Chapter 7 : About Choi Minho

.

Minho let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes as his feet finally stopped. He was standing still, right next to a river and the soft sound of water running on rocks appeased his nerves a bit. The forest was quiet around him, as if it could sense that he needed calm. He could only hear the peaceful noises of animals here and there.

He had just tried to contact Junmyeon, because he really needed to rant about what happened with Jonghyun some minutes ago; but Junmyeon had answered that he was too busy to come, apparently chasing that fairy who he couldn't manage to educate and who made him want to poke his eyes out with irritation more often than not. And so, Minho was here alone, trying to find some serenity for his troubled mind.

He really wished to talk about that matter with his fairy friend. He wanted to be sure that he was right to insist, because Jonghyun had instilled doubts in him for the first time.

It wasn't exactly common for the two friends to fight. They did argue a lot and would bicker, disagree and try to convince the other. But for them to raise their voices, for Jonghyun to interrupt him... Minho wasn't used to this.

He was taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm his raging heart; Jonghyun's words were still ringing in his ears.

'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 opened his eyes again, his gaze focusing on the enormous roots of the trees nearby, which formed some kind of arches over the waterway at his feet. The sunlight was falling so delicately through the branches that it seemed that the place was bathed in a magical mist. He started to walk again, following the river's flow as his eyes wandered around.

He tried to sort his thoughts, to find out how he would break the news to the prince Taemin, who had been so eager and delighted to learn faerish someday. He wondered how he would bring the subject up, knowing that he couldn't avoid it after promising Jonghyun that he would take responsibilities for it.

Soon enough, Minho wasn't looking at his surroundings anymore as he fell back down to his dark concerns. He walked a little further, his feet always following the river, trying to put some meanings in all of that, hoping that the forest would somehow answer him.

It actually took him a few minutes to hear it. There was a feathery sound coming from somewhere not so far away from him. When he finally perceived it, all bad thoughts left his mind at once, leaving him blinking and searching for the source of the softest, most delicate and velvety melody that he had ever listened to.

"You were a storm and I a sail..."

He could hear a voice, but he couldn't understand at all what it was saying. Maybe he was too far away. Before he could try to think about it, he found himself walking a bit faster, searching.

"Caught in the middle of you..."

Minho stumbled over a root and barely had time to hold himself against the nearest tree to not fall head first into the lake in front of him. The voice still resonated in the air.

"I was a fool and my heart it fell, in and around you..."

The elf could feel his heart beating a little bit faster, fascinated and enchanted by the sweet and tender voice. A frown appeared on his face as he realized that he still couldn't understand what it was singing.

"Trembling there in the midst of truth, I would have lost myself in your waves..."

Minho knew elvish, faerish, kentaur, leprechaunish and a few other languages that were used in this forest, still he couldn't tell what the fainting voice was saying.

Then it stopped, leaving the elf's mouth hanging and his mind clouded. He looked around the lake, but saw nothing. No one. Not a whisper, not a shadow. Only a ripple on the water. Minho's eyes went wide when he noticed a sparkle, a few meters away from him.

A fish was swimming to him. It was the biggest fish that he had ever seen in his life. His scales were so peculiar that the elf wouldn't have been able to tell their color. It was something between blue and green, a bit teal, and so bright. The animal was immense, swimming in rounds next to him, sometimes turning its head at him before hiding away. And coming back.

Suspicion crept its way into Minho's heart as his eyes couldn't leave the playful fish. It looked so unusual. It took only a blink of his eyelids for the fish to disappear and he held out his hand with a gasp, searching frantically for the beautiful creature.

"Where did you go?" He caught himself whispering to the wind.

He saw small waves coming from his right and turned his head before freezing completely on his spot. There, three meters away from him, stood a nymph. The spirit was motionless, the lower half of his body covered by the water while he tried to hide his torso in the high plants coming out from the shore. His cheeks were red and he was biting his lower lip, but his eyes were full of curiosity as he stared at the elf.

