Black on Yellow, Peasant on Princess

Chapter 3

One night, Jihye ran straight to Lucas's room. "Lucas! Help!"

Glancing up from his bed to the panting girl at his door, he stopped eating his biscuits when he saw a limp ball of fur in her hands. His face seeming uninterested. "What is it?"

"Look here, I found the cat on my way from work, he looked sickly." Jihye paused, composing her breath.The cat's white fur was dirty, its breathing irregular. Lucas inspected the white kitten as the girl continued to explain. "I went to the vet but they said they wouldn't treat him if I didn't have the money for it. I told them that I'd go back later to pay but they still wouldn't let me! I was so angry at capitalism that I took Shiny and ran here."

She already named it? And Shiny at that?

"So?"

"D, Do you have any savings?"

"You want to treat it with my money?"

Jihye's cheeks reddened. "Of course I will pay it back but not right now! Just...! I'll do anything you want, okay?! It's just... Shiny is so weak... Please?"

"Anything I want?"

Did I say that? Oh no. "...Yes?"

"That's not good, Princess, I can't have you throw yourself at somebody's mercy that easily." Lucas got up from his bed and walked ever so slowly towards Jihye until their faces were mere inches apart, his red eyes glinting dangerously into Jihye's that she subconsciously took a step back.

"L, Lucas, if you put it that way..." Oh no, he is too beautiful this close. Too bad he's underage... What am I saying?! Inner peace, Jihye! "Can we f, focus on Shiny?"

The boy scoffed a bit, took Shiny with one hand and suddenly, Shiny became shiny. Jihye had to cover her eyes from the blinding light. After a few seconds, the cat's breathing got even and it snuggled towards Lucas. He pouted at the purring cat. "It's done."

What do you mean it's done? What did you do?

He leered in mischief. "Hmm, no need to be that shocked. It's just magic." Lucas said as he gave Shiny back to Jihye. They heard the cat meow and jumped from Jihye's grasp, running healthily towards the living room.

"Pardon? Magic, you say?"

"I believe your hearing isn't impaired." He scoffed, eating his snacks again on his bed.

Jihye stepped into his room and stood beside him, looking down at the lazy boy. Their heights weren't that much different anymore—he grew too fast!—so Jihye rarely had the opportunity to look down on him. "Wait, are you... drunk right now? Don't tell me you've been drinking! That was one time, Lucas. You're still underage! And there's no such thing as magic."

"Are you sure?" Lucas smirked.

There! That mischievous sneer! God, he is too pretty. "Of course."

"Then what is this?"

When Jihye looked around, the room was filled with small dandelions. Wind blew softly, as if caressing her warm cheeks. She looked down, the floor was replaced by clouds. When she looked towards Lucas, he was gone, the bedroom was gone. She stared at everything around her wide-eyed. It was so comforting, she felt like she didn't want to go from here. She felt... belonged.

That was her cue. "...I'm hallucinating. Lucas, that jerk, what did he put in my drink?"

She heard a chuckle, quickly turning left and right but still found nothing.

"Feisty, but forgetful. You haven't drunk anything after coming home." Then everything whirled back into the bedroom and Jihye found herself laying on Lucas's bed. She exhaled in surprise. Right.