In This Life

Jun Ho's Promise

Song Ji

Why was she here? 

Song Ji wondered to herself as her foot lead her to the entrance of the maze. The whole situation was just bizarre. Anybody in the palace she could've befriend and yet she met him twice without knowing who he was at first. Song Ji remebered the raven prince in the maze, his robotic, careless tone making compulsory conversation while she pretended to be Yin Jidam.

Song Ji couldn't help but compared that prince to Sung Min, or more accurately Lee Chang Min, and discovered how different they were. Sung Min was playful, extremely conceited but thoughtful as if every word he spoke had a purpose. Song Ji frowned, but all the words he spoke to her were lies. 

So why was she here? 

Inside the maze, waiting for a royal liar with his royal excuses? Pang had said Prince Chang Min considered her his friend even if she had stormed away from him, called him names, and physically harmed him the first time they met. During all of that, he could've revealed his identity, punished her and send her away for good but he didn't. She wondered what he would do now.

 After some painful, perennially minutes, Song Ji heard footsteps. Her instinct told her to find cover in the hedges but as the sound grew closer she realized it was just him. 

Chang Min came to a sudden halt once they had made eye contact, and she wanted to scream at him the way she did with Pang, but with the new information she discovered, Song Ji was afraid what would happen. A fold of silence hover over the both of them and Song Ji could see regret in his eyes, a mellow hollowness to them she saw when he wore the raven mask.

Chang Min finally broke the silence," I'm sorry," he croaked. 

Song Ji bit the insides of her cheeks, unsure of what to do. First she was fuming with rage but now there was only confusion as a prince, a member of a royal family, was apologizing to her. Out of all the things that could happen in this life, this moment was the most peculiar and definitely unexpected. 

The prince continued," I honestly don't know why I lied to you in the first place, but after everything that happened I just... don't you want to lose you as a friend." 

During her stay at the palace, Song Ji has heard many rumors of the prince. How isolated he was as if no one was precious enough for his company. Now she knew it was all wrong because apparently a destitute, scrawny girl pretending to eunuch was enough. 

"Your highness," she started. 

Chang Min frowned,"Don't call me that." 

"There no possible reason why we should be... friends. You're my master, I serve you. And as the prince you have too much power over me, if I kept acting the way I was with you-

She paused, if they were to continue as friends there was a chance he would discover who Song Ji really was and she couldn't risk that chance," It's not right, it's dangerous." 

"I would never harm you, Joon Young and you're under my service, I won't let anybody lay a hand on you. You're my friend, even if you don't admit it."

Song Ji focused her attention on her shoes, "Friends shouldn't lie and play with each others' head like toys."

As soon as she said the words, Song Ji realized she a was hypocrite. She was also lying to him about her true identity this whole time.

She could see his expression and she felt how hurtful her words were when he spoken, "I guess I'm lousy friend, I never had a real one before." 

"Me neither." 

She remembered her lonely days at her mother's house, hold up in her library. Apparently she and the prince had many things in common.