Beautifully Untamed 

Chapter Fifteen: 

It was finally the beginning of spring- after such a long and harsh winter.

He found himself sneaking out of a large palace just to go outside. He had the feeling that after a long time of winter, he had wanted to see the flowers blossom, and everything once more come to life. The problem was that he felt like he was impatient. That something in him was nagging him and the pull didn’t settle until he reached the outside. The land was barren, much to his disappointment, but even so, he trudged around the land, hoping to find that patch of green, or maybe a colorful red and yellow of flowers. Flowers were always his favorite.

Instead he found a boy, about his age working.

By the looks of his red cheeks, his puffing hot breath, and the sweat glistening at his brow he could see that the boy had been at it for a while. The boy continued shoveling the slowly melting snow and throwing it into a small barrel that seemed to be half way full with dirty water and chunky ice. With caught up breath, he stared, feeling a strange weight on his chest at a familiar feeling long forgotten. Should he know this boy?

He smiled slightly, and decided to approach him, “Whoa, what are you doing?” he asked, being as loud as possible.

The boy seemed startled to see him, so much that he dropped his shovel half way and bowed deeply at him. “Pr-Prince…”

“Aigo, don’t bow!” He pouted at the strange boy and walked over and pushed his shoulders, to get him to straighten out. “Call me G-dragon,” He gently smiled- finding the name flowing easily past his lips, while trying his best to make eye contact with the boy. That’s right, he’s G-dragon.

“I…but…but, you’re the prince!” the boy argued, wanting to bow to him once again. “I mean you no disrespect.”

“I just wanted to know what you were doing,” G-dragon said, his voice now sounding a bit sad.

“Oh…ah,” the boy moved back to do what he was doing. “I’m supposed to shovel the melting snow, so we can clear the land for things to start growing soon.” The boy sloppily explained, and then brought his arm up to wipe away the sweat from his brow. He sighed, his eyes locating the fallen shovel and moved to pick it up.

“Oh, I see,” G-dragon said, and grinned. “Can I help you? I can’t wait to see things growing again. If we work together I’ll get to see them faster!”

“No, no, you mustn’t. You’re the prince!”

“And the sky is blue, so what. I’m still a kid like you.” G-dragon tilted his head, “what’s your name…”

The boy’s flushed face lowered a bit, and he looked away, “I’m…I’m Top.”

“Top,” He tested the name, somehow it clicked, “I like it,” G-dragon smiled, “that’s a nice name,” he then moved to pick up another shovel he spotted a few feet away. Top watched him with deep apprehension, and at first looked completely uncomfortable with G-dragon, the prince, helping him. But after a while they got to talking, and the work was done quicker with both of them working.

“Thank you for all your help,” Top bowed down again.

G-dragon shook his head. “Ani, it was fun.” G-dragon grinned, his cheeks flushed, and smiled. “I never get to do this!” 

“You really are very beautiful…” Top fondly said. G-dragon looked at him with wide eyes, before bowing his head down shyly and smiling secretively.

“You’re beautiful too.”

 “So beautiful…” Ji Yong murmured in his sleep, a smile coming to his lips and he turned over and curled tightly into himself. Gaho watched him with slight confusion but didn’t say anything to the girl sitting next to Ji Yong and watching him sleep. He could only wonder what this memory was going to make Ji Yong remember once he was fully awake. He already knew that often what he dreamt, Ji Yong forgot major details constantly only after seconds of waking up. It was what made it hard for them to get Ji Yong to remember anything.

Watching the ghost remained beside Ji Yong, Gaho settled down to catch up on some sleep of his own—that was if he could even bring himself to sleep. There were some memories and things that he still kept with him. To know that Ji Yong had lost his, he always envied him.

But at the moment he couldn’t help but instead feel sad for him.

Memories had value, they were important—and for so long Gaho himself had always looked down on them. Mainly because not all memories were beautiful and sweet --No, some of the best remembered memories were bitter, sad, and just plain painful- and those were the ones he mostly owned and always wished to forget.

When morning came again, Ji Yong was up and moving around.

Gaho found himself sleepy as he watched him prepare about the day with a bounce in his step and a happy smile on his face.

“Did you remember something?” he asked, curiosity burning deep within him as he looked at Ji Yong for once actually try to fix his hair.

“Remember?” Ji Yong asked the word, tilting his head as he looked at him with confusion in his eyes. “What would I need to remember?”

