Covert Operation - 03

“Northerner Crown Prince, can you strip?” Kazuki turned to the Northerner with a gentle smile but the Northerner acted hostile. The man frowned and backed. Oh, was it the way he addressed him? He realized he called him Northerner and sure, he wouldn’t mind being called a Southerner; perhaps, Yoshiro wouldn’t like being called as such.

He was about to retract his words when a sword was suddenly brought up to his throat. He calmly chuckled, “Oh, that was quick---“

“What are your motives?”

He felt the tip sink into his flesh. He gulped and it didn’t help; he felt a cold and sharp blade just on his skin. Still, he smiled, “I wanted to see your wounds---“

“No need to. It’s healed. Besides, why did you bring me here---“

“I didn’t ask you to but you followed me. I thought you wanted me to check up on you. Besides, you were in that…indecent place, being, uh, being---”

He felt the tip pressed on him again; he saw how the Northerner blushed, being caught in a place like that.

“You did not see me there. I was not there. You never saw me there. This never happened,” Yoshiro pressed his sword, “This never happened.” Then he sheathed his sword and walked for the door.

He smiled, and sank into a chair, massaging his throat. He felt endeared, knowing that man wouldn’t harm him even if he could. He asked, “What are you doing there, anyways, Yoshiro?”

Yoshiro sharply turned and glared at him, “Didn’t I say---“ the man scoffed but timidly answered, “I wanted to see the places of Kaisen so I asked a stranger where I could find luxury.”

He cracked up, loudly laughing, and even hit the table near him a few times. When he was finished, he looked at a terrified Yoshiro. Ashamed of being seen in this behavior by a Northerner Royal, he coughed to his side a few times. Sometimes, he still forgets that he is royalty.

“Why did you laugh?”

He looked up and saw Yoshiro seated across him. He took a deep inhale; the man looked so clueless. Should he break that innocence on him? He seemed really eager to know the truth. He cleared his throat and served the both of them tea. Yoshiro graciously received and drank but was still curious.

He offered a smile and calmly, calmly, without laughing, explained to Yoshiro. “Luxury means bathhouses by commoners especially in rural regions such as---“ he couldn’t help it. He laughed. He broke out, laughing while Yoshiro realized the horror that he barely escaped from. Yoshiro had vowed his purity for the person who he shall marry. It's uncommon for royalties to do such, especially when the palace women are for their taking.

Yoshiro sat, frozen and completely embarrassed. He wanted to jab at him, too, then realized, he was at the same place that he was. He asked, louder than he laughed, “Stop laughing; you aren’t innocent! You were there as well and why!?”

He stopped laughing but still retained that ecstatic smile. “I bought myself some clothes for tonight’s fireworks fest.”

Yoshiro frowned, “Why there---“

He stood up and took some of the clothes he brought, “Look at it. Isn’t it beautiful?” He unfolded one of the fabrics and urged Yoshiro to touch it.

Yoshiro thought of the place the fabric came from. He felt disgusted, didn’t want to but complied for nicety’s sake. His expression softened into surprise, “It’s soft---“

“And cheaper without the additional price to pay for a middleman!”

The man across him frowned, “But why? Why do you buy from places like that?”

He raised his brow as he observed Yoshiro then it dawned on him. This is the pampered son of the Northern Royal Family, the family rumored to be richer than the Emperor of China. This man does not know anything about saving resources because he (probably) baths in gold.

He chuckled, “You’re spoiled, raised in a palace and waited on constantly. You wouldn’t understand---“

“Is the South as poor as to let his son shop in a market like that? Oh, I remember why. You are the second son. In other words, the least important son. You wouldn’t be able to spend as much as your older brother can because you are not as important as him, are you?” Yoshiro impishly grinned.

Oh. That did hurt, but Kazuki kept his chin up. He faked a smile but turned out to be a sarcastic one. He leaned towards Yoshiro, placing his arms on the table, and calmly whispered, “I should have left you to die in that river, you ungrateful swine.”

Instead of drawing swords, Yoshiro dealt with him, just as calmly as the other man did. He placed his arms on the table and leaned towards him as well, all the while bearing that impish grin. “Too late to regret now, secondborn. I am alive and breathing. What are you going to do now?”

He glared but continued smiling at this little bastard, “Do you know where you are right now? You are in my room. I could do anything to you when I want to.”

“Then fight me.” Yoshiro smiled in a way he oddly found as sexy, provocative, suggestive, a turn---stop.

He froze upon realizing where his thoughts were leading to. Well, Yoshiro was a beautiful man, no doubt about that; he knew it from the first time they met but----stop thinking! He urged himself to. He decided their little mocking game has gone too far. He didn’t mind if he’d be the loser. That won’t be uncomfortable but their situation was and he wanted to get out of it. He leaned away from Yoshiro, “Maybe, you should just go.”

He heard a little chuckle from Yoshiro. “What’s the matter, secondborn? Have you accepted defeat?”

Yoshiro sat up and leaned over the table to get even closer to him. His hand gently pushed everything off the table. This man didn’t know just when to stop and has probably no idea what he was doing. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked away from those eyes. He felt Yoshiro just taunting him and eventually, gave in. He stared at him and touched the man’s lower lip with his finger.

Yoshiro’s glare softened. He almost looked confused but that was understandable. He didn’t expect him to touch his lip like that. He wanted to back off but felt too stunned to move.

He stared at Yoshiro’s lips longingly, “You,” he paused to breathe, to control himself, “Your lips are dry. Have something wet---” He paused and criticized himself. He was a well-read, an educated doctor but wet? Of all the words he could’ve used, he chose wet but he’s already said it. He smiled uncomfortably, “Then you should go.”

Yoshiro gulped, broke off the eye contact, and nodded. He realized he should’ve behaved himself, that he should not have gone that far. He stared at the fallen teapot. Its’ contents were still intact. He picked that up, turned away from Kazuki, drank directly from the pot then licked his lips. He tightened his outer belt, stared at him, and quickly left.

He let out a deep breath when he heard the door close. He gulped and closed his eyes then opened them. All he saw in the darkness was that memory of Yoshiro smiling at him. He threw his palm on his face, Ah, good lords of heaven, why? He decided to brush what happened off just as Yoshiro suggested. Curses, he thought of Yoshiro again---it was over! He focused on his duties, on choosing what clothes to wear for tonight’s festival. That was all there is to. His eyes wandered off to that clothing Yoshiro touched. Hmm, that wasn’t bad at all. Maybe, he should wear it.