a/n: Just wanted to emphasise that in this universe, heteroual and homoual relationships are equally valid and widely accepted. Also, Merry Christmas!

“We will need to break up.” 

Immediately, Yoohyeon felt her heart sink to the depths of the ocean. Was Minji getting rid of her? Tears welled up in her eyes, which did not go unnoticed by the other girl. 

“Yooh! What are you thinking! I meant to say that we are only pretending to break up.” Minji thumbed away the tears from Yoohyeon’s cheeks. “There is no way I will ever break up with you. You are the only one for me. Mine.” 

“What do you have in mind Minji? I don't want to be the person who holds you back. I don’t want to make things any more difficult for you."

"No, I am the one who is making things difficult for you.” Minji was apologetic for putting the girl through this. She knew she was asking a lot from Yoohyeon, who certainly did not deserve it. But sometimes, love is selfish. 

“...”

“Please, Yooh? I know I am asking too much from you. But can you trust me on this?” Minji pleaded. 

“Okay. Minji, you know I trust you.” 

Minji felt a tug in her heart. Yoohyeon was always so trusting when it comes to her. Her love for Minji was always unconditional. 

“I want you to be mentally prepared. I wouldn’t be able to contact you for the time being since my parents might be monitoring my communications. Trust no one else, except for Wooyoung.”

“Can I give you one last hug?”

Minji felt a tug in her heart and opened her arms to let the younger girl to pounce onto her. She allowed herself to melt in Yoohyeon’s embrace.

“Oh, puppy…this wouldn’t be our last hug, I promise. Please wait for me. I will come back for you.” 

==

For Minji’s scheme to work, the “breakup” would have to be public. Very public. This was the only way her parents would be convinced. It hurt Minji but she had to do it for the future of their relationship. Every single word that she said to Yoohyeon felt like a stab to her own heart. 

"Kim Yoohyeon, we're finished." Minji’s voice was cold, so cold that it nearly sent a shiver down Yoohyeon's spine. They were standing at the main foyer of their university, where a small crowd had slowly gathered around the pair. 

Fighting against (fake) tears, Yoohyeon said, "What do you mean! I thought we were happy!"

Minji scoffed. “You are nothing but a fling. I was curious about dating a commoner but I am sick of you. Get this clear once and for all, we’re done.” 

She turned around and walked off, leaving Yoohyeon in the dust.

==

“Ya Kim Minji! Have you gone crazy?” Bora shouted at her the second she walked into Bora's house.

“Give me a break, Bora. It has been a long day.” Minji dropped her bag next to the couch before laying on it, slinging one arm over her eyes.

“Why did you break up with Yoohyeon? Aren’t you madly in love with her? Did something happen?” 

“...” 

“Kim Minji! Do you really need me to knock some sense into you? I heard from Dami that Yoohyeon has been crying the entire day.” 

Yoohyeon was crying? Minji frowned for a second, but she quickly turned expressionless when she realized that Bora was watching her. Unfortunately for her, Minji’s best friend was extremely perceptive. 

“There is something that you are definitely not telling me. I am not stupid, Kim Minji.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Yoohyeon and I are over for good.”

“Frankly speaking, I find this very hard to believe, knowing how crazy in love you are with Yoohyeon. I would be less surprised if it was Yoohyeon who dumped you instead.” 

This triggered something in Minji. “What! I am a very good catch, very perfect for Yoohyeon. She would never dump me!” 

“Oh really, I heard from Dami that she attempted to dump you just recently and you guys patched up not too long ago. There is something really fishy going on between the two of you.” 

Of course Minji could never hide anything from her best friend. Minji signed. 

“Fine. I know that there is no way I can hide this from you but you can’t tell this to anyone. We staged our breakup. This is just a smokescreen to get my Father off Yoohyeon's back. He knows about our relationship. My father wants me to marry Shin.” 

At the mention of that name, Bora’s eyes widened. “You mean Lee Shin?” 

“Yeah, that Lee Shin.” 

“My father was telling me about him. Apparently, the plan is to groom him to succeed his father, Lee Yong, on the Council of Advisers in time to come. With Sansum Industries’ wealth, he is a shoo-in for when he eventually runs for the Council.” 

Much like Minji, Bora was also born to an elite family. She came from a long line of scholars who served past generations of Kings and Queens, acting as their close aides/advisers, providing advice on running the country. Bora’s father, Kim Eunsung, was currently serving as an adviser to the King. While Bora herself was expected to follow in the footsteps of her father, she had shown no interest thus far, which made a black sheep within her family. Instead, her passion in life lay in dancing. Behind her loud personality, was a deeply loyal and honest girl, and Minji appreciated that the most about her best friend. 

