The first time Prince Park Jimin met Kim Taehyung was when he was running for his life in one of the most dangerous passageway in the kingdom.

 

That as a result of having escaped his daily lessons, they could not ask a 9-year-old boy to remain still and quiet for hours and hours listening to adults talk about history, maps, how to sit and talk properly or about the role he will be playing in the future as a king. That kind of thing did not interest him at the moment, he was only a child, that’s why when one of his instructors was distracted for a few seconds the little prince slipped out and ran through the halls at full speed. He knew he had little time and fled to the gardens looking for something specific.

 

He had found her after getting angry with his father for something he no longer remembered, behind some bushes and a wall covered with vines he found a trapdoor that after much effort he managed to open to realize that leads outside the castle. He had no idea who had built it or if his parents knew of its existence but to this day no one seemed to have given it any importance.

 

He began using it a few days ago when his lessons ended. His parents did not allow him to go out much because they said he was very small and that some parts of the kingdom were dangerous but Jimin only saw how everything was a possible adventure and new territory to discover. He had known some of the surrounding markets and stores but on this occasion he ended up going further than usual. He was too excited and with the adrenaline running through his body that when he stopped he didn't recognize anything around him.

 

Gone were the kind ladies of the markets offering cakes and fruit, instead there were very tall guys who did not seem trustworthy, he was still trying to catch his breath when something pushed him against the ground. He looked up just to see how some children smiled mischievously while running and all he could think about was that they should at least have apologized, now their clothes were dirty. It didn't bother him much it would actually be evidence of his adventures but his mother will get angry again.

 

He heard riots in the back of the sales and witnessed how a group of criminals shouted and destroyed everything in their path and then some of them began to loot the vendors and hit anyone who got in their way. A voice inside his head told him that he should ignore what he was witnessing and that he could not do anything but at the same time, he was the crown prince to the kingdom and if there was anything his father had taught him it’s about the power of justice and goodness, reason why which he armed himself with courage and ran to one of the looters, took the silver coins that had just been stolen and gave him a stomp before running for his life. He hoped that the sellers would not think he was stealing his money, his plan was to mislead criminals and then return their money. However, things did not go as planned as he now found himself lost in the alleys of the southern part of the kingdom while running for his life.

 

Perhaps everything would have been simpler if he only knew where he was. He had memorized each corner of the palace and its gardens but in reality he had no idea what the passages or alleys outside the kingdom were. He could hear how they ran after him and chased him in every turn he made, he didn’t dared to look over his shoulder in case they reach him.

 

He e last time to the left thinking he could lose them but he was very wrong, instead he ran into a dead end. He knew he could not return where he had come, it was a matter of seconds for those thugs to find his whereabouts. He looked around trying to find a way out, a place to hide in the middle of the garbage but it would not be enough. He began to feel his eyes begin to sting when he felt someone was pulling on his right arm. He had not seen where he had come from but next to him was a boy who said "quickly" he had no time to think or question why he only obeyed. The boy pulled his arm again and pushed him through a small hole in the wall, Jimin crawled trying to get to the bottom but everything was very dark and he felt scared, he turned to observe how the boy covered the hole again with some boxes and some pieces of wood. The boy backed up to collide with Jimin who was startled to the touch.

 

On the outside that hole looked small but they had enough space to crawl freely, he was about to ask who he was when he heard voices from the other side of the wall and the boy next to him hurried to cover his mouth. They heard screams of anger and blows startling him again, the boy beside him withdrew his hand and made a gesture of silence as he passed beside him. Everything was very dark but he did his best to follow the boy into the hole. When he finally saw a little light, he hurried out, stood up to realize that they were probably far from that dead end.

 

The boy in front of him was of the same stature, he was very thin, he could tell by the baggy clothes he wore, they did not seem to be exactly his size unlike the little prince who had tailors who designed and made each of his clothes. His shoes were worn and dirty like the same boy. Jimin wasn't sure if the boy knew he had dirt on his face, he also looked like he needed a good bath. His skin tone was a little tan, his hair was messy black.

 

“That was very close” said the little child with a trembling voce.

 

“... Thank you.”

 

“Why were they chasing you?”  At that question Jimin remembered the heavy bag in his hand and insisted that they should return. The boy in front of him saw him as if he were crazy but when he explained what had happened he was astonished. No one ever messes with pickers, everyone fears them. At first he refused to help but the little prince could be very persistent, he sighed and tried to dispel his insecurity by guiding him towards the center again, being very careful not to be persecuted.

 

“It is obvious that you do not belong to this side of the kingdom, you are very clean and your clothes look too delicate. I would not be surprised if someone will try to steal from you. You really are an easy target.”

 

“Is that what you think?”

 

“Definitely. The first thing they would steal would be your shoes.”

