Not Your Typical Royal

Chapter 7

Chan was busy with an upcoming ball he was supposed to throw. The pressure was mounting and he was stressed. "Minho, this ball thing is so stupid..! It isn't my thing and I have no clue what I am doing!" He growled out under his breath as the team hit the locker room for showers.

"This ballet class is going to be the death of me too! I have it first thing in the morning and my mum is pushing for me to do a dance at the ball. How embarrassing. All the pressure to impress all the people in political power over some stupid mascarade.."

Chan barely spoke about his troubles; he often kept it to himself but he wanted to lash out and slam his fist in frustration at the lockers. Worse than he ever had after losing a game when it was so close and they worked so hard. Minho just sat there stoic like always but then a half smirk graced his lips. Finally he spoke.

"Have you told your anonymous lover about this? Maybe he could offer some help!" Minho quipped and teased.

Chan's ears turned bright red and for a moment his embarrassment made him forget his troubles before he playfully swatted his chest. "Oi! Leave him out of this. I doubt he believes he's talking to me after all and I still don't even know who he is!"

He sighed and took a seat on the bench. Head in his hands and elbows between his knees. Running fingers through his curly locks that were partly matted to his face from the sweat that was also beaded along his brow. "Can hardly call that a lover.. I doubt he's ever gonna tell me who he is..so no point in telling him about how much this event means. Doubt he'd even go even though the whole campus will get an invite tomorrow. And the entire city at this point."

His stress began to build again as he groaned and dragged himself off to shower.

——

Hyunjin laid on the floor of the studio beside Felix and Jeongin. They all were panting after their routine. Hands on his chest rising and falling as he panted to catch his breath.

"You know.. he's been awfully quiet.. What if he just used me? Or I.. sounded stupid.. or something.." Hyunjin mumbled slightly defeated at his own nagging thoughts.

Felix and Jeongin both looked at Hyunjin like he had two heads or something. Jeongin was the first to speak as Felix was busy drinking the last of the water in his bottle like his life depended on it.

"You know he's planning a masquerade right? I've already asked Felix to take me because Changbin is taking Seungmin .. Minho is taking Jisung."

Hyunjin sat there dumb founded. He had no clue there was a masquerade coming up and all his friends and Chan's did.. and they all had dates. Except him. That made him feel worse. He rolled over and buried his face into the floor.

"How could I be so stupid.. of course he's busy doing his princely duties.. and now I dunno if I wanna go... you all got dates.. what... I get to go alone?" He looked up with tears welled in his eyes.

Aside from Felix his best friend, also a prince with much less pressure on his shoulders. Hyunjin was the easiest to cry. Always so emotional. As a Pisces he couldn't help it. But right now he felt silly and suddenly alone.

Maybe he shouldn't go and let Chan find whoever he should be with. It wasn't him, his little brother's best friend. A stranger to him. Someone who clearly didn't know the first thing about Chan as he hadn't shared that with him.

——
"You know the worst part of it, Lino.." Chan chimed in after they were showered and dressed. Towel still around his neck drying his hair as they walked through the halls of the sports hall. And past some of the dance studios.

"I am supposed to present a suitor to my parents at this. I.. can't even ask him. I don't know who he is. How am I supposed to introduce him. I doubt he'd even wanna go with me! And of course of all things I am not even sure my parents would accept anyone that wasn't a woman." Fluffing his curly hair as he dried it. He paused watching one of the studios.

"Hey look it's Felix and his friends.." Chan was watching Jeongin and Felix but then he caught sight of Hyunjin and he couldn't look away. He danced so flawlessly, it was like he was elegance and grace all bundled into one. He made it look so effortless.

Chan pushed into the room as class was over and it looked like the boys were just practicing on their own. "Hey Fe! Whatcha boys up to?" Minho followed to see if Jisung was there.

"Hyung, just ask him, you won't know what he will do until you try. Make the effort, whoever turns you down is stupid, and you know it. Just ask! Then the ball is in his court!" Minho retorted and planted the seed for later.

"Hyung-ah if you're looking for Han-ah, he had to run off to work at the coffee shop!" Jeongin said once he spotted Minho-Hyung. To which he smiled and nodded patting Chan's back and took his leave. Minho and Jisung had been dating since the first semester the year before.

Changbin finally confessed his feelings for Seungmin so the ball would be their first official date. Hyunjin stumbled mid step when he heard Chan's voice. Twisting his ankle and coming down hard.

Chan and Felix both rushed over to check on him. "You okay?" Chan asked concern painted all over his beautiful face.

Hyunjin hissed but nodded as he rocked slightly and held his ankle. Too terrified to look at him completely embarrassed. Letting his hair fall in his face to hide his red cheeks. He also was scared to talk. What if he recognized his voice?
" Mm, you sure mate? C'mere let me look at it. I am always helping the boys on the basketball team with their injuries."

Hyunjin shied away and shook his head. Though his ankle screamed, he knew he'd be okay in a couple of days. Nothing he wasn't used to. While so eloquent looking when he danced. Truth was he was as graceful as a ferret trapped in a paper bag. Panic setting in he would flail. He tried to stand up and whined. A pitiful whimper and whine fell from him.

Felix rolled his eyes. "I got it cuz.. don't worry!" He teased his brother and offered him help. "You got things to attend to, I'll see you at home. Innie can help too. Head home. Dad wanted to talk with you."

Hyunjin breathed a sigh of relief once Chan agreed to go seeing Hyunjin with his friends. Only then could he even breathe. "What the fuck...?!" he practically sobbed both in pain and the fact he couldn't even face him. Gay panic is also full blown. "Why couldn't I even talk to him? Why didn't you save me sooner?!" He glared dramatically at the boys who just laughed at him and helped him from the studio to his car.

"Maybe you should tell him soon, yeah? I promised you I wouldn't Hyunnie. But, I am sure he'd like you, you've been around him your whole life. I know he's been trying to figure out who you are.. Just think about it... okay mate?" Felix tried to reassure him as he closed his driver door, Jeongin and him waved at him as they headed to Innie's for a project from a class they shared.