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x1protector · 4 years

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adventures of gyul

Authors Note: super sorry this took so long, college is hard; i love gyul so much so i hope i satisfied your request anon!! -g

r e q u e s t: “helloooo may i request a little au with hangyul :D it could be anything, kite lover gyul, gyul the explorer, etc hehe thank you in advanced~”

p a i r i n g: hangyul x reader

g e n r e: tooth rotting fluff; boyfriend!au;

w a r n i n g s: this is corny, none

w o r d c o u n t: 1.7k

s u m m a r y: Your boyfriend wakes you up one morning with the promise of adventure. What sort of adventure does he have in store for you?

Hangyul wakes you up one morning rather annoyingly, roughly shaking you out of your comfortable slumber. It’s not often that he wakes you up like this, usually he would stay in bed with you until you’re both awake even when he’s woken up first. You squint at the interruption, hands instinctively coming up to cover your eyes as you stay put in the warm bed. It’s too early to be awake judging by hand on the clock so you close your eyes, trying to go back to sleep, knowing that he won’t let that happen. Hangyul smiles and shakes you once again as you groan, tossing your hands up at your persistent boyfriend.

“Alright! I’m up!” You sit up on the bed, glaring back at him with as much vitriol as you can muster at dawn. Which is not much.

Hangyul grins at your cute expression, pinching your cheek. “Get up, you little bed bug, I have the day off and I want to make the most of my time with you.”

“Bed bugs are supposed to stay in bed,” you whined, your eyes just won’t stay open long enough. You contemplated on flopping back into bed but your loving boyfriend is already one step ahead, grabbing your waist and physically dragging you out despite your protests.

By the time you re-emerge from the bathroom, the smell of breakfast hangs heavy in the air. You follow the scent towards the kitchen and spot Hangyul by the stove, humming a tune as he flips the pancake and making small noises of triumph every time he lands one in the pan. Slowly, you wrap your arms around his waist, looking over his shoulder as he cooks. The scent of the delicious pancakes is almost overwhelmed with the scent of comfort Hangyul provides. You can feel him giggling, back vibrating as he turns his head to look at you, his tongue poking through when he smiles. It was a nice morning, and you fought the urge to smother him in kisses and instead settled for a soft kiss to his cheek.

It’s a nice, regular morning for you two, but for some reason you can feel the mischievousness radiating off of him the whole time. Taking a peek in his direction, you spot Hangyul with this knowing smile on his face. Even as you two engage in small talk through breakfast you know that he is most certainly up to something.

“Alright, spill it.”

He looks up from the dish he’s cleaning, voice dripping with feigned innocence when he responds, “Spill what?”

You roll your eyes and nudge at him, “You’re a terrible liar, I know you’re up to something. So spill.”

He grins sheepishly as if embarrassed that he was found out so quickly. “We’re going on an adventure today, I’ve already planned everything out. Just make sure to wear something you don’t mind getting dirty and some good walking shoes, alright?”

You sigh and smile at the boy, leaving him to finish cleaning up so you can change. It’s not exactly often the two of you get to have a day together, what with your busy schedules and all. More often than not your “date nights” were the two of you getting home at the same time. An adventure, he said. You change into athletic clothes because you don’t totally trust that this little excursion wouldn’t turn into a workout of some kind.

This is Hangyul we’re talking about.

Sunscreen is a must, and so are bandages and maybe a small umbrella since you never know what might happen. Hangyul was in sweats and a long sleeve shirt, a cap sitting on his head. Even in such mundane clothes, he still manages to look ridiculously handsome. How did you get so lucky?

You reach a hand out to take his hat, playfully stealing it away and placing it backwards on your own head. Hangyul makes no effort to take it back from you, instead grins and goes about his routine while you still shove things in your bag. Occasionally he chimes in, telling you that no, you probably won’t need that or yes, that would be nice to have.

The two of you curl up on the bus ride to a place “just outside of the city” as Gyul would put it. You open up a book you brought along for the ride, leaning against your boyfriend as you read. The warmth of his arm as he wraps it around your waist lured you into sleep again, and given in to the comfort you ended up sleeping on the ride.

In an hour or two--you lose track of time--both of you hop off onto a small bus stop. It looks eerie, but Hangyul seems pretty confident in leading the way, so you took his hand as he guides you off to a rather secluded path until the two of you find yourselves in the middle of a large field.

“We’re here to look for frogs!”

You love this man, but you wonder what goes through his head sometimes.

But he looks so excited about the prospect of catching frogs that you oblige him, searching high and low. You’re glad you grabbed a pair of beater sneakers this morning so you didn’t worry too much about the mud messing anything up, but it’s getting deep and you worry they might get into your socks soon.

While Hangyul stares off into space, trying to tune his ears to listen for the frogs, you root through some bushes on the side. The two of you spend a few hours in the field, and by the afternoon, you’re both covered in mud and sweat but smiling and laughing so hard your cheeks hurt the entire time. You love all his little antics, including all the times he nearly knocked you into the mud just so he could wrap you up in his arms and plant kisses on your cheeks without you running away.

You don’t know how long you stayed after a quick break for snacks, but long enough that you can hear a loud grumble interrupting your frog search, and the two of you realize just how hungry you are. You’re just about to suggest that the two of you head back to grab some food but then Hangyul starts rifling through his bag.

He pulls out a large picnic blanket and two small lunch boxes he had apparently packed the previous night. Seems he really did think of everything. The two of you sat on the dryer ground on the blanket, eating slightly soggy sandwiches (“I forgot lettuce has water in it”) under the open sky. It was peaceful, watching the clouds pass by, giving each of the weird-looking clouds a name of your friend.

“That one’s Seungyoun.”

“Hangyul, please, apologize to the cloud.”

“Fine, that one looks like a frog holding a kite,�� he chuckles, pointing up to one of the fluffy white clouds floating in the air.

You giggle, pointing to another one, “This one looks like a lion with a crown on its head.”

“Mine’s better.”

“Nuh-uh.”

The two of you laugh at your childish antics, leaning on each other for a moment. You rest your head on his shoulder, and allow your eyes to close. The wind curls around the two of you as you rest, playing gently with the ends of your hair. The whole world seems to stop around you to allow this moment to settle deep into your bones.

Hangyul wraps his arm around your waist, giving you small kisses on your forehead and smiling lovingly into your hair. He rests his head in the crook of your shoulder and you lean back into his chest. His warmth was comforting, seeping into your muscles and relaxing your body against his.

You’re more than happy to be here with your boyfriend, simply allowing the world to move around you. Words aren’t needed between the two of you anymore, being near each other was more than enough to know how the other was feeling. Your schedules may be hectic and have few moments to spare, but at the end of the day, you love each other. It’s a soft warmth that colors everything you do, even when he wakes you up far too early in the morning.

The two of you stay like that for a moment longer, committing this moment to memory. You close your eyes, memorizing the feeling of being held in his arms, even though you doubt you could forget such a feeling.

“Ribbit.”

