(Hi, it’s been a long time, isn’t it? T_T But if you forgot what had happened, I suggest you reread again the previous chapters. Thank you~)

Seohyun yawned and looked at the clock. She was working on her thesis since afternoon until she forgot to take the dinner. She felt so lazy to stand up but she should eat something or she would get sick. So, after gathering all the will, she finally stood up and walked to the kitchen.

It had been more than three months since Yonghwa enlisted and started his basic military training. The situation in South Korea was quite calm down too. Seohyun was still the most hated person in South Korea, but media didn’t prey on her like before.

She didn't change much after getting recognition as the Crown Prince's girlfriend. She still hated to be public attention. But she knew that this was one of the phases that she should go through if she wanted to be with Yonghwa.

After getting hurt several months, she finally could get used to paparazzi that were following her too. She did what the Queen and Yonghwa had suggested her to do, ignoring what people were thinking and focused on doing good things. Yeah, it was so contradicting. She hated to be famous, but she could accept her condition that would always be public attention from that time. This was, once again, because she loves him.

She was actually worried too. People said that the army was basically a break-up central. Most people couldn't save their relationship when the boyfriend started enlisting. Yonghwa enlisted right after their relationship went public. And people heart changed easily. The doubt was still there even though she loves him. She knew exactly that love was not enough in their case. She just hoped her love for him was strong enough so she could hang on until the end.

She took a deep breath after that and started eating the salads. She also checked her phone. There was a notification from portal news that she followed. The title was about the Crown Prince who just finished the basic military training and attended the Inauguration of Officers as the Junior Lieutenant. In the South Korea Kingdom, an officer who graduated from the university before joining the army would get Junior Lieutenant rank immediately.

Seohyun then clicked the news right away without thinking twice. She smiled proudly when she was reading it. He got an excellent result.

Yeoksi...she said inwardly as wiped her tears in the corner of her eyes.

The comments were so positive too. She was glad that the public finally praised him again. He got bashed a lot because of their dating news these past months.

She suddenly felt so sad after that. She missed him so much. Being far away with him and couldn't meet him for more than a year was so hard. Yonghwa actually managed to call her twice during the training. But all she got was just his voice. She wanted to see his face.

And as if he could feel it too, Seohyun's phone suddenly rang. She couldn't believe what she saw. It was Yonghwa's name that appeared on the monitor. He was video-calling her.

It took several seconds for her to finally press the ‘yes’ button.

"Oh My God, Yong? Is it really you?" Seohyun asked him right away.

She could see him from the monitor of her phone. But she was still wondering it was really him or not. She then saw him chuckled.

How I miss his smile...

"Yong~" she called him again with an exasperated tone.

"Hyun-ahh...bogoshippo..." he finally said something. It succeeded in making her heart pounded crazily.

It's really him...she shouted inwardly as her tears started falling on her cheeks.

"I miss you more, Yong."

They then silenced. They looked at each other after that, trying to see the faces that they missed the most. They couldn't see each other for more than three months. Seohyun was still crying while Yonghwa was smiling.

He has changed...that was what she thought after she looked at him closely. It was the first time she saw him in army uniform at the close. She had seen him in some pictures from the press before. But it didn't show her how much he had changed.

This man, whom she talked to at that time, looked so mature. He got a very masculine vibe too. He looked rougher at the close. And his skin looked darker. She didn't expect that the military could change someone so drastically like this, in a positive way of course. Military succeeded making Yonghwa looked hotter than before.

"Wae?" Yonghwa asked as he laughed because she didn't say anything after that.

"You're handsome," she blurted it out of sudden. This was the first time she finally complimented his looks since they were officially together. No, it was not because he was not physically charming in her eyes all this time. She always thought he was so cool since the first time she knew him. She just never said it to him directly. People had praised him much for his looks. She thought that she didn't need to emphasize it more to him.

"M - mwo?" Yonghwa couldn't believe what he had heard.

"Oh My God! What did I say???" She suddenly got panicked. She really didn't know what happened to herself at that time. She just suddenly got the urge to say that to him directly.

"Yahh, Seo Joohyun..." Yonghwa still looked so surprised.

And she didn't know why his surprised expression looked handsome and cute in her eyes.

"Stop it," she then buried her face into her arms. "You make me fall in love with you again." She really couldn't control herself.

"M - mwo? Yahh...Seo Joohyun! What happens with you?" Yonghwa became so speechless but he was laughing in the end.

"I don't know what happen with me either. I just can't help it. You've changed," Seohyun replied as she was still covering her face.

And Yonghwa laughed harder.

It took more than ten minutes to make her finally looked at him again. Yonghwa couldn't stop laughing because of that.

"Yahh, Joohyun-ahh. Did you want to kill me? Where did you learn that cheesy and cringe line? I almost got a heart attack, you know." Yonghwa couldn't help to again in the end.

Seohyun looked so embarrassed because of that. Her cheeks were so red.

"Stop it..." she whined in aegyo tone.

He suddenly became quiet after that. Yonghwa was always so weak of her aegyo.

Seohyun frowned as she still felt so hot. She looked at him with curious expression.

