Hello everyone! I sorry for my long hiatus, but please know that I have never forgotten about my stories or anything!

I don't want to go in much detail, but after Easter ended last month my grandma died. And I've been very upset about it for a while, but feeling a lot better now. I'm much happier than I was before and going back to my regular routine.

I've received many messages asking where I was and if I was ok. I want to let you all know I'm ok now, and thank you so much for all your support and just caring that I wasn't making any upates. I promise I'm ok now. Love you all!!!

Please enjoy the next chapter <333

"I guess this is goodbye... at least for now."

"Don't worry. I'll be back in a couple of weeks for my birthday..."

"Wait. Your birthday is coming up?"

"Shut up Sungjong."

Hoya spread his arms wide to say goodbye to Sungyeol and Sungjong, treated to their hospitality and cousinly love for the weekend. He only wished he could stay in Seoul for a little bit longer. Sungyeol and Sungjong walked into his arms, jokingly hesitant at first, but never afraid to show affection for their favorite cousin.

"Come on Myungsoo, I want a hug from you too," Hoya called out.

The hug thing was a new concept for Myungsoo. He had given very few hugs in his life, usually in moments of expressing condolences or sadness, and he had never given a hug before simply for a greeting or goodbye. Myungsoo shared his first hug in the new era with Sungyeol as he was thwarted by fate to stay in the modern day, and apparently his second hug would say goodbye to a enw acquaintance. Myungsoo smiled, moving forward to spread his arms and join their group hug. It was a warm feeling as if he was finally making a place for himself in his home away from home. There could never be a more welcoming group than them.

After letting go of their warm embrace, Hoya took his belongings and motioned to head down the sidewalk. Sungyeol and Myungsoo were dressed and prepared to head to class as well, moving towards the opposite direction. Sungjong, who started class late, had his pajamas on and was prepared to go back inside to sleep. 

"Have a safe train ride back," Sungjong wished, waving his hand for a farewell. "I guess we can celebrate your birthday soon."

It was not Sungjong without a snarky comment to balance out the nice. "Go back to sleep," Sungyeol joked.

With that, the four of them headed in their own directions to start off their Monday.

(((())))

Sungyeol and Myungsoo step into their lecture hall for another day of History 31 with Myungsoo leading the way to their seats. After more than a month of following Sungyeol to school, Myungsoo had the gist of Sungyeol's tendencies and schedule well enough to do things on his own. The two found their usual center row seats near the back of the classroom and prepared for class.

"I hope we get to see Hoya again. He was a respectable gentleman," Myungsoo commented, fixing Sungyeol's red baseball cap on his head.

"I don't know how long you're staying, but you'll definitely see Hoya again," Sungyeol guaranteed, ping his backpack to get his notebook out.

With Sungyeol's head crouched down to retrieve his stuff he limited his peripherals around the lecture hall. It was the same dim lighting anyone would ever expect out of a classroom with the same classmates he has had for a couple months. Sungyeol took out his pen and threw it on top of his notebook when he noticed a shadow hovering over him. Sungyeol lifted his head for a careful glance to spot no other but Woohyun standing right in front of him and Myungsoo, Woohyun's hands gripping his backpack straps and staring down at the two sternly.

"Woohyun, hey," Sungyeol mumbled, shifting his head to the left to avoid any eye contact with his least favorite person in the room.

"Sungyeol. Myungsoo. I hope the two of you had fun last Saturday," Woohyun frowned, crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows in a slight anger.

Sungyeol and Myungsoo shared a look, knowing that their drunken actions led them to being irresponsible. 

Myungsoo continued carrying the shame of the past weekend, embarrassed for the way he acted especially as a Crown Prince. Myungsoo lowered his head and shook it. "You are not the most jubial person to be around, but even I apologize for my actions last Saturday."

"I'm sure you do," Woohyun scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Sungyeol leaned forward in his chair to bring his finger up to Woohyun's chest. Everything to this point no felt like a competition. He was no longer upset about Taeyeon's decision, but at that moment Sungyeol was jealous of the fact that it had to be Woohyun. The guy he hated the most, and for him to have the audacity to spite him and Myungsoo left a poor taste in Sungyeol's mouth. "Myungsoo is sorry, so you better back the hell up. We're both sorry. We all make bad decisions when we're drunk, ok?"

Woohyun bit his lower lip, as if he was trying to keep himself from speaking.

"Myungsoo is a good guy, so let's just forget this night ever happened," Sungyeol sighed. "As long as Taeyeon had a good birthday then that's all that matters."

