Scholarship Princess | Choi Seungcheol

36.

::

Ari felt like a kid who'd finished a long day at the amusement park. The events of the day had been thrilling and there had been enough emotions to last a year. As the day slowly drew to an end, the child would yawn with a smile. It was sad to part with it all, even for Ari. But it had to be done. If she was the child, she was also the parent and the melancholy of it all was beginning to seep in.

Dettered determination dragging her feet to her room, Ari stopped in front of her door. She didn't want to punch in any numbers. She didn't want to go in. But she did. Hearing the beep as the lock clicked and the door slid open, Ari pushed herself to become an adult and walk back into the room that she'd grown to like.

It was dark inside compared to the light wafting from the room next to hers. Ari turned to look between parted curtains and into the room of the man she cared for. He was there, in a white tee and comfortable pants as he looked over a few documents. Such was their work, without a time limit. Ari wasn't sure how long she'd been staring but at some point Seungcheol must've felt it. He looked up, eyes meeting with hers as if entranced by the unknown.

Oh.

The small smile that spread out on his face was heavenly. Ari's worries walked into the corner of a room, bullied into nothingness as his gaze travelled over her. Seungcheol's nose scrunched slightly, trying to make out Ari's battered silhouette in the darkness. Was he worried? It made her heart skip a beat. He cared. He cared and it warmed her cold tired body in seconds. When had things gotten like this? When had she given him the permission to waltz into her heart and walk away with it?

Ari's realisation was taut with heartache. Nails digging into the tightly clasped newspapers she held, the Princess walked over to the glass pane that overlooked his room. She pressed on the metal click with her free hand, allowing the fresh wind entry into her room. Seungcheol turned to her in concern from the other side. It was warm inside the walls of the Royal Residence but outside, it was chilly.

After Ari's meeting with the King, she had discovered why the man was so desperate to bring her back. News had spread like wildfire that the new Princess was being unfairly pushed out of the race to succession. Before dawn had turned to night, numerous newspapers, online portals and media had printed the familiar faces for all to see. 'Prized Princess returns home,' 'Crown Heir Fixed? Speculations Rise Amongst Princess Ari's Exit," and even, 'Hong Family Withdraws Support, Sources State Princess Was Dethroned." Everywhere Ari saw, she found her name, her picture staring right back at her. As the sun finally dipped into the horizon, Ari turned to the room next to hers where she'd been agonizing in wait for her boyfriend.

Fingers crumpling the headlines into creases, Ari held any newspapers she could find and darted through the open window.

"You did this, didn't you?" Seungcheol turned to the muffled voice calling from the other end of the room. Surprised by the sudden movement, Seungcheol walked over to his bare-footed girlfriend, her tired face coming into full view.

Seungcheol slid the glass window open, helping her up hurriedly, "Are you crazy? It's freezing outside." Ari was barely in a camisole, the thin fabric sticking to her skin. Seuncheol placed his hands on her shoulders, "You could've gotten hurt walking without shoes. What were you thinking?"

But it didn't matter to Ari. Instead, she jumped into the arms of her boyfriend, grabbing his face by the tips of her fingers, "You're behind this aren't you?" She shoved the newspapers to his chest, "It's why you were gone all day!"

Seungcheol took a brief second to scan what was thrown onto him and sighed. "Let's get you inside first." He spoke, using his arms on her waist to carry her up and into the room. Stepping onto the newspapers that were falling, Seungcheol had one hand on the small of her back and one under her knees as he picked her up in one swoop.