"You should stop looking at me like that too, Joohyun-ahh," he blurted out, "you make me want to fly to Cambridge right away, you know."

"Huh? Looking at you like what?" It was her turn to be clueless. She really didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Stop it, Joohyun-ahh. Jebaal..." he added with a crying face.

She then chuckled. "Choding~" she couldn't help to say that to him because of that.

"No, I'm not choding, Joohyun-ahh. If you know what I'm thinking about you right now, you won't ever think that I'm choding anymore." He said in a serious tone that made her heart started pounding fast again.

Seohyun gulped in nervousness. She carefully looked at his eyes, and she could see it, his desperation. He really meant what he had said. But deep inside her heart, she felt the same. She missed him. She wanted to touch him, hug him, and kiss him. She shouted it in her head, but as always, she could hold it very well so she didn’t say it loud.

“I – I am so proud – of you...” she blurted out of sudden.

She felt so embarrassed for the umpteenth time that night. She felt so stupid by saying everything without thinking twice. But she needed a new topic to stop the heat. She wouldn’t embarrass herself by showing him, how desperate she was at that time.

Yonghwa didn’t digest it right away. It took several seconds before Yonghwa asked, “Mwo? What did you say?”

It gave her sense back. She took a deep breath to clear his mind from dirty thought, then said, “I saw your news. And I’m so proud of you. As expected, you’re the best, Yong.”

Yonghwa was still speechless by this sudden topic. But he then laughed. “Are you really going to ruin the mood, Joohyun-ahh?”

“Ruin the mood? What are you talking about?” she denied it shamelessly.

Yonghwa laughed harder because of that. “You’re so stubborn. As always.”

Seohyun felt so relieved that Yonghwa didn’t prolong that topic.

“Okay then. Let’s talk about something else because I couldn’t even trust myself if we keep talking about that.” His jokes made her face turned red again.

“Fortunately, I got a good result, Joohyun-ahh.” Yonghwa really talked something else after that. He followed what Seohyun had said before.

“Ne, Chukae, Yong. You never disappoint us,” she replied sincerely.

“I could join Special Force with that result,” he added in a serious tone.

Seohyun was stunned by that statement. She knew what Yonghwa was leading to. And suddenly, she felt so worried. She didn’t know much about the military, but she knew exactly what Special Force is.

She just felt so relieved some minutes ago with the fact he finished his basic military training safely, but he added more worries to her. But she reminded herself that she didn’t own him. All she could do was supporting him.

It took several seconds until she finally said, “So, you’ve decided to join Special Force?”

“Ne, I volunteered myself to join SF.”

Yonghwa’s last statement made her heart beat rapidly. But she tried to understand his point of view. He belongs to South Korea, so it was understandable if he wanted to try his best for his country.

“You’re not happy,” Yonghwa stated carefully when Seohyun didn’t say anything after that.

“I’m just worried, Yong. But I’ll support you. Don’t worry,” she replied calmly.

“Thank you for always trying your best to understand my condition, Hyun.” He said that in a sad tone. But he was smiling.

“You’ve also guided me back to my dreams, remember? So, I want to help you reach your dreams too, Yong.”

It was Yonghwa’s turn to be stunned by her statement. But then he smiled gratefully.

“Saranghae, Hyun.”

“I love you more, Yong~”

They then talked about Seohyun’s thesis after that.

“I’m trying my best right now. But I’m not sure whether I could get summa laude like you did or not,” she explained her worries regarding her study.

Yonghwa smiled after hearing that. “Trying your best is more than enough, Hyun. Whatever the result is, you won’t regret it as long as you’ve given all your best. Trust me.”

“Gomawo, Yong.” She was so grateful by his cheering. But still felt so unconfident.

“I know you’ll get a better result than mine. I know you, Joohyun-ahh. Don’t worry,” he added with a bright smile.

“Stop it, Yong. You just gave more pressure to me,” she whined in annoyance.

“Really? Mian, Hyun,” he said that as he chuckled.

Seohyun pouted her lips because of that.

“But it really makes me realized that you’re so great, Yong. You could balance your school and Royal duties since High School,” she said that randomly and made Yonghwa laughed harder. “Attending school while working is indeed not easy.”

“Stop thinking unnecessary things, Joohyun-ahh. You’ll get used to it. Trust me.”

They then talked for about fifteen minutes more before Yonghwa ended the conversation. He promised to call her again later. And Seohyun suddenly felt so excited to continue working on her thesis after that.

Yonghwa is trying his best right now. I should try my best too…

***

Five Months Later

Right after finishing the Basic Military Training for three months, Yonghwa volunteered himself to join Special Force and he should do the Special Force Training for about five months more after that.

He succeeded in finishing the Special Force Training but no one could come to his inauguration except Soojung. His parents were still in the US for an international event, while Jonghyun and Joon already enlisted to the army too. Seohyun and his cousins were busy continuing the study abroad.

Yonghwa could understand them and didn’t feel so sad. So, after the inauguration, he went back to the palace since he got the vacation for about five days before starting his job as a Special Force Officer.

He just finished showering, when suddenly Secretary Lee announced the King arrival in Donggung Palace. He went out of his chamber right away and got hugged by his father out of sudden.

