Chae Hyungwon - Tumblr Posts

94･01･15 — happy birthday hyungwon ♡

В этом есть какая-то подозрительная связь

[Наверное, утром этот пост окажется полным бредом, но сейчас почти 4 часа ночи, так что мне всё равно]

За всю жизнь мне, так или иначе, нравились какие-то персонажи. Вымышленные или реальные персонажи — тут стоит на секунду уточнить, что не всегда это были люди. Почти всегда платонически, иногда романтически, но это тоже сейчас лишь деталь.

Мой утомлённый мозг решил, что сон — это мусор, и лучше я задумаюсь о небольшой цикличности своей симпатии к некоторым персонажам. Суть в том, что какая-то часть из них так или иначе связана с музыкой, а если быть точнее - с диджеингом. К лешему долгие предисловия, вот примеры:

※ Че Хёнвон (Chae HyungWon) — реальный парень, кореец, модель, айдол из "Monsta X". Диджей. Моё знакомство с группой произошло раньше, чем он стал заниматься диджеингом всерьёз. Приход в фандом был через пару суток после выхода "Hero" (2015 год), тогда как показывать свои навыки в диджеинге Хёнвон стал позже. (Вроде, 2017 год, но могу и ошибаться) На тот момент у меня и в мыслях не было, что Хёнвон займется чем-то подобным, но сам факт диджеинга настораживает.

※ Лусио Коррейя дос Сантос (Lúcio Correia dos Santos) — вымышленный персонаж, бразилец, спаситель целой страны из вселенной "Overwatch". Всем диджеям диджей. Лусио — неунывающий парень с невероятной внутренней силой, очень красивый, обаятельный и классный, так что неудивительно, что мое сердечко решило упасть на самое дно любви к этому персонажу. Если у Хёнвона диджеинг — дополнение к карьере айдола, то вот Лусио Диджей с большой буквы, номер 1, потому как это буквально его плоть, кровь и смысл жизни. (Я немного утрирую, но суть ясна)

※ Отабек Алтын (Otabek Altin) — вымышленный персонаж, фигурист, вселенная "Yuri!!! On Ice". Тоже слегка диджей. Та же ситуация, что и с Хёнвоном — решение о том, что всё, теперь он мой любимка, пришло раньше, чем получение информации о его диджеинге. Как и Лусио, Отабек является диджеем по канону, но, опять же, никто не сказал мне об этом перед моментом "вкрашивания". (От слова "crush", а не "краска")

Очень, очень, очень подозрителен тот факт, что часть моих любимых персонажей либо является диджеями/музыкантами, либо становятся ими через какое-то время. Складывается ощущение, будто меня притягивает к подобным людям, или подобных людей притягивает ко мне.

※ Ну и напоследок своеобразный "P.S.", уничтожающий все мои мысленные оправдания, что это просто "совпадение": я не являюсь ярым фанатом "League of Legends" и очень редко забредаю в эту вселенную за интересным лором. Однако этих коротких моментов мне было достаточно, чтобы сильно прикипеть душой к двум персонажам — Ясуо и Экко.

И ЧТО ЖЕ ПРОИЗОШЛО, хмммммммм?!!!! В "True Damage" второй стал первоклассным рэпером, а первый решил податься в... *барабанная дробь*... правильно, ЯСУО ТЕПЕРЬ ДИДЖЕЙ!

(Надеюсь, что хэштеги прописаны правильно, я не шарю, можно ли исправлять на тамблере посты)

(Ой, посмотрите-ка, почти полпятого утра, а сна ни в одном глазу!)

Space: The Final Frontier.

These are the voyages of the USS Newton. It's ongoing mission? To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new civilizations and to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Fandom: Monsta X/ Star Trek

Fandom work: “USS Newton” by Admin L of thebiasrekkers

Updated:  06/27/2021

navigation | faq

DISCLAIMER - Copyrighted © by biasrekkers. All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

LEGEND:  

[♤] - Modern [♧] - Sci-Fi [♡] - Supernatural/Fantasy [♢] - Period [✪] - Angst [✿] - Fluff/Romance [❂] - Trigger Warning [☾] - Violence [★] - Safe For Work [SFW] [☆] - Not Safe For Work [NSFW] [✓] - Complete Works [✘] - Incomplete Works

- S E R I E S -

► USS NEWTON (Star Trek!AU) [ ✿ ❂ ☾ ☆ ♧ ✘ ] by Admin L TUMBLR | AO3 ⇋ ot7 X original characters

- D R A B B L E S -

► COMING SOON

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

► THE LITTLE THINGS (Domestic!AU) [ ♤ ☆ ✿ ❂ ✓ ] by Admin L ⇋ son hyunwoo x female reader TUMBLR

►A Game of Numbers [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ son hyunwoo x female reader TUMBLR

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

►SECONDS [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ Wonho x female reader  TUMBLR

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

►TOP FROM BOTTOM [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ Minhyuk x female reader TUMBLR

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

►YOU BELONG TO ME [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ Kihyun x female reader TUMBLR

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

►CIRCLES OF MARIGOLDS (Demon!AU) [ ♡ ✪ ❂ ☾ ☆ ] by Admin E ⇋ Hyungwon x original female character TUMBLR | AO3

►PERFECT MOMENT [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ Hyungwon x female reader TUMBLR

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

►IS THIS YOUR FLOOR? [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ Joohoney x female reader TUMBLR

►PILLOW TALK [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ Joohoney x female reader  TUMBLR

- S E R I E S -

► COMING SOON

- D R A B B L E S -

►THE WITCHING HOUR: FLY WITH ME [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ IM x female reader TUMBLR

►THE WITCHING HOUR [ ☆ ] by Admin T ⇋ IM x female reader TUMBLR

Circles of Marigolds | CHW

Plot: Hyungwon is a fiend whose cynicism has him trapped inside of an invisible prison. He’s only known those ruined walls for countless amounts of years. Resigning himself to his fate, a curious stranger appears and throws his world into a small bubble of controlled chaos.

Rating: Mature // 18+ // NSFW

Genre: angst | hurt/comfort | supernatural

Pairing: Fiend/Demon!Chae Hyungwon x OC [Sabine Archer]

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, Self-Injury (Hyungwon injures himself), blood, gore, heavy angst, swearing, recounting past rape and emotional trauma [not OC], magic/supernatural powers, mentions of death and wanting to die, explosive emotions/heavy cynicism

Links: FAQ || Monsta X Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 16.8k (THICC)

AN: I was just sitting on my couch and playing Nier Replicant when this story decided to dream itself up. I’m a huge visual novel nerd so there may or may not be elements I took from a variety of things I’ve read to help inspire this work as well. There is no smut. There is no romance. There is only pain. READ ALL WARNINGS! If you expected smut or romance then I’m here to tell you, this ain’t it, Chief.

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Marigolds symbolize beauty, warmth, creativity and winning the affection of someone through hard work. It is also said that marigolds, in the language of flowers, means cruelty, grief and jealousy.

~c.h.~

Much of the stone walls and floors were weathered into dirt and dust, revealing the foundation. The ceiling, too, was crumpled to the ground; layered in flakes and bits. The dirt beneath a pair of worn leather shoes was such tired soil. 

Tired, tired soil.

There wasn’t much to do there except burn dead leaves and wait. To watch the smoke rise slowly and tickle the inside of one’s nose.

Dull as bones. That’s all it was.

It was morning. Hyungwon could smell it in the air. There was the faintest scent of fresh dew collecting on the foliage outside. A healthy shower would fall on the world in a few days, if not that very day. Unfortunately, he would not be able to see it. He hadn’t been able to see it for some time. He could do nothing, because he was stuck.

Others would say “cursed”, though he preferred the term “bound”.

He’d lost count years ago. Odd for a fiend such as him. Their kind was well-known for being able to ascertain the time; down to the very minute. No - the very second of every single moment. He didn’t like to think about it very much. It didn’t change his situation any. If anything, dwelling on it only made his predicament all the more pitiable. 

Or laughable, depending on who you were.

Kneeling down to the small fire he’d created, he took a few of the embers into his palm - inhaling the acrid smell of burnt earth. The amber glow was the only thing that reminded Hyungwon that he had a heartbeat. That he was still alive.

He brought the scorched earth closer to his face, shutting his eyes as he tasted it and spit. Sighing, he dropped the dirt back into the mouth of the flames and watched as the orange and red tongues devoured it once more.

It’s barren.

Of course it was. It was always barren. Because for a being such as him, standing in a singular spot and allowing his miasmic aura to seep out from his skin, the land would wither away with each step he took. It was the nature of his kind. Regardless of the stories, his kin were a very fickle and emotional sort of lot. Modern scientists weren’t necessary to obtain such a conclusion. One look around him and anyone could determine that he was none-too-pleased to be trapped the way he was.

...I’m going to be waiting forever.

Suddenly, the dead leaves and grass rustled off in the distance. Quickly rising to his feet, Hyungwon's eyes shifted in every direction imaginable while he strained his ears. The bored side of himself believed that it was just the wind - the weather pressing on for an oncoming storm. But there was something...unnatural about it. If it had been the wind, surely all the leaves around him would have moved in tandem.

No. This was coming from the east end of the weathered hall. It had to be.

Silencing his breath, Hyungwon struggled to swallow the lump in his throat as his own heartbeat began to climb rapidly. He didn’t dare to hope, yet his own excitement could hardly be smothered. A whirlwind of questions began to assault his mind, fighting for dominance over the loud drumming of his heart.

What is it? he thought, feeling his brows furrow slightly, Who? Is there another one here?

Hyungwon’s mind was racing on what he should do. Did he remain silent? No, that was simply foolish. He’d been waiting for this sort of fortuitous occurrence for who knew how many decades now. Being quiet in the presence of another was out of the question. 

But could he be forward? Would yelling out to the stranger be even more foolish? Perhaps a lie was in order.

Help! Help! I’ve been so wickedly trapped! 

Would that work?

He frowned.

Of course it wouldn’t.

Hyungwon knew he needed to just be still. He needed to just listen and listen closely. 

As he quieted his breath, he also quieted his thoughts. All he had to do was pay attention. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out what was going on. He just had to be patient, quiet, and attentive. 

The shuffling grew louder; more frantic. Chests whined as they were opened and doors were hurriedly thrown out as whatever the new presence was continued its busy movements. Clearly they were exploring. Most likely they were a scavenger of some sort. Hyungwon couldn’t hide the smirk that pulled at the corners of his lips. 

This whole building was little more than a ruin now; a ghost of its former glorious self. There wouldn’t be anything to scavenge in a neglected man-made thing such as this. The most outstanding miracle was that someone found this place at all.

Hearing all that noise was just...odd to him. It shouldn’t have been, but it was. 

Strange, he thought, his frown returning, I should remember sounds such as these…

The distinct clatter of a metal pot resonated through the halls - echoing against the weathered stone pillars of what remained of that place. Whoever it was, they managed to stumble through the lounge and into the kitchen. Several more metal tinny sounds reverberated over the air and tickled the hairs along the back of his neck. Hyungwon scoffed, noting that said stranger was making a right mess of the place. If they managed to make it from there, then it wouldn’t take them long to stumble into the grand hall that he was currently situated in.

On the off chance that it did happen, Hyungwon stood up straight and flattened his palms along the lapels of his suit jacket. Just as he began fluffing up his hair a measure, the sound began to draw closer until, to his surprise, it showed up through the doors the very next minute.

No. 

Not an it. 

A she.

A human girl.

She was carrying a pack and there was a bottle swinging from her waist. Maybe she was a traveler? It didn’t appear that she’d noticed Hyungwon yet. Her stare was adrift and she seemed almost distracted by the new area she stumbled into. 

After a few more steps, he seemed to catch her eye. She moved a little closer to stare at Hyungwon’s face. A little more to look down at his feet. She stopped there. There was no other movement that existed between them.

She continued to stare. Nothing more. 

Without meaning to, Hyungwon found himself doing the same. When was the last time he’d seen another person? How was he supposed to react? Clearly they could see him. How could they not? He stuck out like a sore thumb around the backdrop of this broken down wonder. His pale hair and clear gray eyes were probably even more strange, regardless of the finely tailored suit he donned.

No, that most definitely made his appearance even more strange.

“...come here.”

As if realizing something, she stiffened. Her heartbeat was loud in the air, causing Hyungwon’s ears to ring a little. He felt his deadpan expression melt into a small measure of amusement.

“I need your help, so come here.”

Hyungwon’s voice beckoned her, taking on a friendly air. He certainly didn’t want to scare the poor girl. It wouldn’t help his current predicament in the slightest. However, the girl didn’t bend a single square inch. In fact, there seemed to be a furrow of doubt forming on her brow.

This caused his own brows to knit and the next time he spoke, there was a harsh edge to his words. “What in the hell are you waiting for, brat?!” He watched her eyes widen slightly as her shoulders jumped in surprise. He felt one of his fangs dig into the meat of his lower lip as he glared at her. “Oh, have I been rude? Have I offended you? Then how about this? You are invited to move your daft legs, you hear?!”

It was the first conversational words he’d spoken in centuries. To be fair, they could have been much worse. 

She shook with fear and took a step back. “...a-a fiend?”

“Slow on the uptake, are you? Does it even matter? Stop shaking in your frilly underskirt and get over here.”

The girl grit her teeth, balling up her fist and then pointing an accusatory finger at Hyungwon. “N-No way! You’ll definitely try to devour my soul!”

Hyungwon balked, feeling his jaw slacken at the outrageous declaration. “I’ll what now?” He felt a smile tear across his face. It didn’t take long for him to fall into a small fit of laughter. “What was that? Your soul, you say?”

When was the last time he’d laughed like this? 

His grin continued to broaden and he felt a warmth collecting deep within his insides. Confidently, he flashed his teeth at the girl and watched as she shrank back a measure - increasing the distance between them little by little. Lifting a hand up to his face, he pressed his palm against his cheek and canted his head slightly. His full-fanged smile continued to show.

“Person? Ah, yes, person.” Hyungwon chuckled. “You’re just perfect. Too perfect. A comedian, you are.” Casting her a knowing look, he lifted a brow in question. “Say, won’t you listen to what I have to say?” He took a breath, sucking in his lips between his teeth before releasing them with a soft pop, revealing a single fang between his thick buds. Hyungwon’s eyes narrowed in mischief. “...before I eat your soul, that is.”

Again, Hyungwon burst into gales of laughter. The girl didn’t take too kindly to his amusement, not that it mattered to him. This was great entertainment after endless years of silence and isolation. 

