"Fan? Did you do the assignment?"

Yifan absently scanned the courtyard, tapping his pen against the wooden table.

There were quite a few couples spending their time huddled up, but observing them was probably not going to be very helpful.

"Yifan? Earth to Yifan?"

He suppressed a sigh. He was already pretty behind for his age, but at this rate, he'd stay a first-grade witch until his thirties or something.

"Is this your way of telling me to do my own homework for once?"

His eyes caught the little group of people laughing in the shade of the big oak tree. It wasn't the group specifically that grabbed his attention but rather the blond guy sitting with his back to it, chatting and laughing with the others-

"Are you mad at me?"

At the sound of worry tinging his best friend's voice, Yifan finally snapped out of it.

"What?"

Zitao relaxed at that, turning from potentially-apologetic to throwing him a judgmental stare.

"Spacing out on me again? Don't make me worry for nothing."

Yifan blinked, mentally backtracking and trying to zoom in on the words that had oh so conveniently blurred into the background.

"Sorry, I was just- distracted. Economy assignment, yeah?"

It was a random guess and by the expression on Zitao's face, he was well-aware. But maybe the fact that Yifan naturally assumed he'd want to copy his homework made him zip it. Zitao tended to be shameless but he had his moments.

"English."

Yifan wordlessly handed him his folder - which Zitao accepted with a mumbled "Thanks" - and went back to observing the nearby students.

Something clanked softly as he leaned forward, and Yifan fished out the necklace he'd wear every day without fail, shielding it from Zitao's view. There was a pendant attached to it,  made to look like a little glass bottle with a neck just wide enough to allow a marble to slip through. In Yifan's large hands, it looked tiny, but it was still large enough to attract gazes and questions if visible to the public, so Yifan  made sure people wouldn't see it if he could help it. Inside was a single golden marble. It was nowhere near looking like liquid gold, but the hue and glitter were rather strong for an act as menial as sharing homework. Yifan smiled, his witch exam currently forgotten.

Zitao might just be the most moody person he'd ever met, but even if he didn't always voice out his gratitude, he always felt it. Some of his most valuable orbs had been the ones Zitao had given to him unknowingly over the past two years. In fact, he would have never even passed his first exam without the beautifully clear, emerald orb Yifan had found in his glass container last summer, when he'd guided the other through a haunted house by the beach.

 

No matter how much Yifan appreciated his friend's gratitude, however, one orb would be a meagre outcome for the day, so he should probably get to thinking on how to gain more of them. He might be stuck on how to acquire a garnet one, but that didn't mean that he should stop collecting other orbs. He'd promised Yixing that he would keep practicing and he couldn't actually execute any spells without the respective orbs.

Maybe he should stop by the library again and help out Mrs. Yu after their lectures. It was a worthwhile way to spend his time and the old lady as well as other staff members always appreciated his help.

 

---

 

The sun was about to set but Yifan didn't quite find it in himself to return home despite the courtyard being deserted already. His legs and arms were aching from reorganizing and moving entire shelves - a task which had apparently been on people's minds for a while now, and that had been calling for 'a young, broad man like yourself'.

Yifan didn't mind, he really didn't, but this afternoon served as a stark reminder that he'd been spending too much time at his desk lately. He was terribly out of shape.

He pulled out the glass pendant to find a couple new orbs in them. They all ranged from watery yellow to a vibrant amber. Citrine orbs represented joy, while anything delving into orange symbolized platonic affection.

Yifan smiled to himself. To think that his work had made people happy was nice - not to mention that Mrs. Yu 's affection was really flattering. Even if this day's outcome may lack rare orbs, Yifan felt like it had been all worth it.

Something glinted out of the corner of his vision, making Yifan look up to see the blond boy from that morning. He'd never talked to him, but just like everybody else, Yifan knew his name.

Unlike everyone else, however, Yifan also knew that extroverted, popular Luhan was a witch. Not just any witch, either - being of the fifth grade at the tender age of 19 made him nothing short of a prodigy.

Yifan knew that, and yet he couldn't help staring when the other stopped in his tracks to fish out a glass container fixed to the little bag on his belt. Even from afar, he could tell that it was different from his own, basic one, and the late sunrays caught a flurry of colors vibrant enough to put any rainbow to shame.

Nothing about this was new, but getting a glimpse of their difference with his own eyes was... quite sobering. Yifan self-consciously slid his necklace back under his shirt and tried not to feel like a failure. If only he was a little more like Luhan. If only his appearance was a little less intimidating, if only he was more extroverted and less awkward.

At this rate, he'd still be a first grader by the time his mentor returned from Europe. He could just picture Yixing tell him it's alright, expertly masking his disappointment.

Yifan clenched his fists on the bench. Yixing had always been merciless in his teachings, but also fair and loving. He didn't deserve a failure such as Yifan.

It was this kind of desperation that made him get up fast enough to cause his head to spin. With his bag thrown over his shoulder, he made his way over to Luhan in a few, swift steps, ignoring the faint ache in his legs. He was moving before his anxious brain could catch up with him, calling out before the words managed to hide away in his throat.

"Uhm, hey."

Luhan turned around, a questioning expression on his face. He was almost a head shorter than Yifan, and for some reason, that amplified his own awkwardness even more. Not to mention that the other was all but glowing, with the late sunrays casting a golden light over his honey blonde hair, emphasizing his brown eyes.

Eyes that narrowed a tiny bit as he seemed unsure of whom he was facing.

"We never talked," Yifan muttered, wringing his hand inside his pocket. Luhan only nodded, looking sceptical still, so he had no choice but to soldier on.

"I'm Yifan. By the way. I was just wondering," he began, teetering off. He felt stupidly flushed already and dearly hoped the vibrant sunlight hid that particular fact.

"I was just wondering if you could give me some pointers? On how to gather orbs? Since you're like, you know. Really good."

The tick of confusion melted into understanding and Luhan breathed out a soft 'Ah'.

"So you are a witch. I could hardly tell," he commented in a rather cool voice. The once-over he gave Yifan made the other want to turn invisible. "First I assumed you're using shielding spells but I guess your aura is just barely developed."

Ouch.

"That aside, if you can't even get the basics down on your own, you might want to seek out your mentor about it and not waste my time."

"I do know the basics," Yifan began, internally screaming at himself to just stop talking already, "it's just one or two colors that are giving me trouble and-"

Luhan unceremoniously reached out to tug on Yifan's necklace until the pendant dangled from it, glinting in the light.

"Seriously?"

It was only a word, but the way he'd said it, the way he sighed - tired, exasperated, and judgemental , completely crushed all the confidence he might have had at any point.

Yifan on his lip as he lightly nodded, more to himself than anything. He took half a step back, the pendant slipping out of the other's loose grip.

"Sorry."

It hurt, but nothing Luhan had said had been a lie. He shouldn't be surprised that someone of Luhan's caliber had absolutely no interest in wasting time on a beginner like Yifan.

"Not even pissed? Just mildly sad?" Luhan asked, looking at his own collection of orbs.

"That won't even make for a good spell-"

"Luhan. There you are."

Their heads both whipped around to see a man sitting on a bench, only a couple steps away. He was dressed in black from head to toe, had equally dark hair and eyes, and an almost unsettlingly intense gaze that was currently trained on Yifan.

He'd appeared out of nowhere.

Luhan shot him a quick nod and casually slipped the container into his pocket.

"Kyungsoo."

