Aya POV

Weeks had passed since the bad incident happened. I was down, sad, depressed and all sort of negative feelings I experienced right now. I cried almost all nights… I felt bad for him… and I missed him so bad… I missed his joke, his care, his laugh, his hug, his kiss… everything about him.

So I kept myself busy… I studied hard, I worked hard and I played hard, so that I could distract myself from overthinking.

I was in college, sitting at our usual spot in café with all my friends. Today was the day to visit Soonyoung, we were playing rock paper scissor to decide who would go and who wouldn’t since not everyone were allowed to visit at once.

For the game, I was excluded since my present is a must. The first person to go with me was, none other than the luckiest person when it comes to game, Jeonghan.

While we were in the midst of playing to decide the second person, we had been approached by 2 tall men in suits. “Your Royal Highness Princess Sophia…” one of them greeted me in our language before they bowed their heads to me. 

I was dumbfounded by that “W-what are you doing here?” I asked. I was sure enough these men were from the palace. If not, how could they speak in Dusan language and how could they know me?

“Your highness Princess Sophia, we are here with the command of His Majesty to bring you back to Dusan. Please kindly obey His Majesty’s command” one of them said.

I looked at my friends, they all had that puzzle looked on their face, probably tried to understand what was happening. I looked at Seungcheol, he then suddenly nodded his head to me and sent a signal to me using his eyes.

I then nodded to him back. “I’m sorry… I can’t go with you…” I replied before Seungcheol pulled my hand and made me run with him.

“Back us up!” Seungcheol yelled.

I tilted my head to the back to see my friends were hugging those men, stopping them from following us so that I could run away with Seungcheol.

He then drove his car, but he stopped at the roadside after we got far away from the college. “So, where to go?” he asked.

“I have to visit Soonyoung” I replied.

“You still think about him at time like this?”

“He’ll be worried if I don’t come…”

He sighed and nodded to me “I’ll bring you there…” he said and started driving toward the destination. “So, His Majesty already knew you’re here… how?” he asked.

I sighed “I don’t know… I’m afraid if he knows where I stay as well…”

“I’ll think about it…” he said.

As we arrived, Seungcheol let me visit Soonyoung alone while he waited for me in his car.

I smiled as soon as I saw Soonyoung and he smiled back to me. It was nice to see him smiling. I got up from my seat and gave a bear hug to him. He giggled to my action. “I miss you…”  I said.

He my hair “I miss you more…” he said before he hugged me tighter like trying to squeeze me.

Seriously, how I missed his scent, it calmed me down… I could stay forever in his arms.

He then pulled away and made me sit back on the chair before he sat on the opposite chair of me “So, how’s your day?” he asked.

“Just normal… it less fun without you… but at least I’m seeing you now… so, it’s a nice day!” I replied.

I didn’t plan to tell him anything about running away from my father’s men earlier… afraid he would be worried of me.

He just smiled to me. The talkative and loud Soonyoung that I know now had become quiet and he talked less. I was the one that always talked about this and that to him, so that we had something to talk about.

He then took my hand and stared at me, I could sense something from the way he was staring at me. “What are you thinking?” I asked.

He just shook his head “I just want to look at you… I will never get enough” he replied.

I giggled to him. “Aya…” he called me. His voice calling my name gently was one of the sweetest things I’ve heard.

“Ne?”

“What do you like about me? Why did you decide to be my girlfriend?” he asked.

I found his questions were weird “if I say I like everything about you… will you believe me?” I asked.

He then smiled and nodded to me “Why I decided to be your girlfriend? Because I know you’re the right one… but I decide to stay with you because—” I stopped and took a deep breath “you’re the guy that I’m in love with” I confessed.

He then laughed and his face changed to be so happy while his eyes welled up by tears. He got off his seat and pulled me into another hug “Thank you…” he said.

*****

I went back to the car with a huge smile on my face. I said it… finally I said it! I thought and went all red on the face again as I thought about earlier.

“You look so happy…” asked Seungcheol.

“Oh… yeah…” I replied.

“So, you have plan about where to go after this?” he asked.

I shook my head “I think I’ll just stay at hotel for maybe couple of days” I replied.

“Alone? Just stay in my house!” he suggested.

I looked at him with my eyes widened and shook my head “it’s a no-no!” I replied.

“At least you have me and Hansol… we have extra bedroom… don’t worry…”

“But…”

“Remember I won’t take any ‘no’ answer from you? You’ll stay in my house! Period!”

I sighed… “You’ll never change…” I replied.

He then brought me to his house and showed me the room that I would use. “Make yourself at home!” he said.

Then he went to the door like wanted to go out again “where do you want to go?” I asked.

“I’ll buy you some clothes… or you want to wear mine?” he asked.

“Oh…”

“Just stay at home… don’t go anywhere…” he reminded me.

I just nodded to him as a reply.

I then walked to ‘my room’ before I walked passed Seungcheol’s room. The door of his room was opened and I could see everything inside. His room was a total mess! “Gosh… what is this? A rat’s nest?” I asked and walked into the room.

