𝐊 𝕺 | k.th

One in a Million

"I'm sure you won't."

I can't seem to form any words and just nod my head while looking down into my lap. He chuckles and gets up from his seat, pulling our attention to the maids carrying food and hurriedly placing them down in their correct positions. I notice Hani deftly holding several dishes and scattering them across the table. She comes toward me with a smile and whispers, "Get up." I give a confused look before turning back to all the other girls and noticing that they're all already standing with the prince.

I quickly get up, nearly knocking the seat back with my sudden movement. If everyone wasn't looking at me before, they sure are now. Taehyung still has that stupid smirk plastered on his face as he raises an eyebrow at me. "Forgive me for asking Lady Sooyun but is there something troubling you? You seem out of... focus."

I bow out of habit, still flustered by all the eyes trained on me. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I won'tㅡ" I pause when I realize I've already said that. "..."

I hear one of the other girls whisper to the side, "Look at that stupid bitch, she's purposely acting stupid to get the Prince's attention. What a slut."

How does that make me a slut, even if I was doing it on purpose?

Taehyung officially starts the feast, saving all of our inexperienced asses in front of the cameras. "We begin our 243rd Harvest Feast today with 29 beautiful, new ladies and one lady granted the privilege of returning for her second feast." That's me. "I, as well as my father, hope today's group is the one that will hold our future queen. We've encountered many promising ladies in the past, and patiently wait for the one that will capture my heart and the hearts of our people. Thank you for following our journey thus far, and pray for your dear Prince that he will find his destined wife in the near future." He sits back down, and all the other girls follow him, trying too hard to plant their asses down... in a fancy way. I make sure to blend in with the other girls this time and do it with proper timing. The cameras go down, and the 300 people observing us are led out of the room.

Dinner goes by, and Taehyung makes small talk with all the other girls, except for me. I know I'm supposed to hate him and not care about his opinion... but I suddenly feel insecure. Is he mad at me?

I then look around and notice everyone else has cleared their plates except for me. Shoot. My plan of blending in failed. The girl to my right leans over and whispers to me, "Hey. You're supposed to eat everything on your plate. It's rude if you don't."

I look down. "But I'm full..." She shrugs at my nonexistent effort and turns back to Taehyung, laughing in the same way all the other girls laugh and blushing with every word that comes out of his mouth. Why do all of their laughs sound the same?

I move my food around in my plate to make it seem like I ate more than I actually did and look around for the Queen. Today's a lucky day for me, she's not here to supervise. It's just Taehyung and all his... ladies.

I subconsciously pout my lips, and Taehyung finally speaks to me. "Lady Sooyun? Is there something wrong with your meal?"

I shake my head. "No... I'm full." But I realize that I sound like a little kid that doesn't want to eat their vegetables and collect some rice on my fork. I guess I'll just force myself.

He calls out to me again. "Lady Sooyun. You don't have to eat if you don't want to. Put down your fork."

"No, it's okay. I'm fine," I refuse, suddenly wanting to put food in my mouth.

"I am ordering you to stop eating. You will not refuse me," he says with a strong tone. But when I look up, his face doesn't match what he just said. He's... smirking?

All 30 pairs of eyes are focused on me, and I put my fork down. Okay then. And with that awkward moment, the Prince gets up from his seat and gestures us all to follow him. He leads us out the dining hall, cameras already waiting outside and flashing as soon as the doors open. We line up beside him, and he announces that he has picked one girl to continue on to the next week.

So he walks down the first row and stops in front of me, bowing down much lower than I feel comfortable with, considering the fact that he's royalty. I remember this from last week.

I bow back, and he leads me to the front. As I'm walking with him, I feel glares piercing through me but keep my head down, slightly intimidated.

"Lady Sooyun of Seoul will join us again next week to have her third feast with me and to continue on in the Royal Harvest. I hope you all approve of my decision and please, young girls, be patient until your time comes. Everyone that enters will be given the opportunity to become Queen. Thank you."

He bows, and I follow him. The other girls line up, one by one, and each bow deeply to him. And... I suppose, to me too. I remember last week, when I bowed back to one, assuming that was the correct thing to do but Taehyung stopped me.

"You're above them now. Don't do that."

They each come out with a short "Thank you for having me" or "I wish you would have picked me, your Highness." I twist my lips while trying not to cringe at their fake, sweet voices. I'd just tell him off.

A pang of guilt hits me as I see them quietly exit the palace, their heads lowered and frowns on their faces. All of those girls were probably thinking they'd become the next queen and spent weeks and days preparing for one feast, just to be rejected and escorted back home in less than an hour. How sad.

After what seems like an eternity, the girls and all reporters and cameramen exit, leaving Taehyung and I alone. He turns to me with a smug look and grabs my wrist, pulling me toward the far end of the palace.

"What are you doing?" I question, only to be ignored and pulled further. We step out into the garden, and I struggle to see in the now-dark shade of the night.

He curses to himself. "Where'd that damn boy go?"

As I'm about to ask where he's taking me, he drags me again to a seating area with a bench and a lighted fountain. With the little amount of light reflecting off the water, I see something that makes my jaw drop.

My thirteen year old sister sitting on Prince Jungkook's lap and making out with him.

To be Continued...