A/N: 안녕하세요! Hi! This is my first fic on BTS, so please bear with me. I've been inspired by BTS Summer Package in Dubai and that WINGS fansign event where Taehyung wore a turban and fake mustache. This story is plot-heavy, so thank you in advance if you're still going to read. Please do drop a review afterwards. Thank you!
TWO WORLDS
"Prince," His retainer exasperatedly called out. "Please put your shoes back on."
It wasn't even midday, but the stifling heat made everyone a bit more irritable. The kingdom of Daegu was busy preparing for a special holiday, and the third prince grabbed the opportunity to escape his daily duties and relax by the palace garden. As he strolled around, he found this tiny lavender flower in the midst of the pinkish mugunghwa. He was so amazed that the little thing managed to find its way through the group, and so he decided to stop there, having a table and chair set up for him to be able to draw the lovely picture. The prince didn't mind the glaring sun that slowly rose high up in the sky; he simply loosened his garments, put off his turban and removed his shoes.
The pretty flower reminded him of his brother, the one he loves the most. It had only been two days, but he already missed him. With all the lessons they were separately attending to, the events making it difficult to see each other and just the difference in activities they were interested in, they couldn't even get a glimpse of one another's shadow. But maybe I'm overreacting. I'm sure I'm just thinking too much, right? He'd come see me right away if he had the chance. It's just this season is a hectic time for us. Even father is busy with his subjects. He reasoned to himself, nodding at the conclusion he settled for.
As the prince had a serious face while making the finishing touches to his sketch, his retainer and servants didn't dare bother him any further; they stood in silence as sweat trickled down their necks and forehead. However, at the sight of him putting down the charcoal and stretching his limbs, they heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you done, my Prince? Shall we head back to your quarters?" The blond young man's brows rose, surprised at the suggestion. "What? But we just got outside." Seemingly being familiar with his attitude, his retainer explained softly why they had to go back, stealing glances first with the rest with an uneasy expression. "Yes. But you still have your lessons on proper conduct on diff—" Before he could hear the end of it, he put back his shoes on and whined. "Ah, but I'm not going to attend all those, right? What's the point of learning that when I won't use it in life?"
They had no answer to give. They were only ordered to educate the prince regarding that matter. And to divert the topic altogether and dodge the lesson, he raised the piece of paper and showed it to everyone. "Look. I made this sketch for Jimin. How would you grade it?" The drawing was not ugly, but it wasn't impressive either. It looked like a child's doodle, cute and charming. By that time, the servants flocking around watched their tongue; they wouldn't want to upset royalty or else they might lose their head. "Ah, you've improved a lot, my Prince." One female praised. "Yes, it's very beautiful. You're so artistic!" Another seconded.
"Really?" His eyes sparkled, lips turning into a wide grin. "Then he should see this! Let's go; I'll put this on his desk right now." Jumping up from his seat in excitement, the prince motioned for his servants to follow quickly. He scurried to his brother's place, hopping over the hallway railings and getting all frisky, until he turned at the corner. There by the far end of the path was the first prince, his older brother, walking gracefully while keeping his voice low as he spoke with his retainers; it was as if they were talking about something confidential. The third prince abruptly stopped on his tracks, letting his attendants reach him. When the two siblings' eyes met, they were halfway across the hallway. "Good morning, Jin-hyung. We have a nice weather today." He smiled brightly, bowing slightly to give his respects. The brown-green haired prince, on the other hand, sighed softly and kept a straight face. "It's Prince Seokjin." The ill gap between the two was very apparent, yet the servants only kept their eyes down. Everyone knew about their strained relationship except for the king, and it has stretched on for an ugly span. "Y-yeah…" The third prince's cheerful aura subsided, slowly being replaced by an awkward glow.
But to continue their exchange, Seokjin gestured at the paper his brother was holding. "What's that?" He had a disinterested look, and the reason why he probably asked was only to look into how insignificant it was and rebuke him for the fuss and waste of time and resources. "Ah," The blond had folded the paper in half so the content was hidden. "This is an important report for Jimin. I need to deliver it to him right away." Although it was the vaguest description, it was still true. The third prince's servants were loyal to him, and every time he'd excuse himself of further interrogation, they'd remain silent and true to him. "Well, what are you doing? Go ahead and go to him." Not finding a chance to attack his response, the first prince dismissed it. "Yeah, I will. Have a good day, Jin-hyung!" Repeating the way he addressed his older brother, he smiled again and moved aside for him. Seokjin was already walking away, but he spared an effort to acknowledge the farewell by nodding very slightly.
