“I like you! Your Highness!”
Though it’s a bit embarrassing to say with my own mouth, being suddenly caught and confessed to like this wasn’t particularly new. However, from Hwan’s perspective—who had openly sung about liking Huiseo both inside and outside—this would be difficult to understand.
‘Why?’
Why on earth won’t they believe me? Did it seem that much like a joke?
In truth, Hwan also wondered why all those people confessed to him. No, he wondered what about himself seemed so appealing. Everyone, even little kids who hadn’t even started school yet, knew that the princes of this country weren’t particularly impressive.
Did the name “prince” still seem that fascinating despite all that?
To be clear, it was all pointless.
There was nothing they could gain from him.
‘…If there had been something, I would have given it all to Huiseo long ago.’
With such feelings, Hwan’s expression looking down at the underclassman girl standing before him was only full of difficulty. As always, this was quite a ridiculous sight.
The person confessing to him and himself standing awkwardly before them.
That much was ordinary, but the problem was the fact that Huiseo was watching all of this from the side. It was like a three-way confrontation. Because of that, interested gazes began gathering one by one as always.
Becoming a spectacle wasn’t particularly pleasant, but it couldn’t be helped.
As seen earlier, multiple security vehicles followed them to keep up appearances while going between the palace and school, but even so, they couldn’t make such a fuss even inside the school building. It would be quite a disturbance to the students studying.
But since he couldn’t be left alone, in such cases Huiseo’s role became crucial instead.
He couldn’t be separated from Hwan.
That meant he had to be present for everything like this to prepare for any situation.
“……”
“……”
“……”
In the awkward silence, Hwan rolled his eyes to gauge Huiseo’s reaction.
Like a child who had done something wrong.
Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t his fault. No, would he even think of this as a “fault”? Because Huiseo’s face seemed somehow nonchalant, Hwan, who had become anxious in that direction too, had to quietly bite his molars.
Meanwhile, the other party, who was ultimately more anxious, spoke first.
“Originally… I was satisfied just watching. But summer break is coming soon. When I thought about not being able to see you, so…”
She fidgeted with her restless hands while conveying words filled with earnest feelings pressed down tight, but regrettably, Hwan, who was listening, only pressed his temples with a weary air. So the words that would come from him could never be good ones.
“First of all, suddenly blocking me like this is troublesome, okay?”
Then Huiseo, who was beside him, secretly poked him from behind.
“…Huh?”
When he turned around, he was making various eye signals, which seemed to mean his tone just now had been too cold. Hwan was dumbfounded by this.
‘Who’s worrying about whom here?’
What, so you want me to accept it kindly? Would that be better? How can someone be this oblivious—Hwan’s expression was sullen as he thought this.
But where could he even express such complaints? Taking it out on the person he was facing would be even more absurd.
Because of that, Hwan let out a big sigh and ultimately answered with more carefully chosen words as Huiseo wanted.
“…I’m sorry, but I have someone I like.”
“Huiseo?”
“Yeah.”
The only one flustered by this conversation that followed so naturally seemed to be Huiseo, who was standing off to the side.
He stood there expressionlessly as if he hadn’t heard anything, but both his cheeks were flushed red as heat rushed to his face. In fact, this wasn’t the first or second time for such a situation, yet it was such a consistent reaction.
The answer people who confessed to Hwan heard always included “Huiseo’s” name.
“My ideal type? Well. Someone like Huiseo?”
“I’d like someone prettier than Huiseo. Haven’t seen anyone like that yet.”
“Kinder than Huiseo? That’s impossible.”
“I hope they’re as smart and cool as Huiseo. Oh, is Huiseo first in the whole school?”
When he said these kinds of things that made Huiseo’s face burn hot enough to drive him crazy, most people would leave with disgusted faces even though they’d come to confess. There had been quite a few people rejected like this until now. Especially recently, it had been even more so.
Huiseo had even asked him to please stop doing that, but Hwan was immovable.
But this time, he was doing something even more shocking.
“I like Huiseo.”
Not “more than Huiseo” or “as much as Huiseo,” but he’d said it outright like that.
Huiseo’s gaze as he looked at Hwan in surprise wavered endlessly.
Then a flash of resentment passed through the eyes of the girl standing in front of Hwan. Not only toward Hwan, of course, but also toward Huiseo standing beside them. Even receiving such a look, Hwan appeared quite composed, but Huiseo, who had no immunity yet, flinched and trembled.
