Chapter Text
Never even once he tells any of his friends about the key incident. About how he’s not only one step closer, but this close to being the husband of the most wanted man in town. He thinks the main reason is that he’s not intended to be in the competition from the first place, so he thinks it wouldn’t be fair if he wins that easily. Mingyu doesn’t even put any efforts in that except endured his hunger, which is getting worse because Wonwoo never came that night. It was already dark, and Mingyu almost can’t see the road unless he starts his car engine and turned on the light. So he decided to go home, leaving the package outside and cat with a heavy heart.
“I’m leaving soon, right after the Harvest Day Festival.” Admit Junhui, already half-drunk.
They decided to hang out in Mapleholt until they’re all passed out tonight. A good thing for Mingyu because he doesn’t think he can be alone on his own. He needs a friend to ease his sanity from the thing that keeping his mind occupied for the past few weeks.
Soonyoung’s mouth is still full of food but he asks away anyway. “South again?”
“West this time. Dad wants me to take care of his restaurant in Chinatown. Pfft,” The man drunkenly snorts. “I can’t even cook for myself?”
“You’re getting it wrong, Wenjun. By taking care, your dad wants you to sit around and do nothing.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s too depressing. Let’s just not talk about that.”
“Does it mean you completely give up on Jeon?” Minghao’s voice coming up quite scratchy.
But Junhui just shrugs his shoulder. Head falling on the table, completely wasted. “I still have two weeks to fight, my friend.”
From distance, Mingyu can see Jeonghan walking towards their table. He winks when he spots Mingyu’s eyes, and the tall man chuckles in return
“Boys, may I join you? Seems like too much negativity on this table.” Bringing more food and beers, the owner sits himself between them. “Update me.”
“You’re the fastest who caught on with gossips between us, hyung.”
Jeonghan reaches for Mingyu’s cheeks, patting at it softly. “That’s right, young man. But I wanna hear from you guys. Is everything okay with work?”
Soonyoung started to pour out his heart into Jeonghan about how hard it was to prepare for this year’s Harvest Day Festival, and he was clearly dying from the number of tourists who visit Lormeadow nowadays. Everyone listen to his rambling wholeheartedly like they always did because it’s satisfying to see the man getting chatty. Soonyoung might be trying too hard on getting his image to be the tough one however deep down, all of them knows the guy is the fluffiest bun ever existed. So while Jeonghan does his thing when he comforts people just like what he expertise at, Mingyu is seeing something suspiciously outside the window.
Just about the edge of the road where the pathway leads, Mingyu sees a cat peeking on them. The tall man jolts on his seat, causing his friends to jerks their heads towards him.
“Is that Wonwoo’s cat?”
All of them scanning the road, right where Mingyu’s finger pointing at but it’s just an empty and dark way with nothing to see.
“Are you drunk, love?”
“No, no, no. I saw it. She was just out there, looking at us from outside the window.”
Junhui throwing him a fork though luckily the man caught it faster. “So you're suddenly getting obsessed with Jeon too, now?”
“I wasn’t—”
“The cat never leaves the front door, Gyu. How in the hell she managed to go this far?”
“But Hao—”
“I think we all need to get a little bit rest of Jeon Wonwoo, okay. We’re getting too much—” Jeonghan stops, freezing on his seat. “Well, well, well. Look who’s here.”
The five of them moving their eyes into the front door, seeing no other than Jeon Wonwoo himself. The man awkwardly standing there while scratching on his nape, unsure what to do. But above all of that when his eyes scanning the room and quite catching Mingyu’s, there’s something on him that Mingyu cannot decipher. Some kind of huge relieves pouring all over his veins of being here, of seeing each other’s face even just from afar.
Soonyoung, of course, begins to pour out his extraness starting from how he rushes himself to get the man and escort him to their table, then asking Jeonghan to prepares him some food to eat eventhough Wonwoo already said no need. Both of them hasn’t come back from the kitchen ever since. Wonwoo ended up sitting beside Mingyu on his will, and as soon as his body touching the chair he immediately getting bombarded by Junhui and his silly question.