And just like that, the spell is broken as your boyfriend ribbits into your neck. You giggle, feeling this arms tighten around your midsection as he does it a few more times.

You feel him speak into your neck, “There’s a frog in your throat.”

Hangyul is… a little weird.

You split from him, reluctantly pulling away from his warmth. Unfortunately, this picnic won’t pack itself up no matter how much you wish it to. As the two of you packs in comfortable silence, you were thankful for moments like these, a moment of calm amongst the storm of your daily lives. It was easy to find your ground here, to reorient yourself before pushing back into the winds once more.

The bus driver gave the two of you a look as you boarded, tracking mud into the interior and almost onto the seats. You smile sheepishly, lowering your head in an advanced apology as you take your seats. Hangyul slides in next to you, resting his arm on the back of your seat and watching you as you dig through your bag, a sort of softness crossing over his features.

“Hey.”

You look up from where you’re hunched over, smiling up at him.

“You know I love you right?”

You straighten, and lean forward, placing a small peck to his lips.

“I know, and I love you too.”

He chuckles, making a face of disgust, “Gross.”

The two of you giggle, resting your foreheads together once more in the fading light. In a moment the spell will be broken, and in a day the stresses of the world will come back to barrage you from all sides. But for right now? Right now the only word to describe this feeling would be happiness.

#hangyul x reader #hangyul fic #Hangyul #hangyul scenarios #hangyul fluff #hangyul boyfriend #x1 imagine #x1 imagines #x1 fluff #x1 fic #x1 scenarios #x1 x reader #x1 au #god i love him

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x1protector · 5 years

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Admin Update 11/1~

hello!! its admin g here! i’ve been very busy with college, and we recieved a request for a Hangyul fic (which since he’s my fav i’m writing him)

i just wanted yall know i *am* working on it, i just finished up the outline and am slowly but surely cranking that bad boy out into a rough draft. thanks soo much for your patience!

as well - we have finished outlining the first story in our royal otome series and we are in the process of putting it into a rough draft (we’re like... 75% done). currently (with somethings still being in our outline mode) we’re at around 7k words. we do plan to split it up into parts as well

anyways~ that’s all for this little update, just wanted to catch yall up since we aren’t as active on tumblr recently. however! we do post inside looks at the editing process on our twitter @/writersforx1

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x1protector · 5 years

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Chef!AU Wooseok

Author’s note: chef au seungyoun exists, so why not,, -Admin V 🌻

p a i r i n g: wooseok au (extend for x gender neutral reader)

g e n r e: fluff; chef au; bullet au

w a r n i n g s: mild language

w o r d c o u n t: 1k

Chef!AU Wooseok

Read Chef!AU Seungyoun here.

his face speaks model but his hands speak chef

a genius

won so many cooking awards since the age of 12 through the age of culinary school

if it was legal and safe enough to hold a knife before that he would have done it

Well-liked, well-admired, and graduated from a top culinary school with high honors and a stacked resume with fellowships and internships from all over the world

looks cold and intimidating in school, earned the nickname of ice prince by his schoolmates because they saw him in the freezer once and the reflection of his angled features on the glass door just sparks ethereal vibes

is an actual shy baby

Volunteers to teach at a local cooking school for children in his free time, goes around using baby-talk with little kids and giving them cool nicknames

“Teacher Wooseok is this how you flip the pan?”

“That’s correct, Egg Warrior!”

speaks in small font on a daily basis but not many knows bc he doesn't usually have the chance to speak

people get scared when he just looks at them, and only his real friends would know how sassy he is

Jinhyuk: hey can u pass me the salt

Wooseok: no because sodium kills your heart and I need a friend when I'm 60

doesn't like being tied down and prefers to travel for his work

recently got invited to work at a famous restaurant and only accepted because he heard the rival restaurant across is manned by cho seungyoun: his competitor in school

doesn't know why he cares so much but he just really wants to beat seungyoun

Junho: hyung are you sure you're not like,,,,,, in love with him--

Wooseok: do you value your employment?

looks cool as heck in the kitchen though and can do five times the workload of a regular chef

seems bossy but actually cares a lot about his team

will never admit he has a soft spot for anyone

let the team go home early sometimes bc he's "feeling tired" and not because he may or may not have seen junho dropped a pot and bruised his left foot of course not

Super cute when he's in a good mood, or when he’s drunk, goes around giving everyone creampuffs he made at home

When he’s not around everyone just refers to him as Seokseok because he’s such a babie, but no one dares tell him that he’s still their boss let’s be real

Except one time Dongpyo messed up and accidentally called him Seokseokie in the middle of rush dinner hour

Everyone: sh*t.

But Wooseok just moved on like nothing was out of the ordinary, he found out about the name a while back but kept quiet since he actually liked it

Dongpyo: /escapes death yet again!!!

spaces out a lot so Eunsang always has eye drops with him in case wooseok's eyes get dried up

have fought people/customer on sight for bullying his kids, especially the pompous ones who always think their palate is oh so refined and dissed the dishes and compared them to famous chefs abroad

Wooseok: the chef you’re mentioning learned this technique from me what do you mean refined palate my butt im gonna wACK--

Hyeongjun, to the customer: please leave now if you value your life!!!!

not allowed to leave the kitchen, usually to the amount of times he gets mistaken for a handsome college part timer

Honestly, just imagine Wooseok in a fitted white chef button down.. his hair held back by these clips Hyeongjun put on for him... jawlines that can fillet a fish--

When he does leave the kitchen tho, gets hit on by young rich people and middle aged people alike

Has a fan page endorsed by customers and employees of the restaurant, one of the many reasons the many floors of the place is always packed with people

Sneaks out anyway bc he likes seeing the joy on people's faces as they enjoy their food

just a soft baby pls protect

[extend for x reader]

You’re the other chef who volunteered at the little kids’ cooking school

Well, it’s less of a school and more of a recreation center’s cooking class, but Wooseok always refers to it as a school though b/c any sort of educational establishment is school to him

You’re honestly just a culinary student looking for more experience, and teaching seems really fun, especially when your little brother was in class

Speaking of which, he’s earned a nickname from the handsome volunteer the other day and he couldn’t stop saying it

“Egg Warrior! That’s me!!”

You: Wooseok we need to talk

Wooseok: （＾∀＾）?

You know he works at this really famous restaurant downtown, the one that may or may or may not have three dollar signs on yelp, but to you he just seems like a regular guy, unusually good-looking, but a regular guy nonetheless, and you didn’t feel the need to treat him differently as you would anyone else

Wooseok really appreciates you for that

He’s used to praises from everyone, but not a day goes by when he doesn’t feel the awkwardness or uncomfortableness from people besides his staff

It was the same in school, and perhaps that was why he didn’t make many friends

And why he’s so adamant about wanting to beat Seungyoun, he was one of the only friends Wooseok had in that battlefield of a kitchen at school

It didn’t help that you reminded him so much of Seungyoun

Wooseok: so um,,, there’s an event at my workplace today and um,,, do you wanna,,,

[ten years later]

You: yes? and?

