_____________

Downpour.

Thick dark clouds had blotted out the stars. In the darkness of his room, the Prince laid wide awake, solemn. His thoughts overcrowded his mind. With each breath he took, he grew anxious, and it made him unable to fall asleep.

Outside, it had stopped raining.

"I. Will. Wait. For. You."

The words kept playing in his head, and Taehyung's face when he had said those words to him - looking so promising, showing a bright smile.

Tsk. And I believed him.

His eyes fell on the twinkling object placed tidily on the surface of a tiny cabinet.

His voice came out deep. "I can't believe I bought that." A heavy breath escaped his lips. Facing the other side, he closed his eyes shut tightly.

All those times when he had embraced so many lovers, he didn't need to think about loving them but only about the physical touch and sensations between them to reach the heights of ecstacy. It was pure lust, nothing more. He could've fallen for any of them, instead here he was getting drawn to a boy whom he had never intented to get attracted to in the first place.

As he got lost in his thoughts, he heard a loud thud from outside. Thinking it must've been some animal, he ignored it. Eventually, he fell asleep.

***

Soon it was morning, and his entire room bathed in sunlight. The Prince got dressed, and after having a light breakfast brought in by a servant, he grabbed his fan and left.

For the first time ever - because of his own decision and not by force - Jimin stepped foot in his brother's palace. Fanning himself lightly, he wandered about in hopes of running into Taehyung.

Which he ultimately did.

He spotted a group of junior eunuchs around a tree, staring up, looking scared and cautious. Jimin wondered what was going on. Then, he heard a loud shout for help from the figure perched on one of the branches.

It was Taehyung.

Jimin chuckled, shaking his head with a look that said he had expected nothing more than this. His eyes fixed on Taehyung as he approached the group.

"Is this a new hobby?" Jimin asked with a teasing smile.

"Oh! It's the Prince!" Beomgyu uttered.

"Ssshh!" Yeonjun hissed at him.

In the presence of the Prince, the juniors immediately fell silent, their heads bowed with respect.

There was a scoff from above them.

"Why are you so scared of him?" Taehyung commented, sitting on the tree with one leg dangling off the branch. "The Prince is but a simple man like the rest of us!"

Hearing such words directed towards a royal, the juniors were in horror.

A laugh escaped the Prince's lips. "Only a person in his right mind would be afraid of a royal."

"Are you calling me retarded?" came an angry shout from above.

Jimin turned his attention to the five boys. "Do you not have other work to do?"

"Umm...yes, we do." Taehyun nodded.

"No." Beomgyu whispered innocently. Yeonjun quickly shut him up by placing his hand on Beomgyu's mouth.

"We do!" Soobin insisted, grabbing Beomgyu by the arm.

"Hmm. Let's go then." Huening Kai suggested.

With a final bow, the boys scurried away.

"Don't go! You're going to leave me like this!" Taehyung called after them. Shooting death glares at Jimin, he muttered through gritted teeth, "You scared my kids away! Now who's going to get me down?"

"Your kids?" Jimin raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, mine. Why? You got a problem?"

"No." Jimin said, holding back a laugh as he found Taehyung's reaction to be hilarious. "Since I am feeling humble today, I will help you."

"I refuse."

"Should I call my brother then?"

"No!" Taehyung said quickly, seeming embarrassed. Then, he frowned. "You help me."

"Me? But you refused my help." Jimin murmured innocently.

"Are you really going to do this right now?" Taehyung muttered furiously.

Jimin laughed. "Okay. Listen. This is what I want you to do. I want you to jump."

"Pfft! Are you out of your mind? I'll break my bones if I jump!"

"You won't." Jimin assured. Placing his precious fan down on the grass, he stretched his arms out up towards Taehyung.

"I will catch you."

Seeing the seriousness in the Prince's face, Taehyung decided maybe he should trust the Prince...just this one time.

"Fine." He reluctantly agreed. "I will jump."

"Okay."

"...I'm jumping now."

"Come on."

A loud 'Aahh' escaped Taehyung's lips as he leapt from the branch - and, perhaps the Prince had gotten too confident of his strength because he unable to bear the crushing weight.

Taehyung landed on top of the Prince whose body acted as a cushion.

"That was fun!" The boy atop chuckled happily.

Jimin groaned in pain. "You're heavy."

"Well, what'd you expect from a man taller than you." Taehyung remarked, getting off the Prince.

Jimin rolled his eyes. Grabbing his fan, he stood up and started dusting off the dirt on his silk robe. "Why were you even up there?"

"I was giving the kids a lesson on how to climb a tree."

Hearing the truth, the Prince bursted into laughter, earning a death glare from Taehyung, and still he kept on laughing with his face hidden behind his fan.

Taehyung stood up and dusted off the dirt on his pants. With a forced smile, he said, "Thanks for the help. I'll be going now."

