Kin-woo slapped a newspaper down on Kyongs desk. “Prince fraternises with teacher” the headline read. Kyong looked at the paper and then up at his father. For once, he didn’t roll his eyes or mumble something sarcastic under his breath. He knew he had done it this time and was waiting for the consequences. He hoped and prayed that it was homeschooled but deep down knew it was something much worse. Courtier wasn’t with his father this time, and neither was his brother. That meant that this wasn’t a situation that Courtier could help him with. “I have a ticket booked for you to Las Angeles.” 

Now Kyong looked up, speechless.

“You leave in two days. Pack your bags. Say goodbye to Louella.” Kin-Woo looked around his room, picking up items of clothing that lay on the floor, “Where is the maid?” He asked himself like he didn’t just say what he had said.

That’s when Kyong found the words, “LA?” They barely came out. He had dreamed of going to LA but never like this. 

“Yes.” Kin-Woo stopped fiddling with Kyong’s things and turned to look at him. “LA is the safest place for you right now. We have an apartment for you to live in. You will attend the rest of your schooling there, out of sight and out of mind, hopefully, and then you will come back and begin your training to become king. 

Kyong’s head was imploding. It was all too much. “Where is Courtier?”

“Courtier can’t help you this time, son.” Was all his father said before huffing and leaving him alone to process. 

Kyong’s head met his hands. He wanted to cry but knew it wouldn’t happen. He hadn’t cried since his mother died. And then suddenly it occurred to him. Louella. He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted her. “The king is sending me to LA. We have really done it this time.” 

Louella burst into Kyong’s room not even ten minutes later. “How did you get here to fast?” He looked up from his basketball twiddling. She knocked it off his finger, where it was spinning effortlessly. 

“I was already on my way over.” she bit into her cheek anxiously. “How do we change his mind?

“We can’t.” He said blankly, standing up and grabbing the ball from where it landed on the floor. “Basketball?” He shrugged, gesturing toward the door.

“What? How can you think about basketball right now?” She looked dumbfounded.

“I don’t have school today.” He shrugged again.

“You don't?” It was six Am and school wasn’t for another two hours.

“Nope. I have to pack for LA.” 

“You’re not seriously accepting this as your fate…” Her confusion was morphing into determination.

Kyong stopped at the door to look at her. “Louella. What can I do? Seriously. Courtier didn’t even try to help me out this time. He knows there is nothing he can do either. At least I get my own apartment. I will put my head down, finish school and come back. The sooner I do that the sooner I can come home.” Louella said nothing, so he continued walking to the basketball lare. The automatic purple lights came on when he walked in, Louella close behind. “I can at least join the basketball team, and just try to hang low.”

“Why are you just accepting this as your fate?” She asked again, more for her than him.

Louella just stood there, dumbfounded. “Your messing with me.” She said after a few moments of observation. 

Kyong dunked the ball in the hoop and spun around to look at her. “Ding ding.”

She laughed, sighing heavily. “Thank God. I thought you had lost it.”, “What are we going to do?” Her eyebrows were raised expectantly.

“We?” he narrowed his own.

“Of course. I will facetime you every day for updates and planning.” She chuckled.

Kyong swung his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a tight squeeze, which felt like the natural thing to do but somehow still felt awkward. They both pulled away, looking in different directions. “Should we play some ball?” He attempted to break the mood.

Louella looked at her watch. “I have to get going for school. I just wanted to check in.” She chewed on her cheek, “Will you be okay?”

“Always.” He reassured her, though he wasn’t reassuring himself in the slightest. He was terrified.

“Okay.” She gave a weak smile, “I will come by this afternoon and we can start plotting.”

Kyong saluted her and watched solemnly as she passed through the glass sliding door and out of his life. The thing was, he didn’t tell Louella that he wouldn’t be seeing her until he got back - and maybe not even then. He didn’t want to pull her into his mess and ruin her life as well. He did plan on laying low in the USA. He knew when he had pushed his father's limits, and now he had bypassed that and pushed the limits of his own country - a country that now couldn’t keep him. He needed to get in and get out. He kicked the wall before turning his back to it and falling into its cold exterior. He coated his eyes with his hands and sunk to the floor. He had to hide out for the next two days and make Louella believe that he was really gone. And he needed Courtier’s help.