Wooseok: do you wanna come with me i mean i’ll be cooking for our guests but do you wanna um come,,, help me but if you’re busy that’s fine foRGEt i asked i’ll just--

You: sure

Wooseok: what

You: do we go after class or should I meet you somewhere?

Wooseok is jumping in his head but on the outside he’s like YEah we can go after class we’ll just take my car no biggie

Tbh he talks about you so much at work everyone knows your name and favorite food and probably your birthday wooseok is limitless when it comes to crushing on you

Dongpyo when he finally takes you to meet his staff: omg finally

The event was a success, and you got to see him looking so c00l at work honestly what a man

Afterward he took you out for ice cream and dropped you off at home by 10

Your little brother the egg warrior: if you’re dating does that mean you’re the egg royalty?

Wooseok: maybe? (〃´∀｀) are you?

You: Kim Wooseok you’re on thin ice

Read Chef!AU Seungyoun here.

–Admin V🌻

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x1protector · 5 years

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the chef au for sy was great!!!! can you make one for hyeongjun or wooseok? it doesn't have to be chef just anything fluffy :D thank you!!

a little something for Wooseok is queued for Sunday at noon ♥（ﾉ´∀`）

#ask #v

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x1protector · 5 years

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The most requested is indeed our precious Seungwoo (〃´∀｀)

-Admin V🌻

#it's coming along very slowly b/c of school #pls wait a bit more #x1 #x1 fic #han seungwoo #seungwoo #seungwoo fic #seungwoo x reader #royal au

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x1protector · 5 years

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Chef!AU Seungyoun

Author’s note: Happy 100 followers (we’re actually at 117 omg)! This is insane we have 2 prologues guys ;;; here’s a little something I made enjoy while you wait for the first Royal AU storyline. We’re working on it but it is taking a while because we want it to be good anyway enjoy!! -Admin V 🌻

p a i r i n g: seungyoun au (extend for x gender neutral reader)

g e n r e: fluff; chef au; bullet au

w a r n i n g s: mentions of knife

w o r d c o u n t: 1k

Chef!AU Seungyoun

Read Chef!AU Wooseok here.

got personally scouted as head chef of a famous restaurant because he's That Good

handpicks everyone in his entire team and trusts them with his life

can do anything: pastry, saucer, chef de partie, meat, fish, etc--jack of all trades, master of all

pastry chef Seungwoo once saw him juggle three saucers in one hand while boning a fish with the other

an actual mess

tries to keep it together in front of his subordinates tho

graduated top of his class, but no one talks about it since he gets so embarrassed

a clumsy mess if he’s not focused tho and probably put sauce in pastries before

sous chef Hangyul swore on his life that he's never giving seungyoun a white attire because he keeps spilling things on himself

so he wears the black attire, which is symbolic as head chef in this restaurant but also;;;; to hide the embarrassment that is seungyoun's clumsiness

can handle a knife like no other

but cut his hands too often and is now required (by his staff) to wear thick gloves whenever he wields a particular sharp knife

touches hot food so often, the calluses on his fingers formed thickly and can take the heat so now he doesn't even need to use gloves

Seungyoun, holding a sizzling plate of fish: Hangyul look how cool I am!

Hangyul: the skin cells on your fingers hate you

Seungyoun: that’s assuming they’re alive

“seriously how did this kid get through culinary school in one piece?” --everyone

walks around without the chef hat and only puts it on when there's inspection

when he doesn’t have it on tho, his hair is either all clipped back with huge hair clamps or in a net for cleanliness reason

everyone thinks he looks absolutely adorable either way

goes around the kitchen checking on people and giving encouraging praises

“oooooh Yohannnn i see you garnishing with the right twist of the wrist”

“Seungwoo-hyung love what you’ve done with the brulee, it’s exquisite *chef kiss*”

never yells at anyone

except when Dohyon accidentally burned himself spilling sauce Seungyoun yelled at him and banned him from the kitchen for a week to recover

was actually more sad than Dohyon

Seungyoun: ...do you think Dohyon hate me now D;;

Yohan: NO OF COURSE NOT HE KNOWS you mean well;;;;;

Hangyul: yes lmao

Yohan: did you just say lmao out loud

Seungyoun: yes lmao

Dohyon came back fully healed and Seungyoun cried b/c he missed Dohyon so much

PROTECC

looks very soft and smiley but will fight anyone that picks on his team

one time a high-profile guest dined at the restaurant and hated one of the dishes, so they told the owner to fire whoever made it

but no one got fired because Seungyoun threatened to leave if they so much as touch anyone on his team

a very responsible head chef, takes the blame for things he didn’t do and cover up for the kids

Minhee: im sorry hyung... we lost an expensive shipment because of me, I deserved to be fired..

Seungyoun: but if you leave, we would suffer a bigger loss

Minhee: but you got scolded because of me..

Seungyoun: then I guess you can buy me dinner hehe

a precious bub

always going out of his way to make others happy

one time his team was so tired due to a particularly long, grueling day of work, so he like.. jumps and claps his feet in the air and wouldn’t stop till they started laughing

honestly if not for the obvious black attire, no one would think he was head chef of this prestigious restaurant

(keep reading for x reader)

you know head chef Seungyoun because you were the one who scouted him

as well as the one who fought management team in order for him to handpick his own staff

you’re basically an extended part of the kitchen, and you visit the team often to make sure they have everything they need

everyone adores you and saves you all the good snacks from the kitchen

Seungyoun is especially sweet on you and everyone knows but you

Minhee: did boss make you chocolate soufflé again?

You: yeah! It’s delicious as usual, do you want some?

Minhee: thanks, but I already had some! Did you know it’s very tricky to make? We only get to eat this from the boss when you’re around so thank you!

You: what do you mean

Minhee: heheheh I have to get back to work enjoy your soufflé

Everyone dotes on you tho b/c you’re the reason they’re all here together

You always just brush it off you’re honestly just doing your job

Seungyoun is especially grateful, and he tells you that a lot

Sure, he’s good, but he wasn’t a conventional chef and his unique cooking techniques weren’t widely accepted among the pro circle

If it wasn’t for you, he would still be looking for a job out of culinary school

But that’s not all he feels

He likes seeing you enjoy his food, hearing your voice ringing with laughters, and feeling like the butterflies from his stomach migrating to his head, making nests and driving him crazy the more he sees you smile

Seungyoun knows what this feeling is, and he thought he hid it well, not wanting to ruin your current relationship

But let’s be honest Seungyoun is so obvious his entire staff knew since day 1

The boy literally had to clutch his hands behind his back to stop himself from shaking when he’s near you

Smiles a little too much (even for Seungyoun) when you’re around

Stares at you a little too long when you’re sitting at the kitchen counter enjoying the soufflé because that’s the first recipe he made for you when you first met

heart eyes @ you 24/7 literally how do you not see this--

Hangyul: is he gonna make a move today or do we have to wait till next year?

Yohan: let him live omg he’s shy

Finally made you chocolate on valentine with a little note that read “will you be the chocolate to my soufflé?”

