CANDIDATES FOR THE SELECTED ONE

Hwang Dayeon - Gold

Kim Haneul - Gold

Min Jihyo - Gold

Song Wonhee - Gold

Kang Seulgi - Gold

Choi Minhee - Silver

Im Saeyoung - Silver

Kim Kisook - Silver

Park Ahreum - Silver

Lee Somi - Grey

Jung Soojung - Grey

Park Jaera - Grey

    Jaera sighed as she looked at the list that was being spread online and posted on billboards. She could already see how the kingdom favours the Gold more than any other region. It was obvious just by looking at how the names got smaller as it reaches the Grey region. She looked at her luggage and saw how small it was compared to all the other girls who were also the candidates for the selected one. What was there to bring anyways? All her belongings were stripped away from her the moment she was thrown out of the castle. 

    “Hey,” A young sweet voice called from behind her. Jaera turned around and saw a girl who wore the same grey dress she was wearing. “I’m Somi.”

    “Jaera.” 

    “Nice to meet you,” Somi giggled as she shook hands with Jaera. “It’s surprising isn’t it? For the kingdom to actually handpicked three grey girls.” 

    Jaera gently nodded at her words and replied, “But then again, it’s the royal family. What wouldn’t they do to create a humble image for themselves?”

    Somi turned her head and laughed at her answer. “I don’t really care actually. I just wanted a vacation from my life at home. It feels nice to breath a different air once in awhile.” Somi commented as she spread her arms and took a deep breath. Jaera laughed at her child-like actions and slowly followed her actions. Somi was right. The air was different in the Diamond region.

    “Alright, girls. Get on the bus.” 

As the girls were on their way to the mansion, Jungkook was still lying on his bed while clutching his head. His fingers were ruffling his hair endlessly and his mouth kept muttering incomprehensible words. 

    “Should I be harsh from the beginning? Should I make them like me first? Wait, they all already like me! Why else would they be in the selection?” But then his thoughts trailed to a certain girl who made it clear that she didn’t want to be the selected one. “Right. How could I forget about her?” 

    “Jeon Jungkook!” A familiar voice shouted from the hallways. The young prince groaned as he recognised the voice. The door suddenly opened with a loud bang and Jungkook jumped off his bed from surprise. 

    “What is it?” Jungkook complained as he rubbed his aching bottom from the fall. 

    “I’m giving you ten seconds to decide what you want to do to decide the first elimination.”

    “Wait! What happened to that three days that you gave me to think?”

    “I said that three days ago,” Yoongi rolled his eyes and took off his glasses, “I can’t believe this thing will become our next king.” 

    “I’m right here!” Jungkook exclaimed, still on the floor.
    “I know.” Young walked to the armchair and made himself comfortable.

    “Gosh, you’re annoying.” 

    “And that ten seconds is up,” Jungkook rolled his eyes but stood up anyways to sit closer to Yoongi. “Just go on dates with all twelve girls and get to know them more, however at the end of the week you will eliminate Somi.”

    Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. “Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

    “This week will be about honesty. That girl, Somi, she’s still 14. Her looks may deceive you, but her school records won’t.” Yoongi showed him her school files that he retrieved from her school. 

    “How did we miss this?”

    Yoongi closed his book and stood up while dusting his pants, as if the Prince’s chair was dirty. “We didn’t. We knew she lied and gave us fake files. We just wanted to make the elimination easier for you. We know how you won’t be able to pick a girl to eliminate for the first week, so we did this.” 

    Before Jungkook could even complain or defend the poor girl, Yoongi had stride out of the room and closed his door with an equally loud bang as his entrance. Jungkook sighed and leaned his elbows on his knee while bowing his head. He ruffled his hair and closed his eyes. He knew Yoongi was right but he was disappointed at how much the kingdom lies to the public. This whole selection’s a distraction and he’s just the star of the show. 

“This is the ballroom, where you will learn how to dance like a queen, walk like a queen, and even breathe like a queen. Consider this your classroom.” The head servant pointed out the biggest room with the double doors made out of pure gold. Jaera pretended to look fascinated even though she knew every nook and cranny of the place she used to visit everyday. 