“Hao, I think our Sir Jeon right here might want to try some Wine Coffee.”
“I don’t think he wanted to.”
“I’m sure he wants.”
“He didn’t ask, Wenjun.”
“Why can’t you just make it?”
It seems like they separated into two different worlds, one where Mingyu’s two other friends bickering nonstop while the other is where both of them secretly glance into each other. Mingyu can feel the light shoulder bump, the warmth of each other’s thigh, it’s so burningly hot for them just by sitting beside one and another.
Bending down a little bit, Mingyu soft whispering into Wonwoo’s ear. “Sorry for leaving your package in the outside the other day. It was getting late and I had to go home.”
Wonwoo sits stiffly, unable to move even an inch. “It was okay, Mingyu. Thank you for waiting and taking care of my cat.”
Mingyu furrowing his eyebrows. “How do you know I was taking care of her?”
“I—” The petite man’s jaw dropped a little. “Lucky guess?”
Mingyu snorts while clumsily taking a sip at his drink. “You need to stop using that as an excuse.”
“Can’t. It’s my greatest weapon.”
The tall man shaking his head in disbelief, leaving a plastered smile all over his face. “You’re the expert, Sir Jeon.”
The rest of the night goes by the six of them chattering. Of course Soonyoung can't help but be the most vocal one on this, wanting to look good in front of the man of his dreams. Soonyoung telling stories about Lormeadow, (which Mingyu and the rest of his friends already memorized inside their head from the amount of him repeating the story) it was his experience during Lormeado's dark days. A story when he was a little, Lormeadow were still not as prominent as now and the land still dominated by nothingness. Soonyoung was an innocent ten years old at that time, observing the chaos in silence when Lormeadow became one of the most dangerous places to live. The disease that attacked them came in the form of mysterious cannibal symptoms. Villagers suddenly attacked anyone they seen within a radius, eating each other without mercy. Slowly but sure changes began to occur in their bodies and soon, they were transforming into Wolves against their willingness. So many people died especially in the middle of the night. No one was allowed to go into Aldpine, nor go out from their house. Soonyoung remembered never once he has seen the sun for about a month and almost die from hunger. Later on, the elders began to hunt down the Wolves one by one, wanting to know the explanation behind the disease until they finally found the reason behind was created by a shapeshifter. One of the villagers was bitten by them, and then the affected one bit another villagers, and others, and others. The never-ending cycles had to be stopped by killing all of them without leaving any remaining. Thus the elder did, and ever since then shapeshifters are banned in Lormeadow.
Mingyu also remembered the horrifying incident vividly. Maybe not as dramatic as Soonyoung because his father always found a way to sneak out and brought food home. His whole family were against the idea of it however Mingyu knew his father was a smart and brave person. Never once he came home with even a wound on his body. But still, Mingyu can feel the horror of those days, the shrill cries from people on the street, and how hard he gripped his sister's hand.
"But how do you make sure there will be no shapeshifter entering Lormeadow ever again?" Between them, Junhui is the one who doesn't spend his childhood in here. Junhui and his family came when Lormeadow already in their best state, therefore it's natural for him to feel curious, even suspicious with every story that came from his friend's mouth.
"The elders still haven't found a way to confirm but honestly it's pretty simple; they're usually easy to get angry and is a bloodthirsty creature. Murphy can sense that."
Junhui quirking his eyebrows. "Who's Murphy?"
"The village's sniffer dog."
"This village had a sniffer dog?!"
"Geez, Jun, where have you been?"
The said man annoyingly shoved lettuce inside Soonyoung’s mouth which made him got a bitten on the wrist as a return.
Mingyu initiatively takes a glance at Wonwoo to check on him since he looks a little bit tensed up ever since Soonyoung began with his story. His palm gripping on the table so hard and his knuckles turned white completely and Mingyu's heart just— dropped. He subtly reaches for his wrist, causing the man to flinches on his seat. "Hey, are you okay?"
Wonwoo forces himself to smile eventhough Mingyu can sense the absolute fear on his eyes but somehow he tries to look preserve and calm. "Yeah?"
"Do you feel uncomfortable with the topics?"
