcement to the public is made.”

Dongmin remembers to breathe. “Formal announcement—I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but when is that going to be?”

“After you talk with Prince Bin.”

“…Tonight?”

“I’m not doing any interview!” Taeyong shares as he momentarily stops staring at Jaehyun. “I’ve read Jaehyun’s profile, and you just told us there’s nothing shady about them so let’s go. Let’s tell the public now!” Impatiently, Taeyong transfers to the seat next to Jaehyun. “It’s sooo nice to meet you!”

Dazed, Jaehyun takes the prince’s hand and presses a kiss on the back of it. “It’s an honor to be chosen by you, Your Highness.”

Taeyong giggles, smacking Jaehyun’s arm. “Don’t call me that, we’re boyfriends now! And I actually just wanted to shake hands again but you exceeded my expectations. My heart…it’s beating so fast for you. No one else has ever made me feel like I just downed 10 cups of coffee.”

Jaejoong shrugs, looking at Yunho. “He really is my son.”

Clearing his throat, Bin meets Dongmin’s eyes and curls a finger at him, beckoning the man to follow. He notices the furrow of Dongmin’s brow for a second before turning on his heel to get to the hidden office connected to the conference room.

“Your Highness—”

“Bin is fine.” He faces Lee Dongmin, hands clasped behind him. “Anyway, I know that you sending in that application and doing your best to win this competition means that you really want to do this. Because if you don’t, then you’re not gonna be here, am I right?”

Dongmin rubs his nape. “I—”

“Dongmin hyung, are you nervous?” Bin is not one to be playful with strangers but there’s something about Lee Dongmin that has switched the tendency on.

“W-what? Of course not…!” Dongmin realizes the tone of his voice and speaks more softly. “I just didn’t expect to be chosen.”

“Not so confident, I see. For someone who was very competitive, it’s surprising you’re not expecting to have my hand. Or are you hoping to have my brother’s instead?”

The way Dongmin’s cheeks darken tugs Bin’s mouth to a small smile.

“It’s not like that…”

“If you say so. I’m more chill than my brother about the whole marriage thing, so if you changed your mind, tell me now. I can choose another one—”

“I want to do this.”

Those that know who he is do not interrupt him when he’s talking. Bin has never minded it before. And Dongmin cutting him off is more amusing than annoying.

Bin tilts his head, wordlessly pressing for more.

“I want to get married…to you.” Dongmin starts wringing his wrists, the color of his cheeks redder than before. “I want to be your fiancé.”

A soft chuckle leaves Bin. “I just really wanted to hear it straight from you. It’s settled, then.” Boldly, he brushes the invisible dirt off of Dongmin’s shoulder, feeling the other man go rigid. “We’re going to get engaged.”

Shortening the distance between them, Bin realizes that they’re almost the same height. Dongmin is just a couple of centimeters taller. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Minnie.”

Bin fears that Dongmin might not be breathing so he takes pity on the man and leads the way back to the conference room. “We’re good.”

Jaejoong claps once. “Perfect! Now, let’s have their measurements taken so the butlers can look for the perfect blazers and trousers for them. Don’t worry, we have the best in-house stylists. Go get ready, everyone! The media are on their way!”

“Just a second—” Jaehyun almost loses his balance as he gets up. “This is FINAL, right? Like we really are going to get married soon. We can…tell our families about it?”

“Not too soon, but yes,” Yunho informs. “We will send letters to your families. However, if the princes do not feel that you are very compatible with them, whatever the reason is, the wedding can get cancelled.”

Taeyong attaches himself to Jaehyun’s arm like a koala. “I want to help take his measurements! As practice, since I’m gonna make millions of clothes in the future and all that.”

As the butlers gather them, Bin purposely lags behind Dongmin with barely hidden mirth in his eyes.

The fiancés’ families were welcomed into the palace for a few days of the celebration as Jeong Jaehyun and Lee Dongmin were introduced to important people related to the royal family.

The engagement was all over the news—TV, radio, paper, the ultimate talk of the country. A bigger deal compared to the engagement of King Yunho to King Jaejoong. Jaejoong came from a family of aristocrats, but the princes are marrying commoners.

For a while they were worried about how the news would be received by the citizens. Marrying men with no royal or noble blood is almost unheard of. Good thing, the humility of the royal family is more widely celebrated than opposed.

Bin picks up the dumbbells and brings them to his corner in the school gym. It has only been a week since classes began but it doesn’t mean he can slack off from staying in shape since he’s now a part of the university’s swimming team. There will be an interschool competition in the second semester and he will have to go through another rigorous training to ensure a medal.

“Ah, excuse me. Prince Bin?”

Taking one earphone off, Bin looks at the male student standing before him. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah, and I’m sorry for disturbing you but may I have your number?”

“Are we in the same class?”

The student chuckles shyly. “I’m actually a sophomore. I just want to be friends with you. Maybe we can hang out soon? My father owns a casino, so if you’re into playing pool—”

“No, thank you. I’m not gambling.”

“Then we can just—”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“Is it too obvious?”

Bin puts the dumbbell down. “I’m flattered, but…I’m engaged.” Can’t this student see the band around his finger? “I think you’ve seen the news.”

“But someone told me the wedding could still be—”

“I’m faithful to my fiancé.” As if on cue, Dongmin steps into the gym seemingly looking for someone. Bin gets up, completely ignoring the nameless guy. “Minnie.”

Dongmin reddens. “Uh—is Jaehyun here?”

“He’s not. I’ve been here for the past 15 minutes and I haven’t even seen his shadow.”

“Oh, okay. Then I’ll go—”

“Stay.” Bin looks at the others making use of the gym equipment. “Can we please have some privacy?” Using his charming smile, he convinces everyone to vacate the gym for his and Dongmin’s convenience. “Lock the door.”

Dongmin stays rooted in his spot for a few seconds before moving to push the button on the wall. “Do you need something…?”

The last time he and Dongmin talked in person was during the post-engagement parties. When Dongmin and his family left the palace and Dongmin returned to his apartment with Jaehyun, Bin exchanged a handful of texts with him. Mainly asking Dongmin about his plans for the day, and losing the chance to hang out as Dongmin always had to work on his script.

Unlike Jaehyun and Taeyong who have been glued to the hip since Day 1, Bin and Dongmin are progressing way too slow for a couple engaged to be married.

“Your time,” Bin casually says. “Am I not entitled to it?”

Dongmin puts his backpack down. “I just wanted to ask Jaehyun what he wants for dinner since he’s not replying to me.”

“A phone call might work.”

As Dongmin takes his phone out, Bin huffs in amusement and sits down to lift weights again, watching his muscles flex. He feels Dongmin’s gaze on him. “Do you have something important to do? Other than that script.”

“Not really. I just passed the draft to my professor and I have to wait for her feedback before I can continue.” Dongmin pockets his phone again. “Jaehyun is ignoring me.”

“People who are more inclined with art have always intrigued me. How are you so creative that you always have these new and bright ideas to work on?”

Dongmin sits on a bench several feet away. “What’s your major again?”

Bin grins at his fiancés reflection in the mirror. “Physical Education.”

“Ah, it shows.”

Putting the dumbbells away, Bin goes to one of the treadmills and fixes the controls before stepping on it. “I’m a sporty kid. I think I tried every sport out there and I aced them, except for anything with balls. I suck at basketball, volleyball, bowling. You name it. I love swimming the most.”

“Did you join the swimming team, then?”

“Mm. But instead of becoming a professional athlete, I want to be a coach. Or a teacher. Maybe I could do both. What do you think?”

Dongmin avoids his gaze, looking at the floor while rubbing his palms on the material of his jeans. “You should do whatever you want as long as you’re not exhausting yourself. Fulfill your dreams one step at a time.”

“You sound so wise, Minnie. Does it come with age?’

“I’m not even that old.”

“But I bet you know so much more than I do.” Bin wonders what’s so fascinating about that floor that Dongmin would rather stare at it than him. “Do you like exercising?”

His fiancé makes a face of disgust. “Make me do anything except that. But I do go for a run on weekends as I hate being sedentary.”

Bin laughs, and the sound of it eases some of the tension on Dongmin’s shoulders. “What’s so bad about it?”

“The sweat?”

“Nobody likes being sweaty. Even if you’re not exercising, you sweat simply by walking.”

“Whatever, you’re never gonna make me hop on that treadmill or lift those dumbbells or pull on those…whatever those equipment are called. They’re terrifying.”

Bin finds Dongmin so effortlessly funny. “But you’re marrying a workout evangelist, Minnie. What if I want to drag you to the gym with me?”

Dongmin looks at his arms for a second. “…As long as it’s with you, I guess it’s fine.”

Bin stares at Dongmin in the mirror until the latter’s eyes lock with his, and smirks. “Anything for the husband, I see.”

“Fiancé.”

The smirk on his face turns into a grin. It’s getting more fun to tease Dongmin. “Fiancé, then. Minnie is so pedantic.”

“I’m not pedantic. And why do you keep calling me Minnie?”

“Because it’s cute and it’ll make us feel closer, don’t you agree? You can call me Binnie if you want. Minnie and Binnie.” Bin cards his fingers through his hair. “Do you hate it? I can just call you Dongmin.”

“Call me whatever pleases you.” Dongmin’s hands curl around the sides of the bench he is sitting on. “Like you said…it’ll make us feel closer.”

“It’ll help us when we get married. Imagine feeling like a stranger while sleeping with your husband.” As red blooms on Dongmin’s cheeks, Bin gets off the treadmill. “Do you know why I asked everyone to leave?”

“Because you’re a prince and you don’t like sharing the gym with commoners.”

“That’ll make more sense, right?” But I asked them to leave because I wanted to talk to you like this. With just the two of us, and I can tell you’re the shy type from the way you carry yourself. That’s why it amazed me even more to see you persevere in the competition. You must really want to marry a prince.”

“What can I say…” Dongmin goes to his bag and picks it up. “I’m a hopeless romantic.”

“Sure, you are.” Bin points to the barbell. “Minnie, can you help me put the weights back on the racks? I’d hate for the staff to find the place messy. They might think I’m a brat.”

Lips pressed firmly, Dongmin saunters over to the barbell and struggles to carry it.

“Need a hand?”

“No, I can do this—”

Initially, Bin lets him be. He picks up some trash, snickering as Dongmin trembles. “You might break your back like that.”

Walking up to his fiancé, Bin grabs the barbell and easily perches it on the rack. “There we go.”

Frowning at his arms, Dongmin wipes the sweat that accumulated on his hairline. “Aren’t you 19? Why do 19 year-olds have to work out so much? What do you need all those muscles for? You should be—you should be playing video games in your room or something.”

“…I work out so I can lift heavy things, Minnie. Do you wanna see how easy it is for me?” Without further ado, Bin lifts Dongmin off the ground and carries him like a princess. “You’re just like a sack of rice.”

“Hey— put me down! What are you doing?!”

Bin raises a brow. “Showing you what these arms are for.”

“Okay, you proved your point—now put me down!”

“What’s the magic word?”

Dongmin’s nostrils flare. “…Please. Binnie.”

Grinning triumphantly, Bin puts Dongmin down. “Good boy.”

Straightening his shirt, Dongmin squints at him. “I’m not a good boy. I should be calling you a good boy because… because I’m older than you, and I’m—”

“Being older doesn’t make you the dom, Minnie.”

Choking on his own breath, Dongmin scurries to his bag. “Nobody’s talking about such things! Goodbye…and have a nice day!”

As the door closes after Dongmin, Bin goes back to the treadmill to resume his exercise. “Why does it feel like I’m the one pursuing him?”

Taeyong gets ready to leave as the bell rings, spraying perfume all over himself to stay fresh. He cannot be a fashion student if he’s going to look so haggard—like some of his classmates. He’s not sure if they merely used a roulette wheel to choose their program. A few of them definitely shouldn’t be in this course.

As he fixes his air, several of his female classmates surround him, bombarding him with questions. How does it feel like to be a prince? What does the inside of the palace look like? Is it true that you have 100 maids? Do you really bathe in fresh cow milk from New Zealand? And most of all…

What is it like to be engaged at 19?

“You must have everything you want. Do you have your own car?”

Taeyong chuckles, lengthening the wing of his eyeliner. “Of course, but I rarely drive it myself since I have someone else to do that. My brother drives his own car and bike. I don’t like exerting that much effort.”

“Is that man in all black at the gates that has been standing all day your bodyguard?”

“Ahuh, that’s him.”

“Good thing he doesn’t follow you around every minute of the day, no?”

“Four of them used to tail me 24/7.” Taeyong side-eyes the girl. “I know you’re not clueless about some of the rumors that one of the princes loves partying, yaddah yaddah. That’s me. I like breaking the rules.”

“That’s so badass, honestly.”

“Not really. Especially now that I’m getting married; I have to pull myself together. Jaehyun doesn’t like people who do nothing but get shitfaced.”

The girls giggle among themselves. “Speaking of your fiancé, are you planning on going on an overseas date anytime soon? Maybe in Japan? If you want a tour guide, I can go with you! If you can’t tell, I’m half Japanese. I have a house in Kyoto that we can—”

“I can hire my own tour guide.” Taeyong chucks his make-up pouch in his bag and gets up.

“Okay, but me and my friends are always available if you want a squad to travel with.”

Taeyong gives them a once over to let them know he is totally judging them. “A group of friends that only wanna hang out with me to get a taste of royalty? I’ve heard this song before, actually. I’ve dealt with the likes of you for 4 years in high school and let me tell you now—you’re never gonna get in my circle. Toodles!”

Leaving the stunned girls behind, Taeyong walks out of the room with his head held high.

It was cocky of him, yes, but he’s only being real. They only want to be friends with him because of who he is, and if they don’t know he’s a prince, they’re going to hate him for being prettier than them. Taeyong learned his lesson. Better to tell them off now than let them think they could fool him.

He’s not going to give the people who only want his status and money the access to his life when they are only going to stab him in the back when he’s not around.

Seeing Jaehyun at the bottom of the staircase, Taeyong waves and hastily goes down. “Jaehyunie!”

Heads turn towards them.

Smiling, Jaehyun takes his bag and kisses his cheek. “Hello, pretty.”

“Have you been waiting long?”

“Only for 10 minutes.”

“10 minutes! My god, the others won’t even stay for 2. But you like me so much that you’ll be willing to wait for 10 hours for me, aren’t you?” Taeyong pats down the stubborn strand of hair on top of Jaehyun’s head.

“I will wait for days if you ask me to.”

Taeyong playfully jabs Jaehyun’s chest with a finger. “You really have a way with words. Be careful, I might fall sooo deeply in love with you.”

Jaehyun pouts. “So your heart isn’t skipping a beat for me? Then I shall work harder.”

He and Jaehyun have been going out together as much as possible since the engagement, unlike Bin and Dongmin. Taeyong interrogated his brother but Bin had nothing exciting to tell him.

It’s useless; why take things slow when they’re going to get married anyway? Him and Jaehyun are getting along so well, like puzzle pieces, they fit each other and click together. Anything Jaehyun likes, Taeyong likes it too. Anything he is interested in, Jaehyun approves of it.

“Jaehyunie, can I call you baby?”

“Why not?” Jaehyun entwines their fingers. “I’m your boyfriend.”

“Maybe I’m getting way too clingy already, or too forward and you don’t like it.”

“I like it more when my partner is clingy. It makes me feel wanted.”

“Then I’ll be by your side all the time.” Taeyong bites Jaehyun’s shoulder and pulls him towards the car waiting for them.

He tells his bodyguard slash driver to take them to Monfleur.

Jaehyun blinks. “Isn’t that a lingerie store?”

“That’s where I buy mine.” Hearing his boyfriend inhale sharply, Taeyong pulls up the partition and nuzzles his face into the crook of Jaehyun’s neck to plant a soft kiss on it. “I’ll show you some of the things I wear.”

Jaehyun’s cheeks are dusted with pink when they arrive at the shop. Women’s underwear in various designs hang on display, from modest to downright sultry.

“I want the whole store to myself and my fiancé, if that’s fine,” Taeyong tells the staff as politely as he can. “I will just call you if I need your assistance. Thank you.” When they leave, he presses a button on the wall to shut the blinds and conceal them from the outside.

“Is this okay? What if other customers want to shop too?”

“They can do it online, or wait until we leave. It won’t take us too long, though. I just want to get this underwear that I’ve been eyeing since last month but I felt too guilty to get it since I haven’t even worn some of the sets that just arrived.”

Taeyong reaches for a moss green thong.

Jaehyun’s throat bobs. “You wear women’s underwear.”

“I do. Is that going to be a problem?”

“It might become a problem for little me.”

Gaze dropping to Jaehyun’s crotch, Taeyong grins. “Do you want some help with that?”

Jaehyun looks around. “Here…?”

“Why not? Sit down, baby.” Going to the counter, Taeyong plugs his phone to the speakers and shuffles his Britney Spears playlist, lightly tousling his hair as I’m a Slave 4 U starts.

Jaehyun’s fingers dig onto the meat of his thighs. “Jesus—are you gonna give me a lapdance?”

Taeyong pops the button of his jeans. “Never gotten one before?”

“Never gotten a good one before.”

He mentally stabs whoever dared to sit on his fiancé’s lap. “Poor you. Once I’m done with you, you’re not gonna look for a cheap stripper anymore.”

