kikwang had known hyojin for so long that he oftentimes forgot that his beloved friend was a prince. sure, the young one didnât quite have the gait and stoic, intimidatingly elegant attitude the royal family tended to have, but it didnât mean that it kept the peopleâs stares away as they walked through shops and beautiful plazas. they werenât staring at kikwang; the boy was out and about when he wasnât studying. they were staring the fact that one of the princes was strolling calmly like it was nobodyâs business. honestly, it shouldnât have been, but that isnât what life is like for a royal.
âmmm, thereâs a lot of people here. how âbout we walk around the forest?â kikwang proposed, already walking towards the woods at a brisker pace. the prince was still at his side, though he noticed that there was a moment of uncharacteristic silence for a while before hyojin broke it with permission to ask a question. âiâm all ears,â he grinned, waiting for the other to ask. it wasnât unusual for hyojin to askâabout anything, really. kikwang liked the honesty and curiosity that the prince possessed, since saving face seemed to be all that society valued these days.
he walked peacefully, reaching the entrance of the tall, old forest. the two of them continue, and before they know it, theyâre far from the eyes of everyone else. when he hears what hyojin has to ask, however, he canât help but almost stop in his tracks.
âdo you like ahreum?â
kikwang quickly picked up the pace again, trying his best to nonchalantly walk without hyojin noticing anything strange. âof course I like ahreum. you two are my best friends. sheâs got a lot of great qualities,â he began. it would have been an easier question to divert if the prince hadnât mentioned love. still, thereâs all kinds of love, right? âlove is pretty. I love the both of you a lot.â he didnât want to look at hyojin. kikwang was quite good at bluffing, but he found it difficult to just act casually around someone he was always honest to, who happened to ask a question he didnât know exactly how to answer. he had been friends with the prince and the princess alike since they were children. it felt wrong on his part to admit that his feelings for the princess went from something purely platonic to something dangerously close to romance.
âdo you like your sister?â he laughed.
âyeah, the forest sounds good.â he just agrees, absent mindedly because it wasnât that big of a deal. people stared either way, and hyojin had learned to actually zone them out, ignore all the possible whispers that were about him. about the people he hang out with. it was easy after some time, but he was way too cheerful and way too himself to actually care. he was being himself and thatâs all it mattered.
it wasn;t long before they were both in front of the forest and the prince just remembered how he went hunting a few days ago there. he was happy with the results. sure, maybe he could have done better, gotten a compliment or two more, but he wasnât gonna dwell on it. some other day, heâd do better, for today, he had answers he wanted from kikwang and he was gonna get them.Â
he noted how his friend stopped, but didn;t comment on it. it wasnât something that surprised him either way, it was shock that hyojin would think of such a question to ask. âiâm not blind you know?â he canât help but laugh, wide smile pulling on his lips as he looks at kikwang, brows slightly raised as he leans against one of the tall trees. as the other started to speak, avoided looking at him, the princeâs smile turned into something softer. it was cute, trying to get away from your responsibility, bluffing.
âso youâre gonna tell me you didnât notice me missing from quite a few of our gatherings?â he asks, brows raised. there were a few occasions where hyojin was late, usually because he was annoying his sister, seora, and heâd just notice things from a far when it came to ahreum and kikwang. why would he ruin that? love was meant to be pretty and pure, not forced and tearing. so heâd turn round on his heel and go study, or go practice his archery, or annoy san.Â
âi like all my sisters, kikwang.â he replies with a chuckle and shrugs âthatâs what family is. you like some more than others, you love some less than others. but my eyes donât shine when i look at my sister,â and he pauses, knowing full well the possible blow he was about to land, but hyojin spoke again âunlike yours.â he finishes, smiling at the other, arms folded neatly over his chest. love was a pretty sight, and sometimes, it made his chest swell up because of it.
