- MASTERLIST! BOYNEXTDOOR

♡ - MASTERLIST! BOYNEXTDOOR

<- back to navigation...

wanna join my taglist? here here here!

SERIE(S)

soon to be added…

SMAU(S)

soon to be added...

REACTION(S)

soon to be added...

ONESHOT(S)

soon to be added...

TIMESTAMPS, DRABBLES, AND MORE...

a lady’s guide to securing a man with broad shoulders , park sungho

happy wife, happy life , han dongmin

© astrae4 2024 — please don't copy, translate, or plagiarize my works on all platforms!

I’LL BITE YOUR ANKLES

“Give it to me right now,” you sulked, as your short ass tried to reach for the tub of ice cream which your boyfriend held up high. (rude! 🙄)

“Lol no” he said, with a bright grin as he proudly held it above your head.

You paused for a second—cause, “Did you just say lol in real life..”

He didn’t even seem bothered with it, just popping a “yup!” accompanied by his shit-eating grin. (😁)

“I’ll actually bite your ankles if you don’t give me my tub RIGHT NOW.”

“You mean MY tub of ice cream? This was your gift to ME.”

“And I want one scoop so give it here.”

“Try to get it yourself. Oh wait you ca—AGH”

— Jung Sungchan, KIM YOUNGHOON, Myung Jaehyun, KIM GYUVIN, NI-KI, Park Gunwook, Kim Sunwoo, Lee Know, Yoon Keeho, CHOI BEOMGYU, Jeong Yunho, Xu Minghao, Mark Lee

MORE WORKS — navigation

TAGLIST. @kyusqult @ja4hyvn @flwoie @sulkygyu @xiaoderrrr @ineedaherosavemeenow @lonewolfjinji @teddywonss @taerae-verse

NETWORKS. @k-labels @deoboyznet @zumblrnet

© astrae4 2024 | please don’t copy, translate, or plagiarize my works on all platforms!

ONE LESS LONELY GIRL

PAIRING idols riki x fem reader

WARNINGS profanity, + more to be added

GENRE fluff, humor, mild angst, workplace romance

SYNOPSIS fans always point out the chemistry between you and riki, and it only continues to grow after you become mc’s together on music bank. but as your feelings rise, so does the tension. and people begin to notice, so you try not to let riki know how you feel. but unbeknownst to you, he feels entirely the same way.

STATUS august 10 2024 - tba

taglist is open <3

PROFILES hypen not hyphen | bunnygirls

TRACK 001 : the left side

TRACK 002 : inconveniently convenient

TRACK 003 : my nervous babies

TRACK 004 : loveyloveyloveydoveydoveydovey

TRACK 005 : big balls and lots of courage

+ more to be added

a/n this smau will be kinda short, maybe only 15-20 episodes. also there will be a lot of written parts

Will read this soon

Let's go to the beach-each (nicki minaje - starships) Let's go get a wave

ᨓ 。kim donghyun x fem reader ꒰🌊꒱ ﹕fluff ﹕+8.5k contains: surfer!leehan and lifeguard!fem reader, slight enemies to lovers and slight slowburn, mention of the rest of BND members THIS IS FOR THE #SWY EVENT COMING 2 U BY @onedoornet ┈─★

The sun blazed overhead as you stood at your lifeguard post, scanning the ocean for any signs of trouble. Busan’s beach was packed, as always, with tourists and locals soaking up the summer heat. You squinted against the sunlight, and there he was—again.

Leehan, the surfer who consistently defined the rules.

Leehan was the type of surfer who thrived on teasing and stirring up playful trouble, especially with anyone who dared to challenge him. He had a natural, effortless charm, the kind that made people—especially girls—think they had his attention when, in reality, he was always a step ahead, never letting anyone get too close.

His laid-back attitude, paired with his sharp wit, made him irresistible to most, and they often mistook his flirtatious smirks and lighthearted jabs for something more. But Leehan wasn’t one to be tied down or caught up in romantic expectations. To him, the fun lay in the game, not in the commitment, and he enjoyed keeping people guessing, always in control, never truly letting anyone see past the surface.

He rode a wave effortlessly, his form sharp and perfect as he carved through the water. It would’ve been impressive if it weren’t for the fact that he always surfed in the restricted areas, despite your repeated warnings. You huffed, standing up and blowing your whistle loud enough for him to hear, waving your arm to signal him back to the safe zone.

But instead of acknowledging you, he threw you a cocky smirk while waving his hand, returning the gesture, and kept riding the wave. Your blood boiled. This was the third time this week.

After what felt like an eternity of him ignoring you, he finally paddled back to shore, dripping wet and grinning as if nothing was wrong. He sauntered up to where you stood, his surfboard tucked under his arm.

"Something wrong, lifeguard?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, feigning innocence.

"Yeah, there is," you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest. "That area is off-limits. You know that."

Leehan shrugged, flicking his wet hair back, and your eyes couldn't lose the opportunity to see his neckbone stretch out, his Adam's apple on full display. "I wasn’t causing any trouble. Just catching a wave."

"You’re going to cause an accident," you retorted, standing your ground. "If you don’t follow the rules, I’ll have to ban you from the beach."

He grinned wider, clearly not taking you seriously. "You think you can handle that?"

Your irritation flared. "Don’t test me, Leehan. I’m here to keep people safe, not babysit rebellious surfers."

"Whatever you say, lifeguard," he said, mocking with his tone, turning away as if the conversation was over. "Just try not to get too worked up over little things."

His winked at you as he left; you watched him walk off, fuming. You sighed and sank back into your chair, the familiar sound of waves crashing against the shore doing little to calm your nerves.

Busan Beach was supposed to be a peaceful escape, a break from the chaos of Seoul, where you could spend the summer doing something productive, just like your grandfather had encouraged. Instead, it felt like you had signed up for a full-time job babysitting an unruly, reckless surfer.

Mingyu, the head lifeguard, had warned you about Leehan the first day you showed up in your red lifeguard suit, excited and ready to take on the challenge of keeping the beach safe. He’d pulled you aside and told you in no uncertain terms, “Watch out for Leehan. He’s… persistent.”

You’d laughed it off back then, thinking it couldn’t be that bad. But after a few encounters with him pushing every boundary, you finally understood the exhausted look Mingyu had given you. Leehan wasn’t just persistent—he was relentless.

This rivalry had been building for weeks, and no matter how much you enforced the rules, Leehan never seemed to care. He was infuriating—arrogant, reckless, and completely unaware of how much he got under your skin.

The next day, it was the same routine. You on the tower, keeping an eye on everyone, and him in the water, pushing every boundary he could. By noon, you’d had enough and stormed over to where he was setting up his board.

"Do you enjoy making my job harder?" you asked, voice sharp.

He looked up at you, clearly amused by your frustration. "Maybe I just enjoy getting a rise out of you."

You opened your mouth to fire back, but before you could, a sudden scream cut through the air. You both turned toward the water, where a young boy was struggling in the strong current.

Without hesitation, you dropped everything and sprinted toward the water, adrenaline surging through your veins. You dove in, swimming as fast as you could to reach him, your training kicking in automatically.

Just as you reached the boy and grabbed him, you saw Leehan beside you, his strong arms helping to keep the boy afloat. You exchanged a brief, surprised glance before focusing on getting the boy back to shore.

Once on land, you both worked together to make sure the boy was okay, adrenaline still pumping through your veins. As soon as the boy’s parents arrived, you finally allowed yourself to breathe.

"Oh my God, I told you to not go there without dad! Thank you so much, darling." The mother of the boy hugged you so tight that you thought you were about to have a lack of oxygen anytime soon. You heard claps from the people that saw everything, and you blushed, bowing at them and returning to your tower, not noticing that Leehan was behind you.

You climbed back up to your lifeguard tower, your heart still racing from the rescue. The adrenaline had yet to leave your system, and you were trying to calm yourself when you felt someone’s presence behind you. You didn’t need to turn around to know it was Leehan; his familiar energy was unmistakable.

"What now?" you asked, not bothering to look at him as you plopped down into your chair, hoping the waves could drown out your lingering frustration.

Leehan’s voice came from closer than you expected. "That was impressive."

You blinked, surprised by the compliment. Turning slightly, you saw him standing there, no cocky smirk, no playful teasing. Just genuine respect in his eyes. It threw you off.

"You helped," you said, slightly begrudgingly but acknowledging the fact that he had been right there in the water with you, making sure the boy was safe. It was the first time you’d seen him take something seriously.

He shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Guess I’m not always causing trouble, huh?"

You huffed, leaning back in your chair. "Don’t get used to it. You’re still on thin ice with me, surfer."

Leehan chuckled, the sound softer than usual. "I can live with that." He tilted his head, looking at you with curiosity. "You ever think maybe you’re a little too uptight? Not everything has to be a battle."

Your jaw clenched. "Not everything is a joke, Leehan. Some of us have responsibilities."

"And some of us know how to enjoy life while still being responsible," he countered, that familiar teasing edge slipping back into his tone. "Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Go to hell," you said, and he laughed at you. Well, at your answer. "Thankfully, I will only deal with you for the next two months."

"Two months?" you nodded, answering him while looking at the horizon, seeing how the majority of people were already leaving as a cool breeze started to feel.

"I'm going back to Seoul. Only coming here for my summer vacations and my grandpa." You look to your left, his body leaning against the balcony through which you could see everything, his gaze fixed on you.

You started to take your things, cleaning in the process some of the food you had eaten and writing a report for Mingyu—all of that in the presence of Leehan, who was giving you space.

Both of you left the tower; you left Leehan there, not thinking that he would only take his surfboard and run to you, catching you up.

"Where are you going?" Your eyes narrowed, feeling weird out for his drastic change of behavior.

"My grandpa's house." You pointed at the colorful house; you knew your dad was in the neighbor's house playing cards, so he won't embarrass you with a comment in the presence of Leehan.

The boy next to you let out a sigh. "I only have two months to bother you."

"You already bothered me for a month; I think I can handle two months, sadly."

"Oh, please, you love nagging me. You love me." He sang the "love" word, and you pushed him; he laughed as you once again left him behind. You reached the door of the house, your key opening it easily. Leehan left his surfboard on the sand and putted a hand on your door as you were about to close it. "I'm sorry."

"You wanna know something, Leehan? I love making memories at the beach, but right now you're causing me stress. Please, let me have a peaceful two months," he put a thinking face, looking at you short after.

"I will help you with that," your eyes shinned.

"You're not coming to the beach?" He scoffed at your answer.

"No, but I will help you make memories. Ones that you won't forget." You both stood there, his hand coming to your vision as he put a string of your hair to the back of your right ear. "Only if you let me."

"Good night, Leehan."

As the door clicked shut, you leaned your back against it, your heart still racing. Leehan's words echoed in your mind, that teasing tone now laced with something deeper, something unfamiliar. He'd always been a thorn in your side, a source of frustration, but tonight, something had shifted. His offer—no, his promise—lingered in the air.

"Only if you let me."

You shook your head, trying to shake off the warmth blooming in your chest.

The next few days went by in a blur of routine—keeping an eye on beachgoers, making sure everything was running smoothly. Leehan acted like nothing happened, and so did you. He wasn’t causing trouble like before. In fact, he stayed in the safe zones, and whenever you crossed paths, he’d flash you a soft grin. Keyword, soft.

If he wasn't in the safe zones, he was relaxing under the umbrella; even sometimes he would come to talk to you; no bickering and no fighting. You even got to know more about him; he was applying to an university in Seoul with his best friends; he had a dog; he got his first surfboard at the solid age of six; knowing small things makes you see him less insoferable.

This was one of those days, a small lunch break as he talked to you.

"Hey, can you not go at the same time as always?" You cleaned your mouth with a napkin, your eyebrows frowning.

"Why would I not do that? My shift is over by that." He put a finger between your brows, and you relaxed them.

"You said you want to make memories. Right?"

"Hey, Leehan!" You both heard a male scream. Looking from the balcony, there were five boys, all of them waving at the boy, and for the first time, you could see a big smile on his face.

"Sungho!" He looked at you as he stood up. "Meet me outside the tower. My friends came to surf." You didn't even have time to answer; he left, and you could see through the balcony how he jumped to his friends, making you smile at the brotherly view.

Time flew really slowly, watching the people and Leehan with his friends. You wouldn't admit it, but his friends were as handsome as him, but there was something about Leehan that simply made you look at him more. Just like he said, as you were going down the mini stairs the tower had, you could look at him in the distance with not one surfboard but with two. A few minutes past when he stood in front of you, the surfboards in both of his sizes.

"What are you doing?"