"That's the thing," Woohyun grumbled, shoving his hands down his pockets and kicking the floor. He scrunched up his face, unable to look at Sungyeol any longer. "Taeyeon is angry, because of something you did. She's so upset she won't even tell me," Woohyun revealed.

The doors swung open at the front of the classroom, with Professor Lee walking in for class with his teaching assistant following from behind. That was Woohyun's cue for him to sit down, and without saying another word to Sungyeol he glared at his confused face one last time before turning away.

Sungyeol sat down in his chair dumbfounded. Something I did? I didn't do anything. I didn't even see her for the rest of the night. At least, from Hoya's story. His memory of the night was definitely spotty, and Sungyeol realized that other than Hoya's recounting he has no recollection of anything else happening. There could have been something else that Hoya was unable to catch.

"Is Taeyeon really mad?" Myungsoo whispered, quieting his voice as the lecture began. "I don't think she can ever be mad at you."

Sungyeol stared blankly at the chalkboard, which seemed like a blur of scribbles and gibberish that he could barely understand. Taeyeon, are you realy mad at me? Sungyeol slipped his phone out of his pocket to send a quick and easy text to his ex.

"Taeyeon, what's up? How was your weekend? I heard from Woohyun you're not feeling ok," from Lee Sungyeol.

Professor Lee jotted down the tentative schedule for the upcoming weeks, pointing his chalk at an important note of interest: midterm. "The next midterm will be scheduled sometime soon, which is going to take focus on our next chapter of the book, the Crown Prince Kim Myungsoo and his contributions to the Joseon Dynasty before his death.

"Hey, that's you," Sungyeol smiled, elbowing Myungsoo at his side. He placed his cell phone to the side, putting the problem off until class ended.

"Please open your book to the next chapter and we will begin," the professor instructed.

Rustling of page turns filled the room as the class proceeded to the next chapter for their lecture. Myungsoo watched Sungyeol turn the pages of his book to the start of the chapter, which showed a painted picture of Myungsoo and his brother Moonsoo. He remembered that picture very well, having to sit on his feet for two whole hours for the painter Hanseo to sculpt each feature of his face and body carefully. Myungsoo and Moonsoo wore matching blue hanboks as chosen by his mom, which he also remembered were too itchy to deal with. Myungsoo let out a faint smile remembering the moment, feeling the page of the book at the tip of his fingers.

"What?" Sungyeol grinned.

Myungsoo blinked his eyes to brush his gaze off. "Sorry, I like the picture in your book."

Sungyeol shook his head. "It's a pretty good picture of you," he joked, sliding the book over to Myungsoo's side of the table.

Woohyun paid close attention to the first page of the chapter, inspecting the picture of the princes. "Dating to the 14th century, the Crown Prince Myungsoo takes a picture with his brother Moonsoo right before the marriage of a guard of the royal court," he read to himself. He was very interested in the picture, especially of the older brother. His curves, his eyes, his nose, the way the painter captured his image. 

It had an uncanny resemblance to someone he knew.

Woohyun turned back to look at Sungyeol and Myungsoo in the back of the classroom, giggling about something together in their book. Woohyun turned back again to face the front of the classroom, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. That guy Sungyeol hangs out with... 

(((())))

"Did Taeyeon respond?" Myungsoo asked, slurping the deliciousness of his orange creme frappucino. In a matter of minutes, a grande sized drink was finished in an instant with the Crown Prince trying to relish the final sips sticking to the sides of his cup. It was warmer day in Seoul, and Sungyeol suggested they buy cold drinks instead of their usual. Myungsoo had never tasted anything so splendid, but of course the past few drinks he had bought lacked any real coffee or expresso. 

"Not yet, but she should soon." Sungyeol may have been expecting too much, disallusioned that this could be an easily solvable problem with his former love. He sat across Myungsoo with a mocha frappucino, savoring his drink and sipping on its contents slowly .

The two of them sat by the windows of Starbucks, with Myungsoo taking pleasure in his drink while he watched Sungyeol from across get a head start on a reading for History 31. He took another sip of his frappucino, all of its goodness drunken to the last drop yet Myungsoo continued to drink and hoped that the drink with magically regenerate. "Can I borrow your phone?" Myungsoo asked gently.

Sungyeol always knew what Myungsoo meant when he asked for his phone. He slid the screen to unlock and searched just for the thing Myungsoo wanted.

Bejeweled.