Yifan could immediately tell that the other was Luhan's mentor. He could tell by Luhan's subtle shift in demeanour, but even without him around, he'd simply... know . The man called Kyungsoo didn't emit even the faintest aura but that very absence somehow made his power even more apparent. Yifan couldn't put it into words but it was clear that the other commanded respect.

Under the other's intense gaze, Yifan felt himself grow anxious, and he gave him an awkward mix between a nod and a bow.

To his surprise, the other's strict features morphed into a smile.

"Well, isn't that a surprise?" he asked, directed at Luhan. "You found someone to tutor you? How nice."

Luhan actually spluttered, all his previous control thrown out of the window.

"Tutor me?" he echoed incredulously. "That guy? He didn't even pass his entrance exam-"

"Of course I did," Yifan protested, glaring holes in the ground as his fingers kept digging into the strap of his bag. Luhan's voice only grew in both pitch and noise level.

"Oh, pardon me, he didn't even pass his second exam," Luhan corrected himself, rolling his eyes. The fact that he was spot on with that guess and the fact that an undoubtedly mighty witch was listening made Yifan want to crawl into a hole and just stay there.

Kyungsoo's smile, however, never even wavered.

"So? I think he's just the right person to give you a few pointers."

Luhan looked this close to punching someone. Probably Yifan.

"What kinda pointers would he be able to give me?" he asked, glaring at Yifan and confirming his suspicions. Well, at least the other didn't look particularly strong. It shouldn’t hurt too bad.

"All the ones you need," Kyungsoo replied undeterred, which led to more colorful complaints by Luhan; who was surprisingly foul-mouthed, considering he was speaking to his mentor. Completely unfazed by his apprentice's hissy fit, Kyungsoo got to his feet and dusted off his clothes.

"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt your first session, so I'll be going first. Stop by the atelier later, will you?"

Luhan only glared at him, giving Yifan secondhand guilt over the childish disrespect.

He bowed once more, simply because he couldn't think of anything to say, and when he looked up, Kyungsoo was simply gone.

The sun had set by then, coating the sky in hues of muted pink - but the heat emanating off Luhan's glare sure made up for it.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, and all Yifan could offer was a helpless shrug.

"I have absolutely no idea," he admitted.

Luhan stared at him, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You don't? Nothing you're keeping from me? Anything my mentor could have referred to just now?"

If Yifan could turn back time, he certainly would, only to keep himself from approaching this surprisingly rude prodigy boy. He'd learnt his lesson, it wasn't worth the trouble, blah, blah. He'd be good and try to figure it out on his own.

Sadly, he couldn't turn back time.

"Not that I know of," he shrugged defensively.

For a couple endlessly long seconds, Luhan stared at him.

Then he groaned.

"Fine," he sighed, voice dripping with annoyance. "Tomorrow, five P.M., by the gate. You better not be late."

He his heels and left with brisk steps, not even awaiting a response. To be fair, Yifan would have taken at least half a minute to come up with one, anyway, seeing as he was mostly baffled by what had just taken place.

Had the famous Luhan just agreed to tutoring him?

Or had he just agreed to tutoring Luhan?

Yifan had no idea which of these would terrify him more, and that certainly didn’t help.

 

---

 

The next day, Luhan did indeed show up shortly after five in the afternoon, looking every bit as dazzling even without the late sun rays reflecting dipping his skin in hues of gold. He looked just as unimpressed as he remembered him, too.

"There you are," he half-yawned, walking straight past him with a casual wave of his hand, gesturing, no, demanded for Yifan to follow after him. If it had been anyone else, Yifan might have been annoyed at the other's derogatory treatment but right then, he just felt guilty and somewhat nervous.

"Is it alright if you're seen with me?" he asked, fiddling with the frayed, silky lining of his pocket.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Luhan asked back, a mix of boredom and exasperation.

"I don't wanna ruin your reputation or anything," Yifan admitted freely, secretly glad his legs were as long as they were, making it easy to keep up with Luhan's determined pace.

Luhan didn't meet his eyes as he snorted.

"You'd have to actually have a reputation in order to affect others."

Ouch. It may have stung but he wasn't wrong, so there wasn't much for Yifan to say to that. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that he was barely more than a name on attendance lists to most students, despite his height always making him feel vaguely watched, and like a sore thumb sticking out among crowds.

"Where are we going?" he asked, after a minute spent in silence.

"To get a cup of coffee. I definitely need one right now."

"Long day?"

The harmless question seemed to catch Luhan off guard, who shot him a funny look.

"I was referring to having to tutor you," he began stubbornly, but the fight seeped out of his voice, anyway. "But yes, today was... long."

Yifan hummed.

"Was it the lectures? Creating orbs? Or is it your next assignment?" he asked, carefully emphasizing the last word.

Luhan actually groaned at that.

"God, don't remind me. I should have finished my assignment ages ago."

At this, Yifan could only sigh.

"Same here. Though I guess I'm on my way to setting up a record on how late one can get."

"Glad you're aware," Luhan commented, rolling his eyes, but there was less hostility to it than before.

Technically, the graduation assignments for witches had no deadline. Witches improved at their own pace, moving along as soon as they were capable of doing so. The only rule was to do the assignments in their respective order, and not skip any. Which was unfortunate because Yifan was certain that in many aspects - or at least in some - he was above the level of a first grader. He had to be.

"And here we are," Luhan announced, taking the steps into a quaint-looking café. "I hope you're aware of the fact that you'll be paying."

If he expected a pushback, well, Yifan wasn't going to deliver. He was too busy scanning the interior and people scattered across the cozy-looking establishment. Luhan made a beeline for one of the tables not too far from the counter with routined movements that told him he was a regular. He placed his bag on the table and told Yifan to sit as he went to the counter to place an order - who took the time to set up his study materials, if only to distract from the compass resting in his hands. Not like the small, round amulet fitting right into his palm was a compass in the traditional sense, but it aided as a guide to young witches and held their assignments. Opening it displayed the familiar hollowed out circles where orbs were supposed to go, each connected to the rest with slim, golden lines, forming his zodiac sign. For his entrance exam, the slots had been lined in very common colors, demanding simple orbs to be inserted, but for his second assignment, the colors had grown more exotic. As of now, only a single orb was missing, the empty space glaring at him judgmentally.

"Scorpio, huh?"

The sudden question had Yifan flinch and instinctively close the compass but it was just Luhan who slipped back into his seat, placing a tablet with drinks and cake on the table.

"Could be worse, I guess."

"There's nothing wrong with being a scorpio," Yifan halfheartedly commented, eyeing the food on the table. "Wait, did you order for me, too?"

"That's why I said 'could be worse' ," Luhan echoed, wordlessly placing one of the drinks before him.

"What are you?" Yifan asked, unable to reign in his curiosity.

"Taurus," Luhan hummed, sipping on his drink and quietly in delight. "Man, I needed this."

Yifan followed suit, trying the drink he had most certainly not ordered. It turned out to not be a coffee at all, much to his positive surprise - as far as he could tell, he was sipping on an iced chocolate drink that looked way more frilly than what Luhan himself had ordered - with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and everything. Yifan wanted to feel belittled, but the drink was delicious, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Luhan exhaled, looking much more relaxed already.

"Alright then, show me where you're at," he said, smacking his lips. Yifan handed over his compass and watched Luhan flip it open nonchalantly as he blindly poked a fork into his chiffon cake.

"Hmhm," he hummed around a mouthful of cake, rapidly taking in the orbs, only to furrow his brows. He waited until the cake was swallowed to throw Yifan an unimpressed look.

"Really now?"

