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[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

Ji Hoo had been awake long before the sun had risen. For some weird reason, he'd woken up a little past four in the morning, but he couldn't make it back to sleep. Even though he had about five hours until he had his class at the university, he couldn't find himself to fall asleep. All his homework had been done hours before, with little help from his private tutor. For him, it didn't seem like his tutor was their to actually teach him anything since he was doing well on his own. In his opinion, the tutor was only there to correct his misconceptions on certain concepts. Other than that, he actually had nothing to do. Their tutoring sessions passed by in silence, with the tutor peering over his shoulder and with him answering the assigned work. He rarely asked for help from the older man, and he knew that it actually made the ajusshi feel useless. It seemed that the older man would actually be able to help him later, because Ji Hoo was beyond sleepy. He actually dressed in a daze, and only managed to be fully awake after a cup of coffee. After he fixed himself, he gave himself an approving nod and had left for school. The driver took him to school, and as usual, Ji Hoo merely murmured thanks and exited the car. His body guards trailed after him. Normally, only one would follow him around in the palace but he wasn't within the said area. He was at school, and the security there was different from the palace's. Due to that, he had three muscular men following him in a loose semicircle. He didn't take notice of them, since he was used to it. Rubbing his tiredly, he stifled a yawn and walked towards the school. His eyes were half-closed, and perhaps that was the reason why he walked into someone. He was well aware that the older men behind him had tensed considerably, but he waved them off. He was unable to hold back another yawn and so he looked at the person he'd bumped into by accident. He was still in the state where he couldn't tell if he recognized the person or not, so he didn't say sorry immediately. He narrowed his eyes, and frowned. Well, he would have to make do with all that formalities. It was rude to just stand and stare at a person. He bowed slightly, brushing his bangs from his forehead with a flick of his fingers. He had noticed the gathering of students, mainly girls, at the entrance. They were all whispering and looking at their general direction. He inwardly frowned. He looked at the person, and as usual, he didn't offer much of a smile. It was merely a small curve of the corner of his lips and that was all. "My apologies. Are you in any way hurt?" His tone was light, and was nothing but formal.

[TAKAGI MIKU]

x

Some have to see to believe it

what a sight for the sore eyes..?

tagging : yi ji hoo
location : the university

Miku looked at herself in the mirror. It was something like five in the morning and she hadn't slept. Her father had been at a meeting late into the night and Kohaku had been over at a friends house studying. It left her home alone with no one. However, the youngest of the Takagi family didn't mind being alone. She rather liked having the house to herself. When her father had come home he had demanded that she be asleep. She had been up reading a book which he took from her before she walked into her room. He had come in at around three in the morning to place it back on her night stand. He said nothing much before he went out of her room and closed the door behind him. Miku had been awake for it all as she didn't usually sleep when her brother wasn't home. It was more the fact that if she did fall asleep she's wake up from a nightmare. Her father was annoyed with her screams by now.

She shook her head and splashed water on her face and walked off to start a shower. She was out in little less then a half hour. She heard her father leave the house and she sighed. She got dressed in a light blue dress and brushed her hair braiding it down her left side. She smiled at herself in the mirror and grabbed her black shawl and bag and headed out of the house. She could call for a ride but she choose to walk to the university. She was still a student at the Royal Academy but co-enrolled into the University for her first two classes of the day. She smiled as she hummed to herself. The walk wouldn't be all that long but she kept an eye on everything. She was observant and that was something that her teachers praised her for. She looked behind her getting this feeling she was being followed.

A man quickly rushed by her and she let out a sigh. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath. She laughed at herself inwardly. She was always like this when she wasn't with her brother. She shook her head and started to hum to herself yet again. She made it to the school in no time at all and was standing near the entrance when someone bumped into her and she lost her balance falling to the ground gracefully at least. She shook her head and stood back up rather quickly. It was almost as if she had just rolled herself back up and hadn't fallen at all but that was only if you were watching her closely. She turned to see the person who had run into her and her eyes went wide for a second.

"Sorry, didn't mean to just be standing in the way. I'm alright." She offered Ji Hoo a smile. She like everyone else knew who the prince was. She wasn't sure if he knew who the diplomat's children where though. She had seen him a few times and had talked to him maybe one time before. And by talk she's said hello to him and that was about it. "Are you alright?" She looked at his body guards hoping she wouldn't have to explain herself to them.

Others are blind yet can feel it

..here comes the part where we start our lives

word count : xxx
notes:fun
lyrics : Broken Iris - Sight For The Sore Eyes
this was made by Nijomanco at Caution