The girl glared back at him, steeled herself, and took a step forward to emphasize her need to showcase her courage in his presence. “You won’t catch me off guard, demon!” She puffed her chest out in a show of defiance and pride. “I’ve read the stories about your kind. I may be weary, but I’m no fool!”

Hyungwon’s grin remained. “Ah, am I that famous?” He clicked his tongue along the roof of his mouth. “I see. I’ve left a mark then, hm?”

“You know what I mean!”

“No, I really don’t.”

The girl puffed her cheeks out, stomping one of her booted feet into the dead leaves around her. “Devils are what you are! Fiendish demons!” Again, she pointed at Hyungwon and he didn’t bother hiding his amusement this time. “I know how it is!”

He leaned forward, still smirking while shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “Oh? And how is it? Enlighten me, would you?”

She seemed surprised by how unfazed he appeared. But it was unavoidable. Everything tumbling from this girl’s mouth was just too hilarious.

The furrow of her brows deepened to showcase her displeasure. Hyungwon thought she looked cute but kept this comment to himself...for now.

“You’re all foul and you try to trick people at every chance afforded to you!”

“Trick you?!” Hyungwon threw his head back and laughed, his fingers curling into fists in his pockets in an attempt to steady himself. It would be very embarrassing if he were to fall backwards on his ass in the presence of this adorable stranger. “Ha!”

He really couldn’t believe it.

What’s happened in all the years I’ve been gone?

A small stretch of silence manifested between them once more. Hyungwon cut through said silence with a soft chuckle.

“And what if I don’t want to trick you, Girl?” Removing one hand from his pocket, he gave a soft flourish with his arm as he gestured to her. “What if I simply wish to hear your voice?”

The girl’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Wha? What the hell does that even mean?”

A giddy feeling began to swirl in Hyungwon’s chest. “Well, why don’t you tell me what it is you’ve read? What adventures have you gone on? I’m terribly bored and I’d love to hear a story.”

She turned her nose up at  him. “...I think I’ll leave.”

“You’d turn your back on a wicked, bloodthirsty creature such as me?” Once again, he flashed his fiendish fangs at the girl. “A fiend, huh?”

This time she scoffed. “I know something rotten when I see it. You’re not fooling anyone, let alone me.”

Another chuckle rumbled in his chest. Ah, she’s just so precious.

He shrugged, sighing as he waved a hand back and forth. “Alright, alright. You win.” He stuck his hand back in his pocket. “You’re right. Like all of us demons, devils and wicked fiends, I am merely trying to obtain your wonderful soul through my devious wit.” Hyungwon gazed at her through hooded eyes. “It’s plain to see that I am a rookie in this field. Green around the ears, you could say.”

It was clear the girl understood that Hyungwon was, in fact, making fun of her earlier accusations against his person. The fiend had no intention of denying it should she ask. He may have been a demon, but he was no liar.

“...why the hell do you want to listen to me so much?”

Her voice, curious, cut through the quiet and seemed to echo off the walls. Yes. It certainly had been years since he’d last heard another voice other than his own. Too many years. Hyungwon wasn’t about to let an opportunity like this slip through his fingertips.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m bored out of my gourd and your voice is quite pleasant to listen to.”

Hyungwon noted the soft flush that tinted the girl’s cheeks. She was clearly an innocent thing, this child of man. It was simply too amusing to tease her in every manner he could think of.

She puffed out her cheeks again. “Liar!”

“I truly want to listen,” he said softly, “would you be so kind as to indulge this fledgling of a demon just this once?”

The girl seemed to be considering it. What a treat! And she was kind if she was, in fact, considering his request. Had the world decided to give Hyungwon a break from the monotony that was his existence inside these weathered walls and his circular prison?

“I might have a story that is appropriate.” She placed a finger on her chin. “I believe it’s a story from one of the books I read a lot when I was small.”

Hyungwon gave a gentle clap of his hands, leaning forward as he waited for her to continue. There wasn’t a need for him to be pushy. He was getting his way, albeit roundabout in fashion, but he would still obtain what he desired in the end. Short-term goals would bear fruit to long lasting happiness. Or some such drivel. 

Had he made that up just now? It wouldn’t have surprised him.

“There was once a cobbler who lived in a village. He didn’t have a girl and it forced him into a sad state of affairs.”

“He didn’t have a girl?” The fiend frowned. “What’s that mean? Don’t human men pride themselves in having sons? Who cares if he didn’t have a daughter?”

The girl scoffed, rolling her eyes while crossing her arms over her chest. “He didn’t have a sweetheart. A wife!”

Hyungwon parted his lips in realization. “Ah, I see.” He, once again, had to bite back the urge to laugh at her displeased expression. “Continue.”

“Anyway, so the man was poor and he was trying to find work. But no one in the village needed their shoes fixed so he started traveling to another village.”

“Well that’s stupid.” Hyungwon brushed a hand through his fringe. “He should’ve just gone around messing up everyone’s shoes if he needed work. No sense leaving for something so trivial.”

“The cobbler,” she continued, ignoring him, “traveled through a dense forest filled with fog. It soon fell dark but he had to keep going until he reached the next village over. On the road, he met a man with a cloak. The cobbler, desperate for work, asked the man if he needed his shoes fixed. The man in the cloak replied saying that he didn’t have any shoes that needed fixing but he could really use a new pair of shoes.”

Not sure where the tale was headed, Hyungwon stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets and rocked back on his heels. It was too early to decide what was actually going to happen so he wouldn’t make any judgments. Not yet.

The girl shuffled forward, squatting down on the ground as she picked up a few dead leaves. “That offer was no good for the cobbler because, well, he’s a cobbler. Not a shoe maker. So he politely declined and proceeded to head down the road. He travels a little further and he meets another man with a cloak. Again, the cobbler asks if the man needs his shoes worked on and the man in the cloak replied that he could really use a new pair of shoes. So the cobbler politely bids the man farewell and continues down the path. He moves even further down the path and, once more, he meets a man with a cloak on the side of the road...”

Hyungwon felt a sneer tugging at his lips. Oh, I know where this is going, he thought bitterly.

“The cobbler finally relents and asks the man what he would give him if he were to get the man a new pair of shoes and the man in the cloak replies ‘Anything’. So the cobbler offers to buy him a pair of shoes and bring them back by sunset the next day. The man in the cloak gives him a bag of coins, taking note of his silver eyes, and the cobbler returns to the village. But as he starts to head back, he notices that the road has changed once more and it is no longer familiar to him.”

The fiend snorted. Yup. This is exactly where I thought it was going. Sighing, he waited for the girl to continue but saw her peering up at him in an almost accusatory manner. “So what happened with the cobbler? Did he ever make it back to the village?”

The girl stood up, dusting off the backs of her legs. “Nope. He wasn’t able to leave the forest and, therefore, was unable to obtain the shoes he promised. He was trapped and damned for eternity.”

“So what you’re saying,” he began, narrowing his eyes a measure, “is that for all you know, I’ve already trapped you. Is that right?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not sure what you’re capable of and I don’t want to know. Not really.” She gave him a pointed look. “Something’s odd about you.”

Hyungwon sighed, unable to force the smile back from twitching at the corners of his mouth. “I’ve been called a great many things in my lifetime, Human, and odd is definitely not one of them.” He scoffed. “As for that story, that’s hardly what fiends are like, you know.”

“You’re the first one I’ve ever met so I have no choice but to believe the stories.”

“They’re called ‘Old Wives Tales’ for a reason, you daft human.”

He met her glare with what he hoped was one of his own. His kind already had a bad reputation and for good reason. But adding fuel to the already blazing inferno was madness. The least he could do was straighten out this girl’s silly thoughts with the actual truth. Especially if he wanted her to trust him just a little bit more.

Yes. Obtaining her trust was vital. Because without it, Hyungwon wouldn’t be able to obtain his true goal. 

“Well,” he began, sighing through his teeth, “thank you for sharing that lovely tale.”

The girl’s posture relaxed some and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling. Ah, yes. The little game of push and pull. If he pushed too roughly, the girl would flee and his chances right along with her. 

“Do you want me to tell you another one?”

Hyungwon raised his brows a measure. If he pulled too hard, he would rouse her suspicion. For a moment, their gazes lingered before he averted his eyes to look at the dead leaves on the ground. 

“No. I’m fine.”

“Okay then.” Her feet shuffled along the stone flooring, causing him to whip his head up. “I’m gonna go now.”

It was like a gong went off in Hyungwon’s head. His heart slammed against his chest, causing pain to cluster up around his ribcage. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, as though he were running through the ocean. The girl’s eyes were the last thing he saw before she fully turned away from him.

Hyungwon hadn’t meant to take that long step forward, practically lunging. He had no intention of reaching his hand out to her retreating form. He wasn’t a fool. He was clear on where he was and what his predicament entailed. Hyungwon knew how much space he actually had. He knew exactly what would happen the moment he touched that invisible barrier.

“Wait! Don’t go!”

And yet he extended his arm even further - the tips of his fingers crossing over that forbidden meter.

The wave of pain that hit him was automatic. A small red and orange flame ignited around his fingers and knuckles as the smell of his flesh roasting assaulted his nostrils. His skin sizzled and popped, peeling back to reveal the sinews of his muscles. Hyungwon yanked his hand back like a spring-loaded bolt released from a crossbow. He fell to his knees, tears leaking from his eyes and streaming down his cheeks as he hissed and cradled his burning hand against his chest. The magic would not burn his clothes, but the flame collected below his sternum burned just as deadly.

He heard shuffling in front of him and he strained to open one eye to peer up at the human girl. There was a mixture of concern and confusion dancing over her expression. It angered him. It tickled his ire and it was at that moment that Hyungwon remembered why he was so desperate to keep her there.

“You’re really stuck here?” 

It was clear her earlier disbelief was a bit more genuine since she was able to witness the truth of his unfortunate situation.

Yes. That’s right. I know why I want her to stay here...to be close to me… Hyungwon smothered down the snarl that was building inside of his throat. To rend her.

The irony of it all was comedic at best. Hyungwon saw the vines crawling down the pillars and grass poking through the rocks on the ground. He watched the world crumble around him outside of that wretched ring and he could do nothing to stop it. After years of staring at the same fucking walls and floors and cracked windows, there was a living and breathing human standing before him.

Comedy.

The years damned him. They cut and clawed beneath his skin, reaching for his desolating blood. The scars were invisible but it didn’t make them any less real. Those phantom aches ripped and tore through what strength existed inside of Hyungwon’s heart, shattering the few glimmers of hope that threatened to sparkle inside of his very soul.

The girl squatted down in front of him so they were eye-level with each other. “...how long have you been in there?”

“Long enough to beg! Long enough, you hear?!” A fang poked out from beneath his upper lip. “Too long I’ve been trapped in this stinking pile.” The heat continued to radiate from his palm against his chest. “It doesn’t matter to you anyway!”

Her brows furrowed. “I wanna know.”

“Well I’m not gonna tell, you got it?!”

She shrank back a bit. “S-Sorry, Sir…”

Hyungwon blinked, feeling his expression relax. “It’s ‘Sir’, now?” 

He couldn’t hide the venom in his words. His hand hurt too much. Peeking at his hand, he saw it was clicking and stuttering from the effects of the magical flames. His vision blurred momentarily through the onset of tears. It was sizzling and small blazes danced between the webbing of his fingers. Hyungwon opened his mouth, sliding his tongue over the digits to soothe the burns. He glanced at the girl who continued to remain silent as he lapped the flames from the back of his hand. 

“...are you okay?”

“I’m a fiend, am I not? I heal fast.” Sucking on his ring finger, he squinted at her. “I’ll be fine after a moment.”

His fingers continued to pop and snap in the joints and he whistled cool air through each digit while gathering himself back up to his feet. The girl did the same almost immediately. He watched her flatten her palms over the fronts of her skirts. As seconds passed between them, Hyungwon felt his skin repairing itself and the nerves were screaming at him less and less. 

And pull.

“Are you going to stay?”

“I…” The girl sighed, resting a hand on her hip. “...I suppose I could.”

“Oh.” He blinked. He was actually a little surprised by her answer. “...Thank you.”

She reached up to rest a hand on the back of her neck, her face lifting to the hole in the ceiling. “I’m actually lost right now.”

Hyungwon barked out a laugh, startling the girl. “Lost huh? Well isn’t that ironic?” The girl pursed her lips together, obviously confused by his sudden outburst. He chuckled, snapping his fingers and letting the pointer digit remain extended. “Don’t look so confused, Human. The irony is quite clear.” This time, the girl squinted. “Oh come now, just think about it!” Leaning forward, he flashed her a smile that showcased his fangs. “After all, I cannot be lost. Forever and ever I will know where I am and where I am…” He leaned back, shoving his hand into his pocket. “...is stuck!”

He laughed again but the girl didn’t seem impressed with his observation. In fact, she didn’t seem much of anything at all. Deciding he hadn’t had enough of poking at her, he hummed as he licked the swell of his lower lip. 

“In fact, I know this place so intimately that you would blush like a young school girl experiencing her first crush.”

He watched her cheeks flush a shade deeper as she shook her head emphatically. Hyungwon was simply too entertained by this human. She stomped her foot in protest as her whining noises filled the nearly empty space all around them. 

“I-If you know where this is, do you know where Mire is?”

Hyungwon tilted his head to the side. “I know mires. I don’t know this Mire you speak of.”

The girl’s nose wrinkled a bit. “What’s that?”

“You know? Mires?” He folded his arms across his chest. “Do you follow?”

She shook her head and it was suddenly clear to Hyungwon that she was having a hard time keeping her eyes fresh. Just how long had she been wandering around lost until she stumbled her way into his makeshift prison? Not wanting the girl to fall asleep while standing up, he decided to change the topic so that she could stay awake.

“So what’s Mire?”

“Where I was born. Where I live.”

He tapped his foot. “Is it a town? A new town?”

She shook her head again. “No, more like a city. It’s been there for a while.”

“Is that right?” Just before he glanced up toward the ceiling, Hyungwon caught the tail end of the girl nodding. “Did you know this place was once a mire?”

“I don’t know what...well, what is that, Sir?”

Hyungwon sighed, unfolding his arms to run his fingers through his hair. “It’s a dead and wet place.” He closed his eyes. “I, too, was born in a mire.” Pausing, he peered down at the girl who looked a little more awake than she had been a few minutes ago. “Would you like to hear a story?”

The girl blinked, opened her mouth, then closed it. He could tell she was fighting with something and he smirked, amused at her reticence.

“W-What do you want for it?”

His smirk widened, allowing some of his teeth to show. “Your company from morning until noon.”

Her brows furrowed. “Is that all?”

“Indeed.”

The girl scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “Fine, deal.”