Yifan resisted the urge to press the chilled drink against his cheeks - as a weak attempt at cooling them - and just grimaced awkwardly.

"I mean. Yeah."

In order to move on to being a  second grade witch, he had to prove being able to both create and use orbs of more complex emotions, such as sadness, respect, disgust... and love. Which was currently the only orb missing on his compass.

"You got lust all over and done with, but not love?" Luhan asked, clearly referring to the one spot Yifan could insert whichever orb he wanted; and where he had generously put the fancy-looking pink orb in. The way Luhan raised his brows made him feel like the morally corrupt person he most definitely wasn't.

"It was an accident to be honest," he admitted, scooping up more whipped cream so as to avoid his gaze. "I never did anything to deserve that one. It just popped up one day, during basketball practice."

"Huh," was all Luhan said, eyeing him fleetingly, before looking back at the compass. "I mean, makes sense. I guess someone would enjoy going down on you."

Yifan wanted to hide his face, but seeing as that wasn't really an option, he settled for busying himself with his own slice of cake.

"Thanks. I guess."

"But you can't get anyone to fall in love with you? It's not like you need someone to die for you - a good crush should do the job. It's not that hard," Luhan stated quizzically. "At least with your looks, it shouldn't be."

Yifan wanted to feel flattered but the embarrassment over his shortcomings as a witch was decidedly stronger.

"Well, what do you want me to say? Apparently, I ."

"I can tell," Luhan sighed, returning the compass to him.

"Anyway, we'll do it like this," he then announced, both palms on the table, causing Yifan to sit up straighter. "You keep your eyes open for any potential girls - or guys, for all I care - and then show me how you do it."

"Do what?" Yifan asked before he could help it, and Luhan shot him a long look.

"Oh," Yifan eventually muttered, sounding hollow to his own ears, " that. Yeah. Sure."

Luhan kept staring, voice turning blank.

"You never even tried hitting anyone up," he stated more than asked, and for once in his life, Yifan felt pretty small.

"I did try," he argued. "Occasionally."

Luhan inhaled deeply, looking around the room as if he was waiting for a headache to come to him.

"Okay," he finally said, and it sounded almost like a challenge.

"Guess you'll have to try a little more often then, starting right now. You better find someone before the store closes in," he said, checking his watch, "4 hours. I'll be doing some homework in the meantime. Good luck."

Yifan opened his mouth, but thought better of it, and just nodded. Lightly shaking his head to himself, Luhan took out his notes and pens, completely oblivious of the mental assault Yifan was currently under.

Good luck? With what? How?

He had no idea how to 'hit anyone up', and he wasn't even sure this was a good strategy to begin with, to just talk to random strangers at a café. The mere thought made him uncomfortable.

But Luhan was apparently dead serious - at least about his math assignments, which he was currently working on, brows knitted in concentration as he completely ignored Yifan's borderline helpless looks.

He chewed on his bottom lip and took to looking around the café to assess his options.

He could do this; he just had to give himself a little push. Luhan was already willing to help, so Yifan had to do his part. And no matter how much he doubted both himself and the task, doing nothing would certainly not earn him his red orb and with it, the passing of his second assignment.

His spontaneous burst of enthusiasm, however, was short-lived, at best. There were plenty of people coming in and out of the café, a lot of them around his age, most of them attending the university of fine arts, as evident by their uniforms, but Yifan had absolutely no clue on how to choose a person to hit on. There was no telling who was single, or into men, much less who would be into him. Sure, Yifan wasn't the worst-looking guy around, but he had a feeling that most people weren't into guys whose idea of conveying affection consisted largely of mildly panicked stares and awkward silence. 

Whenever someone did seem to tick off all the boxes (being alone, actually sitting down at one of the tables, not scary-looking), Yifan ended up just stealing some glances and experiencing a discreet, mental breakdown until the person in question was either joined by friends, or left.

"I don't think I can do this," he muttered eventually, fiddling with his spoon and scraping at the leftovers clinging to the glass like he was clinging to the edge of his seat. Luhan, who had made it all the way through his history and politics assignments and was currently drawing an incantation, looked up with a questioning hum.

"What? Oh, I almost forget you're here."

Yifan blinked.

"Are you constructing incantations?" he then whispered harshly, looking around to see whether anyone had spotted them. Luhan just shrugged.

"Kyungsoo is gonna grill me if I do them at the atelier," he only replied, and in response to Yifan's incredulous stare, he sighed. In annoyance, at that.

"Never heard of a concealing spell?" he asked, opening his own compass. The top displayed a Taurus symbol, filled almost entirely with vibrant, exotic-looking orbs, while the bottom left room to actually cast simple spells with. Yifan really wished he could afford a compass this fancy, but that required an amount of orbs he could only dream of.

"Of course I have, I just... didn't notice you casting it," Yifan finished lamely, looking at the easy, but all the more precise shapes drawn onto the gold, connecting two green and one silver orb. Trust and respect. Both the orbs as well as the golden lines glowed faintly.

Even after watching Yixing cast magic time and time again, the novelty had never worn off for Yifan. He simply loved magic.

"It kinda suits you," he burst out, while Luhan shot him a dubious look.

"That you used two green and one silver orb instead of the other way around," Yifan elaborated. "You really prefer having people trust you instead of fear you, so this seems like a choice aligning well with that concept. Also the linework is really simplistic, but effective. I think it's pretty cool."

To his surprise, Luhan looked flustered. Maybe even embarrassed.

"Did you just call me linework simple?" he muttered, quickly storing away his compass. "It does its job, okay?"

"Yeah, that's what I said," Yifan agreed quizzically, but Luhan remained offended, grumbling something to himself as he threw his pen into its metal case... and shot to his feet.

"I'll show you how this is done. Pay attention."

The vigour in his voice wasn't mirrored in his movements at all, which seemed nothing but casual as he strode over to the counter. Yifan tried his best to listen closely.

"Hey. Could I get the same order once more? Minus the cake, I mean," Luhan said, wearing his signature charming smile.

When the waitress affirmed him with a bright smile of her own, Luhan acted coy.

"You really remember our drinks? Wow. I could never-"

"Oh, shut it, you've been coming here for months now," the girl cut him off, playing it casual, but if there was one thing Yifan knew, it was what nervousness looked like.

"Still," Luhan dragged out with a small pout. "The same could be said about many other patrons. But do you remember my friend's order, too?"

"I told you I got them both memorized," the waitress stated stubbornly, crossing her arms. "Flattering me, but secretly doubting me. I see how it is."

"Can't believe he only had to order one drink to get his order memorized," Luhan mock-grumbled.

"He didn't even order it - you did," the girl argued, and finally seemed to realize that what they were doing could be counted as flirting. Flustered, she shooed him to the side to prepare their drinks.

Yifan could only watch as they conversed, silently marveling over how smooth and not awkward Luhan was, how he kept his voice light and posture open, keeping the tension low. He'd perfected the art of being unsuspecting, and it was almost eery to look at. Yifan shook his head, attempting to shake off the thought.

Eery wasn't the right term in this case. He was skilled . Yifan should aspire to be like that.

When Luhan returned a while later, claiming that the next round really should be on Yifan, it was with a new number in his phone.

"See? Easy as pie," Luhan said as soon as he sat down, the concealing spell hopefully keeping their conversation private. He didn't even sound particularly smug, like the display truly wasn't worth any praise, and that realization didn't exactly comfort Yifan.

"Now you," Luhan commanded. "The other waitress, the one wiping down tables? She's been looking at you for a while now. Go on. Don't gimme that look. You want that red orb or no?"

