SUNOO | Crown ✓

thirty-three

— 5 days till Coronation Day

???

"Good morning sleepyhead. Are you still grumpy after Heeseung's report yesterday?" Yeri greeted a tired Sunoo, who woke up frowning.

Glancing up at Yeri, a small smile played on Sunoo's face before lunging at her. With open arms, Sunoo engulfed Yeri in his embrace causing the both of them to fall on his bed.

"Sunoo!" Yeri chuckled as she returned his embrace, her heart full of love as she met his smiley gaze.

"I'm not grumpy, just worried. If Ni-ki ends up hurt or dead, I'll blame myself for being unable to protect him. And everyone else," Sunoo uttered as he tucked a strand of Yeri's hair behind her ear.

"But everyone has the right to their own choices. I understand you feel responsible for everyone's well-being, but in the end it's every person for themselves. Ni-ki made a risky choice, but he's strong. Trust everyone a little more darling," Yeri comforted.

Scrunching his nose, Sunoo nodded before pressing his forehead against Yeri's. The immense anxiousness he felt the previous night now subsided in the morning. For he was saved from himself once again by the Princess he came to love.

"Your eyes are really pretty, did you know that? It's insanely brown! Pretty Angel eyes," Yeri pointed out as she traced her finger over his facial features.

"You're pretty," Sunoo thought aloud, his eyes widening in panic upon realisation. Giggling at his reaction, Yeri hugged Sunoo tighter before sighing contentedly.

"You're a blessing Kim Sunoo,"

I'm afraid of losing you.

That morning, Sunoo and Yeri spent every passing second with each other. From whispering sweet nothings alongside warm cuddles, to a wary attempt in making breakfast.

As normal teenagers, this would likely be our reality with our significant other. It would seem more feasible to think this way right?

Wrong.

Unfortunately for Sunoo and Yeri, that morning was a short-lived dream. They were happy together only for a sweet moment. What checked them back to reality was the news shown that very morning.

Upon hearing and watching the tragic news broadcasted live on television that day, Kim Sunoo was reminded of one unfortunate fact about him.

That the lives of his loved ones were lost because of him; that death always had a way of following him around.

With a strained heart and wide eyes, Sunoo looked at Heeseung, who was sobbing into Jay's shoulder. Heeseung, whose heartbreaking cries resonated throughout the entire apartment.

In that moment, time stood still. Everything else in the world seemed irrelevant to Heeseung and Sunoo. All they could feel at that moment was grief and hurt.

That gloomy morning, they lost a part of themselves.

→

REPORTING LIVE ON THE SCENE:

HOME TO AT LEAST A 50-70 KIDS, A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A MANSION TUCKED AWAY IN GANGSEO, ALSO KNOWN AS APOCALYPSE, AT 5:45AM THIS MORNING.

THE FIRE WAS RULED AS MURDER AFTER BOMBS WERE FOUND PLANTED IN EVERY BEDROOM.

DECEASED BODIES OF 5-6 YOUTHS LIVING THERE WERE FOUND WITH MULTIPLE STAB WOUNDS ON THEIR UPPER BODY WHILE A CIRCLE WAS CARVED ONTO THEIR FOREHEADS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE ONLY 10 SURVIVORS FROM THE MASSACRE THAT HAPPENED THIS VERY MORNING.

AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED IN THIS MASS MURDER ARE STILL ON THE RUN.

CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES OF THE YOUNG LIVES LOST THIS MORNING.

→

"Um, does Sunoo want to eat?" Jungwon asked timidly as everyone, except Sunoo, sat in the dining area. However, he was only met back with silence as Heeseung blankly stared into space.

"I'll check up on him, you guys can go ahead and eat," Yeri responded with a small smile. Getting up from her seat, Yeri bent down before briefly hugging Heeseung.

From hugging him alone, Yeri could feel the immense sadness and hurt Heeseung felt.

Walking towards Sunoo's bedroom, Yeri couldn't help but feel her heart getting heavier and heavier. She definitely knew that Kim Sunoo wasn't going to back down in avenging the lives of the people he once called family.

And she most certainly knew that things wouldn't turn out pretty whenever Sunoo sought revenge.

"Hey darling? It's time to eat," Yeri said softly upon entering his bedroom. Expecting Sunoo to respond to her, Yeri was only met by silence.

Peering over his shoulder, Sunoo was busy scribbling notes and mapping out the entire Palace blueprint on his laptop. An evident frown plastered on his face as he clenched his jaw in frustration.

"Can't you see I'm busy Yeri?" Sunoo retorted back rather rudely, slamming his pen on his table before standing up.

Turning to face his darling, Sunoo only felt conflicted in the way he was treating her. While having someone to rely on was a first for him, Sunoo had to choose responsibility over happiness.

The darkness in his heart prevailed over the light standing right in front of him. As much as he wanted to love her like any normal person would, he acted as if he didn't.

"Get out of my room. I frankly don't want to waste anymore of my time being reckless with you. Because of said recklessness, lives were lost. Park Jisung died and he was my second-in-command," Sunoo spat out bitterly as he motioned towards the door.

"Are you really blaming me right now? I chose to help you in any way I could! It wasn't just recklessness!" Yeri raised her voice in disbelief.

"I didn't expect myself to fall in love with you! You're nothing but a distraction! I should've just left you with Papa, then maybe things wouldn't have spiralled into the way it is now!" Sunoo shouted suddenly, unable to control his emotions and words rolling off his tongue.

What were once known to be angel eyes gazing into her brown orbs, were now eyes filled with fury and hurt. His pretty angel eyes were narrowed and sharp, almost as if it held pure hatred once again.

Although her heart broke at the sight of his pain and the way he was venting his frustrations on her, Yeri understood. She knew that somewhere in Sunoo's fragile heart there was love.

Maybe not for her, but for the people he truly cared and loved.

"You're right, I'm sorry Sunoo. I must be mad thinking things could work out between us at a time like this. I'll leave you to work until Coronation Day," Yeri uttered in response.

He expected her to scream back, he expected her to fight with him like how they started off. However this time, Yeri left his room without saying anything else.

Back to square one.