SUNOO | Crown ✓

sixteen

APOCALYPSE GROUNDS

"The Yang and Park Colony will be attending the first round of election for King later," Park Jisung uttered nervously towards Papa.

"And the princess has a twin brother you say?"

"Yes-"

"Papa you will not believe who's waiting at the lobby!" An ecstatic Choi Beomgyu barged into Papa's office, his eyes expressing urgency and menace.

Jisung looked at Beomgyu pitifully, wishing that the older boy snapped out of trying to please the cursed man. However, weren't they all trying to? That was the only way to survive in Apocalypse; please the Devil and you'll experience a life of luxury.

They were just boys and girls living with dying everyday. Those who managed to get out of the Devil's clutches were only brave and bold.

"Who is it Beomgyu?" Papa asked sweetly, standing up from his presidential chair before walking towards the younger boy.

"A royal Papa, a fucking royal!" Beomgyu exclaimed as he giggled hysterically before opening the door for the bald man.

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Jisung never recalled any royals to ever been brought to Apocalypse Grounds. Not even Chenle, who aided Jisung through it all, set foot in their unwelcoming abode. Rushing out from behind Papa and down the imperial staircases, the mafia members were greeted by a fairly young prince with striking yet, gentle features.

"You are...?" Jisung started as he eyed the unfamiliar prince.

"Oh right, I'm Jake Sim!" Jake beamed purely as he bowed towards Papa, Beomgyu and Jisung.

"How can we help you Jake?" Papa asked the young prince kindly as he stealthily gestured Beomgyu to take care of the Guards standing outside.

Nodding curtly, Beomgyu smirked evilly as he eyed Jisung up & down, unable to understand why he had become a coward. However, Jisung had other things to worry about, one being the Fourth Prince standing across Papa.

Jake Sim, the Fourth Prince of the South, was all Jisung could correlate to the vague yet familiar name.

"It would mean a lot if you could direct me to some of the people living here! I was hoping to properly thank them for saving my life the previous time I was here!" Jake earnestly asked as he looked at the two men before him.

"By any chance, do you remember their names?" Jisung asked curiously, raising a brow at the seemingly oblivious prince.

"I believe one of them goes by the name Hoon?"

→

???

Another day of sun—more like another day of despair in the home of 4 boys. Yeri sat up groggily from sofa, her mind hazy and tired from another restless night. It was the fact she was alone in the dark with the moonlight as her only source of light—the fact she was absolutely paranoid about not waking up alive or if there was a paranormal presence.

But there she was staring into space, alive and well in the morning despite the background noise of boys bickering. Walking soundlessly towards the bathroom, Yeri shivered slightly as she pulled up her hoodie. Well, Sunoo's hoodie to say the least. Trudging her cold feet against the wooden floors, Yeri closed her eyes briefly as she desperately tried to retain her energy.

"Fucking hell!" A muffled voice yelled, snapping Yeri out of her daze.

Before she could flutter her eyes open, someone had roughly bumped past her shoulder, causing the princess to stumble a few steps back. Furrowing her brows in annoyance, Yeri fluttered her eyes open before finally taking note of boy's familiar blonde hair.

"Ni-ki, I told you to never reveal your names to just anyone! Now Sunghoon was identified and they're using that prince as blackmail!" Sunoo raised his voice angrily as he grabbed Ni-ki's shirt.

"What are you t-talking about-"

"Jake Sim you idiot! He visited Apocalypse and now Papa is going to kill him if we don't show up!" Sunoo spat out in response as he clutched onto Ni-ki's collar tighter, his eyes showing distaste as he stared into the fearful boy's eyes.

"Sun I'm sorry-"

"The three of you better fucking fix this by the end of this day," Sunoo seethed out lowly before releasing Ni-ki from his grasp.

Yeri creased her eyebrows in confusion, wondering why Sunoo was talking about Jake Sim all of a sudden. She supposed he was her blind date that never showed up. Heaving a heavy sigh, Yeri glanced at the three boys who were scolded harshly by Sunoo; unable to fathom why they never stood up against him.

As the vexed boy walked away from the now, sullen boys, Yeri couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy towards them. Then again, she couldn't let empathy get the best of her for all she wanted was to be back with her brother and best friend.

"I'll go get Jake Sim. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt Riki," Sunghoon said softly as Heeseung wiped away Ni-ki's tears.

"I'll follow you too Hoon," Heeseung smiled warmly as he hugged a tearful Ni-ki.

"T-Then what will I do? I'm sick of killing people guys, I'm sick of that life. I just want to go to school and be like kids my age," Ni-ki sniffled as he took a bite of his bungeoppang with tears streaming down his face.

"Just take care of the princess, she seems to warm up to you more than she does with us," Sunghoon giggled as he patted Ni-ki's head.

Nodding sadly, Ni-ki smiled thankfully at the two older boys. For once from afar, did Yeri realise that she had been wrong about the kids from Apocalypse. She felt resentment towards them but at the same time, she felt understanding.

That maybe just like her, they never had the choice for freedom.