Corny

the entire kitchen staff: just go out with him already he keeps whining to us

so you do and gave him a little kiss after accepting the confession

y'all are cute

couple of the year tbh

Read Chef!AU Wooseok here.

--Admin V🌻

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x1protector · 5 years

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we don’t have a lot of votes so far but half of them are for one specific person... guys your bias is showing *v*

If you haven’t read the prologues for our royal au, links are below!

hyung prologue | maknae prologue

#we're looking at 8 to 10k for his story what do you think?#it's gonna be multiple parts but we really want to make it GOOD

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x1protector · 5 years

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If you haven’t read the prologues for our royal au, links are below!

hyung prologue | maknae prologue

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x1protector · 5 years

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@x1official101: 🎉HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINHEE🎂 오늘은 X1 민희의 열여덟 번째 생일입니다! 큰 별이 되겠다며 별똥이를 꿈꾸던 민희 💫, 오늘이 민희에게 반짝반짝 빛나는 잊지 못할 하루로 추억되기를 바라며 예쁜 말들을 꼭-꼭 담아 보내주세요❣️

🎉HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINHEE🎂 Today is X1 Minhee’s 18th birthday! Minhee always dreamed of becoming a big star 💫, I hope you will make today a bright and unforgettable day for Minhee - Please send him beautiful words❣️

trans by x1updates ✧ take out with full credit.

#happy birthday minhee #g

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x1protector · 5 years

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imperial crossroads: prologue 2

p a i r i n g: none for prologues; will be x1 x gender neutral reader

g e n r e: fluff; a little dark; choose your own adventure; otome themed au

w a r n i n g s: mentions of slight violence; weapons

w o r d c o u n t: 3.7k

s u m m a r y: You are a seamstress who took a job in the palace as your mother’s successor. As you try your best to navigate through your new life at the palace, who will you choose accompany you?

Author’s note: historical setting close to the Joseon dynasty but there’s no (current) set name for the kingdom; this is only the prologue !! each boy has their own storyline!! this one is written by the whole admin team!

There will be two prologues with two different protagonists! If you haven’t read hyung-line prologue (Seungwoo, Seungyoun, Wooseok, Yohan, Hangyul), click below.

hyung prologue || maknae prologue

This wasn’t your first time in the palace. Your mother had long been an accomplished seamstress for the royal family. Sometimes when you weren’t able to stay home, you stayed in the servants' quarters with the children of the other palace workers, playing house and taking naps with them.

But it was your first time working there. As you grew up, you saw your friends take up apprenticeships and slowly replace retiring workers, but unlike them, you weren’t trained in the palace. At home, your mother taught you everything you knew about sewing: how to take accurate measurements, properly tie a knot after stitching, practical stitching patterns and prints--everything she knew, every tip or secret she had, she passed on to you so when the time came for her to retire, you could take over her role.

Of course, she didn’t mean for you to work in the palace, and when you first brought up the idea to her, she was appalled.

Your mother was reluctant because, even though your position is a mere seamstress among many, she didn’t want you to get caught up in any political tensions in the palace. She knew about the King and Queen’s alliance with a fallen neighboring kingdom, and she often overheard gossip from the other seamstresses and tailors about the King’s frequent, unusual absences from the castle. The palace wasn’t exactly a peaceful place and she didn’t want you to fall into the wrong hands and become a pawn in anyone’s schemes.

She tried her best to keep you from it all--it wasn’t safe for a child like you. She was worried you would end up catching a noble’s eyes and becoming their concubine at a young age.

You heard the rumors, of course, but as a child you didn’t think much of it. You even found amusement in the rumors about the King’s secret life in the underworld.

Your mother only warmed up to the idea of you becoming a palace seamstress when she saw just how much you were capable of one day. You were visiting your mother and wanting to help as much as possible so you started sewing with her. By the end of the day, you had produced three shirts, a hat, a pair of pants, and had begun mending a hanbok. Not only was that two--almost three--people’s workload in a day, your stitching patterns were neat and consistent, your skills were honed from years of practice and presented a lot of talent. Even the head tailoress acknowledged your skills and extended an invitation for you to work for her. This and only this was the reason your mother had finally agreed.

Now, after a few more years of training with your mother at home, you were finally headed to the palace.

“The head tailoress never gives deadlines,” she explained, choosing to give you tons of advice instead of a tearful sendoff. “It’s a test, so make sure you’re taking care of business. Also, don’t engage with the others too much, especially if you’re talking about the royal family. And don’t roam the halls after dark!”

“Don’t worry!” you comforted her. “I’ll be careful. I have friends there, remember?”

And you couldn’t wait to see them again. Growing up, you were close friends with Dohyon and Minhee. Minhee was the older of the two, although Dohyon’s intellect would lead you to believe he was the elder. They were both very outgoing, and they had been the ones to approach you first. You didn’t spend a lot of time in the palace proper, but thanks to your friends, you knew there would be a certain sense of familiarity that will put your mind at ease.

You almost didn’t recognize one of them when you were greeted you at the entrance. You barely recalled his voice as he called your name.

“Yes?” you turned towards the voice. A charming young man stood in front of you, with a shock of bleached blond hair atop his head and a goofy grin spread across his face. His hands were already taking your bags from you, helping you carry your belongings to your room.

“M-Minhee?” You couldn’t believe how much had changed in the years you’d been gone.

“You haven’t changed at all.” Minhee spoke with excitement in his voice, “do you even remember me?”

“You look so different! Wow, I like… the hair?” You gestured to his head.

“Oh, this?” He took a strand and held it up to the sun, peering through it. “It was an accident. But thank you.”

Minhee grabbed a few of your bags and lifted them up, gesturing with his head in the direction you were going to go. As you trailed behind him you couldn’t help but marvel at how different he looked compared to his younger self. He had grown much taller, his smile growing brighter and his face becoming slimmer over the years. His eyes still twinkled the way you remembered, like he knew secrets no one else did.

Minhee seemed to know his way around and was greeted by almost everyone you come across, even Prince Seungyoun and his personal attendant Hangyul seemed like they were his friends. In the midst of delivering mail and showing you around, Minhee had to stop by the main hall to pick up a friend by the name of Eunsang after his rehearsal.

Eunsang was a black haired boy, with a soft and timid smile. He avoided looking in your eyes, opting to look at Minhee instead. He had a cute face, with rosy cheeks and wide, expressive eyes. He was dressed very nicely, with his hair falling sweetly across his forehead.

He handed you and Minhee two perfectly ripe apples he had taken from the kitchens earlier that morning. You thanked him and a gentle smile spread across his features. He walked with the two of you for a minute, conversing quietly with Minhee before splitting off to head to his quarters while Minhee continued to guide you to yours. Eunsang gave you a little wave before heading in and you thought you’d like to be friends with him if there was a chance.

Your quarter was the same place you stayed when you were little and you still remember all the things you hid in the room. As you set down your belongings, you spotted the small embroidery kit you had hidden away as a kid. Gazing at the small box, you smiled softly at all the memories and feelings the item evoked. After a moment of settling in, you carefully placed the kit back on top of your bags before returning back to where Minhee had waited in the hallway.