"More like, what are we doing?" He gently gave you a surfboard with a smile. "We are surfing."

"Yeah, there's no way I would do that." You pointed the surfboard, and he opened his eyes.

"Come on! It would be fun; what's stopping? Because, as far as I know, you are on vacation." You gulped, looking down at the sand.

"I don't know how to surf."

Leehan's lips curled into a teasing grin, his eyes lighting up. "You don't know how to surf? You’ve been a lifeguard this whole time and never tried."

You felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment, but you held your ground. "It's not like I haven’t thought about it. I just never had the chance, and I didn’t want to."

"Embarrass yourself?" He finished, stepping closer; the surfboard balanced easily under his arm. You looked away, feeling the warmth of his presence. "Don't worry. I’ll teach you."

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. "I don't need a cocky surfer trying to teach me something I’ll probably fail at."

Leehan tilted his head, his expression softening. "I'm not that bad of a teacher, you know. And I won't let you fail. Besides," he added with a wink, "you can’t leave here without making at least one memory that you’ll actually want to keep, right?"

You hesitated, watching as his teasing demeanor slowly faded into something more sincere. The offer was genuine. And there was something in his eyes—something that made you believe, for just a moment, that this wasn’t a game to him anymore. He was serious about making a memory with you.

"Fine," you sighed, taking the surfboard from his hand, the weight of it heavier than you expected. "But if I wipe out, it's on you."

Leehan laughed; the sound was warm and carefree. "Deal."

He guided you toward the water, explaining the basics as you walked side by side along the shore. His usual teasing was gone, replaced by patient instructions as he showed you how to balance, how to paddle, and how to read the waves. For the first time, you saw him differently—not as the rebellious, rule-breaking surfer who drove you crazy, but as someone who was genuinely passionate about the ocean and everything that came with it.

The sun was starting to set, casting a golden glow over the beach as you finally paddled out together. The waves were gentle, and Leehan stayed close, his eyes on you the entire time. "You ready?" he called out over the sound of the surf.

You nodded, heart pounding in your chest as you focused on staying steady.

"Okay, when the next wave comes, I want you to pop up and keep your knees bent. Don’t overthink it, just feel it," he said, his voice calm and reassuring.

You waited, your breath catching in your throat as the wave approached. Leehan gave you a nod, and with all the courage you could muster, you popped up, your legs shaky but holding. For a brief, glorious moment, you were riding the wave, your heart soaring.

Then, just as quickly, you lost your balance and tumbled into the water with a splash.

When you resurfaced, sputtering and laughing despite yourself, Leehan was right there, grinning at you like he’d just witnessed the most impressive feat in the world. "Not bad for your first try!"

You playfully splashed water at him. "I wiped out."

He shrugged, still grinning. "You got up. That’s what counts."

You couldn’t help but smile, your earlier frustration melting away. There was something about the way he looked at you in that moment—like he was genuinely proud of you—that made your heart skip a beat.

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, you paddled back to shore, the soft sand welcoming your tired feet. Leehan walked beside you, the atmosphere between you lighter, more relaxed. For once, there was no teasing, no arguments—just an unspoken understanding.

"You did good today," he said, his voice softer than usual as he set his surfboard down.

"Thanks," you replied, brushing some sand off your arms. "I guess you’re not such a terrible teacher after all."

Leehan chuckled, but then his smile faded slightly as he looked at you, his gaze lingering longer than usual. "You know, I wasn’t kidding about what I said before."

You tilted your head, curious. "About what?"

"About making memories." He stepped closer, his expression more serious now, the playful, carefree surfer gone. "I want you to remember this summer… with me."

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard. This wasn’t the cocky surfer who loved pushing your buttons. This was Leehan, standing in front of you, vulnerable for the first time. You could feel the weight of his words, the way they hung in the air between you.

"I…" you started, unsure of how to respond. Your heart was racing again, but this time, it wasn’t because of the adrenaline from the waves.

He reached out, gently tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear, his fingers brushing against your skin. "I think I’ve been spending so much time trying to get a rise out of you because…" He trailed off, his gaze dropping for a moment before meeting yours again. "I like being around you, lifeguard."

You blinked, the confession catching you completely off guard. "Leehan…"

He gave you a small, nervous smile—something you’d never seen from him before. "I know I can be a pain, but… I think we’re past that now, don’t you?"

For once, you didn’t have a sharp comeback. Instead, you found yourself nodding, your heart pounding in your chest as you took in the sight of him standing there, more open and vulnerable than you’d ever seen him.

"Yeah," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. "We are."

Leehan’s eyes softened as he stepped closer, the teasing smile replaced by something warmer, more genuine. "Good," he said quietly, his hand lingering on your arm for just a moment longer than necessary before he pulled away, his eyes still locked on yours. "Then let’s make this a summer to remember."

— : ☆

Another month and a half has passed, and you can’t count how many times you’ve gone out with Leehan. Each time surprises you—once, you were at an aquarium where he wouldn’t stop talking about fish (which was a pretty big surprise, considering how much he loved marine life), and another time you were decorating cookies at his house with his lovely grandma, who adored you.

Leehan had invited you to a quiet café hidden on the outskirts of the beach town, one with a view of the ocean but far away from the usual crowd of surfers and tourists. It was intimate and cozy, with soft music playing in the background and large windows that let in the golden light of the setting sun.

“So, this is one of my favorite spots,” Leehan said as you both settled into your seats. He smiled, but there was a nervousness behind it, like he was waiting for your reaction.

“It’s beautiful,” you said, gazing out at the waves. “I didn’t even know this place existed.”

He grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Told you I had good taste.”

You spent the next hour talking about everything and nothing—about university, future plans, the places you’d want to visit. Leehan opened up more than usual, telling you about his worries about moving and not being accepted for university, about missing the place that made him grow, and about how he wasn’t sure if he was ready to leave behind this part of his life.

“I mean, I love surfing, but it’s not just that, you know?” he said, his voice softer than usual. “It’s… everything. The people. The memories. This summer.”

You glanced up at him, your chest tightening at the way his eyes softened when he looked at you. "You’ll miss it, won’t you?"

“Yeah.” He smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on yours for a moment before looking out at the ocean. “But I’ll miss you more. I like your personality, lifeguard.”

The words hung in the air between you, heavier than they should have been, making your pulse quicken. He wasn’t teasing. There was no playful glint in his eyes, no mischievous grin on his lips. It was just… him. Honest. Vulnerable.

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words didn’t come. Instead, you smiled softly, reaching across the table to lightly tap his arm. “I’ll miss you too, Leehan. I like your personality too, surfer.”

He looked down at your hand on his arm, his expression unreadable for a moment before he turned back to you. His hand slid over yours, gentle and warm, sending a shiver down your spine. “This summer,” he began, his voice trailing off as he searched for the right words. “It’s been different. Because of you.”

Your heart raced, the air between you thick with unspoken feelings. You wanted to say something—anything—to fill the silence, to break the tension, but you couldn’t. Instead, you stayed there, your hand still under his, the weight of his touch grounding you in the moment.

Before you could fully process what was happening, the waiter came by with your drinks, breaking the spell. Leehan pulled his hand away slowly, almost reluctantly, and you both shifted back into the comfortable rhythm of your conversation.

But the atmosphere had changed. There was a tension now, a soft, electric current running between you that neither of you could ignore.

As the evening went on, you wandered down to the beach together, the cool sand beneath your feet and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore. The sky was a blend of purples and oranges, the last remnants of the sunset painting everything in a dreamy haze.

Leehan walked beside you in silence for a while, his hands tucked into his pockets. You glanced over at him, noticing the way his brow was furrowed slightly, like he was deep in thought.

“Are you okay?” you asked softly, nudging him with your elbow.

He blinked, looking over at you with a small smile. “Yeah. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

He hesitated for a moment before turning to face you fully, his gaze intense. “About creating your next memory”

You looked up at Leehan, your heart fluttering at the sincerity in his eyes. The evening had been perfect, filled with quiet moments and laughter, and now, as you stood together on the beach with the ocean breeze swirling around you, his words felt like a promise.

“Creating my next memory?” You asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Leehan nodded, his smile softening. “Yeah. I want us to have more moments like this, you know? I want us to remember this summer not just as a time when we were friends but as something more.”

You took a deep breath, trying to steady the rush of emotions that were flooding over you. The way he spoke made it clear that this wasn’t just about summer or surfing; it was about something deeper, something real.

“What do you have in mind?” you asked, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Leehan’s eyes sparkled with a mixture of mischief and affection. “It's a secret. And it will take time.”

"Really?" Leehan nodded as he took the stairs to your house along with you.

"Yeah, so you'll be free from me," you said, making a small pout.

"I started to get used to your annoying ass." You opened your door quietly; it was pretty late, and you knew your grandpa was sleeping.

Leehan put his palms on the door frame once I was inside, his face stretched to match mine. "Once again, you prove to me that you…"

"Don't do-"

"Love me." Like the first time, he sang the first word, but on the contrary, one month ago, this time you rolled your eyes with a smirk on your face, pushing him out as he gave you a smile.

"Goodnight, Leehan." You gave him your back to go to the kitchen, but his hand caught your waist and made you spin. Now you were face to face, your hands on his chest for support due to the sudden movement.

The moonlight bathed Leehan in a soft glow, casting a halo around him that made your heart skip a beat. His fingers lingered on your waist, his touch warm and gentle, as if he were testing the boundaries of the moment, unsure if he should take it further or let it fade.

You held your breath, feeling the weight of the unspoken tension between you. The electric current that had been building all evening was finally reaching its peak. His eyes searched yours, dark and intense, as though he was trying to find the courage to say what had been left unsaid for weeks.

“I’m serious,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “I'm going to make this last week with you memorable. I'll give you my word.” Your heart hammered in your chest, and you felt yourself leaning in, pulled toward him like the tide to the shore. His face was so close now, close enough that you could see the way his breath hitched. His lips went to your cheek in the softest way possible.

He took his hands off your body, now a soft smile in his face as he watched you. So ethereal, so beautiful, so unique.

"Good night, lifeguard."

— : ☆

It wasn’t like him to go radio silent, especially after what had happened that night at your house. You found yourself constantly checking your phone, hoping for a text, a call—anything that would explain why he was gone so suddenly. But there was nothing. The beach felt different without him—quieter, lonelier. Even the familiar sounds of the waves crashing against the shore weren’t enough to drown out the thoughts swirling in your mind.

Had something changed between you? Had you crossed a line that couldn’t be undone?

Your grandpa had noticed your distraction, but as always, he kept his words to himself, only offering the occasional knowing smile whenever you seemed particularly lost in thought. It was a week later, though, when he came to you, holding a package wrapped in delicate, sea-blue paper.

“This arrived for you,” he said, his eyes twinkling with a quiet amusement.

You blinked, looking between him and the package. “For me?”

He nodded, handing it over. “From Leehan. He said you’d know when to wear it.”

Your heart fluttered at the sound of his name, and with trembling fingers, you carefully unwrapped the package, noticing something written in the wrap paper.

"Tonight. Be ready at 7. I’ll be waiting on the beach."

Inside was a dress—a beautiful, flowing white dress, simple yet elegant, with delicate lace details around the neckline. It was the kind of dress that felt timeless, like something out of a fairytale.

"How does he know my size?" you whispered.

"I called your mother, and she gave it to me." Your grandpa surprised you, and he simply winked, leaving your room as you admired the dress.

By the time the sun began to set, you were standing at the edge of the beach, your toes sinking into the cool sand. The dress flowed softly with the breeze, and for a moment, you felt like you were in a dream, like you had stepped into one of those romantic movies where the ending was bittersweet but beautiful.

Ahead, you saw it—the soft glow of string lights hanging between two palm trees, illuminating a small table set for two. The sound of distant laughter carried through the wind, and as you got closer, you spotted Leehan’s friends: Woonhak, Taesan, Jaehyun, Sungho, and Riwoo. They were busy setting up the final touches, but the moment they noticed you, they gave you a wave before retreating, leaving the scene just for the two of you.

Leehan stood by the water’s edge, his back turned toward you, his hair ruffled by the wind. He was wearing a white shirt that matched the dress he had chosen for you, and as he turned to face you, his eyes softened. The moon had begun to rise behind him, casting a silver light over the beach, making the whole scene feel like something out of a storybook.

“You look…” His voice trailed off, his gaze lingering on you as if words weren’t enough to capture what he wanted to say. “…perfect.”

You smiled softly, stepping closer. “This is beautiful, Leehan. I can’t believe you did all this.”

He scratched the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish. “I had some help,” he admitted, nodding toward the group of friends who were now disappearing down the beach. “But I wanted tonight to be special.”

