Jong Kook sat on the throne, Ji Hyo glanced his way discreetly, he looked good as an emperor, she bet if he was the emperor, a lot of women would volunteer to be his concubine. His face blushed as he sat there alone, embarrassed to be the center of focus, and he had rushed the ending. Ji Hyo secretly cheered for his win, she had seem to be helping Jae Suk and indirectly helped him with the win, which pleased her a lot.

Jong Kook happened to look her way, and their eyes met. He gave her a gratitude nod before focusing back on the PD again. Finally, the PD yelled cut and he came down from the throne, Ji Hyo rushed to his side, “Oppa, let’s take a picture again.” she requested, Jong Kook nodded and they took a picture exactly the same pose as the one they had took earlier, when Jong Kook was dressed as the concubine.

Ji Hyo giggled, “I bet someone would make a photo of you and you side by side and it would look so cute! Which one looked better,” letting Jong Kook looked at both photo.

“You looked the best,” an unexpected answer came from Jong Kook and both of their faces turned different shades of pink.

“Really, thanks...you always say the best things.” as both of them walked towards the washroom to change out of their current, sweaty wear. “I am hungry! All these exercise had empty the lunch and the tea break.”

“Me too, wanna go for dinner together?” Jong Kook asked, “I go check with the rest?”

“I .. “ she smiled turned into a frown as she remember her schedule later. “I can’t.. I have to start my drama recording and we are supposed to start at 4am and now it already 8. I have to pick up something, eat and go direct to sleep.”

Jong Kook frowned and stopped in his track, “Ji Hyo ya, take care ok? I don’t want to see you fall sick during your filming. Is your manager here? If not, let Oppa send you home ok?”

Ji Hyo looked around and saw her manager, she sighed inwardly, there went the chance to be alone with Jong Kook, “Yeah, she’s here” as she pointed to the approaching woman.

“Ji Hyo are you ready?” her manager asked.

“Yeah, I just need to change.” Ji Hyo said. Her manager dangling a packet of food in front of her face, “I bought your dinner too. You can have it in the car.”

Ji Hyo resigned to her fate, she waved goodbye to Jong Kook, “Oppa, I see you later.” To her manager, “Come on, I bath at home then. Let me have the food.”  Jong Kook watched the petite woman till she disappeared into darkness. He had very much wanted to spend some time with her, even an hour, but here he was looking at her leaving without him. He resigned to his fate and went to change.

Jong Kook finally rest his head on his pillows, after a simple dinner, he had went to gym for his daily exercise before coming back home. He was very tired and immediately fell asleep.

—-----—-———

“Prince Jong, please woke up,” someone called him, he stirred from his sleep and opened his eyes slowly. An eunuch was trying to wake him up in the most respectful way. He sat up slowly, taking his time.

“Prepare breakfast “ he commanded, then he changed into his princely clothes, he remembered there is a competition with the rest of princes around, Prince Jin, Prince Suk, Prince Hoon, Prince Hee and Prince Kwang. All of them were born of different mothers and today they needed to prove their worth by winning  the set of competitions.

They were brothers and each other worst enemies, but Jong was not really interested in the throne, more to prove his self worth and to a certain someone whom he met recently. A lady, her name, Hyo, was beautiful and apparently her brothers thought so too, the thought felt bitter, if anything, he would win her love, even willing to give up his throne. Life as a Prince was already tough enough.

He arrived at the games, so had his brothers, they snickered at each other and exchanged some insults which are actually funny, it felt familiar, something he couldn't lay his hands on. Lady Hyo was not there, instead, a Prince Hyo was there. Funny, he never seen Prince Hyo before but he found him vaguely familiar. The games were starting, he quickly joined the games, ignoring the new Prince.

The organizer asked them to find a commoner who knew who they were for the first game,  all the princes scooted around, finally finding people who knew them, they quickly reporting back to the organizer only to ask them to get the commoner throwing them balls and they caught it with their head. It was a simple one for Jong, and he got first. Prince Hyo came in the last, and he was penalized for the next game. Jong frowned, he didn’t felt good

In the next game, they each got a hammer, except for Prince Hyo, and supposed to get rid of tags on their head band. Prince Hyo need to find his own hammer, Prince Jong decided to take a back seat, knowing he would win the game. He never thought to actually defeat Prince Hyo although he did try to instigate Prince Hyo defeat. During the game, Prince Hyo hanged around Prince Suk, that had made him slightly displeased. He had this nudging feeling that the Prince should be hanging up with him instead.

He was distracted and end up on the losing team with Prince Hyo. They were made to fight it up on a platform in a muddy puddle. The last Prince would lost the chance to become king. During the break,  he had managed to talk to Prince Hyo, Prince Hyo was standing alone looking bored, the rest of his brothers were jesting around.

“Hi,” Jong had said.

“Hi,there.” A pink blush spread across Hyo’s face.

“Which palace are you from?” Jong asked.

“I am Prince Song Cheom’s son.” Hyo said.

“Prince Song Cheom's? Lady Hyo’s cousin?” Jong asked, too quick and slipped out her name.

“Yes, you can tell right, Prince Hyo and Lady Hyo??” Hyo gave a dry laugh. Jong winced, how can his father confined the same name to them. “I haven't expected the game to be so silly.” Hyo said, changing the topic.

