"What if I need some fresh air?" She asked for the fiftieth time that day.

Hyunjin shook his head in disbelief once again before returning to his potion making.

"What if your base catches on fire and the palace is in the direction the fire is going in? Or if there's a flood in only this area and gets both the palace and the base? What if-"

"What if you just shut up?" Hyunjin finally snapped, leaving the potion brewing only to see Alex lying across his couch, staring at him. "You can go annoy the people at the palace now," he continued.

She pouted.

"But I don't want to be at the palace and your base is the only other option-"

"Stop! Please stop! My goodness, I'm dying here! Have mercy, Alex. I beg of you!"

"Hey, don't blame me! You were the one who came up with the idea."

"That was before I knew how annoying you could be."

Alex faked a gasp.

"Wow, Hyunjin, I'm offended."

"Haha," he faked a laugh. "How funny."

"Fine, I'm sorry but I had nothing to do. You were busy and all I wanted was some attention, okay?"

"So you annoyed me for it?" He chuckled slightly, sitting beside her.

"Don't even lie, Hyunjin. If I didn't make such a fuss, you wouldn't have left that room."

He simply shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Why don't you want me to leave anyway?"

He shrugged once more.

"I don't know."

Alex thought for a moment before a mischievous smirk decorated her face.

"Admit it, you like my company."

He burst out laughing.

"Wow, I never knew you were actually funny! That's a good joke, Alex, almost got me thinking you were serious."

She rolled her eyes with a slight scoff.

"Oh come on, you just can't get enough of me!"

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Dead serious, bruh."

He chuckled once more.

"I guess the lack of fresh air is actually getting to your brain," he teased before standing up and heading to his bedroom, returning moments later with two coats.

"What's that for?"

"We're taking a walk."

She immediately shot up.

"You're kidding, right?" She asked, a smile creeping up on her face.

He raised his eyebrow in a teasing manner.

"You don't want to go?"

She frantically shook her head.

"No, I do."

He passed her the coat before smiling sweetly.

"This might actually be the only time you've smiled at me genuinely."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"You just ruined the moment."

He chuckled as he used his fingers to turn the corners of her mouth into a smile.

"You should smile more, you look prettier like that."

Without even waiting for a response, Hyunjin strolled past Alex, cheeks burning red.

"Hey, wait up!" She called, running towards him before linking her arm around his own. "Where are we going to?"

Hyunjin tensed up at her action. Alex, obviously, noticed it.

"What?" She frowned. "Not used to physical contact?"

He shook his head, allowing himself to relax again.

"Just...haven't had it in a long time."

Alex smiled before leaning into his arm.

"Maybe that's why you're so cold most of the time."

He simply laughed at her.

"Reckon Eunbyul needs some physical contact as well?"

"She needs a full-on group hug."

She smiled at him, to which he wasted no time to return.

"You know, you look really cute when you smile."

Hyunjin looked down as he felt his cheeks turn red.

"Aw!" Alex squealed. "Are you blushing?"

"Stop it!" He covered his face in embarrassment. "Let's just go on the walk already."

"Fine."

***

"So you have no siblings?" Alex asked. "Every other prince or princess had a sibling."

Hyunjin looked at the ground.

"My mother died when she was giving birth to me...and my father promised her to never find another woman."

"I'm sorry...I guess I always ask the awkward questions."

He shook his head.

"It's fine, honestly."

"Are you sure?'

"Yeah...just as long as you don't pity me."

"I don't, I promise."

He smiled before looking to the ground.

"What happened to your parents?"

"They...died as well."

"Bet you weren't the cause for their death."

"Well, I didn't kill them, of course. But I destructed my dad while he was driving and the car went rolling off the road. I managed to get out but right before I could save my parents, the car caught on fire." She looked to the ground, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I still remember all the blood and smoke...and their burnt bodies being dragged out of the extinguished car and-"

"Don't," Hyunjin cut her off. "I can tell it hurts you too much to say."

"No, I need to get this off my chest."

He sighed, giving her an uncertain look.

"Fine then. Go ahead."

"The ambulance came rather quickly. My dad died instantly but my mum was still alive even when they pulled her out of the car. Her whole body was severely burnt but she was still living...barely. She died in the hospital. It hurt her every time she moved muscle yet she still forced to say her last words to me."

"What were they?"

"I hate you."

"Alex-"

"It's okay, honestly."

"No, how can it be? I-"

"They were taking me to a orphanage," she shut him up. "My parents never loved me. By the time I was sixteen, they had had enough of me. So yeah, that's my story."

Hyunjin was quiet, unsure what to say.

Alex wasn't expecting a response, it was the same reaction Mark had after she mentioned what happened.

It wasn't long until they exited the forest and entered the kilometres of lush landscape dragging on. The sun set at the horizon, painting a breathtaking ombre pattern across the sky.

"Beautiful, right?" Hyunjin asked, glancing down at the girl who had a wide smile across her face.

She nodded.

"You don't get sunsets like this on Earth."

He smiled

"That's why I brought you here." With that, he sat down on the grass which acted as a pillow beneath his body.

"Don't tell me this one like one of those clichés where a family member used to take you here."

"No, quite the opposite actually. My father died here."

"Oh."

"I like to come here whenever I miss him."

Alex joined him in the grass, staring intensely at him.

"What?" He asked once he noticed.

"Eunbyul said a witch cursed you. What was the curse?"

"For bad luck and hatred to follow me."

"I guess I'm breaking the curse then."

Hyunjin smirked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Alex smiled back before she rested her head on the boy's shoulder.

"I think you already know."

Well this update didn't take as long to write as I expected it to take thanks to my good ol' friend, traffic.

Anyway, just a heads-up, this story may end very soon. Maybe around chapter twenty five or something.

~SpicyThaiChicken