nytis
"this is nice isn't it?" soonyoung said, breaking the silence.
jihoon hummed back in response.
"you know... you don't always have to be doing work, you don't have to always think about work or be so.. uptight all the time. i'm sure you've got things that are stressful and important, everyone does, but that doesn't mean you can't take time to rest and... and.. have some fun? maybe?" soonyoung voice slowly died down as he finished his rambling.
"so what exactly are you trying to tell me?" jihoon asked, raising a brow. "if you want me to quit working, that's not gonna happen. surely you know that not everyone is born with everything they could possibly desire at their finger tips."
"no, no, no," soonyoung shook his head, "i'm not saying that. i'm saying.. maybe you should have more fun," then he meekly added, "dream more?"
"i do plenty of fun things," jihoon scowled.
"like what? eating? sleeping? i bet you were going to say one of those." soonyoung teased. jihoon only grumbled because he indeed was going to say sleeping. "see? i bet you've never gone to a party." soonyoung said it like he partied every weekend when in reality the only parties he had were birthday parties but hey, that still counts.
"shut up, it was so nice a moment ago."
soonyoung only laughed and poked at jihoon's side, "i bet you've never been to a bar." again, soonyoung had only been to a bar once but let's ignore that.
"i don't find pleasure in going to loud crowded places full of drunk people. and plus, alcohol doesn't even sound good."
"oh? little jihoonie has never tried alcohol before?" soonyoung tried to poke jihoon's pink cheek only to get his fingers slapped away. this time soonyoung had the right to tease the other. let's just say he has gotten pretty tipsy at a fair share of royal balls and gatherings. "one day, i'll take you to a bar and then i'll get to see you all cute and drunk!"
jihoon stared at him unamused, "yeah, yeah. we'll see about that."
soonyoung's eyes glinted a little almost to say is that a challenge? "huh. okay then. whatever you say." he stared at jihoon with a certain excitement in his expression.
"why are you so excited?"
"we're in a forest right jihoonie? a forest that is void of people most of the time, right?" jihoon nodded warily, soonyoung's questions were starting to weird him out. "then i want to try something. or more like, i want you to try something."
jihoon gulped, "and what is that?"
"i want you to tell me something. like one of your dreams. and don't tell me you don't have any, i know you do. no one else is here other than me and you, so just open up even if it's only a little."
so that's what he wants to know? jihoon paused and looked at the water blankly. you don't dream, you've buried them all, you've moved on from those useless things. you live your life and just accept things. just focus on work and everything will be fine.
don't lie to yourself, jihoon. as much as you want them gone, no matter how hard you push them away, your dreams won't disappear. they've been stuck inside for so long and now you have an opportunity to voice them.
the boy sat there and debated silently. it wouldn't hurt just to let a little out right? it'll be quick and short. you can go back to your old self right after. jihoon breathed in deeply. "well, i've grown up here in nytis. and i've never seen anything beyond this place." soonyoung listened attentively.
"when i was younger i had a very close friend. and one day he showed me something special. you see how nytis is surrounded by this stone wall?" soonyoung nodded.
"just behind the castle, there is a part of the wall that is lower. through there is where i saw outside for the first time. there was so much space out there!" jihoon said with awe. "and in the distance i saw other kingdoms and also people and animals!" soonyoung watched as jihoon lost himself in his own dreams.
there were those beautiful shining eyes again.
"i know that it's stupid for me to think that i could ever leave here and explore out there. i mean, chan still needs to go to school and cheol's legs are still injured and i still need to work but.. i truly wish that i can go out there one day... and get the chance to visit other kingdoms.. and even maybe the ocean. i heard that sunsets by the ocean are stunning.." the boy sighed and looked at the sky.
soonyoung suddenly had the urge to speak. he wanted jihoon's dreams to come true. he wanted jihoon's eyes to stay bright and beautiful. "jihoon." the boy blinked his eyes, coming out of dream land. "jihoon, you know my home is reinwa and some time, i'll have to head back."
those words were like a wake up call for jihoon. as much as he enjoyed having soonyoung here, there was an inevitable fact that he wasn't going to stay here forever.
reinwa's a better place for him anyways.
"mmm yeah, what about it?" jihoon said, trying to sound as if it didn't bother him as much as it did.
"when the time comes, would you like to leave here and live in reinwa with me?"
