✓ the hooded princess • kim seungmin

e i g h t

It was not bad at all. With Felix next to us, the atmosphere seemed to lighten up a bit and Seungmin was not annoying me.

I shot my last arrow while Winter galloped around. It did not hit the bullseye, but I still got full points. The students clapped and some cheered. I smiled, commanding Winter to go to the entrance gate. Felix was waiting there. His grin reached to his ears with two fists balled up next to him.

"You were great!"

"Thanks Felix." I chuckled. The smile never left his face, guess he did not get tired at all.

Seungmin came with his horse. He had his turn before mine. I insisted for him to go first so the other day's incident would not happen again. At least he apologised. "You're not going down?"

"I'm thinking of taking a walk."

"It's dangerous," he lent out his arm but I shook my head. "If anything happens I'm the one who's going to take responsibility, Your Highness."

Did he really need to remind me I'm a princess :(

I stared at his hand blankly, waiting for him to drop it. But the moment never comes.

Felix, who just watched us whistled. He wriggled his eyebrows to Seungmin. The other guy furrowed his eyebrows and gave a disgusted look.

"Felix Lee!"

"Oops, that's my name. Gotta go!" he spoke with his heavy English accent. I'm not sure which accent was that but it sounded attractive. It suited him. Felix got onto his horse and gave me a salute.

I smiled.

That guy, he was a cheerful one.

I then remembered Seungmin. I looked down at him. He was showing a bored look with his hand still extended to me. "Come down, you're not going anywhere."

"If you come along?"

"You want me to?"

Do I? If he comes along then it would be less dangerous for me. But that also meant I probably have to deal with his annoying remarks.

I shook my head after ten seconds of thinking. "No. You're annoying." I took his hand and carefully got on my feet. The shoes made soft thump sounds on the ground. I fixed my clothes and looked up.

Only to be met with Seungmin's blank look in the most dangerous gap ever.

My breath stopped, not expecting this at all. He suddenly inched closer. He pulled my hand towards him and let out a small sigh.

"Do you really think I'm annoying?" he asked, sounding a bit frail. My eyebrows knitted for a second. His question and voice confused me for a while. Also, that look.

The dim eyes look. It looked gentle yet sad.

"Bullseye!"

I flinched when hearing that. His grip loosen.

"You've been annoying me since that day and earlier." I replied, trying so hard not to stutter at the first word like other main characters always do in fan fictions. However it sounded like I was shivering.

Winter is months away. Obviously I stuttered.

"I apologised, didn't I?"

He did.

"Actually, that doesn't matter," he let go of my hand and leaned back to his proper position. "I'm asking because the King and the Queen put their trust in me to look after you. I cannot do that if you are uncomfortable."

"Also, if you think you can suggest Jisung, he is not in the same archery class." he added, which crushed down my hope. Looks like I have no choice, do I?