[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

He was normally one who went to school fully awake, but this was a different day. He slept less than he normally did, and it was bound to leave its marks. He had been sorely tempted to ask the maids to bring him some concealer earlier as he had been preparing for school in a daze. The dark circles under his eyes were faint unless it was scrutinized closely. The maids hadn't bothered him, but they had asked him to take the cup of coffee. If left alone, he wouldn't have paid attention to the warm drink that had been laid in front of him. It was a good thing too, because although it was only for a little while, he had woken up because of the caffeine. Without it, he would have been stumbling around like a drunk. The girl in front of him was both familiar and unfamiliar to Ji Hoo. It was one of those moments of uncertainty that either ended in an embarrassing situation, or an awkward one. Either way, Ji Hoo was having a hard time clearing his mind from sleep and actually focus. It was proving to be a difficult task, but he still kept up with it. He blinked several times in succession, before rubbing his eyes once more. He was afraid that if he'd let himself succumb to his drowsiness, he might fall flat on the girl in front of him. That didn't bode well, and he knew she wouldn't appreciate it. He frowned once he realized that she'd fallen because of his inattentiveness, and he was about to extend his hand but she had already risen so he didn't bother. His eyes narrowed once more. She didn't seem familiar to him, but he had a feeling in his gut that he'd actually seen her a few times. Had he? Her face didn't strike a chord in his memory but his gut told him otherwise. Should he pretend that he knew her? Or should he come out and be blunt and say that he didn't recognize her? Either way, he had to make up his mind. He doubted that she liked waiting,and he opened his mouth to speak. Yet again, the girl managed to speak first so he kept his composure, and remained quiet. Normally, in a situation like this, he would merely nod and walk away but considering the fact that the girl had spoken, it would be rude of him to walk away. And it might put his reputation on the line, not to mention his family's. Several things to consider, and his mind was sluggishly moving alone. He was operating with only three hours of sleep, after all. "No, no. It was my fault for not looking." He quickly interjected, the formal way he said it just rolling off of his tongue. But by the sound of her Korean, it seemed that she wasn't a native. Pausing for a while, he thought of all the accents he'd heard in his entire life and he compared it to hers. If he would have to guess, he'd assume that she was Japanese. Not that he was against them. He'd actually had gone to Japan and stayed there for a week to promote a peaceful union with them. It had been successful, and some Japanese diplomat was with them. He had come across him at the palace yesterday, for some palace meeting, and he'd been called in to sit with them for a certain amount of time. Of course, he didn't sit through all of it. That was his oldest brother's job, not his. Also, Ji Hoo wasn't familiar with the diplomat's name so it was more understandable if his brother would be the one to handle the affair. He nodded at her question, but the smile wasn't returned. Of course, it would be unusual because he wasn't known for smiling much. Although several people had told him that he looked even more attractive if he smiled. He usually let that comment pass through his ears. He restrained his facial expressions, always placing an expressionless mask above it all. Years of this had him hiding almost everything he felt, and it took immense emotion to get his aloofness to falter. "Yes, yes. I'm fine." He assured her lightly, glancing at the gathered girls. Of course, that generated them to squeal lightly. They reacted that way to his brothers also, and so he found it entirely amusing. "By any chance, are you Japanese?" He asked, his eyes trailing back to the girl. He studied her silently. There was something soothing about her face, but he didn't dwell on that. He had seen girls with appeasing faces before, so this woman didn't particularly stand out.

[TAKAGI MIKU]

x

Some have to see to believe it

what a sight for the sore eyes..?

tagging : yi ji hoo
location : the university

Miku was both looking at him and at her body guards who seemed to have backed off but were observing her as much as she was observing them. Ji Hoo looked rather tired but she wasn't going to make mention of that. She probably looked that way too. It was the morning one would expect the younger generation to be a bit sleepy in the morning. Well unless you were a morning bird, then that was a different story. As familiar as Miku was with who he was, she still didn't know him well. All she had was what others said and the one time she had said hello to him. It wasn't much to go on. She wanted to help him in some way with his sleepiness but she couldn't think of anything that she might have on her that would help.

Things had fallen silent between them now. She had spoken first and had gotten up before he had had a chance to help her. It was her training that allowed her to do that and so gracefully in a dress none-the-less. He did not smile at her but that was a normal thing or at least that's what she had been told. She was always smiles when she was being polite and slightly formal. They had not exchanged names and it might be a good idea to do so. Miku didn't want to speak again just yet though. She was waiting for him to answer her question and make sure that he was indeed alright. He finally spoke telling her the whole thing was his fault for not looking. She said nothing to that as she had already apologized for being in the way as well. She was glad to find out that he was fine though.

A question came her way making her smile widen just a little bit. "Yes I am. Takagi Miku." She introduced herself with a little curtsey mostly because it was how her mother had taught her to introduce herself. She was sure he'd be used to that and he was sure that she likely looked like just another girl. There was a group that had gathered around them that was starting to work on Miku's nerves. She didn't like feeling like they were judging her. The only time she allowed that was when she was singing or acting and that was for different reasons. She took a deep breath and then spoke again. "I'm Takagi Hikaru's daughter." She wasn't sure if he'd know her father's name but there weren't that many japanese people in the area in the first place. A few but mostly it was just herself and her brother and father.

Miku looked up to the sky and listened for the birds that were singing around them. It was about time to go in for the day but for sme reason she didn't want too. She wasn't sure what it was about Ji Hoo but something seemed to be different with him. She focused back on him and his guards waiting to see if her name or her father's struck a bell in his head.

Others are blind yet can feel it

..here comes the part where we start our lives

word count : xxx
notes:fun
lyrics : Broken Iris - Sight For The Sore Eyes
this was made by Nijomanco at Caution

