*Yunho’s POV*

“Yep. I’m calling it now. He is officially broken.” Yoochun announced to Junsu.

He was sat on the other side of my room in one of the cushioned benches, eating a large bowl of fruits. Junsu stood beside him.

“Yoochun, you’re supposed to see if he’s okay, not take a lunch break.” The younger reminded.

“And I have. He’s still alive just broken.” Yoochun took a sip from his large glass of wine.

Junsu eyed me doubtfully, “Are you sure? He’s been lying on his back like that all week. I haven’t seen him move once.” He whispered.

“Yes. He still is, unfortunately.” Yoochun threw a grape at my face. I sent him a sharp glare but didn’t have the strength to do anything. Instead, I my side. I couldn’t do or think about anything other than Jaejoong. Did he really mean it? Why?

My chest clenched remembering his last words. I’d never seen him look so tired. Of me? It felt as if time stopped completely. It was a stuffy but empty feeling. Nothing made sense and I had no idea what to do.

“This is sad.” Junsu finally said.

Yoochun scoffed, “No it’s not. This is what he deserves.”

I wanted to tell them to shut up and get out of my room, but I didn’t even have the motivation to speak to them.

“You’re just saying that because you get a break from your duties.” Junsu sounded unimpressed.

“No. I’m serious.” I could hear the frown in Yoochun’s voice, “I visited Jaejoong the past few days and he’s doing just fine. Don’t you get it, Su? Jae has always been fine without Yunho.” He suddenly lowered his voice, “It wasn’t until Yunho came into the picture that he started having all this crazy happen to him.”

My body stiffened. I wanted to be angered by his words. Furious even, but he was right. I took him away from his home and family. It was because of me becoming king that he had to face my mom, that he had to wait, that he was the center of attention of the entire nation and my mom’s threats. And I didn’t do anything to help him. My heart broke at the realization of it all. Why hadn’t I realized this on my own? It was because of me that he was kidnapped to be held ransom. He didn’t even feel safe enough to tell me about his pregnancy.

I gritted my teeth feeling my entire body tremble. He cried so many times when he was here and I never did anything about it.

My eyes stung.

I hurt him.

My throat went dry and twisted into knots. I hurt him and did nothing.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I tried to remember the last time he genuinely smiled. It was at our trip to the Fertility Kingdom. It was when he was talking to that Changmin guy the night I came.

I could hardly breathe as a terrifying thought crossed my mind. Maybe it Is better if we…

No!

I can’t be without him. I pulled at my hair. I really couldn’t imagine the rest of my life without him. But why was that so wrong when both of us wanted the same thing at one point. Where did things go wrong?

I missed him. More tears spilled out the wells of my eyes. I missed his warm comforting presence. His caring smile and pure genuine laughter. I missed the way things were when we first met, even him yelling at me. He was always watching out for me even back then. I longed for the sight of his long silk dark brown hair and his careful but meaningful movements. He was always mindful of hurting anyone and making them comfortable. And did all he could to help them.

What had I done in return? Where had I been when he needed me? All he wanted was that I listened to him. I tugged at my hair, a deep groan escaping my lips. I quickly sat up.

“I have to fix this.”

Yoochun and Junsu looked at me.

“He’s miserable because of me.” My shoulders sunk. “I hurt him. I need to make it up to him. But how?” I looked at them questioningly.

However, neither of them said a thing.

“I need your help. I need to get him back.” I pleaded.

Yoochun scoffed, “Do you want to make it up to him? Or do you want him back?”

I furrowed my brows confused by the question. Aren’t they the same thing? “Both?”

Yoochun frowned unimpressed by my answer. He put the bowl down harshly and stood up. “I’m not helping you with either.” He stated bluntly.

I frowned at him, “Why not?”

“Why not?” He laughed a little in both amusement and disbelief. “You’ve been dating for years now and have known him longer than that and you don’t know how to make it up to him? You didn’t even think about it, you went straight to asking us. You don’t mean to actually make it up to him.” The more he spoke the angrier he became.

“And that’s why I’m not helping you get back with him either.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “You don’t love him you’re just obsessed with him. You get jealous easily, you don’t like him having friends, you humiliate him, you make him feel like by letting out your anger on the people he cares about, you beat up and arrest people just because they helped him!” Yoochun snapped.

“Yoochun.” Junsu grabbed his arm in an attempt to calm him down.

The young servant’s eyes grew colder and sharper, his hands forming into fists, “You don’t let him live a life. You’re a ing sociopath,” He yanked his arm from Junsu’s grip.

My eye twitched angered by his words. What’s his problem? “You-,”

“I’m not helping you get with my friend.” He cut me off, “He’s doing better without you If you actually want to do something to make it up to him, then just lie there and mope.” He shot me a final glare before storming out the room, slamming the door behind him.

My jaw tightened. Who does he think he is? After everything I let him get away with and when I need his help, he… “That bastard-,”

“He’s right.” Junsu spoke up quietly.

I looked at him surprised to be met with a hurt and disappointed expression from him.

“Jaejoong broke up with you because he knew you weren’t going to change after what you did. And he didn’t want to go through it anymore.”

I paused.

His brows scrunched, “Didn’t you see how tired he was when he came?” He questioned.

I looked away from him feeling my heart sink. Of course I did but…

“I know you’ve also been hurt by the things your mother did, but that doesn’t make it okay to do the same thing to him. Think about it. Would you date someone like yourself?”