The entire area gave off a soft booming sound. Her voice, her very words, were spoken like a knell. Carrying a certain weight to it, it resonated deeply and seemed to amplify the space surrounding them. Echoing off the stone, ash shook off the walls. It startled her and what small yelp gathered in her throat was smothered by her hands as she covered her mouth. 

Deal, huh? Hyungwon smiled as he saw the sweat visibly slide down her cheek. 

“Did I just...did I just do--?”

He chuckled. “Oh yes, you did.” Clasping his palms together, he pressed his fingers to his chin as his smile grew a little wider. “You made a pact.”

He watched as the girl groaned, collapsing to the ground in an immodest heap and gathering up her pack into her lap. She rifled through it until she found what she was searching for - a handful of wild berries and chestnuts she must have gathered while roaming through the hills and mountains before finding that place. Even from his vantage point, Hyungwon could gather that the chestnuts were picked from the ground or fresh from the branch and the berries were a little mushed together from being tussled around in the pack. He could only guess how the taste would be. 

“Would you like the berries cooled or the chestnuts roasted?”

The girl scoffed, popping a plump berry into her mouth. “Why? So you can wiggle out another pact from me? No thank you!”

Hyungwon laughed while shaking his head. “To be fair, you sealed the deal with your own words, did you not?”

“That was--!”

“Yes, yes,” he said, holding up his hands in mock-surrender, “I understand. A bit of mischief on part. So, to make up for it, I will chill the berries or roast the chestnuts for free.” He curled one hand into a fist, leaving only his index finger pointed upward. “But you can only pick one.”

She looked into the small bushel of berries and chestnuts, attempting to make a decision. She separated them in her lap while pulling out a small handkerchief and placed the berries on the cloth. Then she gathered up the chestnuts in her palms while standing and Hyungwon waited for her to approach. He held his own palms out as she took a few steps forward. Her hands crossed the invisible barrier and hovered over his. She must have been troubled by his smile because she dropped the chestnuts into his hands and all but hopped a full foot back away from him.

It didn’t take Hyungwon long to crack open the chestnuts and peel back the shells. Soon there was a small pile of chestnut hulls gathered at his feet and the pale yellow flesh of the nuts looked like milky pearls in his hands. 

“This won’t take long, Human, but it will still take a moment. Might we chat some?”

“Um...sure?”

“Then have a seat.” He gestured to the ground. “Where were we?”

She sat down on the ground, resting her chin on her knees as she wrapped her skirts around her legs. “Mire...something?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. I can tell you a story about mires in exchange for your story. Though, instead of a story, maybe a bit of banter? I can save the story for a little later.”

He watched her nod, eyes half-lidded. “What do you wanna talk about?”

Hyungwon snickered. “Mires.”

“Oh...right.”

Heat radiated from his palms as small flames gathered around the chestnuts cradled inside. If he pushed too hard, the fire would scorch the nuts. Hyungwon was in no rush. He could afford to take his time. He’d waited this long, after all. What was another few minutes?

“My mire…” Pursing his lips together, he tried to come up with something interesting to say and realized there was nothing. “...well, to be quite honest, there isn’t much to say about it.”

“You said you were born there?”

“Yes,” he replied, not meaning for his tone to sound as somber as it did, “like all fiends, I was born in waste.” Glancing at the girl, he noticed she’d lifted her head up a bit to peer up at him. “You’ve read about us, right? About how we make the land barren wherever we go, unconsciously draining the earth of life when we stand still for too long?”

Her brows furrowed. “Why is that?”

“For sustenance.”

“Ah…”

“The land is pallid and the lofts caliginous at best. The air crawls low to the ground, making everything damp with miasma. Flora is choked to its last breath, made sterile until it, too, is laid to waste.” Hyungwon felt his face twisting into a scowl.

“That sounds...uh…” The girl attempted to bring some levity to what he knew as an awkward conversation. 

“It sounds hideous.” There was no sense in trying to pretty it up. “I know it does because it is.”

“Did you grow up there?”

“Yes, I did. Had a mother and a father too. Shocking, I know.” Again, he sighed, feeling an empty smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I couldn’t help thinking once if that was where I was going to be when I got older. A damned mire.”

Guess not.

“What was it like?”

“Mind-numbing.” Hyungwon scoffed. “Maybe this wasn’t a good topic to discuss after all.”

The girl shrugged. “You just don’t wanna talk about it. That’s okay.”

“It’s not a matter of it being ‘okay’ as there just isn’t much of anything to talk about. Not really.” His gaze shifted to his shoes. “...it’s all so colorless.”

She reached down and plucked a berry from the handkerchief, tossing it into her mouth. It was a little adorable. Hyungwon continued to roast the chestnuts in his palms.

“So, what about yours?”

“Huh?” She paused mid-chew. “My what?”

“Your mire, Human. Do keep up.”

She gave a shrug with one of her shoulders. “It’s nothing special. Just your typical city.”

“Your typical isn’t the same as mine.” Huffing air out of his nostrils, he rolled his eyes. “I’ve been stuck here longer than you might think.”

The girl lifted her head toward the ceiling. “It’s big and loud and people are everywhere you look. Smoke and brick and not a stem of grass anywhere.” She frowned as she lowered her gaze back down to the ground. “...my mom and pop have a farm near there because they’re crazy.”

“Is that where your scent is from?”

She whipped her head up at him, eyes a little wide. “My scent?”

“You smell like horses and herbs. It’s quite cute.” He sniffed a little. “You also smell like some kind of fermented flora, but I don’t know where that comes from.”

“The city is pretty modern. I work at a textile mill every Tuesday.” Her expression looked a little worn just from mentioning the work.

Hyungwon grinned. “Sounds rough.” She nodded and he huffed a small laugh. “Very rough.”

“Cut it out, will you? I’m a hard worker!”

Her words came out a bit slurred, but it was clear that the girl was determined to appear strong in front of him. He wanted to pat her head and reassure her that she was a good girl, but magical enchantments and all that.

“I believe you.” This time he flashed a playful smile. “And as a reward for your noble efforts, I believe it’s time for your story!” The girl shrugged as Hyungwon cleared his throat loudly and rolled his shoulders backward a bit, holding out his fire-laden palms in a dramatic fashion. “Did you know that stars sometimes act as rain in the night sky?”

She lifted her head up some. “Do you mean like a meteor shower?”

Hyungwon sucked air through his teeth sharply to hush her.

The girl pouted. “I’ve heard of it, but never seen it.”

“Well, I’ve heard of it and know it because I’ve seen it.” He lifted his palms up, letting the flames dance in front of his face as he peered into it. “Just think of it, hm? Thousands of lights bleeding along a cold cerulean tapestry above you, falling ever so slowly… They fall so slow, in fact, that you are barely aware of their drag. Imagine it.”

She nodded slowly and also in a different way; pulled into his memory.

“And then...FLASH!” Hyungwon flared the fire in his hands, causing the chestnuts to split and crackle. The girl jumped, the light catching in her eyes. “Flash! Flash! Flash!” He laughed as he made the flames jump in time like a heartbeat, licking up and dancing wildly. “Each brilliant streak cuts through the lights, free and untethered from anything! And then...” The magic in his palm faded, then sighed. “...it dies.”

Pulsing.

Fading.

Pulsing.

Fading.

The girl’s eyes glazed over.

“Just like this…”

Like the final beatings of a heart…

“Despite how slowly they appeared and fell, death is all too swift for these stars.” His eyes shifted from the flames and he peered at the girl. “Tell me, Human...is that sorrowful to you?”

“What?” Once again, the girl blinked. But this time, she bit her lower lip as she attempted to think of a response. “It is.”

Hyungwon smiled. “There isn’t a right or wrong answer, you know? You don’t have to think of it like some test.” He gave a slight tilt of his head. “You think it's sorrowful?”

She nodded. “I do.”

He hummed. “That’s interesting. Very interesting.” He doused the fire with a mere thought, letting the chestnuts cool. He blew on them for good measure. “These are done.” Hyungwon held the chestnuts out to her. “All that’s left now is for you to stay.”

Squinting, the girl waited a moment but eventually shuffled forward on her hands and knees. Stopping at the edge of the circle, she took the fruits from his hands. She looked at him, wearing a bit of an ugly expression. 

“What?”

She didn’t respond. Instead, she settled onto the ground and continued to look at him; though less ugly. It was apparent that she was wondering something. Eventually, her gaze lowered to the nuts in her hands and her expression began to soften. She shelled one and tossed it into her mouth, chewing quietly as her face flushed naturally. Hyungwon felt a measure of amusement as he watched her Adam’s Apple lift up and fall as she swallowed. The girl shifted back a couple of feet.

“...what part of that was the story, Sir?”

“Well look at that,” he replied slowly, “you aren’t entirely daft.” Crouching down, he crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. “Call it a ‘prologue’ of sorts. There is definitely a story here, I promise.” Again, he clasped his hands together, letting them settle in the space between his legs. “I told you I’ve seen this, yes?”

Blinking, the girl nodded.

“...I wasn’t alone when I saw these stars. I was there with another...a ‘Miss’, if you will.” He felt his brows furrow slightly. “She was fair, young...and human.” Closing his eyes, he swallowed the lump in his throat. “She told wonderful stories and we danced together under the moonlight...pressed against each other in the shadows unseen. She was a seamstress in the village and an orphan but that didn’t make her any less radiant in my eyes.” Opening his eyes, Hyungwan stared at his hands. He could only imagine what he looked like at that moment. “It wasn’t often, but when she felt sad, I would often take her out to the fields to see those stars. I figured the beauty of it would ease her woes, if even just a little.”

The girl’s brows were constrained and she chewed sadly. Hyungwon lifted a hand up and waved it back and forth.

“Not to worry, Human. It did.” 

He turned his face up toward the hole in the ceiling. The sky was taking on a bit of an orange tint. The sun was setting off in the distance somewhere, but the soft blue melded with the amber pigment to indicate that it was still a few hours away. 

“I’ve never understood the customs of man. I’ve always been free-thinking and never bound to the thoughts and actions of others. There’s just no need for it; not for a being like me.” He frowned. “So when a disease struck the village and I used my powers to heal the sick, instead of celebrating like she did, they did not take too kindly to my actions.”

“What happened?”

Feeling his eyes narrow, Hyungwon craned his neck to look back at the girl as confusion painted over her expression. “What happened, you ask?” Scoffing, he felt a soft ringing in his ears. “They claimed I would bring karmic destruction to their village. She wouldn’t hear of such slander against my name and defended me against the villagers, despite me being an outsider; a fiend. They accused her of being bewitched and tainted by my unknown power and while I was out collecting herbs for some more natural remedies in the nearby mountains, she was dragged to the village square in the middle of the night where she was raped and beaten to death.”

The girl gasped, the chestnut clutched in her fingers hovering just near her parted mouth.

“I returned to find her dead in the streets - her body treated like little less than refuse. The other villagers said nothing and the council members did nothing.” He bit his lower lip. “...I carried her body outside of the village and buried her in a field where I last saw her smile - where I knew the wild flowers would grow come Spring...when life would be renewed.”

When he looked back at the girl, she’d closed her mouth into a frown.

“I came back to her spot a century later and found a chestnut tree growing there.” His eyes narrowed further. “It was the ugliest thing I’d seen, all gnarled and twisted. Enraged, I razed that entire tree from the bark, the trunk, branches and leaves. I even burned the roots.”

I would’ve shredded up the roots, but I didn’t want to disturb her final resting place…

“For all the good it did, the tree remained. It was alive, bore fruit, and was even uglier than before.” He laughed. “Isn’t that the most wonderful story?”

“NO!” The girl yelled so loudly that it stung his ears, but he refrained from reacting. “Didn’t you mess up those guys? The ones who did it?”

Hyungwon’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean by ‘mess up’?”

“You’re a fiend, aren’t you?” He could see the spidery red veins inside the whites of her eyes angrily creeping toward her irises. “You didn’t eat them?!”

“I did not eat them.” His reply was simple; hollow. He didn’t even bother to hide it. “What happened to them doesn’t matter to the story.”

“I wanna know!”

“And I don’t want to tell.”

“Ugh! Are you serious?!” The girl stood up in a flash and Hyungwon followed her movements with a shift of his head. “You know, when kids in the neighborhood mess with my little siblings, I beat their little asses with a stick!” She pointed at him. “That’s what love is! It’s sticking up for the people you care about!”

Love? His ears perked up and he felt his frown return. “Is that what you gathered from this story? That I fancied her?”

The girl rolled her eyes as if annoyed by having to answer at all. “Well obviously that’s the case, isn’t it?”

“It’s my story, Human, not yours. Come off it.” He huffed air harshly from his mouth. “It is an old story and just that, a story, so just stop…”

“What?!” The girl angrily threw the chestnut in her hand against the wall beside her, her expression sour. “Fine.”

This time Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “I was just trying to entertain you since you looked like you were about to fall asleep.”

“That’s stupid.”

“What was that?” He rose to his feet, kicking up dead leaves around him. “I don’t want to hear that coming from your dumb mouth, you little twit!”

The girl closed her eyes, folding her arms roughly against her chest. “It’s stupid. It’s stupid so just forget it!”

“Are you starting?” He narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. “I will tear out your tongue, you hear me?” He saw the fear filling her eyes as her hands slowly unfolded and fell limply at her sides. “The last thing you’ll be worrying about is your soul since I’ll tear you limb from limb and there won’t be anything left to hold that soul in if you fucking start with me, you got that?!”

The way the girl visibly shook grounded Hyungwon. He blinked, shaking his head, and then chuckled a little as he leaned back. Perhaps a little less push was in order at that moment. He hadn’t meant to get so worked up over the girl’s words but they rattled him somehow. 

“You know,” he began, looking her over from head to foot, “you quivering like that is a little endearing. You already know that I can’t move from this spot.”

She swallowed. “It just...sounded so real.”

He gave an amused chortle. “Did it?” He sighed, rubbing at the back of his head. “Tell you what, to make up for it, how about I chill those berries of yours? I’ll even toss them to you if you’re too scared to come close to me.”

“I’m not scared!” Her head rocked a little bit. “...but I’m kinda tired. Could you toss them anyway?”

“Sure. But only if you agree to stay with me until sunset.”

That seemed to jolt her awake a little. “Is it noon already?” He nodded and she sighed, collapsing once again to the ground and huddling up her skirts around her knees. He could tell her vision was swimming while trying to stay awake. “Fine. I’ll stay with you. Deal.”

The ballroom rattled with a sound. She wasn’t surprised by it that time. Instead, she leaned forward and all but shoved the handkerchief covered berries into the magical circle. The girl shuffled away, but Hyungwon noticed how much more sluggish her movements were that time.

