To Replace a Dragon with a Phoenix [BBANGSAZ AU]

Chapter 3.) Fans Fans Fans

Minjae grew up to be the best of the best, outperforming many of his male peers in athletics and academics. He passed the highest exam, gwageo, with high marks and praise. He impressed the examiners with his knowledge and eloquence, his logic and creativity, his manners and etiquette. He earned the title of jinshi, the highest rank of scholar-official, and the right to serve in the government. He was admired and respected by his fellow scholars and officials, who regarded him as a prodigy and a genius. He was envied and feared by his rivals and enemies, who saw him as a threat and a challenge. He was loved and adored by his people and subjects, who looked up to him as a hero and a leader.

The emperor was happy with his lie. He believed so deeply in his lie that Minjae in his eyes was actually his son. He was proud and delighted by his son's achievements and abilities. He was reassured and comforted by his son's loyalty and devotion. He was confident and hopeful by his son's potential and future. He was content and happy by his son's presence and company. He treated his son with affection and indulgence, giving him honors and rewards, privileges and favors, gifts and compliments. He trusted his son with secrets and plans, missions and tasks, responsibilities and duties. He groomed his son to be his successor and heir, teaching him the skills and qualities of a ruler, showing him the challenges and opportunities of an empire, preparing him for the trials and tribulations of a dynasty.

Minjae had grown up to look quite handsome and androgynous. He had a mix of sharp features such as his nose, chin, and jawline, but his eyes were too soft and his lips were too soft and plump for a male. His skin was milky, smooth, and fair, his hair was dark and silky, his body was a mix of lean muscle and a slender figure. His looks made both men and women turn their heads, admiring and desiring him, complimenting and flirting with him, praising and courting him. He was aware and amused by his charm and beauty, but he was also careful and discreet, not wanting to attract too much attention or suspicion. He was polite and friendly, but he was also distant and reserved, not wanting to get too close or involved with anyone. He was loyal and faithful, but he was also lonely and confused, not knowing who he really was or what he really wanted.

Minjae when he reached the age of fifteen started to go to the village with his father's advisors on welfare checks, inspecting the conditions and needs of the people, distributing aid and relief, listening to complaints and suggestions, resolving disputes and conflicts, promoting peace and harmony. He was compassionate and generous, helping and comforting the poor and needy, the sick and injured, the old and weak. He was just and fair, punishing and rewarding the corrupt and honest, the cruel and kind, the greedy and generous. He was wise and benevolent, educating and enlightening the ignorant and illiterate, the superstitious and prejudiced, the backward and conservative. He was popular and beloved, winning the hearts and minds of the people, earning their gratitude and respect, inspiring their admiration and loyalty.

Minjae was especially popular among the teenage females, who would line up on the streets to squeal and get a look at his face. They would giggle and blush, whisper and gossip, wave and smile, whenever they saw him. They would dream and fantasize, write and draw, sing and dance, about him. They would compete and fight, bribe and beg, scheme and plot, to get his attention and favor. They would declare and profess, confess and propose, their love and devotion, to him.

The worst of it came whenever he reached the red district of town. He had to take a calming breath before he entered. That was where the brothels were located. The houses were filled with gisaeng. One whiff of their intoxicating perfume was enough to make Minjae gag. They would line the streets catcalling and doing all sorts of lewd acts to get his attention. Flashing both tops and bottoms at him. Sometimes a stray gisaeng would slip through the guards and tug at his clothes to get his attention but Minjae stayed stoic and looked ahead. Music and singing was also part of their charm. Minjae liked to think of them as land sirens. Women desperate for men's attention only to trap said men and extort them for money.

Minjae was amused and annoyed by their behavior, but he also felt sorry and guilty for them. He knew that they were wasting their time and energy, their hopes and dreams, on him. He knew that he could never love or marry any of them, that he could never give them what they wanted or deserved. He knew that he had to keep his distance and maintain his image, that he had to hide his true self and his true feelings. He knew that he had to wear a mask and a disguise, that he had to pretend to be someone else and no one else.

The attention that females would give Minjae caused him to wear a modified gat, a traditional hat, with a veil on the brim to hide his appearance. He had to cover his face and conceal his identity, to avoid the stares and the questions, the rumors and the scandals, the dangers and the risks. He had to act like a prince and a heir, to fulfill his role and his duty, to honor his father and his dynasty, to protect his secret and his lie. He had to be a boy, to be Minjae, to be who he was. He had to be a miracle, to be a blessing. He had to be the best thing that ever happened to his father.