I'm with you Chap. 2

[kumo_is_kumo]

Title: I'm with you

Pairing: Jongkey

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Drama, Angst

Length: Mini-Series

Summary: Kibum has never thought that his life will be turned over like this, by the young Prince that this country still has. But this is what’s exactly happening and he doesn’t even know how to escape from that.

002



Time passes by and Kibum realizes that it has been a month since he finds out that his reading friend is a Prince. Ever since that time, he is accompanied by the two Princes of the country in the old library, reading and chatting about many particular things as they spend their time together.

Kibum feels better with those two who are respecting him as a normal person and not as a low level person. It’s new. He hasn’t felt this way for so long. He actually becomes more comfortable with those two, especially with the Crown Prince—Jinki. He is so sweet and friendly, just like a very good older brother who everyone wants to have, not to mention he can make him smile more than three times in a day. But, he also enjoys being with the second Prince who is talking more like a young man instead of a Prince. It just shows how bright his personality is and Kibum is secretly grateful for that.



“Hyung, can you stop making those awful jokes? They are so not funny.” Jonghyun grumbles with a grimace on his face.

Jinki hyung smiles teasingly, before he glances at Kibum.

“At least my jokes make Kibum smiles. Right, Kibum?”

Kibumnods his head, his face remains blank just as usual. Jonghyun groans in annoyance at the mention of that.

“Argh! I still haven’t seen you smile even for once! Why are you doing this to me, Kibum? Why? Do you do this on purpose because you want to tease me?” Jonghyun asks, overacting while throwing his hands up in the air.

Kibum shrugs as an answer and Jinki pats him on his shoulder proudly, as if telling him he is doing the right thing. It makes him sends a short nod to the oldest boy, sending the Crown Prince into a round of satisfying laughter.

The library goes silent once again after the loud laugh from Jinki stops. Kibum continues to read his book like it is the most interesting thing in the whole world until Jinki breaks the nice silence.

“Say, Kibum,”

“Yes, Jinki hyung?”

The oldest boy smiles at him while scooting closer to him, “Why are you attending the low classes?”

Kibum stops reading at once and darts his eyes away from the Crown Prince, not wanting to make any eye contact. Should he answer this? Or avoid it again?

“I... just want to be normal.” Kibum admits in a soft voice, the sound no louder than a whisper.

Jinki frowns at his answer and it also makes Jonghyun curious to death.

“Why?” Jinki asks again and Kibum simply shrugs.

“I want to be a usual person.”

“I know your parents. They came from high class noble and they were nice people.” Jinki says firmly, stating the fact that yes, he knows Kibum’s deceased parents.

Kibum flinches silently at the mention of his parents and he shakes his head slightly, wordlessly showing them that he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Jinki sends him a quick apologetic smile before caressing the youngest boy’s smooth hair.

“I’m sorry.” He breathes out an apology.

“No, don’t be, Jinki hyung. It is nothing.” Kibum says then nods his head to reassure the Crown Prince that it is really nothing to be sorry about.

Jonghyun frowns at the sight and at the answers that Kibum gives. There is something off from his answer. He is hiding something and it is clearly not just nothing. It is not his place to ask because it seems really important and personal to Kibum. Jonghyun is very curious. What is it?



***



The whole royal family go frantic since the both of the Princes are going nowhere with no guards with them. The King tells all of the guards to search for them and take them home in safety. Of course both the Princes do not know anything.

The guards go around the whole school to search for them. Every place has been checked and no sign of the Crown Prince or the second Prince. There is only one place left though. The old library.

And once the guards are breaking into the library, Kibum freezes into a stone, stilling rigidly on his seat. Does he do some crime to be surrounded by so many guards?

“What are you doing here?” Jinki asks calmly while standing up from his seat, closing the book he is reading with one hand.

The head guard steps forward and answers to his question after he bows to him.

“We are told to bring you back, Princes.”

Jonghyun growls at the sudden interruption and barks at the guards, feeling irritation and anger climbing up to his head.

“Geez! Can’t any of you give me a break for a moment?!” He barks.