“How long have you been away from your Mire, Human?” He gathered the berries up and let the cold magic collect inside of his palms.

“I don’t know…” She shrugged, struggling to keep her eyes open. “Two days?”

He plucked one of the berries from his palm and tossed it to the girl who was just barely able to catch it. He grinned. “Isn’t that a long time?”

She shook her head, popping the berry into her mouth. “Not really, no.”

“It’s a joke, Human.” He raised a brow and sighed. “It isn’t a crime to laugh.”

The girl frowned. “If I laughed it would be like me laughing at you.”

“Ha!” The bark of laughter was sudden, surprising even him. “Answering with an even better joke instead of laughing? Wow, you really are a comedian!”

She tilted her head slightly. “...huh? What better joke?”

“My existence.” He tossed her another berry and chuckled again. “This situation and my existence, together, is the greatest joke in history itself. I know this and I’ve already missed half of it!”

“Stop.” The girl turned her head away, clearly upset. 

“Such a soft girl.” Hyungwon regarded her in earnest. “I keep searching through my memories for another like you, but I’m finding nothing. And I have so many memories. So many. Travels, delights, regrets…” He averted his gaze, a smile pulling at his lips a measure. “A girl shouldn’t be so soft. The world is so rough, it will just shape you in an ugly way.”

He heard her breathing languidly, watching her sink into her arms a little more from his peripheral. Again, he sighed. 

“Or it was. If you don’t know about mires, maybe the world has become soft now too.” He cut his eyes back to her form. “That would certainly explain you.”

She blinked but said nothing.

“Do you know why I laughed earlier when you mentioned souls? Do you know why I even joke about them?”

Again she blinked. And again, she said nothing.

“So many of us fiends are obsessed with souls. But they have to be extraordinary.” Hyungwon gave her the once over. “Yours feels completely unremarkable. It lacks the maturity and spirit that comes with age and experience.” 

He threw another berry at her and, surprisingly, she was able to catch it but doesn’t partake. Instead, it lingered in her palm before falling to the ground, forgotten beside her.

“The souls of newborns won’t do anything for a fiend. They are special though. Their souls are quite pure.” He watched her back rise and fall steadily, her eyes closed and he knew she was sleeping. His eyes narrowed as he chucked another berry at her, watching it bounce off her hair and hit the ground. “...exquisite.”

A flash of anger ripped across his chest and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to crush the berries in between his palms. He wasn’t sure if doing so would break the pact he’d made. A part of him knew that it wouldn’t but he still couldn’t will himself to actually do it. 

Even though his hands were cold, he wanted nothing more than to scorch this...thing in front of him. This “girl” who dared to show up and rekindle hope inside of him!

I should’ve snatched her when she was at the edge! 

But was it that simple?

Does she have to agree to exchange her life for mine in the circle?

Was he forgetting the conditions?

With one hand still cradling the berries and cooling them, he raised his other hand to cover his face - glaring at the girl through his fingers. If he could just lunge through there and take her, he would do it without a second thought. A rightful punishment for entering his space and throwing his emotions into a tailspin.

His body still felt the stinging sensation of when he’d burned himself just moments before. If he attempted to plunge through the barrier, it would tear him apart - scorch his flesh down to the marrow of his bones and cause his eyeballs to explode like grapes in his sockets. The pain would be never ending and he would still lunge through and take that girl! He’d do it a thousand times over to get out of that blighted circle!

DAMMIT! Why didn’t I grab her before? WHY DID I HESITATE?!

A new thought struck him, rattling Hyungwon to his core. When was the last time he’d been worked up like this? Felt this much passion, rage and sorrow? It felt like bile on the back of his tongue and he wanted nothing more than to bite it off and drown in his own blood. Anything to give him the sweet release of death.

But that failed many times. He was stuck in more ways than one. He couldn’t be allowed outside of that cursed ring and because he was a fiend, he was bound. 

Bound to a life that was meaningless. It had no meaning to him.

I want to die! Tears filled his eyes as his rage began to reach a boiling point. Years of whining silence - every single day! ...what’s a day? Two days, she said! What are days? What are months? What are centuries - centuries? CENTURIES?! ...has it been even longer than centuries?!

And then the quiet settled into the space, a soft wind kicking up the leaves against the stones. There would be embers in his hand, smokey and harsh to his eyes. Had he really spent his days endlessly like that, watching as time marched on without him able to participate?

He used to scream just to hear a voice again.

...what happened to my life?

Hyungwon felt his jaw quiver as his eyes grew warm. 

I wish you hadn’t come here…

Removing his hand from his face, he stared at that girl who looked so peaceful as she slept. So peaceful…

Peaceful little shit!

“Wake up!” He threw several berries at the girl, but she didn’t move. She continued to sleep. “Wake up!” 

Another and another.

“Look at me!” He hurled more berries at her. “This body doesn’t grant the peace of sleep!” Again and again he threw them. “I haven’t slept a minute, you rotten spawn of an overgrown sow! Not even a second! I have always been awake!” Mirthless laughter spilled from Hyungwon’s mouth. “Two days?! You miserable little wretch! Had I only been here two days, I’d empty a pub in minutes, do you hear me?! Damn you!”

He continued to throw the berries.

“When you die, I’ll find and spit on your grave!” 

And he also continued to miss. 

“I’ll plant a chestnut tree there and rip the roots from the ground, desecrating your remains!”

Throw after throw after throw; miss after miss after miss.

“I hate you!”

This was foreign to him; these swirls of emotions. Was he sobbing now? A fiend, sobbing?

He dropped his arms to the ground, crying in shakes. 

Hyungwon wasn’t sure how he was supposed to handle it. 

Because, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember a time he’d ever cried. 

~s.a.~

The fog of sleep started to lift from Sabine’s eyes. Darkness covered her vision and she slowly lifted her neck so she could peer at the world around her. Dizziness pulled at the corners of her mind. It was always like this for her when she was just getting up. Slow to rise, that’s what her mother called her. Parting her lips, Sabine noticed how dry her mouth was too. It was pretty awful, in fact. 

Smacking her lips, she absentmindedly rubbed her eyes. Exhaustion continued to drape over her like a wet blanket. She wasn’t able to fathom why she was so tired.

“Mama?”

Part of her thought everything she’d experienced was just a dream. A really bad dream. But as her eyes regained focus, Sabine took in the sight of the broken world around her and held back a sigh. It wasn’t a dream after all. The situation, in its entirety, was very real.

I can’t believe I got lost on the way to Evergreen…

She frowned, recalling how insistent her mother was about taking the horse with her, claiming that she would be able to get to her destination and back before day’s end. A lot of good it did her, seeing as it got spooked by a crow and took off to God only knew where. That animal bolted off a good mile before bucking her clear out of the saddle.

I’ll whip that sorry nag into next week if I see it again or my name isn’t Sabine Archer!

Sabine didn’t mean it, but it felt good to think about it.

Again, she rubbed at her eyes to make sure they were completely in focus. It didn’t take her long to notice the man from before sitting in front of her. She wasn’t sure if he was asleep or not and if he was, part of her didn’t want to disturb him. Her eyes lifted to the sky and she noticed that it wasn’t quite sunset yet. At least, that’s what she assumed. But she wasn’t a fiend either. They were far better at figuring out the time than she could.

“Sir, are you asleep?”

“No.”

“Oh.” 

She just figured it was the case because his eyes were closed. 

“I can’t sleep.”

Sabine furrowed her brows, flinching at how icy his tone was. Something rolled out of her hair. When it dropped on the ground, she noticed that it was one of the berries she’d been carrying. But why were they in her hair? Sabine carded her fingers through her dark curls, finding two more berries tangled near the ends. Sitting up a little straighter, she took another look around her and noticed that berries were littered all around her, forming a semi-circle like a child’s terrible attempt at some old ritual.

Looking back at the man, she blinked. Whoa...did he throw these at me?

She arched an eyebrow and took a moment to gloss over his appearance. His cheeks were wet, his nose was red, and his own brows were furrowed rather deeply. Sabine couldn’t help thinking that the man looked a lot like one of her younger brothers who’d fallen off the curb back when he was learning how to ride that silly bicycle of his. She couldn’t really think of what to tell him, so she decided to say what she always said.

“Did you do something bad? Tell me the truth.”

He opened his eyes and cut those orbs of silver at her harshly. “Piss off.”

Sabine winced, even though she didn’t mean to. It was clear that he was in that mood again. 

“Um, look… If you got mad ‘cause I--”

“What’d I just say?” He said it like it was a fact and not a question. “Piss. Off.”

Sabine felt a lump starting to form in her throat. What’d I do? I was just trying to be nice, freaking jerk!

Huffing, she folded her arms across her chest. “You want me outta here then?”

Instead of answering her, he shifted his gaze to the floor and didn’t say another word. Sabine could feel her nerves starting to climb. What the hell time was it anyway? Again, she looked through the hole in the ceiling and squinted. There was no way that it was sunset. The sky wasn’t amber enough.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to talk to him again. “Listen, I don’t think that I can le--”

“Leave.”

“But the deal’s not --!”

“Leave.”

“If I mess up the --”

“Leave.”

She didn’t know what the hell to do. She didn’t want to leave! Sabine knew if she messed up a deal with a fiend before it was complete, she’d go straight to Hell. Or was it worse than that? She shuddered to think if it was actually worse...

I’m too young to have my soul damned for eternity! I can’t just walk out! 

Suddenly, a new thought occurred to Sabine and she scoffed. This wasn’t the first time she’d experienced tantrums like this, not even from him. What fear curled itself into the pit of her stomach began to deflate.

“You’re kiddin’.”

Calling him on his bluff probably wasn’t the smartest move, but Sabine decided to do it anyway. Because as she looked by his feet, her eyes began to shake. There weren’t any more berries in the handkerchief. The deal was that he had to cool the berries and toss them over to her, to which he did in a sense. The fiend kept his part of the deal which meant, in turn, Sabine had to do the same. Luck wasn’t on her side when it came to simply walking away. 

“I can’t leave, man!”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s ‘man’, now?”

This was getting ridiculous. Sabine threw her hands into the air in frustration. “Sorry, God!” 

The fiend averted his gaze. “Leave. I want you to be leaving, understand? Get the hell up and walk out of here.” He closed his eyes. “Go and be damned, you villainess.”

Sabine just looked at him. Clenching her teeth together, she did her best to ignore how wild her heart was slamming all over her chest and ribcage. This wasn’t like the other outbursts he’d thrown at her earlier. This was real. Very real. She didn’t have to wonder what he’d do to her if he wasn’t tethered to that spot he was sitting at.

“Burn in Hell, you dog. Lay there and rot with the rest of the rotten filth that is your ilk. It’s where you belong.”

Now she was pissed. “Why don’t you just calm the hell down, huh?!” Picking up his head from his arms, he glared at her. It’d be a lie if Sabine wasn’t feeling afraid again, but she refused to back down. “Calm down, alright? Acting the hell up and for what?”

“You really are an idiot.”

She balked. “W-Well, you’re crazy! Why the hell are you mad at me, anyway?” Her anger was starting to rise, quickly smothering the fear. She’d never been so insulted in all her life. “Why’d you even talk to me in the first place? Whaddya want, dammit!”

Her mother would have been very disappointed at how filthy her mouth was at that moment.

The man said nothing. He just continued to peer back at her with those silver eyes. Sabine was too upset to give her oncoming tirade a pause. She was about to give that demon a piece of her mind.

“You’re lonely, right? That’s it, isn’t it?!” 

She saw him starting to get up and Sabine decided she wasn’t about to let that fiend look that far down on her! She stood up to her full height and didn’t care that he was still taller than her. To emphasize that she wasn’t afraid, she stepped forward and puffed her chest out. She wouldn’t let him get the best of her.

“Listen up! If you think I’ve got a problem scrappin’ with you, think again! I’ll knock your freaking block off, you got that?” She flung her arm forward and pointed straight up at the man’s face. “You just swore against my family and I’m not gonna stand for it, you hear me?!” Sabine was shaking in her boots but she continued to stand her ground. 

“No,” came his icy reply, “I swore against your race.”

Lowering her hand, she swallowed once more but continued to frown.

“Your entire, miserable, sin-hearted race.” He craned his neck, his eyes locking with hers. “Do you know what I’d do once I’m freed from this circle?”

He took a step forward and Sabine took a step back on reflex.

“Yes or no.”

Again, it wasn’t a question. It was a statement; a demand.

She bit her lower lip. “No.”

Leaning forward, just before what she’d guess was the barrier, and let out a harsh huff of air from his nostrils. Sabine swore that the next time he did it, fire and smoke would shoot out. It was cold and warm at the same time. Was that even possible?

She bit down hard on her teeth to keep them from chattering. The last thing she wanted to do was let him know that he was affecting her. Yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away at how menacing he looked towering over her like that.

“I would kill the whole lot of them.” He parted his lips, showing his fangs. “Kill the men, the women, the children. Even the infants. I’d kill them all.” He narrowed his eyes and Sabine was frozen. “To lasses like you, I’d dig my hands straight into their guts, eviscerate their innards string by string and burn them to ashes.”

“I-I…” she stammered.

Sabine’s vision blurred from the onset of tears. What courage she had seemed to evaporate from her body. She’d never felt so small and it embarrassed her. She was the oldest in her family and her parents depended on her to help raise her siblings. They were barely able to make ends meet and she knew the blow that would come with not being able to return home to continue helping her family. She had responsibilities and her siblings always said she was brave - that she’d fight a dragon and win.

All of that pride seeped out of her and disappeared into the cobblestones beneath her feet.

Her tears leaked out of her eyes as she glared back up at the demon. She despised him for making her feel so pathetic in his presence.

“I don’t know what happened to you! I just wanted to know and be nice, even just a little bit.” Tears leaked from her eyes and she furiously wiped them away. “All I can do is say sorry, but I won’t apologize for what anyone else’s done to you! That’s not my responsibility and you can’t make it be mine!”

He leaned back, standing up straight. He breathed out again and this time she really did swear that she saw translucent flames coming out of his mouth; airy and dry. He took a moment to close his eyes, then opened them again. His silver hues were still intense but they were less cold than they had been earlier. He sighed and Sabine could hear just how tired he actually was.

“Are you scared, Human?”

She nodded fast.

“Why?” He narrowed his eyes. “Why are you scared?”

“I-I don’t know!”

“I can’t TOUCH YOU! SEE?!”

In a flash, he pushed his hand toward her face. Sabine’s eyes widened and her entire body locked up instantly. What was she seeing? What in the world was she looking at?!

“I am TRAPPED before here!” he yelled, his voice booming against the walls. 

