#honeyju

[jayflrt]

a study in demons

PAIRING ▸ yang jungwon x fem!reader

GENRES ▸ horror, angst, psychological thriller

WARNINGS ▸ profanity, semi graphic depictions of violence and gore, character death, mental illness

SUMMARY ▸ always keep a supply of latex gloves on you. wear shoes bigger than your actual size. if you’re looking for a nice and clean death, a couple of visine eye drops in a drink should do the trick. 

or, yang jungwon doesn’t want to be a murderer. he just wants to get away from all this, and that’s not easy when nishimura riki’s next target happens to be you.

WORD COUNT ▸ 2,846 words

TAG LIST ▸ @mindprismus @ily-cuz-i @mmsriza @changmin-wrlds @13isacoolnumber @from-xero @svnglvs @acciomylove @sakuracoffee @nyujjan @goldenhypen @bbanggami @honeyju @lvsunq @notmangojuice @luvrjn @cb97curls @jakeyuni @soobisms @rikibae @soobin-chois @xiaosimp3​ @outrologist​ @nabinthegardnn​ @viagumi​ @mxnuilx97​ @euphorecore​ @kpoplover718​ @duolingofanaccount​ @jjongsha​ @teawithbucky​ @fiantomartell​ @baekhyunstruly​ @mykalon​ @heelariously​ @hobistigma​ @simplyxlea​ @wntrsgf​ @person-standing​ @ja4hyvn​ @dnyamight​ @candidupped​ @shmooooo​ @pr0dbeomgyu​ @heeyunkist​ @sunshine-skz​ @hiqhkey​ @kp0p10v3r2​ @baekhyuns-lipchain​

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ hihi it’s been a while since i posted writing here, and this is more halloween themed oops but this is inspired by mix & max bleeding darkness !! i analyzed their dancing and performance for this :’) sorry jungwon i literally bias u and all the fics i’ve written for u are horror </3 hope y’all enjoy this little installment ♡ my search history looks so concerning now sobsob

THE FIRST TIME YANG JUNGWON SAW SOMEONE DIE IN FRONT OF HIS EYES, HE WAS NUMB.

It was a strange feeling, like crushing a bug slowly and watching its guts spew out while it struggled under your grip. Not that Jungwon did that—regularly. But that was what he thought of as he watched Nishimura Riki drive a knife into someone’s stomach. Jungwon felt a strange feeling of dissociation as he watched the light leave the other man’s eyes.

He thought the first sight of death would be accompanied by a wave of nausea, a lack of control over his limbs, and echoes of screams in his head. Instead, Jungwon remained still and observant. Maybe if he avoided allowing his presence to be known, then Riki wouldn’t even notice the accomplice standing next to him.

There was something horrifying about the way a human would stop begging for their lives and succumb to their fate. Jungwon always shuddered a little when he saw the last drop of hope get squeezed from their eyes. Riki never failed to point out how they stopped looking for mercy and started waiting for freedom.

That was then. Now, Jungwon wasn’t sure if he could ever shake off the dreadful feeling in his gut.

This time, they were in an abandoned warehouse. It was a bit of a cliché, Jungwon thought, but it was deserted and easy to deal with their victims. They used this place most of the time because of how secluded the area was. It didn’t really matter to Jungwon since Riki did most of the dirty work, leaving the older boy to clean up.

Jungwon didn’t want to kill. He didn’t have it in him. When Riki made a light joke about it, though, Jungwon’s fingers started twitching.

He once thought that teenagers like him were one of the most independent beings in a sense, untouched and ignorant to the cruel world and its convoluted cultures. Teenagers like him represented all the good and pure things in the world, like searching for a four-leaf clover in a field, or picking up a penny from the sidewalk. He believed that they were all born innocent, foolishly trusting and unknowing of the evil around them.

Jungwon believed that he was once like that.

His parents loved him so dearly. They were the kind of parents that any child would dream of having, and, to this day, Jungwon knew he took them for granted. What he regretted most, however, was not being able to be the son that they wanted.

He really shouldn’t have even been thinking about it, considering his parents were already dead.

“Jungwon,” Riki called out sharply, pulling the boy out of his spiraling thoughts. “Take care of him for me, okay?”

“Who was he?” Jungwon asked, even though it didn’t matter.

It didn’t matter because he knew that Riki would always answer with, “Who knows?” and this time around was no different. Humans were just empty vessels to the boy.

There were several different motives that killers had—that made sense, however messed up the reasoning was. Even with Dennis Rader and John Wayne Gacy, it was clear that they got some sick, twisted pleasure out of dominating their victims and watching them suffer. They saw their victims as some ritualistic token.

The FBI called monsters like them stone-cold psychopaths, but Jungwon disagreed; he believed the real monster was Nishimura Riki because he had never seen an individual so apathetic about human life.

If someone asked Jungwon what Riki’s motive was, he wasn’t sure he would be able to answer them properly. Riki had always been distant, always interacting at an arm’s length, so when Jungwon found him stabbing a man to death in an alleyway, he felt like the killer could finally pull him in with blood-stained hands. That was the first time Jungwon had ever seen Riki so delighted, so happy to embrace him.

Maybe part of Jungwon was scared that he would end up being Riki’s target one day. Maybe that was the reason he hadn’t reported the boy yet—why he kept cleaning up his crimes.

But there was also a distressing feeling that lingered in the back of Jungwon’s head, making him wonder if he stayed because he liked this.

He couldn’t bring himself to think about that any further, though. There was no way Jungwon could possibly enjoy the very actions that made him sick to his stomach. He felt tortured enough each time, watching Riki slice and slash at his victim slowly.

Sometimes, Riki liked to get the job done quickly, slipping a couple of visine eye drops into a drink and forcing it down his victims’ throats. On other occasions, he liked to extend the duration of  the kill for his own amusement. He got a kick out of the process, relishing how he could prolong their suffering.

“Are you leaving?” Jungwon asked when he heard footsteps toward the door.

“Yeah,” Riki answered. “I got his key, so I’m gonna go check out his place. Maybe he has a cool toy.”

“Toy,” Jungwon echoed, and a dry, hollow laugh followed. “Yeah, bring me back a souvenir.”

When Riki left, it was time for Jungwon to get rid of the evidence.

Oxygen bleach was perfect for getting out the blood and forensic evidence, and then Jungwon would go over the area with a vacuum to make sure he got all the clothing fibers and hairs out. After that, he would mop the area with a solution of water and vinegar to get rid of the footprints. He made sure to keep the area spotless, even if nobody came by the warehouse.

He hauled the body to the back of his car, popping open the trunk where a suitcase was. He had to use some force to break some of the limbs so that he could shove the corpse inside. After zipping the suitcase up securely, Jungwon looked around once—only once because any more times would be far too suspicious—before he closed the trunk and got in the driver’s seat.

The drive to his apartment was a blur. Jungwon didn’t have time to worry about being caught because this was routine to him. The area was shoddy enough so no one would sniff him out, and the apartment complex lacked proper security. Jungwon couldn’t complain, though; it was the perfect arrangement for him to clean up for Riki.

What he normally did was take the suitcase out of the trunk and carry it upstairs to his floor. However, seeing that the suitcase was far too heavy to not draw suspicion, Jungwon waited until most people were asleep to drag it upstairs. He scrunched up his nose at the putrid smell, but he just needed to bear with it until he was in his room.

Once he locked the door to his apartment behind him, it was time to prepare the bath.

Water and sodium hydroxide—once heated at the right temperature, it was the perfect concoction to liquify corpses. Jungwon always wore latex gloves while doing so, of course, and he chopped up the parts so that he could melt them effectively.

It was a gruesome job, but someone had to do it.

Of course, there were days where Jungwon thought of ratting out Riki. He despised this lifestyle, wanting to get away from it desperately, but he felt trapped. Riki’s mocking words always parroted in his head, reminding him that he had no one else in the world.

So Jungwon played janitor as per Riki’s request. Even if he was trapped, he had to save his own skin somehow.

The day Jungwon started to develop a crush, he knew it was doomed from the very beginning.

Of course, Jungwon still attended school like anyone else. Not only did it keep him in line with the compulsory education laws, but it provided the perfect alibi. Jungwon was almost invisible at school, keeping his presence weak so that he wouldn’t have to get close to anyone. However, after moving seats and ending up next to you, he realized he was doomed.

Normally, people got butterflies in their stomach while heat rushed to their cheeks. Jungwon only felt dread. He knew that people like him weren’t allowed to fall in love and experience such emotions.

Falling in love broke routine in the profession. If that routine fell apart, it would affect Jungwon’s performance. When he made a mistake on the job, his and Riki’s lives were on the line.

More importantly, if Riki caught onto Jungwon’s developing feelings, it would be over.

He couldn’t help it, though. Jungwon found himself falling for you faster than he expected.

Part of the routine was keeping a distance from others. He couldn’t afford to hold people closer than arm’s length. It would just be the same outcome as what happened to his parents.

Riki was what happened to his parents.

But you were such a gentle presence in his miserable life. Your smiles made Jungwon feel like he was on Cloud-9, and the way your eyes lit up made his heart twist painfully in his chest. He had never felt this way before—not in a long time—and it was almost suffocating.

You started to join him for lunch at the rooftop, away from the ruckus and noise of the cafeteria room. Jungwon was grateful that you weren’t pushy about him joining the other students, either. All you did was sit by his side and allow him to open up at his own pace.

“Why don’t you bring lunch, Wonnie?” you asked one day, handing him half of your sandwich. The careful probe of your question made Jungwon want to tell you everything, but he was afraid to push you too far away. “If you don’t wanna share, that’s fine. I’ll just bring you something to eat every day.”

“Thanks,” was all he could muster, gingerly taking the sandwich from you.

It was just a sandwich. Just bread and ham and lettuce.

It was just a sandwich, yes, but it was everything Jungwon needed right then and there. It was enough to make him want to cry.

Perhaps he had been deprived of human kindness for far too long. It was the consequence of being so distant with everyone, although he preferred not allowing anyone to get near. Anyone who got too close would end up seeing him as a monster.

He feared that would happen to you, too.

“Is that girl a new friend of yours?” Riki asked several nights later.

The victim tonight was a gas station worker who had pissed Jungwon off quite a bit. The new employee was Jungwon’s coworker, but he kept slacking off while Jungwon was trying to show him the ropes. He kept his emotions under wraps and walked away from the situation, but Riki insisted on teaching the man a lesson.

It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this.

It never was, but it did.

Jungwon’s mouth went dry and his knees went shaky when he saw the light leave his coworker’s eyes. He hardly processed Riki’s question because he was so fixated on the dying man. When it registered, though, his heart started to pound in his chest.

“No,” he replied quickly. “I don’t have friends.”

“Yes, you do. You eat lunch with her every day. She feeds you like a fucking mom.”

Mom. Tears pricked Jungwon’s eyes. Push it down, push it down, push it—

“Bring her here next time,” Riki added. “I wanna play with her.”

“No.” The words left Jungwon’s mouth before his brain could process it. He stiffened when Riki drew his attention away from his coworker to glare at him. Jungwon continued, “She’s just a random classmate, that’s all.”

To his surprise, Riki just smiled. Wide. Cold. Bloodthirsty.

“You’re really bad at secrets, Wonnie,” he sneered, “because you’re so fucking transparent.”

It was almost cruel how Jungwon was so tightly wrapped around Riki’s finger.

“Are you free after school?” he asked you during lunch, murmuring the words so quietly because he didn’t even want to hear them come from his lips.

It was heartbreaking to see how your face brightened up. “Yeah, I am.”

“Wanna go somewhere together?”

“Where?”

“It’s a secret.”

Maybe if Jungwon was as cryptic and vague as possible, then you would turn down his offer. He was banking on you having some strange gut feeling about his offer.

You were far too innocent for something like that to happen, though.

You hesitated before you answered, “I’ll go.”

You really were too good for Jungwon.

The amount of trust you placed in him was incredible. Jungwon had never met someone who had so much faith in him, but it crushed him even more to think about how he was going to stab you in the back soon. He couldn’t understand why Riki had such a strong hold over him, but he prayed that he would show you mercy.

He brought you to the same old abandoned warehouse, and you looked a bit uneasy this time. You didn’t make any effort to move when Jungwon opened his door to get out of the car.

“Come on,” he urged. “It’s really cool inside.”

“I don’t know, Wonnie,” you replied. “It looks kinda creepy. Can we just go back? We can think of something else to do in the city.”

He nearly jumped at your offer. It would be perfect to actually hang out with you without worrying about Riki, but now that you two had arrived, Jungwon knew that the killer was awaiting your presence in the warehouse.

“I’ll protect you,” he lied right through his teeth, flashing you a reassuring smile. “It’s not that scary. Trust me.”

Finally, you complied and took his hand. Jungwon sucked in a sharp breath when your fingers interlaced with his, wondering if this would be the last time he held your hand.

When he entered the warehouse, Riki stood at the back, holding a crowbar in both hands. It was one that he had used on his victims before; it was mainly to knock them out so that they could be tortured later. Riki spun the crowbar around lazily a few times before gripping it tight and walking toward the two.

“Oh, you actually brought her.” Riki barked out a dry laugh. “You really can’t resist your urges, can you, Jungwon?”

“Wonnie?” you asked in a small voice, a little fearful. You tried to let go of his hand, but Jungwon gripped on tighter.

Riki was wrong. He didn’t have any sort of urge. All he wanted was to get away from this sick reality, but every time he thought of escaping, Riki would reel him in again.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Jungwon whispered. “I really do like you, I swear.”

“Wonnie, I—”

Before you could get the rest of your words out, Riki raised the crowbar to bash your head in. However, some protective urge came over Jungwon, and he stopped Riki from dealing too painful of a blow to your skull. You cried out and fell forward, and he could tell you were disoriented, but you were still conscious.

“Stop it, Riki!” Jungwon cried.

“You knew what would happen to her if you brought her here,” Riki said grimly. “If you’re so against it, then why’d you bring her?”

“Because, I…” he trailed off before frowning. Why did he bring you?

“You want her dead,” Riki said. “You brought her here because you want to kill her.”

“No, you want to kill her!”

“No, Jungwon.” Riki’s dark eyes bored into his so intensely that Jungwon felt cornered. “You even hit her with the crowbar.”

He felt his mouth going dry again. Knees getting shaky. The ground beneath him was slipping away.

“No,” he whispered, “no, I stopped you from hitting her too hard.”

“No, you stopped yourself.”

“Shut up, Riki!” Jungwon tugged a frantic hand through his hair. “Why are you turning this on me?!”

“J-Jungwon…” you whimpered, trying to pull yourself up from the ground. Your eyes were focusing and unfocusing, and you tried to blink several times to regain your vision. Your voice was weak when you begged, “I don’t know what I did, but please stop hurting me.”

“What?” Jungwon’s eyes went wide. “Y/N, I was trying to stop Riki from hurting you!”

Before you could respond to him, the both of you turned at the sound of sirens coming from outside the warehouse. Jungwon zeroed in on your phone that was strewn aside, the 911 call still running. You must have kept the number ready when you entered the warehouse, and Jungwon must have been so occupied with Riki that you rang the police while he was busy talking.

“No…” he whispered, voice breaking when he asked, “Y/N, what are you doing?”

Your eyes looked sincere. “You need help, Jungwon.”

“I don’t need help,” he insisted, “Riki’s the one who needs help!”

“Jungwon,” you whispered, agonized. His world all but shattered when you asked, “Who’s Riki?”

A Study in Demons: Dissociative Identity Disorder

#enhypen imagines #jungwon imagines #jungwon angst #enhypen angst #jungwon x reader #yang jungwon #enhypen #enhypen oneshots #jungwon oneshots #jungwon horror #enhypen horror

[enfinity]

hello!!!

i guess i’m back :0..? (officially, i hope! there will be some times where i won’t be online due to family and uni reasons, but officially, i hope 💗) and i hope you all have been taking care!! you better have or else >:(

i’d like to sincerely thank you all for being so so patient with me and supporting my works while i was gone. i’ll admit this year hasn’t been the best for me, but coming back here to see that people were still reading my works gives me a fresh newfound hope and motivation. i really hope i’ll stick around for you guys this time :,) thank you again!!

i’ve prepared many new updates for us against the world, so it’ll take off starting tomorrow! i’m also still reconstructing not mine hotline, but i do have updates to be released as soon as i’m done fixing the first few chapters. schedules are yet to be arranged. and of course, taglists are with open arms <3 please send me an ask or pm if you would like to join!!

alright, that’s all for now, get ready for us against the world starting october 1st! ^-^

SMAU TAGLIST. @enhy9ens @nikisboxysmile @honeyju @fairytheo @enheun @ncityy04 @yutaeminnie @hoonculture @rainbowmagicpixecorn @alitap-tap @chewy-jioung @enhypemen @csbverse @disco-funk-and-soul09 @ye0ncore @adoreyeonjun @ch3nj1 @jaywonweb @99outros @thenoceurgirl @softkons @nctufh @jongsaengseong @hobistigma @leejeneo @sunbokie @heelariously @luvrseung @kac-chowsballs @jwonz @c9tnoos @smolberry-ren @missmadwoman @sthinqsz @unipanda1006 @yougeans @jakemyluv @ddeonubaby @msxflower @studioreader @emobeomgyu @iamnotgrootforiamthor @bigtittietoji @theskzvibe @vampsvngie @nyujjan @gu8ki @wonielover @ilove-jake updates are soon I SWEAR…

#i’m so nerovusuwbshb #i hope you guys will like them fr 😞.. #also if you can still see my posts then you’re a god. #enhypen smau #enhypen jake #enhypen jay #enhypen heeseung #txt smau #txt beomgyu

[soobmint]

tag game !!

rules; write the last line of your latest wip! (except i wrote down the last paragraph bc one line seemed weird to me)

"His gaze settled last upon Kai, the youngest, who had his slender fingers resting gently against the bars of the large ivory gate that loomed above them. He was the opposite of the rest of them, untainted by the dark magic of the forest and the scorches of fire. He was pure in every sense of the word. It made Yeonjun feel more than inadequate in comparison. He was a dark stain on the blanket of innocence that enveloped his young friend. That innocence was something the rest of them had promised to protect for as long as they were able to, from the first day they had met him. Who would have thought that they’d be forced to break their promise so soon?"

— where monsters hide, txt

tagged by: @jayflrt

tagging: @heetendo @honeyju anyone else who wants to join!

#this isn't my newest wip #but it is the last one i worked on haha #soobmint #tags yayy

[tyonfs]

Thoughts on treasure beyond nori

yoshinori

#tyonfs asks #honeyju

[jaytendo]

i will stalk you EVERYWHERE.

PPL R GONNA MISUNDERSTAND

#jaytendo asks #honeyju #ADDY . 🤕

[jjacob]

⚠️ rare aesthetic: @honeyju shaming me for being a jacob hard stan ⚠️

#honeyju #addy sucks #little gay addy

[en-amours]

add me to the taglist if you make one 🥺🥺🥺

consider it done! ☺️

#maharlika; asks #🖋 #honeyju #taglist

[juunnies]

eclipse rising

❝ if you keep going down this path, you’re going to die, soobin. ❞

PAIRING ▸ choi soobin x fem!reader

GENRES ▸ fantasy, fluff, angst, royal au, elemental prince au, friends to enemies to lovers

WARNINGS ▸ soobin’s the water prince but he’s scared of water, mentions of character death, mentions of war, soobin becomes a dick for a while, one makeout scene, ft. elf prince park sunghoon

SUMMARY ▸ chaos was a ladder and its rungs were slick with blood. if you couldn’t save soobin, he was bound to fall.

PLAYLIST ▸ can’t you see me by txt • where’s my love - alternate version by syml

WORD COUNT ▸ 11283 words

TAG LIST ▸ @shiningstar-byulxx​ @jjuniefiles​ @wintermer​​ @ladynightmareii​​ @yeonjxnnie @mcu-incorrect​​ @sooshibot​​ @hyukacity 

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ hello !! i apologize for the wait but (finally) here’s my piece for @soobmint​​'s ‘the five princes’ collab! my storyline is going to be connected with @honeyju​​'s yeonjun piece! please check out the other author’s installments and i hope you enjoy !! ♡

FROM THE MOMENT YOU MET HIM, CHOI SOOBIN REMINDED YOU OF THE SEA.

The more time you spent understanding the infinite blue, the more you realized how unpredictable it truly was. One moment its waves could be a gentle wash over the shore, and the next it could be a strong current of water crashing against the rocks. Rough storms often angered the tides, the strong current sweeping away anything that would lay in its wake.

Yet, despite all that, the sea was the most beautiful sight to behold.

The Kingdom of Nymphe resided by the sea, so you had grown up observing its mysteries and wonders. Most children were born with a power based on their element. Yours was hydromancy, the ability to utilize water and see visions or insights of time. Thus, you weren’t expected to train like most elementalists. However, you longed to train alongside the other children at the shoreline, but the most you could do was observe their abilities. Water generation and aquatic breathing were relatively common amongst most kids, but you quickly learned that your ability was on another level.

Being born into nobility and having such a unique gift drew a lot of attention to your powers. Your parents were the Duke and Duchess of Nymphe, so you were expected to uphold expectations that exceeded far beyond what a normal elementalist was asked of. From a young age, your training was separate from the other children. Thus, you were distant from the other Nymphians (as the citizens of Nymphe were often called). Instead, you were individually trained by experts in divination and clairvoyance as no one had seen powers like yours before.

On top of that, it became your duty to befriend the crown prince, Choi Soobin.

“Y/N, meet the crown prince,” your mother introduced, the queen nodding in tune with an encouraging smile. “You two are going to be best friends.”

Soobin was a year older than you, an inch taller, and was clearly of higher standing than you were. With his toothy grin and chubby cheeks, you decided he wasn’t much of a threat, but you weren’t too keen on having him stick around. You had to admit, even at the innocent age of ten, you had a bit of a competitive edge. You were far too comfortable with the attention fixed on you for the first ten years of your life, so you were left in shambles upon the realization that Soobin was about to steal your spotlight in one sweep.

You weren’t exactly sure why your parents were starting to take you to the castle regularly, but whenever they did, they would disappear with the King and Queen in confidentiality, leaving you with Soobin.

“Hi, Y/N!” the boy greeted cheerily. He stuck his hand out, and you wondered how the royal prince could be so reckless and bubbly as he pleased.

You looked uneasy, shyness heavy in your throat, but you managed to reach your hand out and shake his. He had a weaker grip than you had expected, and it provided you a small burst of superiority that you were stronger than the crown prince himself.

You lived close to the castle, but you never went on the castle grounds that much. The building itself was over the ocean, which wasn’t an issue because the staff was composed of elementalists who could protect the castle from the unpredictable tides or rebuild damaged areas of the castle. You were in awe of its marble-cut columns, waterfalls trickling down the walls and pooling into a hole in the flooring that led back to the sea.

Of course, the castle grounds stretched to the land, where manicured gardens and horse stables were situated. To the side was the beach shore, a few miles off from where elementalists trained. It was paradise, and you were a touch jealous that all of it belonged to Soobin.

“You have a nice house,” you commented stiffly. “Not as good as mine, though!”

Soobin’s smile never faltered. “Really? Can I come over one day?”

You grew defensive at his words. There was no way you were going to bring the young prince to your house. It was true that you had a nice mansion, but it paled in comparison to the royal castle.

“No boys allowed.” You huffed childishly. “Plus, why wouldn’t you wanna stay in this castle? I could stay here all day.”

“I’m not just a boy, Y/N. I’m your friend, silly,” Soobin corrected, and his smile grew a bit sadder. “It’s not so fun when you’re all alone.”

You stilled upon hearing his words. The two of you were birds of the same feather; you didn’t have very many friends either, nor were you allowed to go out and meet people as you pleased. A pang of sympathy hit you square in the chest because, whether you liked it or not, you saw yourself in the little boy.

You decided to yield to the young prince.

“Fine,” you decided. “I’ll be your friend if you play at the beach with me.”

Soobin’s smile fell a little more, but he reluctantly obliged. He let you grab his arm and run down the circling marble staircase that led to the beachfront. You kicked off your sandals nearby and ran onto the warm sand, taking Soobin to where the waves hit the shore, leaving behind foam and washed-up shells.

However, the young prince pulled back before you could pull him to where the waves washed over your feet.

“What?” you questioned. “Come on.”

“I’m scared of the water,” he said, embarrassed.

You nearly laughed. The royal prince was supposed to be one of the most powerful elementalists in the land, but here he was, cowering behind you because he couldn’t go near the ocean. You thought he was strange, but it was somewhat intriguing.

“Scared of the water?” you questioned. “How can you be scared of the water when you’re the prince?”

Soobin shrugged. “It’s just scary.”

“Doesn’t your ability have anything to do with water?” you asked, causing Soobin to balk at your questioning. “What is it?”

“Water manipulation,” he replied sheepishly. “I can move and command the water at my will. What’s yours?”

You beamed with pride. “Hydromancy—using water to see the future.”

Soobin’s eyes gleamed with admiration. You didn’t mind the ego-stroking; if you were going to be at the prince’s side, you could use all the praise you could get before it would all go to him. After all, you did have an ability that no one else had.

“Could you show me?”

“Stay here.”

You had no problem honing your power, but it was a bit overwhelming being put on the spot. You had been trained for years and you were still perfecting your skills, but presenting them to the royal prince wasn’t something you were ready for. Rather, you just weren’t used to someone wanting to see your powers unless they wanted to enhance, brag about, or exploit them. Soobin, though, just wanted to appreciate it, and that made you feel kind of happy. You had never tried your powers in front of the sea—only with water sitting in cups and bowls—so you didn’t know what to expect.

You stood in front of the waves, inhaling sharply after holding your hands out and closing your eyes.

“Rise.”

The softest whisper escaped your lips, but it brought forth a raging current speeding in your direction. The monosyllable seemed to ring out across the shoreline, thundering and echoing in your head. Soobin cried out your name, scrambling back in fear.

Your eyes shot open, but you could only see white. The back of your eyes felt like water was rushing down, chilling each vein and limb in your body. The avalanching tidal wave crashed down on you and you were hit with flashes of visions, scenes replaying and rewinding in front of your eyes.

But it couldn’t be right.

You saw Soobin, but he wasn’t the dimpled, smiling little boy that you knew.

This Soobin was older, more mature. He had grown into his features, for sure, but his eyes were colder and crueler. Something was chilling about the man he had become, and you couldn’t quite hear what he was saying but your blood went cold when you saw him mouth the word kill.

A high-pitched screech tore you from the future and back to the present. You blinked and realized you were on the sand, looking up at the sky while the waves splashed over your body. You tasted salt on your lips, coughing up a little spurt of water. You felt a pair of hands grab at you but you were too dazed to react or realize that the hands belonged to your mother.

“Y/N, what did you do?” your mother cried. “I told you you’re not ready to use your power at the sea!”

You looked behind your mother to see Soobin gripping his father’s leg and sobbing, half-terrified and half-relieved that you were okay. While you were catching your breath, you could see his hands shaking, lower-lip quivering. You didn’t realize it looked that concerning, but you weren’t even worried about the sea overtaking you.

But, looking at Soobin again, you were confident your ability needed some finetuning, or you had just seen it wrong.

Choi Soobin was harmless, right?

“Come on, you two,” your mother urged in a hushed, shaky whisper. “Let’s go back inside.”

You and Soobin walked side-by-side back up the staircase. He was slower than before, still shaking as sobs racked his body. As per his mother’s instructions, he was taking deep breaths to stop crying, but clearly wasn’t doing a very good job at it. It was almost amusing how he was so wounded when you were the one who was in danger.

“Are you… are you okay?” Soobin asked.

Rather than answering his question, you shifted your gaze to the scrape on his knee. Your eyes narrowed as you pressed your lips into a thin line.

“What’s that?”

Soobin looked down at the trickle of blood trailing down his leg. “I tripped when I ran to call our moms.”

You weren’t sure if you were happy that he was so desperate to save you or angry that he had hurt himself doing so, but an overwhelming amount of emotion rose in your chest. Shame burned in your gut when your face twisted up, tears welling in your eyes. You were a big kid; big kids didn’t cry.

You gasped, choking down a sob. Soobin looked concerned but you turned your gaze away. You ran ahead of him, running into the castle and up the flight of stairs. You weren’t sure if the water dripping down your face were the tears or your soaked hair from the ocean.

That was it. You couldn’t be friends with Soobin anymore. He made you feel like crying when he was hurt. He made you feel weak.

“Y/N!” Soobin called after you, hot on your tail. “What’s the matter?”

“I hate you!” you cried. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! I'll never be your friend!”

“Don’t say that,” Soobin said in a softer voice, grabbing your wrist before you ran off again. “It doesn’t hurt at all, Y/N.”

“I don’t care about your stupid knee,” you replied stubbornly. You choked back another sob. “You’re stupid. You’re stupid, Choi Soobin. You’re a prince—a stupid prince—and you’re… stupid!”

Soobin curled his hand into a fist and reached out to wipe your tears. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t like you. You’re a weakling and you’re awful,” you bawled as you let him dab at your cheeks. “If I keep being friends with you, then mother will see me like this and they’ll all think I’m a baby! I’m not a baby. I’m ten years old—that’s double digits.”

“You’re not a baby,” Soobin assured. “You’re really cool.”

You sniffled. “Me?”

“Yeah! You’re not afraid of the ocean and you did such a cool thing with your powers!” Soobin exclaimed, eyes sparkling. “You’re like a superhero, Y/N.”

“I still don’t want to be your friend.”

“What if I get you some cake?” Soobin offered.

You stilled. Now, that sounded like a good deal. You had to admit, you were tempted, but you didn’t want to cave in when you were clearly upset.

