❝ Laughter sparkles like a splash of water in sunlight. ❞

 crossing boundaries 
chapter XVI

“Who are you?” She blinked and cocked her head to the side.

“Huh? Oh.” Minseok straightened his back and coughed, putting a bright and cute smile on his face. Her thoughts were probably erased.

“I’m Xiumin, one of the princes of EXO, pleasure to meet you. What’s your name?”

“Hello, I’m Yeon Young. You sound like you know me, have we met before?” Yeon Young blinked, her innocent façade getting better by the second. She snickered in her head, as he grew flustered at the close contact.

“Yeah, but you won’t remember it.” Minseok sent her a small smile that expressed his apology and Yeon Young dropped her act, wiping the innocuous vibe off herself. His honesty reminds me so much of someone…

She looked up to see Minseok staring at her with adoration and she couldn’t help laughing. Inseong, is that you? But what the hell, am I an old lady or something? Why am I reminiscing about KNK anyways?

“Xiumin right? I’m sorry, I was kidding. I hadn’t lost my memories at all. I remember you, you were the weirdo who was observing me in my sleep, right?” She howled in laughter as he panicked and hid behind the white pillar that was apart of the furnished gazebo in the garden.

Minseok smiled, his cheeks puffy, and sighed in content as he observed her laughing away heartily. My angel is so lovely…

After recovering from her giggling attack, she prodded the poor guy with question after question.

“Well, how do I leave the palace? How many entrances and exits are there?”

“There’s a main gate, a back gate, and since the palace is connected to other buildings, I guess you can leave from there too?” Minseok frowned as he put serious thought into his answers. Only the best for his angel.

I can’t escape from the garden then? Truthfully, the iron gates surrounding it aren’t really that high… I should try it out later. I guess sneaking out during fighting practice is also plausible. Yeon Young played with her fingers as she felt the cog works in her brain turn.

“Don’t leave.” Yeon Young swiveled her head to Minseok’s change of tone. As he looked at the clouds through the open ceiling of the gazebo, she could feel the difference in warmth of Minseok’s overall aura. “Unless you are willing to get killed.”

Sighing in pretense, she told him that there were plenty of warnings to go around and she wouldn’t do something that stupid. Truthfully, the shifts in these monsters’ attitudes were honestly terrifying. Minseok blinked, reverting back to his innocent façade, “Oh really? Angel-ssi, please treat me well forever then.”

“Well, are there any coming festivals?”

“Yeah, there’s one soon, and it’s pretty fun, considering how many years I'd attended.” Minseok nodded his head, as if appraising his own recommendation. Yeon Young blinked at him, “You stayed here your whole life? How old are you anyways?”

“Uh, kinda?” Minseok let a dazed smile overtake his lips, “I’m twenty-six this year.” How many years have passed since then? Twenty-six, I guess my face really does look the part.

Yeon Young smiled coyly at the man. “Don’t you think it’s a crime to fawn over someone as young as me?” Minseok grew flustered in that moment and backed away from the cunning youngster. He laughed hesitantly, and asked about her age.

“Glad you asked but there’s no answer. See you around Xiumin,” She walked away and waved without looking back, leaving Minseok even more enamored with his charismatic angel.

Yeon Young had finally made her way out of the garden, noting the possible areas that she could sleep at, only to arrive at a clearing with a magnificent water fountain in the middle. A white pristine table, capable of fitting four people on each side, sat neatly next to the fountain. There was a barbeque spit next to the table and she could see a group of teenagers crowding around it.

She witnessed a piece of meat flying off the grill and the boy holding the metal tongs was shoved to the ground harshly, the perpetrator taking his place.

Yeon Young formed an unamused ‘O’ with and decided to ignore them entirely. Anyways, they didn’t know her, and she didn’t know them. Why should one bother with unneeded formalities?

The only other roads she could take were one, going back, or two, the one across of her.

She made her way casually cross the fountain, recognizing that she was observed. Yeon Young took that fact casually, until someone threw a knife her way. Years of getting shot at by those idiots in KNK out of nowhere really made her good at dodging, she reckoned. What in the name of god-That isn’t even remotely close to a normal human's strength!

Although Yeon Young successfully dodged the rest, she couldn’t run away from the duo that was getting closer, and they eventually caught her in an arm lock.

“Who are you?”

“…Lee Yeon Young,” She didn’t even dare to gulp; for fear that the dagger at would slip.

“Why are you here?” Her captor’s voice was threatening, and Yeon Young answered that she was only passing by obediently.

“Scratch that. How did you come here?” What does he mean by how? Out of the three routes that I could choose from, isn't it obvious it was by chance that I arrived here? You stupid prick, is that theory so hard to come up with?

“By luck… sir.”

“Don’t lie, kid. What if I told you this place is restricted? What kind of excuses are you going to give next?”

“The same one? Seriously, are you dumb or what-” Yeon Young froze as she realized her mistake and coughed, “uh, sir.” She heaved a sigh of relief as the man finally released his grasp for some reason. Jesus, were all the people in this palace sadists? There was the group that wanted to erase her memory slash existence, and then on the other hand, this guy who she didn't know wants to end her life. Where were the peace and love humans preached about?

“Come on, Yoongi-hyung, lighten up, she’s probably a palace maid that lost her way.” A redhead giggled light-heartedly and the subject sighed in exasperation. “The thing is, she can’t lose her way… The mirages I create are suppose to be perfect.” He scowled as Taehyung took the girl’s hands into his own and dragged her along, as if they had been friends for the longest time.

As always, the naïve one huh?

Yoongi caught the girl’s gaze and she returned a wary and cautious one to him. He let out a small snort. I’ll find out who–what you are, by the end of today. Isn’t that right, mage?

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
hehe thanks for subscribing and upvotes and comments. love you all and exo more.

◯ darkmoon