Not a minute had he turned to leave, the Prince grasped his wrist.

Taehyung blinked at him. "What?"

Even the Prince himself looked apalled because of his action. "Yesterday..."

"What about it?" Taehyung asked innocently.

There was a brief silence, before the Prince said, "I'd come back for you."

"..."

"...You weren't there."

"You came back?" Taehyung sounded surprised. "I didn't know."

"...I see." The Prince said.

"Aiyah." Taehyung stretched his limbs. "I'm sorry. Something happened and I had to leave."

"Are you telling me you had waited?" Jimin face glowed. "Even for a brief moment, you had waited?"

"Of course. My options were limited. Either get wet or use an umbrella. I didn't have an umbrella." Taehyung shrugged.

"Then, what made you leave?"

"Ah. That..." Taehyung smiled nervously as he rubbed his nose.

So, why wasn't Taehyung waiting at the tea house? Choose the correct answer.

One. He met some pretty lady and went to pursue her.

Two. He had second thoughts about the courtesan house and decided to visit it.

Three. He got kidnapped.

All the above three options are wrong! Taehyung left because of he got bullied by terrible adults.
(Only they weren't adults but kids. Taehyung had changed that part to save face.)

***

Outside the pleasant smelling tea-house, Taehyung had been waiting for Jimin to return. As he was squatted down on his feet, one hand outstretched collecting rain water in his palm, four little children, wet and covered in mud, ran upto the tea-house to seek shelter from the downpour.

Such cuteness~

"It's raining a lot today." One of the little kid said. "I am completely wet."

"Me too, Jungwon. And, we didn't even get to play much." Another groaned.

"Ah! I'm covered in mud!" Another one complained, trying to wipe off the mud with his hands. "This is all your fault, Sunghoon!"

The one called Sunghoon retorted, "My fault?!"

"Yes! You splattered mud on my clothes. Because of you, mommy will give me a beating."

"Why did you run so close beside me then, Sunoo?" Sunghoon shrugged.

"I didn't!" Sunoo muttered.

"You did! Jungwon, you saw right? You did too, right, Heeseung?"

"I did!" Heeseung, the boy who had complained about not being able to play much, nodded.

"See." Sunghoon said, putting his tiny hands on his hips.

"Liar!" Sunoo started crying.

"Let's not fight now." Jungwon sighed as he walked over to Sunoo. Then, he lifted his hands and wiped the tears off Sunoo's face.

This kid has a kind heart.

Taehyung who had been watching them in amusement, lightly nodded his head, approving of Jungwon's speech and mature thinking.

"Ugh!" Heeseung srunched his face in disgust. "Jungwon, now you've got his snot on your robes!"

"Eeeeugh." Sunghoon said.

"It's alright." Jungwon assured with a smile. "Not a big deal."

A smile crept up on Taehyung's face. The innocence of the kid melted his heart.

Suddenly, Sunoo shot an angry look at him. With his tiny brows raised, he arrogantly said, "What are you gaping at?"

Taehyung was taken aback.

"Sunoo-ah, it isn't nice to talk to adults that way." Jungwon scolded calmly. He turned to Taehyung and bowed his head, "I am sorry."

Wah! What a nice child~ Hmm. I would like to have a son like him someday.

"It's okay." Taehyung smiled sweetly.

However, this other child -

That was when Kim Taehyung decided to tease these little children to pass his time. "You. You are Sunoo?"

"Why?" Sunoo asked suspiciously.

Taehyung shrugged. Casually he said, "Oh, just because on my way here, I saw a woman around in the streets with her slipper in her hand and she was saying, 'If I see a speck of dirt in Sunoo's clothes, instead of dinner, he'll be getting a good beating.'"

Sunoo's face darkened. In a low voice, he uttered, "...That must be mother."

"Eyy. Don't worry." Sunghoon tried to assure his friend.

"Yes. You're not all muddy. I am sure this uncle here is lying." Heeseung murmured.

"'Uncle!?' Little kids, who do you think you are calling uncle." Taehyung scoffed, feeling offended. "I am only twenty one, still fresh and bubbling with youth." Then, deepening his voice to sound more gruff and serious, he said, "And one more thing, I never lie."

The little kids were aghast.

Taehyung tried not to smile as he coyly said, "Mnnn. That Sunoo will get nicely today."

Hearing this, Sunoo started crying. His friends trying to calm him down.

"Eh. Why are you crying?" Taehyung asked, blinking his eyes. "Oh. No. It couldn't possibly be...you are Sunoo?"

"I am!" Sunoo let out a loud wail as his small eyes filled with tears.

"He is Sunoo!" Heeseung cried along.

"Sunoo, your buttocks will be all red now!" Sunghoon chuckled.

