The Dystopian Prince 

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My arm is quivering under my sleeve. No. I can’t. How could I?

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A hidden restaurant, almost like a secret oasis, stood undaunted by the hustle and turmoil of the streets of Tokyo. It was quiet, calm, and serene - despite finding its home on one of the busiest streets of the country. I strode down the road leading to the restaurant, seeking a safe and undetected place from being recognized by Dong Bang Shin Ki Fanatics. I am Kim Jaejoong after all.

The family whom owned the small sanctuary, like the restaurant itself, were a kind, gentle and naïve people – blissfully ignorant of the high stakes world around it. To be reborn in a family like them would be -

“Onii-sama!” a voice cried behind me. Turning around, I saw a little girl standing before my feet. A straight, heavy fringe of black covered her forehead and lightly brushed the eyelids of her warm, brown eyes. The girl was dressed in a rich, red yukata with a palled-yellow obi that held her garment together. “Onii-sama,” she innocently repeated, “would you like to come in the teahouse and have some dango?” The girl blinked at me expectedly before resorting to a puppy-dog plea, “please Onii-sama?” My lips parted, twisting into a small smile.

“Alright,” I replied. The girl beamed at me, obviously happy to bring a customer into the store.

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My body moved without my permission. My fingers readily latched onto the handle of the knife. No! I cannot! Not after everything I do to my fans, I cannot do to another - another family. Her back was facing me, sitting upon a one of the tea tables. She was absolutely unaccountable to her fate.

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I opened my eyes as she called me once again, “Onii-sama.” In her hands was a bouquet of flowers for the tea tables, but despite her work she continued her questions. “You never told me your name,” the girl said as she bent to fix a wrongly hanging flower, “Not once, even though I already told you my name!”

I couldn’t help chuckle at the girl’s accusing tone. 
“My name Yuuki-san? I don’t have a name” I teased, closing my eyes once again. I heard a light huff, then a wispy marching towards me.

“San? Onii-sama!” Yuuki cried, dropping her bouquet in a show of displeasure. “You shouldn’t be calling me Yuuki-san! I’m not that old! I’m only nine, much younger than Onii-sama.” I shrugged so she knew that I heard. Yuuki sat down beside me and began weaving a crown out of the flowers that she herself threw to the floor. “Onii-sama?”

“Hm?”

“Where are you from?”

My eyes shot open. I’m Korean am I not? So why must I come all the way to Japan to sing? At what point did I want to become famous so badly, I was willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone to get there?

I’m a singer Yuuki-san,” I said, knowingly provoking a scowl out of her, “I came from Korea to sing.” Yuuki didn’t reply.

Yes, I came to sing. At a concert which the “they” ordered to take place. That’s right. When I sold my soul to become a celebrity, I decided that controlling my fans for the sake of that organization - no, that cult - was a price that I was willing to pay. In just a few days’ time, all of Dong Bang Shin Ki’s Japanese fans will be implanted with the illuminate chip. And it will be all because of my actions.

“Onii-sama?” Yuuki called, effectively breaking my reverie, “where is your family?” I couldn’t help but stare at Yuuki, but the little girl was too busy (she was hectically trying to fit her crown on her head) too notice. Should I tell her the truth?

“My family, my real family, they abandoned me.”

“Then, can Onii-sama be my real Onii-sama? I don’t have a real Onii-sama. Even Otou-sama said he always wanted a boy!” Yuuki shouted, “He loves me too of course, but he said that it should be a boy to take over the restaurant.”
I gasped at her with surprise. She wants me to be her brother? But, how could I? How could I enter her life in such a way when I had already destroyed the freedom of so many innocent people? But I can’t tell her why I can’t either. I want to become famous, even if it takes sacrifice of the freedom of hundreds upon thousands of human beings, I will become famous.

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Yet, they want me to kill a harmless naïve child? Why must they order such a thing of me? Is it in order to prove my loyalty? I raise my arm as the knife shuttered in my hand. The glint of light held the metal hostage and pinned my shadow to the ground.

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Yuuki spun around.

“Onii-sama!” Yuuki yelled as she clung to my leg.

“Yuuki.” I acknowledged.

“Come!” she begged, seizing my arm and dragging me to my usual table, “I have a big surprise for you!”

“Ta-dah!” she exclaimed happily, “Happy Birthday!” Yuuki presented me with a basket, wrapped in a messy ribbon.
“Yuuki,” I began, “It isn’t my birthday.”