Sungyeol slid the phone across the table to Myungsoo, who grabbed it with ease and started playing like a pro. After weeks of switching off between Sungyel and Sungjong's phone, Myungsoo considered himself a connoisseur of sorts with cell phones. It was one of the most intriguing things he came across, and through it was difficult to use at first he quickly learned the ins and outs of making a phone call, playing a game, and even briefly learning about a fascinating invention called the internet, and how you can ask a man named Google any question and he will answer it in seconds. Myungsoo swiped his finger across the screen delicately, matching all the shapes to play. "The cellular phone will never cease to amaze me."

"You're telling me. You beat my high score yesterday... you're better at this game than me," Sungyeol muttered bitterly, flipping through the pages of his book.

Sungyeol caught glimpse of a petite and slender figure walking through the doors of Starbucks, only revealing the outline of her silhouette. As she moved closer into the store, he noticed the figure walking with a morose expression, her face lacking the life and elegance that normally pertained her. Sungyeol raised his chin to take a careful look at the woman, standing in line at Starbucks with her purse dangling at her fingertips. "Taeyeon," he recognized.

Myungsoo's eyes lit up, turning around in his seat to catch Sungyeol's ex-girlfriend right in front of them. "She is here? Why has she not answered-"

Before Myungsoo could finish his sentence, Sungyeol rose up from his chair immediately and walked over to Taeyeon. The one girl he always thought he could talk to about anything suddenly felt like a stranger, and as he approached her a strange presence came between them. Sungyeol knew he would always cherish her as a first love, and Sungyeol always knew they would be friends. But something was different. "Taeyeon," Sungyeol started, tapping her on the shoulder.

Taeyeon was startled seeing Sungyeol standing right in front of her. Suddenly her eyes welled up with tears, her lower lip wavering, resorting to shaking her head softly and leaving Starbucks.

"Taeyeon! Wait." Sungyeol grabbed onto Taeyeon's arm to hold her back. She tried resisting, but Sungyeol turned her back around and placed both hands on her shoulders. Sungyeol was worried, wondering why Taeyeon was acting like this. Was Woohyun right? What is going on? "Woohyun talked to me earlier and said you were upset." He wished there was a better way to phrase it and bring up the situation, but Sungyeol was desperate for answers.

Taeyeon shook her head, a glint of tear falling from her glistening cheek. She tried to brush Sungyeol's hands away, but instead Sungyeol held onto her wrists to keep her from going away. "Sungyeol, let go of me."

"I... I don't know what's going on," Sungyeol hesitated, gripping onto Taeyeon to figure out the situation. It was no longer a matter of trying to win her back, but one that he was trying to keep their friendship after it all. "Taeyeon, please tell me."

Clearing , Taeyeon shook her head and looked down at Sungyeol's shoes. Her tears started to fall right to the floor, splashing onto his feet as her whimpers grew louder. "Sungyeol, I'm trying to do exactly what you wanted me to do..."

"What do you mean?!" Sungyeol's voice heightened, nervously scanning the room as customers and employees alike watched the ex-couple fighting. In an effort to get an answer, Sungyeol leaned in to whisper. "Taeyeon, what did I say?"

It was more than heartbreaking for Taeyeon to have to relive the moment in her head, and seeing Sungyeol right in front of her triggered terrible memories of her birthday. Struggling to muster the words, she stared into Sungyeol's eyes and finally said it. "Sungyeol, after I tried to talk to you about Woohyun, you called me the biggest you ever knew... and that you want me to get out of your life."

Sungyeol's jaw dropped. His heart fell right to the pits of his stomach, taking a deep breath upon Taeyeon's reveal. Sungyeol knew he had a lot to drink that night, but to go as far as to say that? He could not believe he was ever capable of saying such a thing. Especially to someone as special as her. Sungyeol grabbed onto Taeyeon's shoulder to pull her in for a hug. "Taeyeon, I'm sorry, but I drank a lot that night. I had no idea what I was saying..."

"After all that we've been through, I just wanted us to be friends..." Taeyeon cried.

"And I want to be your friend too!" Sungyeol tried to convince. "It took me a long time to realize that, but I've moved on. Taeyeon I've known you for so long, and what I said that night was out of line. I was jealous, upset, a fool. But that doesn't in any way reflect my true feelings for you. Kim Taeyeon, I want to be your friend more than anything in the world."

Unable to take it any longer, Taeyeon slowly pushed Sungyeol's hands off of her and backed away. Sungyeol's eyes. The same eyes that used to make her safe betrayed her. Taeyeon was caught in a vulnerable state, shaking uncontrollably. She believed what she wanted to believe, invalidating everything Sungyeol had just confessed. Without saying another word, Taeyeon spun around and rushed out of Starbucks before she could spill out more tears. 

