Sooyoung was waiting for Sungmin with an extended hand. She was not sure why Sungmin stood frozen, but she assumed that the man was not used to wearing female clothing. She really wanted to know more about this person in front of her, so she chirpily re-introduced herself.

"Hello Sungmin-ssi. I am Sooyoung, Siwon's younger sister- well adoptive sister, but were family." She said while hugging her unresponsive brother on the side.

She detached herself then walked closer to Sungmin. She stretched her hand once again for a shake, but Sungmin's eyes were still unfocused.

Sooyoung felt bad at the beautiful man in front of her. He must be traumatized wearing those clothes and accessories on. He shouldn't feel bad though. He looked better than any girls she knew.

She tilted her head and waved her hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Excuse me, are you still there?"

"Huh? I'm sorry." Sungmin said as he was brought back to his senses.

"Uwaa! Even his voice is attractive," she squealed. "Hi, it's really nice to meet you." She extended her hand again.

Sungmin looked at her hands, but it took him moments to process what the girl wanted. His eyes widen when he realized he needed to shake her hand. He quickly looked back at Sooyoung, who was anticipating his next action, so he reached for her.

"Oh what the heck! Let's hug." Sooyoung said.

She pulled Sungmin's stretched hands then suddenly hooked her arms around the confused man. She hugged him tightly without suffocating both of themselves.

The unforeseen action made Sungmin more uncomfortable than before. They barely know each other, so why was she hugging him? However, the embrace felt oddly familiar. There was a buried memory in Sungmin's head that was trying to surface.

He closed his eyes and savored the moment. He let his arms wrap around Sooyoung's torso as he tried to remember where he felt it before. His mind was blank, but something warm was spreading from his chest. A familiar, yet forgotten pleasant feeling.

"There, isn't that nice?" Sooyoung asked when she broke the embrace. "That's how westerners greet each other. I'm sorry if I shocked you. I'm just so used to it."

Sungmin shook his head. "It felt nice actually," he admitted.

From the moment he realized that he was the former princess, he instantly loathed Sooyoung. He was not sure what happened in the past, but she was the person whom Kyuhyun loves. It was normal to feel angry and envious of her. After meeting her personally though, he cannot find a single flaw to her personality. She's very cheerful and friendly. She warmed up easily on him. Maybe, that's the same reason why Kyuhyun likes her.

"Sungmin," Siwon called for the umpteenth time. "You look wonderful tonight." He complimented while he was still in cloud nine.

"You're scaring him!" Sooyoung warned. "Can't you see he doesn't want to wear these clothes?"

Siwon looked at her, finally joining them in the real world. "But I'm just telling the truth." He looked back at Sungmin with full adoration. "Besides, you really look fine as a princess."

"Yes. Oppa is right," Sooyoung agreed. "You really look good, so don't worry about your appearance. I'm sure no could tell that you're a man."

"You really think so?" Sungmin asked.

He was really nervous and did not want to appear before the people outside, but with Sooyoung's words, he instantly gained courage.

"I am one hundred percent sure. Really! I even thought that you're an actual princess. I'd be happy to be your servant today."

"Servant?" Sungmin repeated.

That was it! Sooyoung was Princess Minsung's personal servant in the past. They must have been very close back then before Kyuhyun appeared in their lives.

Hangeng was helping with the last-minute preparation when he saw Sungmin's back leaving his room. He assumed that his friend was already finished changing.

He wanted to see him as a girl, but he still needed to make sure the kids would behave in the lounge. When he was done helping to serve the kids, he immediately went back to his room. He saw one of the female staff walking away from his room. "Have you seen Heechul?" He asked the girl.

"The one with scarred face? He's inside."

"I see, thank you. Can you find Sungmin and tell him that the kids are already waiting for him."

"Sure," she said as Hangeng opened his door. "Oh, don't be too surprised. I'm just warning you." She added with a wink just before leaving.

"Surprised? Why would I be surprised?" Hangeng thought.

He opened the door wider only to see the room pitch dark.

"Heechul are you here?"

"Hangeng?" Heechul squeaked.