“So much for democracy. The Council of Advisers was formed to give people a voice to elect their leaders and to provide a counterbalance to the Royal Family. Now these people are paying their way to get onto the Council”, Minji commented. 

“Minji, you do realise that your very existence is an antithesis to democracy and freedom of choice right?” Bora was, as ever, the blunt one. The one who kept Minji on the ground. 

“Of course I am aware of this. But I still believe that, on balance, a benevolent King or Queen is better for the country than a corrupted democratically elected leader. Is democracy still democracy when one can simply buy their way in? If one day the people decide that they no longer want the Royal Family, then we will leave. Simple as that."

Bora shook her head. “Minji, both you and I know that the reality isn’t as simple as what we like to think. The symbiotic relationship between the Royal Family and the Council is undeniable. We are part of the problem.”

Minji knew. She couldn’t disagree with Bora. She was aware of how privileged she was and how unfair life was. Her eventual goal was to make the system less unfair when she took over from her father. But she also knew that the system was nearly impossible to change. A single push could very well topple the delicate balance of power between the Royal Family and the Council of Advisers. 

==

Now that the entire school campus knew about their relationship, Yoohyeon found herself at the center of the school’s attention, but for all the wrong reasons. She dreaded going to school because it meant being humiliated by people who know nothing about her and Minji. 

"The audacity of this Kim Yoohyeon! How dare she seduce our Princess!' 

"Who does she think she is??"

“Such a shameless . So she thinks she is good enough to date Minji? No wonder Minji got sick and tired of her.”

Yoohyeon was walking along the hallway to her class when she found herself confronted by a group of girls. Yoohyeon instantly recognised the group, which consisted of daughters of elites. The wealthy businessmen and lawmakers of Korea. Among them was Minji. Minji in all her glory. She hadn’t seen Minji since their last hug more than a week ago. So close yet so far. She immediately turned around, wanting to walk away from them. 

“Ya, Kim Yoohyeon.” One of the girls in the group shouted after her. Yoohyeon hastened her pace. She was not ready to engage with them, especially not when Minji was also present.  

“Ya, are you deaf? I am talking to you!” Yoohyeon felt a pair of hands shoving her from the back, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto the ground. Her glasses askew and the books that she was carrying all over the floor. She felt her face burn from the embarrassment. 

“Such a pathetic low-life. You don’t deserve Minji at all. Remember your place!”

Minji stared blankly at the interaction. There was a tiny part inside Yoohyeon that wished Minji would intervene. But she knew she was hoping for the impossible. Minji already told her that they could not be seen interacting in public. 

“Let’s get going, we’re going to be late for class.” That was all Minji said to the group as she turned around and walked away from Yoohyeon. 

Everyone else was looking at her, many with disdain in their eyes. Not a single person came to Yoohyeon’s rescue. Tears were fighting to fall but she refused to cry in front of them. She scrambled onto her feet and picked up her books. 

“Yoohyeon! Are you okay?” Dami, who had heard the encounter, ran over to her. 

“...” 

“Now, piss off before I beat you up!” Dami shouted back at the rest of the group. 

"Dami...don't…" Yoohyeon tried to pull her best friend away.

"How can I let these people get away with saying such untrue things about you! I will first beat them and then the Princess!"

“Dami, please…let’s just go.” 

Her best friend sighed. “I just hate to see you like this. You should have dumped that Princess a long time ago. I can’t believe she treated you like that."

Although their breakup was staged, it was still painful for Yoohyeon to hear those words coming from Minji’s mouth. Yoohyeon also hated that she had to lie to her best friend. 

==

The fact that she was unable to protect Yoohyeon killed Minji on the inside. It took everything in her to not run over to Yoohyeon and scoop her up in her arms. I will get back at them for hurting you, just wait and see. 

“I have brought all these upon her. Now she is hurting because of me. They are abusing her and I have to stand by and watch.” Minji was enraged, her fist clenched. 

“Your Highness, you cannot waver at this crucial time. You need to get stronger so you can protect Miss Yoohyeon."

Minji took a deep breath to steady herself. Yes, she needed to keep her cool and her eyes on the prize.  

“Wooyoung, please get the car ready. I really need to leave this place before I beat someone up.”

==

“Your Highness, now that you have turned 21, it is time for you to become more involved in the day to day running of the country. His Majesty has instructed that I guide you as we go along. From today onwards, you will have to attend the daily morning briefings alongside His Majesty, as well as the weekly meetings with the Council of Advisers.” 

