Refresh (Stray Kids Hwang Hyunjin)

Twelve

Changbin and Hyuna were out all day again. The fourth time that week. Things only seemed to be getting worse from there.

"What's wrong with him? Hyunjin asked, worry evident in his voice as his eyes analysed the man from his thinning hair to his blue lips.

"Not sure yet. We've looked through our books and found some possible matches but we need to look into it further," Choi Youngjae, the main doctor, uttered (just a little thought... Remember the yak at the beginning of the trilogy?).

"So what now?" The Prince blinked although he knew crystal clear.

"It depends. We have no idea how long the coma will last. It's up to you, Your Highness. Will you take up your father's crown?"

Youngjae was already prying a gold crown from the side of the room with diamonds engraved in it.

"I don't think I'm ready for such a responsibility. What if I ruin everything?"

"He has taught you well. Take it... Or would you rather someone else do the job? Chan, maybe. He seems to be the next in line."

Youngjae was blackmailing him at this point. Hyunjin had to through all of his childishness away and take the throne in place of his father who now laid practically lifeless on his bed. 

But was Hyunjin ready for the responsibility?

***

Becoming a King:

Lesson one: Waking Up At Three In The Morning To Work

This was a lesson Hyunjin had taken from granted, crying to the King's Main Servant, JB that he just needed five more minutes. Five minutes turned into an hour and an hour turned into a few more. Before he knew it, it was breakfast time and all JB did was scowl at him.

Already on the King's Main Servant's bad side. Not a great start, Hyunjin. Not a great start.

After breakfast, and when JB finally managed to drag Hyunjin to his father's office, the Prince was welcomed by a desk with at least eight stacks of papers, towering about one and a half metres high. The desk had more papers although this time they were all scattered around, along with a typewriter, ink stamp and feather pen.

"Before the King fell sick he was writing documents to the leaders in West, asking about the visit," JB explained. "And after that, he need to write a letter about the Annual Great Bonfire Festival taking place in the next few months. He needs to order the wood, arrange to get rubbish from the garbage dump a few towns away, as well as send an invitation to every Wonderland citizen... And that includes all creatures."

There was a sly smirk stitched on JB's face as he spoke, only intensifying when he saw Hyunjin's regretful expression. That was when he realised he really should have awoken at three, like the King's Main Servant had suggested.

Nayeon, who was Hyunjin's original Main Servant, was instructed to stay by him at all times when JB was busy or called to be with the King. She was also told to teach the Prince how to use the typewriter. Stupid command, if you ask me because she didn't know either.

After wasting half a stack of paper, they finally got the hang of it and started writing the letters to the people in the West.

"Too informal," Nayeon said for the ninth time and Hyunjin immediately pulled the paper out of the typewriter and scrapped it.

"Any progress," JB asked when he was finished with all his errands, stopping in his tracks when he saw the full rubbish bin beside the desk. "What the heck have you guys been doing? I told you to use the papers to write letters not to scrap all of them!"

"We didn't know how to use the typewriter to start with," Hyunjin confessed. "Then the letter always turned out too informal..."

"Drafts," JB simply called out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He grabbed a paper then a pen and became scribbling some words down. "You first write a draft and see how it see. If it's too informal you correct it on the same sheet then rewrite it all over again on another sheet. Do this again and again until you are happy with your draft. That's when you start typing it all out. Have you learnt nothing in practice?"

"We don't deal with typewriters," Hyunjin shrugged. "And am I supposed to type all twenty-four million copies of the Bonfire Festival letters?"

"Of course not! You have to write a dozen to start with which will be passed on to the Queens and Princesses to write more of. Though at the same time you will have to write over five hundred yourself."

The Fifth Prince ran a hand through his dark locks.

"So when's the spare time? Or break, whatever you call it," he asked seriously but JB only laugh in response.

"As long as you're King, or in your case acting King, you spend your whole day in here, apart from meetings, occasional outings and meal times. No break. No spare time. No fun. Just work."