A/N: Cross posted on my dedicated Dreamcatcher book, Captured Dreams

A modern South Korean monarchy story

"Girls? Where is Yubin?" The queen poked her head into the media room, where the Lee princesses and Kim Baronesses were situated, playing a game on their console on the screen.

"Mother!" "Your majesty." The sound of five people greeting the incoming queen sounded as they paused the game and turned in her direction, with the baronesses standing up and acknowledging the queen's presence.

"Relax girls," the queen said, smiling at the five girls, "You three should know better than to call me by my title behind closed walls, we're basically family," She addressed the three Kim baronesses, smiling at her words as she leaned on the door frame.

"Yubin said that she's feeling a little under the weather," piped up Gahyeon from her spot next to Minji, "so she retired early to rest."

"I see," the queen replied, pondering slightly. "Should I get someone from the kitchens to send her something?"

"I think she's sleeping already Mother," Siyeon said. "Shouldn't we let her rest instead?" she concluded, sounding convincing.

The queen pondered for a short while, before speaking again.

"Very well," she finished, putting her hands in her sweater pockets. "I'm going to retire for the night as well, don't stay up too late, all of you, okay?"

"Yes ma'am! Good night!"

"That was close..." Minji said as they ensured the queen was not in earshot of the media room.

"We're sure she won't go up to check in on Yubin, right?" Yoohyeon asked, looking slightly concerned.

"She won't!" Siyeon said, clapping Yoohyeon on the back in a manner if done in public her mother would faint. "We're grown ups and she respects our privacy."

"Relax!" Bora said, sipping her apple juice glass, "Let the girl enjoy going out without bodyguards for one night!"

~~~

"Thanks! Come again soon!" Yubin heard the hairdresser say as she pulled the door to the salon open. Running a hand through her now blue hair ends, she stepped onto the streets of Hongdae.

It wasn't often that she got to roam the streets alone without the presence of her guards. Even when attending university, she was shadowed by guards incognito. She was also treated differently: people referring to her by her royal title of crown princess. She hated the added weight of her role in the nation. She enjoyed being able to interact with people freely as equals, as Lee Dami of Seoul, as opposed to Lee Yubin, Crown Princess of the Kingdom of South Korea.

Smiling at her plight, she continued to walk down the streets, mingling amongst the people who were unaware of the royalty that walked amongst them. Hidden behind a mask, a pair of round glasses, a wool beanie, and a scarf wrapped around her neck, she thanked the barista that she bought a cup of warm jasmine tea from as she checked her watch, showing that it was a quarter to Nine.

Lowering her mask for a brief moment to drink her tea, Yubin's ears were met with the soft strumming of a guitar coming from further down the street, accompanied by singing.

It was as if something took over Yubin's feet, as she made her way closer, hearing the owner of the voice, which sounded like nothing that Yubin had ever heard before. His voice was sweet, yet sad at the same time, bright, but somehow husky toned, and spilling with emotion.

다신 안올텐데 잊지못한 내가 싫은데

언제까지나 맘은 아플까

(You're never coming back and I hate that I haven't forgotten

When will this pain end?)

His singing voice tugged at Yubin's heartstrings, and as Yubin looked around, she couldn't help but notice that other passersby were also stopping to listen to him sing. Taking out their phones to record it, perhaps to post it on social media. But all she cared about was staying in the moment, and savoring his angelic voice.

~~~

As he finished up with his cover of Rain and You by Lee Mujin, Y/N Moon stood up to bow to the audience before he started to place his guitar into his blue guitar case, disassembling his mic set, and unplugging his amp. He was just about to leave, hoisting his guitar over his back when he felt a tap on his right shoulder.

"Uhm... hi!" Y/N turned to see a girl with blue hair ends, her small face obscured by a mask and round glasses. "I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your singing, even though I only caught the end of it!" She seemed rather shy, her free hand picking at the cup sleeve of her drink.

"Why, thank you!" Y/N replied brightly, extending a free hand, to which the girl extended her own to shake. Feeling her cold palm, an idea came to Y/N's mind.

"Do you do this on the regular? So that I can catch you performing some other day?" Yubin asks.

"Why don't we go get a snack at a convenience store, if you don't mind? I'm starving and I only had a light dinner before starting tonight." Just as he finished that statement, his stomach let out a growl, signaling its emptiness.

