KING

一 03

"Here, change quickly before they come back." Jeno passed Rina another jumpsuit, similar to the one she was already clad in.

Rina scowled, her fingers pressing the uncomfortable material. "I know, but it's the smallest size I could find for you." Jeno said, averting his eyes. Rina began to undress quickly, shaking her head in disapproval as she put one leg, then the other,before shimmying it up.

"Done?" Jeno asked, and Rina tapped her nails against her metal bed as an answer. The black haired man turned around, before handing her several white sheets of paper and two pens. "So that you can communicate for a while with your new cell mates." Jeno explained at her questioning look.

Rina was elated, a large smile breaking out across her face as she cradled the sheets of paper to her chest, as if they were the most precious thing on the planet.

If she was honest, they probably were. She didn't have anything else to call precious. Jeno let out a small chuckle, before his happy expression faded away, replaced by a bitter sweet smile. "Listen, Rina." He said, sitting beside her in the cell, the door opened wide. "I'm being transferred to the Capital Prison."

Rina glanced up, shocked. Why? She mouthed. "They're running short on guards, considering how most of them are here, patrolling the palace." Jeno answered. "The King's death can cause revolts anytime, y'know?"

Rina was confused, shaking her head. Jeno looked surprised, before guilt flashed across his face. "Ah, sorry. I thought I told you." He muttered, his gaze shifting to his hands that lay on his lap.

"His condition has gotten worse." He said, voice becoming lower automatically, although the third level of the Prison was completely empty.

"The doctors are sure he won't make it through, so Jaemin is soon to be crowned the new King."

Rina listened, her face completely blank. She felt a rush of sadness at the mention of the King's imminent death, but mostly for Jaemin.

Jeno wasn't looking at her, and she didn't have to look at him to see the obvious guilt he was feeling. She smiled softly. The boy was too nice for his own good.

Waving, she caught Jeno's attention, giving him a small smile as she patted his shoulder, her way of letting him know she was okay. "Anyways," Jeno continued on. "I'll be back in about three weeks time, so don't go anywhere." Rina gave him a dry look, jabbing her elbow into his ribs, causing him to let out a small sound of protest.

Rina pressed her lips softly to his forehead, brushing back his black bangs. Be careful, she wanted to say, but couldn't. How she wished she could speak, because at least then, she'd be able to comfort her best friend and little brother like figure. Jeno seemed to understand as she mouthed the words she wanted to say, nodding before standing up. "I better get going. It was nice seeing you today."

She gave him a bright smile. She felt rather cheery, finally having gone out after a long time. They'd passed the normal prison courtyard, and she'd automatically peered in. Upon seeing Donghyuck sitting with her cell mates, she was surprised, but Jeno had tugged her along before anything could really be registered.

They'd gone to an abandoned part of the gardens, rubble of an old shrine that used to sit there surrounded the corpses of flowering plants with beauty blessed by Eros. The two of them had simply sat there, Jeno making small talk by talking about palace life.

"They haven't hurt you, have they?" Jeno had asked her quietly.

She'd shaken her head. They didn't even know she was a girl, she revealed, something Jeno found hilarious, laughing so loudly she was worried they'd get caught.