Minho couldn't contain a small and tender smile. He could recognize the pale skin, pouty lips and bright eyes of that nymph very well. It was the one spirit whom he had seen countless of times these last few months. The one who seemed to like following and looking at Jonghyun every day of the year.

"You speak faerish."

Minho's jaw fell open when he heard the shy and trembling voice coming his way. The nymph seemed to be struggling between his intense interest over Minho and his obvious wish to hide himself away.

"Will you talk to me?" Kibum asked.

Minho blinked stupidly a few times before he swallowed his awe and tried to find back some words.

"If you want me to, I will. Gladly," he attempted to articulate.

The nymph's eyes glowed with happiness as he offered him a blinding smile. But then he withdrew himself a bit, twisting his fingers. He turned his head, stared at the water, then looked around the lake, before his attention went back to Minho. He did that a few times, fidgeting with uncertainty.

"I-... I never talked to an elf," the nymph stammered with a blush. "I can't really speak elvish. Only a few words, I think. I'm very curious of you. So if you can speak faerish-... then I-..."

He stopped himself and put his hands on his cheeks, realizing he had been blabbering about himself.

"You don't have to, though...," he added in a pained voice.

Kibum's eyes fell on the surface of the lake once again. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. He should have gone away, probably. That's what Jongin would have done without even thinking about it. But Choi Minho could speak faerish and he was Jonghyun's closest friend and now that they were here alone, Kibum had just thought that it was such an incredible opportunity. He wanted to talk about so many things with elves and that one was looking at him with so much gentleness in his eyes that it made him feel safe. A bit.

"I'm honored that you want to discuss with me," came the caring answer. "I never talked to a nymph either. You are a nymph, right?"

Kibum's smile came back immediately and he even dared to come just a tiny bit closer, going away from the branches still hiding him.

"Yes. I'm Kibum," he introduced himself.

Minho's eyes were detailing him with reverence, as if he couldn't believe this moment was indeed happening. It made Kibum feel dizzy and satisfied.

"I am delighted to meet you, Kibum."

"I am delighted too, Choi Minho. I saw you already, but I couldn't-... I didn't come to talk. A fairy told me that you are Choi Minho. Is that right?"

"Yes, it is," Minho answered in a chuckle, still amazed by that chatty little nymph.

"The first time that I saw you, I thought that you were really pretty. I still think so. Elves are very handsome. I really like your ears. They're lovely."

The elf couldn't contain a laugh. Kibum seemed to have overcome his previous timidity and was now just saying everything that came through his mind.

"Well, thank you. I don't think we come even close to nymphs in term of beauty though."

"Oh yes," Kibum immediately answered, with a serious expression. "I'm very pretty myself. And my friend too; he is so magnificent that lots of creatures can't even talk to him. But there's something about you elves-... I really think it's the ears. I like you better than others creatures."

"We're very lucky then."

Kibum nodded a few times, his eyes still sparkling at Minho.

"I saw you before too," Minho suddenly admitted.

The nymph went a little bit paler, an anxious frown forming on his face.

"Have you?" he asked quietly

"Sometimes I perceived you around the castle."

Minho could see the fear growing in Kibum's orbs and he wondered exactly why the other was being so scared. But he wouldn't dare to ask.

"Actually, I left you presents... Did you get them? They were wrapped in leaves. I just... couldn't bring myself to bother you by talking to you."

Worries and concerns vanished completely from Kibum's aura and his face brightened impossibly. He came even closer, now only a meter away from Minho.

"It was you? Really? I got four of them."

Minho's face cracked into a big smile.

"Yes it was me. The four of them. I'm very glad you got them. Did you like them?"

"I did!" Kibum exclaimed. "I love them so much. They're very elegant. I keep them preciously in my home. It made me so happy to have presents, I am very grateful, Choi Minho."

The nymph turned around in the water, wiggling as if he couldn't contain his excitement at the mere thought of his presents.

"If I had knew that you'd be so happy, I would have left some sooner."

Kibum laughed at that.

"Will you keep giving presents to me?"

"Of course."

"I'm so happy. I'm so glad I came talk to you today."