“I don’t want your stupid cake.”

“A whole cake just for you,” Soobin bargained. “I’ll ask the chef to make it and everything. You can ask for whatever you want on it.”

You were pretty much sold at that point. You would have to be a fool to turn down a delicacy like cake, especially when it was going to be made by the palace chef himself. You pursed your lips as you pondered over his deal.

You still had tear-streaked cheeks and a runny nose, but you obliged, “Cake it is, but I want strawberries on top of the whipped cream.”

Soobin grinned brightly. “Deal.”

You looked at him strangely. Sure, he was the prince and all, but you had never met someone as timid and soft as he was. There was nothing about the young prince that foreshadowed darkness. Your vision had to have been wrong; you must have seen it wrong or the ocean was playing tricks on you.

Choi Soobin couldn’t hurt a fly.

War.

A strange word.

Oftentimes, war was over something unreasonable (not that war was anything reasonable in and of itself), or sometimes it was retaliation or an attack for power. Sometimes wars were waged for freedom and sometimes for control. You only heard of it in stories and history books. It was a concept a fifteen-year-old shouldn’t have to worry about, but you and Soobin were exposed to the cruel reality at a young age. Not that you actively sought it out, but you and the young prince grew curious after hearing a few whispers around the castle about war falling upon the kingdom.

Like any other Nymphian, you were well aware of the feud between the Nymphe Kingdom and the Ignis Kingdom.

It was all silly to you. Bad blood from past generations still ran thick in the veins of the kings today, but you couldn’t wrap your head around it. It had sparked when the early king of Nymphe was slaughtered by the early king of Ignis. From then on, both kingdoms waged war against each other. Now, Nymphians had a hatred for the fire elementalists ingrained within them at a young age. The resentment was never-ending, and you were almost certain something was about to start again.

If only your mother would let you near the ocean again.

Your ability worked with any form of water, but the ocean felt different. It was more powerful, more unhinged. If only you had more control over it, then you could harness stronger visions of the future.

But you didn’t need the water. The threat of war lingered in the air like poison.

“I don’t get it,” Soobin muttered. “Why can’t everyone just get along?”

“People want power, Soobin,” you told him with a scoff. “You can’t even see it and these fools die for it.”

The two of you were lounging on the rooftop of the castle, a safe distance from the ledge. There was a platform from Soobin’s window that provided enough room to crawl up to the roof. As the top was relatively flat, there wasn't any high risk of falling off. Either way, since it overlooked the sea, it didn’t pose any danger to you.

Soobin forked another strawberry from the cake you two were sharing. Upon seeing your face, illuminated by the moonlight, he slid his fork along the side of the plate to push the strawberry off the prongs. Through your peripheral vision, you saw him nudge it towards you.

“The war is definitely happening then, isn’t it?” Soobin asked, his voice a strained whisper.

You had been friends with Soobin for five years, watching him mature and grow before your eyes. You supposed it was the fact that you had no other friends, but you and the young prince had become attached at the hip. It was natural to be around him, and you felt upset when he was away.

Your vision of Soobin from five years ago still haunted you, but the more time you spent with him, the more you realized how terribly wrong your foretelling was. It had to be because you were young and inexperienced. There was no way Choi Soobin could become consumed with evil; he was the most innocent boy you had ever met, unable to even upset you because he hated seeing you hurt.

“Unfortunately,” you said. “One day, you’re going to have to make that decision yourself.”

“What?”

“You’ll be a king one day.” You frowned, keeping your gaze fixed on the horizon. “You have to choose war or peace—or ‘war for peace,’ as if we can’t achieve peace without war,” you replied with a scoff.

Soobin scrunched up his nose at the thought. “There’s absolutely no way I would choose war,” he said. “That’s barbaric.” Silence fell between the two of you for a moment, the only sound being the waves crashing against the shore, until Soobin asked, “What’s my father doing over there?”

You looked over the ledge to see the king sneaking out of the castle from the back entrance. He wore dark robes to conceal himself for the most part, but he was clear as day from your viewpoint. He crossed the shore and made his way to the entrance of the Dark Woods. You and Soobin looked at each other, searching for an answer that neither of you had.

Your mother had always told you stories of the Dark Woods, how it was prowling with malicious spirits and horrible monsters. Entry into the woods was forbidden, but every now and then, a foolish soul under the spell of the invincibility fable would wander in. You had never heard of any elementalist making it back, and if one did, they wouldn’t dare speak of it.

“Soobin,” you whispered. “Those are the Dark Woods.”

“Why would my father be going in there?” he asked. “We need to follow him.”

Your eyes widened and you reached out to grab Soobin’s arm before he could move past you. “Are you crazy? Do you even know what’s in there?”

Soobin shook his arm free from your grip. “Y/N, that’s my father.”

“The king is a powerful man,” you assured. “He can handle himself in there.”

“Y/N—”

“We’re just children. Our powers aren’t even developed yet.”

“If it’s really as bad as they say it is, then I can’t just sit still here and wait for him. I’m going after him, and you don’t have to come with me, but this is my decision.”

It was probably the most insensible thing you had ever done, but you followed Soobin.

“This is a mistake,” you kept mumbling as Soobin powered past you, making you jog to keep up with him. “Hold on, Soobin! We don’t even know what’s in there, and none of us have offensive powers—well… I guess you do, but…”

“I can use them,” Soobin said, and it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than you. “I can use them.”

The entrance to the woods made you both freeze upon arrival. Immediately, you could feel the dread weighing upon you, as if it was heavy in the fog that spilled over the forest ground. The temperature had dropped considerably, prickling goosebumps along your arms. Soobin cleared his throat and, without a word, stepped into the woods. You sucked in a sharp breath before following suit.

You weren’t particularly fond of deformed creatures or looming darkness. The Dark Woods had both.

There was no clear path in the woods, only trees and branches curling every which way. You weren’t quite sure whether you were thankful for the darkness or fearful of it, but it provided great camouflage from whatever was hunting for prey. A blood-curdling shriek from the corner of the woods was enough to paralyze you and Soobin, making you both turn to each other in sheer panic.

“This was a bad idea,” you mumbled, looking around your surroundings.

“I’ll protect you,” Soobin said firmly.

If the situation weren’t life-threatening, you would’ve laughed. After five years, Soobin still dreaded being near the water and, as a result, barely used his powers. Him being your protector was what you least expected, but you didn’t even think about mocking him at this moment.

You heard the sound of a stick snapping up ahead.

Soobin’s father.

“There,” you whispered, grabbing the prince’s arm. “He’s over there.”

Soobin stilled and you swallowed down the lump in your throat. You were both grounded in place, unable to approach or go near the king. You understood Soobin’s hesitation all too well. Something was clearly off.

“What’s he doing?” Soobin muttered, grabbing your arm and tugging you down a path where you could observe his father from behind a gathering of trees.

The king walked in the middle of a grove of trees. He whispered some incantation under his breath and it was like the trees whispered back to him. The roots underneath began to glow, spreading an ominous light that only made you feel wearier. Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of the ground shaking in front of you, a dark wind circling around the king. An invisible blast of energy broke out in waves, throwing you off kilter while the king soaked it all in.

You knew exactly what this place was.

The Nemeton.

“What’s going on?” Soobin asked, panicked. His voice was loud but it didn’t matter because the darkness around the king was louder. “Y/N, what’s that?” You didn’t answer but this only elevated Soobin’s worries. “Y/N?”

The sight behold you was something you believed impossible. You had seen and read of it in textbooks but you thought it was magic that didn’t exist anymore, expelled from the universe eons ago. It was black magic that remained unspoken of and those who brought it up were instantly shunned. You couldn’t believe you were witnessing it before your very eyes, watching the king absorb it into his vessel.

The Nemeton was practically a myth in your head until now. The land possessed elementalists of the five elements: water, fire, air, earth, and ice. However, there was one element that no human could withstand possessing because it was far too powerful. It was what fed the Nemeton and supplied it with life.

Aether.

You opened your mouth to explain when the dark wind around the king fell. The darkness sunk into his skin, consuming his very being. You put a hand over Soobin’s mouth and dragged him down with you, crouching where the bushes concealed you.

The only sounds now were the king’s heavy breaths.

Thunder roared across the sky and lightning followed, striking the ground where the king stood. You and Soobin watched in horror as the electricity crackled through the tree roots along the ground until they sparked through the king himself. The shock made you wince, watching as the king cried in pain and struggled to stand upright.

When silence settled upon the woods again, the king stood, victorious.

Without another word, he trudged back where he came from, leaving you and Soobin to fully process what had just happened. You fell back onto the ground when the king was out of sight and let out a long-winded breath. Soobin did the same but looked as if he was going to puke.

“You children have wandered too far,” a voice called from the darkness. “Go home at once. The woods are no place for mortals.”

You stood up, moving in front of Soobin. “Who’s there?” you called out weakly.

A rustling sound came from the shrubbery. You flinched and Soobin immediately moved forward, maneuvering you behind him and raising his arm over his head. Upon doing so, the groundwater spiraled up, acting as a shield between you and the figure emerging from the bushes.

You gasped, less fearful of the unknown person and more in awe of what you had just seen. “Soobin, you did it!” you whispered.

Your best friend looked more shocked than you did, but the creature in the bushes distracted you both from Soobin’s accomplishment.

The man who stepped out from the bushes was the most beautiful creature you had laid eyes upon. After ducking under a branch, he straightened up to his full height, silver hair glistening under the moonlight. His striking eyes pierced into you, as if he could unravel every secret, every story. What caught your attention, however, were his long, pointed ears, reaching past his curls.

“You children are lucky that it’s me and not some ravaging beast,” the elf said before his eyes fell upon Soobin. “After all, I know better than to harm the heir to the Nymphe throne.”

You calmed but still asked, “Who are you?”

“Sunghoon,” he answered. “You must not know of our realm, but I am the elven prince. I suggest you both leave before you run into something dangerous.”

“What happened back there?” Soobin spoke up, his tone a bit frantic. “What is this place?”

Sunghoon’s eyes darkened. “That was the Nemeton. It’s the sacred grove of all magic—even dark magic. It’s not anything out of the ordinary for royal blood to come seek its power.”

“You’re saying my father came looking for dark magic?” Soobin questioned.

“Prince of Water, your lineage has a record of possessing dark sorts of magic,” Sunghoon replied. “It’s no surprise that your father deemed it necessary.”

A chilling howl rang from some unknown corner of the woods.

“Now return to your realm at once,” Sunghoon warned. “The woods are dangerous, especially at this time of night.”

Despite the questions that itched at the back of your head, you decided against arguing with the elf. Instead, you tugged Soobin’s arm, taking a step back.

“Come on, Soobin,” you urged. “Let’s go home.”

This time, Soobin didn’t disagree with you. He let you tug him along, skirting past trees and bushes that seemed to whisper louder with each one you passed. The woods felt like a vacuum, like your energy was being drained with each passing second you lingered within them.

When you and Soobin made it out, the both of you instantly dropped to your knees, hands pressed against the sodden ground.

One thing was clear.

A war was brewing.

It was a devastating loss on both sides.

Three years ago, your fifteen-year-old self could hardly fathom the idea of two kingdoms at war. Sure, you had known it was a possibility and had read about famous wars in history books, but you never imagined you’d bear witness to one. It wasn’t like you were anywhere near the battlefield, but you would’ve rather been on the front lines than having to patiently wait to hear word from your father.

Thankfully, he made it back safely.

You couldn’t say the same for the king, though.

Both kings of the Ignis and Nymphe kingdoms had fallen at each other’s hands, calling an end to the warfare for the time being. To you, it felt like a time bomb; the pent-up rage on both sides was building up slowly, ready to explode all at once. It was only a matter of time until war would break out again, but for now, both kingdoms were at peace.

While the Nymphe kingdom grieved over the death of their king, you mourned over the loss of a best friend.

The night Soobin cut you off was the night you started to see him in a different light. It was a chilling thought but he was becoming the person you saw in your vision years ago. Perhaps you should have been more wary, but your last flicker of hope for Soobin extinguished once you saw the light leave his eyes.

“Cake?” you weakly offered—a pathetic, childish attempt at trying to cheer him up, but you were desperate.

Soobin dismissed you with a wave of his hand, not sparing you a glance.

You had never been scared of Soobin in the slightest bit, but now you felt as if you were walking on eggshells around him. Even his mother was growing worrisome of his brooding nature and requested you to try to talk to him. Yet, despite being his only friend, you couldn’t even get a word out of the man you once knew. Of course, you sympathized with him; you couldn’t imagine the loss of a parent, but something about his grief felt like he was changing for the worse.

That was set in stone on that very night he called you down to the beach.

“Soobin?” you called, shocked at the sight of him standing so close to the water, the waves creeping up to his feet. Soobin was afraid of the water, but here he was, acting like it was part of him. The water by his feet curved upwards with the flick of his wrist and then receded. “I heard you called for me, but why this late?” Your gaze dropped to the seafoam left behind by the waves. “Why here?”

His lack of hesitation around the water scared you.

“I need you to use your power,” Soobin spoke calmly. “I need you to tell me my future.”

Your blood went cold. Soobin knew the ocean was more dangerous at night, yet he called you to use your power for his own benefit. On top of that, he was well aware you had no practice around the ocean since your incident when the both of you were kids. At this point, the words coming out of his mouth were foreign; the Choi Soobin you knew would never ask you to do that.

“Soobin, you know I can’t do that,” you replied.

“You have to,” Soobin pressed, eyes ablaze with too many emotions you couldn’t begin to pinpoint. He stepped forward and gripped your shoulders firmly. “You’re my best friend, aren’t you?”

The desperation in his voice was ugly.

“This isn’t you,” you told him. “The Choi Soobin I know wouldn’t ask me to do something so dangerous, especially if it was only for his personal gain. He wouldn’t try to make me feel guilty like this.”

“Then you clearly don’t know me.”

His words hit deeper than you thought they would. They burned into your skin, sinking deep until you were forced to realize that you would never get him back. The boy who once glowed brighter than the sun was now shrouded in complete darkness. Without a word, you turned on your heel to walk back home, but Soobin stopped you.

“I order you,” he said loudly, “as your king.”

You stopped dead in your tracks and turned to look at him. “You order me?” When Soobin hesitated, you continued, “There was one time when you said you would protect me. You said it with your whole being.” You paused to look for any remorse in his face, voice dropping to a whisper when you asked, “Was that a lie?”

“Who knows?” Soobin looked from you to the sea. “Maybe they were just words.”

“Just words?” you questioned, voice growing brittle, breaking like splintered wood. “Soobin, you haven’t spoken a word to me for weeks, and now you want to use me? Like I’m some tool? A weapon? Is that all I am to you?”

Soobin scoffed incredulously, face falling in disbelief. “Are you kidding? I’m the king, Y/N. We weren’t anything. You’re a fool to think us being acquaintances was anything more than just using each other,” he said. You felt tears well up in your eyes, but Soobin kept going, “I know you were using me too. I can’t forget that first day we met and the first thing you asked about was my castle.”

“Soobin—”

“Face it, Y/N,” he said. “You wanted to uphold status, and I wanted a presence around me other than my parents and the servants. If it were anyone else, it would’ve been the same case. We used each other. If you refuse to believe it, then so be it, but that’s the truth.”

“I asked you about your castle,” you started slowly, “and I was a materialistic, self-absorbed child at the time, but things are different now. I care about you.”

A bold statement but a cold response. Soobin didn’t seem to soften at your confession; his eyes only grew darker.

“If you care about me so much,” he said, “then do me this favor.”

There was barely any hesitation when you agreed because it appeared you had nothing left of him to lose.

“Rise,” you whispered to the water, and it obeyed.

The word spread across the waves, stretching to the horizon and beyond. Soobin stepped backward, but you managed to command him to back up more when you saw the giant tidal wave rushing towards you. You looked up, defeated, letting the water envelop you and take you into a memory you hadn’t expected to witness.

The future you were seeing was the Kingdom of Nymphe falling to ruins. Fire blazed over the land and the castle was in pieces. You saw a figure with blonde hair standing over a body. He kicked at the carcass and made sure there were no signs of life before he abandoned the body over the rubble and walked off.

You felt yourself start to lose grip over the vision when you realized who the dead body was.

Soobin.

You winced when you heard a high-pitched ringing in your ears, breaking your connection to the future vision. You fell back onto the sand, the waves at your feet slowly receding. Using the ocean for your visions still caught you off-guard each time you tried it. You coughed up a spurt of water and tried to regain your composure by holding yourself up by your forearms.

Soobin jogged over to you, squatting down to see your condition. “What did you see?”

“Soobin—”

“Y/N, what did you see?” he asked again, firmer this time.

You didn’t realize your gaze was distant until you turned your head to look up at Soobin. His eyebrows knitted together into a frown at your reaction, sensing the dread that was yet to come. The words were stuck in your throat. You were unable to bring yourself to tell Soobin of his impending doom; or, rather, you were unable to accept it yourself.

“If you keep going down this path,” you started, “you’re going to die, Soobin.”

Soobin said nothing, only meeting your eyes with a cold stare before he stood up and walked away without a word. He didn’t bother to help you up or even spare a glance to make sure you were okay. He looked like the moon in an eclipse.

There, on the beach, beaten down and exhausted, you realized you had been in love.

There, on the beach, your heart was broken.

Love.

It was a fickle thing.

You didn’t realize you had loved Soobin until he had walked away from you that night on the beach, leaving you cold and alone. You broke into bitter, hysterical laughter because your best friend was gone for good.

He didn’t care about you; you were just a pawn in his game of chess.

Or, your reasoning offered, but you could find no viable conclusion.

Or, your heart tried, for you couldn’t help but keep a space vacant for the best friend that hated you.

You squeezed your eyes shut like you were trying to cleanse the thoughts out of your head. There was something about heartbreak you never truly understood. If you were being freed of something that made you sad, then why did it hurt so much? You knew deep down that Soobin was no longer the cheery kid who brought you cake with strawberries, but you still held onto foolish, dim hope.

There was something else that was running through your head. You were getting stronger. Perhaps your power was advancing because you had started seeing visions in your dreams.

You could control when you wanted to see visions. Dreams, on the other hand, were well out of your control. The tragedy of the subconscious lay in the fact that dreams were no optional matter, and the dreamer, vulnerable and pliant, was forced to follow suit.

You kept reliving the vision of Soobin dying in your dream, and it had gotten to the point where you dreaded sleeping. Each time the image flashed in your head, you just wanted to run to Soobin and check if he was alive and breathing with your own eyes.

You weren’t sure if you were allowed near the castle again, but you went anyway. Whether Soobin liked it or not, your father was in charge of the military units. This time, however, you weren’t here for Soobin.

You were here for the Queen.

“Have some tea,” she offered graciously.

You saw the two steaming cups of tea on the coffee table in front of the woman, so you obliged with a quick nod of your head. You sat down across from her and took the cup gingerly. You let the steam waft upward, curling against your face.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” you said. “It’s good.” By the uneasy look in her eyes, you had a feeling you knew what the meeting was about before she even had to say anything. “Does this meeting have anything to do with Soobin, by any chance?”

“Unfortunately.” She managed a weak smile. “I’m worried about him, but there’s only so much I can do now that he’s to be the king.”

Your face fell. “I apologize, Your Majesty,” you started, “but the crown prince wants nothing to do with me, so I’m afraid I am of no help.”

“Actually, I think you’re the only one who can be of help.”

You were slowly starting to dread even stepping foot in the castle. You knew the Queen would try to persuade you to help her son come to his senses, and deep down, you wanted to help Soobin. Deep down, however, you knew that you couldn’t stop Soobin alone. The man you confronted on the beach was a completely different person.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot help you,” you said weakly and stood up, setting the cup down in front of you. “I should go.”

The Queen didn’t try to stop you but simply gave you a pained smile. “If you do change your mind, Y/N, then please go to the Ignis Kingdom and tell Prince Choi Yeonjun to put an end to this war.”

You froze in place. “Ignis?” you asked, almost laughing at her proposal. “I apologize, but how could I negotiate with royalty from the Ignis Kingdom? They’re all hot-headed and—”

“Not the crown prince,” the Queen cut in smoothly. “Two boys lost their fathers during the last war. Soobin turned to anger, but Prince Yeonjun is a pacifist. I believe the last thing he wants is a war.”

“How do you know so much about him?” you asked, stammering at the end when you realized you questioned the Queen herself. “I mean, knowing that he wants peace and all.”

“I met with the Queen of Ignis after the war,” the Queen admitted. “Both of us are widowed and didn’t want this to escalate, so we briefly discussed how our sons could put an end to this feud.”

When you didn’t reply, the Queen continued, “She told me Yeonjun wasn’t too fond of revenge, but I couldn’t say the same about my son.”

You swallowed, pondering over this possibility of forming an alliance. The Nymphe and Ignis Kingdoms have had bad blood for years, so perhaps the death of the old kings meant the chance of the rebirth of two nations. You weren’t too caught up in political matters, nor could you sympathize with either of the princes since your father came back safely, but perhaps you could use your powers to sway Yeonjun into creating a peace treaty.

“So you want me to use my powers to convince the Prince of Fire?” you asked.

“Precisely.” The Queen looked up at you expectantly. “He won’t take much convincing, so you shouldn’t have a problem.”

“I’ll think about it. Really.”

The Queen’s eyes twinkled. “Goodbye, Y/N.”

“Goodbye, Your Majesty.”

You stepped out of the Queen’s drawing room and sighed heavily once the doors were closed behind you. The sound echoed throughout the rest of the castle, and you registered just how empty it felt with the loss of the late king. You weren’t particularly fond of him after seeing what he did in the Dark Woods, but his presence did make the palace more lively.

You were making your way out the front doors when you heard footsteps down the spiraling staircase.

“Y/N?”

You turned to see Soobin standing on the third step, eyes tired and face grim. His tone was too fierce to sound like a question, but nevertheless, you paused to answer.

“Yes, Your Highness?” you responded, the unfamiliarity strange on your tongue.

“Just making sure you’re aware you don’t have the freedom to come and go as you please in the castle anymore,” he replied coldly, barely meeting your gaze. “Are we clear?”

You considered leaving without saying anything else, but this part of Soobin was making you angrier and angrier the more you interacted with him. You were furious. How could he treat you like a complete stranger after years of being his best friend? At this point, it would’ve hurt less if he ignored you completely.

But you didn’t want to fuel the fire, so you settled with, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Over the next few days, you tossed and turned the Queen’s offer in your head.

A Nymphian in the Ignis Kingdom was raw meat thrown to wolves, but if Choi Yeonjun truly was merciful as the Queen said and was seeking a truce between kingdoms, then you supposed it was in your best interest to seek out the Fire Prince. It would finally diffuse the tension built up between the two kingdoms for good.

However, your decision to find Yeonjun wasn’t solidified until you found yourself at the beach once again. You retraced your steps to where you had met with Soobin before. The feeling welling inside you was strange, like a vision trapped inside you and struggling to be uncovered. So it took you to where everything comes to light: the water.

A part of you was scared this time. Hesitant. You feared that this vision would be worse than the last one. Despite your fallout with Soobin, you couldn’t stand to see his untimely demise once more.

This time was different, though. You didn’t need the beckon the water to bestow a vision upon you; as soon as the waves brushed against your feet, you buckled forward and saw flashes of white behind your eyelids. The vision came through pinpricks of light—slowly, and then all at once.

This time, it didn’t feel like something from the future. Rather, it was the past.

Soobin. In the Dark Woods.

As soon as you spotted the familiar grove of trees, you knew he was at the Nemeton. Just like that, the old saying of corruption running through the veins of the Water Kingdom’s hierarchy rang in your head. It was the same scene unfolding before you, just like when you witnessed Soobin’s father consume the dark magic from the sacred space. Soobin, possessed by the ghost of his father, stood in the center, pale and shaky.

Your feet seemed to move faster than your brain could process what had just happened. Before you knew it, you were bolting toward the Dark Woods to find Soobin. When you ran through these woods when you were younger, you were terrified of the creatures that prowled. This time, you were so set on finding Soobin that you couldn’t think of anything else. A clap of thunder scared you out of your wits, but what horrified you further was what was to follow; thunder was always the prelude to lightning.  

“What are you doing,” you whispered as if he was right next to you, “abusing power that you can barely use.”

It was like your body knew exactly where to take you. Yet, it didn’t help that it was so quiet that you could only hear your shallow breathing and footsteps. You were the perfect target for predators in the night, and you could barely defend yourself in this realm.

A strike of lightning threw you off your balance, the force making you fall backward and hit your head against some tree root that was jutting out of the ground.

You were too late.

Nevertheless, you picked yourself up off the ground and ran to Soobin, ignoring the throbbing pain in your temple. He was in the center of the Nemeton, sprawled across the tree roots with sparks of dark magic crackling around his body. You were hesitant to even touch him, but you approached the prince and kneeled down cautiously.

“Soobin?” you called out. “Are you okay?”

You were wary, hand hanging in the space between the both of you like he was a wounded animal. You had never seen Soobin like this before. It was odd; something about him was so weak, so vulnerable, yet it seemed like his eyes were starting to cloud over. The dark magic was consuming him right in front of you.

“Y/N,” Soobin croaked out, and for one split second, it was almost like the suppressed humanity inside him was uncaged. It was like the old Soobin was back, tender and pleading. He lifted his head slowly, arm shaking as he tried to prop himself up on it. He croaked, “How did you know I was here?”

“Saw a vision,” you replied, half-dazed and half-concerned.

“You came for me.”

“What did you do?” you asked, mortified at how his veins looked black against his pale skin—the magic was seeping into his skin, running through his blood. “Did you come looking for dark magic?”

Soobin pushed himself up with a grunt so that he was kneeling in front of you. “Save me,” he begged. “Please.”

Soobin was looking deep into your eyes with the utmost sincerity. You wanted to question him, but before you could say anything, he held your shoulders firmly as his gaze dropped to your lips. You blinked and, all of a sudden, his cold lips were pressed to yours.

There were moments you shared with Soobin where you wanted to kiss him. When you still believed boys had cooties, you were repressing the fact that you wouldn’t mind trying to kiss Soobin’s cheek. When you turned thirteen, Soobin threw a surprise birthday party for you, and you had to muster up all your self-control to not lean over and kiss his forehead. When you were sixteen, Soobin found you at your worst and held you until you stopped hyperventilating.

You realized that this was what you’ve wanted for a long time, to be this close to Soobin, for his lips to be against yours like this. However, instead of the head-spinning, dizzying feeling you anticipated, you just felt heartbroken. Your eyes hazed over with unshed tears when Soobin broke from your lips and dropped his head onto your shoulder. You wanted this for a long time, but you didn’t want it this way; Soobin wasn’t himself.

Now, with his heart at war with his mind, you weren’t sure if you could even pull Soobin out of the current he was trapped under.

“We meet again, Prince of Water,” a voice called out from the bushes. “Or, shall I say, King?” You whipped your head around to see Sunghoon emerging from the thicket. He lowered the bow he had drawn. “I came as soon as I saw lightning strike the Nemeton, but it seems the worst has already happened.”

“S-Sunghoon, you’re the elven prince, right?” you asked, swallowing hard at the sight of Soobin turning paler by the second. “Tell me there’s some way I can fix this. Soobin can’t take on this sort of power.”

“The power of the Nemeton is irreversible.”

Your eyes shot open. There it was. You detected the faintest tremor in Sunghoon’s voice almost immediately, and you held onto it.

“You’re lying,” you said. “Tell me how I can save him.”

Sunghoon hesitated and looked at Soobin’s limp figure before he caved, “There is a chance he could die.”

“But there’s a chance he won’t, right?” you pressed. “Please help me bring him back. Please tell me how to get rid of the dark magic.”

Sunghoon pressed his lips together. “You’re a clairvoyant, correct? You can harness your power beyond normal sensory connection to the point of getting into Soobin’s head,” he said. “Only you can pull him back.”

“How?” you asked.

A beast cried in the distance, blood-curdling and bone-chilling. You and Sunghoon turned to the source of the sound and the elf took a step back. You saw the urgency in his eyes and panicked yourself, wondering how much time you and Soobin had left.

“Only you can do it,” Sunghoon explained. “I must go, but be fast. The Dark Woods is never safe, especially not at this time. Hurry.”

With that, Sunghoon stepped back into the brushwood, leaves and sticks rustling as you heard him head off somewhere into the woods. You were left with an unconscious Soobin and only so much time. Whatever creature was looming among the trees could definitely show up at any time.

You first considered dragging Soobin’s body out of the woods, but he was far too heavy for you to even make him budge. You were getting frustrated; Sunghoon had thrown an assignment at you without any instructions, and you were left to think fast or risk two lives.

You looked down at Soobin’s face, examining the way his chest rose and fell in tune with your shallow breathing, the way his long eyelashes cast down his cheeks. Your powers normally required a body of water but, without a second thought, you wrapped a hand around his neck, digging your nails into his nape. You felt your fingers tingle as your powers activated; you supposed this was due to the water in Soobin’s body, but you were hesitant because you had never tried this before. When you leaned down and pressed your forehead against his, the rest of the world fell apart around you.

Your reality tessellated until you were no longer in the Dark Woods but in the castle. Instead of the magnificent structure it normally was, the palace was in ruins around you. It was dark, abandoned, and had piles of rubbles laying around the place.

Your body felt numb here, bordering on soreness around the edges. You swatted at a cloud of dust that billowed around the drawing room you were in. Even when you coughed, it echoed, strange and alone. You wondered if Soobin felt this lonely in his own head.

“Soobin?” you called out. You weren’t exactly sure how to pull him out of the darkness, but you knew that you had to get him out of whatever this was.

