Donghae surprises Eunhyuk when he steps out of the shadows of the fourth house that Donghae discloses to be an important official’s. He gapes at the prince, who is carrying a silky pack on his shoulders. Donghae’s eyes are stormy, b with a hundred words, but Eunhyuk is hesitant so he does not ask immediately.

Luckily for him Donghae is actually a brash person, saying anything that pops into his head. Donghae beats him. “I’m running away. Take me with you.”

At first, Eunhyuk failed to register his words. So Donghae repeats them, this time, louder and insistent, like a little child begging for his parents to buy a limited but popular toy.

Eunhyuk moves his body to cover Donghae’s mouth. “Are you crazy?” He whispers harshly. Donghae steps back, his eyes defiant. He removes Eunhyuk’s hand from his mouth and steps forward, knowing that this is the closest he’s been with another person. “I can read. I can write. I have plenty of riches. Just let me join you.”

“Your Highness, I’m very sorry to say this, but you’re a fool,” Eunhyuk deadpans. He turns away from Donghae and starts to walk.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Donghae asserts and follows Eunhyuk. His lips start to turn upward without him knowing.

“Don’t be a dead weight,” Eunhyuk says to him. For some reason, Eunhyuk cannot find it in himself to turn this prince away.

“Yeah, yeah…”

~

When morning came, the members scrutinized the sudden arrival of the prince. They watched Donghae nervously, but he doesn’t ask for anything or demands for something better. He just accepts the bowl of brown soup that Eunhyuk handed him, and sat on a log. Everyone ate in silence, stealing small glances at him.

Donghae slurps the soup in no time. “This is the most delicious soup I have ever tasted!” He declares.

Eunhyuk fights back a laugh, but his eyes are crinkling with amusement. Donghae thinks that he has a beautiful smile, but he keeps that to himself.

Leeteuk almost slaps Eunhyuk when he finally got him alone. “Are you-do you want to die?!”

Eunhyuk flinches.

“Convince him to go back,” Leeteuk commands with a steel tone that Eunhyuk has never heard. It makes him want to crawl under a rock.

Donghae laughs at something the others were saying, but his eyes go to Eunhyuk, who has a dark expression. The other man sits beside him, his shoulders slumping. Donghae knew that these people would not easily accept him, but he’s planning to work hard so that they can be friends with him. What he’s asking for might be impossible, but at this point, he just wants to spend some more time with Eunhyuk.

Donghae leans forward and catches Eunhyuk’s gaze. He offers a smile, and Eunhyuk immediately reciprocates.

“Is something wrong?” Donghae presses.
Eunhyuk freezes under Donghae’s kind eyes. It makes him want to spill everything to him. “Nothing,” Eunhyuk struggles to say. His throat seems to constrict. “Um, do you want to come with me?”

Donghae couldn’t even ask for more. “Of course.”

~

Walking beside Eunhyuk, even though they have not uttered a word together, is very exciting to Donghae. He’s been wanting to meet him, get to know him, and now that he’s here, he can’t quite believe it. While the people around him thinks that Eunhyuk is a criminal, he thinks that Eunhyuk is the people’s hope.

“So, we’re just going to go around to hand out breakfast,” Eunhyuk explains. His tone is gentle, unlike the rough voice he uses when he’s around the members.

“Where are we getting the food?” Donghae asks, curious. “What about the others?”

“There’s a house in the outskirts of the main center that prepares in bulk. The girls there leaves two barrels just for us,” Eunhyuk replies. “And the others would meet us there.”

Donghae nods. “You guys have a good system.”

Eunhyuk sighs, and grabs his straw hat from his back. He adjusts it on Donghae’s head. “What are you really doing here?”

Donghae averts his gaze and bites his lip.

“You don’t have to tell me if you can’t,” Eunhyuk finally says. He places his hand on Donghae’s back and leads him to their destination.

~

Donghae helps Eunhyuk drag the barrels to the section of the capital that is the most impoverished. It was two huge barrels, and can feed many people. He feels guilty for the food that he throws away or did not finish. If one bowl can suffice for these people, he should not complain about what food is served.

His heart could not take much of what he is seeing. This is the reality his people are facing. They are living in rundown houses, and clean water would be a gift. They are wearing rags, and their shoes are made of straws. They don’t have much of rice or bread, and they have to work all day just to have a taste. There are little kids who are malnourished, and they learn to become troublemakers just to survive a day.

He feels at fault.

After giving out the breakfast, Donghae starts to wander around. He hastily wiped something off his eyes, but it keeps coming. He shakes his head.

“Donghae?”

Donghae turns to that soft voice, and saw Eunhyuk, standing awkwardly. He scratches the back of his neck, and looked at everywhere but Donghae.

Donghae sniffs and turns his head away shyly. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Eunhyuk steps closer to Donghae. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Donghae clears his tightening throat and lets out a shaky breath. “But my ignorance, and not being able to do anything for my people...it is my fault.”

He feels Eunhyuk’s worn fingers wiping his tears away tenderly. The breeze blows by them, softly rustling the dried leaves from the ground. Some of them rose up, only to fall in circles. He hears children laughing nearby, women gossiping with each other and an old poem being recited. He can feel the rising sun on his skin. He doesn’t smell the overwhelming scent of flowers and incense that the palace harbors. They are replaced with oak and grass and burn wood.

Donghae somehow feels free.

With Eunhyuk’s patience, he gathers himself.