"Princess~"

Seungho groaned once that annoying teasing high pitched voice stabbed his ears, knowing perfectly what was coming. He put his white earphone on and continued with his work, picking red apples from the trees until his job was halted by a weight on his back.

"Plucking apple, princess?" Mir sang-song by Seungho's ears with a cheeky smile before he jumped off of his friend lightly onto the land before Seungho had chance to drop him harshly. He was always one step ahead. That was probably one of the reason why he was enjoying teasing the uptight Seungho.

Seungho rolled his eyes before he realized that his back where Mir was clinging on just now was wet and cold. He his heels to face Mir who just looked up at him with innocent smile, biting into one of the red apple. "Why are you drenched? It's not even raining?"

"It's not. I'm from the river. Studying."

"...right."

Mir chuckled and took out a small planner. It was a new planner Mir had bought since he already gave his complete planner to Seungho in order to help the older learning more about this kind of job. He leafed through the planner until he found the page he was searching of. "Got new job. It's water ghost this time. Whoo~" Mir made a spooky look just to be more dramatic. Well, it was funnier...

Seungho just hummed uninterestingly. For this three months he had followed Mir back to Mir's hometown on an ambition to work of hunting demon, all that he had been doing was exactly what he was doing right now. Plucking apple! For freaking three months!

Mr Bang, Mir's father still didn't trust him with work and told him to work on the farm for at least five months. And though he was about to declare he was out of here since the first month, he kind of get used to work and actually quite like the idea of living here. In the farm at the village.

"Aww... Don't get all gloomy like that." Seungho turned slightly to give Mir a look which the boy replied with a cheeky smile. Here come his smartmouth remark. "Oh I forgot. That's your normal happy face." He said it.

Seungho elbowed the boy's ribs and walked ahead to store the harvest for today when Mir sneezed loudly from behind. Seungho put down the basket and dragged Mir out of the farm into the house just next to the farm.Wordlessly, he took a clean towel from the bathroom and dried Mir's hair. When the towel was draped on Mir's shoulder, Seungho narrowed his eyes at the boy to stop him from any other cheeky words and the boy make a zipping gesture on his mouth.

Seungho was about to step out of the house to pick back the abandoned basket of the apples when Mir's loud voice once again annoyed him to no end. "Appa! Princess is worried about me. He dried my hair for me. Isn't that so sweet..."

"Yah! You!" And Mir got chased around the house for the rest of the evening.

 

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Mir sneezed again and rubbed his reddened nose. Now he was kind of certain he looked like rudolf the reindeer. Another sneeze. Damn it! He hated cold.

"You didn't tell me." Seungho complained while glaring daggers to Mir who just smirked in response.

"What? I thought this is what you want. Hunting demon."

"Yes... But I thought I still need to pluck apple for another two months."

Mir nodded. "After two months, you can do it alone. Maybe. For now, you'll have to be my assistant. Cool, right?" Mir chuckled when Seungho just scowled at him. "Don't worry princess, this time it'll be great. We got work in five stars hotel!" Mir revealed and smacked on Seungho's back harshly.

Seungho scrunched up his nose in pain and evaded Mir's strong hit. This boy was really... "What hotel?"

"Changwon Hotel." 

Seungho blinked as he watched Mir getting off the bus they were riding on. He followed shortly after and watched around. Hmm... Where had he seen this hotel before?

 

■■■■■

 

Mir scoffed with a smirk. Of course these idiots were here too. He should have known by the email he got. The username was still 'Pigeon'. The exactly same username GO had used to send him email about bloody mary in their school.

"Tell me the job wasn't just a lie to get me here."

Mir chuckled quietly behind his closed fist as he watched how Seungho was groaning and introducing his face into his palm when GO, Joon and Sanghyun came to welcome him to the hotel. Apparently, this luxurious hotel was GO's father's. He didn't know that kid was a chaebol.

Leaving Seungho to catch up with his three friends, well, more like to beat them up for tricking him all the way from Jansung to here, Mir took a stroll around the area. That email from GO could be just a joke like Seungho had claimed. But, it was better to take precaution.

