It was a warm day at the end of July. Seohyun woke up in early morning to jog around her neighborhood, like she always did everytime she had a spare time in the weekend. She always loved jogging, but her busy schedule made it was hard for her to do that often.

She just finished showering and was about to dry her wet hair, when she heard her phone vibrated so busily. It seemed that there was something in her KKT group chat. So she decided to check her phone first.

But she was so shocked by three hundred notifications on her phone. And she was surprised even more when she read it all.

Paparazzi just caught Kyungho and Sooyoung together. They released articles about them who dated for six months already. There are so many pictures of them as proofs too. But Sooyoung didn’t say anything in the conversation since morning.

Seohyun felt so worried, so she decided to just call her, but she didn’t pick up her call. She tried to call her again several times, but she still didn’t pick it up. Until fifteen minutes later, Sooyoung finally called her back.

“Sooyoung-ahh…gwenchana?” Seohyun asked her right away the moment she answered it.

“Na an gwenchana…” Sooyoung replied sadly then took a deep breath. “Eomma scolded me for almost two hours nonstop. And Appa looked so disappointed because he knew about this from paparazzi, not directly from me.” She explained it further.

“Jinjja? Why don’t you tell them earlier?” Seohyun felt surprised by that fact.

“I actually intend to tell them right before my graduation’s day. But paparazzi caught us first and ruined it all…” she said weakly.

Seohyun took a deep breath after Sooyoung’s explanation. “Then how is the situation right there?”

“Ugh, it’s so chaotic here since the morning. There are so many reporters and journalists outside. We even can’t go out of here and we need to keep our maids inside too…”

THUMP!

“Jinjja?” Seohyun felt so scared out of sudden.

“Ne~ and I don’t know it’ll turn out like this. I thought it won’t be this bad since he was not a prince, but still…” Sooyoung couldn’t continue her sentence as she exhaled deeply.

Then what will happen if paparazzies catch us too? Seohyun asked inwardly as she felt so frightened.

“Then…” Seohyun gulped before she continued, “what will you do after this?”

“Appa said that we can’t say anything before Royal do. But Kyungho Oppa just called and talked to Appa. He apologized with what happened and said that Royal won’t confirm anything, except it’s an engagement that is leading to a marriage…” Sooyoung said again.

“Jeongmal?” Seohyun was surprised again by that information.

If Royal won’t confirm anything, then what can make those paparazzies stop? Seohyun asked to herself inwardly again.

“But he will come to greet Appa and Eomma directly tonight…” and suddenly Sooyoung said as she giggled happily.

“M – mwo?” Seohyun was surprised again but deep inside her heart she felt so happy to see Sooyoung happy like that. “But, it means that he will confirm it himself indirectly?”

“What?”

“He will come tonight with so many reporters around your house, Sooyoung-ahh. Come on, it’s too obvious…” Seohyun added as she giggled lightly.

“Ahh, you’re right!” and Sooyoung suddenly panic. “Ottokeeee, Seohyun-ahh?”

Seohyun laughed hearing Sooyoung whined. “Yahh! All South Korea citizens already saw your pictures with Kyungho Oppa. They don’t need to be smart to know what exactly happens between you two. I think you don’t need to cover all of this anymore…”

“But still…” Sooyoung whined further. “I think I need to tell Appa about this. I hang up first, Seohyun-ahh…”

But after Sooyoung ended their conversation, Seohyun put her hands over her chest. Her heart still pounded rapidly. She couldn’t imagine it, if it was her in Sooyoung’s position.

And suddenly her phone rang. It was from Yonghwa. He really knew her feeling at that time.

“Yong~” she whispered when she answered it.

Then she heard Yonghwa exhaled deeply in other line. “I know you must be terrified right now. That’s why I call you. Gwenchana?” he asked worriedly.

“Ne~…” I’m trying to be okay…she continued her sentence inwardly.

“…do you want to cancel our meeting today?” Yonghwa asked carefully.

“No!” but Seohyun objected it right away. “It’s only one month before you go, I won’t miss a single chance to be with you….”

Yonghwa then just chuckled hearing her answer.

But it was her true feeling. She might be scared to death with what happened. And paparazzies were probably started to follow Yonghwa again since that day. But Yonghwa would go to London two weeks after his graduation day, and she didn’t want to waste their time.

“I’ll just come earlier than before, Yong~. Don’t worry.” She added in the end as she tried calming her own heartbeat.