Somewhere along the way, Minhee had declared himself your “official” palace tour guide, dragging you around to all the “best places in the palace.”

The first stop? The Princes’ healer quarters, where two boys sat cross-legged on the floor, one patching up some cut wounds on the other's back. The first one whined at the poultice being applied to his back, the other snapping back about how he should be more careful in the future if he wanted to avoid this.

The healer boy had soft, curly hair, with a round face accompanied by puffy cheeks and wide, bright eyes. Even as he was berating the other boy, he had a kind voice. His professionalism contrasted heavily with his innocent appearance.

The first boy whined again, squirming away from the other’s touch, “Hyeongjun-ie…. Can’t you at least warm it up before you apply it? It’s so cold,”

“Stay still, Dongpyo,” Hyeongjun chided, “you know it doesn’t work that way. Now stop moving so I can finish faster.”

Dongpyo was even smaller than Hyeongjun, with matching puffy cheeks and wide eyes. He wore a set of dark robes, completed with many small vials attached to a belt and what appeared to be many pockets. When he finally noticed you and Minhee, he sent you a dazzling grin, pushing his cheeks up towards his eyes and making his face even more child-like. He greeted the two of you cheerfully, and Hyeongjun leaned to the side to greet you as well.

Minhee didn’t have time to introduce the two boys, but from the look of it, Hyeongjun seemed to be a healer in training of the Princes’ quarter, and Dongpyo seemed like a harmless servant boy with an unfortunate injury. You thought they were very friendly and quite capable for their age.

Next, Minhee takes you around the library, where two more young boys were waiting. One sat at a table, methodically and carefully copying something onto a scroll. The other was leaned against a bookshelf, nose buried in a tome. He looked up and rose to his feet, waving enthusiastically to you.

He easily towered over you, with a mop of white hair to rival Minhee’s. He had a bright and mischievous smile, with a boy-next-door aura to match. He seemed bright and energetic.

He walked with a skip in his step to grab you in a bone crushing hug as you wracked your memory to try and recall this boy, but couldn’t place a face to a name until Minhee spoke up.

“You know you’re not allowed in the palace Dohyon, why are you here?”

Dohyon? The chubby cheeked boy smiled with all of his teeth, the same youthful, bright smile you remembered.

“Dohyon?! Nam Dohyon?! You’re… huge!” You exclaimed, for lack of a better word.

The boy laughed, his eyes squinted into little crescents. Your childhood friend tackled you into another hug, his signature high-pitched squeak pierced your ears.

“Dohyon, please. This is a library.”

The boy who sat on the table spoke up. His voice was stern but gentle. The brush on his hand carefully placed onto its carrier as he packed up his books and scrolls. The boy stood to about Minhee’s height, a slight scowl on his rather handsome face.

“Sorry, Junho-hyung. I was just excited.” Dohyon whispered in response.

Junho sighed. You thought he gave off a very mature aura, but the youthfulness of his face betrayed this image. He seemed like he could easily be the same age as the rest, but something about him made him seem far older than he actually was.

“Your hair is still white, I see.” Junho snickered, instantly turning younger in your eyes the more he smiled.

Minhee introduced Junho as the second historian of the palace, second only to the king’s scribe. You thought it was impressive for someone his age, and he sure looked the part of someone with considerable amount of authority.

“By the way,” Minhee started, a mischievous tone in his voice, “how’s your... side project?”

The scrolls slid from Junho’s hands, and Minhee laughed as Junho scrambled to pick them up. “Attendant Minhee, do you not have other work to attend to? Shall I give you some? Here, take this document to the Crown Prince.”

Junho shoved the pile of scrolls onto Minhee so aggressively you wondered what this “side project” entailed--even Dohyon was giggling at this point.

After this, Minhee left for his work and let you to roam around the palace, and you busied yourself with packing and helping out with various tasks in the seamstress quarter.

At the end of the night as you head to your quarter, you felt as if someone was watching you. It was curiosity that got you out of your quarter to look around, and within seconds, you spotted a silhouette on the roof.

You thought it was rather strange, because they seemed to be… waving to you? The figure gave you a peace sign, then disappeared as fast as he appeared. In a flash, the figure landed in front of you, tilting his head as if to get you to follow him.

You recognized him as Dongpyo, one of the boys you had seen in the healer’s quarters earlier. He didn’t speak, but from the bounce in his step as he led you toward your destination, you could tell he was in a good mood.

It didn’t take long to arrive at the healer’s quarters, the scene livelier than you previously recalled. Junho and Hyeongjun were playing cat’s cradle, and Dohyon was chatting animatedly next to them.

You saw Dongpyo running to the pair, whining that Hyeongjun was playing with someone else, and Hyeongjun in turn scolding him for being so late to the party.

Junho nodded towards your direction as you crossed the bridge to enter the small pavilion, flanked by a beautiful stream. You could hear the sweet sound of the water echoing quietly through the walls of the pavilion, like twinkling silver bells. The lights above were just enough for you to see everyone’s face, aided by fireflies occasionally flickering across their features.

As they spotted you, the boys smiled and waved. Hyeongjun and Dongpyo assumed you hadn’t received a proper introduction so they introduced themselves.

“How was your first day?” Dohyon greeted you cheerfully as you sat down besides Hyeongjun.

“Nervous, busy, exciting?” you answered honestly.

You heard the other boys let out a loud cheer as they spot Minhee and Eunsang crossing the bridge, holding what appeared to be food containers wrapped in silk cloth. Eunsang also appeared to be carrying a gayageum and a small mask in one hand.

Hyeongjun greeted the pair, rushing over to them to help carry the food over. As he ran back, you heard Junho speak up.

“How was the audition? Were the performers any good?” Junho seemed genuinely interested.

Minhee responded first, “The performers were exceptional, and one even caught the attention of the Queen. Looks like they’re going to be a new court dancer.”

Junho nodded, turning his attention to Eunsang as if waiting for the black-haired boy to add to the story.

He didn’t, focusing instead on setting up his gayageum on the floor next to Junho.

Dohyon chimed in before Junho had the chance to pry any further, “Speaking of new additions, our new seamstress was just telling us about their first day!”

You blushed at the sudden attention, waving your hands in front of your face, “Ah, there’s not really much to talk about, I’ve just gotten my first orders.”

“Seamstress’s orders? Designing new hats for the mailboys?” Minhee joked, clearly knowing more than he let on.

“Something like that.” You gave him a pointed look, but decided he probably knew of your work since he was in fact the main attendant across all quarters.

In front of you were a tray of small dumplings, with numerous side dishes laid out neatly against the wooden floor. Dongpyo, Hyeongjun, and Minhee had already started eating.

“Why are we out here anyway? I thought there was food in the great hall.” you asked.

“You missed my summoning spell earlier,” Dohyon exclaimed. “I made the fireflies come!” His voice going up in pitches before popping a dumpling in his mouth.