[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

How long had it been when he'd slept for a full eight hours? A week? Two? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that it had been a really long time. Nowadays, the amount of sleep he had each night hovered around three to four hours. Not exactly enough, but it seemed to work for him at times. That day, however, it seemed that it wouldn't. The day before, he had absolutely no time for himself. His schedule had composed of going over some papers -- not some life changing documents but enough to make an impact on the overall result -- and clarifying a few details in the past laws. Also, he had tea with a few of the government officials and a few diplomats who were in the country. Nothing new. It was just a formality, and it helped assure the elders that the next generation of possible leaders wasn't slacking off. They tended to be more critical of the males, rather than the females. After all, the line of succession placed the males first and the females were usually the last option. Ji Hoo had wondered about it most of the time, as he read idly through the papers. Women had shown that they could lead a country too. Queen Elizabeth of England had done it, and she hadn't taken a husband. He nodded slightly when she told him her name. Takagi? It rang a distant bell. Surely he hadn't met a diplomat named Takagi before? Or had he met one when he'd gone to Japan? A thousand possibilities raced through his mind, each plausible and more likely to occur than the last. There were only a few Japanese people within Korea, let alone in Seoul. He was sure that once he drew up the list of Japanese who lived in Korea, it wouldn't reach twenty. Not unless you included those who were there without permission or were only visiting for a while. He was certain that there was a diplomat named Takagi, but he hadn't checked if he was currently in the country. His oldest brother would know, of course, but Ji Hoo was sure that his older brother would be busy as usual, and it seemed rude to call him to ask him about something so little. Though it seemed that he didn't need to inquire. The girl had answered his question about being Hikaru's daughter, and he nodded, and a flicker of something close to understanding passed through his eyes before disappearing altogether. The emotionless facade was up yet again, but inside his emotions were a jumbled mess. The drowsiness coupled with the surprise he'd received about how he'd managed to walk into a diplomat's daughter didn't quite mix well. In his drowsy state, he felt like he was going to explode. If he'd gotten enough rest, he'd hold himself better. At that moment, he was barely succeeding. "Forgive me. I wasn't aware, or informed, that Mr. Hikaru was around." He bowed slightly, starting to gain his bearings once more. He couldn't remember his secretary ever mentioning that small piece of information, but he hadn't asked so there was no reason for him to be displeased in any way. If at all, the young man believed in fair treatment so he wasn't going to complain about it. Although the thought of him complaining was hilarious in itself. When had he last complained? Well, when he was a child and had gotten the wrong ice cream flavor. That was fourteen years ago, and he had changed a lot. He used to be very verbose, and a talkative little child but as he grew, it had changed. Growing up in the palace, you had to live by strict rules. He didn't know when he'd started to change, but he knew that he had. Also, it was said that if one invoked respect then it would be easy for him to live or rule. Ji Hoo wasn't sure if they were merely intimidated by his exterior or his status. In all honesty, however, he felt comfortable keeping a distance to most people. But as always, they had been taught to be social even if one doesn't want to be. So during social functions, Ji Hoo made a huge 360 turn. His fellow schoolmates would be surprised to see him speak more, and to even communicate. "If you don't mind, would you kindly pass my greetings on to your father?" He said, offering a smile. From his peripheral vision, he could see more girls flocking to the group that had already gathered, and they were all looking at him as if he had walked on water. Then again, how many times had he smiled at school at some stranger? Absolutely none. This was the first, and so he could faintly hear the sounds of camera shutters going off. His body guards tensed once more, and he shook his head at them once more. At times, they were like dogs that were always up for a fight and Ji Hoo had to constantly reassure them. Or in some ways, he had to hold them back. They were too uptight at times, but Ji Hoo didn't show that he was bothered by it. Compared to his siblings guards, they were alright. They never suspected him of trying to escape or shake them off, since he rarely did that. He preferred to read or listening to music rather than going to the lengths of trying to do that. His face smoothed once more into that mask that he wore so well, and he nodded to himself. They were going to have tea later, and more or less the girl's father would be invited. It wouldn't hurt to invite her, and it was common hospitality. And he was sure that his sister would appreciate the fact that she had someone other else than Ga Eun and her brothers to talk to that day. So stifling a yawn, he said to her in a rather polite manner. "I'd also like to extend to you an invitation to the palace. I assume your father's attending the tea ceremony later?"

[TAKAGI MIKU]

x

Some have to see to believe it

what a sight for the sore eyes..?

tagging : yi ji hoo
location : the university

Miku looked over at the steadily growing group of females that were watching them. She wondered why she had to be the one with paranioa issues. She was hoping that at some point Kohaku would show up with his friends but that could take forever. After all when they all got together Miku would tease them about taking longer than a group of girls to get ready to do anything. However, for most in the upper class and nobility, appearance was everything. Miku didn't ever take very long to get dressed and she always seemed to be well put together even if she'd just rolled out of bed and put on the first thing to saw. He father would mention from time to time that she was so much like her mother it made him wonder. Precisely what it made him wonder about she was not sure but she knew her father missed her mothers.

Miku had no clue why her brain had gone to that line of thinking. She turned back to Ji Hoo to wait for his reply. The conversation was formal in both their tones though she was more smiles than he was. She didn't think that putting on an indifferent mask fit her. Least not unless she was seriously upset or angry. That was usual when the smiles went away and you wanted to run for the hills but it didn't happen very often and when she was being serious there were a few less smiles. Miku was wondering if he was racking her brains or if she should just tell him that it was alright that he didn't know who her father was or her for that matter. It wasn't like she had made herself completely known to the royal family. However it was hard not know who they were exspecially when you had a father that worked closely with them.

Miku gave a small bow of the head to his apology. "It's alright. I wouldn't expect you to know when all the diplomats come and go. He just got home actually." They had moved to Korea because of his work but he went back and forth between Korea and Japan to talk at home about things. They were close with the Emperor. Her father being raised almost like a brother to the man even though family relation was just cousins. She gave a small nod to his request. "I will be very sure to pass along the message." She didn't know why her father had come home so early actually. He had not informed her of any reasons save for the fact that she had to be home right after school and that Kohaku had better be with her. It wasn't like she was her brother's keeper but he knew that she would not disobey a direct order.

