10 years later
 
In Busan, Korea, a joyous festival was being held in celebration for the wonderful news they received. 
 
"Did you hear the news?"
 
"Yes! Our prince is finally near!" 
 
They were scrubbing the floors and were polishing their roofs as they were singing in delight. They threw their feather hats in the air and shouted loudly in joyful hurrah. They have been waiting years for their young prince to come back, and finally, the most treasured time has come. Everybody was washing their clothes as mothers rushed to catch up with their rushing children. It was mid-December at that time, so everybody was wearing thick layers of clothing as they drank warm tea inside each other's houses. They were slurping their noodles excitedly as they hung up banners and such in their neighborhood. 
 
"No more worries!" 
 
"Our prince will soon be here!" 
 
They all shouted in hurrah as everybody busied themselves with different things of interest. Some were building snowmen, while some just chased each other along the cold pavement. Ever since the incident at the train station years ago, nobody saw Jaehwan from then on. After they heard the news, they immediately rejoiced and called a festival to be held in their quaint city. Children were singing Christmas carols while playing energetically with one another. 
 
Everybody was talking with one another while running with glee. They all gathered in the city square and linked their arms joyfully. They danced around and sang with joy as they covered the tiles of their city with their flurried footsteps. Everyone was rejoicing over the said news, after years of waiting patiently, they finally got something out of it. They jumped around and did everything they could do to welcome their young ruler. 
 
They didn't know where he exactly was, so that caused an immediate uproar around the quaint city. His grandfather, King Seulong, was offering an award of $1,000,000 for the ones who can find his grandson. Everyone was packing their bags and went to bid farewell to their fellowmen to go and find Jaehwan. They all trudged along the white snow as children knocked on each other's doors as they sang an annoyingly catchy song about building snowmen or such that was just fit for Christmas. 
 
But meanwhile, in a secluded part of the town, there were 3 young men walking up the creaky wooden stairs of their small apartment. They were full of smiles after hearing the joyous news all around the city.  They were con-men and they had a lovely tailor working hand-in-hand with them. They shook off the snow from their warm coats and just sighed happily. 
 
"We just have to find a handsome young man and dress him up nicely, and then our misery will soon 
be gone!" 
 
The tallest of the three shouted in hurrah as he danced with a mannequin. The bubble gum-haired man jumped in joy as the snow slowly melted on his soft blue hair. The youngest brunette just laughed at the sight of his dancing hyung that was covered with many styles of fabrics and so. They were flipping silk clothes everywhere as they landed on a big beanbag in unison. The oldest of the three just sighed and wrapped his long arms around his comrade's necks. They all sighed and threw their heads back. The youngest one sighed and stretched out. 
 
"We'll get 4 tickets to Beijing, along with Prince Lee!" 
 
They shouted in hurrah and kicked up their long legs. The youngest of the three threw feather hats everywhere as some landed on the latter’s head.
 
"For Prince Lee!" 
 
They jumped up and opened the creaky windows to their small apartment. They gathered their thick coats and got a wooden plank. The chilly air entered the cold room as they hugged their coats closer to their bodies, their hair flowing along with the winter air. They ran hurriedly down their roof and slid up towards the abandoned palace doors. They were shouting and hollering as they felt the cold air strike against their faces as they slid down the creaky rooftop.
 
Nobody ever went back to the palace since the uprising of Taegoon, but these 3 disobedient men just went in and out of it like it was their home. They were maliciously labeled as Wonsik, Hongbin, and Taekwoon. They were famous around their city, for they were the best thieves and criminals you can ever find. They were cunning and smart, not to mention that they were incredibly good-looking too. With their smooth tongues and pretty faces, they can deceive almost anybody in town. They were actually going to start planning to hold auditions to see who can manage to pretend to play as Jaehwan for their upcoming scheme this year. They all landed on a dusty chair as they all sighed happily. The snow melted inside the palace as they took frail steps across the abandoned grand room. Their footsteps were evident across the hall as it slowly melted along with the rest of the snow in the palace. They took off their coats as they discussed their game plan thoroughly and quietly. 
 
Everybody was joyful and the quaint city was full of cheers and hurrahs. Well, maybe everybody.
 
 

 
 
 In another province, shouts of goodbyes and the leaking of tears were heard as a dashing young man left a black, beaten up building. His name, well at least the name he remembers from before, was Jaehwan. He was once a young orphan, but now he was an 18-year-old boy that was currently being kicked out of his old orphanage. 
 
He had amnesia, so he forgot almost everything about his childhood and his past. He sported an oversized coat that ran past his knees as his brown locks were tousled up and was covered with bits of snow. He was wearing a beanie as he waved goodbye to the sobbing children in the small front porch of the building filled with his present memories.
 
