02: Sparring
Simply a Crown
Chapter 02: Sparring
Dinner is never a quiet affair, it is the opposite of what people would expect it to be, Ji Hyo muses. Of course, there are the diplomatic dinners that she is obligated to attend with her parents, she is the crown princess, with that comes many responsibilities. Politics are exhausting, it becomes less of a struggle for her to understand as time goes on, but she tends to overthink matters. Joong Ki does not have that problem, he is able to make prompt decisions, though that is not necessarily a good or bad thing.
There is a difference between the diplomatic dinners and the galas, but she does not particuarly like either of them. Maybe because unlike the few princes or princesses she has met, Ji Hyo does not exactly fit in. She is polite, possesses the same mannerisms maybe, but she does not feel comfortable, because unlike them, her parents raised her in a more traditional way, her grandmother was a commoner afterall. So Ji Hyo still isn't completely used to the decadent lifestyle of the upper class, even though she has been surrounded by it since she was young.
While diplomatic dinners are stifling, filled with tension and Ji Hyo is all nerves, the idle conversation usually produces interesting topics, she finds growing interest in it, even though sometimes, those dinners are just too draining. She is still a teenager, Ji Hyo sometimes simply wants to sulk and be sullen, she compares her life to those of dramas, and how drastic both are.
Galas are worse.
They are crowded with too many people, people Ji Hyo will not recognize and she will struggle to place names to the faces of important people she doesn't really demember or has never met, but should know. Ji Hyo somehow manages, she is kind and will spare Joong Ki the trouble of those galas. She knows he does not really care for the attention and she would like to protect her brother at least.
This is a burden Ji Hyo will alone bear.
When someone asks her to dance, Ji Hyo will freeze up, blank and dazed somewhat, she likes dancing, but not in front of so many eyes. She feels very self conscious wearing her silk ballgowns and with the silver crown nestled in her dark hair, Ji Hyo can feel the eyes on her when she smiles, when she talks, attention on every word she says.
That is a reason she prefers the strictly political diplomatic dinners to the galas.
At least, family dinners are quiet. That is what everyone must think, the king and queen will sit at the head of the table, looking every bit the regal figures they are in public, the guards standing at point, while the royal family discuss politics and sophisticated concepts over a refined dinner prepared by the chefs.
It is nothing like that. Ji Hyo could laugh, if the princess could describe it, it is exactly the opposite of that. Around the cherrywood table sits the guards, her father and mother are dressed simply, they simply look tired. After a convention with the Taiwanese president, they had just flown in a few hours ago and are still drained from the flight. Her appa has not even bothered to change out of his pajamas and her eomma looks only slightly more presentable. No one at the table cares though.
The guys are also seated, currently squabbling over the dessert, she could drool, it looks absolutely delicious. French pastries and sweets piled high on her porcelain plate, but she is too full, her stomach is swirling with nervousness, if she eats anything, Ji Hyo could possibly vomit, not a pretty sight for a princess. She refrains from eating anything, while watching the scene with general amusement.
Gary, ex-boxer that he is, should be intimidating, but he is not, he is a gentle guy and currently keeled over on the ground in shock, Jae Suk-hyung (who is the perpretrator) is laughing, the pinecones on the seat is such an immature prank, but Ji Hyo can't help but laugh along. Suk Jin-hyung is rolling his eyes and making fun of Jong Kook-oppa (but is careful to remain close within the proximity of her eomma, who everyone is scared of to some degree) and the tiger watches him with a sharp glare.
Haha is currently asserting his authority over the maknae, Kwang Soo, to take away his pie much to the giraffe's protest. "Yah, hand me the pie, Kwang Soo-ah."
"But, it's my pie, hyung--."
"You're the maknae."
With that excuse, Ha Dong Hoon whisks away the last plate of pie, sympathetic Joong Ki offers a strawberry macaron and a macaroon, Kwang Soo is devastated. Ji Hyo feeling sorry for the giraffe, slides her burberry pie across the table.
She feels the incredulous eyes on her, Ji Hyo is ruffled, she can't be nice, at least she can't share her desserts. That is completely atypical of her, she loves food, the princess is a complete glutton as they often .
"Noona.. Even though... Noona said that noona was ner-." Ji Hyo elbows Joong Ki in the stomach, the prince winces. "Nevermind, I'll be quiet." That's why she thought.
"Look at that girl, always intimidating her younger brother." Jae Suk-hyung shakes his head exasperatedly, glancing furtively at the still bitter Kim Jong Kook, "Just like that tiger." The tiger in question glowers threateningly at Jae Suk-hyunh. "Ay. Look at him, even threatening his hyungs." At that, Jong Kook-oppa looks somewhat abashed.
"Eh?" She frowns, "This younger brother of mine is always very disrespectful. He teases me all the time and always messes with me." Behind his hand, Joong Ki jokingly sticks out his tongue, before feigning innocence. "Yah! See, eomma!"
"Noona started it."
"Brat."
"Crown Princess Mong Ji."
"Yah. Who taught you to be so disrespectful to your elders."
"So you are old."
"Kwang Soo, you are asking to be punched."
"Sorry, noona. Forgive me, noona."
"Hmph."
"Song Ji Hyo." Her mother says warningly, her father is snorting at the head of the table. Traitor, she thinks, a sense of betrayal fills her. Ji Hyo's mind is temporarily taken off her request, as she shifts restlessly in her seat, lips turned downwards in a defeated frown.
"It's fine, Giraffe."
"You're lucky," Joong Ki comments idly, "I think noona was about to suggest sparring."
