Chapter 6 : Of fauns & troublesome fairies

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"Where is he?!"

Kibum blinked at the sudden grumble, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"Where is that insufferable little troll? Jongdae, I swear this time I'm gonna-..."

The voice suddenly stopped and the nymph heard a polite cough on his right. He turned around, frowning as he saw no one and swam to the shore, tilting his head.

"Who's there?"

A little twinkle made him lower his head and his eyes fell on a fairy, who smiled sheepishly at him.

"I'm very sorry, dear Kibum, I didn't realize you were there. I would have looked over my language otherwise."

The nymph smiled at him, sinking further into water before throwing droplets at the fairy, who yelped at that.

"You didn't say anything bad though."

"But I didn't mean to interrupt you during your bath."

Kibum sighed, rolling his eyes with a soft smile. He extended an arm, his fingers coming to tousle the fairy's locks.

"Junmyeon really, you don't have to be so formal with me."

"Oh but yes I do."

Junmyeon was looking at him with wide eyes as if the nymph suddenly admitted he wanted to become a dwarf instead. Kibum chuckled at his expression and couldn't stop himself from teasing him a bit.

"But it makes me uncomfortable. Do you want to make me sad?"

Junmyeon opened his mouth to the wind, blinked twice, closed his lips again and seemed very bothered by this turn of the conversation. He couldn't make up his mind as to what to do from here and the little frown between his eyebrows got the nymph to giggle some more.

Junmyeon wasn't used to the nymphs' company as much as Jinki, and he was even more respectful than Kyungsoo. He always treated Kibum like he was some sort of supreme being and had taken a lot of time to be able to look him in the eyes. Kibum enjoyed being around him a lot because of the funny faces he was always making, but the way the fairy was too reverent seriously got him nervous sometimes.

"Anyway," Kibum finally said lightly, seeing that his companion was still deep in thoughts as to how to address him. "You were looking for Jongdae?"

At the mention of his fellow friend, Junmyeon straightened up, scrunching his nose.

"Yes, yes I am! Have you seen him?"

"Well, you missed him only of a few minutes, really..."

Kibum could see Junmyeon's wings twitch as he arose from the rock he was standing on, ready to rush in whichever direction the nymph would point. He really was a silly little thing.

"He went that way," Kibum said, pointing right behind the fairy. "Jongin wanted honey so they took on an adventure to find bees."

Junmyeon dropped back on his rock, biting on his lips with apprehension.

"Oh? Oh. Oh...," he murmured. "If he's with Jongin... I should-... oh... I should let him. If Jongin wants honey then..."

The nymph went further away into the lake he was currently bathing in, laying on his back, his clear laugh ringing in the air.

"You know he came here in a hurry, asking Jongin if he wanted to play anything. He seemed so eager for literally any game... I guess he went there only to avoid you, didn't he? He knows if he goes with Jongin you won't dare to pursue him."

Junmyeon pinched his own cheeks at that, back into the dilemma of what to do from here. This was most likely exactly what Jongdae planned. This terrible annoyance of a fairy.

"If he's disturbing a nymph, I'm-... I'm gonna-..."

He made a squishing noise of discontent.

"He's really not a nuisance. I was too lazy to go anywhere else today and Jongin doesn't like to do things alone so it was quite fortunate. I'm sorry it's troublesome to you if you needed him for anything though."

"Well I-... I had some troubles with him. But nothing as important as Jongin's well-being."

Kibum clicked his tongue and made his way back to the fairy, who was looking at him with a tensed smile. The nymph put his arm on the rock Junmeyon was sitting on and stared a him with pleated eyes.

"If it's something important, you can just go and tell him. You really don't have to be so solemn with us. I promise you."

There was a small silence between the two of them before Junmyeon deflated like a drilled balloon.

"I'm sorry if I make you feel awkward. This is how I've been taught. And I haven't seen a lot of nymphs in my life, to be honest. I'm always with the elves so I'm not used to you like some others. And I also know that Jongin is too shy with me so I don't want to aggravate him."

