Hakyeon's very first memory from his childhood was his mother explaining their magic to him. He thought it was cool and sad at the same time. Cool because just how many people spent the early days of their childhood learning magic? But it was also extremely sad because he couldn't remember any instance when he got to play with other kids.

It was not like Hakyeon wanted to be this way. He was born in an enchanter family. They were a rare type of sorcerer, who, other than wielding magic, also had the innate ability to charm other people.

He was taught how to control his charm so as to not get mobbed by a crowd, but Hakyeon was a special case. For some reason, he could never completely conceal his charm the way his family could. Everywhere he went, people just turned their heads at him, staring - begging with their eyes for him to call them. 

Hakyeon used to like the attention. He loved being a star. But he later realized downside of it. He was never able to form any kind of bond with people outside his family - because any emotion he felt fueled the magic within him and Hakyeon knew better than to form any kind of relationship when the other person is bewitched. If he ever got slightly interested in a person, he had to back away immediately. It wasn't easy, but he learned to live with it.

When he got older, Hakyeon decided it was best to avoid being around other people. The forest was a friendly place. He was a head turner even for wild animals, but at least he didn't affect them the way he affected humans. There was no need to worry about people fawning over him. Except for his family members who occasionally visited and the merchants who traded with him, Hakyeon almost never interacted with anyone.

If he was honest, he felt lonely. It was his own choice to isolate himself, but sometimes, he couldn't help but wish there was someone to at least talk to.

"You're talking to me?" The white cat jumped onto his lap when he voiced out the sentiment while sitting on the porch one afternoon. "Isn't that why you gave me speech ability in the first place?" She curled up as Hakyeon automatically placed his hand conveniently for her head to lay on.

"Of course, you're great companion, Raven." Hakyeon sighed. "But it's different. I mean... I've seen my whole family bond with humans. Have friends, hang out. Interact like a normal person. I've always been envious of that."

"You can always get someone to come here and spend time with you." Raven yawned.

"That's the whole point of me being here! If I use my magic to have friends, are they even my friends at all? They'll just be puppets."

Raven looked up at him pointedly. "I didn't say use your magic. You can just plainly ask."

"If I can do that, I wouldn't be here. The moment I walk up to someone to even try, I get so nervous and my control just slips. My mom had to pull me away a couple of times before any prospected friend jumped on me." Hakyeon sighed again. He never hated being what he was. He loved his family and he enjoyed the perks of having magic in their blood. He just wished sometimes he had more control of his charm.

"That merchant seems to be okay. Wouldn't he be considered your friend by now?"

"Hongbin?"

"Yeah. He's nice and friendly. He's a snack too."

"Oh hush! He's coming!" Hakyeon hurriedly lifted Raven from his lap as he stood up. He set her down on the chair where she remained lying on her stomach until the merchant reached the porch and pulled up his horse.

"Hey! Great day!" Lee Hongbin was all big doe eyes and wide dimpled smiles. He was one of the few merchants that often passed by Hakyeon's forest and traded with him (He claimed the whole forest as his because he was the only person who lived there). He always cheerfully greeted Hakyeon, in contrast to the older merchants who were often wary of him, knowing he was an enchanter.

"Hey," Hakyeon greeted back. "I didn't expect to see you today." Somewhere, behind him, Raven meowed in sarcasm. Hakyeon turned his head to glare at her, but immediately turned back to Hongbin when he spoke.

"Your candles sold out quicker than expected this time." Hongbin alighted and went to the back of his carriage to retrieve something, presumably goods for Hakyeon.

"Oh, really? I'll go get more stocks for you then. Hold on." Hakyeon ran inside the house before Hongbin could answer. He quickly picked up a heavy box that he already prepared for trading, and then ran back out. "Here." Hakyeon put the box down on the porch ledge. "Same amount. Same price."

Hongbin's gaze lingered a little on Hakyeon's face before he pushed forward his own box that he took from the carriage. "Food, candle strings, ingredients, plus the potions you asked for last time."