You glanced around at the lights, the candles flickering on the table, and the waves gently lapping at the shore. It was special—more than you could have ever imagined. But beneath the beauty of it all, there was a bittersweet undercurrent, a silent understanding that this summer, this moment, was coming to an end.

As you both sat down at the table, the conversation flowed easily at first—lighthearted, filled with laughter, stories of the past few weeks, and jokes about the lengths he went to keep the evening a surprise. But as the night deepened and the stars began to dot the sky, the mood shifted.

There was a heaviness now, a shared sadness that neither of you could ignore.

Leehan's eyes lingered on yours longer than usual, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on the both of you. The breeze carried the scent of saltwater, the distant hum of the ocean a constant reminder of the fleeting nature of this moment. You took a deep breath, feeling a lump form in your throat as the reality of the situation settled in. Two days. You had two days left together.

“I still haven’t heard back from the university,” Leehan said softly, breaking the silence. His voice was quieter now, vulnerable in a way you hadn’t seen before. “I keep checking my email, waiting for something, but nothing yet.”

Your heart clenched. You knew how much he wanted this, how hard he had worked to get to this point, and yet here he was—stuck in limbo, waiting for a future that still seemed so uncertain.

“I’m sure it’ll come,” you said, your voice gentle. “Maybe they’re just taking longer than usual.”

He gave a small, tight smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. Maybe.”

You both fell into silence again, the weight of the situation settling heavily between you. The string lights above flickered softly, casting warm, golden hues over the table, but they couldn’t chase away the growing ache in your chest.

Leehan leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, his gaze fixed on the ocean. “You’re leaving in two days.”

It wasn’t a question, just a statement—a fact that hung in the air like a cloud over the evening. You swallowed hard, nodding.

“I know,” you whispered, your chest tightening. “It feels like this summer went by too fast.”

He nodded, still not meeting your eyes. “I didn’t want it to end like this. I didn’t want… us to end like this.”

The words hit you like a wave, crashing over you with a force you hadn’t expected. Us. He had said it—acknowledging what had been growing between you all summer, the connection that neither of you had dared to put a name to.

“You know,” you began, your voice trembling slightly. “I don’t want this to end either.”

Leehan’s eyes finally met yours, and in that moment, the vulnerability in his gaze mirrored your own. The emotions you had both been holding back all summer—fear, excitement, longing—were laid bare, unspoken but undeniable.

“Then why does it feel like we’re both saying goodbye?” His voice was barely above a whisper, the sadness in his tone echoing the ache in your own heart.

You didn’t have an answer. You didn’t know how to explain that sometimes things were too perfect to last. Sometimes, no matter how much you wanted to hold on, life had other plans. You reached across the table, your hand finding his, the warmth of his touch grounding you, even as everything else felt like it was slipping away.

“I’m going to miss you, surfer.” You whispered, your voice thick with emotion. “More than you know.”

Leehan squeezed your hand, his eyes never leaving yours. “I’m going to miss you too, lifeguard.”

The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of all the things you couldn’t say—how much you had come to care for him, how much this summer had changed you. But there was no need for words anymore. You both knew. The feelings were there, just beneath the surface, waiting to be acknowledged.

But you wouldn’t say it. Not tonight. Not when the thought of saying goodbye was already too much to bear.

Instead, Leehan stood up, offering you his hand. “Come on,” he said softly. “I have one last surprise.”

You let him lead you down to the water’s edge, the cool waves lapping at your feet. The moon was high in the sky now, casting a silvery glow over the ocean, and for a moment, it felt like you were the only two people in the world.

He pulled you into a slow dance, the sound of the ocean and the distant music from a small speaker he installed, blending together into a soft, romantic melody. You rested your head against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your cheek. His arms wrapped around you, holding you close, as if he were trying to memorize the feel of you in his arms.

“Thank you for this,” you whispered, your voice barely audible over the sound of the waves.

He didn’t respond with words. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head, his arms tightening around you. And in that moment, you knew. You both knew.

You were in love.

But it was a love you couldn’t hold on to, not right now. Not when the summer was ending and life was pulling you in different directions.

So, for tonight, you danced. You held on to each other as the waves whispered their goodbyes, as the stars blinked down from the sky, and as the world around you faded away. Because in this moment, you didn’t need to say anything.

— : ☆

You stood in the doorway, phone in hand, staring at the screen longer than you should have. The familiar weight in your chest grew heavier, pressing against your ribs as you swallowed down the lump in your throat. The house felt quieter now, the warmth of last night’s memory still lingering in the air. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, everything felt timeless, like your summer would never end. But now… it was real. You were leaving.

Taking a deep breath, you pressed the voice message icon and tried to keep your voice steady.

"Hey, Leehan. Sorry for bothering you. I know you're probably still sleeping, but my mom came earlier than expected, and…" Your voice wavered, but you forced yourself to continue. "I'm leaving right now for Seoul."

A wave of sadness washed over you as you spoke, each word feeling heavier than the last. You paused, trying to collect your thoughts, to say something meaningful, something that could capture the bittersweet emotions flooding your heart. You wanted to thank him for everything—for all the memories, for the way he made this summer feel like something out of a dream.

"Thank you for everything, Leehan. For the beach, for the laughter, for… for making this summer unforgettable." You hesitated, unsure of how to end it. "I’ll miss you."

The words hung in the air, final and inevitable. You released the button, watching the message send with a soft whoosh. It felt like letting go of something precious, something you weren’t quite ready to part with.

You pocketed your phone and turned to face your grandpa, who stood in the doorway watching you with a sad but understanding smile. His arms opened, and without a word, you wrapped yours around him, squeezing tightly. The scent of the sea, the warmth of his flannel shirt—everything about him reminded you of this place, of home.

“I’ll miss you so much, grandpa,” you whispered, your voice breaking just a little. Tears pricked your eyes, but you blinked them away, not wanting this moment to end in sadness.

He patted your back softly, his voice steady. "I’ll miss you too, kiddo. But you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t forget that."

Pulling back, you offered him a watery smile, nodding as you wiped at your eyes. He glanced over at your mom, who was waiting in the car, then back at you.

"You can always come back, you know. This town… it’ll always be here. And so will I."

You nodded, but the heaviness in your heart remained. It was never just about the town. It was about everything that had happened here, the memories you were leaving behind—memories you weren’t ready to let go of, not yet.

With one last look at the house, the beach in the distance, and the path you had walked so many times with Leehan, you climbed into the car. Your mom smiled softly as you buckled in, but you couldn’t return it. Not yet.

The engine started, and as the car pulled away, you found yourself turning back, looking through the rearview mirror at the small beach town fading in the distance.

Leehan stood by your grandpa, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath, the bouquet of flowers cradled protectively in his arms. His eyes darted to the road where the car had just disappeared, his face pale with the weight of realization—he was too late. He gripped the flowers tighter, his knuckles white against the delicate petals.

Your grandpa placed a hand on Leehan’s shoulder, his expression soft, filled with the kind of understanding that only comes with age. “You didn’t miss her by much, son. She just left.”

Leehan nodded, but the words didn’t bring him comfort. The ache in his chest only grew as he looked down at the flowers, the card tucked neatly between them, filled with all the words he hadn’t been able to say to you. Five pages, front and back, confessing everything he had felt all summer—everything he had been too afraid to voice.

“I wanted to tell her,” Leehan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I had time.”

Your grandpa sighed, his hand still resting gently on Leehan’s shoulder. “Sometimes, we think we have all the time in the world. But life… it doesn’t always wait for us.”

Leehan’s gaze lingered on the empty road, his heart heavy with regret. He had planned everything so carefully—every detail of the beach date, every moment leading up to his confession. But now, it felt like it had slipped through his fingers like sand.

"Leehan!" he heard the familiar scream of Jaehyun; actually, all of his friends were running to him with smiles on their faces. Jaehyun was faster than the rest, a paper in his hand shoving in his face.

"God, MyungJae, what is that?"

"Read it!" He took the paper and read it, his energy below zero slowly going up. He could feel the relief when he read, "We are glad to have you, Kim Dong Hyun, at our university."

"I got in," he said, a small smile on his face.

"We all did! We're going to Seoul, baby!" Woonhak screamed, and that's when a bulb turned on Leehan's head. A soft touch on his shoulder made him look at the old man.

"I think you actually have a chance to give her the flowers."

Leehan’s heart raced as the realization hit him. Seoul. He was going to Seoul. The very place you were headed. He had a chance—maybe not to stop you from leaving, but to find you again, to tell you everything he had kept bottled up all summer.

He looked at his friends, who were all celebrating, but his mind was already somewhere else. Turning to your grandpa, who still had that knowing smile on his face, Leehan felt a surge of determination.

“I need to go after her,” he said, voice shaky but full of resolve.

Your grandpa chuckled softly, nodding. “I figured as much. Go on, son. She’ll be glad to see you.”

— : ☆

A month. That’s how long it had been since you last saw Leehan. No messages, no updates from your grandfather—just an aching silence that grew heavier with each passing day. And now, here you were, standing on the familiar beach in Seoul, the same place you came to clear your head. The sky was a fading blend of soft orange and pink, slowly surrendering to the approaching night.

The dress you wore felt like a relic from a time that felt both distant and painfully close—the same dress from that unforgettable beach date with Leehan. Nostalgia coursed through your veins, memories of that night replaying in your mind as the sound of the waves whispered around you.

You sighed, kicking at the sand as you walked closer to the water, unsure why you had returned here tonight. It was as if some invisible thread had pulled you back to this place, as if the universe wasn’t quite done with the story between you and him.

The soft crash of waves filled the silence, and for a moment, you let yourself get lost in the rhythm of the ocean, your thoughts drifting like the tide.

"That area is off-limits, young lady."

Your heart skipped, your breath catching in your throat as you whipped around at the familiar voice. And there he was, standing a few feet away, wearing that same teasing, lopsided smile that had made you fall for him in the first place. Leehan.

He looked a little different now—more mature, like the month apart had shifted something in him. But his eyes still held that spark, that mischievous glint you had come to adore.

“Leehan?” You breathed, your heart pounding so hard you thought it might burst from your chest.

He gave you a small shrug, his hands tucked casually in his pockets as he took a step closer. “What? You didn’t think I’d just disappear, did you? Especially after all the trouble I went through for that beach date.”

You couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips, your chest filling with warmth. “I thought you might’ve forgotten about me.”

His eyebrows shot up, a look of mock offense crossing his face. “Forgotten? You, lifeguard?” He stepped even closer, until he was standing right in front of you, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. “Impossible.”

Your heart swelled at his words, and for a moment, all the hurt and uncertainty from the past month seemed to melt away. But there was still one question you couldn’t shake.

“What are you doing here, Leehan?” You asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

He smiled, that teasing grin never leaving his face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bouquet of flowers. “Well, your grandpa might’ve told me a little secret. Something about how you always come here when you need to think.”

You blinked, your chest tightening at the thought of your grandpa playing matchmaker. “He told you where to find me?”

Leehan chuckled, shaking his head as he handed you the flowers. “Yeah, he’s pretty sneaky for an old guy.”

You took the bouquet, feeling the softness of the petals between your fingers, your heart racing at the thought that he had come all this way just for you. But before you could say anything, Leehan stepped closer, his expression softening, his voice turning serious.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurted out, his voice rough with regret. “For not calling, for not texting… for disappearing. I—I wanted to. Every single day, I wanted to reach out, but I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know if you’d even want to hear from me after I let you down.”

Your heart clenched at the sincerity in his voice. You had been angry at first, hurt by his silence, but now, seeing him like this, so vulnerable and broken by his own mistakes, you couldn’t hold on to that anger.

“I missed you,” you said softly, the truth of it spilling from your lips before you could stop it. “I missed you so much, Leehan.”

His eyes softened at your words, but the guilt in his expression remained. “I missed you too. Every day. And I hated myself for not telling you, for letting my own fear keep me from you.”

He took a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup your cheek. His touch was warm, familiar, and it sent a shiver down your spine.

"I messed up," he started, his voice quiet but heavy with emotion. "I should have called you the moment you left. Every day, I wanted to text you, to hear your voice, to know how you were doing… but I didn’t. I thought giving you space was the right thing. I thought I was being respectful, but honestly, I was just scared."

His thumb grazed over your knuckles, his touch soft, almost hesitant. "I was scared that maybe you'd moved on. Maybe I was just some summer fling to you and that the second you left for Seoul, I’d be forgotten. But I never forgot you. Not for a single second."

His voice cracked, and he paused, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Every time I looked at the ocean, I thought of you. I thought about the way you used to look at it, like it was a part of you, and all I could think was how much I missed you. How much I miss us."