“What a prince?!” I sighed. “But this room was all clean when I slept here before…” I added.

I picked up all the dirty clothes on the floor and put them in the laudry basket inside his room. Then I picked up books and magazines from the floor… before I put them on the bookshelf, I went through briefly each of them. “One Piece? He reads comics too?” I asked.

I then looked through one of the magazine before my eyes opened wider “What the… such a ert!” I said as the magazine I looked at was full of y girls’ pictures in it.

As I finished tidied up his room, I sat on his bed. “I still remember how comfortable this bed was…” I said and lied myself on it. “It still is…” I added.

Seungcheol POV

I went to buy some clotches for Aya as well as things she probably needed since she couldn’t go back to her house, afraid that her father’s men were there looking for her.

After I got everything for her, I went back home.

As soon as I reached home, I looked for her in the living room and the kitchen, but she wasn’t there “She’s probably in her room…” I said.

I walked to her room to give her all the things that I bought for her, but I stopped in front of my room as I sensed something was inside. I looked at my bed, and I found someone was sleeping soundly on it. I smiled and walked into my room instead, leaving all those shopping bags outside.

I sat on the bedside next to her. Looking at her sleeping face, a wide smile appeared on my lips as it reminded me of our past “this is your place, the place you suppose to be at…” I said.

I brushed off her bang to the side and landed a peck on her forehead after that.

But as I pulled my lips away, she opened her eyes. She looked so surprised as she found my face being so closed to her and immediately pushed me aside and jumped off from my bed. “You ert! What are you trying to do?!” she asked.

I chuckled to her reaction “You’re sleeping on my bed… I thought you ask for it” I joked.

She furrowed her brows together “from now on don’t get near me in less than 100cm!” she warned.

“Hey chill… I didn’t do anything… it was just a joke…” I tried to chill her.

“But who knows what will you do… such a ert prince!” she said and rolled her eyes to me.

I giggled “ert? Why you keep calling me that? I didn’t do anything! I swear!”

“I saw it!”

“Saw what?”

She then walked to the bookshelf and pulled a magazine with her “This magazine!” she showed to me “You read that kind of magazine?!” she added.

I snatched the magazine from her hand in the speed of light and hid it behind my back “Why did you touch my things?!” I asked her instead.

“I helped to clean your room! Thank God I know it now!” she said.

I sighed “This kind of magazine… you can find it in every boys’ room!” I told her. “It’s not that you found a …” I mumbled.

“Huh?” she looked at me weirdly.

“It’s normal for a boy to have this kind of book…! It doesn’t make me a ert!” I tried to explain to her.

She shook her head “but still, it’s not good!”

“You never see one in Hoshi’s room?” I asked.

She shook her head “No…”

“Yeah because he stays with his family, so he needs to hide them well! But wait… you went to his room?” I asked.

She nodded to me like nothing was wrong. I widened my eyes and walked to her before I held her shoulders with my both hand “H-have you guys—”

Aya pushed my hands away before I finished my words “What are thinking? ert!” she said and walked out from my room.

I sat down on my bed “Does it mean, no?” I asked.

*****

I woke up from my peaceful sleep when I heard sounds came from the outside of my room. I opened my door slightly before I saw lights from the kitchen. I tiptoed to the kitchen just to see someone was cooking there.

I looked at the clock; it was just almost 7a.m. I took few moments to register what was happening before I recalled that Aya was living here with us now. I smiled and walked to her. And I stood behind her just to see what she was cooking.

She turned around and surprised to see that I was standing behind her. “YA!” she yelled. “Gosh… you surprised me! Why didn’t you make any sounds? Aish…” she nagged.

I laughed a bit “Sorry… I didn’t mean to… what are you cooking?” I asked.

“Scamble eggs and toasts… since I only found eggs and white breads in your kitchen…” she replied.

I nodded and smiled “Smells good!” I said. “I’ll shop for groceries later… just tell me what you need” I added.

“Can you really buy them all?”

“Err… I will give you a call if I have problems…?”

She giggled to me “Ok… I trust you…” she replied. “Now put them on the table” she said while handed me 2 plates in her hand.

I smiled and took those plates and then put them on the table as she asked. She then came with another plate in her hand and a carton of milk. I made a small run to the kitchen and took 3 glasses before she even asked me. She nodded and smiled to see me doing that.

Not long after that, Hansol came out from his room and blinked his eyes few times, looking what was on the table “Woah… I can’t recall when the last time I had homemade breakfast…” he said and sat beside me.

Aya just giggled to him “It’s nice to be like this, right? Aya… please just stay here, ok?” he added.

I then smacked his head a little “Ya! You think she’s a cook?” I said.

“That’s not what I mean…” he denied. “But Aya… this egg is great!” he added.

As were all ate in silence, Hansol’s phone rang “Hello…” he answered. And after that we only heard words like yeah, ok, alright, and thank you escaped from his lips.

