“Luhan, are you really sure?”

     “Yes.”

     “Luhan -”

 

“Yes, Irene, for the umpteenth time, I am going to fight Park Chanyeol, alright?” Luhan huffed and glared at Irene. From the corner of his eyes, Irene was looking nervous as if she was the one who was going to fight. Irene was twisting the ends of her skirt (she does it only when she’s scared or nervous) and Luhan sighed, finally facing her fully.

 

     “It’s going to be alright,” Luhan assured. Irene unenthusiastically nodded, giving Luhan an uneasy smile.

 

The both of them had finished classes about an hour ago and they were now, not too far from the Lochness Lake.

 

The thing is, Luhan knew he wasn’t going to be alright. He was doomed. He questions his own stupidity at times.

 

It was a quarter to 6 and Luhan was already there. It took him half an hour to convince Irene that it would be alright and not to walk him there (“I am 15, Irene. 15.”) So she reluctantly went the other way, to the dorms, leaving Luhan to walk by himself.

 

The sound of flapping wings boomed throughout the sky like thunder and Luhan couldn’t help but look up. Luhan scoffed. What an entrance.

 

The Phoenix slowly transformed into a boy and the boy strutted towards him with his chest out. If a Peacock clan was a thing, Luhan was sure that Chanyeol would be their Head Boy.

 

     “Can’t wait to get your beaten up, eh?” Chanyeol said with a sly grin on his face. His minions weren’t with him today, shockingly.

 

    “Funny you mention my , Park. You aren’t touching this, no.” Luhan said, gesturing to his rear. Chanyeol was obviously disgusted when Luhan did that because it was written all over his face. Luhan couldn’t help but smirk.

 

“But who will stop me?” Chanyeol asked him bitterly and before Luhan could even realise, there was already a ball of fire in Chanyeol’s hand. Chanyeol had thrown it aggressively towards the Fawn, with flawless aim. Luhan closed his eyes and ducked as fast as he could. Jesus, that was close.

 

Chanyeol growled and started throwing more, making Luhan scream every time it got close to him. Luhan was now, a panting mess.

 

Chanyeol took Luhan’s pause to his advantage, throwing a fireball towards Luhan’s right arm. Luhan hadn’t felt this much pain in his 15 years of life.

 

     Luhan dropped to his knees while clutching his right arm. His face was scrunched up in pain, no sound emitting from his mouth. He hears Chanyeol cackling and looked up - Chanyeol still had another ball of fire in his hand.

 

.

 

“Another round?” Chanyeol mocked. Luhan stood up and glared at Chanyeol. So what if Luhan had no “cool” fire powers or whatever? He could control people’s mind right?

 

So he did.

 

In a few seconds, Luhan had Chanyeol on the floor, clutching his head in pain. Luhan snapped his fingers and immediately, Chanyeol found himself hanging a few metres above the ground. The pain in Chanyeol’s head wasn’t helping him at all.

 

“PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANCE, YOU MAGGOT!”

 

Chanyeol was carelessly throwing his fireballs about, making the trees around the lake catch on fire. Luhan was starting to panic because those trees have been around for hundreds of years. Well, .

 

Luhan dropped Chanyeol inside the lake, making the latter yell before a big splash was heard.

 

    “Oh my god, oh my god.” Luhan muttered to himself as he watched the fire spread.

 

    “HEY FAWN HOW DARE YOU-” Chanyeol paused when he saw the trees burning. The thought of being expelled ran through Luhan’s head and he quickly made bubbles from the lake’s water and threw them at the trees. The fire quickly became smaller and smaller and it disappeared almost immediately. Some of the trees were already burnt to ashes. ing Phoenix and their fire whatever, ugh.

 

Suddenly, a yelp was heard and a boy was running across the field, screaming his head off, towards the dormitories.

 

Wait…

 

“WHAT THE HELL ARE ALL OF YOU DOING!?” Luhan screamed at the group of first years hiding in the between the trees (that, thankfully, did not catch on fire). The first years were whispering to each other and all of them looked pale, like they just watched someone die in front of their eyes.

 

“LUHAN!”

 

Oh, right. He’s not dead.

 

Yet.

 

Chanyeol was drenched from head to toe and he looked furious. He obviously can’t attack him with those fireballs anymore since he was wet. Luhan groaned and stared down at Chanyeol and just like earlier, Chanyeol fell to the ground with a scream, hands clutching his hand.

