Seungkwan turned his unicorn around and waited until Hansol had managed to do the same before falling into a quick trot. “Do you think trees would slow them down?”

The rapper looked back at the bunch of approaching nightmarish phantoms. Their pale faces with distorted, fluctuating features were turned various directions as they moved, but nonetheless it always felt as if the empty eye sockets were staring directly at the boys.

“No idea. Why?”

“We can’t fight them, we have to get help.”

“Agreed.”

“So I was going to suggest to ride around the school to the front entrance. It’s the shortest way to the headmaster’s office. But if we take the longer way we can go through the little park at the north side and-“

Hansol wasn’t in the mood for elaborate plans. The ghosts had caught up to less than a hundred meters. “Your call. Sugarplum is just following you anyway.”

“Fine, we’ll try the park.”

The school ground included enough area to have a few facilities dedicated solely to relaxation. One of them was a park-like expanse, containing enough short trees to make the advance of an amalgamation of ectoplasmic specters difficult. Or so the boys hoped.

Racing through the small, sparse forest Seungkwan wracked his brain to remember anything he could about ghosts. He hadn’t been particularly attentive during those lessons seeing as he wielded no wand and could thus only profit from theoretical knowledge.

Keeping his eyes fixed on the low hanging branches he avoided skillfully, the boy communicated what little he knew.

“Listen Hansol, I think you’re not supposed to look them in the eyes. Like, the holes were the eyes should be. Unless you’ve stared death in the eye before. I’m not sure if that means the literal grim reaper or it’s a metaphor or… Wait, no. You’re supposed to make eye contact unless you’ve seen death. No, I think, that’s what makes it more dangerous. Or, no, wait. Ugh. Do you remember this more clearly by any chance?”

There was no response. Sugarplum’s legs hit the ground right behind him. Seungkwan dared to look.

Hansol was gone. Where?

There he was - sprawling on the grassy ground far behind. He must have hit a branch and lost consciousness. The ghosts were not slowed down by the trees, passing through the wood unhindered. It was too late to save him.

Cold shudders ran down Seungkwan’s spine as he waited on his unicorns back, unable to think of a way to save his friend. Hansol woke up just in time to see the soul specters encircle him. He screamed, but the icy magic of his attackers muffled the sound.

“No,” whispered Seungkwan. “Please, no.”

Twinkle neighed, rising on its hind legs. The horn shimmered, extending into a magic bubble in all the colors of the spectrum. A warm feeling took a hold of Seungkwan’s stomach and spread into his limbs. The bubble grew, soon enveloping him and the entire animal. He found himself surrounded by sparkles and a vibration in the air. He heard voices. Angelic voices.

It was the herd singing for him. They were chanting his own song – back at him.

Wings exploded from the equine’s flanks, flapping elegantly.

Through his fear, Seungkwan jumped to action.

Twinkle barely needed him to command it. The unicorn-turned-pegasus bent its four knees slightly and launched into the air. Soaring above the tree tops, the boy and his animal dashed towards the attacking ghost hoard, the blessing’s harmonies still accompanying him in his mind.

A blast burst forth from the horn of the descending creature. A hundred ghosts scattered under the assault of pure, melodious magic.

Seungkwan landed inches away from the shivering boy, extending his hand as soon as he hit the first ground. “Care for a ride?”

“How…”

Hansol slowly rose to a weak kneed stand. He held onto his rescuer’s hand for a moment – gathering strength. With the help of the rider, the boy made it onto the pegasu’s back, holding tightly onto the pilot.

Undeterred by the arms around his chest and the head on his left shoulder, Seungkwan took to the air again. A suppressed yelp came from his passenger, but before long Hansol admired the view.

“Woah. How are you doing this?”

“No idea. I didn’t know this was possible. Maybe Twinkle if a very special unicorn. Let’s try something.”

He laid his hands on the winged creature’s neck and whispered in its ear, unsure if he would be understood. Again, the horn was ablaze with a mystical flame, but growing this time and turning sharper.

The boys flew higher and higher until they could see the entire school campus under them. “Hansol?”

“Yeah?”

“Hold on really tight.”

“Why?”

“Because this!”

Two screams cut through the air. One of delight, one of terror.

Descending at ungodly speed, the winged unicorn charged its now spear-like horn with unnatural light. The choir of the herd far away - sounding close no matter where – turned the endless song into a crescendo.

Swooping into the midst of the ghosts, the majestic beast tore through their ranks. Anyone who wasn’t sliced in half was burned by the flames shooting from the brightly shining horn. The stench of scorched ectoplasm filled the forest air before powerful wings wiped it away.

Dropping softly to the ground, Twinkle came to a halt and gently folded its wings to the flanks. The other unicorns broke the sing-song circle and joined them in the park were they began to graze right away as if nothing had happened.

“Okay,” Hansol said after a second of silence, “that was awesome.”

“An understatement.”

“I…”

“Yes?”

Seungkwan turned his head. The breathless boy behind him was avoiding meeting his gaze. After the quietness had long turned awkward, Hansol said “It’s nothing. Just… Thanks. For saving me, obviously.”

It felt like there should have been more, but Seungkwan didn’t press the subject. Even he was glad to finally get off the equine’s back.

Climbing down – half falling – the boys sighed at the feeling of firm and save ground under their feet. They began the short journey home.

“You know,” Hansol began “I think I have an idea what happened there.”

“You do?”

“I think you might be an empath. The sparkle-ponies felt your feeling and vice versa. It makes the most sense, even though…”

“Yes?”

“Even though it would mean that… that you’re feeling something for me. Something the ponies thought was worth saving.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s probably nonsense,” Hansol said with a cold, firm voice, not looking at his conversation partner. “I mean it’s not like you feel much of anything for me.”

Seungkwan didn’t fail to realize – in the corner of his vision – that the boy flinched away from him at those words. But something else caught his attention. The paper with the many crossed out words had fallen out of the rapper’s pocket during their flight. He had picked it up before Hansol could react. Skimming the few still legible parts, his heart sank.

“Hansol?”

“Wha- No, give me that!

The boy ripped the paper from Seungkwan’s hands and tore it to bits, his face red in embarrassment.

Unsure what to say, the tutor decided to start with the facts. “I read enough to know it wasn’t a diss.”

“I…”

“It wasn’t even a rap.”

“That’s…”

“A letter.”

“…Yes.”

“You were trying to confess to me.” It wasn’t a question. It was obvious even with most of the message’s content out.

His head hanging, Hansol whispered “I always know what to write. It’s the first time words failed me.”

“Because you don’t need any.”

Seungkwan leaned in and hugged the boy with all his warmth. Behind them, the choir of unicorns shot rainbows in the sky and begun to sing anew.

[A good place to end. Still can’t believe I wrote a story about Hansol full of rainbows and unicorns. He would hate me if he knew. Please tell me what you thought of it.]

PS: If you want to know what's up with the suddenly apearing building that was featured in this story and the previous two spin-offs, you might want to read "Desire and Affection and Zombies", the last fic i'll write in the Adore Me universe, probably. (It's Jun/Minghao.)