Bora's father, Kim Eunsang, had been entrusted by her father to guide her. Minji sighed to herself. And so it has begun. The responsibilities of running the country was something that she could not escape from. She had been told about this since the day she was born. 

“Adviser Kim, I want a detailed report of each and every member on the Council of Advisers. Every single detail from their networth to the breakfast that they ate two years ago.” 

"Yes, your Highness."

The Council of Advisers is a five member group, consisting of democratically elected officials. To deal with them, Minji would need to know every single detail about all five of them. Information is power. And right now Kim Minji needed power. 

==

Four months had gone by since the “breakup”. Spending time away from Minji had allowed Yoohyeon to focus on herself. Yoohyeon continued her life as usual, busying herself with her part-time job in the cafe as well as her studies, which were welcomed distraction from Minji. She also finally declared her major - Literature. (A small part of her wondered what Minji would think of it. Minji had always encouraged her to pursue her passion in literature, despite Yoohyeon’s concern about it not being a “practical” major.) Given the circumstances, everything was going as smoothly as it possibly could.

Meanwhile, Minji had many things on her plate too. She was getting more involved in the running of the country. With graduation on the cards, she was getting ready to move onto the next stage of her life. Time had blurred. Days had turned into months. It had been four months since she last held Yoohyeon in her arms. But there was no time for her to dwell on those things. Today, there were more immediate things on her plate to worry about. 

Minji was chairing her first meeting with the Council of Advisers. Without the guidance of her Father. It was a chance for her to prove herself, and also a chance for the advisers to evaluate her capability. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. 

The media that had gathered outside the government building was insane. Every news agency was vying for a shot of their future Monarch chairing what would be her first of many meetings with the Council of Advisers. Minji felt her stomach churn as she waited inside her car. 

“Wow, looks like there is already a huge crowd out there.” Wooyoung commented. 

“Showtime.” Minji straightened her suit and got out of the car. She flashed her best smile for the cameras. As she marched into the meeting room, all eyes in the room were on her. Men more than twice her age were staring at her. She fought back the bile rising up as she took her seat in the room. It was the same seat that her Father would usually sit when he chaired the meetings. Kim Minji, you need to stay calm.

“Your Highness, according to a recent survey, support for the abolition of the Royal Family has been on the rise”, said Prime Minister Baek Junyoung. It was well-known that the Prime Minister was a firm supporter of the abolitionist movement. In fact, he had campaigned on this basis during the last elections and had won handsomely. 

Minji willed herself to stay calm. The audacity of him to raise this infront of me. He must think I am weak and Is trying to take advantage of me in Father’s absence. 

“Prime Minister Baek, I have read the report on the survey. The survey was conducted in just your constituency. The sample size of 1000 people is not representative of the nation’s sentiments. If we were to make policies on the basis of a curated group of citizens, this country would be in a dire state. While I have everyone’s attention, I would like to take this opportunity to remind the Council not to distort findings in reports. I do read everything that is sent up to my desk with a microscope. And like the King, I am not afraid to call anyone out.”

The Prime Minister smiled. “Your Highness, since you said that the sample size of 1000 is not representative of the nation, how about we do it on a nationwide scale? The Council proposes a referendum on the future of the Monarchy. After all, as you have said, the future of this nation’s future should be decided by its people.” 

. This is a trap. Minji immediately realized what the wily Prime Minister had up his sleeves. Minji willed herself to stay calm. She had to make a decision now and then. And so she did. 

==

“KIM MINJI, WHY DID YOU AGREE TO THE REFERENDUM? Are you even aware of the risks?” 

The King was livid, to say the least. Minji had just spent the last hour getting screamed at by her furious father. 

“Father, I had agreed to it precisely because I had considered the risks. We can’t continue being passive about this. I am confident that a large proportion of the general public still supports the Royal Family. This referendum will shut down the abolitionists. Hopefully for good.” 

The King sighed. He knew his daughter had a point. “Minji, I am getting older. The future of this country is in your hands. At the end of the day, we don’t accure power just for the sake of it. You must know that it has to be good for the country. I know you wouldn’t let me or the country down.” 

==

Yoohyeon watched the news report that night. Minji in a suit, Minji addressing the Council, Minji fielding questions from the reporters. This was her girlfriend’s current life. The Minji on the television almost felt like a completely different person. This was Minji in her element. While Minji was getting ready to fight for the future of the Royal Family and govern the country, Yoohyeon was in her run-down apartment wearing her PJs. 

