Daehyun’s POV

“Daehyun, what are you doing here?” Mom asks as soon as I walk into her room. She knows when I walk in even if she’s not turned around.

“I want to stop this wedding,” I firmly say.

“You know that that’s not going to happen now, right?” she asks as she shuts the book that she’s reading and turns to look at me.

“It has to,” I firmly tell her. “I don’t like Jieun.”

“You two seemed to be getting along well at the meeting.”

“But that was the meeting,” I tell her. “That wasn’t anything like real life and it was only because we were surprised to see one another.”

“You two are in the process to get married in less than one week,” she states. “There can be nothing done about it.”

“Unless I don’t show up,” I mumble.

“What was that?” Mom asks.

“Nothing,” I say shaking my head. “I don’t like Jieun, though. I don’t know why I have to marry her.”

“What are you planning on doing then?” Mom asks.

“I want to date Sophie, speaking of,” I say actually remembering the reason why I’m in there. “Where is she? Where did you make he go?”

“I didn’t make her go anywhere,” Mom simply sates. “If she’s not here, she left on her own.”

“Impossible,” I say. “You’ve must’ve done something to her that made her want to leave. Sophie would never just pack up and leave.”

“There are a lot of things about Sophie that you don’t know,” Mom says as she gets up and leaves the room. “I have to go finalize some more wedding materials.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not going through with this wedding?” I ask.

“You can tell me all you want, it’s not going to make a difference.”

As she’s about to walk out of the room, I go over and stop her. “You have to had done something, Sophie just wouldn’t leave.”

“Maybe she would.”

“I think I know her a bit better than you do, six years more in fact. Sophie also knows me better than you even do.”

“Jung Daehyun, let me just tell you this one more time,” Mom sternly says as she turns and walks a short distance to stand right in front of me. “You should learn a couple of things about Sophie before you start blaming me for your life.”

With that, Mom leaves me standing there dumbfounded. What does she mean that I have to find out things about Sophie? I already know things about Sophie so what does she expect me to do? Confused, I walk out of her room and head back to my own where I sit at my desk.

Sophie just wouldn’t pick up everything and leave, right? Why would she in the first place? I told her that I’d stop this marriage and I told her that I like her. She even told me that she likes me back. Why would she leave?

Being confused and attempting to find something that would answer me, I end up surfing the internet. However, the only thing I see is mostly about the upcoming marriage. Everything I see involves something with the marriage or involves something with me. Some people wonder how my life was like for six years when I was in America.

All of the titles seem normal until I come across a strange one. “‘Are Jung Daehyun and Sophie Karp Dating? Is Marriage with Jieun Fixed?’” I read aloud. I click on the title and read the article. In the article, there are pictures of me and Sophie together and I don’t know how they got them. They’re pictures from when we were in America together, before I dyed my hair and when everything was normal. That’s when I spy the most recent picture in the article; it’s one at her parents’ funeral with her and I together. I guess now since everyone knows I have blonde hair, they all know that it was me at the funeral.

Reading through the article, I see that many people think that Sophie and I are together and that Jieun and I are just an arranged marriage, maybe because I sort of discretely announced that part, but now a lot of people are starting to say bad things about Jieun saying that she split up Sophie and me. Quite a lot of people also say that they like Sophie and I together more than Jieun and I.

Getting tired of reading everything, I close the window. What am I supposed to do now?

Sophie’s POV

“So, what does your letter say?” I ask L.Joe. Without saying anything, L.Joe simply hands me the letter and I begin reading it as we sit on his couch.

You are the son of two people, two people who have helped this country and your country greatly. It is terrible to see those people gone, but know that we will always be here for you no matter what you need, that includes when you are in great danger. We here advise you live a secret life, change your name, runaway, and do not draw attention to yourself. That is the most important part; people are looking for your blood.

“Such a terrible letter, right?” L.Joe asks attempting to lighten the mood after seeing my face. “The person doesn’t even write their name.”

“Why did you say your letter wasn’t important?”

“Did I say that?” he asks attempting to think.

“But I mean, whoever wrote this letter is saying that people are looking for your blood. Could it be like those people that came up to us before?” I ask thinking back to the incident.