There was no response, so you left the drawing room, stepping into the even darker hallway. The eerie chill left goosebumps prickling your arms and raising the hairs on the back of your neck. You crept your way down the grand staircase, now chipping and crumbling under your feet. Something dark and uncomfortable hung in the air, making it hard to breathe, but you pushed on.

In a castle so large, Soobin had always felt lonely even from a young age. Before you could wonder where he would be, it struck you faster than lightning.

“Fine,” you once told the young Choi Soobin. “I’ll be your friend if you play at the beach with me.”

You raced down the marble staircase that led to the beachfront. The flooring under you was unstable and the building behind you was rumbling. It felt like the entire structure was collapsing with each step you took, but you bolted forward and leaped onto the sand. When you looked back, everything was gone—the staircase, the castle—it had all vanished into thin air.

You looked back at the beach and there he was.

Soobin.

The same Choi Soobin you had met at the age of ten.

You wondered if this was the part of him that was lost within the darkness, and your suspicions were confirmed when you saw him holding his father’s hand. The old King looked different, though—warped and twisted. Dark matter enveloped his body and consumed his body. Soobin, on the other hand, was pure and untouched, but you had to get him away from his father.

“Soobin!” you called. “It’s me! Y/N!”

Soobin turned back to look at you, innocent eyes widening in surprise. “Y/N?”

You stood across from Soobin and his father, holding out your hand to him and trying to ignore the haunting, screeching sounds coming from the King. Soobin didn’t seem to take notice of it, but the preternatural sounds were hurting your head.

“Let go of your father, Soobin,” you told him. “Take my hand.”

Soobin frowned, cocking his head to the side. “Why? Father wanted to show me something. He told me not to let go of him.”

You gritted your teeth. How in the world were you supposed to convince a little kid? Soobin was much more willing to do whatever you said when you were younger than him.

“Come on, Soobin,” you urged. “I’m your friend, right?”

A flicker of hesitation crossed Soobin’s face, but you had to push him harder. You had no idea what control the distorted image of Soobin’s father had over him, but there had to be some way you could get your best friend away from him.

“We can play later, Y/N,” Soobin replied, unsure. “I’m spending time with my father.”

“That’s not your father, Soobin.”

Soobin swallowed. “Yes… it is.”

You shook your head, and Soobin took a wary glance up at the man next to him. You were sure he couldn’t see the circling dark matter around his father, but with your persuasion, you figured he was starting to see it. You had to press him further, but you didn’t know how to. Coaxing Soobin would only work up to a point, but you needed to convince him with a memory so that he knew it was really you.

“Soobin,” you tried in a gentler voice, “let’s get some cake.”

Soobin froze, eyes gleaming.

You continued, “With strawberries and whipped cream, okay?”

The woven whispers from Soobin’s father got louder and harsher, the dark matter expanding and wrapping around his entire body now. You took a step forward and held your hand out further for Soobin to take. The young boy looked between you and his father, and it felt like the longest five seconds in your life, but your anxiousness washed away in an instant when Soobin let go of his father’s hand and ran toward you.

A shaky sigh of relief fell from your lips when Soobin gripped your hand, and his father immediately winked out of existence.

“Thank you,” you whispered, a laugh coming out in a breath, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Soobin looked up at you expectantly. “Y/N, can we go eat cake now?”

You looked around at the empty space around you. All that was left was the sand and the sea.

“Soobin,” you started, kneeling down so you were eye-level with him, “can you do me a big favor? I promise this is all I’ll ever ask from you again.”

Soobin looked taken aback by your pleading but gripped your hand tighter. “What is it, Y/N?”

“Run into the ocean with me.”

If you thought Soobin was taken aback before, his expression right now had morphed into one of horror. Granted, you were asking a lot from him considering the ocean was one of his biggest fears, but you would drag him if you had to.

“But… but why?” he stammered, looking at the violent waves and gray sky.

“You have to face your fears. I promise I’ll protect you,” you responded, clutching his hand when he started to lose your grip. “Trust me, okay?”

“And then cake after?”

“Cake after.”

Little Soobin nodded tentatively, fear swimming in his doe eyes. You weren’t sure if his smaller legs could keep up with your stride, so you scooped him into your arms to run with him. This comforted Soobin more, with him tucking his face into the crook of your neck and closing his eyes.

You weren’t sure how much time you had left, so you started running. Soobin’s grip tightened on you when the cold water touched your feet. You winced and bit back your discomfort, wading deeper into the water until you and Soobin were surfaced at chest level.

A large, dark wave was looming over you two.

“Don’t look, Soobin,” you ordered, turning his face away and digging your nails back into the nape of his neck. “Hold your breath.”

When the wave crashed over you, the world shattered into pieces again.

A violent, ragged gasp pulled you back into reality. The icy bite of the ocean lingered, but you were completely dry. You were back on the roots of the Nemeton, the normal Soobin by your side and hunched over the ground, hurling up a dark substance that sunk back into the ground.

You sighed, relieved and a little shaky. You brought him back. You brought him back with your own two hands. Your power was one you thought was useless other than seeing visions and being exploited by others, but you saved Choi Soobin with it.

You weren’t sure if he was back to the way he was before, but you timidly placed a hand on Soobin’s back.

“Soobin?” you asked. “We have to get out of here. It’s dangerous, and—”

"I was a fool," Soobin whispered, awash with a new light, like he had been reborn. "You saved me."

Your plan was to meet with the Queen before you left for the Fire Kingdom, but remembering your vision of Soobin dying, you decided you couldn’t wait any longer. The Queen had already offered you her royal steed to get there faster, so you planned on going through the woods tonight.

Another thing that was bothering you was what Soobin was up to. When you saved him from the clutches of dark magic last night, you wondered if he was back to himself. Soobin was silent the entire walk back to the castle, and he only spared you a longing look before he went back inside. That was incentive enough for you to keep trying, but you weren’t sure if your efforts were working. Yet, for now, you were reassured that he wouldn’t get his hands on dark magic again.

What you still didn’t have the answer to, however, was if Soobin’s motives had changed. Moreover, if you didn’t stop him from waging war on Ignis, both kingdoms would descend into anarchy.

When you got to the beachfront, you swept your arms outward and up, and the body of water before you started to bubble and froth. The illustration it created peeled itself from the ocean and rose to levitate a few feet from the ground. The image, depicting the topography of the Fire Kingdom, appeared as a tangible, three-dimensional form.

You had the route memorized. You just had to get there.

“Here, boy, come here,” you were later cooing at the Queen’s horse, trying to lure it to the gate’s entrance. The stubborn horse didn’t budge, huffing at your request. You sighed in exasperation and waved your hand. “Come on! We need to get to the Ignis Kingdom before dawn!”

“I thought I heard someone snooping on the palace grounds.”

You turned around, and your blood went cold. Choi Soobin was leaning against the side of the barn, his eyes fixed on you. You had no way of getting out of this one, and Soobin once knew you too well, so he couldn’t fall for your lies.

“Your Highness—”

“I’m coming,” Soobin insisted, walking ahead of you to get the saddle for his horse.

You blinked repeatedly, trying to process his proposal. “Excuse me?”

“I know what I’ve done so far—especially to you—can’t be forgiven, but… I should at least start trying to make things right,” he mumbled, averting his gaze. “I was so consumed by guilt and hatred that I didn’t care about anything else, even if it meant hurting the people I loved most.”

You faltered. Since the day the war ended, since the day he changed, since the day he broke your heart, this was all you ever wanted to hear from him. You just wanted to hear his remorse and guilt spilling out with no warning. Still, there was fury in your bones and fire in your blood. You wanted to get back at him for the pain he had caused you and crush his heart like he did yours.

But when Soobin gave you a look you hadn’t seen in years, you surrendered to the current.

“I haven’t seen you cry in a long time,” Soobin murmured, reaching over to brush your tears away with his thumb. Under his unwavering, heartfelt gaze, you found yourself crying harder, overcome with all the feelings you had repressed for so long. “I’m sorry.”

“I just”—you sniffled—“missed my best friend.”

“You can’t forgive me for what I did and said to you,” Soobin said. “I was out of my mind.” You watched him through bleary eyes as he collected his thoughts and said, “It felt like something else was speaking for me, and I was at a constant war with myself, trying to get the darkness out of me, trying to breathe.”

When you didn’t respond, Soobin continued, “I know that doesn’t fix everything.”

“It doesn’t!” you exclaimed. “Do you know how many times I waited to see if you’d change? Do you know how much I hated myself after that night at the beach?”

Remorse flickered across Soobin’s face. He looked wild with pain, and it pinned you in place. The world was swaying dangerously under your feet, and you hated how Choi Soobin made you feel—weak, senseless, stupid.

“I hate myself for what I did to you,” Soobin whispered. “I know I can’t take back what I said, but I never once actually saw you as someone convenient.”

Your lower lip quivered. “Soobin—”

“I love you, Y/N.”

One tear fell off your lashes, then another. Soobin’s voice was so raw, so weak, but those words thundered in your heart. There was a lot you were skeptical of, but with the prince’s emotions laid out bare in front of you, a longing part of you wanted to believe him. You wanted to embrace him and all the pain he inflicted, love him until he was warm again.

You hated how Choi Soobin made you feel. However, what you hated more was how he made you glow.

“Do you really mean that?” you asked, your voice unstable.

Soobin looked agonized. “I’ve loved you for years. You were the only person who stuck to my side all this time. You came to save me even when you wanted nothing to do with me.”

You were experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. Part of you wanted to cry because your feelings were reciprocated, but part of you felt resentful. Anger seeped through your bones, and you took it out on him.

“I hate you,” you started, voice hoarse and broken.

“I know,” Soobin responded, biting his lower lip. “I’m sorry.”

“I hate you.” You pushed him back. “I hate you because you hurt me.” You pushed him harder. “I hate you because you made me feel weak.”

Soobin took all of your aggression, and you threw your full weight into a final push, knocking him back against one of the pillars.

“Y/N,” Soobin mumbled, eyebrows knitting in concern at the sight of you crying again.

“I hate you because I love you.”

You closed the distance between you and Soobin, bunching up the fabric on the front of his shirt and sliding your other hand into his hair. The impact roused a groan from the prince. Soobin stilled but returned the kiss gentler than you initiated, closing his eyes and pulling you impossibly closer.

Soobin shuddered under your touch. When you tried to pull away for air, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you back to him. You couldn’t ignore your overwhelming feelings for him.

You and Soobin always had a way of understanding each other that didn’t require words, only glances and feelings. When you thought you lost him, you felt somewhat disconnected from that feeling. You thought the person you had spent years learning about was gone forever. Now, with Soobin’s soft lips pressed to yours, you felt like you had your person back; you felt like he rekindled his warmth.

When you broke from the kiss, Soobin leaned forward and pressed his lips to your forehead.

Soobin smiled at your words. You weren’t one to let people in, more so let them back in, but this feeling of normalcy with your best friend was something you had been craving for so long. You used to be foreign to the concept of starting over, but you wanted to try and understand it. Something about pushing Soobin away for the rest of your life sounded miserable.

“I have a lot to fix between us,” Soobin murmured. “Will you let me back in?”

You nodded, looking down at where your bodies met. “I need to be able to trust you again, but you can try.”

“Let’s wait for my mother to wake up, and we can go to the Ignis Kingdom together after we tell her,” he said. When you nodded, he smiled and added, “Would you like to join me and get some cake from the kitchen?”

No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t mask your smile. “With strawberries and whipped cream.”

Soobin was much like the sea. He was a mystery, inviting you to dive deeper into the unknown. He was the gentle waves and seafoam splashing over your feet like an old friend. He was the rough tides when he felt a storm in his heart. He was the feeling of adrenaline and freedom you got when you dove into his embrace.

Because of all that, Choi Soobin was the most beautiful sight to behold.

#txt scenarios #soobin fluff #soobin scenarios #txt fluff #soobin imagines #soobin oneshot #choi soobin oneshot #txt oneshots #txt oneshot #choi soobin #soobin drabbles #txt drabbles #elemental au #elemental prince au #prince soobin au #soobin fanfic #txt fanfic #soobin fantasy #txt imagines #txt #tomorrow x together #soobin blurbs #txt blurbs

[gyuluster]

the prince and the jackal | {f}

collab oneshot | fantasy! au | 11.8k words

“Because the prince of the earth can make you fall not only for nature, but the boy who rules over it.”

s u m m a r y : in the Kingdom of Terrae, you, a metalbender, believe in the deforestation to modernise the land. As a member of the Lumberjackals, you thrive on cutting down trees and stealing resources until you get caught by the Crown Prince, Choi Beomgyu, a lover and embodiment of the nature you wish to destroy. However, instead of imprisoning you for your crimes, Beomgyu decides to show you the beauty and wonders of nature, leaving you to doubt your beliefs, your identity, and your very feelings for the certain boy determined to change you for the better.

w a r n i n g s : prince! beomgyu, woodcutter! metalbender! reader, reader hates wildlife and all things nature, beomgyu is sunshine and flowers and everything good, shit ton of wildlife and fantasy stuff, bts kim line are part of the lumberjackals so are evil in this story i am so sorry y’all, beomgyu has a pet squirrel called jisung yes han jisung, kind of enemies to lovers not really but im pretending it is

p l a y l i s t : fairy of shampoo by txt | colours of the wind by judy kuhn | willow by taylor swift

a u t h o r ‘ s  n o t e : yes i am back from the dead to bring this fic hello!! this is a collab with @soobmint​ @juunnies​ @bffsoobin​ @honeyju​ pls do read their parts too they’re so sexc <3 do lemme know what you all think and thank you for reading!!

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“And this prayer I make,               Knowing that Nature never did betray The heart that loved her.”  — William Wordsworth, Tintern Abbey, 1798.

“ONE MORE BLOODY TREE, AND I’LL SCREAM THIS FOREST DOWN!”

You ignored the complaints of your comrades, trekking deeper into the forest. 

The sun was nearly drowned out by the towering shade of the surrounding trees, and there remained a constant buzz of the animals, either scurrying away or chirping in the skies. The cut up logs strapped on your back was a huge burden, and slowed your steps as you trudged onto the muddied pathways, staining your boots.

“_____, how much longer until we go to the markets?” one of the men asked, exhaustion clear in his voice. 

“Just a few more logs, Tae,” one of the woodcutters, Seokjin, answered, casting a side-ways glance at you. 

“But we’ve already got so many!” the former whined, pointing to the goods over their shoulders. “We can make decent money today!”

Unsheathing your sword, you cut away at the vines in your path, masking your sight ahead. It must be here somewhere, you thought, eyes darting sharply to every flower and bush. It has to be.

“Haven’t you fools understood already?” a snarl resonated from the group. Your horse trotted past you as Namjoon, sat on top, brought out his machete, brutally slicing the branches of the towering trees. “The wood we’ve got won’t last us all year!”

His eyes blazed with a certain greed as he looked over you all. “We must find the Tree of Life,” he declared, strolling past you, cutting down the path. “One strip of its bark could bring us a fortune.”

You listened to his statements with raised brows, following in his steps. In truth, none of you had ever seen the Tree of Life. No one in the kingdom had for centuries — it had become something of a myth, a legend passed down from every earthbender to child of its origins, and its significance. You didn’t know the great specifics, but the whole group knew that if they were to obtain even a twig from the great tree, it could grant them millions worth of gold. 

And that was something the Lumberjackals desired more than the wellbeing of an omnipotent tree.

Soon, the search progressed, your group cutting down a few Ebonies for its useful properties, but there was no heavenly legend welcoming you in all its finery. The sun was descending on the horizon, and although Spring was present, you were situated in the part of the forest where the gusts of the Ice Kingdom blew consistently in your direction. The cold was about to descend, and you were far from your home in the Metallum villages. 

Taehyung, the youngest of the Kim brothers, held onto a nearby oak, all strength leaving him. “I don’t know about you, but I am not travelling any further.” He glared daggers at Namjoon, who showed no signs of stopping. “I’m setting camp here, and you can do nothing to stop me.”

Seokjin joined his youngest sibling, collapsing on the patch of grass beside the gathering of flowers as he shrugged off his work of the logs. “I vote a little rest, even if Joon does not understand its meaning.”

The said-man let out a scoff at those words. “You both are just bloody lazy!” He turned to you, eyes pinning you where you stood. “You’ll keep searching with me, right?”

You agreed, but when you saw the fatigue in your leader’s gaze you grabbed the reins from his horse, stepping beside him. “You need sleep, Joon,” you said, concern in your eyes. “I’ll do another search. You three stay here.”

Namjoon held your stare for a moment before swiping his leg over the back of the horse, jumping off. He handed you the reins fully. “Come back after dawn. Us three will take over from you.”

You had a right mind to challenge the amount of time he was making you explore, but you kept your mouth shut, heaving onto the animal. Dumping your logs of wood upon the ground, you dipped your head in farewell to the Kim brothers. “I will see you in the morning, boys.”

Taehyung waving excitedly as he set up camp, Seokjin going straight to bed upon his blankets, and Namjoon’s stare cold yet understanding, you cracked the reins as the horse began to gallop away from the oaklands, and deeper into the forest.

The moon barely lit the way as you delved deeper into the trees, the sounds of nature turning sinister as the owls began to hauntingly hoot, and the wildcats began to purr. You kept your sword close, in your hand as the other steadied your horse. 

You let out a hard sigh as you commenced your searching. Sometimes, only when you were alone, you wished that Namjoon would snap out of his delusions. There was no Tree of Life, no invaluable source of fortune which would challenge the earthbenders and start their industrialisation. In truth, you only wished for a life more than just cutting down wood, but your leader’s promises could be much too enticing. 

Perhaps he was right. Maybe with the metalisation of Regna Terrae the metalbenders would be able to progress. It was not like the Kingdom cared for the likes of you, nor the nature which brought you to existence.

Stupid, damned forest. What good had it ever done you?

Suddenly, you heard the harsh snapping of the twigs which wasn’t from your horse. In an instant you halted, pulling the reins as your eyes darted to every corner of the dark forest. 

Silence.

You furrowed your brows.

The forest cannot be trusted. Even its silences were sinister and misleading.

Slowly, you got off your horse, tying the reins to a nearby tree. “Keep still, Aurum,” you whispered. “I’ll be right back.”

Patting the mane, you turned and followed in the direction of where the sound was heard, every step quiet and cautious. There was little light, you having to rely on your ears alone, and the hands which touched trunk from trunk. In moments like these, you wished you possessed a more useful power than mere metal manipulation — firebending would have been nice, but you supposed that luck had never been in your favour.

Seething, you held onto your sword tighter, sending a little rush of power from your fingers as it sharpened the steel. No one tailing you would survive in your hands.

You then heard a little sigh, and whipped your head to the direction. Gritting your teeth, you rushed to the place of the origins, anger rising. Swiping away the branches in your path, your boots were the only sound among the quiet hush of the forest, along with the slicing of your weapon. Whoever was toying with you will not leave your wrath.

Swiping away the plants, you finally found an opening of grass among the trees. Squinting, your anger surged to find a distant figure standing before you, all masked in shadows from the lack of light within your surroundings. It stood statue-still, matching your deathly quietness. 

But the figure did not seem like it offered death. Nor anything so dangerous as you promised.

“Come out!” you shouted, taking a step forward. “I know you were following me!”

No response. 

“Scared, are you?!” Another hesitant step. “As you should be!”

Still, only silence answered, and the soft crunch of the leaves underneath your boots. You took a deep breath, shining your sword from the moonlight. A scoff emitted from you, nerves disappearing. This should be easy. 

With an aggravated roar, swinging your weapon, you thundered towards the figure. 

You rushed into the moonlight pooling onto the grass, eyes intent with damage as you willed iron-like power from your veins, and into your hands, swirling around the fuller of your sword until it reached its tip, ready to burst onto the figure.

It was then the shadows moved. 

A flick of his hand. A soft glow within the darkness. 

And all of nature followed suit.

You were taken aback as the thousands of vines circulating the surrounding trees unwrapped themselves from their trunks, and snapped towards you in thundering speed. You had no time to take in their stems swirling around your feet, cutting off your run towards this certain figure. A gasp escaping, you were pulled back by the impact, and let out a further scream as you began to fall flat on your face. Then, even more shock reverberated through you as your feet were pulled upwards, shooting your body up until you were suspended from a tree branch, your one foot wrapped tightly in the vines.

Your world all upside down, you shook your head vigorously, feeling the strain of your one leg under complete control of the tree. The thrum of powerful magic of nature resonated through your body, ceasing you from moving your free leg and kicking any potential passerbys. 

Craning your head backwards, you saw with horror that your sword was clattered upon the ground, too far away to reach from the air. Straining your hand towards the grass, you willed your magnetic force, trying to lure your weapon into your hand.

The sword would have ended up in your grasp if another surge of the same natural magic did not break its path, sending it back on the earth.

Enraged, you looked out to the dark, sight distorted. “Gods, just come out already!” you screamed, swinging slightly by your sheer force. “Stop hiding in the damned shadows!”

There was a flutter of little animals coming out from the shadows. “Ha!” you spat, reaching for the dark. “Only sending a few creatures to scare me? You’re going to have to work harder than that!”

When there was another round of silence, you laughed harshly to yourself. “That’s what I thought.”

This time, however, you were not greeted by their usual, quiet answer.

More vines slithered down your frame, pushing your hands together. You gritted your teeth as the gnarly weeds tightened around your wrists, stopping yourself from using your hands.

Glaring daggers at the darkness ahead, you spat at the ground. “Show yourself!” you roared.

Your threats were answered.

Responded in an unimaginable way as the figure stepped into the moonlight.

You could not suppress your reaction.

The most enchanting boy you had ever seen revealed himself from the shadows. You could clearly see him from the light, the soft, child-like features amplified by his undoubted beauty — his mahogany locks curled around his face, cascading over his forehead. His gentle eyes promised great amusement, more so when they landed upon you, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips. He was adorned in a fine green gown, few assortments strapped on his belt as leather boots, etched in ink, covered his feet. A crown of flowers and leaves settled in his curls, emitting its own, fantastical glow among the darkness.

The smile curved wider at your widened eyes. “Why so speechless now, my lady?” 

By all the gods. Even his voice sounded like the sweetest honey in all the hives. 

“I have come before you, now,” he continued, deeply amused by your bewilderment. “I have stopped hiding in those damned shadows, as you said.

“Where is your anger?”

Well, that seemed to bring your rage all back.

“It’s still here, you bastard!” you hissed, struggling in the rope-like vines as you tried to swipe your hand across his face. He merely took a step back, completely out of your range.

“Even without a weapon you are a force to be reckoned with,” the mysterious boy voiced out, raising his fingers as magic sparked from the tips. Instantly the vines encircled your arms, pinning them to your sides as the weeds wrapped around you completely. You were like a human-sized caterpillar, cocooned in vines except you would not turn into a butterfly and rush away into the forest. 

This nuisance before you would make sure of that.

A satisfied hum escaped him. “There we go,” he said. “Now you won’t be of any danger.”

“Who even are you?” you demanded, glaring daggers at the sight before you. Terrible shame that the sight was something you wouldn’t mind witnessing for the rest of your life. Even if it was upside down. 

A hint of surprise exposed upon his features. “Oh, this is amusing, indeed.”

He took a step towards you, you catching the faint scent of...flowers and trees and fruit and honey. You couldn’t really figure out a perfect essence — if nature had a scent, then this boy embodied it. “I am surprised you know not of me when you wish to destroy what I own.”

You raised a brow, at eye level with him, despite the loopy image. 

Then, the gears in your head turned, and you were struck hard with the realisation.

When you wish to destroy what I own.

“Oh gods,” you slipped out.

The boy smiled.

No, not just the boy.

The Prince of Regna Terrae — the heir to the Earth Kingdom. 

Choi Beomgyu.

Maybe this explained his otherworldly beauty. Crown princes of the earth kingdoms were known to be blessed by nature, so adorned the finest features known to man. Standing before you now, you cursed yourself for not seeing it before.

And cursed yourself again for cursing at him. Multiple times.

Beomgyu saw your eyes moving a mile a second and spluttered out a soft laugh, raising a finger so you focused on him. “I am glad you have figured out my identity. Now we both know what we are.”

His next words did not possess much hilarity. “I, a prince, and you, a Lumberjackal.”

The declaration had you gulping. There’s no escaping this.

He was not wrong in the slightest — you were a part of the Lumberjackals — a group dedicated to industrialising the Earth Kingdom, and giving it a head start from the other kingdoms who did not possess the natural resources that this land contained. You prided on deforestation, the cutting of wood and, even to a certain extent, the consumption of animals. Although you never participated in the last activity out of pure shame, you knew the Kim brothers certainly did, and enjoyed it to great extent. 

“Do you deny it?”

You tried to look away, but his gaze was a little too intense. Even if it was reversed. “I do not.”

“And what do you have to say for yourself?” he got out, and you could hear the pain in his voice. Could you even blame him? You destroyed what he held so dear.

Still. You were a metalbender. The desire for modernisation is in your very blood.

“I do what I must do, your Highness,” you grit out, struggling in your weedy cocoon. “It is the only way we survive. 

“And I will not stop.”

The boy’s eyes widened a fraction, in pure disbelief. He could not comprehend this — how could one be so against the idea of nature? How could anyone be so resolute in the decimation of what they survived on?

Prince Beomgyu cocked his head, pursing his lips. 

How could one hate a deity he considered so beautiful?

He said so himself. 

“How?”

You blinked. 

The boy continued. “How can you hate nature?”

His question took you by surprise — you did not really know the answer yourself. 

It was not like you despised the earth in all its natural form. Sure, it brought you the air you breathed, the food you ate, and the water you drank. But what else had nature given you?

You soured upon seeing the Prince’s face. You did not possess the powers other Terrae citizens were gifted with. Your branch of magic was hard, unforgiving. Simply a practicality, only useful for finding resources and making weapons.

Where were your subservient vines? Where was your natural greatness?

With this in mind, you mustered up the most brutal expression you could offer to the boy before you. 

“Because nature was not kind to the likes of me. So I shall not be kind to it either.”

This time, the Prince’s eyes widened even further, afraid they would pop right out of their sockets. 

Once again, his mind was in a twist — how had his dearest accomplice, his most cherished friend, been unforgiving to his subjects? He would never consider himself sheltered, but this was something quite unheard of in his kingdom.

“I know you do not believe me, but this is the only explanation I can offer.” You paused, accepting your fate. “Untie me already so you can send me to prison.”

You felt something swirl beneath the boy’s brown eyes, irises sparkling with wonderment. His voice was soft, if not lost within his own thoughts.

“I believe you, jackal,” he said. With a final step towards you, he left little distance between the two of you, eyes at level with yours as you hung from the tree. “But I cannot be satisfied with it.”

Another blink, taken aback by his declaration. “Well...well, what am I supposed to do about it?”

Shocking you further, he curled a little smile upon his lips. “Well,” he started, and as the smile began to widen further, he knew just what to do.

No, he was certainly not satisfied with her accepted hatred.

“We can start by changing that.”

It was your turn for your pupils to dilate. Gods above. This boy seems one chop away from a stump.

“What do you mean?” you demanded, but the boy was already turning on his heel, looking to the surroundings. He fell to his knees, feeling the ground beneath him with his hands. “Your Highness, what are you doing?!”

He did not deem to answer your question, only counter it with his own. “Do you have a horse nearby?”

You looked at him, surprised he figured it out by merely touching the grass. “Yes, but…”

It seemed that he did not need to hear any more, as he brought a hand out, fingers stretching. A tendril of green power burst from his palm, snaking through the dark air beyond your peripheral vision. The Prince was focused on his conjury, and you wondered what in Terrae he was trying to do.

Then, you heard a distant neighing, and found Aurum following the green trail of his magic, eyes glowing slightly.  

You tried to escape the tight cage of the vines. “Gods, what are you doing with my horse?!” you exclaimed. “She hates strangers!”

The magic disappeared, along with the glow in her eyes. You could tell she was confused at her surroundings, about to raise her hind legs at the boy who spelled her. “She’ll kill you!” you warned, bracing yourself to witness the death of a prince.

It was then Beomgyu stepped towards the horse, gaze sparkling with kindness. 

His hand touched Aurum’s face.

With no small amount of shock, you watched as the boy whispered to your horse, stroking her muzzle. You had never seen her be so friendly to any human she’s made contact with — by Terrae, she even deigned to show attitude to you, who had fed and groomed her since she was a mere pony. How was she sweetening up to someone she had just seen?

Maybe she’s still under a spell, you thought with malice, but then a more honest thought came to mind, and it only made you angrier. 

Or perhaps animals can be just as enchanted with him as humans can.

“What are you talking to her for?” you interrupted them, letting out an aggravated groan as the cocoon engulfed you tighter. “You’re sharing words with her as if she’d spread them!”

Beomgyu slid his eyes upward to you. “I was just asking Aurum if she’d like to have an apple.”

“No, I’ll give her one myself—” you tried to say, but then stopped short. “Wait. How do you know her name?”

He looked at you as if you had asked the most ridiculous question. “Because she just told me.”

You stopped struggling in the cocoon. “What did you just say? Aurum told you?”

Hands never ceasing his comforting upon the horse, he raised a quizzical brow. “Pardon me, jackal, but do you mean to tell me that you...you cannot talk to animals?”

Maybe you were not wrong to think the heir of the Earth Kingdom absolutely crazy. 

He gestured to the world around you both. “Can you not sense each and every creature nearby? Can you not hear their heartbeats, in sync to their purrs and murmurs?

“Can you not hear the very trees breathe around you?”

You did not know what to say. Perhaps you did not understand his words, what he really meant by a tree breathing. Was that even possible? You thought it unimaginable. 