Sungyeol slapped his forehead, sliding it down his face as he reflected on everything he had gone through with Taeyeon. From their first fight to every makeup, leading up to this moment where nothing could be repaired. Sungyeol sniffed his nose, about to cry himself that he officially lost one of the most important people in his life permanently. 

Sungyeol clenched onto the bottom of his shirt and turned around to look at the commotion he caused. Everyone at Starbucks paused for them, observing the hopeless scene of lost love. Sungyeol crossed his arms, on the verge of breaking down and sobbing himself. Biting his lip, he caught eye of Myungsoo sitting at their table. The poor prince had no idea how to respond. 

All Myungsoo could do was look at him with sorrowful eyes, taking a small gulp and wondering if there was any way to make Sungyeol feel better.

(((())))

Sunggyu hurried down the hallway to the palace meeting chambers, in which his father Bang Sok was conducting a meeting on their next plan of action in continuing trade with Japan. Sweating uncontrollably and pulsing nervously from Daehyun's stand, he rushed towards the end of the corridor. It seemed endless, the light from the room growing farther and farther. Sunggyu ran faster, the new Crown Prince panicking and the walls narrowing down to crush him. 

One more step, Sunggyu. You're getting closer.

Nothing was getting in the way of his perfect plan.

After an eternity of running Sunggyu finally stumbled into the meeting chambers, stepping on the fabric of his hanbok and falling right at the feet of his father, who was walking around the room as he was reading a letter sent by a messenger from Japan. King Bang Sok stared down at his son, disturbing the peace and acting out of line and order to ruin an important meeting for the future relations of their nation. Sunggyu's lips pressed against the straw floor, puckering them to push himself back up and face the royal court. 

King Bang Sok showed a disappointed look in his son's face, rolling the letter back up and crossing his arms in discontent. "Prince Sunggyu, what do you think you are doing disrupting a meeting of this caliber? I told you we had some important things to discuss."

Sunggyu brushed his hanbok off as he picked himself back up, all the eyes of the court glued onto him and impatiently waiting for a response. An explanation was needed, and Sunggyu needed Daehyun's plans thwarted. Sunggyu had to end up with Naeun. "Daehyun escaped the palace to find the exiled Kim Myungsoo. After I placed orders for him to stay and follow your word, he refused and left with one of the horses." Sunggyu clutched his chest, out of breath.

King Bang Sok's eyes widened in shock, dropping the letter to the floor. The whole court stood up from their seats, discussing the terms of the next order of business. With the House of Kim's most loyal guard leaving in support of the murderous Myungsoo, it was an issue of the hysteria Daehyun could cause. "Get every guard of this palace back out there, journeying to find Myungsoo AND Daehyun."

Sunggyu let out a sigh, wiping the sweat off his forehead in relief. "What do you want me to do?"

King Bang Sok shook his head, a spark of anger seen in the corner of his eyes as he felt betrayed. "You and I will journey tomorrow if he is not found now. An act of treason like this... when found can be only punishable by death."

(((())))

"You really told her that?" Dongwoo asked, leaning his elbow against the couch armrest to contemplate Sungyeol's story.

Sungyeol lounged on the couch, taking the middle cushion with Dongwoo sitting to his left. His feet propped on top of the coffee table, trying to relax his shoulders and close his eyes as he tried to think of a resolve. Sungyeol never considered something like this could ever happen between him and Taeyeon, and now he had to do whatever possible to restore their friendship. "She should know I would never mean something like that. I was caught in the moment of finding out about her and Woohyun, you know? Myungsoo and I had some really good drinks and it escalated from there."

"That's ok," Sungjong hummed, flipping through the channels with a blank stare on Sungyeol's right. "She was a anyway."

"SUNGJONG!" Dongwoo and Sungyeol scolded in unison. The both of them grabbed the pillows from behind and hacked them right at the maknae's face.

The attack terrified Sungjong, who almost fell off from the other armrest in a frenzy. Spazzing in his seat, he grabbed the pillows and threw them at Dongwoo and Sungyeol's feet. "I'm sorry, I don't have a high opinion of her!" Sungjong whined.

Dongwoo shook his head, stuck between understanding Sungyeol's side as a longterm friend but torn with Sungjong because Taeyeon broke his friend's heart. It was gray matter, and maybe neither side was right or wrong. "I really don't know how you're gonna talk to her. Girls are tricky, you know."

"Tell me about it." Sungyeol opened his eyes, hoping by the time he had full sight the situation would solve itself. 

Of course, he was simply back to staring at a commercial for Hite Beer.

"I want some beer," Sungjong declared, jumping off the couch and motioning for the boys to leave. "Let's go to the store across the street."

