“Myungsoo, do you want to play fire stix?”

Myungsoo looked lazily over at the boy in front of him. He had seen him a few times before but had already forgotten his name. The boy was peering at him hesitantly, and Myungsoo shook his head.

“No, don’t feel like it.”

“Okay. Did you want to go play in the court then? I think there are others there too.”

Myungsoo shrugged. “Sure.”

He could see the relieved smile on the boy’s face- he was very enthusiastic. It would probably be the same children, and they were all boring.

“Go away!”

Both Myungsoo and his companion looked up at the sound as they approached the yard. He recognizes the four boys, three older than him and one his age. They seemed to be staring down another boy who looked too familiar. It was the boy he had stolen the magic ball from just a few days ago, his face set in a frown and hands balled.

“The only reason you’re not dressed like us would be because you’re lower class. What are you doing here? Go wash some floors!”

If Myungsoo’s memory served him right, the boy shouting was ten years old and probably the oldest since he was the tallest of the group. Myungsoo watched as the other boys laughed and the victim continued to scowl, choosing to remain silent.

A bulky boy stepped forward and shoved, and the boy in the middle stumbled backwards. The offender was the son of an equally stout man who Myungsoo liked to call Mr. Fatty, although his mother scolded him and made him swear never to say it out loud again.

“You shouldn’t be here. Myungsoo’s the prince, and someone like you shouldn’t be allowed to see him!”

Myungsoo frowned at the mention of his name. The boy with the small eyes pursed his lips and after a few seconds, chose to walk away. The tallest one stuck out a foot and he tripped and skidded to the stone floor. The other boys cackled with delight as the one on the ground immediately withdrew his hands from where they had halted his fall. He struggled to get up but fell on his bottom when one of the children stepped in front of him, and the laughter continued.

Suddenly the open corridor was crowded as the adults walked in, calling to their children. Myungsoo heard his name in the air and he felt the presence of his mother behind him, but his eyes were still on the boy sitting pitifully in the middle of the yard. The other children were walking away but Myungsoo detached himself from where his mother had put a hand on his shoulder and slipped past the boys and walked to the one still sitting down.

The boy’s palms were raw, blood speckling the broken skin. There was a rip in one of the pant legs and Myungsoo could see the same scratches that drew red lines on his knee. He scrunched his face.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

The boy in front of him was grimacing, his lip was set stubbornly with his brows furrowed together but no tears escaped his eyes. Myungsoo would have been crying by now. Not long ago he had scraped his elbow and his father had scolded him for crying over such a cut. But it had hurt, why wasn’t he allowed to cry?

The boy looked up at him before recognition showed on his face and he turned away. He didn’t reply, and Myungsoo wrinkled his nose. Just looking at the cuts on his hands and knees made him squirm and Myungsoo crouched down and reached for the boy’s wrists. Pulling them closer to the boy’s needs, Myungsoo proceeded to puff his cheeks and started to blow on them, slowly shaking his head so that the air would reach all the offending areas.

Not far away, Yeonja watched her son hover over the child named Sunggyu, the older boy watching the prince in fascination. She dismissed the observers with a hand and the adults left with murmuring bows and goodbyes, pulling their children along as the queen continued to watch the two children in the yard. Yeonja had yet to see Myungsoo interact that way with any of the other children his age, and a knowing smile spread across her face.

Her little Myungsoo had finally made a friend.