Prince's Choice - Zhong Chenle

Eighteen

Chenle stands up and walks towards his bed, a familiar song playing from the mobile.

He sees Jisung's caller ID stretched across the screen.

He smiles as he swipes left to answer the call, holding the phone up to his ear.

"Hello, hello?"

"Hey Jisung!"

"Chenle! How are you doing?"

"Meh. What about you?"

"I'm fine. I've been trying to find a way to get my mom to talk with your parents so that we can see each other."

"Really? That sounds awesome! I'll ask- oh... It can't be anytime this week. I'm grounded." Chenle rolls his eyes and plops down back-first onto his bed.

"You are? What did you do?"

"Nothing! All I did was skip the little stupid parade my dad did around the town to gain praise from the village folk."

"Well, at least you can hang with Jeno this week."

"Oh, about that... I'm pretty sure he's also mad at me right now."

"Jeno mad? What could you have done to him!" Jisung questions.

"Again, I did nothing wrong! He was the one who made Youngie upset."

"Who's Younglee?"

"Not YoungLEE, Youngie. She- She's this village girl who's was friends with Jeno before he moved into the castle."

"Oh, okay. Well anywho, you have to get ungrounded as soon as possible so that we can hang out!"

"I can't really rush it, but I'll try and stay out of trouble."

"Please actually try."

"When me and Jeno make up, I'll make sure he keeps me in check."

"Hmm... Chenle, you're still my best friend right?"

Chenle freezes, he snickers before letting out a loud dolphin laugh.

"Hmph, are you making fun of me?" Chenle could tell Jisung was pouting by the way he spoke.

"No no!" He snickers some more. "You're, cute Jisung. Of course I'll always be you're best friend."

"Alright, just making sure."

"You sounded pretty jealous."

"What!" Jisung gasp. "I'm not jealous! I just, feel weird that you get to spend more time with him than me."

"That sounds a lot like jealousy." Chenle teases.

"Let's change the subject. Wait, if you're grounded, can you still do you're royal activities?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well my mom said around this time next year, I'm going to have to start meeting princesses. And since you're a year older... "

"What the- I don't wanna meet princesses!"

"Well you kinda have to, for when you become King!"

"I don't want to be King, that's supposed to be Guang's job."

"That's true. Why are you first in line for King and not Guang?"

"Because, his fiancée, Princess Lily, is an only child. She absolutely has to be Queen of her village, making Guang King. That is, if they get married."

"Chenle, don't even think about it."

"What? I'm not going to do anything. I love Lily! She's really kind and Guang is only nice to me when she's around. I just, really don't want to become King."

"Why not? You'll have so much power, and if you don't like that, you can turn Redamancy into a democracy like you've always wanted."

"Yeah, but then I'd disappoint my father... I know I usually don't care when it comes to him, but recently he told me that he'd be devastated if I was gone, and, I don't know. It made me think." Chenle sighs. "The biggest reason I'm scared is because I feel, no I know I'm not ready. I don't like responsibility, I like fun. There's no time to goof off when you're at the top. Every life in this village will be in my hands, I already know I am going to mess something up and let everyone down. The reason I'm known as the 'rebellious prince' is because maybe if I'm not seen as fit enough, I won't have to go into power.

Jisung stays quiet, not really knowing what to say.

Chenle chuckles. "On a brighter note, I don't want to meet the princesses. I mean, I don't mind being friends with them, but my dad making me pick one that I'm 'destined' to marry? I haven't even dated before. I don't know my type, but I do know that I'd like to be with someone I've known for longer than a day. And I want to marry because I like the person, not just because of a royal background. Guang was lucky enough to find someone who he liked that is also royal before his 'meet 12 princesses and set up an arranged marriage with the richest one' day." Chenle ends.

"Well you know I'm bad at advise but, I think you just need to see things from a different perspective." Jisung explains.

"Different perspective? You mean like, tell this to someone with the complete opposite point of view?" Chenle ask.

"Exactly!" Jisung exclaims.

'Someone with the opposite point of view.' Chenle repeats to himself once the call was over. He sits in silence and thinks for a second.

"Yip!" A sound is heard from the foot of the bed.

"Oh shoot! I forgot to tell Jisung about Daegal!" Chenle shouts before re-opening his phone and calling his best friend once more.