He needed to be fast. He approached slowly the stalls and he really needed to do it quickly, he grabbed a bread and started running, he knew the seller hadn't saw him, thanks to all his friends surrounding him. He run the fastest he could, his leg hadn't really recovered. But the merchant wasn't long before he noticed his missing stuffs, he started running after the bunch of kids, if he could catch one at least, he would be able to make it talk the culprit's name.

Youngjae had had no other choices than to rob, his brothers and sisters were hungry and he couldn't stand seeing them in this state. After all, it was his fault if he got attacked by a wolf, he should have hurried and nothing of all this would happen. But what can you do when you have no control over your life ?

The peasant boy bumped into someone making his booty spreading on the ground, and his met the dirty ground. He watched the other who was still standing watching him surprised, it was the priest's son.

“Are you okay ?” Daehyun asked reaching out his hand to the boy.

“Yeah yeah.” Youngjae hurried to grab the boy's helping hand, ignoring the electricity running through all his bloody system, twice.

“What are-” the priest's boy got interrupted but the merchant running and bursting toward them.

“FINALLY I CAUGHT YOU!!” Daehyun's glance came from Youngjae to the merchant, passing by the food on the ground. He was quick thinking, and understood the whole situation. He bent over to pick up the bread. Youngjae wanted to run away but Daehyun had still his hand in his own, and the peasant boy was sure the other would sale him off to the seller. Their first meeting the day before didn't went really well and there were no way a son of God would lie for him. He struggled to get out the other's grip but Daehyun was stronger than him.

When the merchant was only two feet away from them, Daehyun bit in the bread watching Youngjae in the eyes. The peasant boy caught the thing but didn't understand why the other would do that for him. The seller grabbed the boy who had just ate his food by his collar. “YOU'RE NEW HERE AND YOU THINK YOU CAN TO EVERYTHING YOU WANT ?”

Daehyun got dragged to the pillory, and his father arrived when the guard was closing the big wooden board over his neck and wrists.

“Daehyun ! I know you would have never do this. Tell me who did it.”

The priest boy had some eye contact with Youngjae who, even if he didn't wanted the other to be punished instead of him, didn't want to be at his place either. Then Daehyun broke their contact and watched the other side of his father.

“My Father. I'm sorry but I do believe it's him.” The guard said trying to push smoothly the priest off the stage.

“He would never steal !

– I'm sorry my Father.

– Just give me a minute...” the priest asked and the guard, being a good Christian, complied, “Daehyun, you don't want to talk ?” The priest came in front his son, but he looked away again, not wanting to meet his father's eyes. “Fine...” the priest stood up and turned to the guard, “..please, wait for me to leave. I don't want to witness that.

– I understand my Father. I'm sorry.” the guard bowed to the man of God who was leaving. “PUNISHMENT FOR ROBBING IS FIFTY WHIPLASH AND ONE HAND CUT!” The headsman burst to the crowd and grabbed his whisk.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

The whole population had to assist to the punishment, even the kids. Someone being punished was a lesson for the whole population to be aware of. So they all watched the poor boy being whipped.

Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty.

Youngjae suffered with the boy hearing his screams, as this should have been his punishment, and he didn't understand why the boy hadn't say anything.

Twenty-one. Twenty-two. Twenty-three. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty.

It wasn't like they were friend or other, they just met the day before, and the conversation didn't went well. So why ? Why this boy was protecting him ? Did he pitied him that much ? Or was that kid that good he couldn't let someone suffers even if he deserved it ?

Thirty-one. Thirty-two. Thirty-three. Thirty-four. Thirty-five. Thirty-six. Thirty-seven. Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine. Forty.

At first sight he had liked the boy because of his smile and his laughs. He was curious about him because of his golden hair. After he got annoyed and hated the boy being a dickhead with him, and looking down on him. And now ? Youngjae didn't know what to think any more troubled by the boy's strange behavior.

Forty-one. Forty-two. Forty-three. Forty-four. Forty-five. Forty-six. Forty-seven. Forty-eight. Forty-nine. Fifty.

He had enough. He had kept watching everything from afar. He had always told himself he would never interfere in others' stuffs. He didn't know why but he couldn't stand it any more and he wasn't about to let the boy's hand being cut. The same hand he had reached toward him.