His skin burned off in a bright yellow glow. She could see his muscles, charred and black as they turned inside out. The fire was blazing all over his hand and she saw a hint of white in the middle of all the swirling flames and colors. His bones?

I can’t watch this!

She started to turn away from the spectacle in front of her.

“LOOK!” Sabine gasped, covering her mouth with her palms as his own hand continued to sizzle and burn; the stench of seared meat overwhelming her. But she slowly turned back to face him again. “Don’t you dare look away!”

“Y-Your blood…” She lowered her hands from her face. “...it’s evaporating.”

He grimaced as tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. One dropped, rolling down his cheek and he jerked his hand back as if it were spring-loaded. He clutched it to his chest, cradling it as if it were something precious.

“I can’t leave...understand?” He sighed. “Do you get it now, you rock-headed Human?” He held up the twisted stump sticking to his wrist. “This right here? This is what I’ve known for a long long time.”

Sabine watched as his hand began to come back together; the melted parts splitting and the bones were covered up again. There was a distinct popping noise as it all happened before her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was amazed or if she was going to be sick right there. She placed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting all over the floor.

“I can’t kill your people. I want to, but I won’t be able to leave here, got it?”

Swallowing down her urge to throw up, she quickly cleared her throat and mustered up her courage once more. “Why are you trapped there anyway?”

He sighed, his hand forming back into its original shape. “Would you believe me if I said it was a punishment? An accident? Or even an unjust imprisonment?” Lifting his head, he peered up at the sky. “Whatever I say, whatever you believe, it really doesn’t matter. I was trapped here long before your ‘Mire’ came into being.” He closed his eyes. “And so, really, the reasons no longer have meaning…”

She frowned. “I don’t think you’re being honest with me.”

The man scoffed, softer than earlier, as he continued to keep his eyes turned to the sky. “How do you figure that, Human?”

“I told you before that you need to calm the hell down.” Sabine folded her arms across her chest. She was insane for what she was about to ask. “...how do I get you outta there?”

The fiend lowered his head, peering at her with an expression that could only be translated as disbelief. Yeah, Sabine couldn’t believe it either.

After what felt like a small eternity, he shook his head and chuckled. “...you’ve lost it.”

She shook her head. “Nah, I’ve still got it. I know what I asked you. Now tell me how to get you outta there.”

“Then you never had it to begin with.” He squinted at her, suspicious. “You’re touched, aren’t you?”

“I don’t even know what that means!” Sabine pointed at him. “I’m still thinking straight so just tell me already!”

“Hush and listen, you rude little shit.” The snarl in his voice was unmistakable, causing her to lower her hand back down at her side. “Do you even understand what you’re saying?” He leaned forward, scrutinizing her and Sabine felt weird knots forming in her stomach. “Remember what you’re talking to!”

Like she could forget. Honestly, she didn’t know why he was being so stubborn. “I just think that --”

“I didn’t ‘mess them up’, you know?”

She blinked, confused. “Huh?”

“I did not ‘mess up’ the men who raped her. Eating them would have been a mercy.” Sabine watched as he clenched his fists at his sides. “I bore my nails into their sockets and tore off their faces.”

She felt the color drain from her face. “... what ?”

He cut his eyes down at her. “And that’s not all I did.” A sudden gust of wind blew through the empty ballroom, lifting his hair off his ears and forehead. “When I first saw her lying there, body warm only from the bodies of others, eyes clouded over and lifeless, I set the den where she died on fire. I came upon every single person who lived in her town and murdered all of them.”

What moisture was in Sabine’s mouth all but disappeared. Yet she still couldn’t speak. 

The fiend continued, his voice filling the silence that seemed to stretch forever between them.

“I torched their homes. I pulled their ribs from their chests.” His eyes took on an ethereal glow. “Crushed their heads, snapped their bones, and ripped off their flesh.” He narrowed those same glowing eyes. “If it tormented them, I did it.”

Sabine felt her legs growing weak and she had to lock her knees in order to remain standing.

“And before you let anything sentimental cross your mind, you’re all the same to me. I killed all of your kind because you’re just one kind: human.” He slowly folded his arms against his chest. “Sex? Age? None of that meant anything to me when I tore them to ribbons.”

Holy shit.

It was the only thought that managed to swim out of the dark empty space threatening to swallow Sabine whole.

“As if to mock me, they gathered at the center of that town where I’d first met her. Because desecrating her body and destroying her wasn’t enough, they had to taint my memory of her as well. So I slowly melted them all to the earth.” He furrowed his brows, the corner of his lip curling up into a sneer. “On the night that she died, I erased that town from records.”

What fighting spirit she had was gone. He’d knocked it completely from her body.

Her lower lip began to tremble. “Why’d you tell me that?”

“You asked.”

“I didn’t want to…” She shook her head roughly, eyes narrowing as she took a step forward. “You didn’t have to tell me all the...the whole story!”

“You’re right, I didn’t,” he said with a shrug, “but didn’t you want to know?”

Her entire body started to vibrate. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“I’m a fiend.” He carded his fingers through his bangs. “That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s bull!” She did her best to hide the wobble in her words. “Is that why you got put in here?”

“No.”

She didn’t believe it. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“...holy shit.”

The sigh that pooled from his mouth sounded so heavy and tired. “I’ve done many things in my life, Human. Some found them admirable and others thought them despicable.” He lifted his head to face the ceiling once more and she could swear that his brows were furrowed in pain. “I’ve put a curse on a family for every single one of their generations. I’ve rescued slaves from their tyrannical masters. I’ve ruined a marriage and bonded another; massacred a town and saved a child. I’ve done so many things in my life…” He smiled but there was nothing happy about the gesture. “Of all the things I’ve mentioned, not one of them is the reason that I’m here now.”

Sabine curled her fingers into the fabric of her skirts. “...did you forget?”

He shook his head, lowering it so he could look back down at the floor. “Oh no. I remember it quite clearly.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, he put a little bit more weight on his back leg. “But as I said, the reason no longer matters.”

I just...I don’t get it…

“You wanted me to save you, right?” She stared at his broad shoulders as he turned his back to her, frowning. “I’d swear on my family’s good name that that’s what you wanted.”

He didn’t move to look at her and he remained silent. She wasn’t sure if she was frustrated or more curious than she’d been about him all day.

“But now you’re telling me all this mixed up stuff and I just don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to think.” She sighed. “What the heck do you want?”

“You gone.”

Sabine slowly breathed out through her nose and closed her eyes. There was no way that was true. She’d be an idiot to believe that now. She shook her head again before opening her eyes to stare at the fiend’s back.

“You’re lying to me.” She straightened out the sleeves of her blouse and knocked off invisible dust from her skirt. “Sure, I don’t think about complicated things and whatnot, but I know when someone’s lying to me.” Sabine pointed an accusatory finger at him and she didn’t care that his back was still facing her. “Why the hell are you lying to me?” For a second, she thought she saw him flinch before he slowly turned back around to peer at her from over his shoulder. “I know you don’t want me to leave so just tell me what happened to you!”

Slowly, he shifted his legs so he was fully facing her now. Sabine locked eyes with the fiend, his silver tones glowing once more before they, too, dimmed - matching the amber glow of the sun’s rays as it began to set. 

“How long have you been in there?”

“...I don’t know.” His eyes lingered on hers for a few more seconds before shifting off to the side. “I don’t know anymore.”

That was a surprise.

“You really don’t know?”

His brows furrowed. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

Something was definitely wrong. Fiends supposedly had a knack for knowing the exact hour of every day, even down to the second. It was a famous trait and carried throughout all the stories. There had to be some truth in that so what did it mean if a fiend lost that ability?

Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait…

Sabine clasped her hands together. “...you must have loved that girl a lot, huh?”

His eyes widened but remained trained away from her. “I…” There was a soft clicking sound in his throat before he swallowed it down. “...shut up.”

The ache in her chest was unmistakable now. She’d been battling with it all morning and afternoon and she couldn’t figure out how to place it. But now it was clear to her. Very clear.

...I feel so bad for him.

It was the weirdest thing to Sabine, but it was also the saddestthing. Everything about that man was sad to the very core. He was just so damn miserable and pathetic that a person would need to lose all of their five senses to miss it. Because beneath all the bravado and scare tactics, this man was broken and hurt and trying to reach out. It was clear she’d triggered something in him to make him lose his temper and take her down an avalanche of other emotions, but still…

Sabine took another step forward, closer to him than she’d been when he attempted to push his hand through that magical wall she couldn’t see. “You really don’t know how long you’ve been in there?”

“Yes.” He gave her a tired look to match the tired response and it shook her just how much time existed behind those eyes. 

“I think you’ve been in there for too long.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “I don’t think you really wanna kill anyone.”

He scoffed, but that, too, sounded tired. “Then you really are a fool.”

“Hush up. I’ve had enough of that joke.” She frowned, screwing her face up in annoyance. “Now tell me how to save you.”

The fiend refused to say anything. She watched him struggling with something, no longer trying to hide it from his face. But she wasn’t having any of it. Reaching out, she grabbed at his hand - the hand that was once mangled, charred, and now fully healed - and held onto it. 

“Tell me.”

He just stared down at her. Then he shifted, his movements so slow, and he eyed her hand. Then he held it with both of his own, squeezing it between his fingers. 

He then locked his eyes with hers. “...I need to switch with another life. That’s the only way for me to leave this place.”

Sabine put on the most confident expression she could muster, smirking. “Well, I’m not gonna switch with you. Listen to me!” She cut him off just as he started to open his mouth. “I’m gonna find another way, alright?”

For the first time in a while, she saw a spark in his eyes; albeit from annoyance. “What the hell can you do?”

Her smirk widened. “I’ll plant something in your place.”

“Nothing can grow here.” He returned her smirk with one of his own; a derisive one. “I’m a fiend, remember? A demon?”

In an instant, doubt and hesitation crept up along Sabine’s spine. It threatened to place her in a chokehold but she quickly shook her head. No. She couldn’t let any thoughts like that take over or she’d wind up running away. And if she ran away, she knew she’d regret it. She would regret it until she was a decrepit old woman just about to fall into her own grave. There was a chance that she wouldn’t even be able to live with herself if she turned her back on someone she could help.

On someone she could save.

“Doesn’t matter. The land’s gonna be fine once you’re out of there, right?” Courage welled up inside of her and she felt her smile returning. “At least, that’s what I think...what I’ve read. I’m no expert at this sort of thing.”

He gave her a dubious look.

“Look, all you gotta do is just believe in me!” She looked up, taking note that the sun was gone. The pact was finished so there was no risk to her soul anymore. Her eyes leveled with him again. “You don’t want me to leave anymore, I know that. I can feel it.” Feeling his grip tighten around her hand, she squeezed harder in an attempt to match his strength. “But I want you to believe in me. Let me go and I’ll save you!”

The man looked at his hands again, suddenly cutting into Sabine’s with his thumbnail. She winced, sucking in air through her teeth. But the fiend did not say anything. He just continued to stare, not meeting her gaze at all. Sabine was scared that if she showed any fear, what fragile bond existed between them would shatter like thin glass.

A new fear lodged itself in her throat.

He wouldn’t...would he?

Would he actually pull her in? Would he jerk her arm forward and leave her doomed to the fate that he’d experienced for countless years? There was simply no way that that was true. He wasn’t as cruel as he made himself out to be. He was just hurt and lonely. He just needed someone to believe in him…

And yet there was a bit of doubt that lingered…

Don’t pull me in.

Trying to calm her racing heart, Sabine felt like she was going to lose it.

Stop pulling me!

But it was getting harder and harder to stay sane when she could feel him bringing her arm in a little bit closer. And then a little bit more.

Please! Don’t do this! Just trust me!

He dug his nails into her again, but she bit back her urge to wince; her urge to cry.

“...let me go.” 

It was a whisper, sharp and desperate. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud but Sabine was terrified and was unwilling to look at him - afraid of what she might see. She didn’t want to be trapped in that circle! She didn’t want that! Internally, she kept praying and pleading that the demon wouldn’t pull her in there. She knew he wasn’t evil and doing something like that, damning her to that fate, would have been truly evil. 

Had she been wrong about him?

And just like that, slowly, he does it.

He released her hand and was holding his own up where hers had been. Just as he was about to drop it at his side, Sabine gathered her courage and grabbed his hand once again. She gave it a reassuring squeeze, pressing the pads of her thumbs against the backs of his knuckles. Their eyes met and it was like seeing him for the first time.

“Believe in me. Okay?”

Again, he doesn’t say anything.

Letting his hand go, Sabine gathered up her satchel and slung it over her shoulder. She shifted around so she could look back up at him. They hold that stare for a long moment. 

And then she saw his brows furrow as if he were in pain but was hellbent on keeping it all inside of him.

“Please. Don’t betray me.” His eyes seemed to shine. “I beg of you.”

“I won’t betray you, I promise,” she said with a smile, noting that the walls didn’t shake and her voice didn’t boom, “and when this is all over, I want you to tell me your name.”

And with that promise buried deep in her heart, Sabine turned and ran out of the ballroom. She disappeared through the broken world she’d been a part of for the last several hours, determined to save that man and his own broken soul.

~c.h.~

After countless years of waiting, of being in the same spot, Hyungwon felt pure agony shredding through his veins.

He'd only been waiting for her for two hours.

As he sat by the makeshift fire he’d created and recreated from the dead leaves inside of his circle, he wondered how pathetic he must have looked. Fiends were known for being flighty creatures and, in a sense, easily bored. Stuck in one place for centuries certainly hadn’t helped his situation at all. But in what felt like small lifetimes, he began to feel hope.

He was feeling things.

The night air was chilly and the moon perched itself high in the sky, hovering over the hole in the ceiling. Fiends rarely felt the elements and the fire was merely a form of psychological comfort rather than an actual necessity. In the back of his mind, he probably started the fire for the sake of that human girl. She got lost once so was there a good chance she would get lost again, right?

Maybe I shouldn’t have let her go. Hyungwon smirked as he settled down by the fire, curling legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees. I’ve become less cruel in my old age…

But that child managed to call him out on his bluff. The rage that festered inside of him burned quietly inside of him; in the darkest recesses of his heart. Truth of the matter was Hyungwon was terrified. He was absolutely frightened of the idea of placing his trust in another person. Not because he knew how cruel humanity could be, but for how horrifying he knew he was capable of being. It would be a lie if he didn’t feel a measure of guilt for razing that town to ashes; the town she called home.

His anger was too much and he was far too young then.

Reaching out with one hand, he stoked the fires and peered at the orange and red tongues of flame dance further over the leaves. He grabbed a handful of twigs and threw them in there as well for good measure. It was the only thing he could do to keep his mind quiet and still. He just needed to bury it away and so Hyungwon hid his face in his arms, listening to the soft wind gusts that whipped through the ruins.

