"Noona! Ddong-hyung is bullying me again! I grew two centimetres this summer and he said I shrank! Tell him he's wrong!" Jaeho complained to Byul.

Byul smiled at her brother. "Ddong-ha, you're wrong."

Baekhyun's jaw dropped at her obvious favoritism and sulked. "Yah! You didn't even listen to my side of the story!" he complained. "Do you love him more or me?" he whined.

Mrs Han shook her head at the scene and laughed softly to herself. Oh really. A family with Baekhyun and Byul together could never ever be quiet.

Byul's jaw dropped at Baekhyun's question and she eyed him up and down. "What are you? Five? I can't believe you asked me that question!" she shrieked. "You're so immature!"

"Immature or not, answer that." Baekhyun demanded, sending looks at Jaeho. "If this little kid and me drops into the water, who would you save first?" Jaeho too snapped his gaze towards his noona eagerly for her answer.

Byul sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well you know what they say, blood is thicker than water so....JAEHO~" she picked her brother up and he laughed merrily, sending Baekhyun a triumphant grin. Baekhyun gaped at her with obvious disappointment. "I can't believe you didn't pick me!"

"Well firstly, you're taller and you're an adult so you're expected to look after yourself." Byul pointed out. "And you are most slightly going to be able to stand in the water while Jaeho isn't. And besides, I'm not your bodyguard anymore so if anyone should do the saving of the Crown Prince, it should be Sora unnie, not me."

"What the hell?" Baekhyun cursed, displeased. "I don't like this."

"I'm more important to noona, Ddong-hyung!" Jaeho sang. "She loves me more!"

"Aish you little brat." Baekhyun scowled, pouting like a big baby. The family was really a noisy one as long as there was a combination of Baekhyun-Jaeho or Baekhyun-Byul. In fact, the main creator of noise seemed to be Baekhyun, actually. Hmm.

Sora bit back a laugh as she watched their interaction with each other. The crown prince really had no airs at all when he was with Byul and her family, and to think he actually fetched Byul's mom and brother into the palace. The act was very thoughtful.

Sora supposed she was to feel a little disappointed that Baekhyun and Byul made up so quickly, but she didn't. She was actually comforted that this couple was more difficult to break than imagined. Sora sighed softly and smiled. If only she had a love like this too.

Chanyeol watched Sora from the side, hiding behind a pillar. He heard that the little brat Jaeho was here and wanted to come visit Mrs Han as well, when he noticed Sora smiling approvingly at Baekbyul's interaction. Why didn't she look a tinge jealous or depressed when Baekhyun and Byul were fooling around so happily?

Chanyeol knew that if those two were Sora and Baekhyun and he was the one watching, he wouldn't be smiling that genuinely. He frowned and watched her closely.

Had Im Sora been lying? He wondered. Perhaps, just perhaps...she didn't like Baekhyun as much as he imagined.

-----

"Let's go."

Sora's eyes widened when Chanyeol pulled on her wrist and led her away from the Han family's new quarters. He had appeared to greet Mrs Han and play around with Jaeho for a bit, but then announced that he was going. Well he could leave if he wanted to, but he actually insisted on bringing her along with him.

When she brought up how she was Baekhyun's bodyguard and wasn't allowed to leave, Chanyeol snorted. "What makes you think with Byul by his side, Baekhyun hyung isn't getting enough protection?"

True. But still.

Chanyeol pulled her to the stables and actually chose a pretty hazel coloured brown horse for her. "Ride her, she's pretty mild but fast at the same time." he told her. "We're going to the Capital City."

Sora didn't have the chance to ask what the trip was for and he already got on his horse, trotting off. She hurried to follow after him, wondering what the hell was going on. She remembered that their last conversation was the one where she blurted a big fat lie about liking Baekhyun, and she cringed.

She eyed him from the back of his head and was disappointed to note that he didn't seem to look bothered by that little bit of confession on her end. Perhaps she imagined the sparks flying between them, then, she thought dejectedly.

The gates opened and Sora took a deep breath of the scent of people around. She looked around the Capital City in wonder, not properly looking through the streets before. She was in such a hurry to get to the palace for the bodyguard election that she never really got the chance to see what Korea was like.

watered at some of the tasty treats being sold along the streets, and laughed softly when she saw some of the kids pestering their mothers for sweets.

Chanyeol looked back at her and grinned when he saw her bright expression of awe. *Hadn't she been here before?* he mused inwardly. *Cute.*

They deposited their horses at a rented space in a public stable and walked around the place. Chanyeol couldn't help noticing how everything seemed new and fresh and completely fascinating to Sora, like she never saw things like that before.

"Where did you stay before you came to the Capital City?" Chanyeol asked her with raised brows. "Why do you look like you never saw any of these things before? I'm sure there would at least be candy carts back where you came from." he teased.

