Seungkwan could tell that Hansol had imagined his riding lessons differently. And had they tried to ride regular horses, they would have probably been sitting on an animal already. But since unicorns didn’t bend to mortal will as easily, he first had to teach the impatient boy how to attract the gorgeous equines.

Outside of Pledis School for the magical and mundane, Seungkwan serenaded. His powerful voice carried across the field and made the white shimmering, horned animals pay attention to him. He found that love songs worked best, but only for him personally. He couldn’t imagine Hansol opting for anything of the sort.

Finishing with a note so high it made his own skull vibrate, Seungkwan ended his demonstration.

Hansol was staring at him. Or possible staring at nothing, having spaced out a while ago. Seungkwan flicked the boy’s forehead with his middle finger.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

Triumphantly, Seungkwan grinned. “You are supposed to pay attention. I’m doing this only to help you.”

“Oh please, we both know we’re only in it for the credits. As if I really wanted to ride one of those glitter ponies. That’s your domain, Mister show-off.”

“Sounds like you’re jealous of my natural ability. As usual.”

“Ha! What ability? Acting like the biggest possible drama queen all the time? As if I had wanted you as my tutor. We’re in the same year, it doesn’t even make any sense.”

“Yet again this goes to show how much further advanced I am, my little student.”

The unicorn looked upon the bickering boys with complete lack of interest. In the open space north east of the school, the duo got more and more heated. This wasn’t unusual, but in most cases there was either another person around who could mediate – mostly one of the dorm’s elders – or they had the option to walk away.

Even Seungkwan had to admit it was strange to tutor his year mate, but he did indeed get a lot of credits for it. And of course, he considered himself a great unicorn rider, so perhaps the choice hadn’t been so far-fetched. If only this stubborn fool were willing to learn.

“You know what, almighty Hansol? If you’re so great at everything, why don’t you go ahead and show me how to tame a unicorn. Huh?”

“Uh…”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Fine, it’s on. Watch and be impressed.”

Seungkwan demonstratively covered his ears to signal how little he thought of the other boy’s singing abilities. Hansol cawed a few noises that could have been a melody if interpreted liberally by a deaf person. He stopped the song before his voice ventured into wounded animal territory.

“Stop laughing. Kwan, I’m warning you.”

“Oh, come on. You sound like your throat is trying to hurt you on purpose. It’s hilarious.”

“That’s unfair. Not everyone has your talent.”

“Oh, so finally you admit my immeasurable talent. But may I remind you that neither of us are wizards. It’s all hard work and dedication. If you were willing to put in any effort you could-“

“Are you calling me lazy?”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever not seen you sleeping.”

Hansol stepped closer, staring right into Seungkwan’s eyes from a handspan away. His voice was low. “Okay, I’ve been holding back because I kind of needed some extracurricular thingy. But I’ll tell you what I think of you and your so called talent. You’re a fu-“

The music was unexpected and it took Seungkwan a moment to figure out why it was so familiar. He heard his own voice. It was a song he had recorded. And it came from Hansol’s pants.

Blushing to a bright crimson, the boy with the singing legwear pulled his phone out as if his life depended on it and silenced the device. “That! That was just… uh… the alarm to remind me of that lesson. This lesson. The one we’re having right now. I don’t normally have this as my ringtone. This was a onetime occurrence. One time only.”

“Right.”

Eager to change the subject Hansol took a step back and let his eyes wander over the herd of magical animals. “Does it have to be singing? I can try to rap.”

Taken by surprise at the suggestion, the tutor pondered the possibility in earnest. “I never tried. It doesn’t seem fitting for beings so pure and ancient, but the unicorns themselves probably don’t know that.”

The rapper popped his collar and changed his legs into a wider stance, waving his hands at the grazing four-legged company. “Yo, listen up sparkly ponies, ha. I’m Hansol and I’m here to ride you. Yeah. I’m all swag and I’m all chill, unlike Seungkwan who is neither.”

“Hey!”

“What?”

“I’m very swaggy and very chill.”