As he was slowly walking toward the stage, no one daring to stop him, the boy remembered the golden boy talking to him the whole night. He even invited him to assist to his father's mess the Sunday which would follow. Everyone stepped aside on his way, and he reached the stage in time, the guard had his ax right above the golden hair boy's left hand.

“Wh- what do you want?” The guard asked afraid, watching the mage walking toward him. The warlock was now next the pillory in front Daehyun who watched him amazed. The guard had made some step back and more when the dangerous boy lift up his hand toward him. The young boy show the keys at the guard's waistband. The guard quickly gave him what he wanted and ran off the stage.

The mage untied Daehyun who would have fall on the ground if the young boy didn't caught him before. He slipped a hand behind the weak boy's knees and another in his back. He carry him bridal style and turned to the crowd. He watched each one of the people in the eye, all watching away when he did so. He was disgusted by all of them, who had let an innocent being whipped without doing anything. Because everyone knew who did it. Everyone knew the peasant boy who got attacked needed food for his large family, and yet no one wanted to denounce him.

He finally met Yongguk's cold eyes and couldn't help the shivers on his spine. The older always had been after him, telling him to not do that or that. But this time, his look was different and without having to read in his mind, the mage knew that Yongguk agreed with what he was doing. The mage's heart warmed a bit as it was the first time he made the other proud, and Yongguk was telling him with his eyes that he was the only one who could do that. Finally, Junhong had found his usefulness.

After he left the stage, no one tried to follow him and they disappeared. Through the whole week Youngjae tried to find the gold hair boy but he was nowhere to be found. He didn't even come back home, and everyday the Church was the first place Youngjae went to “he still didn't came home?”

“No.” The priest always answered the same thing.

“Aren't you worried for him ?” The Father and father was way too much calm for his taste. His son had disappear with the mage, and even if the monster was still on his barrel everyday, there were no sign of Daehyun.

“I am not.” The priest answered calmly, turning smiling to the young boy. Now, he knew it was him who had robbed because people had confessed to him. People were blaming themselves for not helping the priest's son and it was killing them. Then the priest had reassured them that Daehyun knew what he was doing at that time, and if he didn't say out loud the culprit's name was because he had a good reason.

And if his son had a good reason to protect that young boy who was worrying for him right now, the priest hadn't any to hate that boy to make his own son accusing himself for a crime he didn't committed. The priest was just wondering what was so interesting in the peasant boy. Daehyun had kept talking about him, after he came back from his first day in the city with the kids. He told his father, he found someone wonderful, for who he was ready to sacrifice his own life. Why his son was like this ? The priest didn't know, but he do know one thing.

His son was wise beyond the appearance. So he just needed to wait for things to happen.

“You know where he is ?” Youngjae asked, raising an eyebrow to the priest who was watching him as weirdly his son had done the first day they met.

“Yes.”

Why Youngjae hadn't ask this the first time he came here instead of 'is Daehyun home?'...

“Oh, please tell me where he is!!” The peasant boy got on his knees, prying the priest to accord him this favor.

“I can't. He wants some time to be alone, and I understand and respect his choice.” The priest approached the boy and helped him to get on his feet. “Don't worry too much, he's fine. You'll see him enough soon and you will become fed up with him.” The priest laughed as he knew, oh! too well how much his son could be annoying.

Youngjae smiled at the priest, already knowing he was right. He had spent barely a hour talking with the boy and it was like he had knew him for years. So Youngjae smiled, sadly.

Why was he sad ? He know the boy for a day only and Youngjae wasn't type to grow attach to someone within a second. The others had spent years before he accepted to talk to them back. And that boy thought he could land in his life like this. He was already making him run after him like a lost puppy. No!

Youngjae wasn't running after Daehyun. He just wanted to apologize because guilt was slowly killing him. It was his fault and he wanted to apologize. After he would be done, he wouldn't talk to the gold hair boy ever again. He was too much problem for him to handle.

He was already fed up with the priest boy.

But he needed to apologize first.

To find relief.

That's it.

And nothing else !