The girl seemed to ponder for a moment, before nodding her head and following Y/N's lead to the nearest convenience store.

~~~

In her mind, Yubin was very much confused. She was following a random person that she met on the street to a convenience store for a bite. If her guards, family, and friends were here, they would have a seizure upon finding out her actions, yet there was something about this person, Y/N. He had that trustworthy air, a mellow sort of aura, one that instilled comfort in the people around him. He seemed around her age, dressed in jeans and a teal hoodie that stuck out on the streets, yet looked good on him.

Soon, they arrived at the nearest GS25, where Y/N set out to get two rolls of kimbap, one for Dami and one for himself. It was at this moment that he realized that he didn't know the name of the stranger that he decided to talk with. To be honest with himself, even Y/N himself didn't know why he plucked up the nerve to talk with this mysterious girl and invite her for a quick bite.

(Oh, how ignorant he was of what was to come, but in the meantime, let's go back to our story.)

"Here you go," Y/N said, passing the kimbap roll to Yubin, whilst steeling himself to ask the one awkward question. "I didn't ask you this before, but I actually don't know your name..." He rubbed his free kimbap-free hand on the back of his neck. "My name is Moon Y/N, what's yours?"

"I'm Lee Dami," Yubin said, extending a hand to shake Y/N's, "Pleasure to meet you, Y/N," she finished, shaking Y/N's hand and starting to unwrap the kimbap. "Thanks for the invite for food, you do this often with your audience?" she teased, playfully nudging Y/N's shoulder as she pulled down her mask, praying that Y/N wouldn't make the connection that she was in fact, the crown princess of the Kingdom of South Korea.

However, Y/N seemed to recognize something when he saw her face.

"Dami, If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living?" Y/N asked, a slightly curious expression hanging on his face as if trying to recall something.

"I work as a part-model, I'm still studying in university," Yubin replied, she wasn't lying, as she did indeed work as a part-time model, and was indeed still studying in university, studying politics in the event of her taking over the throne. "What about you, Y/N, what do you work as?"

"I'm an elementary school teacher, that's my full-time job," Y/N began, taking a bit out of his kimbap, "but during the holidays, I work as a tour guide at the royal palace," he finishes, swallowing his kimbap. "I'm quite a boring person," he took a sip out of his drink.

"Have you met the royal family before on your tours?" Yubin asked, feeling curious.

"Usually when I do the tours, it's when the royals are attending to current affairs, so, unfortunately, no," Y/N said, shrugging.

The two started to converse, talking about their MBTI, their favourite hobbies, artists, and books, and before they knew it, it was soon 11 at night.

"Oh my! I'm really sorry but I have to leave, Dami," Y/N said, "I have a tour to lead tomorrow at the palace, I have to go home and get some sleep."

"It's okay Y/N, I understand!" Yubin said, getting up from her chair and fishing out her phone, "Is it okay if I have your phone number? Just in case we ever want someone to talk with."

"Sure," Y/N said, inputting his number into Yubin's phone, unknowingly giving the crown princess of South Korea his phone number. "Text me when you get home okay? Just so that I know you got home safely."

"Aren't you a gentleman?" Yubin chuckled as she watched Y/N swing his guitar bag on his back and pick up his amp.

"Well, my mom always said, if you can't accompany them, tell them to tell you they got home safely," he said with a wink, that made Yubin's cheeks redden slightly. "Have a good night, Dami!" I'll meet you again someday!"

"See you, Y/N! You get home safely too!" Yubin waved to Y/N as he left the convenience store. After waiting for a few extra minutes, she made her way back to the palace, sneaking in the same way that she snuck out.

Sneaking back into her room through the unlocked window, she immediately took off her beanie, scarf, and mask, as she plopped onto her bed, playing with her hair as she reminisced on what happened that night. It was then that she remembered something.

Whipping her phone out of her pocket, she sent a quick text message to Y/N.

'I just got home, you home yet Y/N?'

As she went to change into her pajamas, the sound of a message sounded from her phone.

'I got home around 15 minutes ago, thanks for asking Dami!'

'Good night!'

Yubin suddenly felt her cheeks redden again, before texting a good night message to Y/N, and pretending to be yawning, she made her way out of her room to the media room, where she knew that her sisters and the Kim baronesses were most definitely still at. And sure enough...

"All rise, the crown princess of South Korea, Lee Yubin has arrived!" the loud voice of the youngest Kim baroness sounded as the girls laughed.

"Stop calling me by my official title, Yoohyeon!" she chastised, taking a couch close to the screen as she watched her younger sister Gahyeon race against the oldest Kim baroness, Minji.

"I gotta say Yubin, I like what you've done with your hair!" Bora exclaimed, taking a seat next to Yubin and running her fingers through Yubin's blue hair. "But how do you intend to explain to your parents?"

"I'll just say that I dyed my hair before retiring for the night or something." Yubin shrugged, turning to see her eldest sister looking at her face with a weird expression.

"What are you doing, Siyeon?" Yubin asked, trying to decipher Siyeon's expression.

"Call it a hunch, but you seem...happy, a little too happy right now," Siyeon began, "Did you like, meet some good-looking person in Hongdae?" she asked.

At that point, all of the girls' attention had left the game, and they all crowded around Yubin.

"Alright... there was this guy, he's probably around my age, and I saw him busking earlier, and I went up to him to talk to him, we then went to a convenience store to eat and chat..." Yubin fired out in quick succession as if she was rapping, hoping that no one would catch what she said. Unfortunately, everyone present understood her clearly.

"OMG! Was he cute?" "What song did he sing?" "HE TOTALLY TRIED TO HIT ON YOU!" "DID YOU GET A PICTURE OF HIM?" "DID YOU GET HIS NUMBER?"

"OKAY! ALL OF YOU RELAX!" Yubin whisper-yelled, trying to not awaken the entire palace, "Yes Gahyeon, he was kinda cute. Minji, he sang Rain and you. Bora, be quiet and no, he was just being nice! Siyeon, no I didn't take any pictures with him. And Yoohyeon, I did get his number."

At this, all five of the girls screamed in such a manner that their parents would definitely not approve in public.

"Girl you gotta try and get to know him more, maybe the crown princess will become the queen sooner than we think!" Bora said in a teasing manner, winking at Yubin.

"I think you need a reality check," Yubin began, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "There's no way I'm becoming the Queen soon. I'm more likely to become a professor of politics before I become the queen."

"You're no fun," Gahyeon said, turning off the TV in the media room. "I'll ask more tomorrow, I'm going to sleep, anyone coming with?" The rest of the girls deciding to call it a night and get some rest.