Kibum put his cheek in his hand, leaning on his elbow with a soft smile.

"It's not easy," Junmyeon continued, "I have to hide things that happen to me from my very best friend in this world, because I'm not allowed to talk about you to elves. I'm trying my best. I'm a bit jealous of Jongdae because he's so young and he's friend with you and I can't, because I feel like a bother. And I know-... I know if I try to stay with you more, it's going to be even more difficult for me to be in the castle and to never mention you by mistake in a conversation. So I'm a bit lost in all of this, you see."

Junmyeon was looking at his own lap with a saddened face. He felt something soft brush his head and straightened up to realize Kibum had kissed his hair. That made him go all red.

"You're doing great, Junmyeon."

"Thank you," he croaked.

The fairy took a deep breath before standing up again, looking at Kibum with determined eyes.

"But I want you to know you have a friend inside the castle, if you ever need anything. I have heard of what happened to Jongin last time and I am very sorry that I wasn't around to help. I was wishing for him to get better and I hope that from now on, you won't hesitate to call me if you need protection."

"Jongin is doing far better these days, don't you worry for him."

Junmyeon nodded a few times, happy about that information.

"I-... Should I also-... Do you know that you have been seen a few times too?"

"I do. Are you referring to the presents I received?"

Another nod from Junmyeon. Kibum smiled brightly.

"I asked the forest, you know... I wanted to see an elf for so long, please don't blame me. I didn't mean to be seen at first, but then I was all over Prince Jonghyun-..."

Kibum abruptly stopped himself, his cheeks suddenly growing incredibly red as he looked at the fairy with something like panic in his eyes. But Junmyeon shook his head slowly.

"I knew about it. I never said a word. I would never, you can be assured of it."

The nymph still took a few steps back, his eyes cast downwards with shame.

"I promise, I will never reveal you," Junmyeon insisted softly.

Kibum hid behind his hands, chewing on his lips.

"I-... Hum. Anyway, you... don't need to worry."

The nymph was withdrawing himself more and more and Junmyeon decided that it was his cue to leave him alone and not embarrass him further.

"Then, I won't take on much more of your time. I could maybe try to find Jongdae and Jongin, if you say it's alright. I still have to pinch that fairy's ears," he said, trying to sound casual and ease the clumsiness of the nymph. "Can you believe that I have to chase him across the whole forest because this nitwit whined so much about his lessons being too hard on him that a faun heard him and seemed very concerned about us mistreating him? He took advantage of the moment when I was explaining the situation to that gentleman, to buzz off. Unbelievable."

Taemin's lessons had lasted forty-seven more minutes on that day, because he couldn't keep himself from asking a ton of questions and more details about the habits and customs of leprechauns and how it had taken so long for them to get the part of land they established their main village in. The prince was deeply involved in his studies and was the first to be actually surprised about it. He never paid that much attention to his education during his childhood and couldn't be bothered to learn so much about the stories of their people. Now that he was in that enchanting forest, everything seemed impossibly more interesting and the smallest and most boring little details about a company of gnomes could keep him entertained for hours.

He had asked for book recommendations from his teacher as he planned to ask Jonghyun if they could go visit the library that they passed by so many times. It seemed colossal and he was very curious about how the inside would look like. Plus he definitely wanted to borrow books explaining more about centaurs because he was fascinated with these creatures.

He walked back to the castle, books in hands, eager to rejoin with his fiancé and know what the other had been up to this morning. Jonghyun had whined a bit during breakfast about having to discuss many matters on that day, with too many people, in his opinion. It was always hilarious for Taemin to just watch him complain about leprechauns and their very detailed way of talking. Apparently, they liked to give a lot of unnecessary information instead of focusing on the actual problems that they had, resulting in the prince losing two hours of his precious time over some idiotic little discord that, according to him, could have been resolved in five minutes if they would stop discussing every damn word he was saying.

"Can you please stop with this nonsense?"

Taemin stopped in his tracks, eyes widening as he recognized Jonghyun's voice coming from somewhere near him. He couldn't see the prince, but the hint of annoyance and anger in his voice was something totally foreign to Taemin. He had never heard the other being so impatient and upset.

