"Alright," the general begins, crossing his arms and standing in front of both men who were now being held by the two guards. "What are you two doing sneaking around the kitchen this fucing late at night? Don't tell me your diets are so bad that you're were trying to steal some food."

Yeah, right. As if they were crazy enough to even consider doing this without a good reason, Hoseok thinks to himself. Snapping out of his thoughts, Hoseok decides this is the moment to somehow manage to convince the general of their intentions. Thus, he was the first to speak. He signals to Jin with his head. "His brother is sick," he explains. "He's sick and he needs to eat something so that he can take the goddamn medicine."

The general huffs. "So? Why isn't the doctor calling in instead of you two having to sneak out?"

"The pampered brat only eats Jin's cooking."

"Force feed him or something."

"She's tried," Hoseok challenges, now losing his patience, "But he's just barfing it up."

The general doesn't seem convinced. He just stands there, expression stoic, eyes judging the two men. Hoseok wonders if he thinks they're crazy. After a moment, the general shakes his head. "We can just put him on an IV. I honestly don't see what the big deal—"

"Please." 

The general raises a brow, gaze flickering down at the other male who now sat up straight with his big eyes practically pleading.

 "Please," Jin repeats. "He only eats what I cook." His gaze is firm. "Kick us out of the competition if I'm not telling the truth but I promise that letting me into that kitchen is the only way."  

The silence that followed was nearly suffocating. The general doesn't move a single muscle. His stony expression and stiff posture remained the same as he looks from Jin to Hoseok. It felt like an eternity before the general finally heaves a sigh, "Give me a minute," he mutters curtly before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, about to dial one on his speed dial before someone came behind him.

"I'll take responsibility for it, Hyung," a new voice states.

Someone steps out of the dark, a male. Jin focuses his eyes on the new face. It's hard not to recognize those large doe eyes and boyish features from before. It was like seeing a child pretending to be an adult.

"Let him in," the prince orders. 

Uncertain and hesitant, the guards glance at each other, then glance to General Min who looks equally confused. Jungkook, growing impatient, decides to raise his voice. "Yah, did you two not hear me? Open the doors now!"

The first guard frantically pulls out a key, still grabbing hold of Hoseok by the shoulder. The second lets go of Jin, who fell to the floor in a slump. The prince reaches down and helps him up by the arm.

General Min begins to protest, "Jungkook-ah—"

"I said I would take responsibility for it," the young prince interrupts. "Hyung's in a meeting right now and it would take forever for you to reach him. According to what I heard, coming across this situation, one of the candidates is ill and regardless of the rules he is still a citizen of Korea so we have to help him in any way we can." Yoongi doesn't disguise his frown. Jungkook just ignores it.

"Kim Seokjin-ssi, right?" the younger asks, earning a nod from the elder. "Go in, I'll make sure no one bothers you."

Seokjin is grateful. Real grateful. He honestly has no idea how he can ever repay the boy for such consideration. He can think of that later though, for now, "Thank you." He bows, eyes flickering between them before he heads inside, hesitant but determined.

Once Jin's inside the kitchen, Jungkook turns to Yoongi, the latter of the two having a very displeased look on his face. The youngest smirks, seeming determined to get on his nerves even more. "I think you should at least write a report on this. Just in case word gets out."

General Min's face turns into a scowl. "You're making me write a report over a rule that you're breaking?"

"Exactly."

"Damn brat," the general mumbles under his breath as the prince walked into the kitchen. He turned to the guards. "You two stay put," he orders them, his tone irritated and impatient. "Make sure no one else gets in, also close the damn door when these two leave."

Yanking his hands in his pockets and lifting his head, his eyes meeting Hoseok's, who was just awkwardly standing around. Without another word the general reaches out, grabbing the redhead by the elbow and began pulling him down the hall.

"Yah!" Hoseok exclaims the whole way down the hall, unable to break loose of the other's hold. What the fuck do they feed this shorty? The general drags him into a room, an office. Hoseok finally manages to yank his arm back and stands at the doorway, refusing to enter. "Yah," he exclaims again. "Why the hell am I here?"

General Min sits down on a big black chair with wheels, he turns his computer on and responds without even looking at him. "You heard the prince," he grumbled, "I have to write a fucking report. Meaning I have to take your statement as a witness."

"You could've just told me that instead of dragging me here."

"You probably wouldn't have come if I told you."

This is true, Hoseok says to himself. Being anywhere near the intimidating general was enough for Hoseok to just go running. You do not in any way mess with a guy that can manhandle you to the ground.

Of course, this also means that Hoseok really can't disobey him, despite him wanting to run. He sighed and crosses his arms to lean against the door frame, watches the general with narrowed and annoyed eyes, observing him closely as if he was expecting to be attacked or something.

Yoongi rolls his eyes as if he can read the other's dramatic antics like a book. "Take a seat, Jung Hoseok," he insists. "As long as you cooperate, this should be fast. For you at least."

"Sorry," the redhead retorts in a mocking tone, "But I'm not supposed to be in a room alone with another male." He's got a shit eating grin on his face. "You should know since you're the one who told us we couldn't."

