pillar of life | sunsun

11

song:  up   –kep1er

10| children!

sunghoon roamed around the palace without a destination in mind. he was walking around the gardens when he saw sunoo loitering around the front gates. he watched as sunoo hurriedly got on a carriage while jungwon peered around like a cat before signalling for the horse rider to move.

jungwon sighed and wiped the sweat off of his forehead, he turned around to jump back. "jesus."

"i'd rather you not throw that name around. those who believe in christianity may find it offensive." sunghoon muttered.

it was no revelation that sunghoon had a certain dislike for jungwon.

"your highness, how may i be of your assistance?"

"i suppose helping sunoo to do absurd activities was part of your job requirements?"

jungwon winced at sunghoon's cold words.

"it's either i help or prince sunoo escapes. i'd rather the former so that i at least know of the prince's whereabouts." jungwon replied, his confidence wavering as sunghoon's gaze got sharper.

"where did he go?" sunghoon asked, though it came off more as an order.

"i'm sorry prince sunghoon. i'm only obliged to confer to the orders of prince sunoo and his royal family. though, if you had been polite, you may have gotten an answer. have a good day." jungwon forced a smile before walking away, beaming at the fact that he got the last word against the ice prince.

sunghoon rolled his eyes. sunoo seemed to have found a courtier just as sassy and defiant as himself. two peas in a pod.

sunghoon signalled for jake to come towards him as the guard was standing a fair distance away monitoring. "get the horses, we are following that carriage."

"we are following sunoo, why?"

sunghoon's glare got jake clearing his throat. "i mean prince sunoo, your highness."

"taemin-ah, you must share what you have with the rest alright?" sunoo whispered as he gestured for taemin to share the bread sunoo had bought on his way there.

while exploring sunoo had stumbled upon an orphanage in aspen near the cliff where the aspen pillars were located. since then he hadn't managed to go there after going to the palace. today was the first day he had managed to sneak out with the help of jungwon.

he loved children and dreams of having his own running around making a mess for him to deal with. taemin was one of the kids there that had taken a liking to him.

sunoo and the children were gathered at the front porch of the orphanage playing under the sun. he felt a small tug at his robes and lifted up jae-yi, taemin's twin sister onto his lap.

"what is it jae-yi?"

"a scary man and his friend have been staring at you oppa," jae-yi whispered in his ear.

a scary man? his friend?

sunoo quickly looked up to see sunghoon and jake standing near the entrance of the orphanage. by now, most of the children and some of the helpers had noticed the presence of the two.

seeing the royal emblem, the helpers quickly ushered the prince and the guard into the premises.

sunoo dusted off his pants, bowing down to sunghoon before a huge smile took over his face as he hugged jake.

"i missed you hyung!" sunoo smiled as jake ruffled his hair.

sunghoon's elbow sharply nudged the ribs of jake causing the guard to let go of sunoo swiftly as he winced at the slight pain, all of which going unnoticed by sunoo.

"who are these people hyung?"

sunghoon looked down to see a boy hugging sunoo's thighs, clinging onto them.

sunoo crouched down, "children, this is prince sunghoon and his guard jake."

"he looks scary!" jaeyi mumbled while pointing at sunghoon, peeking out from behind sunoo.

"he only looks scary but he's a big softie on the inside," sunoo pretended to whisper, getting chuckles from the children and jake too.

"alright children come in for lunch!" the helpers gather the children and headed indoors leaving sunghoon, sunoo, jake and a certain boy on the porch.

"i'm going to marry sunoo hyung!" sunoo choked while jake broke out into fits of laughter.

"taemin! you cannot say that!" sunoo hurriedly replied.

taemin's eyes narrowed at sunghoon. "he looks like he's going to take you away. i needed to say that!" taemin huffed.

"take him inside, will you," sunghoon muttered to jake.

jake swiftly carried the boy while taemin continued to yell, "sunoo hyung is mine!"

"so, you've come here to turn the next generation against me?"

"i–"

"that boy seems convinced he's going to marry you."

sunoo spluttered as he flushed in embarrassment. "he's just a child! he doesn't know what he's saying!"

"doesn't seem that way," sunghoon mumbled.

"what are you doing here anyways prince sunghoon?"

"i had some duties around the area and happened to see you here."

sunoo hummed nodding, "you don't like children, do you?"

"they're pests that annoy me."

"you can't say that when a time will come for you to have children of your own! c'mon i'll change your mind," sunoo grasped sunghoon's hand, tugging the prince indoors.

a small smile graced sunghoon's face as he looked at their interlocked fingers.

is it natural that i already had changed my mind about children?

– 

L