"What do you mean by 'nonsense'? This is everything but nonsense. This is necessary and important."

Minho's voice was bewildered. And slightly hurt, it seemed.

For a moment, Taemin stood there, looking around, until he finally saw the open window, a few meters away from him. He hesitated for a while, but just as he was about to turn around, convinced that whatever this conversation was about, he shouldn't eavesdrop, the next words kept him in place.

"I won't force elves to learn faerish. I won't. My parents won't either. Just stop with this."

Taemin blinked a few times, feeling an intense curiosity tangled with awful guilt bloom in his stomach. Jonghyun sounded so tired and pissed off, as if this was the last conversation he wished to have that day.

"But it's crucial, why can't you understand that?"

"Minho, for the love of all that is holy, will you please understand that there's no use in this. None. Elves cannot learn faerish. It won't happen. I won't spend time and energy on some impossible achievement and give hopes to all our children for your unreachable dream."

Minho gritted his teeth and let out a hard breath.

"It is not impossible."

"Yes. It is. And I'm sorry but it's time for you to accept it."

"Just because you couldn't do it doesn't mean-..."

"This isn't about me!"

They glared at each other for a while and Jonghyun closed his eyes for a second, imploring the Gods to give him more patience.

"It is not about me," he repeated in a low voice. "It's about every damn person you ever promised to teach faerish to, who ended up unable to hear them. You tried and tried again and you failed and I'm sorry. I know that it's painful to you, I know that you want to make things right but we aren't able to do that."

"Minseok can. He hears them. It's possible."

Jonghyun struck his fist on the table, making Taemin jump in the garden, as he was still listening, his cheeks red and mouth agar.

"Stop using Minseok as an example. He's far more sensitive than any of us and after all this time he can still only hear them. We have no clue how he even achieved such a thing, and no matter all you did, he can't understand, nor talk faerish or even learn it. He's not the sacred proof that we, elves, are able to learn faerish."

"Minseok also wasn't provided a good learning time and efficient lessons. Of course it's difficult and it requires dedication but it is worth the effort. The forest is worth the damn effort."

Minho's voice was getting louder with exasperation, while Jonghyun was losing all his patience.

"It's not difficult, it's out of reach. What more proof do you need to accept that? You even got Taemin hooked on this. He's so enthusiastic at the idea of learning faerish that I couldn't-... I couldn't break it to him and he's going to eat a damn wall and it's going to be on you and I'm seriously angry at you for this. You promised him so much and he has no idea where he is heading with this madness."

"This isn't madness. There's also me. Am I not a good enough proof that elves can speak faerish? If you could just-..."

"No! You're not and you know it. You aren't like us Minho! It's about time you just learn to live with it."

A deep and painful silence followed Jonghyun's outburst. The two friends looked at each other with pleated eyes and furrowed eyebrows.

"It's because you're so persuaded that you won't succeed that you keep failing," Minho finally said in a raged breath.

"I, and every other elf who actually tried because we were fascinated by fairies, keep failing because we're not supposed to speak the languages of spirits. You talk about how much it is crucial in order to protect the forest better, but didn't you ever think about the fact that maybe the forest doesn't want us to be that intimate with spirits? Maybe we aren't supposed to get so close to them."

Minho blinked at that, his mouth opening without any sound leaving it.

"I don't want to hear any more of this. And you will have to talk to Taemin, apologize for misleading him and hope that he won't get too sad over it or so help me."

They glared at each other, until Minho straightened up, eyes cast on the ground. He had so much more things to say, but he was well-aware that getting further with this conversation now wouldn't help his case. The way Jonghyun had kept interrupting him made him terribly mad.

"I will talk to Prince Taemin then."

He his heels and left the room before he could change his mind and argue some more on all of this. He was so certain that he was right, he knew that if elves could open themselves to the fairies, it would made so many things easier. Yet, as he was going down the stairs to leave the castle, he couldn't help but think back on Jonghyun's last argument and feel doubt creeping in his stomach.

