Life is an ongoing battle, but it's obvious that he keeps losing it.

He paces back and forth in front of the door, hands behind his back as his shoes click on the tiled floor. He takes a deep breath, stops- before continuing to pace back and forth just as the door swings open. He jumps back, half-surprised to see his friend, half-relieved to know that he won't have to knock on his bedroom door.

"It's 4 in the morning and you're already like a worm writhing under the hot sun in front of my door," the man who just came out of his room utters. "What brings me the honour to have Park Seonghwa standing in front of me?"

Seonghwa flexes his jaw, his disheveled blonde hair and the dark undereyes coming to light as he squeezes both of San's arms with pure strength fueled by the thought of his own stupidity.

"I lost it," he says in a whisper.

"You lost what?" San yawns, unaffected by the panic displayed by the older. "Your sanity?"

"Well I think I'm about to lose it now," Seonghwa says through gritted teeth. Then his shoulders slump as he takes San's hands in his, blinking his eyes rapidly. "I lost the ring."

"What ring?" San deadpans, but just as it comes to him his head snaps upright and he widens his eyes. "You lost the ring?!"

"Shh!" Seonghwa clamps a hand over the other's mouth before slapping it lightly to make him stop talking.

San pushes his hand away before repeating in a lower tone, "You lost the ring that Hongjoong made so that you can propose to Akira." He emphasizes in all the right places and with every emphasis Seonghwa squirms.

He takes a sharp breath, appearing defeated. "Essentially, yes."

"You're supposed to be proposing to her today!" San exclaims, shaking his head as he buries his head in his palms. "It's your birthday-"

"It doesn't matter whether it's my birthday!" Seonghwa says in a hushed voice before his puppy eyes return, pouting. "I was practicing in the garden yesterday-"

San holds back his laughter, clamping his mouth shut.

"-because it's a big moment for me and I don't want to mess it up. But then I got distracted with some crickets fighting and I tried to help them solve their problem. Apparently one stole food from the other and-" he shakes his head vigorously, "-that's not the point. The point is, after that I thought I left the ring on the bench together with the box, but when I went back to get it," he pauses, "it's gone." Before San can reply further he adds, "It was only, like, thirty minutes after I left the garden."

"You could ask any of your friends in the garden," San decides. "There are probably a lot of witnesses."

Seonghwa pauses before his lips form an 'O' shape and the intensity of the grey colour in his eyes decreases.

San crosses his arms. "Please don't tell me that you didn't even think about that. You're the only person around here who can talk to your other 'friends'" he does quotation marks, "yet you didn't even think about it."

"Of course I did," Seonghwa darts his eyes to the other direction, totally succeeding in making the younger believe him. "That was the first thing I thought of doing."

"Oh really? Then 'who' was the first you talked to?"

"On second thought, I might have to ask them again," Seonghwa utters before dashing, picking up speed as he chants 'idiot' to himself, supplemented by San's snickers.

With his hands swinging by his side in a futile effort to make himself walk faster, he throws open the heavy front doors of the palace before being greeted by the cold gust of morning wind. Slightly shivering as he pulls his sweater closer to his body, he descends the stairs, looking like he's about to take flight as he runs towards the garden.

He looks around to try and find the first witness he could talk to before spotting a small bird drinking near the birdbath set up among the flowers. He walks as quietly as he can in fear of scaring the animal, his mouth blowing out measured breaths. He clicks his tongue slowly, raising up a hand to make something akin to a wave to the bird before making himself appear harmless.

The blue bird slowly blinks as Seonghwa puts out his hand, inviting it to hop onto his slightly trembling finger. Despite being larger than the animal, he's pretty sure his size is not what's intimidating the bird. Even through the water reflection in the birdbath he looks like he hasn't slept in days - which truly could be the case because he can't stop thinking about how he would finally pop the question to Akira.

Akira Hwang, the general with black blood that finally made him break down the walls he had built around himself.

With the thought of his girl coming to him, purple pulses in his eyes as he smiles, swaying his body from side to side. His attempt to coax the bird onto his finger fails as the animal perceives him as a threat, even more as he can't stop staring into space while smiling.

Still smiling, he feels a hard slap to his back before he almost stumbles face-first into the birdbath, succeeding in fully scaring the bird away, with it flapping its wings in a hurry to escape. Even before turning around he knows who the culprit is with the help of a high-pitched laugh, and he utters his name begrudgingly through gritted teeth.

"Jung Wooyoung-"

"Why is my brother smiling like an idiot in front of a birdbath at..." he consults his watch, "4 in the morning?"

