[A/n: Guess who's back?! (人 •͈ᴗ•͈) ]

[Donghyuck POV]

"How are you?"

"Well. How are you?"

"Proud of you," Donghyuck smiled.

"T-Thank you... b-bery---ah! Thank you very much!" Chenle clapped.

From the moment Chenle and Donghyuck finished their elaborate breakfasts, they ran to Donghyuck's room where they chatted and learned Naerok.

Chenle was doing remarkably well. Donghyuck was surprised to find that the Shanghai prince actually picked up on languages very fast. Perhaps that was why he was Empress Kun's son. Within a few hours, Chenle's attempts and stumbles went into more confident phrases.

Donghyuck was proud. At this rate, Chenle probably could navigate around Korea using some basic words and sentences.

" 'Pretty'," Donghyuck pointed at the written word in Eshinec, but said it in Naerok.

"Pr-e-tty. Pre-tty. Pretty!" Chenle's face lit up.

"Que xia daoda rwe! Hwa youqi que rwu dao naoxi dei Koreana," Donghyuck nodded and clapped happily.

("You're doing well! I think you will do fine in Korea!")

"Why thank you," Chenle confidently said in Naerok, taking a mini bow.

"Are you confident?" Hyuck giggled, testing Chenle some more.

"Sort.. of...?" Chenle's cute cheeks puffed out a bit at the big word 'confident', before answering to the best of his ability.

" 'Confident' ahdi 'nayingqian' ," Donghyuck simply translated the Naerok to Chenle.

"Nayingqian..." Chenle smiled. "Yes! I am confident!"

("Confident...")

"Great! You're a fast learner!" Donghyuck watched the younger boy's face light up as he could now understand a lot of the new language.

"This is cool!" Chenle exclaimed, leaping to hug Donghyuck, though his pronunciation was still a bit shabby to native speakers.

It was a pretty tricky task at first. Donghyuck knew that Chenle wasn't too sure he could learn 75% of Naerok within a day. For now, basics would suffice. However, Donghyuck felt that it was doable since he had been told that Chenle learned music fast. Chani's job was to inform him on people, so he ended up spilling his (quickly collected) research on the Shanghai prince in roughly five minutes before Hyuck went to wake Chenle up. As far as Donhyuck knew, Chenle had a loud, beautiful laugh, hated wearing veils, didn't like the Empress Mama, likes spicy food, learns music well, and that he was unpresented.

According to everyone else on the boat, the second prince's secondary gender had yet to appear, but they more or less assumed him to be an omega since he had been known as Shanghai's lovely pampered angel since birth. The fire in his eyes yesterday told Donghyuck quite a different story though. That's what piqued his curiosity the most. What caused such an immense and burning fire behind Chenle's eyes?

Donghyuck had yet to find out.

One after another, more and more mysteries were showing up on the way to Korea. He couldn't wait to discover what else was in store for him.

"How... did you...learn Eshinec?" Chenle asked, making good use of his new studies.

"My Papa taught me," Donghyuck beamed. "My Papa told me when I was little that sometimes, people don't get along. One of the big reasons for that is because they don't understand what other people are saying. He wanted me to get along with others, so we studied together."

"Papa..." Chenle smiled. Donghyuck wasn't sure if Chenle digested what he said, but the faint nods from the other prince told him that he probably got the gist of it. Maybe he should shorten it next time. "... I have good papas."

"The Emperor and Empress?"

"Mhm!" The blonde-haired angel nodded like a four-year-old. "Mama and Daddy good rule!"

"Rule good," Donghyuck gently corrected him.

"A-Ah! Yeah. Rule good!" The apples of Chenle's cheeks started looking more the part like, well, apples. Reddish and lovely. "Yanan-ge takes care of me too!"

"Yanan?" Donghyuck's curiosity was again piqued.

"My big brother!" Chenle's big, childish, bright smile lit up the whole room. "He say that I can be anything and let me use his... his... go dao que zhi ...'sou he suyian'?"

("...how do you say 'bow and arrow'?")

Donghyuck tipped his head back and laughed. Chenle was so cute! But that was also interesting. The Jeju prince had no idea about weaponry. Was the Shanghai prince a good shot?

" 'Bow and arrow'," he told the younger. "Try it."

"B-B-Bow and... aearrow?" Chenle giggled. "Bow and arrow!"

They both had a celebratory hug.

"Do you shoot well?" Donghyuck asked, eager to hear about the other prince.

"Not good as Yanan-ge," Chenle admitted. "Yanan-ge is good at things! He taught me that h-hunting...? Hunting with bows nicer to the animals."

Donghyuck nodded in approval of Chenle's Naerok, "You're doing so well!"

"Why thank you," Chenle took another bow.

Yanan sounded really cool. Donghyuck had never thought about it that way. Jeju didn't have incredibly lush forests. Their main meats came from the sea or imported. Many didn't hunt for meat unless it was for a birthday or such.

"Can I ask what your brother's presentation is?" Donghyuck asked cautiously.

Oh wait, did he say that too fast?
Wait, is he even allowed to ask that? Chenle's still learning Naerok---

"Big, smart, pretty Alpha!" Chenle's eyes flickered with admiration. "He likes archery and horse riding and... the candy Mama and I make!"

"You cook?" Donghyuck's bright smile lot up even further.

He and Chenle had things in common!

"Yes! We lots cook!" Chenle nodded.

" 'Yes, we cook lots'," Donghyuck gently corrected.

And so they chatted on.

Chani came in from time to time to update them on certain things. He even brought in some rice cakes for snacks.

Giggles, tickles, words, and smiles.

The two princes were from different worlds, but they found a growing comfort in being together. Perhaps it was because despite their worlds being different, they were ever so similar in certain ways.

Friendship flourishes.

"Eoh? Hey Chani! Chani-turtle! Do you smell that?" Donghyuck suddenly paused, sniffing the air.

"...mmmm?..." Chani, who had fallen asleep after their long study session, was startled awake. "...smell what?"

Chenle also asked the same, but with his eyes. Donghyuck sniffed the air again. From last night, he had been smelling something.

"You really don't smell it?" Donghyuck's eyes widened in amazement. "It's there! You know? Apples..? Flowers..? Like spring?"

Chenle sniffed the air.

"No. Me no smell apple?" Chenle spoke.

" 'I'," Donghyuck corrected him. " 'I don't smell apple.' "

Chani yawned.

"No, prince. I don't smell apples or flowers. Maybe it's the sweet rice cakes we had?" Chani stretched his limbs tiredly.

"What..." Donghyuck mumbled.

He swore he was smelling something. Maybe someone. But who or what? And why? It couldn't be Chenle. He was clearly unpresented, as he was not yet revealed to be an Omega, Beta, or Alpha. If he was either, his scent would've definetly shown at dinner with the Empress Mama yesterday. But Donghyuck didn't smell anything, so it couldn't be him.

Was he smelling himself?

No, then Chani would've told him that he stank.

This piqued his curiosity.

Another mystery to solve?

"Greetings prince."

The three studying were suddenly interrupted by heavy clacking and strong steps. Looking towards the door, Seungcheol marched in, bowing deeply.

"A-Ah yes. Hello hyung?" Donghyuck awkwardly said.

"The Fifth Prince of the Celestial Empire invites you and Second Prince to a stroll on the top deck. He is interested in learning of your kingdoms."

Donghyuck knew that Chenle was uncomfortable. Perhaps he had to turn down the invite? Luckily, Chenle probably didn't understand what Seungcheol said. Maybe it's better to politely decline.

"Unfortunately, we cannot--"

"We go!" Chenle quickly said. "We meet the prince soon."

Donghyuck was startled, but worried nonetheless.

"*Ahem* Yes, we would love to go! We will meet him on the deck," Donghyuck said.

"Very well. I take my leave, prince."

Just as smoothly and as strongly as he came in, Seungcheol marched back out of the room. Donghyuck seriously would've been too intimidated to talk if he let his alpha pheremones loose. But luckily he hasn't done so.

"Ohmygoodness. People in Korea must be very polite," Donghyuck said, suddenly worried about his casual mannerisms.

"...he seems decent though," Chani shrugged.

Chenle made a questioning face at their conversation in Naerok. Donghyuck noticed his slightly pouty face. He smiled.

Chenle still had a way to go.

Oh, and that apple blossom smell is still lingering.

---

[ Note: The author got lazy, so she's gonna pull the "Eshinec is in italics and Naerok is normal text" again. Apologies, but this may continue like this from now on due to the fact that it speeds up updates. (: ]

"Good afternoon, princes. Please come this way to be dressed. According to customs, Second Prince must be with veil. Prince Donghyuck is welcome to bring his attendant."

As soon as they left Donghyuck's room, four servants in lilac bowed, sent to dress them up. Chenle found this routine, whereas Donghyuck was surprised.

"Dressing up for a simple stroll on deck?" Donghyuck said to them. "Must it be needed?"

"Prince Donghyuck does not have to change if he does not wish so. However, the Empress Mama would like Second Prince to, for sake of tradition," one of the servants said.

Donghyuck turned to Chenle. He knew the younger was definitely thinking of something. He was rather surprised Chenle agreed in the first place. So why? Chenle nodded, mouthing, 'I'll explain later'.

"Very well. I shall accompany Second Prince," Donghyuck said.

Chenle smiled at this. His eyes sending a small, 'Thank you'. Chani followed behind them as they walked though the boat, familiar turns taking them to the large dressing room.

"Prince Donghyuck, please," two of the servants said, holding a rich, jade green robe.

