TWELVE

            He waits for the man to come, the guardian of Southeast from Eastern Water Kingdom.

What is his name again?

Ah, right. Kim Minseok.

            Jongdae played with the grass below, lifting his head up to the sky and snorted at the shadow below the tree. The tree is quite a big one. It is weird to be grown right at the border line of two Kingdoms.

            Kim Jongade was a mere villager, now is appointed to be a guardian of Southeast from Southern Fire Kingdom. Just because he got his power, electricity, they said, thus he is transferred into the Kingdom and got training series of hell. If only he didn’t meet an adorable boy named Byun Baekhyun, he is sure he had run away already.

            The training is hell, and his power didn’t help at all. His electricity didn’t appear to attack or protect him like other power would do. But it seems useful when the light is died down. Put sarcasm there. Jongdae isn’t really a fan of his own power.

            But he got a lot of lucks. His power might not help him in a fight, but he is good at fighting. Moreover, he has mastered all the sword skills. Thanks to his power, he could call his lovely weapon, the thunder sword.

            To make it short, Jongdae is good at sword skills and almost never used his power unless to prank with his friend, Baekhyun, the Guardian of Southwest. He is waiting for another guardian to come, who is supposed to come from the other Kingdom. But it seems like the man is late, so he took out a device, it has no name, but he could see everyone from there.

            He saw how Baekhyun already meets another guardian. The man is cute and adorable, such a great pair. He is sure that Chanyeol, his King, wouldn’t like this. They look cute together. Jongdae couldn’t help not to laugh at that.

            Thus, his boredom got even worse. He swiped the screen and saw his King is looking back at him through the camera. Oops, bad timing. He immediately swiped it to other screen where he could see his trainer is having the time of his life, eating a basket of apple on his own.

“Sneaky” he snorted then swiped to another screen and saw his villager is doing great without him

            He didn’t realize that someone is already behind him, standing and giggling.

“What is that? You could see everyone there” the man stated as he smiled and offered his hand while Jongdae is turning around in surprised “My name is Kim Minseok, the guardian of Southeast from Eastern Water Kingdom who would work together with you to protect the borderline. You must be, Kim Jongdae, right? Nice to meet you”

“Y-yes. I am Kim Jongdae. N-nice to meet you”

            Jongdae is surprised. Not because the man suddenly appeared behind him, but more like, the man is so adorable that he couldn’t stop himself from gasping. The man’s smile is cute, his eyes are smiling with him, and even his chubby cheeks are lifted. He looks like a doll, a lovely one of course.

“You are drooling, you know” Minseok stated as he giggled a bit, he handed his handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Jongdae “Here, swipe it with this”

“T-thank you. I am sorry, I couldn’t help not to. You are-“

“If you say that I am cute, I am gonna hit you and see what this cutie could do to you” Minseok joked as he took out his weapon out of nowhere but then he smiled and it is contagious “I am sorry, I just heard that a lot and I have enough. They underestimated me because of my look and you know what I mean, right?”

Jongdae chuckled and get up as he took out his sword “If you mean sparring, let’s see what we got”

Minseok laughed at Jongdae’s braveness and so he get ready “Oh I hope that your skill is as great as your words”

“Don’t worry, be my guest, cutie pie”

            That is the first time they meet. Jongdae is lost, obviously. Minseok is stronger than him and a great distraction as well. He just couldn’t focus but that is the first time they meet. Minseok didn’t know why Jongdae didn’t use his power at first, he throws ices to him when Jongdae just dodged it really well.

            Then, Minseok knows why Jongdae never used his power. His power didn’t help him both in attack and defense. Being a fair guardian he is, Minseok didn’t use his power after the first sparring. It is called the first sparring because they are always sparring whenever they had the time. It is like a habit, plus it is a way to sharpen their skills and now each other weakness, if Jongdae might state.

Minseok didn’t always win. Jongdae is having a great sword skill and isn’t weak. He had like a thirty percent winning rate. Although both had equal skills in fighting, sadly Jongdae is not good at practicing his power when Minseok is, let’s say, a master of his power.

Jongdae might attack him badly, but Minseok could endure it very well, thanks to the ice in his body that works as shield, wanted or not. Jongdae never minded that. Instead, he is glad that Minseok has a power to protect himself. Jongdae would easily kill his opponent if he really wants to, with or without the power, and he wouldn’t want to accidentally hurt that cutie pie.

            Soon they become friends, and later, they become lover.