With Heechul's scared voice, Hangeng suddenly worried. What did that girl do to Heechul?

"Are you okay?" He asked as he the lights. He saw Heechul's back facing him. Heechul was bent, obviously hiding something. "Heechul," he gently called once again.

Slowly, Heechul turned around. He pulled his hoodie and revealed his face to Hangeng.

"Who are you?" Hangeng asked.

Heechul scoffed before answering. "Is there any Heechul in this room? I'm still me. This is just make up," he said as he waved his hands on his almost unblemished face.

Hangeng did not answered as he closed the door. Then he walked towards Heechul with a straight face. He only stopped when he was a step away from Heechul. He cupped Heechul's face with his hands and tried to rub off the makeup that covered the scar.

"What are you doing? You're ruining my look. I want to go out and see Sungmin." Heechul complained.

"The Heechul I know doesn't need this to go out and face the world," Hangeng said as he kept on removing traces of the makeup. "You are perfect just the way you are."

"You don't understand I-"

Heechul was cut off by a pair of soft lips. Hangeng had had enough of Heechul's blabbering. He had to explain why Heechul didn't need to cover, erase or remove his scars, but sometimes it is just hard to speak with him. He also had enough of Heechul telling him that he don't understand, or that he's too naive. He was so fed up that he kissed the man. Yes, that would shut Heechul- kissing him on the lips. Maybe if he add some tongue, he would be able to hush the man a little longer. Hangeng never thought that shutting up Heechul would be this satisfying.

Wait. Did he just kissed Heechul?!

The impulsive act from Hangeng shutdown Heechul's mind. He blinked several times until he completely closed his eyes and tasted the moment. He welcomed Hangeng's muscle openly and completely. He didn't know that Hangeng didn't like it when he cover up his imperfections. He even got mad. Heechul would be glad to upset this man, who was doing wonders with his tongue and mouth, anytime just so he can experience this again.

However, the pleasurable feeling was gone when Hangeng pulled away.

"I- I'm so sorry. I was not thinking-" Before he could even explain his rash action, Heechul pulled him again for another searing kiss.

From this moment on, they had a silent and mutual agreement to shut each other with a kiss.

Although Sungmin refused Sooyoung's help, the former servant persisted on helping, so Sungmin ended up agreeing. When a staff told him that the children and their parents finished eating and were already waiting for his arrival, they all left the storage room.

Sooyoung giddily held the train of Sungmin's cape as the man slowly tread the hallway. Siwon kept his princely poise while escorting Sungmin, even if he was carrying his sister's hot pink purse with rose decoration. Everyone who saw them bowed down as a respect, even those who didn't know them. Sungmin and Siwon doubtlessly had the aura of true nobles.

When they arrived at the second floor, the parents stood up, as well as the children. Everyone gasped, even the staff. They never saw anyone as majestic as the sight in front of them. All of them even applauded because of their overwhelming feeling.

It took a little more while before everyone stopped awing and clapping, and when they did, Sungmin formally started the event.

"Good evening my faithful subjects," Sungmin said as part of his performance. He even did a graceful curtsy to complete the act. "Welcome to our Public Bi-annual Storytelling event. I wish that everyone would take pleasure in our small gift. Everyone, please take a seat."

Siwon helped Sungmin to sit down while Sooyoung made sure that his clothes would still look appealing while he's seated. When they were done, Siwon stood next to Sungmin's right, while Sooyoung took one of the nearest cushion available next to the throne.

"You never know when Sungmin would need assistance," she thought.

"As a tradition, we let one of our audience to select a book they want to hear," Sungmin gestured to his left. "that person could choose any book inside this treasure chest. Who wants to volunteer?"

Sungmin looked around the quiet room. No one raised their hands except for Sooyoung. She eagerly raised her right arm while animatedly pointing at herself.

"Me, me! Pick me." She kept on saying in a hushed tone.

Sungmin didn't have any choice, so he picked Sooyoung.

"Yay!" She cheered.

Sooyoung quickly stood up and went to the chest. She opened it and saw varieties of book. She was not sure what to choose, so she just grabbed the most thick one. The longer the story, the longer the event, right?