So you offered him the only thing that remained in your mind.

“I have never felt these things.”

The hand upon Aurum’s nuzzle paused, unable to accept the statement which you offered him. 

His suspicions were confirmed. Your hatred of nature and all the beings which it birthed had rid you of your powers.

He had seen this before — lost souls who had done grave wrongdoings to the earth, and as a consequence, their very instincts were snatched, right down to the basics. There was no shortage of Lumberjackals in the palace dungeons, and upon closer inspection, he saw that these woodcutters felt no connection to their surroundings. It broke his heart seeing the lack of attachment, the lack of desire for exploration and yearning for their powers, but he knew it could not be helped. 

Whoever crosses nature would not be forgiven.

Still, when he inspected the confused, tired gaze of yours, searching him for any suspected lunacy, he just knew that he could not toss you in another old cell. This plan he had in mind could not occur through rotting in one place for the rest of your life. 

“Worry not then, jackal.” He raised his hand, magic blooming from his palm. “I am going to change that.”

Whispering to your horse, he listened for a soft neigh before heaving atop her back, hissing at the reins and other controls tying her down. You watched with slight fear. “W-wait a minute,” you started, trying to squeeze out of the vines, but with no luck. “You’re not going to just leave me here, are you?”

Patting Aurum’s mane, he voiced out calmly, “I wish with my whole heart, but then my plan will not work.” 

You pursed your lips, watching his eyes sparkle with mischief. “If you were not a prince, I would have cursed you.” 

With a flick of his hand, a rush of magic travelled to your cocoon; you felt yourself turning on your front, hovering you upright as the power gravitated you back on the ground, loosening the vines. 

“Not like that has stopped you before,” he merely countered as he observed you shrug off weeds in slight humiliation. “Now get on. We have somewhere to be.”

He waited a moment, sighing when you would not oblige. “Is something the matter?”

You wanted to say yes — gods, you wanted to scream at him to get off Aurum, leave you alone and let you cut trees in peace, but of course, that would be an impossible route to take. You still had no inkling of why the Prince of your kingdom was having mercy on you, and you would be quite the fool to exploit it foolishly.

With gritted teeth, you kept your complaints behind your tongue as you brought your foot on the stirrup, heaving upwards as you brought your leg to the other side, settling upon the horse. “Now,” Beomgyu began, looking over his shoulder. “There is no need to be shy. You may put your hands around me as the horse goes fast—”

“I shall be completely fine, thank you,” you interrupted him, brows furrowed. What was this prince even doing? You wondered whether he was a fraud. With that power you witnessed, though, you highly doubted it.

And his features. There is no way a commoner could possess such enchanting beauty.

Flustered, you soured even further. 

“Are you ready, jackal?”

You grunted out a yes, which was enough for the boy to command Aurum to start.

The horse, against your expectation, began galloping much faster, and with a yelp you were nearly sent flying out of the seat. Your hands, on instinct, wrapped around Beomgyu’s waist, and when you realised what you had done you cursed yourself for obliging him. 

You could almost hear his grin. “I told you!” he exclaimed over the noise of hooves clattering against the rocky mud. 

If only you could slap the heirs of kingdoms. “Just take me where you have in mind!” you barked back. “I need to be back to Metallum at dawn.”

“That will be just enough!” 

The horse swept past more trees, animals scurrying from your path as the moon lit the dim forest path. You held onto the prince for dear life, refusing to acknowledge the hard surface beneath his silk, his ethereal warmth radiating onto you. 

“Hey, jackal?”

A sigh. “Yes?” 

“Your horse’s name.” A pause. “Aurum.”

You looked to the trees whooshing past your vision. “What of it?”

Beomgyu whispered for the animal to slow down, scanning his surroundings for his destination. “’Gold’. A very ingenious name.” 

He glanced at your irritated face, and smiled. “My mare is called Argenti.”

Your mouth parted at the little revelation.

Argenti. Silver.

Before you could say more on the matter, the boy stopped the horse, cooing at her and praising her for helping him. Swinging his leg over, he jumped off the horse gracefully. He fixed his flower crown before turning to face you, falling rather awkwardly on the grass. 

A small laugh escaping him, you daggered him with your gaze as you stepped beside him, a hand on Aurum. Your stare lingered as he took a circle turn of the surroundings, moon almost winking at him as it journeyed in the blanket of night. After a while, Beomgyu pointed to the tree nearby you, stepping past you to palm its trunk. “Here we go.”

Fingers stretching, magic spluttered as it swirled into the thick expanse of the leaves, nearly covering the sky with their excess. The matter squeezed through, and brought out the hidden vines, tumbling down till they reached the roots. Grabbing onto the plants, the prince turned his head towards you, an offer in his eyes. 

You hated how you understood exactly what he meant. “I am not going up with you,” you retorted. 

“It’s my arms or the dungeon.”

Gulping, you swallowed down your irritation for him. Taking a step towards him, you maintained a safe distance as you made sure he was aware of your distaste. “Just get us up already.” Damn the gods for making him so aggravatingly beautiful, you thought shamelessly as you looked at him. “Your Highness.”

Perhaps he knew, for the little smile was back, wrapping his arm around your waist, and pulling you close. “That’s more like it,” he murmured out before willing his magic into motion. 

Your breathing hitched as you were pulled rapidly upward by the vines, breaking through the surface of the leaves. You closed your eyes, feeling the scraping of the branches against your clothes until you felt yourself still, listening only to the deep breaths of the prince beside you. His hand was still snaked at your side.

“Open your eyes, jackal.”

Somehow, on instinct, you obliged. 

And widened them further.

You were in another world entirely — the branches expanded beyond your vision, intertwining with the others from different trees, so intricately interlinked beneath your feet that they created a floor. Upon this branching surface there was a little room, decorated with every unusual object that one could identify. Beside the bed, interwoven by these branches, you saw an abundance of flowers and leaves, an lamp of glowing fireflies resting in the corner, and a thousand other items which needed further explanation.

Judging by the awe on your face, the boy answered you, heading to the small cabinet where everything was placed. “A collection of gadgets,” he began, using his magic to separate every object. “That I’ve bought or been gifted since my princedom.” He took out a few unrecognisable things and strolled to the wardrobe, made from the same intertwining branches, and opened the doors, rummaging through.

“What are you even looking for?” you asked, but were dutifully ignored as he kept searching. You admired the intricate scenery, the plush excess of leaves beneath your shoes, shielding you and the prince nearby.

You heard him let out a satisfied ah! as he closed the doors shut. He walked over to you, showing you the rather odd object — it was an unusually large ice cube, miniscule snowflakes etched onto its every side as it orbited slowly in Beomgyu’s hand.

Your curious gaze upon the gadget had him into explanation. “A present from the Ice Prince,” he said, admiring the cold gift in his palms. “It provides an infinite water supply, so is incredibly useful for long journeys.”

“Taehyun, is he not called?” You shivered at the thought. “I am shocked to think he is capable of such small kindnesses.”

Beomgyu slid his eyes to yours. “Taehyun is not the man that his subjects have painted him to be.” His irises swirled in an indecipherable emotion. “Sometimes, one cannot judge the character of another simply based on rumour alone. Only with having conversation can one truly have an honest opinion.”

A small part of you wondered if he truly meant that for Taehyun, or to you, another villain in the Earth Kingdom’s millennia-old tale. Whatever it may be, you looked away, wondering when you’d be able to leave the prince’s presence. 

“Right,” you heard him say, pocketing the other unknown object in his breast pocket of his gown. “Let us go on ground once more.”

The boy was about to tug on the vines again when he was interrupted by a most unusual sound. 

Well, not unusual, considering you were situated in a tree house, but the noise was so shrill you instantly looked down to its origin.

Before you was a little squirrel, cheeks puffed as its little hands perched on its sides. Its soft tail moved rapidly behind its body, indicating irritation. 

Its small, black eyes were fixated upon the boy beside you. Letting out yet another squeak, you saw Beomgyu sigh out in exasperation, as if he had just remembered an important matter.

“Oh gods, I do apologise!” He exclaimed, falling to his knees as he held his free hand out, the other holding the hovering ice cube still. “I’m afraid I cannot feed you now, but would you be able to wait?”

The squirrel let out another squeak, and this time the prince flinched. You gawked at the scene — so not only can he command the trees, but he could talk to animals?

What can this boy not do?

“Ji, I am sorry!” Fishing out an acorn from his breast pocket, he offered it before him. “I have one, if it helps! I promise to feed you properly after I am done with a certain task.”

Even so, the animal seemed much unimpressed. It then turned its little head to you, and you could have sworn that its eyes judged your very soul. 

It squeaked some more, and this time Beomgyu widened his eyes, cheeks flushing. “By Mother Nature, no!” He bellowed out, panicked eyes fleeting towards you. “No, I just met her today.”

“Are you talking about me?” You asked, raising a brow. The squirrel then made another sound, one you could not decipher but, judging from the boy’s reaction, could definitely take a wild guess. “By gods, is this creature mocking me?”

You were rewarded with further squeaking, but was instantly silenced by Beomgyu. “Ji, no! I cannot have you being sarcastic tonight. Save your grievances for tomorrow morning!”

And as the prince scooped the squirrel in his hand, he walked over to the bed, settling it on the sheets. “Stay here. I will be back.”

There was sure to be complaints, but the boy kept sending looks of apology as he stepped back to the edge of the exit, tugging on the vines. “Deeply sorry for Jisung’s behaviour,” he said, swirling the cube slowly. “He is grumpier tonight as I have not fed him this evening.”

“A pet squirrel, huh?” You interrogated, looking down to the grass below. “And one you can talk to? Is that how you could communicate with Aurum?”

Nodding, the prince held his arm out. “Are we ready?”

You hurrying my shook your head. “Not again!” You crossed your arms. “I’ll slide down myself. Without your help.”

Shrugging, the boy held on tighter to the vine. “Your wish, jackal,” he said, and jumped down. Perking up, you squatted down to see him descend smoothly down the tree, landing perfectly on the grass. 

Grabbing onto the plant, you looked back to the grumpy pet, stuffing the acorn in his mouth. 

He then stuck his tongue out, and you gasped at the audacity. “Rude!” You shouted, but we’re only answered with shrill squeaking. Ignoring the creature, you took the vine by both hands, and followed suit.

Your descent was much less graceful, landing instead on your backside. You were met with the huffed laughter of the prince, and you forced down the urge to beat him with his stupid flower crown. Or perhaps tie these vines around his neck and strangle him.

No, that would only result in him using his silly magic. Awful, attractive bastard.

“What are we doing now, Highness?” You wondered out loud, rubbing your sore backside. “Do tell me there is some use of your rather odd ice cube.”

Beomgyu, after strolling further into the woods, slowed himself for you to catch up. “There is some use, unfortunately for you.” He waved you over, stepping past the wild bushes in his path. “Follow me, jackal!” he called out to you. 

Grudgingly, you did as he asked, hugging yourself from the cold breeze of the midnight, wondering where in Terrae he was trying to take you. The trees towered over you like intimidating strangers — if the prince spoke true, then you wouldtuly be unwelcome. 

You were surrounded by this coercion until the forest opened up to an open grassland, encircled by the nature which looked down at you. Beomgyu turned to you, bringing out a few seeds from his trouser pockets and standing right in the middle of the circle. 

“There you are,” he said as you stepped beside him. He glanced at the moon, measuring the amount of time he had left. 

“What are you going to do?” you asked him, still clueless regarding the whole situation. Why has he not sent you to the dungeons already?

His eyes travelled to your face. With a half-soft scoff, he held out his hand, the seeds now in perfect view. “It is not what I’m going to do,” he began. “It is what you are going to do.”

The confusion grew within you. “What do you mean?” you tried to clarify. “What am I to do with these seeds?”

Beomgyu’s eyes promised answers. “Bring out your hand, jackal.”

You did as you were told, holding out your hand as he put the seeds in your palm, fingers barely brushing against your skin. He then descended, knees upon the grass as he patted to the space beside you. “Come, sit.”

Pursing your lips in thought, you knelt before the grass, seeds in your enclosed fist as your gaze never strayed from the boy. “Your Highness—”

Magic oozing from his fingers interrupted your demand, slipping into the earth. Slowly, but surely, a small hole was separated by the green matter, dirt being shovelled to create a dip in the grassland. 

Once he ceased his conjuring, he jerked his head towards the new opening. “Place the seeds in the hole,” he instructed. “Gently now! Treat them with the utmost care.”

Grumbling in response, you leaned forward as you gingerly put each seed at the corners of the muddy dip, noticing a small spark with each placement of the grain. It was a bizarre feeling, but assumed it normal in the ways of gardening as you inserted the dirt over them, covering them fully.

You peered at the prince then, who brought out the large ice cube. Turning it rapidly, treacle of water dripped down to the ground, moistening the earth and feeding the seeds of its necessities. Putting the gadget back in his storage belt, he then returned his hand upon the damp mound, closing his eyes in a fixated peace. More magic swirled from his hands, but this time it encircled not only the place where you had placed the seeds, but you, all of you, engulfing you in its otherworldly warmth. 

“Your Highness?” You whispered out, but he was murmuring, murmuring words you could not comprehend, words which felt like you were not meant to hear. His curls were being lifted slightly with the tendrils of his power, but he stayed rooted to his spot, carrying on with what you feared was a grotesque ritual. 

You, too, became still when you felt fingers curl around your hand. 

On instinct you looked at him, eyes widening — you should have expected his hand to radiate some form of heat, considering this boy had such an unusual glow about him, but this…

Despite the soft chaos around the two of you, the touch was oddly comforting. 

His hand, dragging you out of your thoughts, led yours to the place you sowed the little grains of life, and spread apart your fingers till they covered nearly the entire, dug up earth. More matter escaped from his fingers, shooting further warmth upon the back of your hand, and travelling up to your heart. 

“Close your eyes, jackal,” you heard him chant from his cocoon of magic. “I need you to see from within.”

“See what?!” You beseeched, but his fingers held onto you a little tighter, and, as if he commanded your very body, had your eyelids descend shut, cornering you into the chambers of your mind.

See from within.

What could you see?

Darkness. Eternal darkness, and rusted iron, spilled mercury, and all the grim faces of the people who wanted to decimate the very place you knelt in.

I cannot see! You screamed in your mind, because in the whirlwind of his power you felt alone, trapped in your own mind, trying to join in on a ritual which would cursed the likes of you.

But in reality, you were not alone.

No, not when you felt something foreign in your body.

You swore you stopped breathing. 

Your fingers felt squeezed by another, but was ignored because you could see a whole other heartbeat which was not your own.

A familiar voice entered your mind.

“Do you see it?”

The prince’s voice; the soft, almost desperate inquiry, which you could not help but answer. 

“Yes...yes, by Terrae, I do see it.”

And perhaps he said some more, but you were not listening to his words. His speech seemed a little insignificant to the little heartbeat — it was as faint as the scent of departure, delicate as a snowflake, and as real as yourself, the prince, and the neverending forest.

When you tried to lift your hand, Beomgyu’s fingers halted you still. You could not believe that you did not mind it. “Whose...whose is it, your Highness?”

You were positive that he did not hear you with the lack of volume you let slide from your tongue. However, he answered your question, almost feeling the joy radiating from his response.

“The seeds.” 

Shocked, you opened your eyes, and found the Prince of Earth staring at you with an elevated joy. He gestured to observe your creation, and when your eyes fell upon the sliver of a stem which broke through the earth, between the spaces of your fingers, you wondered whether this was all a dream.

You could not help the curse which escaped you. The boy beside you spluttered into laughter, and you turned to see his face radiating with elation. The heartbeat, the one which you thought was under your control, proved you wrong as it skipped its beat along to his laughs.

“Wh-what are you laughing at?” You demanded, but you were unable to execute it with the anger you wish you held for him. He offered you a honeypot of smiles.

“You’ve brought life to the forest, sweet jackal.”

The little plant shivered in response, along with your own hairs at the back of your neck, which stood at his announcement. Its faint heartbeat grew louder, as well as your own in your ears.

“Do you feel it now?” he whispered, leaning ever so close as he looked to the forest around you. “Do you feel the trees breathing in your presence?” 

Unfortunately, although you could sense your plant’s essence, the heartbeats of every tree in the forest were still unheard. You shook your head no, but that did not wipe the grin off his face.

“We have time,” he reassured you. “Just know that Mother Nature has hope for you still.”

He took your hand, putting another upon the back as he brought you a different kind of warmth. “I have hope for you.”

You parted your mouth, unaccustomed to the contact, the kindness...to all that he represented. 

His eyes locked with yours, and although he had spared you the wrath of his palace dungeons, you feared whether you could escape the imprisonment of his gaze. 

There was no doubt in your mind as you let yourself be arrested into his stare — the Prince of the Earth was not going to haunt just a single night.

FRATERNISING WITH THE HEIR OF REGNA TERRAE WOULD BE THE DEATH OF YOU.

Of course, that was not the last time you saw him — you had become something of a personal project to him, a sin which must be reversed. Almost every night after the fateful encounter, you snuck out from the fences of the Metallum villages, barely evading the suspicious eyes of the Kim brothers, and met with him under his treehouse.

You did not know why you endeavoured so ardently in seeing him. It was not like he had become any less irritable with his amused grins and unmatched power, but there was something about him which you could not fend off. 

In a way, he made you believe you were worth more than simple woodcutting, selling oaks in the market, the empty promises of revenge against the Natural Kingdom. 

Somehow, he made you realise that, maybe, you truly were deserving of a more memorable path.

These very thoughts accompanied you as the sun began to set, pulling your hood over your head as you swept past the familiar trees, reining in the urge to greet every woodland creature which scurried past you. The past few weeks, after many misunderstood arguments with the Prince’s pet squirrel, you learned the slight quirks which the animal possessed, his every movement and what it would signify. You had Beomgyu to thank once again, but each time you wished to do so, he would say the same, hair-rising reassurance.

“Fret not, sweet jackal. It is a pleasure to show you the wonders of nature.”

Sweet jackal. The endearment made you so flustered, and that aggravated you to the greatest extent. You had already shared your name with the boy, but he insisted on calling you this name, as if the two of you had already established an intimacy from decades before. 

The very thought had your actual heartbeat racing.

You made sure to completely dismiss this foolery as you found the special opening of the grassland in sight, the glowing figure waving you over. A small smile involuntarily curled at your lips, hurrying closer till you fully saw Prince Beomgyu’s face clearly in the setting sun.

“You have arrived much earlier this evening,” he said in a way of greeting, fixing his flower crown as his squirrel played with the petals. “I would not say I’m displeased.”

On your part, you certainly were not either — he bore more finery than usual, his normal green gown threaded with gold swirls at the hems, small vines tied around his ears as natural jewellery. His hair was sprinkled with petals, a trait Jisung adored as he settled in the nest of his locks. His hands, too, were intertwined with dark vines, swirls wrapped around his fingers like extended rings. 

By the gods, he truly was an exquisite being. 

He noticed your silence, raising a groomed brow. “Is something the matter?” he asked, but when he saw your eyes dart to anywhere but his own, he immediately understood. You just managed to catch a satisfied quirk of his lips before he turned his attention to your plant. 

Following his trail, you brightened up to see your creation in full bloom — bright red poppies, stark against the pool of grass, stood as they swayed to the evening breeze. You knelt down to observe them closer, and felt a peculiar sense of pride at sensing their clear heartbeat harmonising with yours.

“They’re my favourite flower,” the boy said behind you. “I have always adored how they stand out amongst all the others.”

Watching the poppies almost dance in the cool air, you stood upwards once again. “Then why do you not wear them?” you asked out of curiosity.

“Because my parents do not like me wearing them.” He gestured to the flower crown, at risk of being torn up by Jisung. “They say the colour is too harsh.”

He clicked his tongue in irritation. “At least they could have spared me on my birthday.”

You were about to comment on his parents when those words escaped his mouth. Your own mouth parted in surprise. “Your birthday is today?”

The prince mocked being stabbed in the chest, nearly sending the squirrel to the trees. Taking Jisung from his hair, he propped him on his shoulder. “You have truly wounded me, ____!” he whined. “All this time together, and you had no inkling?”

Although he was only jesting, it only embarrassed you further. “I truly am sorry, your Highness!” you apologised, clasping your hands together. “If I had known, I would have made you a present.”

“Oh?” He took a step towards you. His eyes danced in mirth. “And what would you have made me?”

That seemed to rob you of your speech. “Well, um…” you trailed off, searching your now useless mind of any decent idea for a gift, but he waved off your fluster, chuckling.

“It is no problem, dear jackal,” he said, looking at the red flowers once more. “Seeing your poppies in full growth is a gift to me anyway.”

You wished he had not said that; glancing at them now, you could only hear his fascination within the petals. 

There he was again — staining your every entity of his remnants. How much more till he stains your very soul?

Jisung’s irritated squeak brought you back to the forest. You tried not to murder the damned creature as you muttered out, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Beomgyu groaned out. “I shan’t have you calling me that hideous title all the time.” He put a hand to his chest. “Have we not reached first name basis?”

Despite your surprise, you offered him a scoff. “Jackal is not my first name,” you jeered. “And please. You’re the prince of our land. Anyone who catches me being informal with you will surely have my head.”

“I would never let them,” he merely said. “Not before I show you one last part of the forest.”

You quirked a quizzical brow. “I think you’ve shown me half your kingdom by now.”

“But this is...quite different.” 

The boy stepped closer to you, reaching out his hand. You found yourself warming up as he enveloped it with yours, a gesture so small yet so triggering to your nerves. 

“Follow me, ____.”

With the tug of his fingers, you were led out of the grasslands and back into the jungles of Regna Terrae, catching familiar sights of ancient mahoganies and birches, different variations of trees all grouped together.

As the moon began to ascend, your anxiety increased. His hand worked wonders for your skin, but at the back of your mind, you could not shake off the image of the Kim brothers wondering where you had gone so long.

Especially Namjoon. Seokjin and Taehyung may have been much simpler in the brain, but the leader of the trio bore his suspicions of your whereabouts. He always knew you were never enthusiastic of your occupation as a Lumberjackal, so your sudden interest to roam the woodlands for hours into the night certainly had his ears perking. Of course, you always made sure to know that you were going without being followed, but in the end, the three brothers were quite unpredictable. 

You just hoped that whatever the prince had to show you, it would be seen quick enough to leave.

The density of the forest began to increase, and you soon began to doubt whether you had been to this part of the Kingdom before. It was then Beomgyu’s hands flowed with magic, and completely changed the scenery. The ancient trees, trunks as wide and thick as horses began to move apart to make way for him and you, the squirrel holding onto his shoulder tightly as it too squeaked in surprise. Your own eyes widened as each element of nature bent to his will, creating an easier path for his boots to step onto.

It was clearly a sight for admiration. These few weeks you had begun to realise the power of the earth, and how rich and true its roots lay. You felt the faint hum of their essences as you rushed past them, hand still clasped with his, and you dipped your head in thanks to the trees, hoping that one day you would hear them sing welcomes to you.

Slowing down, the group was barred by the curtain of thick vines, hiding you from the world behind. “I have never seen this before,” you wondered out loud, but when Beomgyu let go of your hand, and stepped forward, hands stretched out, your curiosity reigned further.

Jisung quickly scurried from his shoulder, ending up on the muddied path as he watched with black eyes of the phenomenon about to occur. You made to make fun of the squirrel when the prince let out an aggravated moan, hurling your head to his direction.

His heavenly voice chanted in a millennia old language, huge power emitting from his finger tips and swirling to the tumbling vines of the entrance. You could see the sweat beading down his forehead at the sheer effort it took, but he stayed rooted, sending surges of green matter to the cold nature.

Slowly, the curtain began to withdraw. Blinding light cut through, and when the boy let out a roar, pushing the whole family of vines apart you hid your head from the white bursting through. 

There was a deathly silence for a singular moment. 

You heard his ragged breathing, lasting for ten seconds before it turned into relieved, panted chuckling. 

Bringing your hand away from your face, you looked to see beyond the curtain. 

Your very breath was snatched from your lungs. 

Before you was the most enchanting deity of nature you had ever seen in your existence — it was a glowing white tree, trunk as wide as the two of you twice over, etched with milky-coloured wrinkles that contained sparkles of ancient magic. The leaves, much like finely cut diamonds, protruded from every branch which stretched towards every corner the eye could see. The diamonds were infinite, shining from the gentle light of the moon.

Even though you had never seen it before, you knew exactly what it was. 

“The Tree of Life.”

Your gaze dared to break away to see the prince for a second, whose own breathing seemed to have halted. Sensing your stare, he looked back at you, his face half glowing from the deity’s light.

“I...I thought it did not—” you tried to say, but of course you could not when it was right there before you, as if it had been waiting to be found all its life.

“Exist?” He took a step forward. “Every myth is borne from truth after all.”

Indeed it was — you had learned of the Tree of Life when you were a mere girl, listening to fairy tales before being told to sleep. This Tree could not be seen by the common man, and legend foretold that there lived an otherworldly creature inside its trunk. Evidently, no one could prove this theory, but its mystery had what inspired so many people, metal and earthbenders alike, to find it, for opposing reasons.

You knew why Namjoon wanted to find it — for the amount of gold a singular leaf could bring him. Now, having accused him of believing in fantasies, you almost felt ashamed for having ridiculed his searches. 

“Come.”

You perked up at the Prince’s voice. 

“You must get a closer look.”

Picking up the pace of your feet, you fell into step beside him as the two of you started towards the legend come to life. The closer you approached the more enchanting it looked — the leaves glistened further, as if greeting you with their shine. 

Jisung scurried between you both, his little head never straying from the Tree. It let out an awed squeak, and Beomgyu hummed in agreement. 

“Have you ever seen anything like it?” 

You shook your head, transfixed. “Never,” you responded, feeling the very earth shift beneath your feet.

If nothing else convinced you of the power of nature, then the existence of this deity certainly did.

You stepped past the boy, the grass hushed beneath your feet as you stretched out your hand. When your fingers touched the milky bark your breath shuddered out of you. It was simply unreal. The touch was surprisingly soft, so unlike the normal trees, and with each crack of the bark there was ancient writing inscripted within. With further shock you felt a very distant heartbeat as the fingers ran along the words, faint yet powerful.

By the gods. 

“Where have you been hiding all this time?” you whispered to the Tree, tracing the aged trunk. “Your Highness, is everything about the legend true?”

There was no response — you figured he was still star-struck, and you continued to admire the most beautiful force you had ever seen.

It was not until you heard Jisung’s shrill squeak that you turned around.

You felt your soul leave your body.

Because there he was, the one man you dreaded to see. The one man who held Beomgyu’s unconscious body in his hands as he dropped him upon the grass. You noticed the little dart on the side of his neck, and all the blood in your body was drained. 

Kim Namjoon.

His answering smirk was more a flash of teeth. “Do you believe me now, ____?” 

You backed up against the Tree, eyes darting to the prince. “What did you do to him?” you asked instead, voice void of any emotion.

“That does not matter,” he dismissed. “But of course, it would matter to you now that you’ve attached yourself to him.”

He took a step forward, his ebony machete glinting in the light of the phenomenon behind you. “Stand aside, girl. It is time to make our fortunes.”

On instinct, you stretched a hand out. “I cannot.”

The man was taken aback by your hesitance. “Whatever the gods do you mean?”

Gulping, you tried to steel your will, inhaling slowly. “I cannot let you do it, Namjoon.” Your eyes glanced at the still prince before glaring at the perpetrator. “You won’t get a single branch of the Tree.”

A harsh laugh escaped him, taking a step forward. “Oh, and you’re going to stop me?”

You brought out your own sword — the one which you promised to use on Beomgyu — and raised it toward him. “Do not come any further,” you warned. 

It seemed the man was not not going to compromise.

Not when he swung his machete, well on his way to hack you to pieces. 

You quickly brought your weapon upon you to deflect his aim, sending him forward, and away from the Tree.

He can try and hurt the Tree of Life.

Easily gaining step, Namjoon mustered his power, ebony sharpening from his fingers as he clashed against you, lightening-fast strikes of his machete having you strained. You never doubted the bastard’s swordsmanship — he was skilled enough to be a general in the King’s royal army.

A shame he chose his fighting for a darker purpose. 

You tried to slice the free space of his abdomen, but the man was sharp, quickly dodging as he swerved to the side, another clash of weapons ringing around the forest. 

“You cannot beat me, ____!” He roared, one hit after the other, sending you further back. 

Taking every hit, you stumbled, gaining your step yet staggering once again with his sword. After all, you could not outsmart the master; he was the man who taught you to fight.

Even so, you refused to give up. “I can die trying!” You seethed as he brought his strength down. His weapon, screeching against your own, slowly descended, closer and closer to your neck. 

A harsh groan escaping, you mustered all your strength into sending his machete aside, barely a spare second in your name before you whirled to your left, missing the power blow.

“All this for a bloody tree!” He screeched, thundering towards you. “We would have been rich, you fool!”

Another mighty hit, and you were sent back, averting his strikes with your sword. Because you were so exhausted, your magic would not burst from your hands, adding more power to your weapon. It was your melee strength, nearly all gone, and your nimble feet.

“What is all this for?!” He demanded, slicing at your cloak, cutting through the fabric of your trousers. The clash of weapons continued, faster and faster. “What is worth more than all the riches of the Kingdom?!”

Amidst the brawl, your eyes slipped to the figure before you. Distant, yet instantly recognisable with his eyes closed, and mouth parted, flower crown scattered around his head. Jisung, too, laid injured beside him, watching your fight with fear in his little eyes. 

What is all this for?

You only had one person in mind.

But that was not enough.

No, not when that sliver of a second gave Namjoon enough time to strike you, sending his machete straight into your stomach. 