~~~

"If we look to this side of the hall, we can see the portrait painted by the well-known artist Kwon Soonyoung of the Lee royal family," Y/N began, indicating the large portrait that hung in the great hall of the Palace, "You can see the King, King Lee Minseok, with the Queen, Park Haeun. And in the back standing on the left, you can see the eldest princess, Lee Siyeon, who is now a famous singer. She retains her royal title, but is no longer in line for the throne. On the right, we see the youngest princess, Lee Gahyeon. And in the center, we see the Crown Princess of South Korea, Lee Yubin-"

As the guests admired the artistry, Y/N stepped back and took a close look at the portrait. It wasn't like he hadn't seen the portrait many times before, yet as his eyes went over the portrait he noticed that crown princess Yubin looked familiar: those eyes and her smile seemed awfully familiar to him, but Y/N couldn't point his finger on.

As Y/N was still deep in his thoughts, suddenly, one of the tourists made an exclamation.

"Oh my god! It's the princesses!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Y/N turned in the direction that the tourists were pointing their cameras at: sure enough, there, on the upstairs landing, were the three Lee princesses, Princess Siyeon, Princess Gahyeon, and Crown Princess Yubin, dressed in hanboks, accompanied by their bodyguards in suits. The entourage was making their way downstairs, presumably to attend the upcoming charity auction that was supposed to happen tonight.

As Y/N looked over the heads of the crowd of tourists who were flocking to catch a glimpse of the princesses, he noticed something that caught his attention: the princesses were now on the same level as him and his tour, and as they drew closer, he noticed that Crown Princess Yubin's hair was dyed blue at the hair ends, which mirrored that of Dami. As Y/N watched the princesses and their entourage make their way through the crowd, Crown Princess Yubin's eyes met his, and he was met with Dami's Brown eyes, and a moment of realization came to his head: the girl he treated to a kimbap the night before was the Crown Princess of South Korea! And only one other thought came up in his head.

'What the fu-!'

(to be continued...)