 He just slowly approached the big steel gates as the old keeper of the orphanage threw him a set of keys.
 
"You, you were my main problem in this orphanage." 
 
The keeper accusingly pointed at the latter and pushed him out the cold steel gates. Jaehwan just put his hands to his hips as he let out a soft chuckle. He laughed as he quietly flashbacked to all the pranks he maliciously played on the old keeper.
 
His chestnut brown locks were slowly springing out from his beanie, as little fragments of the softly falling snow was settling on his coat. 
 
"Is that a compliment? Don't worry, I love you too, Sungjae" 
 
 
He chuckled and slowly stuffed the set of keys in his empty pocket. The children were sobbing their hearts out as they shouted their farewells to the young brunette.
 
"We'll never forget your corny jokes, hyung!" 
 
"Come back to visit, ok hyung?" 
 
Jaehwan’s eyes were threatening to shed tears of its own, so he just let out a broken laugh as he stared at the young children behind him. He spent 13 years in this orphanage; it has been his home since he was a toddler. He’ll miss all of the cute children, the creaky floorboards, the cramped beds, heck he’ll even miss the mildew in the small showers! He spent most of his childhood here, and this was the first time he was going out alone. Alone, what an unfamiliar word. He was never alone, not with all of the ruckus being caused by the children. The keeper, but as the children call him, Sungjae, threw him a bag that landed softly beside his feet.
 
“All of the things ya’ll need to survive.”
 
What a nice choice of words Sungjae, need to survive, the three words rung in his head. How will he survive? He still has no planned-out shelter; neither does he have any relatives, well, none that he knows of anyway. He ran his hand through his brown locks as he looked behind him from the last time. The sight of his brown orphanage sent all of the memories to start flooding back to his mind. He looked away before he started to cry all over again, as he let out his pale hand before the impatient keeper.

“It was nice meeting you, Sungjae hyung.

He never called Sungjae his hyung, even though he was almost 9 years older than the latter. The older’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Jaehwan like he was a 7-foot-tall ghost. The latter then slowly shook the younger’s cold hand as he did something extarordinary that Jaehwan never saw him do before. He smiled.

“You take care, ok?”

Sungjae’s eyes crinkled at the sides as he slowly patted Jaehwan on his back. The latter actually looked…harmless when he smiles. Which he’s matter-of-factly not. Jaehwan then slowly found himself smiling back as he finally went out of the cold steel gates. He looked at it for one last time as he let out a reminiscing sigh. The peeling paint on the cold brick walls, the creaky porch that no one ever bothered to fix, the leaking pipes in the mildew-filled showers, they all felt like home. He waved behind him for the final time, as he finally stepped into the woods and began his new adventure as an independent man.
 
~.
 
“Give me a sign! Anything!”

The determined and hopeful man 5 minutes ago, soon diminished into a shivering, groaning mess. His coat was being dragged by the wind, as he took light steps across the thick snow. There was a wooden sign that plastered “Busan” and another wooden sign plastered “Seoul”. He groaned loudly in frustration. He looked up to the sky and let out a deep sigh.

“I’ve been outside in the snow for minutes now, for crying out loud!”

His snarky attitude soon made an appearance after 10 minutes in the snow. He kicked up the pile of snow in front of him. He sat down on a small rock and put his chin on his cold palm. He involuntarily pouted as he just bluntly looked straight ahead. When will he ever reach a productive place? Where will he go, Seoul, or Busan? He groaned as he just let out a defeated sigh. 

He was just about to give up, but then a black kitten swiftly came out from the shadows. It tugged gently on his coat and got hold of the end of his long scarf. Jaehwan looked at it incredulously, as it tugged him to the direction of Busan. 
 
“Hey, let go!”

Jaehwan’s mood was not improving as the kitten just forced the wool scarf off of his neck. It pulled Jaehwan to the direction of Busan as it mewled at the confused brunette. His eyebrows were furrowed as it looked intently at the mewling kitten. Could this possibly be...

His thoughts were rudely interrupted as the small kitten pulled him forward towards Busan. It was the sign, the sign he was practically begging for. He followed the small creature across snowy paths as he walked in excited, flurried footsteps. He hugged his coat tighter and held the other end of his scarf tighter, as he saw a quaint village nearing him. He grinned in bewilderment as he practically abandoned his small friend behind. He ran hurriedly towards the bright village as he decided on carrying his mewling companion along with him. He tucked the small kitten in his warm coat, as it snuggled closer to the warm latter. He examined the banners and the bright lights around him as he let out a light-hearted chuckle. Children were smiling at him, as they threw small snowballs at each other. His insides were warm and fuzzy, because this is a place in where he felt like he was home. Home, where could his home be? 