A shuddered gasp escaped you as the machete entered through — a burst of pain shot through your entire body, echoing the fatality of your situation. Tears stung your eyes as you dropped your sword, looking at your opponent in the eyes.

The Leader of the Lumberjackals showed no mercy as he yanked out his weapon. 

A moan rushed past your lips as you fell to your knees, gripping your blood-gushing stomach. Namjoon gazed down at you with no remorse at all. “Perhaps he was not enough,” he said, cold as metal.

He stepped past you, focusing on the glistening Tree of Life, its white treasures still exalted in the moonlight. Your body, completely spent, could not hold you upright, falling straight into the grass. Straining, you cried out as you stretched your hand out in vain efforts to stop him, but it was simply no use.

You had been defeated.

And now, after witnessing the most perfect element of nature you had ever seen, you were to watch it be decimated.

This is how it ended. You, fumbling for your last breath, your prince nearby and probably dead.

Namjoon raked his eyes over the Tree, grinning wildly. “Oh, you are going to make me the richest man in the Kingdom,” he declared, raising his machete till it hovered just before the bottom of the trunk.

He elevated his voice so you could hear. “Enjoy watching me destroy what you sacrificed yourself for!”

Closing your eyes, you were about to let oblivion take over. 

You awaited the sound of his weapon against the bark.

What you heard was something completely different. 

An explosion filled your ears as white light, even more blinding than the one before, had you squeezing your eyes further shut. You made out the screams of your once leader as it was drowned out by the eruption, and you tried to see what had so suddenly occurred, only to be greeted with more brazen lights. 

What...what was going on?

When the deafening noise quietened, you picked up on the soft crunch of grass, edging closer and closer to you. A compelling force was felt against your dying soul, and you wondered if the Reaper had finally come to take you.

When you felt air-light hands on your abdomen, you did not expect death to be so warm.

Slowly, dragging open your eyes, you prepared yourself to be taken to the afterlife. 

What you saw instead was something else entirely.

Something which made even the Tree of Life as a mediocre enchantment.

Looking over you was not human — not with the glowing, shimmering skin, sparkles and shine radiating off its golden, liquid body. Her eyes were white with the same light you had seen twice this evening, fluid locks of hair flowing all around her. Her lips offered a radiant smile, already bringing some life back into you, and her whole body, although similar to yours, was free of attire, exuding the light of a star. 

Perhaps you truly were dead. 

The being, however, proved you wrong with her words.

“Brave human,” she began, and her velvet voice had you clutching your stomach. “I saw what you did to defend me.”

You tried to open your mouth to tell her that you defended the Tree, but then your eyes dilated at the revelation. 

The legend foretold that there lived an otherworldly creature inside its trunk.

But this...this god-like creature was not just a mere girl.

“You sacrificed yourself for my Tree,” she stated, voice echoing across the woodlands. “For my forest, my every creation, despite being an enemy of mine in the past.

“You deserve a token of my gratitude.”

Her voice nearly put you to sleep with the way it lulled in the midnight air. You wondered in your tired mind what she could offer you now that you were breathing your last breath.

Then, you felt her hands upon your stomach.

A loud groan escaped your lips as the torn flesh began to stitch on its own accord, courtesy of the magic which poured from the sublime being. Your whole body worked to heal you, reversing the damage done by your once leader, whose whereabouts you had no inkling of. 

The pain, which once tore at every nerve within you, began to fade away, and you opened your eyes further after gaining the strength, fully taking in the earthly spirit which had restored you. 

You parted your mouth, voice parched as you rasped out, “I...Beomgyu…”

A heavenly smile curled at her lips. “The prince is fine, soldier. It would take more than a dart to eliminate the heir of the Earth.”

A relieved breath left your lips. You then looked to the being, putting your hands above hers. “I am not who I was,” you whispered.

Mother Nature smiled down at you, and you knew then and there that perhaps the world is not so cruel after all.

“I know, brave human.”

The luminous creature ascended to her feet, letting go of your hands. She dipped her head in acknowledgment, and turned on her heel. Struggling to your side, you watched as the otherworldly figure stepped up to the Tree of Life, looking at you one last time.

Raising a hand to her chin, she blew some magic towards your way, bathing you in sparkles. With a final beam, she slipped into the tree, enlivening the whole structure till it stood straight once again.

You truly could not believe what you saw.

Feeling the glimmer dancing on your skin, however, you knew this was not a figment of your imagination.

Mother Nature saved you from death.

Truly, utterly, ethereal. 

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard soft coughing nearby, and you heaved upward at the sound, your strength all present.

Beomgyu.

Upon your feet, you rushed to where he lay, stumbling from the hurrying as you fell to your knees, hands clinging onto his face. Jisung, his injuries healed from the celestial visit, scurried upon his owner’s chest, waiting for him to awaken.

“Beomgyu?” You murmured out, fingers stroking the soft planes of his cheeks. “Beomgyu, damn you, open your eyes!”

Tilting his face till it faced you, you watched as the prince’s eyes fluttered open, tired and wide and absolutely beautiful.

A trembling breath gasped out of you. “What…” he grated out, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. “What just...happened?”

You willed the tears in as you caressed his face. “The legend was true.”

His confused gaze had you continuing. “Beomgyu, I saw the celestial creature when I was dying, and she saved me. It was true, Beomgyu, she healed me with her hands and—”

Your rambling ceased when the boy brought his fingers to your face. Warmth flooded your cheeks, and not because of how hot his hands were.

His smile could have easily beaten Mother Nature’s. 

“You called me Beomgyu.”

He did not let you respond as he brought your face down to his, tilting it slightly as he pressed his lips against yours, enveloping you in a sweet kiss. 

His mouth was warm, just like him, soft and plush, rendering you helpless over him. Your shock was quite prevalent, but you let the affection take over as you kissed him back, hands carding in his curls. He moved against your lips as his fingers stroked down to your jaw, savouring every feathered touch.

When he broke away, his breathing was ragged, cheeks flushed. He saw your own dishevelled gaze and chuckled to himself. 

“I think this might be the best birthday present I have ever received.”

The Prince of Regna Terrae laughed some more when you refused to meet his eyes.

You were about to counter him when you heard another, completely new voice. 

“You both could have done that without me being here.”

Your stare dove to his chest, to the direction of the sound.

Jisung the squirrel glared at you with the entire irritation of the Kingdom. “Oh what? So now you can hear me?!”

A yelp resounded from you. “How are you talking?!” You screeched. “You’re a bloody animal!”

“Oh, thank you so very much for stating the blatantly obvious!” He drawled, and you could not comprehend the sarcasm that just came from a bloody woodland creature.

You peered at Beomgyu, who was just as surprised as you were, despite his entertained features. “____,” he started, sitting up straighter. “Does this mean—”

Getting to your feet, you looked around the forest, the Tree of Life standing proudly. 

It was then you sensed the heartbeat.

Not just your own, or the poppies — but of the entirety of the Kingdom.

Faraway, yet still present, it thumped against your chest like an echo of your own heart, a harmonisation of all the trees, bushes, flowers and animals. It was almost enchanting how it slowly thudded within you, and with such welcome. 

Like greeting a friend you had not seen for a long time. 

When you caught the Prince’s gaze, his entire face lit up. 

Before you could say anymore, you were swept into the boy’s arms, engulfing you with a hug of eternal warmth. His voice rang along your soul as he declared to the whole word.

“Nature has accepted you, ____!”

You heard the clicked tongue of Jisung beneath you, and Beomgyu brought you at arm’s length before sticking out his tongue at his pet. 

He looked to you once more, and saw the very emotions you dared not let yourself believe in.

“I knew you were capable of change, sweet jackal.”

The tears, this time, refused to be held back any longer. 

The boy melted as he swept away each tumbling drop with his fingers, clutching your face. 

As you leaned in this time, kissing him breathlessly, you tasted the smile which flourished upon his lips, drinking in your every essence. 

You wondered, thinking away as your heart beat faster, whether this was still a dream, a vision which would end the moment you woke up, back in the cold village you once called your home. 

When you felt the presence of the celestial being again, looking down from the branches of the Tree of Life, you knew that this was no delusion.

Pulling away, you turned Beomgyu to the glistening, living structure, both of you catching sight of her.

Mother Nature smiled at her heirs.

The both of you knew it in your hearts, simultaneously beating. 

The heirs of Regna Terrae would not let her down. 

#txt imagines #beomgyu imagines #beomgyu fluff #txt fluff #choi beomgyu imagines #choi beomgyu fluff #choi beomgyu #beomgyu oneshots #txt oneshots #choi beomgyu oneshots #beomgyu soft #choi beomgyu soft #beomgyu scenarios #choi beomgyu x reader #choi beomgyu x you #beomgyu x reader #beomgyu x you

[chanluster]

hello all 😃

I was gonna post this at midnight on the first day of 2022, but real life is a bitch and in truth i forget things really easily now.

still, as 2021 has ended, i feel as if i had to come out of my hibernation and say a few things about this blog, and its impact.

first of all, i saw my fics hitting new milestones, and i couldn’t even believe that despite me being barely here i receive so much love and appreciation from you people. it means so much, and truly so much, that every single one of you take the time to read my mostly horny ramblings and leave a like, comment, reblog or ask 🥺 to know i am appreciated while i am not here has been one of my greatest achievements.

second, but most importantly, i wanted to mention a few people who have definitely impacted my 2021, and the fics they brought with them.

@mocimori — CHIAAAAA, LOMLLLLL TREASURE OF MY HEART 😭😭😭❤️❤️😭❤️😭😭❤️ you are another ive wronged with my terrible replies but now i see why you complained about uni 😭 that shit SUCKS but ever since you sent in those Paris asks you have managed to make me a complete SIMP of you and every artwork you’ve made of SKZ and genshin makes me wanna like retweet reblog bookmark comment subscribe EVERYTHING !!! you’re so insanely talented and to top it off you are literally one of the nicest people I’ve ever met????? pls pls forgive me for never replying and pls let’s write that anti hero! skz fic we are not doing it justice w all those theories we had 💀💀 i love you so so much and i hope you’re doing amazing ☹️❤️

@bruh-changbin — oh my fucking god . SKY. My Bitch. My Love. the few crackers i will love and appreciate in my life 🥶 no but seriously you are one of tumblrs few treasures I’ve experienced and this is a big one cause tumblr fucking SUCKS 😭😭 you’ve become such an important person to me and despite u sending me terrible #girlboss memes ur every tiktok, random traumatic moments of your life and twilight memes send me off the edge 😭 thank you for being a funny sexy mf and i promise ill watch twilight soon I PROMISE 💀❤️❤️ ps. pls reply to my tiktoks i want attention 🙄🙄

to lysol — @soobmint @honeyju @hyuckworld (+ all ur other personalities on tumblr 😻) — you fucking three holy shit i hate you all so much because now im obsessed with three stupid americans from across the world who i have never met but would give my kidneys for 😐😐😐 but seriously you three are the reason i haven’t given up on writing ☹️ you guys encouraging me, our constant borderline racially motivated bullying (call me currymuncher one more time alice addy 😐) and just being unforgivably yourselves have become such a comfort to me, and I genuinely wouldn’t know what I would do without you all. Thank you for being in my life. I actually mean it this time 🙄❤️❤️ (no but really i love you so much y’all are the reason for my attachment issues)

special mentions to @healinghyunjin @scxrlettwxtches @aliceu !! i know i never reply and am so so so dead on here but i promise y’all be living in my head rent free !! all of your fics are the reason i have faith in stayblr cause imma be honest with yall stayblr has a draught in good fics💀

now i know i don’t have an abundance of friends or mutuals on here, but the people ive mentioned here, and my readers and supporters are the reason ive given myself a small belief that I can do something with writing. university is being a pain, i am tired, but you all give me strength to hopefully become active again.

i apologise if all of this sounds a bit random and all over the place, but that’s because it’s midnight and i feel like im about to pass out — a mf needs her sleep 💀 anyway, i hope you all have an amazing 2022, and please stay safe ❤️

#personal tings #i Hope this?? makes sense a little bit? #to the people I’ve mentioned I love you #especially alice addy chae i love love love you three so fucking much #also shoutout to rosie who deactivated but still remembered 💔 #anyway ill be active ??? around June time maybe??? #actually ive been really tired and writing makes me EXHAUSTED #but thank you all #for being here still #ill prolly have more to say but ive forgotten 💀💀 sorry lmao #but i got assassins creed valhalla to play and viking men to fawn over #once again sorry for being absent and thank you everyone #i love u smmmmm #MWAH!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[bffsoobin]

princeps caeli

➤ air prince!hueningkai x orphan!reader, royalty!au, historical!au, fluff, mild angst

↳ For as long as you could remember, you had been enamored with the sky and all the things it contained. When you find yourself leaving the home you grew up in, you rely more than ever on the comfort of the glimmering sky. Finding a home among the clouds you’d always admired seemed far from reality until you met Hueningkai. 

Word Count: 7.9k

Warnings: reader is an orphan, so mentions of loss of parents/family, some self-doubt, brief mentions of homelessness and feeling alone

A/N: this is my contribution to the Five Princes collab with @soobmint @gyuluster @honeyju and @juunnies please be sure to keep an eye out for their contributions for the other members to be posted in the coming weeks! This was a super fun project and I’m so happy I got to be part of it! As always I have not proofread or edited this piece. 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•

“It’s almost noon, miss Y/N,” a small, timid voice chimed from somewhere behind you. The grass underneath your body was beginning to poke at the back of your neck, sticking between the thick strands of your hair and making your scalp itch. You were sure that the back of your pale pink day dress was being stained with a subtle green, but you couldn’t quite find it in your soul to care. After all, this was an undeniably big day. 

Just this morning, you had woken up to a special loaf of your favorite bread cooling on the counter in the kitchen along with a handwritten note from the head lady of the house, Beatrice. The note was simple, with scrawling letters congratulating you on your eighteenth birthday. 

Since you were an infant, you’d lived in the 4th Street Orphanage, cared for by Beatrice and the few staff members she was able to sustain employment for. It was the only life you’d ever known, as you never knew your parents apart from a single photograph salvaged from the house you were born in. There had never been a time in your life where you longed for family, as the other children living alongside you had been more than enough company, and the staff were never harsh like you heard they were at other orphanages. 

But today, the life you had come to know and love within the walls of the homey orphanage was coming to an end. Now that you were eighteen, it was time for you to leave the home and made space for younger children to enter the home. The thought of leaving made your stomach lurch, but you knew that it was for the best. Beatrice had helped you secure a new living arrangement in the next town over, and your train was set to leave just after noon- hence the warning of time from the little boy. 

You allowed yourself an extra moment to study the swirling skies above you. Large, puffy clouds were covering almost every inch of the blue sky; dancing and forming into new shapes with every pass of warm wind. It was one of the simplest pleasures in your life, to watch the sky shift and shake above you. The garden you laid in now had been your haven for as long as you could remember. Often you would drag a pillow and blanket out to the field and spend an entire day reveling in the breeze and the chirps of passing creatures. On several occasions throughout your youth, a uniquely beautiful butterfly who boasted silvery-blue wings with strong black markings had visited you in. It was unlike any butterfly you’d seen in the region before, but you admired it wholly every time it came around to your home. You couldn’t help but hope that it would flutter into your path again today before you had to go.

“Is she out in the garden again?” You heard a familiar, bellowing voice call from the open windows of the orphanage. It was surely Beatrice, growing anxious as the clock ticked closer to noon. All of your things had been packed before you went outside, but there was still a lingering desire for closure before you departed. Reluctantly, you hauled yourself off of the plush grass and brushed at your knees before wandering back toward the house. 

Inside, all of the other children you lived with were gathered in the living room, engaged in various activities, and you were grateful that only a few of their gazes shifted to you. You were grateful for that, as the few stares you did catch made you feel an odd sense of guilt for leaving. A blush crept out from the collar of your dress, thankfully disguised by the sweltering heat of the day as the few members of the staff gave you tearful smiles. 

The grandfather clock on the wall played its tinny, high pitched song to announce the arrival of noon. Upon hearing the sound, a group of children rose from their spots and came to hug you in turn. The ones old enough to understand your departure breathed messages of thanks and farewell, while the younger children toddled over and hugged at your legs simply because they’d seen others do it. Sometime during the shuffle, Beatrice had gone up to your room to collect your single suitcase of belongings and was now standing solemnly next to the front door. 

“Dear, it’s time to get going...” she spoke softly, extending an age-worn hand toward you. She offered you the worn leather suitcase and you accepted it quickly; hugging the case to your chest protectively as you gave one last goodbye to the rest of the home. 

Your short walk to the train station was mostly silent. Beatrice had never been one for small talk, and you were experiencing so many warring emotions that you wouldn’t have even known what to say if you could manage to open your mouth. 

“Listen to me,” she said just as the bustle of people around the train station came into view. “When you arrive in town, you go straight to the Pharmacy as I told you. The woman who owns it is very old but very kind. I’ve known her for many years, and she’s looking for a new young soul to work at the shop, and she has a spare bedroom in the apartment above the place that she’s willing to give to you. I got a letter from her just last week that she was anticipating your arrival.” 

Suddenly overwhelmed with the new direction of your life, a few tears began to gather around your lashes but you blinked them away. Your head felt hazy, stuffed full of cotton as you took mindless steps toward the train station. Of course, Beatrice noticed your state right away and cooed comfortingly in the way only a mother could.  

“We’ll be just a train ride away, dear. And I do so wish you could simply stay in the home, but you must go on and live your own life...” her words dissipated as she dug through the deep pockets sewn into her dress, obviously searching for something. Finally she produced a simple burlap pouch that clinked with the telltale sound of coins. Your eyes widened at the idea of her carrying so much money with her for such a short trip, and then you realized that it was for you.

“Oh no, I can’t-” the old woman pushed the bag into your hands anyway, leaving no room for your protests. The bag was heavy in your hand, and a feeling of anxiety at having so many coins sprouted in your chest. 

“I save for every child to give them something on the day they leave. That money is all yours. I don’t expect a single coin back, so don’t even try.” Beatrice’s words were firm as she led you onto the train platform. More and more people were gathering around, making it clear that the scheduled time for the train must have been drawing closer. 

“Thank you,” you finally mustered just before the incoming train sounded its horn and began to slow on the tracks. You held both the suitcase and the pouch of coins tight to your body as Beatrice pulled you into one more bone-crushing hug, her thin frame melding into you without care for the objects between you. She smoothed down the back of your hair with a gentle pat, and before you knew it you were being pushed into the train by waves of travelers. 

----

The train ride to the next town over was rather quick, as you spent most of it worrying over locating the pharmacy and the old woman. As you left the train, still holding your suitcase and pouch of coins so close to your body that your arms had begun to ache, a warm breeze met you. Wind ghosted over your face, brushing at the curves of your face and pushing your hair away from the back of your neck. The push of the air against your skin calmed you enough to lead you away from the bodies pouring out of the train and toward your new home. 

You faltered in your path once departing the train station, unsure which way to walk to come across the pharmacy. The thought of asking a passing citizen for help entered your mind and then quickly dissipated. If you were going to live here, you may as well begin to familiarize yourself with the layout now. 

It was a sunny afternoon, bringing families out of their homes and shop owners onto their front sidewalks to tout their products and converse with passing customers. With the sun right above your head, the rays beating onto your scalp made you feel a bit dizzy, the air thick with humidity as it clung to your skin. A knot built in your stomach the more you wandered, eyeing up the town’s bank, biggest restaurant, a few small clothing shops, and a doctor’s office. The layout of the town was similar to your own, but the streets were bustling with well dressed families, and you suddenly felt insecure in your grass-stained hand me down dress. A particularly wealthy looking family brushed past you as you meandered closer to what you figured was the center of town. The older child sent you a snide look, eyes widening at the state of your tattered suitcase and dirty shoes. 

A currently empty schoolhouse stood a few feet taller than the one in your hometown, a pair of children sitting on the concrete steps and tossing stones between their hands in some kind of game you didn’t recognize. They smiled as you passed, stopping their game just long enough to regard the stranger strolling through their town. Kiddy corner to the schoolhouse, you spotted the brick walled general store. Beams of sunlight broke over the ceiling of the building, blinding you momentarily as you approached it. With a hand over your eyes, you finally regained your vision at the same time you rounded the corner sidewalk of the store. Just to the left of you was a similarity built brick building, boasting painted block letters spelling “Pharmacy”. A surge of excitement sped through your body upon finding your destination. Hands shaking, you approached the ornate door and pulled, hearing the bell tinkle from above you. 

The shop you entered was just as you had expected; tonic bottles and boxes of medication stacked onto oak shelves with handwritten price tags hanging below them. The red and white tiled floor below your feet was squeaky clean and shined underneath the bright lights hanging off the ceiling. As you approached the counter, you noticed that the building was seemingly empty. 

“Hello?” You called, voice loud as a firework in the vacant building. There was a shuffling noise from somewhere behind the counter, then a groan, then the abrupt scrape of metal against tile. A small, quite frail looking woman bellied up to the counter. She wore tiny round spectacles that rested delicately on her dotted nose, and a flowery apron that tied loosely around her waist.  

“What can I do for you?” She asked, hazarding you an odd glance as if she were trying to decipher if you were someone she knew and had simply forgotten. “Forgive me dear, but I don’t know your last name to retrieve your things...”

“Oh, that’s because I’m uh, from the 4th Street Orphanage. Beatrice told me that she had spoken to you about me?” Your fingers were slippery with sweat as you awaited her response. Her eyes lit up with recognition and then suddenly fell with a sigh. 

“Oh yes, yes, I know of you, dear...it’s just, there’s an issue with the arrangement I had made with Beatrice. You see, my dear nephew has fallen into similar straights as you...no where to go, in need of a room...” A hot iron of anxiety drove straight through your chest at her words. You knew exactly where they were going. 

“You see, family must come first, dear. And he’s already moved in.” One of her aged hands came up to adjust her glasses, the other laying across her chest apologetically as she gazed up at you. 

“I see,” you nodded politely, holding back the anxious tears sprouting along your eyelashes. Where were you supposed to go now? You had no backup plan, and Beatrice surely hadn’t anticipated anything this horrible to go wrong. “Do you happen to know if there’s a hotel around?” You asked, voice wavering and clipped. The old woman nodded calmly, giving you simple directions that would lead you back the way you’d came and to the only lodging the town had to offer. 

----

Checking into the hotel was easy enough thanks to your newly acquired bag of coins. The owner of the place had shown you around, and now you were sat idly in your rented room. An old four posted oak bed with simple white sheets and two duck-feather stuffed pillows was about all the luxury you were afforded. A simple wardrobe, whose wood was chipped and scratched on the legs, held what little you had brought along in your suitcase. The only saving grace of the room was the two large windows and the thin white curtains that attempted to cover them. Strong beams of sunlight were criss-crossing the room, giving it an ethereal glow that almost made up for the lack of comfort. Right now, you had both windows wide open, allowing the heat and sounds of people conversing to flow in and out as it pleased. Your face was dry now, all of your tears having been shed on your short walk from the Pharmacy to the hotel. As you gazed out the window, you tipped your head up to the clear blue sky. 

If only I could live up there; you thought. No money, no worries, no stress about what to eat in a day or when to wash your clothes. All you’d have to worry about up there was which cloud to lay on and what days it was going to rain. It was a silly, childish thought; but it helped calm you nonetheless. You hoped that if anyone was really living in the sky-perhaps like something in a fairytale book that had been donated to the orphanage when you were young- that they were happy, and felt as light and airy as they could. 

The longer you stared out of the window, the more you became saddened at the thought that you were never going to be able to magically disappear into the clouds. It was beyond all logic.

After a while, your stomach growled in protest, inspiring you to make a cautious trip down to the kitchen of the hotel to inquire about when dinner would be served. Much to your joy, you had arrived only five minutes before the beginning of serving. The few other people living in the hotel greeted you kindly but made no attempt at further conversation. Perhaps they had noticed the status of your dress and decided that they didn’t have time to speak with someone in your state. The thought pulled at your heart strings, causing you to question if you’d ever be able to forge a life on your own.

Once the food was available, you ate quickly and quietly, barely registering the taste of the soup and buttered bread that had been on the menu. Your earlier interactions made you self conscious, and you wished for nothing more than to sink into the seat of the oak chair you sat upon. The night was still quite young by the time you’d washed up and gotten ready for bed, but as you had nowhere to be you allowed yourself an early bedtime. You lit a small candle next to your bedside; not for the light it provided, but simply for the comfort of the flickering flame.

Dusk had begun to creep into the summer sky as you got under the comforter of the bed. A faint purple haze colored the sky, the warm breeze still as strong as it had been the entire day. A part of you had forgotten that today was your 18th birthday. None of your birthdays had ever been extravagant, but today had come and gone so hecticly that you didn’t even have a chance to enjoy being an adult. A sting of upset rocketed through your veins and you allowed yourself to wallow in it for a moment; to feel bad for yourself and your situation and the fact that the only thing you got for your birthday was a goodbye to the only life you’d ever known.

You clamped your eyes tight against the world, trying to curb your anger at the world as best as you could. With your arm over your eyes you could almost convince yourself that everything was okay, that nothing had gone wrong when you arrived at town this afternoon and you weren’t dreadfully lonely.

Just as you were about to stand and look down upon the chattering streets, a loud creak resonated through the room. It was unlike the cream that came from the bed you laid on or the door to the room. It sounded much more akin to the sound that the panes of the windows had made when you first pushed them open a few hours ago. Suddenly sweating, you laid totally still, hoping that what or who ever was trying to enter your room would walk away peacefully.

Moments passed, and you heard no new noises. Surprising even yourself, you sat up quickly and fearlessly, opening your eyes in a flash to scan the room.

“Who are you?” You yelled and then immediately regretted. What awful last words, you thought. The creak had apparently been borne from the arrival of a man, who looked just about your age, propped casually on your windowsill. Even in the odd lighting you could tell he was handsome, the sharp cut of his jaw and delicate drop of his nose leading into the curve of his Cupid’s bow were illuminated by the candle you’d lit before. The sight of a man so perfect made your heartbeat kick into overdrive.

His dark brown hair was fluffy, curled and sticking up at points in a charmingly messy way. He was dressed in simple white clothing unlike anything you were used to seeing around your city. The shirt he wore was long-sleeved but thin, form fitting enough to allow you a hint of the smooth movement of his muscles. A few small white buttons were open at the neck, giving off a glimpse of glowing, warm skin. You were almost disappointed that you couldn’t see more of him from this angle, but you were also far too nervous to change the way you were sitting.

Oddly, there was no feeling of anxiety running through your veins anymore. Although this young man had blatantly broken into your room and was sitting unnervingly still at the window, you felt no traces of anxiety. Something about him seemed oddly familiar although you couldn’t place why. Obviously you would have remembered a presence such as his but you came up empty. 

He stood from the windowsill now, making steps that somehow managed not to create a single sound as he approached the bed. 

“I’m Hueningkai,” his voice was even and soothing, gentle to your ears. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here... and how I found you.” You swallowed the anxious lump in your throat and finally made eye contact with him. His eyes were shimmering, a hint of amusement winking from behind his dark irises. 

“What do you mean? Do I know you?” 

“Ah, not quite,” he gave a small shy smile. “I do know you, though, Y/N.” Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion but he continued speaking anyway. “I come from a place that exists just beyond the world you know. We simply call it the Five Kingdoms- one for every element known to humans. My family has ruled the Kingdom of Caeli for many eons. In fact I-“ he stopped to scratch at the back of his neck, cheeks going uncharacteristically rosy. “I am the prince of Caeli, and my father is in his final days. He sent me to find you.”

Your head spun. This had to be some kind of trick, a clever rouse to lure you into some kind of danger. But you couldn’t shake the fact that Hueningkai seemed familiar; warm and believable in his words. It was really no shock to you that another world behind your own existed. In fact, the idea of escaping the world as you know it was exhilarating.

“What is Caeli- if you don’t mind my asking. It’s not an element that I find familiar.” A blush crept along the apples of your cheeks at asking such a daft question. Hueningkai allowed an easy smile that scrunched up the fat of his cheeks charmingly.

“It means air.” He answered simply before waiting as if to see if you had any further questions.

“What did you mean that your father sent you to find me? Surely there’s no way he knows who I am. I’ve never heard of you, after all. And I don’t live a very extraordinary life,” you chucked a little as you glanced around the hotel room that seemed even more drab with Hueningkai inside of it.

“You see, as a kingdom we have many prophesies, all of which are sacred guiding principles to the actions of our people. In fact all five kingdoms have these, but right now the ones of my people are most important. For many generations the men of my family have been carrying the information of a certain prophecy that tells the story of a young girl from earth visiting Caeli. She is supposed to be kind, quaint...” he trailed off for a moment, ghosting his eyes over your figure. “And her parents are to have been from Caeli as well. She is meant to return to the Kingdom and help us fulfill her prophecy.”

You nodded despite the knot forming between your eyebrows. He was certainly insinuating that the girl from the prophecy was supposed to be you, hence why you had found him here. And you wished nothing more than to believe him, but there was one massive problem.

“Well, my parents are-”

“Passed away, yes. I never knew them but my mother and father did. You and I were born in the same year but your parents left shortly before your birth to experience life on Earth. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but ever since I first heard the prophecy I wanted to meet you. Not only am I fascinated by Earth but the idea that my-” he stopped himself short, reddening again before clearing his throat. “Essentially, I’m here to collect you as the prophecy indicates. Of course, if you truly do wish to stay here...” he skimmed the surroundings with a skeptical eye. You figured that whatever royal quarters he came from was much grander than this. “I will not force you to come along.” 