Yifan turned around to spot the waitress in question - and cringed internally. It wasn't like he had done anything worth feeling embarrassed yet, so maybe his brain was developing fortune telling tendencies. Advance-cringing, so to say.

Despite everything, he took a deep breath and got to his feet.

Here goes nothing, he told himself.

 

---

 

"I cannot believe you."

Yifan looked down at the ground, pretending like the strip of greenery lining the street was the most captivating sight he could lay his eyes on.

"Scratch that, no one would believe this," Luhan added, generously expressing his exasperation."A witch striding in to steal a heart but ending up giving math lessons. Like. Are you even real?"

"What did you want me to do?" Yifan weakly began, "She wasn't even single-"

"Well, considering the looks she threw you, she might have been easy to sway-"

"-and she's only looked at me because she saw my math assignments lying on the table," Yifan finished lamely. Luhan threw up his hands in frustration

"And instead of using this as an icebreaker, you sit down to actually teach her math instead?"

"Well," Yifan stammered, knowing full well that nothing he'd say could possibly salvage the situation, "she looked like she needed them? I think she was Lesbian, anyway, so..."

Luhan blankly stared ahead. And sighed.

He seemed to do that a lot in Yifan's presence.

"Okay. Whatever. It served as a good assessment on just how hopeless you are."

Yifan would be a liar to say the statement wasn’t disheartening, but again, it wasn't exactly a lie. Much to his surprise, Luhan didn’t seem interested in mocking him much longer.

"I can do this," he muttered to himself. "I passed so many horrid assignments, this is nothing in comparison."

"It's not like you have to waste your time on me, you know," Yifan stated, slightly miffed, but Luhan only waved him off.

"Nobody asked you. I'll take care of it. In fact- yeah. You know what? I'll just do it myself."

Ignoring the very embarrassing spark of excitement in his stomach, Yifan swallowed.

"Do what yourself?" he asked carefully.

Luhan only smiled and even patted his back, spurred on by the excitement of his own idea.

"Get you that stupid orb. See you on Friday, for lunch."

That day, Yifan returned home with a brand new and very shiny golden orb as well as a watery one that undecidedly shimmered in various colors. It may be completely useless, but very pretty to look at nonetheless. He kept it in a separate glass jug on his bedside table.

 

---

 

"What the hell did your mentor teach you?"

Yifan shrugged.

They were sitting inside a rather classy cocktail bar this time, having moved there when the café had closed down for the day. It was more than unusual to have students ponder assignments and homework inside a bar - and an expensive one at that - but another fresh concealing spell made sure people's eyes were averted - unless they really tried, In which case they were probably seeing two guys looking at their phones instead of the complex, hand-drawn incantations that Yifan was currently correcting with a mechanical pen.

"Yixing is very particular when it comes to spell construction."

"Still, this is advanced even for a fourth grade witch," Luhan insisted, and if Yifan didn't know any better, he'd say the other was growing red. "You should not know any of this yet."

Yifan bit back a comment on how unlike him, Luhan should be able to handle incantations of this level and quietly nursed his coconut cocktail, hoping for the alcohol to make his own blush less obvious. Even after weeks of them meeting up to work on their witch assignments, the close proximity still managed to throw him off. Yifan wasn't even sure how exactly all this had started. One moment, Luhan had attempted to act as his wingman during their lunch break, the next they were back at the café, where he tried to drown his frustration in coffee. Sure, the fact that Yifan had ended up exchanging pictures of his pet cats with the pretty girl, only to introduce her to Zitao soon after (on accident, really!) had probably something to do with it. Yifan had felt obligated to pay for Luhan's coffee back then. Somehow, they'd slipped into doing their witch assignments and somehow, it turned out that Luhan may be a scarily talented witch with an abundance of orbs and spells at his disposal, but his spell construction... .

"I've heard of the Silver Witch before," Luhan muttered, somehow managing to petulantly slurp on his orange juice. "But I didn't realize he was that much of a tyrant."

"Yixing isn't a tyrant," Yifan disagreed, gently erasing part of the inner section to replace it with swift . "He's just... strict. And his approach is very clean cut and technical. Even now that he's overseas, he always makes sure to take a look at my spells, and gives me regular assignments."

"Sounds like a real pain," Luhan commented dryly, flopping down to put his head on his arms.

"Your mentor doesn't seem to care much about spell construction, does he?" Yifan asked, absently adding some notes to the flow of energy, using small arrows in the color of the respective orbs.

Luhan snorted.

"If he had enough time on his hands, he'd burn every piece of paper in the house so I wouldn't waste my time on them. But sadly, I do need to construct spells for my last few assignments..."

"Really?" Yifan asked incredulously. Kyungsoo was somewhat infamous even among higher witches, to the point that even Yifan had heard of him - even if he’d never met him before. Unlike Yixing, who was a picture book light witch, Kyungsoo's magic specialized on all sorts of orbs, including darker ones, earning him the title of Prism Witch.

There were plenty of witches who had fallen for the allure of using dark orbs, instilling fear and hurting those around them to cast spells using powerful, negative emotions. Kyungsoo wasn't one of them but his approach was definitely a wild and unpredictable one. Which was the reason why nobody was surprised when his one and only handpicked menteé turned out to be a young genius.

"But how do you usually cast spells?"

Luhan shrugged.

"I just make them up on the spot."

"All the time? That's insane-" Yifan burst out, and the disbelief must have been really showing on his face, too, judging by Luhan's poorly concealed, proud grin.

"Eh, it's doable."

Yifan only shook his head, taking a deep sip of his cocktail to go with the revelation. Making spells up on the spot was indeed possible, but it required an immense amount of intuition and skill to place the orbs and connect them by feeling their energy flow. Being able to do so for the most simple spells was an amazing feat but doing it all the time? He really was on a whole different level. Still, passing later assignments required certain spells to be constructed by hand, so Yifan swallowed down his feelings of inferiority. For the time being, at least.

"Okay, but some spells are probably safer to be constructed instead of just... winged," he insisted, and Luhan made a face.

"Lame," he groaned, glaring at the paper. Yifan wasn't fazed.

"Sulking is not going to solve this issue," he hummed, moving his chair a little closer so Luhan could get a better look at the spell. "First, you gotta mind the main element of the outer circle," Yifan began. This wasn't the first time he had ended up tutoring him and while Luhan never failed to make a show of looking sulky, he hadn't ever stopped or interrupted him. Was it childish, the way he acted all sullen and never even thanked Yifan? Definitely. But Yifan didn't have it in him to be mad. For one, Luhan had been praised as a young prodigy left and right, so admitting to such a basic weakness was probably very uncomfortable - and that aside, he didn't seem to have any other witch friends. He'd probably relax a little over time, Yifan told himself.

The more he thought about those other explanations, the less he could judge himself for the amount of time he spent thinking about Luhan.

He made him draw the construction all over again, starting from scratch, guiding him through one element at a time as he kept pointing out any inconsistencies. Yifan also made sure to praise him afterwards - but not too much, so the other wouldn't feel belittled - and then slipped into giving him pointers about the finer details.

"Technically, you can draw it like you just did, but the safer way would be to start from the center," he explained a while later, dragging his pen over the construction to demonstrate, "that way it's less likely to tilt the balance even if the linework is not entirely perfect-"

He caught a glimpse of Luhan, who sat there with his chin resting on his hand, absently staring at him. When their eyes met, he blinked. Yifan shot him a look.