He didn’t want trepidation to reach forth with creeping fingers to take hold of his mind.

After another hour of waiting, Hyungwon caught the faint sound of shuffling feet. He continued to keep his head low, not wanting to appear desperate. His earlier actions be damned, he was a fiend and his old self would have berated and laughed at him for begging any mortal for anything. 

As the footsteps grew closer, he curled his fingers into the sleeves of his jacket - waiting and all but silencing his breath. It wasn’t until her feet reached the edge of his barrier did he finally look up. When he did, he took note of the girl’s appearance and felt his brows furrow.

Her clothing was disheveled, covered with smudges of dirt and grass stains. Sweat covered her forehead, her hair clinging to her skin. Her hands, covered in dirt and mud, were carrying what Hyungwon presumed was some kind of branch; a sapling. Dirt and grass were caked under her fingernails and she carefully set the sapling down beside her before removing her satchel.

Wiping the back of his hand across his nose, he stood up and let out a heavy sigh from between his lips. He gave her the once over as she tossed some of her hair over her shoulder. “You look a mess,” was all he offered.

“Yeah, well,” she said, her stomach growling and she sniffled a bit, “it’s a little hard to dig out a tree properly without the right tools, let alone one like this.”

She held the sapling out and Hyungwon’s eyes widened slightly. “Isn’t that…?”

The girl nodded. “Mmhm. A chestnut sapling.” Their eyes met and he couldn’t help wondering what kind of look he was giving her because she immediately held up her hand to halt any and all rebuttals I might have attempted to throw. “Don’t start. I didn’t pick it because I wanted to make fun of you. Chestnut trees are strong.” Her eyes lowered to the sapling and she gripped it with both hands. “...if there’s anything that’ll take root in bad earth like this, it’s gonna be a chestnut.”

He lifted a brow. “...Right.”

She grabbed the satchel off the ground. “Okay, step back. I’m coming in.” 

After a handful of seconds, Hyungwon obliged and stepped back, allowing her ample room to do what she needed to do. He wasn’t planning on doing anything underhanded, but he knew it would be useless to voice such a thing aloud. After all, she was human. It was in her nature to be curious but skeptical. It would be a surprise if she wasn’t still afraid of him and the possibility that he would just step out of the circle as she worked.

“Take it,” she said, offering up the chestnut sapling to him.

For a moment, he hesitated. But he knew she would just patiently wait for him to take it, so he did - gingerly grasping it between his fingers. It felt so small in his hands. Hyungwon watched her take a sharp rock out of her satchel and began stabbing at the ground with it, cracking the floor. He thought about offering to do it for her so that she didn’t injure herself, but the harsh look of concentration was enough to stop him in his tracks. 

It was clear she was determined to do everything alone.

Each time she hit the ground, the earth broke up little by little. He pursed his lips together, noting just how bad the soil was underneath the rocks. If the girl was the child of farmers, then she would’ve seen it as well. If anything grew in that pile of barren earth, it would be with awful chances at best. An olive or chestnut tree was about the only thing that could stand a chance.

There it is again, he thought, frowning, that damned hope.

It would be foolish to let it consume him. Having his hopes dashed would be worse than just outright killing him. That thought, alone, almost tempted him to toss the girl out of his circle completely. She didn’t trust him but she was doing a damn good job of not showing any sign of reticents or weakness. If she was worried, Hyungwon would never know because she continued to keep her face pointed at the ground as she stabbed, pulled, and dug - clearing out the stones and dirt in her way.

He watched her pile up the dirt beside her, digging into the hole with her bare hands now. She would need the soil for later, bad as it was. After several minutes of effort, she leaned back and looked at the hole she made. 

But she didn’t say anything. She didn’t move. Not right away.

And then, slowly, she turned to face him. His grip on the sapling tightened from how haggard her expression was. She quickly wiped it away, holding her hand out to him.

Huh. He canted his head slightly. ...was that relief?

Wordlessly, he handed her the chestnut sapling. Without wasting a second, she opened up her satchel and began pulling out wet, healthy soil she must’ve gathered while she was out. Transplanting the sapling, she carefully began putting good soil over its roots and filled the hole back up with a proper mix of the good soil and the dirt from the foundation. Taking the canteen from her waist, she opened the lid and started pouring water onto the dirt and over the sapling. It smelled like it came from a fresh spring and Hyungwon’s memory recalled a well of spring water a way’s out from where they currently were.

Just how far had the girl gone, exactly?

She emptied the insides of the bottle over the leaves and plot, screwing it closed when she’s finished and placed it back on her waist. 

The girl sighed, looking just as tired as she most likely felt. “That’s it.”

“That’s all?”

She nodded, standing up while wiping sweat from her brow. “Yeah…”

He watched her turn to look outside of the circle. He did the same. She shifted beside him, but Hyungwon couldn’t tear his eyes away from the space that existed outside of that magic circle. 

He saw her take a step forward. 

Then another. 

And another. 

Hyungwon didn’t move. He stayed rooted to that spot, his heart beat slowly escalating inside of his chest. When she was no longer at his side, the girl turned around. He stared at the chestnut tree and he could see she was doing the same just out of the corner of his eye. 

Did it work?

His eyes slowly moved to that invisible barrier and he bit his lower lip. He was scared. He was at the edge of that magic circle and terrified. Hyungwon could admit that now. Because in all the years he’d been trapped in that space, he’d never attempted to run his entire body through that barrier. Touching it scorched his entire hand, bringing him pain that was absolutely awful. When he’d pushed his hand through and watched his limp turn into a charred, meaty stump, Hyungwon felt on the verge of passing out and wanting to die. He may have had a stone face when he did it, but the tears were very real.

But if he ran his whole body through?

It could kill me, he thought, feeling his shoulders beginning to tremble, and if it does, I just pray that it completely incinerates me...please. I don’t want the pain…

Rolling his shoulders back, he gripped his hands into fists at his side. Hyungwon held his breath and closed his eyes, taking a step forward. In one more step, he would hit the barrier. But he couldn’t think about it. He just had to do it.

He just had to pray that it ended quickly; that death would be swift.

“W-Wait!” the girl cried, but it was too late.

He was crossing “the line” and he wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. Good or bad, this was going to end.

He was ending it.

As his other foot left the circle, Hyungwon faltered, his weight carrying him forward. He could feel the world shifting as gravity threatened to throw him into a raw tilt and it forced him to open his eyes. The girl stood before him, eyes wet as tears streamed down her face. Hyungwon drew closer until he felt himself lowering down toward her, his arms wrapping her up into an embrace. He felt her arms encircling him, gathering him up against her chest as he pulled her even closer. His skin warmed up all over and he nuzzled his face affectionately into her neck, rubbing his nose over her cheek as his own tears leaked from his eyes.

What little strength he had slowly drained away from him, but he continued to stand so he wasn’t overwhelming her with his added weight. Slowly, he felt the girl’s palm stroking over the top of his head and resting on his neck, her body trembling as she cried.

“It’s okay now,” she whispered into his ear, causing a broken sob to lodge itself into his throat, “it’s all over.”

“Hyungwon,” he whispered, breathing past her ear.

“W-What?”

“My name is Hyungwon…” He pulled her even closer. “...and thank you.”

He held her tightly and didn’t say anything else. Not for a few more moments. He just wanted to stay like that a little longer; for just a few more selfish minutes.

When those minutes passed, Hyungwon chuckled and pulled away from her, his hand moving to wipe at her face. “You know, you’re awfully stubborn for a lass. Are all of the lasses like you now?”

She pouted as she looked up at him, shaking her head. “It just really hurt looking at you, that’s all.”

“Right,” he said, reaching out to take her hand in his. 

He couldn’t blame her. He was an emotional wreck himself. If his parents saw him like that, well, they’d have a whole festival over the affair.

I wonder if they’re still alive somewhere…

Hyungwon pulled the girl gently along, leading her outside. There was a large and dense forest close to the ruin and he blinked, surprised that none of it had been cleared out. Time wasn’t kind to his prison, but the world was starting to heal and grow. He didn’t remember it being so green beyond the hills.

“When was the last time I saw this place from here?” She didn’t say anything, but he hadn’t expected her to give an answer. “Has it truly been forgotten?”

“I think so. I’ve never heard of it before finding my way here.”

He smiled, looking up at the sky. “...I think that’s a good thing.” No one else needed to be trapped here, magical or natural alike.

“Oh, right,” he said, craning his neck to look down at her, “you never told me your name.”

A soft flush touched her cheeks, making her look adorable despite her terrible appearance. “Sabine.”

“Sabine,” he repeated, letting it roll off his tongue before smiling, “you’re still lost, aren’t you?”

She scoffed. “Well, obviously.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t get smart. I’ll help you.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “I can’t give you an exact time of when we will find it, but I promise you that we will.”

Sabine raised her brows. “You’re not gonna travel or anything?”

“I think this should be enough of a journey after standing in one place for so long,” he said with a chuckle, “we can camp by the spring east of here for the night. You know that one, right?”

“I think so,” she said softly while looking at the sky, “at least if it’s the one I’m thinking about.”

“Can you fish?”

“Not without a rod, no.”

He sighed. “Then I’ll fish for you. But you’ll have to be the one to prepare it. I can’t do everything for you, now can I?”

Taking her hand again, they walked down the small hill that crested just over a stone wall. Just at the edge of the forest, Hyungwon spied something out of the corner of his eyes. Pausing, he took a moment to peer at what was situated at the base of the tree. 

It was a circle of marigolds.

“I’m glad you stayed.” It was a sudden thought that was made vocal. He wasn’t sure if he’d intended it to or not. Instead, he laughed while turning to look at her. “I’m glad you’re such a foolish girl.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever…”

“Truly, I’m glad. I can’t say it enough.”

“It’s alright,” Sabine said with a shrug. 

He pointed his finger at her, causing her eyes to cross. “Don’t go consorting with any other fiends than me, understood?”

She smiled while shaking her head and for a moment, Hyungwon’s heart paused. 

“Got it.”

“Let’s go then.”

As they continued to walk, Hyungwon’s mind became lucid - more so than when he’d been freed. Everything felt so bright that it would surely blind him. He was happy. The sun would shine a different way now; different than from all the ways he’d seen it before. He thought he’d seen them all, but he knew it would be pleasant this time. Hyungwon would watch it come up in the morning and would protect the girl as she slept. It was clear she was tired and so he would let her rest when the time came. 

He couldn’t wait for the dawn.

Because when morning came, he would be going to a ‘mire’ brimming with life; to guide him there, free of charge.

Afterwards, well, who could say? The world undoubtedly had changed so much since he’d been away. It already didn’t feel the same. He could tell that his friends had died; he could guess it from the way the air felt on his skin. They were gone and he hadn’t been able to wish them farewell.

His kin, too, were dead.

Fiends still roamed, but he knew none of them…

But this girl? This girl he would watch over, keep after her, even if only from afar. He wanted her life to be well and to have all the success that she could ever deserve. It would teem with happiness and comfort, anything that he could afford to give her. 

And when she was gone, then perhaps that would be the time Hyungwon would go too. It probably wasn’t the best use of the time she’d returned to him, but he was tired. So very tired…

He smiled, lacing his fingers through Sabine’s hand. ...but I think that I can stay awake a little longer.

F I N

Chae Hyungwon + #6:

“Let me kiss you!”

(Y/N is 5′1)

Sometimes, living with a tall person like Hyungwon makes things a bit difficult. He and I would split up the chores, I clean the floors and cook and he washes dishes and counters. The only problem is that he tends to put things on the top shelf. And to top it all off, I’m about a foot shorter than he is. Because of this, he often grabs things for me that are too high. I hate that I’m so short, but for some reason, he finds this extremely cute.

We’ve just had a deep clean and rearrangement of the apartment and I’m getting ready to cook dinner. I grab some beef from the freezer and put some rice in the rice cooker. Hyungwon is asleep after cleaning so much and because he’s a sleepyhead, so I thought I’d get a head start on dinner. While I thaw the meat, I chop some vegetables.

Once I’ve got everything cooking, I realize that I’ve forgotten to grab spices. I open the spice cabinet, only to find that the spices that I need are at the very top. I huff in frustration. He always does this.

“Freaking Hyungwon,” I say to myself as I begin climbing onto the counter. As I start to lift myself up, a sleepy Hyungwon walks into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

“What are you doing?” He asks with a yawn. I roll my eyes at him.

“Trying to get some spices that someone put on the top shelf,” I answer, struggling to keep my balance.

“Do you want my help? I can just reach up and grab it for you.” He offers.

“No. I don’t need help, I can do it.” I say stubbornly. I wobble and lose my balance, feeling myself leaning back. I gasp and try to grab onto the cabinet. As I give my best attempt at balance, I’m stabilized by Hyungwon holding my legs. He pushes me toward the cabinet and raises his eyebrows at me.

“You don’t need my help?” He taunts with a smirk. I pout at him, turning back to the cabinet and grabbing the spices that I need. I find my way down and stick my tongue out at him in a childish way.

“Just ‘cuz I’m small doesn’t mean I can't reach high things,” I say, seasoning the food and putting it in the pot. I’ve decided on making a pot roast and once Hyungwon realizes, his eyes light up.

“You’re making pot roast? You’re the best, Y/N!” He smiles childishly. I smile back, walking up to him.

“I know, that’s why you love me,” I reply, leaning up to kiss him. Although, instead of leaning down to meet me, he tilts his head upward. “Yah! What are you doing?”

“You said just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t reach things, so I’ll let you get up here yourself,” Hyungwon says with a smirk. I scowl at him, standing on my tippy toes and trying to kiss him. I try jumping, to no effect. 

“Ughhh, let me kiss you!” I pout, wrapping my arms around his neck. He keeps his head tilted back, laughing to himself. I jump up and wrap my legs around his waist, holding myself up when he refuses to. I try to tilt his head down to me but he keeps holding it back.

“You’re such a pain!” I say, giving up. Hyungwon giggles and holds me up when I try to get down. He leans down and kisses me passionately. I wrap my arms tighter around his neck and deepen the kiss. He sets me on the counter, hands running up my back. My fingers find themselves entangled in his hair.

When we pull away, Hyungwon smirks down at me.

“You don’t need my help?” He asks, tauntingly. I pout at him and look away.

“Maybe I do,” I admit under my breath.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you. Could you say that louder?” Hyungwon asks. I scowl at him and smack his lips, pushing him away from me.

“Yah, why’d you do that?” He asked, rubbing his lips. I got off the counter.

