Royal Academy Diaries II

His Favourite Muse ⚜ Ch. 8

Jeong-wu finally decided on three very different styles for the portrait. His least favourite he submitted to the school art contest (after his roommates' urging), the second he decided to take to town to have submitted in the village art festival, and the third he finally presented to Minato.

Jeong-wu told him to meet him in a small room with a piano, a perfect space for a private reveal. His nerves were on edge when he came to the door.

"Alright, you've finished?" Minato smiled.

Nodding, he tried to control his nerves. "Well enough," he said. Holding the cloth covering the painting, he took a breath. Watching his reaction closely, he forced himself to reveal it. "Well, here it is."

A small gasp escaped his lips when he saw it. "Oh Jeong-wu... This is amazing." He stepped closer, his eyes wide. "You got this from a few sketches in the garden?"

He smiled, blushing. "You are a very versatile muse, my Prince." 

He clasped his hands together as he admired it. "I feel like I should pay you for this. You put a lot of work into it."

"Nonsense, it's a gift," he shrugged. "Besides when you love doing something so much, it feels almost wrong to to be paid for it."

Minato smiled. "Very well then. Thank you. It's truly stunning."

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you like it," he said, relieved. "I um, did another that I've been pressured into entering into the art festival in Vanera. I'm taking it over today as soon as we're done here, if you want to join me."

The prince nodded, still glancing at the painting. "Sure, I haven't been to town in a while. It would be fun to look around for a bit."

Jeong-wu smiled and offered is arm. "Shall we then?"

Minato took it and followed him out of the room. He paused to get the other painting, also covered with a cloth, then got a cab to town. On the way, he looked intently at the covered painting. "So, do I get to see it?"

A bit embarrassed, Jeong-wu ran a hand through his hair. "It's not as good as the other."

"Oh come on, let me see it. Please?"

There was no way he was resisting those eyes. He reluctantly pulled back the sheet to let him get a peek.

"Oh... This one rivals the other." Glancing back to him he said, "You really are very talented."

He smiled shyly. "I just do what I love."

Seeing the scenery change from green in his periphery made the prince look out the window. "Oh, we're here. Look."

The village was already setting up booths in the streets, with art of every kind going up on display and for sale. The cab had to stop a ways back to let them out. They started down the line of tents, looking in to see what kind of art was being featured in each.

"Wow, look at all of this. Who knew there were so many artists in a town this small," Minato said.

"Artists are everywhere. Ah, I think this is the submission tent." Carrying the painting over, he approached the woman at the table. "Hello. How do I submit this?"

While the woman explained the brief sign up process, the prince stopped by the next tent over.

"Wow, that's really good," a man in the back of the tent said upon seeing his painting. "That will be a finalist for sure."

The prince smiled and filled out his name. "Thank you." He took a few steps over to see Minato admiring a trio of tiny paintings of blossoms and a dragon. "See anything you like?"

"Aren't these nice? They would look so good right over my desk..."

He looked so wistfully at them that Jenny-wu had to smile. "I don't suppose those are for sale, per chance?"

The man running the booth nodded. "Everything here is for sale."

Pulling out his wallet, he asked, "How much?"

The prince looked to him in surprise. "Oh, you don't have to get me anything. I was just admiring."

He offered him a smile as he handed the money over. "And now you can admire it every day."

Minato grinned, shyly taking the bagged paintings when the man held them out. "Thank you, Jeong-wu."

"You're welcome, my Prince." They started going down the line again when suddenly he stopped. "Doña Pilar? I haven't seen you since last year. How are you?"

A trio of very old people ran this booth, two were blind and the other appeared to be deaf. The woman smiled. "Ah, the Korean Prince. I've heard you visited my friends just last month."

He smiled. "Yes. There were some fun memories to paint. My friend and I should get going, but it was good to see you."

The blind woman nodded. "And you. Tell your boyfriend he has lovely cologne."

They smiled and went forward to the next booths, and Minato looked to him curiously. "How do you know them?"

"I met them last year when I ran across a man at the art supply store," he explained. "I go every so often to paint their memories. For the ones that are blind I have an enchanted brush from my grandmother that lets them see it in their mind as I paint."

The prince smiled. "That's amazingly sweet. That would make a good service project for the Weight of the Crown course," he noted.

His eyes widened at the idea. "Yes, it really would." 

Looking at him for a moment, Minato said, "You know, I was skeptical about you at first. But you've proven again and again to actually be really devoted and supportive and wonderful."

Jeong-wu smiled at him. "You deserve that and more." 

Leaning over to kiss his cheek, he was surprised when he turned his head to kiss him. He got lost in the sensation of kissing the boy he'd idolized and adored, lingering for every moment longer that he'd allow. 

When they pulled apart, Minato was blushing terribly. "So, shall we go see what else there is?"

Jeong-wu was just as red, his heart pounding. "I'll go wherever you want, my Prince."