Vaid6

"We can’t go back now, can we?" the Prince asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Dan-Bi stared at him, feeling the magnetic pull between them, the unspeakable truth that had been buried deep inside both of them for so long. The unspoken bond.

He didn’t reply immediately. There was nothing to say. He just stepped closer, and in that moment, all the walls they had built came crashing down.

Without thinking, the Prince reached out, his hand brushing against Dan-Bi’s. It was subtle—an accidental touch—but it was enough to spark something neither could ignore.

Dan-Bi’s breath caught, and for a brief moment, he wanted to pull away, to push the Prince out of his life before it went any further. But he couldn't.

Instead, he leaned in, his lips brushing against the Prince’s in a kiss that was soft at first. But then, the kiss deepened, and everything that had been left unsaid, everything that had been buried under the surface for so long, came to life in that one moment.

It wasn’t just a kiss; it was a declaration. Of something neither of them had been ready to admit, but something they both knew was inevitable.

UNHIDDEN BLOSSOM

Dan-Bi had not dodged the question—he had thrown it right back, as if he were the one holding the upper hand.

Jin-Seok wasn't sure if he admired it—

Or if it made him want to break Dan-Bi's composure just to see what lay beneath.

Jin-Seok leaned forward, closing the space between them ever so slightly.

"You enjoy playing games," Jin-Seok said, his voice dropping just enough to be dangerous. "But tell me, Dan-Bi—do you know what happens when you play with fire?"

Dan-Bi tilted his head, unconcerned.

"You either get burned," he mused, taking a slow sip of tea, "or you learn how to control the flames."

"You are no ordinary scholar," he pressed, voice lower now. "You speak as if you know the weight of a throne. You ask questions that should have been buried long ago. So I'll ask again—who are you?"

Dan-Bi set his cup down gently, but his fingers remained curled around it, as if grounding himself.

Dan-Bi leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper.

It was not the answer itself that caught him off guard.

As if he could tell him something.

Something deep inside Jin-Seok twisted—something close to anticipation, something dangerously close to curiosity he should not be feeling.

His fingers twitched against the table.

Dan-Bi's gaze remained unreadable.

The air between them was thick, charged—

Then, just as quickly as it had built, Dan-Bi leaned back and smiled, light and effortless.

"But of course," he added smoothly, "I am simply a scholar, Your Highness. What more could I possibly be?"

Jin-Seok exhaled through his nose.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to interrogate him further—

Or if he wanted to drag the truth from him by force.

Chapter Thirty-Three: A Line Crossed