Silently, Prince Nickhun had nothing reacted on his face except the confusing toward his beloved cousin who knew about his plan, the marriage agreement.

He wasn’t frightened about her knowing his arrangement, not bothering explains to her. “Why are you concerned?”

Prince Nickhun suspiciously asked facing on another side without caring about Amber’s reveal to his King.

“Hyung!” She exhaled and inhaled in frustration, and tried to persuade him. “You can’t go on with plan.”

“Why I can’t?”

Right, why can’t he? Why does she have to concern about his settlement between Soo Jung? She shuddered for a moment and the past once again scanned through her mind, the past gave her nothing but pain. She wanted to erase those sad memories but her cousin brought up this which was reminding her old path that she wished never walking back same way again.

It would be the same road that she walked. Nothing much but giving her some sort of nightmare, the path that she choose to save herself from something that she doesn’t want to recall back as she managed to shutter off those images.

She searched for good words to explain to him, searched for a good reason without telling him about the past. Her eyes filled with glitter of tears that her cousin incomprehensively sees through, yet unexpected hearing from her answer.

“She and you will end up loving each other at the end and both of you probably are going to pain slowly. Please, hyung. Listen to me, don’t get involve into this kind of sequence.” She distinguished each word she speaks.

Prince Nickhun listened to her soundless voice, he curiously asked. “How would you know the consequences?”

She lost at his words, and clenched her teeth managing to hold back the tear. “I just know… Hyung.”

He knew his cousin pretty well that he sensed there must be something wrong making her awaken from sad memories just by reading her facial, he didn’t ask as he indicatively said, “It’s alright, Amber. I know how to take care of this without involving Soo Jung’s feeling but I can’t promise that she won’t end up hurting. It’s just our fate.”

She was subconscious hearing his gratitude, gratefully felt thankful. “Hyung…” Yet, she doubtfully asked. “You really have to continue with this plan? Just because…”

Prince Nickhun interrupted her in movingly expression, “I’m really tired of continuous working on this political paperwork every night, Amber. Part of it also depends on the side of her acceptance.”

“…”

Seeing composure of her face made him wondering what’s up with the face as he asked in belief, “Why are you still concerned about Soo Jung? Or you like her already?”

She rejected immediately, quickly, and enthusiasm reaction. “No no no no no no.” She protested waving her hand the sign of no in front of him, trying to cover up her barefaced. “Just that… I don’t like seeing people playing with their feelings and such. However, I do not like her. She kicked me, it was so painful like hell. Urgh, I have to respect her once she becomes your Crown Princess.”

Prince Nickhun easily perceived the transparent that he obtained the side of her; he acceptingly smiled at her humor. “It’s not like she is going to play with my feeling or either I’m going to play with her feeling. Don’t worry too much.”

There was a point that Prince Nickhun felt like his cousin was holding back something behind, something about her that he doesn’t know yet. Prince(ss) Amber realized how much time has been passed already, she excused herself going back to her room and left her cousin working at night.

Walking on Palace hall to her room as the breeze blown against her skin, it was night wind refreshing her mind. For a second, she looked at the star therefore it was unusual feeling has calling her again. Although she was over it but thinking about it just gave her heartache in tiny bit, like an ant bite.

“From now on, I’ll change my image to erase it.” Her breath in the fresh air then went back to her room.

*

It was decent morning as the sun ray peeked through corner of the transparent glass window. Amber wrinkled her face causing the bright sunlight reflected through her eyes, she stretched out and looked at the clock realizing she was late for the class.

She was regardless about her tardy, slowly dropped herself off the bed and opened one eye to see where the maid who doesn’t even wake her up was. She stood up giving her spine little some exercises from sleeping so many hours without moving, she yawned and finally getting herself ready to dress up.

Outside the room was so peaceful and quiet, but how mundane of the sociality in here. She looked at herself in the mirror for a long moment, dressing up the school uniform. Brushing her black hair’s bang to aside, she found out it was kind of annoying.

“I gotta go to hair salon first.” Her stomach started to grumble, robbing her hungry belly. “Aish, I need to eat breakfast first.”

Every morning, the maids prepared the breakfast for the loyal family and left a lot of food in the dining room. She sat there quietly and ate alone by herself, feeling empty somehow but she used to this atmosphere for years. After she was done with the breakfast, she took a deep breath and prepared to go outside getting ready donate her hair.