Before those two, the other party trembled all over and voiced her discontent.
“…No matter how much you reject someone, this is too insincere. If you don’t like me, you can just say you don’t like me. How can you play with someone’s feelings like that?”
At words that followed exactly as expected without a single difference, Hwan slowly let out a deep breath.
‘Right, this is the normal reaction.’
Even when I say it this openly, people don’t believe it.
‘…My feelings.’
Hwan stood silently before her, just standing there composedly.
In fact, it was because there was nothing particular to say. He couldn’t deny it wasn’t a joke given his position, and since it really wasn’t a joke, he didn’t feel like apologizing. He’d already apologized for not being able to accept her feelings. It was ridiculous to say sorry several times.
However, the other party seemed to think differently.
She even bit her lower lip seeing Hwan not budge even after she’d said this much. If he hadn’t been a prince, he probably would have gotten hit at least once, he thought. Then she finally glared fiercely at the innocent Huiseo before turning around and stomping away, and the explosive situation came to an end.
Watching her retreating figure, both Hwan and Huiseo let out deep sighs.
***
Between the two people left in an awkward atmosphere, it was Huiseo who spoke first. He moved his lips hesitantly before drooping both shoulders and speaking in a pleading tone.
“…I’m really starting to get scared of walking alone at night, so could you please think of a different repertoire?”
The resentful look from earlier was so chilling that he felt like he’d have nightmares. Really, at this rate, it wouldn’t be strange at all if he got stabbed out of nowhere.
So it was a polite request, but Hwan gave a firm answer right away without even pretending to think.
“Yeah. No. Why would you walk alone at night? Just walk with me.”
“That’s not what I mean… Why do you keep bringing me into it?”
“Because it’s effective! You saw it last time too, didn’t you? When I said she had to be prettier than you, she just accepted it and left?”
At Hwan’s confident words, Huiseo couldn’t hide his dumbfounded expression.
“How is that acceptance? She was so dumbfounded she couldn’t say anything!”
“No? I saw it clearly. Those eyes of defeat.”
…Defeat?
They bickered for a bit, but as Hwan’s incomprehensible nonsense continued, Huiseo felt dizzy for a moment. Thinking it would only drain his energy to continue, he gave an insincere acknowledgment saying “Fine, sure.”
“…Really. Don’t blame me later when you can’t get married because of strange rumors.”
Still wanting to shoot back one last remark before walking away, it was a thoughtless jab he made. But such an unexpectedly tremendous answer came back that Huiseo, rarely, turned to look at Hwan with a surprised face as if he might hiccup.
“Why would I get married? When I have you.”
Good heavens, he said such things without a single change in expression.
Even though it was something frightening enough to worry if anyone might hear.
Huiseo’s mind raced busily to gauge what on earth Hwan’s words meant or what kind of prank it was. That was all clearly visible in Hwan’s eyes. Eyes widened round in surprise, lips that wouldn’t quite close. Even the two cheeks flushed pink. There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t like about it.
He wanted him to be conscious of it.
Those words. Himself. Even just a little more.
The pleased Hwan soon asked in a voice that couldn’t be more playful:
“Why? Were you going to get married and leave me behind?”
“No, what I meant was…”
“Oh, no?”
“No! What are you talking about, really!”
Though “no” was a representative verbal habit of wronged Koreans, the cunning Hwan, who couldn’t possibly not know that, pretended not to know and pressed Huiseo. A beat late, Huiseo cried out that he truly meant no, but it was useless.
“I see, so Huiseo also won’t get married, just like me.”
Having heard only what he wanted to hear, Hwan leisurely even clasped his hands behind his back and took steps toward the cafeteria again. To Huiseo, who urgently followed behind saying “Wait. You’re not going to go around saying strange things, are you?”, Hwan made a completely irrelevant earnest request.
“Alright. Let’s keep living like this even when we become bent old men. Got it?”
“…How can a prince become a bent old man without even getting married?”
“If I say I will, why can’t I?”
“…Let’s not talk about this.”
“Why? Want to bet? Whether I can or can’t? Shall we bet? Really?”
This time, conversely, Huiseo waved his hands and walked quickly as if running away from the clingy Hwan.
Though of course, there was no way he could really escape.