"No... I—" He pauses, bringing their hand under the table and swiftly entangling it with Mingyu's. "Hold my hand?"
There's so much he wanted to question but Mingyu preferably not. All he can think is how his heart drops seeing this vulnerable side of him. It feels like Mingyu throat got choked and rather than just holding him, he wants to bring Wonwoo into a safe place. Anything but here.
From across the table, Jeonghan observing them in amusement. His lips stretched into a sly smirk, and his eyes widening at the sight of the entangling hand and the tension coming from the two persons between him.
Mingyu notices the look on the older's features. He attempts to ignore but ended up appearing a shade of warm red coloured on both of his cheeks.
By the time the clock strikes at twelve, they decided to go home for their own good. But obviously that doesn't stop a tipsy-drunk Soonyoung for offering himself to take Wonwoo home.
"I don't think you're in your best condition to escort me home, Mr. Kwon."
Jeonghan immediately covered Soonyoung's stupidity by embracing the fool man away from Wonwoo. "No need to worry, it's my everyday job to make sure he gets home safely. You lads go first."
Minghao cleared his throat while pulling Junhui to the door. "Yeah. Aunty's gonna kill me if i didn't take this man home safely as well."
And that leaves Mingyu with Wonwoo.
And he can't say no to that.
***
Their walk into Wonwoo's house is mostly in silence, creating a never-ending fake cough from Mingyu and little chuckles from Wonwoo. As always, Wonwoo walks with such elegantly. Hands tangled behind his back, head stretched upright. The wind is a little bit colder compared than any other day, Mingyu can see the man's body shivers even just from a glance.
"You look pretty shaking back there."
The petite man tugging his lips, hesitant on what to say. "I'm just tired."
"I almost thought you didn't like the story."
"Not my preferable, thus it was okay."
He doesn't want to jump into an assumption, but Wonwoo did seem off tonight. He was distancing himself from Mingyu and that's making him miserable to not be able to figure what's going on. Maybe it was just his wishful thinking, but Mingyu wants the man to tell him. He wants Wonwoo to tell him his worries and what goes on in that little head of him. The reason why he looks so discouraged just to look at Mingyu in the eyes, hesitant to show his usual enchanting smile, and so afraid to be himself.
"Can i ask you something?"
Wonwoo turns his head at him. "What is it?"
"Would you show me what you write back then... when we were on the top of the hill?"
A rueful smile appeared on the man's lips. "Why?"
"I wanna know."
"About what?"
"Your sincere thought."
A pause. A dead long silence. "How do you know it was sincere?"
"Because i can see it, from the look in your eyes when you wrote it. It was a genuine feeling."
Wonwoo doesn't say anything until the time when they arrived at his house. He plops down himself on top of the small stair near the front door, then patting the space beside him. Mingyu is standing there, waiting on his cue. Waiting for his courage to rush into his blood, to fight on his ego. "Come here."
Mingyu did. Tensing a little bit when Wonwoo moves a tiny bit closer, feeling their body pressed together firmly. It's way too different. Wonwoo's soft milky forearms, unscratched, as pure as a newborn baby, siding with Mingyu's tanned one, fibrous and veined, with a little bit scar here and there. The tall man doesn't even dare to move even a muscle. Instead of something nice, this is more like torture. Mingyu is being punished for doing something entirely bad and he wants to— to escape.
"Here." The man hands him his journal, a little book he always carries on his pocket, a friend in the middle of loneliness, something precious.
Mingyu question it with his eyes rather he was worthy enough to hold such a thing. But Wonwoo convinces him with his eyes, telling him to keep going.
Mingyu opens the page.
I’ve been numb for so long I frankly cannot coherent what was it like to belong somewhere. I commenced remembering the old times when nothing was changed. Moreover today, I’ve been here once again to rewrite the past. It's a phase to be overwhelmed with the amount of affection more than my heart can take.
I saw them crying over an old grave. I wanted to cry too, although i don't have a clue if am I allowed doing so since i didn’t have much affection left in my pocket. I bid my pray beside them for those who have preceded, the hearts started to feel sorrow.