"Thanks. How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing." Hongbin grinned at him. Hakyeon, though confused, had a smile was plastered on his face, mirroring Hongbin's.

"Really? How come? The potions must have been expensive."

Hongbin reached for one of the string bags strapped to his waist, untied it, and then handed it out to Hakyeon. "I actually owe you."

Hakyeon received it but looked skeptical. Hongbin then explained, "Your wishing candles have been proven effective, so now more people want to buy them. The last set got sold at triple the normal price because the buyer was desperate to get it."

Before Hongbin could retract his hands, Hakyeon grabbed them back. It was on instinct. Hakyeon did not mean to do anything, or make Hongbin feel any certain way. He just did not want to accept the money that he didn't think belonged to him.

The moment their hands touched, Hongbin's cheeks flushed red, his pupils visibly dilating in his big doe eyes. It wasn't the first time Hakyeon's control slipped and definitely not the first time he got Hongbin flustered.

Hongbin have always been obviously affected by the charm, although he was usually calm and composed about it. More often than not, Hakyeon had to exert extra effort in suppressing the charm around him, because truthfully, he found Hongbin really attractive and it made him feel good that he was the only merchant who never feared him. Despite the effort, the charm just naturally seeped out sometimes. And if Hakyeon's control further slipped off, Hongbin would get very flustered, and sometimes, very touchy - something that Hakyeon knew was out of character.

Raven groaned, and Hakyeon immediately drew back, still clutching the bag of gold coins in his hand.

"I'm sorry," he apologized awkwardly. "I just... I mean this..." He held out the bag towards Hongbin, careful not to touch him, as if it would make a difference now. Hakyeon was getting all nervous and he knew his charm was leaking. "This is yours. I sell my goods to you on a fixed price and we trade on equal amount. If you make extra profit from my goods, it's all yours. I only take what I need."

"I... Uhhhmmm... Just thought, you deserved a share of the profit." Hongbin reached out, but instead of taking the bag of coins, he held Hakyeon's hand firmly with both of his, assuring him that it was okay to take the money. "I'll be raising the prices of your potions and candles from now on, so if you don't want the money, I'll just add the value to your food stock. For now, just take this."

Hongbin's gaze was fixed on Hakyeon's face while he still firmly held Hakyeon's hand. The way he smiled scared Hakyeon a little. It wasn't helping at all that Hakyeon felt like crying on the spot because the closest person he had to a friend was clearly acting under his charm. He was just lost and internally panicking

As Hongbin approached closer and slipped his hand higher up Hakyeon's arm, Raven jumped in between them - specifically stepping on Hongbin's hand so they would break contact. The surprise pulled Hakyeon back from his flood of emotions so he could take a step back and calm himself. He didn't even realize when Raven left her chair, but he was grateful.

Taking deep breaths, Hakyeon in the charm that had been hanging in the air all around them. He couldn't completely take it in, but at least he could get Hongbin to calm down as well.

"I... I'm sorry." Hongbin said as he rubbed his hand. Raven did not purposely claw on him but he got a tiny scratch. "It happened again, I'm sorry."

Hakyeon was dumbfounded. It was in no way Hongbin's fault yet he was apologizing.

"I should be the one saying sorry. You didn't do anything, Hongbin. It's me and my stupid charm."

"It's not your fault either." Hongbin smiled at him, though this time Hakyeon was sure it was genuine. "I was serious about the profit share though. I'm making lot of money from your goods. You should be reaping the benefits of your work too."

Hakyeon bit his lower lip, hesitantly nodding to accept their new arrangement. He regretted it later when he realized the action drew Hongbin's attention to his lips as well.

"You should probably go." Hakyeon picked up newly delivered box of goods and took two steps back.

The disappointment on Hongbin's face made his heart ache, but they both knew it was best to keep distance.

So Hongbin reluctantly boarded his wagon again and left with just so much as a quick goodbye.

