„Mommy, there is a fairy living in our forest.“ Exclaimed little human, a girl of just five years. Her mother smiled indulgently, brushed a stray lock and asked the child how did she know that.

„I saw him. He is very pretty.“ Giggled the child, her hair flying around her head in a dark brown halo.

The yosei listened curiously to the two human beings sitting at his meadow. In this time and age it was short to a miracle that, even though so young and still pure, a human could see him. And so Jimin began to observe the little human more, trying to discern what made her diferent from others.

Because, at one time a different child showed up in his forest, shortly followed by his little human. The other child couldn´t see him. Not even when he stepped almost right in front of her. She couldn´t see the guardian spirit that howered right behind her shoulder, glaring eyes set in a pale face, either. The older child, his little human kept yelling for her eonnie to slow down, wasn´t aware of the Other world.

So Jimin lost interest in her, giving the guardian spirit a wide berth, but he kept a close watch on the smaller child trailing behind her friend like a duckling.

Jimin got into a habit of keeping an eye on the little human.

Hiding between the flowers, peeking out once in a while to see if the girl was pitter-patting through the meadow.

He started leaving flower crowns on the veranda at her house. Smiling in joy when the next day the little human showed in his forest, head adorned with fresh flowers, singing off-key a new nursery rhyme.

Sometimes he let her catch a sigh of him, not for more than a blink of an eye, but he didn´t want her to forget him, or stop believing in him.

Jimin realized after several seasons passed, after the first thing that he thought off when he woke up from his long sleep was ,if she would be waiting for his flowers at the meadow this Thawing too; he was fond of the little human.

The little human kept growing, untill the name didn´t really fit her anymore.

She grew up into a young woman and Jimin started realizing something that made worry crawl under his skin.

She was coming to the meadow less and less, staying hiden from Jimin´s sight between the four walls of her house. Jimin didn´t understand what was happening. Did she forget about him?

On one such day, when he gazed longingly into the window, the curtains drawn tight; the other child came to visit.

Now a young woman too, she stormed into the house, not looking right or left. Her guardian trailing behind her untill he spotted Jimin hidden in the greenery.

His gaze strayed to the house, contemplating something. He turned and took carefull, meassured steps, as if counting the distance between himself and his charge. This never happened before!

Jimin stood frozen, the spirit stopping few metres before his hiding spot.

„Why do you care for the human?“ The spirit asked in a clipped tone, his small eyes narrowed.

Jimin flinched, opening and closing his mouth. The words were hard to find for it was a long time he last spoke. His thoughts elusive, his emotions were clear and steady. Warm fondness in his chest cloaked in a stiffling blanket of worry. The guardian cocked an eyebrow, expecting some kind of answer. Jimin hung his head, dissapointed in himself. Suddenly, the crickets of language, before just chaotically chirping in his mind, hopped to create a question.

„Why doesn´t she visit my meadow anymore?“ His woice a sweet whisper, no more, the spirit barely heard him. He looked at Jimin, understanding shining through his gaze, he heaved a great sigh.

„My human calls it the Illnes of Sorrow. She says there is no cure.“

Jimin now had so many questions, but at that moment the other human woman stepped out of the house, brows furrowed, roughly brushing away tears that sprung to her eyes. The guardian threw last assesing look Jimin´s way and hurried to his charge´s side, planting a light hand on her shoulder, wearing a gentle expression. The human woman relaxed slightly and with a shout of: „I´ll come back the next Thursday again!“

She and her invisible companion were gone.

Jimin was confused. What was he supposed to do?

He sat in his hiding place, the window in sight, for days. Neglecting his meadow and flowers.

Maybe, maybe if he made the flowers bloom brighter or if he asked the sun to shine warmer, she would wander outside.

So he worked tirelessly, prayed loud to the sun and worried.

The flowers started to grow near the house now too.

Jimin threw all his energy and love to make them more beautiful than ever.

At the end of the day, weary to his very bones, his hard work paid off. His human walked outside, awe clear on her face and stretched into a glorious grin. Jimin couldn´t see his own eyes crinkling into half-moons in a responding smile.

And so he worked hard the rest of the seasons, when the days were warm, even when they became colder and more rainy, the nature changing her pallete and painting the forest in gorgeous shades of gold, fiery orange and earthy brown; Jimin still worked diligently, making the flowers bloom near the house.

But he was not supposed to stay awake during the Long Cold. He felt his life seeping away with his warmth.

He wanted to make just one more flower, just one more and he would rest. He didn´t realize his tired feet brought him almost to the veranda of the house, perhaps seeking warmth, perhaps to catch glimpse of her behind the curtains.

He woke up to a voice and softness surrounding his body.

„ I knew you weren´t just my imagination.“ Jimin blinked sleepily at the upside-down face, finally realizing a blanket was put over him and his human was right next to him. His breath stuck in his throat, he wasn´t supposed to get caught.

„I won´t hurt you.“ The human spoke, seeing his fear.

„And thank you. For the flowers.“ Embarassment flush on her cheeks. Jimin couldn´t speak, too shocked and confused. The red spreading even more on the human´s skin under his gaze. There will be consequences, the Other world didn´t like his inhabitants interacting with humans.

Jimin didn´t care.

 For now, he was sure of one thing. If she didn´t found him, he wouldn´t wake up come Warm season.

He should have done this sooner, he should have faced her moons ago. Because now, her presence radiated warmth rivaling that of the sun on a clear day.

Maybe he wouldn´t even need to sleep through the Long Cold if he stayed near her, it always made him sad to say goodbye to his forest for such a long time. It certainly was worth a try.

So Jimin smiled sweetly and accepted the reluctant hand stretched his way.

He would make the flowers bloom if she made him warm.