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JISOO's POV
I woke up in the library, my face planted in the middle of my study table, to the sound of my alarm ringing. After my conversation with Jinyoung, time had seemed stretched out. He was no longer here and just left a blanket at my back. I didn't know what time he left but I was thankful for him to comfort me. I looked at the untouched food that he gave to me last night as I was planning to bring it back to the kitchen. I had wandered in and out of the library in a daze, gathering some courage to face Ms. Dara.
Leaning over, I pushed the curtains aside and peered out the window. It was a crisp, blue day, so bright it made me wince. As soon as I took enough some audacity in me, I went to Ms. Dara's room.
I stood in the doorway of her room while she sifted through the papers on her desk. She still haven't see me until she found the one she was looking for.
"Oh. Good morning Princess Jisoo" she bowed at me just before she put on her coat.
"About what happened yesterday, I just want to say sorr-" I started to say, but she waved her hand to quiet me.
"Oh Princess, that shouldn't bother you. Come here" her face softening while she studied me.
I walked towards her, my eyes were getting blurry. But just before the drops fell, she stopped it immediately.
"Don't" she said as she was trying to take my threatening tears away.
"Where were you?" she persisted, giving me a glass of water.
"I'm at the library. I'm really sorry unnie" I apologized once again.
"Don't be. I know you aren't in yourself these past few days. That's why I understand why did you do that."
"Unnie" I just muttered.
"But next time, give me heads up, okay?" she reminded me as she gave me a warm embrace.
"That won't happen again. I promise" I searched for her pinky finger.
"Such a baby. My precious little girl. Anyway, there are things I need to attend now. Just call me if you ever need something, okay? I'll be heading out first." we left her room, Ms. Dara was going to her agenda and I was going back to my room.
When I was about to enter my room, I saw a maid coming out from Jin's room. She was holding a brown box as she was closing his room.
I don't know what was gotten into me but I approched her.
"Hi" I greeted.
"Omo. Good morning Princess. What can I do for you?" startled, she greeted me back.
"Oh nothing. I'm just wondering where will you take that?" I asked.
"This one? This is Prince Jin's trash, Princess. Every other morning, it is an order for me to check Prince Jin's bin" the maid explained.
"May I?" I knew that sounded crazy but I happened to ask if can get his trash.
"Are you sure Princess?" of course she never expected the question from me.
"Yes" and just like that the maid gave me the box just before she continued to do her other chores.
Intrigued, I brought the box with me in my room. These were papers as I guessed while holding the box. I put it on my table as I began to open it.
They were all scratch from his reports and some were his assignments from school and just before I emptied the box, I opened a folded seem like photopaper.
This was one of the photos that I saw the other day in his darkroom. Why it is in the trash? Does Jin know this? I check the remaining photopapers and all these were Irene's pictures.
I couldn't help but to think. Why?
I knew if I texted him, he still won't answer. But I need to try again this time. Maybe if I mentioned her name, he'll reply and so I texted him again.
Msg: Can I call? It's about Irene.
Just seconds apart, I heard my phone beeped indicating that I got a message. Right now, I'm wishing that this isn't Jin, that this is someone else. But when I looked at my phone, it's him.
Msg: Sure.
And just like that, a tear fell from my eyes for no apparent reason.
He instantly replied when I mentioned her name. I scoffed as I dried my face. I'm quite sure now that these pictures weren't supposed to be in the trash. I dialled his number, hating the unsatisfied ache in my middle.
"What will I tell him? That you misplaced some of your important captured pictures in the trash." I muttered as I was waiting for him to pick up the call.
I realized that it was a foolish move so just before he accepted my call, I ended it. What am I doing?
"I didn't misplace it" I shivered when I heard his actual voice in my room.
I felt that he walked closer to me, my back facing him.
"Stop right there" I spatted. I don't think I'm ready to face him now.
Is he really back? I moved one step away. He ignored me and continued to stride near me.
"I told you to stop. If you even come one step closer, I'm gonna kill you" I warned him, my voice was about to break.
"That hurts. It's been so long since the last time I see and talk to my wife and now you're not letting me come close to you?" he said as he was trying to please me.
"You pissed me off. You make other people feel like crap. You're still the greatest jerk after all" after saying that, I couldn't hold back so I began to sob.
My mixed emotions were messing me. I wanted to punch him at the same time I wanted him to comfort me.
He completely walked towards me and as he faced me, he slowly wrapped me in his arms. I didn't fight back cause my longing for him dominated. He buried my face onto his chest, his hand gently caressing my back.
"I know. I think we better go together next time. I promise you that. I'm sorry" he tightened the hug, securing me that trips without me won't happen again.
As we were hugging each other, I saw Ms. Dara, Butler Bang and the other maids were watching us, with adoration.
JIN's POV
My heart weakened cause I made her cry again. I knew that I was jerk and that was so stupid of me. But this recent trip of mine gave me certainty and somehow this helped me to pursue who I really wanted.