Taeyong sways his hips to the beat salaciously.

“Who are you kidding, Taeyong—you’re the only one I want. My eyes are always on you.”

He’d heard the same lines from the others but Jaehyun makes it sound real and hot that Taeyong wants to record it and listen to it as a bedtime story.

“I know, and I believe you. You already have a prince on your lap; it’ll be stupid to look at someone else.” Straddling Jaehyun, Taeyong locks his arms around the man’s neck and slowly grinds against his stomach.

Jaehyun’s hands fly to his waist, gripping. “Why do I feel like you only took me here so you could do this?”

“Maybe.”

“Is this a kink of yours? Give your boyfriend a lap dance in a lingerie store? So specific. But I like it.” Jaehyun gives his waist a gentle squeeze. “I like how daring you are, Prince Taeyong.”

Taeyong’s lips brush along Jaehyun’s jaw. “Daring, wild, risque. That’s what they all liked about me.”

“How many men have you had?”

“Too many to count, baby. So don’t you worry about how our wedding night will go.” He nips on the shell of Jaehyun’s ear. “I know exactly what to do.”

The groan he pulls out of Jaehyun makes him grind harder.

“God, thank you for giving me the chance to be this breathtaking boy’s fiancé.”

Turned on by his own actions, Taeyong runs a finger down Jaehyun’s chest. “And you…with a face and body like this, I know you’ve had so many lovers too.”

“I won’t lie.”

“Hmm. I’m not a jealous person, baby. If you tell me you’re mine and only mine, I will trust you.”

Jaehyun’s hands slide down to the swell of his ass.

“I’m all yours, Prince Taeyong.”

Pulling back, he looks into Jaehyun’s eyes.

“Do you like me?”

“I do. A lot.”

Taeyong can detect insincerity, an acquired talent that his exes drilled into him.

He doesn’t find an ounce of it from Jaehyun.

“Help me pick out more thongs. It’s important for me that you like what I put on my body” Pressing down on Jaehyun’s bulge, Taeyong languidly rocks until Jaehyun is groaning once again. “Consider this as my post-engagement gift.”

“I love it already.”

“Kiss me.”

Pupils dilated, Jaehyun cups his jaw and leans in to capture his lips in a fervent kiss.

His fiancé’s lips are soft, sweet, addicting. Taeyong wants to kiss Jaehyun every day until the last.

What did this man exactly do that he’s gotten this obsessed so fast?

Sounds of utensils hitting the plates and bowls resound in the silence of the dining hall.

“Do I still have to ask, or are my sons going to voluntarily tell me about their classes?”

Bin washes the food down his throat. “There’s really not much difference from high school except that we’ve got more free time in our schedule that I typically spend at the gym. Everyone is nice…but that’s probably because of who I am.”

“Exactly—”

“Don’t talk when your mouth is full, Taeyong.”

Taeyong takes his time chewing before swallowing his food. “As I was saying, all these girls were asking me stuff about my private life last time. Trying to hang out with me and Jaehyun but I know from the bottom of my queer heart that they just want to share the spotlight.”

“Aren’t you being too judgemental?”

The prince shrugs. “No, dad—” A yelp escapes Taeyong as Bin kicks him under the table. “Okay, maybe a little bit! But considering my history, it’s kinda hard to trust people nowadays. Most of them just want to ride on your coattails.”

“Then be wise about who you spend time with,” Bin says, tearing the tender meat off the bone. “Although not to the point that you’d push everyone away. They are strangers to us so we have to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“You’re always so positive, Binnie. I wish I could switch personalities with you but then I remember your personality relies on exercising and swimming and then I learn to love myself again.”

Jaejoong shakes his head. This son of his won’t survive without trying to bicker with his sibling. “Bin is just as amazing as you, honey. What are you saying?”

“I just love roasting him, pa. That’s how all brothers are! This is our version of roughhousing.”

“We never really roughhoused, did we?”

Taeyong swings his chopsticks at Bin. “Thank god, because you would’ve broken 103 of my bones, you beast.”

“…Then there’s no problem with studies, right?” Jaejoong eventually clarifies amidst the brothers’ childish banters. “Only that you’re suspicious of everyone’s intentions. We can’t do much about that, sadly. Only time will tell the true colors of the people around us. What about your fiancés? How are you adjusting to the engagement?”

“It’s fine. It’s like making a new friend—”

Taeyong kicks Bin’s foot. “Aww, Binnie. Dongmin is going to be your husband! You shouldn’t be befriending him.”

“But every long-lasting relationship’s foundation is friendship.”

Taeyong’s face crumples.  “Friends don’t kiss each other on the lips.”

Jaejoong gasps, glancing at Yunho for a second. “Binnie, you and Dongmin already—”

“NO, we’ve done nothing of that sort!” Bin hisses at Taeyong, blushing furiously. “I don’t wanna talk about things like that with my parents, with all due respect.”

Yunho nods, refilling his glass with wine. “That’s your personal business.”

“Taeyong was mainly talking about him and Jaehyun.”

“You’ll never catch Bin and his fiancé holding hands under the shade of a tree. But me and Jaehyun?” Taeyong chuckles, brushing his fringe back. “It’s like we’re a match made in heaven. Love really moves in absurd ways, doesn’t it?”

“Love, huh.” Jaejoong murmurs. “Jeong Jaehyun must be a really good man.”

Taeyong has always made it known that he’s dating someone, but the word ‘love’ has never come out of his mouth before.

“He gives me butterflies and makes my heart flutter whenever he’s near.”

“Well, your happiness and satisfaction should be his priority. I wouldn’t want to hear you say he’s not making you feel loved.” Yunho gives Bin a pointed look. “You and Lee Dongmin are getting along just fine, correct?”

Bin nods but doesn’t look at the king.

Moving on from the topic, the kings then discuss the overseas meetings they have to attend.

Once dinner is done, the princes excuse themselves and the kings retire to their bedroom as there is no more urgent work waiting for them.

Jaejoong decides to take a shower while it’s still early so he can take his time going through his skincare routine without worrying about the dark circles he will sport the next day. When he comes out of the en suite in a velvet blue bathrobe, he finds Yunho hunched over the desk reading some documents.

Sitting on his side of the bed, he plugs the hair dryer. “The boys are alright, aren’t they?”

Yunho looks at him over his shoulder. “Did something give away that they might not be?”

“I’m just a bit worried. Honestly, this feeling has been nagging at me since we told them about the competition.”

“I’m all ears.”

Jaejoong smiles. No matter how busy his husband is, Yunho will always have time to listen to him. “You and I got engaged when we were 19 but we didn’t marry until we both turned 25. I’m just a bit worried since our mindset at that time was totally different to our sons’. We grew up in families that instilled royal protocol in us since we were born. This kind of life is natural to us. But Taeyong and Bin…I feel like they could do more.”

“And can. They will. No one’s stopping them.”

“I just don’t want to be the kind of parent that controls everything about their children’s lives. Maybe we should’ve postponed the engagement. Taeyong didn’t want it.”

Yunho’s fingers drum on the desk. “He didn’t, but it seems like he’s enjoying it now. Truthfully, if they said they didn’t want anyone among the candidates, I would have suggested postponing the engagement as well. But they found their fiancés.”

“Not because we made them feel like they didn’t have a choice, right…?”

Leaving his work, Yunho sits next to Jaejoong and wraps an arm around his shoulder before planting a kiss on the king consort’s temple.

“Traditions are traditions. We’ve done our part as kings. Now, they are spending time with their potential spouses and if they decide not to push through with the wedding, then we will respect that. We will honor their decisions.”

Yunho cups his cheek, caressing the smooth skin. “We should trust them. They may be young but they know themselves best.”

Relief takes over the worry in Jaejoong’s heart. He hands the hair dryer to Yunho and chuckles as the latter rolls his eyes.

“You’re not a king right now but my dutiful husband so please help me maintain my beauty.”

“Whatever you say, my love.”

Dongmin observes his team members on stage as they act out a specific scene from the drama he’s writing. They are set to perform it at the end of the semester. Sitting in first row, he notes the play of emotions on their faces so he can write down comments to discuss with them later.

He’s got a part in it but since he’s also the writer and the co-director, he’s got the smallest scenes to do. It’s fine—he loves every job that makes up ‘theater’, plus he already got a lot of opportunities to showcase his acting during his sophomore and junior years.

Picking up something he didn’t quite like, Dongmin asks them to stop and climbs the stage. “Hera—you’re not supposed to hold Minhyun’s hand when you tell him not to go.”

“But the character is keeping him from running away, right?”

“Yes, but your character is prideful. Julia’s pride matters to her more than anything. And she doesn’t like physical intimacy so tor each for Eleazar’s hand doesn’t align with her character. She’s not going to beg. She will demand him to stay. Got it?”

Dongmin knows his drama best so they cannot argue with him about it. They may have their own interpretation of the characters they are playing but Dongmin needs them to go with the original picture in his head or else the plot won’t be effective.

“Okay, sorry. I practiced this scene with him too many times but I don’t know why I keep messing it up.”

“It’s fine. We’ve got a lot on our plate. This isn’t the only class we have to work on to get through the semester. I’m giving everyone a 15-minute break.”

As everyone scatters to do their own thing, Dongmin sits down to write more comments, making sure to focus on praising his team members. There’s nothing much to improve anyway aside from Hera’s mishaps.

“Hey, we’re waiting.”

He looks at her and Minhyun. “For?”

“For you to spill the beans about becoming a prince’s fiancé!”

“There’s nothing for me to say—”

Minhyun snorts. “Oh come on. Dongmin—I’m not saying this to insult you but you’re like one of the most ‘unseen’ students here. Like you just come in to do your shit silently and then leave when you’re done with your job. You make no noise. You don’t do anything that garners attention—except for existing with a face like that. You were voted most handsome in freshman year.”

Dongmin doesn’t know how to react.

“But apart from that? You did nothing that would’ve given us an idea that you would be Prince Bin’s future husband. Like what the heck? That’s insane!”

Insane is an understatement. He constantly feels like he’s living in a dream-like bubble.

As they wait for the juicy details, Dongmin hangs his head low so they won’t see just how embarrassed he is for being noticed. “It’s alright.”

“That’s it? How’s Prince Bin? Is he really nice? People are talking, you know. They’re saying that he’s the nicest kid in Jeju’s North London Collegiate School. Very athletic. More quiet, and prefers to be out of the public’s eye unlike Prince Taeyong.”

He can’t tell them he hasn’t made a greater effort to get to know Bin deeper than what the prince had told him about himself.

“He works out and swims. Doesn’t like drinking.” Dongmin mindlessly touches the ring around his finger as he recalls the moment Bin gave him a chance to back out of the engagement, and how he said yes anyway even though that wasn’t the plan. “And I guess…he’s a pretty decent human being.”

Minhyun hums. “You got a prince as a prize for winning the competition but you don’t sound very grateful for that.”

Shit.

If people could tell he isn’t really into it, they would talk and it might reach Bin. What would happen if they find out the truth? Would it affect Jaehyun’s engagement with Taeyong? He can’t ruin it for his best friend.

Dongmin puts a smile on. “I just don’t like talking about my fiancé with other people. You guys might fall for him and…and take him away from me.”

His heart slams against his ribcage.

Hera whistles maliciously. “Didn’t take you for the possessive type, Dongmin. But you know what they say about the quiet ones? They’re the freakiest.”

Face heating up at the insinuation, Dongmin hurriedly gets up. “Alright, back to work! Act 2 Scene 1!”

“But it’s not even 15 minutes yet!”

“I think we’re all ready now.”

He has a part in this scene so Dongmin stays and gets into character. He plays Simon, the brother of Julia who dislikes Eleazar and is persuading her to stop seeing him.

Summoning the anger inside him as he sees Julia canoodling with Eleazar by the stream, Dongmin storms towards them furiously and rips her away from her lover. “What have I told you, Julia?! That I would kill him if I saw you together!”

“You’re being cruel to us! He’s my life! Eleazar is the air I breathe!”

“Ridiculous! You will not die if he’s gone!”

“I will!” Tears brim in Hera’s eyes as she passionately portrays Julia. “My body will wither if he leaves and my soul will haunt you in your sleep forever! Do it! Take him away from me, I dare you! Watch your sister wilt like those flowers you failed to take care of!”

Teeth gritting, Dongmin releases her arm to stalk towards Minhyun and grab his collar, immovable as Hera roughly pulls on the back of his shirt.

“Leave. Walk away before I coat my hands in your blood.”

“We did nothing wrong! We just loved each other—”

“Love?” Dongmin’s mad laughter paralyzes Minhyun’s Eleazar. “Love has no place in this damned world. Do you hear me? You will hurt her. You have nothing to feed her and your children. Your love is going to starve her and kill her oh so painfully, Eleazar. How could love be so sinister and murderous?”

A tear rolls down Minhyun’s cheek.

“Leave! I will not repeat myself!”

As he pushes Minhyun away and turn to Hera, Dongmin’s head whips to the side from the force of her slap.

He asked her to make it as real as possible.

“I despise you, I despise you, I despise you! You have killed me! You have killed your own sister!”

“Julia! Come back here—”

According to the script, Dongmin has to follow her. Grab her, drag her to the shed and lock her up until a ranch boy finds her tying a knot around her neck.

Seeing Bin watching from the doors distracts him. Realizing his mistake, Dongmin breaks out of character.

“I’m sorry—what time is it?”

Hera wipes her tears away. “15 past 4.”

 “…You guys can go and prepare for the next scene. We’ll rehearse it tomorrow.” Ignoring their confusion, Dongmin dismisses them. “I’ll put everything away.”

Plopping down with his legs dangling off the edge of the stage, Dongmin writes down a reminder: Do not let a prince break your concentration.

Prince Bin nods at the theater students as they leave, and joins him on stage as soon as the auditorium is theirs. “Why did you stop?”

“I got distracted.”

“By me?”

Dongmin looks at his fiancé. Bin is not wearing a hoodie and jeans today but a dark blue dress shirt and black pants. Shiny pointed shoes instead of his worn out sneakers. His hair is brushed back, and he’s very, very handsome.

“Did your brother mess with your wardrobe?”

Bin grins as he looks down at himself. “He actually did. Said he’s so sick of me looking like a hobo so I indulged him for today. It’s not gonna happen again. I’m gonna tell the guard to never let him in my room.” The prince’s grin mellows. “You’re a good actor, by the way.”

“…Thank you. I should be—I mean, I’ve been acting since I was in high school.”

“Has this always been your dream?”

Dongmin looks at the empty seats, picturing people in suits and dresses giving him a round of applause. “It’s my life.”

“What genre do you like the most? And the least.”

“I like drama the most, and comedy the least only because I’m not a funny person so it’s the hardest for me to do. But it’s challenging so if I get a chance to do it, I won’t shy away from it.”

“Then what do you think about hallmark movies? They all have the same plot, right? Rom-com, christmas, single girls finding love during a holiday vacation in their hometown. They’re cringe-y but a lot of people like them.”

“To each their own.”

“But I want to know what you really think of it.”

Dongmin squirms as he starts to feel self-conscious. “Why are you so interested in what I think?”

“Because I’m strengthening our bond, Minnie. As your fiancé and as a prince.” Bin playfully blows at his bangs, causing him to scrunch his nose. “I’m doing my duties.”

So this is just Bin performing his royal duties and not because the prince genuinely wishes to know him as a person, as a friend, as a lover—

Dongmin gets up, irritated as he begins picking up the props they left. “I’m closing the auditorium now.”

Without being asked, Bin helps him. The prince spots the puddle of splashed paint on the floor and reaches for him to pull him away, but he’s a second too late.

Dongmin steps on the paint and slips, dropping the posters, cursing as he anticipates the fall—

--that never comes.

“God, you’re so clumsy. Are you okay?”

His jeans are safe from the paint.

The posters miraculously landed far from it.

His arms are wrapped around Bin’s neck, and the heat from Bin’s hands seeps through the material of his shirt, branding the skin of his waist.

Dongmin blushes as he pushes Bin away. “I’m fine, I’m fine!”

“You’re not—”

“What makes you think I’m not.”

“You’re so red, Minnie.” Bin taps his nose. “Did I fluster you?”

Dongmin throws his hands in the air as Bin barks out a laugh. “Oh, you’re so…!”

Damn, he can’t even use his words now. Feeling his phone vibrate, Dongmin fishes it out of his pocket and huffs at Jaehyun’s text. “Wow. My friend promised to make dinner tonight but now he’s going on a date with your brother. Nice way to let me die from hunger! I don’t know what to eat—”

“What about me?”

If Dongmin’s heart abruptly stops beating, he hopes the hospital figures out that the reason is Moon Bin so they can blame it on the prince.

“WHAT!”

Bin’s sexy infuriating smirk finds its way back on his equally sexy infuriating face. “I’ll cook for you. I’ve been meaning to drop by your apartment, so.”

Phew. Dongmin wouldn’t know what to say if Bin meant what he thought the prince meant. “…It’s small. And messy. And not fit for a prince’s husband.”

“I don’t care. I’ll help you clean up.”

“It’s really not a place you’d want to be.”

“I’m not my brother.” Bin pats his cheek before picking up the posters. “Where do I put these?”

Dongmin points to the back room and closes his eyes for instant meditation as Bin walks away.

