Work Text:
hwa was traveling from his kingdom to the other when he saw a street performance. The two of them were tumbling, doing acrobatics, and dancing all while wearing their masks and costumes. He was entranced and started clapping and swaying along with the crowd. The performance ended and people began to leave after giving money to the performers. He stayed to the side as he had nowhere to go when he saw the same street performers fighting with their masks removed. They were shouting so loud that hwa heard what they were saying.
“I said give me more of the money!” one demanded.
“I will not give you more of your share!” the other man in blue.
“I’m the one doing more stunts!”
“And I’m the one making our routine! We distribute it half and half!”
In the end, the one who has makes the routine left, throwing both the mask and the bag of money to the ground. The other smirked and started picking up the coins. He counted the coins and when he turned around he saw hwa looking at them. hwa noticed that he has such pretty eyes for someone to be so rude.
“That was rude.” hwa can’t help but say it.
The man shrugged his shoulders, “I need the money.”
“You could have just told him.”
“He still wouldn’t give me the money.”
The man started walking away, picking up the other mask from the ground.
“Then you need to look for a new person to make the routine.”, hwa continued. The other hummed while he continued walking away.
“Take me!” hwa shouted to make the man in blue hear him. The man turned around. “Why should I?”
Years of being a courtesan have forced him to be witty to attract people, other than his face. He learned to dance and sing to entertain his clients, so he told them those to convince the man.
“And why would you want it?” The man asked while removing his mask from the top of his head. The mask looks heavy, hwa thought. “After seeing me taking all of the money” he continued when hwa didn’t reply.
“I have nowhere to go,” hwa answered. The man raised his eyebrows, “With that clothes on?” hwa was wearing decent clothes, compared to the man’s tattered costume. hwa couldn’t answer anything while the man was staring with those eyes as if he is seeing the truth, “Are you running away from something? An arranged marriage? Or perhaps a crime?”
I’m running away from my love, hwa wanted to say but he simply said, “Yes.”
The man hummed once again, “Well, we’ll be wearing a mask anyway. And it’s difficult to find a new person to make routines anyway.” hwa thanked him.
“yunho’s the name by the way, Jecng yunho. Since we’ll be working together, might as well introduce ourselves.”
Hmm, yunho, such a pretty name, hwa thought. “Park Seonghwa, hwa if you want.” hwa also introduced.
Yunhx smiled, while giving hwa the mask, “You’ll need this if you’re hiding from your crimes.” hwa chuckled and took the mask, hiding the truth.
They started performing from town to town, kingdom to kingdom. hwa got better and better with every performance. He learned to perform acrobatics and used his body to dance beautifully. He gave all the money to yunho but took enough for some clothes and food. They went from co-workers to friends to almost like brothers in a short amount of time, especially when they spend their days together as well as when you are trusting the other in the stunts that they do.
A year has passed since they met. A year since hwa left his kingdom, his home, his love. They haven’t performed there yet, simply because yunho thinks he’s a convict there. But when the prince in the kingdom will have his first birthday, yunho suggested to go back. It will be celebrated for a week with multiple activities. The activities at the last day will all be held in the palace, with the royal family present.
“Come on! Many people will be there and watch us! We’ll get a lot of money!!” yunho sounded so excited that hwa felt bad saying no, but he’s scared. He doesn’t want to see him.
“Aren’t I a criminal?” hwa said.
“You’ll be wearing a mask and you don’t have to remove it right after. Plus you’ll know the place! We just have to avoid the places where you think people will know you.” yunho tried to convince him.
All he thinks about is how people will recognize him, especially since he was the courtesan of the king himself. He looked at yunho, he saw how those eyes are shining even more than usual, yunho and his love for money, his greed for money will definitely be the downfall of hwa.. He sighed, he really can’t say no to his brother.
“Okay fine, that was a year ago anyway,” hwa answered. yunho cheered, fist-bumping the air and jumping. hwa shaked his head, smiling a bit with how cute yunho is being.
They arrived to the kingdom and hwa’s heart started to beat loudly and his hand started shaking. He was wearing a scarf, covering the bottom half of his face. The two of them thought that wearing a mask the whole time would be eye-catching, so they decided to just have him not remove the mask after each performance.
Coincidentally, they arrived at the start of the celebration. The parade already started and yunho pulled him towards the side of the street. Lines of soldiers are currently walking and looking over the crowd, he saw the palanquin. People started bowing with their heads touching the ground. hwa and yunho followed suit.