“Jonghyun,” the Crown Prince warns the younger with a glare. Jonghyun scoffs and suddenly he remembers Kibum’s presence beside him.

“Kibum,”

The said boy bends his head down to avoid eye contact with the royals.

“Y-You should go back, Your Highness. The King must be worried with the both of you.”He mutters under his breath.

Jinki and Jonghyun stare at him apologetically before they tell the guards to wait outside. Once the wooden door of the library is closed again, the room is silent again.

“So... we are sorry about that.” The Crown Prince says softly.

Kibum shakes his head no and bows deeply to show his respect.

“This is the right thing, Your Highness. This is what that should have been done from the beginning. You shouldn’t stay with a low person like me. You have the country to lead.” Kibum states, eyes still locked onto his messy sneakers.

Jinki sighs desperately before nodding his head. There is no place for him to make Kibum stop acting like this now. Maybe he can try later when he is calm enough.

“Once again, we are very sorry, Kibum. Let’s see each other again later. Come on, Jonghyun.” Jinki calls softly after he gives a gentle squeeze on Kibum’s shoulder.

Jonghyun sees the still bowing boy and he bites down his own lip, feeling guilty for dragging him down into this kind of situation. He slowly takes a step further away, silently moving to follow his older brother and he throws a last glance to Kibum before closing the door behind him.



The guards are making a ruckus and chaotic situation with their sudden appearance at the old school building and it makes all the students go there as well to see and find out about what is going on.

Jinki warns everyone to not enter the said place. No one would dare to do that since it is the Crown Prince’s direct order. One by one, the royal cars are leaving the school and same with the students who are walking away after the black shiny cars are out of their sight.

Kibum sighs as he stares at the sight of the now messy library. Oh, his favorite place. His hiding place is now being found by everyone. What should he do now?



***



Jonghyun sighs loudly after he slams the door to his bedroom behind his back. Everything gets so screwed up by the guards. He can hear Jinki is arguing with their father outside but he can care less. He believes Jinki can take care of it.

He rubs his face with his palms in annoyance and he frowns when he realizes that he hasn’t properly apologized to Kibum.

“Damn it.” He hisses silently, feeling like an idiot.

The door of his bedroom is knocked by someone.

“Come in,” he says into the pillow, his voice goes muffled. His personal adviser, that rigid old man, is stepping into his room with a soft cough.

Jonghyun groans at his appearance.

“What do you want?” He asks the old man with a harsh tone but it sends no effect to the man.

The old adviser bows slightly, “I hear about you being in the abandoned building together with the Crown Prince, Your Highness.”

“So what? You are going to lecture me about it as well?” Jonghyun barks at him.

The old man says nothing to answer his question and instead, he throws another one, “Do you mind to tell me about it, Your Highness?”

Jonghyun sits up straight on his bed and sighs. Might as well tell someone.

“There is a boy,” he starts ever so slowly, “he is a high class noble from the way he acts and speaks, but he attends the low class one. I don’t know what he is thinking but he doesn’t know that I’m a Prince when we first meet. Just when he sees Jinki hyung, does he just realize that I’m a Prince as well.”

The adviser nods his head and sighs.

“I don’t think it is the fact, Your Highness.” He says firmly.

Jonghyun furrows his eyebrows at the sentence.

“What do you mean with that?”

“In my intuition, he is just another gold digger, not very different from the usual.”

“How dare you say that?” Jonghyun asks with raised voice. How dare he talks about Kibum in that way.

The adviser bows at him before continuing, “There is no way someone can’t recognize you, Your Highness. I mean, you are this country’s Prince. He must be wants to be your friend in order to get more advantage in the future.”

Jonghyun feels his mind wavers.

“But he is closer to Jinki hyung rather than me!”

“Yes, that is the real proof now. Your Highness Jinki is the Crown Prince, he is the one who will inherit the throne, that’s why that boy is getting closer to him rather than to you, Your Highness. He can get more advantage for himself if Your Highness Jinki believes him.”

“Are you saying this for real?” Jonghyun asks breathlessly as he feels his heart beats so quick that it starts to hurt.

The adviser bows, “From my experience of dealing with this kind of thing in so many years... then yes, Your Highness.”

