The rain continued to pour down and by now, it seemed to fit Rima’s mood perfectly. The drenched girl sat there in the mud as she looked up. A dark figure made it’s way out from behind the tree and looked down at the girl, smiling.

“It can’t be….” Rima stumbled on her words, unsure of what to say or even of what to think at that point. The figure held a hand out toward her and smiled brightly.

“Hey, Red. Did you miss me?” the figure asked her.

Rima shook her head at it, not entirely sure of what to do.

“How...how are you here? This...this isn’t over yet...I still….you can’t….” she stuttered making the figure chuckle.

Rima blinked a few times before removing her hands from . The figure shook his hand a little, motioning for her to grab it. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to give in.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stood in front of it.

“How did you…”

“You should know by now that I’ll find a way around the rules to see you. I’ll always be right by your side, Red,” the figure stated.

Rima grinned brightly and nodded. “I missed you.”

“And I missed you, Red,” it smiled at her before putting his hands on her waist.

Rima never noticed the sneer that crossed the figure’s face, never noticed its eyes changing colors, never noticed the deadly howl and footsteps coming closer and closer until finally, they stopped, atop the hill right beside her.

Her head spun to look and noticed the red wolf with glowing red eyes joining her side. He stopped as he stood beside her, eyeing the newcomer with a dark growl. Rima furrowed her brows as she looked down at D.O.

“D.O look...it’s really him….it’s Xiumin...I don’t know how but...he’s here…” she whined as tears flooded her eyes.

D.O looked from Xiumin to Rima. He knew better. He knew that thing wasn’t Xiumin. It didn’t look like him, sound like him or even smell like him. Plus, no wolf could enter a different fairy tale.

Looking up at the girl, the tears that ran down her cheek, the happy smile that crossed her face, the hope that could be seen in her eyes, the wolf grew more enraged than he had already been. How dare that thing give Rima that much false hope? How dare it make her cry? How dare it turn into his friend?

Rima looked down at the wolf. Rage and anger filled his voice as he let out a bark louder than any thunder imaginable. The girl’s smile faded as she looked back up at the boy she believed to be her true love.

“...X-Xiumin….” she mumbled, barely audible amidst the rain that clashed down.

The boy hummed in response with a confused look upon his face. She could see the wolf furiously shaking it’s head beside her in the corner of her eye.

Rima smiled a little as she thought of a foolproof plan.

“Xiumin, don’t ever leave me again, you idiot. I love you,” she whispered with a small smile on her face. There was only one thing the real Xiumin would reply with.

“I’ll never leave you, Red. I love you forever and ever.”

Rima’s smile faded and she wiggled out of his grip, slowly backing up as D.O stepped forward. The boy’s answer was wrong. This wasn’t Xiumin.

Rima shook her head as she stood behind D.O. “Wrong answer...there’s only one thing the real Xiumin would have responded with...and that’s not it. YOU’RE not it. You control people’s minds...and you’re a shapeshifter, too. You lied. You’re not my Xiumin…” she stumbled on the words. Rima was very thankful for the rain at this moment. None of her tears could be seen through it.

The boy sighed before stepping back.

“I thought you loved me, Red...why are you doubting me?” Xiumin grinned before crouching down.

“Don’t you love me?” he teased, glaring up at the girl.

Rima’s eyes widened as she watched him closely. The boy slowly transformed into something else. Something bigger. Bigger than her, bigger than D.O. but nevertheless, D.O stood his ground. He promised to protect Rima and he would do so no matter what.

Rima’s mouth dropped to the floor as the boy was no longer a simple boy. A dark grin crossed the new creature’s face.

He was now three times her size. Black. Red eyes. Razor sharp teeth and claws. Ears pointing out on either side of its head and a fluffy tail in the back.

The boy had now become a wolf.

A wolf that she knew all too well.

A wolf she would never in a million years be able to hurt, no matter what.

A wolf she was absolutely defenseless against.

A wolf that was bigger than D.O in every way, despite him being the only one that stood a chance right now.

At this moment their entire future--whether they laughed or cried, ran or fought, lived or died--was in his hands and his hands alone.

Do Kyungsoo.