"Second Prince, please," the other two servants gestured to Chenle, holding a baby pink veil.

Donghyuck's robe went to his ankles, giving him the freedom to run around. It was elegantly embroidered with white lotus lilies. The green made his happy-flower-garden personality ten times more radiant.

The servants were about to give him matching shoes, but Donghyuck denied politely and asked for plain sandals instead (true to his Jeju Island ways). His many beaded ankle bracelets shuffled melodically as he span around, pleased with how the long sleeves were rather light.

To finish, the servants helped thread a few pink, white, and green beads in his hair and finished off with a beautiful white lily hair clip. Chani helped him dab on some rouge.

Donghyuck then curiously wandered his eyes to Chenle.

Chenle looked rather bored, honestly.

He was in a long, flowy robe, very light pink like cherry blossoms. His robes swept the floors prettily like a bunch of fallen petals. Gorgeous peonies were embroidered into the robe. The robes slightly fell off his shoulders, making a v-line at his chest. It revealed the soft, white, halter undershirt on the inside. White crystal earrings went with the golden peony hair clips used to pin his blonde bangs out of the way slightly.

On top of that, the servants helped Chenle into a decently sized headdress. Donghyuck gasped as it seemed pretty heavy. It was an arrangement of large golden peonies and two long dragon hair pins, which had long, dangling strings of pink beads.

Lastly, they brought the veil. Chenle's little breath of relief didn't go undetected by Donghyuck. This veil seemed lighter and definitely wasn't as long and problematic as the red one. This veil was pink. Light and slightly sheer, but the borders were of sewn-on fabric flowers and beads. It was short enough to just cover up Chenle's head, going down to about his neck.

On Chenle's hands went a few golden rings, and then a jade dragon pendant was tied around his waist. After a slight light rouge was on Chenle's lips, the servants bowed, leaving quietly.

"I'll lead you to the deck," Chani said, making a sleepy bow and yawning before walking to the deck, not realizing he had left the princes behind him.

Still in the large clothing chamber, Donghyuck held out his hand to Chenle.

"What is it?" Chenle's head tilted slightly in question.

Donghyuck laughed.

"Chani's slow and boring sometimes. Don't you want to see what this boat really has inside?" Donghyuck grinned, playfulness filling his cheery, tanned cheeks.

Chenle raised his hand, debating for a moment before settling it onto Donghyuck's. The prince of the Ninth Empire made a pretty bow, headdress perfectly in balance.

"I am in your care, Prince of Jeju," Chenle smiled from under his veil, childishness rising from the depths of his chest.

"Follow me--" Donghyuck held Chenle's hand firmly, "--and come to see--", he pinched Chenle's cheek through the veil, "--the wonders that shall forever be!"

So with a tight pull, Donghyuck span Chenle around in a circle, drawing that sweet, loud laughter out the younger. They easily twirled around, elegant sleeves flowing in smooth motions of air. Like a dance on wind, they giggled and span around as if dizziness was a faraway feeling. And when they finally stopped, breathing air like the end of a game of tag, matching grins both spoke what they were to do.

"Last one to the deck is a turtle!" Chenle delightfully screamed, slipping off his troublesome, pretty shoes and took off with his veil nearly falling as it sifted through the air.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Donghyuck laughed, taking off his sandals, before he, too, rushed off down the wooden corridors of the ship, the joyful pink silhouette of his friend before him.

And so, the race began.

Chenle's pretty robes did not slow him down in anyway, stunning Donghyuck as he smoothly rounded corners and cheerfully turned once and a while to wave back at him.

"Excuse me!-- Thank you!--" Donghyuck shook his head, then proceeded to take on the ship like it was a day at his palace.

He dodged servants walking in long lines, busy crewmen carrying boxes, and didn't even blink twice as he practically dove to slide under a sailor drunkenly tripping as his mate exclaimed in shock. Going up a small flight of stairs, he eyed where he was thoughtfully, then turned to his left, where the clatter of plates could be heard.

The kitchen.

Into the clangs and shouts of the kitchen, Donghyuck could see a slight dart of a pink veil enter. Smiling, he followed Chenle.

"Excuse me!"

"GOOD GOD!"

Donghyuck dashed right in, nearly missing two men carrying a large pot. He ducked just under the pot, a few of his hairs touching the hot bottom. He grinned. He was a child, and life's bustle was his playground.

Screams of surprise came out of chefs as Donghyuck leaped onto the counter. Landing with one foot on a wet cloth, he perfectly balanced himself as he used the cloth to slide across the long counter. Knives nearly blocked his way, but alarmed servants moved everything out of the way in fear of a mess. He dodged hanging pots and pans, still sliding across the counter with a slight wobble.

Up ahead, he could see Chenle dashing away, laughing when he looked back to see Donghyuck sliding across the counter with one foot. Donghyuck sniffed hanging meats and herbs as he passed them by.

In his luck, a large crate of durian was positioned right at the end of the counter, spikey outsides ready to dig into his feet. Luckily, Donghyuck had a thing for getting over obstacles.

Hoisting his robes up high, he leaped into the air. Donghyuck giggled as he spun mid-air, elegantly letting his robes go to cushion his landing. The green robes swirled open, reaching out across the air like a patch of water lilies do over a lake. The Jeju prince landed in spectacular grace, taking a bow when some kitchen servants cheered and gave him a round of applause. The crate of durians sat untouched, almost seething at the loss of pricking Donghyuck.

"Not today, stinky fruit~!" Donghyuck dramatically pointed at the crate. "Papa doesn't like fruits, and you're the reason why! Phe-ew!"

Making the staff laugh at his adorable monologue, he smiled in happiness and gave a small wave as he realized Chenle must have ran ahead. Bowing good bye, the kitchen staff went back to work.

"Catch mate!"

Donghyuck was heading for the door as large fish were thrown into the air. The fish flapped wildly, flailing around and nearly hitting Donghyuck. The prince swiftly ducked. The fish landed right across the room on a chopping board.

"You could kill a man!" The fish chef shouted back.

" 'M sorry, we've got more!" The servant handling the fish shouted.

Within a second, a rain of fish were being tossed towards Donghyuck and the fish chef.

The Jeju prince laughed in joy as he ducked under the fish.

Left!

Right!

Duck down!

Up!

One fish was thrown so low, Donghyuck realized he couldn't stop his forward momentum. He instead quickly pressed his feet into the floorboards, springing up into a jump and hoisting his robes with it into an elegant vertical split. The fish traveled right under his leap, and consequently hitting the chef right in the face.

"--AAOUHH!" The poor man groaned.

"My apologies!" Donghyuck shouted, letting go of his robes again, descending from his leap.

He threw both of his hands out to steady his landing, the fabric trailing after him like the wings of a swan. He walked towards the exit of the kitchen, servants still running around when he felt odd.

"Ohmygoodness!!!" He cried.

In some sort of agressive air-swimming, the largest tuna Donghyuck had ever seen in the history of his eighteen years of life was coming right this way---and fast!

"Heads up!" The servant throwing fish around shouted.

Heads should actually be going down.
But boy, working in this kitchen must be fun!

A bit surprised but naturally unfazed, the prince of Jeju threw a foot forward, finding his center of balance before the tuna came into close proximity. Then, in a quick but beautiful movement, he bent his spine backwards with his arms flying back to effectively make his body parallel with the ground. He sailed into an elegant vertical split, though he didn't need to touch the ground to avoid the fishy attack.

The fat tuna sailed right over his face--fin nearly grazing his nose!

As soon as the tuna passed, Donghyuck straightened back up and continued his run. He scrambled out of the kitchen quickly and went up some stairs to chase Chenle.

Meanwhile, the kitchen staff mareveled at the spectacle that had just passed.

"Who was that?!" A servant asked, moving the durian crate.

"A foreign prince. Heard that he's from Jeju," another answered, happy that he didn't need to wipe the counter anymore.

"I know the icebox is far, but would ya please hand me the fish?!" The fish chef was still exhausted from the sea creature assault.

" 'M sorry Chef," the servant throwing fish sheepishly smiled. "They be hard to hold down! Issa' easier to throw them. I dare say, that boy before was like nothin' I ever seen!"

"It was a prince, ya idiot!" The chef barked. "Ya nearly took his head off!"

"That be one nimble prince!"

"Yeah yeah. Now help me wrestle this tuna."

"He sure is pretty."

"Ah shut ya yappin' hole and get ya arse over here!"

"Yes Chef!"

Donghyuck found himself right behind Chenle. They were racing up the stairs to the top deck. The two princes ran up, laughing and shouting back and forth. Luckily, the stairway was clear of servants at the moment.

Donghyuck skipped a few steps on the stairs and quickly pulled Chenle back, preventing the Shanghai prince from stepping onto the top deck. Chenle giggled loudly.

"Hey, that's not fair!" The younger laughed.

"You didn't say so earlier," Donghyuck shrugged. "But I have a question."

"Yes?" Chenle turned around to face him, eyelashes fluttering in question.

I smell apple blossoms again.
Is my nose broken?
It's not me. Chani would've recognized my scent.

"Why are you willing to go to Fifth Prince Zheng Ning?" Donghyuck asked him, pure curiosity laced through his words.

Chenle stepped down a couple stairs to be on the same level with Donghyuck.

The Shanghai prince was extremely beautiful. Under all of the clothes and golden accessories, there was a certain happy glow to him that came out strikingly. Bright and youthful; that's what Chenle radiated in raw nonchalance. And as the Shanghai prince tilted his head in thought, Donghyuck realized that Chenle did indeed, smell like apple blossoms.