Kibum swam around, his giggle bouncing around them with the sounds of the small waves that he was making. He stopped again, even closer to Minho. From there, the elf could even see the sparks of black in the nymph's blue eyes and the pearly texture of his skin.

"Oh but...," Kibum suddenly whispered with a mysterious tone. "Will you tell me what they are?"

"Yes, and I can show you how to use them too."

"I can use them? They have a use?!"

The nymph was dumbfounded.

"Yes they do. You can put one of them in your hair, for example."

Kibum crossed his arms, biting his lips again.

"Then, next time we meet, I can bring them with me. And you can teach me all about them, is that okay? Will you meet me again?"

"I'll meet with you as long as you want to see me."

"You are so nice Choi Minho. I really like you."

Minho shook his head lightly, still having a hard time realizing that he met a spirit who was so eager to learn from him. He already thought he had been blessed to see him all those times, but now his gratitude towards the forest exceeded everything.

"You are very kind and charming too, Kibum. And you can just call me "Minho", by the way. No need for the Choi."

"Just Minho?" Kibum repeated, "okay then... Just Minho. Are you my friend now, Minho?"

"It would be my pleasure."

The answer seemed to satisfy the nymph to no end. Kibum put his elbows on the water as if it was a table cupping his own face in his hands as he looked at his new friend with a mix of mischief and adoration.

"I'm so glad I came to talk to you," he repeated in a whisper.

A light wind came rustling through Jongin's hair, making him smile widely. He turned around to the entrance of their home just in time to see Kibum waltzing his way to his pond.

"You seem in a good mood," Jongin chuckled, approaching rapidly on his tip-toes before sitting on the shore.

He let his feet drown in his friend's pond and looked at him curiously.

"I do. I'm feeling fantastic!" Kibum blurted out. "I made a new friend today!"

"Oh, really? Me too!" Jongin immediately squealed.

The exclamation made Kibum freeze as he looked at his friend, bewildered.

"You made a friend?" He repeated, blinking slowly.

"Yes, I did."

Suddenly, the excitation of telling Jongin about Minho disappeared and he was far more eager to hear everything about who Jongin met. It was an event far rarer than talking to an elf. It was unheard of, amazing. And it filled Kibum with happiness and pride.

"Tell me all about it, now!" He cried out, coming closer.

Jongin had a shy laugh at that and then undertook to tell him the whole story of his afternoon with Jongdae. He started from the moment they asked the bees for honey, and continued on to the moment Junmyeon pulled Jongdae by the ear back to their village, up to the minute he finally parted ways with Chanyeol as they promised to meet again soon.

"I promised I would introduce you, will you be okay with it? Chanyeol is really talented, you're gonna love his music."

Kibum, who had punctuated Jongin's whole speech with gasps and laughs and questions, now gave him a large smile.

"But of course. Of course, I'm gonna meet him. I like fauns, they're always so funny."

"And he talked to me normally," Jongin said softly, "he's really nice and kind."

"This makes me so happy for you. What a good day today is, really."

Jongin threw water at his face to calm down a bit the excited giggles his friend was letting out.

"And so, it's your turn. Who did you meet?"

Kibum swam around, disappearing deep inside his pond as he wondered how to explain what happened to Jongin without scaring him. He seemed to only now remember how Jongin reacted to elves. But today was a good day. And they were both in good mood. Jongin would be okay.

"Well," he started, getting his head out of water. "It's a bit complicated, so please wait a bit and don't be scared.

Jongin immediately frowned.

"It makes me nervous when you say it like that."

"Sorry. It's-... I met an elf today."

Jongin squinted his eyes at him, pursing his lips.

"Did you-... Did you talk to your prince?"

Kibum rolled his eyes, throwing his arms in the air very dramatically with a whine.

"Of course not. If I had-... I wouldn't be talking about it so casually. I would be crying. Screaming! I don't even know if I would have made it back home alive. My prince! Such nonsense! I couldn't talk to him! I barely know five words of elvish, what would I have said? Never!"