“I-hold on,” you finally moved from the spot on the bed you’d been somewhat rooted to to rummage through your suitcase. In the single pocket sewn into the lining you had stashed the only photo you’d ever seen of your parents. 

“Here,” you offered the photo to Hueningkai with shaky hands. He picked up the weathered film and carefully scrutinized it. “Do you...recognize them? I know you said you never knew them but I just-”

“No, no. This is them. Your parents. In the castle we keep a detailed record of everyone who has lived in Caeli, and I’ve certainly seen their faces.” A surge of excitement bolted through you at the confirmation and it was enough to make up your mind about leaving. If this place was truly where your parents had been from, there was no way you couldn’t explore it given the chance. Decisively you began to fold your clothing back into your suitcase, blushing slightly at the thought of Hueningkai watching you. 

“So I take it you’re coming back with me?” He giggled a bit as you zipped the suitcase with fervor. When you whirled around again, clutching the cracking leather case, you saw that his eyes were sparkling, lips upturned in a gentle smirk.

“Oh yes, yes I’m coming with you. Uh, lead the way?”

——

The walk from your hotel room to the inconspicuous patch of tall grass that Hueningkai led you to was brisk. He kept an amazingly quick gait, breezing by all of the curious looks the two of you received as you breezed through town.

Now, the moon shone high above your bodies in the field, clearly illuminating the grass brushing against your knees. Hueningkai waved you forward through the grass patch and into the gradually thickening trees. The scent of dirt and leaves invaded your nose as you walked to an unknown location. At a seemingly random tree Hueningkai stopped and looked back at you.

“Take a step back, just in case,” he warned kindly the corners of his eyes scrunching. You did as you were told as he began to mutter something that you didn’t quite catch in time to comprehend. Right before your eyes the simple tree shifted, doubling in width and opening forward like a swinging door. Inside of it laid a beautiful wooden staircase that gleamed in the setting light of the sun. It seemed to go on forever, stretching upwards in an infinite fashion to a nondescript white light. Hueningkai took the first step easily before turning to look at you over his shoulder, encouraging you with a nod of his head. 

You suddenly felt hyper aware of your body, the beating of your heart loud in your ears and the tingling of your fingers feeling like sparks of lightning. Goosebumps rose all across your skin as the two of you ascended the stairs, approaching closer and closer to the white light at the top. It had become so blinding that you had to squint your eyes closed and hope that your feet didn’t miss a step on the way up. 

A few moments after shutting your eyes you felt a shift in the ground below you. It felt much softer than the solid wood of the stairs, and you could even sense that the scent lingering in the air had changed into something you could only describe as pure. Hueningkai laid a gentle, steady hand on your shoulder. 

“We’re here,” you could hear the smile on his face before you even opened your eyes. You instantly became grateful for that, as the sight presented in front of you captured all of your attention. The soft ground that you’d felt before was evidently a literal cloud; fluffy and white and cushioning the soles of your feet with the most luxurious feeling you’d ever experienced. A few feet ahead, you could see the beginnings of a town like the one you knew on Earth, except the buildings were all made of a beautiful white-gray material that appeared almost like marble. What you could see from there was built grandly, tall and wide and intricate in their structure. Everything was blanketed in the same hazy glow of the sunset that you were admiring just minutes before. 

Hueningkai let you marvel for a moment before he gently urged you along with a hand on your lower back. The pair of you walked past many citizens of Caeli, whom nodded or bowed politely at the sight of their prince. The thought made your face flush. Here you were- a simple, orphaned girl who until just minutes ago was helpless- flanked by the handsome and dignified prince of Caeli. You caught the eyes of a few people before shying away, noting the confusion poorly hidden behind their polite smiles. Hueningkai was immune to it all; waving kindly as he led you through the soft terrain. 

Finally his footsteps slowed at the presence of large gates and grey brick walls. Clouds gathered around the fence the same way that grass bunched around walls, reminding you for a moment of being back at the orphanage and laying in the garden for hours. The gates opened instantly, revealing the castle behind them in all its glory. It was sparkling in a way that was surely magical, every single brick and window glimmering down at you bathed in the warm orangey-pink glow of sunset. Clouds gathered tightly around the base of this building too, creeping slightly up the side of the turrets the same way ivy would. 

Guards dressed in shiny silver armor accompanied by similarly dressed horses. Upon seeing Hueningkai approaching they stood at salute, one frantically pulling at the chain which pulled open the gate to the main entrance. Your face grew ever hotter as you stepped inside of the castle, instantly greeted by ornate marble on every single wall. The floor beneath you was made of the same material but swirling in alternate colors of blue, black and white. In the middle of the room was a large staircase that wound upwards in two separate directions. It was obvious that the room extended back underneath the staircase too, and that was the direction in which Hueningkai lead you toward. His shoes clicked off of the marble pleasantly while yours seemed to do nothing but slide noiselessly against it. 

You’d never felt more unconscious of your clothing, as you knew for a fact that the dress you were wearing right now had a clearly stitched together tear somewhere around the left shoulder. In the brighter lighting of the castle you could tell that Hueningkai’s clothing was expensive and carefully crafted. When he finally stopped walking it was at the door of what was obviously a throne room, as two large thrones covered in velvet blue coverings were sitting at the front of the room, slightly elevated above the smooth flooring. A large portrait framed in silver hung on the wall to the left of the thrones, depicting Hueningkai’s family but several years younger, as evidenced by the boyish shape of his face within the frame. 

It seemed to you that there was no one within the room, but a voice suddenly sounded from a corner you couldn’t see. It was light and airy, obviously belonging to a woman. You heard the clink of heels against marble before a short, thin woman with graying hairs and a face scrunched in worry appeared right in front of the two of you. Instinctively you tried to hide behind Hueningkai’s taller frame before she could spot you but you could tell that your attempt was unsuccessful as soon as she let out a surprised squeal. 

“Oh, you’ve found her! And convinced her to come! Oh, honey, your father will be so happy to see you both,” she grabbed his hands jovially and you quickly gathered that she was his mother. Reluctantly you stepped away from the cover of his body, brushing your arm against his own in your haste. Her face melted instantly upon seeing you fully. 

“Oh, hello Y/N! We are so happy to have you back after all this time. Come on, you two,” she grasped your hand in her pleasantly warm one and lead you back the way you’d come. Hueningkai kept up behind the two of you, snickering under his breath when you turned your head back to give him a pleading stare. He simply shrugged at his mothers actions as you made it to the top of the marble steps. Down one more winding hallway you traveled, nodding politely at everything Hueningkai’s mother told you until you reached another grand wooden door that was guarded by another armored guard. He moved away immediately and bent into a bow. 

The inside of this room was considerably darker although still covered in the same blue and silver that seemed to have been the running theme of the castle. In the middle laid a large four poster bed with a man laid in the middle. He was obviously sick-large purple bags were under his eyes and a cloth laid across his forehead. His eyes were closed as you entered the room, and they didn’t open until Hueningkai’s mother gently shook him. You had noticed that Hueningkai was standing extremely rigid next to you. His eyes were glossed in a layer of unshed tears at the sight of his father in his sickbed. 

“Hello, son,” the man said weakly. Hueningkai stepped forward then to sit gingerly at the foot of the bed. In the short time you’d known him he had seemed nothing short of royal and composed, but in this very moment he looked like a child who’d just woken from a nightmare. He conversed quietly with his father before turning his angular face toward you. An awed look crossed his face for a second before he schooled it back to normal and beckoned you forward with a smile. Unable to resist it, you carefully treaded closer to the bed and stood beside Hueningkai. His father smiled to the best of his ability. 

“Welcome back to Caeli, dear. I’m sure you’ve been filled in fairly well-” he paused to take a deep, shaky breath. “ We have waited many years after the news about your parents for the day you could come back. I couldn’t be happier to finally have you here and to see you alongside my son. The two of you are going to be such a lovely couple, don’t you think, dear?” Your eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and suddenly your mouth had gone dry. Surely the old man was going crazy from his sickness, surely he hadn’t just said that...

“Oh, I couldn’t agree more. She looks so much like her mother, doesn’t she? I should look for those pictures of us together, don’t you think?” Hueningkai’s mother enthused as she moved about the room, opening the drawers of a dresser with fervor. 

You were still reeling at the idea of you and Hueningkai becoming a couple, as it was the first you’d heard of it. Meekly you turned your head to the boy in question to see that his cheeks were as rosy as you assumed they could get, head slightly bowed as he tried to avoid your gaze. Part of you wanted to question him immediately, put him on the spot in front of his parents and figure out why he had decided to neglect that fairly large piece of information. 

But one glance at the content smile on his fathers face and the way his mother was chattering excitedly stopped the words in your throat. 

“I- we should go, uh, look at the prophecy, I’m sure she’s curious,” Hueningkai stuttered, suddenly springing up from the bed and bumping into you in the process. Both of his parents stopped their actions and regarded the two of you before nodding their approval. He grabbed blindly for your hand for a moment before lacing his fingers between yours. His palm was just as clammy as your own and the thought calmed you a bit as you sped out of the room. Neither of you spoke as he led you back the way you’d came, passing by the wide staircase and leading you down another lengthy hallway. 

The room you found yourself in this time was not guarded but was obviously important. Dim lighting illuminated what looked a bit like a library with shelves filled with thickly bound leather books. Hueningkai dropped your hand finally and you saw his shoulders heave as he took a deep breath before turning to face you. His cheeks were still slightly rosy, having only toned down a bit during travel. 

“I’m so sorry they brought that up,” he rushed out. “I didn’t tell you about that part of the prophecy because-well, I figured it would scare you away. I told them before I left not to force it on you, that you’d already be in enough shock about the whole thing- and I wasn’t sure if you’d have someone on earth or even like me so I just-” 

“Hueningkai,” you finally tried to get a word in edgewise and he looked stunned that you already had something to say. “I’m not upset with you. Or your parents, really. I-I don’t mind the idea of-” you stopped, frustration bubbling in your gut as you tried to string the right words together. “I think you’re quite handsome.” 

His Adam’s apple bobbed wildly in his throat for a second before a wide grin began to split his face. The rosiness in his cheeks seemed to have dissipated at your words and instead a satisfied glow shone on his face. Coolly, he brushed a hand through his hair and exposed even more of his exceptionally smooth skin. You hadn’t been lying. He was easily the most attractive person you’d ever met, and there was no denying the allure of his handsome features especially here in the cozy, dimly lit room. The stare he had leveled on you was steady, unwavering as he roamed a path from your eyes, down to your lips, even further down to your body, and then back up to your eyes. Suddenly shy, you drew in on yourself, tucking your hands underneath your armpits and looking away. 

“Well, it just so happens that I find you quite beautiful as well,” he spoke cheekily as his gentle fingertips traced their way across your left shoulder before resting at the apex of your neck. The warmth radiating from his hand made you smile, loosening your hold on yourself until your arms fell at your sides. Shamelessly, you stared right back at him; examining the pink petals of his lips and the honey rich tone of his skin. All time seemed to have stopped as the two of you stood and watched one another, breathing in sync. For a fleeting moment you wondered if he was feeling the same rush of nervous adrenaline to kiss you as you were feeling for him. 

Despite your experience with anything romantic, your body was screaming out to feel him closer to you, to feel the soft glide of his lips against yours or the way he would hold you tightly against his chest-

“Come on,” he giggled, and you suddenly realized that he must have been speaking to you while you daydreamed. Your eyes widened apologetically as you finally got your feet to move after his own. Off of a shelf so high that even he had to rise onto his tippytoes to reach it, Hueningkai produced a thick book bound in gray leather. He dusted off the cover and propped the book open in his hands. It was unlike anything you’d ever seen before. The words were written in a glimmering silver ink that almost jumped off the page as you read it, and almost every paragraph was accompanied by a large, extremely detailed illustration. Hueningkai seemed to know exactly where to find what he was looking for, as he whipped through several pages before finally settling on what appeared to be the start of a new story. 

The title page boasted mostly words that you didn’t understand due to the fact that you hadn’t been given much practice in reading beyond basic words. Luckily Hueningkai was too busy to catch the embarrassed flush growing from the collar of your dress to the top of your forehead. 

“This is your prophecy, look!” He shoved the book toward you and you caught it with unsure hands, looking down at the first illustrations which depicted the birth of a baby and then an image of the same child having grown into a young girl. You flipped to the next page and recognized something immediately. 

“That butterfly,” you jabbed a fingernail toward the page excitedly. “I’ve seen it before- its come into the garden at the orphanage so many times-” Hueningkai laughed shyly, rubbing a hand over his eyes. 

“That’s because I sent it down to you. For a while I didn’t have the ability to visit earth, and I was always jealous of not being able to check on you when your prophecy seemed so important-” he stopped to scratch the back of his neck and you realized he must be alluding to the prophesied relationship. “So my father suggested I send a butterfly down to report back.” 

The thought made your heart swell. For a moment you imagined a younger Hueningkai bargaining with the beautiful and unique butterfly to keep an eye on you and report back to him. 

“Must have been some boring reports,” you joked as you turned to the next page to see an image which depicted you entering Caeli. 

“Oh, no, never! I loved learning about you. The butterfly was quite secretive at first, but before long it easily spilled everything to me. That was how I knew where to find you tonight.” 

It had to have been true, as you recalled seeing the butterfly resting on the windowsill of your bedroom as you packed up your belongings to move. 

The next page you flipped to had to be one of the last, as it showed the image of a girl being embraced by a royal family, wedding gown and veil firmly in place. You swallowed the lump in your throat and gingerly took in the next image which depicted the man and woman sitting in the same thrones you’d seen before, wearing elegant crowns and smiling down at a room full of citizens. Surely the words afforded more information but you didn’t bother with trying to understand them. 

Hueningkai took back the book and returned it to its shelf. 

“Now that you’ve seen the...ending,” he cringed at his own words, “I hope you understand why my parents brought it up. They’ve been waiting for this moment since I was born. I had been told this story so many times, but when I realized the prince destined to be married to the girl from earth-you- was actually me? I-I couldn’t wait to meet you. It surely is a shame that your parents passed away so young and you ended up in the orphanage.”

Your face must have turned sour because he instantly recoiled, doubling back on his words. 

“Oh! No, I don’t mean that you’re lesser- I just mean that we could have met sooner had your parents lived. I couldn’t care less where you’ve lived the last eighteen years,” he whispered, sensing the fallen edges of your face. “Truly, you are just as wonderful to me in hand me down clothes as you would be in the finest silks. The most important thing is that you’re finally here, and I can learn about you without the help of an insect. I hope you stay for a while.”

You let out a laugh and his shoulders sagged with relief. With a surge of unfounded confidence you wrapped your arms tightly around his midsection, pressing your face flat against his broad chest and muttering;

“I’m glad we finally met, too, Hueningkai. And I won’t be going anywhere.” 

----

“Y/N? Are you in here?” Hueningkai called as he walked into what had become your bedroom when you arrived. He was dressed in his finest suit, a light blue jacket with matching trousers layered over a white button up with ruffles around the collar. His hair was styled away from his face, boasting all of his strong features for anyone to see. For once your clothing matched his own; a flowing light blue dress with layers of fluff at the skirt that made it hard to sit down. Thankfully you had been allowed to forgo the corset, but the top of your dress was still comfortably snug around your stomach and chest. For the first time in your life you were wearing a small bit of makeup and an updo as well as a pair of small heels. 

Today was the day you were to finally be introduced to the people of Caeli. Ever since your arrival you had been squirreled away in the castle- not that you were complaining- and had become a distant memory to the few citizens who had seen you arrive weeks ago. In that time, Hueningkai’s father had recovered from whatever sickness had ailed him when you came, and most citizens were too overjoyed with that news to bother worrying about you. 

But now you had to worry about them. Hueningkai’s mother had been kind enough to tell you stories about your parents and teach you the basic customs of Caeli without ever pushing you to change who you were. She laughed at your jokes and the way you scarfed down whatever food was put in front of you and never once suggested that you fix your etiquette. 

“What if they don’t like me?” You asked as soon as Hueningkai was within your line of sight. A feeling of dread had been bubbling in your stomach since yesterday morning and was the cause of your sleepless night. “I mean I’m just...a random stranger that waltzed in and is now living in the castle...what if someone has a crush on you and they hate me for being real?” You gasped at the thought of some scorned teenage girl hurling a shoe toward your head as you were presented. 

Hueningkai sighed. “They will love you, Y/N. The entire kingdom has been awaiting your arrival, for the prophecy to be fulfilled. You are kind, and smart and understanding and beautiful. And if they don’t like you then too bad. I like you, and that’s all that matters. None of them would dare to go against the word of the Prince.” 

Your heart hammered wildly against your ribs at his words. There was no denying that you’d grown closer and closer to him as you spent so much time around the castle. The small kindling of a crush you’d had on him when you first met had turned into a raging fire of infatuation. 

He brought a hand up to your face and gently cupped your flushed cheek. Instinctively you nuzzled in closer, relishing in the feeling of his touch. “You are still the most wonderful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. And if my kingdom fails to notice that, then they’re at fault.” His voice had barely come above a whisper but it sent a noticeable chill down your spine. Hueningkai drifted his thumb over your bottom lip gently, rubbing at the bitten flesh there. Your eyelids fluttered quickly, trying to keep focus on his face as he inched closer. 

“Can I kiss you?” He finally murmured. You nodded and mumbled a rushed yes before you could even comprehend the movement. Your body was buzzing as if it were filled with bees, but you kept your lidded eyes focused on him as he descended. Before you knew it he had attached his lips to your own and they were just as soft and supple as you always imagined. He was clearly testing the waters with a small peck, but it left you yearning for more as you captured him in a passionate kiss that had your fingers curling into the nape of his neck. 

“That was,” he finally spoke again, wiping at his now swollen lips with the back of his hand. Your chests were both heaving with the unbridled adrenaline you had just experienced. A feeling of warmth, one that had become so common around Hueningkai that you barely registered it, rippled through your body and calmed your frayed nerves. Hueningkai grabbed your hand firmly, fingers curling between yours in a perfect fit of palms, and lead you out of your room toward the front gate of the castle. A new, unknown chapter of your young life was just beginning in the one place you never thought possible, but the one thing you were sure of was that Hueningkai would always be by your side. 

#hueningkai #hueningkai fluff #hueningkai fic #hueningkai imagines #hueningkai imagine #txt #txt fluff #txt fic #txt fanfic #hueningkai x reader #hueningkai angst #txt au #txt angst #txt x reader #txt imagine #txt imagines #tomorrow x together #tomorrow x together fluff #tomorrow x together fic #tomorrow x together fanfic #tomorrow x together angst #tomorrow x together x reader #hueningkai txt #hueningkai scenarios #hueningkai scenario #kpop fanfic #kpop scenarios

[jayflrt]

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 14. welcome to america hoon

SUMMARY ▸ in which lee heeseung creates a minecraft server for his friends and all sorts of chaos ensues, including the budding romance between you and yang jungwon

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TAG LIST ▸ @mmsriza @changmin-wrlds @13isacoolnumber @from-xero @svnglvs @acciomylove @sakuracoffe @nyujjan @goldenhypen @bbanggami @honeyju @lvsunq @notmangojuice @luvrjn @cb97curls @ac-ewow @ily-cuz-i @jakeyuni @soobisms @rikibae @catsmenu @soobin-chois @sjyuniverse @beomsun @xiaosimp3 @ifwtyun @outrologist @kyukittie @nabinthegardnn @msxflower @fiantomartell @baekhyunstruly @mykalon @heelariously @hobistigma @wntrsgf @person-standing @ja4hyvn @dnyamight @candidupped @shmooooo @pr0dbeomgyu @heeyunkist @sunshine-skz @hiqhkey @kp0p10v3r2 @nyfwyeonjun​ @strwberrydinosaur​ @duolingofanaccount​ @cherries0325​

#might double update today 😳 #enhypen #enhypen imagines #enhypen smau #jungwon smau #jungwon fluff #enhypen fluff #jungwon imagines #yang jungwon #enhypen social media au #jungwon x reader #enhypen x reader #enhypen scenarios #jungwon scenarios #enhypen drabbles #enhypen reactions #jungwon drabbles #jungwon reactions

[enfinity]

📞)) 1-800-NOTMINEHOTLINE . . . [DIAL IN NINE.]

10 months

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heeseung × fem!reader × jay

when a crush on your literature seatmate meets halfway with an infatuation for the dance team captain, that wrong number you’ve texted seems to be your only loveline left.

NOTE! ALAS another update 😫😫 now who’s ready for the first date day with team captain jay?? ;)

TAGLIST ♡͢ @enhy9ens @nikisboxysmile @honeyju @fairytheo @enheun @ncityy04 @yutaeminnie @hoonculture @rainbowmagicpixecorn @alitap-tap @chewy-jioung @enhypemen @csbverse @disco-funk-and-soul09 @ye0ncore @adoreyeonjun @ch3nj1 @jaywonweb @99outros @thenoceurgirl @softkons @envirae @nctufh @jongsaengseong @hobistigma @leejeneo @sunbokie @heelariously (open! please send an ask or msg to join!)

#and what do you guys think heeseung was planning to say before he deleted the message? 😨 #changed to the regular fonts btw!! hope you guys won’t mind ~ #enhypen #kpop imagines #enhypen scenarios #enhypen x reader #enhypen imagines #enhypen fluff #kpop fluff #enhypen reactions #enhypen smau #enhypen heeseung #enhypen jay #enhypen jongseong #enhypen niki #enhypen jake #heeseung x reader #jongseong x reader #park jongseong #enhypen sunoo #enhypen social media au #enhypen social au #enhypen drabbles #lee heeseung imagines #lee heeseung #jay x reader #enhypen jay scenarios #kpop smau #kpop social media au #heeseung drabbles

[soobmint]

voices | choi beomgyu [f] soulmates! au, 14.2k words

s u m m a r y : after seeing your soulmate for the first time (whether in passing or by actually meeting them), you are able to hear their voice in your head—but only when they are singing. you have never been very interested in finding love, and choi beomgyu has lost all interest in singing. what happens when the two of you begin to change one another’s minds about the things you wish to avoid more than anything else?

c o n t e n t s : soulmates au, strangers to sorta enemies to lovers, guitarist! gyu, freckle gyu, college au, yeonjun is your best friend, gyu is a brat but a cute brat, very fluffy, a tiny bit of light angst

t a g l i s t : @hyuckworld @chanluster @honeyju​ @magicalstellar @yeonjuniper​ (if you’d like to be added to the taglist for future oneshots, please let me know!)

n o t e : this was requested by my dear friend alice, and i hope i did the request justice! the lyrics used in the oneshot are from genius’ english translation of “runaway.” i hope you guys enjoy the oneshot, and do kindly leave a like, comment, or reblog if you enjoyed it! that would mean the world!

YOU MET CHOI BEOMGYU THE DAY YOU SWORE TO NEVER FALL IN LOVE.

 As dramatic as it sounded, the day hadn’t been quite so terrible. You were sitting cross-legged in the floor of one of the many practice rooms in your university’s music department with a bag of popcorn in your lap, your head leaned back against the wall as you stifled back a yawn. Your best friend, Yeonjun, was going on and on about his most recent breakup, but the story was so similar to all the other breakups he had gone through in the past two years that you were having a difficult time staying focused. The afternoon sunlight trickled in through the windows, reflecting off the symbols of the drum set that rested in the far corner. You scooted to the side a bit so that the light wouldn’t shine in your eyes anymore as Yeonjun paced back and forth in front of you.

 “And then she just stopped talking to me,” He said, running his hands through his hair. “Out of nowhere too! Things had been going so well, but then it was weird. Next thing I know, she’s breaking up with me—get this—over text.”

 You tossed a piece of popcorn into your mouth. “Tragic.”

 “I know you’re being sarcastic, but yes, it was tragic.” He finally stopped pacing and collapsed to the ground beside of you, leaning his head against your shoulder. “Love is so hard. You meet someone, you think it’s going to work and that you’ll spend a long, happy life together. Next thing you know, you’re single and stuck with your best friend in a stinky music room, waiting for some club meeting to start—or whatever it is we’re in here for.”

 “We’re here because we are in charge of organizing the music and theater departments’ performance at the open house next month,” You corrected, flicking his forehead. “And didn’t you only date this girl for like, a week?”

 He sighed, sitting up to glare at you. “Love knows not the boundaries of time, my dear friend. You’ll understand once you find it for yourself.”

 “Calm down, Shakespeare. I am not falling in love.”

 “Unfortunately for you, I don’t think you have any control over that,” He said with a teasing smile. “But why wouldn’t you want to?”

 You scoffed, turning to stare at him. “Well, for starters, you haven’t exactly given me a good idea of what ‘love’ is supposed to be, seeing as you’re crying about another ‘true-love-gone-wrong’ every three weeks. Why on earth would I want that for myself?”

 “Hey, love is different for everyone,” He said. “Just because my love life is vibrant and exciting and full of various names and faces doesn’t mean the same will happen for you.”

 “How do you predict my love life will go, then?”

 He hummed, tapping his finger against his chin in thought. “Well, you’re pretty boring, so you’ll probably be the kind of person that waits until they find their soulmate, then you’ll settle down and live a long, safe and uneventful life with them.”

 “Shut up,” you said as you shoved him, but you couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of you. “I think my soulmate is out of the question, though.”

 Yeonjun frowned. “You still haven’t heard him since back then?”

 You sighed, shaking your head as you leaned back against the wall. “Not a thing.”

 It was quiet then as the two of you thought about what this meant. It wasn’t the first time you had been faced with the reality of your situation, but it still felt like a punch to the stomach every time.

 In a world where people waited years, decades even, to hear the voice of their soulmate singing in their head, you had been considered extremely lucky to have heard the gentle voice of a boy in your mind at the age of thirteen. You knew that you had to have met him somewhere—at least in passing—in order to hear him, but you had no clue who he was.

 Yet, in a way, it felt like you did. He sang often—so often you wondered if singing was as necessary as breathing to him. It wasn’t a bother to you though; in fact, it was quite the opposite. The songs he sang always told a story; some spoke of love and joy, others off loss and heartache. You felt like each song he sang held a piece of him, and that piece was something that was shared just between the two of you.

 Until his voice was gone.

 It was rare for him to go a day without singing. Yet suddenly, in your sophomore year of college, days and weeks went by without a single note, and you had yet to hear his voice since.

 Your soulmate had stopped singing, and it was difficult to not imagine that the worst had happened.

 Yeonjun must have noticed the solemn look that came over your face, because he leaned over and gave your shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t be so gloomy,” he said. “He could still be out there.”

 You smiled the best you could, although the pit in your stomach remained. “Yeah, I guess he could.” You tossed the popcorn to Yeonjun and stood to your feet, wiping the crumbs from your hands. “Wait here, okay? The other guy that’s supposed to be helping us is—” You paused to glance at the time on your phone, “—ten minutes late. I’m gonna make sure he knows where to come or see if he’s lost or something.”

 Yeonjun nodded, helping himself to what was left of your snack. “Who is the other guy, anyway?”

 You sighed, picking up the piece of paper that the department head gave to you when she asked you to organize the showcase, claiming that it would be a great deal of experience for you to acquire in your senior year of university.

 You were mostly doing it for the extra credit points.

 You began to read the names of the seniors that were in charge of organizing the project listed at the top of the paper. “From the drama department, Choi Yeonjun and Kang Taehyun.”

 “Taehyun had an appointment,” Yeonjun said through a mouthful of popcorn. “He’ll be here tomorrow.”

 You nodded, tracing your finger along the page, stopping beneath the next pair of names. “From the music department, Y/N and Choi Beomgyu.” You looked up from the paper, tapping your forefinger against your chin. “Choi Beomgyu? Do you know him?”

 Yeonjun pondered for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Ah—that guy!” You weren’t surprised; Yeonjun seemed to know everyone in the performing arts programs at your school. “He’s one of the top guitar students, if I’m remembering correctly. Have you not heard of him?”

 You shook your head, looking back down at his name. Choi Beomgyu. It did sound familiar, but no images or information came along with the words printed on the page. It was nothing more than a tugging feeling in your stomach that made you feel like you knew him from somewhere.

 You began walking towards the door, still staring down at the paper. Just as the tips of your fingers brushed across the metal handle, the door swung open, and you barely had time to glance up and see a head of fluffy black hair and big brown eyes before the door crashed into your forehead so hard you fell backwards to the tile floor.

 With a hiss, you brought your hand up to your forehead, relieved to find a lack of blood there. Your eyes were blurred with tears, but through the fog you were able to see the same round doe eyes you had caught a glimpse of before you hit the ground.

 “Are you okay?” It was a guy’s voice, clear and ringing in your ears. You rubbed your eyes to clear some of the moisture and were then able to get a better look at the boy in front of you. Curly black bangs hung over his brows, brushing just over the tops of his wide chocolate eyes. His sun-kissed skin was sprinkled with a light spatter of freckles across his nose and lightly flushed cheeks.

 You blinked several times before responding. “Y-yeah, I’m okay.” You accepted his hand when he offered to help you stand back up, and soon, you were on your feet once more.

 “Sorry about that,” he said, brushing a hand through his already tousled hair. He leaned forward a bit, tapping his finger against your forehead. “Just got a tiny bump, though. You’ll be okay.”

 You backed away from his touch, but he didn’t seem to notice as he had caught sight of Yeonjun. Your best friend was quite literally on the edge of his seat, perched on the ledge of the desk while shoveling the last crumbs of popcorn into his mouth as if this were some movie unfolding before his eyes. If you had been close enough, you would have hit him.

 “Yeonjun?” Door Boy’s face lit up, and he strode over to give your pink-haired friend a high five. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

 “Hey, man,” Yeonjun said with a grin, ruffling Door Boy’s curly hair with his fingers. “I know, it’s been way too long.”

