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UAL ORIENTATIONS OF SUPERNATURAL CREATURES 101

Let’s get this straight – I don’t have anything against dryads, it’s actually quite the contrary; but as much as I am fond of these tranquil and cute creatures, I couldn’t help but to feel a bit (read: a hell lot) disappointed to find out that Kyungsoo was one of them.

And why, you may ask? That is because I’ve had the pleasure to meet and befriend quite a few of them through the duration of my stay at the Nightingale fortress and what I know with absolute certainty is that they are not interested in humans. Or anyone for that matter.

You see, dryads are very intelligent, serene, and conversations with them won’t let you get bored even if it were to last for hundreds of years. They have a great passion for any form of life, be it a plant or an animal, but they came from nature and nature is where they belong. It’s very hard to keep their interest on mundane problems of the human world and to wake such things as romantic feelings in them is almost impossible.

(Well, of course I’ve heard of people lucky enough to score a dryad as their soul mate, but this is me, Jongin, we are talking about. I’m a broke wizard whose only property is a constantly “out of order” stick I mockingly call a wand to make it sound fancier.)

I heard something shatter as the air castles I have spent my all day building broke into pieces.

When I’m troubled with something, I usually burry myself in books and that is exactly what I was planning to do when, out of nowhere, someone materialized right in front of me. You would say, what an unusual sight, but that is unfortunately not the case. I rolled my eyes, ignoring the figure in front of me, and continued on my way to the library.

“Oh come on, Jongin, still jelly over my awesome skills?” the imp, better known as Baekhyun, tried to catch up with me but his short legs couldn’t carry him fast enough (which was pissing him off greatly). He “teleported”, for lack of any better term, in front of me again, most probably because he couldn’t be bothered to walk that bit.

“Show off,” I muttered under my breath as he gave me that annoying smirk of his. Why must I always be surrounded be evil creatures?

“You’re just jealous because you’ve been trying to learn teleportation for the last year and, may I add, vainly. It’s not my fault that I was born with the ability you know, I’m just awesome like that.”

Instead of dwelling on what Baekhyun had said (because it’s true after all, I spent on it an awful lot of time and I’m still getting nowhere), I scowled at his modest self-description and offered a sarcastic reply as the best friend I am. “You know Baekhyun, some people consider your kind to be the descendants of the devil himself. I can totally see why.”

“Rude.”

We continued in silence for the rest of the way to the library. It wasn’t one of those comfortable silences you’re supposed to share with your best friend and for a moment I wondered if it’s because of me being grumpy or because nothing is ever comfortable with Baekhyun. I guess it’s a bit of both.

“So, what are you moping about now? It surely can’t be a fault of that snarky fairy, or is it? I already told you fairies are harmless, so stop being such a wuss,” the imp started rambling the moment I settled down with a book I’d been wanting to read for ages. Bravo Byun Baekhyun, such a great timing.

“It’s not about him, leave me alone,” I sighed and tried hard not to give up on getting through the first page when Baekhyun started talking yet again.

“Then it’s his pretty little friend, am I right?”

A smirk made its way onto the imp’s face (I’m still surprised it’s not there permanently), when I gave him no response and stubbornly continued to read (or pretend I was reading).

“I knew it, he’s exactly your type! (“I don’t have a type.”) Shut it. If it makes you feel better, buddy, I don’t think you would have had a chance with that guy anyway, even if he hadn’t been frigid.”

“He’s not frigid, okay?” I closed the book and heaved a sigh when Baekhyun gave me a sceptic look. “He’s just… not interested in any romantic… interactions…”

“Yeah, with you. But he looked kind of close to that Sehun guy-“

“ you, Byun Beak.”

It was nice outside so I decided to take a walk. You know, just to get some fresh air, take in the obnoxiously loud birds’ chirping… Ah, what to do? I’m so bad at lying I can’t even kid myself into thinking so.

I took slow steps through the gardens and I swear just watching Kyungsoo dig in the soil with his fingers made me feel all funny inside. I didn’t even realise I came to a stop just a few metres away from him as I was too busy observing his furrowed eyebrows and his cute little (everything about this guy is cute and little, or maybe I’m just not as creative as I thought) button nose.

Kyungsoo looked up to me and gifted me with a blinding smile. “Jongin, fancy seeing you here.”

“Y-yeah, you too.” Stop stuttering, idiot. “So, um, what are you doing?”

The dryad mentioned for me to sit beside him and I did so. “Just plating some beans I got from Kibum hyung. Mind lending me a hand?”

I looked at the seedbed with all its dirt and dampness and then at Kyungsoo’s soil covered hands (which mysteriously still managed to look very elegant and gentle). Now, there is something you most probably don’t know about me (and this might be a shocker) – I am what Baekhyun fairly accurately calls a neat freak. I just can’t stand the thought of my own hands being covered in that mess, I can already feel it forming a crust around my fingers and getting under my nails and I haven’t even touched it yet.

However, it took only one look into those shinning hopeful eyes for me to gulp down my germ-anxiety and shake my head. “Of course not, what should I do?”

“Take some beans out of that packet over there and plant them into this row. Oh, don’t forget to let enough space between them, okay?”

I smiled at Kyungsoo and nodded because I indeed thought that everything’s okay and I get it, but just a mere second later it occurred to me that it was everything but okay. Like, he told me to plant a bean. Fine, and how am I supposed to do that? Should I just lay it onto the soil? No, that’s stupid, not even I would do that. Than should I dig out a hole and place it into it? Well that surely sounds more logical but what then? Should I burry it or not? How deep is the hole supposed to be anyways? Oh and what the hell, how could I possibly know how much space is enough space?

In the midst of internally panicking, I felt a soft hand touch mine. Snap out of it Jongin, Kyungsoo is holding your hand!

“Look,” the dryad said as he wrapped his slim fingers around my clumsy ones and brought my hand above the row. “You have to take the bean like this and push it into the soil. It’s easy since I’ve softened it before.” Kyungsoo lowered our hands and applied a light pressure until the bean disappeared under the ground. “See? You have to be careful because there are already some sprouts and if you put them with the sprouts heading down, it would take them longer to grow.”

I nodded dumbly and for a moment, our eyes met. Kyungsoo smiled at me prettily again and I had to focus on my breathing so that I don’t start choking on air (yes, I am capable of doing that).

“Jongin?”

I blinked confusedly, still a pretty dazzled by Kyungsoo’s proximity. He was so close, I could smell his earthy but sweet scent, with just a bit of hazelnut.  “Huh?”

“Could you like, let go of my hand? I kind of need it.”

And just as I thought I would have an embarrassment-free day.

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Hey, so, there is a new chapter... Yeah, I know, I'm surprised too :D

Oh and please ignore the stupid title I guess my brain is just kind of switched off... zZzZ