The nine hundred ninety ninth full moon, Tenth cycle, Lower Land.

Idiot. He thought. What are these men thinking to do with the peace guards are already on their way ?
He clicked his tongue and shook his head, trying to blend in the crowd. Such a worthless ruckus.
Kim Kibum drifted his gaze to the scene in front of the mass again. Another Child of the Sun was found in the outer perimeter of the Forest of Fear, irrevocably confused and lost. And these idiots were planning to ruin the trading day by dragging, pointing swords in circular motion to the tied poor soul in the middle of the town market. Bunch of fool attention seeker.
Kibum could see the pupils of the newcomer dilated in order to see anything inside the mere dimness around him. Flinched every now and then after sensing the cold metal near his throat, but Kibum could say he was almost blind. A real Child of the Sun, he was then. For not being able to adjust himself with the thick grayness of the Lower Land, which lighting merely provided by the one and only pale moon.
There's no day below here. There's no sun. There's no even -what did they say it- colors ?
All was black and grey. Sometimes white if the moon was giving them chance to illuminate it's light over the object.
Come on, father. Where are you ? He took a breath impatiently after pulling himself away from the thought. The giant bell has been ringing since two hundreds heartbeats ago.
Now his feline back again to scrutinize the crumpled rucksack on the back of the newcomer hungrily. Heart going thump thump in anticipation of what he could find and snatch inside once he succeed to go into his father's study later.
Maybe another book with weird covers, eccentric tales about how life's going in the world above. Or weird tablets in thin metal layers. Or the ring-ring machine with wider and wider glass dominate it's surface ?
"The guards are here."
There's suddenly whispers everywhere, and Kibum was pushed backward together with the crowd.
A group of people dressed in dark grey long coat were marching in a strict formation, heading toward the suspect.
"STEP BACK AND PUT AWAY YOUR SWORDS !" One of the guard instructed to whom Kibum referred as the idiots.
"But we are the ones who found him."
"But you should've been handed him to us, youngsters."
As a little fight of words happened between the guards and the idiots about whose authority it was for taking responsibility of the intruder, Kibum ran his gaze to sweep across the group and found his father, the Inspector was ready on his place.
He smiled to himself in excitement.
*
"Do you have any idea why did so many Children of the Sun fall into our world lately, Inspector ?"
"No. No, General. I don't have any slightest thoughts."
Because the portal is getting stronger nearing the thousandth fullmoon of tenth cycle, Father. Don't you know the prophecy. Duh.
"Ten Children in only two fullmoons. A remark in our history, huh ? The King must be so upset."
"A-ah. He should be."
"Anyway, any new finding ?"
"This one has an acute mental breakdown just like another. But from ten of them i can draw a conclusion. Where's the -ehm- we could call it, portal."
Of course you'll use that nice term of mine.
"Where's this.. portal, then ?"
"It's on some lake."
"What lake ? One of the lakes inside the Forest of Fear ? We could send our bravest troops to check and patch the portal if necessary."
Portal is not cavities, General. Kibum thought while rolling his eyes.
"No no no. They couldn't see or know anything once they landed here, General. So it's not the lake below here. I mean the portal site.. from their world."
Kibum brought his ear closer to the wooden dor.
"It's the Mir..."
"Eavesdropping, Kim ?"
Kibum jerked up in instance. Clutching the front of his black suit and turned around. He tsk-ed when he found who it was. The General's son. "None of your business, Choi."
Choi Minho smirked "Still obsessed to go above, I assume ?"
"I'll kick your once I see the sun for real, Ho."
"If you're not dead yet of course, Bum."
"Bull." Kibum snorted. He fed up with all those lies at the lecture hall about the Sun would blind them at once, or the colors would give them eyesore. He believed they would not. Well yes. he believed though he hadn't seen it yet. Hey it's called faith, nothing's wrong with it right ?
"Wooow. Where did you learn the profanity ? Those smelly bundles you stole from your father ?"
"They're books, you stupid."
"Books are made from fresh dried leaves parchment. I couldn't see those things as books at all."
Kibum wanted to explain that the Upper World books were made from leaves as well, but considering Minho would just argue him again and they could continue bickering for ten fullmoons he just answered "Whatever."
Then the door near them creaked open, vomitting out the General who's busy wearing his coat back while speaking to the owner of the house "I'll meet the Royal Advisor after this to learn about it further. You better be ready with your inspection reports if there's another bell."
