---

The forest became comfortably quiet that night. As if it knew what the girl had gone through and was letting her get a good restful sleep. It would be tough for the girl, living in such a place. So the vast wood seemed to put a spell over the place, allowing Youngmi a serene slumber.

---

 

 

Youngmi woke up well rested the next morning. Although she was in a bit of a daze from her dream. A moment of her life she had nearly forgotten about. A beautiful moment she wished to go back to.

 

She was quickly pulled out by the sound of yelling and things breaking. She rolled her eyes and got out of bed.

 

Youngmi followed the stairs down to the first house at the bottom of the fort, where the ruckus was coming from. As she entered she had to duck to avoid being hit by a plate that was thrown from across the room. She looked at the shattered mess behind and sighed. Youngmi didn’t think she would be able to put up with the six guys for very long if this was going to be their daily routine.

 

The girl had a sudden urge to pee, having not used a restroom since the morning before. She had to dodge dishes and food that flew through the air to get to Eunwoo, who was busy cooking. She asked about a restroom and he pointed her to an outhouse just a ways from their camp.

 

After doing her business she went back to the kitchen. Upon entering she began sneezing because someone had obviously used too much pepper. She could practically see it floating around in the air. There were now three boys hovering around the stove. She watched as they threw random things into the pots and pans. Youngmi shuddered at the thought that she may have to eat whatever slop they were concocting.

 

Once more she dodged dishes that were thrown about. She had spotted a mop and broom in the corner on the other side of the hut. The girl figured it would be a good idea to clean up after the boys, she couldn’t stand having a messy room.

 

She began in the house at the top. Many things were strewn across the floor. Except for a path from the door to the beds. Eunwoo must have done that last night. And the evening before she hadn’t at all noticed the piles of dirty clothes and other unsanitary and disgusting things that lay on the beds. And she had slept on that? The day was going to be a long one.

 

Youngmi started at one corner of the room and worked all the way to the other. Folding what she assumed to be clean clothes and throwing the obviously dirty ones into a bin. She would have to wash those, she reminded herself for later.

 

She spent her time scrubbing the walls and floors, making sure every inch of the room was spotless and fit to live in. When she was satisfied with her work, she grabbed her supplies and began on the house below. Youngmi went through the same routine she had in the room above. Mopping the floor, making the beds, wiping down the dusty windows.

 

The girl carried the bin of soiled clothes with her all the way to the bottom. She remembered seeing a wash basin on her way to the outhouse, and made her way over.

 

Youngmi filled the basin with water from the pump beside it. Everything she needed to wash the clothes with had been, surprisingly, neatly placed into a cupboard next to the water pump.

 

She scrubbed and she scrubbed and somehow managed to get most of the filth and stains out of the clothing. She hung everything up on the clothesline nearby. Youngmi placed her hands on her hips and breathed out, relieved that two thirds of her job was done. Only one thing left to clean. The dreaded kitchen.

 

The girl passed by the six boys running around like chickens with their heads chopped off, trying to get everything in order. She giggled at the sight and went off to the kitchen.

 

She walked in to find food plastered to the walls, and the floor covered in shattered dishes. The boys were currently outside setting up the table for breakfast. So Youngmi swept up whatever was broken and threw it into the trash bin. She wiped down all the walls, having to stand on stools to clean everything she couldn’t otherwise reach. The intact dishes were washed, stove and counters cleaned, the whole nine yards.

 

Finally. It was done.

 

And when she walked out she found a table full of food. Everything neatly placed and tidy looking. Youngmi grinned, it was nice to see something actually decent and well put together. She took her seat at the end of the table, and they began their feast.

 

Even with food stuffed into their mouths the boys held casual conversation, occasionally asking Youngmi about things from the human world. The breakfast was a peaceful one, which Youngmi was thankful for. There had been too much fighting in the little time she had been in the forest.

 

Minhyuk reached over to pour himself a bowl of soup. He brought the spoon to his mouth and happily took a sip, he had been eyeing the soup while it was being cooked, excited to eat it. His face scrunched up and he raised his head from the bowl.

 

“There’s too much pepper.”

 

All hell broke loose.

 

Sanha began arguing with Minhyuk, as he was the one that made the soup. He told the boy that it had just the right amount of pepper and was therefore perfect as it was. Moonbin, who also had some of the soup, but hadn’t said anything, also mentioned that he thought there was a bit too much pepper.

 

One after another each boy spoke up about which food had too much or too little of something. And just as before, in the kitchen, dishes and food started flying.

 

Youngmi had only taken small bites of each bit of food in her reach. She found it all rather disgusting and couldn’t understand how the boys went day to day with that slop.

 

The girl was starting to get sick and tired of all the childishness she had been dealing with from the six boys. Their breakfast was ruined, which honestly wasn’t such a big deal seeing as how it was inedible. The guys were creating such a mess that Youngmi was afraid she may have to clean up later.

 

Youngmi stood from where she sat to try to calm down the warzone, but what she really should have done was remain seated. Because if she was sitting down she wouldn’t have taken a jelly filled pastry to the face. JinJin, who had thrown the thing, stopped and gaped at the girl. Her face now covered in jelly which was dripping down onto her dress.

 

The others stopped when they noticed JinJin wasn’t moving, and their eyes wandered to where he was looking at. Myungjun snorted and it was then that all of them exploded into laughter. For them it was a very amusing sight to see. But for Youngmi it was completely horrifying. She didn’t find it funny one bit.

