Seunghoon doesn’t remember much about his childhood. When he was 8, he has learnt how to kill people with only one-shot. Day by day just fighting and thinking about the throne made Seunghoon doesn’t want to remember about his past anymore.

The problem is, what we try to forget most, it’s also what we remember most…

The worst memory’s part of Seunghoon, as he can remember, it’s about the Ceremony.

Little Seunghoon – who only 7 or 8 years old – at the first time of his life, know what he would have to do to be a king.

“First, you have to learning and become widely day by day. Second, you have to be the last one survival after the King’s competition. Third, you have to kill the person you love most, as a ceremony….”

“Wait, mom!”, Seunghoon said, looked back at his mother. “What is you mean when you said ‘the person I love most’? 

His mother – The Lee Seungmin Duchess of Green Kingdom, rubbed Seunghoon’s head.

“Did you love me?”

“I will if you stop forcing me eat carrot!”, Seunghoon answered with a smile.

Seungmin Duchess kept the silent for a while, until her son pulled her sleeves.

“Mom?”, Seunghoon asked with a wide opened eyes.

“It’s okay my dear”, she smiled, “It just, when you grow up, you won/t love me more like this…”

“Why mom?”

“Because you will meet a special person, Hoonie ah! And you will hate me ‘cause I have to hurt that person”

Then, Seungmin duchess cried. Seunghoon tried to make she stop but he can’t. She cried so loud that the soldiers were misunderstand there was something happened around there.

The following day, Seunghoon started the training. He met his teacher – who will teach him how to survive in the King’s Competition. Everybody called that man as “Mino”. From that day, Seunghoon has a special relationship – an Allied relationship with Mino.

Mino taught Seunghoon a lot. And Seunghoon learnt from Mino a lot too! They use to believe in each other for the last 15 years….

But not now, when Seunghoon’s going to be a king and Mino is the only one know who’s Seunghoon love most. Mino has his own foibles, and the influence of the royal family is way too strong…

Seunghoon has to make a deal, a secret deal between him and Mino. But what’s can he do, when he even don’t know what is Mino’s weak point?

Somebody knocked the door. It’s Mino.

“He is here”

Don’t have to say who’s “he”, Seunghoon know Jinwoo are behind the door.

“Tell him to leave”

“By yourself”, Mino said, “I don’t want to adhere between you and your secret lover”

Seunghoon looked at Mino without saying any words. Mino is as tired as he now. Nobody anticipate this situation. All they care is “Will Seunghoon alive?”  , not “What will happen Seunghoon’s life if he is the next king?”

“Mino”, Seunghoon said, with the dead eyes, “Can you save him?”

Mino shake his head . “If I can, how long will Jinwoo live after the ceremony? Are you sure you can give him a safe and sound life?”

Mino looked at Seunghoon, who seemed to be in great fear. As a teacher and an ally, Mino knew Seunghoon’s politic power at this time just a numer 0. His mother has back to the 17^th King and joined his harem, once again. Now she doesn’t care about Seunghoon anymore and throw him to the court affairs which become crazier day by day.

Mino sighed

“As I said, he’s here. And if you dare to force me remove him, I will wring your neck, Lee Seunghoon!”

Mino turned around. As he walked through the door, he could see Jinwoo – who looks very worry now.

“What did he said?”, Jinwoo asked nervously.

“Nothing”, Mino answered hesitantly, “Ask him”

Then, Mino kept go straight on without looked back. It’s made Jinwoo felt worrier. What was happened to Seunghoon? It has been a week since the last time Seunghoon talked to Jinwoo. After the King’s Competiton at the arena, Seunghoon kept avoiding him. At first, Jinwoo didn’t know why. But when his flashback took him to the moment Mino whispered to Seunghoon’s ears….

Jinwoo took a deep breath. He doesn’t want to think about it’s anymore, and maybe so do Seunghoon. But when his time is running out, avoiding the truth is something seemed to be coward.

“Hooni?”

As Jinwoo came in, he saw a man covered his face. It’s Seunghoon.

“Get out!”, Seunghoon shouted.

The cold in his voice made Jinwoo’s legs shrink. For one moment, Jinwoo just want to turn his head back and never come to this room.

But by somehow, Jinwoo didn’t walk out of the room. He just looked at Seunghoon with his wide-opened eyes, like usually.

“Why?”

“Go”, Seunghoon directed, “This is king’s command”

Jinwoo smiled, “But I miss you…”

Seunghoon has thunderstruck for a while. He missed Jinwoo too… But he’s too affair to meet him.

“Don’t you want to see me, Seunghoon ah?”

Jinwoo asked Seunghoon. He waited an answer. But Seunghoon only kept the silent. Seunghoon didn’t cover his face anymore, that's made the dark ring around his eyes came out.

Jinwoo were in torment. Seunghoon smirked as he saw the pains in Jinwoo’s eyes.

“Look emaciate, right?”, Seunghoon pointed himself.

“Yeah”, said Jinwoo.

Seunghoon laughed. He didn’t know why he acting like this. But he just want to laugh. At least, laughing is happier than crying, Seunghoon encouraged himself.

“Come here”

Jinwoo looked at Seunghoon, “Me?”

“Why did you ask me that?”, Seunghoon stretched out his hand, “Come with me.”

Jinwoo felt nervous, again. Did Seunghoon have dysaesthesiae?, Jinwoo thought.

But like usually, Seunghoon just rubbed his head into Jinwoo’s stomach. Jinwoo felt less nervous now.

“Seunghoon…”

“Yeah, I am going to kill you”, Seunghoon said without smiling.

“I just want to ask you go out for the lunch tomorrow”

Seunghoon wanted to slap himself at that moment.

“Seunghoon ah, look at me!”, Jinwoo lifted Seunghoon’s head, made his eyes look straight in his eyes.

“Huyng, I’m tired”, Seunghoon closed his eyes.

“Me too”, Jinwoo forced a laugh. “But we have to make this clear”

Seunghoon refused with a shake of the head. “Don’t”

“I only live for 30 days”, Jinwoo said bravely, “And you’ve wasted 7 days with me”

“So, stop avoiding me, Lee Seunghoon! I know the Ceremony is such a creep, but you have to do that by yourself”

“I want to runaway”, Seunghoon whispered, “Just you and me, no more throne, no more war”

Jinwoo imagined a picture in his mind. In that picture, only he and his dear Seunghoon appear. But sadly, all Jinwoo see now has so many differences.

“Seunghoon, do you know how many years you have trainee to be a king?”

“Ten years, huyng”, Seunghoon answered.

“How many people did you kill in the King’s competition?”

“I didn’t count”, Seunghoon started to get angry, “Why did you ask me that?”

“You want to be a king hah? You’ve trainee for 10 years, killed too many people that you can’t even count. So why did you want to runaway just because you have to kill one more?”

 Seunghoon said nothing. But he can feel Jinwoo’s shoulder was shaking after the speech. His little dearie is scare. As him, Jinwoo scared of the truth too.

Suddenly, Jinwoo stood up and put Seunghoon’s head into the chair.

“I gotta go. It’s almost midnight”

Before he totally get out that room, Jinwoo turned around and looked at Seunghoon – who was sit and lie at the same time.

“Good night, Hooni.”

“Yeah”, Seunghoon covered his face with his hands

Jinwoo shaked his head with a dissapointed feeling. He closed the door. At the moment he left the handle, his tears were almost fall.

This is enough, Jinwoo thought, Maybe I can't take it anymore.