‘I am Chunji’s lover’
‘What?!’
L.Joe slammed his fist into the wall beside the strangers head. ‘Who the hell are you?!’
‘I keep telling you…Chunji’s lover.’ The boy said, a smirk on his lips.
‘Stop talking nonsense!’
‘Why don’t you ask Chunji? Are you scared it might be true?’
L.Joe turned away from the strange boy who he had tried fruitlessly to interrogate. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the boy was right; he was scared of the truth. If Chunji was taken then L.Joe couldn’t…But more importantly what would L.Joe have to do? Put Chunji to death? As soon as he had heard what Dongwoo had said he knew he had to sort this out himself before his father caught wind of it. So he had Dongwoo take Chunji to his room with orders to keep him there till L.Joe came to get him. But now he didn’t know if he could face him or if he could even hold himself back.
‘Let me see him.’ L.Joe had forgotten about his prisoner.
‘No.’
‘You have no reason to hold me here. And how do you think Chunji would feel if he knew you have imprisoned me?’
‘Crap.’ L.Joe cursed under his breath.
*
‘So? What did you find out?!’ Jiyong asked standing up behind his desk quickly as soon as Taeyang entered the room.
‘Nothing, not much at least.’ Taeyang responded sitting in a nearby armchair but not making eye contact with the King.
‘Well, what is it?!’
‘He’s a friend of those two boys. Apparently, the other one Niel wrote to him to let him know they were okay.’
‘Oh…is that so?’ the King said sitting back down, obviously disappointed.
‘If that’s all, I’ll leave now.’ Taeyang said getting up.
The King no longer had any interest in his friend and just nodded.
Outside, Taeyang leant against the wall. It was the first time Taeyang had lied to his friend in a long time, he had said he would never do it again but he was only doing this for his sake, he had to move on.

Strangers POV
Just as I had thought, this guy has some feelings for Chunji that makes him weak when it comes to Chunji. I don’t know exactly what these feelings were or how strong but that doesn’t matter, they don’t mean anything to Chunji, he doesn’t mean anything to Chunji.
I watched his back as he led me towards Chunji’s room. I had dreamt countless times of plunging a dagger into this back and now it was right in front of me but I had to wait.
‘We’re almost there.’ His voice pulled me from my thoughts, and it finally hit me that I was about to see Chunji again for the first time in ages and without shackles. My palms began to sweat and my heart raced. I wondered how he looked now, how he felt, whether he had been okay without me.
‘It’s this one.’ L.Joe stopped in front of an oaken door with vines and a squirrel carved into its centre, fitting for Chunji. I was about to step forward but he stopped me.
‘Wait out here for a moment, I’ll call you in. It would probably be best if Chunji was prepared.’ L.Joe said before I could knock his arm aside. I nodded once and stepped back as L.Joe opened the door and walked in.
‘L.Joe!’ that voice, I hadn’t heard it in so long, from even before we were separated, and now I am hearing it saying his name, my heart clenched at the thought of this.
‘Chunji-ah…there’s someone here for you.’ That was my cue.
‘For me? Who?’ I couldn’t tell whether Chunji sounded more excited or scared.
‘Me.’ I said stepping into the room.

Chunji’s POV:
My legs were hurting from pacing back and forth but it had been an hour and I hadn’t heard from L.Joe yet. I could just go to the dungeons to see what was happening for myself, but looking over at the sleeping form of Dongwoo I knew that I couldn’t just leave because he’d get Dongwoo in trouble with L.Joe. I know that I can trust L.Joe by now but there’s only two other people alive who know about me and not knowing which one was in the palace right now waiting for me terrified me. My heart was beating out of my chest, I needed Niel but if this was the wrong person then I couldn’t let him know Niel was here as well. But what if it’s him…how would I explain this to L.Joe and the others. Just as I was about to go insane the door opened.
‘L.Joe.’ I had somehow known it was him before the door had even fully opened and the blond hair confirmed it. His head was hung low and I stepped forward to ask what was wrong but he cut me off.
‘Chunji-ah…’ he sounded so sad, ‘someone’s here for you.’
‘For me?! Who?!’
What?! He had brought whoever it was up to me?! I had thought that I’d be taken to the dungeons to see them. That must mean that he trusted them and didn’t think I’d be hurt…so it must be…
‘Me.’ My head snapped towards the familiar voice and instantly my legs became weak, tears fell from my eyes and everything went black as I felt myself begin to fall.