The Prince's Prince [SeungJin]

Chapter 3

"Hyung. If I wanted to hypothetically have a workshop for like...my work on plants, how would I find one?" Hyunjin asked with an air full of hope. He wasn't doing it for Seungmin! He won't be running into him again at least not any time soon. He was however thinking that he should stop hiding all his books and plant samples in his room. It was getting too risky and whenever his family saw him holding a flower or a plant they frowned at him. 'Why is the crown prince playing with flowers? Shouldn't he be playing with fire?' they would ask. As if they didn't know! They knew but it went in one ear and out of another.

Minho stopped petting a random cat – which wasn't so random as the same ones seemed to flock to him- and turned to look at Hyunjin. "Workshop? What for?" he asked with an air of 'I don't care'. Minho always seemed unhelpful but he was anything but. That's why he was his best friend and secret bearer.

"You know, like I said. My work on plants. I won't need to hide books or experiments or mixtures." He usually studied at night when everyone was supposedly asleep but it wasn't that great for his eyesight. Mixing plants was also rather risky and the equipment needed for it was strewn all over his room in random places. Behind a shelf, under his clothes, in his bathtub disguised as products and basins.

Hidden. Because his father had forbid him from catering to his 'fancies' as he called them. Never mind that they were in line with his powers. They had aspirations for him and they were going to ignore reality or bend it to their desired shape until it happened.

"Mhm. Maybe you can check out the abandoned cottages in the forest...and just appropriate one? I mean you're the prince. Who's going to tell you off?" Minho suggested, done with the conversation as he went back to the cat who seemed to be sulking.

"But...I don't want to use my privilege. Maybe I can buy one?"

Minho snorted "Suit yourself"

"Hyung. Where do I find one?" he whined as he tugged on the other's sleeve probably annoying him. Minho liked his fashion but was also too preoccupied with the cat and not enough with another that needed attention right now.

Minho agreed then, with some cajoling, to find him an appropriate workshop which he could buy. The tricky part would be to find enough money because despite coming from a rich family – the royal family even-, he didn't have his own funds. He rarely asked his family for any since everything was provided for him (except freedom and acceptance and all those abstract things that were very important) but he did have items he received as gifts that he wouldn't mind pawning off. In fact, he had some ugly ones he would give money to sell. Ugly because of who gave them to him mind you; they were nothing but beautiful since who gave them to him was doing so to show off. They did lack spirit though, just like them.

He anticipated the great feeling of giving his family's money back to the people that paid taxes to them.

In his mind, he started listing all the items he will have to move and then he started daydreaming of everything new he could collect if he had his own secret place! He could do so much! He could explore a new ecosystem. He could decorate as he liked and not as expected! He could wear what he wanted in his safe space! He could invite people over! He could invite his boyf...he didn't have one of those but still the potential was endless!

"Stop squealing or you'll scare the kitty!" Minho chided.

Hyunjin toned it down a little but in his head he was jumping on clouds after having climbed a huge beanstalk. Perhaps those fairytales had had other, long-lasting effects on him.

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As a celebration he dressed down in light pants and a light yellow shirt and went on a nice walk after dinner. Hyunjin was one of those people that believed that small steps needed to be celebrated, perhaps more than the big steps because small steps were the foundation for those big ones. He had started to seek his own freedom and carve a space for himself in the world and that was huge!