Apple blossoms, milk, and brisk snow.

Soft and fresh.

Innocent and dainty, almost.

Wait.

That means---

"I want him to reconsider. Or at least, let him know that I'm not willing to marry him."

"You're going to marry him?!" Donghyuck exclaimed.

"Shh!" Chenle said in shock. "Supposedly, Mama said that no one knows yet. But yes, the Empress Mama set me up with him."

"Oh wow..." Donghyuck was stunned.

What..
But why?
Chenle's not even presented.
You don't know if he's an alpha or an omega, or a beta...

But his scent...
It's definetly...

"I don't want to marry him. I'm not doing this to give the--excuse my language--hag this satisfaction," Chenle's scent soured, in which Donghyuck could tell the younger was unaware of this all.

Donghyuck pulled Chenle into a hug.

Domghyuck wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't ever familiar with these things, but he was sure Chenle was upset. The Jeju prince was a fairly new omega, so he tried with all his will to bring out his scent to comfort the younger. He let Chenle's head rest in the crook of his neck as he gently pat his back.

Chenle nuzzled into his touch, telling Donghyuck that it was working.

"I'm sorry, Chenle," Donghyuck said honestly. "I don't know what I can do to help you, but I'll do anything I can."

"It's okay, hyung," the younger hummed. "I'll fight that old hag until the death if I have to."

"I might as well," Donghyuck sincerely whispered. "After all, no one would be here to play games with me."

The Shanghai prince's eyes fluttered closed, lips opening to reveal a beaming smile that channeled his childish energy right to your heart. It was then that Donghyuck realized that he had never had a sibling... And now he suddenly wanted one to take on adventures and share memories with.

"Really? Well I prefer to play with you alive, hyung," Chenle giggled. "But I must tell the fifth prince that I won't agree to this marriage. I'm not an omega, and I don't want to marry someone this young."

I'm sorry Chenle.
Why do you say 'omega' with such distaste? I'm curious, but you seem so guarded about it.
But you are most definitely....
No. Perhaps I am wrong?

How can I possibly say---

"H-Highness!" Gasping like a fish in the middle of a dessert, Chani ran to them from the top deck. "There you are! How could you leave me? The prince is waiting and---ohmygoodness, your scent, highness!"

"Chenle and I had a moment," Donghyuck said to him. "Anyways, let's go!"

Chenle tilted their heads to them, understanding 50% of their Naerok.

"Shall we go?" Donghyuck asked, offering Chenle a chivalrous hand.

"Yes!" Chenle squeaked at Donghyuck's dramatic motions.

It was moving towards mid-afternoon. The sun had begun to hide behind clouds periodically, and the ship crew were mumbling about what they just had for lunch. The sound of waves peacefully reasonated against the sides of the ship. Glorious green dragons on the sails bid them hello as they swung their arms in a rhythmic fashion. Under their energetic smiles was a calm understanding of what tension was brewing in the air.

Donghyuck didn't want to let Chenle lose. The Jeju prince believed in creating one's own path. As his Papa Ten had said to him:

'Fate is something no one knows of until it shows itself. You don't know the ending of a story until it's truly finished. You can guess, but the ending isn't for us to completely control. What drives the story of fate is life, and the ending is up to death.'

Ten also explained that since life drives fate, it's possible for someone to change their fate, but death has to agree to that ending of the story. The Jeju prince always found these words mesmerizing. Humans weren't above death or below it, but they were equal in the story of fate.

Donghyuck never really understood why his Papa spoke those words with a smug face, but he loved how his Papa talked about many things with him. He hoped that Chenle's fate was a nice one.

And Donghyuck wanted to help him do that.

"Hyung," Chenle stopped, holding up his pink veil. "Help me put it on?"

"I thought you hated veils?" Donghyuck said, doing what the younger asked.

"Of course," Chenle nodded. "But I won't give someone working with that hag to bask in the luxury of my face."

The prince of Jeju donned Chenle in his pretty pink veil, obscuring his face just a bit. Chenle adjusted his clothing before smiling at Donghyuck through the veil. It was sort of a forced one, but they both understood that.

Chenle was unbelievably strong, Donghyuck thought. Chenle didn't at all look intimidating, in fact, he was so bright, he basically called for people to approach him. But Donghyuck understood that underneath, there was the fire in his eyes he saw last night. The bright, yet dangerously burning ember in him. And that's when Donghyuck knew he was special. Just something about Chenle spoke that he was one in a million.

---And Donghyuck was here for it.

"Right this way, your Highnesses," Chani bowed, leading the way a few paces ahead.

"While we're at it," Donghyuck said as Chani lead them to the fifth prince. "Would you like to know anything about Jeju?"

"Yes!" Chenle squeaked, excited. "You wear lots of beads, hyung. Are they special in Jeju?"

"Mmmm..." Donghyuck thought. "Yes and no! Some beads are very special, but we just have a lot of beads because we have a lot of sand. It's something we do because it's always been one of the things we commonly trade in Jeju."

Chenle nodded adorably, showing that he was listening. Donghyuck had to stop himself from pinching the younger's cheeks right then and there, or else he may have started to coo uncontrollably.

The smell of the sea wafted into their noses, and Donghyuck spotted Vernon sweeping the deck. He waved as they passed by. Mingyu was at his usual spot, wiping some random compass clean with an old rag. Donghyuck waved at him too.

"Hyung, why do you wear beads in your hair?" Chenle asked.

"My hair..?" Donghyuck thought for a while.

He had never thought about it that much. He pretty much had been putting beads in his hair for as long as he remembered. Well, he just felt they were pretty. It made him happy to wear beads the people of Jeju made. It was as natural to him as wearing sandals and going barefoot.

"I think it's because I love home," Donghyuck said finally, eyes beaming. "Dada and Papa are always happy when we do traditional things with the people. They said that it's important to connect with the people you watch over. If you have pride in them, they will have just as much pride in you. Maybe that's why we feel so close to our people despite being rulers. Jeju is my best friend, and I wear beads because I'm always cheering them on!"

"You're close with all of your people?" Chenle asked.

"Well, Jeju is small," Donghyuck nodded. "I imagine Shanghai is huge! For us, we can make a trip around the whole island in about three days. We do it sometimes, and it ends up we know a lot of people. There aren't much of us, but we get new people every year. Most are really nice tourists who find Jeju a nice place to move to."

Chenle's eyes gleamed with excitement, twinkling at the mention of travel. Donghyuck found his enthusiasm as adorable as Chenle's smile was angelic. He proudly mentioned the fun things Jeju offered and asked about Shanghai's popular activities. Unfortunately, they weren't out for a leisure stroll, so when Chani finally guided them to their destination, it felt a little too abrupt for them.

"Second Prince Chenle greets Fifth Prince," Chenle bows, hands moving into an elegant position out of instinct.

Prince Zheng Ning looked like a white seagull one would see flying around beautiful bodies of water. He was still so serene in aura as before, handsome in a way one would usually associate with wiser leaders. His eyes held depth, and Donghyuck wondered how the prince of the Celestial Empire felt about being arranged to marry Chenle.

Chenle's 'fiance' smiled softly and politely bowed back, his long light blue sleeves billowing in the slight wind as his hands also went into an elegant pose.

"Greetings, flower of Shanghai. Greetings, prince of Jeju. I'm pleased that you have accepted my invitation. I hope I haven't interrupted you," the Celestial prince said, still bowing to them.

"Psst!" Chani elbowed Hyuck, yawning. "You might wanna, you know? *yawn*"

"Know what?" Donghyuck's eyes widened in question, eye lashes fluttering at his confused blinks.

Chani tried to keep his yawns on the down low before explaining.

"*yawn* ....highness, it would be wise to bow and greet because you're the only one who hasn't," Chani said.

Oh.

Thank goodness Hyuck thinks these two aren't the most fluent in Naerok. Flustered and a bit embarrassed, Donghyuck finds that he's not too good at bowing elegantly. In Jeju, they usually didn't get too many royal visits. Donghyuck was often most comfortable greeting people like he did to everyone, a warm hello and a question about how their family is doing. His Papa gave him etiquette lessons now and then, but usually Donghyuck was fairly awkward with such odd technicalities.

Ears beginning to redden, he sucks in a tiny bit of his plush bottom lip, effectively radiating his innocent aura as his eyes display the focus he musters to execute his greeting and bow correctly. He thinks back to those little sessions with his Papa, who teases his posture here and there while complimenting his improvements. Warm laughs and his Papa's warm hands adjusting the placement of his body flood his memory.

"Remember, greetings and bows are a show of who you are and the respect you give others," Ten reminds. "As lovely as a friendly wave is, some people prefer to be greeted formally because that's what they like. Royals find it a norm, for example, so it would be a comfort to be greeted in a formal way."

Donghyuck nods along, also thinking about how absolutely breathtaking his Papa looks with the rainbow glass of the throne room decorating him with colorful light. Ten was seamlessly elegant and graceful when he decided to be, carrying not a trained sense of refinement, but one that came naturally. His gestures were clean and expressive, structured beautifully like a dancer.

"Watch closely," Ten smiles at him like he's the only person in the world. "I'll teach you something special."

Donghyuck's face lights up, the tanned boy's sparkling eyes excitedly beaming with anticipation.

"Papa, what will you teach me?"

Ten stands in front of him, gaze endearing. The omega prince's heart beats with much warmth in the moment. A moment where Ten's tropical flower scent soothes him and engulfs him in a fluffy cloud of love. The smell of home and the smell of their happy days together that never seemed to end. Being with his family and people made him feel so treasured.