“It had always been this way, “ Jong replied, and they made small talk. Jong felt totally relaxed with Hyo, he couldn't help but wondered would he felt the same with his cousin. If it would, he would be living in bliss every day.

During the games, Jong had felt a sudden alliance with Hyo, when both of them were on the platform, they managed to push everyone off the platform together, then Hyo tried to push off Jong as well, but he did it so lightly, it actually felt more of a gentle touch. In the end, both of them managed to get into the last round, but Prince Jin was forever refused the throne. Prince Jin had protested and stormed out of the games.the rest felt relieved at one less competitor but then it also increased the tension of the game.

The last game was going to be nametag tearing, all of their names appeared on the shirt they wore. Jong had discreetly tore of Prince Hee’s tag while Prince Hee was distracted, Prince Hee had rolled on the floor out of embarrassment, while Jong snickered running off. Finally, it was only Prince Suk, Prince Hyo and Prince Jong were left. They stood facing which other, Prince Hyo had Ben following Prince Suk around, which had made Jong displeased. Both Hyo and Jong had spent the last break happily chatting but during the games, they had not been allies.

Jong rushed to Suk, attempting to remove his nametag, Suk was not an easy target,  Suk too tried to remove Jong’s tag since Jong was in close proximity. Hyo had been trying to help Suk, but he just closed in, which gave Jong the emergency to remove Suk’s tag faster.

In the end, Jong did. The emperor which looked strangely like Prince Jin appeared to confined the next emperor to be Jong, everyone clapped half earnestly, except for Prince Hyo, he was very happy. Jong was embarrassed as he put on the emperor clothes, his face turned red.

Prince Hyo suddenly turned to Lady Hyo, the rest of princes disappeared. Emperor Jong and the Lady was now in a garden, she was looking beautiful. Jong wanted to ordered her to marry himself and became his empress, but before he could say anything, Lady Hyo gave him a smile and walked away. Jong could not find his voice to stop her from leaving and neither his body could move.

————

Jong Kook woke up in cold sweat, feeling desperate that he could not stop his love from leaving him, his heart ached then he felt it was painful, and a drop of tear slides down his cheeks. If Ji Hyo left him as such, he felt his chest tighten, no, if Ji Hyo left him, she couldn't, his world would clumped and he would not have a good enough reason to be happy again. His breath grew shallow at his thoughts, he needed Ji Hyo. He made a new resolve to confess his love to her, if she did not love him, then he will court her until she do.

He do not want to repeat his helplessness as he watch Ji Hyo walked away from him and he had no reason to stop her. He loved Ji Hyo, but if she was not his other half, he can made no demand of her time, at least he could have gone to her apartment for their dinner. No, he would ask her tomorrow for dinner and confess his love or at least declared his courtship to her. With that thought, the sun rose from the horizon and its first Ray shot into his room, a positive sign he felt, as he grinned foolishly

He jumped from his bed and rushed to freshen himself. “Mum, is breakfast ready?” he asked as he sped past the kitchen.

“Jong Kook, didn’t you say 7am? Now like 5.” his mum popped her head out of the kitchen, watching her son ran towards the door.

“Then forget it, i will grab something outside.” he wore his sport shoes, his sport bag on his shoulder. “Bye mum” and the door slam shut. His mum shook his head and went back to the kitchen and start to pack the ingredients.

Jong Kook ran to his car and drove to the gym, hymning his way there.  He stood on his favourite machines, working on his body, focusing on his thoughts, how to send his first message to ask Ji Hyo. After 3 hours, he had gathered all his courage. He took a shower. He sat in his car and took a deep breath and took out his phone, he saw he had new message.

He opened his message, it was from Ji Hyo. “Oppa, dinner tonight?”

He smiled, “Ok, I will pick you up.” he messaged back.

“Oppa, one more thing.”

“Yes.”

“This is a date, our official first date together.” Jong Kook’s heart skipped a beat. What was Ji Hyo saying.

“Our first official date? But I hadn’t asked you out yet.” Jong Kook replied.

“But I did, Oppa, you just needed to know I am going to court you, until you become my  boyfriend.” she replied.

“Where are you?” Jong kook asked.

‘Home.” she answered/

“Wait for me there.” Jong Kook ignited the car engine and zoomed to Ji Hyo place as fast as he could. He rang her door bell, and she answered the door.

“Yes, Mr Kim.”

“Miss Song, we will discussed inside.” he said in a deep voice, unlike his usual high one. Ji Hyo shivered, Jong Kok sounded dangerous and y. She opened the door and let him in.

“Miss Song, I wanted to ask you whether can i court you but you did it first.” he cornered her, and whispered into her ears. He shifted his lips from her ears and slowly reaching for her lips. He gently pressed his lips on hers, Her arms reached for his neck and pulled him closer, their lips now firmly pressed together.

They pulled away, she giggled. “Oppa, if I knew that would make you rushed here to kiss me. I would write the message earlier. Now I am forever ahead of you.” she pressed her lips on his cheeks. “You are forever mine.” she declared her ownership, while marking her marks on his neck.

“Yes, I am yours as you are mine. I love you my Song Ji Hyo.
 

“I love you too, my Kim Jong Kook.”