Jaeyun
I met Sunghoon's gaze as he looks at me with his arms crossed over his chest. I look at Jake and we both don't know how to explain ourselves.
"I'm sorry . . . "
"Jaeyun? . . may I talk to you in another room?"
I look at Heeseung who just gave me a small nod as I felt myself being pulled by the prince into another room before the door clicked. His face is blank and I don't know what he's thinking but I'm so scared as he stepped forward.
"Your Highness. . I'm so sorry. . let me explain . . I - -"
My sentence was cut short when he collided our lips together as I was pulled closer towards him.
My eyes slowly close with the familiar feeling of his lips on mine with my arms wrapping automatically around his nape. My heart is pounding in my chest with so much emotion and with so much unsaid words lingering in my mind. I held onto him like he's my lifeline and he did the same when I felt his arms hug my waist.
The kiss was filled with longing and I can't help but let my tears fall from the realization of how much I have missed him and how much I will be hurt when I will see him wait for someone else at the end of the aisle on his wedding day.
I will grasp on this moment that we're together and will hold onto this because I know once I let go, I will not see him not hold him like this anymore. He has duties for his people he need to fulfill and I don't want to hinder him from becoming the best king this kingdom will ever have.
We parted for air but he kissed me again and I'm not complaining. As I have said, this might be the last.
His thumb slowly wiped the tears on my cheek as we part.
"I hate you for lying . . . but I love you for doing so. . . Jaeyun, you have no idea how you are affecting me . . . my life has never been the same again after we were together. I . . I just love you so much that I feel like going crazy right now. ."
"I love you too . . I love you more than I have ever loved someone in my life"
"I want to be mad at you and Jake for playing with me and Heeseung but. . . but I can't . . . I'm actually thankful for you entering my life ."
"Sunghoon. . . I'm sorry but . . but I don't think I can stay to bake your wedding cake. . ."
"I understand and I want to apologize. . .I'm sorry because no matter how much I wanna marry you instead, -"
"It's alright . . . you're going to be king and as king, your people comes first before yourself. . . and I know you will make an amazing King . . it might be a short time but those days I'm with you are the happiest I have been yet in a relationship. . ."
"Jaeyun- - -"
We were crying in each other's arms as he pulled me even closer to himself. I softly caress his back before we pulled away.
"I want to fight for you Jaeyun. . I want you to be my partner. . for life- - -"
"I can't let you do that Sunghoon . . this has been planned and it is for your kingdom. . I'm afraid that it could hurt you and your people more if you choose me"
"I promise . . I will do everything in my power to make us work while maintaining the relationship between Jake's and my kingdom. . . I will do whatever I have to do . . . I can't loose you anytime Jaeyun now that I know how it feels to love you and to be loved by you . . promise me Love . . promise me you'll hold on to us . . please?"
I wanna take this risk no matter how small the chances are. I want to be with him for life but, - -
"Wait for me . . I will make us happen . . . I don't care if I will just be Sunghoon or still Prince Sunghoon. . . . "
He sounded so sure and my mind screams for me to say yes but as I remembered my past relationship with Benjie where he asked me to wait and then I got a breakup instead, my heart is disagreeing.
"Sunghoon I . . .I don't think I can. . . I'm sorry but if you have to keep thinking about making us work despite being married to Jake, I am sure you won't recognize other priorities. . . I don't want you to fail your people because of me. . . you're going to be an amazing king. . . I don't want to risk you, your kingdom, Jake's kingdom and my heart being broken all at the same time . . . I think this is just how our stories are written. . "
I slowly held his face as I wiped his tears from his cheeks that are falling nonstop.
"Maybe we're just filler chapters in each of our stories . . "
"I understand. . . I . . but our story is not a filler, it's one of the important chapters in my book"
"You're right. . . and this will be treasured for life"
Is this a goodbye without the actual saying of the word "goodbye"?
"Let me be with you Love. . . before anything else that could happen . . let us be together, just like before. Just the two of us"
"I'd be honored"
We took the keys from Hanbin hyung and Sunghoon drove us to a place where it is literally just the two of us and the moment I stepped out of the car, I am amazed at how Zeviera looked from above. He took to the a high place where I can clearly see the wholeness of the palace and the city. The huge buildings went noticed by me as my eyes roamed around the scenery. The skies even are so blue and there are a few shades of orange and yellow. The place is so peaceful and calm that I can't help but feel the breeze.
"This place is amazing . . "
"I know . . . it's the best view of Zeviera. . . you want something to eat?"
"We didn't bring food"
He took my hand before he pointed behind us and I saw a small cottage. We entered and there we sat on the table that is facing forward making me still see the landscape.
He placed some food in front of me as we begin to eat as we watch how the sun is slowly loosing light signalling its sunset.
"That's the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen . . ."
I then turn towards Sunghoon who's been quiet but I immediately blushed when I realized how he's been looking at me the whole time.
"Uhm . . may I ask how you and Heeseung found out about the switch?"
A small smile appeared on his face before he let out a sigh and reached out to hold my hand that was on the table.
