THENEXTPRINCE, Chapter 07: A Conservative Person.
By: ceo. ft ennice.
“Holy Shit! Nin, you’re the real deal.”
The sound from behind jolts Charan’s senses, bringing him back to the present situation. His sharp eyes blink rapidly as the heat of embarrassment spreads across his face.
The young man’s heart skips a beat, remembering the ancient legend of Emmaly, his homeland.
‘You can date anyone, hold hands, kiss cheeks, or express love in any way.’
‘But don’t give kisses away easily, dear, because in our country… a kiss is a vow to love each other forever… We only kiss someone… when we want to spend our lives together.’ the sweet and gentle tone of the mother who once spoke to Charan when he was young echoed in his head again. Although he often remembered his mother being by his side and spending time together, it was not often that Charan heard her talk about this matter.
It was as if the mind wanted to emphasize how important a ‘kiss’ was for the people of Emmaly.
Charan clearly remembered that his mother had said that the people of Emmaly would only kiss someone when they vowed to love each other forever.
They usually used their first kiss to propose marriage in the old customs.
Although nowadays society isn’t as strict about the first kiss as before…
Charan still adhered to those traditions like before.
Khanin removed his hand from the warm cheeks, his eyes hidden behind two layers of eyelashes, staying on his teammate’s face for a moment, as if scanning before looking past without any sign of embarrassment.
The young man managed to scrape the remaining small pieces of Pocky onto the back of his hand before turning to face the other members with a calm expression, as if nothing shocking had just happened.
“I have this much left.” Khanin said, showing a small piece of Pocky, which appeared to be about three millimeters long, to Charlie.
The referee checked it before nodding towards the competitors. Seymour and Jimmy, who were standing with sly smiles, seemed to have already determined the outcome of the contest.
“My partner has none left.” Seymour walked in confidently and shrugged before continuing with a relaxed manner, “So, we won, right? Now who has to drink the trash water?”
“It’s Khanin.” Jimmy walked up to his lover with a smile, happy for the rare opportunity to get back at their mischievous friend.
Khanin exchanged a glance with Jimmy, then looked at Seymour, who was standing beside him with a superior smile and arrogant demeanor, and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
“What does the rule say, Charlie?”
“The competitors must eat Pocky sticks. Whoever has more remaining or longer sticks, that pair loses and must share the trash water.” Charlie explained, as his adorable face frowned, and he showed the tiny piece of Pocky he was holding to everyone.
“Whoever has the shortest Pocky stick left… that person wins.” Khanin emphasized the word “wins” and slightly smirked when he saw Seymour’s face turning pale.
“….”
“But you guys don’t have any left, not even a bit… so, who should drink the trash water?”
Amidst the silence, only the distant sound of an ambulance siren could be heard. Khanin smiled at the corner of his mouth as if announcing his victory, raising one eyebrow to show his superiority and his undefeated status in the game.
Khanin was the true winner.
If anything should be blamed, it would be the flawed rules. Khanin had to protect his own rights because he didn’t want to lose face in a silly game. His title was not achieved by luck or chance.
Jimmy and Seymour are a formidable pair, but because Khanin had thought of ways to escape from the start, he did not hesitate for a moment to invest in locking Charan’s face closer to bite the Pocky as short as possible.
No matter how correct the rules are, there is no way to resist the gaze of other friends.
“Oh, we lost… It’s okay to admit it.” The heartache was bigger than the couple could bear to accept the defeat. Jimmy and Seymour looked at each other before one of them finally gave in.
“…”
“I’ll drink that trashy water myself.”
“Ha!”
The friends cheered loudly when they finally found the true winner. Paul was the one to pick up the garbage water and divide it into two glasses, giving them to Seymour and Jimmy as the kings. Everyone surrounded them and cheered as the couple pinched their noses and bravely drank the strange liquid.
Khanin should stop his smile and focus on his own victory, but for some reason, his eyes wandered elsewhere.
The sight of Jimmy and Seymour making faces while lifting their glasses of water did not capture Khanin’s attention. He used to think victory and punishment were important, but now his eyes were fixed on the handsome face of someone.
Worse, his entire focus was gathered on… the lips of Charan. Khanin didn’t understand, he wasn’t sure why he couldn’t look away.
The more he saw Charan’s worried expression and the warm touch of his finger on his lips, the stranger it felt inside. It was itchy and restless, as if an army of ants was marching in his heart.
Had he played too hard?
