18 18. The Party 4.

Kim Mun Ho.

His eyes... they remained focused on him. They drained him of breath. They emptied his thoughts. They made him unsure. Not what he was going for when he decided to seize an opportunity to gain his attention by all means.

Before the race.

"Alexander is here". Diane announced in his ear as if he could not already see that he just stepped into the same hall as them. "Omg, I was right". She whispered even louder making his heart pound harder to the realization that the man that commanded that kind of authority and wealth was in the same space as him.

He was coming his way... No, it can't be. His steps were towards where he stood. Wait is he really coming to me? His eyes widened slightly. The shock was not invisible rather... He was unable to control his breath. Not his legs giving up on him at this moment. He felt his knees buckle before the scent hit him.

That heavenly scent...

What was it?

What element could produce a scent as intoxicating as this? Coupled with a perfect man.

And as he neared him, the thump on his chest moved to his ears. Everything disappeared. He could only see one man, the man who strolled his way with the aura of a king and walked past him without batting an eye.

Huh?

His gaze on nothing, in particular, left him wondering for a moment if he had become invisible. He swallowed. His eyes filled with confusion as Diane nudged him by the shoulder slightly. "D-did you see that? I've never seen him up close before, hehe".

"You can see me?". He asked out of the blue causing her to furrow. "... Yeah, what is wrong with you?"

"Um, nothing?"

"You don't sound like it's nothing ".

He exhaled. "He walked past me, Diane, don't you have eyes?" His voice was a little higher than a whisper, frustration etched in them and he didn't even realize it.

"Maybe he didn't see you, do you not see the crowd in here?" She asked, eyes still trolling behind the man that all eyes ravished in desire and fantasy.

"What do you mean he didn't see me? I was standing right here". He whispered again, sounding even more rude than earlier. What was wrong with him? Was it the wine? Why is he acting strange?

"Well maybe if you waved, he would've seen you clearly, no?"

"Wave? Why would I wave? That is lame". He snapped.

"Omg, what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know? Anything that would help this situation". He whispered even louder drawing the attention of others that stood beside them without him realizing it again. His body trembling from hell knows what. What was happening to him? Fear?

Were his fears hunting him? Were his doubts coming true?

What if he was disappointed? What if he didn't say hi because he wanted to prove a point? Was this his way of telling him that he didn't belong there?

Why is he here?

Diane's eyes remained fixed on his in confusion as she wondered what was wrong with him and why he was suddenly acting strange when she saw it all. Fuck!

Was he drunk?

But he doesn't look drunk.

"Okay... Holdup," She called him out of his trance. "Let's step out for a bit". Holding onto his arm, as his eyes remained confused. He was screaming from the inside, panicking from underneath his skin. His body movements were restricted as he tried to drift out of his head.

Everywhere buzzed. His mind was now racing a thousand miles per heartbeat. It was getting blurry. It was spinning. It was noisy. The voices were directly in his head. The laughter. The mumbles. The giggles. They were everywhere." Urgh, I told you to keep it down the notch with that alcohol". Diane's voice echoed faintly in his head.

Was he blacking out? No way he hadn't even spoken to Alexander. He fought to keep his eyes open but they were as heavy as concrete. His feet were as though they were no longer his. His body wasn't listening to him and he was being dragged. He felt his body moving.

Moving?

Where was he moving to?

"Take a deep breath". Diane's faint voice echoed again as his eyes rolled open to her by his side "That's it, just keep breathing". She persisted, caressing his left arm.

He didn't even realize when they arrived outside until the natural chill air grazed his skin. Where were they?

"Can you hear me?" She voiced again, but this time she was more audible. He could hear her clearly. "Um". He responded clutching onto something. He took his eyes down to the rays his palms fisted for support as his eyes trailed to the outskirts.

What a view!

He was suddenly thirsty.

"You had a panic attack... Was it the first?" Diane's voice echoed. For a moment there he forgot she was still there with him. Her were on him.