You felt your heart tighten at his words, the weight of his confession sinking deep into your chest. He let out a shaky breath, stepping closer, his hands still holding yours as if he were afraid to let go.

"You have no idea how much I regret not picking up the phone and telling you how I felt. Because, God, I am so in love with you. I love the way you laugh when you think no one’s listening, the way you get lost in your thoughts when you're staring at the waves, the way you make everything feel right. I’ve loved you for so long, and I can’t keep pretending that I don’t."

His gaze softened, and his voice grew even quieter. "I’m sorry for making you think I didn’t care, for being such a coward. But I can’t let you walk away again without telling you how much you mean to me."

He took a deep breath, his grip tightening just a little as he leaned in, his voice steady but filled with an overwhelming tenderness.

"I love you, lifeguard."

The world seemed to fall away in that moment, the weight of his words settling over you like a gentle breeze. Your heart pounded in your chest, a mix of emotions swirling inside you—joy, relief, and love. You had waited so long to hear those words, and now that they were here, everything felt right.

A slow smile spread across your lips as you looked up at him, your hand tightening in his. “I love you too, Leehan.”

His eyes sparkled with happiness, and before you could say anything else, he closed the distance between you, his lips brushing softly against yours. The kiss was gentle at first, filled with the sweetness of first love, but as the moments passed, it deepened, filled with all the emotions you had both kept hidden for so long.

When you finally pulled away, Leehan rested his forehead against yours, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You know, I’ve been waiting a long time to do that.”

You laughed softly, your heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks. “I’m glad you finally did.”

He chuckled, his arms wrapping around you as he pulled you close. “Get used to it, lifeguard. I’m not going anywhere this time.”

"What do you mean?" He cleared his throat and looked at you.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I got in, to the university."

Leehan laughed as you wrapped your arms around him, your excitement evident as you squeezed him tightly. The bouquet of flowers had tumbled onto the sand, their petals scattered around as you held him close.

“You got in?” You asked, your voice muffled against his chest.

He nodded, a bright smile on his face. “Yep. Me, Jaehyun, Woonhak… all six of us got in. Last month was moving everything and paper work. So, it looks like we’re both headed in the same direction.”

You pulled back slightly to look up at him, your eyes wide with surprise and joy. “You’re really here.”

Leehan’s grin widened as he nodded again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A wave of happiness washed over you, the feeling of his presence comforting and reassuring. “I’m so glad you’re here, Leehan.”

"And you know why?" You had a feeling of what was about to come. "Because you love me," he said, doing a small dance in front of you. This time, you laughed, your heart jumping in joy.

"Yeah, I do love you, surfer." He kept on dancing, so you took him by the collar of the shirt and kissed him once more.

Leehan’s laughter mingled with the rhythmic sound of the waves, filling the evening air with a playful melody. He stopped dancing when you pulled him closer, your lips meeting his in a kiss that spoke volumes. His lips were warm, and the kiss was both tender and teasing, full of the longing you both had felt over the past month.

As you broke away, he looked at you with a smirk. “You know, I’ve been practicing my dance moves just for this moment.”

You laughed, your eyes sparkling. “And here I thought you were just trying to impress me.”

Leehan’s grin widened, his fingers tracing light patterns on your arm. “Oh, trust me, impressing you is just the beginning. I’ve got a whole repertoire of moves I’ve been saving for our next date.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the thought of future moments with him. Hand in hand, you both walked along the shore, the waves gently lapping at your feet. The night was filled with laughter, flirtatious glances, and the promise of a future together. The summer might be ending, but with Leehan by your side, every moment felt like the beginning of a beautiful adventure.

↷ 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚢'𝚜 note: After contasntly debating into wi¿hich one to put out to the world, here I am giving not only to the network but to the onedoorblr/bndblr my second work! I promise I will post more of my boys, I truly will (and pls the song in the intro has NOTHING to do with it LMAO, I forgot the song I chose before)💗

water prince // leehan

When you receive a wedding proposal from the Water Kingdom, you are set on making Prince Donghyun change his mind about marrying you. At least, until you actually see him for who he is.

➳ Characters: prince!Leehan (called Donghyun in the story) x princess!female reader/you

➳ Genre: royalty au, arranged marriage au, magical kingdom au, elemental powers au, fluff, comedy, a bit of angst too

➳ Words: 13.7k

➳ Warning: mentions of food, reader almost drowning and being seasick, Leehan's father in the story is quite hostile, Leehan feels insecure about not being loved by his father

➳ A/N: Happiest birthday to the loveliest person on Earth @dat-town❤️ So happy for everything you've achieved and so excited to see what you will continue to achieve! May you have the best year ever, and stay healthy and happy all throughout! ❤️

➳ Taglist: @s00buwu, @dat-town, @emmylksblog

“You are to marry Prince Donghyun.”

You literally choked on your water when your father announced the big news he had assembled the family for. Your little sister patted your back, trying to be helpful, while your mother shot you a surprised look as if she couldn’t decide whether you were appalled or delighted by the news, and that’s why you were so taken aback. Your brother, Sungho, sat in his chair in a calm manner as usual, quietly analysing the situation while cutting his meat into tiny pieces in the quietest way possible.

You couldn’t blame him. You were in the middle of your regularly scheduled dinner in the dining hall of the palace when the King finally told you what he had been hiding from you for sometime. Before that, you couldn’t even know whom it entailed - your little sister, Sunghee, your brother, Sungho, or you -, the only thing you knew was that your father had been in talks with other kingdoms. Which was nothing new, really, it was one of his duties as the King of the Fire Kingdom.

“Why him,” was your first question after you managed to stop coughing, and you couldn’t tell who was more shocked by your question: your mother, your father or your little sister. Sungho seemed rather amused, his lips slightly curling upwards. No wonder he knew you the best.

“Because they offered a wedding proposal?” Your father half-asked, half-answered, and as you put down the glass of water onto the table, you were trying to rationalise his words, but there was nothing you could rationalise about this. From a young age, you knew that this would be your fate, you just didn’t know how to face it now.

“I would rather know why I am supposed to be marrying a prince from the Water Kingdom, if it has to be Prince Donghyun out of all people.”

“They say that he’s really handsome,” Sunghee chirped in, her eyes already forming hearts at the mention of the prince. Then again, she was 15, and she had heart eyes for every prince that she saw at formal events.

“You should feel grateful that he chose you. Princesses from other kingdoms are all lining up for him,” your mother weighed in, nudging you in the side, and you felt like a kid being reprimanded for something that she had done, not a princess who didn’t want to marry a prince who had once tried to sweet talk her into dancing with him at a royal wedding, only to trample on her feet multiple times. That guy was full of mischievous ideas, and you wanted nothing to do with him and his troublemaker ass. Besides, he was said to be full of himself, and you hated nothing more than smug princes who thought that a few compliments would make a princess fall for them.

“Prince Donghyun’s birthday is coming up, and he is supposed to find a bride for himself after his 20th birthday. They sent out the offer on his behalf, but before they expect an answer from you, you are invited to his birthday celebration to get to know him better,” the King explained in detail, and you wanted to evaporate right then and there. Really? You were even invited to his birthday celebration? Was he really that enchanted by that clumsy dance you had had at the wedding, or did the Water Kingdom had ulterior motives behind this decision?

You let out a sigh in return, clearly against the whole thing, but it’s not like you had a say in it. However, you had a say in how you behaved around Prince Donghyun, and actually, this birthday celebration would be the perfect chance to make him change his mind about you - or his family or whoever came up with this stupid idea of being his bride. You could be on your worst behaviour, and make him hate you, or worse, make him disgusted by you, and that’s exactly what you needed.

“When is this celebration?” You inquired from your father who gave you a satisfied smile in return, and told you that he would tell you all of the details and show you the wedding proposal after dinner. Sungho narrowed his eyes at your sudden change of behaviour, but when you turned towards him, you merely mouthed “I know what I’m doing”, and he seemed to believe you, going back to his fig jam-coated meat.

Whenever you attended a formal event in another kingdom, at least two members of your family had to be present. Before you and Sungho had turned 20, you had always needed to be accompanied by an adult - mostly your mother because the King had other duties to attend to. Since you were both deemed responsible adults when it came to age and appropriate behaviour, the two of you could go together to Prince Donghyun’s birthday celebration since your mother was to attend one of her sisters’ wedding with Sunghee the day later you set out to the Water Kingdom.

Since travelling on a ship would have required more people to accompany you (and since you were often seasick when out on the sea), you travelled by carriage, and you were supposed to arrive the day before the actual birthday celebration as per the Water Kingdom’s request. That left you with plenty of time to tell Sungho all about your plan of changing the prince’s mind starting from your choice of dress for the day of your arrival - a beautiful, knee-length black dress with puffy sleeves and a V-neck that highlighted the pretty necklace brightening your pale skin with little diamonds in the shape of a flame. It was an appropriate dress in style and length, maybe the V-line was a bit steep according to some, but it was its colour that mattered. In the Fire Kingdom, black represented the end of something - just like how flames turn to black ashes when they can no longer feed on oxygen -, and usually, you wore black clothes at the seasons’ farewell ceremony. You had a farewell ceremony for all four seasons when you bid goodbye to the previous one and welcomed the new one, gathering around a huge fire and giving your blessings to the kingdom and the royal family.

You highly doubted that Prince Donghyun would be aware of such traditions in your kingdom, but that was the best part of it: that he didn’t know about it, but you knew why you dressed like that. You had other tricks under your sleeve, and whilst Sungho didn’t disapprove of your plan, he was partly worried about your feelings.

“Will you be able to handle that? You hate nothing more than embarrassing yourself,” he pointed out gently, in his own big brother way, when you mentioned that if you had to embarrass yourself for your plan, you were ready to give it your all. The goal was to make Prince Donghyun go back on his words - or beg the one who came up with the idea of you having to marry him to change their mind  -, and the journey getting there might not be all rosy, but it would be worth it.

“I’ll make sure I do it subtly enough to not bring embarrassment on myself in front of others. Plus, I think he will want to speak with me in private, so that’s when I need to strike for real,” you announced with a triumphant smile as you tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear. The ladies all dolled you up at the palace, but if you were going to a battle, you needed to go in style.

Sungho didn’t show it if he was against your plan, and instead, he directed a topic elsewhere but your looming marriage proposal. This way, at least you didn’t feel like crawling out of your skin until you arrived, and guess what, Prince Donghyun just had to wait for you at the entrance of the palace when the carriage halted and the servants helped you down.

You tried hard not to stare at him because he did look… different. Of course, he looked different, he had been around 16 when you had last seen him; it had been a year after that ominous wedding, and you had seen him in passing in the circle of princesses who cooed all about his beauty and his deep voice and whatnot. Years had passed by, and he grew taller, his shoulders were broader, and his hair was longer, it reached his shoulders already. His features were less boyish, but there was still that mischievous spark in his eyes when you walked up to him after waiting for your brother to get out of the carriage.

You even forgot to look behind him to take in the grandiose palace walls and huge rose windows because he was the main view for you. The way the fading sunlight - late afternoon flowing into early night - shone onto him made him seem like someone from another world, or rather, someone from those fairytales your sister still believed in. If someone embodied royalty, it was him, and you had no idea how he had such an effect on you when you had come here to destroy his plans to marry you.

Alas, you could not let yourself sway just because he was pretty. Beauty could be deceiving, beauty could hurt, and if anyone, you knew that. Being praised for being beautiful, but never being praised for being smart or reliable or kind made you see this whole thing in a new light. So you kept your compliments to yourself, and focused on the boy’s cheeky smile instead.

There was a round of formalities with bowing and courtesy, the servants already hustling-bustling around you, carrying your luggage and gifts, and you heard two ladies from your own kingdom whispering about Prince Donghyun’s angelic smile as they passed by.

You rolled your eyes at their antics, but the Water Kingdom prince either didn’t seem to notice, or he didn’t mind. Instead, he posed a question that made you furrow your eyebrows.

“Did you come in black because you’re putting an end to your life without me?”

“Pardon me?”

“I read that black symbolises the end of something in your kingdom,” he pointed out in a casual manner, and you needed to hold yourself back from commenting that you didn’t expect him to do some reading on the Fire Kingdom and its traditions. You could clearly see Sungho’s facial expression though, he was visibly impressed.

The prince gave you a crooked half-smile as he took one step closer to you, closer than before, but not close enough to call it inappropriate. You had a feeling that he was playing at just that;  dancing on the fine line of being playfully flirtatious and a bit too much in general. 