Though he didn’t like that pillow-face, Khanin still had some humanity left. He didn’t like the guilt that was growing in his mind. Although Charan didn’t say anything, his sharp eyes staring back at him were clearly filled with sadness.
Even though the victory was his and the title of game master remained, this time, Khanin didn’t feel as proud as he usually did. Part of it was because of his father’s teachings about sportsmanship, which were deeply ingrained in his mind and haunting him at the right time and place.
‘Know defeat, know victory, forgive, and apologize when you hurt someone or make them feel bad in the game…’If you know these things, you’ll become a good athlete.’
Khanin took a deep breath and tried hard to shake off his father’s words.
The young man tried to convince himself that this was what he wanted.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Charan deserved a lesson for following him and being the one targeted. Khanin thought this was another way to help the other party stop interfering in his life.
The young man clenched his face, assuring himself with confidence, his thin lips lifted in a small smile before repeating the same words in his heart, trying to get rid of all the worries that lingered.
It’s already correct. This is the best way.
Don’t overthink it, don’t worry too much, I don’t see any need to care.
Doing it this way is so much more comfortable…
Comfortable… what does that even mean?
Khanin’s footsteps thud along the sidewalk in the midst of London’s evening atmosphere. The lights from the shops still shine brightly enough to prevent loneliness. The temperature, which seems to have dropped by two or three degrees, causes the young man’s nose to feel a bit tense and soon turns red.
“Ah-choo!” Not a good situation at all. Khanin sneezes forcefully, thankfully raising his hand to cover his nose in time, but it’s still an embarrassing moment.
Someone who hasn’t spoken a word since stepping out of Samantha’s house speeds up and comes closer. From the corner of his eye, Khanin sees Charan pulling something out of his inner coat pocket.
In the next instant, a clean, dark-colored handkerchief is handed to him. The slender figure hesitates for a moment before finally accepting it, seemingly without any other choice.
Khanin takes care of himself, sneezing louder than before, signaling that his problematic nasal passages are acting up annoyingly.
“I’ll wash it for you tonight.”
“No need.” The owner of the handkerchief speaks softly, slowing down his pace and stepping back, causing Khanin to feel a throbbing pain in the right side of his head.
Charan acted annoyed, not saying a word to him. Even though they usually don’t need to converse, this seems a bit too much.
Not looking at each other, keeping distance, maintaining walking space, like bodyguards or something. It makes Khanin feel irritated and wants to explode.
The young man tries to count to a hundred, telling himself to calm down more than this. But in reality, Khanin can’t even count to ten with the same rhythm as his brain orders his body to stop walking and turn to face his counterpart.
“Here.”
“…”
“What’s wrong with you?” The speaker tries hard to control his tone, not to sound too provocative. Khanin stares at Charan, who furrows his brow slightly as the other man refuses to look at him as always.
“No… nothing’s wrong.”
Clearly, there is something wrong, but he still lies.
“God punishes liars, you know.” That statement would have been slightly more powerful and dignified if they were standing in front of a church, not in a desolate alleyway like today.
Khanin took a deep breath, and Charan looked like someone who was fighting with himself. Inside the other man’s head, it seems there’s an angel and a devil, or something similar, fighting. His handsome face is distorted, as if he can’t swallow or spit it out.
But it all lasts only a moment. In the end, Charan wins and regains his composure, showing that this man is capable of controlling his own mind more than letting the devil or the power of an angel dominate him.
“It’s nothing. It’s late, let’s hurry.” The taller man prepares to lead the way. Khanin takes another deep breath before deciding to shout out the words stuck in his head, letting the other person hear them.
“I’m sorry!”
“…”
“I apologize.” The giant mountain in the middle of Khanin’s chest shrank rapidly as soon as he uttered those words. The owner of the pale body pursed his lips, feeling a little relieved when the older man stopped and met his gaze.
“Sorry? For what?”
“Well, you didn’t seem okay… after we…” His soft voice trailed off. Khanin searched for words to describe what had happened without using offensive language that could exacerbate the tense atmosphere.
“…”
“Winning the poker game.” The young man felt guilty; he didn’t mean to make Charan feel bad… Okay, he did, but he didn’t think the consequences would be this severe.
“Hmm. What else?”
“Just ‘hmm’?”
“Do you want me to be honest so you can understand what I am?”
“Uh-huh.” The younger man didn’t avert his gaze, staring at Charan’s face, waiting for an answer from the taller man without any intention of looking away.
