The last week has been chaotic, the days passing by in an absolute twirl. Not to mention the absurd amount of people entering and leaving incessantly Jisung's house. Honestly, he doesn't remember ever seeing so many people in his neighborhood. And he doesn't just refer to the individuals belonging to the Selection crew. No. Jisung mainly talks about the curious neighbors trying to understand and have a look at what is happening inside the Han's residence.
The first visit, just the day after the announcement of the selected ones, came in the form of a middle-aged woman, with bright red-painted lips and matching acrylic nails, who mainly appeared to ensure that the answers given in his form were veridic.
Needless to say, Jisung was caught by surprise, a thick layer of sweat forming on the small of his back as, in fact, he was not the one who filled out his own application. For God's sake, he had no idea what kind of questions were asked. His sister had only promised him that everything she had written about him was true, and she had no more time to explain in detail what the questionnaire consisted of. That didn't make Jisung feel any more relieved though.
However, Jisung quickly realized that his sister hadn't lied when the red-lipped woman started asking questions about his job, his regular visits to the orphanage and the hospital, and even about his passion for flowers. Questions that Jisung could easily answer because well, they're true and basically everything Jisung does and loves in his life.
Finally, the woman asked him for his bank details to make the first weekly payment, and although his eyes opened enthusiastically at the mention of the big amount of money, his cheeks and tips of his ears colored in a shameful shade of red when the woman looked at him with judgment because Jisung replied that neither he nor anyone in his family had a bank account.
It's not every day that a Seven has reasons to open one, as their money, in addition to being low, doesn't last long in their hands. Therefore, Sevens cannot afford to pay the costs of regularization and maintenance of their bank account to keep it almost always at zero. It just didn't compensate.
The woman, fortunately, seemed to quickly understand the reasons behind Jisung's response without him having to explain much further, and it only took two days for her to return with a card, ready to use and with the first payment already there.
That night, Jisung and his family had a dinner that wasn't just soup, eggs, or crusty bread and cheese. He no longer remembered what it was like to go to bed and fall asleep with his stomach snug and completely full.
The second visitor was a man in his thirties, with silver glitter eyeshadow on his eyelids and hair dyed platinum blond, pulled back with the help of hair gel. He came with the purpose of taking measurements of Jisung's body to prepare his new wardrobe in the royal palace.
Jisung was not at all happy to discover that his new clothes would consist of pompous, tight suits, shirts that would keep him from moving so they wouldn't get wrinkled, and classic cut pants. He still had his black jeans ripped at his knee and a comfortable hoodie on, but Jisung had already started to miss his baggy, casual clothes. Whatever the cost, he will have to find a way to bring at least a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants into the palace. What will he sleep in? With those fancy, satin pajamas that will probably cost more than his entire closet? The hell not.
The third visit was probably the one that Jisung was least pleased to receive. A doctor. The gray-haired man made him do every possible and imaginable medical test and examination, including Jisung's biggest nightmare: blood tests. This involved a good fifteen minutes, and not because the doctor was incompetent or because he couldn't find Jisung's veins. Far from it, not least because his arms have very prominent veins, thank you very much. It took a while because Jisung is terrified of syringes and anything that looks like needles near his body.
However, after many whimpers and eyes shut tightly by Jisung and the doctor's impatient sighs, the results came a few hours later, and despite Jisung being in good general health, the boy had some nutritional deficits. So, to counterbalance the lack of a complete, adequate, and derived diet common in a Seven, the doctor handed him a bottle full of yellow pills, giving him the indication to take one of those vitamins per day.
But even worse than the needle stuck in his arm to collect his blood was the abrupt question that fled the doctor's lips. "Well, I know this is a very personal topic, but don't be shy about answering it because it's a question I put to all the participants," the doctor paused, clicking the tip of his clearly expensive pen. "I need you to tell me if you're still a virgin or if you've already started your sex life."
Jisung's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Huh..." Jisung was speechless. He definitely didn't expect to be asked this. At least not so directly. "No. I'm not a virgin," Jisung ended up replying, avoiding the doctor's piercing gaze.
Good thing his parents were working and his sisters were at school. It would be too embarrassing if they were here to hear these kinds of very indiscreet questions.
"Don't worry. No judgment," the doctor assured, scribbling something in his black notebook. "There's no problem with that. It's not prohibited, as you know. I just asked because, in this case, we'll have to do some additional tests to make sure you don't have any sexually transmitted diseases, as you might guess."