“Then, why are you so happy?” Gaho gapped, watching as Ji Yong finally just pulled his usual beanie over his head and stood up. He was dressed in simple black clothing from head to toe. Even his shoes were black.

“Don’t you remember? Seung Hyun and I have a date today after rehearsals!” Ji Yong grinned- nice and easy.

Gaho shook, anger stirring inside of him. “You don’t have time to be playing around Ji Yong! You are getting distracted when we should be trying to figure out what to do about you!” he growled, glaring at his charge.

Ji Yong narrowed his eyes at him, “What’s your problem! For once I feel like I can just relax my mind and myself! I feel good! Just leave me alone!” he snapped, and ran out of the room. Gaho barked, as he tried to chase after him but found the door slammed right into his face.

“DAMN YOU JI YONG!”

Daesung, who was brooming the down stairs kitchen blinked, and tilted his head as he heard a scream, and smiled when he saw Ji Yong walking towards the front door. “Good morning!” he called.

“Morning,” Ji Yong grumbled, his anger simmering down. Chip wagged his tail when he saw him and Ji Yong smiled as he petted him. He knew that Gaho was right. That he didn’t have time to play around. But it was either he drove himself mad, being frustrated about not being able to remember anything—or he went out and actually enjoyed himself.

“Is something on your mind? You look a bit mad.” Daesung commented as he placed his broom away and moved to wash his hands.

“It’s nothing,” Ji Yong insisted.

Daesung shrugged, and offered breakfast. Ji Yong, for once, decided that he would sit down and eat at a table and not from something that he had hunted down. There weren’t many things in this world that tasted good anyways.

Once he was done with breakfast, he headed to the theatre. He was a bit late, seeing as even Hyori and Seungri had left earlier.

When he got there, he was amazed to see that everyone were getting dressed, and others were still getting fitted into their costumes. Seungri moved towards him once he spotted him. “Ji Yong! So glad you made it today, here,” he said, shoving a fluffy dress into his arms. Ji Yong nearly dropped it as he looked it over.

“What is this for?” he asked.

“It’s your servant girl dress! Yours was made in a brown shade with a purple tint just to show to everyone in the play that you are not like the rest! That there is something different about you,” Seungri nodded proudly. “You can step into one of the changing rooms to change into it; we are going to be doing a run through of the play with the customs on today. We want everyone to be comfortable in them.”

“Sure,” Ji Yong said, and went to where he was directed.

The changing rooms were labeled, one for males and one for females. Ji Yong entered the one for males, and noted that it was empty. It seemed he was the last one still changing. Dreading, even as he looked at the dress from every angle possible, he didn’t want to wear it. The dress was ugly to say the least.

Pulling off his clothes, he set them aside where he could come and get them later and slipped into the dress. He was glad to find that he could wear shorts under the skirt, which either way was long enough to cover his knees. He didn’t have any other shoes that were given to him, so he wore his own and walked out of the changing room.

The sound of another door opening caught his attention, and he came face to face with Sandara, the one that was going to be playing the princess. She looked flushed, and like she had struggled to put on her gorgeous dress. The dress was designed in pretty reds and oranges, the colors pastel in color and seemed to really suit her.

“Oh, hey!” She breathed, a friendly smile coming onto her face.

He suddenly felt irritated. “Hey,” he said shortly but nothing much more was said as Seungri ran towards them.

“Come on you two! We’re waiting on you!” he rushed, reaching his hand to pull Sandara along. The girl practically stumbled after him and Ji Yong grumbled under his breath as he followed them. The stage was set, and Hyori was discussing final scenes with some of the actors. Ji Yong wondered where Seung Hyun was, and kept searching around for him when finally he smacked right into him.

Seung Hyun chuckled, “Hey Ji Yong,” he said.

Ji Yong nearly jumped out of his own skin. “Hey,” he said, his face going increasingly red as he remembered kissing Seung Hyun. Why was that his first through when seeing him? He nearly cursed himself over it.

“Are you excited?” Seung Hyun asked. Ji Yong gave him a flat look.

“Not in the least,” he said.

Seung Hyun snorted, “Right, you’re probably nervous about having to remember all your lines,”

Ji Yong huffed. He knew enough of his lines- he hoped. After all, his role was not that big. He was mainly that character that the main character loved, but everyone else disregarded. Seung Hyun must have sensed his thoughts because he reached his hand to touch his cheek and got him to look at him.

