“Siwon-ah… Come, quick. Please cover for me.” Eunhyuk said as he busied himself wrapping his thin body with his thick coat.

“Okay… Wait! WHAT?!” The taller male who was placing Eunhyuk’s book on the bookshelf turned his body to face the smaller guy in an instant and eyed him in suspicion. “Cover for you?! Where the hell do you think you’re going?!” He spat while Eunhyuk chuckled a bit as he heard the Christian boy cursed at him. It wasn’t the first time he heard it but still he rarely heard it. Siwon and swearing really didn’t match at all.

“I just want to go outside for a while. Looking for fresh air… It’s boring around here.” Eunhyuk answered without any worries, making Siwon sigh in return. It was really hard to handle Eunhyuk when the latter was bored. He was an active boy. He loved being outside. But the reality was different with his expectation. Being the son of the kingdom’s prime minister… He could only spend his days inside their mansion. Isolated, imprisoned in his own house.

“You know you can’t just go outside like this, right?” Siwon asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, eyeing the smaller male in front of him.

“I know. That’s why I ask you to cover for me. It’s an order, by the way.” Eunhyuk said as he went to the balcony, paying no heed at Siwon who was fussing about him.

Siwon was his trusted butler and also his tutor. It wasn’t the first time Eunhyuk sneaked outside his own mansion while Siwon covered for him so no one knew but it became too frequent lately and yeah… Siwon was worried that Eunhyuk’s father would find out about it.

“Well, I don’t want to do that. Your father clearly forbids you to go outside.” Siwon said bluntly but it didn’t stop Eunhyuk at all. Eunhyuk used the fences to climb down from his room’s balcony and he expertly jumped to the ground when he reached the fences of the second floor balcony.

“I’m counting on you, Siwon-ah.” Eunhyuk said as he flashed Siwon his gummy smile when he reached the ground and with that, he climbed on the mansion’s gate.

***

Eunhyuk hummed his favorite song as he strolled around the market by the center of the city. The market was crowded, people were everywhere on his sight. He loved it… He really does. He loved to see the friendly civilians around him. Kids playing around him, sometimes they played harmless prank to the adults, entertaining people around them with their mischievous behavior.

It was totally different with being inside the mansion. Yes, there were a lot of people there but they didn’t dare to talk to Eunhyuk. No matter how friendly and open Eunhyuk was… there were still a big wall that separated them and it was status.

Eunhyuk sometimes wished he wasn’t the son of the kingdom’s prime minister. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel grateful about it, it was just he wished he got the freedom that he always wanted. His father was a well known man throughout the kingdom and his family was a royalty from the very beginning. His family was always be the king’s right hand from generation to generation and it meant Eunhyuk would take his father’s position latter.

He was well educated since he was a boy. He learned lots of things, starting from politics, culture, economy, and he even learned about military things. Everything that he need in the future when he helped the king to make a decision for their kingdom.

He was the only son. It was the most crucial thing so far. He was the only heir for that most promising place on the kingdom and yes… Everyone had their eyes on that chair. It wasn’t surprising when others started to threat his safety. People would do anything for money and status after all.

That was why he never got a chance to go outside of his mansion, just like the prince of their kingdom. But different from the prince that everyone respected, he was more likely didn’t exist at all… No one knew him besides the royalties.

He blended perfectly with the crowds. Thanks to the old clothes that he borrowed from his maid and he liked it that way. He felt free. There were no walls that separate him from outside. This is life… He thought.

He stopped when he spotted a group of crowds by the center of the market. People were gathering around somebody and he could hear music being played from there. His curiosity led him to join the crowd and he saw a guy, probably on his age, stood by the middle of the crowd, playing guitar as kids started to dance happily around him.

It was like dream when he watched everyone smiled happily as they listened to the music and how cute the kids were when they moved their body following the beat. Eunhyuk took a careful look on the man in front of him. He was tall. Taller than him for sure. And yes, Eunhyuk never saw someone as handsome as him. That might be too much since he knew Siwon who was extremely handsome, but this guy in front of him… He caught his eyes.

He had a well built body but not as muscular as Siwon. His hair was short and a bit messy but it looked perfect for him. His eyes were sharp but it wasn’t intimidating at all… it was rather friendly and warm. The tall guy opened his mouth and yes… Eunhyuk thought it was the best voice he had ever heard. His soft velvety voice was really intoxicating. It made you want to hear it more and more…

That guy was perfect. He was perfect without even trying and no, Eunhyuk didn’t envy him. There was no jealousy in his mind when he saw him. He was more like… attracted to him. Yes, he was ually interested for other male. It was something that he was sure of since he reached his puberty and kept it by himself. Oh, Siwon knew about that, actually.

He was the perfect son of the prime minister… The fact that he was gay was of course unacceptable. The kingdoms might be open with that kind of same relationship but no, being the next prime minister, he had to be as perfect as he could. No flaw.

Eunhyuk’s mind was interrupted by the applause from the crowd and he realized that the little show was over already. The kids that were dancing before were now approaching the tall man and gave him a hug while the man laughed as he ruffled their hair.

“Sorry, ma’am… Do you know that guy?” Eunhyuk asked the lady in front of him and the middle aged woman looked at him in disbelief.