It's true that, currently, the law regarding losing virginity before marriage no longer exists, much less for those who intend to participate in the Selection, as it occurred a good few decades ago.
But of course, this does not imply that those who still wait to do it only with their future husband or wife are not seen as 'superior', a person who is pure and honest about the ideals of marriage. Mainly concerning the Selection and the prince, who will certainly prefer someone immaculate in that aspect.
However, Jisung lost his virginity around the age of seventeen to his secret high school boyfriend. Their relationship ended shortly after that, just a couple of weeks after graduation, but Jisung never regretted it. At the time, Jisung liked him and wanted to do it, and that's the most important thing.
After that, Jisung couldn't say that he had returned to an active sex life. It only happened once and it wasn't even sex. He had been invited to a birthday party of a boy who was in his class, and one of the girls invited, after a few drinks, cheesy flirting, and dancing very close to him, proposed to give him a blowjob. Why? He doesn't know until today. But, as you might guess, who was Jisung , a nineteen-year-old teenager with hormones running high, to refuse?
After that, nothing else happened. The truth is, Jisung was too busy working to even miss being intimate with anyone. Okay, sure he missed feeling wanted and having that pleasurable contact, but it's not like he had the time and the will to find someone. So, his callused hand and pillow would have to be enough for the loneliest days. Not that he could really enjoy those days though. Not when he shares a bedroom with three sisters.
Fortunately, the last medical exams were over. Not that Jisung had anything to fear about these specific tests because he was sure he was more than clean, not only because some time had passed since the last time he was with anyone, but also because he had been to the doctor recently.
The problem was more that he found it all useless because, at no time, Jisung intends to get involved with the prince. It's bad enough that he has no choice but to participate in this stupid contest, let alone have sex with the other men.
But of course, if Jisung told the doctor this, the man would probably find the situation strange. And as tempting as it is to do so, not least because it would certainly ruin his participation in the Selection, Jisung doesn't want to get his family in trouble or in costly debt. So, he allowed himself to undergo a few more clinical tests and breathed a sigh of relief when the doctor finally left his house.
Today, two days before Jisung leaves for the Euphoréa's palace, the Han family home receives its last visitor. The man, dressed in a grey suit and tie, perfectly trimmed beard and hair combed to the side, is responsible for reviewing all the official contest rules with Jisung .
The purple-haired boy leads the man to the dining room table in the kitchen, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that his family, who are now sitting on the sofa in the living room, have their ears perked up to hear everything the two will argue.
"Mr. Han, it's my duty to inform you firsthand that any failure by you to comply with the rules I will now dictate will result in serious consequences and, quite possibly, in your immediate expulsion from the Selection. Are we in agreement?"
Jisung swallows, feeling intimidated by the assertiveness of the man sitting across from him. He nods slowly. "Yes."
It sincerely annoys him that he has spent the last few days obeying rules, signing documents, and sharing the tiniest details of his life when Jisung never wanted to participate in this contest that looks more like a prison in the first place.
"Very well," the man nods, pulling what appears to be more documents for Jisung to sign from his briefcase. He mentally rolls his eyes.
Jisung was grateful that Euphoréa existed, as today he and all the other residents could find themselves in a country of ruins after the war that took place a few centuries ago. However, that didn't stop Jisung from starting to feel suffocated, as if these rules were all like invisible chains, which hampered his movements. Laws about what to do, questions about his virginity, documents after documents to sign... It was exasperating.
"Let's go over the rules then. They're pretty simple and I believe you won't have any trouble sticking to them," the man begins. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to interrupt me," the man looks up from the pile of papers in his hands to glare at Jisung .
"Right," the boy mutters, wanting more than ever for the man to cut to the chase so he can leave and, consequently, allow Jisung to enjoy his last moments of freedom in peace and quiet.
"You can't leave the palace at your will at any time, you will have to be excused by the prince. With some clear exceptions, of course, such as the need to go to a hospital for serious health reasons - even if we have an infirmary in the palace - or if you have a family problem or emergency. However, in situations where these exceptions are not present, not even the king or queen will be able to expel you," the man tells. "Of course they can give their opinions to the prince that they don't approve you, but all final decisions about who stays in the palace are solely Prince Minho's ."
Jisung nods, understanding everything he's been told so far.
"With this, I would also add that there is no predetermined time limit for the Selection. Either a competitor can leave every Sunday, as usual, and thus, the contest finish after a few weeks, or it can also take years. Everything will depend on the prince and his choices."