Without looking at the book, she sauntered back to the throne and handed Sungmin the book. She curtsied and excitedly returned to her seat. Sungmin was just amazed how much energy this person had.

He looked at the book handed to him and froze. He tried to look around to locate a staff. Who placed this kind of book here?

"Is there a pwobwem pwincess?" a child asked.

Sungmin had to smile to cover up for the slight problem.

"I'm afraid we have to pick a new book. I believe my helpers placed a wrong book in the pile." He explained. Right then, the nearest staff approached him and retrieved the book.

"The Little Mermaid?" the female staff said as she read the cover. "Oh I see." She was about to walk away when the children protested.

"We want that stowy pwincess. Pwease wead it fow us." They collectively said.

The staff looked at Sungmin for his decision.

"I guess this children would hear their first tragedy ever," he thought. He extended his hand and asked back the book. "Okay, who's ready to learn about the original story of the little mermaid?" he asked. Every child eagerly raised their hands. Sungmin had to take a deep breath before continuing. "Here we go."

The Little Mermaid dwells in an underwater kingdom with her father (the sea king or mer-king), her grandmother, and her five sisters. Her five sisters are each born one year apart. When a mermaid turns 15, she is permitted to swim to the surface to watch the world above, and when the sisters become old enough, each of them visits the upper world every year. As each of them returns, the Little Mermaid listens longingly to their various descriptions of the surface and of human beings.

When the Little Mermaid's turn comes, she rises up to the surface, sees a ship with a handsome prince, and falls in love with him from a distance. A great storm hits, and the Little Mermaid saves the prince from nearly drowning. She delivers him unconscious to the shore near a temple. Here she waits until a young girl from the temple finds him. The prince never sees the Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid asks her grandmother if humans can live forever if they could breathe under water. The grandmother explains that humans have a much shorter lifespan than merfolks' 300 years, but that when mermaids die they turn to sea foam and cease to exist, while humans have an eternal soul that lives on in Heaven. The Little Mermaid, longing for the prince and an eternal soul, eventually visits the Sea Witch, who sells her a potion that gives her legs in exchange for her tongue (as the Little Mermaid has the most enchanting and beautiful voice in the world). The Sea Witch warns, however, that once she becomes a human, she will never be able to return to the sea. Drinking the potion will make her feel as if a sword is being passed through her, yet when she recovers she will have two beautiful legs, and will be able to dance like no human has ever danced before. However, it will constantly feel like she is walking on sharp knives and it will feel as though they must be bleeding. In addition, she will only obtain a soul if she finds true love's kiss and if the prince loves her and marries her, for then a part of his soul will flow into her. Otherwise, at dawn on the first day after he marries another woman, the Little Mermaid will die brokenhearted and disintegrate into sea foam.

The Little Mermaid drinks the potion and meets the prince, who is mesmerized by her beauty and grace even though she is mute. Most of all he likes to see her dance, and she dances for him despite her suffering excruciating pain. When the prince's father orders his son to marry the neighboring king's daughter, the prince tells the Little Mermaid he will not because he does not love the princess. He goes on to say he can only love the young woman from the temple, who he believes rescued him. It turns out that the princess is the temple girl, who had been sent to the temple to be educated. The prince loves her, and the wedding is announced.

The prince and princess marry, and the Little Mermaid's heart breaks. She thinks of all that she has given up and of all the pain she has suffered. She despairs, thinking of the death that awaits her, but before dawn, her sisters bring her a knife that the Sea Witch has given them in exchange for their long hair. If the Little Mermaid slays the prince with the knife and lets his blood drip on her feet, she will become a mermaid again, all her suffering will end, and she will live out her full life.

However the Little Mermaid cannot bring herself to kill the sleeping prince lying with his bride, and she throws herself into the sea as dawn breaks. Her body dissolves into foam, but instead of ceasing to exist, she feels the sun; she has turned into a spirit, a daughter of the air. The other daughters tell her she has become like them because she strove with all her heart to obtain an immortal soul. She will earn her own soul by doing good deeds and she will eventually rise up into the kingdom of God.