In the garden, left alone back in a total silence, Taemin breathed out a sigh. His heart was beating a little bit too fast and he could feel a weight in his stomach, from the culpability of spying on the two others. Even though it was by accident. He knew that he should have gone away, or at least make himself known. But the curiosity had been too strong, and now he was left glued to the ground, questions spurting in his mind and a twinge of sadness growing in his heart.

Jongin and Jongdae were sitting high on one of those immense trees that grew South of the forest. The nymph liked to climb there sometimes because it was so much more quiet and closer to the sky. And Jongin loved the sky, especially during autumn afternoons when it was changing colors early. They had found a honeycomb in an acacia not so far away from the lake he had been playing with Kibum prior that day. After asking the bees as politely as he could, he had received honey in a curved leaf and transported it carefully in his two hands up to the lovely spot where they were now sat on.

"It's so sad that it isn't the season for strawberries anymore. Strawberries go well with honey," Jongin sighed, still wiggling his with happiness as he soaked one finger deep in honey before on it.

"But we could try to find some walnuts. Those are great with honey too!" Jongdae said with a smile.

Jongin looked at him with interest, before pouting.

"Yes, but I'm too lazy now to go find some."

His friend pleated his eyes a bit, seemingly in deep thoughts.

"I could go get some. If you promise that you won't eat all the honey while I'm away."

"I can't promise something like that," Jongin immediately answered with a light chuckle as he some more flowers nectar from his finger. "'Guess we'll find walnuts first next time."

Jongdae grumbled a bit but didn't add anything else and they ate in peace and silence for a moment. The fairy kept nodding his head from time to time since they met a few hours before, and when it almost made him fall into their food, Jongin finally voiced his worry.

"Jongdae, is everything alright? Are you hurt?"

The fairy sighed, and stuffed his face with some more honey.

"It's just Junmyeon. He's trying to reach me."

"Why? Something's wrong? Shouldn't you answer to him?"

Jongdae was his palms and shrugged, not really wanting to have this conversation. But then he nodded again randomly.

"Why do you shake your head like that? It's weird."

"He's trying to trigger our telepathic link but I can't be bothered."

"That's not really nice of you, he must be worried. Why are you avoiding him?"

Jongdae rolled his eyes and turned away a bit. Jongin tapped on his head with one finger, making him whine.

"Fine, fine. I should actually be studying now but I didn't want to and I escaped when he wasn't looking."

Jongin opened his mouth, just about to reprimand Jongdae's attitude towards Junmyeon, when a sudden sound made him jump and almost drop his precious leaf. He turned around a few times before remembering that they were situated near the top of that huge tree, and the sound most likely came from below them.

"Uh, whatch is tchat?" Jongdae murmured, shoving even more honey in his mouth while Jongin's attention was somewhere else.

Jongin slowly kneeled on his branch, putting one hand over the trunk next to him before trying to look at the ground. There were a few more unusual sounds and when he finally recognized them, a small smile bloomed on his lips.

"They're making music."

Jongdae stopped himself in his feast, wiping his hands on the tree as much as he could before flying around excitedly.

"Ooh, should we go listen closer? It sounds so nice."

The words had barely left his mouth that he regretted them. He saw the confusion and slight fright on Jongin's face.

"W-well..."

The nymph blinked twice, and Jongdae could almost see the anxiety building up in him.

"I'm sorry, we don't have to," the fairy whispered. "Let's just eat our honey and enjoy it from here."

Jongin closed his eyes and took a deep breath before casting a glance to the ground. They were really sitting far up the tree.

"Maybe... we could go down only a little bit?" Jongin offered shyly. "Just so we hear better."

Before Jongdae could argue and assure that they didn't have to, the nymph was climbing down a few branches and the fairy was forced to follow, hoping he didn't push the other into a situation that would once again fall out of control. He thought of how much Junmyeon and Kyungsoo would yell at him if he were to put Jongin in an anxiety mode again and hoped for the best.

Jongin stopped himself on a branch a few meters away from the ground, where the foliage was still dense enough to hide him. He peeked at the ground cautiously, trying to see who was playing that instrument he never heard.

