Once Upon A Time | JongSang

Episode 17: Books

"And that's why you should never give Wonderland tea to a deranged shapeshifted."

"So, you're telling me there is a school like this but for monsters, but they get to choose who they want to be?"

"Yep!"

"Wow," Yeosang scoffed, walking down the sunlight streets of Ever After Town. "Love that monster has more freedom."

"Well," Jogho chuckled, kicking a rock to the side with his feet. "They aren't monster monsters, but like Chan! He is technically a werewolf. His cousin, Papung-Korn or Hunter, is a werewolf, and he goes there. Cupid sometimes even goes back and forth. Felix's cousin, Lilly, attends there too. She's a siren with an amazing voice."

"Oh! So it's like here but with monster stories for their parents?" Yeosang asked, watching the cars pass by on the streets as they walked past people on the sidewalk.

"Yeah," Jongho nodded, his smile beaming as the sun shined upon him. "I've always wanted to check it out, but you need a special portal to go there."

"That's sad," Yeosang gave him an empathetic pout. "Maybe one day you'll go!"

"Nah, I know I won't, but it's okay," Jongho shrugged. "I accepted my fate."

"You know," Yeosang sighed, bumping into Jongho's shoulders playfully. "I think you give up on your own desires too easily. Try and fight for want you want a little. Maybe, you might get the thing you wanted."

Jongho looked at Yeosang with a smile, a sad smile trying to disguise itself as a joyous one. He knew what Yeosang was hinting at, but he didn't have the heart to tell him that the prince had lost any sense of "desire" for his own freedom in life long ago.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he softly chuckled. "But you know what's even more right?"

"'More right'? Doesn't that even make sense?"

"Shh," Jongho shushed Yeosang, smiling at his confused expression. "Just go into that bookstore and see how just right it can be."

"Books!" Yeosang beamed, his smile springing to life as he turned his head to look at the shops. "Where?"

"Where the sign says 'Just Right Café.' Go in there," The prince pointed at a sign hanging above a window a few blocks away. "They have a bunch of-."

"Bye!" Yeosang started to skip toward the building happily, his feet as if walking on air. He left Jongho standing there in confusion as he turned to stop and smile. "Come on! Let's go!"

"All right, I am coming!" Jongho chuckled, walking at a fast pace to meet up with Yeosang. "It's not going anywhere, Yeosang," he said, earning a very poorly hidden eye roll.

"It doesn't matter," Yeosang beamed. "I read almost all the books in the library back home. The librarian was the only one who didn't shun me like the rest. Books were my only escape from the horrid town."

"Oh," Jongho's smile slowly faded, replaced by a sad tug at the lips. "Didn't you have iMirrors there?"

"I think we did, but it's not like I could ask anyone what it was," the king chuckled, resting a hand on his chest. "The librarian was probably just as old as Ever After itself, and it's not like my mom knew what those tiny mirrors did. I just thought people were really narcissistic."