"Of course, General." Inspector Kim bowed as he escorted the General outside his study.
"Father." Both of Kibum and Minho greeted their respective Father before bowed down to each of the another elder.
The General raised one of his eyebrow as an acceptance "You arrive on time, Minho."
"Yes, Father."
"Let us proceed to the Palace." He walked out first "Have a good moonfall to you, Inspector and you.." He frowned when he looked at Kibum -who was raising both of his eyebrows in anticipation as well- "ehm.. Inspector's son."
"Have a good moonfall, General and Minho." The Inspector responded.
"Have a good moonfall to you too, General and .. General's son." Kibum replied after his father, suppressing his laugh under the offended piercing stare from Minho.
"And don't forget to burn the newcomer's belongings, Inspector." The General said, not even slightly aware of the youngers fuss.
The Inspector nodded again.
As the intimidating General and his son's backs view swallowed by the darkness, The Inspector turned to his son "You know what to do, Kibum."
Kibum nodded, hardly tried to not grin happily "I'll burn them to ashes, Father."
*

Twenty first century, Outer Nation, Upper World.

100 yard. He stared to the distance in front of him. The furthest he'd ever tried so far. He thought to himself and shrugged. Let's see, then.
He took a deep breath, slowly steadying the grip on his Rifle in the junction of the thumb and index finger of his right hand, high in the gun's backstrap while his left hand moved a little forward to support by gripping the forestock in the bottom.
He quitely brought the Rifle up to his head, pressing his cheek firmly on the side of the gun stock, eyes narrowing automatically to aim the target board through the scope.
Press, don't pull.
Beads of sweat were running down his temple as he tried to concentrate.
He remembered what his instructor always said before. As he matched both the crosshair and bullseye in focus, he moved his index finger to apply a squeeze on the trigger, slightly increasing pressure until he released slowly and it fired.
Bang !
"... Majesty. Your Majesty !"
Damn. He clicked his tongue, once he looked up to see where the projectile landed after the launch. On the target board, but not even near the center. Missed again.
"Your Majesty !"
And why is this ing expensive earmuff not functioning to block the noise ? He swore.
"Your Maj-"
Lee Jinki snorted as he lowered his Rifle, pulling down his earmuff to hang on his neck and turned around in irritation to see who was the source of the annoyance.
"Y-y-your Majesty.." The shorter male -the fuss maker- greeted before bowing deeply to him.
Jinki tsk-ed, worriedly turning his head to the left and right, clearing his throat in purpose to another occupants of the shooting field who were staring weirdly at him now, before glaring -as wide as he could with his small crescent eyes- to his eunuch through his shooting eyeglasses.
"What.." He started with a gritted teeth and raised eyebrows "Did I tell you about not adressing me like that outside our land, Seukhyun ? Hmm ?"
"Ah.. Uh.. B-b-but Your Maj-"
Jinki widened his eyes again, and it's honestly hurt like his eyeballs wanted to jump out.
The older male gulped at the sight of the irritated young Prince and stuttered "The Kin- Your High- Your F-father is calling, J-jinki-ssi."
Then there's a pause. Before Jinki's eyes suddenly back to it's normal size as he frowned "What?"
Seukhyun presented a cellphone -that was still ringing in vibrate mode- with two hands in front of him "He's calling." the eunuch said solemnly.
Jinki stared at the phone for a good one minute before snorted, turned away and replied nonchalantly "You answer it. And say I'm busy."
"B-but.."
Jinki glared again "You. Answer. It."
The eunuch gulped and bowed again, before tapping the screen to answer the call.
"Your Highness. This is Seukhyun, your humble object, speaking."
Jinki scoffed as he snatched the bottle of his vitamin water from Seukhyun's bag, opening the cap to take a gulp. Why did his Father let this old-fashioned -and a very very kind hearted- man to assist him since he was a baby ? He couldn't think of an answer and shook his head.
"Your Majesty is.." the old man glanced to Jinki, who's making a face again as a code ".. is currently busy."
"I know he's not busy, Seukhyun." The thunder-like voice roared from the speaker, loud enough to reach Jinki's ear. "Let me talk to him or you will.."
Seukhyun widened his eyes in comical shock and quickly, without further thinking, stuffed the phone to Jinki's hand, feared of any further threat from his only and one King.
Jinki mouthed a 'What' with a -useless- scornful glare to Seukhyun, who was just shaking his head in horror now and turned his back on the Prince.
