In This Life

The Boy

Chang Min

"Lady Yin Jidam demands an apology, your highness. Why did you think that the worker's quarter was an appropriate place for a lady? If your mother found out what happened, she'll have her hands wrapped around my throat faster than you can say-

"Byung-ho," The Prince muttered as his eyes glazed across the unconscious man lying before him. The man's face was covered in dust and sweat, wearing an oversize hanbok that was equally as dirty as his face. For some reason, a spark of recognition lit within the crowned Prince's eyes.

Byung-ho sighed, "Why, that idiot. I ask him to go fetch you, and he comes back unconscious."

"But he did bring me to you," Chang Min raised his eyebrows at the anxious eunuch.

"Actually, your highness. You and lord Jun Ho brought him to me," As usual, the eunuch began pacing around his quarters, "What are we to do with Lady Yin Jidam?"

Chang Min sighed as he sat cross-legged on the floor, "Yin Jidam can either leave or stay and win the crown. None of those options includes my apologies."

His voice was stern, so the eunuch knew instantly not to argue.

"Yes, your highness... I- I will go inform her," Byung-ho's shoulders sagged.

The Prince turned his head back towards the unconscious man as Byung-ho closed the wooden panels. What had made him faint? Chang Min wondered. He recalled when the man rammed himself into the wall, which must have been painful, but was it hard enough to cause a blackout?

The curious Prince inched closer, examining his unwashed face for bruises or bumps. Their noses were an inch apart, Chang Min could smell the trance of sweat, dirt, and surprisingly vanilla radiating from the man.

His nose was small, the size of a pea compared to his eyes. They were wide and dark the last time he saw them. Hovering over his body, Chang Min lowered his hands to the man's cheeks to wipe the smear of dirt off his soft and oily skin. He couldn't have been more than fifteen.

Before he knew it, the boy's large eyes blinked open.

For what seems like a micro-second, the pair held eye contact as the now awaken man analyzed the Prince's face, absorbing in his features, while Chang Min stayed frozen, letting him. Their moment was interrupted with a scream, or more likely a squeal emitted from the boy's mouth.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

He hadn't realized he was screaming himself until the boy sat up and from their close proximity earlier on, their head collided into each others sending shocks of pain up Chang Min's temple.

"Why are you screaming?" The boy yelled.

The Prince inwardly cursed as he rubbed his forehead. He hissed under his breath, "Why in the world were you screaming?"

"Because you were- you were-" He demonstrated their nearness by pinching his fingers, "This close!"

They stood in Byung-ho's quarter, eyeing each other as if the other one was about to attack, which wouldn't be sensible for the man since he had the figure of an undernourished little girl. After several minutes of regaining their posture, the young man gulped and finally spoke, "What am I doing here?"

Chang Min paused and recalled the accident, "The wall, you ran into a wall and fainted. I was checking for bruises," The Prince answered as he straightened his hanbok.

Immediately, guilt saturated every inch of the boy's face.

"Oh, are you the doctor?"

Chang Min hesitated to speak. He doesn't recognize him?

Answering his mental question, the boy whispered, "I'm new here. I was just sent here today."

For some reason, Chang Min didn't want to reveal he was the crowned Prince, yet eventually, he knew the boy would find out later on, so what was the point of-

"I'm the chief of... guards."

Chang Min mentally palmed his forehead. Why did he say that?

In his oversize hanbok, the boy went rigid, and it seemed impossible, but his eyes grew even bigger, like two full moons. His peach lips parted into an oh, and before Chang Min knew what was happening, the boy sank to the ground and pleaded at his feet.

"Oh Mighty Chief of Guards, I'm so sorry I screamed at you. Please forgive me for the sins I've done!"

He was practically curled around his legs, rocking back and forth as he begged for forgiveness.

"Please forgive me!"

Standing in the eunuch's quarters with this person crawling at his legs, Chang Min wondered who in the world was this boy.

~~~

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Sorry for my kindergarten writing skills, I just wanted to update this book. 

M