“I need to finish cooking, can you help me and set up the table?” I ask, putting on a cute face. He narrows his eyes at me but does what he’s told. I smile to myself, knowing that, in the end, I still won.

A/N: So when I got this request, I kind of assumed that it was from my first drabble list, because of the context. So if anyone was confused, I wrote this based off of #6 on my first drabble list.

You Play A Scary Prank On Them (Monsta X)

Kihyun

Kihyun zones out sometimes, so you decided to take that as a chance to scare him. You crept up behind him while he was in his thoughts and grabbed his shoulders forcefully while screaming. He’d jump so high, but started laughing to cover up the fact that he’d just gotten frightened.

I.M.

You could never scare Changkyun. He was impossible to startle, even the tiniest bit. So every time you would attempt to get him to scream, he’d just mock you. He’d scream in an exaggerated way and pretend to be afraid, which would make you pout and leave, trying to think of another way to scare him.

Shownu

Whenever Hyunwoo would be working, you’d always like to sneak up on him. He was the easiest person in the world to scare. His eyes would always go wide and then, immediately after, he’d look at you with a face saying, “Really?” This happened all the time and his reactions were priceless.

Minhyuk

Oh, this poor baby. He was like a child when it came to you scaring him. It would always go one of three ways. 1: He’d scream and clutch his chest like his heart would fall out. 2: He’d jump and then start whining about you laughing, claiming that it wasn’t funny. 3: His eyes would go wide and he’d just stare at you. Each of these reactions was absolutely hilarious.

Wonho

Hoseok didn’t get scared by that many things, but unlucky for him, you’d always know which things scared him the most. Every time you would scare him, he’d always crack up, giving you props for startling him. Although, in his mind, he’s secretly thinking of ways to get you back. He knows what scares you, too.

Hyungwon

Let me get something straight. Hyungwon doesn’t get scared. Like ever. Whenever you attempt to scare him, he just looks at you. Not just any look, though. He looks at you as if he’s silently judging you for even trying. No matter what you tried, this was always the outcome. Hyungwon was impossible to scare.

Jooheon

Complete opposite of Hyungwon. Jooheon was the easiest person to scare. Sometimes, you wouldn’t even try to scare him and he’d get startled. It was really funny. His look was priceless, too. He would always just stare, his eyes going wide and his mouth agape. No one was easier to startle than Jooheon.

Will you be my girlfriend? (Monsta X)

I.M.

Changkyun had taken you to the fair and you were ecstatic. The past few weeks, you both had been going on dates, but you never expected to be taken here. As you walk, you feel Changkhyun link his fingers with yours, pulling you towards the Ferris Wheel.

"Let's go, I know you've wanted to ride that since we got here. You've been staring at it." He teases as you both get in line. You didn't know that you were so easy to read, but it's not like he was wrong. You and Changkyun take your seats and the ride starts. It’s silent, save for the noise of the fair below. All of a sudden, Changkyun turns towards you.

"Y/n?" You look at him and he looks a bit nervous.

"Yeah? What's up?" You ask. He seems to be struggling with what he has to say.

"Uh, I think.. Hah..." He clears his throat and fiddles with his fingers. You've never seen him act like this. He's usually so chill and confident. This was a new side of him that you didn't know existed. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"Alright... will you- I mean, if it's what you want, I- Will you be my girlfriend?" He asks, speeding through the phrase. Then it clicked in your mind. That's why he was so nervous. You grin widely, hugging him tightly.

"Yes! Of course, I will!" You say happily. He hugs you back, smiling as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

Kihyun

You are sitting in the living room of your apartment, watching some tv, when you hear a knock at the door. You get up to answer it and look through the peephole. There's no one there, so you open the door and see a single rose.

You look at it, confused, and look around the hall and see another rose, and another. You notice that they're in a trail and decide to follow it. You feel a bit silly doing so, but your curiosity gets the better of you.

The trail goes all the way down the hall and around a corner. As you round it, you see Kihyun standing there, holding the last rose. He's dressed in a nice black suit and he's smiling as if he can't contain his excitement.

"Kihyun? What are you doing here? And what are these roses for?" You ask, hands full of enough roses to make a bouquet. Kihyun hands you the last rose and it has a note on it. You take it and read the letter. It reads: "Will you be my girlfriend? Kiss me if yes - Hug me if no"

You look up at him and place the bouquet down, walking towards him. His eyes light up with hope and anticipation of what your answer will be. You wrap your arms around him and pull him into a hug. His face falls a little bit. Although, he's caught by surprise when you take his face in your hands and kiss his lips. He kisses back immediately and it lasts a few moments before you both pull away.

"So, we're-" He starts, smiling widely. You shrug and smile back.

"I don't know, you tell me."

Shownu

You walk out of your house, locking the door behind you and walking to your car. You notice that there's something under your windshield wiper. It looks like a note. 'Oh no, did I get a ticket?' You think to yourself, approaching it and picking it up. You read it out loud.

"I never knew that I could be as happy as I've been these past few weeks. It would make my world if I could be this happy all the time. Will you help me do that by becoming my girlfriend? -Hyunwoo"

As you read it you smile widely, putting a hand over your mouth as you blush. All of a sudden, you feel two arms wrap around your waist from behind and looking over your shoulder at the note.

"You're so corny, you know that?" You say jokingly, looking up at Hyunwoo over your shoulder.

"I was hoping that's something you like about me." He responds, looking back at me. You giggle and turn around, tilting your head upwards and kissing him softly on the lips. He smiled bashfully after you pulled away, unable to stop himself from blushing.

"So, I take that as a yes?" He asks me.

"Yes, I will be your girlfriend, Hyunwoo." You reply, pulling him into another kiss.

Minhyuk

Minhyuk asked for you to meet him at your favorite restaurant, the one that you met at. You've been waiting for about five minutes before you see him walk in. He's looking around the room, trying to find you and when he does, he smiles brightly.

"Y/n!" He says from across the room, unable to contain his excitement. You giggle and wave at him as he approaches. He slides into the booth directly across from you, smiling uncontrollably.

"Are you okay, Min? You seem like you have something on your mind." You tease and his smile gets even wider.

"I have something really important that I have to ask you." He tells you, eyes bright with hope. You look at him suspiciously but nod along.

"Okay, what is it?" You ask, watching as he tapped his fingers slightly. He reaches for your hands and pulls you out of the booth. You both get close and he leans in to whisper in your ear. You can feel his breath on the side of your neck as his thumbs massage circles into your hands. The suspense is killing you.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He whispers, pulling away to look you in the eyes. Your heart jumps at those words and you only know one answer. You take your hand and place it on the back of his neck, pulling him closer so that you can respond.

"I would love to." You whisper back and his grin widens, if that's possible. He pumps his fist in the air and shouts with joy.

"She said yes!" He yells and the other people in the restaurant begin to cheer.

"Congrats on the engagement!" One of them says.

"Ah- we're not engaged, we're just-" Minhyuk cuts you off.

"Just roll with it." He says as the restaurant starts to bring out a complimentary dessert.

Wonho

Hoseok is leading you by the hand through crowded streets, a smile present on his face. He's been leading you for a while now, with no hint to where you two are going. He didn't say anything, except that it was a surprise. So you go along with it. You're excited for the surprise, but it seems as if you guys have been walking forever. Finally, he stops, turning to face you and holding your hands.

"Y/n, do you recognize this place?" He questions, his soft smile and hopeful eyes directed towards you. You look around.

"Hmm, the sidewalk between the gas station and the book store?" You guess, smiling back as he sighs softly.

"This," He looks down at his feet, but tilts his head. "No, wait, this." He says stepping to the left a bit. "This is the exact spot that I first saw you. Where you caught my eye." He tells you, nostalgia in his voice. Your heart flutters at the realization and you smile brightly. You didn't think he'd remember something like this.

"This exact spot is our beginning. The beginning of our friendship, that's somehow sprouted into something more. Although, I want to make a new beginning." He says, giving your hands a bit of a squeeze. He gazes into your eyes and you forget that you're standing thin the middle of a sidewalk, people weaving their way around you. "Y/n, will you be my girlfriend?" He asks, not breaking eye contact. He's confident of his words.

"Yes!" You say, wrapping your arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Next thing you know, his lips crash into yours. Not caring about the eyes on you from passerby's, you both bask in the moment.

Hyungwon

You had gone over to Hyungwon's house to watch a movie with him, however, you both fell asleep. That was to be expected, though. His couch is so comfy. You're wrapped up in his arms with your head laid on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. He's beneath you with his head leaned back over the arm of the couch. You feel his hand rubbing your back as you both started to slowly wake up.

"Y/n..." He says, voice sounding a bit groggy.

"Hm?" You respond, eyes still closed as he rubs circles in your lower back.

"I was wondering, if you'd be my girlfriend?" He asks, looking down at you. Your eyes pop open and you look at him.

"Your girlfriend?" You ask, surprised at the sudden question.

"Well, yeah. I mean we're already napping together and I really like you, so I want you to be my girlfriend." He explains, still looking a bit sleepy as he speaks. You smile softly at him, snuggling closer to him.

"I'd like that." You reply, pecking his lips as he smiles at you. His arms tighten around you as if he never wants to let go. When you try to get up, he doesn't let you.

"Hyungwon? I know you're really happy that we're dating, but I have to use the restroom." You admit to him. His eyes are closed again.

"Let's just lay like this for a while, I just wanna stay here forever." He tells you.

"But, I really have to go. We can't stay here forever." You say back, but it's too late. He's already asleep again.

Jooheon

You're walking with Jooheon in the mall, when all of a sudden, you're knocked down by someone passing by. You fall to your knees, but Jooheon helps you up.

"Are you okay, Y/n?" He asks. You nod and you're about to scold whoever bumped into you, but you're stopped in your tracks. The person just so happened to be your ex-boyfriend. His smirk was patronizing as he began to speak.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know they left trash out in the walkway." He says, looking down on you. You don't respond, just avoid eye contact. Although, Jooheon is quick to act in your favor.

"What the hell is your deal, man?" He snarls, a bit more bass laced into his voice.

"Just making sure she knows how worthless she is." He responds, sounding cocky. Jooheon pushes you behind him, standing between you two as they both square their shoulders.

"If you ever say anything like that to or about her again, I will destroy you." He threatens, gritting his teeth.

"Who even are you?" Your ex tests, taking a step closer. Jooheon wraps an arm around your shoulder, pulling you to his side.

"I'm her boyfriend. So, get the hell outta my face or I'll make you regret your life." Jooheon pushes past him, shoving him slightly with his shoulder. Your ex backs off, grumbling as he walks away and you look up at Jooheon, who still seems heated.

"Boyfriend?" You say, smiling slyly at him. His cheeks go red.

"Oh, uh- I was planning to- I wanted to ask sooner, but will you be my girlfriend?" He asks, looking hopeful. You smile brightly and poke his cheek where his dimple is.

"As long as you react like that every time a guy is rude to me." You joke and Jooheon gives you a little sqeeze.

"For you, I'd do that any time."

You are so Beautiful(Hyungwon-Monsta X)

WOOO!! FINALLY!!! MONSTA X!!!

Requested by: shiori

~You keep asking, you always want to check. I tell you the same things every day. I tell you but why do you keep asking? My lips are drying, cold sweat drips down. You know the answer but the words you wanna hear, the words you wanna hear, the words that test me~

You laid your chin on your palm and sighed as you watched the wind blow the trees outside, wanting to be out there instead of being stuck inside school. School was always awful, with the kids and their drama and the new gossip of the day, you hated it all. What made it even worse for you was that you felt yourself being judged by everyone every single day and your low self confidence didn't help at all.

"Hey, y/n." Hyungwon, your boyfriend, said before kissing your cheek and taking the empty seat beside you. 

You pouted and looked over at him, wondering how exactly you were ever able to get someone so handsome to be your boyfriend. "Oppa, do I look okay today?"

Hyungwon rolled his eyes and shook his head, "You always look perfect. Why do you ask me that everyday?"

"Because your opinion is important to me," you said as you looked away frustrated.

"Mianhae, I just wish you'd finally see yourself the way I see you. You look even more beautiful than when I last saw you. I don't know how you do it."

"Oppa, you're just saying that because I'm your girlfriend right?"

He sighed and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling, "No actually I wasn't. Y/n, please just don't ask me that again okay? I've already told you that you look beautiful today. Believe me okay?"

You didn't answer him and turned back to the window deciding it would be better to take your attention away from the subject. Hyungwon always got so frustrated at you whenever you asked him that but you were being honest when you told him that his opinion mattered. You felt that since he was so handsome that you needed to look your best everyday, that's why you always asked him what he thought. Although you knew that he'd never straight up tell you that you looked bad so you actually didn't know why you kept asking him, you knew you could probably ask someone else at the school but you weren't sure you'd get the honest truth. A lot of the girls at the school were very jealous of you since you were with Hyungwon and it made you extremely nervous.

~You’re so beautiful, you’re beautiful. Why don’t you believe me? I tell you and tell you but you still look mad. You’re quiet these days now I’m nervous. It’s the same quiz every day. The same game, I’m always it~

After class had ended you stayed in your seat while everyone walked around the room to talk to their friends or go to their lockers. Hyungwon got up and started talking with his friends before realizing that you had not moved. His eyebrows drew together when he saw you staring out the window with that same blank look on your face and no matter how many times someone called your name you ignored them.

"Looks like you've got some girl drama to work out," one of Hyungwon's friends teased as he patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you guys later." He said before walking back over to the desk and retaking his seat. "Y/n, everything okay?"

He got no response of course and was surprised when you didn't even bat an eye. Something was seriously wrong, that he knew, but he didn't know what exactly. He looked over you and wondered if there was something he should have noticed but didn't yet he couldn't see anything that looked any different from yesterday.

"Jagi, are you okay?" He laid his hand on your forehead and his forehead creased when you didn't feel like you were burning with a fever. "Seriously, what's going on?"

"Jagi~" He tried waving his hand in front of your face a few times yet still had the same result, nothing. He sighed and turned back towards his friends who were beckoning him over. "I'm gonna go over there with the guys."

He walked away from you and sat down with his friends, glancing over your way every now and then and noticing how not one person ever went to go see if you were okay. Hyungwon didn't know that you weren't friends with anyone though, he thought that everyone loved you because he honestly couldn't believe that anyone could hate you. 

"So, is y/n alright?" Jooheon, his closest friend there, asked him quietly as he looked over at your figure.

"I'm not sure, I tried figuring out what was wrong with her but she wouldn't talk to me."

"Hmm, maybe something's going on at home?"

"I don't know."