This prince of his is insufferable.

Jaehyun feels bad for breaking his promise to Dongmin but Taeyong wants to eat outside tonight, and who is he to say no to a prince? He was just a commoner, now about to become a royal because Taeyong chose him above all others. This is him showing his eternal gratitude—by doing everything Taeyong wants so that the prince doesn’t lose interest in him.

He’s genuinely enjoying Taeyong’s company despite his true agenda. Taeyong is nothing like his exes who were rich but didn’t have character. Take away their money and they will be nothing but living walls. Prince Taeyong may have a knife for a tongue but that’s what pulls Jaehyun in—aside from the color of his blood.

Taeyong reserved a table at a nice restaurant for a 6pm dinner. Since it’s still early, Jaehyun decides to show his fiancé around the Mechanical Engineering Hall.

Holding hands, they pass through the wide path the students cleared for them. Some follow them with their gaze, some courageously say hi. Taeyong ignores them all, immune to the attention.

Before this, Jaehyun was already pretty popular in their department. He’s smart and is a massive flirt. One of his exes studied in Sungkyunkwan but after breaking her heart when she found out he only dated her so he could try out the fanciest cafés in Seoul, the girl immediately dropped out and flew to the UK.

The others were from either Yonsei, SNU or Korea University, or have already graduated and worked in big companies.

If Jaehyun is not interested, he will not even utter a word in their direction. Aside from that one Sungkyunkwan ex, no one knew how he is as a boyfriend so no one is going to badmouth him to Taeyong.

Taeyong likes him so much that even if someone tries to tarnish his name, the prince will believe nothing but Jaehyun’s words.

The hall is exclusive to Mechanical Engineering majors so Jaehyun is given a key to it without questions. They get inside, turn the lights on, and he grins proudly at the sight of a number of creations filling the room.

“This is my haven as a Mechanical Engineering student.”

Taeyong looks around with absolute interest. “This is amazing! Is everything working?”

“Of course. Some have batteries, some you should plug for them to serve their purpose.” Jaehyun keeps a hand on the small of Taeyong’s back as he leads him to one side of the hall and briefs him about the history of each project.

“This one is a pneumatic sand filter. Our group did this back in 2^nd year. So this thing is used to discard metal clips, stone, nails and some other junk from elaboration sand. We made a pneumatic sand filter to speed up the process of filtering and make it more effective.”

“That sounds so hot.”

He doesn’t know if Taeyong actually understood what he said but Taeyong looks even more whipped for him right now.

Jaehyun laughs. “I’ll probably get hard if you start talking about your fashion stuff too. Next time?”

 Taeyong kisses the tip of his nose. “I’ll take you to our department tomorrow if that’s what I’m gonna get out of giving you a tour.”

Then Jaehyun shall remind Taeyong of it first thing tomorrow. He will not miss out on a chance to have Taeyong all over him.

Bringing the prince to the other side of the hall, Jaehyun brags about some of the projects that won several local and international competitions.

“What does this little cart do?”

“It aims to help carry heavy stuff upstairs, mainly for the disabled people.”

“Wow, it can climb stairs? How?”

Jaehyun taps the modified wheels. “These are designed to clutch the wood and stick to it. The bar at the back will hold the object it’s carrying in place. I think it can carry a total of 7 kilograms.”

Taeyong makes a noise of disbelief. “A cart this small, are you serious? Whose idea was this?”

He flips the plate attached to the front of the cart. “My team brought Sungkyunkwan a gold medal.”

The sudden kiss that Taeyong presses against his mouth both surprises and amuses him.

“After dinner, we should go around the mall. Get couple phones. It’s one of my dreams.”

“Heh. You’re so cute. Fine, do whatever you want.” It’s time to change his lagging Samsung anyway. Each time it receives a text or a call, it heats up. Any minute now, Jaehyun feels like the poor thing is going to explode.

Taeyong asks about the ambiguous, incomplete structure sitting on a long rectangular table.

“That’s what I’m currently working on. I build the parts in the apartment and assemble them together here.”

“You have no one else to help you?”

Jaehyun shakes his head. “It’s an individual project. I need it to graduate.”

“What does it do?” Taeyong looks at it closely, cautiously poking and flinching when it wobbles. “Oops.”

Jaehyun gently pulls his boyfriend away from it. “It’s a wind and solar power laptop/mobile charging station. It still looks like some kind of tall layered table right now but it’s going to have a lot of features like 5V DC USB charging ports for phones, 230V AC socket for laptops, in-built inverter and charge controlling circuitry, shit like that. The best thing about it is the anti-theft feature. A buzzer will sound in case of a robbery attempt.”

“How does it know the laptop or the phone is getting stolen?”

“It will have a damage impact sensor. If the device is being ripped roughly as a thief would do, it’s going to blare until the device is connected back to the port.”

Taeyong asks if the project is going to be free. Jaehyun hears a loud ka-ching! in his head.

“Free for the public to use but if companies want to have it then they will have to pay me, naturally. I want it in bus stops, parks, areas where you can’t easily find a coffee shop to loiter in while charging your phone or laptop.” He touches Taeyong’s shoulder as the prince fans himself. “Something the matter…?”

The blush coating Taeyong’s face and neck tells him everything he needs to know.

“Smart people really turn me on, no shit. Are you gonna think it’s unethical if we make out here with all the proof of your genius mind?”

Another thing that makes it more fun to be with Taeyong is how he’s always so damn horny no matter the place, no matter the time. The amount of dirty texts in Jaehyun’s phone is enough to write a whole series of erotica. Fifty Shades who?

Knocking the scraps off the table that he knows he won’t use, Jaehyun clears the space for Taeyong to sit on and presses his mouth on the prince’s as Taeyong wraps his legs around him. Exploring Taeyong’s mouth with his tongue, Jaehyun draws a moan out of his fiancé that goes down to his groin.

Daringly, his hands slip underneath Taeyong’s shirt.

“Can we do it here…?”

Jaehyun nibbles on Taeyong’s lower lip. “What’s with your aversion to bedrooms?”

“Public places are just more exciting. Plus messing around in school is on my bucket list.”

Peppering wet kisses down Taeyong’s neck, Jaehyun feels Taeyong’s hands drop to the waistband of his pants. “We gotta be quick—”

“I thought I locked—oh Christ—”

They instantly pull away from each other. Jaehyun wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes widening as his professor looks everywhere but at them. “Mr. Kang—”

“I didn’t see anything! I’m blind! Nobody’s here!”

“Fuck.” Jaehyun takes Taeyong’s hand as the prince giggles. “Sorry about that, sir—”

“Don’t speak about it anymore. I don’t know anything!”

“You won’t report us…?”

The professor peaks through the gaps between their fingers. “You are both invisible to me. Go now, I have something to do!”

Murmuring another apology, Jaehyun pulls Taeyong out of the hall. Humiliation colors him red from head to toe.

“God, that was so fucking embarrassing. Do you know they forbid PDA here? You’d get sanctioned.”

“Getting caught making out would’ve probably suspended us for a week.”

“I can’t afford that. Mr. Kang is actually very strict about following the rules.”

Taeyong squeezes his hand. “Good thing you were making out with a prince, no? This is what I love about being a king’s son. It gets me out of trouble without breaking a sweat.”

Jaehyun snorts, kissing the top of Taeyong’s head. “My baby is so proud of being privileged.”

“As I should be! If it was Bin and Dongmin, Bin would probably beg the professor to give him a memo. But then again, do they even look at each other?”

“Eh. Dongmin is a virgin.”

“Oh wow. Should I tell Bin?”

Jaehyun looks at his boyfriend as they round a corner, heading to the exit. “How do you know he hasn’t found out yet?”

“Right. He’s secretive but I’m gonna pester him about it.” Taeyong huffs, pressing even closer to Jaehyun’s side. “Now…can we make out in the car instead? I need more of you. I hope that Mr. Kang gets locked inside the hall and no one hears him.”

Jaehyun doesn’t argue. He gives the prince exactly what Taeyong wants.

Clutching the script to his chest, Dongmin leaves the faculty room with a slight bounce in his steps. More of his drafts have been approved, so now he’s going back to the apartment to start reviewing it and continue writing.

Football players are having a drill as he walks past the field. He’s not interested in any kind of sport but he slows down as he spots his fiancé sitting on the bleachers while eating a snack and seemingly oblivious to the group of boys and girls gushing over him from a distance.

Didn’t Prince Bin say he sucks at sports that involve balls? What is he doing there?

Against his better judgement, Dongmin takes a detour and heads to the field. He tells himself he simply wants to know if Bin is a fan as he makes his way to his fiancé.

Seeing him approach, Bin perks up and calls him over, patting the space next to him. “Minnie, you’re watching the drill too?”

“I don’t like football,” Dongmin says as he sits down, putting the script on his lap.

Bin wiggles his brows. “So you just came to watch with me?”

“…I wanted to ask why you’re here when you don’t even play football.”

“Oh. I don’t know how the rules work, and I suck at it but I can still watch, right? I’m here for a friend. His name is Yoon Sanha.” Bin points to one of the players. “That tall guy with #21 on his jersey.”

Dongmin looks at the boy with silver hair. “He’s like a beanstalk.”

“We went to high school together. Majors in Mat but he can’t let go of the sport.” Bin offers him sour gummies. “Want some?”

The gears in Dongmin’s brain turn counter clockwise. He thinks Bin is asking him if he wants some of that Yoon Sanha until he sees the small packet of gummies that Bin is holding out towards him. Dongmin takes some.

Bin chuckles.

“What?”

“I was pretty sure you’d turn me down.”

“No one turns down food.”

“If there’s one, then they must be the spawn of the devil.” Bin pours the rest of the gummies in his mouth. “Do you have a favorite snack?”

Dongmin thinks about the snack his mother used to buy for him almost everyday when he was still in grade school. “Fried potato chips covered in sour cream powder with mayo dipping sauce.”

“Wow, that’s so specific. I’ll ask our cook to teach me how to do it and then I’ll bring you some.”

His brows furrow. “You don’t have to.”

“But I want to. We’re gonna get married; I want to know what kind of food you like to eat so I can cook them for you. So far, I know you like sausages, ramen, and now…fried potato chips.”

He knows that Bin likes to eat practically everything. The prince ate whatever the cooks served in the palace during the 3-day post engagement party. Bin would have a serving of each dish, except for anything that is really fishy. Bin has a sensitive skin and is a bit wary of seafood.

Dongmin doesn’t ask Bin what his favorite food is. He rarely asks Bin anything because the prince loves to talk about himself anyway and provide Dongmin what he needs to know about his fiancé, as if Bin can tell he’s way too reluctant to show a sprinkle of interest.

Yoon Sanha scores a goal and Bin shoots up to cheer, waving both arms in the air. “That’s my Ddana!”

Dongmin’s ear rings. “Ddana?”

Bin plops back down, vibrating in excitement.

“What’s Ddana?”

“It’s the nickname I gave him!”

Dongmin doesn’t like it—the nickname and the fact that Bin gave one to Yoon Sanha. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I like him,” Bin says in a matter-of-fact tone. “I give people nicknames if I like them.”

Does it mean—“Ddana doesn’t sound cute.”

“Not as cute as Minnie, right?” Bin’s eyes crinkle as he chuckles. “Sanha himself is already cute. He’s like my younger brother even though we’re the same age as he’s tall as hell. Whenever I feel like hiking, I take Sanha with me. We like going on road trips and hunting for new restaurants. The brat never pays, though.”

Sanha this, Sanha that. Dongmin wants to plug his ears. He doesn’t want to listen to Bin talk about this Sanha.

The drill takes a break and the new bane of Dongmin’s existence jogs up to them. Sanha wheezes, fanning himself.

“I’m going to die.”

“Just say you need water and go.” Uncapping a water bottle that Dongmin didn’t even notice, Bin hands it to Sanha before wiping the water that drips down the football player’s chin. “Such a baby!”

Dongmin grips his script as Bin also wipes Sanha’s sweat. “He has hands.”

“What? Oh—Ddana, this is Dongmin! How could I forget to introduce you—”

The beanstalk boy clumsily bows before beaming up at Dongmin. “Hello, hyung! Oh—you’re really handsome just like Bin said—”

Bin tosses the face towel at Sanha who catches it without even looking.

“Dongmin hyung—I can call you hyung, right? Do you wanna hang out with me sometime? There’s this new maritime museum in Busan—”

“I have no time for it.”

“Ooh, okay. That’s fine! Maybe we can go in July. Can we exchange numbers?”

“…Sorry, I don’t give my number to people I don’t know.”

Instead of taking offense, Sanha laughs. “Of course! Then I’ll try to be your friend first so you can give me your number later.” Sanha flinches as their coach blows the whistle. “Gosh, that’s so quick. I gotta go now—see you around, Dongmin hyung!”

Dongmin looks away as Bin turns to him.

“You don’t like Sanha very much, do you?”

Unable to lie, Dongmin snatches the packet of sour gummies sitting on Bin’s lap before walking out of the field, annoyance intensifying when Bin doesn’t even stop him.

Taeyong and Bin make use of the sunny day by going for a leisure ride in the ranch. Properly dressed for riding, Taeyong gets on his horse, Juno. She’s a white mare gifted to him by his papa on his 15^th birthday.

Gently nudging her side, Taeyong holds the reins tightly as Bin tails him with Hades, a brown stallion.

“The last time you took Juno on a ride was ages ago. She was starting to think you abandoned her.”

“I’m sure you reassured her whenever you helped out at the stables.”

“You don’t even see me go to the ranch, so how do you know I was talking to your horse?”

Taeyong gives his brother a look. “You smell like horses every Saturday, Binnie. If you’re not taking care of them, what on earth do you do? I don’t imagine you rolling around their pen for fun.”

Giggling, Bin tugs on the reins for Hades to go faster. Taeyong catches up. “You should check up on Juno more often, or I’ll call the cops on you for animal negligence.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to see her, dummy! But I really hate the smell in the stables. Every now and then I ask Mr. Kim about her, though.” Taeyong caresses the mare. “But you’d appreciate it more if you actually saw me, right? Fine. I’ll take you riding with papa and then you’ll listen to me talk about my boyfriend for hours on end.”

“Jeez, spare the horse.”

“Never. Everyone has to know how perfect Jaehyun is!”

“Everyone you like is perfect in your eyes until you get sick of them or they show you how atrocious they actually are. You and your rose-colored glasses.”

Taeyong would kick Bin off the horse if he wouldn’t get in trouble. “My exes were stupid boys, okay. Jaehyun is a man. He’s smart, hard working, he takes his studies very seriously, and once, he talked to me about his family and I could feel how much he loves his parents. He wants to give them the whole world, Binnie. What’s better than a filial son?”

“You sang praises for your exes too,” Bin reminds him. “Wait until Jeong Jaehyun gives you a reason to call off the engagement.” A small stone hits the back of Bin’s head. “Oi! When did you pick that up?!”

“Juno kicked it and I caught it in the air with my superb reflexes.” Taeyong snatched it off the ground earlier, having a feeling that he might need to hurl it at Bin. “Binnie, I know you feel very protective of me—”

Bin makes Hades slow down for  a bit as his gaze skims the ground. Taeyong braces himself for a petty revenge. “I’m not just protective. Remember what I did to your last boyfriend?”

He winces at the vivid memory. “How long did he stay in the hospital? 2 weeks, right? I really thought he wouldn’t survive that. If you weren’t a prince, you’d be in jail by now.”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat for you.”

Taeyong’s expression softens even as Bin finds a stone and momentarily gets off of Hades to pick it up. “Jaehyun won’t hurt me the way that bastard did. I trust him. My exes never met the kings so they had the audacity to treat me like trash. But Jaehyun went through the tests just to prove himself worthy of becoming a prince’s husband. If that’s not admirable, I don’t know what is.”

“I guess so.” Bin gets on the horse again and they resume the ride.

“You’re the one that told me to give people the benefit of the doubt. Do you think Dongmin is a bad person?”

Bin side-eyes him. “I can’t compare him to the only ex I had. My ex was nice too.”

“Do you think he could betray you?”

“…The man would probably feel guilty for stepping on a roach. He’s reticent and hesitant to open up about himself. I always have to talk about me first as some kind of a cue ‘cause he won’t take the initiative.”

Taeyong thinks that means Dongmin cannot possibly have an ulterior motive if he doesn’t seem very obsessed with Bin.

“Oh my god, what if he’s a murderer? Criminals are wary of oversharing.”

“You’re quite imaginative.”

“No, really! What if that’s the reason he doesn’t talk a lot?”

Bin finally flings the stone at him. It narrowly misses his shoulder.

“The kings would have already known even before the competition, and they wouldn’t have accepted his application.”

“Ah, touché.  You fit each other so well, though. You’re a private person and he’s kind of mysterious.”

“Is Jeong Jaehyun a hoe? Because…”

“Why you—!”

The brother’s laughter is carried over by the wind as they race each other around the ranch and back to the stables. When they notice the commotion, the princes slow down to ask what the fuss is about.

Taeyong holds on to Bin as he gets off the mare. “What’s the matter?”

“Your Highness, it’s not a pretty sight.”

“Did something happen to the horses?”

“Nothing too alarming, but Sandra is about to give birth.”

“Really? I want to see!”

The stable boy looks like he doesn’t believe it. “Are you sure…?”

