Captain Jo hurried his steps, practically running along the palace corridors. He was furious, but he keep his demeanor calm. But people working in the palace knew this calm Captain Jo is more dangerous than the usual poker face captain, so they quickly side away from his way to King’s chamber.

 

“Ca-Captain!” Hopil’s voice shutters looking at his boss, face pale like he had seen a ghost.

“Where is the Pyeha?” Yeong asks as he pushes the door open with force.

“Captain, Pyeha was working on his new math problem and he told me to give him s-space.” The sub-captain replied following the captain. Yeong glares at Ho-pil.

“I told you clearly, ‘do not keep your eyes from him, not even for a second.’” Yeong’s voice was so cold. Ho-pil looks down, without replying. He knew in this situation, his captain won’t hear any excuses. He curses himself in his head, for getting fooled by the King, again!

Yeong only take a few minutes to look around and he hurried toward King’s bed chamber. Ho-pil met In-young outside the room, she is a panting bit.

“I already dispatched our teams to look around. We only found Pyeha running through the gardens, no other records. Did Ca-”

Just as she wanted to ask if their boss had returned, the said man emerged from the King’s bedroom, a tiny note stuck in his fist.

“Captain.” in-young hurriedly straight her back, looked at her captain, and gulped.

“Tell everyone to stop searching and return, you two come follow me,” Yeong said looking at both sub captains and walking toward the southern gate.

Ho-pil quickly commands his teams to return and follows Yeong with In-young, both a bit confused.

 

 

Jo Yeong was cursing at his king in every possible way in his head. He was away for just a day and this happened. Yeong had to attend a mission himself. Lee Gon knew why he was away, and he had promised him that he won’t do anything that could worry Yeong, yet that promise was broken within a day. Lee Gon had disappeared again! Who knows where!

As soon as Yeong heard that their King is disappeared into thin air, he knew. And the captain had returned to the palace soon as possible. After confirming that their king indeed went for ‘his walk’ with the absence of his riding cop and a tiny note that he found, which was direct to him with ‘Yeongah don’t be mad, I will come back safely. Just give me a few hours.’ Yeong was beyond mad.

He always kept his king’s hobby secret with much difficulty. After resetting the timeline people working in the palace don’t remember anything about Lee Gon disappearing or about Jeong Tae Eul. And his every visit to the other universes was covered by him. But now he had disappeared again just like before, making his hard work gone waste.

 

 

In a few moments, the captain and his two sub-captains arrived at the bamboo forest. Yeong walks down the familiar path and stops at the clearing between points 6 and 7. Back face to the place where stone pillars appear. Ho-pil and in-young look around. There isn’t anyone other than three of them. It’s getting late and the forest is getting darker.

“Captain.” Ho-pil looks at their boss with a question.

Yeong looks at both sub-captains.

“Listen carefully, if today's event ever happened in the future, in my absence. Confirmed if Pyeha’s riding cop and lady Masimux are absent. If so, you should come to this point and wait. do not be curious about anything happening in here and do not send any others or tell anyone about this. Also, you should delete the CCTV records.” The Captain said, making sure both of them understand what he said.

“Captain, may I ask a question?” In-young looks at Yeong.

“Yes,”

“Where is the Pyeha? Why we should wait here?” Ho-pil looks at him also nodding.

“I can’t explain it to you. Pyeha will do it.” Yeong replied, dumping the explaining part to the older one.

“Yes captain.” with that both of them wait quietly.

Yeong took out his phone and go through the CCTV records that only he can access. He is glad he already change the locations of the secret cameras. Yeong let out an inaudible sigh looking at the figure in the video, entering through the gate only with his riding cope, without any protection.

 Yeong hopes that lee gon only went the visit Republic of Korea, where he is sure the king will be okay.

 

 

On the other side, the Kingdom of Corea (parallel universe.)

(*A/N- King Lee – Parallel ver.)

“I seriously can’t believe you wanted to marry another woman when there was a perfect man beside you. Seriously?”  King Lee said with a laugh, that sounded mocking.

“I never thought about him that way...” King Gon mutters with unsure.

“You sure about that?” the other royal asks, sipping his tea.

“…”

“See? You aren’t sure about that. What makes you think you never see him as that way?” King Lee asks in an amused voice.

“We had grown up together, not like you guys. I always saw him as my brother, my best friend. ” 

“Yeah... Yeah... You already told me about that.” King Lee swat his hands, stopping Gon. “I asked what make you think? Not why? I understand our stories are different. But we are the same person. Aren’t we? If my theories are right, every one of us shares the same fate, destiny.”

“I  ...” Gon couldn’t reply to that. He never is like this.

“Okay, I will help you to find the answer,” King Lee said looking at him, his eyes filled with excitement like he is waiting to see the moment other royals understand his true feelings.

Gon nods, wanting to end his frustrating feeling.

“First, have you ever thought your Captain is pretty?” King Lee asks.

