merry go round || nomin ✔

- ten -

a few days after being softly scolded by renjun for going off course for a little bit, jaemin decided that it'll be better if he really focused on retrieving the amulet from the king and getting back to his real world, the present time. he worked well, delivering the food professionally to the king, respecting the king, and doing some chores to help the maids and chefs around the palace. everything was going well and for once, jaemin actually thought that he was going on a straight line to finally get back to his world.

but not until one day when he received a small piece of old paper with neat calligraphy handwriting on it delivered by a majestic eagle soaring through the sky.

'sir na, meet me at the garden where we first met at sunset. i'll be waiting for your arrival' from the letter, jaemin immediately knew who it was.

-

"jaemin, i don't think it's a good idea."

"but what if he's there to tell me something important? like if he's going to give me more information or give me a reward of some sort?" jaemin whined to the younger who kept a straight face while chopping some carrots. renjun's face dropped into a frown and his eyebrows furrowed while closing his eyes. a sigh escaped his lips.

"you really want to find out, huh?" jaemin nodded at those words eagerly as his patience grew shorter to meet the king. renjun looked at the older and sighed once more, looking into jaemin's pleading eyes.
"fine. you can go." jaemin smiled and cheered internally at the response, hugging renjun afterwards and receiving a groan from him.
"but promise me you'll stay safe and tell me if there's something important or if you're in danger, okay jaemie?"

jaemin smiled widely at the nickname spoken by the chef who received a nod from him. renjun smiled and patted jaemin's head who giggled lightly.

"i'll be back soon!" jaemin exclaimed as he exited the kitchen with skips, thinking about what could happen if he had encountered the person who he thought it was. he opened the door to kitchen and dashed out of the place to his destination. a smile was plastered on his face along the way as he had high expectations of what is to come.

as he arrived right in front of the door of the garden, he took a deep breath. he placed positive thoughts only and hoped that this meeting won't be his end of working in the palace as he heard that the king often fire his people for ridiculously weird reasons.

he furrowned his eyebrows and pursed his lips, assuring himself for the last time before entering the garden. there he saw what he saw last time, the beautiful garden with everything still in its place. butterflies surrounded him so suddenly he let out a small yelp but giggled afterwards.

"i see you have come, sir na?" a deep voice welcomed him as he looked to his right. he saw the king with his white robe, just not a plain one. jaemin quickly bowed to him as the royalty went near him.

"ah yes, your majesty. is there anything i can help you with?" a silence took over the both of them, making jaemin stare at the king awkwardly. the older let out a sigh.

"i guess you're special enough to be told this story from me. don't act like you don't know about the amulet, hm?" the king suddenly spoke in such a modern way until the latter widened his eyes in shock.

"y-you-"

"yes, i'm from the present time, jaemin." the king nodded but still looking forward to the sun that is starting to set.

"h-how did you-"

"i'm the convenience store guy who never opened his cap. noticable?" the king now looked at jaemin and now he got a better look. and he sure did recognize the pretty nose and lips belonging to the part-timer in the convenience store he often visits. how can i not recognize this sooner?

"lee jeno?!" the king then nodded with a small smile on his face.

"back when i was still a little boy, my father gave me a toy belonging to my great great great grandfather who used to have it as a little boy. it wasn't much, but as a little boy in a strict family i managed to keep the toy until now. and do you know what the toy is?" the latter shook his head but the king spoke of it as if it was very familiar to him. then it clicked to him.

"wait... don't tell me it's the merry go round."

"bingo. it's one of the first thing as a birthday present my parents gave me. as soon as i got it, the night that day i played with it. i loved the music and became slightly obsessed with playing it. and so i kept turning it on every night before i sleep, until i sleep. but ever since i played the song of the toy, i keep getting dreams of becoming this royalty. until i finally figured out what it really is and got here, becoming a king just like in my dreams. i found a way back to the present time, because without this amulet," he took a hold of the jade amulet tied around his neck and continued, "we can't wake up and go back to real life.

"so you mean... i may not go back if i don't get an amulet?" the king then nodded, feeling a little uneasy. jaemin then looked down slowly in shock.

what if i can't wake up?

-

i promise there'll be something more interesting in the next few chapters and u'll understand soon why i put the book as nomin 😩💔