Seoran, facing Kang, showed no particular change in expression even at that moment. There wasn’t any other particular sign either. In other words, she seemed neither pleased to see him nor reluctant to see him.
It wasn’t that he’d thought she would greet him with special enthusiasm.
Kang, who was already embarrassed in various ways by the earlier situation, felt a bit awkward about that situation which he would normally have thought nothing of. Though it was because of that brat Hwan, he felt secretly sorry for having such an absurd misunderstanding and didn’t know what to say.
But a moment later, at what Seoran silently held out, undisguisable bewilderment settled over Kang’s face.
“…What’s this?”
What she held in her hand was none other than a single flower that Huiseo had given him just moments ago. A small thing with a round and plump form that simultaneously elegantly emanated an intense and precious color—a red chrysanthemum.
‘Why a flower?’
However, what Kang was even more surprised by were the words Seoran said while holding it out.
“I heard Your Highness likes them.”
“…Pardon?”
“Is that not so?”
“It’s not that it isn’t, but…”
Answering like that, when he inadvertently received it respectfully with both hands, Seoran’s left eyebrow rose slightly. Of course, Kang still had no idea what that meant.
As expected, he had a face that said he had no idea at all.
However, Kang quickly surmised that this puzzling behavior of Seoran’s must be related to Huiseo, who had given him this flower just moments ago. Right, he’d definitely said something while handing it over. Had that been the story that he liked this flower?
How on earth had they ended up talking about such things?
Kang, who turned his gaze toward where Huiseo had been to request help, soon couldn’t help but make another dumbfounded expression.
‘…Where did he go?’
Not only Huiseo but even Hwan, who had come with him, had vanished without a word.
“…Ha.”
These guys?
Kang let out an exasperated sigh.
***
Usually, it was mainly Hwan who caused such absurd incidents.
But this time was different. Surprisingly, it was Huiseo who grabbed Hwan’s hand and secretly ran away. It was a scene that even Hwan, who was being dragged along, couldn’t readily believe. Normally, he should be the one committing such acts, and Huiseo should be nagging beside him that it was rude and wrong.
‘But why?’
From earlier, there had been nothing but things whose circumstances he couldn’t understand, but still, Hwan decided to obediently let himself be dragged along since it was something Huiseo was doing. In his experience, that was usually the right answer. Also, looking at his own hand that Huiseo had grabbed with such force, he felt pleased for no reason.
So Hwan found it quite regrettable when Huiseo completely left the Crown Prince’s Palace and let go of his hand.
“Why did we run away?”
“…Because I thought that would be more helpful for now?”
Though he was still puzzled about what that meant, that wasn’t what was important to Hwan now. Soon coming to his senses with a start, he tried to confirm whether Huiseo really hadn’t had any problems.
“You didn’t hear anything weird or anything like that, right?”
“No. She called me because she had something she wanted to ask me.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
No matter how many times he answered no, Hwan couldn’t quite remove his suspicions.
And for good reason—it should have been just once or twice. Until now, even after going to the Empress Dowager’s Palace and hearing harsh words, Huiseo had kept lying saying “nothing happened, I’m fine,” so it was in a way natural that he couldn’t easily believe him. He couldn’t accept it like an idiot saying “I see.” Hwan felt he had no choice but to doubt endlessly.
“Are you sure?”
“…I said no. How many times do I have to say this?”
“I swear?”
“…Are you kidding?”
“Mm, I guess not.”
As Huiseo’s expression froze coldly at the continuously following questions, Hwan finally believed Huiseo’s words that it wasn’t so. Because of that, the angry Huiseo soon threatened as if he’d grab him by the collar, but he knew that too was just a pretense.
Because Huiseo would never dare do such a thing outside, and above all, his expression had actually improved much more than before coming here. Though he didn’t know well, he thought that perhaps the worries that had troubled him had been somewhat resolved. The carefree expression he was seeing after so long was gratifying to see.
‘Thank goodness.’
That was enough for Hwan.
Watching him grinning like a fool with such thoughts, Huiseo furrowed his brow briefly before finally bursting into short laughter as if he couldn’t be helped. That sight under the beating autumn sunlight was pretty, warming Hwan’s heart.
“Should we go back now?”
Though Huiseo also rejected with a smiling face the hand Hwan held out while asking that. Still, seeing his steps ahead heading back toward his quarters again, Hwan smiled broadly.
***
As the palace’s commotion seemed to be settling down like that, conversely, matters at school now began to go awry rapidly. It was about the matters related to Hwan that had been continuously grating on his nerves from before.
Among kids, “atmosphere” was really important. After all, it was a time when they were most easily swept up in such things.
But as mentioned earlier, the problem became that as “some” guys sent such blatant looks toward Hwan like that, giggling and sneering and preemptively taking the atmosphere of finding Hwan disagreeable, other guys also at some point began to tacitly condone and overlook them.