They said something my ears couldn’t quite catch because I build my guard so high. I wanted to not cry, so I didn’t. I cannot even hold anyone's hand even if I wanted to because I was trying to be strong myself. I ended up to appear like a complete fool. That moment, in that very moment, I know that I failed to rewrite anything at all from the beginning.
Mingyu is trying to find the word to elaborate on how he felt but his mind went frigid. He's feeling numb, overwhelmed by his overflowing emotions coming all at once. He was wrong. He was completely wrong from the start. Wonwoo wasn't thinking about beautiful things while writing it. It was probably the darkest side of him, the melancholy anthem ringing inside his eyes, a hollow of misery eating him alive. And Mingyu was sitting there believing it was a happy day. There he was believing it was a joy. But he was wrong. He misinterpreted him. Mingyu knows nothing. He knows nothing about the man beside him. Way too far.
“Wonwoo?”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
“You can ask anything, Mingyu.”
“Are you really going to marry them? The one who can open your front door?”
Another rueful smile escapes from that handsome face. “Do you think I didn’t mean it?”
There goes his answer.
"Mingyu?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanna ask you something as well," It was there again, how the man's pupils trembling in doubt. " Do you think all shapeshifter is like that? ...Bloodthirsty?"
"I... I don't know."
A momentary silence.
"If one of them... If one of them is different from the others... would you believe it?"
Mingyu gulps. "I might be."
The petite man reaches for Mingyu's face, cupping and pulling it closer, leaning until they're only a breath apart. It was indeed nervewracking, Mingyu's heart beats louder than a police siren. He can't control it. He doesn't even remember his own name right now.
Wonwoo softly gives a peck on Mingyu's left cheek, hang in there for such a long time. Grand, stern, solemn, skin to skin.
Then he pulls. Getting himself up closer to the door before finally opened it. He draws a smile on his face, aiming it at the man who still sits stiffly on the chair.
"Thank you for escorting me. Have a lovely night, Mr. Kim."
***
A week later, something terrible happened.
Mingyu was still in a deep sleep when it happened, considering giving himself a rest today after working round-the-clock like a madman yesterday. But Soonyoung always has a way. He always gets in the way. However today, he didn't come with his usual bubbly personality, he comes with anger. A hot boiling kettle all over his soul. He was furiously standing there, hands on the waist.
"We've been fooled."
"What is it this time Soonyoung?" Says Mingyu, snuggling himself on the pillow even more.
"Get up you, prick! This is serious!"
"Okay, okay." He takes a momentary blank view before facing his friend completely. "What?"
"Someone almost died tonight. He said he was attacked by a wolf."
"Holy mother of pearl," Mingyu is up. He's totally up right now. His sense is going from zero to ten in a span of a second. "Is the man okay?!"
"Thankfully. But that's not the problem, something major happened rather than that." Soonyoung sitting on the edge of the bed, making a very dramatic expression. "Jeon Wonwoo. He was the wolf. He was a shapeshifter all along!"
No.
No, no, no.
That can't be.
"Okay Soonyoung, very funny."
"I'm not joking, Kim!"
"Yeah, you didn't." He wasn't in the mood. He wasn't in the mood for a joke. Or anything in particular. He wanna go back to sleep. Instead he gets himself from the bed, avoiding his friend.
"Kim, listen to me! The man said he saw the wolf changing form into a human after almost killing him and it was clearly Sir Jeon!"
Dizziness. His head is as heavy as rocks. He's trying to sort out his priority. What should he think first? What should he do? What should he believe? His mind is getting peeled off. A thin layer, a very tiny thin layer flying into so many spaces all at once.
Think, Mingyu. Think.
Let's backpedals everything.
Let's—
What about shapeshifter? Do you believe in them?
If you happen to meet one, what would you do?
No, no, no. Think about another one.
Do you think all shapeshifter is like that? Bloodthirsty?
If one of them... If one of them is different from the others... would you believe it?
Mingyu wants to scream. He wants to jump out of the cliff and be gone.