The boy can almost feel his chin scraping against the floor. "Years?" Jisung mutters in complete horror, mentally wondering if he has any chance of grabbing his bags and run away. "The Selection can take years?"
Even his sisters choke on the sofa when they hear such information.
"It's unlikely that this will happen, don't worry," the man trivializes the situation. "The prince will probably not allow the competition to go so far. Mainly because this is a time when he needs to demonstrate the ability to choose and decide, and it's certainly not in his favor to let the Selection drag on for too long. But if the prince decides to follow that longer path, Mr. Han will have to remain in the palace as long as necessary before he makes a choice."
All that was left for Jisung was to pray that the prince would find his soulmate or whatever in the first few weeks. Either that or expel Jisung out of that hell as quickly as possible. Until then, he just has to hide the fear he's feeling right now so the man in front of him doesn't suspect anything.
"You won't be the one planning the dates with Prince Minho. If he wants to be with you alone and in a more private and romantic environment, he will look for you himself. Of course, if you are at a social event where the prince is also present, you can and should talk to him to show your charms. After all, this is a contest to conquer the future king of Euphoréa. However, as a general rule, you should not approach him uninvited," the man explains.
Jisung has to fight the gigantic urge he feels to roll his eyes because okay, this Minho guy might be the prince, but still, who does he think he is? Nobody can approach him without his authorization or initiative first? For God's sake. What a snob.
"Although it's not required that you establish a friendship with the remaining eleven selected, arguments, violence, and sabotage are strictly prohibited. If you are found to attack, provoke, threaten, or rob another competitor, or even do anything else that could harm the relationship of either of them with Prince Minho, he himself will decide whether Mr. Han should be expelled from the palace immediately or not."
Well, Jisung will certainly not have any difficulty complying with this rule specifically. Not only does he not consider himself a conflicted and violent person - at all - but Jisung also has no reason to do so. He doesn't want to ruin the prince's relationship with anyone, on the contrary. The closer the prince is to someone else, the faster the Selection ends and, consequently, the quicker Jisung is freed from this contest and returns home.
"Your only romantic relationship should be exclusively with Prince Minho. If you're caught writing love letters, sending messages to someone abroad, or starting a romantic or sexual relationship with any of the palace workers or other competitors, such acts will be considered treason, and because they're unforgivable, may be punishable with a death sentence."
Jisung tries to hide his horror from the man, but he's not so sure his face can remain neutral with such information. Death sentence? It's not that Jisung plans to get involved with anyone but he can't help but dry swallow. However, he strives to nod in understanding so that the man can proceed.
"If you're found broking or violating any of Euphoréa's laws, you will be punished according to the crime committed. Your Selected status does not place you above the law."
Okay, another rule that Jisung won't have a hard time complying with. A more peaceful and respectful person than he does not exist. His criminal record is more than clean. After all, he had always had to set an example for his younger sisters.
"It's not allowed to wear clothes or consume food that has not been specifically provided by the palace staff. This is a security measure, as you might understand," the man shifts his gaze back to Jisung to ensure the boy in purple hair is accompanying him.
Jisung sighs low. Of all the measures and rules mentioned so far, this is perhaps the one that bothers him the most. There goes his hopes of being able to take at least his favorite sweatpants with him.
"On Sundays, you will have a required presence in the special broadcasts of the Official News. At certain times, as expected, there will be cameras throughout the palace to witness your daily life with the prince. You must be polite and available to make brief reports whenever requested to do so."
Ugh. Cameras. Another thing Jisung was really looking forward to.
"As you may have known, your family will be generously rewarded for each week you stay at the palace. I assume the first payment has already been made," the man looks away from his papers and raises a questioning eyebrow at Jisung .
"Yes, I got it," Jisung confirms.
"Excellent then. In addition, if you're excused from the competition, assistants will be made available to you to help you adapt to your life after the Selection. As you may know, the selected ones automatically become Two and, therefore, they will have to change houses and their jobs if they're of a lower caste. But we will have more than time to discuss these details later."
No, Jisung had no idea of that. He will become a Two after leaving the contest? He will have to move from his house? And his family? What about his job? Jisung does not want to become a sportsman, a singer, or a famous actor, the most characteristic jobs of caste Two. He is completely in love with his job. Jisung certainly doesn't want to work with anything other than his pretty flowers. Thinking about that possibility immediately evokes a wave of anxiety in him.