Sunday came, and the whole population went to the mess. They were so happy there was a new priest so they could assist the mess. Sunday morning being the only day they could relax, in the Church. The mess started but got interrupted a few minutes after its debut. The doors opened and the people watched the newcomer, wondering who it was. All people were already here, and there was no one left in the city.

“GET OUT!” ; “YOU'RE NOT WANTED HERE!” People burst after the mage, once he had removed his hood, discovering his face to all the hateful eyes to be seen.

“All God's child are welcome into house of God.” The priest said.

“He's not a child of God !” ; “He's a child of Devil !” ; “He's a monster !”

“My Father. He's a mage and he's dangerous. Make him leave, please. I don't want my kids to be in dangerous place.”

“All beings on Earth is Child of God. You're seeing a monster, but what I am seeing right now, is nothing else than a lost child. Who happened to save my son, by the way.”

People gasped and couldn't believe the priest was defending a magic creature.

“He did this to curry your favor !” ; “He's controlling you !” ; “It's a trap, my Father !”

“I'm not forcing anyone to stay or to leave. I'm welcoming anyone who ask for asylum in the house of God.”

Three families left the Church, the others didn't know how to react. They didn't want to stay in the same place as the mage, but they couldn't miss the mess, they needed it. So they stayed silent, watching the others leaving. The families bewared to not cross the mage's path.

“Come my kid. Don't be afraid. Nothing can happen to you in the house of God.” The priest talked warmly to the mage, opening hugely his arms as to hug him from afar. The young warlock started walking in the middle alley, eyeing the benches. People put their bag or papers next them for him to not sit here, and the young boy reached like this the first row where he saw the group of friend, and met the usual cold eyes of the older. The mage bow to the priest, excusing himself and was ready to leave when Yongguk removed his stuffs next him.

He watched him amazed, and Yongguk made him understand to sit here while he was still in mood to let him assist the mess. The priest smiled to them. Himchan was always eyes closed and praying by himself, so he never give any attention to the mess, which always made Yongguk wondered why he came. Jongup just watched the mage poker face, he found the whole situation stupid but he had no right to say his word, so he never did and just watched. Youngjae watched Yongguk, starry-eye by the courage of his elder. Yongguk had never feared the mage and Youngjae always felt secure when he was near. Even if he was sitting on the same bench as the mage, Youngjae felt secured because he was in the house of God and because there was Yongguk and Jongup between him and magic.

At the end of the mess, everyone left, but Youngjae stayed a bit longer to pray for Daehyun. He hoped the boy was indeed fine and would came back soon. Not that he wanted to see him but because the faster he could apologize the faster he could...feel better ?

In other words that would made it sounds like he would feel better if he saw the gold hair boy. Which wasn't the case.

Youngjae kept debating, and after a hour of internal debate, that he came back to the same conclusion more than three times, he decided it was enough. He was going nowhere thinking like this. He should stop thinking about him and just wait for the priest boy to come back. But then he couldn't help himself but wonder where he could actually be.

The priest knew where he was but didn't want to tell him. The other knowing where Daehyun was being the mage, but never Youngjae would go ask him.

So there were no solution left than to wait.

Youngjae opened his eyes, he thought he was alone in the Church but when he turned his head to his left he jumped in surprised.

The mage was still here.

Watching him.

Youngjae looked around in panic, Yongguk was nowhere to be seen. Did he really let him alone with the mage. That was impossible. The mage should had left, and then come back after everyone left. Why did he come back ? Did he come back for him ? To make him pay for letting Daehyun being punished at his place ?

The peasant boy was scared and couldn't move.

He was about to pee on himself when he heard the mage sighing. It was the first time he heard something coming out the warlock's mouth. What if it was a spell ?

The younger one stood up, glanced a last time toward the peasant boy who didn't know what was waiting for him. He wished he could help him, but the boy didn't want help, even less from him. Everything would be all better if the peasant boy wasn't that afraid of him, of magic. He wanted to warn Youngjae. But he couldn't.

He couldn't because Yongguk had defended him, a long time ago, to never approach the kids of the city. To never talk to them or having anything to do with them.

And Yongguk remembered it to him every day.

So the young mage, only glanced that last time at the boy before leaving, to go meet Daehyun.

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