Princess Hours | SUKHOON | [✓]

The strings

The evening transitioned into night, Hyunsuk and Jihoon were back at the palace, the tension between them much relieved after the little cuddling session they had in the midst of the woods. But what awaited Yoshi was his mother freaking out the instant she saw blood around the corner of his lips.

"What's that?!" She sounded scared and anxious for once, but he was not in the mood to entertain her worries and just ignored her.

The next day saw another fresh commotion in the palace and guess who had been in the headlines, Jihoon of course, for the picture of him, wherein he could be seen hitting Yoshi. The newspapers had printed all sorts of twisted versions, serving narratives like him being a thug and not deserving of the position of crown prince and what not. The king who had already been upset about the entire thailand scandal before was even angrier now for Jihoon wasn't letting them catch a break.

"Why did you do that?"

"I apologize for my actions but I have no explanations and no reasons." Jihoon replied with a deadpan face.

"This isn't how a crown prince is supposed to act! I thought I raised a son better than this." His majesty's patience was waning thin as he expected a bit more accountability from his son.

"Hah, you're always dissatisfied with me anyways and don't you think that there are others worthier for that throne than me, so what difference does it make?"

The king barely held back his urge to shout at his 'disobidient' son, so he just dismissed him, without continuing the conversation further.

The queen had to personally apologise to Sera who did not leave a chance to humiliate her.

"Just because my son is not the crown prince doesn't mean he'll get beaten up by anybody. This better not happen in the future because I'll not be this tolerant."

Although Sera was really angry about this incident, she did not try to create as big of a scene since she wanted to gain sympathy from the great queen mother for being forgiving despite everything.

"Was it you mom, who got those articles printed?" Yoshi was distressed, although he clearly appeared victim in the situation, he still did not understand how such pictures got out.

"No it wasn't me. I heard it was some lowly paparazzi spy who happened to have been lurking around there. Anyways isn't it good, I believe even the god is on our side. That little arrogant bastard is a complete rebel in the public eye now."

Yoshi paid no heed to his mother's words and walked away. He was confused, mostly because he felt like he was at fault too for not bringing Hyunsuk back along with him when he should have had.

He did not attend the school which caused even more gossip among the students.

"Did Prince Jihoon really hit Yoshi?" Junkyu asked Hyunsuk after watching him space out through the entire lecture looking at Yoshi's empty desk.

"Uh...He did..."

Jaehyuk and Junkyu went into shock as they were expecting him to bust the news by calling it fake or made up.

"What?"

"It's a little complicated guys, I mean I don't know how to put it but I'm not sure whose right or whose wrong although no one should have been hurt."

His friends asked no more, they did not want to put him into a tough spot when he was already so worried.

Back at the palace, Hyunsuk had involuntarily found himself walking towards Yoshi's room, probably to check up on him. But the court lady there informed him that he wasn't meeting anyone. He didn't insist further and told her to convey him the message that he had dropped by.