Jinki clicked his tongue again before staring hopelessly to the screen of the phone on his hand, taking a heavy breath and finally brought the phone to his ear.
"Son.."
Sometimes he could say that he himself is afraid of his Father too, he thought.
"Yes, Father." he answered.
"You have to come home." The King commanded.
Not this again.
"But my formal education hasn't been..."
"A Future King doesn't need a formal education."
"Yes. He does, Father." Jinki persisted "Knowledge is a need, not a want. How could he lead his subject if he does not educate himself."
"The education, which is obviously.. Ah.. not the commoner's one."
Jinki took a deep breath before answered back "But, Father.."
"Don't debate me, Lee Jinki." The King said in final tone "You have abandoned three years of your royal education time for this useless youth rebellion. And I, unfortunately, let you to."
Jinki sighed in defeat, knowing where this would lead to.
"You're going back this weekend, Prince. Please make sure you'll be ready to meet your personal royal lecturer anytime."
He must be kidding me.
*
"No, Minho. I'm not kidding. I'm really going in."
"Bum. Okay." Minho took a deep breath, trying to coax in diplomatic way "I believe the sun will not blind us. And the rose has so many colors as well as their meanings. Okay. Now, Step back from the.. Forest line."
Kibum sighed, looked over his shoulder and shook his head "Don't you understand that I just want to see it myself even once?"
"Not this way, Bum. Hey!"
"Duh. The Portal will be closed in any beats. I'm just going to see a peek of the world above then i'll go back."
"How could you be so sure there's that portal ?" Minho asked, buying time.
"Then, from where did those Children of the Sun fall huh?" he replied rhetorically.
"This forest wasn't named the Forest of Fear for nothing, Bum. You don't know how's the darkness inside, or the strange creatures, you'll lost."
"Don't we already live in the darkness since the beginning of our life ? For what is the fear ?" Kibum scoffed, before looked up to the moon above.
It was almost missing from the sight, getting ready to hide before coming back for it's grand thousandth apparition later, dyeing the land with thicker and thicker blackness.
Kibum was sick of it. He sighed and counted his heartwork.
"The Portal will be closed as the moon disappear completely." Before -it could be- exploding to open up on the thousandth. Kibum thought to himself.
He braced his will once again and looked to his friend. "I see. I'm not expecting you to come with me." I don't even know why he followed me "So, wait here. I'll be back." He stepped inside.
"YA KIM KIBUM !"
*
"I mean. No one. NO ONE WANTS TO BE THE PRINCE'S LECTURER !"
"Hey, Relax."
"I'm so dead." He sobbed, slamming the bottom of his brandy glass to the surface of the bar table "The King will issue a death sentence upon me. AND I'LL BE REALLY DEAD, FREAKING DEAD. YOU KNOW DEAD AS DEADLY DEAD ?"
Taemin nodded and patted the drunk older's back. Sometimes he didn't understand why this emotional man could even pass the qualification to work for the royal family at all.
The pay was good, of course. Extremely good. But the pressure was just more than something a mere human can handle, Taemin thought.
"So you are taking a temporary leave from work because you say you're going to pick up the lecturer ?" He asked.
"YES." Jonghyun almost shrieked again "And all of those so-called Intelectuals and Scholars -who learn and some, lecture about the royal kingdom- that I contacted before, now disappear.. Disappear like .. Like fungus dipped into antifungal oil ! Some are going abroad, some are just nowhere to be found."
Taemin frowned "Can't the King issue a royal instruction or something for them ? It will be a mandatory."
"He has." Jonghyun said desperately "The problem is, I forgot to type a certain name on it. The King, i think, also wasn't aware when he stamped it."
"Then make a new one ?"
"Why should i make a new one, IF i have found the lecturer ? I LIED TO HIM AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY IT WITH MY POOR POOR LIFE, TAE !"
Taemin sighed, honestly wanted to smack his step brother's head. He his lips.
"I don't understand. Don't the Kingdom has it's own Lecturer ?"
"She died last year. 86 and single, lived alone in her farm in the rural. The last time she lectured was thirthy-ish years ago, for our recent King. The King never really thought about finding another royal lecturer, he thinks it would be quite easy."
Jonghyun heaved a sigh "Would be easy if anyone does not know about The Prince's trackrecord."
"The Prince's trackrecord ?"