Sora thought of the dark gloomy room she had been kept in besides her outrageously physically demanding training in the halls. Nope, no candy carts. "Never saw one." Sora admitted. "Think I'd remember something so fanfastic if I did."

Chanyeol looked genuinely surprised but he didn't probe. Her little admission made him ponder about the same question which had made him hesitant in getting closer to her in the beginning. What sort of life had she been living before she came as Baekhyun's bodyguard? Just what?

Chanyeol glanced at Sora and saw her positively drooling as some kids walked past with apples dipped in caramel candy, and he forced back a laugh. She was so cute sometimes. "Come on, I'll buy you one so stop staring at those kids like you want to eat them." he grinned.

Sora pretended to look offended but her eyes glittered with longing as they set their sights upon the candy cart. Damn, she really wouldn't mind having one in her room. Chanyeol bought them a caramel apple each and Sora took a large bite at once, cringing as her teeth knackered against the card caramel crust.

" to soften it." Chanyeol chuckled. "I'm assuming you haven't had one of these before?"

Sora sent him a look but did as she was told. Chanyeol smiled in amusement as he guided her along the busy street, careful not to get lost from her. She stopped by a few stalls and Chanyeol paid for a few of her games, always amused at how such simple and mindless games seemed to bring her endless supplies of joy.

They spent a fun afternoon in the city till it turned dark and Chanyeol dragged her to one of the inns for dinner. He ordered quite a spread for the both of them, ignoring how Sora kept kicking at his foot to stop him from ordering more.

They were finally left alone as the waiter departed, and Sora asked the question she itched to ask the whole day. "Why did you bring me out here today?" she wondered out loud. "Is there an occasion?"

Chanyeol shrugged and grinned at her. "I just want to."

What an arrogant princely statement. Sora scoffed at him and wrinkled her nose. "Oh because you want to." she muttered. "I forgot you're a prince. I suppose if you wanted me to scrub the toilets I'd have to."

"Logically, yes." Chanyeol's smirk widened. "But I'd never ask you to do that. Which insane guy would ask the girl he likes to scrub the toilets?"

Sora ended her eyes in mid-roll and faltered at what he said. Her eyes flew wide open and she stared at him in surprise, slightly ajar. "You said-"

"Oh look the food is here." Chanyeol directed her attention away from him, pointing at the waiter. "Goody. I'm hungry." he rubbed his tummy for the effect. Sora stared at him wordlessly, her heart pounding hard. He did say what she thought she heard right?

And her heart was doing insane level 9000 flips at such simple words. , he was really getting to her.

-----

The two returned to the palace late at night and Chanyeol had the decency to send Sora back to her servant's quarters even though she insisted for him not to bother. They stopped in front of the door to say their goodbyes.

"Thank you for bringing me out today." Sora murmured. "I really enjoyed it."

"Good." Chanyeol beamed back. "I enjoyed our date too."

Sora gave a sleepy nod but frowned when she thought of his choice of words. "Wait...date?" her eyes flew open in shock for the second time of the day. "It was a date?"

"Yeah." Chanyeol grinned in amusement. "A girl and a guy, going around shopping, playing games, eating treats...I think that counts as a date." he looked at her. "Didn't you realize we were on one? Why did you think I wanted to bring you out? As mere company?" he snorted at the thought.

Sora swallowed, the pounding of her heart in that horrifyingly unnatural rapid pace starting all over again. "But I already told you that I like-"

"Baekhyun hyung." Chanyeol nodded. He peered at her carefully and tilted her head up to look at him in the eyes. Sora swallowed visibly, her cheeks pinking. Chanyeol liked what he saw, that was her reaction to him. To him, not Baekhyun.

"I just wanted to confirm something," he murmured softly. "Do you really really like Baekhyun hyung? If you do, how much? A lot?"

Sora couldn't speak, and she just gave him a simple nod.

Chanyeol stared into her eyes. "What if I told you that I liked you as well? Would that change anything?" he whispered. "What if I told you thatthe like I'm talking about is actually getting pretty close to love? Does your heart flutter like I think it does?"

Sora swallowed again, her heart fluttering. He just said...he just...

Sora wanted to smile and dance and throw her arms around him and to declare that she liked him back. YES YES that changed everything! She liked-no, kinda..well...oh well, yes she loved him as well. She did, she really really really did!'

Chanyeol's gaze darted down to her lips and he started leaning closer. Sora's eyes fluttered close out of their own accord as she leaned into his palm against her cheek, anticipating the touch.

Their lips barely grazed each other's before Sora jumped backwards in a shockingly sudden movement, her hands to as if she just woke up from a dream. "I can't." she whispered, looking frightened.

And then she ran back into the servants quarters.

Chanyeol's face fell and he felt the disappointment hit him hard. But the little brainiac in him nagged him with her choice of words. "She can't, not she didn't want to." he whispered.

He eyed the windows of the servant's quarters. "I'm positive you feel something for me. So why are you pulling away?"