She walked inside the hair salon, all pairs of eyes glued on her instantly. She used to this, acting like nothing happen at all as she waited for her turn. The girl dazzled asking her what style does she want, “Get me the popular style right now, and I’d like to dye my hair into flaxen.” Amber answered decently with a killer smile which made the girl almost faint and melt from the bottom of her heart.

After 3 hours dying her hair, and her hair now was spiked up and looked exactly just like a guy.

Luckily, she proceeded herself into the class right on time when the subject changed. She sat right beside Soo Jung like a few feet away, ignored her for kicking at her feet which she has a big bruise at her knee.

Soo Jung was with her best friends, Sulli and Luna, talkatively chatting with each other. Sulli joyfully admired and added a cute eye smile on her, “Soo Jung ah~ I can’t believe you’re getting marry. I’m so jealous of you for having a prince as your hubby.”

“Yah, yah…” Soo Jung protested.

“Aigoo~ look at you, probably you are like so so so so happy than ever. But you are just being modest that having this kind of face on you huh?” Luna said.

“Or she is too happy that she can’t even know what to say anymore, hoho.” Sulli sarcastically , they both all laughed.

Suddenly, Luna pointed toward the left corner at the person who has hair spiked up and laid down the table sleeping.

“Yah! Look at Prince Yiyun, I think he just dyed his hair.”

Sulli squeaked in fangirl’s voice, “Oh. My. God. He just looks even way more handsome and more attractive in blonde hair, and even that spiked up the hair.” She held the lollipop in her hand and girly blinked twice at the figure, Soo Jung snapped her finger in front of her best friend to wake her up from dreaming.

“Dream on. He’s just a jerk.” She rolled her eyes.

Sulli and Luna both gasped. “How dare you say that? He is going to be your….”

Before Sulli could finish her sentence, the teacher entered the room as the classroom settled down. He started to have lecture about math problems, Soo Jung couldn’t concentrate on this subject at all thinking of another topics. She thought of how long does she have to live in palace, and how endure and suffering she has to face with that jerk every day.

The teacher noticed Soo Jung’s absent expression, calling out her name as she snapped. “Yes, seon-saeng-nim…”

He pointed at the problem on the board, tapping his long ruler against the board which disturbed Yiyun’s sleep. He robbed his eyes and turned to Soo Jung who stood up ashamedly, he read the problem on the board immediately knows how to solve it in his head.

‘Solve the flowing system: chose substitute or eliminate. x + y = 11 || 3x - y = 5’

“Soo Jung… I know you’ll going to be Crown Princess but you still need to catch up with class.”

The class giggled at her, she was embarrassed for the whole thing. She should have focused on his lecture, confusedly scratched her head and apologized. “I’m sorry, saengnim.”

“Sit down.”

“Okay, who can solve this problem?” No one raised their hand, except Yiyun’s hand was up.

He kept hearing the teacher’s voice just disturbed his sleep, after solving this problem then he could continue sleep peacefully to the rest of the period. He worked out the problem smoothly, without hesitation or pausing.

He went back to the seat ignorantly, the girl classmates whispered and their eyes were sparkle just looking at him. “Whoah. He’s so cool.”

Soo Jung saw nothing cool from him, except seeing showing off his intelligent was conceited. “Pfft… he’s just acting smart.”

The bell rang for the lunch time. Yiyun skipped lunch and spent that time relaxing on the top floor of the building, since he knew pretty much there’ll a lot of girls would offer their lunch for him which it’s not necessary. He laid whole body on the bench with the book covered his good looking face, Soo Jung coincidentally also ate lunch there waiting for her
friends come up.

Her phone rang, she flipped the phone to answer. “Yah! When are you guys going to up here?”

“Sorry, we have gone to library because last week we forgot to return those books.”

She sighed at their bad memory, now they made her eating alone. She recklessly sat on another bench apart from taken one a few inches, and noticed the figure sleeping soundlessly over there.

She sighed heavily, the agreement just gave her a headache for a few days now. She hasn’t signed it yet, there were so many rules on there that was too ridiculous to accept them. “AHHHHH!~”

The figure slowly stood up from the seat, the scream woke him up and it seemed like he could just sleep for a few minutes. He frowned, and approached Soo Jung. “Hey, what are you doing at my property?”

Soo Jung looked at him with those eyes that she wished she could stomp into his feet, his property? It was so ridiculous. She scoffed, “Your property? Look, I know you’re Prince Nickhun’s cousin but don’t act like a jerk just
because you’re from loyal family. I thought you were nice till I had encounter with you, two faces.”

