Breakfast was like a military operation. Choi Seunghyun was wearing his usual pitch black suit with white shirt and a pink apron over it. He served his four guests pancakes, cornflakes, coffee and tea – well whatever they desired really.

Jinwoo and Seunghoon sat across from them each beheading their eggs like how the Red Queen would have, while they observed Taehyun and Mino with identical amused expressions.

They both pointedly ignore each other and the members found it extremely exhausting to keep up about when one of their push-and-pull games ended and when the new one started. They noted that their youngest was behaving oddly. Usually, when Taehyun was pissed, he would just lock himself up in his own room until he was ready to face the person. However over here, he just crossed his arms and smiled politely. It was the hurt kind of smile. Of course, he blatantly refused to acknowledge the guy beside him.

Whereas for Mino, they noticed he would just get angry and become unbearably childish,  very choding-like. From the way the guard spoke to him, they knew that on normal situations, the prince was definitely not like that. Something have set him off and they wondered if it had anything to do with their maknae. They also wondered what Seungyoon had to comment about their maknae’s behavior.

It was Seunghyun who finally brought up the topic for the day, cutting the awkwardness that was like a giant elephant in the kitchen.

“Since we are all going to be stuck here for a while, why don’t we go out? There is a festival at Jungangdong. It will help ease the tension a bit, I think?”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Jinwoo nodded immediately, looking at the youngest. It would probably be better to drag all of them out rather to have them be all moody and brooding inside. Who knows what else might happen inside.

“Do you think it is ok for us to go? Will it cause a ruckus?” Taehyun asked.

“Jungangdong has about eight hundred citizens. They are used to diplomats, kings and queens visiting their village. They are used to it.” Seunghyun answered as he served the prince his eggs.

Mino looked really uneasy at the idea, “Hyung, are you sure about this?”

“Well, it is not as if you all will be alone, you know.”

As if on cue, a couple of bodyguards entered into the kitchen with their usual black sunglasses but instead of their usual black suits, they were dressed in cheesy Hawaiian shirts that informed everyone about how they lacked a decent fashion sense.  

The three Winner members looked at them with varying degrees of shock, disbelief and panic all rolled into one.

“Inconspicuous.” Seunghyun emphasized.

“How your dynasty even managed to survive until this day is completely and totally beyond me.” Seunghoon looked at Mino as he made the remark and then promptly proceeded to behead his egg.

~~~~~~~~~~

As the prince personal guard, Kyuhyun knew it was part of his job to know and worry about the nitty gritty even though he was not physically there with the prince. He knew how things got complicated when the crown prince passed and how his ward struggled with the sudden change and to accept the fact.

Therefore, when he received word that Jinhwan left for Jeju, he quickly got into damage control hoping to avoid any further misunderstanding. He knew it was unfair to both parties on how prince Minho was acting and how the prince should have handled the issue more delicately and with greater care but he remained first and foremost loyal to the Crown but he hoped this little nudge will help.

“Please send Hanbin over to the Summer House immediately. Tell him to follow the plan as per what it was discussed. Yes, thank you. Goodbye.”

~~~~~~~~~

It was evening when the group finally left the Summer House to head towards the festival.

Tourists had already gathered in the village but they were mostly from different parts of the island. Some were clad in their traditional Korean outfits. There were many vendors with all sorts of food and trinkets, children running around, people taking pictures, laughing and talking all under the starry night sky.

“Jinwoo hyung and Seunghoon hyung, let’s all ease off the makgeolli. Don’t drink too much please?.” Taehyun literally begged s.

Mino huffed as he watched them bounced from vendor to vendor, “Some things don’t change do they?”

“You are seriously a very unpleasant fella.” Seunghoon narrowed his eyes at him.

Seunghyun could not help but smile at how they got along. Mino glared at the guard.

“Maybe I am just more grown up than Taehyun.”

