Sophie’s POV

I watch as Daehyun and Youngjae come out with their newly blonde hair. It looks really bright. Their hair looks like it could possibly glow in the dark it’s so bright. “What’s up with the mask?” I ask pointing at Daehyun.

“I just don’t want to get sick,” Daehyun says. “By the way, I like your highlights.”

“Thanks,” I say slightly embarrassed. This is the first time that I’ve ever done something with my hair so I didn’t know how they would turn out, but thankfully, it turned out really well.

“So, where are we going?” Hyosung asks. “You guys wanted to go here first, so now that we’re done, where shall we go?”

I look as Daehyun, Youngjae, and Hyosung seem to be silently communicating with each other. “Why don’t we just walk around?” Youngjae suggests, breaking the silence. “I mean, it’s winter and there’s really not much outside stuff to do in the winter. We could just give Sophie a feel for the city.”

“You know, you’ve become smarter in six years,” Daehyun jokes with him. “But it’s already dinner time. This hair dying thing takes pretty long. Why don’t we just go get something to eat?”

“Fine by me,” I speak up.

“Sophie, you’ve never had Korean food yet, have you,” Hyosung says looking at me. I shake my head. “Hey, we should introduce her to some good places to eat. Let’s go.”

Before I can say anything saying that I’ll go or objecting, but I wouldn’t object, the three of them lead me out of the salon. The sky is already starting to get darker. I feel a little tired, because of the jetlag and the fact that I wasn’t able to rest because of the party, but I won’t tell them. It seems like Daehyun is used to the jetlag, though. Or maybe his body is a fast adapter to changing time zones.

As we walk outside, I don’t know where we’re heading and I can’t read anything since it’s all in Korean. Well, I can read Korean, just not understand it, but we’re walking faster than I can see the signs. It takes me a while to actually read it.

Unknowingly, I start becoming cold, I only wore a jacket, and Daehyun must have noticed because I feel something warm around my shoulders. I turn to look at him. “Thanks,” I say, “but aren’t you going to be cold?”

“I have layers,” Daehyun explains. “I remember how cold the winters here were. You were never here so you didn’t know.” He lightly chuckles.

“So, are you wearing the mask because of that?” I ask pointing to the black thing that is strapped around his ears.

“Maybe,” he says shrugging his shoulders. “But put the coat on, you’re probably freezing.”

“Thanks again,” I tell him as I put the coat on properly. It’s really warm and it smells like Daehyun. Do I even remember him coming out of the house with this coat?

“No problem.”

“Hey, what are you guys doing back there?” Youngjae yells. “We’re here.”

I turn and look at a building. It looks like a simple building. Is this the place that we’re going to eat? “Don’t be fooled by the outside,” Daehyun says, he must be sensing my nervousness about the place. “I remember this place before. When Youngjae, noona, and I escaped, we would always come here.”

“Noona?” I ask attempting to say the word; it’s something that I’ve never heard before.

“Ah, yeah, I forgot that you don’t know those terms. I’ll teach you when we’re inside,” Daehyun says as he grabs my shoulders and pushes me in behind Youngjae and Hyosung.

Daehyun’s POV

It seems as though this mask and the hair dying really has done the trick. While walking on the street, no one glanced in my direction, or maybe it was because they think I’m scary looking. Whatever the case is, they didn’t bother me, which means that this just might work to my advantage. The only downside, that I can think of right now, is explaining to Sophie about the name change and to call me by DJ, since Youngjae got stuck with Hyunyoung as a name.

Actually, Hyunyoung really is a name; it’s just a girl’s name. Youngjae and I are still debating on whether or not we should make up a new one for him. I don’t know the story that I’m going to tell Sophie about the name change. I can just say that DJ was just a nickname before I left, maybe that would work. I’m not going to think about that right now. I’m going to enjoy this time that I have with Sophie before everything starts setting in. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

The four of us sit down at a table. I’m sitting next to Sophie while Youngjae is across from me and Hyosung is besides him. I explain the menu to Sophie, but in the end we just get some meat to eat and make wraps with. “Oh yeah,” I say suddenly remembering that I was going to explain to Sophie what noona meant, “I have to explain to you some simple words.”

“You’re explaining simple words to her?” Hyosung asks looking at me in disbelief.

“Do you have a problem with it?” I stare at her. Hyosung just shrugs her shoulders and goes back to eating and texting on her phone. She’s probably communicating with her boyfriend.

“So, noona,” I begin, “it means older sister, but only males use it. Take this as an example; Hyosung is my noona, my older sister. You can call me oppa.”

“Oppa?” she asks looking at me. When she says it, she sounds cute.