 

“Do you want to steal my shoes?”

 

“Why would I want to steal your shoes? “

 

“You just said it!”

 

“I’m not a thief.”

 

Before he could realize they were again at the center of the destroyed market. Jimin hastened to return what they were about to steal from them. Everything was going well until one of the merchants exclaimed “What is your majesty doing here?" From that moment everything happened too fast. he crowd around him rushed to observe better, began to agglomerate and touch him. He was almost certain he could feel someone touching his feet in an effort to remove his shoes. He was beginning to feel suffocated and wanted to escape, but from one second to another the crowd disappeared, just as he had formed in the first place.

 

He turned to realize part of the royal cavalry was approaching at high speed mounted on horses. They stopped in front of him and looked down quickly, he knew what was coming and he couldn't help it. He thanked that his instructor did not reprimand him in front of the town but that only meant that this time had been worse. He always managed to return to the castle before anyone realized but on this occasion he had lost himself and had not even noticed that the sun was about to go down.

 

When he got on one of the horses to him back he said goodbye to the people waving at them while everyone cheered about how adorable the little prince was, and how he had been so brave. Behind them he caught the look of the boy who had helped him, his extremely expressive eyes showed the amazement he had when he realized who Jimin was. He did not have the opportunity to say anything due to the angry energy radiated by his instructor behind him.

 

Later after having heard his parents reprimands and having received a bath with hot water, he was lying on his huge bed remembering every second of his adventure realizing that he had forgotten to ask the name of the boy who had helped him.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Even if his parents and his instructors had become a little stricter with Jimin, he did not stop escaping them for few minutes through the garden hatch. He tried to notice his surroundings when he was trying to recreate the route that had led him to those alleys the last time.

 

Days later he would discover that his name was Kim Taehyung, a small orphan who lived in the streets.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Initially their encounters had been coincidence, now Jimin planned his adventures with Taehyung in advance. He had managed to convince him to take him around the kingdom and would have as a reward cakes and food from the palace. The little boy would have refused to put the prince in danger but he had not had a bite for days and had no choice but to accept the prince request. While Jimin was excited to get to know every corner of the outskirts of the kingdom, Taehyung wondered how many cupcakes he could enjoy before the King and Queen took his head because he was in the presence of the prince and that he was the one who lead him to dangerous places.

 

Jimin was happy to say that Taehyung was his friend. He was fun with a contagious laugh, a little distracted and sometimes clumsy, but at the same time with a warm heart. Reason why his heart broke into a thousand pieces every time he saw bruises on his face or one of his arms, or when they had to make their adventures short due to Taehyung's tiredness or his obvious limp. He had tried to sneak off Taehyung inside the castle on numerous occasions but the boy flatly refused to say that it was not a suitable place for him that he did not deserve it and despite his thin arms the boy seemed to have strength.

 

“I will not accept a No for an answer Kim Taehyung! That wound could get infected, you need to see a doctor ... and more food.”

 

“Wow, you have a very bad attitude, you sound like a spoiled child ... although you are a spoiled child. You shouldn't be here. You should return to the palace, your Majesty. -

 

“Jimin. My name is Jimin. I've told you a million times already.

 

“You are the future king and I am nobody to call you by your name.”

 

“You're my friend and you need help” he took Taehyung’s hand but he resisted again.

 

“I'll be fine, I always am. This one wil heal like the rest, you don't have to worry.

 

“Of course I worry, especially when it is my fault that you are hurt in the first place.” The little prince's gaze was fixed on Taehyung's right side, just below his ribs. Where their clothes were dirty and now with a small red patch. Jimin knew Taehyung very well to know that he never lied, and so he knew that what he had said that first day was true: Taehyung did not steal, but that did not mean that the rest of the people were equal to him.

 

Taehyung was the type of person who preferred to go hungry for days rather than steal something from the market, sometimes the vendors felt sorry for him so occasionally they gave him fruit or bread but the child's heart was so big that If he met someone who went hungry, whether it was a child, an adult or an old man, he would give away what little he had. Since they made their little pact Jimin made sure to bring enough food so he wouldn't have to endure hunger until his next visit.

 

“It's not your fault.”

 

“If only I had not brought you too much food the others would not have noticed and no one would have attacked you.” Jimin had not been able to leave the castle in 2 weeks and had been worried that he could not bring food to Taehyung. He tried to see him 2 or 3 times a week and the time they had spent apart had made him think that the child would not have eaten anything in all that time. That is why when he managed to see him again, he planned to give back with a huge basket full of food, but his plan did not help much when some thugs decided to lash out at him and steal all the food, injuring himself in the process.