It seemed that Ji Hoo had gotten himself back on track so to speak. Her smile had appeared again when he had smiled at her and she almost rolled her eyes at the click of camera's. That had to be annoying. He said something about a tea moments later and an invention directly from him to come. "Yes, he is. Considering the request I have from him to come straight home after school." A smile danced a little brighter on her lips. "It will be a pleasure to see you there and thank you for the invitation. It is rare that I get invited to anything." It didn't help that she also lacked the amount of friends that her brother had and that was even with her being part of the thespian club. Her father also liked keep her out of the lime light too and she was partially grateful but when he took Kohaku she almost always wanted to go. At least this time it was something she's shine at.

Others are blind yet can feel it

..here comes the part where we start our lives

word count : xxx
notes:fun
lyrics : Broken Iris - Sight For The Sore Eyes
this was made by Nijomanco at Caution

[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

She seemed to be a kind soul, and he appreciated this. It had been a long time since he had met a person -- other than his relatives and the palace staff -- that wasn't about to throw themselves at his feet saying that it was an honor and things like that. Ji Hoo was beginning to get sick of it, but what could he do? If he turned them away, it would be rude. His upbringing also instilled in him that it wouldn't help a noble's cause if he turned anyone away. Yes, even though they weren't the scheming sort, they were taught to think everything through, that they might even benefit from a small friendship. His former teacher, the one that had taught him the ways of Royal life when he was a child, had thought Ji Hoo would excel in forging friendships. Ji Hoo was entirely different as a child. It was hard to believe, but the younger version of him would just about shock anyone who would manage to hear about it. As a child, Ji Hoo had been affectionate. A smile would always be on his face, and he laughed all the time. But he had grown up, and had gone through those unbelievable transformations. Even his former teacher, who was still employed at the palace, was surprised of this. Though he had approved of it, but he had wanted the boy to remain as he was. But of course, nothing was set in stone. That was one of the many reasons why Ji Hoo had been able to change, and had gotten the name 'Icy Yi'. In all honesty, Ji Hoo wasn't sure whether he liked the nickname or not. It hadn't occurred to him that he would have been dubbed like that, but it couldn't be helped. It was already done, and the entire country of Korea had already associated this with him. If he tried to change that, which he had no plans of doing, then the attention focused on his family would possibly increase. He could imagine all the headlines: 'Yi Ji Hoo Turning A New Leaf?' or 'Woman Behind the Icy Yi?'. There would be a lot more, he knew, but those he'd mentioned were more or less going to be one of them. He readjusted his bag on his shoulder, and one of the guards moved forward, bowing and offering to carry the object. The young man paused to think, thinking it over. If he gave it to him, it would lessen his burden. Also, if he gave it to him, it meant that nothing would distract him from his weariness. After what seemed like hours, he shook his head and the guard dutifully stepped back and regained his composure -- watching the girls with the wariness that was normal for them. He nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing at the sight of paparazzi: An older man had perched himself on a branch and was starting to take pictures feverishly. Before Ji Hoo could react in any way -- a frown was what he'd show during these situations -- one of his guards had bolted and was warning the photographer. Of course, those pictures wouldn't matter. She was a diplomat's daughter, so it was expected that he would come in contact with them. "Please excuse the paparazzi. They have a way of materializing out of thin air." He inserted his hands into his pockets, looking up at Royal Academy's buildings in the high school campus. It was impressive, but it couldn't compare to the palace. The palace, of course, was the prized building in the entire country of Korea. How long had they been standing there and talking about formalities? He figured she must be tired, and he wanted to take her to the infirmary just to make sure that there were no cuts or bruises. The thought of him possibly giving her a small concussion nagged him. Sighing, he leaned forward and circled his hand around her left wrist. "Come." Was all he said, tugging at her gently and walking towards the school campus. What a scene he was making that day, considering that he would only be seen with his cousin Tae Won or his younger sister, Hye Won. Seeing him walk with someone else was enough to stir interest from his fellow schoolmates. Well, whenever one of them was walking with someone unfamiliar was enough to attract their attention so this wasn't something new. Though it had rarely happened to him, since he was the aloof one and his relatives were the only ones he was seen with. This was a first for the entire student body. "Oh? I honestly expected you to go with your father during his appointments." He let go of her wrist, returning his hand into his pocket. Somehow, he found himself liking her company. That was rare, since he didn't think about things like that. His thoughts were usually on the next schedule, the next document and the next piece of paper. He also ended up worrying about his family members. Although he doesn't let on about his true feelings, he easily fretted about his relatives, especially the females and those that were younger than him. Yes, he did have feelings. Only that they were hidden underneath a thick mask. "How old are you?" He asked, glancing at her for a second before looking away. She looked about Hye's age, but he couldn't be too sure. After all, more and more people looked younger due to the appearance of plastic surgery.

[TAKAGI MIKU]

x

Some have to see to believe it

what a sight for the sore eyes..?

tagging : yi ji hoo
location : the university

Miku was hardly ever mean or cruel to anyone. There were some people who annoyed her none-the-less but she always seemed to let that pass her by. It was rare when you saw her angry and most of the time people didn't like to see her that way. Miku was honoured to meet him like everyone else would be but she knew that he got that all the time. She had grown up knowing that though it was an honor you did not need to say that. Actions spoke louder than your words and when words were over used it was best you never use them. Of course she was also glad that he did not seem upset with her either. There was more to this prince then met the eye and she found herself rather intrigued. He would be a mystery worth looking into a bit more or at least that's what part of her brain was telling her. The other part was telling her other things.

Miku had not heard too much about Ji Hoo. Only that some people called him Icy. She did not see that in him but maybe that was because she didn't always agree with how people definded other people. She shrugged those thoughts off not really knowing why her thoughts were a jumbled mess at the moment. However, it would be a good thing to forge a friendship with the Prince. Not just because she was the daughter of a diplomat and he a prince but because it would seem that they might share some common interests and that right now she wasn't exactly seeing him as a prince but another person that could likely use a friend and she was a loyal one at that. Miku's smile dropped off her face slightly. It wasn't completely gone but she had adopted her usual observant face.