 

Her pretty green dress, now covered in the sticky red substance, was absolutely ruined. She’d never be able to get the stain out. Her eyes began to tear up, she had had enough of the squabbling, and was certainly done with the messes.

 

The girl stomped off, not caring much where she was going. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from the rambunctious boys. She would find somewhere peaceful to sit and collect her thoughts. Just how was she to deal with remaining in the forest with those six idiots?

 

Minhyuk had been the only one to notice that Youngmi had disappeared, as the other boys had gone back to fighting after their laughing fit. He quietly slipped away and chased after the girl.

 

 

Youngmi sat at the edge of a lake, looking at her messy reflection on the water’s surface and sighed. She dipped her hands in the water and began washing herself free of the sticky jelly. The girl went to reach back into the lake but she found a face that wasn’t hers staring back at her. The person below her in a  mouthful of water and spat it out right into Youngmi’s face.

 

Youngmi fell back and started rubbing at her eyes. The body in the lake rose up out of the water to reveal a young girl, who had begun giggling at what she did to Youngmi.

 

Minhyuk, who had witnessed everything, flew down from the tree he was perched in and landed next to Youngmi. He then changed into his human form and glared at the girl in the water. He reached out and grabbed her head and pushed her under the water. She popped back up and started pouting at the boy.

 

“You didn’t have to be so rude,” said the girl.

 

“And neither did you Yooah.”

 

“Well, she shouldn’t have been washing her dirty face in my lake. Now look, there’s jelly and pastry floating everywhere.” She tried to push it back to land but it only caused the stuff to spread out further. “Ugh, absolutely disgusting.”

 

Minhyuk looked over to Youngmi and asked if she was okay, which she replied with a simple nod.

 

“So, Minhyuk, what are you doing hanging out with a troll?”

 

“A troll?!” Youngmi cried out.

 

Yooah smirked at the girl and splashed her again.

 

“Stop it Yooah. Leave her alone.”

 

This caused the girl to sulk, she only wanted to have fun, and the best way for that was to mess with the human.

 

The boy then turned to Youngmi once more and leaned in. He wiped at the water and jelly that remained on her face. This caused her to blush, which Yooah just happened to notice. She grinned and thought of a new way she could tease the human girl.

 

“Sorry about that,” Minhyuk said, “Nymphs can be rude sometimes, especially toward girls. They view them as competition.”

 

“Competition? Regarding what?”

 

“Boys.” Minhyuk just rolled his eyes at this. He wasn’t very fond of nymphs, they could be troublesome sometimes.

 

Yooah had swam up to the edge of the lake while the two had been talking. She was about to implement her plan, just to see if it would bother the human girl. She called out to Minhyuk to get his attention, and when she had it she began flirting with the boy. She peeked out of the corner of her and internally giggled to herself. She had been right. It had certainly irked Youngmi as she had been looking at them with a scowl on her face.

 

But unknown to her, Youngmi was scowling for a completely different reason. She hated when people flirted in front of her. She was quite squeamish of the action as it reminded her of when her parents acted all lovey-dovey, which quite frankly grossed her out. It sent chills down her spine. The girl had turned her head to the side where neither of them could see and silently gagged.

 

Minhyuk really was not interested in the nymph, he certainly wasn’t impressed by the girl trying to woo him. “Cut it out, I know you’re just doing that to try to annoy Youngmi.”

 

“Well it worked didn’t it?,” she smiled at him, feeling triumphant that she had (not really) succeeded.

 

Youngmi just rolled her eyes and turned to look at her reflection in the water. She wanted to make sure all of the pastry had been cleaned from her face. When Yooah began speaking, Youngmi kept an ear open, to listen to what other annoying things she might say.

 

“If only you could breathe under water,” Yooah said with a seductive voice, “It’s an entirely different world down there. Much better than being on land.”

 

“I think I’ll pass. I much prefer not being soaking wet all the time.”

 

Youngmi then tuned out the pair next to her, no longer interested in their conversation. Instead staring at her reflection. She noticed the stain on her dress, which completely slipped her mind. She would have to remember to ask the boys if they had anything she could wear. The girl needed something new to put on anyways, she had been in the dress since the morning before.

 

Ripples danced across the water’s surface, disturbing the lily pads that resided there. Youngmi hadn’t heard Minhyuk calling her name as she watched the water. It was the calmness she had been looking for. Although it was a bit unfortunate she had to deal with the nymph.

 

Youngmi was brought back to reality when Minhyuk gently shook the girl. She noticed that he was awfully close, making her heart beat faster than usual. The sunlight that filtered through the leaves of the trees latched onto the boy’s eyes and made them sparkle. Her heart picked up speed.

 

Weird, she thought to herself.

 

“I was calling your name.”

 

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

 

The boy grinned at the girl’s obliviousness, “Obviously.”

 

Youngmi only stuck her tongue out in response. He then stood and extended his hand in order to help the girl up. Once on her feet she brushed the dirt from her dress, which she then felt was pointless as the garment was already ruined. She sighed and puffed out her cheeks. The day had not been very pleasant, she was really hoping the rest of it would be much better.

 

Minhyuk placed his hand on her back and gently pushed her forward.

 

“We should get going hmm?”

 

“Mm, yeah.”

 

“Oh, I forgot to apologize about earlier, what happened at breakfast. And I’m sorry your dress got ruined.”

 

“You boys are a bunch of idiots you know that?”

 

He just chuckled at her. “Yeah, I know.”