Chapter 5 recap
Phelia realized that she was late for work and the prince begged her to take him with her. She gave it in and asked the bodyguard of the studio, Bobby Allen to keep an eye on him. She was surprised to see a cold, scolding Jordan in the meeting and the whole staff was ordered to fix the animation even though they had finished polishing. After the meeting, she saw a never-before-seen employee flirting with Joo Yoon but he skipped to Phelia. Phelia took him to shopping for a new makeover, dinner, and a talk under the stars. She even gave him a new name, Craedon. Craedon reached out for a napkin when suddenly he was leaning super close to Phelia and his lips brushed against hers. Phelia was shocked and locked herself in her car.
Modern Prince
Written by: Michele Hii
Chapter 6: Love Triangle?
"Phelia? Phelia?" Craedon's voice muffled through the window.
"Huh?" I snapped my thoughts away.
"Are you okay?"
"Y...yeah." I nodded vigorously.
He gave a small smile. I fumbled my hands on the controls. As he got in the car, I could feel him looking concernedly at me.
"You have uh...whipped cream on your chin." he said. My eyes widened as he reached his fingers towards my face.
"It's ok...I...I can do it myself." I stammered.
But as I was about to push his hand away, his long, slender fingers stroked a tiny dot of cream off my chin. It sent chills under my skin. He wiped his finger off with a napkin from my napkin holder. He put the holder back into my purse which was at the back seat. The way he turned to the back seat got my heart pumping because I could see his sexy jawline. Did I make my character this attractive?
"Oh! And uh..I'll throw these two cups as soon as we get home." he flashed a bigger smile. Now my cheeks were heating up.
I focused on the view in front of me and cleared my throat, "It's getting late."
"Yeah, I better get some sleep anyways." he yawned.
As I drove up the hill, I couldn't help but glancing at him who held the two empty cylinders. He looked back at me but I focused on holding the wheel.
Stop looking at me! my head yelled.
But he wouldn't look away.
"Ah! Finally!" he got out once my car parked in the garage. I breathed deeply and got my purse. Sure enough, I spotted him dumping the cups into the black can nearby. He then waited at the front door for me to get my keys.
"Do you want a glass of water?" I asked as I turned the kitchen light on.
"No I'm good, I'm just gonna go to bed." he replied.
"Hang on, I've left sleepwear for you on your bed." I called.
"Yeah I saw it, I'll get changed right away."
As I helped myself with a glass, I couldn't stop replaying the kiss in my head. It wasn't exactly a kiss but his lips touched mine, so that was still considered a kiss...right? Gah! Why I can't erase it away?
"Craedon?" I poked my head through the bedroom door. I looked ahead to see him snoring lightly with his newly-bought oversize T-shirt and loose cotton pants. Gosh, he looked cute with the soldier position he was in. I pulled out a blanket and laid it on top of his body. Tucking and smoothing the fabric over him, I found myself gazing lovingly at his countenance. I could just look at him like that all night. No joke.
BUZZ
"Who in the world texts at this hour?" I whispered and took out my phone.
Jordan: I'm here. Outside.
What is he doing here?I thought. I walked downstairs and opened the front door. Behind a silver Nexus was a poker face Jordan. On his hand was a long list of messages on his phone.
"Hey, Jordan! What's up?" I put up a friendly smile.
"Where the hell were you?" Jordan frowned.
I stared at him in surprise.
"I...uh...I was with Craedon."
"Who?"
"Joo Yoon. I named him Craedon."
"Oh, really?" he folded his arms, "Why would you give him a new name?"
"Why can't I?" I raised my eyebrow.
"All this time, you hang out with the prince who happens to be the fiction character you created, and I've been waiting for so long for you to give up on him for a while."
"Give up on him? For what?"
"Hello? For me?" he waved his hand in front of me, "I thought we're supposed to hang out tonight, but you didn't text me back on what movie you wanna watch."
"I forgot to text you back, okay? And I'm sorry!" I raised my voice.
"Is it because you got distracted with that guy?"
"What's wrong with sticking with Craedon anyway?" I barked, "Can't I know him more?"
"Why would you?"
"Because he's a friend!"
"But he's not human!"
"He is! He's turned into a human!"
"But still he's not!"
"Don't say that!"
"Phelia! For God's sake! Wake up! Joo Yoon is a book character! He's not a living being!" he yelled till his voice rang through the whole street.
I stared at him with my mouth hung open.
"What is wrong with you?"
"The question is, what is wrong with YOU?"
"Me? What did I do? All I do is taking care of Craedon!"
"Yeah, you've put so much attention on him these few days. It makes me sick."
"Well what does it have to do with you? I've told you everything about him and you should understand and support my plan of accompanying him."
"Accompanying him, huh?" Jordan stuffed his hands in his jeans pocket and sniffed, "I thought you want to avoid him from involving in the human world. Frankly, you're not doing a good job protecting him."
"What are you talking about? I'm helping him to fit in so that other people won't see him as an outsider."
He snickered before taking a few steps backward, "Seriously, you need to wake up. This little...friendship you're building with him, is not gonna last long."
