“Wake up, Woohyun!” a panicked voice yells, accompanied by soft hands shaking his arm. “Hurry, we’re going to miss the bus because of you!”

Woohyun bolts up. Oh no, they’re going to be late because of him. He hates being the cause of anything bad. For an overwhelming second, Woohyun sits disoriented because wait, this isn’t his room. His room isn’t painted white, or has painting on the walls, or contains loads of Myungsoo’s stuff.

Wait, he’s on vacation! Woohyun leaps out of bed, throwing his covers to the side, and darts into the bathroom. He splashes a handful of water on his face, squeezes a glob of toothpaste onto his toothbrush, and starts scrubbing away at his teeth.

“Ew,” Myungsoo comments, kneeling to the ground to tie his shoes. Woohyun spares his best friend one single glance. “You wear your clothes to sleep?”

Woohyun spits out the foam and rinse his mouth quickly. “Yeah,” he answers hurriedly, grabbing a comb and barely running it through his hair. “Makes it easier so I won’t have to change. Now come on, he's going to blow a gasket!”

Chuckling, Myungsoo grabs his rucksack and follows Woohyun down the stairs. They don’t bother taking the elevator; legs work much faster when you’re keeping someone waiting.

The lobby is exactly what Woohyun would expect of a five-star hotel: all pristine marble, polished so well that he can see his undistorted reflection in the floor tiles, and empty save for a few pieces of mahogany furniture and the lone worker at the front desk. Right now, however, Woohyun doesn’t have time to enjoy the aesthetics of it all; he hears echoes of the telltale tapping of a shoe against the floor. Woohyun winces as he spots short spiky hair. He prays the owner of the hair doesn’t turn around, but he’s heard his and Myungsoo’s footsteps and whirls around to face them.

“About ing time,” Lee Howon hisses, eyes flashing with irritation. “Nam Woohyun, you better be glad you made it on time, or else you’d be paying for our taxi. And you, Myungsoo,” he snaps, and Woohyun takes the chance to dive into the embrace of the bus.

He hopes Howon doesn’t murder Myungsoo - it hadn’t been Myungsoo’s fault, not really - but there they are now, coming up the steps and heading towards the back of the bus, where Woohyun had claimed seats. All the way, Woohyun can hear Howon’s angry voice, and Myungsoo seems to be trying to explain his side of the story, but to no avail. Woohyun holds back a laugh as Myungsoo plops down next to him, a hassled expression on his face.

“I swear, Myungsoo,” Howon complains, sitting down in an empty seat in front of them. “You should know how to get him up. Haven’t you two been friends since second grade?”

“You’ve known him since he was born!” Myungsoo argues, exasperated. “I can’t just climb into bed the way you do and whisper threats into his ear!”

“I do not do that!”

“I’ve seen you do it before! Remember that one time in kindergarten…”

The entire bus seems to be staring at his friends, and Woohyun plasters a bright smile onto his face, nudging Myungsoo’s foot with his own. Thankfully, his best friend gets the message and quickly cedes the argument to Howon, who settles down into his seat with a huff.

Myungsoo leans back against the scratchy fabric and closes his eyes. “I’m taking a nap,” he declares quietly, crossing his arms. “Don’t wake me up until we’re there.”

Woohyun smiles. Kim Myungsoo had indeed been his best friend since second grade, and Lee Howon had indeed known him since he was born. The three had met on the first day of third grade, and they quickly became close friends. Howon’s brash personality clashes with Myungsoo’s more docile tendency, but Woohyun knows that they would never - could never bear to - break off their friendship.

It’s funny, he thinks, turning his gaze from the sleeping Myungsoo (he needs some hair gel to get rid of those stray strands in front) to Howon, who’s on his phone (seriously, that boy needs to stop listening to music or he’ll go deaf). The difference between his friends is exactly what keeps the group together, and whether it’s Myungsoo, who could be his twin, or Howon, who acts like his mother, Woohyun is glad to have them in his life.

As the peaceful countryside rushes past, Woohyun finds himself dozing off against the window (are those really cows?), and suddenly, the next time he opens his eyes, Myungsoo is shaking his shoulder.

“Come on,” he mutters through his own sleep-haze. “Woohyun, we need to get off.”

Obediently, Woohyun follows Myungsoo down the aisle of the bus. Once they step off, Woohyun squeezes his eyes shut again. The sunlight burns his delicate eyeballs, and he feels like his body is melting from the heat.

“Aw, come on,” Myungsoo’s voice persuades weakly. “It’s not that bad.”

Woohyun cracks open his right eye. Howon stands shaded under a fragment of shadow, busy inserting film into his camera. Per usual, a stab of envy shoots through Woohyun’s heart, and he turns away.