The gulf between their two worlds could not be anymore further apart.

With that said, Yoohyeon couldn’t help but be worried about the referendum. Yoohyeon herself (although she was admittedly biased) was a supporter of the Royal Family. It was undeniable that under the rule of the Royal Family, Korea had gone from a backwater country after the Second World War to the industrial power that it was today. Why fix something that wasn’t broken? While support for the Royal Family remained strong, she knew that in some quarters, the abolitionist movement was gaining traction. What if the abolitionists won the referendum? Would it spell the end of the Royal Family? What would happen to Minji? 

==

Campaigning was tougher than Minji had thought. The campaign team for the Royal Family has decided that the Princess herself, Minji, would become the face for the Monarchist movement. She was the future of the Royal Family, the one who would lead the country beyond the 21st century. It meant that she had to tour the entire country to meet voters, to understand their plight and to convince them that the current ruling system remained the best system for the country.  

“Good morning Your Highness, you will be speaking at three campaign rallies today. We will start in Incheon, and then drive down to Busan. We will stay overnight in Busan.” 

Minji nodded as she sipped her coffee. “How were the polls after the debate last night?” 

Wooyoung said, “We’re in the lead by 10 percentage points. You killed it, your Highness. The people love you. Online comments largely praised your performance.” 

Minji shook her head. "We cannot afford to be complacent. We must keep up the momentum. This final week will be crucial."

Minji had to focus. With a week to go, this was the most important referendum in the history of the Korean Royal Family. Failing to win the referendum could spell the end of 200 years of rule for the Royal Family. The pressure of winning the referendum was immense. Winning the referendum would secure the future of the Royal Family and solidify her position. A selfish thought came across her mind. Gaining power would mean being able to choose who she would marry. She missed Yoohyeon. The pressure was immense and she longed for Yoohyeon’s companionship. Yoohyeon was the only person in the world who saw her for who she was and still loved her. She needed to win this, not just for her country and also her future wife.

==

Cling! The cafe door opened. Yoohyeon was just finishing up her closing shift at the cafe when a handsome young man with a bright smile walked into the cafe. 

“Sorry Sir, we are closed for the day.” Yoohyeon politely informed the man. 

“Hi Yoohyeon, I have heard much about you.” 

Yooohyeon furrowed her eyebrows. She didn’t know who this stranger was. “Excuse Sir, do I know you?”

“Please, just call me Shin.” 

Shin? Can he be…?

“Yes, I am that Shin. The person who is supposed to marry Princess Minji.” 

Now Yoohyeon was even more confused. What is he doing in the cafe and what are his intentions?

“What do you want?” Upon realizing that he was the person Minji was supposed to marry, Yoohyeon took an immediate dislike to the man. 

“I guess you can say that I am curious about the woman who has inadvertently caused a war between the ruling class.”

“I am not sure what you mean.” 

“Are you really that innocent? Don’t tell me you have no idea why Minji is doing all these? Waging her little war against the Council?” The man paused and glanced out of the window. “See that black car parked across the street? The men inside the black car are plotting to kill you the moment you step out of the cafe.” 

Yoohyeon felt like she could throw up at that instant. Her head was spinning and her heart was pounding. Someone wants to kill me? 

“What do they want from me? Minji and I have already broken up. I have nothing to do with her.” 

The man burst out laughing. “Come on, do you really think people in power are that stupid? They have eyes and ears everywhere.” 

“So who is after me and Minji?” 

The man shrugged. “Various people. It is obvious that you are Minji’s ultimate weakness. They know they can bring down Minji easily by just getting rid of you.” 

“What should I do? I want to protect Minji.” 

The man scoffed. "You are truly naive. You are a nobody. Protect Minji? You can't even protect yourself. Follow me. I would lure those guys away and bring you to safety."

“How do I know for sure that I can trust you? Why would you offer to help me? We don't even know each other.” 

“You're right, you can’t know for sure whether I am a friend or a foe. It is up to you. All I can say to you is that if you take a step out of this place on your own, you are dead meat.” 

Yoohyeon was at a loss. She did not know what was happening and what Shin's intentions were. If only Minji was around...but alas, Yoohyeon was all alone and she had to decide for herself. 

==

Minji was going through her notes for her speech for the final townhall when Wooyoung barged into her bedroom. This was meant to be the final speech before the referendum went to vote the day after. 

“Your Highness, I’m so sorry to disturb you at this hour but…” Wooyoung hesitated, not knowing how to break the news to his Princess.

“What happened?”

“...”

“Say it.”  

“Miss Yoohyeon has gone missing.”