COLOURS ✓

TWENTY FIVE

Hoseok's lies caught up to him faster than he thought they would.

He thought he would have more time. Things were going well for him. He thought maybe the universe wouldn't pull a trick on him, but he was wrong.

Everything fell apart quickly.

It was nearing the end of January when it happened. At first, he had no idea what was going on. He was heading to his next class as usual, but something was wrong.

People were whispering.

That wasn't unusual in highschool. At least, that was what Hoseok had learned eventually. But it was happening too much. Every hall he went down, people would turn their heads or look at him nervously and step out of his way.

What was going on?

He didn't have a clue until he heard running footsteps come from behind him.

"Hoseok! Hoseok!" Jeongguk slowed down when he reached Hoseok, breathless. "Hoseok, they know."

". . . What?"

Jeongguk showed Hoseok his phone. It was open on Twitter, where everyone was losing their minds because. . . the identity of the Prince had been revealed?

And Hoseok saw his face on trending. His name. Him.

He felt his throat go dry. "Why. . ." When he looked up, he saw his friends—Jimin, Yoongi, and Namjoon, standing at the end of the hall. They were looking at him, not as Hoseok, but as the Prince.

Hoseok stepped backwards. His hands were shaking.

"I'm sorry, I—" He cut himself off lamely and made a dash for the stairs. Everyone was still staring and he wished they would just stop, he wished he could disappear from sight.

Hoseok heard Jeongguk call after him but he didn't slow down as he reached the fifth floor and threw himself into one of the empty rooms, slamming the door closed behind him. Shaking, he sunk to the ground and held his head in his hands.

Why did it all go wrong so fast?

February 18th was weeks away. No one was supposed to know until then. Hoseok was supposed to break up with Taehyung and he was supposed to cut ties with his friends and then ascend the throne. But what did they all see him as now? A liar? Did Taehyung see him as one, too?

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. 17 missed calls from Seokjin. He returned the call and brought the phone to his ear, eyes burning with tears that wouldn't come out.

"Hoseok!" Seokjin's voice came clear through the phone. "Hoseok, oh my god, someone leaked the fact that you're the Prince!"

Hoseok exhaled. "I know. Everyone was staring."

"Hobi, I'm so sorry. I knew you weren't ready for it. We're trying to find out who did it now, but. . ."

". . .But?"

Seokjin sighed. "You're not going to like it. Since the news is already out, the Queen wants you to ascend the throne now."

"Now?"

"That's what they're discussing. I tried to talk them out of it, but—" Seokjin laughed bitterly. "They're not listening. Something about me being young and inexperienced to make big decisions like this, as if I wasn't doing that before."

". . .I'll call you back." Hoseok cut the phone call before Seokjin could protest. He dropped his phone on the ground and closed his eyes. He felt like if one more terrible, unexpected thing happened today, he'd lose his mind.

And then there was a knock on the door.

"Hoseok?" Taehyung's voice came from the other side. "Hoseok, you in here?"

Hoseok didn't reply, but his phone dinged with a notification, maybe from Seokjin. God damn it.

"Hoseok," Taehyung said gently, "open the door."

". . .No."

"Jeongguk told me you ran up here. I just want to talk."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm not. Open the door, please? I want to make sure you're okay."

Hoseok swallowed down the lump in his throat. If it was true that he had to ascend the throne now, he might as well say goodbye to Taehyung.

He stood and opened the door, allowing Taehyung inside. Taehyung closed the door behind him and he and Hoseok stood in silence.

Hoseok broke the silence first, voice cracking. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

He looked up. "I lied to you. You didn't know that I was—"

"The Prince?" Taehyung furrowed his brow. "It was definitely a surprise, yeah, but. . . I'm not angry. It's not something you can just say out of the blue."

"But I kept it from you."

"And that's okay."

Hoseok felt himself tear up. He wiped the tears away quickly. "How could you say that? I bet everyone thinks I'm a liar now, and that's all they're gonna think even after I take the throne and rule the country—"

"They don't think you're a liar." Taehyung stepped forwards and took one of Hoseok's hands. "They were just shocked. They're all worried about you, you know?"

". . .We should break up," Hoseok whispered.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. "I'm not doing that just because you're the Prince, Hoseok."

"You'd have to change your entire life for me."

"I know."

"If we. . . if we stay together for long enough, you'd have to become a king."

"I'm willing to."

"What about your painting? And your music and your photography?" Hoseok insisted. "You can't throw that away—"

"I won't be." Taehyung rubbed circles on Hoseok's hand with his thumb. "That's far in the future. Don't worry about it. Tell me what's going to happen now."

"They want me to take the throne soon. Really soon. I. . . I don't want to."

Taehyung looked like he didn't know what to say. So instead of saying anything, he pulled Hoseok in for a hug, one hand gently stroking the back of his head.

"We'll figure it out," he promised.

Hoseok let himself believe it one last time.