“How did you know these fireflies didn’t just fly here themselves?” Minhee teased.

Junho sighed, gently guiding one away from his face as he picked up a dumpling and placed it in his mouth.

“We‘ve never had fireflies in this part of the castle. I think it’s impressive,” Eunsang interjected, giving Dohyon a thumbs up as he chowed down his dumpling.

“They’d better not eat my herbs, for your sake,” Hyeongjun said, his voice stern, but his face betrayed his tone, melting into a warm smile as he reached up to ruffle the younger boy’s hair. Dohyon pouted, lips poking out more as he chewed, trying to push Hyeongjun’s hand away.

“I know we’re not just out here for fireflies,” you joked, half-serious.

“You’re right, it’s because I’m not allowed in the great hall anymore,” Dohyon replied, grabbing another dumpling.

Before you could ask why, Dongpyo looked at you and shook his head, deadpan, “He summoned a huge lizard at lunch last month and was banned for life.”

“Ah,” you nodded in understanding.

“But it was so funny,” Dongpyo added, giggling as he picked up another dumpling.

Seeing as Dohyon continued to sulk, you felt a little bad for bringing up the question so you decided to change the topic. “By the way, what were you talking about earlier? You seemed excited.”

“Oh, yeah!” Dohyon finished his dumpling before perking up again, his eyes a little wider than usual. “So as I was telling everyone, Seungyoun-hyung and I were up in a half-dead tree in the middle of a storm on our excursion last month. It was a dare from Hangyul-hyung, so we climbed the tallest tree to see who would reach the top first, but a storm broke out. Seungyoun-hyung and I were so scared, we were hugging the branch and praying we don’t get struck by lightning or the King and Queen would kill us both. He even promised to visit the temple more often if we get out safely. Then Hangyul-hyung on the ground was telling us that we have less to worry about because if we get struck by lightning, we’ll be dead anyway. Oh man, you should have seen the look on Seungyoun-hyung’s face! Hangyul-hyung still laughs at him to this day."

“So how did you guys get down in the end?” Dongpyo asked, leaning forward to cup his chin on his hands, smiling sweetly at the younger boy.

“The wind knocked us down,” Dohyon explained. “The wind was strong, the tree was frail, we were giants--it fell over.”

“Thankfully you came back in one piece,” Minhee sighed. Even Junho had stopped eating to gape at Dohyon’s reckless story.

Dohyon simply smiled as he held up his hand and showed everyone the long gash across his palm. “This came from the tree,” he added, punctuating his sentence with another dumpling.

“That’s it?” Dongpyo asked, shocked. “I’ve fallen off low rooftops and got more banged up than that.”

You also wondered how he only had that one scar. You’ve had more scratched up hands and knees from chasing Minhee and Dohyon around the palace when you were younger.

“When he came to me, I almost cried because there was so much blood on his arm,” Hyeongjun pouted and knitted his eyebrows together. You could hear the lilt of his accent poking through as he recalled the memory. “It took me so long to patch him up--he gave me such a fright.”

“I had to soften the landing somehow.” Dohyon whined. “Seungyoun-hyung was so athletic he landed on his feet just fine, but I only run, occasionally, to get away from Minhee-hyung, so I had to do it.”

“Oooh,” Minhee chimed in, “did you use magic outside the palace again?”

“Are you trying to get caught?” Junho pressed, a terse undercurrent in his voice that everyone could hear.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Dongpyo replied defensively. “He just-”

Dongpyo’s head snapped toward the stream before he could finish his sentence. Everyone followed his gaze even though nobody else had heard anything.

“On second thought, be careful,” Dongpyo warned. “That sounded a lot like a guard.”

“How did you hear--,” you started, eyebrows knitting together.

“Eunsang, what are you doing?” Hyeongjun teased, giggling and pointing at Eunsang from across the pavillion.

You looked over at the boy who had his hands positioned on either side of his legs. One hand’s fingers was mostly outstretched while the other looked poised to flick something.

“I started a new song today,” he said quietly, dropping his hands to the floor.

“By all means, keep practicing,” you encouraged him. “If I could practice like that, I would.”

He smiled shyly, reaching over and grabbing his instrument. He started to finger at the strings and a soft melody began floating through the air.

“So what exactly are you doing in the palace, anyway?” Dongpyo asked, turning his attention towards you.

“Well, my mother is the head seamstress,” you started. “Since she’s retiring soon and had to find a replacement, she sent me.”

“Mmmm…” Dongpyo hummed.

You weren’t sure if he was acknowledging your response or encouraging you to continue, so you continued.

“The head seamstress seems to want me to prove my worth, so they sent me a list of tasks to complete. I have a bunch of clothes that need mending, I hardly know where to start!”

“Ooh, mine first, please!” Dongpyo exclaimed, his sudden change in volume startled you a little. “All my clothes have some kind of holes in them. Especially the pockets.”

You could have sworn he winked at you before you heard someone else speak. What exactly was Dongpyo’s job that would cause his pockets to tear?

“The attendant hats are so uncomfortable, mine gives me a headache,” Minhee piped up. “Actually, do you mind adding buttpads to the scribes’ uniforms?”

Both you and Junho give him a confused look.

“For what? My uniform is quite fine the way it is,” Junho quipped.

“I don’t know,” Minhee said. “You seem pretty butthurt sitting on that chair all day.”

Junho groaned, shaking his head as he held the bridge of his nose. Everyone looked on with snickering smiles on their faces, trying hard not to laugh in case Junho got mad.

“You have to admit you almost laughed,” Dohyon patted his friend’s shoulder, not minding the fact that Junho was staring daggers at him.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” you laughed.

The group of you talked and ate for another hour or so before deciding it was time to pack up for the night. Junho had left first, saying something about needing to finish the rest of his work, with Dohyon leaving shortly after him. The rest filtered out naturally, and you were left to wander back to your quarters with Eunsang, as Minhee had been summoned with Dongpyo to meet with the Crown Prince.

Eunsang and you made light conversation as you walked, your mind still swirling from the events of the evening.

You bid goodnight to Eunsang, still thinking about what you should do the upcoming morning. You needed to get started on your work, but you didn’t want to be working by yourself if you could be working with one of the boys.

Which boy did you want to work with in the morning?

——————————————————————————————–

c h o i c e s: Junho, Dongpyo, Minhee, Eunsang, Hyeongjun, Dohyon

Read hyung prologue.

Click here to vote on whose story you would like to see first!

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x1protector · 5 years

Text

imperial crossroads : prologue 1

p a i r i n g: none for prologues; will be x1 x gender neutral reader

g e n r e: fluff; a little dark; choose your own adventure; otome themed au

w a r n i n g s: mentions of slight violence; weapons

w o r d c o u n t: 2.9k

s u m m a r y: You are a dancer who gets the chance to perform in front of the royal family, and accidentally stumble into the lives of five very powerful men. Who will you choose to lead you though your time in the palace?