"See?" Hakyeon whined to Raven. "I can't get friends like this."

"Because he's hot? Try being friends with the ugly older ones then."

Hakyeon frowned at her. "They hate me. The only reason they still trade with me is because my goods are popular." 

He let out a heavy sigh as he set the box down on his working table. Raven didn't answer him anymore. She just climbed up the table top and walked up to him to rub her face against his torso while he silently organized his food and work supplies. 

"I'm going to walk around the lake," Hakyeon said as soon as he finished stocking up his food in the cupboard. Raven jumped down and ran after him, but he immediately followed it by "See you later," telling her that he wanted to be left alone.

The cat mewled disappointedly, but she sat back on a rag and let Hakyeon leave. This was Hakyeon's life. Silent and peaceful. Alone with his adopted cat. He was usually content with how things were but he occasionally found himself wanting more. The incident with Hongbin also drastically dampened his mood.

Times like this, he would usually go sit by the lake to relax. It was his favorite part of the forest. The sight of the calm water emanated the same serenity to him. The beautiful contrast between the clear blue sky, reflected by the lake waters, against the lush green leaves and dark trunks of the forest trees also reminded him how much he liked living there. He just loved beautiful things. And he loved the peace that the forest had given him.

Hakyeon stood by the edge of the lake and raised his arms open. He took in his surrounding with his whole body and breathed deeply. Soon enough, his limbs were moving gracefully with the wind. He was twisting and turning along the edge of the lake, dancing away in his own rhythm. The sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves were his music. Dancing was one of the few things that made Hakyeon undeniably happy. And it was the best thing about his solitude. He could dance without worrying about the emotions that come with it. He didn't have to control how he felt in order to suppress his charm. The movements just come easy as he let his emotions run free.

"Ack!"

There was couple of loud thuds behind him. Hakyeon immediately turned and found a man slipping off a boulder and falling onto the ground. The man sat still for a while and Hakyeon hesitated to approach him. But then he started screaming in pain, so Hakyeon hurriedly ran towards him.

Upon reaching, Hakyeon immediately found out why he was screaming. There was a thick, spotted python coiling around his leg from ankle to his knee.

"Calm down and try to stop screaming," Hakyeon's eyes flash yellow as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. He crouched down beside him and their eyes met for a few seconds before Hakyeon turned to the angry snake on his leg.

He reached out with an open palm as he coaxed the snake into his hand. "Easy, my friend. Easy."

The s hissed at the man, but it slowly crawled towards Hakyeon. "Yes, come to me. Leave the poor guy alone." It wrapped itself around his arm, and later hang around his shoulders as he gently its head. Once Hakyeon knew he had complete control of it, he turned back to face the man. 

"Are you okay?"

The man just stared at him. Hakyeon stared back at him, finally getting the chance to observe his features. He was still pale on the face, probably scared less because of what happened. Still, Hakyeon couldn't help but find him... strangely attractive with his sharp slanted eyes and small pouty lips.

Hakyeon realized his heart was beating just a little faster than normal so he quickly shook his head. He blinked his eyes back to their hazel brown color and tried to pull in all the charm he had released from the time he was dancing til he enthralled the snake.

There was hissing on his ear, so Hakyeon carefully lifted the heavy python from his shoulder and let it crawl back to the ground. "Go home, my friend. Be careful." He smiled as he waved goodbye to it.

The stranger still hadn't moved a muscle. Hakyeon was starting to feel uncomfortable. He was afraid he'd be too flustered if the man continued staring at him like that. Still, he felt obliged to make sure he was okay. So he reached for the pale hand that was still nervously clutching on the grass, "Are you-" 

He pulled away quickly before Hakyeon could even touch him. "You're... An enchanter?" The man's voice was shaky, but soft.

Hakyeon looked down. He wasn't ashamed of what he was, but more often than not, people's reaction towards him was hurtful.