The queen with the prince passes first, then the king. hwa was extremely scared, yet he couldn’t help but look up a bit, turning his head slightly up. He knows that among the heavy crowd and the heavy-beaded curtain of the palanquins, neither the queen nor the king will notice him. He felt yunho tap his side, reminding him to lower his head again. He looked down once again, feeling a shiver down his spine when the king’s palanquin passed in front of him.
The parade has ended and yunho pulled hwa away. hwa forgot about the king and the shiver he felt during the parade when they got busy performing and having fun at the celebration. They kept the plan of wearing the mask and scarf, and they also had yunho do all the talking, which helped them avoid people from recognizing hwa.
On the sixth day, maybe it was the atmosphere surrounding them or the food they had that morning but they performed perfectly, more perfectly than any other performances they have done. The people has already gone after giving more than usual money and they were excited about spending those on more food. hwa was halfway removing his mask when an official from the palace went to them. hwa froze. Yunho snapped hwa’s mask back in place when he turned to face the official.
“Do you have any business with us?” yunho asked mockingly. Really, why would he be talking to simple street performers?
“Actually, yes.” the man in blue-black robes answered. He must have seen the surprise in yunho’s face because he continued, “you two have been the talk of the town.”
yunho smirked at that, “Of course sir, we are, after all, the best at what we do.” hwa feels something is about to go wrong. He should stop yunho from speaking if he wants to avoid any problems. But unfortunately, he was already too late.
The official relaxed his face from being stern face as if he got the answer that he wanted. “And because of that, the king has personally ordered for you to perform tomorrow for the prince. You will also be paid handsomely.” he said with a tone that doesn’t allow denial.
yunho did not hesitate, practically shouting “Of course! Anything for the king.” he said as if he doesn’t have his eyes on the money. hwa grabbed yunho’s hand, about to protest, whispering no’s from behind the mask, but the very mask that is protecting him from being recognized is also the one stopping him from being heard.
“That’s great, we’ll see you in the morning.” The official stated. He left after shaking yunho’s hand, completely ignoring the man in a mask at the back.
“We’ll be rich!” yunho shouted. He faced hwa and saw him with a horrified face with his mask sitting atop of his head. “Shit.” Yunho deadpanned, “I forgot.” hwa licked his dry lips, worried and scared to his bones. He left with the intention of not returning, yet here he was.
“We can leave, we don’t have to go.” yunho proposed.
“We can’t. We can’t say no to the king.” hwa said in defeat.
“But we can run away, you did it already a year ago.”
“It’s not the same.”
It’s completely not the same. When they don’t go to the celebration, they’ll become convicts for not obeying the king’s command, they’ll be hunted down ‘till the other side of the world. There was no way out.
“I’m sorry hyung.” yunho sounded close to crying, “it’s all my fault!”
hwa hugged him, “It’s okay, we’ll be okay.”
The next morning came and they are in the palace. They decided to go and perform. They will keep their plan with hwa leaving his mask on while yunho will do all the talking. Even with the nerves, they practiced all night, knowing that mistakes are not allowed in front of the royal family.
They were called on stage, and they looked at each other through their masks and nodded to each other. It’s all or nothing, they both thought. If yesterday’s performance was perfect, today’s performance was completely flawless. Everything was in place, even the sun was shining down on them beautifully. The wind was cooperating. And the aura that they gave off while performing was enchanting. Maybe they work better under pressure, is what they thought after such a graceful performance.
They were about to leave after they bowed when the king suddenly spoke. hwa felt his throat close up. He squeezed his eyes hoping, praying that the king would just let them leave with ease.
“Your performance is, as expected, the best. I knew when I heard my people talking highly about you two, I have to see you with my own eyes,” the king, Hongjoong, complimented.
“Thank you very much your majesty.” yunho spoke. They both bowed low, giving their thanks.
“Please. Stand up. I would appreciate it more when I see the performer’s faces, to thank you both more personally,” the king continued.
They both stood still, facing the front. hwa was breathing heavily, suddenly the mask and the costume were so heavy. The king raised one of his eyebrows.
Nobody can say no to the king.
They looked at each other then yunho started to remove his mask, yet hwa’s hands were just frozen at his sides. The king stared at him, waiting. yunho nudged him, reminding him to remove his mask. He took a deep breath. Then another. Finally, raising his arms, and reaching for the mask to remove it.
It was like in slow motion. When he finally removed the mask completely. When he saw how the king’s eyes widened when he recognized the face behind the mask. And when he heard the audience audibly gasped.
The courtesan that the king loved.
The courtesan that the king abandoned.
The courtesan that left the kingdom
The courtesan that returned.