You don’t need to worry, Seo Joohyun. Everything will gonna be okay…

And it was right one week before Yonghwa’s graduation day. Seohyun, Yonghwa, Sooyoung, and Jonghyun were gathering in Ahsung’s house, together with Joon’s family too.

Yes, Joon and Ahsung decided to get engage before Joon went to London. But they chose to make a simple private party in Ahsung’s house because what had happened to Sooyoung and Kyungho, Ahsung didn’t want her family being tailed by paparazzies too.

Kyungho and Sooyeon couldn’t come due to their schedules. And Sooyoung needed to come secretly because of paparazzies. She stayed in Seohyun’s house the night before, so they could go to this party together, with Seohyun’s father who drove them to Ahsung’s house.

Seohyun felt so happy to see Joon and Ahsung finally engaged. They didn’t look so sad at all with the fact they just celebrated their engagement modestly like that. And Seohyun adored Joon’s family so much because of that too. They were from noble family but they were so down to earth.

“Wae? Do you feel so envy to see them like that?” Yonghwa asked abruptly as he slipped his hands in Seohyun’s waist. She looked so stunning with Dior’s printed off white leather dress, and Miu Miu’s satin pumps.

“Of course, I envy them so much. They look extremely happy tonight.” Seohyun agreed with Yonghwa’s word easily and it made Yonghwa chuckled.

He then back hugged her as he whispered. “One day Joohyun-ahh…one day we’ll look happier than them tonight…”

THUMP!

Seohyun felt her heart beat so hard because of that. She needed to blink several times to hold her tears. Deep inside her heart, she really wanted it too. She wanted to be with him forever. Until last month, she could take that topic lightly and didn’t think too far about that much. But today was different. She felt more sensitive these days, when Yonghwa’s time to go was getting nearer.

She knew exactly that it was not a simple decision. Marriage was never be a simple decision for most of people, and for her case, Yonghwa was a Crown Prince. So it couldn’t be simple at all.

Beside, there were so many things that she should do if she wanted to be with him. She needed to fulfill it first, but she was worried. Could their love survived during the time she was fulfilling what she needed to do?

It was not that she didn’t trust Yonghwa. But people’s hearts could change easily. Future was still a mystery too. No matter how hard you tried, if fate led you to be apart, there was nothing you could do. That was why it was really scared her. She loved him too much.

And she still didn’t know, would South Korean citizens approve their love in the end? Sooyoung got so many hates after people knew she was dating Lord Jung Kyungho. And people’s reactions, if they found out she was dating their beloved Prince, scared her so much. But it was too late for her to turn back anymore. What she could do was moving forward, even if she still didn’t know what their future was.

In the end, she just nodded as she prayed inwardly…

Ne~ one day, Yong~…and I hope it’ll really happen…

But then, another chaos appeared three days after Joon and Ahsung’s engagement party. It seemed like paparazzies were still in the same euphoria after Kyungho and Sooyoung dating news. They were competing to get another scandal to prove their credibility as the best paparazzi in South Korea. But this one was so absurd. This paparazzi didn’t dig too deep and just released an article with weak proofs.

The article claimed that Joon was actually dating Seohyun. They used the picture when Seohyun went out of her father’s car in Joon’s engagement party in front of Ahsung’s house, and the pics when Joon and his parents went out of their car too. And they mentioned the first rumor about them in last January, but they supported it with clearer pictures this time. The funny thing was Joon and Seohyun were not even captured together in all the pictures, except the one when Joon and Seohyun entered the Dankook University infirmary last year, and there was Jonghyun too in that picture actually.

“It’s so absurd, jinjja!” Seohyun mumbled in annoyance as she sat beside her father, when her mother still stood near the window to see how paparazzies gathered around their house since that scandal was released.

Yonghwa already called her and said that he still tried to find a way to clear all of this. But Seohyun felt so upset. She wanted to clear it herself but Yonghwa forbade her. He said that they should make a right move, so nobody could bring this rumor again in the future. It should be cut here.

And she was still worried. What will the Queen think about this?

She already promised her to not get into scandals. The first rumor about her and Joon didn’t show it was her so clearly. So they could ignore it easily. But this time was different. Her pictures were so clear, and her profile was already in top search that day. They even started to connect it with Joo Jinmoo last interview when he admitted that he was interested in her.