“I don’t care if it’s disgusting. It’s my first time watching a horse give birth.” Taeyong drags Bin to the back of the stables where the pregnant female horse has been isolated to give her a comfortable foaling space. “Oh—”

A veterinarian is already there with their gloves on, ready to assist Sandra.

“She was already in labor when we went for a ride?”

“Yes, Your Highness. But we panicked a bit because she looked like she was in so much pain.”

They have no idea what to expect. Bin catches a glimpse of some fetal membrane by the mare’s vulva, grimacing as a gush of liquid spurts out.

“The sac is broken,” the vet says. “The foal is coming out soon.”

Taeyong grips his brother’s hand as they wait. The horse moans in pain for a while as they watch a pair of front feet slip slowly out of the birth canal, followed by the nose, head and neck. “Oh, I’m scared—”

It’s not every day that they see a horse give birth so Bin doesn’t even laugh at Taeyong as he is also feeling slightly queasy. The rest of the foal’s body slides out smoothly and there’s so much fluid soaking Sandra’s bedding.

Bin look at Taeyong and pats his arm. “The baby is out.”

Opening his eyes, Taeyong tears up as the vet performs the necessary steps to care for the foal and the new mother while Bin takes a video to upload on Instagram.

In the next hour, the placenta is expelled and all the staff help out to clean the area. Once they are reassured that the horses are in good condition, Bin and Taeyong retreat to the palace.

Bin checks his new IG notifs and sees a particular comment on his story that brings a smile to his face.

[ @dong_minnnram: <3 ]

Dongmin rips the 3 tickets out of the slot and puts his hands on his hips as he watches Jaehyun shoot more balls into the hoop. “That machine is rigged,” he accuses bitterly, voice muffled by the mask.

They are not celebrities but being engaged to the royal princes has given them a bit of public recognition and they don’t want to be hounded at the arcade.

“You just suck at basketball.”

“I’m not denying that. but my machine only gave me 25 seconds!”

As the hoop closes, Jaehyun rubs his hands while the machine dispenses a long line of tickets to reward him for the high score. He gathers them and puts them in the little basket already brimming with the tickets he won from the other games. “They have a trick here. You have to kick the machines hard enough they rattle inside and whatever tweaking the employees did will get deactivated.”

“You serious?”

“I worked at an arcade before.”

Considering it, Dongmin lines up at the token station to exchange his money and heads to the row of claw machines to try his luck there. Tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, he concentrates as the metal claw grabs the yellow cotton duckling. “I got it I got it I got it—”

And then someone’s kid rams against the machine, falls to their butt, and proceeds to wail as they get dragged away by their mother who apologizes to Dongmin as his yellow cotton duckling plops back onto the pile of 23 other yellow cotton ducklings.

Jaehyun laughs, grabbing the back of his hoodie as he raises his fist. “That’s literally a kid!”

“I was finally going to win something!”

“That’s fine, you can try again! You weren’t this competitive when it comes to arcade games.”

If Yoon Sanha could score a football goal, then he could win this yellow cotton duckling!

Vexed, Dongmin inserts two more tokens into the slot and centers the claw on his fallen duckling, before punching the glass as the same duckling gives up on him. “I’m done!”

Before he can inflict serious damage, Jaehyun drags him to the game where they have to hammer the plastic frog jumping out of the holes and gives him some tokens to pacify him.

“Try not to break the hammer.”

Pushing the tokens in, Dongmin picks up the squeaky hammer and starts bludgeoning the innocent inanimate frog.

“Prince Taeyong is really pretty!”

Jaehyun squints at him. “He’s mine.”

“I’m just saying! Are you not…worried about suitors? You know, some mothers encourage their sons to be homewreckers. If a couple is not yet married, you still have a chance—that’s what they say!”

Jaehyun pummels the frog that pokes its head out of the 4^th hole. “I don’t have to worry about suitors. Taeyong says he doesn’t really talk to his male classmates.”

“Not talking to them doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in him.”

“I’m not a jealous man. Taeyong only has eyes for me. I suppose they can look, they can dream, they can hope to replace me, but as long as Taeyong only likes me, they don’t stand a chance. Is someone coming after Prince Bin?”

Dongmin violently beats the frog, smirking as the machine releases a line of tickets. “That Yoon Sanha won’t beat me at this.”

“What?”

“Nothing!” Dongmin rips the tickets and pockets them. “I don’t know… and I don’t really care if someone is into him.”

Unless it’s Yoon Sanha, then Dongmin is going to have a word with the beanstalk.

“What if Bin entertains them and ends up wanting to marry them instead of you? The kings said that the princes can still call off the engagement if they don’t think we’re compatible with them.”

And who does Bin even want to marry instead of him? Dongmin almost crumples the tickets as he thinks of a football player with #21 on his jersey. “I don’t have the right to stop him from doing what he wants. I’m a nobody.”

Jaehyun’s frog machine dispenses more tickets than Dongmin. He shoves them in the basket. “Why didn’t you run when you had the chance? You told me that Prince Bin gave you an out so why didn’t you take your leave?”

“I…” Does Dongmin want to tell Jaehyun that it was because he was entranced by the prince’s eyes that day as though a spell was casted on him? That looking into Bin’s eyes made his rationality pop some wings and fly out of his head? Nah. “I didn’t want to leave you alone. Plus it would be strange if I said no when I passed all 3 challenges.”

“You got a point.” Jaehyun leads the way to the counter so they can surrender the tickets and exchange them for gifts.

Dongmin fidgets. An unnamed feeling is brewing in him. “…What do you like about Prince Taeyong?”

“Oh.” Caught off-guard, Jaehyun takes a moment to answer. “He matches my energy. He’s kind of a spoiled brat but that aside, he’s amazing. I’ve seen his designs and he’s really talented. Got real passion for his major. He’s very energetic and sometimes quirky, and very fun to talk to.”

“Is that enough for you to tie yourself to him forever?”

“I mean…his personality is not why I signed up for that competition.”

Something in Jaehyun’s expression tells Dongmin that there is more to it than Jaehyun’s love for money.

“What about you? Any progress in your sloth-like relationship with Prince Bin?”

Dongmin huffs. It’s not his fault he’s not eager to become a royal. “We’ve been exchanging more texts these days. When you went out to have dinner with Taeyong, he actually came over to the apartment to cook for me.”

“Fuck—is that why my side of the room was clean?”

“I had to lock him out of the hallway for 15 minutes so I could get rid of your trash and make your bed, and shove your clothes into the drawers.”

Jaehyun smirks at him. “Home base?”

His friend must have hit his head. “I’m not like you.”

“Then step up your game! If you’re not backing out, then you better keep the prince intrigued. Or else…”

Will his hesitancy to loosen up and be confident push Bin away? The prince subtly flirts with him when they’re together, though. Dongmin tugs at his collar, feeling warm at the thought of Bin teasing him. “He’s just a bit intimidating so I’m not sure what to do when he’s around.”

“What’s so intimidating about him? He seems gentle.”

“He’s so buff…and he kind of radiates the same vibe like King Yunho.”

“He’s probably going to be a strict king one day. I wonder if they got adopted at the same time. Who’s going to take the crown when it’s time for King Yunho to step down?”

Dongmin hands his tickets to the girl behind the counter. “I don’t really care about that.”

“Same. As long as I get to live in the palace, it’s already a dream come true.”

He doesn’t have enough tickets to win a candy so Dongmin just adds them to Jaehyun’s who receives a green teletubby headband. “That looks like a dick.”

“I should give it to Taeyong, then.”

The kings rescheduled non-urgent meetings. And with ample time in their hands, Jaejoong and Yunho fly to Spain for a week-long getaway without the princes as they don’t want the boys to skip classes.

To avoid getting recognized, the kings don simple disguises that won’t make them stand out—a hat and sunglasses. Accompanied by bodyguards that stay several feet away from them to give them privacy, Jaejoong and Yunho explore the Jewish quarter of Toledo.

They walk hand in hand into the walled city. The first one in their itinerary is the Transito synagogue that survived many trials since 1492.

On the outside, it looks a bit austere but the interior is nothing short of exquisite, a picture-perfect example of the Mudejar style. Tourists swarm the synagogue on a weekend, oblivious to the royals with them.

Amidst the murmurs of awe and camera shutters, Yunho admires the numerous inscriptions along the walls that commemorate significant figures like Samuel Levi and Pedro I.

“There’s a word for when you feel nostalgic of a period you didn’t live.”

Verses of psalms adorn the synagogue. Yunho skims through them despite the language barrier. “Anemoia.”

“Is that it? There’s something about a European country—especially France, Spain and Italy, that makes me feel like I’m living in their past. Even more when I see historical structures and establishments like this one. I wasn’t even born here.”

“It’s magical, isn’t it? You travel through time without physically having to transport.”

Jaejoong doesn’t let their hands detach as they inspect the outbuildings of the synagogue where tourists are taught history of Spanish Judaism. They take a look at the tombstones from Leon, as well as the sarcophagus of a child with Hebrew, Greek, and Latin inscriptions.

After a quick lesson from the docent, the kings head off to the heart of the city where a group of singers are performing a sweet and joyful local song. Jaejoong leaves a generous amount in the open guitar case, smiling as one of the musicians tip their hats at him.

He has been to many countries but Spain feels the most romantic to him. There are tons of couples everywhere, and he might consider relocating when Yunho finally descends from the throne.

While it’s still early, he should probably talk to Yunho about purchasing a land and a house that the princes can also stay in if they wish to visit.

Yunho slips a folded bill into the hand of a flower vendor and gives Jaejoong the single red rose. “I’ll get you a dozen bouquets tomorrow. But since you’re very picky with flowers and your favorites change frequently, you might want to tell me what you want to see in bed the second you wake up.”

Jaejoong laughs as he buries his nose into the bud. “I’ll like anything you give me.”

“What if it’s a Venus flytrap?”

“Then I’m going to accept it, say thank you with a kiss, and then trap your dick in it because what the hell, Yunho? Do I look like a fucking fly?”

Yunho stifles a laugh. “Watch that potty mouth of yours.”

“Or what? You’re going to press me against the wall and silence me? Wash the filth out of my mouth?”

“…Now I know where Taeyong got that shamelessness of his.”

“I’m more shocked you only realized that now. Do you know that you are the reason Bin is so reserved?” Breaking the stem, Jaejoong sips the flower into his coat’s breast pocket.

He then pulls Yunho towards one of the quaint cafés. They choose to sit at the tables outside so they can listen to a distant melody while enjoying their coffee.

Jaejoong doesn’t speak a word in Spanish except for the basic sentences that will help them communicate with locals during the getaway, but now, he feels like learning the language as locals rapidly chat around them. He wonders what they could be talking about. It’ll be hilarious if it’s tragic, and here he is, falling in love with their accent.

“This is a reminder to not get café carajillo anywhere else,” he says as he takes a sip of his coffee mixed with hard liquor.

“We should take the boys here at the end of the semester.”

“A week is not enough. We’ll make it two. Should we let them bring their fiancés?”

“If we don’t want to listen to Taeyong cry about Jeong Jaehyun throughout the 2 week-vacation, then it’s better to let them tag along. Moreover, if we are photographed together, it’ll promote cohesiveness. We’re a tight-knit family.”

“You and your concern for reputation.”

“We are the image of our country. It endorses closeness within the family.” Yunho discreetly signals the bodyguards to take some time to go around while they are idle, a small smile playing on his lips as the flower vendor passes by. “Do you remember when I was courting you?”

Jaejoong’s whole countenance instantly brightens. “How could I forget? You were the most pompous suitor ever. The palace held no competition that time because you insisted that you wanted me and no one else.”

“Were you really unsure about marrying me?”

“Quite the opposite. I was playing hard to get.”

   Yunho’s smile falters. “I courted you for 6 months, Jaejoong.”

“And I’ve been in love with you for 3 years before you took notice of my existence. We met at an auction first, but you didn’t even look at me. And then my family was invited to a royal ball—that was when you decided you would stare at me for the whole night while ignoring the boys and girls that hungered for your attention.”

Yunho huffs out a chuckle. “You were the only one I asked to dance.”

“I knew right there and then that the crown prince had found his king consort-to-be.”

“You made me think I had rivals for how long you gave the impression that I wasn’t doing enough to sweep you off your feet.”

“I needed to see just how much you wanted me. Being the husband of a king is a job in itself. I’m not going to sit pretty in the palace; I need to know everything you do because in your absence, I will assume your duties.”

“You’ve done them very well.”

Even with the sunglasses on, Jaejoong can see the appreciation in Yunho’s gaze.

“Because I love you.”

Putting his drink down, Yunho covers Jaejoong’s hand with his. “Would you believe me if  say the way I feel for you today is just as strong as when I realized you’re the one I want to have by my side for the rest of my life?”

“Of course. Because I feel the same way.”

Yunho thumbs his wedding band. “Fancy a renewal of vows?”

Jaejoong’s heart dribbles. “Here in Toledo?”

“Anywhere in the world. My love for you is ubiquitous.”

Finishing his coffee, Jaejoong gets up and signals the bodyguards to remain where they are as he walks down the street, followed by Yunho.

“Jaejoong.”

He doesn’t respond.

“Kim Jaejoong. I planned the itinerary.” Yunho steps aside as a woman carrying a child passes by. “This is your first time in Spain, love. You don’t know where you’re going—”

Entering a narrow alley with a dead end, Yunho’s words are blocked by a mouth pressing an insistent kiss on his lips.

“Yes,” Jaejoong breathes out as they part. “It’ll always be a yes.”

Chuckling softly, Yunho pinches Jaejoong’s chin and kisses away the coffee’s slight bitterness. “I love you the most.”

Jaejoong’s kiss conveys what his heart desires.

Dragging the goggles over his eyes, Bin dives into the pool.

There’s no training today but he’s been so accustomed to the water that he might get sick without it, much like a ish that cannot be out of its habitat for too long.

He does a couple of laps before taking a breather, resting his arms over the edge and shoving the goggles on top of his head as Dongmin steps out of the showers in nothing but trunks and a towel wrapped around his torso. “We have rash guards in the lockers if you want.”

Scoffing, Dongmin removes the towel and climbs down the stairs slowly, shivering as the cold water envelopes him.

“Do you not like swimming?”

“I’m not easily enticed to jump into the water everytime I see a pool in front of me.”

“But I’m glad you still agreed to swim with me.”

Dongmin hugs himself. “I’ve been stressed lately because of the play. This isn’t how I would usually take my mind off of it but a change is good.”

“Especially when you’re doing it with your fiancé.” Playfully, Bin splashes water at Dongmin. “Have I told you that I write poetry?”

The question mollifies Dongmin’s bubbling annoyance. “You do?”

“I have a small journal where I keep random pieces. Whenever an idea pops up in my head, I write it down. I get inspired by every little thing, the things that most people don’t pay attention to.”

Bin removes the goggles. “When a dry lead falls off its branch, the stone rolling on the ground, the chatter of people around me. I have so many thoughts that when I told Taeyong about them, he said I should get myself checked for maladaptive daydreaming.”

“People in the creative field just have a lot of thoughts.”

“Honestly, I considered signing up for arts but I want to enhance what I’m already good at.”

Dongmin stares at his distorted reflection on the water. “If you want…you could take up a minor in creative writing. I have some books to lend you.”

“…I don’t know. Writing poetry is just a hobby. But I’ll show you my pieces and if you like them, then I’ll consider taking extra classes. And I’m still interested in borrowing those books!”

Dongmin frowns at him. “My judgement is no better than another student’s.”

But Dongmin’s opinion matters to Bin more than most people’s. “But you’re not just another student to me. You’re my future husband.”

“What else are you good at?” Dongmin’s quick diversion of the topic amuses Bin. “You regularly exercise, you swim, you’re sporty, you write poems, you can cook.”

He scratches the side of his neck as he flushes from the compliment. “That’s all.”

“You’re good at being humble. You’re…too good. Flawless. But there should be a defect in you, right?”

Bin holds Dongmin’s gaze. “Like you?”

His fiance’s lips part, but Bin talks over him.

“You have this innocent air around you, Minnie. But you’re hiding something, right?”

Dongmin turns his face away, expression pinched.

“I’m messing with you—”

“I didn’t want to compete with 99 other men.”

Bin, who has been mindlessly waving his arms over the water, stops.

“Jaehyun wanted to sign up because he….wanted to change the course of his life. To know what it feels like to live as a royal. He doesn’t want to be poor anymore. And he didn’t want to do it alone.”

Bin waits for Dongmin to snort and say it’s a prank. But Dongmin hangs his head low from shame.

“…So you don’t want to marry me.” Bin sees Dongmin flinch. “Makes sense. You don’t really try to make me swoon the way Jaehyun does with Taeyong. Jaehyun pulls Taeyong in while you are either stagnant or I’m the one that makes my way to you as you pull away, as if you are the prince and I’m the hopeful suitor.”

Dongmin’s face is marred with guilt. “I don’t want to get married at this age, but…are you mad at me?”

Bin weighs everything that Dongmin confessed to him, and shakes his head.

“It never crossed my mind that those men at the competition wanted to marry us because they found us charming. While we are indeed charming, charm is not enough reason to have someone scrambling to fight 99 other men. You knew nothing about me. I knew nothing about you. This is an arranged marriage at best. I have to marry because that’s what the palace tells me to. You will marry me because I have everything you want and need in life.”