"Um". He lied. This was not the first time he had experienced something like this. He's had this attack for a while now and compared to the last, this was worse. It felt as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest and he was out in space. He couldn't breathe.

"We should call the doctor when we head back". This was what he tried to avoid at all costs. The moment he calls the doctor, Ahn Jae Hyun will know about it and he doesn't want anything to do with that guy for now. His request added to his problem, and it was taking a toll on him.

"I need water". He told her, his eyes focused on the view and instantly she nodded. "Okay, wait right here, I'll be right back". Was all she said before she dashed off.

Come to think of it, how was he going to get Alexander to meet up with Ahn Jae Hyun? He needed to at least say a simple 'hi' to him to start up a conversation, right? His eyes stayed fixed on the view – not really a view, turns out the corridor he stood in was a really long one that kept going round and round and round channeling into hallway-like tunnels and halls. So long that you could see the end of it from standing at a wing of it. And as he stood there with his eyes fixated on the other side of the corridor he saw them both. Side by side, The crowed prince and Alexander strolled towards the end of the corridor into another hallway and his abdomen churned in electrocution. He was far away. He needed to get close. He needed to get his attention. If he was already here, the least he could do was talk to him and try to get closer to him, right? Or maybe he could just cut to the chase and just get the deal done, right?

In a blink, his feet began to move in the direction they strolled towards. His heart pounded in his chest but he didn't care... 'I just need to get close to him ' was all he thought in his head. No more stalling, he wanted to get this over with. He was determined.

His eyes strolled everywhere as he moved into deeper into the balcony, drifting past doors that led towards the last hallway, controlling his breath as he strolled. He was just a few feet away. Yes, this was the hallways they cornered into. He took his eyes up to carefully examine when the scent hit him again before his masculinity walked past him.

Wait a minute.

He turned his head to confirm his accuracy before his heartbeat took over. Did Alexander just walk past him again? He lacked words to describe what he felt, but when he eventually did, his head clicked.

What if Alexander did not know what he looked like?

What if he wasn't even aware that he was coming here? No, it can't be... He obviously arranged this.

Was this some sort of test?

Kim Mun Ho was rather confused. If this was a test was he supposed to gain his attention? But how will he do that?

Is he trying to hint at something that he wasn't quite getting a hang of?

Fine then, let's do this.

Let's try to get his attention!

He moved toward the direction Alexander came from head-on without thinking of the consequences of trespassing. I mean he wasn't even thinking right so thoughts like that were just an excuse to delay his determination.

As he strolled even deeper he quickly discovered that that place was not one of those exquisite hallways. It was exquisite but a different kind. This was an exquisite stallion.

A stable? Horses?

Right!

He opened his eyes wide when he quickly realized that this was described in the invitation card. Something about a stallion grande. Was this what it is? A horse race?

He moved in deeper, mesmerized by what his eyes witnessed with every passing second.

Wow.

The stallion had rare breeds that weren't found very often. He was still watching in awe when the voice that called from behind had him jolting.

"Who are you?" Kim Mun Ho turned his eyes only to be caught off guard by the person who he stood before.

"Your Highness". He bent his head softly.

Nasir furrowed. His eyes were stern but gentle and his Aura calm too. He didn't feel unsafe and he made it known.

"You are not supposed to be here, are you lost?" Nasir asked.

It was at this moment that Kim Mun Ho knew that if he didn't get into character now, he would never get the chance to meet Alexander again so he took his shot.

"I was indeed lost, but now I am thankful... This is just incredible". He mouthed taking his eyes off the royalty in front of him to the horses with so much passion in his eyes.

"They are beautiful". He managed to take his eyes back to the man in front of him as though he was lost in the moment. "My apologies, I'm just really into horses".

At first, he was scared that he had overstepped, but when he saw the smile on the face of the crowned prince, he knew he just won himself a slot.

Checkmate.