“With all due respect, my great teacher, you are the least chill person I’ve ever met.”

“I wish I got to grade you for these sessions. I would fail you so hard even your parents and grandparents would be retroactively expelled from their schools.”

Another song interrupted them. The phone – using Seungkwan’s recorded voice again – blared across the school gardens.

Catching the other boy’s panicked eyes, Seungkwan grinned. “Just this one alarm, huh?”

Frantically fumbling, Hansol got the device to shut up. “I’ll put it into silent mode now. Okay, done.”

“I’m not having any more of this. I’ll keep it save for you till the end of the lesson so you can focus.”

“No, its fine I’ve-“

“Give it to me.”

Grappling and evasive maneuvers had the duo spin in circles before they both stumbled a few steps, coming to a halt with their hand’s at each other’s collars. The minor skirmish ended with Seungkwan getting a hold of the phone, pressing on an app icon by accident. He looked down and froze.

“Hansol, why are there so many pictures of me in your gallery?”

“Uh, that must be a prank. Yeah, I was rooming with Minghao, he’s such a prankster, you know.”

“You were rooming with Chan for at least the last week.”

“No I mean, uh… Aren’t you supposed to teach me stuff? Can we go on with the lecture now?”

Sighing deeply, Seungkwan pocketed the confiscated phone and returned his attention to the task at hand. He struck up a ballade that got every last unicorn to stop chewing grass and listen intently.

As the animals closed in, their features became more visible. The horn, shimmering like mother of pearl. The deep, dark eyes, staring into the soul of the observer. The silky smooth, blindingly white hide. The supernatural grace in their motion.

Seungkwan thought of them as equine versions of himself. He didn’t say so out loud as the other boy would surely have disagreed just to spite him.

Careful not to startle the gentle beasts, the students closed in on the nearest unicorns and their iridescent manes. The presence of the pure creature quenched the animosity between them. Huge, melancholic eyes reflected the boy’s faces in them.

“Can I..?”

“Sure,” Seungkwan said quietly. “Try to sit up. Just be really careful. It will sense your intent and bend down.”

It was a moment of tranquility. A moment of joint solitude. Of childlike wonder, even.

Perfect for a massive explosion.

Something magical happened, and at Pledis school that was never a good thing. Especially for two boys who weren’t wizards and couldn’t whisk themselves away as a shockwave enveloped them from multiple angles.

Two boys who had no idea what was going on stumbled over trembling ground.

Space itself seemed to burst asunder, the earth under their feet stretching and contorting. They lost their balance. Holding onto the nearest thing in reach, Hansol and Seungkwan fell into each other’s arms.

When the awful tearing of reality came to a finish, the school grounds had been altered in strange ways. Seungkwan tried to orientate himself, looking for landmarks he was familiar with. It all looked similar to the fields he was used to, but the arrangement was different. An entire new building had grown, extending from the school the boys were used to.

Both of them let go at the same time, non-verbally agreeing to ignore the accidental hug.

There was smoke coming from the roof of the latest addition to the campus, but the riding tutor had more immediate worries.

“The unicorns are panicking. Help me, Hansol.”

“What can I do?”

“Run around.”

“What?”

Seungkwan sighed at the incompetence the other boy displayed. “I have to calm them down with a lullaby, but somebody – and I mean you – has to herd them.”

“Like a shepherd dog?”

“Exactly. Run, doggy, run.”

“I’m not your personal shep-“

“Just help me save the blessing.”

“The what now?”

“A group of unicorns is called a blessing, you uncultured banana.”

“Alright, alright.”

With Hansol circling the dispersed equines, Seungkwan launched into a heartfelt, melancholic good night song that would have calmed the wildest of animals. At least he knew himself in control again. Even if strange things happened, Seungkwan could rely on his ability to masterfully evade every one of life’s curveballs.

Behind him, the walls begun to ooze ectoplasm.

[Verkwan have such an odd dynamic. I hope I can do them justice. Next time we’ll see what else Hansol has in his pants. Wait… I’m talking about the pockets. And yes, a group of unicorns is actually called a blessing.]