Sneeze.

Ugh! This cold is making Mir slightly unfocused. Maybe he should have some hot coffee before starting to patrol in these area. Yup... Hot coffee would be great.

As if reading his mind, there was Sanghyun holding up a steaming paper cup of coffee towards Mir just as Mir turned around. Mir rose his brows with a smile as he pointed to himself. Sanghyun just nodded.

"Thanks." Mir took the coffee and felt how it soothed his sore throat a bit. He sneezed again. "The email. Is it just as princess said?"

Sanghyun tilted his head slightly. His sleepy eyes shone with curiosity. "Princess?" He asked and looked back to Seungho who was by now ignoring Joon who was clinging on him and later got in fight with GO before Sanghyun looked back to Mir. Both boys shared michievious smile. "I can't believe he still allow you to call him that."

Mir shrugged. "Got used to it." He said and sipped on the remaining coffee before crumpling it and threw it back. It dropped right into the trash can two feet behind him. "Strike!" He whispered. "Perfect."

"That email." Sanghyun started again after finishing his two minutes of gawking at Mir's skill and blinking like an idiot. He cleared his throat. "GO's father is the one asking to send it."

Mir cocked one brows. Huh... So it's true after all... Without asking for more explanation, since they were all already included in the email, Mir walked towards the pool, hands in pocket. He strided along the side of the pool while watching into the dark water.

Sensing Sanghyun was still trailing after him, Mir decided to ask. "Aren't there any light?"

"They blew up two weeks ago." Sanghyun easily answered and sat on the chair by the pool side, watching Mir took a round around the large pool.

"And still not on to replacing them?"

"That's the reason for the email actually." Sanghyun said but stopped himself when he saw the other three were coming their way. GO and Joon both sat on the same chair while Seungho walked straight ahead enclosing to the pool.

"The technicians drowned." GO continued where Sanghyun had left.

Mir gave a glance to Seungho who walked around the pool like him on the opposite direction, his sharp dark eyes fixed into the black water. "Technicians?" Mir echoed in form of question.

"Four of them. All drowned. At different time and different day." GO explained and crossed his arm thoughtfully. "The last one was alive and had been rambling about ghost pulling him down into the pool. So-"

"So I tell GO's father about you!" Joon exclaimed with proud smile while raising his hand, making Mir chuckled yet the others scowling at the boy.

When Seungho finally reached Mir's side after completing his survey on the pool, he shook his head when Mir shot him a look. So, even Seungho didn't detect anything strange about this pool. A mysterious smile crept on Mir's face as he looked towards Seungho, unblinking.

"Ugh! I hate that look of yours! What is it this time?" Seungho grumbled, knowing for a fact that whenever Mir smiled like that, meant that it was going to end bad for him while Mir would leisurely watch from the side.

Mir cackled slightly and slung his arm around Seungho's shoulder. "Put your hand in." He said casually with his characteristic sweet smile. Though his tone didn't suggest he was ordering, yet he really was and he knew perfectly Seungho knew that.

"WHAT?!" Shouted the other three on the bench shouted as they ran towards Mir and Seungho.

"Ya! That's not fair!" Joon complained, pulling Seungho off of Mir, looking unpleasant with the idea of his friend once again became Mir's bait for the demon.

"Then? You want me to do it?" Mir tested. The other three nodded synchronizedly, except Seungho who was watching Mir's game with narrowed eyes. Well, Mir was really great at manipulating other people. Mir shrugged. "I'm fine with that, but if I got pulled down and die, no one else can help you with this. Well, no one that you know of." Mir stated casually and crouched down to put his hand in when another hand grabbed his wrist. Boo! Dejavu. Mir held his laughter in and put on a straight face yet his lips still cornered up a slightly. Just slightly. He was enjoying this too much. This Seungho was so predictable that it's almost too cute to bear.

"I'll do it."

