The SelecTXTion

Chapter 4

 "Oh yes, we wouldn't want your 35 girlfriends to think that you can't handle a few protests, much less a county."

yeonjun

written by: h

Yeonjun walked down the hall towards the dining room followed by three advisors. Ever since the Selection was announced, various advisors had started to interrupt him whether it was during a meeting or not. He sped up to a jog to try to lose them, but they were persistent. 

"Prince Yeonjun, Prince Yeonjun!" one advisor yelled, trying to keep with the prince.

Yeonjun slowed down to a stop, and with a sigh, turned around.

"I'm sorry. How can I help you, Advisor Williams?" Yeonjun politely asked as he tried to catch his breath.

Advisor Williams stopped beside him with a gasp; he was getting on in years and the increased pace was a bit much for him. Yeonjun felt a pang of guilt when he heard the gasp, knowing his childish behavior was the cause of it. He had looked up to Advisor Williams for as long as he can remember, and as an adult considered him a friend and one of his most trusted advisors.

"It's alright my prince. I know it is unprofessional of us to interrupt your personal time, but with the girls arriving tomorrow it cannot be avoided." Advisor Williams said.

He didn't have to specify which girls he was talking about; the entire castle was in a state of excitement with the upcoming Selection. Everyone except Yeonjun.

"Of course Advisor Williams. Unfortunately, I am running late for dinner with the King and Queen. Is this a quick question or can I meet with you after?" Yeonjun asked.

"My apologies, Your Highness. It can wait until after dinner, my prince. You and I both know how your parents don't appreciate your tardiness" he said with a wink.

Yeonjun winked back at him, remembering all the times Advisor Williams caught him running down the halls of the castle to avoid being late to meetings. He might be the perfect prince in the public's eye, but his lack of punctuality was always something he struggled with. He has been told countless times to fix the habit, but he actually liked his tardiness. It made him feel less like the perfect prince everyone wanted him to be, made him feel more like a normal 22 year old, running late to a college class rather than a meeting with the King.

"Thank you Advisor Williams. I will be sure to meet with you after dinner, say in the library at 8pm?" Yeonjun asked with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I greatly appreciate you finding the time to meet with me, especially with the girls coming tomorrow." He said with a bow.

The crown prince returned the bow with a smile and gave a nod to the other two advisors who followed Advisor Williams. After they nodded back, Yeonjun sprinted away towards the dining room, knowing for sure he would get an earful from his mother about his punctuality, or rather his lack thereof.

...... 

"I don't understand why I have to be present when the girls come, it's not like I'm the one looking for a wife." Yeonjun's younger brother, Beomgyu, complained.

Believe me, I wish that I didn't have to be there either, Yeonjun thought as his brother continued to complain. He didn't understand why Beomgyu was making such a fuss about the Selection; it's not like he was being forced to date 35 strangers. 

"It wouldn't look very good to the public if Yeonjun's own brother didn't support it, you know this." The Queen sighed, giving the same response she had given every time her younger son had complained about having to participate since the announcement.