Jonghyun stares up at the ceiling and frowns.

“You can go now.”He orders and the adviser walks out from his room after giving him a bow.

Jonghyun sighs and rolls over on his stomach, burying his face into the bed sheet. The words from the adviser keeps echoing and repeating in his ears, like a broken tape and it makes no help to his curious and wavering mind.

There’s no way Kibum will act that sly, right? I mean, he looks so innocent and... broken.

But he has so many secrets.

Everyone has secrets of their own.

But he is closer to Jinki rather than him. There must be something behind that move. He must have a motive by doing that.

Ah, I don’t know anymore!



***



On the next morning, the school is crowded with the students who are waiting for the arrival of the Princes. The gate is surrounded by a lot of people and when the royal cars are coming closer, the students are screaming onto their dear life. The guards quickly push them over and hold them so the cars can drive pass them.

Kibum stands at the far away, far from the gate, and far from the students. He silently stares at the black car which is bringing the Princes—Jinki hyung and Jonghyun-ssi—into the school. The guard opens the car door and Jinki hyung steps out from the car, an awkward smile is visible on his face as he sees the crowd of students and the screaming girls.

Maybe he doesn’t like to be welcomed like this—Kibum thinks as he takes note of how Jinki hyung seems so uncomfortable to be given this chaotic welcome in the school.

The other door of the car is opened as well and Jonghyun-ssi is stepping out. His face is rigid and he has no smile at all on his face. The girls are screaming at him, calling him ‘Prince Jonghyun’ continuously but he ignores them. It is like he is blocking them away.

Should I smile to them? Kibum ponders in his mind. It is not like they are going to find where he is standing right now but at least he can be prepared when their eyes might meet.

Both the Princes are getting closer to the spot where he is standing right now as they walk with the protection of the guards and Kibum can see how Jonghyun-ssi is walking straight with his head up; Jinki hyung is walking slightly behind him and keeps smiling to the crowds screaming for them.

When Jonghyun-ssi’s eyes are darted towards where he is standing, Kibum tries to let out a smile but his face won’t form a smile. It is so hard. His muscles won’t move a single inch at all. So instead he lifts his palm lowly to show him his gratitude and hopes it can be a form of greeting.

Jonghyun-ssi stares at him coldly and before he darts his gaze away, completely ignoring him. Kibum freezes on his spot as shock hits him like a train of trucks. He doesn’t think Jonghyun-ssi will be so cold towards him and he can feel his body shakes in an unknown feeling. It’s weird because he should have been used to be treated like dirt but this is clearly what is happening to him right now. He is staring at nowhere when Jonghyun-ssi walks pass him like he is nothing.

His palm slowly falls down to his side and Kibum gulps down the saliva which is stuck in his throat. His eyes dart from here to there, practically everywhere, not realizing that Jinki hyung is smiling to him, but stops when he realizes that his brother is ignoring Kibum and the other boy is also acting so strange.

Jinki hyung stares at Kibum for a while and he sees him running away towards the backyard of the school. He throws his gaze on his younger brother and frowns. What is wrong with Jonghyun?



Once he has arrived at the back of the school, Kibum takes a deep breath and grips onto the fabric of his sweater. He can feel the hard thumps of his heart. There is this sour feeling in him that makes him feel so uncomfortable just by thinking about it.

This is okay, Kibum. This is how it should have been from the very beginning. You are not allowed to make a relationship with people. You are not worth it—he chants in his head.

“I’m alone... and will always be alone.” His voice whispers to stop the weird feeling and surprisingly, it doesn’t work like it used to be. It leaves him with a bitter feeling.



***



Time moves too fast for Kibum’s liking. He hasn’t heard anything about the Princes yet he knows it isn’t his place to want to know it. He is living his loneliness just like usual, until one day, the Crown Prince comes to him.

“Kibum?” The usually familiar voice calls and Kibum stands up from his seat after putting his book aside.

“Jinki hyu—I mean, Your Highness?” He breathes out in surprise because he doesn’t expect him to come to him moreover to talk to him.

“Kibum, what have I told you about calling me?”Jinki says with a warm smile while closing the door of the old library behind his back.