 

“ . . . I could eat for two days in a row. I’m really thankful you for that. Besides, Mrs. Jung stopped them in time and gave me some bandages." Seeing that the prince was still upset and with his fists firmly clenched at his sides, Taehyung hugged him gently while using a hand to his head.

 

“Everything will be fine, Jimin.”

 

Hearing his name, he quickly returned the hug, not realizing that he applied a little force on Taehyung's wound, who made a face of pain but Jimin couldn't see him and referred him that way, so he would stop worrying.

 

“You must go home, it's getting late.”

 

“¿ Tomorrow at the same time?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Jimin said goodbye with a final squeeze before entering the bushes of the forest that connected the town with the secret trapdoor of the garden.

 

He had no appetite for dinner when he remembered the orphan from the streets, whenever they said goodbye he felt sad but now it was a stronger feeling. He ended up tossieng around his bed before he could sleep that night.

 

The next day everything seemed normal or at least that's what he thought, after all Jimin was not a doctor.

 

 

 

*

*

*

 

 

 

 

He tried to visit Taehyung every day and he still didn't notice the signs until it was too late.

 

 

 

*

*

*

 

 

 

“Are you all right?”

 

“A little tired, that's all.”

 

 

 

*

*

*

 

 

 

 

“¿Still cannot sleep? Your dark circles are darker every day”

 

“Try to sleep with street carnivals, it's a disaster. Hey, last time you said you started practicing with the sword, you must be careful.”

 

“I 'm very good at it! It's more. . . . .”

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

 

 

 

“Are you sure you're not hungry Taehyung? You didn't want to eat anything yesterday either.”

 

“I'll keep it for dinner. Oh right, your parents didn't notice that you weren't in the castle in the afternoon?”

 

“ Nope , they're very busy, but I think. . . . .”

 

 

 

*

*

*

 

 

It was until the seventh day that Taehyung was not waiting for him in the usual place. He thought he might have been late but after a few minutes he went to look for him. He searched all the favorite corners of the other but nobody seemed to have seen him. He began to panic until he managed to find him in one of the dead ends similar to the first time they met.

 

When he saw Taehyung he called him by name and began to complain about how unpunctual he was, that he could not let the prince wait for a long time, the rest of the words remained in his mouth when he saw the condition in which the other was.

 

He ran quickly to his side and noticed that Taehyung's breathing was a little forced and choppy. His body trembled and seemed to have certain spasms every so often. Sweat ran down his forehead and his clothes were dirtier than usual.

 

“Taehyung? TAE!” He touched his forehead and felt how his body temperature was alarmingly high, he tried to scan his body to see what the problem was but he could quickly guess it. The previously dried patch of blood on his clothes was now bigger and Jimin was sure that what he saw was fresh blood. He gently lifted his shirt and saw how the bandages needed an urgent change, the wound had probably opened and was now infected.

 

Jimin shouted for help but everyone ignored them. He couldn't let him suffer anymore, he had to do something but he didn't want to leave him alone since he was afraid he would disappear from his sight. He had no choice but to run to the castle, this time no matter where to enter, he just stood in front of the doors and shouted in search of a doctor.

 

He didn't have time for explanations, so he promise to talk with his parents later but that they should first help Taehyung .

 

He wanted to spend all his time with him but his mother demanded an explanation about who he was, what he was doing in the palace and how he had left the castle without anyone noticing. The little prince told them everything, he didn't care if it meant that they would punish him for life, the only thing he missed was mentioning the trapdoor through which he escaped. He told them how he had met Taehyung and how he had saved his life on numerous occasions that he was his best friend and that he didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

 

Taehyung woke up two days later at the palace clinic, looked around without being able to locate where he was. The last thing he remembered was feeling very tired, hungry and with pain in his side before everything turned black.

 

He tried to get up but his body felt very heavy and he felt a stab of pain where his wound was. He lifted the sheets that covered him and saw how he had stopped bleeding and had new bandages.

 

Jimin told him what happened and scolded him for not taking care as he should and then began to cry because he felt guilty again. He stopped crying only when Taehyung hugged him and thanked him for saving his life. Later the Queen would visit the infirmary to find the two children sleeping peacefully side by side on the same bed, their hands entwined and traces of tears on the prince's face. Jimin hadn't wanted to separate from his side and he hadn't even been able to sleep at night. The Queen smiled softly as she his hair and ordered to prepare food for when the little ones woke up.

 

Jimin thought a lot of arguments to convince his parents to allow Taehyung to live with him in the palace, he didn't want him to return to the streets. That last incident had left him paranoid especially because it was the only life that the little one knew, but he didn't need to fight that much. The Queen quickly accepted with a smile on her face while the King had only one condition: Taehyung had to take classes and study.

 

Jimin had never loved his parents as much as he did that day.

 

 

 

 

 

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