“Whether you believe it or not, your character has a story line that will break people’s hearts,” he whispered so only he could hear, and then he was being pulled away. Ji Yong watched as the curtains closed, and they were all asked to move into position.

His heart had nearly stopped at Seung Hyun’s words. He turned, and moved out of the stage, to the back, and impatiently waited for his scenes. There was no doubt in his mind that those were the usual feelings his character would feel—because it was probably just as much as his character wanted to be with the prince—that Ji Yong right now wanted to be with Seung Hyun.

All throughout the play, he tried his best to immerse himself into the character he was playing. He thought about what that character might actually feel.

The same jealousy towards the princess- the pain of having to make decisions based on what was right and wrong. All to the point of his characters death scene—all of it actually led him to have a new perspective about his character. He was not sure why, but sadness filled him. A sadness that wasn’t even his own.

As the play rehearsals ended, and he was made to go back to the dressing room, Ji Yong changed, and then waited for Seung Hyun just outside the door. Sandara was quickly out, breathing hard as she once more looked like she had a wrestling match with her clothing. She smiled at him and was about to leave, but he decided to stop her.

“Are you in love with Seung Hyun?” he asked her.

Sandara blinked, looking shocked. “What, I, no” she shook her head, “He’s a good friend, and someone that I like as a friend, but I’m not in love with him,” she shook her head, and tried to remain calm. “Why?” she asked softly.

“I saw the two of you, outside of the theatre together,”

“Oh!” she sighed, and giggled a bit, “That was just rehearsals, I’m already so busy as it is, Seung Hyun was an angel at meeting with me so we can practice our parts,”

“What are you so busy with?” Ji Yong couldn’t help but to allow curiosity to fill him.

“I’m a school teacher. I teach elementary school kids, and let’s just say you’re energy won’t last around so many kids,” She patted her cheeks, and smiled softly. “I love them to bits, and I enjoy what I do, but I’ve also always wanted to act. When I heard about this play I decided to try it out and see what would happen! When I was casted I was so happy and I didn’t want to fall behind, so I called Seung Hyun and asked him if he could help me practice.”

Ji Yong for once felt his mind boggled, and blurted, “You sound old,”

“Huh,” Sandara blinked; face flushing all over again, but this time in obvious embarrassment.”Why you!” she playfully growled, and then sighed as she nodded her head. Amazing Ji Yong that she was not angry at being called old, “Well, I guess dealing with children all the time will make you sound older than usual, I feel like I constantly scold them and yeah,”

“Heh, a school teacher with a passion to act,” Ji Yong smirked.

“Eh, Seung Hyun said the same thing,” Sandara grinned. “There is nothing wrong with that, right?”

Ji Yong blushed, “No.” he returned the smile as well. Sandara really was different from others that he had met. In fact, he was surprised at some of the people he was working with here. None of them were like what he used to think people were. It started to feel like the more time he spent around these people, the less irritated with life that he felt.

“I’ll see you Ji Yong,” Sandara bowed, and left.

Ji Yong nodded his head, and watched her go before he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned around, and was met with a chaste kiss to his lips. “Seung Hyun,” he muttered.

“Let’s go, we have a date, right?” Seung Hyun asked.

Ji Yong nodded, and both of them went on.

Dates, Ji Yong decided, were incredibly simple- but all that much worthwhile because you got to spend time with a person that you actually liked. Out of the dinner that they had eaten, and the movie that they had gone to go watch there was nothing that he enjoyed more than just sitting down and talking with Seung Hyun.

He could listen to Seung Hyun talk for hours. Here in the park, just the two of them talking was simply the best.

Seung Hyun felt like he had talked a lot about himself at this point and wondered things about Ji Yong. He decided to ask something. “So, what is your family like?”

Except when he asked weird things like that- Ji Yong gave Seung Hyun a flat look. “I don’t want to talk about family,” he said. “Tell me more about you.”

“Uh, okay I guess. What do you want to know?”

Ji Yong gave a thoughtful look, “I don’t know, anything that you want to tell me about yourself, I guess.”

Seung Hyun sighed, “Well, I guess the only thing that I haven’t told you about myself would have to be about how I like hearing stories, my brother says I believe everything to easily, but” Seung Hyun shrugged, “They are interesting,”

“What kind of stories?” Ji Yong asked.

Seung Hyun blushed, “It’s embarrassing,”

“Why? Is it that you like reading types of stories?” Ji Yong teased, giving Seung Hyun a leer.