Once Seungho put his hand in, Mir stood up and stepped back, seeming a little bit skipping on his step until he was standing on the bench and gradually was actually balancing himself on the big umbrella that used to shade the benches. Amazing to say the least. He put his hand over his forehead as he scrutinized his eyes while inspecting the whole range of the pool.

"Okay, princess, you can take your hand out of the pool now." Mir said, jumping down from the height and landed lightly on the ground. "Princess!" Mir scolded when he was ignored by Seungho. Within seconds, he was already by Seungho's side, pulling the other back by collar just in time. Mir shook his head at the confused look on Seungho's face. "Amateur." He commented mockingly while turning to the other three who were looking at him and Seungho with wide eyes.

"What was that just now?" Joon was the first to ask.

That familiar smirk once again adorned Mir's face. He had known this. Joon was more sensitive than his other friends. Joon could see...

"That, my friend... Is the water demon." He said.

"I-" Seungho spoke from his position which was half lying on the floor while looking at his own wet hand. "I can't hear you just now." He finished his sentence.

Mir pulled on Seungho's arm so the boy would stand again. "Not blaming you. I was just like you when I first encounter this kind of demon. They have that ability to slow us down and dull our senses just like when we are in the water. Slow and senseless. However wrong does that sound. But, that's what make it fun."

"Fun?" GO echoed in disbelief. "Sometimes, I feel like you're a psychopath." GO mumbled, looking suspiciously on Mir who laughed sadistically, yet jokingly.

"So... What are we going to do this time? Another black fire?" Joon asked naively.

Mir's laugh stopped abruptly, his smile faltered, his face turned straight. "Are you stupid? Fire in water?" His demeanor seemed changing with sharp turn.

Joon frowned and stepped back until he was standing next to GO. "I have told you before! He is really... Up here." Joon gestured on his own head, freaking out a bit.

Mir just hid his smile. It was always fun teasing these boys though he himself sometimes doubted his own sanity. Battling demon? Pfft~ Which kind of sane person would do this? Mir blinked and glanced at Seungho before he snickered. Of course... Seungho would.

A hand clasping on his shoulder get Mir back into the present. Sanghyun was looking at him with knowing look. "You're not scaring me by acting crazy."

"Aww... Really?" Mir cooed in response. "They buy it though." Mir in fake innocence while pointing towards the two whispering boys before they pouted when they heard Mir.

"Well then. What are we waiting for?" Seungho asked impatiently.

"Impatient as always." Mir commented under his breath and exhaled a shortly after. "Why don't you show me what you got this time?" Mir's sudden request, took Seungho off his guard a bit. Mir turned and walked to the benches. Sitting there like a boss. He tilted his chin slightly. "Go on." And the sneaky smile Seungho hated so much by now was once again flashed in his direction.

 

■■■■■

 

Mir chuckled to himself when he saw how Seungho was freaking out a bit and nervously flipped through the journal he had given to Seungho. The other wasn't being obvious but Mir was sharp enough to not miss the pulsating nervousness from Seungho. "Come on. Chop! Chop! It's better to finish fast!" Mir shouted slightly from his seat.

"I know. I know." Seungho answered and took off his sling bag.

Mir did the same, taking off his own sling bag and scour through his bag. Once the other three sat next to him, he took out apples and tossed each of them one. Smiling, he continued, "Let's enjoy the show."

"You always have apple with you." GO mumbled, taking a bite.

"Wow! It's really good!" Joon exclaimed with bright wide eyes once he ate the apple, nodding to himself in approval.

"I make it a must for me to bring apples anyway." Mir said, making sure his eyes never loss focus on Seungho who was by now putting up four lit up candle and let them float on the pool.

Sanghyun rose his brow at Mir. "Why?"

"Apple can protect you from demon?"

At Joon's ridiculous remark, Mir almost spew up the apple in his mouth. He laughed slightly. "I never could have expected that kind of idea from you." He commented. "Ani. I just eat apple to look like a badass jerk."