It was like my heart was filled up with volcanic fire. I glared at him,"Leave. Now."
"I was gonna."
"Just go. Please."
He said nothing as he strutted back to his car. I watched as the bastard drove off. I can tell that he's jealous, but he shouldn't act like crap.
* * *
I accidentally lost grip of my pen. It rolled towards the calendar that stood at a corner of my desk.
As I picked it up, my eyes stopped at the days listed under a bold capitalized "July". It had been a week already and I came to know Craedon more. I had written more chapters for Chef of Sun Yang, and after the one I just wrote, Jordan's words stuck out to me like glue.
This little...friendship you're building with him, is not gonna last long.
I flipped through the pages, scanning through the romance between Joo Yoon and Seul Eun. In reality, Creadon was with me. But in fantasy, it's not Craedon but Joo Yoon, the prince, who had an intimate relationship with Seul Eun. Still, I wrote that Craedon...I meant Joo Yoon to keep his relationship with the chef a secret. Seul Eun was the one who begged him not to expose their love to anyone, and he agreed. Besides, every time when the royal staff was around, he would yank his hand away and ordered her for a second round of food. Speaking of food...
"Did you just ate my sandwich?" I exclaimed, staring at bread crumbs scattered on the Subway wrapper.
"Umpphpph...no." he muffled through his chewing. I giggled at his chipmunk cheeks and helped to wipe his mouth with a napkin.
"You're such a devil, guess it's my fault for feeding you with new food."
"Well, don't blame yourself." he smiled, smoothing my hair, "I've tried so many dishes my body feels revitalized."
I kissed him on the cheek and crushed the wrapper into a ball, "Let's go."
"To where, Jagi?" he tilted his head on one side like a confused kid.
"You'll see." I winked.
We made our way to the famous Long Beach. The summer breeze hit me gently once I got off.
I excitedly took off my Crocs slippers and allowed my feet to crush onto the white sand.
"Come on!" I waved to Craedon.
"Why do you take off your shoes?" he asked, surprised, "Don't you get your feet dirty?"
"Even if you wear sneakers, sand can just get into your feet." I giggled, "So take your shoes off! And your socks too!"
"You sure?" he stared in surprise.
I walked to take his hands, "Trust me, Craedon Oppa."
He blushed every time I called him that. He looked at the sunset just to ease his warm cheeks.
"Aww...Crae Crae!" I put on my cutest voice.
"Stop that!" he groaned.
"I'm still waiting for you to take off your shoes though."
"Oh, right."
He finally took them off and lifted his right foot from the grass. Once he stepped on the powdery grains, a smile was immediately formed on his face. He put his other foot down and looked up with excitement.
"Oppa!" I shouted. He saw me standing near the waters. He then ran down like an athlete and dragged me right onto his body. I leaned my head onto his chest and relaxed. His arms wrapped around my neck felt like a pillow. I moved my right foot backwards. It touched the cool water. He noticed and looked at me in surprise.
"Is that how you wash your feet?"
"Yeah, but I also can do this." I smirked and kicked my foot lightly. Water splashed onto his feet.
"What is that for?" he exclaimed, loosening his hug.
"To cool you off." I grinned cheekily. I let go off my hands and ran a few feet away, "Catch me if you can, Craedon!"
"What?"
"Come on!" I laughed and kicked to create sprays off the ocean waves. He shrugged and set his feet onto the water. "Whoa! So cold!" he yelped. He shortly chased after me in circles. We splashed water at each other till our clothes were completely soaked with earth's saltiness. He suddenly snaked his arms round my waist and heaved his body behind me, "Gotcha!" he panted.
I chuckled and sneaked a light kiss on his wet cheek. He reached out one arm under my legs and lifted me off the water.
"Oppa!" I squeaked, squeezing his shoulders.
"Hang on tight, Phelia!" he beamed.
I nodded and wrapped my arms round his neck. Like a bird, I was swooped in midair with his arms supporting my back and legs. We laughed in sync as he carried me on the gentle rolling blue. Minutes later, he stopped walking and watched the sun disappearing into the horizon. I gazed at the light hues painting the sky. I wished I could see this view every day.
"I should have taken you here earlier." I sighed.
"Why? You've taken me to so many places."
"Yeah, but not this," I replied, "You've taken in so much new things. I thought I would bring you here to take a break days ago."
"But this is the right time for me to take a break."
I stared into his eyes, "Really?"
"Yeah," he smiled, "You've raised me to become a real human, Phelia. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have survived in here."
I smiled back. He looked back at the scenery. I noticed his face glowing with freedom. His skin glistened with ocean droplets. I instantly remembered the day I first found him back in the cafeteria, and my mind went to the scene when I dragged him to my house, and then to when he pissed me off for not cleaning up the plate he broke, to the drunk kiss, to when he drove Bobby Allen crazy at my workplace, to when I gave him a makeover, to that night when he almost kissed me fully, and a lot more that happened this unforgettable week.
