“Tiffany-sshi said that she handle the press well. You don’t need to worry anymore, sweetie”

“The press isn’t what I’m worried about and I’m not worried for me either. Instead I am worried about you more” said Joohyun.

From here she can hear her father sigh. There is no use to hide his emotion from Joohyun because his oldest daughter knew him very well. Hiding only make it worse and the king knew that.

“I’m alright, sweetie”

“Don’t lie. I know you are very worried about me but I’m fine”

“I’m you’re father. Not the other way around” said the king and Joohyun smile a little.

“I missed you, sweetie”

“Missed you more”

“I have to go. I’m so happy to hear your voice by the way” said the king.

“Goodnight, father”

As much as she want to talk a little longer with her father, she knew the king has something else he need to do. The perk of being the king and the head of the state. He will always be the busiest person in the country. 

Joohyun respect him and understand him well. So there is no hard feeling for short period of call. However, Joohyun felt little disappointed to know she is unable to talk to her father a little longer. After all, they are very close. 

So, a little sigh after the call ended is the only thing she can do. It’s almost midnight and she need to go to bed. Tomorrow will be another day for her. Hopefully it will remain normal like the other day. But maybe she should put that thought aside for awhile. 

“Bae Joohyun?” 

There Kang Seulgi standing just a few feet away from her. Standing with her face looking confuse. Never once Bae Joohyun freeze on her spot. Completely surprise and afraid at the same time. How she has been standing there? How many she heard? 

Joohyun wonder and afraid of what the answer might be. But she wouldn’t dar to ask either or she is too surprise to even ask. 

“Are you...” 

Every word that came out from Seulgi’s mouth slowing down each seconds. Is this real? She has failed right? To protect her identity and her family? 

“Seulgi I-“

“Are you going back to the dorm?” Asked Seulgi.

Which really surprising but confusing as well. Did Joohyun just imagined that? Can’t really seem to choose between the two. 

“Joohyun?”

.

“Uhmm...yeah! J-just called my father” said Joohyun scratching her neck without realizing. 

Seulgi smile realizing how nervous Joohyun is.

“I’m not a bad guy, you know. Sorry for making you surprise”

“Oh...no. I just...don’t realize you have been standing there”

“Not too long actually” Joohyun nodded.

Her thought still trying to find out little information from Seulgu. Hoping to find perhaps a hint from the girl that she actually heard her conversation but pretend not to tell her.

But Kang Seulgi show nothing but a smile. Which make her even more confuse. 

“We should probably go back” Seulgi suggested.

She walk away first with slow pace, telling Joohyun she is waiting for her to come as well. Joohyun notice it and though she still very unsure with what happened earlier, she followed right after Seulgi. 

It was the longest 5 minute walk she ever felt in her life. Walking side by side with Kang Seulgi in silence completely making her nuts. She still wonder if Seulgi heard her conversation back then and she managed to put everything together. However, Seulgi calmness make her burry her worriedness and anxiousness. Just like how she help her on finding her self confidence in dancing. What happened to them yesterday? Nothing much but Joohyun start to notice how Kang Seulgi make her smile instead of making her annoyed. 

The night changes so fast doesn’t it? Well perhaps from the very beginning they weren’t mean to be enemy. Maybe they are mean to be more. As two people who can complete each other. Making them become two very powerful young woman. Completing each other weaknesses.

But until now, Kang Seulgi hasn’t show any kind of weaknesses so far. Joohyun find herself want to know more about Kang Seulgi and eager to find out her weaknesses. 

“Tell me”

“What?”

“Your secret for being good at dancing and school at the same time” 

Seulgi hummed. Both of them are sitting on the ground after an hour of dancing around. Didn’t actually notice how tired they are since they had so much fun. It was the very first time Bae Joohyun feel very free and alive. Perhaps that exactly what she need to find her self confidence. 

“I don’t know” Joohyun scoff disbelief.

“How can you be so careless yet full of knowledge?” 

The monolid girl find herself smiling at Joohyun. Notice that the annoying and egoistic Bae Joohyun is complimenting her right now.

“Are you praising me just now?” 

“Aish! Just answer the question, please” said Joohyun annoyed.