“But did you know that it symbolises deep love in our kingdom? It’s a metaphor because if you love someone deeply, you would be willing to swim to the bottom of the ocean for them and the bottom is always so dark, almost black,” he continued equally joyfully, but you needed to gulp down the profanities that were threatening to leave your mouth.

Just how could you mess this up so badly? Not only had you chosen a black dress that symbolised deep love in their kingdom, but you had also failed to consider Prince Donghyun actually looking up the meaning of the colour in the Fire Kingdom. Well, you had to give it to him that he won this round, but you wouldn’t have said it out loud for all the money in the world.

So you let Sungho ask about the palace instead while you were ushered inside, and if Prince Donghyun had any itinerary planned for the rest of the day since you were supposedly the only ones who were invited to come a day earlier. Prince Donghyun explained that you would have dinner together and he could show you around the palace afterwards if you were up for it.

“Excellent idea! I would love nothing more than to spend more time with you,” you announced in an overzealous manner, hoping that it could make the prince falter in his good boy role. On the other hand, he seemed rather amused, not weirded out, and suggested that you could check out the lighthouse and the docks if you were that interested. You had no idea that they had such places on palace grounds, but sure, you were in the Water Kingdom after all.

Hoping to direct the topic to something else, when you spotted a bouquet of flowers in a huge vase, you acted oh so innocently as you asked:

“Ah, are these fake?”

“My mother picked them from her garden in the morning. She likes tending to her flowers,” the prince pointed out casually, and you bit down on your tongue in response. Damn it, why couldn’t you get a hold on him? 

Sure, you might have been the only kingdom that had fake flowers placed in the palace corridors because they just didn’t grow as exuberant as the ones in the Earth Kingdom, for instance, but you had different climates as well. You would think that the colder, rainy climate of the Water Kingdom didn’t necessarily help flowers flourish, but well… maybe you were wrong about more than just one thing.

You pressed your lips into a thin line, forcing yourself to shut your mouth, while you were following the prince and the servants down the corridors that were full of paintings of the royal family. The amount of paintings about Prince Donghyun from a very young age to present days was overwhelming: him with a book in his hands in what seemed like a library when he was a child, him in the garden surrounded by flowers, him standing by the sea, him standing by a fish tank, him holding a rose and the list goes on…

You weren’t sure whether looking at the actual real-life prince or his painted features was more unsettling, so you did neither and just stared ahead of yourself. Which was a mistake on your part because you managed to walk into the prince’s chest when he halted in front of a room.

“Are you alright, princess?” He inquired with wide eyes as he held you by the shoulders to steady you. You immediately stepped backwards, making him yank his hands away from you.

“I’m alright. It was just a bit dizzying with all the floors and corridors.”

“You will get used to it,” he said naturally, but there was a slight hint of nervousness in the way his eyes darted from your face to Sungho’s when he said the words out loud. Your brother, on the other hand, merely stayed still, calmly listening to your conversation. You were sure that you would hear his opinion on it later on, but for now, he didn’t seem fazed by the boy’s behaviour and flirty remarks.

“So will these be our suites?” Your brother asked to break the silence, and indeed, Prince Donghyun took this opportunity to show you to your rooms. Yours was fully equipped with a bathroom and a restroom, a huge wardrobe, candles by the double bed and a wide wooden desk by the equally wide full-length windows that led to a balcony. What took you by surprise was that the fluffy blankets, the luxurious curtains, the welcoming pillows and the walls of the room were all in different shades of blue, but it was done in an elegant way, so no colour overshadowed the other. However, the sight made you feel as if you were close to the sea, and you didn’t necessarily like it since the sea always reminded you of those boat travels when you got seasick.

Prince Donghyun said that a servant would come by when dinner was ready, but until then, he would let you unpack and settle down. When he got out of sight, you let out an aghast sigh, and fell into the bed, silently screaming into the pillows.

This was so not going as planned.

Dinner was passing by excruciatingly slowly. You literally checked the huge clock on the wall - which had a different type of fish painted by each number of the 12-part circle - every 5 minutes, hoping that time would go by faster, to no avail. You might have been able to spark a fire or put out one as a Fire Kingdom princess, but your magic didn’t involve meddling with time.

Alas, you had to sit through the forced conversation with Prince Donghyun’s parents (his older brother was away for a trade talk or something like that), and while his mother was a lovely woman, and her smile, at least, seemed genuine, his father was the definition of a politician. Which wouldn’t have unsettled you so much if you had not known his type, and how all of his sentences were well-calculated, carefully practised and being a part of a bigger plan. Even when he complimented his son, you could see that the prince was taken aback for he was smiling so coyly, you had a feeling that he scarcely complimented his children without an audience around.

You were thankful that Sungho was good at reading the room and changing topics in a polite enough manner, so that the King wouldn’t deem his action rude. It was difficult to displease them because while playing a foolish girl who always finds something to complain about and acts all so erratic was all fun and games with Prince Donghyun, when you tried to do the same in front of the royal couple, the King’s comments made you retreat. He was borderline misogynistic, saying that your honesty would be “cured” by having a husband, and that you should be lucky someone was willing to marry you with your reputation of being a fiery princess who always rejected princes.

It got to a point that you needed to excuse yourself to head outside because he started putting down your own parents for raising a princess like you, and you could not stand that. Even though you told them that you would go to the restroom, you had no place in mind, so when a servant left you by the closest restroom, you just stood there for a minute, completely frozen.

“Do you need anything, princess?” A familiar voice spoke up beside you, and you actually jumped back when you heard his voice. You were totally lost in thought, trying to process what you had been told, you didn’t pay attention to anything else.

Prince Donghyun noticed your shaken state, and his lips quivered slightly when you didn’t speak up. This was the first time that you saw something apart from mischief flash across his orbs when he looked at you, he looked genuinely concerned this time, and suddenly, you had no idea what to do with it.

“I’m so sorry about my father. He isn’t the best with…”

“You don’t need to apologise on his behalf. He needs to do it himself if he wants my forgiveness.”

The moment the words rolled off your tongue, you knew how naive it might have sounded, but you didn’t care. You kept your chin up high, kept the eye-contact, and the boy did the same. You had a feeling that he was afraid that if he looked away, you would run away. Which was incredibly close to what you actually wanted to do right then and there.

Even though you were usually good at keeping your composure in check, or at least acting like you didn’t care what people said about you, you didn’t have it in you to continue acting that night. So you were about to say that you would head back to your room to avoid having a conversation with the prince in your state, but he beat you to it.

“How about that walk to the lighthouse? That's the furthest place from the dining room,” he suggested out of the blue, his words carrying a certain gentleness. You couldn’t decide whether this was the perfect, kind prince role that he wanted to play, or whether it came naturally to him.

Nevertheless, you didn’t have the luxury to ponder over it, you just wanted a change of scenery - as much as the situation allowed, at least. So you gave in to the prince’s suggestion, and followed him outside the palace through a few unfamiliar corridors, walking through his mother’s garden to get to the docks. It didn’t resemble the docks for trading that you had been to before, it was a much more sophisticated one. It was more like a pier with only two ships waiting by the riverside, probably the ones the royal family used for travel.

For starters, the path was lit up by lanterns that glowed joyfully with the last few patches of the sunset still present on the horizon, like little fireflies in the night. The wharf itself wasn’t very well-lit, but the brightness coming from the lighthouse made up for that, illuminating the wooden structure leading up to it periodically. Even though there was mud where the water licked into the ground, the palace’s garden was connected to the shore with a little bridge, so you could walk on it as soon as you stepped past the fence separating the two sides.

Prince Donghyun held his hand out to help you step onto the wharf, and you would have objected fervently if it had not been for your dress - which seemed quite impractical for this kind of movement -, but alas, you accepted it. His grip was strong enough to hold you yet gentle enough to not crush your hands, but you didn’t hold onto him longer than needed.

“Oh no,” you said as soon as you stepped onto the wooden structure, realising that there was no railing on the sides. Even though the pathway was wide enough for two people, maybe even for three, in the momentary light the lighthouse provided when it was its turn to shine onto the wharf, you weren’t sure that you could cross it without getting panicky about it.

“What is wrong?”

“I don’t like the fact that there’s no railing here,” you announced as you pointed at the obvious lack of added safety, to which he merely gave you an amused smile.

“You can hold onto me if you want to,” he offered with a playful wink, and you were anything but impressed by his idea.

“I get seasick easily, and even though we are not on a boat, just the idea of being this close to water without an extra barrier makes me feel odd because I can’t swim, so…”

You were not one to talk about your weaknesses so easily, but the sight frightened you more than you would have admitted, and the words just rolled off your tongue without thinking ahead. It was too late to go back on your words though, you could already see how the prince was trying to make sense of the situation.

“I have an idea,” Prince Donghyun announced, mischief no longer evident in his voice as he turned his back to you and stood still.

You blinked, confused, and the thought crossed your mind that this would be the moment he would scare you or push you into the water, and you would have every reason to hate him then because you couldn’t swim. Not to mention that you were seasick often, so you absolutely detested anything that was related to water.

“You know, if you are trying to make a joke out of this whole situation, I wonder why-” You started as you took a step back in case he really did want to trick you. Instead, he raised his hands around him in a circular motion, and a few seconds later, a literal bubble formed in front of him. Then, he directed that bubble to hover between you two as he turned around.

“How did you do that?” You breathed, bewildered, as you looked at the water bubble in front of you, moving at his will. The boy couldn’t hide the smile that was creeping onto his lips at your awestruck expression that turned even more surprised when he started expanding the bubble. You were about to open your mouth to say that you didn’t want to get wet when it started getting so big that it almost touched you, but the collision never happened. What happened was that the bubble grew around you without touching you at all, so ultimately, you found yourself insead it, the world around you suddenly quiet and dim.

“It doesn’t burst with human contact or with objects. At least, I can now control it,” Prince Donghyun explained with a bit of a giggle as he stood inside the bubble with you.

You shook your head, trying to recover from this daze, but gosh, it was such a mesmerising sight. The prince looked to be in his element as he was talking about how he had learned to create bubbles and then to control them, all wide-eyed affection and enthusiasm pouring off his gorgeous features. Even if you had moments before when you questioned just how genuine he was, you couldn’t question it now, it was enough to look at him. He was dazzling, maple-brown shoulder-length hair tucked behind his ear, big doe eyes filled with stars, while he was showing you how you could touch the bubble from the inside, but it wouldn’t budge.

“I am good, aren’t I?” He quirked an eyebrow after his monologue, a proud smile tinting his lips. You looked back at him, rolling your eyes at his antics, but you had to try hard to sniffle your smile.

It felt like being inside a separate little island as you were walking inside the bubble, walking towards the lighthouse. You had to be close to him though, or else, he would need to expand the bubble even more, so you followed him diligently, and only halted when you reached the end and stood beside the beacon. This part of the wharf had railings, but you almost didn’t notice because the bubble kept out not just the outside world, but also your worries for a while.

“I didn’t know you could do something like this.”

“I’m glad to hear that I could surprise you,” he flashed you an even wider grin, if that was possible, but there was something coy about it now, as if he couldn’t believe that you could see him in a different light. Well, what could you say? You definitely didn’t expect this either.

The prince seemed curious at this point about what you could do with your powers, so you told him that you could make anything related to fire - you could create a spark, you could light up a fireplace, you could burn objects if you got your hands on them, and you could also put out fire if needed. There weren’t a lot of uses to your power, to be honest, but you didn’t mind. You always had a feeling that the reason war didn’t break out between the kingdoms was because you could only practise your magic in your own kingdom, meaning that you couldn’t do anything with fire here, even if you wanted to.

Prince Donghyun was attentive and curious, his eyes still having that bright spark to them, and for a short while, you even forgot why you ended up there, inside a bubble he created. Yet, when the next strike of light shone onto you two, and you felt your throat closing up at the sight of him - so boyish, so gentle, so affectionate -, you told him that you wished to go back.

He did seem a bit disappointed, but an understanding smile replaced his momentary pout in a bit, and he walked you back without a word. When you stepped off the docks, the bubble didn’t actually burst around you with splashes of water, it merely disappeared. You attempted to seem disinterested, but you were impressed, even if you tried to divert the topic elsewhere.

When you reached your suite, Prince Donghyun offered that you could let him know if you needed anything anytime, he would assist you. You could even knock on his door at the break of dawn - he had shown you where his suite was located on your walk back from the lighthouse -, he would be ready to help.

“Shouldn’t I notify a servant instead?” You raised an eyebrow, challengingly, but the boy either didn’t seem to take note of it, or didn’t deem it as an act of challenge.

“Well, I’m a man of many charms, and I can do a lot more than you think I’m capable of.”