Yonghwa was so surprised. His father rarely hugged him after he became the King. This was the first time his father hugged him again after ascending the throne. It made Yonghwa felt so happy and touched.

“Congratulations, Yonghwa-yahh.” The King congratulated him first.

Yonghwa chuckled as he hugged his father back. “Thank you, Abeoji.”

When they finally pulled apart, his mother brought him into her embrace too. Yonghwa laughed again because of this. His parents were so happy.

“We’re proud of you, My Dear,” whispered the Queen as she became teary. “And we’re sorry for not coming earlier to attend your inauguration.”

His parents couldn’t arrive in South Korea on time to attend his inauguration because of the weather problem that made the flight got delayed.

“I fully understand. Abeoji and Eomoni don’t have to worry,” said Yonghwa sincerely as his mother kept on looking at him proudly.

“We watched the video that Soojung had sent to us. We’re so proud when your name was announced as the Best Officer of the Special Force Training,” added his father in a proud tone. He walked to the couch, then sat down.

“I just didn’t have any choice, Abeoji, or people will condemn me.” Yonghwa joked modestly even though he was actually telling the truth. He should be the best officer with the best result to prove his capability as the Crown Prince of South Korea.

His father laughed hard because of that. He understood that feeling. He was a Crown Prince too in the past and he also felt pressured to always try his best in every situation and condition.

“Is it hard, Yonghwa-yahh?” his father asked carefully.

Yonghwa was stunned by the question. It was not so clear, but Yonghwa knew what his father was talking about.

“It’s a lie if I say that it’s not hard, Abeoji. But rather than I feel pressured by this responsibility, I feel like it’s a privilege. We are trusted to lead this country. God never gives us responsibility beyond our power. I can do this, that’s why I try my best right now, Abeoji.”

His father was stunned for several seconds but then smiled proudly.

“Ne, we should do our best for this country.” The King agreed with Yonghwa answer.

His mother rubbed Yonghwa’s back warmly, implicitly told him how proud she was at that time.

As always, Yonghwa would be so sincere with his duty as the Crown Prince. His father was so worried but Yonghwa accepted his fate gladly. He was so proud of his son.

“So, how was the training?” asked his father again with a cheeky grin. The King decided to make a new topic after that. Fortunately, he was also a Special Force Officer in the past before he ascended the throne. He was curious about Yonghwa’s opinion.

The smile on Yonghwa’s face disappeared because of that question. “It was definitely a hell…”

And the King laughed harder because of that. Special Force Training was famous as the most difficult training in South Korea. It was called the hell training. Yonghwa and the Queen laughed too in the end.

The King then walked towards the cabinet where the black beret was placed on.

“But the pride after wearing this beret is worth the effort, isn’t it?” the King suddenly asked with a very proud tone.

“Yes. But it means another responsibility for me, Abeoji.”

“Good. That’s the main point. So, we could put the nation's safety in your hands,” said his father again, still in a proud tone.

“I think that’s a little bit too much, Abeoji. I’m still a newbie army. Please put your trust on my seniors instead,” said Yonghwa jokingly that made his parents laughed harder.

That night, he talked with his parents until late at night. The King and the Queen were so curious about his training. He was glad that he had called Seohyun before showering so he gladly told his parents everything he had experienced these past months in the end.

Yonghwa couldn’t go to the UK even though he really wanted it. Seohyun was in the final preparation of her thesis defence. She missed him but she said that she should finish her study as soon as she could so she could go back to South Korea sooner too. And Yonghwa should support her and agreed to wait longer for her.

The next day, Yonghwa got a call from his cousin, Lord Jung Kyungho. He asked to meet up after office hours. Yonghwa agreed since he didn’t have many schedules that day. Yeah, even though he was on leave, he still had to attend some events with his father as the Crown Prince.

So right at 8 PM, Yonghwa went to Le Chamber, where Kyungho had waited for him. A bodyguard followed him but he sat at a different table and watched over him from afar.

“Hyung, sorry for coming late,” greeted Yonghwa to Kyungho who already waited for him from fifteen minutes ago.

It had been more than one year since the last time Yonghwa met his oldest cousin, Lord Jung Kyungho due to their busy schedule.

“Gwenchana. I know you’re busy too.” Kyungho then hugged him briefly. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Hyung. So, you just came back from Hongkong?” asked Yonghwa as he ordered the drink to the bartender.

“Yeah, and I should go to Japan tomorrow afternoon. That’s why I asked you to meet up tonight. So, how is the army?” Asked Kyungho as he sipped his drink. “I heard you’re doing good. You've done better than me, didn't you?”

Yonghwa laughed by that question. Kyungho was also an army in the past before he chose to start a business and left the army.

“Good. Ahh, since I haven’t got my salary, it’s on you tonight, isn’t it Hyung?” as always Yonghwa would throw the jokes. And Kyungho just chuckled by that.

“Ye~ you can order anything you want, Jeoha.” Kyungho replied with another joke.

It was Yonghwa’s turn who chuckled by Kyungho’s joke after that.

“When will you go back to your unit?” as always, he w