 

“What is the meaning of this?” A voice filled with authority boomed, making Luhan jump. Professor Tywylyth appeared, with his wings and everything with Professor Bexley following close behind him with a shocked look on her face.

 

The first years ran towards the school, leaving Luhan and Chanyeol frozen.

 

“Mr. Lu? Why do you look in pain? Mr. Park, why are you drenched?” Professor Bexley raised her voice making Luhan and Chanyeol look at each other and finally agree on something.

 

They were ing doomed.

 

A loud shriek was heard and both of them couldn’t help but wince.

 

“THE TREES! THE TREES! WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?!” Professor Bexley shrieked and both of them could only look at their feet in shame. Luhan, feeling a bit daring, looked up and saw the headmaster giving both of them a sharp stare.

 

“Both of you, in my office now.”

 

***

 

The walk to the office was awkward with the silence and the anger that seems to consume every atom of Professor Tywylyth’s being. Both, Luhan and Chanyeol, walked in silence, not bothering each other’s presence until they arrived at the front door of the office.

 

Professor Tywylyth turned around to look at them with an unreadable expression and pushed open the door, urging the both of them to go in. Luhan and Chanyeol, both took a seat across the headmaster’s desk and looked at the headmaster, waiting for him to say something.

 

“Stay. I’ll talk to the both of you in a few. I need to check how many things were damaged because of the both of you first,” he ordered and shut the door close.

 

Luhan looked around the room, ignoring the glare Chanyeol was giving him. Professor Tywylyth had a lot of boxes, A LOT of boxes.

 

    “Hey Fawn, look at me.” Chanyeol spat, making Luhan snap his head towards Chanyeol’s direction. Luhan narrowed his eyes.

 

“What?!” Luhan spat back.

“This is all your fault, you pizza face!”

 

Pizza face.

 

Luhan gasps dramatically and flicked his wrist that made Chanyeol shoot backwards to the wall. “I have you know that my face is much better than yours, you -you-”

 

“You what?”

“Fool.”

 

Chanyeol snickers and folded his arms across his chest. He had this smug look all over his face and Luhan really wanted to wipe it off with a punch. “Is that the best you could do? I guess Fawns aren’t really good with comebacks despite being the smartest clan, huh?” Chanyeol mocked.

 

Luhan stood up with his fist ready to punch him but to be stopped halfway by the sound of the  door opening and Professor Tywylyth walking in, unamused. “Mr. Lu, I don’t assume you want to get yourself into bigger trouble.”

 

Luhan sat back down and put his hand inside his trouser pocket as Professor Tywylyth took a seat in his chair.

 

Professor Tywylyth looked up and stared down at Chanyeol who was standing at the end of his room by the wall. “Mr. Park? Do you find the wall interesting?” he asked and Chanyeol awkwardly grined at him. He stood up and dragged his chair to sit beside Luhan.

 

Professor Tywylyth folded his arms and leaned forward on his desk. Luhan and Chanyeol gulped.

 

     “Explain please.”

 

“He started it!” Both, Luhan and Chanyeol, yelled while pointing at each other.

 

The headmaster sighed and leaned back into his chair, eyes closed and his hand rubbing his forehead.

 

“Don’t make me bring in Professor Bexley to give you a real scolding.” The headmaster said, making Luhan’s and Chanyeol’s face turn into every shade of panic. Luhan wasn’t stupid enough to tell Professor Tywylyth everything, that’s why he glanced at Chanyeol and sent a message to him through his mind.

 

“Don’t fight me now Park, just follow my lead.”

 

Chanyeol didn’t say anything, but the headmaster was still staring at them expecting an explanation. Luhan cleared his throat and put on a smile.

 

“Well you see, Professor, me and my good buddy Park -I mean Chanyeol here were walking around looking for my watch that I had dropped and suddenly there was this uh -”

 

“Well, Chanyeol thought he saw something and he aimlessly fired towards the trees...?” Luhan hoped this was convincing enough. Professor Tywylyth crooked a brow and looked at Chanyeol, expecting him to say something.

 

“Well?”

 

“Uh…” Chanyeol trailed and glanced at Luhan’s direction. “Tell him it was an accident.” Chanyeol gulped and looked at Professor Tywylyth.

 

“It was an accident…?” Chanyeol managed to squeak out and if it weren’t for the situation right now, Luhan would have laughed. Professor Tywylyth did not look one bit amused.