"If you're not hurt, please get out of my forest immediately. This place is not safe for you, with hundreds of wild animals and an enchanter like me." Hakyeon stood up and turned around. He was about to walk away and go home, but then the man spoke again.

"I am hurt."

Hakyeon faced him again. The man was still not moving a muscle.

"It bit me. I feel numb right now. I'm probably going to die soon."

Hakyeon quirked a brow. "That's not how python bites work." He had to restrain a laugh, seeing how seriously scared the man was, though he wasn't sure if he was more scared of the snake or of Hakyeon himself. "They're non-venomous. It wasn't even trying to eat you. It was just angry with you for some reason."

Hakyeon crouched beside him again, but did not attempt to touch without permission. "You’re probably just feeling numb because you were scared."

"I... Wasn't that scared." The denial was weak. Hakyeon just smiled. "But my foot seriously hurts. I think it crushed my bones."

Hakyeon laughed. "I'm pretty sure your bones are intact." He had his hand hover over the man's leg and did a simple magic to reduce any bruising that might have been caused by the bite and constriction. Warning alarms sound inside Hakyeon's head when he noticed the man was starting to gain color back on his face – and the color was red.

"Anyway," Hakyeon stood up and took a few steps back, though still facing the stranger. "You should be okay."

"I told you, I'm not."

Hakyeon sighed. "I'm not sure what you want me to do?"

The man pouted at him. Hakyeon thought it was dangerously cute. He could physically feel his charm leaking and he was starting to panic.

"At least help me stand up?"

"Then I'll..." Hakyeon gulped. "Need to touch you. Are you okay with that?"

The man stretched out his left hand. A golden bracelet with shiny blue stones hung around his wrist.

Hakyeon hesitated, but it wasn't like he would just leave the poor man like that. So he grabbed his hand and pulled him up, making sure to catch him upright as he struggled to find his balance. Once he was stable, Hakyeon slowly backed away again.

"Thank you."

Hakyeon just smiled. He was ready to walk away again but then the man held out his left hand again.

"I'm Jung Taekwoon."

Hakyeon just stared at his hand. He found it odd because he thought the man - Taekwoon - seemed to be scared and aloof when he first tried to touch him. So Hakyeon thought it was his charm that was suddenly making Taekwoon act friendly towards him. He was aware that his control had slipped more than once already since the first time he laid eyes on Taekwoon.

Taekwoon retracted his hand awkwardly. 

"Do you know your way out of the forest?"

"If I say I don't," Taekwoon's voice was too soft and Hakyeon could barely hear it. He wondered if that was how he spoke naturally or if it had something to do with how flustered he was. He also thought it was impossible for his pale skin to get any redder, but he just kept blushing harder as they spoke. "Would you walk me out?"

Hakyeon found it so, so, endearing. But he knew he shouldn't let himself get carried away.

"I think you'll be fine on your own." Hakyeon turned around and walked as fast as he could, keeping his eyes on the ground and repeatedly convincing himself not to stop. It turned out he didn't need to even glance back, because Taekwoon just took few long strides to catch up to him.

"I'm really not fine," Taekwoon whined as he walked briskly along with Hakyeon, his leg still hurting both from his fall and the snake's constriction. "You said it yourself, this place isn't safe for me. And I'm-" Before he could finish his sentence, Hakyeon heard a loud growling from his stomach.

"I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten anything in almost two days."

Hakyeon stopped walking. He sighed and tried to relax himself, hoping to shut all of his magic inside him at least for a moment. Then he stared at Taekwoon again and carefully studied the expressions on his face. 

"You know I'm an enchanter."

Taekwoon nodded.

"Aren't you scared of what I can do to you?"

"You saved me back there," Taekwoon said earnestly.

"But you were scared of me... Earlier?"

"I... Just don't like to be touched in general. Plus I was still in shock. I'm sorry if it came across badly."

Hakyeon thought it was a bad idea. Given how he was instantly attracted to Taekwoon, something was bound to go wrong somewhere. But how could he refuse when he had just been sulking about not having friends and here came this Jung Taekwoon sincerely asking for his companionship.