Dongmin pouts, insulted. “That’s not what I want from you.”

“Then leave if you don’t wish to marry me. No hard feelings.” Bin waits—1, 2, 3—but Dongmin doesn’t move. He smiles, cupping his hands to pour water on his head. “If that’s the case, then we have to make this work, Minnie. The kings will ask for my final decision.”

Sinking into the water, Bin chuckles as Dongmin walks along the side of the pool as though a first timer. Like he’s going to drown if he doesn’t hold on to the—

A thought occurs to him.

Leg cramps are not a foreign concept to Bin. He knows how much it hurts, that an expert swimmer like him could still drown when racked with intense physical pain.

Going to the deepest part of the pool, Bin grabs his foot and comes up for air. “Fuck—”

Dongmin turns to him in alarm. “Bin…?”

Pretending to sink again, Bin flails.

“Moon Bin!”

Dongmin swims towards the prince, grabs Bin’s arm and does his best to pull him to the side. Pushing himself out of the water, Dongmin hooks his arms under Bin’s armpits to tug him up. “You’re too heavy!”

Panic settles in when Bin sags. “Hey, Moon Bin!” With all the strength he didn’t know he had, Dongmin grunts loudly as he drags Bin out of the pool, plopping on his back with Bin’s full weight resting on his. “God—”

He pants, slapping Bin’s arm. “Hey, wake up. Bin. Binnie!” Dongmin repeatedly taps Bin’s cheek. “Did you really drown?!” Pushing Bin off of him, Dongmin gets on his knees and looks around for help.

No one is there to give immediate aid so without thinking twice, he grabs Bin’s jaw to open his mouth, pinches Bin’s nose, and takes a deep breath—

Bin’s eyes snap open. The prince quickly flips their positions, pressing Dongmin against the damp floor as he hovers on top of the stunned man.

“Bin—”

“Do you even know how to give mouth-to-mouth?”

“…I don’t—”

Bin dips his head until their lips are merely an inch apart, droplets of water from his hair dripping all over Dongmin’s face. “I could teach you if you want.”

“B-but you’re—” Dongmin gasps as Bin’s trick finally dawns on him. He pushes Bin off of him and sits up. “You were acting!”

“Was it convincing?”

“I should beat you up! Why did you do that?! Do you know how scared I was?!”

Bin’s shoulders shake as he laughs. Dongmin glares at him in a mixture of fear and anger.

“Where are you going—”

Dongmin grabs the towel and wraps it around himself again. “Away from you, duh!”

“Minnie come on, I was joking!”

He follows Dongmin into the showers but the latter slams the door of a stall shut against his face and goes off about how stupid and immature he is.

Bin laughs while Dongmin exhausts his vocabulary just to call him dub and all its synonyms. Honestly, it’s impressive.

They finish showering at the same time. Bin dries himself quickly and puts on a fresh pair of shirt and basketball shorts as Dongmin hastens out of there.

“Dongmin—”

Grabbing his bag, Bin goes after Dongmin, looking up at the sky as rain pours hard. “Do you have an umbrella? I could book a cab for you—”

“Worry about your fake leg cramp!”

Dongmin runs through the rain, ignoring him. “You’re gonna get sick!”

Bin deflates as his fiancé disappears out of the gates. Running his fingers through his damp hair, he sits on the bottom of the stairs and checks his phone for the weather update.

Why do you keep running away from me?

He thinks about the way Dongmin blushed when he acted like he was going to kiss him.

Bin sighs. He should’ve gone for it. Dongmin would still run away from him but the kiss would've been worth it.

Dongmin gets sick easily so whenever it rains, he either waits for it to stop before leaving the campus or books a cab even though the apartment complex isn’t even that far.

But in his haste yesterday to get away from Bin, from the boy that made him feel terrifying things, he’s now suffering the consequences of it.

Curled up under the sheets, he shivers pathetically while Jaehyun streams a series on his laptop. He pokes his head out of the blanket as Jaehyun shoves a handful of chips into his mouth. “Jaehyun, I’m sick.”

“I know.”

“I feel so cold.”

“I know.”

“My nose is runny.” He sniffles loudly.

“I know, my friend. That’s life.”

Deal with it. “What do I do?”

“Just suck it up, Dongmin. You’ll be fine—”

“But I feel like dying!”

Pausing the series, Jaehyun takes out his earphones. “Min, do you know why I’m watching instead of studying for a quiz tomorrow? Because you’ve been whining about your fever for the past 2 hours! You already took some meds, right? Now all you have to do is wait for it to go down. Check your temperature later and take another pill at the time you’re supposed to.”

Tears collect in Dongmin’s eyes. He gets extra sensitive when he’s sick. “Don’t be mad at me. My mom used to sing me a lullaby when I had fever—”

“I’m not gonna do that. You just need to take some rest to feel better. Go to sleep and stop bothering me. That’s why you feel even worse! You see me being fine and you get sulky.”

Dongmin hiccups. “But I don’t want to sleep…”

“Then what do you want to do? Except for singing.”

“I don’t know.” He hates how whiny he sounds.

Sighing, Jaehyun turns off his laptop and shoves it into a backpack. “Min, I really need to study now so I’m gonna be at the library, okay? I’ll try to go back as soon as I can.”

His hand shoots out to grab the hem of Jaehyun’s shirt but Jaehyun steps away, not wanting to catch a cold. “Don’t leave me! What if I start hallucinating?!”

“You think ghosts could be hiding in this small room?! Literally, how? You won’t hallucinate if you’re asleep. Okay? Bye, Dongmin! Feel better soon!”

Jaehyun escapes too fast for Dongmin’s liking.

He kicks the blanket petulantly, and pulls it back up as the cold bites him harder. It’s still raining outside and thunder claps intermittently. Dongmin buries half of his face on the blanket, not wanting to cry. He really hates being alone at times like this.

It scares him more to sleep alone so he sits up even though his head feels too heavy and wraps the blanket around him. Ghosts won’t haunt him if he already feels like shit. They should have some shame!

Dongmin takes out his notes. He will just read the script and try to familiarize himself with the next scenes for the future rehearsals. His brain won’t be able to digest it but he needs some distraction.

He’s been reading the same page for the past 20 minutes when someone knocks on the door.

“Dongmin…?”

Dongmin tenses up. Is his brain fucking with him already? This is not how he expected to start seeing and hearing things. He expected monsters, not—

“Minnie, it’s Bin. I got something for you.”

“…The door is not locked.”

Bin enters, smiling as he holds up a plastic bag. “Jaehyun called me and said you’re not feeling well so I got you some soup, drinks, and medicine.”

This prince is the reason he’s bedridden at the moment but Dongmin can’t bring himself to blame Bin right now because Bin is here, he’s not alone, and Bin is nice enough to get him food.

It has only been 20 minutes since Jaehyun left—when did Bin get the food and the meds? “Were you at school?”

Bin takes the food out of the bag. “Was training with the team. Fortunately, we were on a break when Jaehyun called so I quickly asked the coach to let me leave so I could get food from the cafeteria.”

“Where did you get the meds…?”

“I drove to the pharmacy. The school nurse wouldn’t give it to me ‘cause I’m not the one who’s sick. I should talk to the admins about that.” Bin sits on a stool and stirs the soup with a disposable spoon. “Come closer.”

Is the prince going to feed him? “I can eat by myself—”

“You’re shaking. And shouldn’t you be taking a rest instead of reading whatever that is? You need all the sleep you can get before Monday rolls by.”

Dongmin puts his notes away. “Don’t scold me, I’m literally older than you.”

The authority that should be obvious in his voice is absent. Bin smirks at him. “Alright, Dongmin hyung. If you promise me you will sleep after eating, I won’t nag you.”

He’s already sick so Dongmin is more irritable and it doesn’t help that Bin is treating him like a child. Still, he scoots closer and opens his mouth. “Aaaah.”

Bin blows on the soup before feeding it to him.

“I can’t taste it.”

“It’s because your nose is clogged.”

Dongmin’s lip wobbles.

“Aww, Minnie. Don’t be sad! Here, the hot soup will help unclog your nose and then you’ll be able to taste it soon.”

Too weak to protest, Dongmin lets Bin feed him. Everytime he obediently drinks the soup, Bin smiles at him. “You look like a dog and a cat. When you’re serious, you’re like a kitty. When you’re smiling, you’re like a puppy.”

Bin laughs. “Is that so? Then I must’ve been a dog and a cat in my past life. I’ll be Dongmin’s puppycat.”

Just as he opens his mouth for another spoonful of soup, Dongmin remembers something unpleasant and snaps his mouth shut again, causing the soup to spill on his blanket.

“Minnie—”

“I don’t want it anymore.”

Dongmin glares at Bin but he only looks like he’s squinting while pouting. Why he suddenly remembered Bin opening that bottle for Sanha and wiping Sanha’s sweat, he doesn’t know. The only thing he knows is that it’s annoying him a lot because…

…Bin did those things for Sanha because Sanha is his friend. But this…?

“Why are you doing this?”

“What?”

“Why are you here? Why did you leave the training when Jaehyun called you? I’m 22, I don’t need to be nursed like this by a 19 year-old.”

“Because—”

“Because it’s your duty? Your responsibility? Did the palace tell you that you should play your fiancé’s nurse too?”

Dongmin’s fever tells him that Bin is only marrying him to follow royal tradition. But if Bin would be free to make a choice, Bin would choose Yoon Sanha to marry.

His heart aches.

“I can feed myself.”

Bin takes the bowl away from him. “What’s gotten into you…?”

“I will feed myself because I want to. I won’t be fed by someone who is only doing this because it’s a task to them and it’ll please his parents. I don’t want to be fed by a boy who will marry just about anyone—I don’t want to be fed by a spineless prince—”

Bin places the bowl on his lap and gets up. “Okay, Minnie. If you want to eat by yourself, then I’ll let you do that. Once you’re done, take your medicine. I also got you a thermometer—”

“We already have one. And I can’t take another medicine for 4 hours.”

“Then take one after 4 hours. Here…I also got you ginger ale, honey and lemon tea, and herbal tea. I don’t know which one you like so I got them all.” Smiling, Bin pats his head gently. “Feel better, okay? I want to see you on Monday.”

Stupefied by Bin’s reaction, Dongmin stays still as the prince leaves. Then he takes the can of ginger ale and stares at it.

Bin was still smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

In his bathrobe, with the headband holding his slightly damp hair away from his face, Taeyong stretches on his bed like a languid cat before shifting to a more provocative position as he takes selfies in different angles to send to his beloved Jaehyun tonight.

Taeyong giggles. He and his boyfriend are not going to get a wink of sleep.

Tugging the robe down to expose his shoulder, he sticks his tongue out coyly and winks at the camera. “Go get it, tiger—”

The doors slam open and shut as Bin barges into his room and gives him a blank look. “We have money, Taeyong. You don’t need to open an Onlyfans account.”

“You’re too late. I sold feet pics back in Junior year so I could get a new eyeshadow palette because papa kept my card for 2 weeks. What are you even doing here? Can’t you see I’m having a private photoshoot?”

Blatantly ignoring him, Bin crosses his arms and paces around the room, brows coming together as he chews on his lower lip.

Taeyong sits up with his back against the headboard. “Earth to Binnie…?”

“I have a problem.”

“And you can’t problemize your problem in your own room because…?”

“Because I’m pissed and I want you to stop me from lashing out.”

“Oh.” Taeyong fixes his robe and scoots towards the foot of the bed. “Oh my god, Binnie. What’s wrong?”

His brother has never once confided in him with his troubles so this both concerns and intrigues Taeyong. Finally, he’s gonna sip some good tea out of his brother’s life. “Did someone outswim you?”

“I feel like Dongmin doesn’t like me.”

Okay, that couldn’t have crossed his mind. Ever.

“That doesn’t make sense. He joined the competition.” Unlocking his phone, Taeyong pulls up his chat thread with Jaehyun and types.

[ TY: did your friend hit his petty head when he was born? ]

“But…but everytime I do something to make us feel closer, he runs away.” Bin looks like someone has flipped the sign at his favorite gym from Open to Close.  “And earlier, I dropped by at his dorm because he’s sick. At first he seemed okay, he let me feed him, and then suddenly he started talking about how I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to but because the palace told me. That I’m a spineless prince!”

Taeyong flinches at the outburst. He’s tempted to say that Dongmin might be 30% right. “Are you sure he’s not drunk?”

“Drunk in fever, he is! And even if he was drunk, drunk people only get more honest because inhibitions are ripped away from them. So I feel like he really doesn’t like my guts.”

Taeyong furiously types on his phone. Bin clicks his tongue.

“What are you doing? I want you to listen to me!”

“I am listening! And bombarding Jaehyun about knocking his friend’s head.” His phone pings with a reply from his fiancé. “Okay, so he just told me that’s how Dongmin really is when he gets sick. He acts like a baby.” Taeyong snorts like a pig at the last part and immediately composes himself. “He probably just wants you to pamper him or something.”

Bin’s face wrinkles. “No, he doesn’t.”

“He’s acting up because he wants you to be sweet to him and cuddle him and kiss him!” Taeyong puts a hand on his chest as he coos. “Oh, Binnie, how could you not realize this? You really suck at romance.”

“…You’re making fun of me.”

“And what if I am?”

“Well, you shouldn’t! This is serious! I’m upset because I think it’s unfair that I have feelings for—”

Bin stops.

Taeyong grins like a cheshire cat. “Say it.”

“No.”

“Say it, Binnie.”

“No.” Bin resorts to signing I’m mute.

Cackling, Taeyong drags his brother to sit next to him and tousles his hair. “You like him!”

Bin pushes his hands away. “He’s my fiancé. I have to like him.”

“No. You like him because that’s what your heart wants. And not what the palace wants. Oh my god, I’m so excited—”

“Dongmin is probably going to ask the kings to call off the engagement.”

Nope. Taeyong’s brother is not going to put an end to this barely starting love story.

Sensing that Bin is genuinely worried, Taeyong sends Jaehyun another text.

[ TY: Binnie is sad and that’s your friend’s fault. We have to do something about this! ]

“He’s not gonna do that, Binnie. Your fiancé is probably just having a bad moment. He’s sick, the fever is fucking with his head. Don’t be so negative, ok? No one in the right mind would break up with a prince—not with you! He won’t call it off.” Taeyong rubs Bin’s back soothingly. “I really like him for you. Your ex was nice but I’m not gonna lie, Binnie, that guy was ugly.”

Bin whines but ends up chuckling. “God, you’re so rude.”

“I’m just telling the truth! There are pretty people and there are ugly people. We need some balance in this world, like good and bad. I know they can’t do anything about their face but…the truth is the truth, objectively speaking. And Dongmin is very pretty so you have to fix this, okay?”

Bin rubs both hands on his face. “I don’t know! I should just give him some space.”

Oh no. This cannot happen. Once his brother gives Dongmin that stupid space, it’ll only widen and Taeyong doesn’t want to be the only one to get married.

[ TY: Call me later! ]

[ JH: I’m gonna be studying all night, babe </3 ]

[ TY: prettynude71.jpeg ]

[ JH: JSKBFKSEB ]

[ JH: WHAT THEFUCK IM AT TGE LIBRARY I JUST CREAMED ]

[ JH: ***SCREAMED BUT SAME THING ]

[ JH: THE LIBRARIAN KICKED ME OUT OMG HELLO???? ]

Taeyong sighs dreamily. He’s so, so into Jaehyun it hurts. Opening the camera, he records himself doing kissy faces.

“You’re disgusting.”

“I’m in love, dumbass.” Taeyong plays it off. It’s the first time he’d said it out loud and his own heart is doing some very intense somersaults. “And you should be too.”

Jaehyun is used to Dongmin’s seasonal immaturity when he gets sick so he’s not entirely worried about his best friend and Bin fighting. When he got back to the apartment, he didn’t ask for the whole story after seeing Dongmin looking so miserable. It’s not his business. Dongmin didn’t even utter a word about it, only grumbling when Jaehyun broke the news that Taeyong wanted to go to Everland Resort.

The double date was Taeyong’s idea to make Bin and Dongin reconcile. And as a trustworthy boyfriend, Jaehyun kept Dongmin out of the loop about their real purpose for coming to the amusement park.

He doesn’t really care that much if Dongmin and Bin don’t make up today. This is his and Taeyong’s date too so he’s going to do nothing but have fun with Taeyong.

A couple of bodyguards watch them from a fair distance so it won’t be suspicious. The masks might not be so fashionable but it’s going to act like a recognition repellent while they’re there.

Everland Resort is the biggest theme park in the country, divided into 5 themed zones. It may not be as popular the Disneyland but what makes it special is that it has a wildlife zone where they can ride a tram and see many animals, some of them they can even feed. No doubt they will be getting on that tram because visiting the Everland Resort won’t be complete without the giraffe-feeding experience.

People have swarmed the theme park since it’s a Saturday and naturally, kids are everywhere they look. As a fan of the cute little babies, Jaehyun coos inside as Taeyong’s eyes sparkle while watching a couple of children line up to buy ice cream.

“So what are we gonna do first?”

“Can I just sit somewhere and wait for you guys to get done?”