Shit, okay, calm down. Maybe he just needs to clarify. He could've just asked him because there is no way. There's no way in hell someone as wonderful as Wonwoo with his adorable smile and polite attitude dares to kill someone. A person. A human being. It doesn't suit him. It doesn't suit him at all. It's so different from the way he kissed Mingyu's cheek that night, so careful and considerate like Mingyu was made of glass. Like he was the precious out of precious. It's just—
God, please help him.
What if they hurt him? What if they hurt him for something he didn't do? What if—
"Where's Wonwoo right now? Soonyoung?"
"He's gone."
"What?"
"No sign of him. Murphy has been chasing down on him since last night but he found none. Jeon Wonwoo was gone along with the wind."
"That's not possible."
"Geez, Kim, what is wrong with you? Why is it so hard to believe that he's guilty when the evidence is all right there? He run away because he's guilty!”
Mingyu sits on the chair, gripping tight on his knees. He covers his face inside his palm, almost crying. "Apologize. Apologize, i— i gotta go."
Mingyu remembers Soonyoung calling after him but he had no intention of turning back. Walking. He remembers walking with no particular destination. He guesses he just needed space, a wide space for clearing his mind. Or maybe he was just a fool because he happens to found himself in front of Wonwoo's empty house somehow. He takes a look at the stair where he was sitting a week ago, still fresh on his memory the way Wonwoo's finger burning through his skin. But now it's gone. Nothing left for him except the memory.
To all his surprise, something coming from the small hole at the bottom of the door. Something furry. Something Mingyu knows best even only from a glimpse. He quickly catches the thing, embracing it on his arm tightly. So tight Mingyu afraid it will crush her bone. "Hi, Missy."
The cat leaning to the touch like she's been waiting for a hundred years and Mingyu's heart shattered at the sight. It must be hard on her to live without her owner, and for not understanding the situation.
"I am so sorry this must have happened to you."
The cat meowing repeatedly, snuggling like he was asking for help. But Mingyu had nothing. He was really clueless on what to do nor how to explain. But he's glad nothing happened to the cat. At least there's something. Something that will keep reminding him that the man was real. That he once was here, in this lovely house, opening the door for Mingyu to deliver his package and offer him a glass of water.
The cat licking on his fingers, and there's some sort of nostalgia feeling on his chest that wanting to go out. "It's just you and me now huh, Missy?"
She meows, and Mingyu smile wholeheartedly.
***
He's adding one more routine on the list before he finishes with his day. Goldville, Heedgeshore, delivering packages, Maplehold on a special occasion, and feeding the cat. Thankfully, he managed to buy her food from the city and ever since then Mingyu has been spending his evening by feeding her in front of the house before heading home and rest. Only him and the cat, and probably the cricket noise.
A month seems like passing in a blink of eyes, swallowing all the memories left for anyone to remember that a man named Jeon Wonwoo ever live here. He once was the part of this village, being one of the things anyone ever obsessed on. Now there are only hatred and betrayed, of someone who almost killed another person, a threat to a peacefulness.
But deep down Mingyu knows. He wouldn't believe a single thing until he asked the man himself and clarifying the thing away. But it's hard. It's hard when he was the one who believes, when he had to sit in Mapleholt with his friends talking about how it such a disgrace to welcomed the said man many years ago, to accept him to be the part of the village, and even wanting to husbands him. It's hard, because he was the one who refuses to believe the reality.
Of anything that still sits well with himself, nevertheless never once he wanted to break his promise to never go inside the house without the owner being there. Even when the key is right there, right at it's always been, even in rain storm and hurricane, eruptions of fire fell from the sky, he won't ever go there.
But today is different. Today is where he feels the emptiness eating him alive into the pit of his spine. The hollow of his chest is getting unbearably hurt and he can't take it anymore. He has come to his limits, and he wanna feel the man's presence so bad.
For the first time after forever, he grabs the key and open the door.
Dusty. The house is clearly different from the last time. No soft music being played, kettle boiling waters, fireplace burning warmly. Nothing. Just a dusty house with lots of spider webs here and there. He's smiling at the sight of the coffee machine remained in the last position where he left it. Mingyu slowly walking towards the kitchen, trying to collect the vague thought inside his mind but there's no need. Anything related to the petite black-haired man will always be pictured perfectly on him. Even just for a while, even when there's not much to remember.