She could hear the camera's going off everywhere. She followed a guard with her eyes as he went to warn the photographer and another seemed to be asking Ji Hoo if they needed to carry his things. She waited patiently and politely for words of exchange or for a time for them to both part ways. She shook her head when he apologized for the paprazzi. "Its alright. I'm used to it, and it is half expected." If they flew back to Japan for any given time at all there would be camera's following herself and her brother everywhere. Trying to gather dirt she was sure on the family of the Emperor but it never really worked out that way. She had always wondered how they appeared of out thin air too. She was sure they didn't have training in the art of being a ninja, but they could just appear at random.

Miku stiffled her own yawn not because she was bored but because standing was starting to make her a bit tired and lack of sleep didn't help either. She flinched slightly as he wrapped his hand around her wrist and bid her to come with him. She did everything she could to stay calm and not let reflexes take over. She gave him a small smile and nodded her head as he started to gently tug on her wrist so that she would follow him. He finally let go of her wrist and she let that hand fall to her side as she reajusted her school bag with the other. The question that followed almost caught her off guard. "My father likes to keep me out of the lime light. He has his plans for me I'm sure. But he usually takes my twin brother Kohaku with him leaving me completely alone at home. Unless of course its a social ocassion like a ball or tea as he feels that is a girls place." Traditions passed down from long ago. Her mother was always with her father because it would be proper. However when it came to children things were different.

"I'm seventeen." She answer him without so much as a hesitation to that question. She looked at the school building and the direction they were going. She wasn't exactly sure where he wanted to take her but she had a few ideas. After all she had fallen when he bumped into her but she wasn't going to assume anything. He was kind-hearted and that she could understand.

Others are blind yet can feel it

..here comes the part where we start our lives

word count : xxx
notes:fun
lyrics : Broken Iris - Sight For The Sore Eyes
this was made by Nijomanco at Caution

[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

The infirmary was a place in the school that Ji Hoo hadn't visited before. He'd never gotten himself injured, even during their accident prone physical education class. But that was most likely because the teachers didn't want to strain him physically and also because his personal trainer had made sure that Ji Hoo's body stayed in shape. In other words, the teachers could've made him run around the oval for 50 laps and he'd be perfectly okay. A little sweaty, but definitely not wondering if it was going to be his last breath. He was athletic, yes. Proof of that was he was a member of the soccer team, and one of the swimming team's strongest swimmers. Everyone knew of this, so it was probably one of the reasons why they wondered why the teacher was so lenient on him. But after they usually got over their pondering, they'd eventually realize that the young man was also an athlete of the school. He was a member of the soccer team, and he was a part of the swimming team. He was one of school's strongest swimmers, and he was one of the main options to be a striker for the football team but he'd settled with being the alternative goal keeper. He couldn't keep up soccer and swimming at the same time, and it would be very inconvenient if the two sports had a competition on the same day. The young man always wondered why they were required to go to school. They had the top tutors helping them with their studies, so why did the keep up with the formality? In Ji Hoo's opinion, it was like they were bragging. They got the top grades, but they wouldn't get it if it weren't for the tutors. And they got those mentors because they were royalty. If it were up to him, he'd either leave out the tutors or the going to school part. There were tutors, so it wouldn't matter if they went to school. On the other hand, the school was their screening ground, to see if whatever their tutors had taught them had actually gone into their brain. Most of their tutoring sessions composed of studying in advance, and going over royal protocol, and helping prepare their mindset for the future in case they had to step up. No one could ever predict the future. For all he knew, the Royal family might get overthrown by midnight and there would be a new government by tomorrow. Not that he wanted it to happen. It would be hard for his family to adjust to a new lifestyle since they'd been raised to never have to look back or to have their own jobs. It would be a hard transition if that ever happened because they were used to having everything prepared for them. If he could recall correctly, the last time he'd prepared anything for his own use was when he was in kindergarten and hadn't understood the royal protocol yet. As they walked to the infirmary, he doubted that she knew where she was bringing her. Normally, whenever someone did something like this in those dramas, the female would always be freaking out in the inside. Did she look like she was freaking out? Once the question crossed his mind, his eyes trailed back to her face. He was unsettled for a moment, since she looked so calm. Could she honestly be so calm in this situation? Then he realized that he wasn't any ordinary guy and that a huge sign above his head screamed 'I an a Prince'. Of course, if he wanted to taint his reputation he'd have done something to start a scandal. But he wasn't interested in making a scandal. It was so tiring, besides. It wouldn't help him in any way. Not that he wanted to gain more publicity. He actually wanted to get away from the attention, even if it was only for a day. He hadn't minded it when he was a child, since the attention hadn't really escalated. But now that he was a teenager and nearing adulthood, it had only begun to get worse. Snapping back to reality and realizing that he'd come close to staring at her, he looked away without a second thought. He knew that she must've felt his gaze on her, so he opened his mouth to speak again. "That sounds reasonable." He let on, not really thinking on what to say next. It sort of made him wonder. Most of these days, nobles were scrambling to get their daughters into the limelight and hopefully get them noticed enough that they would possibly be considered to be a future bride of one of the princes. After all, time was ticking and there were only two princes left: the artist and the icy one who had a tendency to show signs of having OCD. Not that he had it. His meticulousness just seemed to give everyone that impression. "Though girls do tend to look like they belong in balls." He shrugged, knowing that a ball would be the only 'party' he would actually let his sister go to if she asked him for permission. He frowned once more at the thought of her being alone in a house. It must've been lonely, but how was he to know? He grew up in the palace and it was hardly lonely in that big structure that they lived in. It was always bustling with maids, guards, scholars, officials and the occasional diplomats. The only time it would turn silent was during solemn ceremonies. They were strict when it came to maintaining solemnity. Ji Hoo secretly thought that they were strict in those ceremonies just because they were the only things that reminded people that they still had power. After all, not all parents subjected their children to arranged marriages. Seventeen? He very nearly smiled. She was the same age as his sister, and so there was more or less a chance that they were classmates. And he could always ask her whatever his sister was doing whenever he wasn't around. It wasn't that he didn't trust his sister, no. Well, partly because of that. She was a stubborn one, after all. But because of those boys that were literally lining up at the chance to date her. He wouldn't have been so perturbed if he had an older sister. She'd probably do the 'scare-off-fanboys' thing better than the four boys, but since there wasn't, he just had to continue fending making sure that no one took advantage of his sister. In other words, he was going to keep all the boys away from Hye Won. Except, of course, their relatives. "You have the same age as my younger sister. " He commented as he turned left. He knew that the high school infirmary was just nearby, and he'd never got lost in the building. Besides, if he did manage to get lost, his bodyguards certainly knew the institution like the back of their hand. And speaking of them, they followed Ji Hoo silently, their footsteps so silent that they couldn't be heard. "My apologies for dragging you off so suddenly. I feel that I should bring you to the infirmary." He explained, wondering to himself why he actually did that since he almost never explained himself to anyone.