"I have really poor control of my charm," Hakyeon warned.

"It's fine." Taekwoon raised his left hand and wiggled his wrist. "I have charm-resistance."

The jewelry glistened in the sunlight. Hakyeon's eyes widened as he stared at it and realized what it was. He had heard stories about charm resistance through potions and enchanted gems, but he had never actually seen it.

"That's interesting," Hakyeon unconsciously tried to touch the bracelet but Taekwoon pulled back. "Sorry," he dropped his hand.

"No, it's just... It's instinct."

"I wasn't trying to take it," Hakyeon said defensively.

"I know."

There was another loud growl from Taekwoon's stomach. Hakyeon chuckled as Taekwoon bashfully rubbed his tummy.

"You said you haven't eaten in two days?" He started walking again, but this time he waited for Taekwoon to sync his strides with him. Taekwoon had noticeably long legs.

"I'm... A wanderer. I just travel from one place to another without any destination. I eat whatever I find during my journey, but... The last town I passed by was four days ago. Anything I had left was stolen by a monkey who ran away with my satchel when I entered this forest three days ago."

"You can always just pick fruits from the trees. They're mostly safe to eat. Wait - You've been here for three days?"

"I did try to just pick something up, but the most I got were two apples and a few nuts. The animals here seem to be all possessive." Taekwoon then muttered under his breath, "like that snake earlier."

"Huh? Did you try to steal food from him? That wasn't wise. You could have been his food!"

Taekwoon scrunched his face and just shrugged.

"My house is nearby." Hakyeon really didn't think it was a good idea, but he had always wanted to invite a friend over. "Come over for a quick meal."

The way Taekwoon's face lit up warmed Hakyeon's heart so much. He had never been able to make anyone that happy. His family loved him and supported him, but he always felt like he was a big disappointment to them because of his inability to control his charm. He couldn't believe he could make anyone genuinely happy, even if it was over the mere offer of food.

As soon as the house came into view, Taekwoon surprisingly ran ahead towards the porch. 

"Woah!" It was the loudest sound Hakyeon had heard from Taekwoon's mouth since they started talking. He ran after Taekwoon and found out what suddenly excited him - Raven was waiting at the porch.

"What's his name?" Taekwoon picked her up in his arms and started cuddling her, playing with her snow white fur.

"Raven. And she's a girl." Hakyeon smiled fondly at the sight. Taekwoon seemed to really like the cat, and although she was confused for a moment, Raven had relaxed in his arms and was rather enjoying the scratches at the back of her ears.

He did squint at Hakyeon upon hearing the name though. "Raven?" He asked, as if it was the craziest thing he ever heard. Hakyeon understood the peculiarity. He named a white cat Raven, after all.

"Her eyes are black."

That startled Taekwoon. He lifted the cat to his eye level and stared at her pitch black eyes. "Oh. Wow. It's not just dilated. It's really all black."

Hakyeon side-stepped him and proceeded to enter the house. Taekwoon soon followed, with Raven still in his arms.

"Is it magic? I've never seen a cat with black eyes."

"She was like that when I found her. She said she was just born that way." It was one of the reasons he adopted her. Everyone found her weird and creepy, just like him.

"You can talk to her? Aahhh right. You have magic. With the snake too, earlier."

Hakyeon paused by the kitchen door. "I can't actually talk to animals in their language. I just charmed the snake away from you. Her, on the other hand," he opened his arms and signaled Raven to jump on to him, which she obediently did (soliciting a small whine from Taekwoon). Hakyeon caught her and petted her head. "She's a special case. I use my magic on her."

"Ahhh. I see." Taekwoon took a step to follow Hakyeon into the kitchen but then backtracked when Hakyeon looked pointedly at him.

"Stay there for a bit. Sit on the couch or something. Make yourself at home. You can check out those books, or the paintings, or basically the whole house. Just don't touch the potions."