Seonghwa groans before stomping his feet, looking like he's about to cry. "What is it with everyone and mentioning the time? I know what time it is and I'm losing a lot of it right now."

"You're looking for something?" Wooyoung brushes back his hair. "I just got back from the pub in town, though I didn't drink much so I'm pretty much sober. What are you doing here?"

"I lost the ring to propose to her and now I'm panicking because it's supposed to be today."

"Okay damn," Wooyoung cracks his neck before chuckling. "Ask any one of your friends."

"I am!" he replies, distressed before pushing his hands down on his springy hair. "I might need help."

"Sure you do." Wooyoung folds his sleeves before putting his hands on his hips, jutting his chin out towards the garden. "Now ask any one of your friends if they knew what happened and we can trace the missing ring from there."

"Alright, alright," the older mutters in a quiet voice before walking slowly to the hedge surrounding the garden.

He crouches, having a somewhat private conversation with them that Wooyoung is left peering over his shoulder to see whether the older is actually doing his job. The older listens intently to the leaves telling him of the situation before he snaps his fingers, a sudden lightbulb moment appearing to him. He looks over his shoulder before giving a thumbs up.

"The cat stole it," he announces before standing up, straightening his sweater and pointing his forefinger towards the pond. "They said that the cat might've taken it to its shelter."

"The cat that you always feed?" Wooyoung chuckles.

"It's always the ones you trust," Seonghwa sighs before marching forward, already bending his body in hopes of finding the cat tucked in somewhere with its body coiled around the ring box. His mouth is calling out for the nameless cat, eyes red and watery from the lack of sleep and bundles of worry.

Time is ticking and he has promised to himself that today will be the day that he will ask the question to her, the possibility that he might chicken out still there. He has even forgotten his watch, losing sense of time as he goes on a hunt for the jewellery, one that could evoke the wrath of the blacksmith if it's lost.

Hongjoong has made it especially for him after Seonghwa begged him countless times, saying that he wants something personalized and different for her. The blacksmith was left grumbling as he sat down, with an eager Seonghwa bouncing on the seat beside him, describing everything he wanted for the ring to be as special as it is.

And now, that special ring is gone.

Idiot.

When he sees the cat his eyes glaze over with his palms stuck to each other, already pleading silently to the cat so that it won't run away with the box again. He recognizes it; the red velvet box propped nicely in between the crooks of the cat's legs, with the cat calmly licking its fur and the box looking like a small pedestal made especially for the animal.

Wriggling his fingers and putting on a stance ready to pounce on the cat to get back the box, he tries an approach full of peace first. He blinks his eyes slowly, signalling to the cat that he wants the box back, and he can feel Wooyoung approaching cautiously behind him. He puts up a hand, asking the latter to stop in his tracks so that the cat won't be alarmed and run away.

"I... need the... box..." Seonghwa arranges his words carefully, gesturing towards the said item. "I need it today."

The cat meows back, to which Seonghwa only whimpers as he cooks up a reply.

"I don't really have time to play with you. Maybe some other time and with some other... thing? Not that box, please."

The cat meows again, and this makes him sigh heavily with desperation mounting. No, the cat replies. I want to play.

"Some other time," Seonghwa tries again before curling his fingers in hopes that the cat would take the signal and give it up.

It doesn't.

Wooyoung shouts when the cat springs up, the box firmly stuck between its jaws before running along the hedge.

"Catch it," Seonghwa says through gritted teeth. "No matter what it takes."

"Your wish is my command," Wooyoung says jokingly before he springs after the cat, tumbling and soaring over the hedges as he tries to get a hold of the feline.

Their efforts almost amount to nothing as the cat remains free, the red velvet box like a toy while the two humans are comically springing around the garden, with Seonghwa repeatedly saying that this is a game he is unwilling to play. Their chase pauses as Seonghwa and Wooyoung run into each other, tumbling onto the ground with groans full of pain coming out of their mouths.

It is as if they can hear the cat laughing as it prances onto the bridge, walking on the railing calmly, still holding on to the box containing the ring. It stops walking as it arrives at the middle of the bridge, its mischievous eyes glinting with delight before Seonghwa struggles to stand up, untangling himself from Wooyoung.

"No, no, no, no!" Seonghwa's shout reverberates through the silent night, causing some night birds to take flight, startled.

"Ouh, isn't that Akira-" Wooyoung starts to say, but the older is too focused on the box that's about to be dropped into the murky water.