"It's one of those days, huh?" Dongwoo smirked, getting up from the couch to follow Sungjong to the door. As he walked he noticed Sungyeol at the corner of his eye, continuing to lay on the couch without a single movement. "You coming Sungyeol?"

Sungyeol shook his head, closing his eyes once more to try and fall asleep. "I'm gonna stay here. Also, I don't want to leave Myungsoo home alone."

"We'll get enough beer for everyone, don't worry," Sungjong promised, opening the door for Dongwoo to leave before slamming it closed behind him.

Sungyeol continued to rest, enjoying the solitude of an empty room and the white noise from his television screen. That was all Sungyeol wanted, and maybe what Sungyeol deserved: to have no one around him. After betraying the person he had cared so much for, he thought to belittle himself for such an action. Sure he was drunk, but it was no excuse for his irresponsible and hurtful actions. He was unable to move a single limb, punishing himself for everything.

Go to sleep Sungyeol.

Myungsoo opened the door to Sungyeol's room, dressed up in his pajamas with a towel draped around his shoulders after taking a shower. His hair was still damp with little droplets dripping down to the towel. Feeling clean and refreshed, he walked down the hallway with his arms stretched out and a smile on his face. Approaching the living room, he found Sungyeol asleep on the couch with his eyes closed. 

Myungsoo's smile wiped away as the unconscious Sungyeol let out a slight snore. His sleep was far from peaceful, knowing that Sungyeol had been suffering throughout the day. Myungsoo had been by Sungyeol's side throughout his whole breakup and aftermath with Taeyeon, but watching him in this moment was nothing like he had ever seen. Sungyeol was the most defeated Myungsoo had ever seen, his face showing clear dejection and his body fatigued with stress.

Sungyeol's whole world came crashing down, and Myungsoo had gone through too much with Sungyeol to see him give up.

The prince had nothing to tell him. Everything at the club was all he could say, and with a lack of experience himself with Sungyeol's situation there was so much he could do. Myungsoo took his towel and flung it off his shoulders, whipping it to the ground to simply drop it onto the floor. 

Sungyeol has helped me so much, so how can I help him? I need to help him.

I want to help him.

Sungyeol stirred in his sleep, shifting his head from a change of position.

It's like I'm floating on a cloud.

There was something different, like Sungyeol was flying through the air as he slept. He was unsure if it was a dream, but his arms and legs felt freer than ever. Sungyeol was like a bird, the wind blowing against him and the sky felt from under his body. Sungyeol quivered, slowly opening his eyes as he was no longer on the couch. Or a surface for that matter.

Sungyeol was in the air. His legs and arms were floating, and his lightweight body barely drooped. 

My mind is playing tricks on me. Is this a dream?

"You are my chocolate,
My sweetest chocolate,
I really want to have you."

Someone began to sing a familiar tune. Sungyeol blinked his eyes multiple times to regain his sight and feeling in his body. That was when he felt the pressure on his back, as if someone was carrying him. Squinting his eyes, Sungyeol pretended to sleep to look up.

Myungsoo cradled Sungyeol in his arms like a baby, carrying him from the couch to bring him to his room. What is Myungsoo doing... Sungyeol closed his eyes to fake his slumber, even going as far as to open his mouth and let out a snoring sound. Unaware of Myungsoo's intentions, Sungyeol allowed him to continue. 

Myungsoo wanted Sungyeol to feel comfortable after a long day, resorting to picking him up and taking him to his own bed. While doing so, he hummed a tune that was close and dear to Sungyeol's heart. He had no idea what the song meant or why it was important to him, but he had heard it multiple times through Sungyeol's cell phone. After a few listens, he had many of the lyrics memorized.

"You are my ice cream,
My sweetest ice cream,
I really want to have you."

Sungyeol's heart started skipping a beat as he recognized the song Myungsoo sang.

This is my ringtone...

Specifically his ringtone for Taeyeon, but not a single thought of Taeyeon ran through his mind. A weird feeling literally swept Sungyeol off his feet. The Crown Prince decided to take him off the couch and bring him to his room, without telling him to, and sang his ringtone like a lullaby. He doubted Myungsoo even knew what the English lyrics of the song meant, yet he sang "You're My" like had known it for ages. In such a simple move, Sungyeol had completely forgotten of every worry he had about school, last weekend, Taeyeon, everything.

Sungyeol only focused his thoughts on Myungsoo as he gently placed his body on top of his bed, tucking him in by flipping the blanket over him. He had no idea why Myungsoo was doing it.

But it was comforting.

"You are my candy, 
A lollipop candy
I really want to kiss you. 
I really want to love you."