 

Professor Tywylyth stood up and walked towards them, placing both of his hands around Chanyeol and Luhan’s shoulder.

 

“Alright, I believe you two.”

 

Luhan and Chanyeol sighed in relief.

“So both of you don’t mind having detention for a month together, am I right? Being good friends all?”

 

.

 

***

 

Luhan’s ear was all red. Irene had been twisting it for the past minute.

 

    “This is what happens when you do stupid things. You could’ve gotten expelled! Or killed a first year!” Irene scolded Luhan who was trying to pry Irene’s hand away from his ear. Junmyeon, on the other hand was trying to contain his laughter.

 

The three of them were sitting next to the fireplace, Luhan had a long day and he was kind of hoping that Junmyeon could massage his aching muscles.

 

He wasn’t expecting Irene’s big fit after hearing what happened.

 

“Alright but on the bright side -”

 

“Bright side??” Irene thundered. “You almost set a forest on fire. A FOREST!” Luhan slumped and groaned. How many times must he explain to Irene that it wasn’t technically his fault that it got caught on fire. It was Chanyeol’s ridiculously amazing aim.

 

“It wasn’t his fault, Irene. C’mon give him a break,” Junmyeon interrupts and pulls Irene off Luhan. Irene huffed and crossed her arms and looked away from the both of them. This isn’t the first time Luhan had seen her getting all angry, acting like his mother.

 

“I don’t get it! Why are you so angry at me?! I already told you the headmaster said it’s alright and I need to serve detention with that dim witted fool for a bloody month. Why are you so upset?!” Luhan snapped. Irene quickly turned her head to face Luhan, face red with anger.

 

     “You could get expelled, you idiot!”

     “Why do you care if I get expelled or not?”

 

Irene paused, staring at Luhan intensely. Luhan shifted slightly, waiting for anything to break the pin dropping silence.

 

“It’s because I treat you like my little brother. I just want to be nice, don’t be a jackass.” Irene spat, water forming in her eyes.  

 

Luhan felt it, the guilt. Now even Junmyeon was silent. Irene rubbed at her watery eyes and blinked at Luhan one more time before standing up and storming into the girl dormitories.

 

    “So uh, Luhan, how on earth did you manage to dodge all those fireballs?” Junmyeon awkwardly broke the silence. “I didn’t.”

 

“Then how are you still in one piece? Not even a scratch?”

“Professor Tywylyth made Chanyeol use his Phoenix tears to heal my wounds.”

 

Professor Tywylyth stared at Luhan’s burnt arm and stared back at Chanyeol.

 

“Chanyeol, if I’m not mistaken, you’re a Phoenix, am I right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Phoenixes’ tears can heal all wounds, am I right?”
“Right again, sir.”

 

Professor Tywylyth paused for a while and asked Luhan, “Show me your scar, boy.” Luhan, confused, obliged and showed his right arm that had a big obvious burn mark on it.

 

“Heal it, Chanyeol.”

 

Both boys widened their eyes and Chanyeol, a bit taken aback, speaked up. “But sir, we aren’t allowed to use our tears without permission.”

 

“I’m giving you permission right now, boy. Heal his wound that you made,” Professor Tywylyth demanded and suddenly Chanyeol feels so small and embarrassed. Healing your enemy? With YOUR tears? Horrible.

 

Chanyeol slowly transformed into a magnificent looking Phoenix and it flapped it’s wings, making it hit Luhan’s face on purpose. He perched on Luhan’s shoulder and it leaned down towards the wound, a few drops of tears landing on Luhan’s wound. At first, Luhan winced. The pain was unbearable and Luhan was so close to hitting Chanyeol across the room but then after a few minutes when Luhan looked at his wound, it was gone.

 

     “There you go,” Professor Tywylyth said, smiling widely. Luhan, too, was embarrassed. Finally remembered that this is Park Chanyeol perching on his shoulder. Gross.

 

Junmyeon, once again, found this hilarious. “Oh my god Luhan, I’ve once read in a love story that these Phoenix lovers used to drink each others tears to get bonded for life,” Junmyeon told him and Luhan flushed red. “Right. Junmyeon. I did not drink his tears whatsoever and I am obviously not a Phoenix,” Luhan scoffed but the blush on his cheeks was still there. Junmyeon was still laughing and Luhan could not do anything but sulk.