𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 | ᵃᵗᶻ

XI

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everyone sat at the dining table once again, contently munching on the delicious food presented on silver platters in front of them, glasses of sparkling champagne set in front of them, bubbles rising to the surface.

dinner proved to be much more enjoyable and eventful than lunch.

with wooyoung and se-ri teasing other as they poked each other's sides in the middle of eating, it was a sight to see as mingi and yunho had both noticed seonghwa's blank face throughout the whole dinner; zoning in and out of his deep conversation with hongjoong.

the duo turned to look at each other with a smirk on both of their faces, "jealous." they laughed to each other silently as they both connected their fists in a fist bump.

but the crown prince wasn't one of the most skilled warriors for nothing. his sharp senses and hearing didn't miss anything that was uttered out of anyone's mouth, and he snapped his head up to glare at mingi and yunho, and the latters immediately shrank lower into their plush pillowed chairs, admiring the chicken as if nothing had ever happened.

as they took bites of the chicken, the savoury taste and slight kick of spice flooded their tastebuds, and they both moaned in delight as their eyes widened in astonishment.

"oh my--this chicken is so good!" mingi dragged the 'o', causing everyone to erupt into laughter around the table.

"i made the chicken, and his highness made the steak," se-ri announced softly, her cheeks a bright red as she watched the boys around her relish the taste of the chicken.

everyone cheered and thanked se-ri, and the prince sat and continued eating, not paying anyone any mind.

"this chicken, i could eat it forever." yeosang sighed dreamily, his eyes twinkling in the light and his cheeks puffed out and full from the food being stuffed in his cheeks.

"please will you make us more!" it was jongho's turn to fawn over it, and se-ri laughed as she nodded her head and the young one pumped his fist into the air as his face scrunched up in excitement.

wooyoung pinched his cheeks between his fingers and kissed him on them, jongho cringing away in false disgust.

se-ri forked the small cut pieces of steak onto her plate and into her mouth, savouring the taste of the lean meat in her mouth sighing in delight.

"wow, the steak came out so good. your highness, i thought you told me you couldn't cook?" she muttered to herself, before turning to seonghwa who was seated on her left and questioned him.

he halted his movements for a millisecond before continuing to chew slowly and eventually swallowing the mouthful. he shrugged, "i don't, i just...picked up a few things here and there." he said, his tone low as if he didn't want anyone else to hear them.

but alas, he failed his plan to hide it as hongjoong furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "what do you mean? you're quite the fanatic about cooking and cleaning, hwa. who are you trying to fool?" he inquired, raising his brow as he sipped his drink, and when the prince snapped his eyes in his direction with warning eyes, he coughed on his drink and raised his hand to his mouth, hiding the amused expression before seonghwa could see it.

despite almost being exposed, seonghwa could feel is heart thump as he watch se-ri enjoy the food he made with his own hands. her eyes lit up and her tongue poked out to wipe any sauce from around her cherry lips, and he could feel his chest tighten.

this feeling was so foreign to him, he hadn't felt it before, he didn't want to acknowledge it.

swallowing the food in her mouth and washing it down with a few sips of icy cold water, she looked up and made eye contact with the crown prince, flashing him a soft, small, yet heartwarming smile.

he looked away.

in all honesty, he was afraid. he didn't want to fall into the trap called emotions and he certainly was not going to allow himself to be vulnerable to them. he wasn't going to let himself be fooled.

with that thought in mind, the crown prince stood up abruptly, ceasing all conversation and activity going on in the dining hall as the screeching of the chair scraped on the wooden flooring caught their attention. everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in his direction as he cleared his throat, deep voice reverberating off the walls, "i'm done here. don't look or wait up for me, i'll be busy." he said, and no one, not even hongjoong, could tell what was wrong with him.

his food was left half finished on his plate, but he didn't seem to pay that any mind as he walked away, chin held up and shoulders straight.

only then did the ice break as wooyoung asked yeosang for more chicken, and soon they were back to eating and chatting again. but as se-ri forked the spinach around her plate, her mind wondered elsewhere.

he was perfectly fine before, what happened? did i do anything to offend him?

she shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts.

no, she had been nothing but welcoming to him and she made sure to be comfortable around him so he could ease up, and he did, showing her a side of him she didn't know he had in him.

but a voice in se-ri's head nagged at her, and she allowed stupid thoughts to cloud her mind.

she lost her appetite, and later on as everyone readied themselves for the night tucked into their beds and all, se-ri found herself tossing and turning, not a blink of sleep in sight.

she sighed, no sleep would come to her that night.

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💌

hi my lovelies<3

i just wanted to say thank you so much for the endless support you guys show, your sweet and funny comments motivate me to write more and more🥺.

i really hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't be a silent reader! <3

stay safe and stan ateez<3