Sparring is much easier than dancing. Ji Hyo has been practicing martial arts since when she was very young. Winning an argument against her mother is much more difficult than speaking politics or anything Ji Hyo can think of. The queen glances at her daughter warningly and returns to her conversation with Suk Jin-hyung. Ji Hyo remembers now, she has to ask. Dinner is almost over and after this her parents will go to sleep early.
"Appa, eomma."
Her father starts awake, she almost laughs, her appa immediately regains his composure, instantly the king that everyone sees on screen. Her mother somehow manages to look stern with dark bags underneath her eyes. "Yes, dear?"
"I wanted to ask..." Joong Ki squeezes her leg encouragingly, sending her a reassuring smile, and she is thankful for her brother once again. "I just turned sixteen. Yet..." Her parents gaze at her patiently, the table is uncharacteristically quiet, although Ji Hyo notices that the guys aren't looking directly at them, their bodies are tense and they are most definitely listening. "Four years ago, I asked.... If I could go to school with other students my age."
The room falls dead silent.
"I just turned sixteen. Joong Ki is fifteen, we are older now. So may we attend high school? There's Sunjong International High School...." Her voice trails off when she sees the serious expressions her parents are wearing, but she steels her resolve. "We are more mature now, I can keep a low profile, and--."
"Ji Hyo--."
"Yes." The answer catches her off guard, her father's expression is knowing and Ji Hyo is staring at him incredulously. "You're almost an adult, I thought you were going to ask soon."
"R-really?" Joong Ki is standing up, while she sits there dazedly, still not completely comprehending what their appa said. Eomma's brow is crinkled with worry, but she is smiling as well.
"It is about time, I suppose, for Ji Hyo to attend school like the other students. Although I worry about privacy." Her tone is clipped, but everyone can hear the concern. The king places an arm on the queen's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "I will speak to the prime minister about arranging your transfer."
Instantly, she is pulled up (Ji Hyo squawks in indignance) and in a feat of strength, she is in Joong Ki's arms and he is grinning and laughing at the same time. "Daebak, daebak, daebak--"
"Yah! Song Joong Ki-ah, put me down!"
"Okay, noona." He lets go of her, she falls to the ground in an ungraceful heap of silk. The next moment no one has time to comprehend anything, Crown Princess Song Ji Yok emerges, and she is pounding the flower prince, not pulling her punches. At the end of the brawl, Joong Ki has a black eye, Suk Jin has a bruised arm, Haha is the victim of a stampede.
.....
It is very late, honestly with school coming up soon, Kai is not that thrilled. Activities have already begun, even though school has not officially started. A good amount of the students stay at the school year round, they hail from different parts of the world. Ji Hyo has been preoccupied with meetings for the majority of the mouth, the only spare time he has seen her was at her birthday, once he starts school, he will not see her for weeks on weeks, opposed to their usual schedule (which is on temporary hiatus) which is once a week, every Friday, sometimes twice. His mood already sullen, he only picks up the phone, because whoever the caller is, they are persistent and he is very annoyed when he answers.
"Hello."
"Yah, Kai-ah, why aren't you answering my calls?" His frown immediately dissipates to form a smile, "Don't tell me you're ignoring me because we haven't hung out lately." Of course, the princess is like this, but it is Ji Hyo, she is not ordinary at all, no matter what she protests. Ji Hyo is not the image of a princess, fragile and weak. She is like a rose, deeply rooted into the ground, hardy stems covered with thorns, but still beautiful.
"I am sorry, princess." He says almost mockingly, he can imagine Ji Hyo riled up already, hears it too, she sharply inhales.
"You. Don't be rude. It's Ji Hyo-ah to you."
Kai can only laugh, most of the time, people would argue the opposite, insist on being referred to formally, yet here is the crown princess of Korea talking to him, and scolding him for calling her formally and not speaking to her casually. "Okay, okay. Ji Hyo-ah?"
"Better. Much better, Kai." He can hear the smile of the older girl over the phone. "I was going to tell you something. But, starting next month, I'll be more free, so we can hang out more." That's disheartening, did Ji Hyo forget when school starts, it's not like she attends a real school, the princess is tutored at the palace, so he wouldn't be shocked if she didn't know or remember the exact date.
"I start school at the end of the month."
"I know. My friend is going to start school at Sunjong too. So you might see me around more often." Kai is surprised, ususally Ji Hyo is swamped with paperwork or her lessons, but he is not going to question her too much. "Please make her feel welcome, don't be sulky Kai."
It's only a small favor, but he wonders who this girl is. Ji Hyo has no female friends that he knows of and he's known her since they were young and both learning to play the piano and how to dance. "Who's your friend, I don't remember you mentioning anyone?"
There is a pause before Ji Hyo continues, voice blank and flat, Kai instinctively knows that she is hiding something. Others might be deceived, but Kai has known Ji Hyo for years, and her mannerisms are not lost on him. "Cheon Seong-Im. She is Jae Suk-hyung's niece."
"Alright."
"It's getting late, I need to wake up early tomorrow, to see off my parents. Goodnight, Kai-ah."
"Goodnight."
Once he ends the call, he can't help but shake his head at that noona's behaviour. She is always like this, almost burdensome, but not, because Ji Hyo always takes responsibility for everything. She would not ask for help unless it was absolutely necessary, she hardly asks for help from anyone. It must be important. Kai smiles.
~⋅*⋅~
Author's Note:
So this is Kai and Ji Hyo! Myungsoo (L) will show up next chapter, which I will probably post on Sunday. In the mean time, enjoy!
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