“Of cause, he is pretty. But If he hears anyone call him pretty, he will be mad. He prefers ‘handsome’” Gon replied with a smile, reminding the younger’s poker face, which he found pretty.

“Okay, next, do you miss him when he isn’t around?” the other royal asks grinning.

“Hmm, yeah, he isn’t someone chatty, he always quiet. But it’s boring when he isn’t around.” Gon replied, a fond smile on his face, he looks at the other royal and saw him grinning.

“Why are you grinning? I miss him because I like to annoy him when he is around. If he isn’t there I can’t do that to anyone.” Gon tried to defend himself, but King Lee’s grin didn’t erase from his face, he only nods.

“Okay, next. Do you guys ever have talked about your romantic life?” King Lee asks.

“Ahhh yeah... We talked sometimes. And he knew about Tae Eul and already met her.” Gon said.

“What about him?” King Lee asks.

“About Yeong…” Gon tries to remember if there is anything his captain had shared with him. But no matter him thinks, he couldn’t recall anything about Yeong’s love life. “I haven’t seen him with anyone or he never mentioned anyone.” Gon replied, with an unsure voice.

“Hmm, so do you have tried to set him up with anyone?” King Lee asks.

“Not really, but he doesn’t like to go on blind dates.” Gon replied.

“Have you ever seen him with other friends?” the other royal asks. And lee Gon thinks a bit before replying.

“Yeong doesn’t have a lot of friends. I know all of them. And I remember he had a friend in the navy for a few years. But Yeong never introduces him to me. I never heard about him after” Gon replied as he frowns.

King Lee face palmed, “yeah, I never thought myself being this dumb. You, can’t you understand that you are the reason for that?”

Gon looks at him confused.

“First, Gon, your Yeong doesn’t have a lot of friends and you knew all of them. But he had one he never introduce to you, which I guess Yeong doesn’t want you to know about him. Also, you told me you guys talked about your love life but had he ever mentioned anything about him? No, because he doesn’t want to tell you anything since he knew about you and your Ex-girlfriend.”

Gon frowns as he listens to the other royal’s explanation.

“And you dumb, you miss him, you find him attractive, you care about him and his opinions, you like his presence… Do you understand what this means?” King Lee asks, hand on his chin as he stares at the other like he wanted to Gon to put the last puzzle piece and look at the complete picture.

Gon’s mind filled with his doppelganger’s words. He knew he cares about Yeong. More than anyone. He missed him when he couldn’t find Yeong’s poker face or hear his deep voice. He likes to annoy the younger to get his reactions, he feels safe and normal around the younger. Not even Tae Eul succeeded in doing that. And he always found Yeong pretty and cute. Maybe that’s why he has a separate folder in his album filled with younger’s pics.

Does that mean he like Yeong?

But he had felt this way for a long time…

That cannot be the… True…

And he loved Tae Eul. He knows what loving someone feels like.

Gon’s heart started to beat fast, so loud in his ears. He looks at his doppelganger, and the other was already looking at him with a known grin.

“I gotta go… see you again.” Gon stand up, picked up his riding cop, and dashed toward the door.

“Gon, if you are still not clear with your answer. Kiss him once.” King Lee said as the other royal reached the door. Gon didn’t reply with a small glance at his doppelganger, he left, the palace rushing back to the bamboo forest without bumping into anyone.

 

‘I hope you will find your answer soon, gon.” King Lee thought as he stares at the disappearing figure before standing and leaving to his bed chamber, where he knew his husband resting after doing his physical therapy.

 

 

 

 

~

Jo Yeong on the other hand was still waiting. It’s been two hours and the sun had set already, making the whole forest dark. Ho-pil and in-young both had their touch lit standing beside the captain, who is spacing without a break. Their commas are filled with the same question once in a few minutes.

 

Suddenly a familiar sound of stone pillars building reaches their ears and everyone turns. Ho-pil and In-young's eyes widened in surprise. No single sound leaves their mouths as they gape at the scene in front of them.

Yeong walks a few steps ahead, and their King Lee Gon appears from between two pillars, looking unhurt and safe, riding cop in his hand. The king was deep in thought. Yeong let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, relief.

As soon as Lee Gon looks up, he saw his captain, Jo Yeong waiting for him, worried.

Gon’s mind was still replaying the words that king lee said, he reached Yeong with a few steps, staring at the younger. Yeong didn’t greet him like usual, he looks like he is worried and a bit angry.

“Yeong-ah,” Gon mutters and steps into his personal space, his face unreadable. Before younger can said anything or back off, the king holds him by his face and leans in, capturing younger’s plump lips to his own. Yeong gaps, eyes wide, and froze in his state.

 

 

 

 

 

Behind them, both sub-captains' eyes got wider than the source. They were already surprised with how their king and stone pillars appeared in thin air, then before they can calm their minds, their King kissed the Captain. Ho-pil and in-young quickly look down and quietly turn back. Whatever happened before their eyes were something private and secret that they shouldn’t witness.