Jongin laughed, throwing more water at Kibum.

"Okay okay, calm down now. I'm sorry. Who did you meet then?"

"I actually met the elf that offered me all my treasures. When I first talked to him, I didn't know it was him who gave them to me... but it turned out just so nicely."

"So you did talk to him? Who was it? How did you talk?"

Kibum bounced out of water to sit next to Jongin. He looked at his hands with a shy smile.

"It was Choi Minho. You remember him? He can talk faerish, so we talked in faerish."

Jongin remembered Choi Minho well. He hadn't seen him since the ball, because he had pointedly avoided to search for elves again and hadn't come back peeping on them with Kibum. But Choi Minho wasn't a person that one would forget so easily.

"I do remember. Was he nice to you? Were you okay?"

"He was very kind," Kibum assured in a gentle tone. "I was very anxious at first when he arrived at the lake. But I was so curious-... It was just him and me... and so I wanted to try."

Kibum could see the small nervous twitch of Jongin's mouth and eyes. He held out his hand to his friend's cheek lightly.

"We just talked a bit. He told me that he was the one who offered me those shiny objects. And I asked him if he would be okay to meet again."

"Aren't you scared? He could-... I don't know."

"No, I'm not. He was truly respectful to me, and very humble. It's nothing scary, I promise you. I won't ever invite him in our home, you don't have to be afraid to see him suddenly. I will only meet him in other places, when you'll be on adventures with Kyungsoo or Jongdae. Or Chanyeol. Is that okay?"

Jongin shrugged, his eyes blinking a bit too rapidly.

"I guess so. If he doesn't come here, it's alright for me. I hope you'll have a lot of fun with him."

Kibum frowned, his hand coming to comb Jongin's hair.

"Why are you upset?"

Jongin sighed and shook his head, but eventually deflated a bit. His lips formed a pout.

"It's just that-... you go to see your prince a lot. And I never come anymore because I'm-... I'm stupidly scared. But now you're going to meet with Choi Minho too and-... You're going to places and people where I can't follow you and so I'm-... It's already sad some days because I miss you. It would have been nice if you had been there with Jongdae and me today, to meet Chanyeol."

Kibum leaned against him, taking one of Jongin's hand in his.

"I understand. But I also think it's good for you to spend time alone with Jongdae. I think if I had been there today with you two, we would have had a lot of fun, but you wouldn't have achieved all that you did by talking to Chanyeol on your own. And I'm so very proud of you for that. I'll always be there with you and we'll do a lot of things and I want to meet Chanyeol and dance with you when he plays... I'll be more careful to spend time with you because I miss you too... But it's good that we're seeing different things on our own. It's nice so that on the evenings, like now, we can share our days and look forward to be reunited."

Jongin was still a bit pouty, but he nodded slowly, agreeing quietly. He knew very well that Kibum was right, still he didn't do well with changes.

"So, what do you say we eat a bit now?" Kibum asked, nudging his elbow a bit to lighten the mood.

"I'm okay with that. I'm very hungry."

A sudden huff startled them. The two nymphs jumped a bit, turning around to see Jinki laboriously flying with an enormous fabric in his hands. Even more gigantic considering his own height. He let it fall down next to Jongin and sat on it as he tried desperately to find back his breath. The red fabric fell undone, revealing a colossal whole grain bread.

"Hello gentlemen. I may... have stolen that thing... from the dwarves," Jinki breathed out. "I was hoping you'd have some nice stuff to put on it... like jam or something."

He gave a bright smile to the two spirits and Kibum just smirked at him. Jongin, on the other hand, immediately got up.

"I do, I do!" He yelled. "Kyungsoo offered me some berries jam he made last time, wait a minute!"

The days had gotten shorter by now. Taemin wasn't sure how long he had been in the forest; it seemed he arrived there only a minute ago, but at the same time, he felt like he had spend a few years here already. He was still very busy with his education, but had gotten the rhythm of it.