“I know that you used to do all the things by yourself. But let’s just trust your Prince this time. It’s not a simple problem.” Her father tried calming her.

“But still, I feel sorry for Ahsung’s family. And I’m scared of Royal’s reaction about this matter. It makes me look like a cheap woman who mingle around chaebols and noble families to get a fame. They know that I’m Yonghwa’s girlfriend, but I still caught in a scandal with someone else.” Seohyun said in desperate tone.

“The important thing is they know that you’re not that kind of girl. That’s enough, isn’t it? Don’t worry, Dear~” her father said again as he patted Seohyun’s back warmly.

And then her phone rang out of sudden. Seohyun needed to see the caller ID first, because if it was from her acquaintance who was too curious about the real story, she would rejected it right away. But it was from Ahsung, and it was a video call. She then walked out of the living room to answer it.

“Seohyun-ahh~”

She could see Ahsung was not alone in that video call. Joon was with her too. It seemed like they were together when the news came out.

And Seohyun couldn’t help to cry in the end to see them. She felt really sorry for them.

“Aigoo~ aigoo~ don’t cry, Seohyun-ahh. It’s okay. Don’t worry, we already found a way…” and this time, it was Joon who said that too her.

“We talked with our parents and with Yonghwa too. And we decided to release official news about our engagement. My father’s assistant is preparing a press conference in an hour.” Joon added calmly.

“Mwo? Jeongmal?” Seohyun was surprised by that. “But is it okay for your family, Ahsung-ahh? You want to protect them since the beginning, right? That’s why you choose to keep your engagement a secret…”

Ahsung then giggled because of that. “Ne~ But with what happened today, I think it would be better if we tell the real story about us to public. We will ask paparazzies to not disturb our family too since we’ll make an official press conference for them. They can ask as much as they want, so they won’t disturb us anymore.” Ahsung then smiled warmly to her. “Don’t worry Seohyun-ahh…”

“But still…” Seohyun felt more guilty towards her because of that and she couldn help to sob harder.

“Don’t worry, Seohyun-ahh. Since the beginning, my father already suggested us to make an official news about our engagement. He worried that there will be a misunderstanding in the future. But Ahsung insisted that she wanted to keep it a secret. And my father respected her decision. But see…my father was right. And Ahsung needed to face this directly first, so she could change her mind.” Joon added lightly and Ahsung hit him hard because of that.

Seohyun laughed too in between her sobs when she heard that explanation.

“But…is it really okay for you two?” Seohyun still felt uneasy.

“Aigoo~ how many times do I have to tell you, Seohyun-ahh. Don’t worry. Joon’s Appa already said to his assistant to make a stern warning in the end of press conference to not disturb us after this. And I heard from Yonghwa that Kyungho Oppa will help us too. So, don’t – worry~” Ahsung added.

“Mian~ if I give you two a hard time. I feel so sorry for your family too.” and Seohyun apologized in the end.

“It’s okay…don’t worry, ne~?” Ahsung repeated it. “Ahh, I think we talk too long. And Yonghwa probably is so upset right now because he can’t reach you at all.”

“Ahh, you’re right.” Joon added. “Then we’ll hang up first, Seohyun-ahh. Stops crying, okay! See you in our graduation day~”

“Ne~ thank you so much and mian~” Seohyun told her gratitude and repeated her apologize in the end of their conversation.

Seohyun felt so relieved, and yet she felt so sorry too. But it might be the best way for her and for them too. She just hoped that it would be really stopped here.

And what Ahsung said before was right. Not long after that, Yonghwa called her. He sounded so upset because he couldn’t reach her since ten minutes ago.

“Mian~ Ahsung and Joon just called me before.” She explained calmly.

“So you already knew about their decision?” Yonghwa asked back as he didn’t sound so upset like before.

“Ne~ they told me everything. But I heard that Kyungho Oppa helps us too. Do you know what that is?” Seohyun remembered what Ahsung had told to her before they hung up their phone.

“Ohh, he will ask his friends who own portal news to release a special article about you, Sooyoung, Ahsung, and Sooyeon. It should be about your friendship with them so it implicitly will explain the reason why you are in our circle.” Yonghwa explained it. “So, don’t worry anymore, Joohyun-ahh.”

Seohyun then took a very deep breath, felt totally relieved. “I thought you’ll use an extreme way to stop this news. But I’m glad it’s a safe way for everyone…”

“M – mwo? Of course I’ll use the best way for everyone. But for this