Kyung Soo had finally found a decent poly blend suit. If he had to go walking around like a fancy goon, he needed a hypo-allergenic alternative to the standard uniform. And he had found it! He was happy enough to smile that certain way – the way that made Jongin hit him and tell him to stop being creepy. He caressed his suit lapel, happily brushing off imaginary dust. He was so happy, so why couldn’t that royal bastard shut up and let him spend some time with his suit?!

“Fine, don’t tell me.” Sehun had been nagging and sighing and generally annoying the lot of them for the last three hours. Of course he had good reason, after all they had been the ones to step into his world. It was the first time Sehun had caught up with them since their awkward, curse word encounter in the Palace. It was only natural he wanted some explanation. Too bad he would not get one.

The gang plus their faithful royal hanger-on was spread out lazily around the bar. Jongin and Baekhyun were so busy looking at Baekhyun’s phone they no longer paid a bit of attention to Sehun’s never ending stream of questions. They were the lucky ones.

“Yah- you know everything you need to know” Heechul smacked Sehun on the top of the forehead. He was beyond sick of the questions. The last thing he was going to do was tell the loud mouthed aristocrat why M1 was playing dress up.

“Are you coming to the engagement party tomorrow?” Apparently Sehun had a hard head.

“You don’t need to know” Taemin answered.

“Are you planning on stealing something?” This kid would not quit.

“Yeah, your Mother” Taemin smirked.

“Take her” Sehun folded his arms, “No, really, what are you guys doing? Do you need help?”

“SHUT UP!”

Everyone stopped to stare at the source of the yell.

“I am trying to break in my new suit.” Kyung Soo said it calmly, psychotically calm given his outburst a few seconds ago.

“I didn’t know you could yell so loud.” Jongin looked at Kyung Soo, amazed. Kyung Soo took no note, he was already back to arranging his sleeves. He liked his new suit. Even Heebum couldn’t ruin his appreciation for the fine garment that he owned.

***

They had held hands, and talked, and smiled. They never brought up that kiss, the kiss that burnt hot on Minseok’s wrist.

In the last three days they had settled into their official engagements, settled into their life at the palace as long lost friends. Nothing further in terms of memories had presented themselves. Nothing further in terms of conflict had come up.

Truthfully, they gave each other sad looks now and then, and both were aware where the painful gazes came from. Yet they endured, and life went on, and there was a wedding ahead of them.

The engagement party would occur in a day. Ceremony was called for, and the Korean and Chinese Princes ensured their knowledge of what was expected of them.

Meanwhile Chanyeol and Jong Dae had fallen into an easy friendship, built on shared circumstance. They had a shot of soju every night before bed and whenever they found themselves standing tall behind their royal charges they gave each other side eyes of attitude. It was a match made in heaven.

“I can’t believe he hasn’t done anything wrong yet” Chanyeol downed his shot.

“Hey- if I didn’t know better I would say he is a model of proper behavior” Jong Dae had the bottle at that point, gripping it tightly he took a swig. It had been a long day, with too much rush and a somber Minseok.

“Yeah. I was expecting to see him arrested the first night he arrived. Luhan has never known how to behave.”

“Hah. You should talk. Try living in a world with Sehun.”

“Has he ever been found passed out in a brothel?”

Jong Dae’s eyes grew as wide as saucers.

“No….”

Chanyeol smiled his toothy grin.

“Yep. And a police station. And a massage parlor. Oh, and that one time it was a chicken farm.”

“Are you f-ing kidding me?” Jong Dae was impressed.

“Nope.” Chanyeol shook his head. A sad truth that was funny after the fact.

“Jesus. You deserve the bottle” Jong Dae pushed it into Chanyeol’s hands “I have nothing on you. Aish”

***

It was a really bad poem. Horrible and sappy and full of the things that a school girl would imagine saying to her crush. All love and like and memories and flowers.

“What is this?!” Eun Ji was tempted to tear the cheesy thing up. Whoever was leaving such stupid notes should be slapped. Hard.

She completely missed the little hint – well the obvious hint. Look at the letters that began every line of the poem and the answer was spelled out clearly. JOON MYUN.

Joon Myun groaned from the shadows. How could she not figure it out?! How could that beautiful perfect creature be so dense!

“I f-ing hate you- you, you coward!” Eun Ji yelled it out to the night “Just come forward already!”

Joon Myun blushed and scurried away at the shout. Why was love so complicated?
 

***

If he spoke the truth the weight of his words would probably crush him.

“Good.” Luhan cleared his throat “You look good”

Minseok smiled. He was proudly showing off his attire for tomorrow’s party, looking from the mirror to his friend.

“Nauen is a good girl” Luhan needed to say that. He was sure he had said so already, but he needed to say it again. Especially because he was eying his cousin’s fiancé with too much appreciation at the moment.

Minseok halted his narcissistic glances and looked at Luhan.

“She seems like it.”

“She has had a very sheltered upbringing”

Minseok laughed.

“Kind of like you.” Luhan remarked.

“A match made in heaven” Minseok went back to looking in the mirror.

“For our kind, yeah, I guess so.” Luhan thought the sharp lines of the suit complimented Minseok’s shoulders and waist perfectly. “But you don’t love her.”

“I don’t know her” Minseok retorted.

Luhan was still looking, admiring.

“True.” It took him a second to continue, he wasn’t sure he should bring it up “Min- I want to talk to Soo Man tomorrow”

“Why?” Minseok smoothed his hands over the front of his suit and turned slightly, studying how the clothes made him look.

“I think he was there that night – at the pagoda” Luhan was certain of it. Even if he could not exactly remember Soo Man being there he had a feeling that the royal advisor had been present.

Minseok had never been a fan of his Father’s right hand man, but he had no evidence to suggest that he had anything to do with the events of 9 years ago, or at least any lies that accompanied them.

“Okay. But we have to be careful with him.”

“I know.” Luhan knew too well. He had spent two years of his life in a place where Soo Man ruled the roost (for all intents and purposes).

Minseok took a seat next to Luhan. He was suddenly pensive.

“Lu, if we figure it out, what do we gain?”

“The truth” Luhan leaned over and put a hand on Minseok’s shoulder.

“What if it is not the truth we want. I mean, what if it is something we don’t need to know…” Minseok stared at the floor. The truth he wanted could very well differ from that which Luhan desired.

“What truth do you want” Luhan was too sharp, too precise.

“I don’t know.”

“I do” Luhan’s energy had returned full force, “I want it to stop. All of it” He threw his hands up “I want to know that we are who we think we are.”

Minseok wondered if Luhan was alluding to the same thing that had haunted him. Were they in love? Did it all happen because two people had been unable to control themselves?

“Maybe we move forward…” Minseok said, thinking about killing off what kept him so full of anxiety. Had he been so desperate, so horrible, that he would try to burden Luhan into loving him back?

“Aren’t we already? Aren’t you getting married soon?” Luhan responded with a little more emotion than he wanted to. If he admitted it, if he said that he wanted to drag Minseok from the situation and just run away, he would never get any where.

“Yeah”

Minseok’s one word answer grated at Luhan’s nerves. It was the truth and it was the purpose of the last few days. It still stung. Tomorrow was guaranteed to be even worse on Luhan’s nerves.

It was sixteen hours until the engagement party. It was sixteen hours until all hell broke loose.