Hyesung is in bed that afternoon, reading a novel that is part of his Prose II course assignment. As a 4th semester student of English major, it’s a compulsory course he had to take. And it might’ve been a coincidence, but the teacher has assigned the class to read Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince. Yes, the exact novel which title was the origin of his nickname.

Half way through chapter 9, he hears a knock at the door, so he puts down the novel and gets up to open the door.

“Oh, Hyung. You’re here?” He asks rhetorically.

It’s their manager, who has let himself into the dorm with his own key. “Yep. How are ya? Feeling better? Have you had lunch? What have you been doing?” The manager bombards Hyesung with questions as he lets himself into Hyesung and Eric’s room.

“Yeah, better, thanks. I had some rice, fish and kimchi soup, and I’ve been doing my assignments,” Hyesung reports. The 20-year-old hasn’t been feeling well, so he’s exempted from the day’s dance practice, which he’d have to make up for on another day, of course.

“The guys are still practicing, and they may practice well into the night, so I’m gonna be here a while to keep you company,” the older man explains.

The release date of their new album is already set to the 27^th of next month, which has left just about a month before they begin their promo activities, hence the vigorous and packed practice schedule. And juggling that and his studies seems to have drained Hyesung’s energy a little.

“By the way, you said there’s a good book I could use to improve my English grammar? It used to be quite good, but since I haven’t been using English a lot, it’s been deteriorating,” the chubby man continues while scanning Hyesung’s bookshelf.

“Oh, yeah, this one,” Hyesung answers while approaching the bookshelf. He takes out a blue book about the size of a 2-centimeter-thick A5 paper and hands it to the man standing on his right.

“Understanding and Using English Grammar, by Betty Ss… Sram… Schramp..fer Azar,” the 35-year-old reads the book title and the author’s name. “Whoa… That was mouthful,” and his remark makes them laugh.

“But Hyung’s pronunciation is very good,” praises Hyesung.

“You think so? Well, we did live in the States for a little while when I was a kid, and my mother was an English teacher. I guess she must have taught me pretty well… Haha… Cha~ Okay, then, lemme borrow this for a while, will ya?” The slightly shorter but much heavier man smiles at Hyesung.

“Sure, Hyung. Take your time,” says Hyesung smiling back.

“Thanks!” He immediately flips over the pages. “Oh? What have we here?” The manager hyung finds something in the book. It’s a picture of Eric at Namsan Park, with a poem written at the back. Before Hyesung realizes what’s happening, the curious manager reads it aloud,

“Paradox

He and I are paradox

Just like a sleeping man when he walks

He counts with his head, and I with my heart

So different, yet feels so right

He’s like the sunbeam

And I’m like the snow-covered earth

That blooms into Spring at the first sight of him

He’s like the fire

And I’m like the candle

That melts every time we’re together

So close, yet feels so far

A paradox, that’s what we are

February 16^th, 2000”

Upon hearing the word ‘paradox,’ Hyesung freezes on the spot. He wants to run away, but his feet seem to be nailed onto the floor. The pale young man immediately realizes what’s happening and what consequences entail. HOLY CRAP! How could I be so STUPID?!? Hyesung’s silently cursing himself. Both of his hands are in tight fists. He has completely forgotten about the picture and the poem he had written on Eric’s 21st birthday two months ago. It was supposed to be his birthday present, but Hyesung was afraid of Eric’s reaction. So he hid the picture in that particular book instead, knowing that Eric and everybody else living in the dorm would never touch the book, as English grammar is not exactly their favorite subject. In fact, it’s not their favorite subject at all.

“Yah~ Hyesung ah~ Is this yours? Did you write this?” The manager’s low but firm voice sounds like a thunder in Hyesung’s reddened ears, sending panic vibes through the drums and right into his thumping heart.

“Oh… That… Err… No, no… I mean yeah… Yeah, that’s mine. That’s… That’s a… lyric! Yes! A lyric! For our new song… I… Err… I couldn’t find anything to write on, so I wrote it there… Yeah… hahah…” Hyesung stammers. In addition to being a bad actor, he’s a terrible liar, even worse than Pinocchio.

“Before, you ‘accidentally’ slept next to him in his bed, then you ‘accidentally’ kissed him, now this?!? You weren’t really drunk that night, were, you?” The interrogation continues. “Do you LIKE him?” The word ‘like’ is an arrow piercing straight through the Little Prince’s trembling heart. Hyesung nods, eyes on his feet. He’s clearly caught off guard.

The manager sighs, hands on his waist, head thrown back and eyes on the ceiling, thinking. After a while, still in a low but firm tone, he says, “Fine. You cannot be roommates anymore. I’ll tell everyone that, in order to avoid having a scandal because of the kissing incident, you two need to stay in different rooms for a while, at least until after your new album promotion is over. Starting tonight, Eric shall move in with Junjin and Andy. And if you say any word about this, ANY word to ANY one at all, or even show the SLIGHTEST gesture that you like him, then we might have to consider either one of you to leave the group. And this, this will be our secret, ‘cause we really, really can’t afford to have a scandal, especially when we’re releasing your new album in a month. Do you understand?”

The hint of coldness in the manager’s composed manner sends chills to Hyesung’s spine, and he quickly nods several times. The last thing he wants is to be further away from Eric than he’s just become.