From inside the room the cat is running towards Mingyu, aiming for his legs and pat it with her paws. Mingyu immediately grabs her from the floor and carrying her in the air. "Miss me?"
But today she doesn't meow like she always did. Her eyes are wet, and she looks blue. This is the first time Mingyu seeing her this sad. Maybe she misses Wonwoo just like he did. Maybe she had her time too, when she's just wanna cry and pour out his heart. "You missed him, don't you? Me too."
Mingyu sits on one of the sofas, lulling the cat on his laps. Then he looks around the house, scanning it silently. "How can you live in this dirty house? Can you even sleep? I'm sorry i can't take you to my house. My friends... they really hate your owner right now. I can't risk them hurting you if they know you still alive. Please hang on a little bit, yeah?"
The cat doesn't answer. He's too captivated under Mingyu's touch.
"I really regret it, you know? Not taking the key and open the damn door the first time i saw it. I was a fool, i know. But i'm not lying when i say i'm not worthy. He wants someone who pours out all his efforts and i wasn't. And i guess i didn't like him back then. I don't even know if i like him right now, or why am i here making a big deal out of a cat's life. Why do you think i was here?"
Instead of meowing, the cat climbing a little and lick his cheek. Mingyu lets her.
"You're right. I care about him too much for clime myself that i didn't like him. But yeah... screw that. It doesn't matter now because he's gone." The tall man laughs at himself. "I really, really, miss him. So much it hurts. I read his book countless time but that just makes me feel much miserable than i already did. I stole it, by the way. Years ago in the Hedgeshore when his package arrived. Please don't tell him that. Wait, i forgot you can't do that anymore. Ignore me. Neverthless, i wish i can read his other book someday."
Suddenly the cat running away from Mingyu's lap, causing the man to flinches on the sudden gesture. "Hey missy, where you going?"
But the cat alienating himself away from the tall man, eyes looking at him fiercely. It's hard to believe what happening right now in front of his eyes because as much as how he lives among many fairytales, it's harder to believe on this one. Once again, he's been peeling into the very thin layer of him. Though no matter how hard he was avoiding it, this time is all beyond his will. There's no point on denying when he witnesses how the cat changing its form into no other than the man who puts him in so many despairs. Turns out Jeon Wonwoo is still capable of doing so, and that's just adding another puzzle into his list.
However a month is enough. A month is the limit he wasn't even keen on going through, and a month is where he was on his verge. He can't take barely anything for any longer. Hence he hugs the man as if there's no tomorrow. The tightens he's ever done on a person. He was sure never hugs anyone that tight and Mingyu quite sure it's hurting him. Nonetheless, the man lets him do that. He was kind of overwhelmed himself so Mingyu guesses that makes the two of them.
"Holy mother of pearl you really are insufferable, Jeon Wonwoo."
The man buries his face on the crock of Mingyu's neck deeper, sucking all of him. "I apologize."
"This is unforgivable!" So much desperation on his voice it doesn't even sound like a scolding anymore.
"I had my reason."
"I know."
"It wasn't me, Mingyu. I never hurt anyone."
"Be quiet, i know."
"I was there because i wanted to tell you that night. About myself and my secret. A-And then suddenly i saw a wolf attacking a man. I can't leave him just like that. I..." The petite man gets choked over his own voice.
"Shhh, shhh, shhh, that's okay, no need to tell me what happened. I believe you. This isn't your fault."
"I guess the man saw me when i accidentally changed myself into a human, that's why he was accusing me doing so. But i got so weak after killing the wolf so i had to transformed back into my human form."
"Okay, Wonwoo."
"I was so scared..."
"I know, i'm sorry."
God, he never thought he would be this fool. Why can't he read all the sign when it's been there all along? Mingyu is angry. Boiling anger inside of him.
"I'm scared you're gonna hate me that's why i've been hiding."
“I would never.” Mingyu pulling the man so he can see his face. It's loaded by fear and tears, so many doubt all at once. Mingyu wipe his tears with his sleeves, comforting him as much as he can. "So you were the cat all this time?"
