Saewon breathed in deeply and turned to look at Baekhyun who stood next to her. "Appa said that ---" his words were disrupted when the doorman clapped his hands twice as a signal to open the door. Kai took his place again and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Claps and cheers roared in the hall, goosebumps attacked her skin everytime that happens. Kris chuckled and Saewon nudged him to stop it.

“Old habits die hard eh?” he whispered as we continued to make our way to the centre of the crowd. It was where the stage was. Hooray!

Five years passed and Saewon searched the crowd for the person whom she waited for. She halted as soon as she stood on the center and smiled to the crowd, pushing the thought of the person away.

“Good evening” Saewon bowed to the crowd with the king and princes. The king took off after the bow with his speech on how fast time went by. More than two thousand days in Exoplanet made her into a different person. She feels as if she was finally born after the long days in her mother’s womb.

D.o took a step in front and took a glance at her before smiling softly. He cleared his throat as he made his way to her, extending his hand for her to hold.

Saewon stared at him with wide eyes as if she was mimicking him. The speech had been concluded long gone. It was time.

It was time for the dance.

Their dance.

She stared into his eyes as she danced with the flow.

“What’s wrong?” D.o asked softly with a chuckle.

“It’s our fifth dance...” she looked around at the couples and smiled. “Still remember our first dance” she teased and he looked down with a scoff. “Don’t remind me” he pulled her closer and hugged her.

She took a step back and stared back at him with a blush, raising her hands to pinch his cheeks lightly. “We love you, kid” he then leaned in to whisper and Saewon smiled at him widely. “Me too”

Chanyeol eyed her and D.o before smiling creepily as usual. “Saewon, your speech now”.

This time was always the brain-wrecking moment. She never had the idea on what to say but this time she has decided to tell everyone what she wants in life. The person whom she had hopes for, for the past five years.

*Knock Knock*

The king entered the living room where Saewon lay on the couch by herself, staring at the blank screen in front of her.

“Saewon-ah” the king was finally heard after all the loud footsteps.

Her eyes widened and got up to greet him which made him chuckle and pull her back down. “It has been four years already, do you know that?” he sounded concern and Saewon sighed silently.

‘He didn’t even step a foot into the palace after he left us. After he left me’ her heart felt a hard stab and it began crying. The king held her arms softly and made her face him, “You need to decide before your birthday or else it will be an arrange marriage. I am sure you won’t like it” he frowned at her least concern and got up from the seat.

“I’m sorry” her words stopped him.

“Please give me some time to think” she begged, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked down.

She didn’t like the idea of having someone else other than him. She loved him. She loves him. Still.

Fast-forward

Saewon looked across the game room to the hall. She knew what they were doing; it’s been the same every year but then the thing that’s keeping her mind occupied is how she will deal with the reality.

Kai appeared in front of her and grabbed her hands, “You need to come out to breath fresh air”. She followed him outside to the backyard and looked at Baekhyun and Tao bickering. No wait, it was Chanyeol.

Suho gestured her to sit on the benches next to him and Kai pulled her softly. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as they walked. It was silent; D.o stared at her with soft eyes and frowned.

They all knew what she was thinking. They knew the pressure that she was having. They couldn’t do anything, it wasn’t them to decide.

Thanking the guests and friends whom she never made for attending her fifth year party and blah blah blah. It was finally the part where she planned to tell them her thoughts.

“You all have been asking me, “Princess, who are you planning to marry?”. I am not sure about it but after all the years here in exoplanet, I have made up my mind” she paused and looked around to scan once again.

“Firstly, I would like to thank all twelve princes who have been in my life. I don’t know where I will be if it wasn’t for you all” she smiled at the six in front of the stage. “To the other six, I guess they couldn’t make it” she shrugged with an assuring smile to the guests as they went ‘awww’.

Before Saewon continued her speech, someone at the back shouted at the top of their lungs.

“Who said we couldn’t make it?”

Everyone turned their head to the back to the obvious prince who shouted with his clear voice.

“Chen oppa... Tao, Yixing, Xiumin... oppa” waterworks happened.

Everyone clapped and made way as Saewon took a step down the step to run to them.

“Don’t come! We will run to you like the dramas you watched on earth!” Tao said and she giggled at the silliness which she missed.

Four bodies came clashing into a small one. She hugged every one of them and Lay wiped off her tears with a raised eyebrows.

“You should not cry on your birthday, silly thing” he laughed and pulled her in for another tight hug.

“We better go and let Saewon finish her speech” Xiumin said and Saewon nodded.

“I guess today is a happy day” She tried to continue where she left off as she wiped her tears off, not caring about the makeup.

She looked down at the shoes and dress she was wearing; she resumed her speech with flow. “I would also like to announce the prince whom I would like to marry. Even if he doesn’t return the favour, I still would want to announce it. It’s my happy day”

Lay and Kris stared at her with worry expressions, “I... I—“ a movement in the crowd stopped Saewon in her speech, she scanned for the nth time and saw him.

He was watching her.

A girl beside him.

‘I waited for you... five years’

Pain hit her heart and her eyes drooped low till it closed. ‘Why am I still here? Where is everyone?...’

SAEWON POV

Fainting has always been the ‘it’ thing when I am sick or when I... feel sick. That is love sick (?)

I felt my eyes flutter open as it tried to adjust to the sunlight, its morning already. Did I sleep the whole night before my party even ended? I guess so. I couldn’t help but frown as I felt ashamed of my weak body.

“Saewon?” I didn’t realize there was someone sitting next to my bed. Turning to see the person, I saw his face. Wonderful, I guess he is here to tell me everything that happened in the past five years.

I am married already; I cannot be with you and ... yeah.

I smiled at him and tried to get out of the bed but felt his warm hands pushing me back down softly. “You need to rest”

Ignoring his concern, I acted normal. “It’s been long, how were you?... these past years” I mumbled the last part as flashback of the girl next to him reappeared in my vision.

“How long had it been like that?” I asked before he opened his mouth to answer my first question.

“She must be really special” words continue to spill from my lips. He looked at me with a smile and I sighed.

“Congratulations then” I got out of the bed and headed to the bathroom probably to cry or maybe let my frustrations out on the water. I didn’t know what to do next.

I washed my face and examined it: huge eye bags with dark dark dark circles, I am sure I can be the next panda in the zoo back on earth.

As I walked out of the bathroom and saw him still sitting there, “why are you still here?”

“Look Saewon, I think you misunderstood everything” I heard his soft voice say.

Uhuh~ I bet he made that get pregnant! What am I thinking? I am not supposed to be like this!

 “I guess we should head out to the backyard and talk, Luhan” I said and turned around to exit the room.

Before I knew it, I was scooped away from the ground into arms that supported my back and my legs. I looked up at him as he ran out of the palace.

My heart was beating extra fast, it felt like a bomb waiting for the last second to explode.

It wasn’t until he sat me down on the bench and sat next to me.

He turned towards me and leaned forward.

It started again.