“It means older brother, or someone that you’re close to. Any of these words can be words that are used when two people are in a close relationship with each other, it doesn’t have to be dating, though. But oppa is used by younger females to an older male.”

“Then I’m an oppa?” Youngjae excitedly asks as he stuffs his mouth with food. I nod my head. “Yes! Sophie, you better call me oppa.”

“Yes…oppa,” Sophie says hesitantly. Youngjae smiles in success and I just laugh on the inside about how Sophie pronounces it.

“And then there’s unni, that’s what you can call Hyosung,” I continue explaining and trying not to pay Youngjae any attention. “It’s for a younger female to call an older female. Then there’s hyung which is what a younger male calls an older male.”

As I explain things to her, I look at Sophie’s face. It seems like she really wants to learn about these concepts and things that we do here to understand it a bit more. Maybe it’s easier for her to understand now that we’re actually in Korea. Whenever we were in America and I was trying to teach her, she would get confused. Now, hopefully, things will be able to stay in her head some more.

The night ends faster than I had hoped. Before long, we have to return back to the house, or should I say palace. I walk Sophie to her room first before telling Youngjae and Hyosung to meet me in mine. Thankfully, Sophie doesn’t detect a thing. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” I ask as I head towards the door to leave her room.

“Yeah,” she says nodding her head. I get the feeling that she’s attempting to be strong since tomorrow is the viewing and then the funeral is the following day. I think it’s finally starting to hit her that her parents aren’t here and that they aren’t ever going to be coming back. I’m going to make sure that I’m by her when the realization hits. It probably hasn’t fully sunk in yet since she’s moved to Korea, but it will tomorrow.

“Well, I’m right next door,” I say as I put my hand on the doorknob. I don’t want to leave Sophie, but I know that there are other things that I have to concern myself with.

“Yeah, I know,” Sophie says. “I’m going to take a shower now and I’ll probably head to bed.”

“Okay then, goodnight,” I say putting on my best attempt at a smile. Thankfully, Sophie smiles back at me.

“Goodnight…oppa.” She laughs, as well as I, after she says the word. We both find it funny.

“You don’t have to call me that. Youngjae is just an idiot,” I tell her.

Sophie nods her head. “I think I might call you it, though. It sounds…different.”

“Okay,” I say smiling at her foolishness. “I should let you get to bed.”

“Yeah,” she says looking down at the ground. “Goodnight, Daehyun.” She must not want to say oppa anymore.

“Goodnight, Sophie,” I say as I leave her room.

Sophie’s POV

After I take a shower, I lay down on the bed. Tonight is the first night here; the first day that I’m without my parents has passed. I think it’s starting to settle in that they aren’t going to be here anymore, that my life is changing from this moment forward.

Tomorrow is my parents’ viewing and I don’t know if I’m prepared for it. Today was really fun, won’t lie, but I don’t think I’m ready for everything that the future has for me. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle tomorrow. People I don’t know will come up to me and start talking to me, probably in a language I don’t understand. Those people probably know my real parents. I don’t know anything about them. I don’t know as much as I thought I knew about them.

What is this secret mission that they were doing? What is this being buried in Korea thing? What is this? Who exactly were my parents?

As I think about them more and more, the tears start to silently fall. I can’t do anything to stop them. The feeling of loneliness finally starts to set in. the feeling of having no one besides me. Daehyun is besides me, but it’s not the same. Daehyun isn’t my father and he surely isn’t my mother. No matter how much he’s there for me as a friend, there are going to be things that he can never do.

These thoughts just make me even more curious about my own parents. I was adopted; these people were never really my parents in the first place. Was I really meant to be no one’s child?

Suddenly, I get up from my bed and start rummaging through my suitcase. It has to be there somewhere. Finally, I find it. It’s a blanket that my mother said that she made me before she got me. My parents loved me, I know that they did, but why did they have to leave me?

I crawl back into bed holding the blanket. My parents are gone, they’re actually gone. I’m never going to see them ever again. Why did they keep things from me? Am I not supposed to know? What exactly am I doing here? These thoughts cloud my brain once again as I feel my eyes getting heavier.

Daehyun’s POV

“I’m tired,” Youngjae complains.

“Hey,” I say pointing a finger at him, “we have to figure out what we’re going to do, okay?”

“Do for what?” he asks.

“Tomorrow,” I clarify for both him and Hyosung. “Tomorrow is the viewing right? If it’s here, then that must mean that Sophie’s parents are important people.”

“Obviously, they helped bring peace between Korea and China,” Youngjae interrupts.

“Then that means that my mother and father are going to be in attendance both days and with Mom knowing that I’m back, she’s going to make me go.”

“But you’re going to go anyway,” Hyosung says.

