“We still have some time before I have to bring you back. Where do you wanna go?” Changmin asked as he and Hyun Ae walked hand-in-hand to his car after dinner.

 

“Hmmm. Maybe just walk around somewhere? I haven’t really been able to since, you know.”

 

“Yeah I can imagine. Are you getting used to it though?”

 

“Slowly. Sometimes I just don’t think about it, but it’s hard because there are always guards and assistants and people everywhere. I don’t think I’ve had more than a few minutes to myself since we moved in to the palace, or whatever it is. ”

 

“Should I… have not asked you out?”

 

“Oh no no I didn’t mean it like that. Tonight’s been the most peaceful night I’ve had. I really like you, Changmin.” Hyun Ae bit her lip, waiting for a response, which was Changmin letting out a sigh of relief.

 

“You don’t know how relieved I am that you said that. I like you too.” Changmin smiled, giving Hyun Ae’s hand a light squeeze.

 

-----

 

“Jaejoong, this is Seohyun, she just came back from France. I’m sure you’ve met her and her parents before -- they own LG.”

 

“It’s nice to see you again, Jaejoong.” Seohyun shyly said.

 

“You too, Seohyun. Are you making some kind of business deal with them, dad?”

 

“Well, you could call it that, yes. We want you two engaged by the end of the year.”

 

Jaejoong’s eyes widened, and even more when he saw the shock on Seohyun’s face.

 

-----

 

“If you don’t want to do this we don’t have to. Because I don’t want to marry you and I’m not going to.” Jaejoong told Seohyun once they were alone.

 

“I… I don’t know what I want, honestly. I want to be a good daughter but I don’t want to marry someone I don’t even know.”

 

“We should think of possible plans. And please, no contract marriage pacts. Those things only make sense in dramas, which aren’t even real to begin with.”

 

-----

 

“So….” Changmin started once he had pulled up in front of Hyun Ae’s entrance at the palace.

 

“So….” Hyun Ae tentatively looked at Changmin.

 

“Th… thanks for going out with me. And saying you like me.” Changmin said, while his mind was telling him “Just do it dammit.”

 

And he leaned in.

 

-----

 

“It’s good to know that someone’s in a good mood.” Jaejoong scoffed when Changmin entered his room.

 

“Cut it out, Jaejoong. Changmin deserves to act like a lovestruck teenager.” Yunho told Jaejoong off before turning to Changmin, “How was the kiss? You kissed her, right? Because if you didn’t I think you need therapy or something.”

 

“It was… I… Aaaaaaah.” Changmin said, sitting down between Junsu and Yunho who gave him high-fives.

 

“In case you’ve forgotten, I called you guys here to help me get out of this stupid marriage, not talk about Changmin’s new girlfriend.” Jaejoong rolled his eyes.

 

“Hyung I thought you were all for Changmin getting together with Hyun Ae?” Junsu asked.

 

“I am! But I have bigger problems to think about!”

 

Yunho sighed. “Okay, okay. Have you talked to your dad yet? And I mean after you talked to the girl?”

 

“Yeah. I asked him if he’d at least give me more time to I don’t know, make my own decisions. I don’t understand why he thinks we’re living in some drama where he has to arrange a marriage for his only son to continue the non-existent family legacy and bla bla bla. Even the crown prince gets to choose who he marries! And her family owns LG, does this mean I’m going to be rivals with Yunho?” Jaejoong ranted.

 

“Why don’t you get to know her first? And I mean genuinely try to make things work. If you really don’t want to marry her even after that, then you think of how to convince your parents.”

 

-----

 

The next morning

 

“Dad! Wait!” Jaejoong ran out of the mansion, catching his dad before he left for the office. “I want to make a deal.”

 

“A deal? What kind of deal?” The prime minister raised an eyebrow at his son.

 

“I’ll try and date Seohyun for a few months. If neither of us want to go through with it, then I want to break off the engagement.”

 

“Sir I’m sorry but you’re running late for your meeting with His Majesty.” One of the prime minister’s assistants said.

 

“We’ll talk tonight. Have a good day at school.” Jaejoong’s dad said robotically before stepping into the limousine, leaving Jaejoong standing alone.

 

“Which car will you take to school today?” Leeteuk said, snapping Jaejoong out of his thoughts.

 

“Can a driver take me? I have a lot on my mind right now.”

 

-----

 

“Changmin!” Hyun Ae called once she saw Changmin step out of his car.

 

“Morning! I got you coffee again.” Changmin smiled approaching Hyun Ae and her guards.

 

“It’s okay, Siwon, Changmin’s here, you can leave us now.”  Hyun Ae smiled, walking towards the entrance of the school with Changmin.

 

“I don’t know if this is too fast or anything since I really have no idea what I’m doing right now, but I really like you and I think you said something to that effect? So I was wondering if, you know, you’ll be my girlfriend? Or I can be your boyfriend or we can be both or the other way around. I really don’t know.” Changmin said, scratching his head out of nerves.

 

Hyun Ae just giggled. “Okay.”

 

“O...kay? Wait okay yeah I know what that means.” Changmin closed his eyes and nodded firmly at himself.

 

“You’re cute when you’re confused.” Hyun Ae smiled, poking Changmin’s arm. “But I don’t know anything about dating either, so you’ll have to teach me.”

 

“You said yes? Wait of course she said yes you idiot.” Changmin scolded himself, to Hyun Ae’s amusement.

 

----------

 

I know this is a pretty boring and short chapter, and I know that it's even more boring because I've been gone for so long, but this is just a set-up for something big that's gonna happen in the next chapter, which I'm already writing. (Although I always say that and manage to abandon chapters halfway through. T_T)