Prince Mingyu was in a wonderful mood. He was settling in quite greatly in his new home. It has a great view of the lake, had a lot of apples, meaning an unlimited supply fit for his liking, and of course, he had the mansion to himself.

But he would never admit that one of the reason of his delightful state was the presence of a fair skinned boy with a long hair.

And if anyone asks him why he brought the boy into his mansion, he would just brush it off, make a lie, or not say anything at all. Because his reason was a selfish one and something he himself can’t understand fully. Contrary to the mass’ speculations that Jeonghan was there so he can be punished, it was because of something more self-centered. To calm the weird tug and to satisfy the unreasonable pull he was feeling towards the boy.

Of course, there were some instances where he can be called cruel, especially on those midnights, when he comes up with the demand for the boy to cook for him. He was not gluttonous prince; like the boy would mutter the moment he comes to his room, his hair disheveled and his sleeping robes all crinkly. His unreasonable demand for apples when he first met him was simply powered by his annoyance when his servants lied to him to cover their incompetence.

He calls the boy at night, to see him, observe him, to follow his instincts.

To simply put it, his current object of fascination was the boy whose way of thinking the Prince can’t seem to grasp.

Considering that, he should already not be surprised when he found Jeonghan red faced and flushed with fear  when he was exceptionally happy and smiling just a while ago when he turned  to him just after passing through the academy’s gate.

But it greatly bewildered him. Unconsciously, the Prince’s eyes flickered immediately around the area looking for some kind of danger. He pulled the boy away towards the shade of the tree with more force than he intended to. Acting on instinct, he moved his body to act as shield.

“What’s the mat-“

The boy slapped away the hand tightly holding his elbow and choked a sob.

“Please,” the boy looked at him with pleading eyes. “Not now.”

The day was still meant for exploration of the academic grounds but the Prince believes he is already adapted. He already strolled around area, greeting each unexpecting commoner he meets with a slight bow (He believes it is good for his image as a Prince). Now, he was practicing his skills on an empty hall. Yet he was intensely distracted. Each flare of his fire reminding him of the smell of burning hair.

Finally, he decided that he shouldn’t wait anymore. He stood up and followed the metal ball he retrieved from his pocket. It was actually a two-way compass, an information he decided not to tell Jeonghan

On his way there, he was met with a girl with fire red hair, wearing an especially short dress. He immediately noticed the red band on his right arm. He gave her a polite smile. One expected from a prince.

The girl bowed at him. “It’s a great day today, Isn’t it? It surely is a fine weather for a casual stroll.”

He remembered her from a ball the Royal Family once hosted. She was Lady Nayeon, a Red Gem from the City of Flagroz.

“I’m sorry. But I have more important appointments to attend to.” The Prince answered shortly as he bowed his head lightly.

He found Jeonghan alone at the tree, the same one he was sitting on the day before.

“Jeonghan!”

The boy was surprised with his name being called. He immediately went down looked at the Prince questioningly.

“I’ve been calling you.”

Jeonghan suddenly jolted as if woken up from a reverie. He dug up from his robes the sphere that was now warm. He looked at it guiltily. It then shifted to the Prince, his gaze looking almost too pitiful.

“I apologize deeply Prince. I’ve just been… distracted.”

Prince Mingyu scoffed. “This is the second time. If you don’t have anything better to do than slack off then you’re better off uneducated at the mansion.”

The Prince was waiting for him to snap at him like he always do after being reprimanded yet it didn’t come. Instead, the boy was looking around but him—his eyes shifting from left to right.

 Suddenly, as if remembering something, the boy’s hands went up to his hair in an attempt to cover it. “Please don’t burn my hair again.” He pouted.

The Prince was caught off guard by the action. The boy was surely not being himself. He reminded him of a kitten, one he has always wished to possess

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.” The Prince said instea

“I’m sorry… but a mentor just asked me something… an errand,” Jeonghan bit his nails. “Yeah… an errand. I can go by myself later.”

“I highly suggest that you think over who you are serving for.” He said to him as he threw him his bag. “Let’s go.” He then turned around without waiting for his response.

His distance was a good 2 feet away from Jeonghan who was stalling behind him yet he can feel the boy  shaking. He looked backed at him to see him looking at Jaewon with alert eyes and if Prince Mingyu’s not mistaken, with a hint of fear in his eyes.

Prince Mingyu mounted up the horse the same time Jaewon walked towards Jeonghan. From the corner of his eyes he watched the two interact.

“Had a good time at school today?”  he asked Jeonghan who was then scowling at the stable boy. “Let me help you with Prince Mingyu’s bag.”

“There is something… important in that bag.” Prince Mingyu interrupted stiffly just before Jaewon can take a step closer to Jeonghan and reach his hands towards him.

“Come here and give it to me.” The Prince ordered the long-haired boy who then immediately made his way at the side of the royal horse.

“Actually, make yourself useful and hold that beside me during the ride.” The Prince added when Jeonghan held the bag in front of him like an offering. The boy lowered his hands and looked at him questioningly.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and mount the horse.” The prince said finally but without meeting his eyes.

Jeonghan felt a great sense of relief with the given order.

The prince was certainly not a smooth horse rider. He was speedy and reckless. Like when they meet a turn on the rocky road, the prince would stretch it out and turn his horse the last second, or when they meet a bump ahead, the prince would not avoid it like any sane horse rider, rather he would intentionally guide his horse there. Jeonghan figured that the Prince love the adrenaline, the risk and the speed.

 Yet Jeonghan felt very safe even if he was swaying and bouncing behind the Prince. He looked back behind him, and surely Jaewon was nowhere in sight. He figured they were quite ahead by such a long distance.

At one moment, immediately after they almost missed a turn and Jeonghan was so sure they’d crash against the trees, they were met by a fallen bush. He thought that surely the Prince was not too stupid and he would stop for a second to find a way around the it. But he was wrong. The Prince even increased his speed. Jeonghan had no other choice than to close his eyes and hold on to the Prince’s waist. In no time, they were flying, eliciting a loud shriek from him.

“You are such an idiot! What the hell are you doing!?”

Suddenly the horse halted in the middle of the road prompting Jeonghan to shriek again after his body was thrown forward from the suddenness.

“What did you just say?” The Prince turned back to him as if he can’t believe what he just accused him.

“You are an idiot. Who even drives a horse like this?”

Prince Mingyu scoffed in disbelief. “That’s rich. Coming from someone who doesn’t even know how to make a horse move.”

“I was ing scared.” Jeonghan yelled at him with more emotion than he intended to. He wasn’t meant to say that. Yet he was tired of the confrontation—of all the things that happened that day. Somehow it felt like he was not only talking about the horse incident, but also what happened earlier that day. He badly wanted to tell someone about Jaewon, about the fact that he doesn’t feel good and that he badly needed to puke and that maybe he should have done something to show Jaewon that he’s not someone he can mess up with.

Somehow the Prince seemed to realize it also with the way he looked at him.