Taekwoon nodded with a smile. He did a once over of the interior and found himself busy getting fascinated with everything he saw, especially with the amount of candles aesthetically scattered around the house.

Hakyeon then proceeded to the kitchen with Raven.

"Mind explaining?"

Hakyeon put her down on the counter as he told her how he found Taekwoon by the lake, whispering softly so Taekwoon wouldn't hear.

"You think it's okay to just let him into your house?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Hakyeon admitted. "But he seems nice. And he has that charm-resistance stone so I'm just hoping for the best?"

"By hoping for the best, you mean?"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Hakyeon answered defensively. "I just want to help him. That's all."

Raven squinted at him, but didn't push further. She went back to silently watching Hakyeon prepare dinner. Hakyeon knew she was probably over thinking things the same way he was, but neither of them spoke about it. She later walked out of the kitchen to find Taekwoon and cuddle with him again.

~

"I'm not the best cook," Hakyeon made a disclaimer as they sat on the dining table. He frowned  when Raven snorted. "Hey, I've been living alone for years and cooking only for myself and for your ungrateful ."

Raven purred smugly. I didn't say anything.

Hakyeon continued glaring at her until he heard Taekwoon chuckling. Embarrassed, he just fixed his eyes on his own plate and started eating.

"Thank you for the meal." Taekwoon picked up his own spoon and started eating. "It's..." He hummed as he waited for the taste to sink in. Hakyeon nervously peeked at him through his fringe. "It's pretty good." Taekwoon smiled. "But I think I can do better."

A grunt escaped Hakyeon's lips. "You should have told me earlier. I would have let you cook."

"I'll cook for you tomorrow then?"

Hakyeon choked. Raven shot her head up.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Breakfast, or lunch?"

Hakyeon just stared at him. He was under the impression Taekwoon was going to leave after eating.

"If you'd let me stay, of course." 

It was unfair, Hakyeon thought, that a simple pout from Taekwoon could make him feel all soft and weak. That should have been a clear indication that letting Taekwoon stay was not the best decision for his sanity, but his heart was saying otherwise.

"Well, it is getting dark. It will be dangerous for you to walk through the forest at night."

~

"You think it's not dangerous for him to spend a night with you?" Raven asked pointedly later that night when Hakyeon was preparing his room. He only had one bedroom in his house, so Taekwoon would have to either sleep on the couch or on the floor. His legs were way too long for the couch so Hakyeon decided to just lay futons on the floor and share his room.

Hakyeon huddled the futon on his arms and sat on the bed. "You think I should have made him leave?"

"No. Not really. But I'm worried for him. And for you. We don't know anything about him after all. And we don't know the capacity of those resistance stones he has."

"I'm worried too." Hakyeon sulked. "But you know I've always wanted a friend." It was very new to Hakyeon - having someone that was not his family stay this close to him. It scared him. He wondered if he was giving in to the desires of his heart too easily and if it would bite him back right on the face later on. Another crazy part of his brain thought maybe Taekwoon was a more powerful enchanter who was trying to charm him. Although if Taekwoon had any magic, Hakyeon was sure he would have been able to sense it.

"Why do I feel like you're not just looking for a friend?" Raven was squinting at him again.

"He's...." Hakyeon started to blush. "He's quite charming... in his own way. But I'm really just happy having someone else here. Can't I just enjoy that?" 

Taekwoon soon returned from the bath, cutting off the conversation in the room. He was wearing the clothes that Hakyeon lent him and just the sight of it made Hakyeon's heart flutter even more.

~

"Thank you for today." Taekwoon softly spoke as he lay on the floor. Hakyeon propped himself up on one elbow and peeked at him from his bed.

"If you have charm resistance, how come you blush so much?" Hakyeon had the question at the back of his head the whole afternoon. He couldn't help but ask now as he watched the color flush on Taekwoon's face under the dim candlelight from his chandelier.

