Would you look at that? I've finally practiced some self control! Less than 4000 words. A good start anyway,

Say that you're proud of me🥺

And, I apologize🙇‍♀️ I'm very, very sorry to keep you guys waiting for soo long.

This chapter took way longer than it should to come out. With college resuming and some current issues going on with my personal life, the motivation to write hasn't been there. Just as much, but I'm getting past it slowly. The next chapter will be here soon.

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Comment inline with Oddinary with your OC's name + your fav track from the ordinary album❤️

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Enjoy the chapter ;) And thank you for reading💜

"How in the world are you soo strong?" Wooyoung gawked at the older woman, still very much shaken. 

"Huh?" Yun Hyeok broke into a soft smile. "It's not about strength, it's about the correct technique. I mean, look at me..." She waved her exposed arms, due to her rolled-up sleeves. "Do these chicken arms look like they have too much strength?" 

"You have plenty of strength if you broke that apple apart like it was made of styrofoam-!" Changbin said, his eyes still wide. He had a hard time registering whatever just happened. 

"Can we please move past this apple incident?" Yun Hyeok, ducked her head, suddenly very overwhelmed with all the attention. Surprising her, Chan discreetly grabbed her hand and made her sit down.

"Guys, can we quit staring at the poor woman like she's a painting in an exhibition? Like I know it's rare to find someone strong enough to split an apple apart but can we minimize the stares?" Sana looked at them before returning to her pancakes and maple syrup. 

"Yep, quit staring!" Seonghwa glared at Wooyoung, San and Jongho who still were, very much staring. "Yes, Hyung!" The three maknaes chorused before looking down to their plates. 

"It's almost surprising how obedient they are." Chan appalled before giving a look of absolute disgust towards the boys. "Hey! I'm not that bad!" Changbin protested, pouting! Chae, Sana and Momo snorted in unison, making the other girls also look away to hide their smiles.

"You of all people, Changbin shouldn't be saying that," Sana tutted, grabbing her plate and dumping it at the sink. "Noona~" Changbin whined, earning a chorus of giggles from the entire table. "Just teasing you, Binnie," Momo gently ruffled his hair, joining Sana. Changbin sat back, pouting and was sulking until he saw Hajun giggling away with Wonhan and Yun Hyeok. Now that brought a smile to his face. 

"Honestly, they're just being obedient because I know stuff about them that would very much make them lose faces. And given the circumstances, that's the last thing they want." Seonghwa shot a glance at the boys who were very much focused on their breakfasts, before looking back at Chan.

"I need to learn how to do that," Chan shook his head, focusing on his plate. "Hyung, you're making it sound like it's worse than it actually is," Han tried arguing but clamped his lips when Chan slammed his chopsticks on the table. "Says the one who almost gave me a cardiac arrest last night!" "Chan, give it a rest, he apologized." Sana glared and that was the end of it. 

You've ever had the moment where you got the chance to sit next to your lifelong crush? And also had to sit next to the person who you also strongly disliked? If you did, then you have a very clear idea of what Eun Kyung was feeling right now. 

While Lee Know was being the perfect gentleman and made everything easier for her. Be it pulling the food tray a bit closer so that she didn't have to struggle to reach whatever she wanted or letting one of his hands hang beside him so that Eun Kyung have more space to rest her hands; this guy was a dream come true.

Meanwhile, Yunho was yet another story. While he too made sure she didn't have to struggle with anything, he was annoying her whilst being a gentleman. Eun Kyung honestly couldn't decide if she ought to thank him or punch his daylights out. 

"How're your feet, Yunho? Do you feel any better than last night?" Lee Know questioned Yunho, turning to face the man. But whilst doing that, he didn't realize that he was giving Eun Kyung mini heart attacks. She was in a daze, the close proximity with Lee Know being responsible. She had her fair share of discreet staring and quick glances at the past years but watching him from up close was something Eun Kyung could never get used to.

"The pain's still there but I hope it'll be fine in a day or two," Yunho answered, politely. The Prince was after all, older than him by a year. "What hit you anyway? Cause judging by the way you're limping, I'd guess someone stomped on them."

Eun Kyung almost choked on her juice at Lee Know's words. Damn Lee Know and his wit! Hastily composing herself, she glanced at Yunho who had a playful smirk on his face. "Actually someone-" "I WAS SAYING-" She needed to shut this guy up! Given that her listeners were less than a hand's distance away from her, Eun Kyung's tone was loud.  But nonetheless, the boys remained composed and turned their attention to her.