That afternoon, Jonghyun was busy in a political meeting with centaurs. The king and queen had first wished for Taemin to join those more or less important gatherings, but Jonghyun had come to his rescue over and over again. He seemed to always sense whenever Taemin was being reluctant to do something and would find the most clever and accurate excuses possible to justify his absences. He was still impossibly caring and attentive to his guest's well-being and constantly asked if Taemin needed anything. He would be careful not to push him into an activity Taemin didn't show any interest for and went out of his way to make every wish of his possible.

Taemin had thought from the first day that his future husband was an amazingly kind-hearted and considerate person. But, after a few weeks, he started to feel slight pangs at his heart. It was the way Jonghyun addressed him with his ever so soft voice, the way he looked at him with his shiny eyes and inquired about his feelings. It was the way he put his hand on Taemin's back to guide him somewhere, and how he always seemed to listen to him as if whatever Taemin was saying, it was the most important information he ever heard about. It was getting deeper with each passing day, his smiles were brighter now than a few weeks before. He would say his name in a way that was always gentle. And Taemin started to wonder if maybe, Jonghyun was courting him.

Sometimes he would shake his head as he blushed, and decide to forget about it because Jonghyun was simply that remarkably pleasant. Other times, he would look at the other prince for a little while and feel so much tenderness coming from Jonghyun that it made him dizzy. Then he didn't dare to breathe and would feel a crushing guilt oppress him. Because as exquisite as Jonghyun was, Taemin didn't feel any twinkle of love at all when he looked at him. He would feel reassured, protected, happy even, but not in love. And it scared him to think he might never feel that way towards the prince. It seemed even more horrible to think they might marry each other while one of them would have real feelings. And him not.

When those thoughts occurred, he had to fight some tears and breathe deeply. Then he pushed them away, in a dark corner of his mind, and tried to calm down by repeating himself that they still had close to ten months before the wedding. He still had time to finally love Jonghyun back. If Jonghyun was even already in love in the first place. Maybe they'd marry as friends, that would probably turn out to be the best outcome.

"Taemin?"

The prince blinked away his worries and turned around to greet Minho with a small smile.

"Yes?"

"Am I interrupting some important thoughts? I'd like to speak with you, if you're available. If not, it can wait until another appropriate time."

Minho was standing still, his arms clasped behind his back in a very solemn posture. Taemin took another few seconds to resituate himself before he motioned for him to sit. He had been drinking his afternoon tea in one of his favorite high gardens of the city. The sun was slowly going to sleep already and the scene was bathed in an apricot color.

It was only when Minho actually sat there, that the prince remembered the scene of them being here together, during the ball. It was only now that he remembered the bright pink hair and sun kissed skin of the spirit he once saw. It seemed strange to think back on it. It still felt like a dream.

"I'm all ears," Taemin finally answered. "I actually don't have any duty today. What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Minho took a long breath, trying to think back on the small monologue of explanations that he had prepared. Just as he was about to start, he heard Taemin's low voice.

"Oh."

Minho looked at him, one eyebrow raised in surprise at the uncomfortable expression on the prince's face.

"Are you alright?" Minho inquired.

Taemin wrinkled his nose and rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Is it about you not being able to teach me faerish?"

"How-...?" Minho stammered, blinking like an owl.

"I'm sorry," Taemin whispered quickly with red cheeks. "I happened to overhear your conversation with Jonghyun last week... It was an accident, I didn't mean to, I swear. I just didn't know how to tell you I spied on you unintentionally."

There was an awkward silent and Taemin didn't dare to look Minho in the eyes. Until he heard a small chuckle.

"Well then-...," Minho sighed. "I would like to apologize to you. I am very sorry for giving you hopes. I didn't mean any malice in that. As you probably heard, I am convinced that it would be possible for elves to learn faerish, but if Jonghyun is against the idea, I can't go against his wish. I hope you can forgive my boldness and I truly hope that it wasn't a cause of sadness to you."