Taekwoon raised his blanket to cover his face up to under his eyes. He mostly fixed his eyes on the ceiling but he occasionally glanced at Hakyeon.

"That's just how I am. Whether it's an enchanter or not, I'm just easily embarrassed."

"Hmmm... So how effective are those stones exactly?"

"Pretty effective. They were very useful, especially when I was a sorcerer hunter."

Hakyeon suddenly pushed himself up and sat alarmed. Raven, who had been lying on the bed with Hakyeon, also shot up. "You're telling me I saved a sorcerer hunter, willingly let him inside my house, gave him a meal and even let him sleep in my room?"

Realizing the panic in Hakyeon's tone, Taekwoon sat up as well and explained nervously. "I... It's not like that. I was only looking for one specific sorcerer. One from my hometown. That's why I started travelling. But along the way, I've met evil ones. You know, those kind that take advantage of people and use their magic to do bad things. I used to fight that type and townspeople would usually compensate me."

Hakyeon relaxed a little. He had always been strongly against the evil use of magic. Still, it felt weird that he was only finding out about Taekwoon's job now. "How do you know I'm not the evil type? What if I suddenly attack you while you're sleeping? No, wait, how do I know you won't attack me while I sleep?"

"You have every reason not to trust me. I’d understand if you would like me to leave now. But do know I don't just capture every sorcerer I meet. I've become friends with some good ones too. And I can tell you’re a good person. You saved me and accommodated me into your house. I know I was being shameless imposing myself on you like this. I'm... Really grateful.”

Raven purred at how Hakyeon's gaze softened as he listened to Taekwoon.

"Anyway, I stopped hunting after I found the one that I originally set out to find. There's not much evil around these days. Humans and sorcerers have mostly learned how to dwell with each other peacefully. Enchanters are the only ones that everyone is often wary of, but they're a rare type."

Hakyeon growled. "I'm an enchanter."

"I..." Taekwoon crawled closer to the bed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"Yeah, I know." Hakyeon sighed. "You're just stating facts. That's why we're a rare type now. Even other sorcerers used to hunt us."

"People hate what they don't have and they fear what they can't control."

It made Hakyeon think more about himself. He always thought he was proud of who he was, but deep inside, he had always been scared of that power he couldn't control. Suddenly, he felt huge, warm hands, holding his. He looked up at Taekwoon who was now kneeling by the side of his bed.

 "I think you're a beautiful person who is kind enough to let a total stranger into your house and feed him. You didn't just save me from being devoured by that snake, you saved me from starvation too. I am in your debt."

Hakyeon chuckled. "You really tend to be overly dramatic, don't you? I don't think I can trust a word you say." Still, he squeezed Taekwoon's hands lightly, as if saying he could actually believe everything.

"I don't think you ever fully trusted me in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

"You never told me your name."

Hakyeon found it funny how it skipped him, and yet there they were, holding hands in the middle of the night.

"Hakyeon. I'm Cha Hakyeon."

"Hakyeon," Taekwoon repeated, as if testing the sound of it. "Hi, Hakyeon. I'm Jung Taekwoon."

"It's my pleasure to meet you," Hakyeon laughed, riding along with the formality.

"The pleasure is mine," Taekwoon smiled at him.

Raven mewled as she rolled her head in annoyance. "If you guys can stop flirting, I'd like to go to sleep." Hakyeon blushed but the implication of flirting totally flew over Taekwoon's head as he was more fascinated with Raven's voice. 

"Woah, she really talks!" Taekwoon let go of Hakyeon's hands and cooed at Raven instead, but the cat just slipped next to Hakyeon and ignored Taekwoon's fussing.

"She doesn't really like to talk in front of other people."

Taekwoon pouted as he kept Raven's back.

"You like cats?"

"She's very cute."

At that, Raven turned her face away from Taekwoon and buried her face onto Hakyeon's bed sheets. Hakyeon giggled and patted her head. "She likes you too."

-=o0o=-