"A special bow for a special prince," Ten winks. "Now, follow me..."

"Greetings, Prince Zheng Ning," Donghyuck starts, a polite smile on his lips.

Donghyuck positions his feet just so, perfect and pretty, mirroring his Papa's dainty positions. He could do this. He can show princely etiquette too!

Donghyuck's fingers move into a beautiful shape, forming a orchid-lotus hybrid flower shape. He doesn't forget to relax a little and let the flower rest at elbow height like his Papa said.

Donghyuck bows successfully.

There's never really a true princely air to Donghyuck. He wasn't serene and composed like the fifth prince or as disciplined and elegant like Chenle. The omega carried an air of casual sunshine and friendliness that came from spending a lot of time with the children back home.

It made Chani proud to see Donghyuck attempt at looking like a prince. Everyone back in Jeju knows that Donghyuck wasn't necessarily a prince on the outside, but his compassionate heart certainly was of one.

As the greetings and bows were now successfully exchanged, the three princes relaxed. Prince Zheng Ning calmly looked out to the waves. Chenle stood a few steps behind him.

"How do you fare, princes?" His voice is smooth like the waves, each syllable gliding beautifully into the next.

"Alright, thank you," Chenle answers.

Donghyuck can see the younger's eyebrows wrinkle in slight hesitation. The older omega wonders if it's because the younger can't form words. He doesn't speak though, letting Chenle go ahead.

While his Papa taught him a variety of things, Donghyuck's Dada taught him simple things he should know. One of those things was to not dabble in things meant to be handled by someone else.

"Why are you here?" Chenle asks finally.

The Celestial Prince turns around. He doesn't seem to have his mind on them, but rather on something else faraway, evident in his eyes. The serene smile stays on his lips. Donghyuck wonders how he does that and what exactly he is thinking about. Does he even like Chenle? His Papa says that marriage is only okay when you love someone. Otherwise, it's only a marriage in name and not a true one.

"Please ease yourself," he calmly says. "I am not here to marry you."

Chenle's so startled his jaw nearly smacks the deck. Donghyuck stiffles a laugh. Chani yawns and checks his pocket watch, probably figuring out the next spare moments he has for sleep.

"I-- but---"

"The Empress Mama's offer was irresistible," the raven haired prince says. "But before we left to sail with you, the Emperor personally sent us a letter about how you are too young and unpresented. Naturally, it would be in tradition to wait until you do, but unfortunately, I have marriage candidates who have long offered their hands to me. Not to offend Shanghai's Flower, but these candidates are of age and presented as omegas. They are princes and princesses of other empires."

"Dad-- the Emperor...?!"

Waves of relief crash into Chenle, and Donghyuck can tell because the blonde's eyes are glimmering with happiness. The Shanghai prince is close to letting out a dolphin call of joy, and Donghyuck is slightly bummed when the younger doesn't and instead bows in excitement.

"Thank you fifth prince for you kindness!" Chenle squeaks in his ever so bright and youthful voice.

"Please, don't flatter me. I'm here to turn you down technically. My advisor is currently speaking with the Empress Mama. Your father learned of the proposal before the ship left and expressed his apologies for the misunderstanding," Zheng Ning softly laughs when he spots how joyful Chenle is. "You're rather pleased at our declination, I see."

"--Oh! Excuse me!" Chenle abruptly pouts and apologizes, though there's still happiness dancing in his eyes. "You're really nice but I don't want to marry you!"

"My thoughts alike," Zheng Ning reassures.

"I see you folk are getting on well."

The three turn to the new voice greeting them. The familiar pink eyes and white robes have Chenle running to leap into the tall girl's arms.

"Sister Jade!"

"Good afternoon!" Donghyuck greets the magical serpent girl, walking up to her as well.

"Lunch is soon, princes. I hope I haven't interrupted a particularly important chat?" She gives a happy knowing smile.

"Nothing too much," the Celestial prince nods.

"I see. Well the Flower Empress requests Prince Chenle and Prince Donghyuck for a word on the travel arrangements. The weather is better than expected and our crew expects to dock in Korea by nightfall. Would Fifth Prince grace this as permissable?"

"Just a moment," Zheng Ning walks over to Donghyuck.

Donghyuck, in typical fashion, confusedly tilts his head slightly, gives a small pout, and blinks in question at him. The older alpha gestures to his left hand.

"May I?" He asks.

The Jeju prince doesn't know what he is referring to, but extends his hand hoping that's what he was trying to ask for. Gently, the fifth prince flips his hand so his palm faces the sky. Zheng Ning traces the lines of Donghyuck's palms lightly. The omega gets ticklish, holding in a laugh. Chani is a bit more alert, perplexed, but not moving to stop the prince. After he observes enough, he lets go and turns to Chenle.

Chenle is also confused, but holds out his palm as well.

When Zheng Ning takes a step away from both, he has a pleased expression on his face.

"I didn't know Fifth Prince could read palms?" Jade raises a brow.

"I do not read, for what I see is something I cannot completely comprehend. I am merely forming conjectures," the calm prince beams.

"What do you have to say?" Jade asks.

The fifth prince finally looks at Chenle and Donghyuck like he's here with them. There's an almost fond or deeply cheerished look in his eyes as if he's watching his first born succeed.

"If you have dreams, princes, I reccommend you pay attention to them--"

Both Chenle and Donghyuck freeze.

"--for I see that there are the roots of beginning in your hands. If you are able to nurture those roots and follow your dreams, perhaps proserous trees will fan out their branches in your lives. You may be able to impact the lives of many, many people. I can only guess, so do not ponder this too much."

Donghyuck's mind goes to the person in his dreams. The one who calms the fire, the hurt, the pain, and the anger. The one who smells like sun-kissed sheets and cherry wood. There's a blush across his face, and he must have zoned out, because the next think he knows, Chani is tugging on his sleeve for him to leave.

Donghyuck follows Chenle, Jade, and Chani.

When he looks back to Zheng Ning, he swears he sees him mouth a single, "Good luck."

---

They have lunch before seeing Empress Kun. It's a nice quick meal.

"Mama--!"

"I know, baby," Kun hugs Chenle.

"Did Daddy really--"

"He did," Kun smiles. "Your Daddy figured it out before this happened. Empress Mama wasn't yet informed. What would we do without him hm?"

Jade bows, and Kun gives her a nod.

"Hello Empress Kun," Donghyuck bows, still extremely unused to formalities.

"Oh don't worry about that," Kun laughs. "Yongqin is a great friend of mine. Feel free to call me Kun."

"Yongqin?" Chenle asks with wide eyes.

"That's my Papa!" Donghyuck giggles. "Seo Chittaphon Ten."

"Mama, how do you know his Papa?" Chenle stole the question on Donghyuck's tongue.

"Have a seat first. Make yourselves comfortable, kids," Kun gestures for them to sit.

Donghyuck is amazed more and more by how beautiful the boat's rooms were, but Chenle and Jade sit down like it's an everyday thing. He takes a seat next to Chenle, Jade sitting across from the Shanghai prince.

There's an endearing but flickering fire in Chenle's eyes, Donghyuck notices, when the younger sees Kun sit in the throne. Some servants bring in tea and pour each of them a cup.

"Ten and I met before both of you were born," Kun warmly shares. "I'm sure Ten has told you of his adventures?"

Donghyuck's eyes gleam at that.

Of course!

When Donghyuck was little, his Papa would always tell him stories about the time before he married his Dada. There were stories about chasing famous thieves, saving runaway ladies from lions, travelling from wagon to wagon, and learning about the people wherever he went. There were different fables from different places and legends or myths that stuck out in his memory. His favorites HAD to be the ones about dragons, fairies, and even immortal beings like Jade. But Donghyuck feels that his Papa probably exaggerated those for his young mind then. There's no way his Papa did some of those crazy things on his adventures, though he wonders if it was possible.

Kun went on.

"Well back then, I was living with my family. We owned a small restaurant near the outskirts of Shanghai. One day, this rich man stormed in and demanded we shut down the restaurant claiming we were drugging the food. At the time, our food was gaining popularity, and he must've feared for one of his biggest restaurants down the street. We were scared and confused at the sudden accusation. He marched in screaming that the palace officials would be here any moment. The customers fled, but your Papa was the only one who remained behind. He said one sentence. Do you know what he told that rich man?"

Chenle and Donghyuck leaned in, not wanting to miss the story.

"I'd rather be high than eat your low shit."

Boom.

( ^^NCT 127 ver. vs. NCT Dream ver. ?)

Donghyuck breaks out into hysterics, Chani putting a hand over his mouth to hold in the laughs. Chenle squeaks with delight, cheeks rising up to touch the ceiling. Jade sips her tea, a satisfied smile on her pink lips.

Kun giggles, shaking his head.

"I had never seen a rich guy so mad. He was as red as our pepper sauce! He went right over to your Papa, demanding him to go back with him!" Kun explains.

-----

{ Around 20 Years Ago }

{ In Shanghai, Capital of the Ninth Empire }

"Mmm? What's a pretty lil' thing like you talking with such a dirty mouth? You're begging to get bedded!" Red with anger, the snobby man stomped over, the fat on his body practically jiggling like tofu. He was dressed in large expensive robes and a coat. A heavy sword at his side.

"Bedded?" Ten laughs. "Alphas like you don't even get the chance to touch me. I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you."