Jonghyun hiccuped "The Prince is .... quite handful, if i might say ? He's not really listening to anyone, even the King. He once made one of the royal staff quitted with an acute mental breakdown because of .... Uh I forget. But that's why he'd been sent abroad. To let him realize how tough the outer world is, everyone say. But I heard he's still stubborn, still indifferent as always. And rumour has it.." Jonghyun lowered his tone.
Taemin brought his head closer to the older.
"The Prince doesn't even want to be A King. But he's the only one on the manline. He would just do anything to not become one." Jonghyun shrugged "Everyone's hand is up at anything about him and the thought of all the stress he's able to give you once you force him to do something he hates the most."
Taemin shivered.
"But he's so so good-looking it hurts. And I'll be dead once I see his face." Jonghyun blabbered and started to bawl again.
*
Forest of Fear ? Fear of what ? Kibum hadn't seen something that he should've been scared of.
The big dark trees were making weird shapes and shadows, but Kibum was happily making a fun of it.
That one looked like a crumpled ribbon, he thought. Oh ribbon had so many colors too up there. Yellow, Blue, Red, Purple, Brown, Pink. What would them look like ? Anyway, He loved the name Pink. It sounded so 'catchy' ? Kibum smiled to himself.
Ribbon could be used to adorn your hair too. Oh hairs ! Could he saw many people from the Portal ? Could he ? He once found a wide thin book made from glossy parchment and he saw that the hair cuttings on the other world were so attracting.
Electric blue and neon pink. Layers, bob and fringe. He wanted to see all of them -touch if he could-.
Oh Forest of Fear. Maybe Kibum knew why it was the name. Fearness of truth. That the Upper World was just as harmless as a new-born baby.
He counted back his heartbeats. How much time left ?
He alked and walked further, while his eyes searching wildly. He could feel that the portal was getting near as the moon almost disappear. He just had to find something odd or maybe something....
Beautiful ?
He stopped dead on his track. As a breathtaking scenery extended in front of his lenses.
Black and white painting. Of a sparkling lake that reflecting the moonlight.
Families of giant pine were circling it's banks, bowed down to welcome him to the portal.
Oddly, when he saw from the distance, the surface of the lake was not moving, as if it was frozen.
But the nearer he got, the more confused he was to conclude if it was moving or not. Everything was ambiguous.
Kibum finally stopped walking some inches before the banks then decided to kneel down and stretched out his finger, thinking to touch it.
He stopped a while in hesitant right on the top of it's cold surface, before he inhaled to reassure himself and moved his finger to flick it.
The water felt more like a gel on his finger. Soft and weak but also pretty hard and a little bouncy.
Then Kibum realized, his flick was causing the surface to ripple, not quite like any other liquid because it rippled too slowly, in sequence inch by inch. Unfolding something more magnificent beneath it.
Kibum's eyes widened in awe as the unbearable richness of colors greeted his retina for the first time. He stared at it greedily. He couldn't see anything but seas of unnamed mixed colors at first. But as he brought his face closer to the lake, he could see pine trees in the another side of the surface.
What color the pine tree should be ? Green and brown. So it was green and it was brown. And the soil, it should be brown too right ? But the brown seemed different.
How many browns are there ? Kibum asked to no one. How many greens are there ? And just how many .... colors are in the Upper World at total ?
He thought to scrutinize a little bit closer. And that was when he's , falling up instead of down.
*
"He's still alive, right ?"
"Think so. I just checked his pulse."
"Weird guy. Do you think he's drowned or something ?"
"Might be."
"He's lucky that we passed that way this once. Heard so many accident there lately."
"He's so pale. I thought he's dead."
"Don't say the word 'dead', Tae. I'm sensitive."
"Oh sorry then, brother."
"But don't you think it's weird ? You've changed his clothes, we're turning the heating system, he's still as cold as corps ? And yes, he's so pale."
"Looks like he's emitting light, doesn't ?"
"You read too much sci-fi."
Kibum frowned at the weird dialogue and tried to move his finger. He took a deep breath in relief as he could feel it. At least, he's really alive.
"H-hey,"
The soft voice made Kibum opened his eyes in instance to see who it was, but as the light burned his vision, he quickly closed again and groaned, bringing his finger to soothe his eyelid.
"Oh My God. What happens ?" the same soft voice asked in panic "Did your eyes hurt ? Why ? How does it feel ?"
"I think his eyes are just shocked." the other raspy one answered. "It could be happened if you rest too long."
"Hey." There's a poke on his arm "Try to open your eyes slowly."