"If you manage to be among the top five selected, you will be considered as belonging to the Elite. If you achieve this status, you will start learning all the specific duties and functions you may have as a future prince. You're not authorized to seek information regarding that subject before that time."
Tsk. Jisung certainly won't make it that far, so he doesn't worry too much about it.
"If you win the Selection, you and your entire family will be elevated to One, as members of the royal family."
"One..." Jisung hears the word slip softly from the lips of one of his sisters. If there were any doubts that his family was listening to the conversation curiously, the dreamy sighs and whispers of his sisters emanating from the living room are answer enough.
"And that's it. Did you understand all the rules? Do you need me to repeat any of them again? Or do you have any other questions?" The man asks, pulling out what appears to be a new document from inside his leather folder.
Honestly, Jisung still feels agitated from the moment he discovered that he would have little choice but to join the Selection. He'd barely had time to digest all this information, let alone think about possible doubts and questions about the contest and its rules.
Well, on further reflection, the question clinging to the tip of Jisung's tongue right now is, "Do I still have time to give up when I didn't even want to be selected in the first place?", but it's obvious that Jisung restrains himself, putting a leash around the question and hiding it in one of the corners farthest from his brain.
Jisung has to accept this, his untoward fate, once and for all. It was time for him to came to terms with his going to the royal palace, and he decided that this is the ideal time to begin to internalize that.
"No, it won't be necessary. I understood everything and I have no doubts," Jisung asserts confidently.
The man nods, even showing a glimmer of relief - probably because he is already tired of talking to so many participants - and hands him the new document. "Very well. I just ask you to sign this form, indicating that you have heard and understood all the official rules."
Jisung obeys and, in the end, the man gathers all the papers back into his expensive folder and gets up to leave. The purple-haired boy was the last selected the man needed to find, but he still had to meet with another contest official, namely the person who would help Jisung go to the airport, and then, get him installed at the royal palace.
Two days.
In two days, Jisung would leave his house, his job at the florist, his parents, his younger sisters, his freedom... The Selection was just starting and the idea still seemed to be a mere mirage in Jisung's mind. A dream, or rather a nightmare, in which he is aware that it's vividly happening but that he wants to wake up from.
He still doesn't fully believe how his life is about to radically change, but Jisung doesn't have much more time for that. It's for the better if he starts to believe it.
♕
On the fatidic Sunday morning, Jisung wears the uniform that was delivered to him. For the girls - he learned from his assistant, the person who will accompany him to the palace - a pale yellow dress with a small embroidery of the flower representing their caste was chosen; as for the boys, they would have to wear a classic, pale blue shirt, black trousers, and their caste flower peeking out of their shirt pocket.
Assistant Lee, a woman in her forties with a small face and an immaculate ponytail, advised Jisung to say goodbye to his family before leaving for the airport rather than asking them to accompany him. At this point, Jisung was already considered a public figure (much to his displeasure), and to play it safe, as a considerable number of people and even photographers were expected to be present at the airport gate, he decided to follow the woman's advice and preserve the privacy of his parents and sisters. He wasn't naive enough to believe that sooner or later it would eventually become public knowledge that this was the family of one of the selected ones, but he wanted to delay that moment as long as possible.
And so, after dressing and packing the last of his belongings allowed into the palace, it was the dreaded time to say goodbye.
Jisung hugged his two younger sisters, Mun-hee and Jae-hwa, first, and although they were smiling excitedly at the fact that their older brother was going to the royal palace to live a supposed fairy tale, they were crying for the same reasons.
He made sure to gently wipe their tears away, trying hard not to do the same. He had promised himself he wouldn't cry. There was no reason for him to do it, right? In a very short time, he would be back home. He was sure of that.
After his younger sisters promise to apply themselves to their studies instead of spending their free time watching the Selection on television, Jisung places one last kiss against their cheeks and now faces Ha-rin, ready to crush her in his arms.
"I will never forgive you for putting me through this hell," Jisung growls low against her ear. Although he still doesn't want to participate in this contest, the comment is only in the form of teasing, as he has completely forgotten what his sister did to him behind his back and has gotten rid of the resentment. "When I get back in a few days, you'll be in charge of washing the dishes for me for a whole year. It's the only way I can forgive you," he adds with a faint smile on his lips.