Kun and his parents watched the ordeal from the side. He protectively put his arms on the doorframe, blocking his mother and father from walking out of the kitchen and into the tense situation. While it was a confusing and scary situation, Kun found the small omega's confidence and grace extremely admirable.

"Really?" The man spits. "You're oh so special? What kind of omega are you? They all submit to any alphas any day!"

"What kind of alpha are you? They seem to like raping daughters and sons any day," the omega spits back, though he's not even looking at the man.

"Spunky. I like fixing stubborn problems. You should come back with me, omega."

"I'm certainly not a problem, so no."

"Come with me!"

"No."

There's the putrid smell of spoiled vegetables in the air mixed with the overpowering kick of wine. Kun's mother sees him wince and covers his nose. His father, a beta, is starting to get distressed. As their only omega son, Kun does his best to calm them down with his scent.

While doing so, he keeps his eyes on the omega, the beautiful dark-haired, thin, and sharp-looking young man whose white clothing and elegant posture make him look ethereal. The omega eats nonchalantly as the rude rich alpha ridicules him quite nastily. Kun grimaces, as some of the insults are very inappropriate. Still, the fairy-like omega is completely relaxed, not even batting an eye at whatever the alpha says.

Ten sips his tea, letting the stupid alpha continue his rant. Nothing the filthy man said was original. Alphas always said omegas were this and that. They think they're so smart and deserve to be treated like hot shots. The dark-haired omega internally huffed at the thought that alphas still behaved ridiculously in this day and age where the respect to alphas, betas, and omegas were beginning to level out.

Dumb idiots.

The alpha man was beginning to get tiring. Ten was pretty much ignoring him, but one can only ignore so much ridiculousness.

"Say... Aren't you tired?" The omega at the table says nonchalantly. "It must be awfully hard carrying that big head of yours."

"Watch your mouth, whore!"

Ten widens his eyes in incredulous sarcasm.

"Whore? I trust you're speaking about yourself. Alphas seem to take pride in willingly having multiple partners-- no, should I say...victims?"

"Like you yourself aren't a little slut!?"

Kun wants to crumple into a ball at the sudden snap, but he steels his limbs. The omega at the table eating remains unbothered, still.

"I just think it's funny," the raven-haired omega laughs. "You said that the authorities would be here any minute, but it's been quite a while and there's no one. I'm amused that you're all bark, no bite."

The alpha moves to draw his sword.

Kun watches in alarm.

There isn't much to be alarmed about, however.

Before the large alpha can draw his sword, the omega at the table is faster.  Ten doesn't blink as he slips a concealed knife out of his sleeve. Kun gasps as the other omega, matching his fairy-like looks, effortlessly twists his body and cuts off the belt holding the alpha's sword in one fell swoop. The heavy weaponry crashes to the floor with a loud jangle.

Ten is focused, noticing the man's attention on his fallen sword. With a nimble move, the omega swings his foot onto the seat, stepping on it to propel the rest of his body to stand with ease. The fact that he's just a bit taller than the alpha standing on one foot on a seat doesn't bother him. There's no need to feel ashamed of his height compared to the disgrace of an alpha in front of him.

Kun gasps at the sight.

There's a small gleam of the knife pointed ever so delicately at the alpha's throat, Ten's stable and graceful body structure precisely extending an arm a few millimeters away from piercing skin. Kun finds it breathtaking. The omega was composed and menacing, the sharpness of his weapon mirrored in the glare of his eyes.

Suddenly, there's been a humongous power shift in the air. The alpha is defenseless as the smaller omega's confidence overpowered whatever lame excuse of dominance the larger man had. Not a sound could be heard other than the panicked breaths of the alpha as he realized there is wasn't a way out in the slightest. The air became thick with fear from the larger man.

"Do you know why omegas are starting to stand up for themselves?" Ten said coldly at the man, knife comfortably settled on his neck vein. "It's because we realized we've had enough of alphas'  bullshitery. Why would we follow and allow ourselves to be dominated by someone so cowardly as to use their rank as a right to rape, harass, and belittle?"

The alpha breaks into a sweat.

"This is stupid," the omega sighs.

Kun watches in awe as Ten draws his knife back and proceeds to send the alpha sprawled across the floor with a swift kick to the chest. The alpha lands with a thud. The knife slips back into Ten's sleeve with a magical ease and he's sitting back down in the chair properly again, going back to eat like nothing ever happened.

The alpha tries to get back up, but Ten knows better than to let him. Not sparing another look at the disgusting guy, the omega uses one foot to kick the heavy sword and belt on the floor up in the air. Then, he leaps. In an effortless motion, Ten hits the weapon in the air with his palm, forcing it to sail with a dangerous speed right into the miserable face of it's owner.

The sword was sheathed, but it still seemed deadly enough to leave the alpha's nose broken with cheeks and an eye sorely blue. By the omega is settled back into his seat to have a drink, the alpha is already bolting out of the restaurant, a terrified scream filling the air.

"What an eyesore. Alphas are getting easier to defeat these days," Ten sighs, bored.

"How... How did you do it?"

"I could use another plate of your spicy jerky first, if you don't mind," Ten picks at his nails.

"Y-Yes! Of course!" Kun quickly leaps in to the kitchen, his parents still perplexed how Ten managed to scare off an alpha.

Kun runs over to Ten's table with a plate of spicy beef jerky, a bowl of vegetable soup, and red bean sweet cakes. The omega chef sits across from Ten with bright eyes. Ten grabs a sweet cake and takes a bite.

"How did you drive him off?"

"I wouldn't reccommend you attempt that I did."

"Yes! But how did you... how did you not fall into the grasp of his dominance?" Kun asks, adding a bit of soy sauce into the soup before sliding it over to Ten.

Ten gives a small, tired smile, boredom still laced into his face.

"When you feel dominance trying to overcome you, have you never thought about whether you submit because they're an alpha or because it's a reason to submit?" Ten says. "Just because the dominance is from an alpha isn't a reason to submit. It's in our nature to naturally want to submit to avoid conflict, but what good would submitting in that case be when submitting leaves you vulnerable to conflict?"

"But how... You seemed so unaffected..?" Kun says, amazed.

"That's simple," Ten shrugs. "I just simply remember what I value."

-----

"Papa really did that?" Donghyuck says, stars in his eyes. "He's never told me that story!"

"Quite a fine queen, yes," Jade nods in approval. 

"Your Papa is one of the most interesting omegas I've ever met!" Kun beams. "He was also kind too. After he left that day, he told me that he was sorry that he couldn't help us protect the shop anymore. We told him to just stop by if he was in town again and that we'd be fine. I don't know where your Papa travelled after, but the next time I saw him, I was getting ready to marry Hansol."

Chenle claps in joy at the mention of his Daddy while Donghyuck makes note to ask his Papa more about his adventures and how he ended up in the Ninth Empire later. Chani seems to have been impressed with the story as well, a smile on his face. Donghyuck was also pretty sure the beta was ready to fall sleep though.

"Now, let us move on to the real reason we are here," Kun gestures to a few servants.

The servants bring in a map. Donghyuck recognizes it as one of Korea, as he had also brought one in his luggage. He remembers they came to discuss the travel plans, not the stories of his Papa. It was still exciting nontheless! The prince of Jeju was very much ready to explore new places and make friends. 

"I'd like to show you our plan of travel, Donghyuck," Kun explains. "Your Papa said that we should get some sight seeing in, so I'd like to share what we will be seeing in case you're curious about seeing something we don't have planned."

(A/n: Yes, I drew a whole map for this book. It's pretty crude, but bear with me. The travel progress of Donghyuck and his friends will be shown on this map in red at the end of this chapter, so please pay attention!

To note: The dotted black lines show the boundaries of all the kingdoms. The black dots represent the kingdom capitals. The name of the kingdoms are in black, NOT THE NAME OF THE CAPTIALS. And yes, Donghyuck's home castle is a mountain because there's an actual mountain/volcano in Jeju called Halla-san.)

"Right now, we're headed for the kingdom of Yeosu," Kun traces a finger on the map. "This dot here is the capital, Lantern City. We'll be there by nightfall. I heard it's a lively port, so perhaps you and Lele can explore the night markets with a few guards."

"I will also accompany you," Jade sets down her cup of tea. "There are many people in the capital, so we must be cautious."

Donghyuck nods eagerly in anticipation. He loves night markets! The ones back in Jeju were always so much fun to go to. Often, he and Chani would try the local food and spend time talking with the people. The lights were just so pretty and the glass bead stands always stood out with the light of torches adding to their gleam. He could almost smell the aroma of candied fruit and smoked meats. The omega prince had already started to miss home a bit more. 

But I've got to figure out where that person is...

I need to know why my dreams are... 

"We'll spend the next day--Sunday--in Lantern City. After that, we'll be sailing off to the kingdom of Busan next. Other than producing salt, do you know what makes this kingdom a current trend?" Kun asks. 

Jade doesn't answer this, as she knows what Kun is to mention but leaves it for the princes to see for themselves. She takes this moment to stroke a strand of her long black hair, the snake tapping out of the conversation. 

Chenle sulks when he doesn't know the answer, but Kun reassures his baby with a smile. Donghyuck hasn't heard much either. He knows about some traditions and landmarks, but he's not up to date with trends and royal gossip because in Jeju, no one really brings news of such. 

Chani, as Donghyuck's personal attendant, knows a lot however. The beta yawns and whispers what information he has to the prince before going back to slipping into sleep. Kun gives the attendant a precious smile and Donghyuck giggles. Chenle suggests they let Chani nap, to which the other two agree. --Chani doesn't get a say because by then, he's already snoring away in a comfortable position. Donghyuck and Chenle snort at this, and Kun shakes his head. 