[TAKAGI MIKU]

x

Some have to see to believe it

what a sight for the sore eyes..?

tagging : yi ji hoo
location : the university

Miku followed Ji Hoo as they entered the school. She still wasn't sure where he was taking her but she looked calm none-the-less. She was not a girl who freaked out about such things. Okay so that was a partial lie. Most people never saw her without her brother and had it been any other guy that had grabbed her wrist she probably wouldn't be as calm. However, she'd also found that it was better just to seem like you remained that way. There was no point in freaking out it could get you hurt. Miku knew how to protect herself should something happen but there were guards around and she was almost certain that the young prince didn't want to start a scandel that would help no one. Part of her was wary though. She glanced at the guards once or twice but generally kept her head foward and regarding Ji Hoo. He was different and by different in her head it meant he seemed to be far calmer than the only other royal she knew. Or at least had classes with. A small smile graced her lips again for a little bit until they turned another corner and she looked around that one.

Miku had been to the highschool infirmary only once. She had blacked out in class due to stress of something like that. She's woke up in the nurses office with Kohaku over her fretting. He nearly squished her when he'd noticed she was awake. She couldn't remember why she had blacked out but her father had taken her to the doctor the next day. She mentally shrugged the thoughts out of her head and listened for any words coming from the guards or from Ji Hoo. She was listening so very closely to the silence though. The guards that she knew were there made almost no sound unless you were trained to listen for even the slightest sound. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt eyes on her. Eyes that were not the guards that was. She opened them again to see Ji Hoo turning to look back infront of him and take them down another hallway.

He spoke moments later to her words about her father and his lack of putting her into the lime light. Miku was not a girl who wanted to be in the limelight unless it pertained to acting or somehow helping with a theatrical endeavor. She was sure her father had plans for her and that he was doing what he could to arrange a marriage for her without having her there at events that she did not shine in. Customs in Japan were a bit different. She still did not know how her father had met her mother or much about her mother's life. However, she had found just recently in their things a journal written by her mother addressed in a sense to her. She had not told her father she found it and it was one of her closely guarded secrets. She snapped back when he mentioned girls being in their right place in a sense at a ball. "I would agree with that one plus females make wonderful hostesses for such events as well." Even her words made it seem like the was smiling from them and they were soft.

Miku didn't mind being alone but she was always paranoid about events long since past. He father and her brother had assured her that all would be well. Her brother each time he had the chance to say something before he left with their father had told her to lock the doors and not let anyone in no matter what they said. He was half terrified of coming home to find her dead like their mother as Miku was of being dead in that way. She would lock the doors and sit in her room reading for the entire night until she heard the door unlock and she heard her father tell Kohaku to go directly to bed. It wouldn't be long before the old man would be in his chambers and Kohaku would make his way to her room. Being alone was something that she had gotten used too.

She snapped back to the moment at hand when Ji Hoo mentioned that fact that she was the same age as the princess. "I have seen her." She wasn't exactly going to go into details about how well or not well she knew the princess. He turned left and she looked down the hallway. They were headed to the school infirmary. She made no sign to try and turn back but there was no reason for her to go to the infirmary she was fine. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves though. He explained himself moments later. "Its alright. I thank you for your concern." Her words were genuine as she was truly thankful that he was concerned and it seemed genuinely concerned about that fact that he may have hurt her. She was sure that she was alright but she didn't say anything. It was probably a good idea just to make sure she really was alright.