"You didn't listen, did you?" he asked, ignoring the heat threatening to crawl up his ears. Had he just made a weird face or something? Hopefully not.

Luhan blinked some more, and dutifully looked down again.

"-even if the linework is not entirely perfect," he echoed, but his furrowed brows gave him away.

"And the sentence before that?"

Luhan parted his lips, but ultimately just shook his head.

"Yeah, no. No idea," he admitted, not looking particularly sorry. Yifan sighed, and by the time he spoke up again, Luhan did so at the same time.

"At what point did you zone out-"

"I'm sorry-"

Under Yifan's quizzical look, Luhan seemed to shrink, looking like a scolded kid.

"I should have paid attention," he muttered. "Since you're taking the time and everything."

"Oh," Yifan commented, feeling like an idiot for being so easily tripped up. Or flustered.

"Sure, no big deal," he shrugged, immediately returning to the drawing to cover up the annoying flutter in his stomach that even weeks of meetups hadn't managed to kill.

Why did it have to be so hard to breathe around Luhan?

One would assume that after peeking behind the other's sociable, friendly facade to find a bratty and somewhat spoiled witch would manage to dull the appeal that were his sparkling eyes. But then he went out of his way to pay for Yifan's coffee without mentioning it, or dozed off next to Yifan at the café, or tried his best to follow his tutoring lessons... and then Yifan’s head was a mess all over again.

He wanted to groan and rethink his life choices in peace, but that was hardly possible with Luhan shooting him these imploring looks whenever Yifan got distracted.

He was so, so screwed.

 

---

 

Yifan wasn't drunk, but he kinda wished he was. Maybe it would make the people around him less daunting to be around. And maybe he'd feel less bad for staring at Luhan instead of focusing on his task.

Around them, lights were flickering and the bass was pumping, inviting a mass of uncoordinated bodies to sway along.

Yifan rarely went to clubs and he'd never been to one this filthy. He just wasn't the type. He didn't dance, and he didn't enjoy the noise or general level of intoxication. All these, however, were essential ingredients in acquiring himself a hookup and therefore, a crush in the making, Luhan had pointed out. He'd been pretty adamant about dragging Yifan out, even if their past ventures to clubs had been... unsuccessful, to say the least. At this point, Luhan seemed to take these continued failures personally, and his methods got more aggressive with every passing day. This was the only explanation Yifan had for the way Luhan had dolled himself up to an amount that would have been ridiculous (if it hadn't looked so stupidly good on him). Yifan was convinced the other had even used a spell to keep his makeup and hair from being ruined by sweat. Next to him, he probably looked like a library secretary who got lost at a strip club: plain, awkward, uninteresting... and currently looking very distraught as Luhan placed both hands on his hips to dance with him - on him, really. Because it was Luhan doing it, he somehow managed to still catch the eyes of some girls around them - along with those of one guy in black, who looked downright hungry. It had to be the playful expression, the easy, not particularly intimate touch and his bright smile that made him look pleasantly tipsy. The tight pair of jeans was probably helping, too.

He looked perfect, moved perfectly... and didn't feel like Luhan at all.

Sure, Yifan had spent enough hours watching Luhan 'at work' to roughly see through his ways, but experiencing it in person - being part of the ploy, really - never failed to freak him out a little. It was alright when he acted sociable and bubbly as he tried to play wingman for Yifan, but this was different and went a little farther than Yifan was comfortable with. The proximity was too small, the other's eyes intoxicating, and it felt like he was getting a warped version of something he'd silently fantasized about. His heart jumped when a hand unceremoniously grabbed his shirt to tug him down.

"Come on, play along at least a little," Luhan half-yelled into his ear, sounding somewhat exasperated.

"This is just- weird," Yifan countered, awkwardly placing his hands on the other's waist. "Don't you feel stupid doing this? Besides, I think this just works for girls."

Luhan snorted, the facade slipping for a moment.

"Don't be naive," he laughed. "This works for anyone if you're doing it right."

He slowed down but simultaneously slid his hand around Yifan's hips, keeping him from backing away.

"I just don't think I'm made for this," Yifan called out over the aggressive sound of a dubstep break sprinkled with recorded moans that made him feel an awkward mix of embarrassment and sparks of arousal.

"You didn't even try yet," Luhan protested, fingers kneading his side in a terribly distracting way. "We don't come here so you can help out bartenders or call taxis for people, you know? And last time-"

"I know ," Yifan cut him off, feeling like a child. Last time, he'd disappeared into the bathroom with a pretty girl, inadvertently getting Luhan's hopes up, only to have them crushed as he realized Yifan had held her hair as she'd vomited out every single cocktail she'd had that night.

"This just isn't my thing," Yifan began, only to cut himself off as he jerked away from the warm hand that had unceremoniously slipped beneath his shirt to tickle him.

"You gotta be flexible if you want to become a good witch," Luhan yelled into his ear insistently, looking flushed and grinning in a way that felt infinitely more lively than his earlier display.

"I'm just not into the idea of casual ," Yifan admitted, blurting out the truth if only to downplay the way his heart raced because of the fingers still lingering on his skin. "And I kinda doubt they'd come back for seconds, to be honest. Or however many times it takes for someone to start crushing on me. I bet I'd just fall in love first, actually."

At this, Luhan's expression actually changed, growing apprehensive.

"You can't do that," he said almost accusingly, both palms running over the bare skin of his back. "You need to be the one in control. That's how it works."

Yifan winced because no one would hear him over the noise, anyway.

"Can't we go back to embarrassing me at school?" he asked almost desperately, feeling tingly and nervous enough to join whoever was probably puking their heart out in the dirty bathroom right now.

Luhan only smiled, and it looked oddly reassuring.

"Just play along," he yelled over the beat. "Just once. It worked for me before. Trust me."

He highlighted his words by continuing to feel up Yifan's back, and maybe that, too, was all for show, but Yifan felt goosebumps run down his arms and neck, anyway.

Just once.

Maybe Luhan was right. Yifan was dead certain this was a terrible idea, but what did he know? Luhan was the one whose glass jar was always filled with orbs of any color - he earned so many, in fact, that his glass flask was enchanted to send them to another, bigger vase back in his room. Whatever Luhan was doing, it was working, so maybe it was Yifan's turn to follow his lead, if only for a while.

That's what he told himself, at least, drowning out the quiet, nagging awareness that all of these were excuses. Pitiful, sad excuses to enjoy the other's playful hands on him, to feel his body pressed against his, even if he'd reverted to his distractingly fake behaviour.

It was intoxicating in the same way alcohol was - captivating, addicting, but very obviously unhealthy.

And yet it was this daze that kept Yifan by his side that evening, watching as Luhan scoped the masses for someone suitable until he eventually returned from the bar with not only a drink, but also a pretty girl in tow. Luhan said something about being willing to share his boyfriend for the night. She was eyeing Yifan up and down in a way that made him feel and actually clung to his arm instead of Luhan's as they made their way off the dance floor. They made it all the way to the exit and to the parking lot, made it all the way with Luhan groping her and showering her with compliments, when Yifan finally snapped.

"I'm not doing this," he said resolutely, stopping in his tracks. The girl let go of his arm in the process, and Luhan shot him a confused look.

"Hm? Not good?"

His face clearly screamed 'don't mess this up,' but Yifan's decision had already been made.

"This is messed up," he stated, and now the girl was looking confused, blinking against the daze that however many shots had left on her mind.

"What, are you some kinda weirdos?" she asked hesitantly, taking a step away from both of them.

"What? No, " Yifan breathed out, horrified at the mere thought of hurting this poor, drunken stranger.