Kibum bit his lip and did as the voice said, pulling his finger away and pushing up his eyelids little by little.
Magically, the gleam of the white light was not blinding too much now, beside the fact that two human heads were blocking most of it.
One with a round soft thin face, one with a strong rectangular jaw.
Kibum blinked twice.
"Wow. I must say you're pretty for a boy." the round faced say and grinned, the other nodded in agreement before asking with a frown "Where do you come from anyway ?"
Kibum frowned to think, opening his lips to answer when the realization suddenly hit him and he screamed, jumping out from the bed, almost pushing his two saviors. He ran from the bedroom door.
"Hey ! Hey ! WHERE ARE YOU GOING ?"
The Portal, he thought wildly. He has to go back before it's closed. No. Has the moon disappear completely yet ? No. He has to go home.
He turned his body around and around to search for the front door, but the flashes of colors just made his head throbbed.
"Hey. Calm down."
Two footsteps are coming closer then the round-faced tried to stop him by gripping his shoulder. And as Kibum stopped his feet, he broke down to the floor, holding his head.
"Oh, God. Is he a runaway patient from mental ward ?"
"Hey." The round-faced joined to squat down and circled his arm around Kibum's shoulder "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you."
"Here's the Psychologist Lee speaking."
"Shut up for a while."
Taemin took a deep breath to see Kibum's face and asked in motherly tone "Hey. What's y..."
"How long have i been here ?" Kibum suddenly looked up and turned to see the round face, counting.
"Uh ?" Taemin frowned "A day ?"
"How much heartbeats ?"
"What ? Sorry ?"
"A d-day," Kibum said "is how much heartbeats ?"
"He's really mental. Wow." the raspy voice chimed in.
"Uh. Around eighty thousands ?" Taemin made it up, of course.
Then the moon had completely gone, he concluded in despair.
Kibum buried his face on his hand. Didn't know what to do anymore.
*
A shiny black limousine with a small royal flag waved in it's front glided out from the airport's VIP parking area, before entering the main road and slowly becoming an attractive view for the Capital town's citizens, for they knew who's inside the car.
Their Crown Prince, who's just coming back to his motherland.
Lee Jinki took a glance at the window, quietly sighing as he saw the sincere excited faces of his future subjects outside and suddenly felt grateful that the limousine was using tinted glass. He's not in the mood for being smiley, either it's faking or not at all.
He looked back to the tablet pc on his hand, sliding the screen with his finger to scan the title of ten articles from ten different e-newspapers. All about his arrival.
Like I care, he thought and put away his tablet on the empty seat beside him.
His well-sculpted face stared sharp and straight to the front, tensed up as he knew where they were heading closer.
The place that he should called home. But he never really could.
Some was born to be a king. Some was born to do a king job. He was the second. And he didn't like how his future was already tailored-made and planned by another human. In this case, his parents.
Because, he was an adventurer in the core. He lived to anticipate what surprise the universe would give him in each passing morning. He wanted to see the sun setting, rising, kissing the rain, reflecting itself to the moon from bank of rivers, peak of mountains, middle of savannas. As a freeman.
Jinki shook his head, closed his eyes and leaned back to the seat. As the car getting nearer to the Palace Gate, his dreams seemed more and more surreal.
*
Kibum was too optimistic to mope around. Rather than bawling and sobbing about how pitiful he was because he couldn't go home, he picked to think rationally. To wait for the next fullmoon (he would learn the Upper World timings from Tae !) and enjoy his time while he's here (Tae had said he would accomodate him as long as he want) before jump back into the portal.
This was his obsession after all, right ?
He knew that Taemin and Jonghyun still thought that he's mental and/or suffering from amnesia (meant his losing his memory) and/or having a psycholo- psycholo something disorder, and Kibum let them to think so.
There's also no need to explain about the Lower Land -for the sake of it's existence secrecy- to them, he considered.
That morning, Kibum was staring closely to an abstract piece that was hanging on Taemin's living room, while hearing the owner teach him again about the color.
"So," Kibum said, lifting his finger to point at one of dried color brush "This is purple ?"
"No. It's magenta."
"Magenta ?"
"Mix of pink and purple."
"Oh yeah."
Taemin smiled at the male. He assumed that Kibum was older than him (he couldn't be sure because Kibum only said that he was two-hundreds-something-fullmoons-old-and-oh-I'm-on-the-tenth-cycle) but he was just happy to treat Kibum like Kibum was younger.