Others are blind yet can feel it

..here comes the part where we start our lives

word count : xxx
notes:fun
lyrics : Broken Iris - Sight For The Sore Eyes
this was made by Nijomanco at Caution

[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

If you asked Ji Hoo if he knew he'd get himself into a situation like this, no. Certainly not. At most, he'd have expected himself to be fully awake when he went to school. But today was ruining his expectations of himself. Not exactly enough to make him doubt himself, but enough to make him step back and assess everything. Ji Hun had never been the one to doubt himself. He knew himself inside and out, so there was no room left for that. And he was raised to be confident in himself. It was rare for a royal to be insecure about themselves, and if ever there was on, he or she was hiding it well. Everyone saw the Royals as people who never knew how to step back. It was true, in a sense. If they couldn't step forward immediately, they would move sideways then proceed. No one knew how to turn back. They would find an alternative, and move on. Being a Royal meant that you knew how to move accordingly and not just did whatever you liked. Each of them had their own responsibilities, and their movements had all been drilled into them. From that trained polite smile to the way they lifted their foot off of the ground. They were trained to look impossibly elegant and sophisticated. This made Ji Hoo amused. In his view, the Royal family were only the public figures of Korea. They represented the country in all foreign affairs, and whenever they were out on a parade or some public ceremony, the guards usually strictly told everyone that the public could 'look but never touch' them. In a way, it reminded him of those items sold in antique stores. You could look at them all you like, but you should never touch them unless you wanted to buy them. In this case, in order to touch a Royal you had to work in the palace or you are a noble. Other than that, you couldn't touch them. Not unless they initiated the contact first. If someone asked him about this, he wouldn't say it out loud. It was his own opinion, and he didn't feel the need to share it with others. It was his own, and he knew if word came out that he thought it, it would reflect badly on his family. Ji Hoo didn't want that, since his family was one of the thing he cared most about. He would willingly take a bullet for them, although his body guards would beg him to reconsider. He was a prince, after all. They would ask him to let them sacrifice themselves. At that thought, Ji Hoo's eyes flew to the body guard that walked to his left. The guard had never smiled in his entire service to him. In fact, Ji Hoo had never seen his guards smile. He grew amused that the one who had appointed his guards had probably based their personalities on his after their loyalty had been tested. The young man didn't mind, of course. He had been used to having guards at a young age. When he was younger, a nanny would follow him too, along with the guards. Now, no nanny was needed since he was great at looking out for himself. And in this situation, it seemed that he was looking out for others too. He smirked inwardly, that emotionless mask on his face never faltering. "Yes, and during those events females tend to be very competitive on who has the better dress and whatnot." He said this lightly, not in a way that insulted the female kind. He had actually observed this, also he had heard that they were throwing bets on who could leave with the better bachelor after the whole event. Amusing but irritating because it was Ji Hoo and his older brother -- the one who hadn't gotten engaged yet -- that they would eye. It would be a great accomplishment to drag a prince to bed and do something other than just sleeping. He didn't react at her admission of having seen her. Almost everyone had seen her. She was, by far, the sociable one among the siblings. She should be, since she was the only princess. "Are you classmates?" He asked, glancing at her before he stopped in front of the infirmary's doors. Following the protocol, one of the guards went inside first while the two tensed, readying themselves if the need to draw their guns arose. He didn't show the least bit of emotion as he answered her next statement. "I insist. Although if you feel fine, it won't hurt to have yourself checked. I might've given you a bruise or a wound." He took a look at the guard who'd exited saying that nothing was wrong or seemed suspicious in any way. Not waiting for her, Ji Hoo entered and nodded to the nurse. "Miss, would you do me a favor and check her for any injuries??" The nurse, after getting the initial shock at seeing one of the Royals in front of her, nodded and hurried to the back to prepare a bed for a check up. He turned to the girl. "Miku, the nurse's ready for you." The moment he finished saying that, the nurse emerged with a stethoscope around her neck and a smile on her face.

[TAKAGI MIKU]

x

Some have to see to believe it

what a sight for the sore eyes..?

tagging : yi ji hoo
location : the university

When she had woken up this morning, Miku had not thought that she'd run into the Prince in the fashion that she did. Actually she hadn't expected to be in a sense in his way as he walked up to the school. Of course this was exactly the way she wanted them to meet properly either but then again things could not be changed now. She was glad that it was he who had bumped into her though. Had it been another male they may not have shown much concern or there might have been a reason to tell her brother that another male had disrespected her. Of course the Prince wouldn't with all his training and everything else. They always seemed so confident in themselves and generally that was how most of the nobility acted. That was how she was taught to act but at home it was well known that if you did something to harm her or her brother you would have to do more than just talk your way out of a punishment that would come by their hands. Miku smiled to herself glad that Kohaku had not been around to see what had happened. Of course at some point she would have to tell him what had happened. Still if she didn't get to the first class that they had together on time thing would be interesting. She mentally shook her thoughts away as glanced at Ji Hoo and then back at the guards that were with him.

Miku had always wondered why their father had not brought guards with them. He had his own actually and that really was just two body guards. One would be the driver while the other would go with their father wherever he went. The other would likely pick they up if the asked or if their father said to do so. She was sure they were being picked up from school today due to the tea and it being faster for them to take the car home to get ready. They didn't have body guards themselves like the did when they went home. She figured it was because of the fact that they took care of each other and they knew how to protect each other. Her father's body guards were a formality she figured. Of course she had not brought her thoughts up to her father seeing as she figured that was not her place and her father knew very well that Kohaku kept an eye on her as much as she did on him. He might not like the fact that the two didn't exactly want to be separated from each other for long but at least when he was working he let them be sorta.

Miku shook her thoughts away again and watched where she was going so she wouldn't run into Ji Hoo or into a wall. After all her thinking could tend to get her a little scattered brained and cause her to walk into walls. It had happened at least once before to the laughter of her peers and the concern of her brother who guided her towards their next glass and looked her over to make sure she was okay. She took a deep breath and calmed herself once again. She was sure she was alright but she was not looking forward to going to the infirmary she never looked forward to going to such places. She snapped back to reality when Ji Hoo spoke of females being competitive. "Some but not all are competitive in that way. Though we will all be disappointed should we end up in the same thing as someone else. It just doesn't set right with us." She giggled and gave him another smile. She was one to be competitive for who would be dancing with whom or if her dress was better or not but she did hate showing up to an event in something far to similar to someone else. It was a girl thing and not meant for a male to understand she didn't think.

