‘…When did they ask me to take pictures? Ban it?’
At public opinion that changed completely like flipping a palm, a hollow laugh burst from the lips of the dumbfounded Hwan.
‘No, but, why? …Wasn’t it just ordinary?’
Unable to understand where and how there was no sincerity, Hwan tilted his head.
Since they were criticizing him so much, Hwan wore a somewhat sheepish expression, but soon shook his head and focused on Huiseo’s photo again. Unlike his selfie that was filled with disappointment, lament, or mockery, fortunately, comments saying it was pretty were still being posted in various languages below his photo.
‘Good.’
Hwan’s lips curved up.
But soon, though it was good… somehow it felt insufficient.
In fact, knowing the reason, Hwan glanced once at Huiseo reading a book beside him, then subtly turned the phone screen’s direction toward himself. So only he could see. Though he was already doing so, there was nothing wrong with being more careful.
Only after that did he quietly move his finger and opened a page he’d hidden away deep in his bookmarks.
After a brief loading period, on the main screen of the site that appeared, against a background of lush greenery, were small letters sparkling white.
‘HwanHui’s Garden’
As for this place, it was a secret space Hwan had been frequenting constantly lately.
***
Unlike Huiseo, who was mentioned earlier as not being very knowledgeable about internet matters, Hwan spent most of his idle time when not with Huiseo holding his phone. While doing so, searching for his own name, Huiseo’s name, and such here and there was actually one of his few hobbies.
Of course, there couldn’t be only good words.
Even more so for Hwan, who caused big and small troubles almost daily.
However, unless Huiseo directly said something, no words could easily hurt Hwan. Even if people whose faces he didn’t know arbitrarily chattered to their heart’s content saying “not like imperial family,” “attention seeker”—they were just sounds that would all disappear with just a scroll.
Rather, the ingenious gushing comments from people he occasionally saw while browsing around were so funny and entertaining.
What he thought was dirty turned out to be “The Love,” and suddenly there was war but it was “beauti-War.”
This level was just the very basics—Korean people were truly so witty that once addicted, he absolutely couldn’t quit.
‘HwanHui’s Garden’ was, so to speak, a site he’d accidentally discovered while browsing around like that.
‘…What exactly is this place?’
A site for sharing gardening tips?
Even Hwan didn’t know exactly what kind of place it was at first.
While searching for his and Huiseo’s names, it came up together several times, so out of curiosity he accessed it, but on the lushly green eco-friendly main screen, it was quite difficult to figure out how to proceed to the next page. He tried wildly attacking the background screen, but it was useless.
‘Is it a riddle, or what?’
However, based on slightly more persistent searching, when he soon learned about the real meaning of that name, Hwan couldn’t help but sit up abruptly from his half-lying position and cheerfully strike—tak—his own forehead.
‘Crazy.’
HwanHui’s Garden!
“HwanHui” taking “Hwan” from Hwan and “Hui” from Huiseo.
That place was filled with people cheering on Hwan and Huiseo, the two of them, together in “a certain sense.” Upon learning that fact, Hwan pressed the join button as if possessed on the spot. The fact that it happened to be a period when the registration window was open also felt like fate.
However, the procedure to join there was extremely complicated.
Not only quizzes related to the two, but having to write essay-style answers to various questions required considerable time and effort. But Hwan wasn’t one to be deterred by such trials. No, in fact, this didn’t even count as a trial.
He was none other than the person in charge of “Hwan” in “HwanHui.” He was confident that there was no one who knew more about or liked Huiseo more than himself. No matter what they asked, he couldn’t not know.
‘This much is a piece of cake.’
There was no way he wouldn’t pass. If only studying were like this. In the past, it would’ve been passing the state examination with top honors.
After that too, he was so diligent in his activities that before he knew it, a brilliantly sparkling crown was hung next to his nickname. At least in this place, there was no post Hwan didn’t see, no post he didn’t read. Whether agonizing posts, photos, or secondary creations, Hwan looked at everything with sparkling eyes.
‘Fun!’
There were so many talented people. Every single one was fascinating.
Though none of them could dream that it was really Hwan watching.
Coming back, in that secret place Hwan had entered, unlike on SNS where many passersby could see everything as is, there were definitely more raw comments.
