Refresh (Stray Kids Hwang Hyunjin)

Thirty-nine

After going through one of the most common royal night routines, Alex was finally lying in bed enjoying the feeling of the fluffy pillow and comfortable mattress. She was so close to falling asleep until she heard a knock on the door.

Seungmin.

"It's ten in the night. What could you possibly want?" Alex asked once she saw him. He was not fazed by her words.

"I want to introduce you to someone."

"I was at the dinner. I met everyone."

"Not everyone." He grabbed her arm without saying any more and quietly led her to an office on the complete opposite side of the palace.

"Can't I meet whoever it is in the morning?" She whined.

"I mean you could, but I like you'd prefer meeting him now. Besides I wouldn't be able to sleep without doing this first."

Seungmin knocked on the door and soon there was only a hum in response. He opened the door, dragging Alex behind him and approached the desk where Hyunjin had his head rested on the table, dead asleep.

The Eighth Prince looked at JB.

"You're letting him sleep on the job?"

JB sighed.

"He deserves it. I've never seen him work this hard in my life-" The King's Main Servant looked at the girl. "Alex?"

"Yup," Seungmin replied for her. "Can she talk to him?"

JB nodded.

"And I think we should give them a bit of privacy," the Main Servant said as he led Seungmin back to the door.

"You're leaving me alone in here?" Alex whispered.

"Yep. You need to talk to your Prince Charming," Seungmin winked. "And you're not allowed out until you do."

After they left Alex spent a whole five minutes just staring at the boy sleeping. What did Seungmin mean by Prince Charming? And why was it mandatory to meet him now? He's exhausted. She couldn't possibly disrupt his sleep.

But the Eighth Prince and Main Servant kept their word and wouldn't let her out so eventually, she approached him.

"What am I even going to say?" She asked under her breath. His face was covered so she couldn't make out if she recognised him or not.

It took another minute before she built up the courage to tap his shoulder. He groaned and changed position. She tapped again and the same thing happened. But when she tapped him for the third time, he finally looked up at her.

"Uh, hi," she smiled awkwardly. He was more familiar than any of the other members of the royal family.

He must have thought the same thing or something similar because he was just staring at her face.

"I've seen you before," he just said before fully sitting up.

Now Alex got a better view of his face and felt the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. She definitely knew him. And it may have even been more than just knowing.

"I've seen you before too... Uhm, Seungmin and the Main Servant told me to speak to you but I'm not the best at conversation," she laughed to herself. Hyunjin only smiled in return.

"I'm not either."

"I didn't see you at the dinner table earlier on. Why didn't you come?"

"I have a lot of work to complete," he motioned to the papers beside him.

"Oh... I'm Alex, by the way."

"I'm Hyunjin."

There it was. The final piece to the puzzle. The most important piece. She remembered everything. From when he saved her on Earth to how she took a bullet for him. She remembered everything including her childhood

Hyunjin immediately stood up and pulled her into a long, tight embrace.

"I can't believe I forgot you," Alex mumbled as she hugged him back.

"Me neither."

Unintentionally, Alex began crying as she thought about her past life on Earth compared to the one she had now. She really took everything for granted.

Hyunjin pulled back from the hug, kissed her forehead then dried her tears.

"This is crazy," he laughed though she could see tears in his eyes too. "Do you remember everything too? Like even your childhood?"

She nodded.

"Everything..."

"And how was your life this time around? Better?"

Once again, she nodded.

"My parents and brother loved me. I had many friends and the only time I committed suicide was a mistake."

"Wait, what?"

"It's a long story but if we didn't go back in time I'd be dead right now."

"And to think I almost married Suzy..."

"I hope she's different now."

"I think she is. The Third Queen and Hyuna, not so much."

Hyunjin stared at her for another minute before pulling into another hug. Now that he had her again, he made a promise to never let go of her ever again.

It does not feel like Christmas Eve. I miss when I was six and it felt like the longest, most suffocating day ever!

~SpicyThaiChicken