Instead, he finds Myungsoo studying him, a thoughtful look on his face. Woohyun growls in frustration; Myungsoo can manipulate water, and even though his power is weak, it’s magic nonetheless. Woohyun, on the other hand, has absolutely nothing of the sort.

Well, that’s not entirely true; everyone is born with magic in their bodies. Ever since elementary school, Woohyun’s heard the same explanation over and over again: if you don’t have your powers yet, it’s because you’re not ready.

Bull. Woohyun is more than ready. His grades are top-notch (although they’re no match for Howon’s), he’s a great soccer player, and he even finds time to take piano lessons. Woohyun deserves that magic, but no, according to whatever god out there that controls it, apparently not.

“Let’s go, guys!” Howon calls, and Myungsoo takes Woohyun’s arm, dragging him towards her. Woohyun walks automatically, mind still dwelling upon the topic of magic. When had Howon discovered his powers? No, wait, he had been born with it. That’s why he exerts so much control over shadows. Myungsoo’s magic, on the other hand, is still a bit rogue, since it’d only come to him last year.

“Are you still brooding?” Myungsoo asks quietly. Woohyun sighs; he can never manage to keep anything from his best friend. He nods, and Myungsoo slings an arm around his shoulders. “It’ll come soon,” he reassures. “Once you stop worrying about it, boom, there it’ll be.”

“Guys!” Howon has run off, his green satin shirt shining under the sun. He waves his arms now, standing in front of a statue of a woman holding a torch. “I can’t believe it, this is the legendary statue of Acirema!”

Despite himself, Woohyun laughs. Howon’s enthusiasm for everything never fails to brighten his mood. Seeing his change in mood, Myungsoo gives him a little push. “Let’s go.”

***

Acirema is so colorful. The signs on the shops are vibrant, bursting with joy, and Woohyun sees all sorts of people here. There are Aisaruan tourists such as him and his friends, dark-skinned people from Acirfa, and even pale Eporuan citizens. Woohyun can’t tear his eyes away from the community around him, chattering away in different dialects, dressed in different clothes.

It’s all so different from Aisaru, which is dull, gray, and unchanging. Woohyun’s home city is filled to the brim with high-rise skyscrapers, and most of its inhabitants are native. There’s just no adventure in Aisaru, and while he feels guilty for preferring Acirema’s cheerful atmosphere, why not enjoy the fun while it lasts?

With that thought in mind, Woohyun laughs out loud. Howon nearly snaps his neck in shock, and Myungsoo is surprised into laughing along. Although he feels embarrassed, Woohyun sees Howon’s eyes soften, and he thinks that that is worth any embarrassment any day.

“Alright, idiots!” Howon exclaims affectionately, spreading his arms wide. The wind blows through, lifting his hair, and he quickly reaches up to hold it down. “This is our only vacation this summer, so we better enjoy it! Where do we want to go first?”

“I want to try Acireman food!” Myungsoo yells, pointing towards a small restaurant to their right. Woohyun points to the opposite side of the street.

“I want to look at the cool clothes they have!” he shouts, sticking his tongue out at Myungsoo, who makes a face back. Howon laughs, throwing his arms around each of their necks.

“Well,” he says happily, “we can shop for clothes any time, Woohyun, but my stomach is trying to digest itself right now. Plus, you didn’t get to eat breakfast because you woke up so late, remember?”

Woohyun groans, not ready to answer to Howon’s pettiness again, but Myungsoo cheers, taking his friends’ hands and fairly dragging them into the restaurant. They plop down at a table by the door, and a willowy woman with golden hair approaches them.

“Welcome to Joey’s Hot Dogs!” she says in a friendly voice. “What will you three have today?”

Howon looks at Woohyun, who looks at Myungsoo, who looks at Howon. “Uh…”

***

“This place is seriously so cool!” Woohyun exclaims, picking up a small glass ball that the shop owner had called a ‘snow globe’. “Dude, I bet my parents would love this!”

Myungsoo examines his reflection in the mirror, voice muffled by the thick red scarf wrapped around his neck. “I wonder how cold it gets here if they need to wear these things in the winter.”

Howon snorts, bringing up his camera to take a picture of Myungsoo’s ridiculous getup. “Winters are all the same,” he reminds him. “Cold and damp.” The camera clicks emptily. Howon blinks.

“Maybe it’s out of film,” Woohyun suggests, reluctantly putting down the snow globe. “We should get it developed.”

Myungsoo pats Howon’s arm and disappears down the aisle. Woohyun and Howon exchange a glance and shrug, both confused. A moment later, Myungsoo returns, minus the scarf.

“This shop doesn’t carry film,” he explains, hustling his friends towards the door. “We need to find another place.”

