𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲•𝐣𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧

epilogue: choi seungcheol

SEUNGCHEOL NEVER liked losing. he was competetive, determined, and adaptable in any environment. that's what always led seungcheol to the top.

seungcheol thought, that when he was at the top, whichever food chain it might be—he will be happy. he will get everything he needs and wants, and that guaranteed happiness.

but, it doesn't. trust him, seungcheol learned it the hard way.

dropping out of university to become the head of the palace's security force made him feel a lot of things. they were distracting, but he eventually pushed those feelings away thinking that it's to fulfill the wishes of his family to change careers and have a connection with the royal family.

he thought that it couldn't be that bad. it's for family. plus, being a security head should come with benefits, right?

and, the direct answer was yes, it did come with benefits. even if he was just a guard, he was paid like a businessman who has a brand going trending these days. he has a nice car, he had a home, his family was happy.

but, was he happy?

seeing all these blobs of blood that the rogues left on the acres of hainya's royal estate, was seungcheol happy?

having slain the last rogue on the land, was seungcheol happy?

seeing all the other rogues escorted to the police cars while they spit at seungcheol and the other guards, was he happy?

even a fool could easily guess that he wasn't. seungcheol wasn't doing what he wanted to do. seungcheol had enough money to retire in comfort—and yet, he was not satisfied.

what was all these money going to do him? will it help him gain friends, when he's not even allowed to leave the palace 24/6? maybe, but there's a high possibility that they'd be gold diggers. his family turned into gold diggers too, so he can't really hang out with them.

his money could bring him new material things, yes, but he'd grow tired of those things after a while. it's just temporary happiness. he wanted happiness that would last long.

if he had been a psychologist, he would've been able to be constantly happy.

seungcheol loved knowing people. seungcheol loved knowing others, and upon it, knowing himself as well. he loved making people smile, he loved understanding other people. seungcheol was complex enough himself, and knowing a whole lot of other complex beings out there excites him.

everyone has their own wonderful universe to explore—their own selves. seungcheol is fond of that idea.

you can say that seungcheol is being too dramatic, when it's too late. he's already in the palace, and he can't back out now or else he'll disappoint his family and lose a home, too. maybe, just look into what he had right now and be grateful for it?

what else did seungcheol have other than a dysfunctional family, and money?

"seungcheol-ssi!" a voice calls, snapping the regretful man out of his thoughts. "jeonghan-hyung is coming. we better get ready, come on!"

"r-ready? for what? i won't be included in the meeting of the—what, the royalties!" seungcheol replies, getting dragged off the grass by chan. "your highness, slowly!"

"ah," chan chuckled, seungcheol losing in his glimmering eyes for a moment. "don't be such a bore, you!"

seungcheol continues to get dragged by chan until they catch up with the others(with minho still oddly holding a pitchfork), and he doesn't get to protest since chan always interrupts.