set in the (historically inaccurate) 18th century
"Darling, even with a mask on, your eyes gives yourself away"
Tonight, let us dance under the chandelier and waltz with our hands pressed together. May our feet take us down a flowery path and our a...
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Jaemin, who was behind the trigger, held the gun with shaky hands. The moment the man holding Hannuri hostage fell to the ground, Renjun rushed forwards, sweeping the girl up into his arms as she simultaneously released her hands from the ropes.
He held her with his arm around her waist, his hand on the back of her neck pushing her face into his chest.
"Oh my god" He heaved, embracing her so tight she almost could've suffocated. Jaemin watched from a distance, dropping the gun in horror. Na Jaemin, son of the minister, had just shot someone and potentially murdered them. He too, fell to the floor, hands clutching at his head to stop the screeching that seemed to be like a nonexistent broke radio. He didn't want Hannuri to see him like this. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. So he pulled himself around the corner and rolled into a ball, the panic almost choking him.
"You saved them, Jaemin, you saved them" Jaemins told himself in hopes to consol himself. What if his father found out? What if the kingdom found out? Jaemin, there would be no kingdom if you didn't murder him.
Jaemin almost yanked his hair out. The calm and collected Jaemin had long gone. Ever since he was younger, he had believed in always helping others. He was a kind boy, perhaps too kind at times, until he met Hannuri. It's hard to describe what he felt when he saw her. Love at first sight, you could call it, but Jaemin knew it was far more than that. He was alluded by her beauty and wittiness. The moment the girl got stolen from him, by Renjun, his heart crashed but he had no way to express his pain.
Perhaps this one shot of a bullet expressed more feeling that he has ever expressed in his years of being alive.
None of that seemed to pay off. Now, it was him alone, curled up into a ball, refusing to watch the two lovebirds cling on to eachother. Loneliness, isolation, solitude. He was used to it. But he had no clue it would hurt this bad.
Renjun, at the same time, was so close to breaking down. He had far too much thrown onto him in the past few days that his body and mind were both beyond weak. She felt her hand pat him gently on the back even though her body was still wrapped tightly within Renjun's. Both star-crossed lovers wanted to be there for each other, protect what was left of their sanity.
Normality was something far too hard achieve for two people that weren't destined to be together. They had to fight their way against fate.
A tear rolled down Renjun's cheek, everything about him feeling crushed and utterly lost. He was glad that was OK, but every single bone in his body was blaming himself. It was his fault she got hurt. It was his fault for getting born into the wrong family. It was his fault for ruining her.
Hannuri distanced her face away from him, staring solemnly into his glossy eyes. A look of sympathy flashed in her irises. She reached her hand up to cup his cheeks, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. His skin, so soft under her touch, felt like a feathery cushion.
"I'm sorry all this happened to you" She whispered, her hand around his neck. Instinctively, Renjun dug his head down against her collarbone, his hair tickling her neck. She placed a hand on the back of his head and gently combed her fingers through his silky strands. She could feel him body begin to tremor. He had broken, finally. With everything that has happened, it was time Renjun let go of his emotions.
To Renjun, he didn't remember the last time he had cried like this. He was told that he was a man and men can't cry. Tears were vulnerability, weakness, fear. There had never been a scared King. His father would say. The words heir would be chanted in his head, brainwashing himself into thinking the heir was the only thing that could ever define him. He lost his childhood because of that word.
"I'm here" She whispered "I'll always be here". He soothing voiced calmed the storm raging in his stomach. There was like a theatrical play within his head. The play was full of tragedy and blinding red lights, but mostly, romance. He finally felt love. The love he didn't grow up with.
In this dark and dirty environment, the two shon under the moonlight. Entrapped in their own world, both were connected by the touch of their fingers. Fate was a scary thing. But to Hannuri and Renjun, no fate could stop them from loving each other. Like Romeo and Juliet, even if they die in the end, they wish to die together.