I stared at the bed below me.

“Please don’t hurt him anymore.” He spared me a final glance before walking out the door.

I fell back on my bed letting out a harsh sigh. Memories of him begging me and crying that night, the hate in his eyes the following morning, and the exhaustion of his last words to him. I ran my hand up my face. I hated myself.

I do love him…I do…I just…I tugged at my hair I wanted to scream. They were right. What am I going to do?!

I laid in my bed for the rest of the day, paralyzed by lack of direction. Yoochun and Junsu didn’t return. No one came for the rest of the day. Though on other days I wouldn’t have minded it, the silence was haunting. I was ashamed of myself, for everything I’d done. I knew the best thing would probably be to just let him go, but the idea alone was suffocating.

It wasn’t until late afternoon when I finally got up on the whim of a single thought. I quickly changed into the most casual attire I had and covered it with a black hooded cloak and mask over my face.

I slowly opened the heavy door. I glanced out the small crack to find that the hall was empty and quickly left the room. I snuck through the corridors, hiding behind any tall decorative furniture, statues, trees, and bushes until I was far off the palace grounds.

It took me hours to walk to the city. I didn’t bring a horse with me. I was sure that I would bump into someone on my way to the stables. Nayoung had the palace on high alert, requiring everyone to question me if I decided to go out.

Night had fallen by the time I arrived at Jaejoong’s shop, and it was closed. I cursed myself. I should’ve just taken the risk and got a horse.

A long sigh escaped my lips as a wave of guilt washed over me. I shouldn’t have come anyway.

I turned to the direction of the palace when I spotted three guys approach the shop. They wore, casual inexpensive worn clothing, but wore foreign decorations on their clothes. They talked in a jolly way, everything about their movements was relaxed and carefree. I recognized them as the ones arrested last week.

They walked past me and walked up to the door. My eyes subconsciously narrowed as they knocked on it. I marched toward them ready to tell them to go home when the door opened.

I’d barely taken a few steps before freezing in my tracks. Jaejoong was at the door, greeting them with his contagious welcoming smile. I could feel my heart pound in my chest. My body trembling underneath the wave of nerves that crossed me. I couldn’t hear a thing. I could only stare, watching him talk to the others, a smile not once leaving his lips. The kind of enthusiastic smile I hadn’t seen in a while.

I snapped out of it when he and Changmin walked away from the shop with the three other guys. I watched them walk further and further away before giving into the urge to follow them.

Where was he going with them? I felt a nervous tick picked the back of my mind. I tapped my fingers anxiously. This wasn’t the way to his house. What if they were leaving?

I kept a far distance between us, careful to keep out their line of vision. That’s flooded my mind in panic. What am I going to do if they leave? I didn’t bring anything with me…but Jaejoong would hate me if I tried to stop them again. He’d hate me for real.

I groaned grabbing my head, feeling a sharp pain shoot through it. I couldn’t bear thinking about just watching him leave.

I don’t know how long I’d been lost in the storm of my thoughts but when I looked back around me, I noticed that we were in the Performing Arts district. I furrowed my brow in confusion but quickly sped up seeing that I was falling behind.

They stopped at a couple of stands, admiring the small handmade trinkets on display before entering a nearby theater. My eyes widened at the sign in front of the theater. It was a romance play!!

I quickly walked up to the theater but was stopped by one of the workers.

“Do you have a ticket, sir?” He questioned.

I blinked dumbfounded.

He sighed shaking his head, “Sir if you don’t have a ticket, you can buy one at the ticket booth for tomorrow night’s show. All the tickets for tonight are sold out.”

I gritted my teeth. Why was he getting annoyed at me? I didn’t need a ticket anyway, but I couldn’t risk revealing my identity. I sighed in defeat and walked away, deciding to wait outside until they came back out.

Why was he seeing a play with them? Since when were they friends?

I sat down on the ground at the edge of the street from where the grass and the dirt road met. Jaejoong was kind and friendly to everyone he met. I should be mad at those who weren’t his friends. I ruffled my hair with my hands in defeated agitation. I’m such an idiot. What kind of person doesn’t let their significant other have friends? Especially since he’s in a nation foreign to him, far away from his family and people he knows.

The play was three hours long, but thankfully they were one of the first ones out of the theater.

“That was so good!” Jaejoong praised, “I haven't been to a play in a long time.”

I followed behind them as they roamed through the district.

“Really? I would’ve thought that you’d seen a ton of them with-,”

Jaejoong shook his head before one of the guys could finish.

“I used to see them a lot back at home, but when I moved here, I think I only saw two.” He confessed.

I stumbled in my steps. I furrowed my brow thinking back on what he said and was stunned to find that he was right. He used to talk about wanting to see more plays but….I didn’t have time…nor did I want him to see them with anyone else. I squeezed my eyes shut sighing in ultimate embarrassment and heavy guilt.

“But this play has inspired me to see more.” He perked up with determination.

“They have shows at least twice a week here. We should make it a thing to see a play at the end of each week.” A second guy suggested.

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” The third guy agreed eagerly.

Jaejoong’s eyes lit up at this, “That’s a great idea.”

I frowned disappointed in myself.

I followed them throughout the rest of the district. They watched different street performances, participated in the riddles from street riddlers, and e