"Can you see who's doing it?"

Jongdae flew around for a moment before coming back with a smile so wide it brightened his whole face.

"It's a faun," he said with an excited tone, still as quietly as he could. "Of course, it's a faun! Oh, I love to hear them play!"

The nymph pinched his lips and hung on the tree, wiggling to see the scene a bit better. But the faun was apparently sitting right beneath him and with all those branches, he couldn't possibly peek at him without making himself heard or seen, which took a pout out of him.

Then, the music stopped. Jongdae opened his mouth, most likely to complain about it, but Jongin covered his lips with one hand as he noticed another faun approaching from afar. The nymph tried to stay as still as possible, fully aware that the two creatures were perfectly able of perceiving him completely.

Jongin had seen a faun only once before. Even though they were spirits too, he didn't stumble onto them that much. Kibum and himself saw one, a few years ago in a clearing. The faun had been surrounded by animals circling him while he was playing a flute, and while Jongin had stayed behind to observe, Kibum immediately came to him, singing to accompany the melody.

"Ah, it's you!"

An uncomfortable silence followed those few words and Jongin wondered why this other faun suddenly came out of nowhere with that.

"You're still playing the same song! Can't you just learn another one?" He called out with a laugh.

The faun was quite small, two twisted and large horns peeking out of his black hair. His curls were so long, Jongin could barely see his pointy ears lost in them. The nymph particularly liked the way fauns walked, always wiggling a bit on their furry goat- or deer-like legs.

The spirit disappeared under the branches, probably coming closer to the one who played music earlier, and Jongin and Jongdae couldn't see him anymore. Still, Jongin heard them.

"Well, I'm trying-..."

The other voice was only a quiet stutter and it made Jongin so sad.

"Ah, you should stick to the flute you know. It's easier when you have no talent!"

The faun cackled, clapping his hands together as he jumped around the other one, tousling his hair and trying to reach for his harp.

His tone was light; the fact that he was saying such horrendous things with hilarity made Jongin's stomach twist with nervousness. Meanwhile, Jongdae finally managed to get out of the nymph's grip and flew next to his ear.

"What's happening?" He asked as softly as he could.

"I'm not sure," Jongin mouthed in faerish.

Jongdae noticed his wary face and closed his mouth, waiting and trying not to disturb him. He couldn't understand yet the spirit language that the fauns were speaking, and crossed his arms on his chest with a somber pout.

"But I like the harp better, it's nice. I'll manage it... I-... I can do it." the other faun tried to defend himself.

The brunet just laughed even louder, as he hit the other's head.

"Silly, you can't! You can't do anything! You can't even grow proper horns. Just give up already."

Jongin thought about melting in the tree and go away now, because that newcomer made him feel terrible just by speaking to someone else. But the pain and sensitivity he could feel around, that wasn't his, made him stay. He wondered why a faun would talk to another this way.

"I will! I will grow horns!" The faun cried out, a bit louder this time. "Just you wait, I will!"

The brunet just fell on the ground laughing.

"Oh, you're really something. One can't be bored with you around."

Jongin frowned and fisted his hands, trying to find a way to make this unpleasant creature go away right this instant. But he couldn't come up with any idea that wouldn't put him into sight. And he was definitely not ready to face such an rude being.

"The hornless giant, thinks he's so brilliant, but he's just a mess, for real he's useless," the brunet started to sing in a melodious voice. "Oh will he ever learn, to stop looking so stern, Oh will he stop to mourn, for a proper set of horns, He can't have any, he's far too whiny..."

Jongin's breathing stopped at that atrocious song that made his heart ache for the poor creature being mocked. Jongdae next to him could hear the spirit's sweet and soft singing, even if he wasn't able to understand it. But as he saw his friend's face painted in horror, he didn't dare to praise the perfect voice.

"I could pity him, but it's far too funny, to see him so grim..."

His voice was fading as the faun bounced away from the tree, his insufferable laugh still ringing around for a few seconds.