He turned to look at his brother's exit, the larger number of servants following behind. The shame of having people witness their relationship was beginning to bother and pull him down. Although he's already used to getting treated that way, it was still different, still embarrassing when others see them like that. "Let's go." He repeated to his attendants, spinning back to the walkway and trying to regain his previous enthusiasm. With a step forward, he left the corridor and headed to Jimin's quarters.
It didn't take the prince and his servants a long time to reach the destination since they were fast walkers. Jimin's place was by the other side of the palace, just on the opposite corner of the garden. After the guards by the entrance bowed curtly, a voice from the open area called. The owner of the voice belonged to a sophisticated-looking young man with lavender hair. He was holding a bow and arrow, most probably practicing his archery skills for improvement. His stature was so much more fitting of a prince— he brought himself with pride and charisma, the high-collared black suit etched with silver aesthetically pleasing design magnifying his stunning appearance. He would have been the perfect portrayal of a prince; if only he got a bit taller. With that small problem, the blond prince had a difficult time locating where the voice came from. The young man had to repeat himself, this time waving his arm to catch his attention. "Taehyung!"
"…superstar of the century, one of our biggest sponsors and founder of Turn Up Music Awards." The emcee continued, hyping up the crowd. "Please welcome—"
Before he could finish, a grand display of fireworks from outside seen through the glass ceiling muffled the announcement. It was followed by pops of confetti raining down the entire stadium, welcoming the most important guest for the night. Attendees with shimmering dresses, heels, suits & ties turned their head up at the right side of the stage to see the VIP— normally the walkway up there was where someone being called up would come from. Applauses were loud and their faces lit up. There was nothing but positive vibe within the vicinity; after all, the mood set up even at the mention of this man's name sends a warm and kind wave to everyone. Of course, along with that, it couldn't be denied that he has one of the most killer looks. The exotic, blond-haired young man of 21 could send his fans swooning with just a meaningful gaze and a smirk. He looked like a Greek god. In his last photoshoot, he wore a double –breasted grey suit, the intricate details too much for explanation, over a complimenting black shirt, with a fashionable scarf on the neck. However, as his trademark in any event, he won't simply appear from a corner and go up the stage; there had to be a gig. Almost half a minute passed by, and the clapping was slowly dying. The crowd began looking around, an awkward air brushing through. What was taking him so long?
"Hi." A deep velvety voice stirred up. The spotlights on the stage flashed on and off for a few times, as if waiting for that cue, and then everything went black. There were gasps of surprise— one guest even dropped her purse on the floor. It was then replaced by amazement when lights were turned back on with the focus all at the center of the place. Sitting on one of the chairs along with unsuspecting individuals on table 10, the superstar smiled and waved at the camera zooming in on him. As the introduction and misdirection distracted the people, he snuck in the venue unnoticed, pulling off his little show.
While most of the viewers from their respective homes were wowed by it, one certain man younger than the star of the night by two years found it annoying. "What a show-off." He scoffed, opening another pack of chips his fans gave him. On his wall-mounted TV, the attendees were so amused, another round of applause filling the background. "He thinks he's so cool doing that." He added as he reached for the remote control, changing the channel to avoid getting his night ruined.
"Attending the most anticipated WAWA 2016 held in Seoul, the superst—" Every show at that time was about him or kept on mentioning him. "The most-awaited music award show is no—" No matter what channel he switched to, it was airing the same thing. The media had full coverage of it, including backstage happenings, so all networks took the opportunity to give the citizens their own scoop of celebrity appearances. There was no escape, so groaning in agitation, the younger man turned off the television. His other hand had clenched tightly on the chips that were probably crushed by then. He didn't want to hear any more about that despicable faker. He was only famous because he was a good-looking foreigner who knew how to keep people entertained. Why didn't he just work as a clown? I'm sure he's not that handsome under all those makeup. He's a joke; he's not even a good singer.
Fuming silently, the brunet slumped down the couch. He was greeted by the ceiling as he looked up. The silence in his room didn't help push out the growing distaste for the blond idol. He's been thinking about him more than the promotions he needed to do for the next four weeks. If his debut album only came out earlier, he'd also be nominated in WAWA. The blond was having the spotlight all to himself; the others were weak contenders compared to the third time Daesang awardee. He sighed, shifting his position sideways; there was nothing he could do for now. Ding! A phone notification broke his trance. As he reached for the device in his pocket, he accidentally swiped and dismissed the message. After unlocking it, he froze in a sudden realization. The wallpaper in his home screen was still that man. Dressed in white & green striped long sleeves, olive green shorts and a large blue scarf hanging around his neck, the brightly smiling man made a peace sign as he posed. It also formed a letter, the letter. It was that fiend's stage name. "…V."