Jisoo let me go back in my room, giving me some time to rest. She thought that the trip back here was tiring and she was right. But there was one thing I really wanted to do but I don't think it's the right time.
I was reading while I was waiting to get sleepy when Jisoo knocked in my room.
"Knock knock" she said as she entered my room.
"It's so cold and I got nothing to do. Are you going to sleep now?" she asked, taking the couch near my bed.
"I already took my medicine but- achoo!! I'm sorry" she sneezed.
"Did you come here to give me your cold virus?" I joked while I moved to the other side of my bed.
"Good thing, you noticed" she made face at my joke.
"Wanna come in for a while?" I offered as I patted the space beside me.
"What?" she was shocked as she tried to cover her body from me. I chuckled at her reaction.
"What's with the surprised face? Don't worry this bed has a hardwood charcoal gem mat on the bottom so it's warm." I assured her that I was just helping, for her not to be feeling cold.
"Well, I accept your offer" slowly, she climbed up to my bed. As soon as she felt the mattress, her body started to relax.
"This feels so good" lying on my bed, she heavenly sighed.
"I didn't come to you. You didn't text me back. So I think we're even now, right?" she almost whispered but I still able to hear it from her clearly.
I think this is the right time to tell her this, so I got ready myself. Gathering all my manly guts, I bravely opened up to her.
"Jisoo, I still have one more thing to say to you and I want you to know this" I said as I shifted my body to her direction.
When I faced her, I saw a sleeping Jisoo already. She fell asleep so fast. I'll just tell her as soon as she wakes up.
Jisoo is lying next to me. And I am almost half asleep, wondering what I did to deserve this moment- to deserve her. And while she's here, breathing easily, all I can think about is what I can do tomorrow to be better for her than I was today.
I slowly put my hand at the back of her head as I tried to pull her closer to me. I fixed the comforter around her. The other hand of mine softly brushed her face. She was having a slightly fever. Good thing, she already took her medicine.
While I was watching her sleeping, I couldn't help myself from restraining to kiss her. I was about to give her a kiss on her forehead when suddenly I heard the Queen yelled outside my room.
"I said open the door!" she said as the maids opened the door for her.
While Jisoo and I were almost hugging here in my bed, my mother stood in front of my doorway. She was angry. I didn't know what to do but to wake Jisoo up. She didn't want to wake up at first but when I repeatedly tapped her shoulder, she got up in panic mode.
"What do you think you are doing?" the Queen said, she wasn't pleased.
"It's not what you think, your Highness" Jisoo tried to explain.
"The fact is, this is the room of the Crown Prince. It's my personal and independent space. You can't just barge in here like this. Don't you think your Highness should abide by common courtesy?" Jin spontaneously reasoned out.
"She's having a fever and I just offered her a warm place to sleep" he added, Jin was starting to get pissed.
"Do you think the Crown Prince has the right to talk back to me right now?!" she countered back as she was about to throw a folder to me, eventually she didn't.
"Princess Jisoo, stay outside for a while" she commanded.
Since Jisoo was already scared, she immediately obeyed the Queen and ran outside my room. As soon as Jisoo was out of sight, she dropped the folder in my table.
"Someone send this to me! I already paid him so he won't send this to any newspaper company" she elaborated.
I stood up from my bed and check what was inside the folder.
"That's from a Thai paparazzi" even if I still haven't seen what this was, cold sweat started to appear at my extremities.
"Is that true? Why did you do such a thing? How can you be so thoughtless?!!" she asked me like she wasn't believing it.
"Come to the main palace and explained that to the King" she yelled at me just before she walked out like a storm.
All I could do was to shut my eyes in frustration. I was ready to explain everything but I was just astounded that someone had still see me that time. I dropped the picture at the table, indignantly.
JISOO's POV
As soon as the Queen stormed out, I went back to Jin's room.
"Why is she mad? You shouldn't talked back to her like that, Jin" I chastised him. His tone went overboard a while ago.
"Don't worry, I'll come with you to expla-" but my words were cut off when I saw the picture at his table.
"What's this? Were you two in Thailand together?" my eyes were locked in the picture.
"That's what I want to te-"
"You're unbelievable" I reacted right before I coughed.
"Stop wondering about useless things right now, Jisoo. Worry about your health instead" he said as he noticed that my condition got worse.
"Who cares if I'm sick or not? That's none of your business. My health is fine so stop avoiding the main issue here" I was about to walk out but Jin stopped me.
"Your health is fine? Do you know that everyone is at their edge as they're watching you? What's so agonizing that you can't even eat?" I felt his grip on my elbow tightened.
"Why do you care if I starve or freeze to death!" just one more blink, these tears were starting to fall.
"Could you let me hear first?"
"I didn't know you were having a good time there. That made me feel so stupid" I tilted my head in dismay and soon, I walked out from his room.