“No,” Seung Hyun scoffed, “and what’s so embarrassing about reading novels?”

“Oh”

“No, I like hearing things like stories my dad tells, stories that aren’t necessarily written down in books. Stories that talk about dragons are especially my favorite ones,” Seung Hyun turned to smile at Ji Yong but faltered when he saw the shocked look on Ji Yong’s face. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Ah nothing” Ji Yong shook his head.

“I know, it’s weird right.”

“NO!” Ji Yong shouted, and then caught himself, “No, that is fine. It’s cool. Do you believe in dragons?” he asked, curiosity filling his expression completely.

Seung Hyun flushed; looking at Ji Yong’s face and then at the ground with contemplated expressions. “I Uh….sorta do, but don’t in a way,”

“Do you or not!” Ji Yong demanded, his hands moving to grip Seung Hyun’s arm.

“YES!” Seung Hyun shouted, before ducking his head. “Yes, okay, I do! I believe in dragons.” He watched in awe as Ji Yong’s breath caught.

“Good, because they are real,”

“Huh.”

“Dragons are real!” Ji Yong hissed.

Seung Hyun watched him for a few seconds before he smiled and asked, “You believe in Dragons too Ji Yong?” he softly asked.

Ji Yong raised an eyebrow, giving him a look like that was the wrong thing to say, “I am a dragon, idiot!”

Seung Hyun wasn’t sure if he should laugh or not. Instead, he leaned in and kissed Ji Yong. The blond didn’t look or feel like any dragon that he had ever imagined- but one thing was that he had to agree. Ji Yong was like a dragon. He really did have the temper and personality for one. “I believe you,” he breathed once he broke the kiss.

Ji Yong hummed, his mind already gone from Seung Hyun’s kiss, “more,” he whispered.

“More?” Seung Hyun questioned.

“One more kiss,” Ji Yong’s tone was slightly irritated.

Seung Hyun obliged him, moving in to press another kiss on his lips. It was chaste, and sweet, but as he moved to pull away, Ji Yong’s hands found his.

“More,” he whispered again.

Seung Hyun leaned in once more, this time pressing for more than just a simple meeting between their lips. He kissed Ji Yong longer, only breaking long enough to catch their breaths and kissed him more, and more.

Unknown to them, walking down the park was Chaerin and a couple of her friends. They had gone to see a movie and it had just ended. They were all excited, and wanted to go to the park and talk about the film before they had to go home. Chaerin had been having a good time.

“Hey look, that couple over there is kissing,”

“Ew, gross.”

“They need to get a room,” Chaerin’s friends kept laughing and going about their own merry way but Chaerin had paused. Sure, she and her friends always made fun of lovey dovey couples, but this one was a couple she couldn’t ignore. Seung Hyun was kissing with that guy from the other day. She couldn’t stay there.

“Sorry guys, something’s come up, I gotta go home,” she said, moving to leave. Her friends were confused as they watched her go.

Chaerin was mad. She was so mad, that she was crying.

Damn you, Seung Hyun!

“Where have you been!” was the first thing that Gaho demanded once Ji Yong got home. The blond haired dragon was floating on air as he came in and didn’t mind Gaho as he moved towards the window. His gaze was at the moon, but his thoughts were all centered around Seung Hyun and when he would get to see him again. “Ji Yong!”

“What is it?” Ji Yong asked when he felt Gaho slam himself into his lap. “Oh right, I brought something for you to eat,”

Gaho was hungry, and he was thankful for the food, but at the moment that was the least of his worries. “Ji Yong, we need to talk,”

Ji Yong sighed, “I know what you want to talk about, but I don’t want to,”

“Funny! I felt the same way when I was also being stupid,”

“Huh,”

“I wasn’t always like this you know Ji Yong! I was an Angel! I wasn’t some animal.” Gaho hissed, “I paid my price for what I decided, for what I wanted. I didn’t think about doing what was right!”

Ji Yong frowned, “I get it, but”

“No you don’t! You don’t seem to understand that your price will be forever to be in this world stuck! You won’t go anywhere from here! You will lose everything and you will become an empty shell that can’t express himself and I don’t want that for you!”

“Gaho.” Ji Yong whispered. “I don’t know what I am looking for,”

 “You know you can’t die!” Gaho snapped.

“I never once said that I wanted to die!” Ji Yong growled in return.