“Yeah,” I say, “but I want to go as Sophie’s best friend, I don’t want to go as the prince,” I say. “They’re going to make me dress up and then what is Sophie going to say when she notices that I’m not there next to her or when I’m wearing strange clothes? She’s going to figure something’s up.”

“We can’t delay the inevitable,” Hyosung says. “She’s going to figure out sooner or later.”

“I hope she never does. I don’t want her to treat me differently.”

“But she’s your best friend,” Youngjae says. “You guys are always together. If you’ve been best friends for as long as you’ve been over there, then she probably accepts you as you are.”

“Surprisingly, Youngjae is right,” Hyosung says. Now it’s her turn to speak. “You’re probably going to put your friendship in jeopardy by keeping it from her longer.”

“Then I’ll leave,” I announce. “I’ll leave again. I never wanted this in the first place. Noona, you can have it.”

“By the rules, you’re having it,” she seriously says, “or else I would take it.”

“Can’t I just give it over to you?” I protest, but Hyosung shakes her head. I lean back in my chair more and just sigh. “I don’t want to think about it,” I finally say. “The other thing I wanted to straighten out was going to school. How are we going to explain to Sophie about our name change?”

“You guys are changing your name?” Hyosung asks.

“I’m Daejae, or DJ for short,” I tell her.

“I’m Hyunyoung,” Youngjae sadly announces. I watch as Hyosung attempts to stifle her laugh. “It’s not funny!” Youngjae pouts.

“But it’s a girl’s name, right?” Hyosung asks.

“Then help us create another one,” I say. “One that won’t be mistaken as part of the royal family’s name.”

“What about Hyunsoo?” she suggests.

Youngjae and I look at each other. “Doesn’t sound bad,” Youngjae says.

“But how are we going to explain it?”

“Just…make something up, I don’t know,” Hyosung says getting up. “But tomorrow’s going to be a stressful day for all of us. We should get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

Hyosung leaves the room with Youngjae and I being the only ones left. We both stare at each other for a little bit. “You do know that Aunt won’t like the fact that Sophie doesn’t know, right?” Youngjae asks.

“I know,” I say looking down at the ground. “But what can I do?”

“Tell her.”

“I’m not going to tell her,” I protest. “Maybe we should get to bed.”

“Okay,” he says getting up from my bed and heading towards the door. “But you should tell her soon, at least while you’re here.”

Youngjae leaves the room and now I’m left alone. Should I really tell Sophie about me being a part of the royal family? I should wait until after this thing with her parents is done. I don’t know how she’s handling things right now since she hasn’t expressed her mind much since arriving in Korea. Maybe waiting a little bit won’t hurt as much. She has to deal with too much now. Me telling her that I’m the next in line for the Korean crown, who knows what that’s going to do.

I’ll wait. Even if it means jeopardizing our friendship, I’ll wait.

Sophie’s POV

Today is the day. It’s the day of my parents’ viewing. Apparently many people are coming; at least that’s what the article said. They seem to be important people. Am I the only one who doesn’t know how important they are? The viewing is supposed to start a little bit after noon, so I have a little time to kill, but I don’t feel like doing anything. Today is day one of two where I have to say goodbye to my parents. I don’t want to.

I sprawl out onto the bed and think back to my happy memories with my parents. Just the other day we were laughing together and talking about my experiences in school. We were talking about how I was going to graduate and how I was going to go off to college. Are those things even going to happen anymore? I’m over in Korea. I feel like a complete outcast. I don’t belong here. Why did I even come? Right, my parents are getting buried here.

There is a knocking at the door, but I simply ignore it. I don’t feel like dealing with anyone today. I just want today to rush by quickly. Better yet, I never wanted today to come. Yesterday felt like it was such a happy time, but it was probably because I was trying to force the memory of my parents being dead down deeper so I don’t realize it anymore. I was busying myself so I wouldn’t think of them, but I ended up thinking about them anyway. It’s inevitable, right?

“I’m coming in,” Daehyun says on the other side. I don’t say anything in response and hear the door open a couple of minutes later. “What are you still doing in bed?”

“Sleeping,” I mumble as I attempt to make myself fall back asleep. I feel tired enough to do so.

“Why don’t you get up?” he suggests. I feel the edge of my bed sink.

“I don’t want to.”

“I know how today is hard, but face it. Face it head on and show people that you’re not afraid.”

“It’s because I’m not,” I reply without even looking at him.

“Then what are you?” Daehyun asks. “If you’re not afraid, what are you?”

“I’m scared,” I whisper.

“Why are you scared?” he whispers as he gets closer to me. I don’t push him away. I need someone to comfort me now. I wish my parents were here, I wouldn’t be in this mess if they never left.