"Chani says that the kings of Busan don't get along," Donghyuck says. "He says that they live in two separate palaces and that the crown prince seems to run into many dilemmas on their behalf." 

"That's correct," Kun nods. "These days, whatever the crown prince manages to solve on his own is very much a hot topic in the upper circles. I do hope that poor boy rests well in between."

"He must be amazing!" Donghyuck exclaims, though he quickly quiets down when Chani slightly stirs. "---Do you thing we can be friends with him, Chenle?"

Chenle smiles, "I hope he's nice." 

"I hear he's a very hard worker," Kun fills in. "To continue, we should reach Busan in the afternoon of Monday. Busan is known for it's green hills and seashore. On the east, there's the capital of Armeria, where some folks live on cliffs. There are wonderful sights to see, but your Papa firmly demdanded we don't let you walk along the cliff. He said, 'Knowing that kiddo, he would be leaping into the ocean before you've taken a breath.'"

Chenle bursts into loud dolphin laughter as Donghyuck pouts. What can he say? He loves to explore and diving in Jeju was a normal activity. Jade gives him a laugh with her eyes, and Donghyuck's pout only grows. Chani just snores loudly to add.

"We're to see both capitials," Kun giggles as he explains further. "You see, since the kings live in different cities, the people decided to have two capitals. One king lives in the eastern capital, Armeria, and the other lives in the western capital, Maritima. It's really one big capital with two castles, since the road connecting them, the Fleabane Path, is a bustling place in it of itself. We'll probably reach the kingdom of Daegu to the north of them by nightfall."

"Oh I know! Daegu is that one country with the mountains and flower trees! The capital is Paeonia Valley! Yanan-ge said that the whole kingdom always smells like flowers since they never seem to go out of bloom," Chenle proudly shares. 

Fondess settles in Kun's eyes, and he's complimenting his baby, "Yes Lele, that's correct. Good job."

Chenle has a shine in his eyes that Donghyuck finds cute. Jade gives more nods of approval and sips her tea quietly. Donghyuck wonders if all snakes like tea. He'll have to ask Jade that one when they're free. 

"The capital of Daegu is indeed Paeonia Valley. The captial is surrounded by mountains that flower all year. The flowers are so fragrant, one of the largest trade exports of the kingdom are the flower teas. They're said to taste like spring," Kun gestures to the map. "We won't stay too long in Daegu, but we'll stay there for the rest of Tuesday night. Travelling on mountain ranges is dangerous at night, so we'll set off for the kingdom of Daejeon on Wednesday morning."

"Oh! Yanan-ge said that Daejeon is all forest and mountains!" Chenle pipes up. 

"He's right," Jade says. "However, I do believe that the kingdom is known for it's rivers and silk. It snows in some areas."

"Snow?!" Donghyuck squeals. "I've never seen snow before!"

"I'm sorry Donghyuck but we won't be going to the snowy areas because they're quite hard for our carriages to ride through. Because of that, we'll unfortunately have to skip the captial, Xuehua, since they're in snow season."

Donghyuck nods in disappointment at Kun's words. He tries to perk himself up, however, making notes to convince his Papa and Dada to stop by Xuehua on the way back to Jeju. At that, a smile is back on his face and he continues to listen to Kun. Chenle is also disappointed, but Jade puts a hand on the Shanghai prince's shoulder and the younger brightens up again. 

"Daejeon has quite a few mountains, so it'll probably take all Wednesday and Thursday to travel through it. If we're lucky, we'll make it to the next kingdom, Suwon, on Thursday evening. If not, we should be there by Friday afternoon. Jade dear, do you mind telling them about Suwon?"

"Yes Flower Empress," Jade replies. "Suwon is known for having many lakes and caves.--"

Ouh, Donghyuck's definetly ready to explore those--

"Approaching the shoreline to the west, they're known for having very good seafood. Suwon also has very fertile farm land, so the largest export they have is rice and other grains," Jade finishes. "We will not make it to the capital of Areumul, but we will pass by many lakes."

"This should take most of Friday," Kun says. "We have to arrive on Saturday, as Carnival starts on Sunday. Depending on how early we arrive in Suwon, we may have to ride through, but we'll try to make enough time for sight seeing. Our final destination is the kingdom of Seoul, as you know. This decade, the center of Carnival will be held in the capital city--Neodam City."

Neodam City, Seoul.

Donghyuck's heart beat fast just thinking about it.

He's never been to any of these places, yet there's a pull telling him to come closer. Each and every one seemed like a new adventure, even if they wouldn't be staying long enough for one. There's this calling Donghyuck can't stop hearing. There's a call from somewhere in his heart that he'll find what he needs one day.

When he turns to face Chenle, the other's face is just as excited as his. Their eyes are sparkling. Chani snores behind everyone as they begin to chat about the travels coming their way. Jade is rather displeased with the thought of sitting in a carriage most of the trip, but Chenle counters that she's a snake and that snakes don't need to sit. Jade is mildly offended, as she had also wanted to see the sights.

The conversation didn't carry on longer, as one of the crewsmen stepped in with a bow.

"Pardon me, Flower Empress. The ship his nearing the harbor. Please prepare to dock in Lantern City."

"Thank you. We will," Kun gently waves the man off. "You must get going with the rest of your crew. After all, we all don't want to miss the sightseeing, do we?"

The man, who was overjoyed to be allowed freetime after they arrived, thanked Kun in a hurry before running off to the too deck.

"Think we'll find some interesting things there?" Donghyuck turns to Chenle.

"Maybe. I can't wait to see the night markets! Back in the Ninth Empire, the markets are the brightest parts of the night."

"Really? It's the same in Jeju too! There's a lot of music and good food. Chani and I--- uh, Chani?" Donghyuck turns to Chani.

The said beta is sound asleep on the floor in a mildly awkward position. Donghyuck's about to wake him up when Kun stops him.

"No need to wake him. Lele, why don't you and Donghyuck go to the top deck? The guards assigned to your late night walk in Yeosu will have a word with you. I'll see to it that Chani makes it back to his quarters."

"Thank you, Kun-jali!" Donghyuck jumps around in a little dance before bowing in front of the empress.

"Ja...li?" Chenle questions.

"Ah! Papa taught me it means 'honored senior' in Aith!" Donghyuck smiles. "I didn't have anyone to call it back home because I know everyone by name and they're not an empress so..."

Kun nods in approval.

"So be it. I like the name, Donghyuck. It's unique, just like you and your Papa. Thank you very much," Kun pats the prince's curly light brown hair warmly. He then pats Chenle's blonde head of hair. "Go have fun, Lele. I know you've been dying to explore the outside world. Be safe, and rememeber to not be too chatty with strangers. Okay?"

"I will, Kun-mama!" Chenle obediently agrees, following with that cute little bow of his.

The boys race to the top deck while Jade and Kun stay behind. Once the quick footsteps of the princes are gone, Jade turns to the Empress with a frown.

"What is it, Jade?" Kun pours himself some tea.

"Flower Empress, I sense a faint abnormality," Jade kneels to report. "I want to remain here and look out for the little prince."

"Why not join them?" Kun asks.

"I would be honored to," she says. "However, I'm sensing a faintly malicious air. It gets stronger as we approach Yeosu. I want to look out from the ship and find the source. It's quite difficult to do surrounded by civilians, so please understand."

Kun sips his tea. The older man is used to tiredness. It's not a new thing as an Empress. He's anxious as well. It's not the first time Kun's seen Korea. He had once sailed through the waters to the country a long time ago. There's a small hunch inside of him that things have changed since then.

"Of course. But please remember to have your meal," Kun tells her. "As long as the princes are safe, I trust your judgement."

Jade bows.

"Thank you, Flower Empress."

"No, thank you."

Chani sleepily reaches beside him as the two talk. Both don't notice when the beta fails to reach for his usual fluffy pillow. The beta tries and tries to find the plush cushion in his sleep, but he eventually gives up.

Ironic how he packed mainly pillows but at the moment it seemed as if he didn't have any.

---

For some reason, Chenle and Donghyuck got pulled into changing their outfits again. The Jeju prince wonders how the younger deals with being dressed up for anything and everything. The older boy never needed to change more than twice a day: one time into his day clothes and another time into his pajamas.

Donghyuck played, performed, pranced, and pranked around Jeju in one set of clothes for the day. Being with Chenle, the younger seemed to change his outfit at every meal time. Three outfits a day. It was quite different, and Donghyuck didn't mind it a whole lot. Chenle, however, quickly hid a pout as the maids dragged him into a changing room. Donghyuck followed, as they would've pulled him along anyways.

"The Empress Mama says you must wear these," a maid gestures to an outfit displayed neatly on a table.

Chenle tries not to show it, but Donghyuck senses that the younger is displeased. It's that scent. The younger prince smells a tiny bit like souring milk and rotting apples. The Jeju prince can understand why, though. The outfit was way too much for a walk in a night market. The robe was a vibrant shade of orange, far too long for a hot summer night, and looked extremely heavy. Anyone would show a grimace at that.

They're blazing.

Chenle's eyes have that fire in them again. The ones that burn with a fierceness Donghyuck has yet to understand at what. There's so much energy and... just a certain something behind them. It doesn't last long though, as the fire flickers away, and Chenle lets out a sigh of acceptance.

No no no.