"Yeah."
"From the first time i kneeled back there and pat your head?"
"Yeah."
"So that's why you never came when i waited for you outside. You were with me all along." The tall man chuckles, caressing Wonwoo's cheek with his thumb softly. "That night at Mapleholt... it was you peeking on us?"
He nods. "I wanted to see you."
Never in a million time Mingyu ever thought he would be rooting this hard on someone to the point that everything gets blurry and he can't even talk properly. But you know what? Sometimes he thinks it's funny because at least it is momentarily okay. Like you've been in a dream where you can see the people who you love died, you cry, and cry, and cry in agony, wishing it didn't happen. And then you wake up and none of that ever happened. They were still there with you, it was just a dream, and nothing's bad is going to happen. It's what Mingyu feels right to know. He just wakes up from his bad dreams and it feels nice.
Once again, Mingyu pulls the man into his embrace. His selfish side telling him to not let go, and he figures that's what he's planning to do.
“What are we gonna do now?" Mingyu whispers softly, right beside the man's ears. It sends shivers into Wonwoo's entire wholebeing.
"Don't know. I don't wanna leave." His voice muffling above Mingyu's shoulder.
"Then don't."
Suddenly a thought comes to his mind. A long time ago, they were a story about a fisherman boy. He was unexpectedly falling in the deep of the sea, almost die while he's at it. However, somehow it's not his time to die yet. He was being saved by a mermaid, the one with glorious gold tail and the beauty of her face. After being saved, the fisherman boy bid his goodbye, went home by feeling a sorrow on his heart. Little did he know that the mermaid was secretly following on him, wanting to know him more. Later on they decided to keep it a secret. The fisherman made a pool inside his house for the said creature, limiting his life from outside the world just so he can keep her for himself. No one ever knows what's going on inside, nor ever showing a suspicion towards the man.
Maybe. Just maybe... he can be greedy this time. Maybe it doesn't have to be them against the world, but only simple happiness would still do so much justice. Who cares about recognition, he only needs to see Wonwoo safe and sound. For better or for worse.
"Stay here."
Wonwoo looks up, eyes trembling in hope. "Here?"
"Mhm. Let's hide you from the world forever."
"Forever?"
"I know it's selfish. I know it... wouldn't fair to keeping you here while i can see the sun freely and enjoy the beauty of life but Wonwoo, i—" It's maddening. The desire inside his heart... it's getting impossible to bear. "I really want you to be safe? And i don't want you to get hurt. Just that. Do you ever feel like you wanted to be with someone in a way that you don't want anything except feeling their presence? Even from afar... or seeing a flash of their smile. That's enough. More than enough."
"That's really sweet of you." A rueful smile appearing on the other man's features. "You really did figure it all, didn't you?"
"About what?"
"Do not chase the cat. The cat is befriendable. Get the cat to trust you and genuinely enjoy your company. You may eventually be allowed to touch it. The cat will freely let you take the key." Wonwoo inhales, fingers running through Mingyu's hair. "I wanted anyone to be aware of that. They shouldn't treat the cat as a defender of an object, but otherwise. None of them does that except you, Mingyu."
The tall man covers his face above Wonwoo's head. "I'm sorry, i never intended on getting the key from the first place."
"I know."
"You know?"
"I know you just weren't interested in the idea of the competition itself, that's why i let you touch me."
"Sweet lord, it's utterly bizarre now since i know she was you all along."
Wonwoo laughs. The most carefree laugh Mingyu sees from the man for such a long time. "You'll get used to it."
"Wonwoo?"
"Yes?"
"Forgive me for being dense even when you already give me countless of clues. I don't know what will happen ahead but let's figured it out. You and me both."
The man smiles brightly. "Sounds like a whole of plan."
Their happily ever after maybe doesn't being written in the famous fairytale book, or be the bedtime stories anyone would never forget, or the legendary folklore meant to be remembered. Though it's written in the nothingness, it will remind in their hearts. Enough for them to continue living and passing on their stories to anyone who willing to listen, to understand, and to cherish it along with them.