Woohyun hates seeing Howon so downcast. It’s just a camera, he wants to say. We have our memories and that’s enough. However, he’s not the type to express his feelings, so he just clears his throat awkwardly, eyes lighting upon a single small shop sandwiched between two clothing stores.

“Hey,” he suggests, pointing it out to his friends. “The sign says that they develop film.”

Howon shoots him a glare. “It looks shady as ,” he emphasizes, doubtful. Myungsoo, on the other hand, has no such worries, bounding towards the door.

“Aw, don’t worry,” he tells him, already halfway up the steps. “It’s usually these small, dingy shops that produce the best-quality pictures.”

“Yeah, come on.” Woohyun takes Howon’s arm and escorts him in. The shop owner, a wizened old man with a smile that shows all his teeth, approaches them and holds out a hand.

“This young man,” he croaks, gesturing to Myungsoo, who rifles through the dust-covered souvenir books on the shelves, “has already told me that you need your film developed. I specialize in camera magic, and I will have your pictures ready within five minutes .”

Wordlessly and without explanation, Woohyun shoves Howon behind him and fumbles for the film. He drops the roll into the shop owner’s outstretched hand and nods curtly. “Thank you,” he says coldly. Seeing that he’s got Woohyun riled up, the old man’s smile only grows.

“I have a few beautiful shirts here,” he mentions, pointing around at the clothing hung up on the grimy walls. “Maybe they will fit your handsome friend?”

“No.” Woohyun reaches behind him and grips Howon’s arm, disgusted by the old man’s leering smile. Howon, knowing his thoughts, grabs his hand tightly. Myungsoo, however, seems to be unaware of any dangers and takes down a filmy lilac skirt.

“Hey, maybe I’ll look pretty in this!” he exclaims. Woohyun frowns, shaking his head, but the shop owner is already directing Myungsoo into the dressing room. Howon lets out a frustrated growl, and Woohyun sighs.

“I know,” he whispers, voice strained. “I think he’ll be fine, though.”

While the shop owner works his magic on the film, Myungsoo walks out daintily, skirt poofing awkwardly around his legs. “How do I look?” he asks seductively, sticking his out. His pose draws a small laugh from Howon, but Woohyun is still much too worried to manage more than a tight smile.

“Loosen up a bit, Woohyun,” Myungsoo pouts, turning to a mirror set into the wall beside the dressing room door. He drags a finger down its length, pretending to be y, and Woohyun shakes his head with a grimace. He’ll never understand his best friend, even after so many years.

Suddenly, Howon lets out a gasp, and before Woohyun can stop him, he rushes over to Myungsoo, shoves him out of the way, and puts his own finger on the mirror. Out the corner of his eye, Woohyun can see the shop owner pause his work to look at them. Angry at himself, Woohyun growls, hurrying over to his friends.

Howon knocks on the glass, and his expression immediately darkens. “Take that off,” he orders Myungsoo, dragging the other two towards the exit as if their lives depended on it. “That’s a two-way mirror, and someone is behind it, watching us.”

“How do you know?” Myungsoo asks, stumbling over the gauzy fabric as he steps out of the waistband. Howon rolls his eyes and pushes the door open.

“When you put your finger there, you can’t see a gap. Also, the mirror’s set into the wall, which is a huge giveaway, and it rang hollowly when I knocked.” He ushers Myungsoo out, nearly shoving him onto the cobblestone street. “Come on, Woohyun!”

“No, Woohyun,” a sickly sweet voice suddenly calls from the depths of the shop. “You want to stay here, don’t you?” Woohyun gasps, spinning around, and Howon curses loudly.

The mirror had swung open, revealing a hidden room. A plump woman with dark skin leans out of the opening, and behind her, Woohyun can see a mass of children huddled together. Some look no more than five years old, while others seem to be even older than he is. One boy suddenly catches Woohyun’s eye; with his honey-colored skin, the boy looks to be from Lartnec. His eyes, upon meeting Woohyun’s, seem to blaze with panic - but also awe.

“No,” the Acirfan woman says softly, eyes emitting a bright purple glow. Woohyun knows that this is powerful magic, the kind he should protect himself from, but it’s too late, and he can’t tear his eyes away. Suddenly, as if acting upon an unspoken agreement, Howon and Myungsoo dart in front of him, almost to protect him from the woman.

“Woohyun,” her amused voice whispers, snaking around his head. “You are more than ready for your own magic.” The scent of lavender perfume in the air makes Woohyun’s head spin. “You can join me, Woohyun. I will give you your own magic.” His world is liquefying, and Howon and Myungsoo seem to be melting away. “Come, Nam Woohyun,” the woman beckons with a smile. Her teeth glow like a beacon, a light piercing through the storm. “Don’t you want to wield your own power?”