Donghyuck is a true prince of Jeju. He knows the heat in the air will get worse. He can feel it. These may be the clothes for a prince, but these aren't the clothes for Chenle. The walk is to enjoy themselves, not to parade themselves as princes.

"Mmm, no thank you."

The maids look to Donghyuck, startled.

"Pardon me?" A maid asks, confused.

"I said no thank you," Donghyuck grabs Chenle's hand.

"Hyung, what are you--" Chenle gasps.

"Let me ask you maids honestly, would any of you dare to wear these thick robes out in the summer heat yourseleves? Chenle obviously wouldn't survive in that. If you truly care about the prince's image and well-being, it would do you well to get him more suitable clothes. Will you take responsibility if he faints from heat exhaustion?" Donghyuck grills them firmly, though reasonable in tone.

The last question seemed to knock some sense into them. In a flash, the maids started to run around trying to find a new outfit. Chenle looks to Donghyuck with an expression the older can't really pin down. Somehow what comes out of his mouth just does.

"They were brainwashed by the old hag! Those robes were clearly evil! I just saved your life!" Donghyuck dramatically cracks.

They both know who the old hag is.

The Shanghai prince starts laughing with that screeching noise he always does. By the time they're done breaking down into hysterics and imaginary jokes, the maids brought back better outfits.

This time, Donghyuck looks at them in approval.

Chenle's is a pastel purple two-piece. A bell-sleeved, slightly off the shoulder top with matching flowy pants. The clothes are made of layers of semi-sheer fabric to let the body breathe and allow Chenle to move. They compliment Chenle's paler complexion. Compared to all of the outfits Donghyuck's seen the younger in, this is the most plain, with the only  decorations being some colorful koi embroidered nicely around the sleeves and pants. Chenle deflates a little when they pull out a sheer purple veil.

"Please Prince, at least spare us. If the Empress Mama sees you off without a veil, she won't let us live!" The maids go on their knees. "Please have wear it."

Chenle's saddened, evident by his growing frown. The Shanghai prince willingly puts the veil on. Donghyuck doesn't want to interfere further, and this doesn't say anything.

Donghyuck's outfit was similar to Chenle's. Breathable and light, just like the clothes he wears around Jeju. A flowy-sleeved short robe with pants. His outfit was pastel yellow, also simple with light pink flowers sprinkled around.

Chenle got matching flats and Donghyuck insisted on wearing his sandals. He's realized by now that each outfit Chenle has must have coordinating shoes. That blows Donghyuck away, wondering how people manage to stuff all of those sets of clothes into their houses.

"Let's go, Chenle!" Donghyuck pulls the other out of the room once they're set. "Don't wanna miss the market life!"

Chenle's a little braver now. Donghyuck smiles in pride as the younger pulls of his veil and lets it flow behind him in his hand as they dash down the halls of the ship. They're giggling and dodging maids like never before. Some crewmen scream as they both dive under some cargo.

"You should do what you want!" Donghyuck shouts to Chenle as the approach the top deck.

Chenle doesn't know what to say, but he nods.

"Maybe I should."

---

Jade stayed back, making Chenle a bit sad. The younger didn't want to have fun without her, but she didn't budge on her decision.

Seungcheol was assigned to help Donghyuck around with another guard. Chenle was assigned Jeonghan and another guard as well. They kept their group small, as they didn't want to draw too much attention. No one knew they were coming.

Yeosu is more beautiful than Donghyuck had ever imagined.

From the top deck of the tall ship, Yeosu shines bright. Tall, beaming buildings sweep the hight sky with colorful lanterns that sparkle like the stars. The pagoda-like shapes of the roofs are connected with streamers and lines of little lanterns and candles. The city glows from the sky to the ground. Many small boats filled with people can be seen lazing around the water with small shops in them. The port city capital has no roads, but rather many waterways for people to traverse in with boats. There are also many bridges, be it high or low, that allow children and parents to look at the sights around them and go from one building to another without needing to get on a boat.

It's mesmerizing.

The whole city itself is a bright, flickering lantern settled on land.

Chenle's eye fill with excitement and his cheeks go rosy with a delighted smile. Donghyuck may as well look the same.

The group paddles off in smaller boats from their docking spot to enter Lantern City, the most illuminated capital in Korea.

---

[ Chenle POV ]

It was an accident.

Chenle didn't know how they had lost Donghyuck and the others. The guard had to use the restroom, so they stopped their boat for him to do his business. Jeonghan was a pretty guy. Donghyuck didn't mention much about him, but Chenle was fascinated that he was a singer. He was quite good too, because as they waited for the guard, Jeonghan sang so well they didn't realize their boat had floated off somewhere they didn't know of.

Donghyuck's boat disappeared, and Jeonghan immediately stopped the boat once they noticed.

"Sorry, kid--er, prince?" Jeonghan tucks a strand of his long hair behind his ear. "It seems we're lost. But don't worry. Let's get off the boat here. We'll grab something to eat, and then we'll try to go back the way we floated from. The ship should be at the port, so we can just ask how to get there."

The singer was totally relaxed. Chenle knew that it was probably going to worry his Mama. Even so, his stomach was crying at this point. The thousands of lights beckoned him to explore more temptingly. He gives in as soon as Jeonghan offers him a hand out of the boat. They tie it to the tiny poles sticking up from the small dirt  path lining a huge building and next to the water way they can walk on. There's a fisherman next to them kind enough to watch their boat. They thank him sincerely and promise to return with some food to repay him.

"How did you learn Eshinec?" Chenle asks Jeonghan, who answers his questions attentively. "You're just as good as Donghyuck-hyung!"

"Ah, well I have some friends who speak it," Jeonghan says tenderly. "We sing together a lot, and I learned the language through singing it."

"Really? Can you really learn a language by singing?" Chenle beams.

"Living proof right here!" Jeonghan points to himself and smiles. "And aren't you such a cutie! I didn't get a good look earlier, but you have such a baby face!"

The singer coos, and Chenle finds himself heating up at the cheeks. They find themselves on a large bridge soon. The bridge has a roof over it, sheltering the food stands and small trinket shops squished to the sides. Jeonghan strikes a bargain with the lady selling hot buns, arguing about something Chenle didn't catch on about. He was currently wondering what Donghyuck could be doing.

He waited patiently a bit behind Jeonghan. The Shanghai prince breathed the sweet air. Yeosu was full of life just like Shanghai. Back home, he wasn't allowed to walk through the night markets. He could only go in a covered sedan chair, and it was hard to enjoy the sights like any other person when everyone bowed at the sedan as it passed. He felt watched there.

But not here.

No one knew who he was here. He was just any other boy looking at the lanterns reflecting prettily in the water. No need for proper words or proper bows. No need for pretty lines of classical literature or looking down at his hands because royal omegas can't make eye contact with those they're not close with.

He's a normal seventeen year old in a foreign kingdom.

He's finally not who he needs to be.

Just someone he wants to be, now.

Chenle admires the night view of Yeosu so much, he doesn't notice when he accidentally bumps into someone.

"Aye! Whatcha doin', dumb bitchface?!"

Chenle's startled by the shout behind him. He immediately shrinks away as he senses someone larger than him looming over his space. There's a cold shiver rushing up his spine. The air is suddenly too hot, and he begins to sweat in fear.

"I-I-I..." Chenle gulps, slowly turning around.

Dread starts to spread in his body like a shower of needles as all of Donghyuck's Naerok lessons and teachings fly out the window. He doesn't know what to say.

The man starts yelling angrily, but Chenle's too panicked to hear words.

T-Think.
Think Zhong Chenle.
Y-You can d-do it..!

It's not fast enough.

The man he faces is probably nearly two feet taller than him, stocky, and dressed like a nobleman. He's shouting so much, everyone is staring at them.

N-No...
I-I-I didn't want---

The eyes of the strangers watching start to sear into his skin like scorching iron rods. Chenle's not sure what to do. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know how to react. What can he do? What can he do...?!

"On a second look..." The man grins, way to close to Chenle's face.

His breath smells of liquor, and his facial hair is terribly icky. The man reaches out his disgustingly moist hand to clench Chenle's chin with so much force, the prince can hardly breathe.

"You a pretty omega...aren't 'cha?" The man chuckles lowly.

Chenle doesn't understand. What is the man saying? What is he doing? Help. He needs help. This is wrong. Something is wrong. Please---

"Ohoohooo! You even a more cute when you're scared out of ya sweet little mind, aha!" He scans Chenle's body with hungry eyes.

No.
Please stop.
Don't do this to me.
I-I... Huh?
Why can't I move?
What's wrong with me?
I-I-I should be fine.
B-But why----

No one cares to interfere with the scene as the man practically stares at the prince like lunch. No one knew who Chenle was. Probably to them... He was just another omega.

He's not an omega or alpha or beta.

There's no way he can be. He's not even old enough to know--

There's a sudden crack.

Chenle's ears burst with ringing as a sore hot patch breaks out on a cheek. He's on the ground, side smashed into the stone of the bridge. He's too scared to move, body breaking out into an uncontrollably harsh shaking. All the hairs on his body start to stand straight as the man looms over him again.

N-No...
W-Why..?
Why aren't my legs moving?
My arms?
I keep moving my body but it stays in place.
H-Help...
H-H-Help!!!

Jeonghan's too far gone arguing with the lady at the food stand to notice the commotion. Chenle can't even speak, much less whimper in pain. His whole body feels sore like he'd been tossed from a tower of some sort.

"Stand up, ya pretty bitch!" The man shouts, grabbing Chenle by the chin again.

