iii
No More PrincessJihyun looks around the apartment's living room, taking everything in. Neat and tidy--not the mess she expects from a young boy living on his own.
He is living on his own, right? She doesn't see any traces of a roommate or girlfriend in sight. All she sees are pictures of family, of scenery decorating the tables and walls. A view of the kitchen down the hallway, a cluttered stack of magazines and DVDs, a few pairs of shoes beside the doorway. Nothing of anyone other than him.
She feels like an intruder.
"Here's the bathroom, in case you need to get up in the middle of the night." Her savior, whom she needs to remember to address as Kai, gestures to the first door lining the hallway toward the kitchen. "It's a pretty convenient spot, because my bedroom's right here." He turns around to another door, continuing to talk as he walks in. "I think my bed's pretty comfortable, so I'm sure you'll have a good night's rest. If you want any extra blankets, they're--"
"Wait a minute." Jihyun stops him. "What are you talking about? I'm not sleeping in your bed."
Kai's eyebrows furrow and he glances at his bed again before he responds. "Why? There's nothing wrong with it; I've only had it for a year or two. Five-year warranty."
"No, I mean . . . You're being too nice. All I need is somewhere to sleep; the couch will do just fine."
He grins, as if trying to hide a chuckle. "Now, I wouldn't be the man my mom raised me to be. I insist that you take my bed; it's way more comfortable."
"Well then you'll just have to tell your mother you didn't have a choice." Her chin raises just the slightest. "I'm taking the couch. I won't have it any other way."
Kai raises his eyebrows, but shrugs. "Alright. I guess I lost. Let me get a few things before we call it a night."
Jihyun nods and he goes to his closet to gather some night supplies. That's when it hits her. She's going to be spending the night in a stranger's house, completely vulnerable with nothing to defend herself. Remembering the living room, she figures she can find a weapon if this guy advances towards her.
But as Kai smiles, gestures for her to come along with an armful of blankets and pillows and fixes up the couch for her to sleep, Jihyun decides she has nothing to worry about. Yoona said she was a good judge of character, anyway.
"It's nothing special," Kai says when Jihyun tells him how nice his apartment is. "but I appreciate the compliment."
"As do I, for the hospitality."
He grins, his smile sending butterflies to Jihyun's stomach. "My pleasure." His thumbs hook in his belt buckle. "Well, it's getting late and I have work tomorrow. That means we both have to get up early." His eyes are warm and welcoming as he catches her gaze for the last time today. "I hope you sleep well."
Jihyun smiles slowly, catching the joking tone in his voice. "Same for you."
When Kai wakes up the next morning, he finds the "bed" he layed out for his guest cleaned and folded, placed on the end of the couch and Jihyun sitting next to it, watching the TV on low volume.
"What are you watching?" He asks from behind her, not even giving her a startle from his sudden entrance.
"It's called Planet Earth. It's a very nice show, really interesting."
It's not until Kai strolls around the side of the couch and is about to sit down when he realizes Jihyun's shoulder blades aren't even touching the back of the couch. Her back is as straight as a piece of wood. He doesn't have time to continue marvelling about it, let alone question her about it, when she speaks up again. "I hope you don't mind me turning on the television. I didn't know if--"
He waves the apology off, still standing awkwardly next to the sofa. "Don't worry about it."
"Oh, wonderful."
"Do you want some coffee?" He starts toward the kitchen.
"I'd love some."
"Come get yourself a cup. What are you hungry for?" He asks without even a backward glance.
"I'm guessing you're offering me breakfast?"
"You've guessed correctly." He smiles as she walks in behind him and begins to search the cabinets. "Your options are . . . . pancakes," He moves to the fridge. "Something with eggs," The freezer. "Frozen waffles or . . . . a day old candy bar." He says after a glance at the countertop.
"So much to choose from," Jihyun jokes. "But you've already done so much for me already--"
"Pick one."
She sighs at his command. "Eggs."
"Great." He returns to the fridge, bends to retrieve the carton. "Scrambled or dippy?"
Jihyun's face twists in confusion. "Dippy?"