 “I’m sorry, who’s this?” You asked, still a bit dazed from your unexpected collision with the door.

 Yeonjun looked back at you, gesturing to the newcomer. “Oh, this is—”

 “Choi Beomgyu,” he finished the introduction himself, giving you an overdramatic bow as he said his name. “And you must be Y/N?”

 Things were beginning to click together in your head: Door Boy was Choi Beomgyu. In other words, Door Boy was your assigned partner—the one you would be spending the next four weeks trying to plan a performance with.

 For some reason, the fact that you had met one another by him slamming a door into your face didn’t leave the best feeling in your chest.

 “I look forward to working with you, Y/N.” He gave you a big, lopsided grin, one that any other person would likely find heartwarming.

 You forced a smile in return, rubbing your hand across the bump on your forehead. “Same here, Choi Beomgyu.”

 -

 PERHAPS IT HAD A BIT TO DO WITH HOW POORLY YOUR FIRST MEETING WENT, BUT SOMETHING ABOUT BEOMGYU REALLY GOT UNDER YOUR SKIN.

 The day after you had first met one another, Yeonjun had asked everyone to meet up in the coffee shop inside the campus library. This time, Taehyun from the drama department was also able to be there. You had gotten to know him pretty well over the past four years because of how close he and Yeonjun had become, so the three of you hung out often.

 In fact, for the first fifteen minutes of the meeting, it was just the three of you sitting there. You pushed your tongue against the inside of your cheek in agitation before taking another sip of your coffee. “Does this Beomgyu guy have a thing for being late?”

 “Relax, Y/N,” Yeonjun said absently from across the table, his attention focused primarily on his cell phone screen. “Not everyone’s a time freak like you.”

 “Time freak—What does that even mean?” You crumpled up the wrapper from Taehyun’s straw and threw it at Yeonjun. “Unlike you, I actually care about getting these extra credit points and would like to organize this event properly.”

 “Hey! I care!” Yeonjun placed a hand over his heart, as though he had been wounded.

 You and Taehyun exchanged a side glance with one another, eyebrows raised.

“Stop looking at each other like that! I do care!”

 Before the point could be argued any further, a messy-haired boy crashed into the seat beside of you, out of breath, his backpack falling from his shoulder and onto the ground from the impact. You stared at him for a moment before realizing that it was Beomgyu.

 “Sorry—I’m late,” he said in between deep breaths. “On my way here—saw one of the campus cats—got distracted.”

 You stared at him again, almost laughing at how ridiculous of an excuse that was. However, considering what little you knew of Beomgyu, the thought of him being fifteen minutes late to a meeting because he got distracted by a cat didn’t seem all that unlikely. With a sigh, you slid a blank piece of notebook paper towards him and set a pen on top of it. “It’s all good. Mind taking notes?”

 He nodded—a bit too enthusiastically, if you were to say so yourself. “Sure. Can I grab a coffee real quick?”

 You were about to suggest that he should wait until after the meeting, since the three of you had been there for such a long time already, but Taehyun chimed in before you could say anything with, “Of course. We’ve got nowhere else to be.”

 It took everything within you to not roll your eyes. You were usually on the same page as Taehyun, but of course, this situation had to be an exception, because Choi Beomgyu was there.

 The slacker was rummaging around his backpack, searching for something. He pouted, looking up from his bag. “I forgot my wallet.”

 “No worries! Y/N doesn’t eat breakfast, so she always has an extra swipe on her meal card,” Yeonjun said from across the table. Your mouth fell open, eyes wide as saucers. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind letting you use it. Right, Y/N?”

 You weren’t quite sure that you did want Beomgyu to use your meal card, but what kind of jerk would you be if you said no? With gritted teeth and a glare at your best friend, you fished your meal card out of your wallet and placed it into Beomgyu’s open palm.

 The pout left his lips instantly, a big grin taking its place. “Thanks. I’ll return the favor sometime soon.”

 Doubt it, you thought, watching him rush towards the counter to order. You’ll probably forget you said that by the time you get your drink.

 Soon he was back at the table, caramel latte in hand, your meal card back in your possession. You cleared your throat, shifting in your seat. “If everyone’s ready, we can go ahead and get started. I met with my professor yesterday—she’s also the head of the classical music department. She’s technically our ‘overseer,’ but all the responsibility of planning the performance is on us. We’ll only have about forty minutes total to showcase the drama and music departments, so we need to choose our sets wisely.”

 “Yeonjun and I were talking a bit about this earlier,” Taehyun said. “We’ve been preparing for our winter show since the beginning of the summer, so we figured we could just perform a scene from the play.”

 You nodded, liking the idea. “That sounds perfect. What’s the play?”

 “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

 “Right, I knew that. Could you guys work on finding a scene around ten or fifteen minutes long to perform for the open house, then?”

 Yeonjun and Taehyun both nodded. You smiled, glad that you were finally starting to get some things together for the event.

 When you glanced at Beomgyu to make sure he had written that down, the smile left as quickly as it had come when you saw that he was doodling tiny flowers and hearts all over the page rather than taking notes.

 He must have felt your eyes on him, because he glanced up and caught your gaze. Seemingly unbothered, he simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I was just about to write it down.”

 Your fingers itched to reach over and take the pen and paper from him so you could just do it yourself, but you kept your composure. “Beomgyu. Any ideas for what the music department could do?”

 He finished writing down Drama Department—Scene from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” before looking at you again. He shrugged, another nonchalant smile spreading across his face. “Not really. I’m down for whatever it is you decide to do.”

 “Wow, helpful. Truly.” Your eyes went wide when you realized you had said those words out loud after Yeonjun and Taehyun began to snicker beside you. Your face flushed with embarrassment, but Beomgyu seemed unphased, that careless lopsided grin of his still on full display.

 You sighed, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear. “Well, I was thinking about having the orchestra do a piece, and then having one of the student bands do a piece. That way we have something classical and something more contemporary. Thoughts?”

 “I think that’s a good idea,” Taehyun said. “If we do our scene first, the orchestra could kind of act as a bridge between Shakespeare and more modern art.”

 “I agree,” Yeonjun said. “And since Y/N is in the orchestra, she can get in touch with the director and have them prepare something. Oh, and Beomgyu!” The curly-haired boy looked up from his doodling when his name was called. “You know a few different bands, right? Think you could piece together a group of performers?”

 “Definitely,” Beomgyu said. When he noticed your eyes on him, he quickly scribbled down Orchestra—Y/N. Band—Beomgyu Me.

 “Well, since we all have our first tasks, I guess that’s all for today.” You were happy that the meeting was over; you were ready to get back to your dorm so you could get to work and actually get things done.

 “Wait!” Beomgyu said as you stood up, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

 Now you have something to say. You raised a brow at him expectantly.

 “We should exchange phone numbers, right?” He smiled, standing up and holding his phone out towards you. “I have the others’ numbers, but I figure I should be able to contact my partner from the music department.”

 You hesitated, but knew there was no logical reason why you shouldn’t give him your number. You were going to be working together for the next several weeks, after all.

 After putting your number in, he took his phone back and grinned at you again, eyes scrunching up into crescent moons. “Perfect! I’ll try not to bother you too much, but I make no promises.” He reached forward and ruffled your hair, and you were too caught off guard by the sudden touch to back away, or to even react at all. He then waved at all three of you, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. “See you guys tomorrow then.” He turned towards you again, throwing you a casual wink that still managed to have you flustered. “I’ll be in touch, partner.”

 You turned to watch him leave, face warm as you brushed through your hair with your fingers, trying to undo the damage your “partner” had done.

 Something told you that he wouldn’t be keeping his promise about trying not to bother you anytime soon.

 -

 OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, BEOMGYU PROVED HIMSELF TO BE ONE OF THE MOST BOTHERSOME PEOPLE YOU HAD COME ACROSS IN A LONG, LONG TIME.

 The worst part was the fact that he didn’t do anything blatantly wrong. He did everything he was asked to do when it came to preparing for the showcase. The first week of work consisted of the two of you gathering all the students who would be participating in the performances, along with Yeonjun and Taehyun preparing those from the drama department. Beomgyu performed all of his tasks just as he was asked to do, so it wasn’t as if he was bothering you by being unhelpful.

 It was just something about the way he held himself that seemed to get under your skin for no apparent reason.

 For the past week, your “partner” had basically been a tagalong—he would stand beside of you and do what he was asked without contributing much to the creative process of planning. You found it hard to criticize him up front, as he just did as he was told.

 However, that was all he did. When the four of you would all sit down together to discuss plans or ideas, Beomgyu’s role never changed: he would sit beside all of you, jot down anything you told him to in his nearly-full composition notebook, and crack an occasional joke that would always send Yeonjun and Taehyun into fits of laughter, but only earned a stiff, forced smile from you.

 You were starting to wonder why your professor had assigned him to your team. After all, putting on this open house was your last shot at making a lasting impression on the higher ups in your department. Everything needed to be perfect; mediocracy was not an option.

 In other words, Choi Beomgyu needed to step up his game, and he needed to do it quickly.

 You thought about this on the day of your first rehearsal, where all of the students who would be participating in the performances had gathered in the main auditorium of the music building.

 Drama students were scattered in all directions, occupying the space around them with dramatic line readings and critiques for their classmates as they practiced their roles. Yeonjun and Taehyun were busy taking charge of the drama students, making sure everything was running smoothly amongst them. You watched as Kai, one of the freshman students Yeonjun had taken under his wing, followed your friends around like a baby penguin waddling after its parents, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

 Music students were spread across the stage, the orchestra setting up instruments and covering stands with sheets filled by notes and lyrics while the band tuned their guitars and plugged up their mics. Soobin, a tall, blue-haired student from the same year as you, waved at you from stage with his mic in hand. You waved back, happy that you had been able to snag him as the main vocalist for the band’s performance—his voice was angelic, able to captivate any listener.

 “Hey.” You turned at the sound of the voice you had begun to grow quite accustomed to, whether that was for better or for worse. Beomgyu was standing beside of you, brushing a hand through the curly black bangs that hung just above his eyes. The tip of his nose was flushed pink, a sign that he had likely just been out in the biting cold that had begun to creep up as fall quickly approached. He had his backpack slung over one shoulder and his guitar case held in one hand.

 “Running a little late, aren’t we?” You asked, glancing at the time on your phone with no attempt at hiding your frown. “Is this going to be a trend with you, Choi Beomgyu?”

 He laughed, nudging his shoulder against yours. You wanted to be more irritated with him than you were, but he had the kind of laugh that put everyone around him at ease; the kind of laugh that filled one’s chest with warmth, as if you had been directly touched by a ray of sunlight reaching down from the sky.

 So you settled with being only slightly irritated, pursing your lips to keep your expression in check as he responded with, “What fun would it be if everyone was on time?”

 “It’s not about fun, it’s about making sure this whole thing runs smoothly,” you said as you turned to face him. “Speaking of which, since you didn’t have any suggestions, I went ahead and helped the band choose a setlist. They’ll only have time for two songs, but the ones I picked are really diverse and should be—”

 “Ah!” He cut you off, snapping his fingers in front of your face, causing you to flinch back in surprise. “I knew there was something I forgot to tell you.”

 “What?”

 He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning as he shifted a bit closer to you. You could smell his cologne—a misty citrus scent that was so light you could barely tell it was there. “Well, it’s kind of embarrassing, but the professor actually wanted the band to perform one of the songs I wrote. If that’s okay with you, of course—you’re the boss, after all.”

 “You—you write songs?” You asked, trying not to get irritated at the sudden disruption of what you had planned. He had been complacent this entire time, so of course, the time he actually had something to contribute, he would be messing up what you had already set in place.

 “Well, if it’s a suggestion from the professor, I can’t just deny you permission, can I?” You said with a forced laugh. “Do you have the—”

 “Sheet music?” He finished your sentence, shaking a stack of papers in front of you. “Right here, partner. Want me to go tell the band?”

 You sighed, crossing your arms over your chest. “Sure. Just tell them to switch the second song I had picked out with this one.”

 He smiled at you again, ruffling your hair with the same hand he held the papers in. “You’re a saint. I’ll talk to you in a bit then?”

 You had no time to respond before he was setting off towards the stage to talk to the band, papers and guitar in hand. You huffed through pursed lips, mumbling under your breath as you tried to put your hair back in place.

 “What was that all about?” You dropped your hands to your sides when Yeonjun approached you, eyebrow quirked. Half of his cotton-candy colored hair was pulled into a ponytail, and he had on a pair of big round glasses with what you knew to be fake lenses—a fashion statement rather than a necessity.

 “I don’t think Beomgyu knows much about personal boundaries or personal responsibility,” you mumbled, allowing Yeonjun to come up and finish fixing your hair with his fingers. “He decided to just now tell me that our professor wanted the band to use one of his songs in the performance.”

 “What’s wrong with that?”

 “Nothing’s wrong with it, I just—” You hesitated, unsure of how to respond without sounding like a jerk. “I just wish he would have told me about it sooner. That’s all.”

 “Y/N, you need to cut the guy some slack,” Yeonjun said, stepping back once he was finished fixing up your hair. “You act as though you have a personal vendetta against him or something.”

 “I do not,” You argued, feeling you defenses flare up at his words. “Why would you say that?”

 “I don’t know, maybe because every time he walks in the room you start to grimace, and every time he talks to you I can literally feel the amount of energy it takes for you to not roll your eyes.”

 “You’re exaggerating.”

 “If you say so.” He put his hand on your shoulder, giving you a stern look that did, in fact, make you roll your eyes. “Give him a chance, Y/N. You may end up liking him more than you’d expect.”

 You scoffed as your best friend walked away from you, returning to work on his previous tasks with Taehyun. A vendetta? Was it really that obvious to the people around you that Beomgyu got under your skin?

 Perhaps Yeonjun was right—you did have a tendency to be extra sensitive when it came to your academic responsibilities. Maybe you were being too hard on Beomgyu; his goal was the same as yours, even if his methods differed drastically from yours.

 You looked up to the stage to see Beomgyu laughing as he said something to Soobin, the rest of the band analyzing the sheets of music in their hands—Beomgyu’s song, if you had to guess. His skin glowed like honey beneath the stage lights, and you noticed that when he laughed, he laughed with his entire body; his eyes disappeared into crescents, his shoulders shook, he clapped his hands together and even stomped his feet a bit. You smiled slightly at the sight, before a pang of guilt hit you.

 He did seem like a nice guy. It was time you gave him a chance to be seen as such in your eyes.

 -

 ANY PATIENCE YOU HAD DESPERATELY TRIED TO HOLD WITH BEOMGYU WAS WEARING THIN, AND IT HAD ONLY BEEN AN HOUR SINCE YOU DECIDED TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE.

 You had both stayed behind with Yeonjun and Taehyun to clean up the auditorium after the practice. “I think that we’re done, don’t you?” You asked everyone after picking up a few discarded sheets of paper left behind by the drama students.

 “Almost,” Beomgyu said from the stage. You looked up at him to see him pointing at two large music stands left behind by the orchestra. “Someone left these behind.”

 “Can’t we just leave them there?” Yeonjun asked.

 Taehyun shook his head. “No, we were given specific instructions to not leave anything behind.” He glanced at his phone. “They’re about to close the building for the night, so we should hurry and put them up.”

 “I know which room they came from, so I can take them back,” Beomgyu offered.

 “They’re pretty heavy, Beomgyu. Are you sure you can carry them on your own?” Taehyun asked.

 “Yeah, it’s fine—”

 “No, no, someone should definitely help you. You have to carry your guitar too,” Yeonjun interjected, a mischievous glint in your eyes that sent sirens blaring in your head. The feelings of disdain only grew when Yeonjun made eye contact with you directly, seeming to give you a sweet smile, but you knew the expression was laced with ulterior motives. “Y/N, why don’t you carry one while Beomgyu carries the other?”

 You wanted to smack him, but that wouldn’t have been a good look for you, considering that everyone already thought you hated Beomgyu anyways. You glanced up at him on the stage to see that he had already picked one of the stands up, his guitar in the other hand.  He gave you a big grin, eyes sparkling like freshly fallen snow. “What do you say, partner? Care to give me a hand?”

 You pushed your tongue against the inside of your cheek, knowing that there was no way you were getting out of this one. “Sure,” You said through your teeth, glaring daggers at Yeonjun before making your way up the steps to the stage. The music stand wasn’t too heavy, so you almost dared to ask Beomgyu to try carrying them both in one hand, but decided against it.

 “We’ll go ahead and leave then,” Yeonjun said, throwing a taunting wink your way. “You two have fun.”

 You hate to bite your tongue to keep from cursing at him as Yeonjun and Taehyun left the auditorium, leaving you alone with Beomgyu for the first time. You glanced his way, noticing that he already had his eyes on you. Instead of averting his gaze when yours met his, he just smiled wider, gesturing towards the door with his head. “Shall we?”

 You forced another smile. “Lead the way, partner.”

 You followed him out the doors and up the stairs to the first floor, where the orchestra’s practice room was located. You were very familiar with the area, being a violinist yourself. When the two of you reached the room, you rushed forward to open the door, as Beomgyu’s hands were full. He thanked you and stepped inside first, and you followed suit, letting the heavy door swing shut behind you.

 “Where should we set them?” He asked.

 You nodded to the far corner of the room. “Over there.”

 The two of you set the stands down, and you instantly turned back towards the door, ready to get back to your dorm for some alone time after such a taxing day.

 “In a rush?” Beomgyu asked from behind you.

 You turned to look over your shoulder at him as your hand grasped the doorknob. “Nah, just tired. Aren’t you?”

 He shrugged, shifting his guitar case from one hand to the other. “Not really.”

 “Lucky you,” You mumbled, turning back towards the door. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow—”

 You stopped mid-sentence, heart dropping to your toes. When you tried to turn the knob, it wouldn’t move. After a moment of shock, you tried again, and then again, violently shaking the knob, trying to get the door to open.

 “No, no, no,” You said, shaking the handle desperately. “Come on, this can’t be happening!”

 “What is it?” Beomgyu asked, setting his guitar on the floor before rushing to your side.

 “The door won’t open.” You shook the knob more frantically than ever, the entire door shaking from the force.

 “Woah, easy there, partner,” Beomgyu said, gently placing his hand on your arm. “Why don’t you let me try to—”

 “What exactly do you think you’re going to be able to do differently?” You snapped, snatching your arm away from him. His mouth hung open, eyes wide with what you assumed to be shock. “We’re stuck in here, Beomgyu. We’re stuck, and we’re not going to get out for god knows how long, and with you as my ‘partner,’ I’m one hundred percent certain we’re not going to be able to find a way out of here on our own.”

 You could tell that your words struck a nerve with him by the way his shoulders tensed and how his eyes went narrow. Looking back, you wished you could reel the words back in, but they had already done their damage.

 “Why do you hate me so much?” He asked, his voice low and thick with irritation.

 It was your turn to be shocked. “What?”

 “I said, why do you hate me so much?”

 You blinked rapidly, feeling exposed and vulnerable now that he was confronting you. “I don’t—I don’t hate you, Beomgyu.”

 He scoffed, pulling his bottom lip under his teeth. “Come on, I’m not that much of an idiot. This entire time, from the moment we first met, you’ve been cold and snippy with me. You can barely hide how much you dislike me with your facial expressions. I thought maybe we just got off on the wrong foot, so I’ve been brushing it off and treating you kindly. But you still treat me like I’m some annoying fly that you can’t quite get rid of, and I want to know why.”

 “That’s not—I don’t hate you,” You repeated, jumbling your words together as you struggled to figure out what to say.

 “Well, what’s the issue then?”

 “You don’t take anything seriously!” Your voice wasn’t quite a shout, but it was almost there. Beomgyu took a step back, arms dropping to his sides.

 “You’re treating this entire thing like it’s an elementary school play,” You continued, your voice getting louder and your words coming out more and more rushed the more you spoke. “You don’t contribute in the meetings, you show up late, and you barely do the things I ask you to do. I understand it may not be anything special to you, but this is my last chance to do something memorable here. I’m graduating in the spring, and up until this point, I’ve been nothing but another violinist tossed in the orchestra. I don’t stand out to my professors, or to scouts, to anyone.”

 Hot tears began to well in the corners of your eyes as thoughts of your mother surfaced. Every word she had ever said about your pursuit of music being a waste of time, of how little a chance you had of making it, how your only hope was to stand out in the department, which, of course, she highly doubted you would be capable of doing.

 “I have to do this, and I have to do it right.” Your voice wavered as you swiped at your cheeks, where a few tears had fallen. “If I don’t, then I’ll—I’ll—”

 “Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Beomgyu’s voice was gentle, in stark contrast to the razor-sharp tone he had held just seconds before. You looked at him through your teary eyes to see that his own eyes were wide, this time with concern rather than anger. “You don’t have to explain, I understand, okay? I’m sorry, Y/N.”

 You sniffed, more tears gliding down your cheeks as you did so. “What?”

 “I’m sorry,” He repeated, looking as though he were about to start crying himself. “I had no idea that’s how I was coming across. I’m really, really sorry.”

 You stared at him, dumbfounded. How were you supposed to respond to that? The last thing you expected to hear from him was an apology, especially since, now that you had yelled at him, you realized how unfair you were being towards him. You shook your head, wiping furiously at your eyes. “No, you don’t have to apologize Beomgyu. I should be apologizing—I’m the one being irrational, not to mention I’m also the one that locked us in here—”

 “How about we just call it even then, hm?” He cut you off, looking around before he spotted a box of tissues on the front desk. He grabbed one and made his way back over to you, gently wiping the tears from your face, being careful to not touch you directly. “We’ve both apologized for something that the other person doesn’t think requires an apology. The grounds are neutral now.”

 You laughed, gently taking the tissue from his hand so you could wipe your eyes on your own. He stepped back when you did so, smiling nervously at your sudden laughter.

 “Thank you, Beomgyu,” You said quietly, wadding the tissue up in your hand.

 He rubbed the back of his neck, rocking back and forth on his feet. “No need to thank me, Y/N.” He paused, seeming to be in deep thought. It was quiet for a moment before he stuck his hand out towards you, expression cautiously hopeful. “Now that we both understand each other a little better, do you think we could start over?”

 You smiled, wrapping your hand around his to give it a firm shake. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

 -

 THE WORLD ALWAYS SEEMED COLDER WHEN YOU WERE ALONE.

 Of course, it could have felt cold because you were alone in a hotel parking lot, sitting on the cool pavement in the late hours of the night. You hadn’t brought a jacket with you, and your dress was sleeveless and made of thin fabric that didn’t do much to protect you from the wind that sent strands of hair flying across your face.

 However, you were certain that if your mother or father had been sitting beside of you that early winter’s night, you would barely even notice the bite of the wind or the goosebumps that prickled up all over your bare arms. Even the stars had denied you their company; the sky was pitch black, void of any trace of light.

 Lower lip trembling, you sighed as you kept your gaze on the sky above, thinking that maybe, if you kept looking, you’d find a single star shining amidst the darkness. Tears filled your eyes, but you wiped them away before they could fall.

 “You’re a strong girl, Y/N,” Your mother would say if she were to catch you crying. “Strong girls don’t cry, do they?”

 “No,” You whispered, even though she wasn’t there to hear you. “Strong girls don’t cry.”

 “What do you mean?”

 You jumped at the sudden voice, placing your hand over your heart before you turned your head to see a boy sitting on the pavement beside you. He had curly black hair that stuck out from beneath a beanie, covering the top of his eyes, and a big jacket on over his clothes. He seemed to be the same age as you, but of course, you couldn’t be sure.

 “W-what?” You spoke through shaking lips, pulling your arms around yourself in an attempt to stay warm.

 “You said that strong girls don’t cry,” He said, eyeing you with curiosity. “What do you mean by that?”

 “Oh,” you whispered, looking down at your shoes—a pair of black flats with scuff marks all over the toes. “It’s nothing— just something my mom says.”

 He hummed, leaning back on the palms of his hands. “Well, I think she’s wrong. Everyone cries, even the strongest people alive. If someone tells you they don’t cry, then they’re lying.” He turned towards you, a big grin on his face. “You don’t seem like a liar to me.”

 You sniffled, wiping your hand across your cheeks to catch the few tears that had managed to slip down. “Thanks, I think.”

 “It was definitely meant as a compliment.” He sat up straight then, narrowing his eyes at you. You shrunk back a bit, shoulders shaking as the wind only seemed to get stronger by the second.

 A moment later, he was sitting right beside of you, so close that his arm brushed against yours as he slipped his coat off, revealing an oversized hoodie beneath it. He wrapped the coat around your shoulders, and zipped it up, trapping your arms inside. He smiled again and sat back, but he was still close to you, so close that your shoulders were pressed together and his pinky was resting on top of yours.

 Eyes wide, you slowly shook your head and slipped your arms through the sleeves so you could reach the zipper. “No, I’m okay—”

 “Hey, keep it on, please,” He interrupted, placing his hand on top of yours to stop you from unzipping the coat. “It’s freezing out here, and you don’t even have any sleeves.”

 You hesitated, not wanting to be a bother to this unexpectedly kind stranger, but you would have been lying if you had said that the cold wasn’t starting to bother you. Not wanting your lips to turn blue, you nodded, pulling your arms back into the coat to keep them extra warm.

 “Thank you,” you said quietly. “What are you doing out here, by the way?”

 “Me? Oh, I was just sneaking out to the indoor pool.” He pointed over his shoulder at the building with a large dome roof made of glass. “My parents are already asleep and didn’t notice me leave. You?”

 “Ah, well, my family is staying here for the night. My parents and I are going out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.”

 “It’s your birthday?” He asked, eyes growing wide. You nodded sheepishly and his smile grew bigger before he reached over to ruffle your hair with his hand. “Happy birthday!”

 You giggled, smoothing your hair back down when he pulled his hand away. Your eyes met his, which seemed to sparkle with the light of billions of galaxies, paired perfectly with his beaming smile, and you realized that maybe you didn’t need the stars that night after all, because he alone shined brightly enough.

 He looked around then, eyebrows furrowed. “But, where are your parents? Shouldn’t you guys get going before all the restaurants close?”

 Your smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared. You swallowed, your eyes drifting towards a car that sat a few yards away from the two of you. The car was running and the lights inside were on, casting a yellow glow onto the two occupants seated in the front: your parents. Although you couldn’t hear what they were saying, you knew that they were yelling by the way they pointed their fingers at each other, and by the expressions on their faces, and the intensity with which their lips were moving.

 The boy followed your gaze, his mouth parting slightly in surprise when he caught sight of your parents in the heat of their dispute. He glanced sideways at you before moving to sit in front of you, blocking your view of your parents.

 “Why don’t you sneak to the pool with me?” He asked.

 You shook your head immediately, a slight smile returning to your face. It was clear that he was trying to distract you, and you were grateful. That didn’t mean you were willing to sneak away from your parents, especially when the tension among your family was already sky high.

 “Why not?” He whined, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.

 “Because I’m not supposed to move from this spot,” You said.

 “And I wasn’t supposed to leave my hotel room, yet here I am.” He shrugged nonchalantly, brushing his bangs out of his eyes only for them to fall right back into place. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

 There were a lot of really terrible things that could happen as a result of you sneaking away to go night swimming with a boy you didn’t know while your parents fought in the middle of a hotel parking lot. You could probably list ten off the top of your head. However, when you looked into the starry eyes of the boy in front of you, his lips spread in an encouraging grin that made you feel warm inside despite the cold, you hesitated.

 What was the worst thing that could happen? The list seemed to be erased from your head as quickly as it appeared.

 He tilted his head to the side, a playful glint sparkling in his eyes. He stood up and stretched his hand out to you, his fingers trembling from the cold.

 “Should we run away?”

 Your fingers twitched, urging to reach out touch his own. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to find the balance between being rational and following where your heart was leading. These two things did not seem to be lining up.

 Before you could do anything, however, you heard a car door slamming shut. You jumped to your feet just in time to see your mother stepping away from the vehicle before your father drove off, leaving her alone in the parking lot. Eyes wide with worry, you watched as your mother brushed her hand across her cheeks before taking a deep breath and making her way towards you.

 “Y/N,” she said when she reached you, not even glancing at the boy beside of you as she took your face in her hands. “Your dad is going to come pick us up in the morning. How about we just have a girl’s night to celebrate your birthday instead?”

 With your heart dropping to your toes, you felt the tears welling in your eyes once again, but you refused to let them fall. You smiled and nodded, wrapping your hand around your mother’s. “Yeah. That sounds fine.”

 You turned towards the boy to see that his face was full of concern. Forcing the best smile you could, you unzipped his coat and slipped it off your shoulders before placing it back in his outstretched hands.

 “Thank you,” you said quietly. Before he could say anything back, you had turned away and began walking back towards the entrance, arm-in-arm with your mother.

 “I was thinking we could order a pizza and rent your favorite movies,” she said, straining to keep the emotion out of your voice. “I’ll order the food once we get back to the room, okay?”

 You nodded slowly, halting your footsteps just before the automatic doors that led inside.

 But when you turned your head to catch one last look at the boy who shined brighter than the stars, he was already gone.

 -

 IN THE HAZY PLACE BETWEEN SLEEPING AND WAKING, YOU COULD HAVE SWORN YOU HEARD HIM SINGING.

 With your eyes still closed, the sound rang through your head, clear as day. It was comforting, as if you had heard it before. Yet it wasn’t a sound that only echoed around you. This voice, so gentle and sweet that it seemed to drip with sugar and honey, filled all of your senses to the brim. You weren’t just hearing it, you were feeling it.

 “In moments like those, when tears fill your eyes, hold my hand tight. Should we run away?”