Joohyun indeed was praising her but she prefer not to admit it. Not wanting Seulgi to be full of herself. At the end Seulgi just laugh a little before she answer.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just being me, I guess” 

“Being you? Reckless and smart?” Seulgi nod confidently.

“Reckless and smart are two different thing!”

“What? You’re telling that I lied about my own personality?” 

“Yes!” Seulgi chuckle.

For her, Bae Joohyun never stop to amaze her for her bluntness. She’s Bae Joohyun after all. A brave and intelligent young woman. Of course she is very blunt.

“You know what? I will not argue that with you”

“Why?!”

“Because you will deny everything I say” Joohyun can feel the challenge. So she lean forward and raise her eyebrow.

“Bring it on” said Joohyun.

Seulgi chuckle but at the same time she feel her breathe being taken away because of how close they are right now. More like she cannot take the real beauty infront her. She gulped nervously but try her best not showing it.

“Well, msy father is a professor in a very famous university. He is my role model and I remenber I would always sneak in to his office room only to see a complete mess” Joohyun raise her eyebrow. There are some similarities between her and Kang Seulgi. How surprising.

“So, you’re telling me you are a reckless and smart because of your father?”

“Mainly yes. But reckless has been in my vein since I was a child. Clumsy I should say. Despite how many times my mother get angry at me for putting clothes on the floor and clean up my messy study table, she will always be the one who done those thing for me”

“Well, that’s very un...women... But still I don’t understand” Seulgi laugh a little before she proceed.

“Look. Since I was a child, my father always taught me everything. Tell me to read books before I go to sleep. But never once he ever taught me to clean my stuff. As someone who is a daddy daughter, of course I would prefer to listen to my father instead of my mother. I love my mother but everybody always has their favorite” Said Seulgi looking annoyed and still being honest.

Somehow, Joohyun find herself laughing at Seulgi’s story. The more she listen to Seulgi, the more she find her question is not that important. What important is what story Seulgi will tell her next.

“So, I guess being clumsy, reckless, and messy are my true personality. But being a smart person is a different thing. I don’t have it. I develop it”

Oh. Never heard that before, thought Joohyun. 

Instead of denying, Joohyun remain silent. Sometimes she can’t seem to understand Seulgi and it make her confuse whether to argue more or agree. Seulgi chuckle.

“See? You can’t even say a thing”

“I-I’m just confuse” Seulgi hummed.

“You know, perhaps this is where you are wrong, Bae Joohyun” 

Again? Thought Joohyun.

“Don’t ever expect things in the world to be the same as what the books said” said Seulgi as she lean her back to the floor. 

Showing how comfortable and relax she is right now. Like there is no burden in her life and just enjoy her life. The thing is, when you were born in a Royal Family, you would always expected to be alert. Ready for whatever comes in the future. That’s what makes Joohyun unable to relax. Perhaps that is the reason why she was so eager to win the competition. Other than herself being a very competitive person, she also scared of the future. 

Scared that she might lose someday. And to preven that from happening, she mist fight now. Be alert. However, Kang Seulgi is different. Whether she’s in the competition or not, she seem so...relax. The opposite of her. How? 

“Why? The theories are proven right”

“True. But theories can go wrong and we were born with intelligency. When things go wrong, that’s when our intelligency being tested”

“What are you saying?”

That made Seulgi pull herself up to sitting position. Her eyes stare at Joohyun warmly and give her a simple smile.

“Flexible. You need to be more flexible”

The more Joohyun listen to her, the more she wanted to laugh. Said someone who can’t even do a split.

“I’m not saying body flexibility! I am saying about your mind and personality. Be more flexible in certain situation” said Seulgi.

It made Joohyun wonder. Is she too...rigid? How does people see her other than being the smart and perfectionist?

“Let me tell you. People see you as a robot. Well, don’t take it to heart. I believe you can change” said Seulgi before she gather her things and ready to go out. Only to see the confuse Bae Joohyun on the floor. Joohyun is cute when she’s thinking so hard. Her face showed it all.

“Come on. I’ll accompany you back to the dorm” and that was the first time they walk together to the dorm.

Just like now. It only takes five minute walk from the principle office to the dorm. However, times fly a bit slow today. They walk in slow pace and silence. Making Joohyun unable to control what’s inside her mind. Thinking if Seulgi heard the conversation before or not. 