The dark haired man scoffs. "Oh, so now you choose to follow the rules? Didn't seem like you were being such a goody-two-shoes a few minutes ago trying to break into the kitchen."

Hoseok shrugs nonchalantly. "It was an emergency. This isn't. And when I get back to Gyeonghoeru with the others, I'll explain how I so easily broke a rule thanks to the General himself, then all men will follow suit." He narrows his eyes, smirks. "It'll be a fucking party down under."

The general growls and the action makes Hoseok wince but he regains his composure. Yoongi whips out his cellphone, grumbling a "Fine," before dialing a few numbers roughly on his phone. Hoseok could hear it ring before he hears a voice, female, say hello on the other line.

"Hey, princess, get your butt over here as fast as you can." He paused as she said something that Hoseok couldn't hear, "Fine. Please, get your butt over here....thanks."

Hoseok stared completely shell shocked at the general as he put his phone away, "Did you really just have the balls to order the princess around?"

Yoongi sighs in irritation. Jung Hoseok seemed hell-bent on ruining his day. "I don't think how I talk to the princess is any of your concern."

The redhead pauses for a moment, frowning. "If I become the King's spouse then it is my concern. That would be my dongsaeng that you're talking down to."

Yoongi wanted to laugh. He found it so selfish of Namjoon to continue with the competition when he had clearly already fallen for one of the candidates. It gave the others hope. Yoongi, knowing perfectly well how much the King feared commitment, knew that Namjoon was giving himself a chance to find a flaw in Kim Seokjin, any little excuse to call everything off.

So far it was to no avail. Then again, Yoongi didn't really believe in love at first sight. He was actually the type of person who would rather get to know a person before even considering them as a partner. Namjoon, however, was absolutely love-stricken and it was sickening.

"Whatever," he mutters. Let the guy think what he wants.

Hoseok wanted nothing more than to stab him with a pen. The man's attitude was incredible. That frown never left his face, his body was always so rigid and his voice was always stern and cold.

If there was one thing that Hoseok hated, it was being manhandled. He absolutely hated men who acted all high and mighty, but he especially hated people who thought they could just touch you without your permission. The same applied to women. Hoseok has gotten his fair share of women coming at him thinking they could manipulate him and form him into a 'manlier man' and he's had men who've dated him just because he seemed like a pushover. 

Nah, Jung Hoseok would not let himself be handled like that.

The clicking of heels catches his attention, bring him out of his thoughts. He turns his head to look down the hall.

Yoongi didn't once look up, but just by the sound of her footsteps he knew immediately that the princess had arrived.

It didn't take long. It would have ended long ago if the redhead hadn't pestered him about the rules. Geong Min was nice enough to sit in the corner while the two men spoke, Jung Hoseok talking and Min Yoongi typing away. Once he got it all typed down, he dismissed the red-headed candidate who muttered a "good riddance" and walked out.

"He was cute," the princess commented as Hoseok was far within his ability to hear.

"Fucking damn annoying is what he was," the general spats, typing away on his computer. He didn't have the time nor patience for her mocking. "I could've been done with this stupid report ages ago if he had just fucking cooperated."

Kim Geongmin raised a brow at that statement. "Oh? Someone else who can make you so easily irritated? Should I tell Namjoon-oppa to set that guy aside for you?"

He curses under his breath and tugs at his hair, "Should I get him to set you aside for me as well?" he snaps back.

He immediately regrets it as he catches the look on her face.

He clears his throat before standing from his chair, sighing, ready to apologize. "Min Min..."

She's angry. Though she tries not to be. Yoongi should be used to it by honestly, he tends to make her angry a lot. "You're a real ass, Min Yoongi," she says before turning around and running out of the room.

The general slumps back in his chair with a sigh. Her words replaying in his head, followed by all the memories that lead up to that statement.

"Yeah," he whispers to himself, "I am."

"So..." Jungkook awkwardly prolongs in an attempt to make conversation while the elder rapidly moved around the kitchen like a pro. "You cook?" 

For the past half hour, he's been watching the elder move around the kitchen as if he owned the place. While he waited for one thing to boil, Jin would move to cut ingredients or even wash dishes. All the while the prince stood watching in total amazement and would try to come up with a horrible conversation starter. Of course the guy fucking cooks.

Seokjin, however, seemed to go along with it.  "Yes," he answers, no mockery or sarcasm in his voice. "Have been for a long time."

"Must be good if your brother is only able to eat that."

The elder chuckles at that. He wouldn't necessarily say Tae is addicted to his food because it's good. He believes it has more to do with the comfort it brings him. Well, there's also the fact his cooking is good too. With his hand still gloved as he mixed some noodles, Jin extends a handful of noodles to the prince. "Want to try?"

"Y-you mean from your hand?" the prince asks, a bit taken back. The black haired man gives him a droll look. Jungkook immediately decides to take back his previous remark. "I mean, uh, yeah. Thanks."

Slowly, he leans in and opened his mouth. Jin angles his hand so that he just has to drop the noodles straight into his mouth. That was when Jungkook tasted heaven. He had the best chefs in Korea to cater to him, he had tasted the finest dishes in the country since birth, but this, this was whole other level.