Taeyong sprays dry shampoo on his hair. “It’s a double date, Dongmin. Do you want Binnie to sit with you for 2 to 3 hours?”

“I can just go on the rides alone—”

“That’s not how double dates work,” Jaehyun says before Bin could enable Dongmin’s stubbornness. He also glares at Dongmin to let his friend know the day won’t go on until he and his fiancé get themselves together. “Should we try the rollercoaster first?”

“Oh, Jaehyunie, roller coasters scare me.”

Bin says something but a kid shrieks so loud everyone is deafened for a moment. Jaehyun entwines his and Taeyong’s finges before kissing his boyfriend’s hand.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be sitting together anyway. And when we’re done, you’re not gonna be scared of roller coasters anymore.”

“Really…?”

“Mm. Because from now on, everytime you see rollercoasters, you’ll think about me and how warm I held your hand.”

Jaehyun’s heart drums against his ribcage as Taeyong bashfully looks down. He catches Dongmin looking at him with disgust and briefly tugs his mask down to stick his tongue out.

They line up for the T-Express, a wooden roller coaster. Jaehyun is not a fan of extreme rides but he’s not easily spooked either. Bin and Dongmin stand before him and Taeyong, not talking to each other, busying themselves with their own phones.

Taeyong gasps as screams blare from the ongoing rollercoaster ride.

“If my baby’s too scared, then we could try another ride.”

Taeyong shakes his head. “I want to get over my fear of heights. It looks sturdy, doesn’t it?”

“Well, I’ve never heard of any accident recently.”

“…But there was?”

“A long time ago but it was because of the tourist’s own mistake rather than the ride of the operator. Nothing wrong will happen, okay?” Jaehyun pinches Taeyong’s cheek.

His fiancé looks somehow smaller today. Maybe it’s the outfit—a pink baseball cap, an oversized shirt and cute little shorts that end above the knee, and mid-ankle white socks. If Jaehyun didn’t know better, he’d think Taeyong is the most innocent boy ever.

“When your family went to amusement parks, you’ve never gotten on a rollercoaster?”

“I have. Twice, but I didn’t like it.”

“Who did you ride with?”

“Binnie. He doesn’t get scared easily. He jumps off the highest diving board so rollercoasters are like child’s play to him. So he didn’t hold my hand, thinking my silence meant I was fine.”

Jaehyun kisses Taeyong’s temple. His boyfriend always acts like he doesn’t need anyone, like he can deal with everything on his own. Taeyong can be independent when he wants to but Jaehyun knows that he’ll appreciate a shoulder to lean on.

He hopes that it will be him who will become Taeyong’s permanent pillar.

Finally, their turn to go on the coaster comes. Jaehyun excitedly gets on and holds Taeyong’s hand as the belts are fastened by an employee. He rolls his eyes as Dongmin looks away, missing the glances that Bin has been stealing. Jaehyun is not an expert in body language but it looks like Bin wants to hold Dongmin’s hand.

Too bad, Dongmin has zero experience when it comes to romantic relationships so unless Bin says fuck it and grabs Dongmin’s hand, nothing will happen.

The coaster shudders as the operator prepares it for launching. Taeyong is already whimpering as they ascend the tracks. Finding him very cute despite feeling bad, Jaehyun pats Taeyong’s knee in assurance. Taeyong is stunning when he’s sexy but this side of him is so unbelievably adorable.

Jaehyun hopes to see more sides of Taeyong. He’s sure he’s going to like every single one of them.

He tries to contain his emotions as the ride climbs up slowly, the people before and behind them already yelling. “Ready, baby?”

Taeyong looks at him and nods. “You got me.”

And then the coaster drops.

Jaehyun unleashes his glee while Taeyong screams his lungs out, holding his hand in a vice-like grip. He doesn’t mind the pain because he’s having the time of his life at the moment.

Seeing the tiny people at the bottom as they get to the peak of the tracks makes it more exhilarating. Jaehyun bursts in laughter once more when Dongmin screams his head off beside Bin who is everything but frightened.

“Stop, stop—I wanna go down!”

“You’re such a baby!”

Bin’s arm becomes Dongmin’s punching bag.

Poor Bin, Jaehyun thinks as the coaster does another heart-stopping drop. The prince will probably be bruised by the end of the day.

The ride goes through two more rounds before it slowly comes to a stop. Hair blown in directions, Jaehyun hastily combs his fingers through the strands and gets off the ride, not once letting go of Taeyong’s hand.

“How was that?”

Taeyong is shaking, and slightly pale. “Still terrifying…”

“But?”

“But I think I can ride it again if you’re with me?”

Beaming, Jaehyun kisses Taeyong’s cheek. The mask could honestly go but they need it.

If one day, Taeyong decides to try skydiving, Jaehyun will encourage him. That one may have him quaking in his boots but he’ll do anything if it’ll make Taeyong happy. Get on the silliest rides just to see Taeyong smile.

Walking away from the T-Express, Jaehyun whispers as Bin rubs his arm. “Dongmin turned into a boxer. I don’t think they’re going to make up anytime soon.”

“We can’t go home until they stop being children.” Taeyong fixes his cap, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I can’t believe I didn’t throw up! Can we take a look at the monkeys and pandas next?”

Everland Resort has two of the pandas living in captivity outside China and they are one of the top attractions of the theme park. Taking out his phone, Jaehyun collects some clips and pictures of the cutie pandas eating bamboo, one of them so lethargic it’s lazily rolling around its resting bench.

Near the panda enclosure are the golden monkeys. There’s a bunch of them, more interactive as they leap near the tourists, climbing trees and eating bananas.

Dongmin squints. “Are they each other’s lice?”

“That looks like you.”

“Excuse me?”

Bin shrugs. “I can totally picture you eating lice as a monkey.”

“How dare you—and who is the monkey whose lice I’m eating?!”

“Not me, Minnie. I wash my hair regularly. But you said that Jaehyun has a habit of taking your hair brush when he gets too lazy to rummage through his own stuff, right?”

Jaehyun whips his head at Bin. “Oi, I don’t like what you’re implying.”

“’The Princes and Their Monkey Husbands’ would make a good romantic comedy slash fantasy movie.”

Taeyong pokes his side as he tries to reach for Bin. “Ignore him. Bin sometimes makes me want to open his head so I can figure out which gear he’s lacking.”

The four of them try a few more of the attractions before they finally head to The Lost Valley, boarding the tram. Jaehyun lets Taeyong have the window seat as they sit together, anticipating the precious animals.

Jaehyun doesn’t forget to film as they pass through a series of landscape enclosures, zooming in on the group of elephants, camels, and rhinos. Nearing the giraffes, the tour guide prepares buckets of grass and leaves for them to feed the long-necked animals with.

The tram stops for a bit. Jaehyun captures Taeyong screaming as one of the giraffes pokes its head through the window, and loses his shit when he sees Bin’s beanie get snatched by a mischievous giraffe that eventually spits it back to the prince.

When they run out of food for the giraffes, the tram sends them back out. Taeyong complains about his rumbling stomach so they head to the snack section where they can choose what to eat among tens of food stalls.

As they settle at a vacant table, Jaehyun feels something poke his side and looks at Taeyong. “Hm?”

He feels a pair of greasy lips press against his. “What was that for?”

“For going on a date with me!”

“…We wouldn’t have gone hee if it wasn’t for your brother and my best friend’s love quarrel.”

“Maybe it was just an excuse for you to come to Everland with me. Coming to a theme park is a bit uncharacteristic of me and I didn’t know what you’d think if I said I wanted us to have a date here.”

“You were worried about what I’d think of you…?”

Taeyong shrugs, biting on his hotdog sandwich. “It’s silly.”

“It’s not. But you shouldn’t worry about that. I think you’re really cute today.”

The shining boba eyes earn Taeyong a peck on the forehead.

“I lo—” Jaehyun pauses, and masks the slip-up by wiping the crumbs off of Taeyong’s lips. “You’re so messy—”

Dongmin abruptly gets up, leaving his french fries on the table. “Just washing my hands,” he says and walks away to find a restroom.

Bin doesn’t waste a second and follows him.

“I think the plan is working,” Taeyong says.

What plan? The only plan of his is to make this day a memorable one for him and Taeyong.

X

Dongmin looks in the mirror as the door opens behind him and in comes Prince Bin.

“Hey… I just wanna say sorry for whatever I did that—”

“Stop.” Turning the tap off, he tears some paper towel to dry his hands before facing his fiancé. The toilet is small, so there’s only a foot of space between him and Bin and it makes Dongmin feel a bit suffocated. He’s nervous, and he doesn’t know why. “I did wrong, okay. I was just not feeling well and I snapped at you. I was irritated, I was scared, and—”

“It’s okay. I was a bit upset but… but I reflected on it and thought you might just be having a really bad day. You don’t hate me?”

Dongmin crumples the paper towel. “There’s no reason for me to hate you.”

“You don’t dislike me?”

“…I don’t. Please…just forget about the things I said. I don’t mean them but I’m sorry. I was being petty.”

“Okay, then.” Bin smiles, the worry dissipating from his eyes. “I’m glad.”

But Dongmin’s own concern remains. “Have you gone here…or to any amusement park…with your friends?”

“Uh, no? Amusement parks are not our thing. I went to Disneyland and Lotte World with the family.”

“…Not even with Sanha?”

Bin’s brows slightly knit. “No.”

Dongmin feels better…but why? Why does it make him feel happy that Bin did not enjoy these rides with Sanha? “Okay. We’re good now, right? Thank you for accepting my apology—”

Somebody comes in, opening the door with such force that sends Bin stumbling forward and pinning Dongmin against the sink.

Dongmin whimpers as something moist, warm and soft press against his lips.

“Oh fuck—sorry! I didn’t know it was occupied—but can you please make out somewhere else? I need to pee.”

Bin peels himself off of him and tugs his mask up before grabbing Dongmin’s hand. “Sorry about that,” he says as they exit the toilet.

“…It’s fine.”

Dongmin looks at Bin, and despite the mask, he knows that Bin is smiling—because it reaches his eyes.

“That wasn’t your first, was it?”

Dongmin trips.

Oh god. He and Bin just—

Bin just took his first kiss.

Sitting on the floor of their apartment, Jaehyun works on his project while Dongmin quietly practices his lines.

His mind constantly drifts back to the Everland date, to the way Taeyong looked at him after that rollercoaster ride like he was so thankful, so glad that Jaehyun was there. That it was Jaehyun who was there with him. There was something raw and beautiful in those eyes that hasn’t lost its grip on Jaehyun yet.

Sighing, he drops the screwdriver and lies down like a starfish.

“You okay?”

Jaehyun stares at the ceiling. “What happened to you and Prince Bin at the park?” Dongmin is blushing when he takes a look. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I won’t lie but I won’t tell you.”

“But something did happen when you went to the toilet, didn’t it? That’s good,” Jaehyun says even though Dongmin won’t talk. “That was the plan.”

“What plan?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s already done and it’s successful. Do you like him now?”

Dongmin clears his throat and faces the desk, back slightly hunched. “He’s an okay person. Why would I not like him?”

Whatever that happened at Everland, it seems that Dongmin is still in-denial about it. Jaehyun chuckles to himself. Soon, it’ll overflow—like the broken floodgates of his own heart, and Dongmin won’t be able to pretend anymore.

“I think I fell in love with Taeyong.”

“…Congratulations?”

“He’s just so fun to be with. When I’m with him, I don’t think about anything else. I don’t think about my job, my projects, or this apartment. When I’m with him, I only care about that moment. About being with him. And I dread the goodbyes.”

“Seems like you did fall for your fiancé. At least one of us will have a real loving marriage ‘cause there’s no doubt that Taeyong feels the same way about you. Are you gonna come clean to him about why you signed up for the competition?”

Jaehyun jolts us, eyes shaking. “NO. No way.” Picking up the screwdriver, he continues assembling his project. “I love him, but even though I’m beginning to care for him more genuinely now, I still don’t want to ruin my chances of marrying into their family. What if he hates me? You’ve seen how happy my parents were when they got to the palace. All their lives, they lived in harsh conditions. They’re looking forward to finally being comfortable.”

Dongmin throws him a look. “So you’re going to continue lying to Taeyong.”

“It’s not lying anymore if I already love him, right? Some things are just better left unsaid not because you want to lie but because you wanna keep the peace. I want to be a royal for my parents, not for me anymore. Isn’t it a good thing I fell for him for real?”

“I suppose so. I’m really happy for you.”

Jaehyun grins. “Thanks! I hope you and Bin will have a loving marriage, too.” He snickers as Dongmin loudly reads his lines.

It isn’t long before Taeyong occupies his mind again. Should he take Taeyong out on a date? He doesn’t have much money but Taeyong will appreciate it even if it’s just a picnic with the food he will cook, right?

Five minutes before the bell rings, Taeyong leaves the vacant lecture room to head to his next class.

He slows down, raising a brow inquisitively as the students present in the hallway look at him in a way he doesn’t like. As if they’re silently judging him. For what?

Taeyong has no clue, and it shouldn’t bother him since they normally talk about him everyday and reminisce about the past rumors that dirty journalists made up. He doesn’t exactly have a friendly personality so it’s understandable but catching several of these students whispering is making him itch to ask.

“Is there something on my face? Aside from beauty.”

“Is it true?”

He looks at a girl—he doesn’t recognize her. He doesn’t recognize people he doesn’t give a shit about. “I didn’t go under the knife. Nothing was done to my face, it’s all natural.”

“I’m not asking about that. Is it true that you stole Minju’s boyfriend?”

Taeyong blinks. “Who the hell is Minju?”

“She’s your classmate, isn’t she? Cho Minju.”

“Cho Minju…” Taeyong’s classmates are the same in every Fashion Design class but the name really doesn’t ring a bell. “I don’t remember.”

“It’s all over the bulletin board on the ground floor.”

Wait, what?

Now incensed, Taeyong goes to the first floor. The students that flock by the bulletin board make way upon seeing him.

He takes a look at the board, not registering the murmurs behind him. At least 10 pictures are plastered amidst important university announcements, and he remembers the day the photos of him and this male classmate of his were taken.

There is nothing for him to hide. There shouldn’t even be any issue. He was really just researching with one of his groupmates. The other two were at a different table the photos didn’t capture. Looking at them closely, they were angled in a way that makes him look like he’s leaning in for a kiss, or inappropriately touching his classmate.

Ripping one of the photos off the board, Taeyong turns to the small crowd that gathered around him. “I won’t ask again. Who the fuck is Cho Minju?”

“That will be me.”

Taeyong looks at the source of the voice and scoffs. It’s that girl who offered to be his and Jaehyun’s tour guide in Japan.”I didn’t even know you had a boyfriend.”

“We just broke up because of you.”

Eyes narrowing into slits, Taeyong approaches her. She gulps but doesn’t back down.

“I have 2 theories: One, you were bitter he dumped you and wanted to blame it on me because I rejected your parasitic friendship. Two, you don’t really have a boyfriend. Maybe this guy doesn’t even like you, and you’re pissed at me for working on a paper with him. Because who the hell would make the mistake of dating a low class social climber like you—”

The sting of the slap doesn’t bother him. It’s the fact that Cho Minju had the audacity to touch his million dollar face.

“You think you’re all that just because you’re a prince?”

“Yes.” Taeyong fixes his hair and smiles. “I’m all that, and so much more that you can only wish for.”

Chaos erupts as they grab each other’s hair and claw at each other’s arms, hurling insults.

Somebody calls for help and Taeyong shoves Cho Minju away from him just as a professor steps into the scene. “You could’ve painted your nails first before scratching me!”

“What’s going on here?! The both of you, follow me to the office. Now!”

“But—”

“No buts, Prince Taeyong. This is not the palace and the kings are not here to shield you. You will explain yourself to me in the office.”

Taeyong burns with indignance as he and Cho Minju follow the professor to the disciplinary room.

He touches his cheek as he sits down, cursing Cho Minju in his head. He will get back at her if his face scars.

“What’s the problem? Why are you two fighting like cats in the hallway?”

“She started a dumb rumor about me stealing her boyfriend, Miss. I have no reason to steal her basic ass boy toy, no offense to the guy if he doesn’t have any clue about this. I already have a fiancé and I will not replace him for some rando out there.”

Cho Minju scoffs. “Isn’t Jeong Jaehyun a rando too?”

“He’s going to be a prince by marriage. The moment he got engaged to me, he stopped being a commoner.” Taeyong points at Cho Minju. “She is to blame, Miss. I didn’t want to be friends with her so she fabricated a story about me being a hoe!”

“It’s not unfounded! You’ve been jumping from one boy to another since high school—”

“And so? I never stole them from anyone. I got them fair and square. They were the ones that begged to date me. I’m not a desperate bitch like you—”

“Language, Your Highness.” The professor shakes her head. “Cho Minju, what is the truth?”

“Just listen to the rumors—”

Taeyong chortles. “Darling, you are trying to go against a prince. Who are you? How much money do you have? Do you really believe you could win against my family?” He smirks as she looks away. “That’s what I thought.”

“Miss, he is threatening me—”

“Sure, I am. Because I’m not gonna let a roach-leech hybrid like you step on me.”

“Alright.” The professor looks like she’s already done with them. “We’re going to call for people who can vouch for either of you. We will know the truth very soon.”

