The Untouchable Prince | A Norenmin FanFiction

十七

Seventeen
Updated: November 30, 2020
Edited: September 6, 2021

Jaemin sat on the stone stool, facing Jeno with a blank expression. His face rested in his right hand, distorting it a little, but instead of ugly, it looked kind of... cute. "Do you think he will really come out here to talk with us?"

"He said he would." Jeno took a sip of tea, placing the small porcelain cup back onto the table. "I'm sure he will. He was the one who told us to meet him here, wasn't he?"

Jaemin nodded, "yeah, you're right."

The sun had begun setting. The colors in the sky began changing in a swirling effect. The clouds floated over their heads like petals that caught flight in the wind. The sunlight reflected off of the clouds, creating an inimitable painting.

Jaemin looked to Renjun's room, the doors unmoving. The light from the sun cast a red-orange hue on the white rice paper doors. Servants had rushed out from rooms to light up the lanterns on the paths. But, even after it went completely dark, there was no sign of Crown Prince Huang Renjun.

Just as the older of the two got up, the oldest prince came stumbling out of the room, his little friend behind him.

"Sorry," was Renjun's response as he sat down by the same stone table. "I was caught up with something."

"You said you were gonna be here at dusk..." Jaemin muttered under his breath with a pout. It was so quiet, neither Renjun nor Jeno heard anything. With a deep inhale, his arms folded in front of him on the table, a bright smile quickly crawling onto his face.

"Hyungie, here." Jeno poured a small cup of tea, sliding it to the oldest prince with two hands.

"U-uh, thanks." He picked the cup up, bringing it to his lips to take a small sip. When he placed it down, he asked, "please tell me about what happened earlier. The Princess really was lying?"

"The princess must've been ordered to do that. To say those things, to come here again. She said she had a younger sibling, she doesn't. She's an only child." Jeno furrowed his brows in frustration. "There must be a reason why she came back, but I can't seem to know what it may be." He just wished he could read people's minds. It would be such a help in a situation like this. Kang Jiheo was suspicious, and Jeno just wanted to know if she's scheming or not.

Renjun's hand gripped the cup in his hands tightly, staring intently at the brown, transparent liquid inside. If apologizing really wasn't Jiheo's intention, then what was it? Why did she come back? What does she plan to do? Why is she working for? Was she told to apologize as a cover-up? Other than that, why is it him that is being lied to?

His face scrunched up at a certain thought.

"Injoon, are you thinking of something?" Jaemin asked, cupping his own chin in his two hands, admiring the cute thinking face of the oldest prince.

Renjun's gaze locked onto Jaemin's face. His thoughts quickly began running through his head. He worried over so many things at once, suspected so many things at once, but didn't know how to put it into coherent words. "I-I, uh, n-no, it's nothing important," he rushed.

The looks on the other two's faces made it obvious that they didn't believe him.

He looked back down at the cup, his thumb running along the edge of the small cup. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead, trickling down slowly. His suspicion... Could it be...? This wasn't a good time, was it?

His hands gripped the cup so tightly that the tips of his fingers and his knuckles turned white.

"...Injoon-hyung."