He was isolated before. Now he had escaped from alienation. He's a part of this world now. For me, I wouldn't have known what love was until I met him. He's cradling me, and I could feel his warmth not only surrounding my body, but also engulfing in my heart.
"Craedon." I whispered. My breath crawled into his ear which caused him to shiver a little, but he looked back at me that made me drown deep into his beauty.
"No matter what, you'll always be mine. Do you know that?"
"I know." he nodded, "And you're mine alone forever."
I could feel my cheeks turned pink, yet I took a deep breath and leaned forward. My lips locked onto his, and he released before kissing me back. He was still holding me, yet I felt like skydiving in a firework-filled sky.
"Saranghae, Craedon Oppa. I love you." I smiled.
"I love you too, Phelia." he smiled back and kissed me again. I sank into his sweet lips, indulging into this amazing feeling. The feeling of intertwining our love together.
* * *
While working on a new chapter of my novel, I tried not to giggle every time Craedon snored behind me. He sure was a heavy sleeper. I didn't know why I got back to it. I even forgot that Craedon was Joo Yoon. Somehow every time he fell asleep, my hand would automatically pointed to my desk, reminding me to finish my story. I felt like a robot when I told myself to write more. Or like a villian cursed a spell on me to do it with no warning.
As I found myself flipping to a blank page, my eyes scanned at a long paragraph. And the words here were not found in my memory. At all.
I think I should tell Seul Eun how I really felt. That I no longer have feelings for her. That I no longer see sparks whenever she made a move.
That evening, I sat at my usual table with her walking by.
"Here's your sikhye, dear." Seul Eun announced sweetly.
I looked at the bowl and pushed it away. She looked surprised, "Wae? You're not hungry?"
"I'm sick of having sikhye. I want to eat something else."
"But all this time you drink sikhye."
"Well, I feel like eating something else other than drinking sikhye."
"I...I don't understand. I thought this is the only thing you like, Your Majesty."
I stood up and looked at her, "Are you protesting against me?"
"What?" she stumbled.
"I say I want something else, and you hesitated. "
"It....it's just that...this is not like you. You seemed to be not yourself lately."
"Kurom, I feel like I've changed."
"Is something the matter?"
I took a deep breath and walked from the table. I stood a few inches to her and fixed my gaze on her. She looked puzzled, and I know she'll be upset if I tell her, but I couldn't hold it any longer.
"I'm seeing someone."
"Someone else?" her jaw dropped.
I nodded, "Neh. At first I thought I wanted to be with you, but my heart wanders to another person. Unexpectedly, I found this girl whom I cherish for as long as I can remember."
"But...we've been seeing each other for..."
"A week?"
"Yeah."
"But I don't even know you more than I've known the girl I have my eyes on."
"It's not too late, Your Majesty." she begged, "I'll take a day off. I can tell you all about me."
"I'd love to," I stopped, "but I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I can't stop thinking about Phelia."
"Who?"
"The girl who I'm in love with."
"So...it looks like...you're no longer into me?" she croaked. I could see that she tried not to cry.
"What did I do wrong, Your Majesty?" she hiccuped.
"You did nothing wrong." I mumbled.
"Then why don't you want me?"
"Because my heart chooses Phelia. I'm terribly sorry, Seul Eun."
And the next thing I knew, she collapsed on the floor and sobbed. I couldn't stand ripping her heart off, so I went to give her a hug.
"I'm sorry, Seul Eun ah." I whispered.
"Seul Eun!" her co-worker called from the dining room door. I let go off my hands and walked off without looking back.
"What in the world...I swear I didn't write this." I said to myself. As I flipped some more, I stopped at a page where the notebook almost ended. My heart dropped like an elevator down a skyscraper.
I wanted Phelia to know that she'll always be my one and only love. Forever.
Not only it was written in first point of view, but the words were also from himself...which means...
I turned my back. Craedon's eyes were still sealed shut. I was about to look back at my notebook when suddenly I noticed his right fingers changed colour. It wasn't dark or bright, but more like a fading translucent. It crawled up to his hand like a snail, but then it started to speed up to his arm.
I rushed to grab it. He moaned before flickering his eyes open.
"Phelia?" he yawned.
I looked up, still trying to calm down from what I just saw.
"Why are you holding my hand?"
"Um...uh well..."
"Is there something wrong?"
I looked back and to my surprise, his hand was visible again.
"I...I thought...I saw your hand becoming invisible." I muttered.
"Invisible?" he raised one eyebrow and lifted his hand, "I don't see it."
"Well...I saw it like seconds ago."
I stared at it in disbelief till I felt a couple of warm arms wrapping round me. He pulled me close to his chest, "I'm okay, Phelia. Really, I am."
I fidgeted a little. He held me so tight I couldn't breathe, but the fresh lavender scent from his half-buttoned shirt beckoning me not to let go. He raised one hand to touch my hair and whispered, "I forgot to say this before but, I'm happy that I have you in my life, Phelia. I even love when you call me by my new name."
I felt my heart crippling. Those were sweet words, but I couldn't take them. Now I realized that he was once in a love triangle. He struggled to choose between me and Seul Eun. And in the end...he chose me...
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