Luhan groaned.

"Come on, Yifan. Really now? What's the big deal about having some fun?"

"This isn't fun," Yifan burst out, feeling more and more appalled by himself with every second spent in the sobering night air. "This is the worst. I feel dirty and disgusting. This is bull- I can't just- trick anyone into liking me! All of this is bull."

Luhan had the nerve to roll his eyes.

"What, you were gonna wait for true love to show up on your doorstep before you get it?" he asked, looking annoyed.

"If that's what it takes not to feel like scum then sure, why not?" Yifan barked back.

"Was the boyfriend thing a lie?" the girl asked, and Luhan groaned in frustration.

"Yes, you dumb blonde," he began, throwing up his arms. "You think I approached you cause I'm into cleavage that drops low enough to spot the bellybutton? You look cheaper than the dirt under my nails."

The girl gaped at him in utter disbelief. With a hearty " you," she slipped back inside the club. Yifan looked every bit as shocked as the girl had.

"What was that for?" he burst out. "She was really pretty?"

Luhan shrugged, expression reverting to a more distanced one.

"At least I got something out of her."

He fished the glass container out of the bag he usually wore around his hip, lightly tossing the orbs around. Inside, between a dozen pink orbs symbolizing lust, was a single, blue one. Sadness. The girl had cursed him out but instead of anger, sadness had manifested.

Yifan felt even more nauseous at the sight.

"What is wrong with you?" Yifan asked, completely overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, by the shift within the person who had laughed so genuinely with him just an hour ago. "You have so many orbs, why would you just randomly hurt someone like that?"

"Well, maybe I got that many orbs cause I don't just sit around all day, being nice," Luhan snapped.

"Maybe I don't want to be a manipulative ," Yifan countered, and despite everything, he felt a pang of guilt over his choice of words. Still, enough was enough.

"How many people have you messed with already? Sweet-talked them, slept with them, got their hopes up, farmed their affection... only to drop them? Fear, anger, hate, even love - you're just using everyone around you-"

"It's called being a witch, " Luhan hissed, looking every bit as pissed as Yifan felt. "Molding and collecting emotions is what we do, in case you missed the memo - how is it going, trying to gain anger or disgust by lovingly taking care of people? Oh wait-" he breathed out in mock-realization. "it didn't even get you a measly crush, so I guess it's not going too well now is it?"

Yifan would be a liar to say he wasn't hurt by the other's words, but they came from the same place all his self doubts lurked in, so he didn't linger on them.

"I know what witches do," he said instead, lowering his voice to a more quiet, controlled level. "I know that we need orbs to perform spells. I know that we need those fueled by hurt and anger as well. But you don't respect people. In fact, I feel like you don't even respect yourself."

"Like you even know me," Luhan began, but Yifan simply kept talking.

"And if that's what it takes to be a top tier witch, then I don't want to be one."

Luhan just stared at him, a flicker of something unreadable shining through the anger.

Yifan looked down at the glass bottle Luhan was still clenching in his fist. He couldn't see it from his position, but he didn't have to. He just knew that one of them would be violet, created by YIfan's very own anger. With that in mind, he made sure his voice sounded as cool as he could possibly manage.

"I hope the violet orb was worth it. Finally, you got something out of me, too, I guess."

He left after that. Just turned around and left, and Luhan didn't try to stop him.

That night, Yifan returned to his empty apartment, with a couple pink orbs and a violet one that was intense enough to be opaque. The sight didn't make him feel even the tiniest tinge of accomplishment.

 

---

 

The day after passed in a blur, and so did the ones after that. Yifan felt like everything was covered in a thick layer of dust; the sky was grey, his limbs heavy and his mind tired by the endless cycle of Yifan replaying his last encounter with Luhan over and over again. Looking back on it, he regretted a lot of the things he'd said. He was still convinced that there were less ruthless ways to become a good witch - heck, his own mentor was a splendid example for that - but that didn't change the fact that the words he'd thrown at Luhan had come from a place of anger, aiming to hurt. It wasn't even like Luhan's approach was terribly rare; apparently, plenty of witches farmed orbs very purposefully.

Yifan shook his head, causing Zitao to look up from his textbook.

"Is something the matter?"

"No. I'm just tired," Yifan replied, not meeting his eyes. As expected, the worry only etched further into Zitao's expression.

"Another sleepless night?" he asked in a mix of sympathy and suspicion. "You sure you didn't get into an argument with our local pretty boy?"

Yifan threw him a look, but Zitao only shrugged. He'd never liked him much, calling him bland, yet phony, because he was intuitive like that. "Well, we haven't been sitting with him and his gang recently. Not like I mind. I just noticed."

Yifan gave in, burrowing his head in his arms with a sigh.

"Yeah, about that..." he trailed off, staring at the table at the far end of the student café, where Luhan was laughing with his friends as if the past weeks had never taken place, "...if you wanna sit with them again, you should probably go without me in the future. Sorry."

He flinched when a palm hit his upper back, rubbing comforting circles into it.

"Hey. I said I don't mind," Zitao reassured him, and Yifan closed his eyes, feeling a warm surge of comfort. Things would be fine. He still had Zitao, and Mrs. Kim from the library, and all the people he had surrounded himself with before meeting Luhan. His old life was still there, and while it may be less prolific (from a witch standpoint), it was fulfilling and rewarding. It was alright, and the only one he'd hurt in the process was Luhan, who deserved all of it and then some - so why did Yifan feel so miserable?

"I bet he's not even hurt a little," he muttered into his fluffy sweater. Zitao hummed in question, but Yifan only huffed out yet another sigh. He'd been doing an awful lot of that recently, and it was starting to grate on his own nerves. Why couldn't he just move on? Luhan had probably moved on the moment Yifan had turned his back to him. Because under all the versatile facades Luhan had constructed to reach his goals, he was pretty lonely, actually. It was simply a fact Yifan had been vaguely aware of, but seeing him now only drove the point home - Luhan didn't just have no witch friends, he had no friends at all. All the people he'd ever seen around him or heard him talk about were those he toyed with, acting out a play and coaxing them to do their part without seeing the script. Long story short, Yifan felt like he'd broken whatever brittle trust the other might have had in him, and was pretty sure he'd not get another chance.

And the fact that he was sad about that was the most frustrating aspect. He wasn't supposed to miss whatever brief look into the other's world he'd been granted. He wasn't supposed to miss his stupid grin, either, or the unreadable way he'd sometimes stare at him-

"Yifan?"

He blinked up at the newcomer, only to see one of Luhan's pretend friends.

"Jongin? What's up?"

The boy kept wringing his hands by his side, looking somewhat nervous. Yifan immediately sat up straighter, because if there was one person he felt protective over other than Zitao, it would be the sweet, harmless boy blending into the background of Luhan's ever-so-active group of friends.

"Did something happen?"

Jongin shook his head, eyes trained on the table.

"No, I just- Since you haven't been hanging out with us recently... I was wondering whether you're alright."

Mildly taken aback, Yifan could only look at him as his brain fumbled for an explanation that would make sense without exposing either of them.

"I'm fine," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I just had a little fight with Luhan, that's all."

"Oh," Jongin said sympathetically. "I get that. Luhan can be... a little hard to be around."

"It's okay," Yifan said evasively, feeling the other's fidgety nature rub off on him. Because instead of leaving or asking whether he could join them, Jongin just stood there, throwing unsure glances towards Zitao, who was pointedly looking at his book, listening closely to every word exchanged between them. Eventually, he on his lips, nodded to himself, and pushed forwards.