    “Isn’t this place amazing? I wonder how the castle could be made out of so much gold but the Grey area barely have houses that are thick enough to withstand the wind,” Somi muttered innocently but Jaera felt her heart ache a little. She could already remember the past winters that her family spent freezing inside their own house. It was a miracle that they were still alive, although the family is incomplete. 

    “Hello ladies,” A husky voice greeted from behind the crowd. A collection of sighs and squeals were heard from the girls and they all started greeting one by one. Jaera turned around and bowed without looking at the prince. 

    Jungkook noticed Jaera’s lack of attention and frowned a little. He knew it was going to be hard but he wasn’t planning on giving up. 

    “How did the tour go?” He started and a couple of girls immediately went to his side and chatter about their experience. Jaera stayed at the back and had her head down the whole time. Jungkook noticed how shy and adorable she looked but he knew deep down that it was all an act. In reality, she was just disgusted to see his face. He saw one of the Silver region girls, Seulgi, approached her and patted her head to see if she was okay. Then another girl from the Grey region approached her with a candy in hand. Jungkook sighed in relief to see Jaera with her friends. At least he knows she won’t be completely lonely until the twelfth week where he will propose to her. 

    “Eat some candy. Cheer up. Don’t be sad because of whatever it is that you’re frowning upon.” Somi shoved a bunch of candies to Jaera’s hand. Jaera smiled at her action and took the candies thankfully. “Let’s go to the field and you can tell me whatever it is that’s making you sorrowful.” 

    Jaera let herself be dragged by the latter and found herself in front of the shooting range. 

    “I know about your family.” Jaera stopped breathing for a few seconds and looked at Somi alarmed. “Don’t worry. I don’t care if the royal family favours you more or the opposite. I told you I didn’t care about the competition right?”

    Jaera sighed and she grasped Somi’s hand. “It’s hard. It’s hard to stay here without thinking about my childhood, about my family, about my best friend.”

    Somi nodded at every word she said. “I’m going to be honest with you. I have no idea how to comfort you.” 

    Jaera choked at her own spit and stared at her with wide eyes. She laughed out loud at the blunt answer and end up catching the attention of the prince who was on his way to the shooting field. It was a beautiful tinkling laughter that he had missed for that past few years. 

    “That actually made me feel better. Thanks.” Jaera patted Somi’s head and Somi smiled at the gesture. “You are too cute to be a queen, an 18-year old even.”

    Somi stopped laughing and looked at Jaera seriously. “How did you know?”

    “Know what?” 

    “That I’m not 18.”

    Jaera stopped laughing too and this time was slightly gaping. “You’re not 18?”

    “Yeah—wait, I thought you knew?”

    “Somi! You can go to jail for deceiving the royal family!” Jaera slightly raised her voice.

    “Ssh! I’ll just make sure I’m eliminated in the end. I just…” Somi trailed off and hung her head low. She stayed still for a few seconds and Jaera waited, until she notice Somi’s shoulder shaking. She was crying. 

    “Somi,” Jaera called softly as she pulled Somi into a hug while patting her head slowly. She was indeed still a girl. 

    “Mom and Dad are struggling to pay for my school and I know how they sometimes skip dinner and breakfast because we don’t have enough money. I figured if I could get into the selection I could at least get them some extra cash and they don’t have to waste money feeding me—” Jaera pulled her in another hug while shushing her at the same time. 

    “It’s unfair, I know. The world’s unfair. The rich just gets richer and the poor gets poorer. Oh, how I wish I could change that.” Jaera muttered as she felt her heart ache for the younger one.

    Jungkook backtracked as he heard their conversation and felt even guiltier. He figured the grey region candidates are probably in the competition so that their family could live but he knew that the public would disagree if he kept the grey region candidate until the last few rounds of the selection. “And since when do I care about the public’s opinion?”

    “Since you realise you’re about to become king.” 

    “Oh Gosh!” Jungkook jumped at the voice coming from behind him and saw that the consultant had dyed his hair another color. This time ash grey. 

    “I know you feel bad about eliminating the girl, but it was her own choice to fake her identity and we have been merciful enough to not punish her.” Yoongi patted Jungkook’s back and retreated. 

    Jungkook tried to ignore the thought and tried entertaining some of the girls by getting to know them one by one. However, it wasn’t until dinner when he finally get to speak to the only one he really wanted to speak with. Park Jaera. 