Akira comes partially into his view but it's too late for him to react or think about how on earth she's here at the palace so early in the morning. He's already sprinting towards the direction of the pond, eyes focused fully onto the box which is falling into the pond as if in slow motion. As he snaps into his senses it's already too late; all he manages to capture before the accident is that she's holding some kind of transparent plastic box with a cake inside and that her eyes are wide before they collide.

The cake falls unceremoniously onto the ground, losing its shape inside the box but the two of them meet a worse fate as he runs into her, knocking both of them into the water. What he only manages to do is grab her to make sure she's unhurt as they break the water surface, Akira gasping for air before she hits Seonghwa's head with her fist lightly.

Seonghwa only gives a whimper as they remain afloat at the water surface, with Akira looking severely confused on why the first thing she gets here is a bath in the garden's pond.

Wooyoung walks over, amused by the scene in front of him. He stands near the cat, which purrs before walking away, admitting no involvement in the accident.

"You little- demon-" Seonghwa cries out before slapping the surface of the water in frustration. "I fed you and-" He doesn't manage to finish his sentence before turning back to face her meekly.

Akira can't help but chuckle, despite having no idea what just happened and why she's involved in the mess. "I need a whole lot of explanation and why the first thing I got was a full body soak in the pond."

"So both of you aren't planning to get out of the water first? Cool." Wooyoung shrugs. He winks towards Seonghwa before whispering, "Do you want me to leave, or?"

Seonghwa gestures with his head to ask him to leave subtly, and the younger gives an 'OK' sign before mouthing good luck to him.

"Both of you better settle everything quickly before you know, you catch a cold or something," Wooyoung advises them before giving a mock salute.

"Settle... everything?" Clueless, she asks, but Seonghwa is only waiting before Wooyoung is out of their sight.

"I-" Seonghwa gulps. "Just a moment." He disappears into the water again, swimming to the bottom and forcing his eyes to open to look around for the box. He reaches out a hand as he finally spots the box, returning to the surface of the water where she's still waiting, confused on why they're still stuck in the water.

"Care... to explain why we're still here? We should just-" She starts to move away but Seonghwa pulls her arm lightly.

"Wait- wait, wait." He releases a heavy breath, before lifting up the box from inside the water, revealing it to her. She looks at it sceptically, her brain only focusing on why the box just popped out from the bottom of the pond. It takes her a moment to register what's in front of her as he snaps the box open, his hands slightly shaking from the cold and the nerves. "Will you-" he clears his throat, "marry me?"

"You... want to marry me?" she replies, slowly blinking in disbelief. "Me?"

Unaffected by her severe confusion he repeats, "Marry me. I'm-" he pauses, "proposing to you."

Akira looks into his eyes and she breaks into a small smile, noticing that dark purple is swimming around in his eyes. She wraps her hands around his neck before planting a full kiss on his lips, brushing away the wet strands of his hair sticking onto his face.

She pulls away, leaving Seonghwa as red as he can get in between her palms as he musters a reply. "Is that a yes?"

"In case you can't catch on," she grins, "it's a yes."

Seonghwa breaks into a shy smile before announcing, "We need to get out of here first."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, idiot," she says good-naturedly.

As both of them get out of the pond, they stay seated on the ground near the body of water, hugging their knees to their chests as they let themselves dry.

She looks forlornly at the fallen cake, citing, "I wanted to surprise you for your birthday but it looks like it's the other way round. Surprise to both of us, I guess."

"I was thinking of proposing to you at the archery range," he admits. "You know, the very first place where we," he lowers down his voice, as if it's a secret only the two know, "confessed to each other."

She rolls her eyes before chuckling. "You and your archery can never be separated can't they?"

"It's in my blood," he jokes, but he notices a slight change in her expression. Talking about blood colours is still a sensitive topic to her, and he should have known when not to cross them.

"I'll taint your bloodline, that's that," she replies. "You won't see any crimson anymore."

"Akira," he nudges her to make sure that she faces him. "Look at me. I'm the last person you should worry about blood colours. I don't even identify myself anymore as one of them." He refers to the noblemen. "Blood colours make no difference."

"Right, it makes no difference," she says, but there's still a weight behind her words.

"All that matters is the person. Not the blood colour."

"You won't ever regret saying that, will you?" she asks, a slight tremble in her voice.

Seonghwa pulls her into a hug, caressing her wet hair before muttering, "I won't. I promise I won't."

She breaks into a smile again as he fits the ring onto her finger, the symbolization of sealing their promise towards each other. It's barely the start of their story together, but it would be a happy ending if only the story is stopped right there.

Certain promises are meant to be broken.

It just happens that their promise towards each other is one of them.