"You were saying, Ms Charlotte?" Lee Know asked, a small smile resting on his lips. 'Gosh please stop smiling like that' Eun Kyung internally begged before clearing her throat. 

"I was just saying that yes indeed, his highness' feet do look very injured. I was wondering if he had the chance to take a visit to the hospital and get himself checked, just in case." Eun Kyung offered Yunho a tight-lipped smile, internally groaning at how that smirk of his never wiped off.

"I agree with Ms Charlotte," Lee Know nodded. "You should make a visit, just in case." Yunho nodded, before pausing. "I think I should." Before smiling down at Eun Kyung. "I was just wondering if Miss Charlotte would like to accompany me since everyone else is busy?" 

Before Eun Kyung could protest, Yunho whispered in her ear. "Say yes or I'll tell everyone that you're the bulldozer that crushed my precious toes."  The urge to punch the living daylights out of this guy was never stronger. "It would be my pleasure," She gritted out, rolling her eyes.

"How kind of you, Ms Charlotte," Lee Know's smile did momentarily overlap the anger she felt towards Yunho but she was still contemplating whether to knee him in the balls or crush his toes a bit further. A bit more couldn't hurt right, since they were going to the hospital anyway?

"Just Eun Kyung will be fine, Lee Know-ssi," She smiled, "And just Lee Know will be fine," He smiled back and Eun Kyung damn near fainted! The way he watched her with a hand cradling his face, the almost non-existent smile on his face! 

Just how the heck did he make something as simple and trivial as smiling soo damn endearing and attractive?

"I'll meet you at the porch," Yunho cheekily smiled before limping away. Eun Kyung groaned, very much done with this guy. As she turned to curse out at his retreating figure, she rather felt sorry at how he limped his way up the stairs.

'Nah!' She shook her head. 'Whatever it may be, I shouldn't have hurt him this bad.'

"I'm nervous," Yuriko announced, making Jieun and Risa choke on whatever they were eating, rather loudly. "Oh my God, are you okay?" Momo gasped, followed closely by Yukio. They gently thumped at their backs to clear the airflow. 

"Yeah, we're fine..." Risa wheezed, reaching for a glass of water. "Eat slowly, aish!" Yun Hyeok nagged, before returning to chat with Chae about whatever. 

"You're nervous?" Jieun hissed, her voice still ragged from the choking. "You! Kim Yuriko?! You're nervous?! What about?!" It was honestly a monumental moment for Jieun. 

Of all the years of knowing and having Yuriko's back, this girl, never once in her life admitted to being scared or nervous about anything. Jieun knew that it was typical rich girl behaviour but she was actually kinda used to watching Yuriko having her nose stuck in the air. "About..." Yuriko hesitated, her gaze fixated on her lap.

"About...?" Risa inquired, raising an eyebrow. She had been around Yuriko long enough to know she definitely wasn't the type to be nervous about anything. "About; about thanking Prince Jeongin," Now Risa snorted. Even Jieun was giggling. And while that didn't really catch the eyes of most people, Hyunjin and Lee Know were rather amused, watching the girls giggle and tease Yuriko, who had turned a furious shade of red from all the blushing.

Lee Know wasn't gonna admit it, but he found himself in a fix. Before meeting these two girls, he thought he had a pretty good grip on his emotions. But now? He was charmed by Eun Kyung as much as he was fascinated by Jieun. 

Jieun was soft, adorable and just someone Lee Know wanted to protect at all costs. And Eun Kyung, while he hadn't interacted with her that much, he had watched her enough to know that she was cold, straightforward and beneath that, she had a childlike presence that she didn't quite show. 

Well unless she was with Yunho that is. These two rather intrigued Lee Know. One might expect some sort of awkwardness between a foreign prince and a noble lady but between them; awkwardness or any whatsoever restraints ran with its tail between its legs.

Though their bickering, while contained, it was obvious and hilarious to those who looked closely. Leaning back to his chair, Lee Know simply decided to let the tide roll. After all, he was a big believer in destiny.

Meanwhile, Hyunjin was rather intrigued by someone who he remembered as the 'polka dot girl'. Risa was the polar opposite of Ryanne and Hyunjin was very much focused on Ryanne and her troublemaking reputation. But he had since been very much disappointed so being sullen wasn't exactly a choice. He asked for that,

Watching Risa was like watching 1080p HD motion picture after watching silent, black-and-white films almost his entire life. She was nothing like you'd expect a noble lady to be. She laughed loudly, without bothering to cover up her mouth. She snorted, and ate without worrying about the diets most nobles were mostly obsessed with and she was just different. 