Because of that, a fire was lit, and now some guys seemed displeased with everything Hwan did.
Outdoor physical education time.
As always, Hwan and Huiseo couldn’t escape being left out in one corner of the playground, using observation as an excuse. But as things about Hwan began to look disagreeable to them, now even that seemed to feel like special treatment to them. The glances that reached them were quite full of dissatisfaction.
‘Why is he sitting so comfortably like that?’
‘We’re running around sweating like this.’
‘What’s so great about being a prince?’
Seeing how their lips were sticking out, it was quite obvious they were thinking such thoughts.
No, who was it because of that Hwan couldn’t mingle and exercise together and was excluded like this in the first place? Because of that, this side could barely participate in practical exams and was barely getting basic points. If it were Huiseo, who was absolutely terrible at physical activities, that would be one thing, but for Hwan it was a clear loss.
But as if they’d completely forgotten such points, a subtle atmosphere continued and finally someone picked a fight.
“Come on, it’s not like people die from playing dodgeball, this is too much.”
When one person muttered like that full of dissatisfaction, fierce gazes swept along converged on Hwan in turn.
“Right. Shouldn’t we do it together?”
“You can at least do this much. Even if you’re a prince.”
“Teacher, don’t you think this is unfair?”
Watching those malicious appearances, Hwan was simply dumbfounded.
‘…Don’t they know I exercised when I was young?’
Was it too long ago? He even wanted to grab them and ask out of genuine curiosity.
They seemed to think someone would be scared by this, but their delusion was way too severe. Looking at how everyone was pushing him like this with one heart and mind, whether Hwan refused or reluctantly participated, they seemed to want to watch and sneer at him cowering and running away scared by the attacks coming at him.
But they were greatly mistaken.
‘Even better.’
For Hwan, whose body had always been itching because others were running around freely while he alone was forced to sit still, it was just a grateful situation. Rather, it was cute that they thought they’d be opponents when they were the ones rotting without moving properly, saying they were studying.
So Hwan readily smiled and stood up.
“You’re right. I’ll do it too.”
To the physical education teacher who was having difficulty with the kids’ continued protests, Hwan readily said so.
“Y-you will?”
“Yes. Well, what’s the big deal about dodgeball? Like someone said, it’s not like anyone dies.”
“…Please don’t say such scary things.”
“What do I get if I win?”
Saying that, watching Hwan holding his head high and acting confidently, a few sharp-witted ones among the guys who had been leading the uncomfortable atmosphere from before tilted their heads thinking ‘This doesn’t seem right.’ They were subsequently whispering among themselves and exchanging glances, but it was already too late.
Hwan, who lightly picked up the dodgeball rolling on the dirt ground, suddenly threw it with force.
At none other than the real instigator of this matter. Choi Yuwon.
Bang!
One of Yuwon’s eyes contorted as he caught the ball that flew roughly with a loud sound.
“…Ha.”
However, because he too had a temperament no less formidable than Hwan’s, he soon returned that caught ball equally roughly to Hwan. It seemed to mean he absolutely wouldn’t go easy on him just because he was a prince.
That was truly an ironic thing.
Though thanks to Huiseo who hung out with him in childhood there wasn’t much resentment left in his heart now, the thing Hwan had so desired was being realized through Yuwon of all people, and with such bad intentions at that. Finding the situation absurd, Hwan bounced the ball and smiled self-deprecatingly.
‘Since it’s come to this anyway, should I beat him up good?’
Hwan naturally intended to be on a different team from Yuwon. Of course, Yuwon must have inwardly wanted that and created this situation too. The two people, who had recently accumulated quite a bit of bad feelings toward each other, exchanged fierce looks.
The other guys weren’t unaware of that sharp atmosphere. Since such a thing had happened from the first day Yuwon transferred, unless they were idiots, they couldn’t not notice. Everyone shrewdly avoided the two people who were exchanging tense glares as if they’d fight any moment, in case sparks flew their way.
However, on the other hand, that sight also seemed to feel thrilling. He also felt sparkling gazes alternating between looking at Hwan and Yuwon. Since watching fights was said to be the most fun spectacle in the world, it wasn’t incomprehensible.
However, there was one problem remaining in the fight between the two that would soon follow.
It was Huiseo.
Since Prince Hwan was readily participating, Huiseo couldn’t very well be playing on the side. However, unlike Hwan who was confident as if he’d been waiting for this, Huiseo didn’t have the ability to fly around like that.
When Huiseo naturally stepped forward saying he’d be on the same team as Hwan, Hwan showed an obviously proud expression as if to annoy someone. But in fact, this was a handicap by anyone’s view.
Because there was no way Hwan would just watch Huiseo get hit by the ball.
