Chapter 2: Namjoon Being A Smart Gay

...“Father! I’m telling you! We should--”...

...“No, Namjoon. I’m not opening the ball to the public,” The king interrupted, letting out a tired sigh....

...“And why not?” Namjoon argued. “It would be beneficial to the morale of our people! You and I and everyone in the kingdom has been down since Mom’s death! So much so that they haven’t seen much of the royal family lately! How are we supposed to be close to our citizens and gain their trust and support if we don’t do anything for them anymore ? Father, it’s time to stop grieving and instead appreciate the time you had with Mom...”...

...The king paused in his rebuttal, reverting to solemn silence....

...“... C’mon, it’ll be good for you. You can have fun and enjoy some time with the people. I know you were close with quite a few of them and you probably miss them. And you know, they probably miss you too...” Namjoon urged....

...“... You were always so smart, Joon-ah. Just like your mother,” The king sighed, smiling melancholically. “You make a valid point. I shall open the ball to the people,” he conceded....

...Namjoon, who was happy to hear his decision, still did not rejoice, for he knew what was coming next. “But you still have to find a possible bride at the ball, Namjoon-ah,” The king reminded him....

...Namjoon sucked in a breath, nervous. His hands grew clammy and his heartbeat quickened. You see, he wasn’t against it, knowing that he would need someone to support him during his rule--and with his father getting older, that day was only getting nearer--but, “But father,.. What if they weren’t royal?.. Or… Not even female?...” Namjoon asked quietly....

...“Well, I suppose that would be alright,” the king answered casually, like he was simply talking about what to have for dinner, and not a topic that Namjoon had mulled over for hours on end, wondering how to bring it up and build up his courage to even be able to....

...Namjoon looked up in disbelief, not quite trusting what he had heard. I mean, there’s no way, right? “I-It’s alright?” Namjoon asked warily....

...“Yes? Namjoon, are you alright?” His father asked, like he was the one who had said something strange....

...“Yeah… Yeah,” Namjoon answered dazedly, finally processing his agreement. “But… but why?” Namjoon asked, confused. He was sure that his father wouldn’t have agreed so easily. He had even articulated arguments with comebacks and compelling reasonings, ready to make his case. For his father to agree so simply. So easily, without any convincing, he just couldn’t believe it....

...“Well, you’re a smart boy. You’d probably argue something like, ‘Diplomatic marriages are often unhappy without adequate bonding and all that, making them fragile and less beneficial to the kingdom than a trusted bond between husband and wife,’ or something like that,” the king answered nonchalantly, like it was obvious....

...Namjoon looked at him, dumbfounded. That was indeed one of the arguments he had listed down on the parchment in his room. Almost word for word, too, if not for the ‘husband and wife’ part among a few other things....

...“Had he read it!? How did he even know?! And there’s no way he could’ve found it! He’s shit at looking for things!” Namjoon reasoned to himself, eyes widening at the thought of his dad searching through his room. “But... There’s no other explanation I can think of!… Well, I might as well ask since he’s already probably searched my room. I have nothing to lose now,” Namjoon thought, letting out a sigh of acceptance....

...“How did you know that was one of my arguments? There’s no way you could’ve come up with that on the fly,” Namjoon asked, partly amazed, confused, and scared....

...“Wow. I’m smart enough to come up with a reason ‘on the fly,’” His father said petulantly....

...“Not one as good as that,” Namjoon stated....

...“Lowkey offended, but true. Is that what you kids say nowadays? ‘Lowkey?’” He agreed begrudgingly, trying out some “modern lingo.”...

...“Uh… Yeah, but I advise that you stick to the words you know, dad. It sounds kinda weird when you say it…” Namjoon said, cringing slightly....

...“Alright, alright.” he agreed. “Anyway, to answer your question; No, I didn’t come up with that argument on the spot.”...

...“Then how’d you say it?” Namjoon asked, worried that his father might’ve actually looked through his room....

...“Well, your mom wasn’t royal either,” the king answered....

...“What?! But you’ve never told me this before!” Namjoon exclaimed, shocked....

...“Yeah, well you never asked.”...

...Namjoon spluttered at his father’s reply. Waving off his son’s flustered reaction, the king continued....

...“Anyway, to convince my parents to let me marry your mother, I spent all day locked up in my room, thinking of good arguments and writing them down on a piece of parchment. Then I memorized them and brought my case up to my parents. I’ve kept that piece of parchment up to this day. It gives me fond memories.”...

...“Wow, I guess we’re more alike than I thought,” Namjoon mused....

...“Your mother used to laugh at me for writing all my arguments down, saying that I was such a dork, but I knew she loved it. It showed her that I cared,” his father said, reminiscing....

...“Yeah, she would do that,” Namjoon chuckled, his laugh tinged with faint longing....

...“As for the gay part, did you really think I wouldn’t know?” the king said, smiling at his son knowingly, a mischievous glint in his eyes....

...Namjoon spluttered once more. “Pfft! Then, why did you leave me to worry about how to bring it up for weeks if you already knew?!”...

...“Well, where’s the fun in that? Besides, a king must have courage,” he answered wisely....

...“That’s bullshit. You just wanted to laugh at my pain, didn’t you,” Namjoon said, calling him out....

...The king chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, I did. Also, if it's only open to girls that's technically not everyone,” he finished with a nonchalant shrug....

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