“I know! It’s just that…”

“You never did tell me what it was that happened to you.” Ji Yong softly whispered. “I get it more than you think I do. I know that I have limited time, that I have to regain my memories, but it’s so hard to do that when I myself don’t know how to!” Ji Yong pressed a hand to his forehead. “I feel so at ease with Seung Hyun around, I forget to even think about all the things that I should be working towards. I can just be normal—I have nothing that weighs me down when he’s around.”

“I know it’s hard Ji Yong, but at the same time I guess I wouldn’t understand, but it looks just as painful.”

“Huh,”

“I remember all my memories, Ji Yong.” Gaho sat back, his expression solemn for a puppy, “I remember them all and the pain that they bare, and have even wished to forget them, but looking at you struggling with your memories—it looks just as painful.”

“It’s not more painful than just being frustrated at not knowing who I am, what I am doing here, or what I am looking for,” Ji Yong sighed, “the pressure of a deadline really doesn’t help either.”

“That’s because you are breaking all the rules,” Gaho whispered.

“Huh,” Ji Yong looked at him with wide eyes, “What do you know?”

“Is now so much what I know, than what I realize through being an angel and that is that your existence in this world is already unusual. I’ve asked myself several times over, what has brought you here, what could have happened that now you keep living on an extended life time. You’re not human either, no you are a full fledge dragon. You’re blood is original, never diluted from matings with humans—no you are an old being in this world that shouldn’t be possible at all.” Gaho shook his head. “You’re not from earth, are you Ji Yong. Yet you are not immortal either, are you- just living on borrowed time?”

Ji Yong pursed his lips, but his eyes widened when Gaho laughed.

“Why am I asking you, you don’t even know,” his words were bitter. “What the hell did you do!” he snapped, eyes flashing with worn out anger. 

Ji Yong bared his teeth, “Why are you being so condescending!” he snapped.

“I have an idea as to what you might have done!” Gaho continued as if he had not heard Ji Yong speak in the first place. “Everything everyone ing does is always because of this stupid thing called love! There is no doubt that your own story starts there as well. I have no doubts!!” Gaho cried making Ji Yong sit back and stare at him wide eyed.

Love?

That was a feeling he never talked about even in his own head- something that he rarely contemplated when it came to him. Ji Yong simply had not thought about it in regards to his search. It seemed pointless.

Love—

“Is it the possibility that I might be falling in love with Seung Hyun,” Ji Yong softly asked. Not that he knew what that word really entitled, he was not sure what he meant intirely-- but these were his ideas and his thoughts. His feelings and his own conviction as to what he was seeking-- his own form of peace. 

Gaho gapped. “No,” he whispered. He had not even thought that it might happen. That that could be going on between those two, “Damn love just ruins things! How damned cruel...” Gaho growled, mostly to himself than to Ji Yong. Ji Yong sighed, rubbing his hand against his chest. His heart had tightened and he could feel pain there.

Love—ha ha

Gaho sighed as he watched Ji Yong laugh under his breath. He had met Ji Yong a long time ago. Had been with him for years now- Had watched him sleep years away. Had watched him become wary of the world even more, and deal with things in his own brusque way—and yet, he was proud that the world had yet to break down his charge. In fact just watching Ji Yong push through life made Gaho that much more determined to help Ji Yong win this war with his mind! 

Ji Yong though was tired, he was a this limit- and there was now the pressure of – this is the last time. What memories Ji Yong did have were the ones of his solitude beside Gaho as he tried to reshape his past and carve himself a happy future.

And yet—all he had ever told Ji Yong was that he was his guardian here to help him. He had talked to him about the world as he knew it. Had told him he was an Angel and how that was in regards to being something else. He had talked so much, so much that he had failed to mention anything directly about himself.

“It was just eight years before I had met you when my life ended.” Gaho started, making Ji Yong look away from the moon and turn to him.

“Gaho,” Ji Yong whispered- intending to tell Gaho that he did not have to utter a word of his story.

“Shut up and listen!” Gaho roared, closing his eyes tightly as his memories flashed quickly throughout his head. “Eight years before I met you, I met her, Jolie, and I fell in love with her. That was the biggest mistake of my life,” Gaho breathed hard, “that’s why I am being punished!”

Memories, as much as he had wished to forget them in the past, he was thankful to them now—because now he could tell them to someone else. Now they could be even more real—as he closed his eyes and retold them.

TBC 

Thank you all for your patience as I slowly update :)