“Who’s that?” I asked as he hung up his phone.

He just shook his head “no one… just a friend” he replied. “Oh yeah, Aya… would you go to college today?” he asked.

Aya shook her head “I don’t think it safe… yet?” she replied.

“I won’t go too” I added.

“Oh… they all kept asking what actually happened yesterday… it’s hard to lie to them…” he sighed.

I giggled “I know you can do it!” I said.

He sighed again “then I’ll go alone… so, I have to get ready now…” he said. “And have fun alone at home!” he added before he ran to his room.

Aya POV

I just stayed at home helped doing some chores while Seungcheol was going out to shop for groceries. As I finished all, I just sat on the couch, watching some dramas on TV.

I was bored to death doing nothing at home. I used be in this kind of situation when the false rumor about me was all over the college not long before, but I had Soonyoung at that time. At least I could give a phone call to him when I was bored… but now… I couldn’t even contact him.

I lied on the couch and looked at our pictures that we took before in my phone… while scrolling from one picture to another, tears came out from my eyes “I miss you…” I said.

I was chuckling and tearing at the same time when I found a video that he secretly took using my phone when I was sleeping. “My girlfriend is sleeping… look at her cute fluffy cheeks…” he said while focusing the camera closer to my face.

Then he joked around by tickling my nose using a rolled up tissue. At that time, I just scratched my nose but I didn’t wake up. He then cracked up and he kept calling my name… “Aya… Aya…” but I still didn’t wake up. “Ahh… it’s ok… sleep tight love, dream of me… saranghae…” he said before he landed a peck on my lips.

After that, he focused the camera to himself “Aya… I tried to wake you up but you sleep like a log” he cackled. “How could you sleep without saying goodnight to me?” he added and made a sad face. “Meet you tomorrow! Saranghae…” he said and kissed the camera.

I found myself was sobbing after the video ended. “I miss you so bad pabo!” I said.

That was when the door opened and Seungcheol showed up, getting into the house. I immediately wiped my tears so that he didn’t know I was just crying.

I smiled to him as he got into the house and he put all those shopping bags on the dining table after that. “Let’s check what you just bought” I said before I went through the bags.

He then looked at my face weirdly “What?” I asked.

He shook his head “No… just your voice sounds weird… and your eyes look red…” he informed.

“Oh, um, I have stuffy nose… yeah…” I lied.

“Is that bad? You need medicine?” he asked.

I just shook my head “It’s ok… it’ll be gone later… no worries” I replied.

Seungcheol POV

I went straight to home after I finished buying the long list of goods that Aya listed to me. As I got home, I had been greeted by Aya’s smile.

But when she talked to me, I noticed her voice sounded different and her eyes looked red. But when I asked, she said she just had stuffy nose. You cried… I know… I thought.

But I just let it slide since she might be didn’t want me to know “So, I guess you want to cook for dinner?” I asked, changing the topic.

She nodded to me “What do you want to eat?” she asked.

“I’ll eat anything you cook…”

“I’m thinking of trying to make some Japanese foods… is that ok for you?” she asked.

I nodded to her “sounds good… but why Japanese foods? We can order them if you really want to eat them” I asked out of curiosity.

She quieted for a moment “I… um, I’m thinking of bringing some for Soonyoung tomorrow… he loves Japanese foods…” she confessed while looking down to her fingers.

I sighed “oh… ok…” I nodded. “Erm… so, what to cook?” I asked, trying to act like I didn’t affected so much by that.

“Sushi… and tempura?” she suggested.

I nodded “Nice! So, I’ll help you… I’m not good but at least… I’m helping I guess” I replied.

We then started our cooking session, we both weren’t good in making sushi since we never did it before but at least she was a better cook than me. Our first try was totally out, not just visually but the taste was horrible! And there was no place for them in the stomach, so they ended up in the dustbin.

But after we adjusted the ingredient a bit on our second try, surprisingly the taste was much much better than the first one. Well, at least edible for us…

But for me, the process of making the sushi was one of the moments I enjoyed. You know, being with someone that is so special to you at the kitchen, cooking for dinner together, we tried out something new and we failed at first but we succeed at last and we laughed and cheered together for the ‘small’ success we had… it made me feel like she’s already a family to me. And I wish she would be…

She was now frying the tempuras while I sat on the kitchen countertop, looking at the back of her cooking.

I then jumped off the counter and walked closer to her and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, giving a backhug to her. I didn’t think much at that time, I just followed my heart… I knew the biggest possibility she would push me away.

And as expected she jumped a bit due to my touch “W-what are you doing?” she asked.

And she tried to escape from the hug after that. But I hugged her tighter “Just a moment… please…” I whispered to her.

“The 100cm distance—”

“I don’t care…” I cut off her words.

“Seungcheol…”

“Just a moment… please…?” I was like begging her.

She then quieted; she didn’t even struggle nor talk. “I miss you” I said and sniffed the side of her neck and shoulder, then buried