you're so golden! || minsung ||

8♕

The next morning, Jisung wakes up to bright, morning sunlight, stroking his swollen cheeks with invisible but warm and soft hands. He blinks slowly, still adjusting to the space around him, when three pairs of eyes and large grins stare at him, making him start and almost fall out of the bed.

"What the fuck- What happened?" Jisung asks in a high pitch voice a few seconds after calming his scared heart, resting one of his hands on top of his chest. He is now sitting up in bed, the white sheets on top of him all tangled up, and the strands of his hair sticking out in every possible direction.

"Good morning, Mr. Han," the three servants chant in unison from the end of the mattress, wide smiles and ready to face the new day.

"It's almost time to go down for breakfast. We've come here to wake you up and get you ready to finally meet the prince!" Nabi applauds enthusiastically, realizing she was making that gesture only when Seokjin elbows her ribs subtly.

Jisung wasn't ready to move yet. Not only did he go to bed later than he should have yesterday, but it also took him a long time to fall asleep with the nervousness he felt and the conversation with the unknown man still hovering non-stop in his head. So, he grunts loudly and throws himself on his back on the bed again, pulling the sheets with him.

"Mr. Han? Are you awake?" Yumi asks reluctantly.

"Nooooo," he mumbles against the pillow, wanting to enjoy the comfort of that fluffy, warm bed for a few more hours. However, Seokjin, Nabi, and Yumi refuse his nap by laughing at his whining, pulling back the quilt and sheets, indirectly forcing Jisung to get up and start moving.

Jisung's legs, tired and sore from last night, lead him into the huge bathroom, his every step echoing off a vast expanse of perfectly polished white tiles. The walls are painted in a light shade of blue but it was hard to see it because of the wide and countless mirrors that surrounded the space. Through them, Jisung notices Seokjin spotting the dirt and the grass stains on his pajamas. Fortunately, he doesn't ask questions or does any comments. The servant simply helps him carefully get out of his pajamas, placing the pieces of clothing in the laundry basket in a corner of the bathroom, and finally leading him to the long, deep bathtub.

Jisung isn't used to undress in front of other people but apparently, he doesn't have any other option. Seokjin was tasked to help him wash and dress, so Jisung will have to bear with that until he leaves the royal palace.

This makes the purple-haired boy wonder what will happen to them when he leaves. Would his servants be singled out to other contestants who needed more attention as the weeks passed? Or would they have other functions at the palace from which they had been temporarily relieved? Despite his curiosity, it seemed impolite to ask, which might even raise suspicion by suggesting that his stay will be short, so Jisung remains silent and allows himself to relax as he feels Seokjin's skillful fingers rubbing his scalp.

After the shower, Nabi dries his hair and styles it to the side until Jisung's forehead is exposed, while Seokjin, with Yumi's help after she's made the bed, chooses the clothes of the day for him to wear. The two maids head to the bathroom to tidy up the towels and the hair and makeup utensils, leaving Seokjin and Jisung alone in the bedroom so he can put on his gray pants, perfectly shined black shoes, and white shirt with gold-trimmed cufflinks to match the pin with his name placed on his chest.

In addition to being uncomfortable, Jisung couldn't say he felt one hundred percent at ease with his tight, perfectly starched clothes, but Seokjin, Nabi, and Yumi all grin satisfyingly with the result as they stare right at him. Jisung takes this as a good sign, believing he was decent enough to go down to breakfast and finally meet the royal family. Not that the purple-haired boy was ecstatic with that even - honestly, he was more eager to eat breakfast than to meet the prince and his parents - but the three servants, after a round of bows and smiles, wish him good luck.