    “Your Highness, may I have the permission to speak to you privately?” Jaera approached him as soon as she saw him finish his meal. Jungkook almost dropped his plate as he stood up quickly after hearing her request. The other girls were staring at him oddly while some found him cute. Jungkook coughed to avoid the awkwardness and urged the girls to continue eating. 

    “Jaera, what a surprise. What do you need to talk about?” Jungkook rubbed his hand and clasped them behind his back as they went outside the castle. 

    “I have a favour to ask. I know that I haven’t been the most charming girl and polite girl this whole time but I really need—”

    “—anything,” Jungkook interrupted. “You can ask for anything and I will surely give you my guarantee.” Jungkook continued a bit too hastily. 

    “Are you sure? What I’m about to ask is quite a big favour…” Jaera trailed of as she realised she was the one begging him now. He had the upper hand once again.

    “Anything for you,” Jungkook spoke softly. Jaera knew there were other meaning in that statement but she chose to ignore. 

    “Please keep Somi in the selection for as long as you can. If you have to eliminate me in order to do that, please do so.” 

    Jungkook stopped breathing and blinking at the same time. Out of all the things she could have asked for, she asked for the impossible. Sure it’s possible but if he kept Somi in the competition, people in the grey are will recognise her as the middle school student who illegally got in the competition. “Jaera…”

    “Can you do that?” Jaera looked at him with hopeful eyes. She panicked as she saw the hesitant gaze he was giving her and she finally braved herself to grasped both his hands with hers. She intertwined their fingers and looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “Please?”

    Jungkook felt his heart skip a couple beat and he found himself struggling to breathe. He looked at their hands and squeezed her hand tightly. 

    “I can do that. Anything for you.”

It has been an uneventful week for jaera as Jungkook took two girls on a date per day. Jaera and a few other girls did not even have the chance to have a date with Jungkook when suddenly the kingdom announce the first elimination. Jungkook was dressed with his complete prince attire and his hair swept neatly to the left, revealing his forehead. He was seated on the same chair he sat during the interviews. On his left was the queen and Yoongi was standing next to the queen. 

    The host had interviewed a couple of the contestant and also asked Jungkook about what he thought about the girls until it was finally 12 in the afternoon, where Jungkook had to reveal the first name to be eliminated. 

    Jaera sighed and turned of the TV. She knew she wasn’t going to be eliminated because Jungkook was still determined to make her forgive him. She knew Seulgi won’t be eliminated because so far, she was the perfect candidate. She was beautiful, talented and queen-worthy. She also knew Somi won’t be eliminated based on what Jungkook promised couple nights ago so she wasn’t worried. She walked to the shooting range and shot a couple of arrows. 

    10. 10. 9. 10. 10. Almost all her shots were perfect. She was even able to shoot a falling leave and have it stuck on the tree.

    Clap. Clap. Clap. Jaera turned around and saw the same guy who was there during her interview. “You’re really good at archery,” he commented as he also took out his bow and arrow and start shooting. 

    9. 8. 8. 10. 6. 

    “You’re not so bad yourself.” 

    “Thank you,” the guy smiled and showed his gummy smile. Jaera found his smile cute and found herself smiling back. “Jaera, right?”

    “And you’re the consultant. Aren’t you too young to be a consultant?”

    He laughed softly and shot another arrow. “Age does not equal intelligence.”

    Jaera hummed in agreement and shot some more arrows for herself.

    “So what made you shoot some arrows instead of watching the first elimination?”

    “Isn’t it over?”

    “It is now. But how long have you been shooting?”

    Jaera lowered her bow and turned to him. “Ever since his face showed up on TV.”

    Yoongi also lowered his bow and sat down on the grass, patting the space next to him to invite Jaera. “Are you not worried you’re the eliminated one?”

    “I don’t care, to be honest. At least my family got 300,000 won. That’s already more than enough.”

    Yoongi smiled and nodded listening to her talk about her family back in the grey area. He thought she was the cold girl he saw during the interview but turns out she’s not that bad. As long as you have something in common with her, in this case that would be archery.

    “Who got eliminated anyway?” Jaera asked as they were heading back.

    “Somi. Lee Somi from the Grey Region.”

A/N I hate author like myself. Author's who does not update very quickly.

Please forgive me :3

Our poor little Somi