She pouted before angrily declaring, “Onii-sama looked sad the last time you came, so I decided to celebrate your birthday – even if it isn’t really your birthday!” Yuuki then insisted that I sit down in front of the basket. “I brought cake, and tea, and dango, and…” Yuuki rambled through a list of sweets she had prepared as I settled down. Once satisfied that her hard work was all accounted for, she removed the ribbon tying closed the basket and set everything on the table. Lastly, she pulled out a mass of… paper cranes?

"Oka-sama once told me that if I make one thousand cranes and make a wish, then that wish would come true.” She scuttled back to me, carefully trying not to crush any of the cranes. “So I wanted to make a thousand cranes for you, Onii-sama. Then I can make you happy!” Yuuki explained as she dumped the cranes in my outstretched arms. “But… I sort of lost count of how many I made,” she sheepishly admitted, “but I’m sure that I have made a thousand of them!”

A smile grew on my lips as I studied the cranes. Every single one was a different colour, carefully made and carefully attached to as string. The string itself was, however, was hopelessly tangled with the cranes in a muddled disarray.

“Onii-sama, you haven’t had anything to drink yet!” Yuuki pointed out while scampering towards the teapot. “Here let me pour you - ” Yuuki’s foot was caught in a string of origami midsentence, causing the little girl to plummet to the floor and the teapot to come flying at me. I gasped as the hot liquid scalded my skin. “Oh no,” Yuuki yelled desperately, “Onii-sama!” She hastily crawled over to me, trying to remove the tea with the sleeve of her yukuta. “Onii-sama, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. You’ll never stay with me now! I’m so clumsy, I couldn’t make enough cranes and the string got all tangled,” Yuuki stopped to sniffle back a sob, “now you can’t wish to be happy, let alone stay with me!” Tears now tainted her face. They ran down her cheeks and plummeted down into her lap. “Onii-sama, please don’t hate me! I just want you to stay.” She threw herself into my lap, now fully weeping.

She made those cranes… for me? So I can be happy? For someone who has lost their soul? Yuuki could have easily just wished for me to stay on her own, so why give me a chance to choose my own happiness?

I awkwardly patted her head, attempting to reassure her.
“Onii-sama, you won’t leave right? Will you promise to stay with me?” Yuuki asked. Even her eyes seam to plead me to stay with her. But how could I make such a promise? A promise like that can never be fulfilled by someone like me.

“I’ll come back.”

“Onii-sama?” Yuuki asked, “What are you doing back so early? You said you would only be back after another month.” Her face lightened at a thought, “You came to surprise me!” she concluded.

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Can she not see the knife I am holding in my hand? The position which I held my body? Can’t she sense the intent to kill?

Yuuki darted towards me with her arms stretched wide. A hug? My legs lowered themselves automatically as I mimicked her movement, though my finger refused to let go of the murderous object. Yuuki crashed me.

“I missed you Onii-sama, each and every day.” She stated. 
No. No. No! I can’t. I can’t kill her, but my accursed right hand stood ready.

“Ne, Onii-sama?”

“Hm?” I responded. I must answer her last question: truthfully and honestly.

“Will it hurt?” She softly asked. My eyes widened. She lifted her chin to meet my eyes. Blood dripped down a small cut on her check. She knew? She knew of what her fate is? She knew she’s going to die… and she doesn’t run away? “Promise me one last thing.” She continued, burying her face into my chest. “Promise-” a sob cut her off. “Promise me that… you’ll meet up with me after. Alright?” She is going to let me kill her? She is willing to die? Yuuki, what is wrong with you?

“Yuuki, I-“

She smiled, tears still dripping down her face, “And when you come we will drink tea, and eat cake, and your favourite sweets too, and-“

I can’t take it anymore.

My right arm lashed out, striking into her flesh. Yuuki gasped as her back arched away from my body. What returned into my arms was the mere corpse of a girl. 
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Leaving home, relationships, and youth? Don’t make me laugh.

My price is not so forgettable.

You see, I sold my soul. I’ve become a pawn of the Illuminati. And, killing her, killing that little girl, was just the first step to power.

Do I feel guilty? Well, she haunts me every night as I sleep, but it was a necessary loss.

After all, I am the Dystopian Prince. 
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| Always Keep the Faith |