Author’s note: historical setting close to the Joseon dynasty but there’s no (current) set name for the kingdom; this is only the prologue!! each boy has their own storyline!! this one is written by the whole admin team!

There will be two prologues with two different protagonists. If you haven’t read maknae-line prologue (Junho, Dongpyo, Minhee, Eunsang, Hyeongjun, Dohyon), click below.

hyung prologue || maknae prologue

It was the peak of summer when you stepped foot in the palace for the first time to hopefully start your provisional contract as a court dancer. You’d been dancing for years, from small scale dinner hubs to the main town square where you had been scouted by a palace attendant, and have seen many discerning eyes among your spectators, yet the gazes of the royal family and attendants have never felt so cold to you. It was no wonder you were more nervous than usual, sweating up a storm in your most upkeep dancing laces.

You felt the heat and excitement swirling around in your bloodstream, creating a concoction that caused the blood in your veins to buzz as sweat rolled down your lace-draped back. As you waited for your turn, you were reassured by one of the palace’s main attendants, Minhee, that everything was going to be alright, that the royal family wasn’t nearly as scary as the rumors.

And Minhee was right because as soon as the dancer before you finished his routine, everyone roared with applause. One of the princes even stood up, beaming at the guy as he exited the stage area.

You had to admit he was marvelous. Kim Wooseok was a renowned performer, even in your tight-knit circle of dancers. His techniques were unmatched across the lands, backed up by unrivaled talent and years of training.

There was something about him that seemed to draw your eye along his body, from the tips of his fingers down through the balls of his feet. He had a sort of presence on the stage no one could deny, not that they wanted to in the least. It didn’t help that he was extremely handsome and possessed a beautiful dance figure; a slim face and a lithe body with lean muscle peeking through his laces, betraying a hidden power within his small frame.

Wooseok fixed his dance laces over his shoulders and let his hair fall below his cat-like eyes. As he bowed to the royal family, you thought of all the years you spent looking up to him, hoping to one day be at his level.

You didn’t see a hint of sweat as he glided past, but for a second you thought you saw a flash of annoyance etched in his beautiful features. Before you could read into it, Minhee wished you a quick “good luck!” before guiding (read: pushing) you towards the stage.

It was your turn now.

The light was a little too bright and you couldn’t help but cover your eyes as you stepped on the podium, and despite performing for years prior, you could feel your heartbeat thump in your ears and hear your breathing reverberate against the still buzzing air.

From where you were standing, the royal family was in full view atop the viewing deck of the outdoor theater.

The King and Queen sat high on their thrones, looking down at their subjects without malice in their gazes, a sort of warmth that wasn’t quite loving, but not apathetic either, tinting their features. It was a form of caring one can only possess in the presence of those they are sworn to protect. Next to the King sat Crown Prince Seungwoo, heir to the throne and rumored to be as gentle as his mother, the Queen, but also as cold as his father, the King. It really depended on who you heard it from.

His features were soft and kind, with the only sharpness being hidden in his eyes and the point of his nose as he stared you down on the stage. His aloof expression alone made him appear almost disinterested in the entire ordeal, which set you at ease in a way. It was like he couldn’t care less if you did well or didn’t perform at all.

Beside the Queen sat Prince Seungyoun, more commonly known as Prince Youn, the second oldest prince and grand diplomat of the kingdom. There was a sweet grin spread across his face, the affection and excitement clear in his features as you readied yourself for the performance. His eyes crinkled up at the corners and you briefly wondered how it was possible to see the twinkles from his eyes all the way from where you were standing, but decided it was better not to question such things. His features were almost the opposite of his brothers, with sharp edges all around and gentle, saccharine eyes.

Behind the princes were two gentlemen whose names you couldn’t quite recall. They were very well-dressed, not unlike the royal family, and they seemed to carry a certain aura that you couldn’t place. Not quite royal, but above others in some way regarding status. Their faces were obscured by the shadows they hid in so you paid them little mind. You concluded that they were probably relatives to the family, but royalty or not they have their gaze fixed on you like the rest.

As you started dancing, you didn’t know why but you felt your nerves begin to slip away as you moved through the familiar routine. But the longer you danced, the higher your movements transcended, the more you felt as if someone was watching you.

Of course, everyone was watching you. You usually thrived off the awe and attention because it’s what made you want to become a dancer in the first place.

But you could feel one specific energy focusing on you, seemingly anticipating your every movement. You glanced at the princes, the Queen, the King, the dancers waiting in line to perform, yet you couldn’t quite locate where it came from.

It wasn’t a terrible feeling, but it was also not a friendly one. It settled heavily, like an anchor weighing in your gut. Even as you finish your routine and bowed to the royal family, the strange feeling never left you, sitting dormant just under your skin.

At the end of your routine, you chanced one last glance at the royals and felt a chill run up your spine at the sight.

Prince Seungwoo had shifted forward in his seat, forearms resting on his knees as his expression changed to match one of intrigue. He let out a silent chuckle and smirked before leaning back in his throne, seemingly disinterested in you once again. It seemed you had caught the attention of the younger prince as well, as his grin widened to encompass his entire face. He seemed more than pleased with the performance you had put on, scrunching up his nose as you looked at him.

The dancers after you were all excellent, each one with a unique routine and skillset, so it was almost a pity when the show ended and it was announced that only two dancers would be picked.

It won’t be me was all you could think until the announcement came nearly an hour later, with your mind flashing back to the two princes and their reactions. Even if the princes had seemed interested in your performance, the other dancers were far more skilled than yourself and would make better pairs at the palace anyway.

Wooseok was the first name to be called. Of course, no one was surprised. He stood up with a blank expression and accepted the contract scroll from attendant Minhee with a small bow towards the royal family.

It wasn’t until your name was called that a few of the contestants stood up to be able to see your face. You froze, not quite believing you had been picked until you felt another dancer nudge you towards the stage once more. You stumbled forward, stunned, but regained enough composure to gracefully walk towards Minhee. He beamed as he handed you the remaining scroll, wishing you good luck once again and telling you how much he enjoyed your performance.

Mindlessly, you bowed and stood next to Wooseok as an attendant ushered out the rest of the dancers. Wooseok’s blank expression melted and for the second time, he scowled, but like the first, it went away in a second.

“Congratulations,” Wooseok spoke for the first time with his original blank expression, but not without sincerity.

“Thank you,” you smiled.

“Seems like you’re here by your own free will,” he added quietly.

Your smile faded, confusion colored your face.

“What do you mean ‘my own free will?'” you asked.

He scoffed and didn’t say anything else, so you knew better not to pry especially while waiting for your audience with the Queen.

The amiable woman looked barely a year over fifty as she eyed you and Wooseok warmly. She had a small round face, with delicate features and bright, lovely eyes. You could see where the younger prince got his looks from as she smiled. She spoke lightly as if her words glided on water, her laughter a hearty, elegant melody that resonated within the chamber.

“I do apologize for the sudden notice, but there were two goals to fulfill in this competition. One was to find a new court dancer, and the other to find my boys a suitable dance instructor.”