(Jonghyun didn't think Taemin looked older because of it, instead his step little brother just looked like a 5 years old girl who got a new doll. But he, wisely, chose to do not voice it out. He knew how lonely Taemin was.)
"Tae, I'm heading back to the Palace at ten. The Prince had arrived yesterday." Jonghyun announced.
Taemin tore his attention from Kibum and said "Oh," to his brother.
Not long after, Kibum turned around too and stared at Jonghyun. "You all have a Prince too ?" He asked in surprise.
"Yeah." Jonghyun answered, raising his eyebrows "You have one in your land too ?"
Kibum nodded "I think so. I don't really remember." he played his amnesia card.
Taemin ping-ponged his gaze to both of male in front of him, thinking of something before turned to his brother "Why don't you bring Kibum to the capital town and stroll around ?" he suggested. "I need to go work as well."
"What ?"
"Good idea !"
Jonghyun and Kibum quickly exchanged glances in suspicion. Kibum really wanted to. He wanted to waste all the time he had here to see every unimportant and small things as much as he could.
While Jonghyun was thinking it would be good enough if he had someone to be bullied, to be laughed at, to distract himself once he got fired from the Royal Family later.
"Okay." Jonghyun accepted, in the end. "Get ready, Kibum."
Taemin clapped and hitting the excited Kibum's arm playfully.
*
Kibum couldn't close his mouth as he stared outside the window from Jonghyun's car (and why don't the Lower Land invented a machine like this too ? He thought they're not that left behind in technology ? Right ?), seeing more and more colors caressed his sight.
"SUN !" He pointed excitedly when Jonghyun rolled open the glass for him and he peeked outside "The Sun is really yellow !"
Jonghyun wanted to bury himself inside the deepest hole. He palmed his face in embarassment because some people were watching them. Cursing why the red lamp hadn't turned to green yet.
"Kibum, bring your damn head inside now." he hissed.
And Kibum innocently complied, pulling his head back. "Fine."
Jonghyun snorted. I'm so going to kill Tae this night. He thought. If I could exit the Palace alive. He added.
"Castle..." Kibum widened his eye. A pearl white tall establishment that seemed thousand times more enchanting than the black creepy palace on the Lower Land.
"Roses..." Kibum held his breath once they passed the gate, rolling between flower beds on the royal garden, pressing his nose to the window.
"Dear God," Jonghyun wanted to cry when glancing to the antic of the black haired male. "Kib.."
"Fine. I'll behave." Kibum knew what was Jonghyun going to say and crossed his arm on his chest, staring straight to the front. Well, he once or twice visited the palace below there with his father and he understood how to act to Royals.
Once the car parked at the lot behind the palace, Jonghyun took a deep breath while looking at Kibum, hoping the stranger would really behave later. It's not necessary to add his burdens and thoughts.
"Listen." Jonghyun said "You are not allowed to say any words. Let me talk alone. Don't even open your mouth, understand ?"
"Fi..." Kibum looked at Jonghyun, closed his lips again and nodded.
"Good. Let's go."
*
"Kim Jonghyun, the King is asking for your presence inside his study."
Jonghyun nodded and gulped. This is it. The moment of truth.
The dino-like male was deaf at the moment, for he couldn't hear anything beside his own heartbeats, slowly counting the time of his death.
He knocked the King's study three times, waiting until he heard a faint "Come in, Jonghyun." and stepped inside with mixed emotion.
He bowed to the King "Your Highness,"
"I've been waiting for you, Jonghyun." The King said with a big scary smile. "I see you've accomplished your task."
Oh, No. Jonghyun screamed inside his head. "I am humbly asking you to let me explain about it, My King."
"I am more than satisfied, I think." The Majesty said "It is so clever of you to pick a youngster. Someone's near the Prince's age to lecture him."
"I beg you pardon, Your Highness ?" Jonghyun frowned, didn't understand at all.
"What is your name, young man ?" The King asked, eyes pointing at someone. Behind Jonghyun's back.
Oh, . Jonghyun widened his eyes, turned around to see a statue of Kibum. He forgot to tell Kibum to not follow him. .
"Speak," he hissed to Kibum.
Kibum was making a facial expression which could be deciphered as You-told-me-not-to-open-my-mouth.
"Just speak," Jonghyun mouthed.
"I-i'm Kim Kibum, Y-your majesty." Kibum bowed.
