Jaehwan was beyond excited that he had his smiling face on until he reached the bar where he was working. He couldn’t wait to tell the owner of the bar that he would be bringing another talent to sing with him.

When Taekwoon told him that he wanted to sing with him, he was surprised. He didn’t think that the prince would be interested in singing with him in the bar.

He remembered how Taekwoon looked really serious when he mentioned that. He was caught off guard that he wasn’t able to react, and that Taekwoon was the first one who reacted.

***

“I want to sing. I know I want to. Ever since Yunji died, I… I felt really frustrated. I wanted to sing but because I am a prince I can’t do that. Please Jaehwan, I need your help. Let me fulfill my dream, even for once,” Taekwoon begged. Jaehwan was surprised because it was the first time Taekwoon sought his help without anything in return.

Jaehwan blinked and sighed as he straightened his body and faced Taekwoon. “Are you sure about your decision? What if your parents find out? What will you do?”

Taekwoon froze at the question, but after a few seconds he looked away. “I… I don’t know.”

“I knew someone who gave up everything just to pursue his dream,” Jaehwan walked towards the piano and leaned on it while he was still facing Taekwoon who seemed lost in thoughts. But he was sure that he was listening to him, so he continued, “That person gave up his responsibilities for his dream but suddenly, things happened, he decided to do his responsibilities. It was not because he thought that his dream was useless, but his responsibilities were far more important. However, it was already too late, since he left everything and he honestly,” Jaehwan paused and then he looked away. He continued, “even though he knew that he was sure about going back, he was unsure if it’s going to be difficult. He turned his back from everything, including his family, and he was not sure if they would welcome that person back.”

Taekwoon looked at Jaehwan. He somehow knew a certain story like that, but he was not sure where he heard it. “Even so… I don’t want to regret trying. I want to try, Jaehwan. At least once. If I get caught, I would tell them my real feelings. I don’t know what I am going to do afterwards but I am still willing to try. And I cannot make it without you.”

Jaehwan sighed in defeat. He stared at Taekwoon’s eyes once more, and he saw the determination in him. His eyes showed the same passion when he decided to give up his crown to pursue his dream. “Alright. I will help you. I will talk to the owner.”

“Seriously? Thank you!” Taekwoon ran towards Jaehwan and hugged him. Jaehwan automatically got surprised at that action, and Taekwoon was too. Taekwoon thought it was awkward for him to hug Jaehwan like that – they weren’t necessarily close friends for him to hug him – but it would be more awkward if he pulled himself as if he was regretting it, so he hugged Jaehwan for a quite few seconds more. “I-I’m thankful… and happy.”

***

Jaehwan blushed when he remembered that. He stopped from walking and gulped when he felt his heart beating fast. “What the hell? Why am I feeling nervous?”

Jaehwan continued walking as he tried to stop his beating heart. But there was no use.

He stopped again from walking and held his chest, as if he could get hold of his heart. “Oh my gosh, stop.”

Those words from Taekwoon literally made him want to jump with joy. He never dreamed of that being said to him by the North Prince himself, never did he imagine it to happen.

When he first met Taekwoon, he knew that he was a good person, but he also knew that he would not be friends with him. He and Taekwoon seemed really different from each other. Taekwoon was really mature and he was not. Taekwoon was careful, he was carefree. Taekwoon was a real prince who undoubtedly could do his responsibilities, and he was the prince who tried to escape his responsibilities for his own sake. In short, Taekwoon was selfless, and he was selfish.

He frowned at that realization. No matter what, Taekwoon was the prince that he had never been, and would have never been.

His thoughts were cut when someone called him. It was Taekwoon. Since when did he have my number? He asked himself and took the call. “Hello?”

“Did you already tell him?” Taekwoon asked from the other line. “Oh, where are my manners? Hello, Jaehwan, good afternoon.”

Jaehwan felt his cheeks turning red in that greeting. Weird. It was just a greeting. He smiled and started to walk again. “I’m actually not yet there, so I haven’t told him yet.”

“Okay,” Taekwoon said. “Anyway, we have a slight problem. I know it’ll be a burden to you but… I want my identity to be really secret. Even to the owner. It’s not that I don’t trust him. But you know… I can’t trust anyone else but you, Jaehwan.”

Jaehwan heard his loud gulp at the last thing that Taekwoon said, and his heart started beating fast again. He was not able to speak, so Taekwoon noticed that.

“Jaehwan? Is there something wrong?” Taekwoon asked.

Jaehwan laughed when he snapped out his deep thought. “Ah, nothing. It’s just that… I still can’t believe you’re doing this.”

“I may be lacking in terms of skills now, but still, I want to do it. I want to sing with you,” Taekwoon said.

“You always say the weirdest words,” Jaehwan murmured to himself, and Taekwoon was able to hear it so he asked him about it. Jaehwan realized that he was falling into his thoughts again, so he waved his hand to imaginary Taekwoon in front of him and answered, “A-Ah, no, don’t mind me!”

“Let me know if you’ll be available for extra hours of practices on Thursday, alright? I’ll be hanging up now, Jaehwan, bye,” Taekwoon had hanged up before Jaehwan could actually speak back.

He also remembered that he asked Taekwoon to have extra hours of practice before his actual performance in the weekend - that was if he would be allowed by the owner. But he was still concerned about him introducing to Taekwoon without the owner knowing his identity.

It had been on his mind until he arrived at the bar.

He was too preoccupied that when he entered the bar, he bumped into someone who was wearing a hoodie and a black mask. He apologized and went backstage. Upon entering the backstage, he finally found a way.

“I finally get it!”

***

“So… this friend of yours is really good in singing, and he has no experience whatsoever yet?”