X

Jaehyun finds out about Taeyong getting into a fight through a call from Dongmin. Hurriedly, he leaves the hall to go to the office and finds Bin and Dongmin outside, with Bin glaring at anyone that looks their way. It’s scary; Bin looks like he’s going to tackle down anybody who breathes Taeyong’s name wrongly. “He’s still inside?”

“Mm. The girl already left and ran away before I could even talk to her. My brother is going to be fine, though.”

“Oh, thank god. What was it even about?” The door to the office opens and Taeyong comes out, whistling nonchalantly. “Babe!”

“Jaehyunie!” Taeyong throws himself at Jaehyun before cupping his cheeks. “Did you hear what she did?! That damn girl said I stole her boyfriend! Turns out the guy didn’t even know she existed until today!”

“What guy—” Jaehyun looks at the crumpled photo Taeyong gives him, and scratches his head. “Eh, he’s not even cute.”

“I know, right? Everyone that believed it is fucking stupid. Like I got you! This level of beauty only matches a guy like you, oh my goodness.” Taeyong whines, pointing to his face. “But Jaehyunieee, look at what she did to my face. I got a scratch.”

Jaehyun can barely see it. “Oh, my poor baby.” He comforts Taeyong with a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll help put an ointment there.”

“Honestly, I thought he got into a fight because someone wanted to take Jaehyun away from him,” Bin chimes in. “And I was like—are they richer than my brother? Are they the queen of another country? Taeyong’s net worth is astonishing—”

Bin stops talking as he registers the complete silence. Everyone is staring at him—Taeyong cluelessly, Dongmin like he wants to run away, and Jaehyun in horror. “Um—”

“What are you saying?”

Dongmin groans and pinches Bin’s side. “He doesn’t know.”

“…Oh.”

Jaehyun sees his soul fly away as Taeyong looks at him, waiting for an explanation. “Uh…your brother is hallucinating.”

“Binnie doesn’t do drugs. He doesn’t even drink.”

Jaehyun grimaces. How did Bin know about that? Pulling Taeyong to the side, he takes a deep breath and hopes for the best.

“I…I might or might not have…only signed up for the competition because…I don’t wanna be poor anymore? Haha—”

Taeyong gasps dramatically as if somebody has just told him that he cannot buy women’s underwear anymore. His butt cheeks clench around the string of his thong.

“You only want my money?”

“At first! But not anymore because I realized that I--”

Taeyong elicits an exaggerated sob, taking out a white handkerchief to dab at his eyes as he grabs Bin and walks away from them.

“Taeyong!”

“Don’t talk to me, two-face!”

“Shit.” Jaehyun watches them leave before heading the other way, dialling Taeyong’s number.

“Jaehyun, wait!”

He looks at Dongmin. “How did Bin know?”

“…I confessed to him but it’s not because I wanted to out you. Bin saw through me and I felt cornered so I told him the truth that I didn’t join the competition to get married but just to accompany you. I felt like I had to tell the whole story.” Dongmin chews on his nails. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, not at you. At myself. I should’ve been honest from the get-go. God, what do I do now? I don’t care about the money, Min. But I don’t want to lose Taeyong.”

Taeyong is not answering him. Distraught, Jaehyun sits on the top of the stairs with Dongmin rubbing his back.

The kings have heard about the commotion and warned the university for allowing a student to defame Prince Taeyong. That’s all Yunho and Jaejoong could do as they are away for an overseas convention, so Taeyong calls their uncles over for help on how to deal with his current problem.

In the king’s main office, with their uncles Changmin and Junsu, Bin paces as Taeyong continuously weeps into his handkerchief so hard he can barely talk.

“I told you this is unnecessary!”

“No! You don’t understand! He lied to me. He said he liked me!”

“You should’ve let him explain. He looked like he wanted to tell you more.”

“He was just trying to save himself, Binnie. Why aren’t you angry? Dongmin doesn’t even want to marry you.”

Bin shrugs. “Because we already talked and we’re going to make this work.”

Taeyong sniffles, wiping his face dry. “You’re lucky. Dongmin will like you for who you are and not because of your money.”

“Did we have the same problem when we were teenagers?”

Changmin doesn’t even give Junsu’s question much thought. “I don’t even remember my teenage years.”

Bin is embarrassed. The uncles shouldn’t even be listening to this. “Taeyong, look at me. When they brought up the engagement, and opened the competition for everyone, did you honestly think that those men whom we never met before wanted to marry us because they love us?”

“…They were all from noble families. They surely don’t want my money—”

“You don’t know that. And even if they don’t want your money, they still want something out of this marriage. Power is going to be the top answer. They’re not marrying us because they wanna make us happy or they honestly believe they’re the man of our dreams. Okay?”

“But why did Jaehyun tell me he liked me?”

“Because he probably did. The right person would find you likeable.”

Taeyong starts crying again. “God, I miss him. I want to unblock him but I’m not an easy boy. My pride got hurt, you know. I felt like I was played. Am I allowed to feel that way?”

Bin glances at their uncles who seem like they’re deriving entertainment from Taeyong’s predicament.

“Yes, you are. You shouldn’t have found out about it this way. But don’t be impulsive, please?” Bin doesn’t have a good feeling about this. “Why did you even call the uncles over?”

“Because I want to plan my revenge.”

There it is. “Oh, Jesus.”

“And the uncles will help us because dad and papa are not here.” Taeyong wipes at his eyes as he looks at their uncles with determination. “I want to get back at Jaehyun because unlike him, I actually fell in love at first sight. Nothing too extreme, though! I just want to feel better.”

Changmin rests his chin on a fist. “How do you expect us to help?”

“I need ideas…”

“We have to brainstorm here. We know absolutely nothing about this Jeong Jaehyun.”

Taeyong shares a look with Bin. “Err, he’s 22 years old and a Mechanical Engineering major. I kind of want to get my revenge on the upcoming festival.”

Junsu asks what the festival will be about.

“Different programs are gonna set up booths to show off what’s special about each course,” Bin explains. “There will be performances, and food and drinks for everyone since it’s going to be open for outsiders too.”

“Hmm. What about you? Taeyong said your fiancé didn’t want to marry you.”

“You have to take revenge on Dongmin too!” Taeyong tugs at Bin’s hand. “He snapped at you when he was sick!”

“And we already made up during the double date. He didn’t do anything wrong to me, Taeyong. I’m not going to play some dumb prank on him.”

“Oi.” Changmin knocks on the desk. “I’ll have you know that whatever plan we come up with is not dumb. I have a PhD.”

Taeyong giggles. “Make Dongmin soften up. He’s kind of uptight sometimes, not gonna lie. Also, he made you think he didn’t like you. You were so worried, Binnie! Get back at him for that!”

“Yong, I really don’t wanna mess with him.”

“Please, Binnie? Dongmin competed so Jaehyun wouldn’t be alone. He should accompany Jaehyun again for this. Right, uncles?”

Junsu nods. “I vote yes.”

“I’m just here for the drama, honestly.”

Bin will have to talk to his uncles after this. “…I’m not saying I will do it, but okay.”

“Yay! Okay, let’s start!” Taeyong cracks his knuckles and pulls up one of Jaehyun’s pictures in his phone, smirking. “You’ll be sorry once I’m done with you, Jaehyunie.”

Sungkyunkwan University opens its gates for everyone on a Wednesday. Little colorful banners hang overhead as stalls line the wide walkway leading to the stage where performers take the spotlight. Foods and drinks are also sold at discounted prices if customers show up with a flyer from any program.

Standing outside one of the men’s bathrooms, Taeyong exchanges texts with Bin.

“Taeyong, please…”

“You want to step out now?”

“Do I really have to do this?”

“Yes, because you are a gold digger.”

“I was! But I had a change of heart! Will you please listen to me first?”

“I will listen to you once I’m satisfied with your performance, okay?” Taeyong looks at the closed door. “Are you done changing?”

“…Yes.”

Grinning, Taeyong takes a step back and rubs his hands.

The door opens slowly and inch by inch Taeyong sees his work of art. Jaehyun stands in a brown leather crop top exposing his midriff, the plunging neckline ending at the base of his sternum. The sleeves are cut off suggestively for a side-boob window, and the miniskirt is so mini that Jaehyun constantly tugs it down so his butt cheek won’t say hello.

“Hmm. Not bad! I designed it for girls but you’re rocking it, Jaehyunie!”

“Taeyong.” Jaehyun pleads. “I’m going to cry.”

“I now, baby. But you understand why I’m doing this, right? Chin up!” Taeyong puts a butterfly clip on Jaehyun’s hair and giggles as he eyes Jaehyun’s crisscross sandals. “Time to model!”

His uncles couldn’t come up with a punishment related to Jaehyun’s major so they suggested that it’d be connected to Taeyong’s instead. So here Jaehyun is, modelling one of Taeyong’s random pieces.

Taeyong leads the way down to the festival. Students look, gasp, and giggle as they snap pictures of Jaehyun in his gorgeous glory. The Fashion Design stall is at the very end of the line so Jaehyun endures the attention all the way there, giving them a show.

Deep inside, Taeyong feels proud of the reaction they are garnering. Jaehyun has a body to die for. He hears some whistling from a group of boys and glowers at them until they back off, smirking when he catches Cho Minju’s eyes.

Taeyong’s fellow Fashion Design majors ogle his fiancé as they get to the stall. “Don’t dream about him or I’ll make lobotomy possible again.”

Blushing from top to bottom, Jaehyun pouts in embarrassment as he is made to hold a sign for visitors to come and check their stall.

“We don’t even have to explain to them why they should enrol or shift to our program because one look at our model and we’ve already proven we’ve got the best fashion design program in the country.”

Jaehyun tries to put a smile on. “They will be so disappointed when they find out I’m not from your program, and that I’m graduating in February.”

“At least they will take pride in coming to Sungkyunkwan. Having me and Bin here already increases the value of our university.”

Sitting down, Taeyong accommodates those who are inquiring about their course. He feels like gouging their eyes out every time their gaze darts towards Jaehyun.

Jaehyun is not allowed to hide his face so he keeps his head up high as people take more pictures, some even posing with him for a selfie like he’s a mascot.

Some students take pity on Jaehyun and hand him a drink and a portable fan. As soon as they ran out of flyers to give, Taeyong pulls down the awning and tells the rest to give him and Jaehyun a moment.

He waits for every single one of them to leave before letting Jaehyun take a seat. Taeyong also directs the small electric fan towards Jaehyun.

“Baby, I already have this little thing with me.”

“It’s really hot today, isn’t it? Even though you’re 60% naked.” Taeyong grabs the portable fan from Jaehyun and uses it on himself. “Have you learned your lesson?”

Sulking, Jaehyun nods slowly. “I should’ve told you the truth as soon as we got engaged.”

“Right. I probably would’ve been less sad. My brother got a point, though. Everyone who competed wasn’t there to love me but to become a royal as well. And our parents must know that. That’s how the others lived anyway. Most of them got married out of selfish reasons to people they didn’t love and only developed affection for their partners along the way.”

Taeyong’s gaze drops to the mini fan. “I guess I just wasn’t happy that you treated me like you loved me from the start.”

“I’m so sorry, Taeyong…”

“Were your exes rich too?”

Jaehyun sighs. “I dated them for money, yes. Most of the money were sent to my parents because my part-time job didn’t pay enough.”

“You never loved them?”

“I never loved them the way I should have.”

“What about me?”

Their eyes meet. Taeyong prepares himself for the worst.

“I realized I have feelings for you at Everland Resort. When I held your hand during the rollercoaster ride, particularly, and thought that I wanted to be by your side for a long time just to see you happy.”

He exhales the fear. That’s all Taeyong wants to hear. He may be a prince, but he’s easier to please compared to Bin.

Standing up, he cups Jaehyun’s cheeks and leans down to press a kiss on his fiancé’s lips. “I love you.”

God, it feels so good to say it.

“Bin once told me that my love is shallow because I always fall head over heels so fast. But I can tell that what I feel for you is going to last long. You’re infinitely better than all of my exes; you won’t hurt me and break my heart into smithereens.”

Jaehyun holds his hands and kisses them.”I’ll take care of you, Taeyong. I promise.”

“Okay, I forgive you now—ack!” Taeyong laughs as Jaehyun gets up and hugs him tightly. “I missed you, my love!”

“Me too, baby! I couldn’t sleep! I was crying onto my pillows all night that Dongmin used me as inspiration for this one scene he had to rewrite.”

“What was it about?”

“I don’t really know but he said it was angsty. He was having a writer’s block until he heard me sobbing and calling your name. Said it broke his heart too.”

“Well damn, we have to watch his play, then!” Taeyong’s smile stretches from ear to ear as he pinches Jaehyun’s cheeks. “You don’t know how much I love you!’

“Then please show me, My Prince.”

Taeyong falls and falls with no chance of ascending.

“Alright, I need you to do one more thing for me and then you can change back into your clothes.”

Jaehyun’s smile dims. “Babe, I forgot my bag in the bathroom.”

“Okay…?”

“You mean I have to walk back out there like this?”

“You succeeded in walking all the way here so you can walk back all the way there! Worry about it later.” Taeyong makes Jaehyun stand in the corner. “Do some poses for me.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to put your photos in my portfolio, of course! Next semester, we have photography class. I want to start practicing now.”

Looking like he’s going to cry again, Jaehyun follows each instruction as he is made to imitate poses he’d only seen high fashion models do.

“Have you seen Bin and Dongmin?”

Taeyong frowns a bit. “They’re probably in their own world.”

“Thank god. Dongmin is not going to let me live if he sees me like this.”

“No problem, my love. I will send him these pictures.”

The color drains from Jaehyun’s face. “If I make out with you right here right now, in these clothes, will you keep the pictures to yourself?”

Taeyong pretends to think about it. “Tempting, but I want to see his and Bin’s reactions. So we’ll make out once we’re done here, okay?” Claiming victory, Taeyong giggles as he makes Jaehyun grab onto the pole in the middle and stick his butt out. “Magnificent!”

Locking the gym door, Bin faces Dongmin who is literally shaking as he stands between the treadmills.

He accidentally lets a chuckle slip.

“Don’t laugh! I thought we were good, Bin…?”

“We are. But Taeyong is gonna throw a massive tantrum if I let you get away. Pretty sure he’s making Jaehyun crawl through the mud as we speak.”

Dongmin sniffles. “B-but I already confessed the truth to you!”

“I’m just being a good brother.” Seeing the look of indignation on Dongmin’s pretty face, Bin stops himself from charging at him to press him against the mirrored wall. “And by that, I mean supporting this revenge plan of his. I promise to go easy on you.”

“Don’t smack me with your dumbbells!”

“Minnie, that’s assault.  What do you think of me?” Shaking his head, Bin fishes a paper out of his pocket and unrolls it. “You are free to choose one of these as your punishment. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, or 100 jumping jacks.”

Dongmin grabs his head. “100? Do you think I’m an olympian?”

“Olympians do more than that. I’m going to count for you.” Sitting on a bench, Bin produces a stopwatch. “Also, I’m gonna record how fast you finish it so I’ll know how truly out of shape you are and if I need to plan a basic exercise routine for you.”

Dongmin looks at the floor. “…What if I just…get on my knees and—”

“You’re an exhibitionist? I mean…we’re the only ones here but I still prefer being in bed.”

Fire erupts on Dongmin’s face. “Moon Bin! I was going to ask if you’d consider literal begging!”

Nobody knows, but Bin sincerely believes he could out-hoe his brother if he just let himself go. “I think Taeyong possessed me for a second there. Ready?”

“…I haven’t even chosen what I want to do.”

“Jumping jack is the easiest.”

Mumbling something under his breath, Dongmin faces the mirror and begins his punishment. “Don’t cheat; I’m gonna count in my head.”

Bin turns on the stopwatch and rests his elbows on his knees as he watches Dongmin with hawk eyes, noticing the redness that spreads from Dongmin’s ears down to his neck. He thinks back to the kiss at the amusement park and momentarily buries his face in his hands as the urge to kiss Dongmin again gets stronger by the second.

He’s not even counting. His thoughts are made up of nothing but Dongmin. Looking up, he breaks into a small smile as bullets of sweat form on the back of Dongmin’s neck.

“Why did you get pissed at Sanha that day?”

Dongmin stops jumping.

“I didn’t  ask you to stop.”

Though confused, Dongmin continues and avoids Bin’s gaze in the mirror.

“Minnie, I asked you a question.”

From his position, Bin clearly sees the clenching of Dongmin’s jaw.

“I wasn’t pissed at him.”

“You totally were.”

“Are you counting?”

“I’m not. Why were you pissed at Sanha?”

Dongmin does 10 more jumps before stopping, walking away from Bin.

“I don’t think you’ve already done a hundred.”

“None of us are even counting! That feels like a hundred to me.” Pacing, Dongmin clutches handfuls of his hair. His frustration oozes and smacks Bin across the face. “Fine! I was pissed at him. And that was also the reason I snapped at you when I was sick.”

Heart thudding, Bin waits for more.

Dongmin eventually stops and looks at him. “I got irrationally jealous of how you were taking care of him and I couldn’t help comparing us. I wondered if you were just feeding me because it would make your parents proud if they asked you for an update. Maybe you weren’t doing it because you like me the way you like Sanha—”

“I don’t like you the way I like Sanha.” Bin sighs as Dongmin visibly sags. “What do you really feel about me, Minnie?”