Woohyun does - oh, how much he does - and it seems as if his legs can’t carry him to the woman fast enough. Her eyes captivate him, holding him in a trance, and oh, how he wants to wield the power he does… how he deserves that power…

Smack. Suddenly, a sharp pain across his right cheek causes Woohyun to break gaze with the woman, who roars in anger. A pair of hands lock onto his arms, and the next thing Woohyun knows, he’s lying on his back in the sun outside the shop, sharp stones digging into his spine. Myungsoo hovers worriedly over him, dragging him up onto his feet.

“Come on, Howon!” he yells, voice breaking with fear. That’s when Woohyun sees it: the woman, eyes glowing with wrath, approaching his friend, who has his hand held out in front as if for protection. Woohyun is confused; Howon isn’t using his powers. Before he can ponder over it, though, Howon rushes out, slams the door shut, grabs Woohyun’s other arm, and runs.

It’s cold, even during the summer, and Woohyun shivers. Myungsoo notices his trembling and signals for Howon to slow down. “Are you okay?” he asks, patting Woohyun’s cheeks repeatedly. “Woohyun, talk to me, man, how do you feel?”

“I’m fine,” Woohyun snaps, irritated. He jerks his head to the side and shoves Myungsoo’s hands away, only realizing now that he has Howon’s developed pictures in his left hand. “I’m just scared.”

“Okay.” Howon shoots Myungsoo a pointed look. “Let’s rest over there.” He points to the top of a hill, where there’s a fountain spouting water and a small plaza milling with people. Myungsoo nods shortly, and the three begin their ascent.

Woohyun takes this chance to glance over the pictures. “Oh, hey,” he tells Howon, showing him the pictures as he speaks. “That’s the one you took of us in front of the statue. There's the cool pink car Myungsoo saw. Hey, when did you take this? I don’t remember ever posing on the stairwell.”

Howon rolls his eyes; they’ve almost reached the fountain now. “Myungsoo,” he says forcefully, “you know when I took it, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Myungsoo reaches for the sheaf of pictures. “Can I see?”

Woohyun, innocently, hands him a single picture, but suddenly, Myungsoo jerks the entire stack out of Woohyun’s hands and tosses them into a nearby trash can, slamming the lid decisively.

“What the !” Woohyun screams, diving after his pictures. Mouth set in a line, Myungsoo blocks his way, and Woohyun doesn’t even know what he’s doing, but he raises his fist and punches his best friend.

Suddenly, shadows slither up from underneath Woohyun’s feet and cocoon him. He can’t even move his head when Howon’s furious voice threatens to deafen his left ear.

“What,” he barks, “the is wrong with you?” He moves to stand in front of him, helping Myungsoo up. “I told him to do it. We can’t trust anything from that shop, and besides, they’re just pictures. We have our memories and that’s enough. I hope you realize that, and if you have any complaints, come at me, not him.”

We have our memories and that’s enough. Wasn’t that what Woohyun had wanted to say to Howon when he’d run out of film? How ironic, then, that he had turned his unspoken words back onto him.

The scraping of shoes against stone draws Woohyun’s attention. Myungsoo’s cheek is swollen from where he’d been punched. Howon lets out a small, strained gasp, and shadows disappear as his energy drains out. Woohyun drops to his knees, crushed by guilt. What is wrong with him? He’s just been possessed, the shop owner was a ert, and he punched his best friend for worrying about him.

Then, as if nothing had happened between them, Myungsoo reaches down and offers a hand to Woohyun, who only stares at it.

“Well?” Myungsoo asks, raising his eyebrows. “Are you coming?”

Hesitantly, Woohyun takes Myungsoo’s hand, but instead of standing up, he pulls Myungsoo down, takes his face into his hands, and kisses him.

The crowd (since when had there been a crowd?) cheers, and Howon, slumped against the trash can, glares at both of them. Woohyun can only shrug, grinning. Hey, what’s over is over, right?

Oh boi, what a journey. As you can probably tell by now, Infinite has somewhere different personalities than in real life (duh, because I had to make them fit the story somehow), and the friendships and ages are also a bit changed. Howon, as you can see, is pretty much the mom friend, and Woohyun's like the dad friend. Myungsoo's the oblivious little kid in between.

See, because Howon's character was a (badass) female, I had to change the pronouns, and I might have left some out... same goes for the boy from Lartnec lmao. If yall ever catch any female pronouns for those two characters, please tell me because they're not supposed to be there.

This is my first real long-term project, and I'm terrified that it won't turn out as well as I want it to. Please support me, though!

Maggie <3