Jongin felt Jongdae's little fingers poking him on the shoulder, as the fairy was curious of his bewildered expression.

"What happened? What happened? Tell me."

Jongin looked at him with sad eyes as he twisted his fingers in doubt. The nymph sighed and slowly went down his tree, under the very astonished and lost gaze of his fairy friend.

"Jongin, wait..."

Jongin turned around the tree, tilting his head just a bit to spy at the faun still there. The creature was curled up on a rock, and seemed to be shaking lightly. Was he crying?

"The other one-... he was very rude...," the nymph whispered faintly to Jongdae.

The fairy send him a curious look, blinking awkwardly.

"Was he? Really?"

"Who's there?"

The weak voice made Jongin tense completely as he looked at Jongdae with fright. The fairy put his two tiny hands on his mouth and cringed, cursing himself silently. For a moment, the nymph thought about disappearing into the enormous tree next to him and escape far away. But the sobbing sigh he heard next made him pinch his lips.

He tiptoed just a bit closer, enough to look again around the trunk, and was met with two big and bright pitch black eyes. The faun had a flattened small nose, and long, curious and droopy ears coming out of his fluffy red hair. He sniffed, wiping his eyes with a big hand before putting his arm back around his fuzzy ginger deer legs.

"Oh, you're a nymph," he said with a sad and soft voice.

Jongin swallowed with some difficulty before nodding, unable to make any sound. They just stared at each other for a moment, before the nymph finally found enough courage to approach him and stop hiding behind his tree. He still stood right next to it, leaning against the wood as he waddled from one foot to the other, his eyes on the ground.

"I-... We-... We thought it was lovely," Jongin muttered in faerish for Jongdae to understand. "Your song."

The faun opened his mouth but didn't form any word.

"I'm Jongin," the nymph continued, trying not to pay attention to his heart beating like crazy and the redness he knew was appearing on his face. "And... that's-... that's my friend Jongdae."

He shyly pointed at the fairy sat on his shoulder. Jongdae offered a gentle smile to the faun.

"I think you play the harp very well," Jongin murmured, feeling more and more awkward.

He wasn't sure if he was saying the good things and he didn't want the faun to feel even more terrible. But he couldn't just let him think that he was as worthless as that other faun said.

"Thank you," the faun whispered.

Jongin looked up to him and saw his pained smile. He came closer, very slowly and warily, until he stood right in front of the red haired creature. The nymph kneeled in front of his petite frame. The faun was indeed taller than the one who had been there few moments before, but he was still so small next to Jongin that the nymph couldn't understand why the other would call him a giant.

Without a word, Jongin put his hands gently in the red locks. He could feel under his fingers the timbered roots of the faun's horns, tangled and fragile. He breathed out and rubbed the pulp of his fingers on them, feeling them grow leisurely.

The faun had a choked hiccup at the feeling but said nothing as he stared at the nymph in awe. Jongdae was also uncharacteristically quiet, witnessing the scene.

Jongin finally stopped when the two horns were large enough to point out of the hair nicely.

"They'll continue to grow by themselves now, don't you worry. They were just a bit too trapped," he said as gently as he could.

His voice was calm and casual, as if he didn't perform some kind of miracle for the faun. Jongin was taken aback when he saw tears escaping the faun's eyes.

"Thank you," the creature breathed out.

"It's okay, please don't cry. Don't cry."

The faun sniffed again, trying to stop his tears with his large hands.

"What's your name?"

"Chanyeol."

Jongin his hair again calmly.

"Well then Chanyeol... Don't cry. And don't think back on what that faun told you. Don't think about it. Not even for a second. Because he was wrong."

Chanyeol was doing all he could to control his sobs as he nodded a few times.

"I'll try," he squealed. "I'll try. Thank you so much."

"Please continue to play the harp. I'll come to hear you play."

The faun stared at him with so much gratitude in his shiny orbs that Jongin couldn't help but grin.

"I'll come too," Jongdae exclaimed, not wanting to be ignored any further. "I thought it was lovely. I'll come hear you. I'll bring friends too."