"The first time Jake and I met, I really thought he's so good looking, and he's so kind and so elegant. . ."
Is he saying that I am not Elegant? Well, he's right though because no matter how much I tried to, I'm just so ordinary.
"When it was announced that we will be married soon, I saw it in his eyes, as clear as the sky that he doesn't like me. Or that I'm not his type or something like that. .the way he talks and interacts with me is so formal and friendly at the same time and even I felt the same. . . my first suspicion was during the time I asked you out in the garden. . . Jake loves shrimp and lobster"
My eyes widen as I met his and he's smiling.
That's probably the detail that Jake assumes Sunghoon to not know and the event I assume won't happen.
"What? But why didn't you confront me?"
"I thought I may have known Jake wrong. So I let it slide. . .during the Charity ball, when I saw you, I thought you looked so beautiful and then my heart began to pick up speed I thought I'd have a heart attack. . . I got really suspicious when you said you cannot play the violin. Jake is the most confident in violin and is least confident in the piano that I think it will be the last instrument he would wanna play. But you, you played the piano over the violin"
I realized how Jake are not only opposites in our lives but also in most things.
"When I asked you about love, you replied that you've been in love and broken before which is off to me because Jake is famous for rejecting suitors and well, being dubbed as the prince of rejection. Jake has never had a love life nor has been in love. He didn't tell me but from the times I have met him and managed to observe him . . . I saw how his eyes met everyone almost the same, with formality. You want me to go on? Because I can"
"I didn't realize I have already messed up even before . . I thought I was doing a great job. . . maybe Jake and I underestimated how smart you are . . "
"My last straw of accepting you're not the prince is the fact that you allowed me to kiss you . . . if you're really Jake, I wouldn't have had my first kiss till our wedding day. . ."
My face for sure is red as tomatoes or even redder right now because I can feel my face heating up.
"How did you found out my identity then?"
"Heeseung. . . . I was out the palace one day when I saw him and Jake together. . . the moment I saw Jake, I immediately knew he is the prince. . . he might pull off the non-prince appearance but I can see right through. Maybe because of how observant I am that I saw it but, I just did. . . I did some research and then I was brought to your café. . there I saw you and Heeseung together. You think I wouldn't notice the small dimple on your face when you smile which Jake doesn't possess? I put the pieces of puzzle together and vuala, I concluded that you two switched places. It also helped that my cousin is the chief warrior so it was easier to connect secretly with Heeseung. And that's when I found out how he too has fallen in love with Jake. . ."
Every detail is precise and I know Heeseung also realized how Jake is not me the second he met him. Because if Sunghoon is very observant, Heeseung's instinct is no joke. I know he already felt something weird the first day of the switch
"Why didn't you admit to me then? Why did you let me live that life more?"
"Because I love being with you . . "
I don't know what to feel but I just felt so loved. The fact that he went with and pretend nothing is wrong just to be with me makes me feel so loved.
"And I thought if I confronted you and told you what I know, you might leave me . . . but then I realized, you would really leave me no matter what"
I grip his hands as I let the tears fall making me look away from his gaze.
"I'm sorry . ."
"You don't have to . . . and I know I won't be able to convince you to wait for me but. . . you have to promise me at least one thing . . be happy . . ok? I want that when we meet again, you're happy. . At least one of us will be happy"
I stood up from where I was seated and went towards him before settling myself on his lap wrapping my arms around his neck as I placed my chin on his shoulders.
"Be happy as well ok? Don't cry till morning, and don't skip your meals. . .sleep well too . . take care of yourself. . ."
I can't even continue my sentences as I just cried and my hiccups took over what I'm trying to say to him.
"I'm sorry, that my kingdom brought pain to you, to Heeseung and now to Riki. . ."
He pulled away from my embrace as he cupped my face with his hand with his thumb wiping my cheek.
"One day, you will come back here and I hope this place won't be too painful for all of you . . "
"No . . that's not true. . this place made me the happiest . . . this pain doesn't matter because. . . because the joy you gave me when we're together overshadowed it . ."
"Will . . will this be really our last night together?"
"That's suppose to be. . . I can't interfere further than I already did"
"I'm gonna miss you . . so much Jaeyun"
I know I'm gonna miss him so much as well.
"Maybe in another lifetime, we'll meet again. . ."
As our lips met once more, a small smile managed to pass my lips as I closed my eyes and allowed myself in his embrace. Just for tonight, I want it to be just Jaeyun and Sunghoon, not Prince Sunghoon and Sim Jaeyun, just us and no one else.
Our lips move slowly and passionately as his hand softly caress my bare waist with my fingers tugging his hair.
My lips parted when I felt his tongue met mine and a gasp immediately left my mouth from the foreign feeling.
We however parted for air and our eyes didn't leave each other's and despite how love is shining so much in his orbs, I still can see sadness. It really is meant to happen, he's bound to be married and I just so happen to jump into the equation.
We kissed yet again but I felt him tighten his hold around my torso before he sat up from the chair and began to walk and in a blink of an eye, my back met a really soft mattress as he hovered above me with his lips still collided with mine.
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