This time, it was the others' turn almost spewing out their own apple. Well, except Sanghyun who eyed the apple, then Mir, then back to the apple in his hand before he slowly leaned back. Right leg on his left. Biting into the red apple with so much attitude. "I like badass." He muttered with a grin.

"So much feel, bro!" Mir playfully raised his fist and Sanghyun freely responded by hitting his own fist with Mir.

A light on the dark opened sky somehow gained back Mir's attention. Leaning to his front slightly, Mir shouted again. "Finish yet?"

"I'm trying!" Seungho shouted back.

Mir looked up again into the sky. Thunderclap echoed. This is not good. Worried, Mir stood up from his seat and stroded towards Seungho. He grabbed the other on his shoulder. He knew Seungho had a bit difficulty to read the enchantment. No one could do it just easily. It was even much harder than tongue twister. It took lots of practice. "Let me do it."

"No. I can handle this." Seungho was acting too stubborn.

"Either you finish it now or I do it or just do this tomorrow." Mir said sternly.

"What's wrong with you? Just now you told me to-" Seungho couldn't finish when he felt something wet and cold dropped onto the skin of his cheek. Rain?

Mir hissed. Too late! "Damn it!" He turned to the other three and pushed Seungho ahead. "Get back into the building!"

Seeing the glint in Mir's orbs, the other three scurried into the building easily since they were sitting close to the door but Seungho and Mir had to ran a bit faster. Or maybe it still wasn't enough. The rain was falling heavily to their dismay. Water are everywhere in their steps now. The demon could reach them easily. And easy it was.

"Ugh! I hate water ghost!" Mir grunted when he couldn't move his legs. He looked down and saw long, long hair floating in the shallow water and was wrapped around his ankle in death grip. He saw Seungho was having the same problem.

Mir started chanting but then again, this demon might be one smart demon after all. It knew which of Seungho and Mir who was stronger and it chosed Mir. Mir felt the tug before he was drag along the wet floor, nearing the pool.

"Princess! I'm counting on you! No pressure though except if you fail, we're dead." Mir managed before he was pulled towards the pool and under, leaving only bubbles floating up to surface.

Left alone and couldn't move his leg, Seungho gawked for two seconds more. That kid was serious? Shaking his head, he started chanting and cursed when he got few words wrong.

"Seungho! Mir!" The shouts from inside the building didn't really help him to focus.

Gritting his teeth, closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, imagining the enchantment that Mir had taught him for the whole night. He could do this. Crouching down, he pushed his palm against the wet long hair that was locking his ankle and chanted while imagining each and one of Mir's words in his head.

Opening his eyes, light came out of nowhere. Red and black light from the depth of the pool, turning the water into truly black water. A high frequency of screaming voice stabbed his ears and he felt the grip around his ankles loosened and eventually disappear.

Over. Finally. Wait... "MIR!" Seungho shouted and ran through the rain towards the pool. He couldn't see. It was too dark!

"Seungho!" Sensing the demon had been sent back to the other world, the three boys ran out to Seungho's side.

Sanghyun scouted the water. "Is he in there?" He asked anxiously while eyes darting wildly in case he could find any trace of Mir.

"Oh my god! We need to save him!" Joon exclaimed.

"Let's jump in and look for him." GO suggested, already in position.

"But, what if the demon is still there?"

"Yah, Joon! Didn't you see how Seungho already take care of that thing? Let's jump in for Mir!" Sanghyun scolded, also getting into position.

"Be my guest." Came that familiar voice from behind four of them and... Splash! All four of them fall face first into the pool.

They looked up only to see Mir laughing while pointing at them. Pretty much alive and still insane which is normal for Mir.

"Yah! We're trying to save you and this is how you repay us?" Joon screeched, almost sounded like a beast.

Mir reduced to small chuckle and ruffled his wet hair. "Isn't you the one who won't jump in because of the demon?" Mir simply questioned and smirk when Joon just puffed his cheeks since he couldn't cross Mir's remark.

Mir sneezed again. "I hate cold." He mumbled and started to walk away, leaving the four to get out of the pool by themselves. "But, it still is perfect."