“More gown up than Taehyunie? Believe me when I say no one is more grown up than Taehyunie. Well maybe Seungyoon but I have seen how you both argue, Minho choding.” Seunghoon could not help but snorted.

“I am your prince…”

“So what? You are not on the throne so for now you are just an unpleasant fella. Taehyunie, I see makgeolli over there!” Seunghoon rolled his eyes before both members pulled their youngest along.

“They are funny.” Seunghyun commented.

“Which of them are you referring to? Seunghoon? I am sure he is.” Mino glared at the amused expression of his guard. He continued to follow the three members with a dark glare everywhere. Seunghyun could not help but notice how the prince looked like a little boy who kept staring at the cookie jar but at the same time knowing fully well that he can never reach inside and take whatever he wanted.

“Look, they sell hoodies too! I want and need a new hoodie!” Jinwoo exclaimed before they headed to the store.

Then it happened when they stood at the said store looking at the various hoodies designs. They were leaning over examining them pulling up to take a better look when Mino noticed it. Lots of people obscured his view and it was already pretty late into the night but still he could see. A family, an elderly man, some drunken group and someone stood there in the moving crowd. A man in jeans and a dark blue shirt with a black baseball cap, his hands were tucked into the pocket of the black leather jacket he wore. The man just stood unmoving in the midst of the constantly moving crowd.

Mino could not make out the feature of the man but he could feel his stare on him or was he focused on Taehyun instead. He could not be one hundred percent certain and sure.

A loud shot sounded in the distance, Mino almost jumped towards Taehyun. When he realized that someone started shooting some fireworks.

“Minho-goon,” He heard Taehyun’s voice next to him but Mino only listened half-heartedly, still annoyed for whoever was the idiot who started those damn fireworks.

“Gave me a heart attack.” He growled out.

“Nothing happened.” Taehyun’s voice told him again.

Still feeling unease, he continued to scan the crowd. He spotted some Japanese tourists, a young couple on a date and some school children. However, he could no longer spot the man.

Where is he?

“Minho-goon...” It was then he realized he was holding the younger and as usual he was trying to push him away but to no avail.

Mino’s worried gazed wondered back Taehyun who was staring back at him. Strangely enough, he seemed to understand the situation and stopped struggling.

“Minho…?” Taehyun asked but it was a mixture of a question and something else altogether.

It almost slipped off his tongue…Nammie… Just almost…

The fireworks started again and once again startled, Mino pulled Taehyun closer to him. He knew the younger was about to say something but then he spotted some movement.

The man wearing the black leather jacket and the black baseball cap, he stood in the middle of the crowd of people, raising his hand and was holding something in it.

Then came more fireworks and in between their sharp crackling sounds, one particular cracking noise that Mino knew all too well.

He ducked immediately and instinctively, pulling Taehyun down with him.

His other members protested but Seunghyun was quick to step forward and ducked them both down.

Another sharp crack sounded.

“Are you alright?” Mino asked Taehyun worriedly holding on tight to the younger's hands.

“Fine. I am fine.”

For a moment Mino did not believe him, there was those moment when you cut yourself and it would not hurt or feel anything because you were still in shock. Then you will look down at your finger and see the seemingly small cut and only to realize, as the blood oozed out, it was not just some small harmless cut.

Taehyun really did look fine, no sudden appearance of blood. He touched the side of the younger’s neck. Warm, alive, good heart beat even though it was a bit erratic.

“We have to go now.”

In the background, Seunghyun and the Hawaiian shirts were in panic mode and searching.

“What is happening?”

“I will explain it all to you later but for now, we need to move.” Mino said as he got to his feet and pulled Taehyun with him.

“Mino…” Taehyun let slipped and called his nickname.

Mino leaned towards him and let the little boy in him came out for a split second. His hand wandered up from the side of the younger’s neck to his cheek as he leaned close enough for their noses to touch.

“Just trust me.” He whispered softly.