Conversation turned to Hye Won. "Yes, I'm a class mate of hers." They stopped infront of the infirmary and part of her wanted to flee from the area but she kept herself calm and waked for the guards to come back out and tell them that all was fine. "If you insist then I must. And you are right it doesn't hurt." There was a slight amount of unease in her words that were betraying her feelings about the infirmary at the moment. She looked down as they walked in and Ji Hoo said that the nurse was ready for her. "Thank you very much." She said before walked over to the bed that the nurse had prepared for her. "Hello Miku,"said the nurse with a smile on her face knowing full well that the girl before her didn't like being in here. "I promise I'll only take a couple minutes alright."

Miku sat down on the bed and nodded her head. She let the nurse check her out but not without tensing at each little touch and having to be told to stay relaxed every so often. It took a matter of about five minutes to find that everything was okay and that there were no wounds or bruises to speak of just like Miku had predicted. She had after all fallen and rolled out of it. If she had been bruised it might have been on her tail bone but it seemed to all be fine as she felt no pain from anywhere and the nurse had found nothing either. "All checks out. You make go Miku." Miku nodded her head and walked back towards the door with a smile on her face. "I'm fine." The nurse smiled and looked at Ji Hoo. "All is well." That was all she said before she vainshed to clean up. Miku stood there feeling only slightly more relaxed now. "We should probably get to class." She gave him a small smile. "Thank you again for your concern. I'll see you this afternoon at the tea." She gave a small curtsey and headed out of the infirmary and down the hall to her class.

Others are blind yet can feel it

..here comes the part where we start our lives

word count : xxx
notes:she doesn't like the doctors lol. And we should have a tea thread
lyrics : Broken Iris - Sight For The Sore Eyes
this was made by Nijomanco at Caution

[YI JI HOO]

AND SEE MY HEART IS BLACK

Ji Hoo had never paid much attention to the girls in the academy. Not because they were ugly or anything like that, hell no. Majority of the girls in the school looked great, though most just tried their best to catch his attention and hopefully become the 'Lady' of a prince and get the special treatment. In all honesty, Ji Hoo secretly scoffed at people like these. The only thing they'd get from other people when they'd gotten his attention would be some type of discrimination. Most of the girls wanted their life to be a fairy tale, where a prince would go and sweep them off their feet. And when that happened to one, the others would gather and complain that life isn't fair. Or worse, they were going to turn against that girl and just basically start bullying her. At least, that was what Ji Hoo envisioned everything. Didn't they do that when it came to boy groups? One member would go out and admit that he was dating a girl, then the fan girls would gather and start complaining that their idol was dating a girl that didn't deserve him. Ji Hoo thought it was amusing, since all of them secretly wanted to date that certain idol. Wouldn't they have been extremely happy if that actually happened? It all sounded so ironic to the young man. Why would they want to be shackled to him -- status aside -- when it was obviously going to be momentary? Everyone knew that the princes and princess were going to be married to someone that their parents deemed worthy. That would be hard, considering that the search sometimes went to the other countries, but mostly they settled with Koreans. Their deliberation was longer than their tutoring sessions put together, which made it a long ordeal. And during that period, the prince or princess in question had no say in who he had to marry. And the thought of him getting married to someone he wouldn't know fully -- something that set him on the edge -- was enough to make the young man want to have been born something less than a royal. At least there wouldn't be all the fuss of a 'perfect marriage'. That was where everything was rooted into: giving the impression of being without a flaw. As Miku went with the nurse to get checked, Ji Hoo merely took out his iPhone 4s and started flipping through the apps that had been installed but haven't been used. Taking interest in an app called Fruit Ninja, he pressed the image and watched with suppressed amusement at the game. It looked promising. So naturally, he started playing out of boredom. He didn't bother look up from the gadget when he heard the nurse speaking to Miku in the check up area. Why did he need to look up anyway? The nurse hadn't called him. Frowning when he accidentally sliced a bomb, which led to him losing the game, he told two of the guards to go out since it had become totally cramped in the waiting space with three muscular men towering over everything. They bowed, and left without a complaint, leaving one behind. He didn't seem perturbed, and only became even more vigilant than usual. Ji Hoo could literally see his eyes shifting underneath his shades. The prince was sure that outside, the other two had stationed themselves by the door. They were enough indication that Ji Hoo was inside, since he was the only prince who remained in the high school campus. Hye Won's body guards were all female, while Ji Hoo, Hyuk Jae and Shin Hyo's were all muscular men. He looked up when the nurse and Miku emerged, his eyes unreadable as ever. It wasn't something new, he'd always mastered the art of hiding his feelings and since the eyes were a dead giveaway for a person's emotions, he'd mastered controlling his eyes first then afterwards his facial expressions. It had come naturally to him. He nodded to the nurse, and merely straightened himself since he'd gotten to leaning on the wall while waiting. "Be careful." He said over his shoulder after she hurried out of the room. Shrugging nonchalantly to himself, he returned his phone to his pocket and made his way outside the room. Figuring he might as well go to his own class room, he slowly went to the building where the senior's rooms were located, with the three of his faithful bodyguards trailing after him. The incident woke him enough to stop yawning. Perhaps there was something good in some small accidents.