[Fic] The Last Prince [3/14]
3. Journey to the Past
"Now, now, that's enough," the orphanage caretaker scowled, dragging the eighteen year old by the collar on his coat. The windows of the large rundown building were full of sad faces, each waving or crying or both.
"I'll see you guys later okay? I'll be back-"
"I'd rather you not come dawdling back," Kim Heechul interrupted.
"But you let Hankyung come back all the time," Youngwoong protested and would have continued if a very sudden jerk of his coat collar didn't cut off his air supply.
"He pays back in labor," Heechul dismisses but he does slow down his pace. Youngwoong grew up with many of these children and as orphans, these children were as close as family. Heechul had an institution to run and while that made him quite the realist, the caretaker does have a heart.
The Junior Orphanage survived on charity. Sustained by meager government funds and personal donations, the institution was run down as is. It was almost necessary for them to kick out the children once they reached their eighteenth birthday. Some returned and became unpaid but fed and housed caretakers, others left and never came back.
Youngwoong came to them eight years ago during the winter with no memory of anything but French literature. Heechul will never be sure how a child of ten was able to recite foreign poetry-probably a survivor of the Winter Ravage, he reckons-but it hadn't been in the caretaker's business to know who these children were. If they were this far out in the woods with nothing but the clothes on their back, Heechul would take them in without a second thought.
The child had been bright for his age and musically talented. He made many friends easily as his cold and mistrustful exterior melted away. Even though the orphanage was a gloomy place in the deep forest, they created a little singing and dancing group for fun, naming it after the orphanage itself. They called themselves 'Super Juniors' and somehow, through the child's shameless promotions and Heechul's silent approval, the name stuck.
Kangin, an older caretaker who left a couple years before, had been so amused with the twelve year old's feat and commented, "You're like a little hero, aren't you?"
Even since then, the child had gone by the name 'Youngwoong'. Even though Youngwoong himself was rather embarrassed by it, all the other children refused to call him any other name.
"Super Junior!" someone called from the window and an echo of the cries began.
"Oh shut it!" Heechul growled, but the children merely yelled louder.
"Remember to listen to Leeteuk-hyung!" Youngwoong called back and most of the children chorused back a resounding 'yes'.
The orphanage's owner and main caretaker, Park Jungsu, aka Super Junior's leader Leeteuk, merely laughed at the doorway, waving goodbye to the leaving Youngwoong, and Heechul huffed.
"Oh you make Jungsu-hyung the leader and what am I? Chopped liver?" Heechul scoffs with a roll of his eyes.
"And remember to annoy the heck out of Heechul-hyung!" Youngwoong yelled much to the children's and Leeteuk's delight. Heechul wasn't as amused but he still cracked a smile. It would be hard to see this boy go, but Heechul was almost certain Youngwoong wouldn't return.
"Get out now," Heechul said, shoving the boy out the gate and closing the metal grating in his face.
"I'll be back," Youngwoong promises with a cheeky smile. "After all, since Kangin-hyung left, you'll need an extra helping hand."
"Don't you dare," Heechul whispered through the bars, forcing Youngwoong to lean in to hear. "Don't you dare come back before you make it to Paris."
Youngwoong backed away in surprise. Heechul extends his fisted hand through the iron bars and slowly uncurls his fingers from a silver cross.
"But-the chain broke-this-I thought I lost this years ago!" Youngwoong gasped.
"I found it, obviously," Heechul chuckled, tilting his hand so the earring fell into Youngwoong's trembling hands. "I don't have any chains around here so I just attached it an earring fastening."
"Thank you," Youngwoong beamed as he immediately angles his head to slip on the earring.
"Someone in this world really loves you," Heechul continues. He had been a jeweler before the Revolutionaries emerged and destroyed the economy of Korea. While the cross was simple in design, its craftsmanship was undeniable and its touch was different than any cheap metal. It had definitely been a costly custom order, if the 'Made in France' insignia around pendant's fastening said anything. "And if they're waiting for you…"
"Together in Paris," Youngwoong breaths, touching the hanging cross affectionately. "If they're still alive, they'll be in Paris."
"So don't you dare come back until you've made it to Paris," Heechul declares, but he does soften his gaze for a moment before adding, "But if you don't find them, if they're no longer there, remember, we are also your family."
"How will I prove to you I made it to Paris?" Youngwoong jokes, trying but failing to hide his obvious embarrassment for such a heartfelt statement.
"Of course you're going to bring back a souvenir," Heechul grins. "Clothes, cologne, anything from the fashion capital."
"How?" Youngwoong asks, finally confessing his insecurities. True, as a child, he always broadcasted that he would make it to France singlehandedly, but as he grew up, the realties for a nonexistent orphan became more and more clear.
With Korea's economy in the slumps, he only has two way of traveling to France. By air with the Americans who financed the South or by land through Northern Korea with the Revolutionaries. With the heavy anti-foreigner sentiments sweeping the nation, Youngwoong was sure that if he did leave that way, he'd have no way of returning to Korea. Not to mention he'd need proper identification. By land was tricky too because the Revolutionaries were moody. One day, they'd left anyone and everyone through their borders; the next, they'd shoot whoever got close. That is, unless one was a Revolutionary.
France was very far away. Ridiculously far away for an eighteen year old boy with no money, no background and not even a name.
Heechul was silent for a moment, struggling with himself. He had a friend in the city who was a little obsessed with a crazy plan. A friend who wanted to cast someone to pretend to be the last prince of the Kims. A friend who could get to Europe, to France. But this friend, well, Heechul wasn't sure if he condoned what his friend wanted to do, especially if the motive was money.
He looks at Youngwoong, a young boy who came to them the night of the Winter Ravage, who recited French literature and just turned the age their lost prince would have. While it had always wriggled in the back of Heechul's mind, the orphanage caretaker finally wonders. It was scary how many of the pieces came together and how much sense it all made.
Could he be?
And it takes another moment of silent debate before Heechul finally says, "When you get to Seoul, find Jung Yunho. He'll be able to take you to Paris."
"Jung Yunho?" Youngwoong repeats, committing the name to memory.
As Heechul watches the just of age boy run down the snowy path towards Seoul, he wonders whether he did the right thing. After all, Yunho had been apart of the Revolutionaries at one point and that was enough to make Heechul scared for Youngwoong. Especially if Youngwoong truly was Kim Jaejoong.
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A/N: I've decided to add the song itself at the end of each chapter ('cause they're amazing and I loved this ever since it came out) so if you've never seen the movie here are the songs XD
Click to viewI love this song...for those of you who have seen the movie, I'm sorry there's no dancing in the snow. I originally meant for this story to be extremely light hearted with silliness and love and fluff, but I'm thinking it'll actually be a semi-serious story, haha.