Mino could see how his eyes widen and pupils dilate as he recognized what just came out of Mino. Then Taehyun firmly nodded.

They began to run with the younger holding tightly onto Mino’s hand as he led them through the throngs of people in the midst of the bright and sparkling colors of the fireworks, the smell and the noises around them. He looked over his shoulder at Seunghyun who clearly knew what was going on and clearly indicated he knew what to do as he followed behind with the other members.

A car caught them, black with flags on it. Mino all but shooed Taehyun in and Seunghyun got in with the rest and was talking frantically into his blackberry.

“What happened?” Jinwoo asked still confused with the whole encounter.

“Someone shot at us.” Seunghyun stated, as he quickly punched the buttons of his blackberry.

“Someone tried to kill us?” Jinwoo asked. He was surprisingly the most calm out of the entire lot.

Taehyun was suddenly glad that Seungyoon was not here with them. Else, it would have been a different kind of panic reaction altogether.

“So am I right to assume Siwon hyung’s death was not an accident? Was that the guy who killed him?” Taehyun asked as the realization hit him.

“I don’t know. We are not sure about that yet but we need to leave here. It is definitely not safe. How did they know, hyung?” Mino asked worriedly.

“I have no idea. I really don’t know.” Seunghyun confessed. He punched the buttons of his blackberry again but then lifting it to throw it against the backrest of the driver but Seunghoon calmly reach forward to retrieve the phone and then putting on the guard’s lap.

Seunghyun bit back a curse that was threatening to spill out of his lips as he stared at his phone, “Thank you.” He replied trying to sound as polite as he could probably muster with his current state of mind.

“So what do we need to do now?” Seunghoon asked.

“We need to return to Seoul first thing tomorrow. We have different and better capabilities and expertise there. Plus I need to speak with my parents. Something like this cannot happen again.” Mino said as he stole a glance at the younger guy.

“It is all my fault.” Seunghyun immediately proclaimed. “I did not correctly access the security risk posed and thus endangered all of us. I will officially step down from my post once I reach the main office.”

The car stopped. Seunghyun immediately opened the door and left but not before bowing to the prince and his friends before he walked away.

“It was not really his fault right? He can't be serious.” Jinwoo asked to no one in particular.

“Well, technically…”

“There was no way he would have known. Seunghyun hyung always does his job correctly and well. He couldn’t have known.” Taehyun said.

“You are protecting him again.” Mino accused as he got out of the car.

“No, I am not.” Taehyun followed behind him.

“Yes, he is not and you are just being jealous.” Seunghoon echoed.

Mino his heels and growled, “And I am not jealous! We are leaving first thing tomorrow. Pack your stuff.”

Once they entered into the main hall, several things happened at once. Out of all the several things, the most surprising one, was when Hanbin appeared seemingly out from nowhere, not even so much as sparing a glance at Mino and just moved towards Taehyun and hugged him, “I missed you so much!”

Mino stared, Seunghyun stared, Jinwoo stared, and Seunghoon stared while Taehyun whacked Hanbin to get him off from the suffocating hug.

“Just what do you think…?” Mino was all ready to pounce on him just as Taehyun managed to fight Hanbin off.

“What are you…?” Taehyun asked but was interrupted not only by a voice greeting them but also Hanbin’s panic stricken face. 

“Hello.”

Like an apparition, clad in a skinny jeans and a checkered blouse and wearing a pair of red ankle socks, Kim Jinhwan decended down the stairs looking like a male model as he glanced around at the people. Trailing behind him was Seungyoon looking all ready to give s a piece of his own mind.

Jinhwan took in the shocked faces with a look of surprise of his own.

“Did I miss something?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Hihi back with an update... like i said the drama is starting... i hope you guys like it... haha only 1 comment for 80 over views from the last chapter... wow that reader must have liked it so much to read it so many times.... this is what i call DEDICATION *kekeke*... haha anyways let me know your thoughts if you have any..