The Next Prince, Special Chapter 2 pg4
The Next Prince, Special Chapter 2 pg4
Before he had the chance to properly gather his thoughts, Charan found himself having to introduce himself and quickly ended the conversation with his status.
“Uh...hello, I didn’t know you brought your boyfriend. Sorry for my bad manners.”
“It’s okay, Rachel.” Charan smiled, while to Rachel he seemed to emit a frightening aura...unlike the friendly smile from before.
“Umm...congratulations, Khanin. I didn’t realize you had a date, I have to go now.” Rachel quickly excused herself, her voice breaking as she hastily left the couple behind.
Her instincts warned that it was not OK for her to hang around anymore, she was aware of how much the other party loved and longed for Khanin, so much that even a smile could show the level of love. If she was to do something to make him angry, not even Marmot can make him calm down!
“Phii Ran. There’s nothing going on between me and Rachel. She just happened to bump into me and said hello.” Khanin tried to explain his relationship with the person who had just confronted them upon leaving the chocolate shop.
His explanation ended abruptly. His dark brown eyes scrolled through the person walking beside them, expectant and inquisitive. He knew Phii Ran wasn’t pleased, but he tried to control his emotions because he didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere.
Even though he smiled politely and amicably, with this person with whom he had been together for so long, why wouldn’t he know what Phii Ran was thinking?
“Okay.”
“She came to say hi because she thought I was still single. I don’t want to end things badly even after I broke up with her.”
“Okay.”
“But we haven’t seen each other for a long time, and I don't like her anymore. So there’s nothing to worry about.” Khanin was like a child who made a mistake and wanted attention, he explained in detail because he wanted Charan to understand that now...
Rachel was just the past.
At present and in the future, he was Charan.
Only Charan.
“Oh...This is the person that you told me about, who is his senior and you met at a party.” Khanin had just been talking non stop, but all of a sudden Charan decided to say a different sentence that made Khanin feel awkward and unable to respond appropriately.
Who would have thought that the words he had told the other person when they first met would become the evidence that bound him today, the feeling of jealousy...
“Do you remember?”
“I remember everything about you Nin.”
“Phii Ran.”
“Yes?”
“Jealous?” Khanin asked with a raised eyebrow and a flicker of the spoon in the direction of Charan, hoping that his awkward gestures will help Charan feel better. Khanin did not expect much from his answer, as he guessed Charan might say something ambiguous, but this time seems different.
“Yes... I am jealous.” Charan admitted simply, his brows furrowed as he controlled himself, as if trying to manage his own emotions.
Charan thinks he’s foolish, and the other side is just an ex-girlfriend who unexpectedly appeared. Khanin did not care about anything, but he still could not let his thoughts slip away.
Because there was something wrong, and it made Charan feel restless and dissatisfied.
“...”
“Nin, you told me to speak straight.”
“Yes, Phii knows best! But I no longer like her.” Khanin quickly responded after nearly a minute of silence, unable to contain his smile, mainly because Charan appeared too adorable now.
So cute that it hurts!
“I know.”
“The person I love is you, Phii.”
“Yes, I know well.” Charan seems to be starting to struggle with his thoughts again, and the young man claps his hands a bit to follow him, heading to a large tree in a secluded place. His earnest gaze reminds Khanin of his worries.
“Phii Ran if you know, so why do you still look unhappy?” Khanin took the opportunity to ask, lowering his face to his broad shoulders, his voice sounding whimpering, in an attempt to calm Charan down.
“Because I just... don’t like it you didn't say what we are.”
The answer he received made Khanin stunned for a moment, the young man opened his mouth and blinked while remaining silent for nearly a minute “Phii Ran... Does that mean you want me to say we are a couple?”
“Yes.”
“Well, how do I say this, just... Wait. It’s not that I don't want to say it, but we... we haven’t asked each other to be a couple yet.” His eyes blinked. Looking at the reddened face that kept going up and down, he realized that this was a good opportunity to talk about their relationship. There were many things that had happened before that made them forget that they should make their status clear.
The young man resolutely tightened his hands and was about to speak first, but someone else intervened, a bigger person who knelt down and sat on his knees on the ground, making the younger one confused.
Khanin realized that this was a good opportunity to talk about being a couple, as they had been through so many things that they forgot they should make their status clear.
Firmly determined, the young man began to open his mouth to say that he wanted to be the first to propose to date, but he was interrupted by someone else, a larger person who knelt down and sat on his knees on the ground, which made the young man so confused he stumbled.
Hold on a sec... asking me to be your boyfriend, and why are you kneeling, Phii Ran?
“I don’t want to wait any longer.” With a muffled voice, he reached out and grabbed a red lacquered wooden box with golden lettered branding from his bag and opened it. Charan handed it to him, revealing a simple yet elegant diamond studded ring that shimmered in the afternoon sun.
Charan couldn’t wait any longer. He had waited far too long, crossing oceans to come and find Khanin, and this ring was commissioned at no small price.
He had planned to say these words at the most romantic moment, perhaps under the starry night sky or while holding hands on the balcony and whispering how much he loved Khanin.
It could have been a witness to the stars; however, everything seemed to have gone astray.
Charan realized one thing; the most important thing now wasn’t the place or the fancy words spoken but the love they had for each other, which was unique to them.
“Let’s be together, everything for and with each other, Nin.”
“...”
“I promise to protect, take care, love, and remain faithful to you, Khanin.”
“...”
“Let’s get married, my love.”
“Uh... what is going on, you haven’t even asked me to be your boyfriend yet, and you are already proposing?! [sobbing].” Khanin appeared to be shocked, with tears streaming down his face, but he smiled broadly, looking into each other’s eyes with love.
“Yes, because I want Nin to be able to tell others what kind of relationship we have.” Not just as close friends, a mentor, a guardian, a brother, or just someone whose hearts are aligned in the present.
But from now on, Charan wants to stand by Khanin’s side as someone who will be together until their last breath.
“[sobbing]... Phii Ran.”
“Are you crying with happiness? the ring bearer is waiting.”
“Let’s get married, mmmhpf... definitely, hurry up and put on the ring.”
The atmosphere between them at this moment wasn’t a sweet, romantic scene like the one in Khanin’s romance novel. It was a warmhearted feeling that was difficult to describe.
Charan carefully slid the ring onto Khanin’s left ring finger before pulling the younger boy into an embrace, whispering a few words into his ear, causing him to blush.
“Non? Do you know... I have been yours for a long time.”
“...”
“Since the first time you and I kissed, I belonged to you Nin since then.”
“Phii Ran...” At this point, Khanin burst out laughing, his thin body bouncing, and he took turns kissing this older guy, scolding him for bringing up the past and making him feel embarrassed about being a thief who stole kisses from the other side.
“Nin?”
“Yes, sir.”
“From here on out, our status has changed. Next time someone asks what we are, Nin, how will you answer them?”
“I will say that this man’s name is Charan, currently and in the future, and that he Khanin’s husband, the person that Khanin loves the most in his life.” With that, they both smiled as the chilly breeze passed by.
Even though the place may not be romantic or beautiful, London is a city with great significance for them.
Because it is a place that is like a starting point... and a point where their life paths intersect.
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