Jaehwan nodded in excitement. “Yes. He was actually shy but he wanted to sing publicly. His face is kind of weird right now because of an accident and he is not really ready to make the public see his face, so if we can, can we let him use a mask and a hoodie?”

“Hmm, since I trust you Jaehwan, and you were able to attract a lot of customers, okay then we can arrange a special duet for you on weekend,” said the owner. “But I want to know his identity at least.”

“Wow! Really! Mr. Cho! You’re the best!” Jaehwan almost threw his hand in the air as a sign of victory. “But weekend?”

“If you can recall, the bar’s anniversary is on Saturday so I am expecting you to be there. Sorry Jaehwan if this is a late notice,” the owner said. “If you have plans… let me know.”

“It’s fine! I don’t have any plans. It’s just that I was not used to singing at weekends. I know you’re always full every Saturday, twice the audience whenever I am in, so I am quite nervous,” Jaehwan explained.

“Well, you’re a good singer. I am more concerned about your friend because it would be the first time for him,” the owner told Jaehwan.

“Don’t worry, he said that he just wanted to give it a go. He would be happy to debut in a large crowd,” Jaehwan assured the owner. “You will be surprised.”

***

Taekwoon was enthralled about the news that Jaehwan delivered to him through a phone call. He was kind of excited that Jaehwan called, because he promised the former that he would tell the owner about his plans as soon as he went to the bar.

“But the owner told me that he wanted to know your identity,” Jaehwan told him. “We need to tell him that you got into an accident and you were kind of afraid that anyone would judge your face so you needed to wear a mask. But how are we going to introduce you?”

Taekwoon sat on his bed but he wasn’t able to answer. Surely, Jaehwan was able to come up with an excuse that, even lame, was still able to help him. “I don’t know. Maybe it isn’t necessary? I mean, I’ll not become a regular there. I just want to sing with you.”

There was silence in the other line, but after a second, Jaehwan spoke. “I would prefer you becoming a regular singer though. I mean, you showed a lot of improvement.”

Taekwoon chuckled as he lay down his bed. “Hmm, we haven’t even had practices since we fought. How do you say that I am improving?”

“That’s simple,” Jaehwan paused for a while as if he was thinking, and then continued, “You actually told me that you’d sing in front of people. That’s an improvement.”

Taekwoon smiled. “What about vocal wise?”

“I’ve been a very good coach so I think you’ll do well,” Jaehwan replied. “I hope you’ll attend the major practice on Thursday. And even though you have schedule tomorrow and on Friday, I wish you could practice on your own. I’ll not be able to guide you on those days when you have other schedules, and I am doing my review as well on the days when you have no lessons with me. So we’ll keep ourselves busy before the performance.”

“You can… you can go here in the palace,” Taekwoon suggested. He heard Jaehwan coughing. “Are you sick?”

“N-No, I was just surprised that you were actually asking me to go to the palace but I heard that it wasn’t allowed,” Jaehwan replied.

“Well, if I declare it as an official business, maybe you could,” Taekwoon suggested. “By the way, what are we going to sing? Do you have an idea in mind?”

“I still don’t know. How about you?” Jaehwan returned the question back to Taekwoon. “I have thought of ‘In the Cold Night’. Have you heard of that song?”

“Yes, I think so,” Taekwoon said. “Shall you send a copy to me tomorrow in the university?”

“Eh? Can’t you just download it on the Internet? You are weird, Taekwoon,” Jaehwan laughed heartily while Taekwoon realized that Jaehwan was right.

“I am not into using such platforms,” Taekwoon found himself an excuse but it seemed that Jaehwan didn’t buy it. “Also, I need you to send the copy, please record your part so that I can adjust.”

“Fine,” Jaehwan slowly stopped laughing. “I’ll send it to you tomorrow. If you want, we can meet at the piano room during break time.”

Taekwoon unknowingly smiled. “Alright, see you then, Jaehwan. Goodnight too.”

***

Taekwoon had his palm rested on his chin as he listened to Jaehwan singing a part of the song that they would sing. He was a bit nervous because the song was really about to showcase a wide vocal range. Whoever composed this song seriously was great, he thought as he stared at Jaehwan.

When he finished singing, Jaehwan turned to him, “You looked lost. Is it not good?”

“Your voice is good, but I am kind of scared. I don’t know,” Taekwoon said.

Jaehwan approached him and sat beside him. “Prince Leo should not be scared because he is with Jaehwan.”

Taekwoon stared at Jaehwan who was looking at him, his upper body completely facing him and the distance between them was quite short. He blinked when Jaehwan smiled. “Your nose is cute.”

Jaehwan’s eyebrows met and he almost pulled himself back. “W-what?” He blushed for a second. “Why so sudden?”

“H-Huh?” Taekwoon seemed lost and when everything sunk in he laughed awkwardly and looked away. “Oh, I just observed.”

“You were not listening to my song,” Jaehwan pouted. “I am disappointed. We only have three days to practice this song together. But we only have one day left. We can’t skip our classes to do practice.”

Taekwoon sighed and stood, turned away from Jaehwan and said. “I think we shall postpone. I have meetings, and you have an exam. I don’t wish you to fail the examinations because of my request and I don’t wish you to lose your job because of me, because it is impossible-”

“Taekwoon!” Jaehwan called his name and stopped him from talking. When Taekwoon turned around, he found Jaehwan in front of him, again with minimal distance between them. The guy was also staring at him intently, making him blush as he observed his face again. He almost stepped back when Jaehwan held his two arms and stared into his eyes. “We can pull it off together. You don’t know how much I liked it when you told me that you would perform with me. I believe that you and I will create a really good duet stage together. All we have to do is to run through everything and believe in each of us. O