He excitedly ran along the curled streets, as he passed by fruit stands and different kinds of shops. His cat, in which he decided to name as Jiho, mewled loudly as he held tight to the latter's arms. All of the people were gently waving at him and smiled at his direction as he happily passed by them. The street vendors were shouting here and there, and the strong scent of street food kicked in his senses. He was incredibly happy, and his mind was clear of all those nasty things called worries, until one certain question popped up in his carefree mind. What was he gonna do here? He groaned in frustration as he ran his hand through his soft brown locks for the nth time today. 

He decided to go around the warm city and go off to find a kind fellow to find help from. He felt a sudden wriggle in his arms as he felt his lovely companion, Jiho, wriggle away from his brown coat. It landed stealthily on its feet as its tail gracefully swished back and forth. It pulled once again on Jaehwan's black pants as it ran across the streets of the bustling neighborhood. Jaehwan was dashing to catch up with it as it takes sharp twists and turns here and there. 

"Yah, wait for-" 

Jaehwan didn't look at where he was going and suddenly bumped into a woman in her 50s or so. 

"Oh! I'm sorry!" 

Jaehwan then realized that the cat stopped here, so he hurriedly caught up with the stranger. The lady then looked back at him and gave him a warm smile.

"Do you need anything, young lad?" 

Her eyes crinkled at the sides, and it vaguely reminded him of a certain orphanage keeper.

"Oh, yes, please. May I ask the exact location of where I am right now? What city am I in or what village did I stumble in to?" 

Jaehwan just nervously smiled at the lady as he ran his hand through his brown locks for the nth time today. 

"You, young lad, are in the best city in South Korea! Welcome to Busan, young man!" 

She hugged him as she patted his aching back. So the cat did drag him into Busan. 

"Also, may I ask, where can I find help here? I'm really at a loss right now, so can you please tell me where I can ask directions or so?" 

The lady pondered for awhile as she stared at the blue sky. After a minute or so, she smiled once again and looked at the latter. 

"I would love to be that person, young lad, but sadly, I also have a lot of chores to do. Also, preparing for the return of our young prince is a must! But I can suggest you some people, though." 

Returning of the young prince, what was that? The lady then went closer to Jaehwan as she lowered her voice into a whisper. 

"You can find the trio in the palace at the middle of the village." 

She then immediately went back to before and smiled brightly, as if nothing happened. 

"I am happy to be of help to you, young lad." 

She then smiled before turning away to the busy market. Jaehwan sighed as he watched his kitten pace around in circles. What trio was she talking about? Are they tour guides? Or are they some shady dealers or so? Jaehwan then shook his head at his crazy thoughts. He really needed to visit a doctor soon. 

His cat then suddenly started to run once again. Was this infernal cat testing his limits?! He just sighed and hesitatingly started to dash towards the grand palace up front. 

"Next!" 

Taekwoon sighed as he slammed his arm on the chestnut wood table. The auditions flopped as the actors were terrible. All his hope was now lost as his two friends also groaned in frustration. The previous actor wore an overly large brown wig that made him look like a complete hobo.

"There is no next, Taekwoon." 

The latter did not care about the informality of his friend as he just groaned for the nth time that day. 

"Well, we better sto-" 

Crash. A loud banging below interrupted the conversation of the three men. They looked at each other with fright and worry. They need not to instruct each other as they simultaneously dashed to the stairs. 

"Are you sure this is it, Jiho?" 

The cat mewled in agreement and pawed at the wooden barriers. Jaehwan groaned as he stared at the wooden borders. He'll need to use force, then. With all the running and pushing that he did today, he'll have abs by the following day! He stepped back and focused on the wooden boards. He then ran forward and pushed hard on the numerous planks. Crash. He fell towards the floor as he groaned loudly in pain. He slowly and hesitatingly opened his eyes, just to be faced by a high golden ceiling.

-
"Appa, Appa, higher!" 

Hyunwoo chuckled as he carried his young child. The latter chuckled cutely and scrunched up his cute nose. Everything his son does was cute. 

"Later, Jaehwan, ok? We have to go take a bath~" 

His child screeched as he tried to escape from his father's tight grip.

"No! Hwannie doesn't wanna take a bath!" 

-

Jaehwan shook his head as his head pounded aggressively. He groaned as he slowly regained his balance. He was leaning against the clothed table across the hall. His eyes flickered over a mirror as he suddenly fell back once again. 

-
"Its your first day of school, Jaehwan!" 

His father smiled proudly at the latter as he fixed his uniform. He carried the young child in his arms as he tousled his brown locks up. The young child then chuckled and smiled.

"Hwannie will do well!" 

His father then smiled and kissed his forehead. 