What really amused him was how she panicked and looked away whenever they had the slightest eye contact. The light pinkish cheekbones gave away the fact that she did indeed fancy him. But unlike the other women he'd come across his entire life, she didn't have the tendency to pretend that she could give two fewer shits about him. 

Hyunjin liked that there was no pretence in Risa. Nothing fake. 'Maybe I should give it a shot,' He thought to himself. 'How bad can it get? I'll give it a shot.'

It was on that day that Hyunjin decided to try and open his heart to someone. What he didn't know was that if people were rain, he was drizzle and Risa was a storm. A storm that would in the future, successfully uproot a lot of his past beliefs and thoughts. And he wasn't anywhere near prepared for it.

"It's just thanking him ffs! You're not asking for his hand in marriage! So calm the frick down and just go for it, girl!" Jina encouraged as Yuriko stood almost 10 feet away from Jeongin who was engaged in a conversation with Jongho. 

"I'm nervous okay!" Yuriko cried out, desperately. The feeling of nervousness was quite new to her. "Yeah well, no shit Yuriko but you gotta start talking to him someday." Yukiyo giggled silently. "Or do you want him to remember you as the girl who got hit with something his Hyung threw?" 

"No hell nah!" Needless to say, that was enough motivation for Yuriko needed to bite her tongue and just go for it. "How did you even do that?" Jina asked, looking at Yukiyo who was watching the whole thing go down, her arms crossed and an amused smirk on her face. 

"Simple, I just gave her an insight into what will happen if she doesn't go for it. People usually respond to motivation when delivered in the most twisted possible way." "Big brains," Jina nodded, before focusing on the event that made Kim Yuriko nervous. Quite an event I tell you, given that Jieun and Risa were also peeking to look at the same scenario. 

"Excuse me," Jeongin looked up at the soft voice and found the same girl from last night. The girl in the pink dress and a bruise on the side of her forehead. The small petite girl sparked up Jeongin's interest with her actions.

"Is it alright if I have a word with his Highness?" Yuriko's stomach was twisting in knots even boy scouts would run from and she was basically begging that she didn't throw her breakfast up at this very gorgeous person in front of her. 

'I should've listened to Jieun Eunnie and ditched the last doughnut,' She thought to herself as Jeongin rose to his feet and gave her a smile. "Of course, let's go, Ms Kim," 

'Please don't faint! Please don't faint! Please don't faint!' She begged herself, following him to the balcony.

"Yes," He turned to look at her, still smiling.  A white t-shirt, black jeans and his brown hair sat in a fluffy mess atop his head. Yuriko knew why she had been hung up on this guy for soo god damn long! How could she not, when he was this beautiful?

"I just-" She began twisting her fingers behind her back. This nervousness stuff wasn't the best feeling in this world. "I just...uh..wanted to; wanted to thank you." Sucking in a sharp breath, Yuriko basically twisted her fingers further up at dangerous angles, trying to force the anxiety out of her body through her fingers. "For last night. When you...uh...helped me. Yeah, that's what I wanted to say." 

Finally! Finally mustering enough courage to look him in the eye and yes! He was still smiling. This time, even brighter.  "Why Ms Kim-" "Yuriko," She interrupted him. "I'd like it if his highness called me my name," Anyone could see how furiously she blushed and Jeongin found that really adorable.

"Then same here. I'd prefer to be called by the name my parents gave me, Yuriko." The way he said her name, made Yuriko almost go into a case of anime nose bleed. But she held on.

"It's a very pretty name so I understand your- er, Jeongin," "Now that's more like it! And no need to thank me. It was my pleasure!" It took everything in Yuriko not to hold her heart and gasp at how freaking gorgeous he was. His cute facial gestures when he listened intently to what she had to say, only a crazy person wouldn't at least be endeared by him.

Suddenly, Jeongin glanced to his side and there was a sudden shift in his body language. "If that's all, I'd like to go first, Yuriko. There's something I need to do," He said, rather shyly. 

"Huh!?" Yuriko was still in daze. Quickly snapping out of it, she nodded vigorously. "Yeah yeah! Sure, go ahead Jeongin! Thank you again,"  "As I said, it's no problem," With that, he was off. And Yuriko was left to drag herself back into the castle, still in a daze. Well enough to not have noticed the person approaching her until she walked straight into his chest.

"Well hello, Ms Kim," The only voice in 2 kingdoms that made her throat go dry and her heart go crazy against her chest. Some 3 stories up from everything, Chan roamed around the library looking for a book that he intended on reading.