"Yeah," He glances at her, then reaches for some plates, pans, a spatula. "The kind where you can dip your toast into the yolk. Dippy."
She laughs a melodous laugh, one that Kai can't believe makes him stop what he's doing just to listen to it. Embarrassment creeps into his cheeks.
"I've never heard that term before." He hears her say. "I'll take dippy eggs, then."
From across the table, Kai watches with confoundment as Jihyun cuts the buttered toast into inch-long squares and dips the pieces into her broken egg yolk. She must notice his bewilderment when she meets his gaze, but if she does she shows no sign and continues like nothing's going on.
"So," He starts, trying to veer his mind away from her questionable actions. "You've never told me your name."
"Oh, I'm sorry," She quickly apologizes, apalled at her own lack of manners.. "I'm Byun Jihyun."
"Byun Jihyun," He repeats, testing the name out on his tongue. It adapts pretty well. "How old are you, Jihyun?"
"Eighteen. How about you?"
"Twenty. Thank God you're not sixteen or anything."
"Why would it matter?"
"Because that's illegal. You'd be a minor, then. But you're not, so we're fine." He takes a bite of his toast. "Why were you on the streets yesterday?"
"Didn't you already ask me this when you met me?"
"Yes, but all you said was that it was complicated."
"Because it is."
"I think I'll be able to understand. I did well in school."
Jihyun hesitates, searching his face for anything that can possibly get her out of this situation. She finds nothing. "You won't believe me."
He shrugs. "How bad could it be?"
She raises a brow, accepting the challenge he unintentionally put out. "It's not the severity of it, it's how ridiculous it's going to sound." Well, it's also the severity. Oh well, she's already in this deep. "You know the city of Alcea?"
"Yeah,"
"And you know of its king?"
"Yeah," He repeats.
"Do you know of his grandchildren?"
"Of course. A grandson and granddaughter, I think."
"Right. Well I'm the granddaughter."
Jihyun watches for some kind of extravegant reaction, some exclamation of surprise or anger by her ridiculous lie. She gets nothing but a blank stare. Jihyun wonders if he heard her at all, since she knows how bad men are with listening, but then Kai shakes his head, as if clearing a mess of words inside.
"Okay, that's where you lost me. Explain this again? More detail, this time."
Jihyun goes through her family tree (as far as she can remember), briefly describes what she was doing yesterday morning, quickly goes over the "threat" Baekhyun was speaking of and how he pushed her out of the city.
When she finishes, she looks, again, for a reaction. A different one. She gets another blank stare, but this time, there's a blink.
"You don't believe me, do you." She stares right back.
"I don't know. But I guess that's why you eat the way you do and why it looks like you have a metal rod for a spine." His voice drops, like he switches from talking to her to talking to himself. "I was wondering about that."
"Good posture is a nice thing to have when you're royalty." Jihyun's gaze falls to his hunch over the table. "You could use some yourself."
Kai gestures with his fork. "But I'm not royalty."
Her eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. "So you believe me?"
He pauses a moment, looks away in thought, and abruptly stands up, reaches across the table for her wrist and places two fingers on the underside.
"Can you repeat that you're a runaway princess?"
"Why?"
"Repeat it,"
"I'm a runaway princess."
He stays still a moment, "Okay," then sits back down. "Your pulse is normal which means you aren't lying. Unless you escaped from a mental hospital." He considered. "If that's the case, then I'll probably hear it on the news soon."
His attention focuses back on his breakfast, and Jihyun smiles at him before taking a sip of her coffee.
"It's strange how you come to conclusions."
Kai turns to catch a glimpse of the time. "I have work soon," He turns back to her. "I don't know if you'll want to stay here or not while I'm gone for eight hours."
"You're letting me stay?" She asks, befuddled.
"Well, it seems like you're in a bit of a predicament, anyhow." He grins. "Do you want to come to work with me or stay here?"
She narrows her eyes, considering his offer. "Where do you work?"
"Amusement park."
Kai watches Jihyun's eyes light up by his answer, curling into a wide smile. "Let's go to work!"
It's a short chapter, I know, and because of that I'll try to update again within the next three days. Please guys, remember to comment! thankyouthankyou
Comments