“A man, pff. You’re not even 20 years old,” you pointed out cheekily, and he let out a deep, long laugh before his features went back to their previous state.

“But I will turn 20 tomorrow. I will be a man,” he retorted as he took a step closer to you, his eyes not leaving yours. Your heart betrayed you because when your eyes locked, that traitor decided to skip a beat. You had never been this close to him before, not even inside the bubble, and instead of feeling like you had to keep your guards up, you wanted to destroy the walls you built around yourself, and in that moment, he looked like he wanted to do the same.

“Good night, Princess!” He wished with a widening smile, shattering the serene moment into tiny little pieces, before he turned around and walked away.

The birthday celebration officially started the next day at noon, but guests started arriving from early morning. You didn’t even finish breakfast, you were notified that the first carriage pulled into the court, and Prince Donghyun dutifully followed his mother outside to greet the guests. The King was supposedly in his study, but you actually preferred it that way, especially after the previous night’s conversation at dinner.

So that left you and Sungho enough time to finish the rest of the breakfast while discussing the day ahead. Your brother even brought up the events of last night, and where you had been with Prince Donghyun.

“Nowhere scandalous, trust me!” You justified more fervently than needed, and Sungho held up his hands as a peace offer. He looked like he was conflicted whether he should be amused or concerned by your dramatic reaction.

“I would have been surprised if you had been anywhere scandalous, especially with your plan to make him change his mind,” he pointed out reasonably before reaching for his mug of tea. One of the reasons why you liked your brother was because he could keep his cool, and he knew you well enough to not jump to stupid conclusions. His question was probably more out of curiosity than teasing either way.

Hence, you decided to be honest with him, though you didn’t want to talk about Prince Donghyun creating a water bubble around you, so you would dare to walk the wharf with him. You didn’t know why, but it felt like a rather affectionate reaction to your seasickness, and you didn’t want to bring it up.

“He showed me the lighthouse, and we talked about our magic, and what we can do with it.”

“Seems pretty ordinary to me. Where did you leave your over the top acting?” He inquired with a playful smile, and you gently pushed his shoulder with your own.

“I didn’t feel like doing it last night. The King’s words got to me more than I would have thought so,” you admitted feebly, suddenly finding your empty plate more interesting than anything else in the dining room. You were usually not one to be swayed by others’ opinion, you weren’t a naive and scared teenage girl anymore. On the other hand, you had never even met anyone as hostile as the King of the Water Kingdom, and you had met a lot of royalty, so that said a lot.

“I’ve heard that he’s like that with everyone; he’s never truly satisfied, and doesn’t agree with anyone even if he’s wrong. So it wasn’t directed at you,” Sungho reassured you softly, and when you looked up at him, you directed a grateful smile at him. He always seemed to know what to say, and you appreciated it more than ever.

You didn’t have a lot of time to yourself afterwards because the servants notified you that you should get ready for a bath before they would do your hair and make-up. So you followed them and let them take care of you from head to toe. Sometimes it felt cumbersome to be all dolled up for an event, but you enjoyed being pampered after the previous day, and you didn’t want to let it show that you had been affected by the King’s viciousness.

Red was the trademark colour of your kingdom, so you picked a cherry-red dress for the event, one that you always felt so powerful in. The bottom part was a widening skirt in wine-red with a thin, more translucent layer covering the silky one underneath that had such a nice fall to it. From your waist up, the material switched to lacy with pretty embroidery making it more intricate on your chest and on your arms alike. Golden beads dotted the middle line that ended in a V-cut that revealed an appropriate amount of skin before it closed up underneath your neck which was covered in beads again. You had matching burgundy high heels to top the look, though they would be covered by the wide skirt either way.

The ladies curled your hair and made the locks resemble the waves in your dress, letting them fall over your shoulders elegantly, with the exception of your front locks which were held back and secured to your temple with a ribbon. Your eyes were covered in a mixture of sparkly silver and burgundy, your lips the colour of ruby-red apples.

You were of the opinion that if you were forced to attend such events, you would do so in style, and you were thankful that your parents let you choose your outfits and consult the tailors yourself, they didn’t really meddle with your preference in dresses. Same went for Sungho who showed up in a burgundy-black outfit with delicate embroidery on the chest of his long-sleeved shirt, and an exquisite pair of cotton pants.

As always, you didn’t fail to compliment the other’s look, and when the beginning of the celebration was announced, you made your way to the ballroom, your arms resting on your brother’s. Since he was by your side, you were more reassured that you barely knew anyone here, though you saw a few familiar faces from other kingdoms. It was easy to tell who came from where because apart from a few different colours, everyone chose to dress in the trademark colour of their own kingdom - blue for the Water, green for the Earth, white for the Air and red for the Fire Kingdom. Since most of them wore some kind of blue, you assumed that quite a lot of relatives of Prince Donghyun showed up, and judging by the older boy by his side, you guessed that his brother also came back from the trade talks in time for the celebration.

The King started his toast with a historical lesson on the Water Kingdom which bored you to no end, so you rather chose that time to examine Prince Donghyun’s flawless outfit. What you expected from such a flawless visual, though? Sure, he would have not looked as dashing in a stable boy’s clothes as he looked right now in his light blue shirt dotted by silver pearls that resembled tiny little water drops, tucked into midnight-blue cotton pants, his shoulder-length hair partly tucked behind his ear, but he had a certain aura to him that was hard to beat.

You might have been staring at him for quite some time because he caught your eyes, and suddenly, you felt exposed. Not only because you had been quite obviously checking him out, but also because he didn’t seem smug or teasing, he seemed rather in awe, his lips slightly parting. Could it be because of your dress? He was clearly looking at you, so it couldn’t be because of someone else, and yet… oh that traitor heart of yours betrayed you again.

“Am I interrupting something?” Sungho mumbled quietly, so only you could hear him, but even his hushed voice was enough to turn your cheeks ruby-red.

“What are you talking about?” You turned to him, trying your best to put on an act, but your brother knew you well enough, he knew that you were lying.

“You seemed to have a moment there with Prince Donghyun, and I suddenly felt like an intruder. Come to think of, yesterday evening, you also left with him, leaving me behind, which implies that despite the fact that you claim that you want to change his mind, you have also fallen-” He started up on a whole monologue, and you had never been more thankful in your whole life that the crowd cheered and clapped, so their loud voices covered up what he was saying.

“Oh yey, it’s finally over!” You clapped enthusiastically with the crowd when the King finally ended his speech, and people started dissolving from the middle of the ball room. Sungho would have probably continued teasing you if it had not been for Prince Donghyun walking right up to the two of you because then, he shut his mouth, but his eyes were telling a different tale.

“May I have this dance?” The prince inquired as he motioned towards the people who started dancing in pairs not far from you which made you realise that you and Sungho just happened to stay at the exact middle of the ball room. Which was awkward in itself, but the way your brother bit down on his lower lip to prevent himself from saying anything made it even more awkward.

You felt the need to clear your throat before you answered.

“Only if you’re better than you were at 15.”

Prince Donghyun let out a joyous laughter hearing your proclamation, probably remembering that memorable dance from years ago all too well.

“I can assure you that I’m way better than I was at 15. I’ve taken dance lessons since,” he claimed proudly, puffing his chest out, and Sungho chose this moment to leave you two behind, stating that he was not in the mood for dancing, so you two go ahead. You tried to sear holes into his back while he was leaving you two behind, but to no avail. He didn’t even look back.

“Sure. Let’s see how much you improved. But if you step on my foot, I will step on yours too, and trust me, you don’t want to encounter these high heels closely,” you threatened half-jokingly as you turned back to Prince Donghyun, but he merely laughed off your warning. He seemed pretty confident in himself, so you wanted to give this a chance, and indeed, he did the right thing by immediately extending his hand to you, so you could reach for it. Then, he escorted you further into the dance floor, expertly manoeuvring around already dancing couples.

If the beginning wasn’t enough to convince you, the rest of the dance sure was. The boy knew what he was doing, and he did it confidently. You could tell that he had taken those dance lessons seriously because there was only slight hesitation in his movements when he first touched you - your hand, your back and your waist -, afterwards, he overcame his coyness, and continued on like nothing happened.

He held himself like a prince, a delicate prince, and you were bewitched by the twinkles in his chestnut-brown eyes, as if stars were truly dancing in them, he was glowing, his endeared smile crowning his look. He held you so steady that you knew, you could tell that if you were to fall down, he would be able to catch you, and you had never felt so taken care of during a dance. It wasn’t about him showing off - despite how he introduced his dance skills -, it was about elevating your dance experience to something you had never had before.

“I’ve told you I got better,” he stated matter-of-factly after swirling you around, and when he closed the distance next, you found yourself mumbling something along the lines of:

“Yes, I can tell.”

“Excuse me, I couldn’t catch that. Could you say that again?” Prince Donghyun teased you, flashing an all too boyish grin, and you rolled your eyes, not believing his antics. Fine, two can play this game, you thought, before you leaned closer and tiptoed on your heels, so that you could be at eye-level with him.

“You can really dance like a man now, Prince Donghyun,” you whispered into his ears, and when you leaned back, you could see a pinkish hue colouring not only his cheeks but also his ears. You got him flustered, and you called that a win.

The song the musicians were playing came to an end, so you let go of his shoulders, and sank back to your heels. The boy was so dazed that he didn’t let go of you for a few more seconds, only when you thanked him for the dance and wished him a happy birthday. You knew that other girls would be lining up to dance with him or other royalty to have a word with him since it was his birthday celebration, so you let him enjoy his day, and got lost in the crowd of royalty.

You ended up having a talk with a princess from the Earth Kingdom, then two of Prince Donghyun’s cousins - Prince Jaehyun and Prince Woonhak - who chirped your ears off about how excited they were to meet you, and shared embarrassing stories about their cousin without flinching an eye. You were sure that it was a way to show you that Prince Donghyun was more than meets the eye, but you got the most surprised when they claimed that the prince had been harbouring feelings for you ever since that dance all those years ago, and he had not stopped talking about wanting to meet you again.

“Why would he do that? I reprimanded him for dancing so poorly,” you pointed out matter-of-factly, but that just fuelled the boys’ chattering even more.

“Oh yes, he did say something about loving the fact that you dared to put him in his place.”

“And that you weren’t afraid to speak your mind since most royalty wouldn’t do so,” Woonhak added to Jaehyun’s answer, and their words just made you wonder even more how much say Prince Donghyun had in this wedding proposal. It should have definitely gone through his father, which made you question why he had even agreed to it if you could not appease him at all, but was the choice ultimately the prince’s? Or did he have as much say in it as you did?

You were about to ask the cousins about this matter when the King announced that it was time to slice the five-tier cake, but he wanted to say a few words before. The princes beside you got all too pumped up at the mention of dessert, and excused themselves to get closer to the cake, so they could be one of the first ones to have their share.

“I would like to start by saying that we are very grateful to have all of you here to celebrate the birthday of our younger son,” the King started with his best neutral smile as he gave Prince Donghyun a side-eye who tried hard to appear more gentle than his father. You could feel from the moment you were here that their relationship was quite strained, but what his father said next just went beyond anything you could expect.

“But we have more to celebrate today, and I would like to hereby announce that our first-born, Prince Donghee, is going to marry Princess Dayoung from the Air Kingdom. Our son has just returned from finishing up on the marriage talks, and the wedding will take place in two months’ time.”

The claps came on quietly at first, then they appeared thunderous in the vast dining room, echoing back from the walls in a mocking tone while Prince Donghyun tried his best not to seem affected. You could tell that his small smile that didn’t reach his ears was anything but joyful, and he clapped like he was a mere shadow of himself. His father didn’t seem to take note of it as he asked Prince Donghee - the older brother you had seen by his side when they had started the celebration - to step forward and say a few words as well. It was all too perfect, all too practised, you felt sick to your stomach as you watched the scene unfold in front of your eyes.

“Marriage talks are underway with princesses for our second-born as well, but it looks like we have to put them on hold to prepare for the wedding day,” the King concluded after Prince Donghee was finished with his own speech, the room filled with roaring cheers once more.

You should have felt relieved that your possible marriage with Prince Donghyun was put on hold, and you should have felt a bit enraged that there were other princesses in question since they had not told you that you had competition. It shouldn’t have mattered, really, but you didn’t like the way the King was playing this game, and you felt anything but triumphant over the news. The prince seemed gutted, to say the least, and the way his eyes were searching for yours told you that he hoped that you wouldn’t take his father’s words the wrong way.