“That was a little while ago,” L.Joe states, “no one has come since then and I highly doubt that anyone will.”

“But you never know,” I sternly tell him as I cross my arms.

“Moving on, what does your letter say?” he asks. I take out my letter and begin reading it.

“You are ours,” I say as I begin reading. “Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise, but you are ours. Everything that we have is everything that should go to you. You do not belong anywhere else besides here. There are people looking for you, but you do not deserve to be found. People want you, but stay hidden from them for they do not have good intentions.”

“What letter is that?” L.Joe asks grabbing it out of my hands and looking at it himself.

“It almost sounds like yours,” I say thinking about it. “I mean, the letters are basically telling us to stay hidden.”

“Like a hermit crab,” he says as he places the letter on the table. “But we’re not going to be hermit crabs and stay in the house. I’ve been going around ever since I got here and ever since I got the letter.”

“But don’t you think that we should take it seriously?” I ask looking at the letter. “It seems pretty serious.”

“It just might be someone wanting to play a prank on us.”

“But why would they play the prank during our parents’ funeral?” I ask.

“Because they probably knew that we wouldn’t be in our right state of mind to question,” L.Joe says as he turns to look at me. “Sophie, just listen, there is no one attempting to get either of us, alright?”

“The letters seemed pretty serious, though.”

“Just forget the letters, alright? I’ve forgotten them a long time ago.”

I sigh and look at L.Joe. “I guess I’ll forget about them,” I mutter, but I know I won’t be able to. I know that I won’t be able to forget the letters, not after that type of translation that we had gotten.

“Plus, that translator guy turned out to be a total weirdo,” L.Joe says with a bright smile. “Did you hear that story of his? What was that about?”

“I don’t know,” I say shrugging my shoulders and feeling a bit better about the whole thing now that he’s brought up that Lay guy being strange because he really as strange. “It sounded like a fairytale story.”

“It did, which is probably where he got it from.”

“Yeah,” I say nodding my head.

“Hey, are you hungry?”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Are you hungry as in do you want food?” L.Joe asks emphasizing each word.

“I could make something; do you want me to make something?” I suggest.

“Let’s go to the grocery store, why don’t we? I don’t have that much here.”

“Okay,” I say nodding my head. “I’ve never been to a Korean grocery store before.”

Daehyun’s POV

After turning off my computer and lying down on my bed, I realize that I didn’t do the most basic thing when searching for Sophie. I didn’t call her. “Idiot,” I say hitting myself in the head while I find my phone.

I unlock my phone and dial her number, but she doesn’t pick up. I keep trying, but there is no answer. What is she doing? Is she really not answering her phone? Did something really happen to her? A whole bunch of thoughts run through my mind and I don’t know what to do anymore. A knocking at the door causes me to snap out of it.

“What do you want?” I ask Hyosung as I open the door.

“Mom wants you down for dinner. We’re apparently eating together as a family tonight.”

“Tell her I don’t want to,” I say as I’m about to close the door, but Hyosung sticks her foot in before I can close it.

“Look, Mom told me to get you. There’s apparently something important she wants to talk about.”

“I don’t care what she wants to talk about,” I angrily say.

“Just come, pretend like you’re happy, and then you can vent as much as you want,” Hyosung says suggesting a compromise.

“I highly doubt that that’s going to happen,” I say.

“Just come down or else you’re going to give me no choice,” Hyosung says as she opens the door even further and starts dragging me by my arm.

“It hurts, it hurts,” I complain as I barely manage to get my arm out of her grasp. “Let me just do one thing, alright? I promise I’ll be down then.”

“Promise?” she sternly asks. “I’ll stand right in your doorway not letting you go.”

“Go ahead,” I say as I go onto my bed and get my phone to text Sophie.

Sophie, are you okay? I didn’t see you all day and now your stuff isn’t in my house anymore! If my mother made you move out I swear she’ll never hear the end from me. I told you I would fight to stop this marriage and I am, so why do you have to leave? I don’t understand. I’m going crazy here. Please just let me know that you’re alright; let me know that you’re not dead or anything like that. Give me some sign telling me that you’re alive. Please. I’m worried sick.