A shy smile finally bloomed on Chanyeol's face.

"You really thought... that it was okay?"

"I wouldn't lie to you," Jongin whispered.

A sudden whizzing sound buzzed in the two spirits ears and Chanyeol frowned, looking around himself with uncertainty. But before he could voice any concern, they all spot the small form coming their way. Jongdae had no time to dodge when the other fairy hit him full force. Jongin couldn't contain a small laugh.

"Jongdae! Oh, you obnoxious flea!"

Junmyeon's eyes were wide open with fury and reproach as he locked Jongdae's head in his arms, both of them wrestling in the air. Jongdae tried to bite him, Junmyeon pulled at his ears and they both fell on the ground, rolling on leaves and kicking each other.

"Aaah," Jongdae cried out, "let go, let go!"

Junmyeon had finally stopped as he sat on the other's back, pulling at his tiny right leg.

"How dare you?" He said, out of breath. "How dare you not only skip your lessons, but also leave me like that? Who do you think you are?"

Jongdae cried even louder and when Chanyeol made a move to intervene, Jongin stopped him with an anxious stare.

"Jongdae kind of deserved that. I guess...," he murmured softly in their own language. "Besides, I don't think Mister Junmyeon is really hurting him."

Chanyeol bit his lips but didn't dare to insist.

"I was here with Jongin," Jongdae pouted. "I was taking care of my very important nymph friend! He needed me so much!"

His excuse seemed to infuriate Junmyeon even more.

"Kibum told me everything, don't bother lying!"

He still froze for a second, and without letting go of Jongdae, he turned his small head to the faun and the nymph next to them. His cheeks reddened a bit.

"My dears, I am very sorry to appear in front of you like that. I need to educate this troublesome fairy better. I hope he wasn't of any bother to you."

Jongdae finally freed himself from the other's lock and rolled on the side, blinking rapidly to get his balance back. Junmyeon take the opportunity to catch him back by his wrist before bowing very low to the two spirits.

"Jongdae is never a bother to me," Jongin said quietly. "I appreciate his company, but I'm sorry that he abandoned you to join me. I tried to tell him that he should have told you, but-... hum..."

Junmyeon slowly turned his head towards Jongdae, with eyes so round he looked like a fish.

"So even when a nymph tries to put some sense into you, you dare to disobey! What am I gonna do with you?"

Jongdae just plainly pouted at him.

"The lessons are boring," he just said, matter-of-factly. "I'd rather have some adventures with Jongin. If I had been to my lessons today, we wouldn't have met Chanyeol here and everybody would be very miserable. Am I right?"

He turned to the two spirits, searching for some kind of help and support.

"I would have been, indeed," Chanyeol whispered with big eyes. He then saw Junmyeon's troubled stare and added, "I'm sorry."

The fairy puffed.

"Don't be, dear. It's alright. I'm glad Jongdae was of use for once. I'm Junmyeon by the way, High Fairy of the Council and Counselor in the castle of Melalhil."

Jongdae rolled his eyes at the title he found quite idiotic.

"As to you," Junmyeon threatened, his focus back on Jongdae. "If you don't go to your lessons, I'll take you with me in the castle and I'll make sure you stay put and read your books even if I have to stay next to you all day for that!"

Jongdae became livid and he stopped trying to free his arm from Junmyeon's grip.

"You wouldn't dare!" He yelled

"Or so you think!"

Jongdae let himself fall on the ground dramatically, dragging Junmyeon with him, as he whined even louder.

"I don't wanna go to the castle, it's full of elves!"

Jongin and Chanyeol both hid a laugh at that, and the nymph couldn't deny he deeply sympathized with Jongdae on that threat.

"Then, go to your lessons!" Junmyeon grunted.

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Hello everyone!

I've been able to write a lot those last few weeks so I'm very glad I could post today and not wait next saturday. I hope that you liked this chapter & that you'll all continue to enjoy reading this story.

An enormous thank you to all the precious souls leaving comments down there, thank you to everyone suscribing on this story, thank you to every single person reading it. ♥♥

'see you in two weeks.