Under the soles of his feet, the cold of the night embraced him. It moved through his body and radiated into all his limbs. The air seemed more awakening; with each breath his vision became clearer. Blurred outlines became definite shapes. And with each step he took, he recognized the individual reminiscences of his childhood.

The path ahead of him, if you could call it that as the trees lined up, was lit in silver streaks by the crescent moon shining through. It was as if they were guiding him, leading him somewhere. The ground spread out into a carpet welcoming him. Individual grass stalks hugged his toes and tickled him. Minho heard the treetops rustle as if they were whispering something to each other.

Minho reached out his hand slowly. A gentle breeze swished between his fingers. It slid to his nose and gave him the scent of the forest. Fresh earth paired with grass.

Minho his lips. Before his parents would come back and he would have to go back to his old life he wanted to take it all in one last time. Maybe if he tried his best and concentrated hard, maybe he wouldn't forget again.

Only slowly did Minho open his eyes when he heard a quick noise. Something was coming towards him, but he did not want to concentrate on anything else just yet. He wanted to lose himself so much in the forest that he would never be able to separate it from his innermost self.

His gaze slid to his ankles, something was gently scratching his trousers which were rolled up there. Minho's gaze softened.

"Hello little one." Dark, as if part of the night itself, his voice rang out.

He knelt down to the little cat he had met only a few days ago and took it in his arms. Its fur shone even brighter, even softer in the moonlight.

"My little friend likes you, so I'm going to ask you nicely. Please leave this forest. Adults are not allowed in here."

Minho stopped breathing for a moment. His fingers trembled.

That voice.

It sounded familiar. More mature, more gentle, a little darker. But he knew that voice, it was the same, because it still flowed from the same source as before. This voice had been his comfort on lonely nights.  It made him freeze and shudder.

Minho's gaze slowly slid upwards. Bare feet dangled in the air. A robe of leaves clung to a slender body. It reached from his shoulders to just above his thighs. Like a dress of linen, they nestled against the figure that floated in front of him. Brown hair as dark as a tree trunk reached down to his chest.

And Minho would have wondered. Wondered at the softly wavy hair that floated as if enchanted with magic. Would have wondered that a human could fly far above the ground with the transparent and illuminated wings at his back. They fluttered so fast and glitter, like thousands of tiny fireflies, enraptured them.

But Minho could not be surprised. For the sight before him was the most beautiful and the most cruel thing he had ever seen.

Those brown eyes looked at him, intense and with fear, at the same time saying that if he didn't leave of his own accord, the creature in front of him would make him leave the forest.

They were the same pink, full lips that promised Minho eternal friendship and love, but now asked him to leave. 

The moon shone on the figure leaning down to him and Minho felt as if it was shining only for him.

Minho wished he were the moon. He would not ask the moon to leave. The moon was allowed to embrace him and be with him every night.

And Minho had not given him a thought for ten years.

Minho's glassy eyes could not leave him. His chest rose and fell rapidly.

With a patient smile, the fairy held out its hands to Minho without averting its gaze from the human. Deep, far back in his mind, Minho understood that the being before him wanted the little cat. And as hard as he tried, he couldn't move. The ball of fur likewise, not wanting to leave Minho's embrace and warm body.

"I...I don't have shoes on." Was all he could stammer.

And it was that, that made the figure in front of him change its expression. A meek frown turned into a questioning one. The brown eyes slid to Minho's feet. Minho's shoulders were finally able to relax now that the suspicion was no longer directed at him, within him.

The fairy slid to the ground and stood on its tiptoes directly in front of Minho. He had grown, but he was still smaller than Minho. Time had only made him more beautiful. He looked at Minho closely. Minho had black, thick hair, bushy eyebrows, big dark eyes that drooped slightly and gave him a puppy-like face. His skin was dark, like a polished bronze statue, unlike his own fair skin.  

Minho's eyes were also inspecting his counterpart. But unlike the exploring eyes that looked at him, his were soft. They wanted to stay in one place forever, but they couldn't. Everything about him was far too beautiful. He wanted to study every inch closely and remember every spot forever.

"How long has it been?" his voice trembled, it was barely more than a whisper.

"Too long." Minho whispered back.

"Why did you stop visiting me?"

Minho's chest tightened and breathing became harder. A misty wall rose in his counterpart's eyes. He didn't need to tell him how lonely those ten years must have been for him, Minho could hear it. 

"I don't know."

"I know."

And once again the sadness was gone from his eyes, making way for rage. The fairy's features became serious and sharp.

"You've just grown up." He spat at his feet, fluttering his wings violently.

"And grown-ups aren't supposed to be here!"

He puffed out his chest in front of Minho. The ground around him began to shake. Tendrils protruded from the trees and came slowly towards Minho. And he knew he didn't deserve it any other way, he had left him, but now that he had finally met him again - it couldn't end like this.

"Taemin please-" desperately his voice cried through the dark branches. Minho held onto the little animal in his arms, closing his eyes, getting ready for what was to come - but nothing happened.

There was only silence.

"I haven't been called that in ages...I almost forgot it, my name."

Taemin's gaze softened, though anger was still deeply rooted in it. He sighed.

"You should go now."

"But...I just found you again." Minho wanted to protest, but by then Taemin was touching his temple already.

"Go home Minho."

Minho looked at the piece of paper in his hand. It was the note Minseok had given him a few days ago.

"Where have you been?" his big brother's voice made him flinch.

"I overslept, I'm sorry."

It seemed to him that he had been asleep standing up. How had he got here? Had he imagined everything? Minho ran his hands over his face.

"Father is back. And the speech you wanted to give, I had to make." Minseok said it neutrally, he meant no harm, but he couldn't help worrying about his little brother.

Father is back? !

Minho's heart raced. He undid the top button of his shirt, but quickly realized that his breathing was still too thin. He had actually intended to take his pills again before his parents came back. He tried to reassure himself that his parents could not know that he had stopped taking them. Maybe his father wouldn't notice.

Together with Minseok he walked through the corridors. Minho's feet automatically led him through, but everything inside him screamed to go back to him, back to Taemin.

"You won't need this anymore." Minseok took the piece of paper from his hand and put it in his pocket.

Minseok knocked on their father's office door. When Minho made no move to go in, he opened the door and nodded for Minho to go in. The younger brother swallowed hard. Minho smoothed over his shirt and fastened the top button again. His limbs tingled as he entered the office.  

Yunkyeom looked older than he was. Deep furrows had settled under his eyes. His hair, once dark and s