“Are you ready?” Hyosung impatiently asks.

“Sure,” I say slipping my phone into my pocket and following her downstairs.

“Glad that you guys finally decided to join us,” Mom says as she stares at Hyosung and me sitting down.

“Yeah, you better be happy,” I mumble. I sit next to Youngjae, who is already happily eating, and Hyosung sits across from us with Mom and Dad sitting on opposite sides. Tonight we’re using the smaller dining room instead of the large table where no one can see or hear each other.

“Long time no see,” Youngjae jokingly says as he turns to look at me with a smile.

“Yeah,” I mutter as I begin eating some of my food. I look at my parents, but it doesn’t seem like they are making any attempt to even talk or do something. Finally, the dessert gets delivered and before my mother starts, she looks at all of us.

“Well, as you all probably know, I have something to discuss with all of you,” Mom says.

“Does it involve my marriage?” I ask. ‘If it does, I don’t want anything to do with it. I’m not going to get married to Jieun, never.”

“It’s something else,” Mom says sighing. “It’s something that’s jeopardizing your marriage.”

“Then leave it go,” I say shrugging my shoulders as I begin to eat dessert.

“Daehyun, where is Sophie?”

“I already told you earlier that I don’t know,” I angrily say. “Why are you looking for her now? You’re probably the one that made her leave.”

“Because this involves you and her,” Mom simply states. There is no beating around the bush with her.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“The whole nation believes that the marriage is a fake and you and Sophie are dating.”

“There was one article,” I say rolling my eyes. “Not everyone can believe that from one article and the marriage is fake.”

“Well,” Mom says as she begins to clarify. “It’s causing an uproar that we need to settle.”

Sophie’s POV

“It looks like a regular grocery store,” I say happily looking around at everything.

“Were you expecting a difference?” L.Joe asks.

“Maybe, there have to be some things that are different,” I say.

“Well, there are always the outdoor markets,” L.Joe says. “Do you want to go there?”

“We can go there another day,” I tell him with a smile.

“So there’s another day that you want to go shopping with me, right?” he asks poking me in the shoulder. I roll my eyes and don’t answer as I begin walking around. “So, what are you going to make?”

“I don’t know, what do you want me to make?” I ask as I begin looking at everything. “Do you have a favorite food?”

“Anything with meat is alright with me,” he smiles brightly.

“Anything with meat,” I repeat in an attempt to think about what to make. “Chicken? Spaghetti? Pizza?” I ask in an attempt to try to think of something that’s easy and quick to make. “Breakfast foods?”

“Breakfast foods?” L.Joe asks in curiosity.

“Breakfast foods,” I proudly state. “Let’s do that.”

“You want breakfast for dinner?”

“Why not?” I ask as I make my way down an aisle. “Let’s see, we need pancake mix. Can you show me where it is?”

Suddenly, my phone rings. L.Joe and I both look at my pants pocket. “Aren’t you going to answer it?” he asks. I take it out to look at it, but quickly ignore the call and place it back into my pocket. “Are you sure you aren’t going to answer it?” he asks.

“There’s no need to answer it,” I say dismissing his question. “Now, where is the pancake mix? Do you have bacon or milk at your house?”

“It’s Daehyun, isn’t it?” L.Joe asks in an attempt to figure out who was on my phone instead of helping me prepare tonight’s breakfast.

“It doesn’t matter who was on the phone,” I say when my phone begins ringing again, but this time I don’t even bother to look.

“Why won’t you answer it?” he asks.

“Why do I need to?”

“He probably found out that you left by now,” L.Joe states. “He’s probably freaking out over thef act that he doesn’t know where you are.”

“Then let him freak out, okay?” I ask. “He has to get married. I’m not going to break up a marriage. He’s the prince; a marriage like this has to happen.”

“Then why aren’t you standing by him like a friend?”

“What?”

“You guys are best friends and you guys said you have been for a very long time. Instead of standing by him during this marriage, you ran away and now you’re living with me. he was your friend before you knew he was the prince, but you ran away.”

