𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲•𝐣𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧

nine

(a/n: FFHFDUBFAERYHHFTYUGDW AFTER THIS CHAPTER THINGS GET SERIOUS GTDSTYIHGFD ENJOY)

MAYBE CONSCIENCE is jisoo's rival. his own conscience is destroying him and feeding him to the hounds while he is trying to have a week off of shitheads and stress.

this is 'conscience' thing is the thing he is blaming for why he found himself parking in front of jeonghan's tree house. it scared him.

no, his conscience did not scare him. pulling up in front of the tree house and finding another car parked beside his car scared him. who could that be? a prince? the car is so sleek and expensive-looking. in contrast to jisoo's ugly one.

excuse you, that cost me three million won. but still, okay, compared to the sleek black car, his car was considered trash. maybe jisoo should just sell it.

"fuck," jisoo cusses under his breath, ducking and sneakily revving his car; keeping the noise to a minimum. "please please please please please please please."

"HONG JISOO-SSI!"

choosing between banging his own head on the steering wheel and going out to meet jeonghan was a tough choice. jisoo wanted to pick the former, but his conscience would continue eating him up if he chooses that one, and he doesn't want a long agony.

huffing, jisoo steps out of the car and reluctantly steps closer to jeonghan—who was running down the stairs (with someone else behind him) dangerously. jisoo wonders if it would be honourable for a prince to die from falling down the stairs.

"h-hello, you have someone else over, i think i'm leaving." jisoo politely said, giving jeonghan a small bow. he heedlessly turned around, making a sour face which unluckily, jeonghan saw. he laughed at jisoo's face.

goddamnit, i know i'm ugly!

"no, no! he is xu minghao. he is my former bodyguard." jeonghan raises a hand, which seemed like an unspoken command, since jisoo heard hurried footsteps nearing to where he was standing. "please stay."

uh, what the fuck?

jisoo's eyes widen as he questioned himself for hearing his own, amplified, irrational heartbeat. must he truly feel that way, just because the prince grabbed his wrist with his ever so soft hand? others think that being all doki-doki after a wrist grab is normal, but jisoo is not a part of 'others'.

"ah, okay." jisoo hisses quietly, pulling his arm away from jeonghan's grasp as gentle as possible. he turns around—and is suprised to feel how xu minghao's gaze is intimidating. he looked frail and thin, but his stature and gaze is qualified for a guard. "h-hello..."

"nice to meet you." the guard advances to jisoo, sticking out his hand for jisoo to shake. jisoo feared that his hands being sweaty might get him a glare from minghao. "i am xu minghao. i am here to give supplies to the scion, but i appreciate you doing my job when i was not present beside prince jeonghan."

jisoo awkwardly scratches his scalp, smiling forcibly. "welcome?"

minghao nods curtly. "farewell. remember to not tell any living soul about this matter." he threatens, before he gets in the sleek black car and drives away. scary.

"petrified, huh? that's why i chose him to be my bodyguard. he also has cute giggles." jeonghan adds, laughing to himself as he dragged jisoo to the tree house. "come. i have something to show you."

what? what would jeonghan want to show jisoo? his arrest warrant or something like so? jisoo won't be surprised.

as soon as jisoo set foot inside the treehouse, jisoo smells the faint scent of coffee wafting around. jisoo gets reminded of the time they went to a coffee shop—which ended in a fiasco. did jeonghan finally get a coffee maker to get out of all the trouble?

"it's so convenient! the coffee maker is such a useful machine. if the treehouse gets on fire, i would save the coffee maker first and then myself." jeonghan gushes, stopping at the kitchen to admire his prized possession—the coffee maker. "minghao-ssi also brought me some other food supplies. want to try them with me?"

jisoo shakes his head, remembering the shit ton of mac and cheese that he had for lunch. ugh. just thinking of it makes jisoo feel all queasy inside, though he thought that the taste of mac and cheese was already not prominent on his tongue.

"maybe just coffee." jisoo says, and jeonghan nods at him with an endearing smile. wow... he is pretty. "you know how to use that, don't you?"

"yes i do! minghao taught me!" jeonghan quips, pouting at jisoo. the latter laughed, as the prince got so defensive for a trivial matter. second time he's laughed around jeonghan. "how many would you like your sugar cubes to be?"

jisoo ponders, how sweet is one sugar cube? "maybe just one."

"coming right up, hong jisoo-ssi!"

jisoo sits on one of the bar stools, watching jeonghan fidget and press random things on the coffee maker. it's amazing, actually—he knows that what he is doing is correct, but he looks utterly clueless. jisoo wanted to laugh and help, but wouldn't it be rude to interrupt a prince tinkering around?

"all done! do you want to come up to the rooftop and watch the sunset while drinking coffee? i think that would be marvellous!"

"the restraint orders for jihae are filed. i will be descending to the throne soon. once again, i thank you very much for helping me through the weeks. i will be sure to give you a reward." jeonghan states, lying down. jisoo hums, drinking his cup of coffee.

i should buy sugar cubes.

"you're descending to the throne without a spouse?" jisoo asks, setting down his cup of coffee as he watches the sun disappear into the horizon. "is that allowed?"

"prince jihoon became the king in a whim, without a spouse. he had the laws changed for me and the future generations." jeonghan replied, sitting back up to watch the sunset as well. "my half-brothers are very nice."

"yeah."

the silence grows. jisoo loves it, while jeonghan seems uncomfortable. he sure is fond of conversations. what a peculiar prince.

"there will be a coronation, and a ball after. i am cordially inviting you." jeonghan plucks out an envelope from the pocket of his hoodie, surprising jisoo. how did that fit there? "and your three friends, too. they were nice to me back in boarding school as well. the three of them were my good friends."

jisoo snorts. "i though i was your only friend."

jeonghan was obviously surprised at jisoo's statement, but he replies nonetheless. "my best friend, not only. learn your adjectives, hong jisoo-ssi."

"what?! you're telling me to go back to grade school now?!"

"just kidding, just kidding!"