“…Do you really have no clue?”

“I’m not a mind reader. And before we accidentally kissed at Everland, your actions made me feel nothing but uncertain. So what is it, really? Are you just being civil now—”

“It’s impossible to be ‘just civil’ with you after knowing what your lips feel like against mine.” Dongmin’s hands ball up. “I liked you when you gave me a choice to leave right before the engagement. And then I fell in love with you after that kiss.”

Bin stops the timer.

“…Is my punishment done?” Dongmin asks as he pockets the stopwatch. “Am I forgiven? Can I go now?”

“We’re not done yet.”

“What do you want this time—”

“Admit you’re a sub.”

Dongmin’s eyes bulge out of their sockets. “WHAT. ME, A SUB? SINCE WHEN?!”

His outburst is peak comedy to Bin. “Since the day I made you feel it’s okay to submit. Right on the day we met. Remember the way I made you feel? Don’t lie to me. Admit it, and then you’re good to go.”

“Bin, I hate you—”

“You don’t. You just told me you’re in love with me.”

“Fuck—” Dongmin’s fingers curl and uncurl as though he wants to wrap them around something—preferably Bin’s neck. “You’re so annoying! Okay, fine! I’m a sub! Now what—”

Crossing the room in a few long strides, Bin grabs Dongmin by the waist and pulls him in for a kiss. A real one, and much better than before. The kind that makes the most stubborn go pliant, the kind that takes one’s breath away.

He nips on Dongmin’s lower lip until the latter whimpers and clutches his biceps.

“Binnie—”

“I love you too.”

Dongmin lets out a noise that sounds like a sob as he wraps his arms around Bin’s neck, breaking the kiss to gasp for air. “Wait, wait—why are you kissing down my neck now—”

“Because I’m going to have my way with you.”

Pulling away for a moment, Bin starts unbuttoning his shirt. The more skin he unveils, the redder Dongmin gets.

“I’m a virgin, just so you know—”

“Not anymore. In 3, 2, 1—”

“Binnie! Wait!”

( They don’t do it at the gym, of course. As it is Dongmin’s first time, Bin takes him twice in an expensive and elegant deluxe double room in Amare, fit for a prince’s consort. )

Winter break means no classes. Winter break means vacation. Winter break means a period of relaxation.

But not for Dongmin and Jaehyun.

They are set to meet the kings and hear the final decision of the princes. If the princes still wish to get married to them, then the date and venue of the wedding will be discussed as soon as possible. But if the princes don’t see any more reason to be with them, then the engagement will be called off, and another competition might be possibly held should the princes wish to replace them soon.

Dressed in warm clothes to protect them from the cold, butlers escort them to the palace’s conference room. The kings are already there with the princes, giving them no moment for themselves to prepare.

Dongmin bows appropriately. “Good evening, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses.”

“Have a seat.”

They assume their places right next to their fiancés.

“Because of how busy we all are—me and Jaejoong in our duties, you and the princes with your studies, the times that we have gathered together can be counted in both hands. But after this meeting, we will know whether we are going to see more of each other in the future or if this is going to be the last.”

Jaejoong maintains a smiling face. “Don’t terrify them.”

Yunho discreetly pinches his thigh under the table. “The decision is completely up to our sons so we must hear their thoughts about the past 9 months. Taeyong first.”

“Err, I want to be a bit more formal but what else do you want me to say? I talked about Jaehyun during dinner and all I had to say about our relationship was it’s nothing short of magical. Kind of a whirlwind romance but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Taeyong taps the tip of Jaehyun’s nose. “Right, darling?”

“What makes you want to push through with the wedding?”

“Our personalities match. While we still do have some differences, there is nothing majorly alarming that might cause a rift. We agree on most things. He catches up with me to avoid conflicts, and I adjust to his wishes. I’ve never met another man before him that clicked so well with me it’s almost fictional.”

Jaehyun smiles softly at his fiancé, squeezing Taeyong’s hand gently. Despite being certain that he and Taeyong won’t break up, he is still nervous.

Jaejoong gestures for Bin to share his thoughts.

“He excites me.”

Dongmin coughs out the water he’s drinking. “Um—”

“Make of it what you will,” Bin continues without elaborating. “I’ve never felt more alive until Dongmin happened.”

Yunho pinches the bridge of his nose. He has long given up on Taeyong learning to be more proper when the kings are there, but it seems like Bin caught the untreatable Hoe Disease.

“I am hearing nothing but positive reflections. Is it safe to say that you wish to talk about the more significant details now?”

The princes nod in unison.

“But before we get to that, I need to make some things very clear to Lee Dongmin and Jeong Jaehyun. Marrying the princes doesn’t only mean you will be husbands on paper and in appearance. Marrying the princes means marrying into the royal family, and becoming a royal yourselves. Becoming a royal means taking up titanic responsibilities because becoming a royal means becoming a public servant.”

“We understand, Your Majesty.”

“You will be one of the leaders of this country. You will be delegated tasks that will assist citizens and strengthen politicial connections. You will regularly make public appearances in charities, fundraising events, auctions, and the likes. There is no room for carelessness. Of course you will still have control over your own private lives but becoming a royal means less mistakes, less fault, less selfishness. You will put the palace, the family, and the country before your personal wants.”

Jaejoong doesn’t wait a beat before sharing his own reminders. He gets a bit more sentimental.

“Marrying the princes means becoming the best version of yourselves so that we will find no reason to interfere with your relationship. We trust our sons, and we respect their wishes as long as we know for sure that it will make them happy. So the moment I hear about any of my sons shedding tears, best believe I will not let it slide.” How his smile doesn’t even fall off his face is even more scary to the fiancés. “Understood?”

Feeling Dongmin’s cold and quivering hand on his thigh, Bin gives it a few pats.

“And since that’s finally out of the way, let’s get to the exciting part! Oh, I feel like a professional wedding planner!”

Dongmin takes a long, deep ass breath. One more stifling second and he was going to pass out.

“When do you both wish to get married?”

“The four of us have been talking about it the past few weeks and we think it’s better to hold the wedding on the same day,” Bin says. “A double wedding. Since we got engaged on the same day, it only makes sense that we share a wedding date, too.”

Taeyong vibrates in his seat. “It’s going to be grand!”

“I’m already calling it the wedding of the century.” Jaejoong produces a small notebook to jot down ideas. “But you’re not in a rush, are you?”

“A royal wedding preparation is very demanding and puts a lot of pressure on everyone involved. You have to have a lot of time to spare for it.”

“Since me and Dongmin are older than the princes, we think it’s best to wait for them to graduate first so they can focus on getting their degrees.”

Taeyong nods like a bobblehead. “And then we’ll get married in summer.”

“Why not spring?”

“Because I was born in July, Binnie. Why do you want to hold it in spring? Your birthday is in January.”

“Because I want the venue to be brimming with freshly bloomed flowers?”

“…Wait, I think you’re right.” Taeyong taps his cheek rhythmically. “Plus it’s gonna be way too hot to be wearing royal blazers in summer. Fine, I’m voting for spring too.”

“What about Jaehyun and Dongmin?”

“Whatever the princes want, the princes get.”

Jaejoong wags his pen at Dongmin. “Smart. You’ve got a very wise fiancé, Bin.”

“And very submissive—”

“Okay, onto the next detail! The venue! Since it’s going to be a spring wedding, and Bin wants lots of blooming flowers, do you want to hold it at Suncheon Bay Garden?”

“Oh, I’ve been there once! The garden is so vast we had to go around for 2 whole days!”

Jaehyun’s excitement only fuels Taeyong’s—and then Dongmin is also talking about the time he and his family went to the garden where he jumped into the bed of tulips and got scolded by a cleaning personnel.

Jaejoong’s eyes well up as Bin presses a kiss on his delighted fiancé’s cheek. “This is going to be the best day of their lives, I know it.”

When the cameras turned on to televise the wedding, when the flashes went off to collect photos to publish in magazines and newspapers, everyone had already dubbed the royal wedding as one for the books, going down in history to be one of the most remarkable events of this era.

From the venue, to the guests, and down to the suits of the princes and their consorts, everything was tailored to perfection. Watching the wedding made the whole nation feel like they are sharing the same dream at the same time.

It was so ineffably marvelous that the whole event was recorded to be replayed on television for those who missed it, and the vows of the princes and their other halves highlighted on reports.

“When I filled out the application, I told myself I would be making a mistake. When I received the letter of acceptance, I told myself I made a mistake. When I went to the palace, I told myself I needed to correct this mistake. And when I won and got called to meet you, I told myself I would regret prolonging this mistake.

But soon enough you proved that it was not a mistake all along but the call of fate.

I fought the feelings because I did not believe I deserved to be with you. I fought the feelings because you were too good for someone like me. I fought the feelings because I was confused, clueless, and afraid.

I did not fight them hard enough because losing you terrified me more than realizing I was already in love with you.

You changed my life the moment you looked into my eyes, and I intend to live this life with you for as long as I am allowed.

Bin, I may not be as physically strong as you but I want to be your shield against harm. I may not run as fast as you but I want to be the first person to come to your side when you need help. I may not swim as well as you do but if a time comes you feel like sinking, I’m going to be your vest to keep you afloat. And I promise to make use of the one thing I’m good at—words. Either by speaking or writing, I will let you know I love you in all the ways I can.”

• Lee Dongmin

“I showed you my poems and you told me how good I am at it, and I wanted to write you one for my vows but for some reason I couldn’t pen a single line.

Could it be because the poems are not the words, but you and I?

Like I do with my pieces, each day I will spend with you as your husband is going to be remembered, immortalized in my heart and mind. Every second of doing life with you will be etched into my soul.

We are each other’s poets. Loving you is the poem I have ever written.

You are a phenomenal actor, Minnie, and I’m the proudest when I see you flourish in your craft. And I understand that sometimes, the things we love are the reason we get exhausted.

With me, you do not have to wear a mask. With me, you do not have to put up a façade. With me, you do not have to be someone else. With me, you do not have to be invincible all the time.

You can be terrible, you can be flawed. You can be weak and be broken.

Because as a poet that only writes the most beautiful things in the world, I’m here to write not the perfect but the most wonderful romance with you. I’m here to make you feel better. I’m here to embrace your imperfections. I’m here to be your strength, to piece you back together, and love you for who you are.

I’m here to make the best art with you—and that’s you and I.”

• Moon Bin

“To tell you the truth, I’m not good with words. There’s a reason I am an engineer. I stayed up nights to think of how I could make this good. Luckily, I have a friend that helped make my words seem coherent.

5 years ago, I was a selfish man. I was an opportunist. 5 years later, I am still the same person but with a different view on those traits.

As a consort, I have thousands of royal duties and one of them is to share you with the nation. Signing up for this, I knew I wouldn’t have all of your time and attention, and I too would be broken down into pieces.

But as a selfish man, I’m going to have all of you to myself once you are done fulfilling your duties as a prince to shower you with all the things you deserve. Love, attention, effort, loyalty, devotion. As a selfish man, I’m going to hide you in my heart and shackle you there for all of eternity, because I have no plans to let you go, to give you a reason to search for happiness somewhere else.

As an opportunist, I’m going to take this once in a lifetime chance to make you feel like you would still be royalty even without a title, the palace, or the crown.

Yet at the same time, I’m not going to control you. I’m not going to suffocate you. I won’t clip your wings. If you wish to venture into the greater meaning of life, I will have your back. I will watch you soar. Because as much as I want to keep you to myself, you are your own person, and you are going to be everything you want to be. You are going to be everywhere you want to be.

I have so much love to give that I’m looking for more room to store it. And as a lover of risks, I’m going to take advantage of this day to ask you to open a new space in your life for me. I am yours, Taeyong. Have me, and I will stay.”

• Jeong Jaehyun

“Believe it or not, with all the confidence I have since we got engaged, I was hit with doubt and fear a number of times.

Simply speaking, you are the best thing that happened to me. I could’ve met a hundred men before you but no one made me feel stable and unstable at the same time as much as you do.

One second I could be walking on clouds, the next I could be traipsing on a swinging rope. And it’s all because I cared too much about being the best for you.

I am beautiful, I am confident, I am intelligent, I am talented, but I am also full of flaws that if they were exposed, would make a lot of people change the way they see me.

Nothing too shocking, though. I’m not about to give these malicious journalists a show.

But enough of the self-doubt. I want to focus on the things I am sure of:

I am sure of being with you every step of the way. I am sure of supporting your goals. I am sure of choosing you, of loving you. I am sure of you.

With this certainty, I carry the promise of forever. Forever laughing with you, forever on a date with you, forever embracing you, forever being your friend, forever being your soulmate.

I will fly but I will fly with you. I will explore and I will explore with you. You will be everywhere I go, and you will always be the first to witness it as I become who I want to be.

The world is too big and I may not be sure of so many things but I am sure of a few, and one of them is I’m going to be that one sure thing for you.”

• Lee Taeyong

Taeyong doesn’t think he’s still made up of 60% water. Stress is running through his veins as he blankly watches the havoc before him.

Models are slipping in and out of dresses while the staff are cramming invitations to send to the VIP guests. Taeyong looks unbothered to the none-the-wiser but deep inside, he is a boiling hot water and he’s going to lose his mind if his rival somehow gets information again and tries to snatch away the venue he is aiming to rent for his 2^nd fashion show.

“Sir—”

Taeyong raises a hand. “I’m thinking.”

“But sir, your phone—”

“I’m debating with myself whether I should steal Park Gisook’s venue before he steals mine.”

“Um, sir—”

“What, Cho Minju?!”

The assistant flinches, clutching the clipboard against her chest. “Your phone has been ringing. Mr. Jeong is calling you.”

“…Then why didn’t you tell me right away?” Stalking towards his desk, Taeyong unplugs his phone and swipes his thumb over the screen, smiling. “Yes, honey bunch—”

“Baby, are you on your way to the hospital?”

“Uh—why would I be at the hospital? Who’s dying?”

“Nobody’s dying. You didn’t read my texts, did you? The surrogates are about to give birth!”

“The what?!” Taeyong cups his mouth as everyone turns to him. “Wait—surrogates?!”

“Dongmin and Bin’s baby mama is in labor!”

“OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD, I’M COMING!” Hanging up, Taeyong tells his assistant to take notes for him before snatching his bag off the swivel chair. “I’m going to be a father!”

They congratulate him as he runs out of the office. Getting into the car, Taeyong tells his driver to beat the red lights. “Fuck the cops, Mr. Hwang. The princes are going to be dads today!”

Four months after the wedding, they found surrogates to carry their children. Miraculously, the women conceived almost at the same time but Dongmin and Bin’s baby mama wasn’t due until 2 weeks later.

Arriving at the hospital, possibly three speeding tickets later, Taeyong takes the VIP route. Security blocks both ends of the hallway. He is met halfway by Jaehyun with a hug, as Bin tries to calm a panicking Dongmin.

“Where’s dad and papa?”

“They’re on their way. They’re taking the helicopter.”

“Oh my god. August 23—our baby’s birthday is August 23.” Taeyong breaks free from Jaehyun’s embrace to approach the other couple. “Is it safe to deliver 2 weeks earlier?”

Bin nods, patting Dongmin’s arm. “It’s still considered normal. We’ve been preparing but I suppose no one is actually going to be ready enough for something like this.”

Looking at Dongmin, Taeyong wonders if they should ask someone to get a basin. Bin’s husband looks like he’s going to vomit any minute now. “I expected him to be more calm and collected than this.”

“You two have been hanging out lately. Of course he’s going to be emotional.”

Taeyong is the designer for the wardrobe of Dongmin’s fellow actors so they have ben meeting a lot the past two months. Pitying Bin’s husband, Taeyong sighs and motions for a bodyguard to fetch a plastic bag.

“You’re going to puke when you see the vagina tear so your baby can slide out.”

What remains of Dongmin’s color evaporates.

“Sora requested a private moment with the child before she gives them up so we can’t get in just yet. She’s already being cut up, isn’t she?”

Jaehyun nods. “We just talked to the doctor before you arrived. She’s wide awake.”

“She’s such an icon. Your baby mama should’ve done it too.”

Bin shrugs, and grabs the plastic bag from a bodyguard just in time as Dongmin clutches his stomach. “She insisted on natural birth. We gotta give her that, at least.”

The kings arrive at the hospital 45 minutes later. By that time, Taeyong and Jaehyun’s baby is already born and they’re just waiting for the infant to be transferred to the nursery. Meanwhile, Bin and Dongmin’s surrogate is still in the middle of pushing out a whole human being.

Dongmin didn’t faint, much to Taeyong’s chagrin and Bin’s relief, but his legs do buckle when he finally carries Princes Sujin. Bin practically sticks himself to Dongmin just in case.

Together, the couples gather in a private room where they can gush over the bundled babes. Prince Jiyeong, Taeyong and Jaehyun’s son, is a cryer. Got the lungs of a metalhead. Princess Sujin inherited her fathers’ quietness, soundly sleeping in Bin’s arms while Dongmin ugly-cries at the side.

The scene moves Jaejoong to tears. “I thought when we adopted them, it was already the most beautiful moment of my life. I’m wrong. It’s seeing our sons make their own families.”

“You’re going to be an amazing grandpa,” Yunho tells him, hugging him from behind.

“We already are.”