Wandering around the rows and columns of bookshelves, he finally hummed in appreciation as he found the book. Walking around aimlessly, his eyes and focus were solely on the book as he skimmed through the pages.

"Psst Channie!" A voice hissed from somewhere. Confused, Chan looked up from his book. 'I must be hearing things!' He shrugged before refocusing on the script. Which wasn't really something he could rule out since he did live with a very noisy bunch of people.

"Bang Chan!" He looked up from his book, looking around the library. In search of the owner of the voice. Nothing. 'Hm! Weird!' He shrugged, "CHRISTOPHER BANG CHAN!" Now he knew he was who was calling him. But where was she? "Noona?!" Chan looked around, searching for the body that belonged to the voice.

"Up here, you dumb dumb!" Chan looked up at the bookshelf he was standing in front of him and nearly had a heart attack as he found Sana seated on the top of it. "Shit-!" Chan hissed, clutching his shirt above his chest. "What in the world are you doing over there?!" He automatically extended a hand to help her down.

"Waiting for you, duh!" Sana grabbed his hand before landing on the floor. "Why?" He raised an eyebrow. "Cause we need to talk." Sana dusted her jeans like it was nothing. And Chan was confused.

Anytime he and Sana needed to talk in private, it'd either be in his study or Sana's office. Now suddenly, in a library?! That too after scaring the living daylights out of him?!

"Sure as heck we do!" The remnants of his anger from the ball suddenly jumped back in. "Why is she-!?!" "Now don't you dare finish that sentence!" Sana glared before taking a seat on the plush velvet armchairs that were placed for comfort while reading.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence cause you and I both know that you're glad she's here!" And once again, Sana had left him speechless. "She's our best friend Channie!" The older woman sighed, looking out of the window. "Of course, I'm gonna invite her. If not anything, at least we get to see her after 5 freaking years!" Chan sighed, before taking the seat beside Sana.

He wasn't gonna lie and say that he wasn't glad she was here. Seeing your own best friend after all these years sure did come as a relief. "I can't believe she actually managed not to visit or call for 5 years!" Chan groaned, his head on top of his knees.

"Says the one." Sana jibed, "Even we didn't visit her for 5 straight years!" "But we were busy-!" "You think she wasn't, Channie?!" Sana glared, making Chan retreat like a kicked puppy. "Let's face it. We've been shit friends to each other." 

Now that stung. To say, to hear and to admit. Yes, they had very much been shit friends. "And she is mad at you," "FOR SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW!" Chan yelled out, pulling on the roots of his hair. "She left without a word! And refuses to much less acknowledge my presence! I need to know what I did wrong to fix it, damn it!" Sana sighed, gently patting his hair. The frustration was clear in his body language and expression.

"But you can't deny that she does care about you. Not after last night," Chan opened his mouth to say something but shut up soon after. He knew Sana had a point. "I just she would say where I went wrong! And I would go on my knees if that's what takes for her to forgive me." He tugged at the roots of his hair. "God, Noona, I can't explain in words how much I miss her." Sana gently patted his head, trying to console him.

"I know, Channie. And I think I know how to fix this." Her words made him look up. "How?" "Channie, what's the date today?" Sana asked, smiling gently. "July 12th," Chan answered as a matter of factly. "What's the date after 3 days?" Sana rolled her eyes, annoyed at how he hadn't caught on yet.

"July 15th," He stated again. "Noona, you have a calendar yourself. Why are you asking me?!" This guy might be a soon-to-be king but he had a memory and heart of a 5-year-old. "What's on July 15th, Chan!?!" Now Sana's teeth were gritted.

"I don't know, what's on July 15th?!" Sana barely resisted the urge to smack the living daylights out of him.

How in the world did he forget? "Channie, please don't tell me you forgot that July 15th is Chae's birthday!" And judging by how the colour drained off his face, Sana was right. "Sheesh! No wonder she ghosted you for 5 years!" "Noona~" Chan whined, internally beating himself up for forgetting. She was his best friend. How could he forget? "Okay calm down!" Sana laughed, throwing an arm around the younger boy.

"I have a plan. And if things go the way I want them to go then I think this might fix us up again," "I'm in!" Sana knew from that moment that he still cared for her as much as she cared for him. And she was gonna stop at nothing to get these two talking again. Cause she knew what it was like to lose not one but two best friends at once.

She hoped and prayed with everything in her that this went the way she wanted it to go.

I do love the process of bringing best friends back together. But what of romance :3 
You'll see soon enough :/
Till then, 

Love 

Fay