"Yang Jungwon!" I exclaim as I burst into the bedroom with a scowl on my face, feeling as if my head could explode from the pure amount of frustration I feel.

Jungwon quickly shoots his head up in my direction, from where he was previously hunched over his desk with mounds of paper underneath him. At first he looks startled, but then he gives me a soft smile, making me halt in my steps as I feel my anger suddenly dissipating.

"Ah, Minji you are finally back!" he exclaims happily while standing up from his chair, making my gaze soften by just a smidge. "I was going to search for you in the kitchen actually, but on the way there Jake hyung told me that you went to the infirmary in search of Riki. So I thought it'd be best to leave you alone while you two talk for a while."

I pause for a moment, mentally fighting within myself before I completely let go and give up on trying to be angry. I drop my tense shoulders and trudge forwards with a huff, pulling Jungwon into a hug as I feel my face begin to burn.

Without even hesitating for a second, he pulls me into his warm embrace just as earnestly, with one hand resting on the back of my head, pushing my head to rest on his shoulder, and the other on the small of my back.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly, taken aback by my sudden action, making me let out a frustrated huff. I really had planned to be assertive towards Jungwon, but I guess the anger only lasted until I was actually face to face with the boy. Because as soon as he opened up his mouth to speak, I found it impossible to stay angry now that I know I have these new-found feelings for him.

"My brother," I murmur into his shoulder blade, causing him to tense up momentarily. "He's still alive isn't he? He has to be alive, Sorian didn't kill him, did they?" I ramble nervously as I feel my fingers tremble against his back, causing Jungwon to let out a deep sigh.

"Ah, so this is what the two of you were talking about then, huh?" Jungwon remarks quietly, making me sigh.

"Is Heeseung alive?" I try again, making it go silent for a moment as Jungwon shifts on his feet.

"He is alive, yes." he finally admits, making me let out a shaky breath of relief. I slightly pull back away from him, looking up to meet his dejected eyes as a frown forms on my face.

"When were you going to tell me this?" I ask with my eyebrows furrowed, causing Jungwon to frown down at me.

"It was never my place to be the one to tell you, it's not my story to tell." Jungwon replies almost in a whisper, making me glance down at my feet dejectedly, before I fully pull away from him with a quiet hum.

I trudge my way over to the edge of Jungwon's bed and plop down onto the mattress, resting my head in my hands as I let out a tired huff of breath. I can see in my peripheral vision that Jungwon takes a seat beside me on the mattress, but I don't look up to acknowledge his presence.

"Are you alright?" Jungwon asks worriedly, causing me to hum lowly.

"This is just.." I trail off with a frown etched onto my face, earning a hand to lay hesitantly against my back, "this is a lot to take in at the moment," I admit, causing Jungwon to hum in understanding.

"Do you need to take a rest for a little while?" he suggests and extends his open palm towards me. Understanding his intent, I slide my hand into his open one and carefully thread my fingers in between his own with a growing smile on my face. He places our laced hands in his lap, causing me to merely glance up at him with a cheeky grin. "I can leave you alone to rest for a while, if space is what you need."

"I'd prefer it if you stayed," I respond, making Jungwon glance up at me with a small smile resting on his face.

"I can do that," he hums as one corner of his lips slightly lifts up higher than the other. The next thing I know, Jungwon lets himself fall backwards onto the mattress, making me chuckle in amusement as he just stares up at me with a sort of expectant look, while a smug smile rests upon his lips.

"Would you like me to join you down there, your highness?" I tease in amusement while fake curtsying, causing him to simply shrug nonchalantly in return.

Without giving me a verbal response, he tugs on my hand which is intertwined with his own, making me collapse down onto the mattress beside him with a surprised huff.

"Does that answer your question for you, flower girl?" Jungwon mocks teasingly with a grin on his face.

I snort at him in disbelief before withdrawing my hand from his own, pushing myself up by the palms of my hands and bringing myself to rest on my knees as I stare down at him. Jungwon gazes back at me with one eyebrow arched up, but an amused smile still rests on his face.

"You're inane," I remark, watching as an emotion similar to false offense falls over his face as he gasps at me.

"You wound me, Minji," he remarks while crossing his arms over his chest, making me shake my head in disbelief as a smile rests on my face. I watch silently as he shifts slightly on the mattress, laying an arm under his head while his other arm extends out in my direction. "Would you like to rest with me for a little while?"

Slowly, I nod and crawl forward on my hands and knees before I lower myself down onto my side, facing the boy. I situate myself between his torso and his arm that comes up to wrap around my waist faintly, while I place my hands under my head as a makeshift pillow. He turns his head to gaze at me with a soft smile on his face, causing me to look down in embarrassment as I feel my face start to burn.

"Is this alright for you? Is this too much?" Jungwon asks, almost sounding worried. I immediately shake my head objectively, making pieces of my hair fall over my face annoyingly, but I still don't look up to meet his gaze.