"Uhm, anyway," he began stiffly. "I was going to ask whether you'd like to hang out sometime. Not with the others. No pressure or anything. Just... you know."

Yifan shot him a quizzical look and Jongin slowly, but surely, turned beet red.

"Sorry. Forget it," he muttered, turning on his heels, and the pieces clicked into place.

Oh.

"No, wait-" Yifan began, only to get cut off.

"He just told you to forget it, so get to work on that."

Luhan approached their table with crossed arms, immediately receiving a hearty glare by Zitao while Jongin looked like he wanted to die. With a barely audible 'See you around,' he slipped away. Yifan couldn't hold it against him - Luhan had sounded rather confrontational, even if it had been aimed at Yifan.

Which in and of itself was rather bold, all things considered.

"What was that for now?" he asked unhappily. Luhan's confidence faltered, if only for a moment, but then he put up a nonchalant expression.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you."

Next to him, Zitao was judging him hard enough to glare a hole into his head.

"And that's why you interrupted them?" he drawled, disgust dripping off his every syllable. "Who are you, the queen of England?"

Luhan rolled his eyes.

"Like these two would actually hit it off, please-"

"How do you know?" Yifan piped up.

Luhan's shoulders drew up defensively at his tone, but Yifan liked Jongin too much for this nonsense.

"Jongin is kind and sweet, and he just gave himself a push to talk to me, even if it's hard for him. You shouldn't have brushed him off like that just because comes easy to you."

"Who says it's easy for me?" Luhan grumbled quietly, and then, louder, he added, "can we talk now or what?"

Yifan shot him a long, disbelieving look, trying to decide on a reaction to the others brazen attitude. Luhan actually fidgeted under his gaze.

"I'll make it quick," he promised.

Deep down, Yifan knew he was going to give in, anyway, so he just got to his feet, closing his lunch box.

"I'll be back in a bit," he quietly assured Zitao; who shot him a betrayed look, clearly more angry than Yifan himself had any capacity of being right now. It was kinda comforting, though, seeing Zitao feel so strongly for his sake, and it gave him the needed push to look Luhan in the eye after silently following him into an abandoned lecture hall.

"So?" he asked, fumbling with the loose coins in the pocket of his hoodie, feeling out their edges. This was ridiculous. He shouldn't be nervous, he should be angry. Or at the very least guilty. But standing before Luhan just made him want to reconcile with the other, go back to their tutoring meetups and witch talk over a shared piece of cake. He really wanted to forgive him. But he couldn't just... do that. He couldn't, and maybe Luhan had figured that out by himself during the past days of stereo silence, because he cleared his throat and took a deep breath, puffing out his chest and keeping it like that, meeting his gaze with determination.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too," Yifan admitted immediately, impulsively, really, and it tripped Luhan up, who stared at him like he was stupid.

"What? What are you sorry for?"

Yifan shrugged.

"What I said to you. It was harsh and unreasonable," he began, glad to be able to get it out. "And I never felt like you've been trying to manipulate me."

For the first time since he'd been knowing Luhan, the other seemed genuinely out of words. He just looked at him in completely unguarded surprise, before blinking rapidly as he shook his head, trying to snap back into it.

"No. No, no, no," he began, looking like Yifan was still, in fact, being very dumb. "That's not what you're supposed to- why are you like this?"

"Like what?"
Luhan groaned.

"Annoying," he snapped, but before Yifan could even decide on whether to be hurt or angry, he added, "annoyingly good!"

When Yifan had nothing but a confused "Huh?" to offer, Luhan squirmed.

"Anyway - if you'd let me finish my apology, you'd know that you should not be the one apologizing," he insisted, a blush dusting his face - whether its origins lay in nervousness or humiliation, Yifan didn't know. All he did know was that he'd never seen him like this in front of his friends.

"What I said back then - about your efforts not getting you... results," Luhan began, seemingly growing frustrated with himself and backtracking, "about how you're not getting loved for loving people. I mean. I said it because it's true. But -" he hastily added, cringing as he seemingly got lost in what sounded slightly rehearsed to Yifan's ears.

"It shouldn't be. Like. I think that's unfair."

Luhan paused, collecting his thoughts, and Yifan let him, unsure of where this was going.

"I've been thinking. And I still can't picture a witch who is just... good. Being a witch who is nothing but genuine towards people sounds pretty absurd to me. Not hurting others along the way seems like an impossible task. But... I'd like it to be possible, you know?"

Luhan looked a little frazzled, a little hesitant and awkward - entirely unlike him, to be honest. It was a strange sight.

"It would be pretty cool if it was possible," Luhan echoed, wetting his lips. "So... even if you're sick of me, I just wanted to tell you to keep going. You may be right with your ways. Like, if it's you, it might actually work."

It was the first time Luhan had acknowledged him like that. Had ignored the fact that he was light years ahead of Yifan, and had talked to him like they were on eye level when it came to witchcraft.

"I never said that I wouldn't hurt anybody as I pursue being a witch," Yifan protested gently, but Luhan cut him off right away.

"I know, I know. Respect people and stuff. I've been thinking about that, too, but I'm not sure what you meant. Don't laugh now."

The threat was weak at best, but Yifan couldn't see anything to laugh at, anyway.

"I just don't really get why you told me to respect myself. Or how I'm supposed to respect someone who I need to feel a certain way for me. But, " he added again, fast and vehement so as to keep Yifan from interrupting him, "that's why I decided to do this."

He reached into his bag, pulling out a crystal flask filled with orbs. There were some orbs placed around the outside of the glass, connected by a faintly glowing, golden string.

"I actually had to construct this spell first," Luhan explained, slipping out of his apologetic mode like he couldn't help feeling excited. "It took me two tries, but I think it works now. Without your help, I would have butchered it for sure."

Receiving this much open appreciation by Luhan was starting to mildly creep him out, but he couldn't help smiling over the other's enthusiasm and the fact that his lessons had managed to help him in any way.

"Anyway," Luhan trailed off awkwardly, offering him the bottle once more, but Yifan didn't take it immediately.

"What's this though?" he asked instead, eyeing it in mild suspiciously. Luhan wasn't deterred.

"I told you how I don't really get how to treat people with respect as I use their emotions for my benefit," he explained. "So I decided to use this tracking spell to locate all the orbs I got from you. I wanted to return them to you. Here."

"These are all from me?" Yifan asked in soft disbelief as he finally took the flask, taking in the colorful mix of orbs. Most of them were of positive nature. A lot of them were in shades of yellow and orange, symbolizing joy and friendly endearment, but there were also a few tinged in emerald, proving Yifan's genuine trust, as well as a few silver ones. There were also a few sprinkles of other colors though. Envy, gratitude, sadness, anger... and one or two that had blended from dark orange to red; way too dark to be considered platonic.

A similar shade of red that was probably crawling up Yifan's ears then and there. But Luhan didn't seem to think it was even worth mentioning.

"I'm looking into a spell that transports any future orbs into this flask, too, so I won't be getting them anymore," he added earnestly, leaning against one of the desks. "It didn't feel right, and I just wanted to make sure I'm not... using you. So... Yeah," he ended lamely, only to ruffle his hair with a dramatic groan.

"I don't know, okay? I'm just sorry, and I ed up, and I don't wanna stop meeting like we did. You're cool."

Yifan snorted.

He couldn't help it, he just snorted, and Luhan shot him a scandalized look.

"I'm cool?" Yifan just echoed, trying hard not to laugh, but Luhan just- looked embarrassed.

