Chapter 28 - The Reason

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Hoseok's phone buzzed. He looked at it, not answering.

"Ah, that's right. I forgot I had an event this evening." he said. He put the phone back in his pocket. "Duty calls. It looks like I'll have to beat you all some other time."

"Sure you will." you teased.

"We're real nervous about it, too." Namjoon added.

He waved his hand at you both and walked out the door. Silence settled between you and Namjoon.

"So uh..." he said, trying to find something to say. "How do you feel about racing games?"

You smiled. "Let's find out."

Namjoon won the best three out of five. You wished you could say it was close, but it wasn't. He smoked you.

"How can you be so good at driving games when you can't leave your house?" you asked, giving him a hard time.

He snorted. "Who says I don't leave?"

"I've never seen you leave."

"Maybe I don't want you to see me leave."

"Do you ever sneak out to see your girlfriend?"

You paused. You kind of wished you hadn't asked once you saw him press his lips together.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, you know." you added.

He nodded. "I know. There's not really a reason to worry anymore, anyhow. She dumped me."

You nearly jumped out of your chair to face him. "Wait, wait, wait. She dumped you? What for?"

He didn't answer, he just stared at the racing screen as the demo played.

"Didn't she want to be a --"

You stopped yourself. Namjoon's girlfriend wouldn't have become a royal, would she? What had Yoongi said?

If a royal marries a non-royal, they have to renounce their station.

You looked at him, your heart sinking. "You were going to give up being a prince for her... weren't you?"

He straightened, but didn't look at you.

"You loved her that much?" you continued.

He laughed bitterly. "I don't know. I thought I might. But she didn't want me to."

"If you love her, you should go after her."

His eyes met yours with a stare so strong it left you breathless. If Namjoon ever looked at his girlfriend the way he was looking at you now, she was an idiot for leaving him.

He broke the stare. "Maybe. We'll see."

"Namjoon..."

"I can't focus on that right now." he said, waving it away. "You're more important at the moment."

"What? Me?"

"Yes, you. You're our guest and your life is being threatened. All this time, and you couldn't tell me?"

You slumped back in the chair. "I didn't think you'd care, honestly."

"I know we got off on a really bad start," Namjoon said, his eyes on his hands. "In the beginning, I thought you wanted status and power. It took me awhile to realize you weren't that type of woman. When I heard that you were attacked... Do you know how worried I was?"

His eyes rose to meet yours. There was fear in them.

"You can hate me if you want, YN. I don't blame you. But even after how I've acted, I don't want anything to happen to you. I mean that."

His last sentence came out as a whisper. You reached out and patted his hand.

"I don't hate you." you admitted. "Not even a little bit."

He put his hand on top of yours. "Good. Now, a bet's a bet. You owe me a really large ice cream sundae for losing."

You groaned.

"Come on," he said, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the door.

Namjoon led you to the kitchen and sat on the counter as you fixed him a three scoop sundae.

"Don't go easy on the whipped cream or chocolate syrup." he commanded.

You rolled your eyes. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Interesting that you only call me that when you're being sarcastic."

"Get used to it."

You handed him his ice cream. He glowed like a school boy as he shoved large spoonfuls in his mouth. You made yourself a bowl and sat next to him.

After a few minutes of silently eating ice cream, Namjoon turned to you. "Have you talked to your father lately?"

Your shoulders dropped. "No. He hasn't called. Or written. I would settle for smoke signals at this point. I can't call him either."

"Have you decided on what you want?"

You put down the bowl, swinging your legs off the side of the counter. "Not really. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a princess. It's a lot of responsibilities I'm not qualified for."

"We'll help you."

"I know. I appreciate that, but I don't want you to have to carry me. And I have to think about the people I'm responsible for. I want them to be in capable hands." You turned to him. "But I'm afraid if I don't take it, I'll regret it. I don't want to let my family down, and I don't want to waste all the time that was spent on me. Also... I wouldn't see you guys again if I rejected my station."

He put down his bowl next to yours. "I guess that's true. Not to mention, Jin --"

He stopped.

"What about Jin?" you asked.

"Uhh... nothing."

Namjoon's face twisted.

"It's obviously something." you said. "Spill. What's wrong with Jin?"

"Listen, [Y/N]," he said, "there's something you don't know yet. There's a reason you're here specifically."

You looked at him confused. "Of course. Because my father sent me."

"Yes, that. But you – Ugh... I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?"

"I mean just that."

You jumped down from the counter and scowled at him. "Why are there so many things that people can't tell me? What is it? Why was I brought here?"

Namjoon hesitated, then opened his mouth to say something. Before he could, someone else cut into the conversation.

"I think I should be the one to tell you that, my dear."

You both turned to Jin in the doorway.

Jin eyed you both. "I'll tell her, Namjoon. Thank you."

Namjoon gave one last sideways glance at you, then nodded. He slithered off the counter left you both to the kitchen alone.

"Jin?" you asked.

Jin walked past you and went straight to the ice cream. "You didn't eat all of it, did you?"

He helped himself to a bowl.

"So what is it?" you asked. "Why am I here?"

Jin finished off a spoonful, stepping in close to you. His eyes met yours as he licked the spoon clean. "You were sent here... for me."

You laughed. "What?"

He ate another spoonful. "Your father sent you here because of me. Our families... set us up together."

Your smile faded. "What...?"

He took a third spoonful, then dropped the bowl and spoon on the counter. His arms came on each side of you, trapping you between him and the counter. He looked directly into your eyes, making sure you heard each word he said next.

"[Y/N]... you and I are betrothed."

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