𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 | ᵃᵗᶻ

VII

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the kitchen was busy as se-ri and the boys were bustling around, doing their best to help yunho and get lunch ready as soon as possible.

hongjoong and yeosang were making the salad, mingi and yunho were at the stove cooking the main dishes, se-ri and wooyoung were setting the table up, and jongho and san were stationed at the sink, on washing up duty.

if yunho and se-ri weren't there, well, the kitchen would be a mess.

the boys were chaotic as ever, with yunho occasionally scolding mingi for making silly mistakes and yeosang taking nibbles of the chicken on the side, to which hongjoong had to drag him away before he ended up finishing it all.

the kitchen walls reverberated loud sounds of laughter and banter, and se-ri didn't think cooking could be so enjoyable until she met these rascals.

time had gone by, and soon everyone was seating themselves at the grand dining table, which had multiple seats lined across the sides. the striking chandelier hanging above their heads reflected the sun rays, effectively casting a twinkly glow upon the colossal dining hall.

se-ri had plated the final dish, which was tenderloin steak, and decided to seat herself between wooyoung and mingi. now it was a matter of time before they had to wait for the crown prince to arrive.

since waiting was proving to be boring for se-ri, she thought it would be useful to find out why mingi was at soyeon's house and how they knew each other.

the taller one's face flushed a magnificent shade of red, almost matching his hair, as he looked down and twiddled his fingers.

"well, it's a bit complicated. about one week before you came and surprised soyeon at her house, i was on patrol in town, and i saw her struggling with these boxes and then she was so close to falling, and then i stopped her and offered to help her, and before we knew it we started getting closer and hanging out more," he paused, a soft smile taking over his expression.

"go on," se-ri nudged his arm teasingly.

"a-and, i think i may like her..." he confessed, whispering so low se-ri thought she could have missed it if she didn't listen close enough.

she jumped back with a gasp leaving her mouth as she pressed her hands to her cheek in enthusiasm.

she continued to coo over him about how adorable his little crush on her long time friend was, and he grumbled as he tried to push her away, telling her not to be so obvious as she giggled continuously.

however her small giggles came to an abrupt stop as she noticed the entrance door to the dining area open, and in stepped the crown prince.

seonghwa looked dashing in a casual black turtleneck with a single chain hanging from his neck, with a dark blazer on, and simple slacks to finish it off.

but se-ri also didn't fail to notice how there was a perfectly manicured hand place upon his arm, linking their arms together.

she looked up, only to find herself staring in awe. the lady who accompanied him was, well, stunning to say the least.

fair skin, slender figure and long luscious locks, gosh, se-ri couldn't compete. she felt slightly insecure as the unknown lady had gone all out in a dark blue gown, while se-ri had a simple lace summer dress on.

she twiddled her fingers as her nerves overcame her, only to stop when she felt a hand grab hers and interlace their fingers together.

she glanced up to her left to meet wooyoung's warm eyes, as he gave her a reassuring smile and a comforting squeeze with his hand.

the uncomfortable feeling that overcame her washed away slightly, but she shouldn't help the nagging at her mind, the curiosity never fading.

who was she?

but se-ri knew the questions came to no use, when pretty much anyone could understand what she was here for.

she didn't forget the fact that the palace staff had reminded her that the crown prince would in fact be looking for his future wife and queen, and by the looks of the smiles on their faces and the whispers they shared, the crown prince was doing a good job at that.

they had taken their seats at the table next to each other, a bit far away from everyone else, and began to eat. only then did the group of friends dig in, conversing lowly amongst themselves, not wishing o disturb the couple as they dined in peace.

however, se-ri couldn't help but imagine what the table would've been like if seonghwa came alone.

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💌

okay my lovelies!

that was it for chapter seven, what did you guys think of it? it feels like it's been so long since i updated haha.

please don't forget to comment because i love reading them!!

stay safe and stan ateez<3