He shakes the blonde mercilessly, enjoying every moment of it.

He's so close, Chenle momentarily blacks out from the harsh shakes and can only feel his rough facial hair scuffing and grazing his face. There's a few moments of dizzying shakes before Chenle can make out the sound of people shouting.

Regaining his vision for a moment, he spots everyone staring at him before fixated on a figure approaching from the right. Tilting his face just a little, he spots the dark violet hood concealing the face of a man dressed in dark violet. Chenle's able to spot that the new man's figure is thinner and he's almost ninja-esque with the dark, form fitting clothing.

There are shouts from the people before the stocky man holding Chenle slams him into the ground.

Chenle cries out in pain, head banging the stone hard.

"Stupid! Stupid!" The man screams, frustrated at the appearance of the violet figure. "Always killin' the fun of alphas! Get outta here!"

There's a loud crash, and Chenle suddenly can't feel the attacker nearby anymore. His head feels a little odd. His ears scream in another round of loud ringing before he's sorely sitting up. Everything feels numb for a moment.

He's so numb, he doesn't realize when the violet figure runs past him to finish the job. The stocky man tries to stand up from after the thinner's kicks, but he's too slow, as the violet figure drags him by the arm and in an amazing swoop, tosses the agressive alpha into the waterway below.

The violet figure runs back over to Chenle.

They're sitting in front of him.

The first think Chenle notes about them is that he can't see their face at all. The large hood covers everything. The second thing is how odd the figure is. They're clearly taller and bigger than Chenle, but their posture at the moment makes them so small, almost on the same level as Chenle.

W-What...?
W-Who--

Before Chenle can stand, the figure picks him up. Chenle lets out a slightly pained whimper at last when an arm goes under his legs and another supporting his back. The violet stranger starts running with Chenle in his arms.

Chenle's too stunned to do anything else but grab onto the figure's neck when the running turns into leaping. They're airborne for seconds at a time.

The lights of lanterns pass by in a blur, blending the colors together to create a dash of twinkling beauty. Chenle watches in amazement as the stranger leaps onto a bridge before leaping onto the different levels of different buildings. They ascend with a large group of lanterns being released into the sky.

The lanters soaring with them are in fun animal shapes. They dodge a flying cat lantern and pass by a fish one. There's even a big one that looks like an elephant! Chenle's pain suddenly gets shoved into the back of his brain as he excitedly laughs in joy.

Yeosu is beautiful.

Chenle's screaming in a way he never has before. He's screaming in pure happiness. Each time the stranger jumps up higher from building to building, the more the prince's heart races with an energy he'd always wanted to let loose. They continue to fly up to the sky with the lanterns.

When the make it to the very top of a building, the stranger suddenly stops.

The lanterns they were flying with begin to leave them behind. They continue to the stars, where the lanterns fill the air above joining the others released by the people.

"...i-its...e-everything is so...!" Chenle gasps, not even knowing that he was out of breath from the lantern flight.

The stranger in violet didn't react. They seemed to be looking at Chenle, but he couldn't exactly tell. The hood still blocked their entire face. Standing there on the top of a huge bright building under a sky of lanterns, they stayed that way for a moment. The violet figure handled Chenle in a way that felt secure. It wasn't gentle nor too comfortable like a bed. It felt odd. It felt like Chenle wasn't being babied nor hated. Just held in all the places he couldn't hold himself up.

It felt... Complete.

Liberating.

It was like he didn't need to worry about his flaws getting the best of him because someone was there to make up for his flaws. They fit together. Not one too soft for the other. Just perfect.

"...U-Uhm..." Chenle embarrassedly stutters in awkwardness. "Y-You can put me down now..?"

The figure didn't move.

Eh?

Why?

Of course, this is Korea!
No one speaks too much Eshinec here.
Speak Naerok, Chenle.
Remember Donghyuck's words.
Relax...

"...down... please?" Chenle manages.

It works.

The figure carefully maneuvers their arms to guide Chenle to a painless descent. After Chenle is finally back on his own two feet, he notices the view.

"Waaaaaahhhh!" Chenle screeches into the night air. "This is the best!"

He can see every boat below like a dot of light. The tall buildings filled with lanterns on every floor stare back at him too. Now and then, he would stick his hand out, nearly touching lanterns flying up from the ground so far below.

The figure watches him from behind.

Chenle eventually winds down and turns to face the violet clad stranger.

"...um...thank you!" Chenle makes a formal bow out of habit. "I.. uh... I'm sorry!"

The figure doesn't react to that.

Chenle bites his lip a little in thought. Well... He saved him right? Did he possibly... Is he waiting for a reward?

Is that it?

"Hey! I uh...." Chenle approaches the figure.

The closer Chenle comes to the stranger, the taller and taller they get. Eventually, Chenle is tilting his head up at the stranger like he does to the stars. Chenle doesn't like his short height. It makes him angry because people decide that he's weak.

But under the mysteriously blank stare of the stranger, Chenle feels that no one is judging him. Nothing is being said about him. They're just there with him. Chenle feels like himself looking up at the stranger under the lantern filled sky.

Chenle doesn't have money on him.

He handed the bag of coins to Jeonghan earlier to pay for the hot buns. He's got nothing but the clothes on his back. Chenle thinks for a bit before noticing his own wrist.

The veil got annoying again, ending in Chenle trying the pale purple thing to his wrist. Chenle doesn't like being a prince because of the pressure of what he must behave like. The Shanghai prince knows that it's no excuse to not be greatful though.

He unties the veil from his wrist.

"Hello. My name is Zhong Chenle. I am a prince. My home is Shanghai. It's in the Ninth King...Kimdom? Kingwon? Oh no! I'm sorry. I mean to say Ninth Empi..re. Yeah. I can't speak Naerok very good..." Chenle grows more and more embarrassed.

He starts taking an interest in his shoes as he mutters to himself.

"A-Anyways! Please take this!"

Chenle quickly grabs the stranger's hand. He's slightly surprised when they don't move away. Delighted, Chenle ties the veil onto their wrist. He's so happy, he loosely ties a pretty flower knot Sister Jade taught him.

It's not too shabby.

"I owe you. If we meet again, I'll try to repay you..." Chenle doesn't know what he has to offer, but says so anyways. "Bring this to me. I will remember."

Chenle steps back after that.

The stranger didn't do much other then letting the arm Chenle touched go back to resting at their side.

"U-Um... I-I'm sorry if I--aah!"

Chenle flinches as the stranger suddenly slips forwards and envelopes him with their arms. The Shanghai prince is stunned for what feels like the hundredth time that day. The blonde rests his head on the chest of the stranger.

Next, his body moved on its own.

Chenle's arms wrap around the stranger's figure, eyes closing to firmly rest his ear against the stranger's heart. It was beating so fast. But how were they that calm the whole time on the outside...?

It doesn't matter.

For some reason, what happened next sent Chenle into the most complicated feelings in the world.

In one breath, the prince gets a full whiff of the stranger.

Wood violets and rich autumn trees.

...Alpha.

It's a mess.

One.

Chenle hasn't presented yet. He can't, or rather, he shouldn't be able to identify the rank gender of other people. What? Then that means...

Two.

Why is he...

Crying...?

______________________________________

(A/n: Hi, and welcome to HOLY THIS BOOK IS GONNA BE LONG. 😰😰😰

This chapter is about 14,400 words.

Eeks.

Well I hope this chapter makes up for my absence in this book. I have so many other books, but I consider this one my baby. 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

I take extra care for this book since every chapter is extremely long. Think of this book like a drama series. Each chapter is an episode of the drama. Episodes in dramas last about twenty minutes to an hour or more. That's how I feel editing my stuff on the second read through.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME THIS BOOK LITERALLY SUCKS SO MUCH TIME. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 ITS JUST A LONG LONG PROJECT...!

On the good side, I started chapter 6. Chapter 5 may be shorter this time. Anyways, don't get too excited just yet! We have a lot to go through! 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤫🤫🤫🤫😏😏😏

These chapters probably take about 30 hours to write because of the time I spend making sure we hit all the bases I want for the chapter. I'm also busy with my own life though. 😭💔

I haven't updated enough. Sorry Lovelies. 💔💔💔

I'll try to post another chapter soon, but I really want the quality, so I can't guarantee that.

Thank you for sticking around anyways though...?  ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Question: Zombie apocalypse time! You're only allowed to pick 6 members of NCT & WayV to be on your survival team. Who do you choose and what's their role? This can be tactical or maybe more for fun.

Answer:

[Tactical Team]

Johnny - Main Offense & Driver
Jaemin - Cook & Supply Manager
Yuta - Scout & Navigator
Jeno - Sniper & Tech Guy
Chenle - Gunman & Cuteness
Taeyong - Medic & Emotional Support

[Funny Fail Team]

Renjun - Screeches at zombies, would probably end himself first cuz who wouldn't, scary when angry

Chenle - gunman, bankroll, but also screeches at zombies, probably using basketballs to attack because he's suddenly Stephen Curry

Jisung - Screeches #3, a baby to be protected, will be our voice of second thinking, drive the older members crazy

Haechan - Creative, but would probably smack on the supplies, absorbs skills fast

Jungwoo - witty and an UwU, would probably apologize to zombies after killing them, that one person who always eats even during an apocalypse

Taeil - can do the butterfly (on land, not in the sea), would probably still wear those cool uncle outfits and shades through the whole thing

Until the next chapter, Lovelies! ❤️ )

( ^^^ Look out for a short series inspired by this post in the NCT Collection book coming soon! )

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️