~Did you change your hair? Did you do your nails? I can’t figure it out. The words you wanna hear, the words you wanna hear, is there no hint? You’re so beautiful, you’re beautiful. Why don’t you believe me? I tell you and tell you but you still look mad~

Hyungwon, back in his seat beside you, decided not to bother you anymore and so for the next three classes while you sat in your seat he sat in his and neither of you spoke. When the class ended and you had to get your stuff together, you staying behind to clean up, you stood quickly and walked out of the room deciding to get some air while everyone left. So, sitting on the stairs outside of the building you watched as your boyfriend started his way home with his group of friends and you felt tears rise in your eyes.

You knew you didn't have a right to feel upset, it was your own fault really for pushing him away, but you couldn't help but feeling your heart break.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked suddenly from beside you making you swing around quickly and place your hand on your chest.

"Geez, Jooheon you scared the crap out of me."

He laughed and took a seat beside you on the steps, joining you in looking out over the kids going home. "So, are you going to tell me or make me guess?"

"Nothing's wrong," you said as you stood up and brushed your [A/n: okay this is taking place in korea and I have absolutely zero knowledge except from dramas about school life soo.. you're going to be wearing a uniform x'D Something I've never even worn x'D] skirt off and headed back inside. "See you tomorrow."

"Wait, I'll help you." He told you as he hurried after you.

You looked at him your eyebrows drawn together from confusion. "Why?"

"Because that's what friends do right? They help each other."

He said it so simply, as if it wasn't a huge deal, but you felt the tears rise in your eyes again. You didn't have any friends simply due to the fact that the hottest guy at school was going out with you. Jooheon looked over at you and started to panic when he saw tears falling from your eyes. 

"Uh- Ah- Did I say something wrong?"

You shook your head and laughed as you wiped under your eyes, "It was just a nice surprise when you called yourself my friend. I don't have any as you can see." You said as you gestured to the empty room. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I have no friends what so ever. Everyone hates me for dating Hyungwon and I can't tell you how many times I've been bullied and told to leave him alone."

"What?"

"Yeah," you said as you started to put the chairs up.

"Why haven't you told Hyungwon?"

"Because I don't want him to worry about me, I already worry him enough as it is. Besides maybe they're right, actually I know they are. I don't deserve him, but I don't want to let him go."

"Y/n!"

Your eyes widened and you turned around to see your boyfriend standing in the doorway with widened eyes. Crap, you thought to yourself as Jooheon excused himself and hurried out of the room.

~Just saying you’re beautiful is not enough for you. Baby, do I have to take my heart out for you to believe me? I really love you, I love you but why do you say that I’ve changed? You get mad, you get angry every day but even that is so lovable~

"Hyu-Hyungwon," you said dumbly. You were frozen, shocked from having him heard you and scared from how he would react.

He walked closer to you, his face blank from any emotion, and grabbed the chair that was in your hands setting in on the floor. He grabbed your hand and pulled you to his chest, wrapping his arm around your waist and holding you to him while he gently rubbed your head.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you. And I didn't want you to get mad," you trailed off too nervous to finish your sentence.

"Is that all?" He asked as he pulled back and leaned down to stare into your face.

You paused then nodded, deciding that it would be better not to tell him your worse fears. He must have noticed your hesitation because he sighed and then sat down, pulling your waist for you to sit on his leg making your eyes widen. You tried to get up but it was futile since he just tightened his grip around your waist. His head rested on your shoulder and you felt something wet touch your shoulder.

You quickly looked down at the top of Hyungwon's head and softly asked, "Hyungwon? Ar-Are you crying?"

"Why didn't you tell me? Do you know how awful I feel now? I got mad at you for asking me that every day when you were being told that you weren't perfect or beautiful. Gosh I'm so stupid. Y/n...jagi, I'm so sorry."

"Op-Oppa, don't cry. It's not your fault. Please don't cry," you said as you cupped his face in your hands and wiped underneath his eyes. "Mianhae, I should've talked to you but I was scared that you'd agree with them and leave me. It-It was just a stupid assumption I'm sor-"

"Don't be sorry, there's nothing for you to be sorry about. I just hate that you felt like you couldn't talk to me about this."

"It's not like that! It's not that I couldn't talk to you, it's just that I was scared. You're the only person I have in my life and I didn't want to loose you."

A sad smile crossed his face and he brought a hand up to your cheek, bringing your face down to his. "I love you."

You felt tears rise in your eyes yet again and let out a laugh before laying your forehead against his. "I love you, too."

~Even if you ask me a hundred, no, a thousand times there’s always one answer. Yesterday, today and tomorrow you can ask but you’re the prettiest in the world~

I LOVE YOU 💜💜

To any monbebe who saw Fantasia, I got two questions:

1) How are we holding up? 😂😂

2) Is it just me or did Changkyun get taller? 🤔

Lemme know what y’all think about that last one!!

Masterlist

Fanfics

Kim Taehyung (BTS) 

Drabble of you and Tae taking a stroll during a cold night 

Park Jimin (BTS)  

Drabble of you coming home to Jimin on his day off 

Jung Hoseok (BTS) Drabble of a snowy day with Hobi and the rest of the boys

Chae Hyungwon (Monsta X) Sleepy time with Hyungwon 

Yoo Kihyun imagine (Monsta X) Neighbor au with Kihyun 

Lee Minhyuk (Monsta X)  Vacation time with Monsta X and your safe place, Lee Minhyuk (mostly fluff, slight angst and mention of anxiety)

Im Changkyun imagine - requested (Monsta X) Chankyun is the remedy for insomnia

Im Changkyun- The Rap Battles (Monsta X) kinda angsty childhood friends scenario with IM  

Im Changkyun- Christmass Reunion (Monsta X) A college holiday reunion with Changkyun  

Hwang Hyunjin imagine (Stray Kids) Hyunjin attending one of your zoom classes 

Lee Felix imagine (Stray Kids) Felix’s love language is skinship

Wong Yukhei imagine (Way V) Explaining what love is like works better with actions 

Jung Wooyoung (Ateez) Busy/lazy day with Wooyoung at the company

Poetry 

Dreaming of you  My favourite colour  Sun and Earth  Drowning Old lovers

My ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/melita_dala

[18:30] It was not that often that I could have him with me at home that early in the afternoon. Practice would usually drag the hours away in a haze till sundown in most days, but as for today, Hyungwon was already home and in the shower, filling my pretty tiles with soap while obnoxiously singing his heart away. I really love how he never gets tired of the slight burning on his throat that singing causes.

He stumbled to our shared bedroom barefoot, his stripped pajamas hanging loosely on his tall frame and ruffled his locks with a hand towel. Droplets landed on the book page I was fixated to and I hastily moved away from him, causing him to erupt into a fit of delirious giggles. Oh dear, he was already sleeping with his eyes wide open. “Get yourself comfortable quick, you’ll catch a cold”. I tried to ease my way to the bathroom, but Won blocked my way with his all 182 centimeters giggling like a schoolgirl. “Wonnie I’ll brush my teeth and then we can go to sleep, I promise”.

Ten minutes later and he was already almost passed out on my side of the bed yet again. (He is a really firm supporter of the “the whole bed is for both of us, no sides” scheme, mainly because sometimes he is too sleepy to drag himself around his.) I hoofed trying to suppress a laugh and started digging through a cocoon of blankets, duvets and pillows in search of some precious body warmth. I found him laying on his back, so I laid on his chest and his hands immediately found their way around me, even in his sleep. I rolled my eyes at particularly no one and thought to myself how we both managed to have some hours for quality time alone and we decided to sleep earlier than doing anything else. How is our life gonna be at our eighties I wonder.  

Monsta X Moodboard

(Broke)College Student!Sugar Baby!Changkyun X Rich CEO!Sugar Daddy!Hyungwon

~~~~~~~~~~

No information at this moment

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you guys like it!

But not as perfect as you

Hyungwon x reader fluff

Warnings: none jsut a few curse words

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 800

Summary: A cook-off with Kihyun doesn't go as expected, since he decided to sabotage you. However, he doesn't admit it and your judges, Wonho and Hyungwon don't seem to believe you. But you're Hyungwon's weakness, so of course he believes you.

A/N: Kihyun is a bitchass but we still love him, also Happy bday Wonniee

~~~~~~~

“Oh, it’s on, Yoo Kihyun”

“I’m ready to beat your ass” He exclaimed back and Wonho huffed.

“Hyungwon and I will wait in the living room, but please be quick I’m too hungry” He said and walked out leaving me and Kihyun behind, in the kitchen.

Soon, both Kihyun and I started pulling out whatever we needed in order to cook ramen. And now you’re probably wondering what the hell is going on. Well, Kihyun and I somehow ended up arguing about who’s the better cook and Wonho being Wonho, he suggested we made ramen.

I was so confident in myself that I immediately agreed and Kihyun did too. So there we were, in the kitchen making ramen for Hyungwon and Wonho, the only ones at home and our judges for today’s dishes.

I could hear Wonho whining and getting up from the couch, just as I was about to finish my dish and Kihyun did a few seconds after me.

“Oh? Food’s ready? Hyungwon-ah, let’s eat” He spoke and Hyungwon turned off the tv and sat next to, already seated, Wonho.

First, they tried Kihyun’s dish and the both of them, with impressed expressions on their faces, gave him 7.5 and 8, with Wonho being slightly picky about his ramen.

Then Hyungwon quickly dug in my dish to get this competition over with, but as soon as he tasted it he immediately spit in out on the paper. I could hear Kihyun snicker next to me and Hyungwon’s wide eyes met mine.

He apologized for spitting it and quickly chug down the glass of water that was placed in front of him.

Completely confused, both Wonho and I reached over and tasted some, but we both copied Hyungwon and spit it out.

“I don’t understand” I let out quietly, a pout forming on my face.

Soon, my eyes widened.

“Yoo!” (HA!)

“Me?”

“You sabotaged me! That’s why you pretended to trip! You poured too much salt”

“I never did that” he said but the cheeky smile on his face betrayed him.

“I know you did this”

“You have no proof”

“Honestly, fuck off” I yelled and stormed out of the room, Kihyun chuckling.

All of them expected me to come back in less than a minute, but many minutes passed and I hadn’t come back. Wonho was too busy eating to notice anything, Kihyun was proudly looking at Wonho devouring his plate. Hyungwon got up and started searching for me.

He found me in his room, sitting on his bed with my earphones on. I momentarily looked at him, but soon averted my gaze to my feet.

After listening to the whole song, I took out my earphones, my eyes not looking away from my feet, as Hyungwon sat on the bed and moved my legs on top of his thighs. He placed his palm on my leg, right below my knee and started softly rubbing it.

“Are you really feeling sad?” He carefully let out and I softly nodded.

He sighed, after having me not look his way, so he lifted my chin with his other hand, making our eyes meet.

“I believe you. I’m sure that Kihyun sabotaged you. You’ve made ramen for me more than once and it was always delicious. If Kihyun hadn’t done that, for me, at least, your dish would be perfect. But not as perfect as you” He said and I softly smiled.

I moved until I was sitting on his lap, my arms coming to wrap around his shoulders and my face burying in his neck.

We sat like that for god knows how long and when we pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine, his nose nuzzling with mine.

He heard my breath hitch, when his hand moved above my knee and he softly smiled and tilted his head.

We moved closer until our lips met and slowly moved against each other’s. I could taste some salt, because of my horrible dish, but that didn’t make the kiss less enjoyable. The feeling of hyungwon’s full lips move against mine made my heart beat faster, already addicted to his taste.

His tongue softly parted my lips and met mine, as they danced together for a few seconds, before we had to pull away for air.

We caught our breaths, as he gave me one more peck and my arms dropped from his shoulders, his hands cupping mine in between his big ones.

He gave me a cute smile seeing our hands like that and pecked my lips once more, before we both got up and moved to the living room, after a silent agreement to not tell the boys yet, as if they didn’t know exactly what was going on, their knowing smirk betraying them and our shy smiles betraying us.

Monsta X as project partners

Shownu, as we remember from No Mercy, in his collab with Kihyun, couldn’t work well with someone he didn’t know well. So, he ended up sabotaging Kihyun by making the dance difficult for him and Kihyun chose a difficult song for him and sabotaged him. Eventually both ended up sabotaging themselves for no reason. However, for a school project, since it isn’t a competition and both people benefit from it equally, I feel like both of them would make their project this way that each person’s best abilities are highlighted and they would actually be great partners for a project.

Wonho is the type of person that does a decent amount of work for the project but he is very likely to accidentally mess up a little, but not that bad. He would be very sweet but he wouldn’t be able to focus much on the project and would prefer to tell you random stuff and laugh with something random instead of working. He is a bit lazy but he would feel bad if he felt like he wasn’t helping you enough.

Minhyuk just wants this to be over with. He would sit down immediately, demand they finish it in one day and maybe just do some details the next day. The sooner the better. Comes off as workaholic but he actually isn’t. He is just too bored to have to worry about this for more than two days. Probably would try to convince you to work on the project on a Saturday morning till late at night. Or would just split the parts and tell you to have your part ready by Sunday night, while he’d get his part done the same day and be over with it.

Hyungwon knows how to cooperate. If you are willing to split up the work equally, then he will do a great work with you. He would hate if he had to work with someone who doesn’t care about the project and would probably beg the teacher to change his partner or would try to tell them that he had to do the project alone.

If Jooheon and you are friends then he can do a very good project with you and wouldn’t mind if you messed up your words during presentation. He’d also offer to do the whole presentation alone if you were too shy. If the teacher said that the both of you had to present, then he would help you and urge you to continue if you messed up. If you two weren’t close, then…you would be by the end of the project. Jooheon focuses on the process and not the result. If you try hard, no matter what the result is he will still congratulate you.

Changkyun isn't so cooperative. He focuses too much on the result. He is maybe the opposite of Jooheon here. If you try too hard and still not get the grade he thinks he deserves then he will be a pain in the ass to you for the rest of the school year. If he doesn’t care about the class, then he won’t be of any help and you will have to do all the work alone or you’d fail. You’d probably argue a lot if you two weren’t close. If you were friends he would be a little more understanding.

Shin Hoseok / Wonho of Monsta X Lockscreens 

Cute Wonho VS Sexy Wonho. 

Like or reblog if you are saving/using, please ! 

If you like, you can send me any requests ! 

Have a good days, sweeties. 

HYUNGWON ✩ FRED ✕ MARIE CLAIRE BEHIND

GOD DAMN HYUNGWON MY FUCKING HEART!

MONSTA X 몬스타엑스 ‘Love Killa’ Teaser

OTHER

KEY:

Main masterlist

Get to know me / request rules

Kpop take you to prom

Hard hours

Other fun shit

Kinktober 2024

--------------------------------------------------------