Prince of Silence ||Bokuaka||

2 || It's Quiet In Town ||

Bokuto Koutarou, prince of the Fukorodani kingdom, had always been an interesting topic.

To start off, the beloved prince wasn't actually born of the royal family. He came from an orphanage in the town that surrounded the palace. Although, even without royal blood running through his veins, Koutarou still worked hard to be a good prince

The people of their kingdom loved him because of that, though there were some salty people who couldn't accept that he wasn't truly royalty.

Among the citizens of their kingdom, Koutarou of course had many fans. He loved going into town and interacting with them, sometimes stopping by the orphanage he had once called home to talk to the children.

The man had a certain charm to him, and the people of Fukorodani adored it.

However, there was another side to him. A side very few people saw.

It was a side that Akaashi Keiji of the Caelum kingdom could see, one that could only be observedII I if he was around, and he absolutely adored that side of the other prince.

Most of the time, Koutarou was focused on being a good prince, on being a good example to others. He was quite calm, and he held an aura of dignity around him.

That all changed around Keiji, though.

Koutarou felt particularly comfortable around the silent prince, which allowed him to show the more childish personality of his that disappeared once he left the orphanage.

He would be clumsy, loud, and playful. He would often follow Keiji around like a puppy, asking what he was doing or where he was going.

He was whipped for Akaashi Keiji.

As such, Koutarou found himself unable to process much of what was happening when he found out that they would be visiting the Caelum kingdom again. He suddenly remembered all the daydreams he'd had of the pretty boy, and started to panic.

He stressed over how he would greet him, or how he would have to act around him. He wondered if Keiji would be bothered by his loud nature, or if he would try to ignore Koutarou because he'd gone deaf.

Thousands of thoughts ran through his mind, making him more and more nervous as each day passed by. His parents often found him pacing around the palace library, muttering to himself as he tried to remember the things that Keiji liked.

He dug through all of his belongings, looking for the letters that Keiji had written him back when they were younger. A fond smile spread across his face, remembering their brief interactions.

"I hope he still remembers me"

——————->> • —————->> • ———

Koutarou fidgeted with his hands under the table, his gaze stuck on his plate of food.

Lunch with the kingdom of Caelum's royal family was quiet for the most part, aside from Keiji's parents talking every now and then.

He jumped in his seat slightly when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Koutarou turned to the man seated beside him, brows raising. Keiji looked pointedly towards his plate of food, asking him if he was feeling okay

"A- ah. I'm alright, Keiji"

His heart started to beat faster thinking about how he now had the right to call the raven-haired prince Keiji. It seemed like something that would come from of one of his daydreams.

On the other hand, Keiji had a brow furrowed as he worried about the man sitting beside him. Koutarou seemed troubled, and he was troubled thinking about it. Catching his attention again, Keiji mouthed,

"Let's go to town after lunch"

——————->> • —————->> • ———

As Keiji had suggested, the two princes went into the town to catch some fresh air and enjoy themselves.

The town, as he had expected, hadn't changed apart from some new shops here and there. A wave of nostalgia flushed over Koutarou as he walked past familiar structures, finding shops that he used to drag his parents into.

A fond smile made its way onto his face, only to be replaced with a slight frown as he remembered that the experience wouldn't be the same anymore.

Of course it wouldn't. He was deaf now.

His heart ached at the thought of not being able to hear the bustle of the town, the laughs of children playing, the birds chirping, and everything else you would typically hear in a town during the busy hours.

There was one thing he was sad about in particular, though. It was the fact that he wouldn't be able to hear Keiji's voice anymore.

He glanced at the prince that was walking beside him, sighing. He brushed the thoughts off, trying to focus on enjoying his time with Keiji. Tapping on the other man's shoulder, Koutarou gave him a sad smile

"It's quiet in town"

Keiji's eyes widened, before a frown appeared on his face. He intertwined Koutarou's fingers with his own, giving his arm a slight tug. Koutarou raised a brow, tilting his head questioningly. Keiji smiled, leading him through the crowd. He turned back to the white-haired prince, pointing towards his lips

"Let's go to our usual spot, then"

Koutarou brightened up instantly, a grin spreading across his face. Things were starting to look better.

His life may have been quiet, but at least it wasn't hopeless.