"Hwannie will surely do well, Appa's sure of it." 

-

Jaehwan groaned as he had another flashback. His eyes then passed by a dusty throne with a rusting scepter beside it. 

-
"Jaehwan, run!" 

His father shouted miserably at his son as he was enveloped by of burning tongues of fire and just screamed in agony as his skin was being burnt by the harsh fire. 

"Dad!" 

Jaehwan just screamed and cried in terror and agony as he slowly watched his beloved father die. He was traumatized as a guard just carried him away from all the commotion. Jaehwan just reached out his tiny hand as his father turned into black ash in front of him. 

"Appa..." 

-

Ok, that particular flashback scared the wits out of him. He avoided looking at the rest of he objects as his mind was trying to process everything that was happening. He saw a grand flight of stairs in front of him, so he decided to carefully climb his way up. He was about to take his first step, but a flurry of hurried footsteps interrupted him from doing so. He looked up to see 3 tall men looking surprisingly at him. So they were the so-called trio. They were incredibly good looking at that too. 

"What are you doing here?" 

The three men were panting as they reached the end of the grand staircase. They heard light footsteps below them as they hesitatingly looked at the direction of the sound. They were greeted by a young brunette who seemed to look as confused as they are. His brown locks were tousled up as his big chestnut brown eyes flickered to their direction. He was, in one word, stunning.

"What are you doing here?".

After a few minutes of broken explaining and two broken plates later, they were gathered around in a circle as they sipped warm tea around the fireplace. They were all staring each other down as they rubbed their frozen hands together.

"So you're an orphan? And you just got released from the orphanage today?" 

Jaehwan intently nodded in agreement. He was petting Jiho as the young cat snuggled against his arm. The three men stared at him with awe as they just observed the latter. His brown eyes observed the castle with admiration as he calmly sipped his tea. 

"Jaehwan?" 

Taekwoon broke the silence as he slowly stood up. 

"Can you come here for a second." 

He offered his hand to the younger as he pulled him up to his feet. He dragged him to the painting at the wall and positioned the latter right beside it. The child at the picture had brown locks and chestnut brown eyes that can send you into a deep trance. Full lips that were always formed into an involuntary pout and a sharp nose that complemented his features perfectly. It looked exactly like Jaehwan. 

The three men shared nods of acknowledgement as they stared at the brunette in front of them. 

"Perfect." 

"So you're telling me, that I just have to pretend to be this prince that I'm not, then we can fly to Beijing?" 

Jaehwan was walking along the wide expanse of the grand hall with the 3 men. 

"Oh come on, you're certainly the handsome prince!" 

"Hey, you can be the prince! You look exactly like him!" 

"Psh, just as Wonsik looks exactly like a horse." 

The three..well, two, men fell to the floor with laughter as they pointed at Wonsik. 

"H..horse! HorSik!" 

They fell into more outrageous fits of laughter as they resorted on pounding the hard granite floor. Once they composed themselves once again, they cleared their throats and brushed the dust off their clothes. Hongbin was still wiping a tear from his eyes as he lightly chuckled. 

"I never knew the prince had this side of him." 

He patted Jaehwan on the back and laughed silently at the fuming bubblegum-haired latter. They settled silently on the hard granite as they went back to laughing. 

With all the chaos, they failed to hear the loud flapping of wings from above. 

Hidden in the roof of the grand hall, a green, fuming tube laid carefully on a counter. A white bat approached the said tube and suddenly talked to it. 

"S..s...sir, i..it really is h..him. He...he's alive!" 

The tube then sent out numerous hisses as a green fog surrounded the shivering bat. Whispers were surrounding him as they dragged the said animal closer to the tube. 

"I..I saw it with my own eyes, sir!" 

He then flapped up to the air as he flew worriedly over the cylindrical container. He was just about to swoop down to the 4 men below, but the tube him in and slammed shut immediately..

"Our leave will be tomorrow, ok?" 

Taekwoon clarified the said instructions and ran his hand through his brown hair. He fixed his fringe and pushed it away from his eyes. The 3 men then let out sounds of agreement as they sighed in relief. Jaehwan looked extra worried as he looked at the plan clearly written down in front of him. 

"No need to be worried, just act natural." 

Hongbin rubbed his shoulder as he sent a reassuring smile to the latter. Jaehwan then brightly smiled back and hugged the younger. Taekwoon didn't know why, but he felt this sudden twisting in his chest as he felt a pang of pain in his heart. What was happening to him? Eh, maybe just nervousness for tomorrow. 

They all decided to sleep in the palace, so they could avoid more conflicts for tomorrow. 

They all said their goodnights to each other and headed carelessly to their bed. They were all tired and they just failed to spot the glowing cylindrical tube up above.