"I was disappointed," Taemin admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "but I'm not sure I understand perfectly the situation on hands to be honest. As I told you already, we never exchanged with spirits back in the mountains. We don't even have hybrid species like fairies so it's not a matter that I totally grasp by now. I don't know why it's so important to you and Jonghyun to learn faerish or not. I'm just a bit sad that I can't hear you speak with Junmyeon."

Minho was struggling. Taemin could tell that the other wanted to insist. Maybe even propose that they'd try it in secret from Jonghyun. But he only nodded and gave him a bitter smile.

"You're not mad either at me or Jonghyun then?"

"I promise I'm not. Don't worry about me."

Minho thanked him and earned a playful smile from the prince. He had imagined so many different scenarios of Taemin being angry, or upset, or offended. Literally anything but an understanding and calm Taemin who winked at him. Somehow it bothered him a bit that the prince didn't fight against Jonghyun's wish and insisted on learning faerish anyway. It reinforced Minho's doubts over his legitimacy of being annoyed at Jonghyun.

"I really hope you two can come to an understanding," Taemin continued. "It was quite sad to hear you arguing like that. If I may ever help, you can come find me."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

Taemin turned for a second, taking the cup of tea next to him as his eyes fell back on the exact spot where he had seen his spirit, a few weeks prior. His mind drifted away before he suddenly sighed and looked at Minho again.

"I have a question. May I?"

Minho stared at him with a cryptic smile, and Taemin had this indescribable feeling that the other had read his mind this very second. The sensation beyond words that Minho knew exactly what he was about to ask. But as the elf slowly motioned for him to ask away, Taemin decided to go for it anyway.

"How come you can speak faerish if no elf can?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Taemin knew he had been right. He knew Minho was expecting this. Still, the older elf had let him speak, so he was probably okay with answering him.

"I have special powers, actually."

The atmosphere seemed to change around them. Taemin couldn't hear the faint noises of birds chirping next to them anymore. He stared at Minho with curiosity, waiting for more.

"Do you remember the day when you arrived here?" Minho asked, and Taemin immediately nodded.

"I couldn't forget a thing about it. What about that day?"

"When you arrived at the edge of the forest, you were led inside by Junmyeon and a fox."

Taemin blinked, his mouth falling open as he recalled all that happened and all that Junmyeon had said.

'My friend here came to help you, but he cannot speak in that form. So, I came too.'

"Were you the fox?" Taemin asked, his voice going acute with how ridiculous he thought his assumption was.

"Indeed. It was me."

Taemin gawked at him, and Minho only smiled back.

"Are you a shapeshifter?"

"No," Minho patiently answered. "I cannot take the form of a fox. But I am able to enter the minds of animals and see through their eyes. That's why I was unable to talk to you back then. I work best with foxes, but I can do it with a few others species too."

Taemin whistled softly in awe. He put his tea cup back down with trembling hands.

"What else can you do?"

"Well, I can speak faerish and I perceive spirits more easily than other elves. I can change my aura slightly so I am as well less noticeable. I can use telepathy to talk to fairies. And some others things."

They looked at each other for a few endless seconds. Taemin didn't dare to ask the question that burned his lips, but he wanted to know so badly.

"I-... I don't want to be rude," he tried tentatively. "You don't have to answer-..."

"You want to know what exactly I am?"

The prince cringed at his way of saying it, but shyly nodded.

"I'm a hybrid. I'm half-elf, and half-fairy," Minho admitted in a quiet voice, as if he was scared of what Taemin's reaction could be.

The prince only blinked twice before he shook his head with a frown.

"I'm sorry... what?"

"I was born from an elf mother and a fairy father, making me a hybrid of the two species. That's why I can speak faerish."

Taemin looked at him dumbly, his eyebrows rose so high on his forehead that they disappeared under his white locks.

"An elf and a... fairy? But the-... What?"

Minho suddenly laughed and the whole tension of the scene vanished. He hid his hilarity behind his hands, trying to catch back some breath as Taemin was now hitting him slightly.

"Are you-...? Were you kidding me?"

Minho shook his hands in front of him, calming down a bit.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't kidding you. It's just your face-... It's always the same. When people learn-... I can just see it on their faces. You were wondering how a 1m80 elf could have a baby with a 9cm fairy, weren't you?"