“But because he is the prince, our friendship changes, don’t you know?” I ask forgetting the pancake mix and heading towards things that are easier to pick out like bacon and eggs. “He’s getting married and it’s to Jieun, too. She’s nice and she seems like queen material. I don’t seem like any of that.”

After giving up the conversation, L.Joe helps me find all of the ingredients that I’ll need to make the breakfast. Even if it’s simple, it’s one of the best things that I know how to make. I still have to learn how to cook other foods, though. As L.Joe and I are walking down the street, I think about his words. Maybe I am just ditching Daehyun and leaving him stranded and I shouldn’t be doing that.

“Sophie,” L.Joe says suddenly grabbing onto me. I turn and face him. “Run.”

“What?” I ask, but before he can answer me, L.Joe pushes me forward with the groceries in hand. Like I’m told, I begin to run, but I don’t know where I’m running to. “L.Joe, how long do I have to run?” I ask after a while looking behind me, but immediately stop in my tracks. “L.Joe?” I ask looking around. “L.Joe, where are you? Don’t play a trick on me.” No matter how many times I say it, though, it seems like he really isn’t around. What just happened?

Daehyun’s POV

“So you mean to say that people think that I’m dating Sophie?” I ask.

“Of course and we need to set the record straight,” Mom says.

“Why do we need to set the record straight?” I ask. “I like the record as it is.”

“What are you talking about?” she asks. Youngjae, Hyosung, and Dad are now watching Mom and I with intent eyes wondering what our next move is going to be. “Jung Daehyun, do you like Sophie?”

“And what if I do?” I ask. “It doesn’t really matter whether I like Jieun or not, does it?” I ask.

“Of course it matters, she’s going to be your wife in the future.”

“No she’s not,” I say rejecting it once again. “There’s no possible force that you can make me do that, plus, if you make me marry Jieun right now with this scandal, than people are going to say that the royal family has no recognition of others feelings.”

Hearing Mom sigh in defeat kind of makes me happy. Quickly, she gets up and slightly hits her hands on the wooden table. “As of right now we’re going to delay your wedding then until everything can get worked out,” she says before she leaves the room. “Once everything gets solved, though, you’re going right back down that aisle.”

Once Mom leaves, Dad also follows her, but not before he gives me a quick smile and thumbs up. I’m guessing that he approves Sophie or me standing up to Mom, but either way, I’m happy right now.

“You better make the right choices, little brother,” Hyosung says giving me a serious look.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Yeah, you better or else my skills were wasted,” Youngjae interrupts.

“Wait, your skills were wasted? What do you mean?” I ask as the things start to click in my mind. “No way, don’t tell me.”

“That we were the ones that put up that article and make face accounts and made a fuss about the whole thing?” Hyosung asks finishing my sentence.

“But why?” I ask. “Why would you do something like that?”

“To help you get out of the wedding,” Youngjae says smiling. “Noona told me how much you didn’t want to be in it and how much it seemed like you liked Sophie.”

“We came up with the plan together. I thought that creating a scandal could give you a little more time,” Hyosung says with a bright smile. “You better pay me back in the future.”

“Don’t worry, noona, Youngjae,” I say smiling at the both of them, “I definitely will.”

After dinner, I retreat into my room and lie back onto my bed. Just a while ago, it felt like I wasn’t going to get anywhere, but thanks to Hyosung and Youngjae, I just might get somewhere. Now, only the big thing, where is Sophie?

As if by magic, my phone suddenly starts ringing. “Hello? Sophie?” I ask picking it up and immediately sitting up on my bed.

“Daehyun,” Sophie says panting.

“Sophie, are you alright? Where are you? Why are you panting?”

“I need you to help me,” she says in between pants.

“Help you? Help you with what? I’ll help you with anything,” I frantically say in attempting to figure out where she is.

“I don’t know where I am, and I’m afraid, Daehyun, I’m afraid.”

“It’s alright,” I say quickly standing up and finding my jacket. “Just tell me what’s around you, I’ll help you, I’ll save you.”

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What happened to L.Joe? What will happen to Sophie now? What were the messages behind the letters? What will happen between Daehyun and Sophie? How will the wedding go now?

Here is Chapter 17. Hope you enjoyed :D