"More than cool," he said quietly, gaze dropping to the ground. "Happy?"

That effectively wiped the amused grin off Yifan's face.

The other's earnest demeanour had completely caught him off guard, and Yifan instinctively gripped the flask tighter, just in case another red orb decided to manifest and betray the feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Man, Yifan was so screwed-

The softest clink was enough to rip him out of his thoughts. Not because Yifan was particularly sensitive, but because it was a sound he had conditioned himself to pay attention to. Confused, he looked at the bottle in his hand, but there was no telling whether any of the orbs were new. Luhan seemed confused by his confusion, especially when Yifan fished out the glass bottle resting around his neck.

There was a single, transparent orb inside - with a myriad of tiny lights glittering inside, defying all laws of nature.

"What just happened?" Yifan asked, gently swirling the orb around the bottle, and for once, the prodigy witch Luhan was completely clueless.

"No idea. Maybe I broke it?" he suggested, only to freeze.

"Oh."

"What, oh?" Yifan asked warily.

"Take out your compass," Luhan commanded, though it came out much like a request, considering how nervous he looked.

Yifan obeyed, flipping it open to see the familiar sight of a couple orbs forming his zodiac sign.

"Try to insert it?" Luhan suggested with a helpless shrug.

"Where?"

"There really aren't many free slots, are there?" Luhan asked in airy exasperation. Not knowing where this was going, Yifan carefully took the crystal and attempted to put it into the only free slot on his compass - the red-rimmed one. It slid right in, despite the variance in color, and the golden lines connecting them began to glow as the conditions were finally fulfilled.

At the same time, the realization clicked into place for Yifan.

Oh indeed.

It qualified for the spot because it symbolized a crush. Something more than a crush, even.

Apparently, the affection of a witch equaled a shimmery diamond.

Luhan actually hid his face in his hands.

". This is so embarrassing," he winced.

Yifan just stared at his own compass like an idiot, with the seconds ticking by.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected that. He'd genuinely thought platonic friendship was all he could ever hope for.

How did one even react in such a situation?

 

Apparently, any reaction would exceed better than the silence Yifan had to offer, judging by the way Luhan pinched his upper arm. Hard.

"Can you not just stand there? You're making this worse," Luhan whined, looking genuinely flustered and even mildly panicked - skilled, ruthless, social butterfly Luhan was flustered because of Yifan. And he was also pinching him again, hard enough to actually make Yifan flinch away.

"Yes," he blurted out, rubbing his arm. "I- yes."

"What, yes? " Luhan echoed, and Yifan didn't know whether he was nodding or shaking his head.

"I mean yeah, I'd like that. You know. I just didn't expect it - not like it's a bad surprise, it was just. Too impossible to even really consider, you know-"

Luhan cut him off by slapping a palm over his mouth, cheeks glowing.

"Okay, no, shut up, I'm taking it back, now you're making it worse."

Without preamble, he grabbed Yifan's arm to tug him towards the door.

"Let's go get something to eat. Uhm. After you got your books and said bye to Zitao cause I am terrified of that guy murdering me in my sleep one day."

"Wait-"

Luhan stopped immediately. He didn't look back at Yifan, but his posture tensed up ever so slightly, and it made Yifan's heart ache.

Without a word, he ran his hand down the other's arm to intertwine their fingers instead.

"Is this okay?" he asked, barely above a whisper. Yifan's hand was probably clammy or maybe Luhan's was, but he felt his fingers being squeezed, anyway. And then pulled up so Luhan could brush his lips against his knuckles without looking him in the eye.

"Sure," he muttered. "I told you I'm not scared of being seen with you."

Yifan wondered at what point his affection for Luhan would warrant a crystal orb as well. It really shouldn't take much more, or else he might just spontaneously combust. It also made him wonder what Luhan was feeling as he tugged him along much more gently, rambling about how Yifan was an absolute lost cause who needed magical proof before he could take a hint for what it was.

"Also, wait, I take it back. I actually am scared of Zitao seeing us," he was currently groaning.

Yifan chuckled.

"Big, bad witch Luhan is scared of sweet Taozi?"

"You think that guy is sweet? That makes you scarier than him," Luhan stated firmly, and Yifan smiled. He couldn't help it, he was smiling like an idiot. He was just so happy.

Luhan was most certainly a whirlwind of a person, completely different from Yifan when it came to his approach to witchcraft, and still somewhat of an enigma... but their fingers were interlaced, Luhan's cheeks were dusted red, and Yifan couldn't wait to see what the future held for them.

 

---

 

"So, Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo hummed, not looking up from the spellcasting board he was gently sanding down at his work desk.

Luhan turned in his chair, leaning on the headrest to look over at his mentor while Yifan dutifully scribbled down notes for their history assignment.

"How on earth did you know Yifan was a pro at constructing spells? You've never even met him before," Luhan wondered out loud, and the sound of sandpaper on wood halted.

"What?" Kyungsoo asked, a tick of annoyance flickering over his expression as he actually looked over towards the studying witches. "Spell construction?"

Yifan had never heard someone say these words with so much disgust and judgement coating every syllable. It would be hilarious if Kyungsoo wasn't so scary.

"What?" Luhan just echoed. "You said it back then. That he'd be able to teach me something-"

"Yeah, something about responsibility," Kyungsoo said without missing a beat. "Humility, too, I guess, considering you've been getting arrogant recently."

Luhan gaped at him, and Yifan didn't know whether he was supposed to laugh or wince in sympathy at the teacher's refusal to mince his words.

"Arrogance leads to mistakes but a lack of empathy and responsibility is what leads to your downfall," Kyungsoo explained calmly. "I've seen it happen to witches, and it's more likely if you use the entire palette of orbs. You're talented, and like many talented people, you've been showing tendencies to go down that road. I thought some balance and insight would do you good."

Luhan looked humiliated over being criticized, but there was also a rare flash of something else on his face. If Yifan had to guess, he was feeling surprised, but touched by someone actually caring for him.

"But spell construction? " Kyungsoo asked strictly, and the atmosphere immediately dropped a few degrees. "That's the nonsense you've been up to? Can't you just make out like normal kids?"

"I'm nineteen!" Luhan spluttered. Kyungsoo raised a brow.

"Yeah. Nine- teen. I better not catch you two doing this inside this atelier."

"That's ridiculous," Luhan whined,and much to Yifan's horror, Kyungsoo moved on to him next.

"So I heard the Silver Witch is still abroad?" he asked, tone not betraying anything. Yifan nodded, hands sweaty in his lap.

"Yes? Am I spending too much time here?" he asked, voice as small as it could get.

Kyungsoo smiled, and it did reach his eyes, which, for some reason, terrified Yifan even further.

"How about surprising him - by, say, cast a spell on the spot?"

Luhan rolled his eyes, only to berate his mentor for springing something like this on a second grade witch, which ended in a bizarre competition on who had more faith in Yifan as a witch, which Luhan took as a personal offense. And Yifan? He just sat there, fingers absently grasping the golden wires framing the crystal orb that rested around his neck, the one identical to the necklace Luhan wore at all times. Before him lay his compass, currently displaying the set up for the third grade assignment, which was already mostly filled out, and none of it had required Yifan to feel any regrets. Luhan was doing pretty well himself, actually; and although he liked to complain that “the Yifan way” took way too long, he was getting better at it. Bit by bit.
Soon, Yifan’s own mentor would return, and he couldn’t wait to show off all his results, and to show off Luhan.

Yixing would be so proud.