Mixed Blood

12: Weekend Plans

So, the thirteen friends sat around the makeshift long table made by combining six table from the restaurant. The improvised table could sit six on each of its long sides and one on its short sides. Everyone sat on the side except for Seungcheol who was forced into the "leader" seat. As expected, the soulmate stuck with one another. Jeonghan and Joshua, as the next eldest, took the seat near Seungcheol while Soonyoung, Jihoon, Seokmin and Chan sat with each other on the other end of the table.

"So, we knew that Minghao was saved by Junhui from the Barbarian attack when they discovered that they were soulmates," Jeonghan started as soon as the food arrived. "But how did Seungkwan and Vernon happen?"

"Well..." Vernon blushed when all the attention went to him and his soulmate.

"It was Vernonie who lied," Seungkwan claimed.

"Oh, really? Now this is something I haven't heard before," Soonyoung commented.

"So, as you know, Vernonie invited me over to the palace for the Literature project," Seungkwan narrated. "So, after we watched Harry Potter twice, I blacked out. The next thing I knew, something was caressing my cheek while I am sleeping."

"Eh? Bold move, bro," Jun teased.

"When I opened my eyes, I saw Vernonie staring at me. Curious, I asked him if he was the one touching my cheeks. He answered 'no' and that was when the magic happened," Seungkwan ended the story. Vernon's cheeks and ears were red at this point.

"Okay, please, stop it now, Kwannie. It's getting embarrassing for my part," Vernon took Seungkwan's hand and kissed it.

More teasing followed after Vernon and Seungkwan's story. Meanwhile, Soonyoung noticed that Jihoon was silent so he turned around to take a look at him and what he saw was probably the cutest thing Soonyoung could ever see in his life. Jihoon was leisurely drinking his beverage with a straw.

"He looked so much like an adorable elementary kid right now. He is so cute," Soonyoung thought.

Jihoon noticed Soonyoung staring at him, "What are you looking at?"

"I was just appreciating the tiny chili pepper who looks totally adorable drinking with a straw," Soonyoung casually said with a smile before turning his head back to the center of the group conversation.

Meanwhile, Jihoon got flustered by the sudden — and rare — compliment from Soonyoung. It bothered his mind greatly. He even thought that Soonyoung looked cute while smiling.

"What am I thinking?" Jihoon mentally slapped himself.

After the hang-out, the thirteen friends went home separately. While riding home in their limousine, the Princes were contemplating as to why their father would sponsor a field trip for their section. They sensed that something was going on and they need to ask their father about it.

Dinner finally came and the Princes came gathered around the table faster than anticipated. While the meal was ongoing, Seungcheol managed to speak up.

"By the way, father, we heard you sponsor a field trip for our section over the weekend. Why did you do that?"

"It was a reward for you," the King spoke in a weird tone.

"Reward? For what?" Vernon inquired.

"Well, you seemed to be very busy for the last few weeks. So, I decided to give you a reward."

"Father, your voice sounds unstable. Are you hiding something?" Jun was becoming suspicious.

The King broke out in cold sweat when all of the Princes looked at him with suspicion, "Okay fine. It's because I was feeling guilty that I will be leaving over the weekend to, once again, attend the Arcanus Alliance meeting in Hallyu Kingdom."

"Oh, yeah, right. I remember it has been decades since their second set rulers retired," Seungcheol recalled. "They were the ones who initiated the annual magical convention. Too bad we haven't attended the very first meeting and they retired shortly after the second meeting happened. I really wanted to meet them. It's said that they were the best and most powerful rulers of Hallyu."

"Same here," the King seconded. "I only met them once when we decided to join the alliance during the second Arcanus Alliance meeting."

"So going back to the topic, do you really have to organize a field trip?" Wonwoo questioned.

"By the way, I'll let you in on a secret. The university may have announced it as a field trip but it's not really a field trip, you see. It's just a free mid-academic year vacation for your section," the King confessed.

"But why?"

"I just want to celebrate Jun, Wonwoo and Vernon finding their soulmates," the King giggled with delight.

"WHAT?" Jun, Wonwoo and Vernon gasped.

The Princes could only shake their heads in defeat. What their father wants, their father gets.

"Don't worry. I already organized everything. The accommodation, the food, and even the room arrangements are all taken care of," the King reassured.

"Even the room arrangements?" the princes voiced out their concerns.

"You could thank me later. The arrangements are based on what the three defense forces' reports told me about," the king cryptically whispered while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Haa..." — the six princes sighed — "this is going to be a long weekend."