But with the way she’s acting right now, seems like she didn’t hear anything. Or she pretend to not hear anything? Or maybe she just being paranoid.

“Where are you going?” Asked Seulgi.

That made her realize she walked pass ber room already. Hmm...funny. Did she really space out too much? She walk back towards Seulgi awkwardly and try her best to avoid Seulgi’s eye. 

“Uhmm...didn’t notice. Anyway, thank you” said Joohyun.

“Anytime” said Seulgi and she is ready to go when Joohyun hold her.

“Seulgi” called Joohyun.

“Hmm?”

She wanted to ask so bad. But seeing how innocent Seulgi is, she’s holding back. If she ask, it would only make Seulgi confuse. Or make her look suspicious. 

At the end Joohyun just shake her head. The press already a burden to her. Right now, the least she want is other people close to her know about her profile. She will deal with that next year and this year is not the time for her to think of that.

“Good night” Seulgi chuckle and smile.

“Good night Bae Joohyun”

“Do you want me to kick your to finally make you run? I said run! Not jogging!” 

Hell is what everybody describe for today’s class. Mostly the girls because it’s P.E class in the morning. Who would want to wake up earliest in the morning to jog? Apparently the boys want that but girls, they absolutely hate it! 

Ask that to the one person being left behind. Kim Jennie hates any kind of sports. She can’t even do one round of jogging. Leaving her behind and the coach, the manic PE teacher, Mr Kim Jong Kook has been yelling at her for being weak. 

Meanwhile, Bae Joohyun, her best friend is right in the front line. Jogging wasn’t something she say easy. But she done it several times during weekends and holidays. Not to mention, she also good at horse riding. So there is no doubt she can’t do sport. Must say she’s quiet good at it.

“Alright! Everybody stop! Take a rest and we will do another round of body workout. Come on! Let’s go! Miss Jennie you might want to work on your stamina”

Everybody is taking their breathe heavily. Including the princess herself. However, Kim Jennie took hard one. Completely pale like a walking zombie. No. Vampire precisely. That’s the clue for Joohyun to help her to rest.

She immedietly help Jennie to sit down and grab a bottle of water before handed it to her. Jennie look completely wasted. When she say she hate PE, don’t misinterpret it. She really mean it. Deeply...hardly...mean it.

“I should really make myself gone to exile during PE. I’ll gladly do that to myself instead of that bloody Kim Jong Kook!” Said Jennie.

“Good luck with that” said Joohyun as she lean back with her hands as her support.

“That’s how you’re gonna react? Here you’re best friend are trying so hard to stay alive!” Jennie scoffs.

“Who says I’m the only drama queen in our friendship?” Asked Joohyun with a smirk on her face. Jennie groaned. Forgot Joohyun always good at back firing people with their own words. Like a professional therapist!

“I hate you”

“And I love you more”

Jennie glare at Joohyun. It is always fun to tease Jennie. Will be much better to have Jisoo here. However, Kim Jisoo is probably busy trying to get close with one of her classmate.

She insisted that this girl name Seori could be the princess. Yes. They still go on with the game even after the press. Well, the students pretty much doing this entire game.

Making Joohyun a bit annoyed and paranoid at the same time. What if they find out about her? But so far, none of the students approach her, yet. 

Hope that is a good sign. 

"Someone got a secret admire" said Jennie still panting.

"Hmm?" Jennie nod, pointing at somewhere which make Joohyun follow her direction.

Only to find a group of boys. Their senior actually. Students called them as EXO. Kai also part of the group since he is very close with Chanyeol. 

But Kai is rarely seen together with them since he always busy with the dance club. Heard that he will be the school representative for the region competition. 

"Suho. He has been eyeing you" said Jennie.

Joohyun has no interest on them. None of them attract her attention or interest. But she do have one question about them.

"Aren't they our senior? What are they doing here?" 

"Ugh....I don't know? But seeing them so close with Mr. Kim, maybe Mr. Kim asked them to join? I don't know" 

"Right. Let's go. I'm not comfortable knowing they are staring at me"

"More annoying than Kang Seulgi?" asked Jennie teasing her best friend which earn a smack on her back.