[Those are what you call delicate jade hands]
[The side line is crazy perfect kiss it]
[What’s today’s fanservice? Trying to make my stomach burst? Give me more]
[The difference in photo sincerity lololol]
[Huiseo that Hwan takes is really pretty why? Why else because he loves him]
Hwan’s head nodded naturally at every word making sense.
‘Yes, this is it!’
He struggled to hold back from suddenly blocking his nose in emotion.
At the cheering and loving reactions, Hwan too couldn’t help but be happy. As expected, HwanHui’s Garden was fun and enjoyable today too. Inside here, no one could know whether he was a prince or what, so he was free.
While at it, Hwan mixed in among them and subtly left comments too.
[What would happen if they took a selfie together lololol]
[↳ Huiseo won’t take it ㅠㅠ (edit/delete)]
[↳ That… I can’t refute;]
Though he used a crying emoticon, on Hwan’s lips doing so was a subtle smile.
Of course, Hwan knew too. That the people gathered on this site were actually just “playing” by pairing the two out of interest, as a hobby, for fun. The time shared here was truly enjoyable, but still, it would be troublesome to mistakenly think everyone would understand and accept his feelings in reality too.
‘It’s a futile thing.’
I know. Myself too.
However, for Hwan, this place had become the only anonymous confession space he had.
Where in the world could he openly talk about his feelings? There was no way Hwan had such a place. Damn it, this time too, it was because of the fact that he was a prince.
***
Of course, to other people, Hwan might be considered not particularly the hiding type. Because he couldn’t hide his feelings and sometimes threw tantrums stubbornly. But if they said that, Hwan would feel very wronged.
Because from his standpoint, he was actually restraining himself tremendously even at this level.
In truth, he really liked him. Really, really liked him a lot.
‘It’s not a joke…’
It was so upsetting to have to brush it off like a joke every time.
‘Why are you crying?’
In childhood, that day hiding and crying in the most secluded corner of Gyeongbokgung Palace, from the moment they met by chance, he liked him like fate. A little kid holding an armful of thick books with difficult titles he couldn’t even understand. After standing up holding the small hand he offered, Hwan’s world turned 180 degrees.
While those small little kids grew this big, such feelings also grew and became clearer day by day. At some point when he’d just entered puberty, he wanted to shout that he liked him just by making eye contact with Huiseo.
‘I like you, Huiseo-ya. I, you, very much.’
To a degree where he could never be satisfied with something like friends.
Looking at it, even now those feelings weren’t much different, but as his head grew a bit more, Hwan learned that no matter how immature he was, he absolutely must not let such words out of his mouth. As before, this was all because of this insignificant and useless, damn prince status.
The empire’s prince, liking a friend, a man.
The fact of such a thing becoming known was a matter on a different dimension from those trivial troubles like Hwan wanting to go to a PC room or wanting to dye his hair.
It would turn the country upside down.
No matter how much they chattered enthusiastically about how the world had changed and people were enlightened, beneath that were roots that had continued for many years.
Now, being within the framework of friends, there were also people who found his appearance of being crazy about Huiseo funny and cute. However, once they finally learned the truth, even those people might transform and gather densely in Gwanghwamun Square holding stones.
‘No.’
So it couldn’t be.
Because he liked him, he couldn’t ask Huiseo to be hit with those stones together.
So this was a secret only his own, that absolutely couldn’t be told to Huiseo or anyone else.
***
“Among those who got 3 English quiz questions right, Your Highness probably has the most carefree face.”
Hwan, who had been lost in thought for a moment, hurriedly put away his phone only after hearing Huiseo’s pointed rebuke. Since Huiseo so kindly pointed it out specifically, Hwan’s chest was pricked—kuk—once again.
3 questions.
Embarrassing but true.
Though he’d struggled belatedly on the same day, as expected, the wall of reality was high.
Though he said that, perhaps because he hadn’t had such high expectations in the first place, Huiseo didn’t particularly add words reproaching Hwan after that either.
However, having boasted so much yet only getting 3 correct, feeling sheepish and sorry even to himself, Hwan couldn’t help but watch Huiseo’s reactions all day.