Jungwon turned to Taehyung. His eyes glazed as he asked, "Mister, are you sure it was Sunoo's mother?"

The other kids faced him as well, waiting for an answer.

"..."

Those big pair of eyes made Taehyung hesitate. Looking at the crying kids, he immediately regretted playing a trick on them.

What am I doing, picking on kids for my amusement? Ahh. I shouldn't have.

He cleared his throat. "Well, it might be for a different Sunoo."

"Did you hear that?" Jungwon said. "It's not you but some other Sunoo."

Sunoo slowly nodded, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand.

Taehyung let out a smile. "I'm sorry."

"Stop crying now, Sunoo. See, the uncle says he is sorry." Heeseung smiled.

I told you not to call me that!

Sunoo went quiet for a moment, then lifting his face, he looked at Taehyung. "You made me cry for nothing!"

Taehyung was astonished.

Sunoo was still talking. "...You should have made sure if it was me or some other boy."

"Why you little -" Taehyung was cut off short when Heeseung spoke, "Sunoo is right! Uncle is very bad!"

Taehyung was flabbergasted.

These bunch of kids weren't innocent like he had thought. Surely, they were adorable but they were devil-spawn.

He glanced at the kind Jungwon for help, but Jungwon refused to meet his eye.

Et tu, Jungwon.

Fine. Taehyung would deal with this by himself. Quickly, Taehyung said, "Don't talk like that to an adult."

"What kind of adult are you?" Sunoo said.

"Definitely not the responsible kind." Sunghoon added.

"You think I'm not responsible?" Taehyung forced out a laugh.

"Yes. I know a responsible man. I've seen one. My father."

Heeseung nodded. With accusing eyes, he said to Taehyung, "You seem more like the mooching-off kind."

"What..." Taehyung could barely speak.

"If you were responsible, you wouldn't have been here, but you are. You're stuck here like us." Heeseung pointed out.

Tsk! Where is that dirty Prince?! He left me here, didn't he!

"...I'm waiting for someone." Taehyung muttered.

"Are you?" Sunoo asked. "Do you have someone?"

"Hey -"

"Are you a beggar?" Sunghoon asked.

"What! No!"

"Do you have a family?" Sunoo asked.

"..."

"You don't? Aw..."

These children were now giving him condescending looks. Children!

"Then you must have no home to return to." Sunoo nodded.

"You have no one."

"Such a lonely man you are."

"I don't think you have a wife. Look at you."

"Ah. What a sore loser!"

Hearing insults after insults, Taehyung grimaced. His mind went blank. He felt dead inside.

Oh. It was a big mistake pranking them. Where are their parents? What are the parents creating nowadays?

I can't do this anymore...

He couldn't tolerate it no more. Lifting both his hands above his head to try to cover himself, he stepped out into the heavy rain and darted off.

He heard laughter behind.

***

The rain soaked him completely, but he did not care. He ran as fast as he could, passing by stalls after stalls, splashing through the puddles, even getting mud on his clothes.

"You have no one....", "You have no home...", "What a sore loser..."

He would be lying if he said he wasn't hurt. He couldn't help but get mad thinking who even taught those little children to speak that way?

"Tsk. Tiny rascals." He muttered under his breath.

But then his anger gradually subsided and he felt a knot grow in his chest. Taehyung became upset. The children were kind of right.

Does my character have a family? No...maybe not.

His character was created to die after all.

***

In the cool misty weather, as Taehyung came closer the palace, he caught sight of a figure, standing in the rain.

It was the King. With an umbrella. His blank face lightened up when his eyes fell on the person approaching him.

Taehyung forced out a smile. "Your Majesty, why are you out here?"

The King grasped Taehyung by the hand and pulled him under the umbrella. "...Waiting for you."

Hearing such sweet words come from the King made him forget all the cruel things that was said to him before in the blink of an eye.

Overwhelmed with delight, Taehyung was all smiles, and he couldn't stop.

"What?" The King asked curiously.

"Nothing." Taehyung chuckled. "Your Majesty, let's go in now."

"Alright."

"Hmm." Taehyung moaned, stretching his upper limbs as they headed to the palace. "I'm in a better mood now~"

The King glanced at the boy. "You're all wet. I will tell the servants to draw you a bath."

"Okay." Taehyung grinned. "And then after dinner, let's drink plum wine."

"Mn."

"Huh?" Taehyung blinked in surprise. He had obviously meant it as a joke. Who would've thought the King would take his words seriously?

After a thought, Taehyung laughed.

Those little kids back there didn't knew anything; the same went for the world. Teasing and making fun of Taehyung for nothing when in truth he had everything he could ask for right beside him.

That's right, he had one.

***
Authors Note:

So that was Enhypen!!!♡♡♡

Vote and comments are very much appreciated. Thanks ~