It was so good that he actually moaned. When he finally swallowed it, his vision cleared and he saw Kim Seokjin watching him with a raised brow and a face that looked slightly amused.

"Glad you liked it," the elder chuckles, earning a blush from the younger boy.

Gosh, his hyung was going to have an amazing husband. This one definitely got Jungkook's vote.

Jin began quickly packing the dishes into plastic containers, without even thinking about it he handed some containers to Jungkook to carry. The young prince blinked but didn't protest as Jin kept stacking more for him to carry.

Seokjin cleans the kitchen as fast as humanly possible before he grabs a few containers for himself to carry and starts walking out of the kitchen, Jungkook following behind closely. Both of them head down the courtyard and some soldiers throw a few confused looks at them, but Jungkook ignores them.

"Kim Seokjin-ssi, you shouldn't be here!" Dr. Song calls out when Seokjin makes it to Taehyung's quarters and enters.

From the bed, Taehyung lifts his head. "Hyung?" he manages to call out, his throat tight.

Hearing his little brother call out to him, Jin instantly runs into the room despite the doctor's protests, placing the containers down and moving to hold one of Taehyung's hands.

"I'm here, Tae," he whispers, gripping his brother's hand tightly. It's stone cold. "God, Tae. I'm so sorry. I completely forgot that—"

"Hyung?" Tae cuts him off wearily. "I'm hungry."

Seokjin immediately snaps back to his senses. "Right," he says, now focused. "I've made you food." He reaches for several containers and opens one of them, handing Taehyung a container filled with jajangmyeon and a pair of chopsticks.

Taehyung awkwardly sits up, his head pounding like crazy and his hands a bit too shaky with fever to hold the chopsticks correctly. Jin, of course, notices this and instantly took over, feeding his younger brother small amounts of noodles and switching it up with soup and water.

Meanwhile, Jungkook awkwardly watches the two from the doorway, hesitating to enter. His hands are occupied with at least ten containers of food and he has no idea where to place them.

He's about to place them on the floor when Doctor Song finally catches a glimpse of him. She jumped so high from the shock that Jungkook was sure that she could fly. "Your Highness!" she exclaims and instantly darts across the room to take the containers from him, placing them on a desk nearby. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Once all the containers were set on the desk, Jungkook turns to look at the boy on the bed. "What's wrong with him?" the younger male ask the doctor, ignoring her previous question.

"A fever and malnutrition. Also fatigue due to lack of sleep."

Jungkook can't help but frown at that. He understood the malnutrition part, but the rest? "Lack of sleep?" he inquires.

Doctor Song fumbled with her lab coat, biting her lower lip as if hesitating to answer.

"Song Hyekyo-ssi?" Jungkook asks once more, his voice low, almost menacing.

"The patient has trouble sleeping alone," she stated quickly, "Apparently he's never been a day away from his family whom he always slept with. Since the rules prohibit two candidates to be in the same room then he hasn't slept a wink since he's arrived. Thus he obtained a fever since he forced himself to be constantly awake."

The frown doesn't leave the prince's face. "How long have you known about his condition?"

"I just found out today that he wasn't eating, he had been giving his food away to another candidate. As for the sleep deprivation, he informed me of this since day one but-"

The prince stopped listening, "You've known that he wouldn't be able to sleep without his hyung from day one and yet a week has passed and you've done nothing?"

She fell silent, lowering her head and no longer fumbling with her coat. That gave Jungkook his answer. She hadn't thought it to be a big deal. She thought that he would have gotten over it.

"Doctor Song," he says firmly, though on the inside he somewhat feels bad for what he's about to do, "maybe its time we find a replacement for you." 

The female's lip starts trembling, but she just stood there and nodded.

"No, no," Jin states suddenly, standing up and grabbing the prince by the wrist. "Don't do that. I'm sure she's a great doctor, really. My brother's condition is just unusual for his age, that's all."

Jungkook blinks owlishly. His mind doesn't process the touch, it just focused on the male's panicked face. The first thought that comes to his head is that Seokjin seems to be too kind for his own good. A palace doctor almost ended up killing his brother and here he was defending her.

Sighing, Jungkook looks back at the doctor. "I'll wait till the patient himself is well enough to decide whether to keep you or not," he tells her. "Since he was the one who fell ill, I'll leave the decision up to him. In the meantime," he turns back to Jin, "you can sleep with your brother till he gets better."

Seokjin's eyes widen at that, "But, the rules-"

"I'll talk to my hyung," Jungkook says, look suddenly turning warm, a smile appearing on his face. "You two are siblings, so I honestly find the rule itself to be stupid in your case. Also, if needed I'll ask about you having access to the kitchen."

The man's smile couldn't be brighter and Jungkook swore that his heart jumped at the sight of it. "Thank you, Your Highness," Seokjin whispers. Jungkook blushed and instantly became flustered, feeling all of his previous confidence and authority leaving him in an instant. He clears his throat, dropping the tone of his voice to seem manlier.

"Drop the formalities," he says softly. "Call me Jungkook."