Make me eat my words || Taegyu

Chapter 13

Beomgyu hadn't thought it possible for a literal palace to make him claustrophobic, but it seemed like life just wanted to keep surprising him.

Even since the morning of the ball, the halls had been bustling with activity, with all of the maids decorating the walls and making sure everything was neat and tidy for when the nobles would arrive later in the evening. Sohee herself was a whirlwind, somehow able to be overseeing five things at once. When Beomgyu peeked into the main ballroom at one point, she was conversing cheerily with Wendy while she flipped through a book with one hand and held champagne in the other. He had to admire her dexterity.

Beomgyu, however, had been whisked away to be styled after a brief lunch with Soobin, and he hadn't seen anyone except Ryujin and a few other stylists since the morning. Why, you ask? Well, he'd decided to make a... significant change, one that he'd only told Yeonjun and Soobin about.

"How much longer does this stay on my head?" Beomgyu whined, picking at the foils in his hair. "My neck's starting to hurt."

Ryujin glanced up from the book she was reading, then at her watch, frowning. "Like, two more minutes. You can do it, buddy."

"It's itchy."

"It's bleach. You'll live. Besides, we still have to put the color in, which will take even longer, so mentally prepare for that."

"Why did I agree to this again?"

Ryujin closed her book with a sigh, coming over and unfolding one of the foils. She nodded appreciatively at what she saw. "We discussed this, your highness. It'll make you look hot as fuck. Let me know if I'm tugging too hard."

About forty five minutes, a curling iron, and a lot of neck pain later, Ryujin turned his chair around to face the mirror, grinning when his jaw dropped. "Bam. Look at you, Choi Beomgyu, you absolute stunner."

"Holy shit," Beomgyu breathed, immediately reaching up to touch the newly gray strands of hair framing his face. "Holy shit. Ryujin, you're a literal magician. I would date the fuck out of me."

Ryujin wore her own proud smile as she reached over to fluff the bangs that brushed just under his eyebrows. She'd curled his hair a bit so it was wavy, then parted it in the middle of his forehead so it framed his face, making his chin seem impossibly sharper. "Aw, shucks. You flatter me." She cracked her knuckles, already reaching for the clothing rack. "Now it's time for the clothes and makeup."

"Will this ever stop?"

"Not if you keep complaining."

As Ryujin dutifully painted little flowers onto the skin of Beomgyu's neck that was exposed by the sheer collar of his suit, a knock sounded on the door, followed immediately by the door handle turning. "Where's the man of the night... oh, shit! Who are you and what'd you do with Choi Beomgyu?"

"Stop making him laugh, your highness," Ryujin grumbled, pulling her brush away to glare at the intruder.

Beomgyu giggled, slapping Yeonjun's hand away when he went to ruffle his hair. "You don't look too bad yourself, Choi." They'd put him in a fitted navy blue suit, his eyes lined dark and sharp. Even without all the grandeur, he looked like a true prince.

Well, he looked like a true prince up until he pressed his hands to his cheeks, making a disgusting  aww noise. "My baby brother, all grown up. Mom would be so proud."

"Your highness," Ryujin complained, shooting Yeonjun another look when Beomgyu snickered again. "Please show off your never-ending charm at a different point in time. I'm trying to work."

"You sure do know how to make a man screw off," Yeonjun said dreamily, fanning his face. "Bye now. See you once you're done."

The rest of the styling was fairly laid back, and Beomgyu took advantage of the calm before the storm, closing his eyes for a nap as Ryujin did his makeup. When she shook him awake again, he opened his eyes to see her and Soobin standing over him, both of them wearing matching grins. "Taehyun's gonna flip," Soobin whispered. "You look damn good."