 You sighed, swept away by the sound and the words that the voice sang. You felt as though you had heard it before, but you couldn’t quite think of where. Snuggling closer to whatever it was that you were leaning against, you allowed the faintest of smiles to trace its way across your lips.

 The singing stopped. “Y/N?”

 “Hmm?” You pressed your face closer against the warmth you were leaning into, frowning at the sudden absence of the soothing voice.

 “Are you awake?”

 “Yeah,” you mumbled, slowly forcing your eyes open.

 You weren’t quite sure where exactly you expected to be when you opened your eyes, but it definitely was not on the floor of the orchestra practice room with your head in Choi Beomgyu’s lap. Beomgyu was smiling down at you, black curls hanging over his eyes, freckles illuminated by the faint moonlight that spilled through the windows.

 You sat up quickly, trying to fix your messy hair as you felt your face grow warm. You didn’t remember falling asleep, but you were incredibly embarrassed that you had.

 “How—how long was I asleep?” You asked, your voice hoarse.

 “Just an hour or so. I think you got so stressed out after trying to call so many people that you just passed out,” Beomgyu said. He reached his hands toward you and helped you straighten up your hair, which only served to make your face even warmer than before.

 “Sorry,” you said, gesturing to his lap. “For . . . that.”

 He waved his hand at you before folding his hands behind his head. “Don’t apologize. Seems like you needed the sleep—you were dreaming pretty intensely.”

 “I was? Did I say anything weird in my sleep? What did I say? Was it embarrassing?” You grabbed his sleeve, eyes wide as you bombarded him with questions.

 He laughed, shaking his head in reassurance. “Don’t worry, it was nothing embarrassing. But you were talking.”

 “What did I say?”

 “Hmm, something about it being your birthday?” He placed a finger against his chin, eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure exactly what else. It was all kinda random.”

 You squeezed your eyes shut, biting the inside of your cheek as you let go of his sleeve. You remembered every bit of the dream you had—well, it wasn’t really a dream as much as it was a memory. It was embarrassing to think that Beomgyu had heard any part of the memory, but you tried not to think about it too much.

 “Beomgyu,” You said, opening your eyes once more to look at him. “Were you singing just now? Before I woke up?”

 He didn’t say anything at first, his expression blank. Then, he smiled, nudging your shoulder with his. “Of course not—you know I don’t sing. Why?”

 “Actually, for the record, I did not know that,” You corrected. “And I don’t know, I just .  . . thought I heard someone.”

 “Maybe it was your soulmate,” Beomgyu said, moving his eyebrows up and down.

 You sighed, looking down at your feet. “I wish it was. I haven’t heard from him in two years.”

 The smile fell from Beomgyu’s face right away. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t know.”

 “It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize.”

 “Do you . . . know what happened to him?”

 You shook your head, staring at the moon through the window. “No. I don’t even know who he was.”

 “Hey, why are you speaking in the past tense?” He turned towards you and grabbed your shoulders, forcing you to face him. “Think positively, Y/N. He could still be out there. When did you first hear him?”

 “When I was thirteen,” You answered. “But he stopped singing two years ago.”

 “And you haven’t heard anything since then?”

 You hesitated, thinking back over the past two years and all the sleepless nights you had spent waiting and hoping to hear any trace of a note ringing in your ears, the faintest hint of a voice. Sometimes, when you were just about to close your eyes, you would’ve sworn that you could hear his voice for the briefest of moments before you drifted off, but you would always blame it on being sleep deprived.

 “No,” you said quietly. “I haven’t heard anything. He used to sing all the time, too. I would wake up to the sound of his voice, and it would carry me throughout each and every day. I know it sounds weird to say this about someone I don’t remember meeting, but I felt . . . connected to him, if that makes sense?”

 Beomgyu didn’t say anything, so you continued. “He’s actually the reason why I picked up the violin. I got so used to his voice, I would go around humming all day. I guess my mom got tired of hearing me, because soon after I started hearing him, my mom signed me up for violin lessons. And, well, now I’m here.”

 You looked over to see Beomgyu smiling softly, but his eyes didn’t meet yours. “Do you have any idea of who it might be?”

 You were quiet for a moment. The image of the boy from the hotel parking lot with his star-struck eyes and diamond smile came to your mind, as always.

 “No. But I have someone I hope it is.”

 You looked over at him again, and this time, his eyes met yours. The silvery light of the moon highlighted the right side of his face and the bridge of his nose, casting a stark shadow across the other side. He was neither smiling nor frowning as his eyes searched yours. What exactly he was looking for you couldn’t be sure of, however, you liked the eye contact well enough to let it go on for a moment longer before you cleared your throat, looking back towards the window.

 “Did you try calling Yeonjun again?”

 “Yep. No answer.”

 “Taehyun?”

 “Nothing.”

 “The professor?”

 “Didn’t pick up—I left a message though.”

 You sighed, allowing the back of your head to hit the wall behind you. “We’ll be stuck here all night at this rate.”

 “Well, now that you’ve had a little nap, we may as well use this time to be productive,” Beomgyu said, standing to his feet and stretching his arms above his head as he did so.

 You crossed your arms, raising a brow as you watched him pull his guitar out of the case. “What’s this? Choi Beomgyu taking initiative?”

 “Hey, we said we were starting over.”

 You laughed as he sat on the edge of the desk in front of where you were sitting on the floor. He pulled the strap over his shoulder and began tuning his guitar by ear, something you always struggled to do with your violin.

 “What are you doing?” You asked.

 He strummed through all the strings, nodding when he was satisfied with the sounds. Glancing down at you, he smiled. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m going to show you the song I wrote.”

 Interest piqued, you sat up straighter and smiled back at him. “I was hoping that’s what you’d say.”

 He laughed, adjusting his position on the desk before his fingers found their place on the neck of the guitar. You listened attentively as he began to pick the first notes, watching the way his fingers moved deliberately across the frets, yet, his movements never lost their grace. At first, he kept his eyes focused on his hands. But as the song went on, his eyes slowly closed, and he played without seeing, relying solely on the sound of the notes he was creating and the feeling of the strings that pressed into his calloused fingertips.

 Awestruck would have been an understatement for the way you felt as you watched him play. The way he became one with the sounds he created, the way his wrist twisted to strum and how his fingertips slid across the length of the instrument as if it was the very thing they had been created to do. You were hypnotized, allowing the music to seep into your heart and make it thump against your chest like a caged bird begging to be set free.

 If you had to put a word to how he looked in that moment, “beautiful” was the closest you would be able to get.

 He opened his eyes as he strummed the last note, a gentle grin on his lips. You noticed how his eyes sparkled in the darkness, despite his back being towards the moonlight rather than his face.

 “What do you think?” He asked, his voice sounding sharp as it pierced through the thick silence that had settled over the room.

 “It was—”

 “It was real pretty, kid.”

 You yelped in surprise at the sudden voice, jumping up to your feet as Beomgyu practically fell off the desk, nearly dropping his guitar in the process. You helped steady him, and together, you looked towards the door to see that it was wide open, fluorescent light from the hallway spilling into the room as the janitor stood in the entry way, arms crossed over his chest as he blew a bubble with the gum in his mouth.

 “If you’re done serenading your girlfriend, would you mind leaving so I can clean up and go home? This building closed an hour ago, but if you both leave now I’ll keep quiet.”

 Your cheeks went hot, and you struggled to form words as Beomgyu scrambled to put his guitar back in its case. “Girl—girlfriend? No, we’re not—I mean, I’m not his—we just got stuck and—”

 “Thank you, sir. We’re really sorry.” Beomgyu cut you off as he picked up his guitar case with one hand and wrapped his free arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. You gasped, but were too stunned to do anything but follow Beomgyu’s lead as he pulled you out of the room.

 “What was that about?” You asked once the two of you had safely made it out of the building. “You were not serenading me.”

 Beomgyu shrugged, letting his arm fall from your shoulders. Your mouth fell open at his lack of a denial. “Choi Beomgyu! Stop messing around.”

 “Who said I was messing around?” He teased, winking at you as he began to walk towards his dorm building, which was on the other side of campus from yours.

 You scoffed but said nothing as you watched his back while he walked away from you, trying to piece together what had just happened.

 “See you tomorrow, Y/N!” He shouted, turning around as he walked so he could wave goodbye.

 You gave him a weak-hearted wave in return, pressing your hands against your flushed cheeks as you slowly began to tread back to your own dorm room.

 How strange it was that just that morning, you would have given almost anything to avoid seeing Beomgyu.

 But now, you found yourself counting down the minutes left until the next day so you could see him again.

 -

 WHEN YOU GOT BACK TO YOUR DORM FROM REHEARSAL THE NEXT EVENING, YOU HAD A TEXT.

 Beomgyu: I know we said we were starting over, but I can’t forget that I still owe you a coffee. Meet me at the library in 15?

 You felt like an idiot, but you couldn’t stop the grin from taking over your face. Slipping your shoes back on, you typed out a quick reply before slipping out the door.

 You: Make it 5. I’ll be waiting.

 When you arrived at the library, you were surprised to see that Beomgyu was already there. The line for coffee was very short, as most students had settled into their dorms for the night. Only a few stray overachievers and those that were desperately trying to cram for exams were there, and Beomgyu had claimed a place in line amongst them. He held his guitar in one hand, as per usual, and you wondered if there would ever come a time in which you would see him without it.

 “How is it that you demanded to meet me ten minutes earlier than I planned, and I still got here before you?” He asked once you had reached him.

 “First of all, I did not demand anything from you,” You said, pushing your fist against his shoulder. “Secondly, that is so unfair, because you know that your dorm is way closer to the library than mine is.”

 “Sounds like an excuse to me, but okay. Ah, it’s our turn.” He placed his hand on the small of your back and pulled you closer to the counter. Your stomach flipped, but for some reason, you didn’t mind.

 After the two of had gotten your coffees, Beomgyu told you to follow him up the stairs. You expected to stop at the second floor, but to your surprise, he kept leading you. He took you through a door in the back that you didn’t even know existed, where there was another flight of stairs. At the end of these stairs was another door. You stepped outside and found yourself on the rooftop, with a great view of the campus below.

 “Are you sure we’re allowed to be up here?” You asked.

 “Well, no. But I’ve come up here a lot and never gotten in trouble, so what’s the harm?”

 “That does not make me feel any better.”

 “Come on, Y/N.” He took your hand in his and brought you over to the wide ledge, big enough for the two of you to sit on without the fear of falling off. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

 You paused, eyes growing wide. He stared back at you as he hoisted himself up on the ledge. He took a sip of his coffee before asking, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

 You shook your head, setting your coffee beside of him before bringing yourself up to sit on the ledge yourself.

 “Nothing,” You said. “You just reminded me of someone.”

 “Ah.” He stared at you for a moment longer before he slipped his jacket off and wrapped it around your shoulders. You opened your mouth to protest, but he placed his finger against your parted lips, which was more than enough to shut you up.

 “Just accept an act of kindness, would you?” He said, zipping his jacket up over you. You watched him as he did so, noticing the way his chocolate eyes sparkled in the midst of the cloudy night.

 You swallowed, averting your gaze. “Thank you.”

 “You’re very welcome. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

 It was quiet then, but not in an uncomfortable way. You enjoyed sitting beside of him in the silence, watching the lights of campus below you, feeling the warmth from his jacket spread over your chilled skin.

 “Actually, Y/N, there’s something that’s been bothering me,” Beomgyu said, breaking the silence.

 You turned to face him, curious. “What is it?”

 For the first time since you had met him, Beomgyu looked nervous. He picked at the skin around his nails, doing everything he could to keep his eyes from meeting yours.

 “Remember how you asked me if I sang? When we were locked in the orchestra room?” His voice was a bit quieter than it had been before.

 “Yeah, you said you didn’t.”

 “Right. Well, that—that was a lie,” He blurted, seeming to regret his words the second they had left his mouth. “Well, not a blatant lie, because I don’t sing anymore. But I used to.”

 You were a bit confused, but seeing how nervous he was, you decided not to ask him why he would lie about such a seemingly trivial topic.

 “What made you stop?” You asked carefully, not wanting to upset him.

 He hesitated, wringing his hands together. After taking a deep breath, he spoke again.

 “My father and I used to sing together,” He began. “I taught myself how to play the guitar, but he was the one who taught me how to sing. He loved to sing, more than anything else, and he always told me that I had a brilliant voice. He said it would be a shame to keep such a voice to myself.”

 He smiled fondly as he spoke of his father, and you couldn’t help but smile as well. The joy slowly faded from his expression, however, as he began to speak again.

 “I lost him two years ago,” He said quietly, voice thick with emotions that caused your heart to clench. “He was in a bad car accident. I was doing really well here, in vocals and guitar. But when I lost him, I just . . . I couldn’t sing anymore. I tried, I really did. I just couldn’t do it.”

 “Oh, Beomgyu,” You whispered, gently placing your hand over his trembling one.

 “It’s pathetic, isn’t it?” He sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Singing was the one thing he wanted me to do, and now that he’s gone, I’m failing at it.”

 “No, Beomgyu,” You said, your voice firm as you squeezed his hand. “It’s not pathetic at all. You’re doing the best you can, and you’re still here. And most importantly, you tried. That’s what matters.”

 He brought his eyes back to yours then, glistening with moisture in the moonless, starless night. He smiled at you then, and you smiled back.

 “Y/N.”

 “Hm?”

 “Have I told you yet that you’re really, really beautiful?”

 Your breath caught in your throat, and you froze, feeling the blood rush to your cheeks. You were frozen for a moment before you scoffed, pulling your hand away from his and tucking it into your lap.

 “I thought you were going to start being more serious,” You mumbled, refusing to look at him. “Stop messing around.”

 Then, he moved closer to you, placing one arm behind you while he brought the other to rest against your cheek, gently turning your face towards his. He leaned in, so close that his breath brushed against your skin. He smelled of citrus and vanilla, and you found yourself leaning closer to him.

 He glanced at your lips, then met your eyes once again.

 “What makes you think I’m not being serious?”

 His lips were soft when they pressed against yours, and it felt as though your heart would burst right out of your chest. You allowed your eyes to fall shut as he gently moved his mouth against yours, slowly tucking a piece of hair behind your ear as he did so, before allowing his fingers to gently trace their way along your cheek, then your jaw, until he rested his hand against your neck, pulling you a tiny bit closer to him.

 He broke the kiss for a fleeting moment, just to open his eyes so he could look into yours. You liked the flecks of light that beamed in his irises, as though his eyes were made of starlight. He smiled, allowing his nose to brush against yours as his eyes moved back down to your lips. Once again, he closed the distance between you, capturing your lips with his for the second time. He tasted like coffee and cheap cherry chap-stick—and odd combination, but you didn’t mind as you brought your arms around his neck and shifted closer to him, twisting your head to the side as you moved your lips in time with his.

 The moment was unexpected, to say the least. But perhaps that was what made it feel that much more magical.

 At least, it was magical until you felt scalding hot liquid splash all over the side of your leg, seeping through the fabric of your jeans to burn your skin.

 You gasped against Beomgyu’s lips before pulling away, staring wide eyed at your jeans that were now stained with coffee. Your cup, which had been sitting between the two of you, was now knocked on its side, the contents drained.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Y/N,” Beomgyu said frantically. His lips were shining from the aftermath of your kiss, his freckled cheeks and nose red as a cherry. He gently pressed his hands against your leg, pulling them back when you winced from the impact. “Oh god—I’m sorry, I forgot that it was there and I was leaning in and I knocked it over and—”

 You laughed at how flustered he had become, amused by this side of him that you hadn’t seen before. You grabbed his face and pulled him towards you, pressing your lips against his in a swift kiss, effectively shutting him up.

 “It’s okay, Beomgyu,” You said once you pulled away, letting your hands fall from his face. “I guess you just owe me another coffee.”

 The goofy lopsided grin you had grown accustomed to took place of the frightened expression he had worn just moments before. He hopped off the ledge, extending his hand towards you to help you down.

 “Come on, partner. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

 -

 IT WAS THE DAY OF THE OPEN HOUSE, AND YOU WERE SLIGHTLY UNNERVED BY HOW WELL THINGS WERE GOING.

 You had hoped that everything would go smoothly. The past few weeks, you had spent all your time and energy making sure that the event would be as close to perfect as possible.

 Well, you had also spent a bit of time with Beomgyu, but only when you had the time to spare, of course.

 The performers were all setting up; the drama department was working on setting up the stage props, as they would be going first, and they were busy rehearsing with the orchestra for how they could effectively move the props to make room for the instruments in a timely fashion. Yeonjun was rushing about, directing them with the grace and efficiency only he could pull off.

 Everything was going perfectly. You should have just been happy about that, but for some reason, it felt as though you were just waiting for something to go terribly wrong.

 “Y/N.” You turned at the sound of Beomgyu’s voice, smiling as he walked towards you. He was dressed in a white button up shirt that he tucked into a pair of black jeans. His sleeves were pushed up a bit, exposing his forearms.

 “Everything okay?” You asked once he had reached you. You glanced at the members of the band, who were talking in hushed voices right behind Beomgyu. Your eyes narrowed when you noticed that something was amiss. “Where’s Soobin? Is he on his way?”

 Beomgyu sighed, running a hand through his already messy curls. “That’s what I was coming to talk to you about. He’s sick—he won’t be able to make it. I just got a text from him.”

 You blinked slowly, trying to process what you had just been told. Soobin was the main vocalist for the band. Without him, or someone to fill his position, there would be no performance.

 You quickly walked over to the band, desperately trying to think of something to fix the situation, and Beomgyu was following right behind you.

 “Can any of you do lead vocals in Soobin’s place?” You asked.

 “No,” the main guitarist said, looking just as stressed out as you were. “We’d have to change the entire key for it to fit my range, and even if we had time to do that—which we don’t—we wouldn’t have any backup vocals.”

 You pinched the bridge of your nose, squeezing your eyes shut. “There’s got to be something we can do to replace him. We can’t just take the band performance out.”

 “How about Beomgyu?”

 Your eyes flew open at the sound of Yeonjun’s voice, and you whirled around to see him standing behind you.

“When did you get there?” You asked.

 “A minute or so ago,” He said, striding forward so that he stood on the other side of you. “But seriously, everyone knows Beomgyu can sing. He used to do it all the time. Why not have him take Soobin’s place?”

 “It would make sense,” the guitarist said, his face lighting up with a glint of hope. “He’s been here for all the practices—I mean, he even wrote the song!”

 You turned your eyes towards Beomgyu, worry overtaking you in an instant when you saw his expression. All the color had drained from his face, his lips pulled between his teeth. His hands were trembling, and he refused to meet your gaze.

 “Beomgyu,” You said quietly, taking his shaky hand in your steady one. “You don’t have to. We can figure something else out—”

 “I’ll think about it,” He said, eyes finally finding yours. He did his best to force a smile, but it was so strained, your worry only grew at the sight. “Just . . . can you give me a little while?”

 You nodded, squeezing his hand. “Of course.”

 He slipped away from you then, disappearing behind the stage. Your eyes followed him until you couldn’t see him any longer, worry creasing your brows.

 “What was that about?” Yeonjun asked, stepping a bit closer to you. “I understand not wanting to force anyone to do something last minute, but we don’t really have many options.”

 “There’s more to it than that,” You said quietly. “Just trust me, okay? And if he says he can’t do it, he can’t. We are not going to force him to do this.”

 Yeonjun still looked confused, but he simply shrugged. “Whatever you say, captain. But just so you know, if he can’t do it, you’re gonna be the one singing in Soobin’s place. And trust me, no one wants to hear that.”

 You fought the urge to flip him off as he walked away, wondering why on earth you still kept him around as your best friend.

 The rest of the preparations went on, and soon, the audience had begun to fill the auditorium. You hadn’t seen Beomgyu since that moment during rehearsals, and you were beginning to grow worried.

 You stood in the right wing of the stage as the show began with the drama department. You tried to focus on the performance—it was amazing, of course, especially since Yeonjun played a lead role in the scene they had chosen. Everyone knew he was an amazing actor. However, rather than being able to enjoy the show, you could only think about where Beomgyu was and wonder if he was doing alright, your stomach twisting itself into knots as the seconds ticked by.

 By the time the drama students were finished, the audience standing to clap for their flawless performance, you had bitten your nails down to nubs as you grew increasingly worried. Yeonjun rushed over to you when he left the stage, smiling widely as he stretched his arms out to his sides. “How’d we do?”

 “Hm?” You snapped out of your daze, shaking your head as you gave him two thumbs up. “Oh—wonderful. You guys were great. Hey, will you make sure everything goes well with the orchestra? I have to go find Beomgyu.”

 “Well why don’t you stay here and I’ll go find him—”

 “Nope, I’ve got it! Thanks best friend, you’re the greatest!” You gave him a quick hug before he could say anything else, quickly rushing out of the auditorium. You made your way down a few hallways, taking a couple of turns until you had reached one of the dressing rooms. You knew this was where Beomgyu had been getting ready because his guitar case was propped against the wall outside of it, so you hoped he was still inside.

 You knocked on the door. “Beomgyu? Are you in there?”

 It was silent, but you heard someone sniffle from behind the door. You sighed, leaning against the wood. “You don’t have to say anything, okay? But just hear me out.”

 There was no response, but you could have sworn you felt someone leaning against the door from the other side.

 “I know you may feel like you have to pressure yourself to do this, but you don’t,” You said gently. “Nobody is going to be disappointed if you can’t get up there to sing. Not me, not Yeonjun, not the band.”

 You paused, biting your lip before you continued. “Your father wouldn’t be upset either, Beomgyu. The fact that you’re willing to even think about doing something this hard just to help out shows just how great of a person you are. He would be so, so proud of you. I’m proud of you, too. Whether or not you get up there and sing tonight, I’m proud of you. Okay?”

 You stayed there, waiting in silence for a moment longer before you pushed away from the door, walking back towards the auditorium.

 The orchestra was almost finished with their set by the time you returned to the wing. Yeonjun and the band were waiting with anticipation when you returned, eyes wide and searching behind you, probably hoping that Beomgyu was close behind.

 “Is he coming?” Yeonjun asked.

 You sighed, shaking your head slowly. “I don’t think so. We’ll just have to call off the band’s performance, but it’ll be okay—”

 “That won’t be necessary.”

 You turned at the sound of Beomgyu’s voice, unable to help the big smile that overtook your face. You hurried towards him, grabbing both his hands in your own.

 “Are you sure?” You asked. “You know you don’t have to—”

 “I know I don’t,” he said with a smile. “But I want to.”

 He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against your forehead. “Thank you. For everything.”

 He went up to talk to the band after that, leaving you a blushing mess. The orchestra had just finished their set and were busy making way for the band. Yeonjun walked to your side as Beomgyu and the rest of the band took their places on the stage.

 “Did he just kiss you?” Your best friend asked. For some reason, he didn’t sound surprised.

 Dumbfounded, you brought your hand to your forehead and nodded, unable to speak. Yeonjun laughed at you, causing you to snap out of your daze so you could punch him lightly in the shoulder.

 Once the band had finished getting ready, Beomgyu cleared his throat, tapping the mic before leaning forward to speak into it.

 “Hello everyone, thanks for coming out tonight. My name is Choi Beomgyu, and these lovely people surrounding me are some of the many talented musicians in our music department.” He paused when the audience clapped, waiting until the applause died down before he spoke again. “To wrap up this showcase, we’ll be performing a song I wrote myself. I wrote this about someone I met a long, long time ago.”

 He turned his head to the side then, making eye contact with you from the stage. He smiled, not taking his gaze away from yours. He looked heavenly in the light cast from the spotlight, strands of his black hair seeming to turn silver beneath the glow, his golden skin shining brighter than ever. You were sure that if you were close enough, you would see the star-like sparkles in his eyes that you had grown to adore.

 “I hope she remembers me, even after all this time.”

 “Is he talking about you?” Yeonjun whispered into your ear, noticing the direction of Beomgyu’s stare. “You guys just met like, a month ago.”

 You were just as confused as your best friend, so in response, you simply shrugged, unsure of what was going on. He was definitely talking to you, but you had no idea what he was referring to.

 “I hope she remembers me, even after all this time.”

 You racked your brain, trying desperately to think of what he could mean. Had you met him before? Did he remember you from somewhere, from a memory that had somehow slipped your mind?

 The music began to play, and you took a step closer to the stage, eyes narrowed, ready to focus on the lyrics, wanting more than anything to remember what Beomgyu was talking about.

 “In moments like those, when tears fill your eyes, hold my hand tight. Should we run away?”

 Your eyes went wide. You stumbled back, reaching up to hold your head in your hands.

 “Y/N?” Yeonjun’s voice was distant, overpowered by the sound of the honey sweet voice that filled the air. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

 You gasped, hands tangling in your hair as the singing continued.

 “Be my forever, call my name. Run away, run away, run away with me.”

 Your head was ringing. Not only were these words the same ones you had heard in your head the night you were locked in the classroom with Beomgyu, but the voice—Beomgyu’s voice—was the same one you had heard day and night while growing up.

 It was your soulmates voice.

 You knew it was, not just because of the lyrics or the familiarity of the voice. You knew it was your soulmate because you didn’t just hear the words and the notes of the song, you felt them. Every inch of your being felt as though it had been struck by lightning. The voice filled up all of your senses, overpowering you in the most beautiful way imaginable.

 But it was too much. His voice coming through the loudspeakers paired with it ringing inside your head built up so much pressure that it caused your vision to blur. You quickly stumbled out of the auditorium, fumbling your way through the front doors that led outside.

 You sat down on the pavement, taking deep breaths as your mind began to calm down. No longer overwhelmed by all that was going on around you, you closed your eyes, listening to Beomgyu’s voice as it filled your mind.

 “Don’t wanna stay, now we can go. Take me now to the magic named ‘us.’”

 With those words, the voice died down, and you were surrounded by silence.

 You simply sat there for several moments, your eyes remaining closed as you tried to understand everything that had just happened to you.

 Beomgyu was your soulmate.

 Beomgyu was your soulmate, and he was alive.

 Bit by bit, you started to piece things together. The night of your thirteenth birthday, the day before you heard his voice for the first time. You had met the boy with sparkling eyes and a lopsided grin in the hotel parking lot. He had offered you his coat, and then his hand.

 “I hope she remembers me,” Beomgyu had said.

 You smiled to yourself, placing your hand over your heart as it beat fiercely against your chest.

 “Yes, Beomgyu. I do remember you.”

 “Y/N!”

 Your eyes flew open at the sound of the door being thrown open behind you. You turned to see Beomgyu barreling towards you, practically collapsing to the ground in front of you. He took your face in his hands, eyes frantically searching yours.

 “Are you okay?” He asked, his fingers gently running along the length of your cheeks.

 You nodded, smiling even though tears began to pool in your eyes. “Beomgyu,” You said quietly, lifting your hands to hold his wrists. “You knew, didn’t you?”

 “Knew what?”

 “That you’re my soulmate.”

 He paused, the worry in his face slowly being replaced by a wide, sparkling smile.

 “So you finally figured it out, huh?” He said, brushing a strand of your hair back behind your ear. “If you didn’t figure it out after tonight, I wasn’t sure how else I was supposed to show you.”

 You laughed, a tear slipping down your cheek as you tightened your grip on his wrists. His expression changed once again, brows knit with concern. “Are—are you crying? What’s wrong?”

 “No, nothing, it’s fine,” You assured him, resting your forehead against his. “I’m just happy. I’m so, so happy, Beomgyu.”

 He sighed with relief, wrapping his arms around you in a hug, pulling you snugly into his chest. His chin rested on top of your head as you slipped your arms around his middle, pulling him even closer than he already was.

 “I was a little worried that you’d be disappointed when you found out it was me,” He said with a light laugh.

 You shook your head against his chest, snuggling even closer to him. “Of course not. You’re exactly who I hoped it would be, Choi Beomgyu.”

 The two of you stayed like that for a bit longer before Beomgyu pulled away and stood up in front of you.

 The boy with stars for eyes and a smile that outshone the moon stretched his hand out towards you, fingers shaking from the cold, cheeks flushed from your embrace.

 “Should we run away?” He asked.

 This time, you placed your hand in his and let him pull you to your feet.

#txt fluff #txt imagines #txt oneshots #txt drabbles #txt scenarios #beomgyu au #beomgyu fluff #choi beomgyu #beomgyu imagines #beomgyu fic #txt fics #txt fic #yeonjun oneshot #yeonjun au #yeonjun drabbles #beomgyu drabble #beomgyu #soobin au #soobin oneshot #soobin scenarios #txt taehyun #taehyun drabble #taehyun au #hyuka #hueningkai au #hueningkai fluff #fanfic #soulmates au

[tyonfs]

omg @honeyju maybe we should regress back to our mystic messenger phase

#honeyju #addy 🙄 #jumin bad ending dlc is the only thing worth living for

[hyuckworld]

tag game !

tagged by @maplecornia @liuzone thank you !! 💗 

tagging @heetendo @soobmint @honeyju @orpheyeux + whoever else wants to do this

nicknames um lice or alcie 💀

height 5′2

fav song currently star city cafe by hevel, ebito

fav instrument violin

bday oct 15, 2001

zodiac sign libra

last thing i googled i was opening my email LMFAO 

country usa

dream job jaemin’s wife

currently wearing calvin klein sweats and a tank top 

song stuck in my head the chorus of blessed-cursed is stuck in my head LOL

hogwarts house ravenclaw

mbti enfp-a

enneagram type type 2 and type 7 are the most prominent for me !

iq i’ve never taken it officially LOL and don’t believe there’s any such thing as a single measure of intelligence 🏃‍♂️ 

hand size im p sure it’s 17 cm

#tag games #tagged by: maplecornia