Ha-rin laughs weakly. She tightens her arms even more around Jisung's neck. "Okay. It's fair," she nods, pulling away from the affectionate gesture to get a look at her brother. "But something tells me that won't happen," she smiles teasingly, stroking Jisung's confused face.
Frowning, Jisung asks, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Before Ha-rin can respond, Assistant Lee hesitantly approaches them and clears her throat to get their attention. "I'm sorry Mr. Han, but I have to ask you to say your goodbyes as soon as possible as our airport shuttle is already outside waiting for us."
The woman looks apologetically at him, clearly uncomfortable at having to interrupt family farewells, but Jisung just nods sympathetically. The woman is just doing her job.
When she pulls away to give him a few last moments of privacy, Jisung's eyes fall back to his sister's. Unlike Mun-hee and Jae-hwa, Ha-rin doesn't show a single trace of sadness or tears. On the contrary.
"Ha-rin..." He sighs heavily. "Now that I won't be home, you're going to have to help our parents and sisters in double, okay? Check that Mun-hee washes her teeth before bed and that Jae-hwa does her math homework, the ones she hates doing so much," he points out. "And make sure dad takes something to eat for work with him and that mom gets enough sleep."
Ha-rin rolls her eyes because she's already more than aware of all this, but even so, she nods and smiles to reassure the purple-haired boy. "I know, Jisung. Don't worry. I'll take good care of everything and everyone. And you... Please, have fun."
Jisung holds her face and brings it closer to him until his lips rest for a long time against Ha-rin's forehead. "I know you will take care of our family. I never doubted that. You're a good sister and a good daughter."
"Exactly! I really am," she giggles teasingly. "And you're an excellent brother and son too, but it's time to take a vacation from that role and just be you. Promise me that you'll try to enjoy your time in the Selection and that you'll have fun," Ha-rin looks pleadingly at him, grabbing both of his hands.
He just rolls his eyes. "I don't know how I'm supposed to enjoy etiquette lessons and fancy balls-"
"Jisung. Promise me," Ha-rin cuts him off, pointing a finger threateningly against his chest.
Jisung sighs. "Okay. Okay, I promise I'll try to enjoy myself."
After exchanging another tight hug in the form of farewell, Jisung now approaches his parents. His mother is a mess, her black glasses are clouding with incessant tears, and every now and then, a sob escapes her lips.
"Mom..." Jisung whispers as he lets himself be trapped in the woman's open arms. "Please don't cry," he asks, but his own voice sounds shaky and wobbly. There goes his promise not to cry.
"Oh my dear boy," she whispers against Jisung's chest as she is generously shorter than her son. "We're going to miss you so much."
"And I'll miss you too," he doesn't hesitate to retort, rocking the woman's body from side to side in a gesture of comfort. "But I'm only going to be away from you for a few days, okay? I'll be back soon and I'll be able to help you guys again. Until that, you have the help of the payments and I think it's more than enough for you to be okay without me."
"Jisung, you big fool!" His mother scolds between sobs.
"Don't you even dare worry about us, you hear me?" His father butts in, pulling him into a hug too. "You're going to the Selection to enjoy and have fun. Don't think about money, bills, and debts. We have everything under control."
"But-"
"There are no buts, or half buts," his mother interrupts him. "You're our son, not our accountant or anything like that. It took us a long time to figure that out, but now it's over. We never wanted you to carry our worries. We thank you, of course, for everything you've done for us, for our family. But now it's time for you to behave like someone your own age. So, take your time at the Selection and try to get something good from that," the woman adjusts the strands of purple hair that insisted on falling into his eyes.
"Why are you all saying the same damn thing?" Jisung snorts exasperatedly. "I've told you thousands of times that you didn't give me any burden and that I helped because I wanted to-"
"Mr. Han, we really have to get going if we don't want to miss the flight," Assistant Lee again interrupts.
"Go, Jisung," his father pulls him again for another hug. "We will stay here rooting for you."
"You don't need to root for me," Jisung scoffs in a low voice so his assistant doesn't hear. "I don't want to win this."
But it seems his parents ignore him completely. His mother adds, "We'll see you on tv every day. Always," the woman kisses his cheek loudly. "We love you with all of us."
Now his promise is really going to blow up. A stubborn tear escapes the corner of his eyes but Jisung hastens to wipe it away with his callused fingers.
"And I love you guys."
With one last look at his family, Jisung takes his hand luggage and says goodbye to the only house he's lived in for the past twenty-two years.