No wonder you didn’t feel like having a slice from the cake when they finished their speeches, and when you saw Prince Donghyun quietly walking away from the crowd, you decided to go after him. You met your brother in the meantime, and told him that you would be back. You didn’t know where you were going, and for a moment, you thought that you lost sight of Prince Donghyun, only to find him leaving through the garden, heading towards the lighthouse.

You tried to catch up to him, but he was a few metres ahead, and didn’t seem to notice you following him. However, when you stepped onto the dock, and realised yet again that there were no railings in sight, you came to a halt.

“Prince Donghyun!” You shouted after him, trying to gain his attention. He immediately turned around, his eyes widening in surprise when he caught sight of you standing still at the very end of the wharf.

“Princess, what are you doing here?” He inquired, his tone neutral, as he stood there, standing still a few metres ahead of you. You felt like there was a distance between you two both physically and metaphorically, and to hell to all of your plans of changing his mind, you would feel awful if you didn’t check on him after how he had checked on you last time following the King’s derogatory remarks.

“I wanted to see if you’re okay,” you blurted out, surprising yourself with how confident you sounded, but how couldn’t you? The prince in front of you never looked more vulnerable, more humane and more in need of a heart-to-heart talk - a mere 20-year-old boy who was hurt, and everyone decided to turn a blind eye to him and his feelings. The way his eyes were full of sorrowful stars instead of the joyful ones you usually saw swimming in them, and the way his lips quivered, full of emotion, but they looked as if they had never learned how to curl into a smile clenched your heart, not just a little.

“I’m not sure this is the right time to talk,” he dismissed your confession, the look on his face betraying his own words, because he looked like he wanted to talk, he just didn’t want to admit it out loud. He was ready to walk away from you when you finally broke from your frozen state, and took a step closer to him.

Your heart was in your throat as you took one step after another, focusing on the prince’s frame instead of the obvious lack of railings by the sides. You pursed your lips in concentration, remembering all those etiquette classes when you had learned how to walk in a straight line. Yet now, your steps were wobbly, your high heels clicking on the wood underneath your feet, and your long skirt didn’t help either.

However, when Prince Donghyun heard that you were indeed walking after him, he turned around, and started walking towards you. It crossed your mind for a moment that maybe he would walk by you, so that you wouldn’t come after him, and when he halted beside you, you held in your breath nervously, more nervous than you had ever been around him before.

“Why did you start walking after me? It’s dangerous,” he pointed at your dress, but there was no malice in his voice. Instead, he sounded as gentle as if he had been talking to a child. For a moment, you couldn’t find your voice, and when you did, you were all just a jumble of words. Gosh, this boy…

“I am… I just… I thought…” You started, inwardly cursing yourself for ever putting yourself in this situation. You hated nothing more than embarrassing yourself, and he knew that, he knew that all too well.

“I’ve never thought I would make you speechless,” he mused out loud, the side of his lips curling upwards, and you felt the need to punch him in his chest for teasing you like that. You were ready to do just that, raising your left hand, but he reached out for it instead, and laced his arm with yours, as casually as if it had been the hundredth time he did that.

Now you were actually speechless, blinking up at the boy whose side profile was enough to tell you that he was feeling rather shy himself, both his cheeks and ears were turning red after his gesture. He guided you towards the other end though, holding your arm safe and steady, as you were walking side by side towards the lighthouse.

May it be because you were more awestruck by Prince Donghyun’s gesture than your own fear of the open water around you, but you were at the other end before you knew it, and you didn’t even think about falling into the water, not even once. Or may it be because he was holding you like he wanted to protect you from all the bad in the world, but there was gentleness in his grip, something that didn’t go unnoticed by you (and that traitor heart of yours).

“I’m sorry about what my father said. It’s true that he has been in talks with other kingdoms regarding marriage proposals, but I haven’t been in talks with anyone other than you. I’ve wanted to tell you sooner, I just-”

“I know, I could tell,” you cut the prince off before he could feel even more guilty about something that wasn’t in his control.

“Really?”

“Yes,” you nodded seeing his bewildered expression. Well, you couldn’t blame him since you definitely looked like you wanted to find anything you could criticise about him or his kingdom the day before, but this - standing beside the lighthouse with his arm around yours, watching the setting sun on the horizon - was different. “And I know we don’t always have a say in what we want when it comes to the matters of our own kingdom. Plus, marriage is a serious topic, and it’s understandable that your father looked at other options, too,” you added matter-of-factly, but you could feel a little bit of a lump in your throat.

Prince Donghyun didn’t say anything for some time, so you hoped that you didn’t cross any boundaries. You could feel him tense a bit beside you, and since you didn’t know why, you let go of his arm, so he could have his own space if he wanted. He looked at your retrieving arm for a few seconds before he spoke up again.

“I’m not sure how to word this, but I feel like my father… he doesn’t love me the way he loves my brother,” he confessed, raw and vulnerable. He was staring far ahead, but you could tell from the way he was clenching his jaw that even this was hard for him without looking at you. “I don’t know why because I’ve tried everything my brother can do, and still… I always get that I’m only good for my looks, and I should marry someone who could bring more to our kingdom.”

You felt your heart drop at his confession because it resonated with you so much, especially the last sentence. Even though you weren’t pitted against each other with Sungho, you were also told by distant relatives and royalty from other kingdoms that you were so beautiful, but nothing else, and that you should marry someone who could make you someone. As if you weren’t already someone just by being born into your family. You weren’t perfect, but you tried to learn how not to let it get to you since as a princess, you had to deal with such comments all the time.

On the other hand, you would have never thought that Prince Donghyun might be going through the same thing because everyone had been gushing about him, and not just about his looks. Yet, you could never know what goes on in a palace unless you live there yourself, so you would never have the heart to question his words. You could tell that he was telling the truth.

“I know it might sound naive given that we are royalty, but the only person you should be good enough for is yourself. Trust me, you will feel a lot lighter if you know that you live your life for yourself, not somebody else,” you shared honestly, looking at him, and that’s the moment he turned his head to look at you, too.

When your eyes met, you thought that he would ask you about your experience, and you would have told him. Something in you shifted since last night, and you weren’t trying to undermine his efforts and see him in a bad light anymore. In fact, what all that bravado showed you was that he still accepted you, and he was willing to put up with your behaviour no matter what.

However, instead of asking about your side - though you had a feeling he understood you even without saying it out loud -, he said the next few words that truly put everything in a whole new light:

“But I want to be good enough for you, too.”

Sunset reflecting in his eyes, painting his locks in shades of chestnut-brown and statice-purple, his tall frame towering over you as if he wanted to shelter you from the outside world, your heart skipped a few beats before it picked up its pace, and started thumping against your ribcage, electrifying your whole body from head to toe. Your throat was dry, your words non-existent, and you unknowingly took a few steps backwards, as if to detach yourself from this perfect moment… only to step on the insides of your two-layered skirt, and fall - very far from elegant - into the cold water.

Your body was in survival mode immediately, your arms flailing around wildly as you tried to keep yourself up in the water. Your lungs were on fire, and despite the fact that you tried to pacify your breathing, telling yourself that you would be okay, your brain didn’t listen to you, and made up worse and worse scenarios of you drowning there. Even when firm arms took hold of you, all you could think about was that there was no air, no air, no air… drowning, drowning, drowning…

It could have been mere seconds, you couldn’t tell, before you got to the shore, and Prince Donghyun helped you push yourself upwards, so you could cough up the water. It felt so violent, your lungs and your throat seemed to battle each other while your eyes were on fire due to the salty water, and your whole body was shivering in your cold, damp clothes. In the meantime, you could subtly feel his gentle pats on your back that turned to circles when your coughs easened up, and your breathing wasn’t stridulous anymore.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. It’s okay. I’m here,” Prince Donghyun said as a mantra while you were trying to pull yourself together. Yet, the moment you felt your shock fading away, you found yourself tearing up, your body starting to shake with the sobs.

Prince Donghyun looked alarmed for a moment, not knowing what to do with you, but you didn’t let him decide. You threw your arms around his equally wet body, and sobbed into the crook of his neck.

“Thank you… for saving me,” you mumbled between ragged breaths, and an intense wave of sobbing came over you when you said the words out loud. You could have died, you could have died just a few minutes ago, and he had jumped in to save you. He could have teased you that the water wasn’t that deep or he could have forgotten that you had told him that you couldn’t swim, and let you drown there, but he had jumped in without hesitation, and pulled you to shore so swiftly, you wondered if he had used some kind of magic just now. For you.

Prince Donghyun didn’t say a word, he let you cry as much as you wanted, while he was holding you safe and sound, while you were holding onto him.

A whirlwind of events followed your unfortunate fall. As soon as you entered the palace, the prince called for servants to help you undress, bathe and help you get warm, and he also notified someone to send a royal medic over to your suite after everything else was taken care of. You were trying to say that he himself should do the same, but he looked more worried about you than his own wet clothes and dripping locks, and you didn’t find the right words to say, still a bit under the influence of the past events.

You followed what the servants asked you to, and you liked that you were being told what to do for a change because it helped you to focus on something else other than the near-death experience. Whenever your mind was trying to replay the scene from when you had been in the water, you pulled yourself back to reality, holding onto the bathtub or the side of your fresh gown a bit more tightly, so as to keep you grounded. It was difficult at first, but the more you practised it, the easier it became, and when the servants tucked you into bed, you felt like you were close to being okay again. The medic also stated that you didn’t have a fever, there was no sign of a creeping illness, your heart probably beat faster than usual due to the shock, and prescribed some calming herbal tea.

Sungho visited you as soon as he was allowed to, and of course, he came with all those “I should have been there for you” monologues, the ones you quickly dismissed because you could take care of yourself, you didn’t need his supervision all the time, but mostly because it was your fault that you fell (and your dress’), no one else could be blamed for it. You also asked him not to blame Prince Donghyun, but he seemed more offended by the fact that you dared to assume that he would hold the prince accountable than by the way you were so quick to take the prince’s side.

“How could I blame him? He saved you, after all,” he declared simply, and let out a long sigh after his words. It was rare that you saw him so concerned, you usually didn’t give him any reason to worry about you, so it warmed your heart yet again just how much he cared under that otherwise teasing brother surface.

“I’m sorry for making you worried.”

“If you’re really sorry, you should get better soon, and listen to the medic,” he reprimanded you as if you had been a child, and maybe he thought the same because he let out a deep laughter afterwards. “Huh, I sound like a real big brother, don’t I?”

“You do, and it kind of scares me a bit. When did you grow up?” You mused out loud playfully, and the effect was immediate. The boy’s furrowed eyebrows smoothed out, and his features easened, softened, his shoulders sagging at ease. He crouched down to toss an unruly lock to the side that was falling into your eyes, and patted your head.

“I remember I did the same when you fell into that pond on our trip to the meadows,” he reminiscenced with a soft smile, and you didn’t need to be told twice what he meant by it. You remembered that day as if it had been yesterday. You had been 12 at the time, and your family had already known that you didn’t know how to swim, so it had been Sungho who had jumped after you. He was already an excellent swimmer, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been shaken by that experience. You remembered how he had stayed by your bedside for the whole night afterwards, afraid that nightmares would haunt you.

“Will you stay by my side for the night this time, too?” You elevated an eyebrow challengingly, and he let out a bewildered huff in relief.

“Do you think I don’t know that you wouldn’t let me?”

“Fair point,” you agreed wholeheartedly, but let him pat your head a few more times before there was a knock on the door. You both turned towards the visitor when he opened the door, and when it turned out to be Prince Donghyun, Sungho gave you a knowing look before telling the boy that he should come in, he was about to leave anyway. It didn’t slip your attention that on his way out, he squeezed the younger prince’s shoulder in an affectionate manner, and even though you didn’t see it from that angle, you had a feeling that he said thank you to the prince, and that’s why he seemed so coy all of a sudden.

His hair was extremely fluffy (now that it was freshly washed like yours), the locks curling elegantly around his ears and neck like soft little tendrils, his doe eyes shining in the dim lights of the room, all bright and fond. He was wearing more casual attire than at the party, so you deemed that him jumping into the water after you meant that he had no desire to go back to his birthday celebration that was soon coming to its end either way.

You felt awfully exposed with your hair still wet at the ends, lack of concealing touches and make-up on your face, and being tucked into bed in a nightgown was not at all how you wanted Prince Donghyun to see you, but he didn’t seem fazed by your appearance. Nor did he make a comment on it when you beckoned him closer, and he could see for himself that you were fine.

You wouldn’t admit it for the world, but it warmed your heart how worried he was, and when it was the fifth time you had to reassure him that you were fine, you had a feeling that it was more out of guilt than anything else, hence, you felt the need to emphasise:

“It wasn’t your fault that I fell into the water, so don’t be sorry. What’s more, you saved my life, so I couldn’t be more thankful for you,” you admitted genuinely, and the blush that crept onto his cheeks was adorable. You had to bite down on your tongue to hold yourself back from smiling at his shy state.

