Forever & Ever (Showki fanfic) [Discontinued]

Ch. 15: The Cold Shoulder (Part 2)

Kihyun

"What are you talking about? Who's that? I am just Kihyun," I chuckled awkwardly as I went to place my hand on his arm. But, he avoids my touch. "Hyung," I asked hesitantly as I looked at him through my eyelashes. 

"Your highness, this subject is not deserving to be called so familiarly. Please call me Young Master Son," he replies curtly. Is he really drawing the line here? Can I really have no friends because I am the fourth prince?  If this is how it is going to be, I don't want to be the fourth prince anymore.

"Hyung, please stop. I don't like it. You're scaring me," I sniffled as reality starts to set in that he is keeping me at arm's length now that he knows who I really am. 

"I apologize, your highness. That wasn't my intention," he says earnestly but there was something in his voice that threw me off even though the expression on his face is stoic. 

"Hyung, I thought we were friends. Why are you treating me like this? Like- Like I am a stranger! Is it because I lied about who I am? I just- I just didn't want you to treat me differently because I am royalty and-," I began shout as my eyes teared up not caring if anyone heard what I was saying. 

"Please keep your voice down, your highness. The walls have ears," he replies as he still maintains the bowing position. He must have kept doing it as I didn't say to forgo the formalities. I didn't notice earlier as my mind was too preoccupied by this new reality. 

"Hyung, if you keep acting like this, I'll hate you," I stammered as my vision becomes blurry from tears. Instead of responding, he remains silent. "I- I- should have known that it was going to end the same way. I was a fool to let myself believe that it wouldn't happen again. I was a fool to believe that I can have friends," I cried out as I rubbed at my eyes in hopes of making the tears go away but they just kept falling out of my eyes.

I didn't even feel this upset when it happened the first time. Maybe, it is because it is the second time that it had happened. He started to say something but my mind refused to acknowledge what he is saying as it is too overwhelmed with the torrent of emotions caused by this situation. 

Not wanting to feel this way anymore, I turned around and ran as fast I could with tears streaming down my face. As I did so, I could have sworn I heard that someone called out to me but it must be my imagination. 

Sometime later, I found myself at my mother's palace. She was most likely in the main garden ,which was built for her especially by my father as a token of his love for her. Not to mention, she loves to immerse herself in nature as she is the goddess of nature. So, I ran over there until I saw her. She must have sensed me as she dropped the pruning scissors that she was holding  and held out her arms to me with a worried expression on her face before using her magic to bring me to her.  

In the next second, pale pink cherry blossom petals appeared around me, picked me up, and brought me to her embrace. "My sweet child, what or who has hurt you so? Mother empress will punish them for you," she says worriedly as she hugs me tight. 

"Mommy," I whimpered as I clung onto her clothes and hid my face against her chest. 

"...it's okay, baby. I am here. No one will dare to harm you with me beside you," she pauses before kissing me on top of my head. "Can you tell me what happened? I can't help you if you don't," she states in a soft tone of voice. But,  I didn't respond and just kept crying against her chest. She soon realizes that I didn't want to talk about it right now before singing a song that she usually used to comfort me and my siblings when we were upset. 

The birds in the surrounding area perked up and started to sing along with her. Soon enough, I began to relax against her and slowly but surely stopped crying before unknowingly falling asleep in her embrace.