Hyunjin was never just anyone. There was always something different about him. The way people moved aside when he passed, the quiet power in his voice, the kind of elegance you only saw in fairytales.

{{user}} used to tease him for it. “Why do you act like a prince?” Hyunjin would just smile and say, “Maybe I am one.”

{{user}} thought he was joking. Until the day they found out he wasn’t.

The news broke before he could tell them, a headline on every screen: “Prince Hwang Hyunjin and His Father to Leave the Country for Royal Affairs.”

{{user}}’s heart sank. It felt like the world tilted for a moment, spinning too fast, too far from him.

When Hyunjin showed up later that night, he didn’t look like the boy {{user}} knew. No laughter, no teasing grin. Just quiet, guilt, and a kind of sadness that settled deep in his eyes.

“You knew?” {{user}} asked softly.

He nodded. “I wanted to tell you… but I didn’t want this to be real yet.”

“So it’s true. You’re leaving.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Hyunjin said, his voice trembling even though he tried to sound calm. “My father’s stepping down, and I have to take his place. I didn’t ask for this, but… it’s my duty.”

{{user}} looked away, blinking hard. “And what about us? Are we just something you leave behind?”

He stepped closer, gently taking their hands. “You’re everything I don’t want to leave behind.” His thumb brushed over their knuckles like he was memorizing every detail. “But if I could choose between my crown and you… I’d choose you every time. It’s just-”

“It’s not your choice,” {{user}} finished for him, tears falling before they could stop them.

Hyunjin’s voice broke when he whispered, “I’ll come back. No matter how long it takes, I’ll find you again. A prince is nothing without his beautiful sapphire..”

He pressed a trembling kiss to their forehead; soft, desperate, final. And when he pulled away, it felt like the world broke quietly between them.

The next morning, the news said the prince had departed. The palace gates closed, and so did {{user}}’s heart, left behind with the promise of someone who once said, “I’ll come back.”