When the story ended, Sooyoung was drenched with tears. The children, however, were furious.

"That's not how the stowy goes." A boy complained.

"Yeah. The mewmaid mawwy the prince and they live happily evew after." A girl concurred.

This was what Sungmin dreaded. He tried to avoid it, but he only listened to the children's request. Now, he had to appease and calm them down before they revolt and trash the place.

He sadly closed the book and looked solemnly at the audience.

"Although the prince and the mermaid did not had their happy ending together, the mermaid willingly sacrificed herself to make the prince happy. Seeing the person you love would also make you happy. Besides, not all story have a happy ending." The children were about to complain one more time, but Sungmin reacted faster. "However, this is where our imagination takes place." He paused so the children could digest his words.

"What do you mean?" a kid asked.

Sungmin beamed before answering. Great. He still have the children's attention.

"We would change the ending to our own liking. Who would want to try?" with his suggestion, only one raised his hand. "Yes, you little boy in the back. Can you share your ending to us?"

"Instead of foam, she turned into a snow, and made herself a snowman then they lived happily evew after."

"Great suggestion!" Sungmin complimented. The boy blushed upon receiving a good word from the princess. "Any other ideas?" Sungmin inquired. This time, almost all of the kids raised their hands. Each of them wanted to be called and complimented by the princess. "How about you?" Sungmin pointed at the girl in the front row.

"I want the mewmaid to turn into a sea. Then, if the pwince take a stwoll on the beach, she could send big waves and dwag the pwince into the sea with her."

Sungmin was taken aback with the girl's imagination. He did not know how to respond, so he just smiled. However, his silence only prompted the other kids to narrate their own version of the mermaid story. In no time, the whole second floor became loud.

Sungmin was running out of ways to calm the children down. Fortunately, Siwon came to the rescue.

He clapped his hand loudly to get everyone's attention.

"I have an idea," he started. "She felt the sun then turned into a daughter of the air, right?" Siwon paused as the children nod their heads. "What if the sun was a prince, who helped her reach her dream to have a soul because he saw her sufferings and wanted to help her? Then when the mermaid reached the kingdom of God, she met the prince of Sun. They fell in love and live happily ever after. How's that?"

With Siwon's charm, and ability to capture hearts of the people, everyone clapped. He smiled at his perfect job and turned his attention to his own princess.

Sungmin was looking at him with mixed emotions, but Siwon only saw his gratefulness. He disregarded Sungmin's heartbreaking expression.

The event ended successfully with the children contented and their parents thankful. The staff also left one by one after Sungmin told them that they cannot take any kind of photo or recordings of him. Siwon and Sooyoung, on the other hand, stayed for dinner. Sungmin invited them to eat the remaining food left before leaving.

He was wondering where Heechul and Hangeng went, but he cannot just leave his guests alone. To spend their time, Sooyoung told Sungmin all the stories she could remember, everything that happened in America. Siwon also joined their conversation. While having a great discussion, they did not realize how long they were talking to each other until Hangeng appeared.

"Sungmin!" he called. When Sungmin faced him, he forgot what he was about to say. "Wow."

It seemed like no one could really resist his beauty. Thankfully, Heechul appeared just in time.

"Sungmin it's eleven o'clock already. Are you- What are you doing here?!" Heechul shrieked at the sight of Sooyoung. "No. There's no way she could have gone through that portal. No!" Heechul panicked in his head.

Although Hangeng didn't know why Heechul overreacted, he was certain that these two people should be out of the library before midnight strikes. It was him, who politely asked Siwon and Sooyoung to leave.

"But I want to stay longer." Sooyoung protested.

"No. You. Don't." Heechul threatened.

When Sooyoung clearly saw Heechul's face, a familiar fear rushed through her. She stood up and instantly grabbed Siwon's arm.

"Right. I think we should leave." She said as she kept her eyes glued on Heechul. She nervously looked at Sungmin and bid goodbye. "It was nice meeting you Minnie oppa. I'll come back again." With that, she hurriedly left with her brother.