“Of course I know him, dear… Everyone knows him.” She said with a smile plastered on her face. “Well, you must be new here.” She said, making her own conclusion and Eunhyuk just smile as he nodded his head. “Master Kyuhyun’s really well known here.”

“Master? He’s a royalty?” Eunhyuk asked and the lady nodded. “What’s he doing here?” Eunhyuk said more to himself but the lady heard him.

“Master Kyuhyun loves to come here. He’s really a down to earth guy… Really different with the other royalties. They’re just a bunch of craps.” The lady said and Eunhyuk nodded in agreement. He wasn’t offended at all even thought he was a royalty too. They lady got the point.

“He comes here to teach the kids reading and writing… He even teach them math. Well, it’s really helpful for us since we can’t afford our kids to go to the academy.” She said and Eunhyuk could see sparkle in her eyes, as if telling him how big the lady adore this man.

“Sometimes he would do short performance like this to entertain us… Isn’t that wonderful? I’ve never met someone as good as him.” The lady said and Eunhyuk couldn’t help himself but admiring the other male more. He wanted him…

***

“Siwon! Siwon! Si-Mother!” Eunhyuk froze when found her mother sat on the couch near his bed as he entered his room from the balcony. Eunhyuk gulped when his mother eyed him from head to toe, looking intently at him who was practically dressed like a normal civilians.

“You’re home, dear.” His mother said and Eunhyuk quickly looked down, somehow his shoes became really interesting object to watch. “Where have you been?” She asked.

“The market, mother.” Eunhyuk said as he looked up. It was rude to answer people’s question without looking at their face. He saw Siwon stood beside her mother and the tall guy mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ when Eunhyuk took a glance at him.

“What are you doing, there?” The middle aged woman asked and Eunhyuk muttered ‘just looking for fresh air’ as an answer. “There, son… You know you’re breaking the rule, right? Your father clearly told you not to go out by yourself.”

“I don’t want to go out with lots of guardians following me, mother. I’m just trying to be normal sometimes. I don’t want to be different with the others.” Eunhyuk said, spilling his thought.

“But you are different. You’re the next prime minister… You can’t be equal with the civilians.” His mother reasoned and Eunhyuk frowned as once more he had to face the biggest wall in front of him… His status.

“How can I understand the civilians that I’m going to take care if I never meet them even once?” Eunhyuk said and made his mother froze. He did get the point.

“You’re right, son. But sneaking out from house isn’t a good thing either. You’re lucky I’m the one who caught up Siwon, not your father.” His mother said and Eunhyuk smiled a bit.

“Mother? Can I ask you something?” Eunhyuk asked and her mother nodded.

“Sure, dear. What is it?” His mother asked and Eunhyuk smiled at her.

“It’s a bit private, mother.” Eunhyuk said and his mother raised one of her eyebrows in curiosity. “All right, then. You go clean up yourself and after you finish, you can come to my study.” His mother said and Eunhyuk nodded as he walked the middle aged woman out of the room.

“I told you to cover for me.” Eunhyuk said as he eyed Siwon once he closed the door.

“I did, but your mother caught me. I’m sorry.” Siwon said. “And about what you said to your mother. What’s the matter? Anything’s wrong?” Siwon asked both because of curiosity and concerns.

“It’s just…” And out from nowhere Eunhyuk was blushing. Siwon noticed it. He noticed that Eunhyuk was biting his lip nervously, he tapped leg fast and his cheeks were as red as tomatoes. “I think I like someone…” Eunhyuk said and he let out some shy whimpers as he hid his face with both hands.

“NO WAY!” Siwon laughed when he saw Eunhyuk’s blushing face but he stopped after a pillow landed on his face. “Hey, I’m just saying…” Siwon said as he picked the pillow up. “DO TELL!” The taller male said excitedly as he joined Eunhyuk who was sitting on the bed. Yeah, it was because they were born in the same year and Siwon was always loyal to Eunhyuk since they were still a boy, the two of them grew as a real best friend, not rich boy with his servant.

“I met him on the market… But surprisingly, he’s a royalty.” Eunhyuk said. “His name’s Kyuhyun… I don’t know more about him.” Eunhyuk continued and Siwon widened his eyes.

“There’s no way, Hyuk! Cho Kyuhyun?! He’s the one that you’re talking about, right?!” Siwon asked in disbelief.

“Hell, like I know. I only know that his first name is Kyuhyun.” Eunhyuk said.

“So… What are you trying to say to your mother?” Siwon asked and Eunhyuk just smile. “You’ll know!” Eunhyuk said as he entered the bathroom.

***

“Mother…” Eunhyuk said after he entered his mother’s study and found the middle aged woman reading on the couch.

“Come here, son.” His mother said as she gestured him to come closer. Eunhyuk complied to his mother’s call and joined her on the couch. He laid his head on his mother’s lap and made his mother chuckled a bit and caressed his hair with affection.

“What do you want to ask, son?” His mother asked.

“Can I ask you a favor, mother?”

“What is it, son? Money?”

“No… It’s just… I’m thinking.” Eunhyuk said with a bit stammered voice. “Mother… I’m twenty this year… Don’t you think that I’m ready for…”

“Replacing your father?”

“Get married, mother.” Eunhyuk said and made the middle aged woman’s eyes couldn’t be bigger than that time.

***