The King nodded "I like your high determined face, young Kibum. You would be a good lecturer for Prince Jinki. He is a little ... rude sometimes." Then the King laughed like a thunder, reading Kibum's shock expression as the response of the mention of Jinki's rudeness, not about the lecturing thing at all.
"But I believe you can tame him." The King smiled then turned around to his own eunuch.
"You can this young Kibum to where The Prince is, Hyunseung." The King said, which replied by a bow from the middle aged man who was standing in the corner.
"Jonghyun, you could stay here for a while. I still need to talk."
Jonghyun and Kibum were still exchanging stunned face as the study's door closed between them.
*

Kibum debated with his own inner thoughts once he followed the King's eunuch to walk in the hall, didn't understand at all what's going on now.
"So, you're one brave soul eh, Kibum-ssi ?" Hyunseung broke the silence.
"A-ah. I think so ?" Kibum answered cluelessly.
"Not anyone want to take the job of our Prince's lecturer." The eunuch laughed and Kibum joined to laugh dryly as well.
"W-why is that so, Hyunseung-ssi ?"
The middle-aged man turned to the younger "Oh. Don't you know those rumours about the Prince ?"
Kibum shook his head, and preparing himself to listen about Prince Jinki's infamous trackrecord from the eunuch.
He only nodded every now and then.
So, I'm going to lecture someone who doesn't want to be a King about how to be a King ? Kibum arched his eyebrows, frustated.
"Do you know well about monarchy, Kibum-ssi ?"
He had learned it with his father. The monarchy system that was going down there, of course.
"Not well. But enough." he answered.
The eunuch seemed impressed. "I think Jonghyun-ssi is right to pick you. I was almost afraid he would get fired if he didn't find the decent lecturer. You know how's the King. And you looks quite competent."
Jonghyun could get fired ? Kibum thought in queasy after smiling to the older. Then it would be a problem for him and Tae, right ? The two important persons who proved to him, that the Children of The Sun weren't evil at all.
He thought he should do this well. At least until the next fullmoon come.
"The Prince is inside, Kibum-ssi." the eunuch pulled him out from his thought.
They finally stopped as Hyunseung pointed a particular door in the wide hallway.
"Ah. Okay. " Kibum said.
The eunuch smiled and patted his back "Then I would take my leave."
Kibum bowed before hesitantly called back the man after thinking of something "Hyunseung-ssi. D-do you have any suggestion for me?"
Hyunseung thought for a while and shook his head "I think The Prince just need someone to talk."
Kibum made an 'O' with his mouth before finally giving a bow again.
He turned around to stare at the polished ivory door in front of him after Hyunseung's gone, taking a deep breath and knocked twice.
"Come in." said a faint flat tone from the room.
Kibum gulped and slowly turned the doorknob, before stepping in to see that he was on the palace's library.
Kibum swept his gaze across the room and found The Prince was busy staring down to his desk, with a pencil on his hand.
Kibum held his breath.
If his friend, Minho was classified as handsome in the middle of Lower Land's darkness, then Prince Jinki's fine-looks was in a whole different level.
His bangs was lifted up to show off his breathtaking forehead, which blended in the most perfect way with his nose, his plump lips and his pointed jaw.
Dressed in a semiformal white suit, how could a human looked so angelic like that ?
Now Kibum wanted to see how The Prince's eyes looked.
"You're late." The flat cold tone tore Kibum's thoughts away.
"Eh ?" He's taken aback.
The Prince looked up, staring sharply to Kibum's feline with the most handsome-but-bored face in history "You. Are. Late."
"I-i'm.. sorry ?" Kibum said hesitantly.
Jinki scoffed "You're not adressing me with Your Majesty, My Prince blahblah ?"
Kibum frowned, suddenly wanted to kick away all of his praises for the Prince "Then I'm sorry," He gritted his teeth. "Your Majesty."
Jinki nodded, silently tried to hide his amused face after seeing the male's irritation then started to scrutinize his new lecturer from head to toe.
Hmm. Should be younger. And He's too pretty for a guy, it's easy to see.
There's something divine on his paleness that Jinki couldn't find what. Interesting. He thought.
"Name ?" Jinki asked nonchalantly.
"What ?" Kibum frowned again.
Jinki rolled his eyes and pointed his pencil to the other "Your name."
"Kim Kibum." the younger answered half-heartedly.
"Kim Kibum." The Prince's repeated and nodded, before smirking dangerously to the name's owner "I'm your new enemy."
War's on.