Chapter 22: an addition to the group

hongjoong pushed the door open, revealing the huge hall inside. there was a big chandelier hanging from the ceiling, crystals attached to it and everything.

"wow..." wooyoung whispered, stepping forward. there were so many people there that he was scared of getting lost or something. "I thought no one lived here."

"all of them are part of the royal army" hongjoong answered quickly. "but let us be quiet now, okay wooyoung?"

"right..." wooyoung answered quietly.

they stayed quiet as they listened to the whispers from the people around them. the whispers stopped as everyone saw the group. there was a silence before a loud voice broke the silence.

"hongjoong! you came back!" a male voice yelled from the top of the stairs. wooyoung looked up and saw a tall man with brown hair waving at them. "I'll be right there!" he yelled again and jumped down from the second floor, startling wooyoung a little.

"mingi... what did I say about yelling and jumping down from upper floors?" hongjoong glared at the taller male. "or did you perhaps forget?" he smirked.

"I'm sorry!" mingi grinned. "but I haven't seen you in a while, I was starting to get a little worried..."

" I was away for 2 months.." hongjoong raised an eyebrow. "I've been gone for much longer periods, remember?" he glared at the tall boy, but relaxed and laughed at the end.

"right.." mingi laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry." he bowed. "anyway, who is this new guy next to yeosang?" he tilted his head, waving at wooyoung who was a little frozen at the moment.

"he's wooyoung, from earth." yeosang voiced, startling mingi a little. "I took him with me."

"you kidnapped him."

"he gave me consent, hongjoong!"

"still kidnapped him."

"fine, whatever." yeosang huffed. "anyways, he decided to come with me, said he was interested in space or whatever." he shrugged and pushed wooyoung a little so he could introduce himself to mingi.

"h- hi." wooyoung smiled nervously, raising his hand so he could shake hands with mingi. "I'm wooyoung." he added.

"nice to meet you, wooyoung!" mingi smiled and gladly took the hand and shook it. "I'm mingi, as you already know. I'm hongjoong's personal assistant or whatever it was." he grinned. "so, you're from... earth?"

"uh, y- yeah." wooyoung stuttered a little, feeling a bit intimidated about mingi.

"jeez, you seem really nervous there, earthling." mingi giggled. "no need to be nervous, though, I won't bite."

"yet" another voice joined the conversation.