Kibum shifts from one foot to another. “I don’t think I’m at the right place to call you like that, Your Highness...”

Jinki sighs and walks over to him. He ruffles the younger boy’s hair gently and Kibum keeps his gaze straight to the floor.

“You are growing shy again with me, Kibum.”

“W-What makes you come to a place like this, Your Highness?” Kibum questions out.

“I told you to call me ‘hyung’, didn’t I? I thought I’m clear about saying it is an order.”The Crown Prince says sternly.

Kibum lifts his head and stares into those smiling eyes. “J-Jinki hyung...”

“It isn’t that hard to call me hyung, right? Why are you so hard-headed?” The Crown Prince’s gaze softens as he teases him and Kibum manages to let out a smile.

“See? I make you smile again and Jonghyun hasn’t seen it up until now.”

At the mention of the other’s name, Kibum glances away and Jinki hyung surely realized it.

“What’s wrong with you and my brother?” Jinki asks the question which has been bugging him for weeks.

Kibum shakes his head. “There is nothing wrong, Jinki hyung.”

“Why is Jonghyun acting that way?”

“He is supposed to act that way to me. I realize it.” Kibum says with a soft voice.

Jinki feels like hitting this kid on his head for being so gloomy and insecure like this but he is too adorable to him to be hit. He has no heart to hurt any adorable being.

“Do not say like that, Kibum. You make me feel bad about Jonghyun’s act.” He points it out.

Kibum shakes his head. “Don’t be, Jinki hyung. That’s not your fault nor Jonghyun-ssi’s fault. It is just me.”

Jinki sighs and caresses the boy’s head.

“Anyway, how are you these days? I’m sorry we can’t come here like usual...”

Kibum gives him a short nod, “I’m fine, Jinki hyung. I’m just like usual.”

“If you want to talk about something, you can talk to me, okay?” Jinki tells him gently and Kibum nods his head, feeling a bit thankful that Jinki acts so friendly and gentle to him just like before.

“Oh, by the way, do you have time tomorrow?” Jinki asks, sending him a smile.

“Tomorrow?” Kibum asks back, blinking.

As the Crown Prince nods his head, Kibum answers him with, “Yes, I have, Jinki hyung. Why is it?”

Jinki smiles at him.

“The King is throwing a party to celebrate Jonghyun’s come back from America. I know this is late, sometimes I don’t really get the way my father thinks but he insists to throw a party about it. Can you come?”

Kibum fidgets around as he takes a step back in a form of self defense, “I-I don’t think...”

“Kibum, do not say that it is not your place to come. I invite you here so consider about it, will you?” Jinki cuts him off before he will speak nonsense again.

After a very long time of considering, Kibum hesitantly nods his head and yelps silently when Jinki hyung hugs him.

“I’m sorry, Kibum. I’m very sorry.” Jinki mutters against the side of his head.

“Why are you apologizing, Jinki hyung?” Kibum asks with his voice muffled against the Crown Prince’s expensive coat.

“For everything. I just... Sorry.” Jinki mutters in a sincere tone of apology.

Kibum shakes his head to silently tell him that he has nothing to be sorry about and he slowly closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth from the older boy.

When was the last time someone had hug me?—Kibum thinks.

The hug lasts for a while before Jinki hyung leans back. He holds onto Kibum’s face with both of his hands, staring straight into those feline eyes. He smiles and caresses the soft hair of Kibum.

“Will you consider about the party?”

Kibum nods and pulls a tiny smile. Jinki chuckles and pinches Kibum’s nose gently.

“You are so adorable, do you know that?” He mutters as he gives him the last pat on his head.

Jinki then walks away from the library after saying goodbye to Kibum. Once the door is closed, Kibum sighs, letting out the breath from his lungs. He rubs his face with his palms and slides down to the chair behind him.

Everything is just too complicated for his lonely self. It is just... way too complicated. He doesn’t ask for this.









***








A/N: Two months for another update, I've been busy doing my essays and being sick lately. I've just sneezed three times as I write down this author note. XD

Hope to read your thought about this chapter. ^^ Thanks for reading!