“Still, I’m sorry that you had to experience it.”

“It wasn’t the first time, actually,” you justified, and continued telling him about that time at the pond Sungho had just talked about, and one time when one of the royal teachers had tried to teach you how to swim, but you had nearly drowned. It hadn’t been a super important requirement for a princess to learn how to swim, but since you travelled by ships to both the Air Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom, it was a weakness that possible enemies could take advantage of if things went south. So they had tried to teach you, but to no avail. Your panic always kicked in as soon as water surrounded you.

The prince stayed quiet, and you couldn’t tell whether it was because he didn’t know if he was allowed to ask questions, or he didn’t have any. On the other hand, you had questions, so you inquired if he knew how to create bubbles underwater, and his eyes immediately lit up when he started talking about his power. He did know how to create bubbles both outside of water and underwater, so he could breathe in there without oxygen, and he shared that sometimes he used these bubbles to watch the fish and crabs underwater because he had always been fascinated by them.

His whole demeanour changed when he was talking about the sea and the creatures living there, sharing both stories of his childhood days when he had been collecting shells alongside the shore, and interesting facts about sea life that he read books on. At one point, he was so into talking about his favourite type of fish that he didn’t even notice a servant coming into your room and placing some food and another mug of tea on your bedside table. He only realised that the lady was in the room when she pushed a chair beside your bed, so he could sit down on it while talking. Then, he giggled, a heartwarming mixture of excited and embarrassed, and thanked her for the gesture.

“May I?” He asked before he would have sat down on the chair, and you nodded immediately. It’s not like you weren’t the visitor here, but you appreciated the gesture.

The prince was definitely interrupted because now he didn’t know where to continue or where to start, and he just looked around, his eyes darting between different parts of the room until they settled on the steaming bowl of food and the mug of tea on your bedside table.

“Oh, you should have it while it’s still hot,” he suggested as he pointed at the steaming bowl. “Since there was mostly heavy food for the celebration, I’ve asked a chef to prepare something more nutritious to prevent you from coming down with something,” he explained as he averted his eyes from the food to you.

You blinked rapidly at him, your suspicion kicking in, but then you remembered what he had said just a few hours before:

“But I want to be good enough for you, too.”

And it all made sense now. Not just his kind actions, going above and beyond to make sure that your stay at the palace was comfortable from offering to help with anything to checking up on you the first night you had that awful dinner with his parents, but also the way he was different to you than with other girls. Even if you wanted to deny it, you could see that the prince didn’t dance with anyone else at his birthday party other than you, and Prince Woonhak and Prince Jaehyun also said that he had been harbouring feelings for you, and now it made sense. He had even learned how to dance properly because of you, and he had created a water bubble, so you could cross the wharf with you.

“What’s wrong?” Prince Donghyun’s concerned voice brought you back to the here and now, and you just shook your head with a smile. You weren’t sure that you could ever look at him the same way after knowing that he liked you.

“Nothing. I’m just thankful,” you admitted, and reached for the bowl of steaming soup. You could feel the boy’s eyes on you when you took the first spoonful of the soup, but it was delightful, and when the prince asked about it, you said so. He seemed very happy to know that you enjoyed it, and went over what was in the soup, or at least, what he remembered the chef telling him.

“So…” You cleared your throat after the first few bites, feeling silly for wanting to bring up the topic, but also feeling silly for not wanting to bring it up. In the end, you thought better of it, and just blurted it out. “Did you have a say in the wedding proposal you sent me?”

“Yours was the only one I had a say in. My father sent out two inquiry letters to other kingdoms, and he was the one who chose the possible brides in those cases,” he answered immediately, and you saw heat returning to his cheeks when it dawned on him that he basically confessed that he was the one who had chosen you.

“Oh,” you found yourself saying, but the boy’s expression was quizzical upon your reaction.

“Oh? Oh as in ‘oh, I’m so disappointed’, or oh as in ‘oh, I didn’t expect that’ or… ‘oh, I’m so happy to hear that’?” He listed out the options, and furrowed his eyebrows, totally clueless. It was a cute look on him, you had to admit, especially in comparison to his usual confidence demeanour.

“Oh as in ‘oh, I didn’t expect that’, but it makes me feel kind of… good?”

The moment the last word rolled off your tongue, you knew that you were done for. Yet, the boy’s smug smile just confirmed that he wouldn’t let you live down afterwards, so you braced yourself for his teasing. Instead, his proud smile softened, his big doe eyes turning to little crescents as he watched you eat, and didn’t say a word. You found yourself smiling back at him, letting the silence embrace you, and it was so crazy that a day before, you would have done everything to change his mind about you, and now, you just admitted that you were glad that he was the one who had chosen you. Now, you had a better idea why he would have done so, and it made you feel fizzy and warm and a bit enchanted.

You were the only guests who stayed for two nights, but it was the Water Kingdom’s request, so nobody could blame you for it. However, staying for the night after having a heart-to-heart conversation with Prince Donghyun in your room felt odd, as if it was an invitation for something more even though you were perfectly aware of the fact that the King of the Water Kingdom would most probably do anything in his power to choose someone over you when it came to his second-born son’s marriage. The fact that the prince had been the one to choose you as a potential bride - and you had been the only one he had a say in - made you feel somewhat special, but it also made you feel slightly competitive.

It was laughable, really. You had come here to destroy Prince Donghyun’s plans to marry you, and now, you wanted to destroy his father’s plans to outrule you. You weren’t a petty loser, you knew how to lose, but still… with the way the prince cared for you and went above and beyond to assist you and keep you company during these days made you feel almost compelled to make a better impression on his parents. Not to mention the fact that he had also saved you from drowning.

However, nothing was certain for now, especially not with Prince Donghee’s upcoming marriage that would take the spotlight either way, so you didn’t want to pry about the matter on the day of your departure. On the other hand, you managed to bump into Prince Woonhak and Prince Jaehyun - also having stayed for the night after they had eaten through the whole menu for the celebration - when you left your suite, and they insisted that they wanted you to come back again.

“That isn’t my choice to make, I’m afraid,” you broke it down to them with a friendly smile, and Prince Woonhak pouted as if he would never ever see you again. You had seemed to make a good impression on them, and it warmed your heart since you had only had one conversation. Though that was a very important conversation given that they had spilled the beans on Prince Donghyun having a crush on you for years.

“You should invite us to your birthday celebration then. When is it?” Prince Jaehyun suggested with a wide grin, and when you let them know about the date and that you would keep his words in mind before organising it, he looked like an overzealous kid, all smiles and bright eyes. Gosh, they were so cute, it made you miss your ever-so-bright little sister even more.

“We’re rooting for you two, you know,” Woonhak beamed, not letting silence fall over the three of you, his unruly locks falling into his eyes.

“For who?”

“You and Donghyun. It’s obvious that you like him, too,” he continued with a smug grin, and you were about to open your mouth to decline him, but you were unable to form words. That just seemed to confirm everything in their eyes because their smirks grew even wider, their eyes even brighter.

Thankfully, you were interrupted by a servant who notified you that your carriage was ready, so after a few bubbly words and wishes from the two boys, you were guided outside. Sungho was already there, talking to the Queen of the Water Kingdom by the carriage while you caught sight of both Prince Donghee and Prince Donghyun bidding farewell to other guests. When you halted beside your brother, the Queen inquired if you had a good night’s sleep, and apologised for the inconvenience the day before. You reassured her that you weren’t inconvenienced, you were rather grateful for Prince Donghyun’s assistance, and she smiled a genuine smile, one that made your erratic thoughts calm down a little bit. The King might have been hostile towards you, but the Queen had never been openly critical of you, so you hoped that it could stay that way.

“Excuse me, I have to bid farewell to the other guests,” the woman announced after having a few words with you and Sungho, then, she reached out to squeeze your hands. The gesture took you by surprise, but only in a positive way. “Please, make sure to visit us again. Donghyun might not say it out loud, but I could see how happy your presence made him,” she shared with a secretive smile, and despite your bewilderment, you reciprocated it, squeezing her hands once before she let go.

“With pleasure, Your Majesty,” you bowed respectfully as both an answer and both a farewell. You watched her leave before turning back to your brother who had that amused half-smile playing on his lips that told you that he really wanted to call you out on something, but he tried to hold it in. Sighing, you raised an eyebrow in question.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing, really. I’m just amused by the fact that you came here, set on not wanting to come here ever again in your whole entire life, and now, you just got invited again,” he blabbered as if his words weren’t teasing at all, but you didn’t want to admit anything, so you merely pointed out, trying to keep your voice as confident as possible:

“She meant ‘us’, not just me.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Your Water Prince is likely walking towards us because he also wants to meet me again,” Sungho gestured towards Prince Donghyun who was indeed coming up to you, elegance radiating off him while he was taking one step after another. It was unfair how vividly he stood out, and how perfectly the morning sunlight bathed him in its glory, drawing a halo around his chestnut-brown hair. It was also unfair how much your heartbeat picked up its speed when he halted beside your brother, and how much you had to try to sniffle a smile when your eyes landed on his ethereal features.

“I truly hope you enjoyed your stay with us,” he started politely, probably as a matter of courtesy, and he was about to continue when Sungho spoke up.

“Oh, I certainly enjoyed my stay,” he said as he gave you a not at all subtle side glance, and you felt the need to roll your eyes at his antics. Gosh, did he have to call you out like that?

“Thank you again for the invitation, Prince Donghyun,” you spoke up as if nothing happened, and the boy beamed, a smile blooming on his lips at your words. Unbeknownst to you, your lips also curled upwards. Staring at him felt both so wrong and so right at the same time, and seconds passed by with the cacophony of the surrounding noises fading into the background.

At least, until your brother decided to clear his throat and announce that he would let you two proceed while he would check on the insides of the carriage. A lame excuse, you could tell, but you appreciated his gesture because while you wouldn’t do anything inappropriate with the prince that he should not be a witness of, you felt like you could say a proper goodbye to the prince if it was just the two of you.

“I hope you also enjoyed your stay despite my father’s words on the first day,” Prince Donghyun mused out loud, his eyes searching for yours, something akin to concern flashing across them. You bobbed your head, reassuring him that you were doing better than on that first day.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he noted, letting a small smile invade his lips as he looked down at his intertwined fingers for a few seconds. You had never really mastered the art of saying goodbye to someone, let alone someone like him… someone who made you feel so many things in such a short span of time.

Maybe he was the same for the silence stretched a bit too long, but before you could get discouraged again, you spoke up.

“Thank you for everything. My stay was more enjoyable… thanks to you,” you blurted out, your voice cracking a bit by the end. The prince looked up right in that moment, and his cheeks flushed, tinting his pale skin in the shade of cherry blossom-pink. You could also feel your cheeks heating up, and it was so unlike you that you felt like running away and throwing yourself into the carriage right away.

“Thank you so much for coming, and if it’s up to me, it won’t be the last time we see each other. If you let me, of course…”

The prince let his words trail off by the end, curious and contemplative, while his eyes never left yours. You felt another rush of heat going through your body at the implication behind his words, but even if you wanted to deny it, even if you didn’t, there was only one right answer.

“I’d love to see you again,” you confessed feebly, but in the next moment, you pointed a finger at him warningly to mask up your anxiety. “But only if you keep practising your dancing.”

Laughter bubbled up the prince’s throat - airy and carefree - before he promised you that he would keep practising, so that he could continue dancing like a man. Then, he flashed one of those boyish grins of his that made princesses’ knees go weak, and now you kind of understood why that was the case.

“See you again, Prince Donghyun!”

“See you soon, Princess!” He bid his farewell when the coachman came up to the two of you, letting you know that you could leave whenever you wanted to. You smiled back at the waving prince as you made your way to the carriage, and the coachman helped you inside.

Once you took a seat and looked up at your brother who was sitting in front of you, you warned him:

“Not a word, Sungho.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“That’s your luck,” you stated playfully before looking out of the window and watching Prince Donghyun’s waving figure getting smaller and smaller until he was out of sight.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story of mine! Let me know what you think!

If you want to read more stories of mine, let it be for BOYNEXTDOOR or for other artists, consider signing up for my taglist here.

Hope you have a lovely day/night! Take care! ❤️

I do be posting everything but my ricky fic…

@ja4hyvn @flwoie @sulkygyu @xiaoderrrr @ineedaherosavemeenow @lonewolfjinji @teddywonss @taerae-verse

GUYSSSSSSSSSSS