I hear Jungwon chuckle quietly, causing me to feel the vibrations of his chest which I'm pulled up against. "Let's rest then, I do not mind if you fall asleep," he excuses as his hand that rested underneath his head comes down to brush my hair out of my face, before just resting atop my head as he begins to play with the strands of my hair.

As I respond in a hum, I find that we fall into a silence. It's not an awkward silence per say, it's a silence that I find comforting and pleasant instead. I feel tiredness begin to wash over me as my eyes begin to droop, causing me to briefly close them as I let out a quiet yawn.

In the midst of the silence, I gaze up at Jungwon, but a frown paints my face immediately after I do so. His eyes are closed and his breathing seems peaceful, but a slight frown rests upon his face. Hesitantly, I gently tap my finger against his chest, making him open his eyes with a hum as he looks down at me.

"What's wrong" I ask, causing a confused hum to leave his mouth, "you are upset by something, I can see it on your face. What's upsetting you?" I clarify, watching as Jungwon's puzzled expression melts away into something else. Realization, but also maybe sorrow.

"Ah, it is..um.." he trails off with a frown, causing me to frown more deeply.

"Take your time," I excuse quietly, causing Jungwon to unpause his hand movements and continue playing with my hair. He gives me a smile, but it's not with his teeth.

"Now that it is safe to enter the woods again.. I am supposed to take you back home within the next few days," he admits before letting out a deep breath.

"Oh," is all I respond. I knit my eyebrows together in a deep frown, looking back down as I hide my dejected gaze from Jungwon. Of course I want to go back home, I'm sure everyone is worried sick just thinking about where i've gone, but now I also have a life in Hania. A life that includes friends old and new, my brother, but also a certain prince which I have great feelings for.

"My father said it is too risky for you to stay in Hania," he remarks, "and he's right.. you should go back home for your own safety." he states, but it sounds like he's trying to convince himself that rather than he is me.

"But.. what if i'm not ready to leave just yet?" I remark, causing Jungwon to suck in a sharp breath. I watch as his face contorts into something like distress, and his arm slightly tightens around my waist as he pulls me closer to himself.

"Now why would you say that, you are just going to make this harder than it already is!" he complains, making me let out a dry chuckle as I stare up at him with a small smile.

"Sorry.." I apologize quietly, causing my smile to falter as I force my head down.

I feel him shift on the mattress beside me, causing me to shoot my head up. My eyes briefly widen as I realize how close in proximity we are to each other, now that he has turned on his side to face me.

"You have friends and family back home waiting for your return, you cannot keep them waiting for much longer," Jungwon remarks while mindlessly picking at the cotton fabric around my waist.

A frown paints my face at his words, and my eyebrows knit together deeply. "But I also have friends and family here too you know.. and now you as well," I admit quietly, noticing how Jungwon's hand stills in its place on my waist.

"You are going to be the death of me, you know that?" he remarks with a huff, making me snort at him in amusement.

"God I hope I'm not," I respond sarcastically, watching as a smile forms on his face, mirroring my own. We stay silent for a moment, just mindlessly staring into each other's eyes and breathing contently. I quickly notice Jungwon's eyes that flick down to my lips for a moment, making me let out a shaky breath while my heart-rate begins to speed up.

"I'm serious about what I said," I excuse nervously, causing Jungwon to flick his gaze back up to my eyes. "I'm not ready to leave everyone here yet," I admit with a frown.

"I will visit you on earth very often, and I will bring Sunoo hyung with me, I know you two get along well." Jungwon remarks with a gentle smile, causing me to heavily sigh at his words.

"You're not supposed to leave Hania, Jungwon," I point out dryly, making him let out a small chuckle.

"I will find a way.. we will find a way," he remarks almost in a whisper, before tugging on my arm to lay over his shoulder as I stare closely into his eyes with my own conflicted ones. "Can I hold your other hand? I like when we hold hands, it gives me a pleasant feeling when we do," he admits, causing me to look down as I feel my face flush red.

"That was so cheesy.." I remark with a grimace, causing him to chuckle lightly at me.

Without saying anything in return to his request, I retract my hand from under my head and hold it up in the air between us. Silently, Jungwon threads his fingers in between mine with a soft smile on his face, before I let our intertwined hands drop onto the mattress in the tight space between our bodies.

"I've got something important to show you," Jungwon suddenly admits, piquing my interest as I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Right now? What is it?" I respond eagerly, causing Jungwon to chuckle lightly at me as he shakes his head in amusement.

"No, no, you will see later," he remarks, causing my eyebrows to furrow as I purse my lips into a straight line. "Let us rest for a while first, I don't really want to get up right now." he admits, sheepishly, making me snort at him.

"Okay, but don't forget to tell me what it is," I hum, "I'm not very good at anticipating things," I admit, making him snort at me in amusement.

"Let's rest," he repeats, before pulling me even closer into his torso by my waist, catching me off guard. I gaze up at him with a small smile, which he mirrors back.