Wooseok stiffened, and soon both his gaze and the Queen’s were fixed on you as she chose you to become the princes’ dance instructor

“M-me?!”

“Yes, my dear. Your grace and passion on that stage along with your headstrong and witty mind, so I was told, made you the most suitable candidate. The only task left is for you to choose who to instruct first.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Instructor? Most of your skills were self-taught from watching many exceptional dancers like Wooseok, so how could you instruct anyone when you had no experience teaching?

And choose who? I don’t know anyone here!

As if on cue, the two princes and the two gentlemen from earlier entered the queen’s chambers, talking and laughing amongst themselves

“Hey, Mom!” Prince Seungyoun boomed in his usual cheerful voice.

Prince Seungwoo sighed and smiled sweetly, “Youn, please behave in front of our guests.”

“That’s just how he is, hyung,” one of the two men you didn’t know spoke up in defense of prince Seungyoun, his voice a lot deeper than the other two even though he had a youthful air to him.

The last man looked on in silence, observing you and Wooseok with curious, friendly eyes. He seemed about the same age as the other man you didn’t recognize and, seeing them side by side, you noticed their frames were both similarly built, their shoulders slightly wider than the princes.

“Quiet down, my boys,” the Queen spoke. As gentle as she sounded, the entire room stilled in an instant. “As you have heard, Wooseok will be your new court dancer in the prince quarter, and the talented dancer beside him will be your dance instructor, assuming they choose you.” The Queen paused and extended her warm gaze to you, “one of these boys will become your student, I trust that you choose well.”

“Your Majesty,” the man who had stayed silence finally spoke. “Why would we need a dance instructor? What good would that do for us at our age?”

My thoughts exactly!

The Queen gently approached and touched the man’s cheek as she spoke, “Yohan, my dear boy, even though you are skilled in martial arts, dancing is about discipline and self-control. Soon you’ll learn that there are a certain set of skills that both a good dancer and a good ruler possess.”

At that, Yohan seemed convinced and asked no further questions, nodding and following along with the Queen’s rather ambiguous explanation.

“I’m not sure I understand,” the unnamed man who’d spoken earlier asked. “Why would I need lessons? I’m not a prince.”

At this, a strange and sad look crossed the Queen’s features but vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the youngest prince.

“Hangyul, I’m sure mother has her reasons,” Prince Seungyoun spoke, seemingly stroking at his non-existent beard.

Prince Seungwoo shot his younger sibling an icy glare at his interruption, making prince Seungyoun throw his hands up in surrender. The Queen smiled at her sons, then looked at you as if the only thing left is for you to choose.

“Of course,” she spoke again, spotting the hesitant look in your eyes,” if you are still unsure of your skills, you can choose to study under Wooseok for some times before starting your official position.”

You looked around, scanning to see who would be the safest option. The last thing you wanted was to offend any royalty with your zero to none teaching experience.

Wooseok would be the safest option, he was another dancer like you and studying under him would be an honor. However, this would be admitting that your skills were lacking, and he didn’t look too excited to have anyone as a pupil.

Then there was Yohan, who looked pretty open to the idea of having a dance instructor. To be quite honest, he would be easiest to teach since he seemed to have experience in martial arts. You had a feeling he would catch on pretty quickly to anything you’d showed him.

The gentleman named Hangyul looked at you with narrowed eyes. He seemed like the most scary, but also the most calm among all the boys. Maybe you were mistaken, but you thought you had seen his smile distinctly among others earlier during your performance.

Prince Seungwoo was also an option. He was known for being gentle and looked like someone who would never mistreat his servants. But the idea of teaching the future king was… a little scary, even for you. Plus his ice cold demeanor hadn’t vanished for a second in your presence, so who’s to say you’d ever see the warmer side of him?

The final option would be Prince Seungyoun–known to be the most outgoing prince among the lands, a social butterfly, the friendliest royal you will ever meet. Though there was a personal reason why you were the least bit wary of the second prince.

The Queen seemed to notice your dilemma and offered to give you more time in the princes’ quarters, which you gladly accepted. After all, this was a lengthy contract and you couldn’t be expected to make such a decision without much thought.

Thank god Minhee was still there with you because once the Queen was gone, the room suddenly became quiet and all eyes were on you

Prince Seungyoun was the first to break the silence as he smiled and extended his hand to you. His chocolate brown eyes radiated with warmth the moment he looked at you.

“Don’t be afraid, we don’t bite.” His voice was softer and quieter than when he had spoken earlier with the princes. “Mother has been trying to get us to relax and pick up a hobby for a while now. I just never thought she’d pick dancing.”

“Wait, Yohan, don’t you already have a hobby?” Hangyul spoke, his voice a deep sound that resonated in his throat. He had on an easy, casual half-smile at Yohan, showcasing a pair of cute bunny-like teeth. He might sound scary, but he seemed to be a big teddy bear in the end.

“Yeah, we both do, don’t we?”

“Swinging a sword around every day is not a hobby.”

You were surprised to hear Wooseok speaking up–was that even allowed? Weren’t there courtesy customs and honorifics for these people who seemed like royalty?

“Yes it is!” Yohan interjected, a goofy grin pasted on his youthful face as he put both hands on his hips. His eyes crinkled up at the edges, and you noticed him sporting the same bunny teeth as Hangyul before. You found it adorable that both the intimidating young men had such cute smiles.

“Don’t be jealous, hyung,” Hangyul reached over and clapped Wooseok on the shoulder. “We’ll teach you one day.”

Confused by this sudden exchange, you looked towards Minhee for help and was grateful he was already leaning over.

“They all know each other,” he whispered. “They’re good friends. It’s fine.”

That didn’t make you feel any better. Now you realized you were more of an outcast than before when you still thought Wooseok was simply a performer and nothing more.

Prince Seungwoo noticed your discomfort and walked towards you, extending his hand in the same manner as Prince Seungyoun and offering you a sweet smile, his icy stare softening slightly.

“Pardon the boys, we haven’t had any newcomers to the palace for a while.” The prince’s smile was almost too sweet and barely reached his eyes as he spoke. “No matter who you choose today, you’ll be okay. I promise we won’t trouble you.”

“Speak for yourself, hyung!” Hangyul said, a small laugh escaping him. Prince Seungyoun joined with his genuine, hearty laughter that was so refreshing to hear, dissipating the stress you’d faced the moment you entered the palace and placing a small smile on your face. It was impossible not to smile when those two laughed.

You looked over at Wooseok, who didn’t even bother to hide his annoyance, sighing as he started folding his laces and putting them into his sling bag.

“Are you going to choose today or do we have to keep standing here?”

Wooseok’s words to you were blunt and to-the-point. You can kind of see why your peers thought of him as cold and unapproachable, but his voice was soft and his words didn’t seem cold to you.

All eyes were on you once again. You felt like you were ready to make the decision. Taking a deep breath, you decided this person was the only option for you.

“I choose–”

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c h o i c e s: Seungwoo, Seungyoun, Wooseok, Yohan, Hangyul

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