"Well, indeed, yes... I was wondering," Taemin admitted with a pout. "You can't blame me for finding it a bit difficult."

Minho sighed, his smile still brightening his whole face.

"Fairies can change form," he started to explain. "It's extremely rare that they do, but they can. Usually they do it out of love. The only cases that I heard of, were of fairies who, just like my father, fell in love with elves. Or even nymphs."

Taemin was listening religiously by now, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Fairies have extremely long lives. Even longer than elves. They have their own magic and powers. They can fly, as you know. When they decide to change form, they have to abandon their wings and most of their magic to become taller. It makes them much more fragile, and they live a shorter life after that. It takes so much of their magic to do it, that they can never go back... so, if not for a mutual love, there's no real reason that would make them want to change, I think."

An uncanny silence fell in the garden. The subject was too intimate and delicate, and the prince didn't know how to react. He started to imagine a love so strong that a fairy would give up on so much to live it. Then he realized how it explained Minho's stubbornness and his wish for at least his friends to learn faerish.

"That's why you care so much," Taemin whispered sadly, "that's why you're so involved in strengthening the relationships between fairies and elves."

"Indeed," Minho admitted. "I'm not exactly an elf, and not exactly a fairy. And sometimes, it's hard to find where I belong. So I want to make the pit between our two species less terrifying."

"Are there other hybrids like you in the city? Anyone who can relate and help?"

Minho pinched his lips, and Taemin wondered if he finally crossed the line were it would be too painful or uncomfortable for his friend to answer. Still, Minho replied before he could repeat that he shouldn't feel forced to share anything with him.

"No," his voice was low and tight,"as I told you, cases of fairies changing forms are extremely rare. I've only read about it or heard it from old fairies when I tried to learn more about myself."

"At least, you have your parents, right?"

Minho's smile became so sad that Taemin wished he could just take his words back immediately and never speak without thinking ever again.

"My father died before I was born. The transformation made him too weak in the times of wars. As for my mother, she doesn't speak anymore. I've been raised by my grandfather, mostly. Junmyeon was the one to teach me faerish. He's been looking after me since ever, I suppose. I think he was friends with my father, but we never actually talked about it. I'm really grateful for who I am and what I can do. I don't have any complaints. I've always been treated well in Melalhil and never got outcasted. I'm still trying to do my best to find my place and my purpose. I'm maybe too stubborn sometimes-... My point is that I've only ever tried to do things right and to find some meaning in why my existence was even possible. That's why I keep insisting with Jonghyun that elves might be able to learn faerish. If fairies can fall in love with elves and change their very existence and core for them, then an elf should be able to learn faerish."

"I think you do have a point with that."

A cheeky smile bloomed on Taemin's face and Minho whispered some thanks. The prince put one hand on the other's arm. It was something he had taken from Jonghyun. His fiancé had a thing for skinship, and would use any contact he could. It usually worked in making Taemin feel reassured and listened to. So he did just that.

"You know," Taemin started, his eyes getting lost somewhere in the clouds. His tone was cheerful, as he tried to lighten the mood again. "Next time I'm gonna see Junmyeon, I think I'll spend the whole time trying to imagine what he would look like if he were, like... 1m80."

Minho had a loud laugh at that.

"Are you kidding me? The thing is 9cm when all others fairies are at least 10cm. He'd probably be no taller than 1m60 even if he used the entirety of his impressive magic to grow."

.

.

.

Hello everyone,

Thank you again & forever for reading this story. I hope you'll continue to enjoy it always more :))

I have to warn you that the next chapter will very probably be a bit delayed due to my life being a total mess. I'm moving in and out, it's all very complicated but I won't get a good internet for a while so I'm not sure when I'll be able to post, but I will do everything I can so that in maximum 3 weeks, you'll get the next chapter.

Please please pretty please, I'd be super happy if you can leave a small comment about this last chapter. ♥

Everyone, take good care of yourselves. 'See you as soon as possible...