chapter soundtrack:
kang chung ya - yoon chae young

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"Your Highness?"

What a perfect way to ruin the day completely. 

His burning skin gave him pain, but he managed to control his expression. He may looked calm now, but his stare still looked cold, as usual.

"I... Your Highness. I apologize. I didn't see you there, I was fixing my shoe strap, and the— it seemed like the coffee cup wasn't covered well so it splashed... when I... accidentally bumped into you." The woman explained quickly, but by the end of her words, her voice getting lower and lower until it came as a whisper. "I'm sorry. Truly sorry."

She bit her lip, taking something from her bag. It was a handkerchief. Sooho could tell how panic she was by the way she's looking at his now wet and stained shirt. If only she knew how burning hot her coffee was.

Her right hand which held the handkerchief was trembling, reaching out to Sooho's chest. 

"Let me..."

"No, it's fine." Said Sooho, taking a step back. "It's fine." He said it once more to make sure the woman got him. 

"I'm sorry... Your Highness." The woman took back her handkerchief, and took a deep bow. Her long dark hair was hanging low onto the ground. 

Sooho bowed his head a little before leaving the woman, "It's okay. I'll get going. Have a good day."

Even after he walked away, he could hear the woman grumbling to herself, "Eun Youngro you dumb girl! How could you— God. What is wrong with you?!" When he turned his head a bit to peek at her, she was fixing her coffee cup while entering the elevator. 

He sighed. That day had completely ruined anyway. 

❄️ 

He wasn't going straight to the studio, thanks to the woman who splashed his body with her hot coffee. He entered the nearest restroom to check on how bad his shirt was with the stain... okay, it was that bad. Bad thing he chose to wear a white shirt that day. Sooho took his phone out of his pocket and clicked on the quick dial button number 2. It didn't take long, less than 2 seconds and the person accross the call already picked up the phone. 

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Hyung," Sooho clicked his tongue, "I got a coffee stain on my shirt. I need to change."

Lee Kangmoo, his personal assistant, left out a low chuckle in response. "How bad is it? Well, no matter how bad it is, you need to change. You always need to appear neatly and properly. Where are you? I'll get inside and bring you some new fresh clothes. White shirt for today, right, Your Highness?" The man asked.

Sooho massaged his temple lightly. "Anything. If you have black shirt with you, just bring it to me as well. I'm at the men restroom, west wing, ground floor."

"Your studio and classes are on the east wing, though." Kangmoo added. "How about the pants?"

"They're safe."

"Wait, really, what's going on with your clothes though? What happened?"

Sooho left out a long sigh, and coughed as he saw a student enteed the restroom— eyeing him for a second before turning away and minded his own business. Anyone here wouldn't dare to stare at him too long. Sooho was sure that boy was curious on what happened to the Crown Prince's shirt since it looked terrible with the coffee stain.

"A cup of hot coffee. Spilled on my clothes."

Kangmoo left out a small "Whoa..." and Sooho could see in his mind, his personal assistant was grinning accross the line. "Got it, Your Highness. Give me 3 minutes, I'll be there."

"Thanks." Sooho cut the phone call and put his phone back to his pocket. 

Lucky I got Kangmoo with me. 

Sooho, as a crown prince, for sure was being guarded 24/7, everywhere and everytime. He used to have a couple of guards around him, following everywhere he went. Especially when he was in public. Hell, even the guards entered his classroom during his school years. However, since he graduated from high school, he requested to his father, the King, to lower down the guards and asked for some space. That's why he loved his days during college years. All the guards were only allowed to stand by outside the campus building. 

Lee Kangmoo, was an exception.

He was one of Sooho's closest friend since they were child. Kangmoo was the only son of South Korea's chief of police department and they met when Sooho was around 6 years old. Kangmoo's father oftenly came to the palace to attend monthly meeting with the King and Kangmoo would come with him. They first met that time during summer when Kangmoo was lost inside the palace, and little Sooho helped him find his father. The boys became friend and getting closer since then. When they grew up, Kangmoo went to police academy, became the youngest member of special force, and later hired by the palace to be Sooho's personal assistant + his bodyguard.

Sooho didn't like to see him as a bodyguard though, he felt like he could protect himself and he never wanted Kangmoo to sacrifice himself for the sake of Sooho. 

Kangmoo was just like an older brother figure to Sooho. One of few people who Sooho believed. That's why, Sooho allowed him to wander around iniside his college, talk freely and casually to him, and let him loosen up unlike the other guards.

His phone buzzed, he got a message.

[David] DUDE where are you

[David] All of us are already at the studio, we will start once you arrived

[Eungcheol] Take your time, Hyung <3

[Hanna] Come quickly I want to go home soon!!!!

Sooho is typing...

Sooho couldn't help but smile as he read his close friends messages. 

[Sooho] Some stuff happened. I'm at the restroom now.

[Eungcheol] Hyung, something wrong with your stomach? Do you need any medicine? I have some medicines with me. Let me get it for you. Do you have any allergies to medicine?

[Sooho] No, Eungcheol... I just need to change my clothes, someone spilled their coffee on me

[Hanna] WHAT???????? Im Sooho who was it?!?!?! How dare they spilled their nasty coffee on the crown prince's precious body!!!!

[David] Take your time, we'll wait.

[Hanna] Hey Sooho, if you're with Kangmoo now, please say hi to him from me. Tell him I miss him!

Sooho chuckled as he saw the message from Hanna— until the man which name was mentioned by her, appeared in front of him. 

"Why are you smiling?" Lee Kangmo asked, rising one of his eyebrow. He looked like he's judging Sooho but that's just his face. Some people might see him as a person who oftenly over-reacting but that's just his expressive face.

"Nothing," So