“Don’t go around kissing random people again.”
“What… “ The response wasn’t entirely unexpected. Charan wasn’t okay with their kiss… meaning their lips touched, but Khanin didn’t understand why the other party forbade him from kissing instead of continuing.
“I won’t repeat myself.”
“I didn’t kiss anyone randomly, and… let it go, that wasn’t a…”
“…”
“It was just a game, Charan.” Khanin didn’t think it was cruel speech; his intention was to explain so the tall man would understand in the same direction. The slim figure took a deep breath, meeting the gaze of the much taller man before repeating the thought.
“…”
“Just a game.”
There was silence for a moment. Charan opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately the older man just shrugged and chose not to explain anything as usual.
“Okay, I understand. Let’s go back; it’s late.” The thick palm waved as a signal for the person with royal blood in his body to walk ahead. Khanin prepared to leave but hesitated and didn’t move forward.
“Yes, it’s late. I should go home, and you should go to your home too.” It wasn’t a rude dismissal, but it was clear enough for the listener to understand. Khanin quickened his pace, leaving distance between them as the older man silently sighed.
Charan raised his hand to rub his face. This time, he counted from one to a hundred, sometimes even more, as he hurried to follow the younger man. There was no better option; he had promised Tattanai that he would escort the boy to the door. Someone like him would never break a promise.
The cold wind blew, clashing against their bodies. The streets of London in the late evening began to enter a quiet and serene time. Charan’s senses were wide open; he could even hear the sound of Khanin’s sneakers as they hit the concrete ground.
The atmosphere was sluggish and dull as they moved along. They were supposed to turn into an alley, separate, and rest in less than twenty minutes ahead. If it wasn’t for the unexpected situation that occurred first.
In a split second, the quiet street turned chaotic. Charan’s eyes widened as he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine roaring and breaking the silence throughout the road.
It rushed straight towards them, but the target was not Charan… Instead, it was the young prince of the Atsawathewathin family, who was walking carelessly ahead.
“Watch out!” Charan was sure he shouted at the top of his lungs, as he lunged forward to grab the frail body of the young prince into his embrace.
Everything happened and ended in less than a minute. The speed of the motorcycle did not slow down at all as it zoomed past their position.
Its lights were off…
Sharp eyes, like a hawk’s, followed the mysterious motorcycle. The protective instincts in the blood of a guardian family screamed a warning, indicating that they were in danger. Something was… off.
“Shit…” A soft curse from the person in his embrace made Charan turn back to look at the younger person. The short distance between them unintentionally allowed him to catch a faint scent from the other person.
“Is something wrong?” The younger person asked softly, with one cheek pressed against Charan’s chest. He relaxed his eyebrows slightly before falling silent, as their green eyes locked onto each other.
“What’s wrong? I almost fell head-first and died because of you.” Khanin complained and tried to push away the older person’s chest to create some distance between them, but this time Charan didn’t let go.
The taller person held on even tighter as the younger one pushed harder.
“That motorcycle was about to kill you.” Charan stated the harsh truth.
That motorcycle… didn’t even slow down a bit. It would be hard to claim that it didn’t see them standing in the brightest spot of the street corner. It intentionally tried to hit Khanin. If it weren’t for the fact that he was faster.
Wait a minute…
The blood in Charan’s body turned cold in an instant. His handsome face turned serious as his mind processed every detail of the situation, discovering a truth that made his anxiety boil like a volcano.
It was aiming for Khanin, wasn’t it?
“Who’s trying to kill me? You… wait, it’s you!” The younger person couldn’t finish his complaint before the strong hand of the older man, as heavy as iron, tightly gripped his wrist.
Khanin stared in shock as Charan pulled him along, forcing the younger man who still didn’t understand anything about the situation to half-walk, half-run after him.
“What are you doing? It hurts!” The younger man tried to resist, but it only made the usually emotionless Charan feel more irritated.
“We need to leave this place now.” The controlled voice didn’t help. Khanin’s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as the tall man in front of him acted strangely.
“Why?”
“That motorcycle… it’s strange. Pay attention to your surroundings for once.
It was deliberately trying to hit you…”
“What are you talking about?” The young man’s eyebrows almost knotted together in the middle of his forehead. Charan took
“What are you talking about?” The young man frowned deeply, almost knitting his eyebrows together in the middle of his forehead. Charan took a deep breath, inhaling deeply before starting to count to one again in his mind.
