𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 • 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

20; portraitist of autumn

"YOUR SAVIOR IS HERE!"

there was a booming voice, followed by a forceful unlocking of a door. minghao and his three companions turn to the direction of the sound, wherein they were met with the fiery prince of miyuni, standing right before them.

"your highness," someone behind the prince says.

"it's all fine, jihoon!" and then the royal turns to the miserable three. "now, you artists shall come with us to the royal palace. do not fret. it is i, kwon soonyoung! the most graceful of all princes!"

minghao, wonwoo and seokmin didn't know how to act. surely, this loud commotion caused by—uh oh, it's their clients—would have taken junhui's attention, right? so why isn't he here? or, was he forced to stay put because a prince barged into his mansion? or.. is this prince taking minghao and his companions for the bounty?

so the commission was really issued to minghao, eh? but—but! what about the things junhui had said about his deal with seungcheol? was he just trying to fool them? oh heavens! if junhui was bluffing, then the three here are very naïve!

"i'm bringing my rifle, or we're not going with you." seokmin threatened, standing up in one go. kwon soonyoung's pins on his princely clothing shined under the faint lights above them, as he turned to the artist who just spoke.

"sure, sure you can. come along now." soonyoung flashes a trustworthy smile—which minghao only stared at, before wonwoo nudged him.

wonwoo leans close to minghao's side, whispering, "we have a better chance of surviving in miyuni's palace than here. there are many eyes and ears there who can be our witnesses in case something bad happens."

minghao thought so as well, so he nods.

wonwoo was smart. smarter than minghao. minghao knew he could trust his art tutor when it comes to deciding things. he was firm, final and sure with choosing things. minghao wonders what he would've become if he had an uptight yet wise father like wonwoo.

"alright! i am your client, so i will do my very best to accommodate you three well! please follow us!"

seokmin and wonwoo went with kwon soonyoung in the first car they had brought. in the second car, intended for advisers and helpers, was lee jihoon and xu minghao. wonwoo had insisted that the three of them shall ride with jihoon—but then jihoon gives wonwoo a look, and the artist immediately agreed.

minghao wondered why they were divided. maybe jihoon was here to discuss things? about the commission, most likely.

but he wasn't speaking.

minghao took it upon himself to speak first—since he had questions directed to jihoon as well. if jihoon is hostile, minghao can either hit him back or jump out the door.

"where is junhui?"

jihoon sighed with his mouth closed. minghao anticipates an answer. "in police custody for holding you three captive. i am really sorry about that. we did not expect him to know about your arrival in miyuni."

minghao's guts tell him that jihoon was being sincere. there is every reason to doubt jihoon—but minghao trusts him, even if he had just been 'betrayed' earlier.

"you know," jihoon starts, "i called you here under the guise of a painting commission. seungcheol told me to contain junhui—but i wanted to talk to you. i wanted to ask you what you want to do with that guy."

minghao tilted his head. he wasn't very good with big decisions. "why?"

"all your life, he had been controlling you like you were his personal gun. this time, you control your fate, and his. maybe it will give you some sort of closure."

minghao furrows his eyebrows.

he felt delighted that he gets to control junhui's fate. when he was still a newbie, he wanted to do all sorts of torture on junhui whenever he sees the latter—but as he grew up, he just gave up on his brutish wishes and accepted his fate as a tool.

now, he can do whatever he wants. minghao can say that junhui shall go off with his head, and junhui's head will be cut off as he requested. minghao can say that junhui shall be the new lab rat to test all those torture devices on before implementation, and jihoon will grant it. minghao can even turn junhui into a tool—just like what minghao was, to that guy.

but, somehow, minghao doesn't want to do anything cruel to junhui. despite having the button in his hands, minghao throws it away.

minghao felt glad that he knew the reason behind his decision.

"being happy is true revenge." minghao states. "i wish for my contract with miyuni to be void, and the bounty to be taken down. i hope that sir wen can find something else that makes himself content, something that doesn't involve obsessing with the bounty on my head."

he didn't want to do any unnecessary things just to inflict pain on junhui. now that minghao has found his true passion, he should pour effort into it instead of thinking of grotesque ways to punish junhui.

minghao believes that junhui also has a real passion. junhui never once looked, or admitted to liking his job in the army. if a dirty nobody like minghao can find his source of happiness, then so can junhui.

"so you want to demolish all obstacles in the way of you becoming a true artist in seungcheol's company?" jihoon raises an eyebrow.

minghao took a deep breath. he clears his mind of any cruel thoughts towards junhui.

"yes."

jihoon gives minghao a small smile, patting his back once. "you've grown so much. i saw you once in the battlefield, and the first impression i had about you was that you were bloodthirsty. seungcheol is really a good brother, huh?"

"brother?" minghao repeats.

brother?