They walked back at the lobby with Hangeng and Sungmin following behind. While walking, Sooyoung saw the statue.

"That statue looks familiar." She said. Siwon looked too and examined the figure.

"Yes he does."

"That's Kyuhyun's statue from the famous legend." Hangeng explained. Sungmin guardedly jabbed him to tell that he should not say anything.

"Kyuhyun?" Siwon repeated. "That name sounds familiar."

Heechul coughed from behind them, and when Sooyoung saw his face again, she forcefully dragged their bodies away.

"He's really scary." She cringed.

"Who? Heechul?" Siwon replied.

"The man with face full of scar is Heechul?"

"I believe that is his name."

"I should avoid Heechul at all cost then."

"Why?" Siwon asked out of curiosity.

"I just don't like him." Sooyoung shrugged.

"That was close." Hangeng commented.

"Where did the two of you went anyway?" Sungmin asked.

"We just settled our differences." Heechul explained.

There's no need to go into full detail. Sungmin would survive not knowing about the kiss. In fact, after the kiss, they just really confessed to each other and planned to keep their relationship as a secret for Sungmin's benefit. They don't need to make the other man jealous nor divert his attention to them. Sungmin had enough worries of his own.

"I'll go first. I need to go check around the library. I'll go and switch off the lights too." Hangeng excused.

"I have to go translate the remaining scrolls. I'm almost done, so I'll try to finish it right away." Heechul said as he tried to escape too.

The couple did not wait for Sungmin's answer and just left whilst holding hands. Sungmin did not notice because he was too preoccupied with the thought of Sooyoung.

Now that Sooyoung appeared in the picture, what would happen to him? Was the time enough for Kyuhyun to fall for him, or would he end up sacrificing like the mermaid?

He looked outside the lobby and thought of every possible scenario, most of them were not on his favor. Right now, his only hope and choice was to keep Kyuhyun and Sooyoung from seeing each other.

"Who are you?" A stammering voice sounded behind Sungmin. Sungmin turned around and saw Kyuhyun alive.

"It's not midnight yet." Sungmin whispered.

He was scared. He was not planning to show this look to Kyuhyun, who clearly hates the princess. He didn't need to offend him, especially with Sooyoung as a threat. Why would Kyuhyun turn back into a human so sudden anyway? This is not right. He needed to run and hide, but Kyuhyun was already slowly walking towards him.

The library was still well lit, so Kyuhyun was able to see Sungmin's horrified face. He could understand the man's predicament. He was relentless and cruel to the princess and openly expressed his hatred towards her in front of Sungmin. Sungmin probably doesn't want Kyuhyun to see him like that, but Kyuhyun can't even feel any form of disgust or hatred towards him. In reality, he was feeling the opposite of it.

He wanted to tell Sungmin not to be afraid, but he can't choose the right words to say, he didn't even know if he had any sound left to voice out his thought.

He chose this, right? He wanted to see Sungmin as Minsung, so he could find a reason to hate him, but why is it not working? Why is he finding it hard to breathe? Why he can't take away his eyes off him? Why does his heart betraying him?

"Sungmin."

He wanted to say more, but words cannot express what he's feeling right now.

As he took a step closer, he could feel his body a little bit lighter, his movements more effortless, his heart more warmer. He never felt so alive since after the curse.

He held Sungmin's face and leaned closer. Sungmin had enough sufferings. He wanted to erase those fear in his eyes, but how? He leaned a little closer, so close that he could feel Sungmin's tingling breath. Sungmin shut his eyes, and Kyuhyun imitated him. A little bit more and their lips would touch, just a little bit more.

"Minnie oppa?"

Credits/Reference:

The Little Mermaid summary - Wikipedia (Thank you very much for creating this wonderful site for lazy people like me)

a/n:

So... what do we have here?

A more than 4000-word update just for you guys?

Why am I making longer updates?

Why am I asking too many questions?

I hope you're happy for Hanchul. At least there's something to be happy about, right?

PS: If you guys forgot, on Chapter 14, Siwon was known as Prince of Light since he resided in the east. You know what he was implying about in the story then.^^