He Walks Alone in the Moonlight [COMPLETED]

WHAT I HAVE

The crew set off immediately, and the tension between the two fated was tangible. Jihyun sat motionless in Chang's arms, his lips permanently twisted in a thoughtful pout. The crown prince, on the other hand, seethed in anger that permeated the air around him.

"This is going to be a long trip," Songmin grumbled, rubbing at his temples.

"Why? Because you're insufferable?" Minjoo cut in.

"Oh yes, I'm insufferable, says the tailor who's been doing nothing but-"

"Watch your mouth, scholar," Jaeon's deep voice echoed from the back of the party, causing Songmin to shut his mouth and straighten in his saddle. At the voice of the guard, Jihyun's interest was peaked, and he looked up in time to see a slight flush cover Minjoo's cheeks.

"You're a bit nosy, aren't you?" Chang whispered teasingly, squeezing Jihyun lightly with his forearms.

"No, I just..." Jihyun trailed off, trying to catch of glimpse of the elusive guard out of his peripheral without turning his head. "I've just never really heard him talk before."

"Mhm. Jaeon doesn't usually say much. But when it comes to Minjoo he... takes it upon himself to step in." Jihyun hummed in understanding, stealing another glance at Minjoo, who was smiling faintly to himself.

"Why?" Jihyun questioned, looking up at Chang. If he was being honest, Jihyun was really just looking for something to talk about to keep his mind off the prince, and Chang's endless chatter soothed him. Although Jihyun had noticed a strange dynamic between Minjoo and Jaeon admist the recent chaos of his life.

"See? You are nosy. I hope Songmin never finds out you're a gossip, then you two may actually hit it off," Chang laughed at his own comment then went silent for a bit, urging his horse forward to send the pair farther from both Minjoo and Jaeon. "Truthfully, I don't know the full story myself, but ever since I've met them, Jaeon's always been protective of Minjoo. As to why, I've only heard rumors, but I think, a long time ago, something happened to Minjoo at the palace."

"Something happened? What do you mean? I thought you were all..." Jihyun shrugged, not really sure what he was trying to say. "You all are close with the crown prince. I thought that meant no one could mess with you?" Chang, smiled, a little ruefully, as if both amused and saddened by Jihyun's misunderstanding of the palace.

"It's a little bit more complicated than that. Of course, we all have certain luxuries because of how close we are to the prince, but truthfully, Minjoo is still a servant. Jaeon as well, in a weird way. But Minjoo's ranking within the palace is pretty low, and there are plenty nobles who mistreat and take advantage of others because of their status. All I know is that the prince and Jaeon stepped in one day, and ever since Minjoo's felt indebted to the pair of them. The rest of it is not really my story to tell. If you want, you can ask Minjoo about it, but he's never told either Songmin or I outright, so I don't know if its something he's willing to share."

"You two seem pretty close, though. He and Songmin don't seem to get along though, so it makes sense-"

"Don't be fooled by their words," Chang interrupted, "They're clashing on this trip because of some things related to you, and some hold-ups that Songmin has due to his upbringing, but Minjoo and Songmin usually get along well. They're both a bit prim and share similar interests. If Minjoo had been born to a different family, he definitely has the ability to be an accomplished scholar. On the trip here those two were having conversations that made my head spin."

"Oh. That's impressive. I suppose you all are amazing, for word of you to have reached all the way to..." Jihyun trailed off at the thought of his home. Chang seemed to notice Jihyun's change in mood and fell silent, slowing his horse's stride so they returned to their usual place. Jihyun missed the glare the crown prince shot at Chang, spending the rest of the ride with his eyes closed, attempting to catch up the sleep he'd lost over the past few days.

~~~~

As the trip continued, Jihyun slowly adjusted to the presence of the four intimidating men that had entered his life, falling into a routine. What suprised Jihyun the most, though, was that the crown prince had kept his promise. The man had not spoken one word to him or touched him in any way. Everything was going as smooth as it could, given the circumstances, that is, until one morning, when everyone's mood seemed to shift. They all seemed more tense, and although he tried to ignore it, Jihyun couldn't miss how the crown prince had pulled each of his companions aside one by one to have a long and serious discussion, often motioning towards Jihyun. What they were talking about, Jihyun wasn't sure, but he knew they must be getting close to the palace. Whatever the case, the added tension only served to aggitate the anxious feeling that had not left Jihyun's gut since their departure.

"Jihyun? Come here," Minjoo beckoned the servant over with one slender arm, his other hand holding a rope covered in strange notches and markings.

"Come on, don't be nervous," Minjoo pulled Jihyun closer, "Here, lift you arms, like this," Minjoo lifted his arms so they made a line with his shoulders, and Jihyun mirrored his hesitantly. "Like that. Perfect. Hold still now," Minjoo instructed, wrapping the rope around Jihyun's chest, then scribbling something down on a scrap of paper, repeating those steps on his waist, thighs, and arms. He took extra care every time he touched Jihyun's back, using only the slightest pressure. "You're even smaller than I thought. I'll have to increase the waist size a little, you should hopefully gain some weight in the future," Minjoo said, almost talking to himself.

"What do you mean? What is this for?" Jihyun asked, tugging self-consciously at his clothing.

"You need new clothes. Right now you stick out, it would arouse suspicion if you entered the palace with us dressed like that. In fact, its already strange enough that'll we'll be returning with an extra person, but Chang provides us a pretty good alibi."

"Have you already picked out what would best suit my companion?" Chang suddenly joined the conversation, patting Jihyun's head fondly.

"I've had some ideas in mind, I'm making a list. Also, I can't believe you're still alive after what you suggested, but it is a good plan," Minjoo admitted begrudginly.

"And that's exactly why I'm not dead," Chang said, lifting his chin and flashing a smile that showed his gums.

"What plan?" Jihyun questioned, casting an apprehensive look at Chang's expression.

"To get you into the palace without suspicion, Chang came up with a cover. If they see you riding into the city on Chang's horse, they'll just assume you're the next lover that he picked up somewhere."

"What?" Jihyun squealed, clutching his hands to his heart.

"Oh, relax, it's just a cover story. Didn't I say you were my style? Besides, I have a bit of a reputation," Chang winked.

"Which is why you'll have to dress the part. We're not going full courtesan, as is Chang's taste, the crown prince would have both our heads if I dressed you up like that," Minjoo smirked, as if finding the idea amusing, "but we'll have to get you nicer clothes, some jewelry, too."

"Ah, it would've looked better with your long hair, what a shame," Chang said wistfully, making no attempt to defend himself against Minjoo's attack. Jihyun's mood instantly fell, and he tugged at the choppy ends of his hair with a frown. Minjoo stepped closer, putting a hand on Jihyun's shoulder.

"I can try to fix the cut too, its uneven right now, I can trim-"

"No, I don't want to lose any more of it, I want to keep what I have," Jihyun pulled away defensively.

"Alright, that's fine. I'll just add some hairpieces to the list, we can make it work, I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable," Minjoo sighed, adding another line to his paper.

"All of this makes me uncomfortable," Jihyun whispered to himself, so quiet that both Chang and Minjoo missed it.

"It's time to depart. Let's keep the stops to a minimum, I want to reach the inn by nightfall," the crown prince's voice echoed as he ordered the party to move out, purposefully avoiding looking in Jihyun's direction.

"Alright, time to go," Chang said with forced cheer, as Jihyun noticed the tension from earlier settle like a cloak back onto him and Minjoo's shoulders. Even if their claims were true, and punishment didn't await him at the palace, Jihyun could tell that something was off, and those suspicions only deepened as they got closer to the capital, step by step.