            At first, Jongdae is hesitated to tell his friend, Baekhyun. Not because it would hurt his image, but more like, it would bother his peaceful life. He is always being that annoying third wheel when it comes to Chanyeol and Baekhyun, and after he told Baekhyun about his love life, Baekhyun is gladly took his position to be an annoying third wheel.

“Oh, it is rare to see you two looks get along together. What is happened?” Chanyeol one day asked, approaching his guardians in their room, within his short break time

            Being a King is quite busy. He rarely got the time with his personal life, moreover his Baekhyun. Having Jongdae as their third wheel is not even helping. But he cherished each time they all are together. Chanyeol is that nice of King.

Jongdae, has lifted his monitor device up away from Baekhyun, who is trying to steal the device for a long time, and definitely has an upset face, snorted at Chanyeol “Seriously, Chanyeol? Does this look like getting along together?”

Baekhyun laughed at that, stop jumping to get that monitor device, instead approaching his King who immediately pulled him into side hug “He talks to Minseok hyung. I just want to say hi”

“Yeah, saying ‘hi’, as if I would believe that” Jongdae scoffed “You just try to steal it from me!”

Chanyeol laughed, taking the monitor device Jongdae has been hiding all the time from Baekhyun “Oh, greetings to the King. It is nice to see you fine and good” Minseok greeted through the device

“Good afternoon, Minseok hyung. How are you?” he asked while Jongdae’s snorting could be heard behind

“I am good, but I don’t think Jongdae is-“ Minseok replied with a giggle while Baekhyun snatched the device “Hi Baekhyun, it is nice to finally see you. You two are loud at arguing you know”

“Right? I know hyung! Jongdae is such a kid. He didn’t let me to talk to you!” Baekhyun protested “He is mean! You always meet him, don’t you like, urgh, fed up with his face?”

Jongdae rolled his eyes and took the device harshly from his King’s hand “Apologize, but I should be the one who said that to you two” he glared at Chanyeol and Baekhyun “-and if you excused us, can you please- like- get a room? I need to talk to my lover here not looking at you two having lovey-dovey moment”

“Meanie!” Baekhyun stick out his tongue

“Yes I am a meanie and if you excused this meanie, oh our great King, please collect your puppy” Jongdae pointed at Baekhyun who pouted even deeper thus makes Chanyeol’s laughter break and Minseok laughed could be heard from the device

“Proposal’s accepted. We will get a room” Chanyeol broke into laughter again when Baekhyun widened his eyes and his cheeks flustered in pink “Let’s go puppy, get a room”

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouted but followed his King, slash his lover, out of the room as Jongdae continued to talk with Minseok on his device

“So, where are we again? Oh right, did you have your lunch already?” Jongdae said sweetly and enough to make Minseok laughed out loud

            That is just a one fine day in Southern Fire Kingdom.

“Minseok-hyung”

            Minseok turned around slowly and Jongdae swore it is just like an old time. Nothing is changed. His eyes, his lips, his face, his everything- He didn’t aware the tears started to come from his eyes. But that doesn’t mean Minseok could do anything about that.

“Urm, is he the owner?” Minseok asked Kyungsoo slowly who has already stood up and paid the bill

Kyungsoo nodded “If you don’t mind, let’s talk privately in my apartment”

***

            The three of them ended up in Kyungsoo’s apartment. Honestly, they will go to Baekhyun and Suho’s if only the distance is not far. But they do need to talk this privately, not in just the random café. Kyungsoo has learnt from his experience and it makes him snorted.

“Okay, you might freak out, but please take a listen first” Kyungsoo said calmly, sighed while glancing at how stiff Jongdae is

            He should be glad that he is here and could tell everything to Minseok.

“I am listening” Minseok said understandingly but keep his distance from Jongdae as he found the boy is a bit weird

“We are not coming from here” Kyungsoo said, inhaled a bit and looking straight into Minseok’s eyes who seems un-wavered “You look fine with it” he then confused

Minseok bit his lip then he nodded “Is it weird?”

“Well, urm -it’s good actually” Kyungsoo blinked furiously “Wait, perhaps you know anything? Did you remember anything from your past?”