“What?”

She gently said looking at him uneasily, her voice sounded little bitter. “I’m not in the mood having another fight with you, right now.” He recognized her voice, letting her off this time.

Soo Jung thought of him will become her cousin-in-law in the future who likes to pick a fight on her every day, she steadily determined that she needs to make up with him instead. Turning to his bench, she announced. “Please take care of me.”

Out of blue, Yiyun totally woke up from the nap, his eyes were bright and stared at her strangely. Soo Jung admitted, “I’m afraid. This whole thing in palace is too new to me. I need accompany.”

“You’ll have Hyung on your side. I don’t want to get involve.” He added, “By the way, I’m not good taking care of others. That is how my personality like, I can’t change it.”

Soo Jung tried to comprehend his words, why does she feel like need getting close to Yiyun more than her future husband? She felt like she could rely on him more than Prince Nickhun. Her sadden face realized it was pointless to ask him that kind of favor, Yiyun confusingly said. “Yah, don’t make such a face… I’m feeling sorry here.”

He bended down to examine the expression on her, Soo Jung eyed on him doubtfully and wondered what he wants. He held out his hand with a smile, “Well, I can say that as a friend, I can listen to your hardships if you want.”

She made a big mistake to ask him to taking care of her, Soo Jung squinted at his hand waiting for her to shake. She slowly reached out her hand, when she touched his hand as she grabbed it and unexpectedly bite on his hand. “You’re jerk. I’m trying to be friendly here.”

Yiyun snatched his bitten hand back, yelled at her. “What do you think you are doing?!”

It was too obvious for him being such as a selfish guy, she made a funny looking. “What did you say.. ‘as a friend’?” she toned up her voice indicate that of her anger. “Friend my ! Couldn’t you just say ‘sure, I will’ for once?! You jerk!!”

“Aish!!!” His face was now way much so much red, his temper arose even higher than ever. For a minute, Soo Jung realized that how immature he was, he gets angry so easily. “Last time, you kicked me and now you bit me this time?”

The bell rang signaling the class began, he just can’t let go this time. He aggressively rushed toward Soo Jung and it was a few inches between their faces as Soo Jung stepped back. “What.. what.. are... you.. doing?”

His eyes shot on her, she didn’t dare to stare at those death eyes. “I’ll never like you even you are my Hyung’s wife.”
Soo Jung didn’t like the way he looked at her, either Yiyun liked her attitude. After his leaving, she mocked at the invisible figure, “Phhbbbtt, you think I like you. “

*

Back to the classroom, they didn’t even bother to look at each other. They officially started to have a fight every time they meet, it was too much for Soo Jung in the future: she has to take care of herself, and dealing with Yiyun—the jerk that
she hated—makes her life more tighten in palace.

No one has ever dared to talk back, provoked back, and being so sassy on him like Soo Jung does. He really didn’t want to keep having argument whenever they meet, it’s just because Soo Jung has done something that he’s strongly against with.

Yiyun sighed earnestly as he stole the glance toward Soo Jung for a second. She has nice skin with a silky dark long hair, along with the appealing look she has. This girl has personalities totally different than others girls that he met, except the fact she accepts the agreement because of money.

Turning to the left side of classroom, he resisted on holding the past then he stared out the window, the sky was cloudy and the wind blow hitting to his face. He felt numb all sudden, the heartbeat of that person seems like close nearby here. It was some sort of déjà vu, his emotion burst again when he thinks of her.

The teacher entered the class, the new foreign student followed him as she looked dead drop gorgeous. All the students stick their eyes on her beautiful face, Yiyun found out the class was on silent as he was straight up his body to sneak for a look at the new student.

His heart dropped, and stopped at that moment when he glimpsed at the girl who stood in the front. He couldn’t believe they met again; the girl was studying all the faces in the classroom and caught the familiar face as Yiyun and she had eye contact for a minute.

Yiyun pursed her lips, “It’s you.”

Soo Jung caught their stares looking back and forward, the stares haven’t struggle as nothing cut between it as they were still looking each other in the eyes intensively. She thought of their love at first sight, probably rather than not involving to it.

The girl still hasn’t leaved her sight off the Yiyun’s beautiful eyes, his image has drawing attention to her so much than before.

It has been for months and those features she remembered clearly could never erase off her head. Her heartbeat thumped faster and faster every second, repeated his name in her mind. Amber Liu.


We met again... She smiled angelically.