“Now is not the time to…”
“Are you saying that the motorcycle was intentionally trying to hit me?”
“Yes.” Charan thought Khanin would understand everything on his own by now, but it seemed the young man had miscalculated.
“You watch too many movies.”
This kid… doesn’t understand anything.
“You, on the other hand, are too naive for this world.” The pronoun and sentence that seemed to suppress each other in terms of age made Khanin’s displeasure even more apparent.
The young man’s face became slightly tense and sweet as the younger one hugged his chest before tossing back a question that seemed to annoy the older man.
“If you’re saying that I’ve been followed or someone intends to harm me, who are these people and what are their reasons?”
“It could be many things.” Charan didn’t need much time to think about this question. The truth was that Khanin’s story was a secret, but his actions might reveal the entire story of the Young Prince of the Atsawathewathin family, making it no longer a secret.
Maybe that secret is not a secret anymore…
“No one knows about that house except you.” The fair-skinned young man gritted his teeth. Khanin locked eyes with the tall man, whose double eyelids were filled with frustration and dissatisfaction.
“…”
“Right now, the most untrustworthy person for me is you. Maybe you’re the one who created this whole situation.” The younger man deliberately provoked. Khanin became angry… and his feelings intensified even more when the tall man did not deny or show any shock at the accusation.
“That’s a good assumption. It’s thoughtful and careful.” Charan simply replied with a calm voice, giving a slight smile to further provoke Khanin’s reaction.
The young man decided to stop arguing and turned back to the residence between them without any further conversation until the small hand touched the door handle.
“I hope I don’t have to see your face tomorrow.” The homeowner didn’t even turn to look at the person behind him as he spoke those words. As Khanin heard Charan’s movement, his frustration grew even more.
“…”
“You can’t escape the truth.”
“….”
“It’s time you stop acting like a child. Everyone has a duty. Remember that your most important duty now is to go back with me.” It was as if fuel was poured on fire, Khanin’s temper flared up again when he turned back to face the older person.
“Duty? What duty? I’m an ordinary person, born and raised here. I’m not an Emmaly, I have no duty to go back and do anything for anyone… Stop talking nonsense. If you want to go back, go ahead!”
“…”
“Go! Leave before I lose my patience with you!” The younger man’s body shook with emotion. Charan locked eyes with the younger man before lowering his head as if counting down, uttering the next sentence in a flat voice that provoked the listener no less than before.
“I apologize for bothering Your Majesty… My main purpose for coming here is for you.”
“The what!!!..”
“You have to bear with it, no matter how annoying, because I will come here every day… until I can take Your Majesty back.”
“…”
“It is our duty, and I hope Your Majesty will understand.”
…
Moonlight shines through into the once dark and damp room, casting its glow within the four corners. The musty smell and the gloomy atmosphere make this place not particularly pleasant.
The sound of fingertips tapping on a heavy wooden table indicates that the owner of this body is deep in thought. It takes quite some time before the action stops.
“Our people who followed Charan… sent this picture.”
The image on the communication device is striking. It shows the sole heir of the guardian deity clan offering a handkerchief to a young man.
“Who?”
“We’re not sure yet… but from the reports, it seems this person is particularly important to Charan…”
“…”
“And our people have found some interesting information.” The latest sentence piques the listener’s interest, prompting the mysterious figure sitting in the middle of the room to gesture for the explanation to continue.
“At first, I wasn’t sure, so I had our people test it. As expected, Charan is protecting this boy…”
“You mean he’s important?”
“Yes, our people investigated the boy’s background, and this is what they found.” Various pieces of information are uploaded onto the communication device. At first glance, this young man doesn’t seem particularly interesting.
However… what intrigues the person sitting in the chair more than anything is…
Khanin Preechasit, 21 years old.
Father… Tattanai Preechasit.
“This is…”
“Yes, the same person as Tattanai, the businessman from the Kirakul family who died in an incident twenty years ago.”
The confirmation makes the listener’s senses sharpen to the extreme. The mysterious person on the sofa suddenly stands up and grabs their cell phone, sending a message to someone.
They… wait in silence, as the quiet room’s ticking seconds move forward, consuming a full hour before new orders are given. “Kill the boy.”
TBC.
You kissed me, and that kiss will last until I die. How can I erase the mark of that kiss? It won’t go away.
Don’t forget, don’t fade away.
It’s nothing, Nin. Mom is just singing. Haha.
Go kiss them, and they’ll know right away. Haha. Crossing the sky beside you.
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