“About being the guardian? Or about living in the Kingdom? Or- having power?” Minseok asked, making Kyungsoo kind of surprised and Jongdae gasped

“You remember!” Jongdae shouted, will crushed Minseok into a hug if only the man didn’t suddenly raise his hand and makes an ice out of it, blocking Jongdae to do so

“No, I don’t” Minseok clarified, looking apologetically at Jongdae but continued “But that man already freaked me out and told me everything. So, I am used to it”

“That man?” Kyungsoo asked

“Which man?” Jongdae added, didn’t like the sound of anyone knowing about them

“I don’t know him. He told me about kingdoms, kings, guardians. I remember everything as he asked to me to write in the notebook. I brought it everywhere, wait a minute. Ah, here. Just look, correct it if I am wrong” Minseok said, handed them a small notebook which full of his handwriting

At that, Kyungsoo frowned “You just believe what stranger said to you, seriously?”

Minseok nodded innocently “But he is right though. Did you just see that? I make ice out of my hand!”

Thus, Jongdae laughed and awed at him “He got the point” but soon he frowned while reading the notes “But who is the man who told you everything? You know the name? It explained in detail, see this” he offered the notebook to Kyungsoo “He even explained to Minseok hyung that he will loss his memories because of his weaken state when he teleported here” Jongdae explained

Kyungsoo snorted as Minseok thought about the name and continued “Something like hyun- Chan?” he hummed and closed his eyes “He said that he is just a mere villager, I don’t know though. What is his name again?” then he smiled wider “Ah, I know. Chanhyun! He goes by the name of Chan-“

“-yeol” Jongdae heard the book fell thus he stood up and widened his eyes to see Kyungsoo already fisted his hand in anger

“What do you mean Chanyeol? He couldn’t just let Minseok ran away from his sight. He is an evil man!” Kyungsoo yelled

“Well, we are not actually sure about that” Jongdae protested “Minseok hyung is here is the real proof that Chanyeol is not that bad”

“Excuse you, but he destroyed my whole Kingdom! He almost kills my guardians, and definitely will kill me if only I didn’t teleport here. He took over my Kingdom in just one night. He is not bad, he is evil” Kyungsoo hissed while glaring at Jongdae “So, are you moving your side to him now? Because I swear Kim Jongdae, I would kill you right here, right now if you tried to protect him”

            Kyungsoo stood up, towered Jongdae in impossible way. The floor below them seems moving and that is not a good sign at all. Minseok is sure that he could hear the trees outside howling, and now adding thunders to the sky. It is indeed a bad sign while Jongdae took out his thunder sword out of nowhere.

            It is quite a scene that makes Minseok gulped nervously. He didn’t know what to do but sitting without doing anything is wrong. So Minseok immediately stood up, blocking them in the middle, hands stretching to their chest and started to calm them down in panic.

“Wait, guys, guys- I think there is misunderstanding here. How about sit down and solve the problem with talking?” Minseok half-shouting, half-pleading

“The thunder sword didn’t do the talking” Kyungsoo snorted “He has the gut to fight me, the King of Northern Kingdom, seriously?”

“I am not” Jongdae scoffed “But you took out your power which is not good for both of Minseok and me. I already make it clear that Minseok is my priority, so this is for protection” when he said that a thunder could be hear and Minseok jumped out of scare

“Guys, you two need to calm down. Okay I got it, thank you for protecting me, now put that back. It is scary you know” he said to Jongdae before glancing to Kyungsoo “-and you too, Northern Earth King. If you are the one, you should be the wise one, so please- we could solve this matter in better way”

            Minseok gulped nervously as Kyungsoo slowly looked at him, before glaring at Jongdae. The latter has already taken down his sword, even though it is still in his hand but there is no thunder anymore outside the apartment. So Kyungsoo took a deep breath and the atmosphere slowly changes better.

“Great! See, we could solve this out” Minseok smiled happily, patted both of the men’s shoulder while secretly pushed them down back to the sitting position “Now tell me, who is this Chanyeol again? Is he Chanhyun?” he looks at Jongdae “-someone who urm destroy your Kingdom?” he turned to Kyungsoo

“-not just mine. He practically destroyed all the Kingdoms except his, and ruled them under the Eclipse” Kyungsoo explained

Jongdae snorted “He didn’t rule them. Although I never see him in the face, but someone controlled him. That evil man is the source of the miseries. If we want to take down someone, take that man”

“Uh huh, but Chanyeol is still the one who did everything” Kyungsoo hissed “I wouldn’t just forgive him that easily”

“You don’t even sure about that” Jongdae reasoned

“He stabbed Jongin in front of me, Jongdae. How dare you to say that?”

“We are fighting someone who has illusion as his power, we shouldn’t just believe at everything we saw”

“And here we came again” Minseok sighed, putting his hand on his face as he watch the men quarreled “Can I interrupt for a moment then, about th