“I didn’t even see her smiling at me...” Taehyung mumbled and stared at some point in front of him while diving deep into his thoughts. Meanwhile his companions kept themselves busy with the meal they just been served - “Only that swift moment when she talked about my parents & my current name.” he murmured.

“Huh?” with mouth full of rice and already munching on another lamb chop Hoseok looked at the prince in confusion.

“What are you saying?” Jimin also asked with a risen eyebrow.

Taehyung flinched at the sound of his friend’s voice.

His own bowl and chopsticks still remained untouched – that made him realize that he had completely lost the touch with reality after parting with Oh Miran just a while ago.

“How come she doesn’t smile?” Taehyung asked with furrowed eyebrows and looked at Yoongi with tantrum in his eyes “It’s your fault, isn’t it?” he continued speaking his thoughts out loud.

After these words others focused their attention on what he was saying.

“Ah~? You mean – lady Oh?” Hoseok caught what the prince was talking about. “Why should she be smiling at you?” he added with a smile full of satisfaction after seeing Taehyung’s instantly triggered expression.

“It’s not like you’re someone worth smiling at – you’re just a royal guard. By the function – you’re not someone who she should pay attention to.” Jimin who sat nearby said, ending it with a smug half-smile. “Isn’t it something you planned yourself?” he added.

“Weren’t you the one who told me to not stand out and to not initiate any contact with her?” Yoongi scoffed. “Or should I show her my interest now?” he asked mischievously.

“Shut up – all of you!” the prince couldn’t take the smiles on their faces. They were mocking him… he knew that, but still there was something more than just that.

Deep inside he also realized that neither of them meant him any harm with what they were saying – but still, in terms of showing affection and the right way of pouring his feelings out in front of people other than his mother – Taehyung always felt left behind.

His upper lip twitched as their bold statements were not just simple mockery aimed at him, but precise “back-stabbing” to prove him that the whole idea of disguising as a guard was nothing but a huge mistake.

Instead of listening, Hoesok grabbed his stomach and rolled on the floor laughing “Wah! Our crowned prince is so cute – so manly!” he squealed and sat up with a sudden serious expression. “Do you think that you managed to somehow capture her heart by all those schemes of yours?” he ended up asking.

Taehyung felt like spitting out the food he had just put into his mouth. To not see their faces anymore – he grabbed his bowl and took it out to finish it outside of the cabin.

After a moment of silence - “Yah~! Leave him.“ Namjoon poked Hoseok’s shoulder in a scolding manner “I think he already had his lesson.” he added after the prince left them.

“He’s a fool.” Yoongi stated coldly between bites.

After snorting and breaking into a smile - “Aye… give him a break.” Jimin replied with eyes fixed on the door behind which Taehyung just disappeared. “No matter how contradictory his actions are – I believe that he had a reason to do what he did.” he stated and looked at each of his companions “Now, he simply has to figure out his own feelings.” he added and took another mouthful of rice.

“And how much more time is that going to take him?” Yoongi scoffed. Out of all he hated people being torn and indecisive the most. He also knew that out of four of them his words usually were to hurt the prince’s pride the most even though Taehyung never admitted that.

“I could always see it in his eyes.” Yoongi thought while trying to calm down.

Instead of replying to Yoongi’s scoff, Jimin only shrugged his shoulders. He thought of all those times he heard harsh words coming from the prince ever since they were young.

He knew that it was the self-defense mechanism that Taehyung developed through the years of being lonely. The only way of functioning in front of others the prince knew till they met and the way of behaving Taehyung usually came back to whenever he felt frustrated enough to stop thinking clear.

Jimin thought of how with time and meeting each of the current royal guards Taehyung’s layers unrelieved his true potential. About how much he grew…

Jimin smiled at a thought of his own reasoning in life, the two purposes that kept him going through the last decade. The main one was to take care of his family after father’s death and the second one which with time evened with the first – was to help that precious friend of his find his meaning in life.

To help him experience everything he wasn’t able to since being born inside the royal palace.

Jimin knew that Teahyung was loved greatly by his parents – but that wasn’t enough. By being locked in the palace and groomed for the prominent position of the future king – Teahyung’s early teen personality got damaged quite severely.

He still could remember that even though Taehyung started to follow him from time to time after their first meeting – by looking at their age back then, Jimin was often thrown away by the prince’s demanding voice and straightforward statements.

“You’ll never be like your father!” were probably the most harsh words Jimin ever heard from his friend. Even though it stung his heart, Jimin forgave the prince as he knew that he said it out of anger and sorrow.

It was the time when Jimin himself was supposed to join the initial soldier training course for the army. At that time they were only 14 years old and were supposed to separate for next two years.

“Who would have thought that I would get so attached to that person.” – Jimin thought.

They reunion was also quite a memorable moment. Jimin snorted with disapproval remembering how the young prince used to neglect his presence after his comeback. Both of them changed over those two years. Both grew on the outside and on the inside.

Teahyung’s reproaching expression was sti