He still saw him as the poor boy he befriended back when he was 7, the boy who smiled for him after telling him he resembled the yellow flower from his mother’s garden. The boy who had that sparkle in his eyes as if the fairies had sprinkled a little bit of their fairy dust in them. The boy who was weak and always got bullied by the other students until they let him know who he was friends with. Just seeing that man being dragged around by the villagers, he felt like he didn’t know who he was. His eyes were as dull as the stones in the castle. His face was unchanging while the villagers continued to do as they pleased with him. And all he could do was watch him being dragged around by the villagers.

Jun closed his eyes, and dropped his head down when he saw a little boy, about the same age he met Nino, pick up a rock and threw it on the thief’s forehead. He took a short glimpse, wishing that the boy had missed but he heard them shout and saw a small trickle of blood run down the thief’s forehead. He turned his head to the side, wincing painfully as he did so. He couldn’t stand seeing him in that way, but the villagers will just scorn him for trying to save the thief that ruined their lives.

They were all shouting and singing songs of rejoice as he kept his head down. It was as if the whole world was happy again, while he just kept quiet in his own world. Many men and women were urging him to sing along with them, but he just shook his until the villagers stopped bothering him. He dared to look up to see his face again, but he couldn’t do it as something painfully stirred inside of him, a feeling that he couldn’t understand.

Jun couldn’t allow himself to be so weak just because of a criminal, but knowing who it was he just couldn’t face the fact that he’s done so many things to hurt him. He looked at his hands, the very hands that had commited the real crime against him. The hands that dragged him by feet and shamefully threw gold coins on his face like he was just a beggar. He felt those very same hands reach for the small knife in his pack, wanting to punish them for being set free instead of being tied up just like the thief was. The knife was already at his reach and he could feel his own hatred for himself growing inside. He barely pulled the knife out when a little girl, an innocent little girl covered in soot, looked at him in the eyes. Jun turned his head to the side, and pushed the knife back into his pack. Just seeing her sweet innocent eyes, he didn’t want her to have suffered just because their future King was growing hate for himself. He took a deep breath before turning his attention towards her again, grabbed her by the body and sat her on his horse.

“Prince,” She called him without looking him in the eyes, “What will you do to the bad man?”

Jun didn’t look up since he knows she was pointing towards him. “What do you want me to do?” He asked her in his best voice, trying not to tremble as he said it.

She shrugged. “Is he really a bad man? My mom says he stole from our house once, but I got a toy after that day... A toy my mom can’t afford.”

Jun raised his eyebrow. “Is this true?”

“Yup,” She nodded his head before turning around and showing him a smal bunny rabbit in her hand, “It’s this one.”

It was indeed something they couldn’t afford. He remembered seeing this in his sister’s room when he was a kid, but the one she had looked like it had been through tough times. Jun just smiled at her, telling her to put her doll away so the other kids wouldn’t see it and steal it from her. He got a smile back from her, a smile that reminded him so much of him. This time he looked up. As he ruffled the girls hair who fell asleep in seconds in his arm, he wondered if what she was saying was true. After all, he knew how hard it was to get a job as a villager, and having to take up a job with a kid was even harder.

“Look!”

Jun turned his head around at the sound of someone gasping. He followed the person’s hand and saw that she was pointing towards the direction of their village. He squinted his eyes since what she was talking about was so far away. It got closer and closer every time, and Jun felt his eyes widened. After putting the girl in her parent’s arm, he kicked the horse around until he was finally at their side. He slipped off of his own horse at the same time the tallest knight did with a body in his arm.

“Sho... He...”

Jun didn’t let them continued. He desperately called for a doctor, or anyone who can stop the buff knight from bleeding to his death. He only called once and a man already came running towards them, claiming he can stop the bleeding until they reach the castle. Jun hoped he was telling the truth. It took them more than 3 days just to get to where they were, and he didn’t know if they can make it in time.

“Aiba” Jun called for the worried knight, “Assist this man while I lead us to the castle.”

“You mean we’re--”

“Yes,” Jun nodded his head, “We are going there without stopping. Ohno, you... grab that...bastard... We can’t have anymore delays.”

Ohno nodded his head before getting to his horse and doing what he was told to do. While he helped Aiba and the man with putting Sho’s unconscious body on Aiba’s horse, his hatred for himself grew every second. He hated calling him that way. He just wanted to call him by his name, but just saying it almost feel like it was taboo. After Aiba had managed to get on the horse with Sho in the front, they were off again on the road, with Ohno painfully dragging the thief like he did...

TBC