“They’re my parents, Daehyun,” I say sitting up in bed and looking at him. Unknowingly, he’s crawled right next to me and even put himself under my blankets. “Even though they didn’t give birth to me, they’re my parents nonetheless. I can’t say goodbye.”

“Then don’t,” he says. “Don’t say goodbye. Today and tomorrow is in honor of them. No one said that you had to say goodbye to them.”

“But they’re gone,” I say emphasizing the word. “No matter how much I don’t want them to be, they’re always going to be.”

“They’re alive through you, though,” Daehyun says looking at me. “Even if you’re not their biological daughter, they raised you. You’re practically theirs. Even if the DNA shows that you’re not related, you’re their daughter. Look, if their funeral is being held here, at the Korean Palace, then that means that they are very important people to everyone. Everyone will remember them, okay?”

Upon hearing Daehyun’s words, tears start falling. Daehyun must’ve noticed because he takes me into his arms with a big hug. “It’s okay to cry,” Daehyun says as he comforts me. “It’s okay.”

I can’t say anything more; I just continue crying in his arms.

Daehyun’s POV

It must’ve hit her. It hit her fast and hard, the feeling of no longer having her parents beside her. I know I’m neither her father nor her mother and I will never be, but I’ll always be there for her. There’s no way that I’m just leaving her.

As she cries into my chest, she seems even more vulnerable. Why did she have to experience this? There has to be parts to the story that I don’t fully understand yet. I have to figure them out. I have to figure out what was meant by the video and what the article meant. Being out of the country for six years, I’m out of the loop. Youngjae and Hyosung won’t really be a help because they just know everything that everyone else knows. I’m not looking for the information that everyone else knows, I’m looking for deeper things.

“Why don’t we go eat something?” I suggest to Sophie after her crying has lightened up a little bit.

“I don’t feel like eating,” she mumbles.

“You should eat something,” I tell her again. “It’s not healthy to skip any meals and your body is already weak, look at how pale you are.”

“Eating’s going to help that?” she asks in disbelief.

“Just…eat something, please?” I beg her with my eyes. After a while, it works as Sophie gently nods her head yes. “Well, get washed up.” I climb out of her bed and go through her closet. “You don’t have to be dressed until later for the viewing, okay? Right now, it’s just us lounging around the house like we used to on Saturdays, okay?” Sophie nods her head in agreement. “I’ll be waiting outside the room, just tell me when you’re done.”

I quickly exit the room while Sophie gets ready for today. I see Youngjae walking down the hallway with his headphones in. He must see me since he takes his headphones off. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting for Sophie,” I tell him. “We’re going to pretend like it’s a Saturday back in America.”

“Oh,” he says nodding his head. “But I thought the viewing was today.”

I quickly cover Youngjae’s mouth. “Yeah, it is today, but don’t say anything out of the ordinary, okay? Today is going to be very emotional.”

“Got it,” Youngjae says giving a thumbs up. “I’m going over to the electronics store anyway. I’m going to try out this new hair.” As he mentions his hair, Youngjae unconsciously touches it.

“Well it worked yesterday when we were out,” I point out to him.

“True. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to get a girlfriend. Do you think that’s possible?” Youngjae asks with excitement in his voice.

“Maybe,” I say. “If no one recognizes us with this hair, then it’s probably a good thing.”

“Don’t you think we choose a bold color, though? There aren’t that many blonde people around here.”

“I think we’re fine,” I tell him.

Sophie then comes out of the room. “Hello,” she says to Youngjae.

“Hello,” Youngjae says back to her. I can tell that he already has his defense on not to say anything stupid.

“Are you going somewhere?” she asks.

“I’m just going to go to the electronics store,” Youngjae says holding up his phone. “I’ll be back later, don’t worry.”

“Okay,” Sophie says nodding her head.

“I’ll see you,” Youngjae says as he walks off.

“He likes going to those places, he was interested in electronics ever since we were little,” I explain to Sophie.

“He should get a future career in electronics.”

“Yeah,” I say nodding my head, even though I know it’ll never be true. “Now, while I get some breakfast foods prepared for us, you can choose the movie, okay? But no chick flicks this time.”

“Fine,” Sophie says with a smile. Even if it’s only a half smile, it’s the first smile of the morning. “I promise it’ll be something funny.”

“It better be,” I warn with a smile. She better choose something funny so that she’ll laugh because I know a lot of tears are going to come later.

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When will Daehyun tell Sophie? What will Sophie say when she finds out? How is Daehyun going to explain to his parents of not attending as the prince but as Sophie's best friend? Will Daehyun find anything out about Sophie's parents? 

Here is Chapter 6. I take such a long time updating all of my stories...summer laziness is starting to set in. I should fix it!!

Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed :D