Sweet Summer Child

by winterxfrost

Summary:

Summers always tasted different for Mydei after that first one in Aedes Elysiae. What began as charity turned into rivalry, then affection, then jealousy—and finally, a longing shaped like a boy that glows like sunlight on frost.

Notes:

Written for Phaidei Gotcha For Gaza, requested by anon. Thank you for donating to this cause!
I received a free prompt, so I chose a childhood theme with a philanthropic act because this type of donation gives hope to children.

And thank you so much for Lupin from the Gotcha for Gaza discord for beta-ing this work and making it more decent to read :D and as usual, Noriiko my best buddy for brainstorming this story with me >.<

By Kremnoan tradition, a child will not have a birthday celebration before they turn eleven. 

It was believed that the first ten years of a child’s life were the most vital phase for teaching them tenacity, resilience, and solidarity. Each year, their birth date must be commemorated with charity and a ceremonial crimson skin-mark to maintain the true Kremnoan warrior’s spirit. 

Or so it had been, until the practice fell out of practice a century ago.

Mydei thought it was stupid. 

Because such a good tradition shouldn’t have ended so early. Why stop something good? They should do it more, not less. Maybe until eighteen. Maybe forever. There’s no such thing as being too old to learn about being kind and honorable. 

His father laughed when he said that at dinner a month before his birthday, and his mother stared at him with the kind of smile adults give you when they think you’re being cute. Mydei was not being cute. He was serious.

“Mother, Father, stop that,” he frowned. “That’s a noble thing to do, right? Why do we drop that tradition? Did we regress as a generation?” 

That made his father laugh even harder, saying, “smart little shi—Lord Strife,” before his mother smacked his shoulder. Mydei sat stiffly in his chair, gripping his spoon tighter and meeting his mother’s gaze, which was now tinted with an amused, gentle smile.

“No, please don’t be discouraged, Mydeimos,” his mother said. “It’s just so cute.”

See? What is so cute about upholding a very serious tradition? Adults could be strange.

“You always hate Kremnoan old traditions out loud,” his mother said, “yet you cling to this one as if it is sacred.”

Well, because most Kremnoan traditions they still stubbornly kept were the barbaric ones, unlike the ones they dropped. Those were actually honorable. Great, even. But he didn’t say that aloud. He didn’t want to make them laugh again. He wanted them to take him seriously. After all, he was no longer a child, now. He was a teenager! A step closer to being an adult!

So he inhaled once and continued plainly, as if the laughter had never happened.

“…For my birthday,” he said, “I want a library in Peucesta’s grandmother’s village to be reno… renovated,” Mydei paused, nodding proudly to himself for being able to mention that word. “He said they only had one small library there, with so few books inside. I want them to have a bigger library, with many, many more books for the kids. Like history books, encyclopedias, and… books about the arts. Music.”

There was a brief pause. His mother nodded, and his father blinked, recovering from the snicker he suppressed. 

“Oh, son, you’re serious,” he said. “You want to do another charity for this year’s birthday, too.”

“Yes,” Mydei said. 

His parents glanced at each other, which was their weird way of communicating without words. Mydei pouted. He didn’t like being excluded from his parents’ discussion.

“Are you sure?” his father asked again. “Mydeimos, you have been donating to libraries since you turned six, and even by the old tradition, at this age, you could already ask for a celebration or a gift of your choice. Are you sure you want to do this again? You don’t want another gift?” 

“Or maybe something for yourself in addition,” his mother added. “Something for yourself. Maybe a rare Gibson signed by Serval Landau? Isn’t she your favorite rockstar?”

Where did it even come from? Mydei adored his mother. She was his favorite rock star. Serval Landau did not even come close. 

“No. My guitar’s good. Gibsons are too heavy for me, anyway.”

“You could ask for a sports car, Mydeimos. I could afford it,” his father spoke again. “A small boat? A house? A limited edition spaceship miniature?”

Mydei furrowed his brows. “I don’t even like spaceships,” he said. Again, where did that even come from? “And I don’t need my own house or car. I still wanna live and drive with you,” he continued, to yet another endearing laugh from his father.

“Another pet?” his mother offered with a grin. Mydei suspected that it was more to tease him than an actual suggestion.

“I already have Kokopo the First, the Second, and the Third,” Mydei said. “I can’t take care of any more pets.”

His parents looked at each other. Again. A mix of amusement and pride on their faces. 

“So you really want another library for your gift this year?”

“Yes, really,” Mydei said. 

“In Aedes Elysiae.”

“Yes, Peucesta’s grandma’s village. And I’ll pick the books myself,” Mydei nodded, his voice left no room for doubts—just in case his parents tried to poke fun at him again.

“Very well,” his mother smiled. “Then, you shall have that for this year’s birthday too, Mydeimos.”

Which brought him here now.

To Aedes Elysiae.

Mydei had never heard about it before, but apparently the village was located by the northern shore of Amphoreus, where the wheat fields went on and on as far as his eyes could see. Mydei sat by the open car window, gazing out to see the scenery while the hot summer wind from the sea brushed against his face. It smelled like salt, soil, and ripened grain.

And it was comfortable, even though it was far more different than the chilly breeze of Castrum Kremnos.

The library renovations had finished a week before his birthday, which was off schedule, according to his father. But Mydei didn’t mind. Today, he came to see it himself and to deliver the boxes of books he had personally chosen: histories of Castrum Kremnos and Amphoreus, children’s stories, several encyclopedias, and numerous books on art, music, and the history of Kremnoan rock bands. There were also a few books for adults that Uncle Krateros helped pick: those about agriculture, fishing, politics, and Strife knows what else. 

Mydei stepped out of the car when it finally parked in front of the library, and as he stared at his reflection in the library's window, he could see that he was actually smiling.

The library looked just like the photograph his father had shown him. The building wasn’t that big, and they hadn’t had time to add new rooms, but the remodeling made it look more spacious than before. They didn’t do much on the exterior, which Mydei liked because, as it is, the library looked like it was a part of the neighborhood; a familiar place where kids like him could find shelter from the summer heat.

The remodelling looked even more beautiful on the inside. There were Kremnoan paintings and printed quotes he liked hanging above the empty shelves, next to original art pieces that had been kept and polished for local aesthetic. 

What Mydei loved most, however, was the kids' reading room all the way in the back of the building. It was a room that resembled Edo Star’s historical architecture, with tatami mats and a large window spanning from the floor to the ceiling, letting in golden sunlight and offering a view of the library’s backyard, which bordered the vast golden wheat fields.

Mydei sighed quietly.

He loved it.

So much so that he asked Uncle Krateros if he could stay a few more days so that he could enjoy the room alongside the kids of Aedes Elysiae. 

Mydei placed the box containing the books he had personally picked enthusiastically: Kremoan traditions and dictionaries, Local Amphoreus cookbooks for kids, and numerous illustrated history books. He occasionally glanced outside the window at the kids who were running about on the wheat fields, looking forward to sharing the books with them.

Mydei had also learned a little about Oronyx. He wanted to hear more about it. Perhaps he could ask the kids later.

But to his surprise, no one visited the library, even after the sun began to set. The number of kids running in the wheat fields gradually decreased. Mydei had hoped that they would come by to visit for a while, maybe just look around and see the titles. He was sure they would love them.

But nobody came. 

When the sky had turned dark, and what was left of the sun was the burning red by the edge of the horizon, Mydei got up and went back to the inn.

No matter, he thought. Maybe tomorrow they will come.

His hope flared when he met the village chief at the dinner where he was invited, as a gesture of thanks and a birthday gift for Mydei.

“We couldn’t thank you enough for the generosity you showed us, young Lord,” the village chief had said. “I’m sure the kids in our humble village would appreciate the beautiful library.”

Mydei nodded calmly. He was already looking forward to it. 

The next morning, Mydei arrived at the library after breakfast, picking up his favorite Kremnos history encyclopedia book. The third volume, which covered old customs and diplomatic relations with ancient Okhema. It was a bit thicker than the rest of the volume, and Mydei had nearly memorized half of it. But he still read it from the beginning. 

Because then, by lunch time, he would reach page thirty. When the kids enter the library, he could show them the good part about the Kremnoan ancient technologies and armory.

He flipped the page after page, and only realized that he had reached page forty when his stomach started to rumble from hunger. The warm shade of gold from the sun poured into the white glossy paper of his encyclopedia, and when he looked up, the library was still empty. 

And so did the wheat fields.

No one had visited his library yet.

Mydei closed the book and let out a quiet sigh. 

Maybe they still want to enjoy the summer break. 

Maybe tomorrow they would come. 

But as the new day came, Mydei once again sat alone in the library, with an occasional visit from Uncle Krateros, who was only there to remind him to eat his lunch and bring him water. Mydei ate the sandwich at the patio on the back of the library, staring at the kids running and shouting in the wheat fields, and thinking that maybe this was why Aedes Elysiae did not have a proper library to begin with. Maybe the kids here didn’t like books as much as he did. 

Or maybe they just didn’t want to read during summer break, when they could spend time outdoors as much as they wanted without worrying about school. It was a beautiful summer here in Aedes Elysiae. The sky was perfectly blue, the fluffy clouds were hanging low, and the golden sea of wheat fields…

Mydei swallowed his bread, and his disappointment along with it.

Whatever.

The library was there as he wished. It had the list of good titles as he wanted. If people in Aedes Elysiae didn’t like it, then it’s not his concern. 

Whatever.

If those books were left to rot, it was no longer his business.

Mydei went back to the inn and thought that maybe he should head back home tomorrow morning. There wasn’t anything else left to do here, after all. 

So the next morning, Mydei told Uncle Krateros to prepare the car, and called his parents. They were currently heading to Janusopolis. The tour was enjoyable, but it wasn't exactly kid-friendly. Mother said Mydei could visit them for a while before heading back to Castrum Kremnos right after. Father would call a private teacher to teach him to play drums. He was looking forward to it.

Mydei packed his bags with the peaceful chimes of the bell hanging at the window accompanying him. But as he made room for his dirty socks, Mydei only realized that there was a book sitting in his bag, buried under his clothes. He picked it up, only to see that it was The Deliverer. A storybook that Hephaestion could never shut up about. He insisted that Mydei bring the book along with him, but Mydei refused. He didn’t understand what the fuss was about fiction. It was nice, sure, if you’re like five years old. But they’re teenagers now. They should read a more serious book rich with knowledge.

Hephaestion must’ve snuck it into his bag when he wasn’t looking.

Mydei shook his head. Out of his goodwill, he got up from his seat and went to the library.

Fine, if Hephaestion insisted, he would place this book in the library.

It was quiet, as the days before. Mydei still felt a little disappointed, but he quickly shrugged it off, walking straight to the kids’ reading room…

Only to find a boy sitting by the furthest corner of the library. 

Mydei halted mid-step without meaning to. His eyes widened, uncertain whether to approach or observe.

The boy looked to be his age—perhaps a little older. Even though he was sitting and his posture folded over the book like a shield, Mydei knew he must be taller than him. The boy’s hair was pale, like snow muddied at the end of winter. His skin had a sun-worn glow, browned and flushed in places, and even from across the room, Mydei could catch the faint scent of grain, heat, and earth clinging to him. Not unpleasant, no. Just so… present, like the sun had followed along with the boy inside.

He didn’t even glance up when Mydei entered. He was completely immersed in the book. His blue eyes flicked across the pages, unblinking, alight with some kind of silent thrill. His lips moved ever so slightly as he read, whispering words only he could hear. His shoulders were tense with focus, still as a stone, as if the rest of him had been swallowed whole by the story in his hands.

Oh!

The first visitor to his library!

Mydei could feel anticipation and excitement slowly grow inside him. He tried to breathe normally, forcing his steps to remain casual as he peeked at the book that had the boy so captivated. Maybe it was the Kremnoan Epic. Maybe it’s the history of blades, or…

Sea of Souls?

Oh. 

Mydei could feel his hope depleted again. 

How disappointing. 

The first visitor to his library was reading fiction.

Mydei placed The Deliverer on the small shelf near the entrance, the smallest shelf that he didn’t touch, because he never cared much about fiction. But the sound of a heavy book against the heavy wooden shelf seemed too loud for the otherwise quiet library, as the boy jolted in his seat, his mouth letting out a little sound of “Ack!” 

The sound startled Mydei, too. He turned, just as the boy looked up.

And when their eyes met, the boy smiled.

No, not smiling. 

The boy’s entire face was literally lighting up, like the brightest dawn in the middle of summer. The very one Mydei had just witnessed, a few hours ago.

“Hello!” he greeted. His cheerful voice filled the quiet room, breathing life into the still air. “You must be the city kid the chief mentioned about! The one who donated this library?”

Mydei avoided the boy’s eyes. He was far too bright, too cheerful. No one had ever looked so… so… Mydei tried to think who… or what the boy reminded him of, but he couldn’t. He could only think about how similar that boy was to the golden retriever that Ptolemy’s family had. 

“... Yes,” he answered shortly.

Mydei glanced back at the boy, and his grin somehow grew even brighter. Mydei didn’t know how it was even humanly possible for someone to smile that wide.

“That’s very kind of you! Thank you so much! I love seeing so many books! This one is so cool! I’ve never read a heroic story so epic like this! I might get in trouble for taking too long to rest, but… I just can’t stop reading!”

The boy was so earnest, so genuine, and so enthusiastic that Mydei’s breath caught in his throat.

He wasn’t used to this. 

He didn’t know what to do with the sudden wave of excitement and energy directed at him, but it was contagious nonetheless. Mydei smiled a little, trying to suppress his feelings and remaining cool.

“If you like Sea of Souls,” he said, lifting his chin. “Then you’d really love the second volume of History of Kremnos. It has the real epic that inspired Sea of Souls. It was far more thrilling.”

“Yeah?” The boy’s eyes sparked. “Then do show me! Wait—let me finish this one first. I’m just getting to the good part!”

And so, Mydei sat across the table from the snow-haired boy, flipping through the history book he loved while occasionally keeping an eye on the boy, watching his smiley face turn serious as he flipped through the pages. Mydei bookmarked his favorite Kremnoan Epic passages that related to the Sea of Souls to show the boy later, ignoring the thought that he was supposed to be packing to go back home later tonight, and Uncle Krateros was probably waiting for him.

When the boy finally finished the book, he sighed happily, closing the book and placing it flat on the table as if it were sacred. He told Mydei about how satisfying it was, how he adored the resilient but kind-hearted Crown Prince, and the happy ending where the Crown Prince finally returned to the glory of the throne. He then asked Mydei about the history that inspired Sea of Souls, as well as the facts and trivia surrounding it.

Mydei showed him the page, telling the epic tale of how harsh the condition the actual Crown Prince was facing was. The pain he endured, the strength he gained, made the glory all the sweeter.

But as words rolled from his tongue, he could see that the boy’s eyes slowly lost the excitement. His bright smile dimmed, and his shoulders gradually slouched, at the same time that he was wincing, as Mydei told him how the crown prince nearly died of hunger at least a hundred times…

“Hey,” the boy suddenly placed his arm on Mydei’s shoulder. His palm was large and… well, strong. “Are you okay?”

Mydei blinked. “Huh?”

“Um…” the boy hesitated, looking concerned and confused as he stared at the book in Mydei’s hands, then at him, then at the book again. “Have you just… watched TV shows you shouldn’t? Or like… an irresponsible adult dragged you to it? Or… um…”

Mydei tilted his head. He still didn’t understand what this boy was talking about.

Before he could even answer, the boy had already come to his own conclusion.

And he coo-ed.

“Oh, sweet summer child, someone as small as you shouldn’t read this kind of story. It’s too… grim. You’d grown up to become a violent man.”

Now Mydei furrowed his brows. He still didn’t know where it came from, but he was absolutely offended because 1) he’s not that sweet nor small and 2) there’s nothing wrong with reading real history. It’s not too grim. It teaches him the value of honor, pain, and sacrifice. Why did this boy make it sound as if it were such a bad idea?

“HUH?” he asked, frowning and flipping his book hard so that the hardcover made a quiet thud against the wooden table. 

The boy pressed his lips. “Look, I’ve got you. I’ll show you the history books that are not so gory and better for younger children, okay?” he said, patting Mydei’s shoulder with a strange smile… like he was genuinely feeling sorry for Mydei. It made him even more furious. 

“No, it’s not bad at all. You’re just lame.”

The boy gaped. “See, this is the violence I was talking about! It’s not supposed to be fine! It’s too scary for kids! ” he insisted. “I promise you there’s always a kid-friendly version. I have some of the books at home. Just wait here, okay? I promise you, there are epic histories that are heroic and wholesome and not lame at all! You’ll love it!”

“No, you…”

The boy stormed outside with a huff and the determination of a man on a mission. The air stirred in his wake, carrying the scent of sun and grain and summer. Mydei pressed his lips, his heart beating fast not only from anger, but also from a challenge to prove the boy wrong. That a history book wasn’t scary at all, it wouldn’t give him nightmares, or turn him into a violent man, and he definitely wasn’t that small. He’s eleven! 

But a part of him was also curious about what kind of lame history books the boy would show him. History without the violence? Kids-friendly? Yeah right! Mydei had been in multiple libraries in Kremnos. There’s nothing like that that has ever existed.

But then, as silence engulfed the library once again, Mydei realized that he wouldn’t be here when the boy was back from the field. 

Because Uncle Krateros had just come to pick him up, the car was already waiting. His parents had expected him to arrive at Januspolis in three hours. 

He’d be gone before the boy came back.

Before he could prove anything.

… And Mydei didn’t even know the boy’s name.

-

 

When Mydei turned twelve, he once again requested a trip to Aedes Elysiae. 

He had something to prove, after all. That one careless word about history books being cruel and not suitable for him had followed him like a mosquito in the ear — irritating, impossible to forget. He wanted to prove the boy wrong. He didn’t care if he had to wait until the summer break. 

Because who did that snow-haired boy think he was? 

How could he say that Mydei’s version of a good history book is not appropriate for kids?

Honestly, what kind of honorable history wasn’t marked with strife and sacrifice?

Mydei would definitely prove him wrong and put him in his place!

And this time, he would take Mydei seriously because he had grown taller since the previous year. Stronger, too. He played basketball more often every week, went on a morning run with his mother more routinely, and used his father’s gym a few times a week. He also requested double the amount of his judo sessions. 

More importantly, he had built a collection of history books—some for kids, others for teens. The same kinds he'd found in Kremnos Libraries, and some he had even obtained from all across the world. Mydei had also obsessively asked his mother for titles from wherever she went for tours. His father sent him rare finds from every city he visited on a business trip. 

Mydei logged every story, underlined every moment of heroism born from pain. He kept five copies each to keep in his personal library and in Aedes Elysiae.  

By far, he did not see any history marked without strife and sacrifices. 

That snow-haired boy would realize that the sugar-coated history was nothing more than a fairytale fit for five-year-olds. In the real world, history was honest. It was fitting for teens like them, and he was just lame.

As he suspected, his parents threw a fit when he said he wanted to spend another summer in Aedes Elysiae. They offered him summer camp rock, a vacation in Luofu, Penacony, and a list of exotic islands and resorts.

Mydei turned them all down, saying that he had unfinished business in Aedes Elysiae. He still wanted to perfect his library.

He didn’t say anything about his grudges against the snow-haired boy.

His parents only nodded, patted his shoulder, and bid him goodbye with “don’t forget to call, have fun, we love you, son.”

And so, three days after his birthday, Mydei once again found himself on a road trip to Aedes Elysiae. A smile tugged on his lips as he watched the tall buildings of Castrum Kremnos pass behind him. He had rehearsed the words he was going to say to the snow-haired boy. 

He was so ready. 

But the journey was long, and this year's summer was even more humid than the previous one. The air conditioner in the car couldn’t fight the heavy heat pressing on his skin. They had to make multiple stops in Okhema and Januspolis, and each time they entered a diner or gas station, Mydei could feel exhaustion erode his giddiness, making room for doubts to creep in.

What if the snow-haired boy forgot about him? About their argument?

He was older than Mydei, that was without a doubt. What if he had grown into a cool, cocky high schooler who refused to acknowledge a middle schooler like Mydei? High schoolers were annoying and full of themselves. They thought they were above everyone else just because they could legally drive a car.

What if his attempt to prove himself for the past year had been for naught? 

Mydei watched the old buildings of Januspolis pass by outside the car window. A dense neighborhood gradually shifted into a quieter suburb, where homes were rare and more often neighbored by trees and nature than by other buildings. Then, as the skyline flattened into a landscape of endless wheatfields, Mydei could feel his stomach coiled with nervousness. He’s almost arrived at Aedes Elysiae. 

As the car arrived at the inn, Mydei shrugged off the heavy thoughts. 

So what if he forgot? At the very least, Mydei could donate more books and grow the library, even if no one reads them. As Teacher Diotima said, there was no such thing as wasted effort. So if not for proving the boy wrong and claiming his victory, Mydei would still consider it a win for himself, for being able to uphold the proper Kremnoan discipline of maintaining his brawn and brain. 

It was already dark when he arrived at the inn. The sun had already set, leaving only a blush of reddish orange in the western sky. So he went straight to his room and slept like a log.

Mydei only went back to the library the next day, right after finishing his brunch. He didn’t expect much, but when he stepped into the building…

He was greeted with a surprise. 

The library was far more lively than he remembered. Young adults and old people were reading in the main room, tucked in the corner near the agriculture section. Mydei also heard noises from the kids’ reading room, and only then did he pick up his pace, curious about what his favorite room would look like.

Mydei couldn’t even bite back his smile. 

The room had four kids, which was not a lot, but it made the room look lively. One girl, seemingly five years old, lay on her stomach, reading a picture storybook that Mydei couldn’t quite catch. Two boys were sitting by the main ottoman table, and…

And on the corner of the room in the fiction section, a snow-haired boy knelt by the half-empty shelves, carefully arranging books from a box beside him. Mydei froze mid-step. He knew that hair, though it looked a little less like snow now and more like sunlight on frost. 

He was sure that it was the same boy who had confronted him the previous year. 

Mydei didn’t even realize that the chatters from the boys by the table stopped until the snow-haired boy turned to see him. Mydei blinked, throwing his gaze at a random corner of the room to avoid his gaze. His eyes landed on an unopened box by the kids' history shelf. 

Perfect. He could go there and pretend he didn’t remember him. 

Mydei walked over and opened the box filled with the carefully curated collection of history books he had compiled over the past year, placing them on the new shelf as he felt someone standing next to him, making a sharp sound of “ahem”. 

It was the snow-haired boy, of course. 

He let out a cheeky grin. “Hello.”

“Hi.”

“You’ve finally come back,” he said, crossing his arms. “I thought you chickened out last time.” 

Mydei’s heart lurched, but he managed a calm, practiced tone. “I didn’t chicken out. I was supposed to go back home last time,” he said. “I was ready to see the lame history books you had.”

“Hah,” the boy scoffed. He looked like he tried so hard to hold back a smile, and it made his face look ridiculous. “Lucky for you, I’ve spent all year looking for the books and the stories! I even went to the Januspolis library and noted some down for you!” 

Mydei could feel a grin on his face before he could even know it. “Yeah? Then, lucky for you, I collected some more history books from all over the world, too!” 

“Oh?” the boy grinned wider. He looked almost devious now, and Mydei could feel his heart beat faster from anticipation. “Then what do you say we compare notes? See who got a better story.”

Mydei dragged the box next to his feet. “Alright,” he said coolly, like he hadn’t waited a whole year for this moment of truth. “Let’s go.” 

They spent a reasonable amount of time arguing. The snow-haired boy showed him the History of The Black Tide first. The Okhema edition that Mydei recognized, but had pointed out as a super basic history, because it didn’t even tell a whole story. It simply informed the reader that it happened, shaped Okhema, and did not teach them a proper lesson about the importance of survival and resilience during such a difficult time. 

“But it taught children the importance of togetherness and kindness in such a hard time,” the snow-haired boy insisted. “And that's supposed to be enough for kids like us. We… you shouldn’t taint our innocence so early.”

“That mindset will make us grow up becoming cowards!” Mydei retorted. “We will grow up and become an idealist who doesn't know a thing about the world. I don’t want that!”

“See? This is why I say it corrupted your mind! No child should think like that!”

“Literally all the kids in Castrum Kremnos think that! No great civilization is built on kindness and honor. It was built through strife, pain, and suffering. Just look at this!”

Mydei continued, showing a few history books he had collected and pointing out some elements that he had memorized by heart. The crucial highlights he promised himself to show the snow-haired boy. The snow-haired boy’s blue eyes hardened. He argued further that it was inappropriate for Mydei to have been learning values that were far too gruesome for his age. Their arguments had grown so heated that the librarian had to tell them to be quiet. After a while, she apparently decided that they were being too loud, so she told them to read outside instead.

“It’s a beautiful day out,” she said, with an awkward smile mixed with a little bit of annoyance. “I’m sure it could match your heated energy!” 

She was trying to be nice, but Mydei knew that he was being kicked out of his own library because of the snow-haired boy. He glared at the boy, who, to his surprise, walked outside obediently, muttering apologies to the librarian and all the library visitors as he walked past them.

Mydei followed along because 1) their argument wasn’t even close to finishing yet, and 2) he still wanted to make the boy admit that Mydei was right, that learning the truth from a very young age was the proper thing to do, and not… shameful, as he implied. 

But again, to his surprise, the boy didn’t stop at the front yard. He put his straw hat back and walked further from the library.

“Hey!” Mydei said. “Where are you going?”

“Sorry, but we gotta continue later!” the boy said. “I gotta continue helping my dad out in the field.”

“But we’re not done yet!” Mydei insisted. He paused, then he let out a grin. “Are you admitting defeat?” 

“As if!” the boy said, letting out that devious grin of his that got Mydei’s blood boiling. “We’ll continue this tomorrow. That is, if you’re not running away again like last time.”

“As if!” Mydei retorted. “Fine! Tomorrow, same time!” 

“Tomorrow, same time!” the boy grinned, before turning and walking away from him. 

And so, tomorrow and the days after, they would continue in this manner. Mydei and the boy would be in the library bright and early, fussing over the history books, the stories, and the heated argument about what’s good. But this time, they did it right; they took a seat by the back yard of the library so they could argue as loud as they wanted without disturbing anyone. Their arguments would stop a little after lunch, where the boy would excuse himself to go to the field. 

On the third day, however, when they were discussing the Flamechasers War, Mydei was so insistent on continuing the argument, even when it was a few minutes after the boy’s usual departure time. He got up, excusing himself, but Mydei followed him along. 

“Dude! I really gotta go!” he said. “My dad is expecting me!”

“Then… Then I will go with you!” Mydei said. “I could help out, too!” 

The boy blinked once, looking surprised. “Really?” he said. “You? Do you even know how to help out in the mill?”

“You could teach me! I’m sure I could keep up. I’m strong, and I learn quickly,” Mydei insisted. He paused, then grinned at the boy’s surprised face. “What? You think I will beat you in collecting the grain?”

The boy gaped. But then, he blinked his surprise away and returned Mydei’s grin with his own. “As if I’m gonna lose to a scrawny city boy,” he said. “Fine, come on, follow me.”

And the rest of the summer, Mydei’s schedule would be like that; he would be in the library, arguing with the boy until lunch time. Then, in the second half of the day, he would be out in the field, running about collecting grain in his sack, and stacking them in the mill. They somehow made it a competition each time, with them taking turns claiming the win. Mydei liked the fact that, despite being older and taller, the boy did not go easy on Mydei. He fought with all his power, so Mydei tried his might to rise to the challenge. 

By the time he had to go back to his parents, they were tied at 20-20 in the sack stacking, and 7-7 on the history argument. 

“Come back next year, too!” the boy said with a challenging grin when he walked Mydei to the car. “I’ll break the match point and win it!” 

“As if I’d let that happen,” Mydei scoffed. “When I come back next year, I will be taller and stronger. You wouldn’t even stand a chance!” 

“Then I’ll look forward to it!” the boy snickered.

Mydei climbed into the car, unrolled the window, and grinned at the boy. “Next year, same day!”

“It’s a date, Mydeimos!” 

Uncle Krateros drove the car, and by the rearview mirror, Mydei could see the snow-haired boy running to chase him, waving and shouting something inaudible. As the car moved faster, he stopped, both of his hands on either side of his mouth, shouting something Mydei could no longer hear. 

He could feel his heart sink as the car pulled away from Aedes Elysiae. He gazed at the wheat fields bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, his fingers pressed against the edge of the storybook the snow-haired boy had insisted he keep. 

Only then did Mydei realize something.

He still didn’t know the boy’s name. 

 

-

 

When Mydei turned thirteen, he once again requested an addition to the Aedes Elysiae library.

A new wing, this time. For the small laboratory and agricultural books for kids. Mydei realized that Aedes Elysiae kids helped out a lot in farming and fishing. They required extensive knowledge to help their crops flourish more effectively. 

His parents did not even question it this time. They only nodded, smiling in a way that Mydei suspected they knew something he didn’t. It made him uncomfortable, but he shrugged it away. His parents were always weird that way.

Though to his dismay, he had to postpone his arrival by three weeks, because this summer, the Amphoreus National Art Final Competition was held, and his band happened to reach the final. He had to practice and give his best performance to win. Mydei was so angry that he cursed at the final schedule, saying it disturbed the kids’ chance for a peaceful summer, that it was unfair, and that the adults should have planned it better. His heart broke when he thought back to the snow-haired boy waiting in Aedes Elysiae. The one he promised to come back on the same date last summer.

But despite his outburst, Mydei knew that the competition was also super important. His bandmates were looking forward to it, his classmates and teachers at school were really excited and proud of their school making it to the final, and his parents were so proud of him. 

Mydei hated disappointing people. He liked winning. He enjoyed making his parents proud. 

So, with a heavy heart, he stayed behind, fulfilling his duties to represent his school in the competition and focusing on winning it.

So when he and Uncle Krateros drove back to Aedes Elysiae, he went with a smile on his face.

When he arrived, however, the village looked different. It was far more lively, with various colorful flags decorating the fences of the wheat fields. The gate to the town was also decorated with bright-colored fabrics, straw dolls, and different ethnic decorations that reminded Mydei of the smaller ones the librarian had placed throughout the library. 

“It’s the Elysian Summer Festival,” the snow-haired boy said when they met at the library the next day. He was wearing a strange outfit today. Asymmetrical bluish grey tunic with sleeveless white vest draped from one shoulder, secured with a brass shoulder guard. Aedes Elysiae’s traditional clothing, if Mydei did not make a mistake. It looked really good on the boy, who was growing even taller this time. His voice also deepened, to Mydei’s surprise. How did this boy grow so fast? Mydei was almost annoyed that he couldn’t catch up yet. 

Probably next year, he thought. He would ask Professor Anaxagoras if he could accelerate his growth. It didn’t matter if he had to train even harder or eat healthier meals. He would outgrow this boy next year! 

“You’re lucky you arrived just in time to enjoy the festival this year! It’s super fun, you’ll see!” he said, excitedly. “There are so many fun things to do! Dancing, singing, food, sports! You’ll love them!” 

The boy smiled so wide and genuinely that Mydei decided to believe in him. 

And so, their routine changed a little bit that summer. There were fewer discussions about books and more fieldwork. Apparently, the boy volunteered for so many errands to prepare the festival, to which Mydei had no other option but to join him, making every errand some sort of competition to settle the score from the previous year. 

Mydei still didn’t know the boy’s name, because, much to his annoyance, everyone in the village called him Snowy. 

Mydei didn’t ask. 

He couldn’t. 

Because it would be strange, as if Mydei was trying to get to know him better, he didn’t mean that! For all he knew, they were still rivals, not friends. They met every summer because they had scores to settle! Nothing else! 

But then, Mydei paid closer attention to Snowy, how he smiled so wide whenever he helped the village folks, how his eyes sparkled with joy whenever he met with the village kids, teaching the girls how to craft straw accessories to give the boy they liked, or the boys how to shape the brass into accessories to give to their mother or the girl they admired. Mydei watched as Snowy helped a boy named Piso shape a brass bracelet into a complicated design. His sky blue eyes were sharp with focus, and his thin lips pressed so tight, and Mydei thought that… 

He looked cool. 

Snowy of Aedes Elysiae, the one he acknowledged as a rival, was so kind, so warm, that it made him the coolest person Mydei had ever met in his life.

Mydei was perplexed by his own contradiction. How could a warm person be cool? And how could he admire a rival? Well, the old Kremnoan tradition always taught its warriors to respect their opponent. But in his mind, respect was given by acknowledging victories and strength. This feeling that he had right now… he wanted to be close to Snowy, always. He wanted to be here all year instead of just a few days in the summer. And that didn’t sound like the Kremnoan Warrior kind of respect. 

He didn’t know what it was, but he wanted to be with him always.

Which was a strange feeling to have, especially since he knew he would have to drive back home in a couple of days. 

Mydei swallowed the sourness on his tongue and grinned when Snowy challenged him to another silly competition. 

But true to Snowy’s word, Mydei loved the Elysian Festival.

It was far different from the Kremnoan Festival that Mydei had known his entire life. This festival was more fun, with fewer fights and more artistic performances. Aedes Elysiae people, Mydei noticed, loved dancing and moving their bodies. They have a dancing performance, gymnastics competitions for boys, the goblet dance, and the dance of the White Nights. When the clock almost hit 12 am, everyone gathered around a big bonfire, holding each other's hands while forming a large circle. Snowy grabbed Mydei’s hands, dragging him to join in the ceremony. 

“But I’m not Elysian,” Mydei whispered. “Is it even okay?”

“You built a public library. You contributed to the community,” Snowy said. “Everyone who contributed to the community might as well be a true Elysian.”

Mydei did not say anything else, far too distracted by the warmth of Snowy’s calloused hands, holding him so tight like he didn’t want to let go.

Mydei didn’t want to let go either. 

He felt even more gloomy when the bonfire ceremony ended and everyone let go of each other’s hands. Snowy still held him, but he let go first, afraid that it would be too awkward if he kept it that way. He mourned the loss of warmth, but before he could even process that feeling, a girl approached them. 

She was beautiful: strawberry blonde hair, big blue eyes that were almost as bright as Snowy’s, clear skin, and a gorgeous, red-lipstick smile that framed a set of pearly white teeth. She looked so beautiful, like Mydei's mother’s celebrity friend. She asked if she could talk to Snowy alone, to which Mydei nodded. 

She dragged Snowy to the corner of the field, talking to him in a coy gesture. Mydei couldn’t hear what she said, obviously, but when she grabbed Snowy’s hand and placed a straw bracelet there, he knew what it was about.

The girl confessed her feelings to Snowy. 

He wished he hadn’t looked. He wished he hadn’t seen the way Snowy’s fingers lingered on the straw, or how gently he tucked the bracelet onto his wrist. It felt like watching a memory that didn’t belong to him — soft, private, and not his.

Mydei could feel his chest constrict with a multitude of unexplainable feelings. Like, okay, so what if girls confessed to him? It’s only normal. Snowy was older than him. Of course, he must have crushes here and there. Well, if Mydei could be so frank, love sucks. It was lame, and cheesy, and it was only great in movies. There were far better things in life to experience. Like fights, competitions, historical debates, and… and…

Mydei took a deep breath, feeling utterly annoyed. 

Snowy was so lame. 

Aedes Elysiae festival was so, so lame. 

At least in Kremnos, they dedicated festivals to fights. To test their warriors’ strength. They expressed their love through combat. He was sure that it was the best way to find a soulmate. Because life was hard, right? It was full of trials and tribulations, marked by strife and sacrifice. The only way they could forge ahead was by having an equally strong-willed person standing beside them. 

What good do a couple of dances and homemade accessories do in finding love?

His mood already soured when Snowy walked back to where he was, with his hand now sporting a white-gold bracelet made of straw. Mydei could feel his anger flare when he saw it.

“Sorry,” Snowy grinned. “So, how do you enjoy the festival so far, Mydeimos?” 

Mydei only hummed. “It’s good,” he said. “But the Kremnos festival is better. We did it like true warriors. Less dancing, and definitely less lame accessories.”

At that, Snowy pressed his lips. His smile faltered so obviously that Mydei almost felt bad for saying that out loud. 

But Snowy asked for his opinion, and Mydei wouldn’t lie. He would be honest. Criticism was part of life, too, right? 

“What?” Snowy asked. “What do you mean by that?” 

Mydei shrugged. “I don’t know why you exchange accessories to express love,” he said. “That’s like… the lamest thing to do to find a partner. I mean, life is tough, right? What’s an accessory gonna do in the face of hardship? None. Nothing.” 

“It's supposed to show you that they care about you!” Snowy spoke, looking a little bit offended. “It's supposed to show you the time and patience they gave when making you the accessories. It’s supposed to show you that they think about you all the time!” 

Mydei gave Snowy a side glance, and to his surprise, Snowy’s face looked beet red, like he was trying to suppress his anger. The easy smile and the relaxed face he had shown had all disappeared, shifting into what looked like embarrassment or anger. Mydei couldn’t quite place what expression Snowy wore on his face, but he was displeased. Mydei knew that he was displeased with what he had just said. 

It was only then that he thought that maybe he had crossed the line. 

“You know what, I think I’m gonna skip the greeting of the sun,” he said. “I’m sleepy. I wanna go home.” 

Mydei blinked. “But you said it’s the most important part of the festival.” 

Snowy huffed. “Why do you care, you said it’s lame, anyway,” he said. “Good night, Mydeimos.” 

Before Mydei could say anything, before he could even stop Snowy, the boy had turned and stomped away from the field, where everyone was still dancing, burning incense to prepare for the peak of the festival. Mydei watched as Snowy distanced himself further and further, his hands clenched on either side of his body, looking absolutely furious. 

The acid in Mydei’s tongue now spread to the entirety of his chest, eating away his lungs and his heart. His mouth felt bitter, and his body was burning with anger and embarrassment. 

Mydei didn’t want to admit it, even to himself. But he knew, he knew that he truly crossed the line, this time. 

Snowy didn’t come to the library the next morning. 

Mydei thought he was late, but when the sun crawled past lunchtime and Snowy was still not present, Mydei knew that he was mad. Mydei probably hurt him with his opinion about the festival that Snowy loved so dearly. 

Oh well, he just had to swallow it. If opinions could hurt him this much, then it’s not Mydei’s problem.

But when Snowy didn’t come to the library the following day, Mydei knew that he had screwed up. He should apologize. 

But then, he thought about the strawberry-blonde-haired girl and the golden straw bracelet, and he felt that he would stand by his opinion. It was lame. 

Snowy was lame. 

He didn’t even care anymore. 

But then he saw the storybook corner in the library, where they first argued. Where Snowy once laughed so hard he knocked over a whole stack of books. 

And Mydei realized… 

He cared. A lot.

Part of the Kremnoan Warrior tradition was to be honest with your feelings and worries. Mydei cared about Snowy, even if only as a rival. And he knew that he had made a mistake. He probably must apologize. 

He could at least do that before he goes home. So he shouldn’t come home packing any regrets. 

He told Uncle Krateros about it, to ask for his opinion on the right way to apologize. To his surprise, Uncle Krateros scolded him for being inconsiderate. He said something that a True Kremnoan Warrior would respect and preserve any cultures in the world; they respect diversity. Even in ancient times, when they claimed victories over smaller tribes, they would learn from and preserve their culture. 

So yeah, Mydei did cross the line. 

He said that Mydei should fix it. By respecting the very thing he called lame. 

Mydei spent the rest of his night creating a brass bracelet, made of premade brass emblems he found in the souvenir shop. He picked out the base bracelet and a few motifs that he thought suited Snowy best. 

Mydei didn’t sleep a wink, so he could come to Snowy’s house tomorrow morning and apologize before he goes back home in the evening. 

When Mydei walked in the direction of Snowy's house, however, he stumbled upon the boy, who was still looking dejected, like a kicked puppy. He paused when he saw Mydei; his mouth gaped, and his lips made a small O when Mydei approached him. 

“Hello,” Mydei said. 

“Mm,” Snowy only replied with a hum. 

“I’m leaving in a few hours,” Mydei said.

“I know,” Snowy said. His voice was weak and quiet. “That’s why I’m going to you. To say goodbye.”

Right. 

“I want to apologize,” Mydei said flatly. He could feel embarrassment spread in his chest again, but he swallowed it down. True Kremnoan acknowledged mistakes and fixed them, even if the image of the strawberry-blonde-haired girl with red lipstick still angered him. “I didn’t mean to mock your culture.”

Snowy only scoffed. “Whatever.”

Wow. Sulky. Mydei almost wanted to laugh, but he knew that if he did, he would make things worse. 

“I understand what you meant,” Mydei said. “About accessories showing care and patience.”

He then opened his hand, showing a brass bracelet that he had spent all night making.

“It’s ugly,” he said. “Because I only spent one night putting together pre-made brass to make this. I understand the meaning and the hardship. I’m sorry if I've mocked your culture. It’s…” 

Mydei’s apologies trailed off as he watched Snowy’s dejected face shift into surprise. His brows were raised, his face brightened, and his entire body expanded, like a wilted flower coming back to life with Oronyx’s blessing. 

“You’ve spent all night making this for me?” Snowy asked. His voice sounded so excited that Mydei felt a different kind of embarrassment spreading in his chest. 

A more pleasant one.

“It’s… It’s mostly pre-made elements. I just put them all together,” Mydei stammered. He suddenly felt very self-conscious. “It’s…”

“It’s beautiful!” Snowy said, walking closer to him in pure joy as if he had forgotten that he was upset just five seconds ago. “The sun! The snow! What does it mean? Why do you choose those for me?” 

Mydei paused. “Because it’s like you,” he said. “The sun is your eyes. And the snow is your hair. And the infinity knot… it’s…” 

Mydei didn’t know why he chose them. It just looks beautiful. It just looked fitting. It just looked like… Like…

Like forever.

Mydei pressed his lips. The warmth in his chest spread to his cheek now. He pushed the bracelet to Snowy’s chest. “Here, just take it,” he said. “I’m sorry.” 

Snowy grabbed the bracelet as if it were the most precious thing in the world. He clasped it in his right arm, grinning widely as he watched it against his skin. 

“Thank you, Mydeimos,” he said. “I made one for you, too. I don’t care if you think it’s lame or useless. I spent many nights working on it. You can just throw it away, or I don’t know, whatever you want to do with it, I don’t care,” he said, showing a brass bracelet with a single blue gem right in the middle, bright and vivid and beautiful like the sky of Aedes Elysiae. 

Mydei accepted the bracelet. It was a tad too big. He had to push it all the way to his upper arm so it would snug perfectly on his skin.

“I wish the new dawn to bring you joy and glory, Mydeimos of Castrum Kremnos,” Snowy said solemnly. But then, he cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes again. “But I’m still mad at you.” 

“You’re so sensitive!” Mydei huffed, but with a grin on his face. 

“Whatever! You’re so heartless! Heartless!” Snowy said. “This is why kids don’t read cruel stories! They will become heartless like you!” 

“And kids must read more real stories so they don’t get offended by slightly strong opinions!”

“That’s not slightly! That’s very rude!” 

“Softie!” 

“Heartless!” 

They glared at each other, with a matching grin on their faces. Mydei snickered, and Snowy laughed. 

“Next year, same date?” 

“It’s a date, Mydeimos.”

 

-

 

It’s a date.

By the time Mydei turned fourteen, he had thought too much about that last thing Snowy said to him, and how much, much different those words felt now, as he held the brass bracelet Snowy made for him. 

I’ve spent many nights making this for you.

The bracelet was intended to reflect the care, patience, and thought the maker put into creating it for you. It was a symbol of a strong feeling—a dedication. 

I’ve spent many nights making this for you.

The bracelet was different from the models Mydei saw in Aedes Elysiae. It was shaped in a smooth, rounded shape, with engraved motifs that looked definitely like Kremnoan craftsmanship, not Aedes Elysiae. 

I’ve spent many nights making this for you.

There was an engraving on the inner side of the bracelet. A carving in Kremnoan old letters that read, “Phainon Salutes Mydeimos.”

Phainon.

Phainon of Aedes Elysiae must have spent quite a lot of time looking for a reference for the engraving, to learn how to carve the Kremnoan letters into the brass, and the gem in the middle of it… Now Mydei thought about it, the blue color looked like Phainon’s eyes. 

Mydei thought a lot of Phainon since he was back from Aedes Elysiae. He wore the bracelet as an armlet everywhere. He hissed at Hephaestion when he asked to try it on, and in return, Hephaestion teased him by saying that Mydei wore it so religiously, just like his mom treated her wedding ring.

Mydei chased Hephaestion away after that and challenged him to a combat to teach him a lesson. But he didn’t say a word to deny it. 

He didn’t care how Hephaestion or anyone saw it. He was happy to be able to carry a piece of Phainon with him the entire year. 

Phainon.

It was silly, though. Since he was back from Aedes Elysiae, Phainon couldn’t seem to leave Mydei alone. He appeared in his daydreams; his grin, his laugh, his furrowed brows, as he taught kids how to craft accessories, his sweaty face as he carried the sacks of wheat grains to the mill, the devious smirk he wore when he knew he could counter Mydei’s arguments, the smirk he wore when he had won their silly competitions…

And come nighttime, Phainon appeared in his dreams, in the ways Mydei had never experienced before; Phainon holding his hands, Phainon braiding his hair, Phainon leaning into him under the tree by the pier where they usually spent the sunset, with the millions of sparkles from the sun reflected from the sea surface dancing softly on Phainon’s face as he captured Mydei’s lips…

Kissing him.

The first time that dream came to him, Mydei had woken up with evidence of his desire staining the sheets, and he realized that oh…

Oh.

His first dream in adulthood was of Phainon. 

Mydei pulled the sheets and washed them himself, too embarrassed to let anyone see. But after that day, the dreams never ceased. 

He kept dreaming about Phainon. Not always in that way, but in the softer ways where he held Mydei’s hand, they wrestled on the yard near the wheatfield, they leaned to each other, watching the starry sky…

Mydei often spent the day staring at his brass bracelet, reading the letters over and over again. He thought he liked how his name was written along with Phainon.

He thought he liked Phainon. 

I’ve spent many nights making this for you.

Maybe Phainon liked him, too. 

But then the image of a strawberry-blonde-haired girl came to his mind, and Mydei thought that he would fight her in an honorable fight, too, if that were what it took to be with Phainon. He would spend the entire summer molding brass and carving old Elysian letters, if that were what it took to get his heart. He would spend the whole summer in Aedes Elysiae if that were what it took to be with him. 

Mydeimos of Castrum Kremnos didn’t have a crush. 

He fell hard for Phainon of Aedes Elysiae.

And he wouldn’t even deny it. 

He spent the rest of the year looking forward to summer break, where his parents, without even a question, had arranged to add another wing for the library, a booking for the usual inn Mydei stayed the night, and asked Uncle Krateros to drive him back to Aedes Elysiae. Uncle Krateros only nodded knowingly. But Mydei ignored his teasing smirk. 

Mydei was far too excited at the prospect of seeing Phainon again. 

After all, he had imagined it all year — the moment Phainon spotted him, the grin, the rush, the way they’d pick up where they left off.

But as he arrived at Aedes Elysiae, he was surprised that it wasn’t just Phainon who welcomed him. 

Alongside him was a grey-haired guy who was shorter and less muscular than Mydei. His name was Caelus. He was Phainon’s elementary school friend, who moved out of the country when he entered middle school. He would stay here the whole summer for a vacation, and to visit his best Partner.

Partner.

Phainon called him Partner. 

And he was everywhere.

He joined them in the library, even though he didn’t seem to like to read that much. He followed them to the wheat fields, joining in their competitions. He sat with them by the beach to watch the sunset reflected into a million sparks of liquid diamond in the gentle lapping of the waves. 

And he slept in Phainon's room. 

Phainon seemed to hold Caelus in high regard, too. He stared at him like he hung the moon. He laughed at Caelus’ silly antics, joined him in the silly conquests, the ones Mydei didn’t even think about. He made a scarecrow out of Caelus’ ripped clothes, so you’ll always be here whenever you leave.

And it burned Mydei’s chest.

Because Phainon never did that to him before. He never kept any parts of Mydei as a keepsake in the village. Well, he still wore the brass cuff Mydei gifted him a year before, but it wasn’t the same! It was part of a cultural tradition, as was the scarecrow. It’s… It’s Phainon’s idea. His genuine wish to keep Caelus here. 

Mydei was so, so jealous. 

The dreams he had of Phainon, the image of them spending a more meaningful summer together, all evaporated in the presence of Caelus. And it made him even more stern. He took Phainon’s challenges more seriously; his focus was laser sharp to impress the older man. Kremnoans pursue love by putting up a fight, giving their absolute best to rise to the challenge. 

But even with Caelus being smaller than him, he was proven to be a formidable opponent. 

He was just as sharp and as dexterous. What he lacked in the strength department, he made it up in agility. The scoreboard of the challenges has three names instead of two. And Mydei hated it. 

He didn’t want to share Phainon, especially when he was beginning to understand his feelings.

“You’re so intense these days, ‘Dei,” Phainon said with a huff, after they finished the challenge to move the wheatgrain sacks from the mill to Phainon's father’s car. His skin glistened with sweat. It sparkled the golden sun tattoo he had on his neck.

He looked beautiful. 

“I mean, I couldn’t even keep up,” Caelus chimed in, leaning against Phainon’s back and tilting his head so high to the sun that he wished to evaporate. Mydei secretly hoped he would do just that. Evaporate. “Oh, Snowy, I thought you found this guy in the library! Why is he so strong?” 

“Brain must be balanced with brawn in Kremnos,” Mydei said flatly, condescendingly glaring at Caelus. “They didn’t teach that in Luofu?”

“No, the Luofu was filled with swordsmen and monks. They don’t lift shit, definitely not this much,” Caelus said, looking like he’s running out of breath. Mydei would happily count them to zero. “Holiest Akivili I think I’m gonna combust. Oh!” Caelus suddenly perked up, peeling away from Phainon so quickly.

Yeah, that’s just about right. Get off from Phainon!

“You know what sounds fun right now?” Caelus said, his eyes glinting with excitement.

“Oh!” Phainon perked up, too. “Swimming!” 

The way they said it in unison didn’t do well with Mydei’s jealousy. He pressed his lips thin, glaring at the giggling pair as they stared at him.

“You’re joining too, right, Mydei?” Phainon asked.

“Of course,” Mydei crossed his arms in front of his chest, completely putting aside his fear of swimming in the open ocean, or the fact that he wasn’t a very good swimmer. 

“We could catch fish, too,” Phainon said. “We can have a competition about who can catch the most fish.”

“You’re on!” Mydei said, and Phainon stared at him with a full-toothed smile, pure glee in his face, and Mydei’s heart squeezed.

But as they approached the small pier where they usually spent their evenings, Mydei grew more confused. When Caelus finally set the bucket by the dock, took off his sandals, and stretched, Mydei tilted his head. 

“Wait, shouldn’t we get the rod first?” he asked.

Phainon and Caelus furrowed their brows, looking confused. “Rod?” 

“Yeah, and also the stool, and the bait.”

“Bait?” 

Mydei pressed his lips, furrowing his brows at the pair before him, feeling misplaced and excluded. “You said we’re going fishing, right?” 

“I said we’re going to catch fish!” Phainon said. “As in… catching them. With hands!’ 

“Hands?” This time, it was Mydei’s turn to be confused.

“Uh huh.”

Mydei opened his mouth to ask, but then Phainon started to take off his shirt, and soon enough, his biceps and his toned body, no doubt gained from his hours helping out in the field, came to full display. Mydei quickly turned away, staring at the pattern on the wood under his feet. He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks, like…

“Cannonbaaaaalll!”

Caelus had jumped into the water with the grace of an overly excited raccoon high on drugs, while Phainon giggled. He stared at Mydei, his gaze softened as the sun cast its light on his sweaty face. 

“What? Chickening out?” Mydei could feel a tease in Phainon’s voice. “They don’t know how to catch fish in Castrum Kremnos, city boy?”

Mydei twisted his lips in annoyance. “Even if they don’t teach me, I’m sure I can learn it now and do it just as well as you do!” he huffed, taking off his shirt too.

It was Phainon’s turn to turn away when Mydei was bare-chested entirely. But Mydei paid him no mind. He jumped into the water, to Caelus’ excited shout and a huge splash that was Phainon.

But apparently, Mydei overestimated himself this time. 

Swimming in the ocean proved to be more difficult than swimming in the pool, with the waves and the unsteady seafloor beneath his feet. Mydei couldn’t even steady his body in the water, let alone trying to catch any fish. Phainon and Caelus were swimming around him like mermen, catching fish like picking apples from a tree.

Mydei frowned, disliking the fact that he completely got his ass handed to him in this silly competition they'd made. But Mydei was a man with tremendous pride. He determined that even if he couldn’t win, he would at least save himself some dignity by catching just a single fish. 

He wouldn’t make a complete fool of himself in front of Phainon.

Not especially when he was looking forward to this summer. 

But as he tried to see one, an unexpected high wave crashed into him, pushing him back and knocking air from his lungs. He lost his footing and his orientation, and the next thing he knew, he was swallowed by the seawater, not knowing where the surface or the seafloor was anymore.

He drowned.

Mydei scrambled about, kicking water with his feet, trying to swim to the surface. But another strong wave crashed into him, knocking more air out of him as he frantically tried to let go of the undercurrent…

Mydei could feel the air thinning out from his lungs. He felt pain in his chest, water started to fill his nostrils, and panic clawed at his chest as the seconds went by. Mydei could feel his head spinning, his limbs still trying to kick in random directions in a desperate move to reach a footing, a surface, anything…

His lungs nearly exploded. Mydei had to open his mouth to get some air. But there was only water around him. But it hurts. He needed to breathe. He—

His body was suddenly pulled to the opposite direction from what Mydei believed was the surface. He tried to resist, but before he could do anything, Mydei could feel a cool breeze on his skin, and he automatically gasped for air. He was choked by the water, blocking his nostrils, filling his throat. Mydei coughed violently, the sharp pain from seawater burning the insides of his nose was filling his senses. 

“Mydei, Mydei!” Phainon’s voice was heard, amidst his frantic coughing, the loud ring in his ears, and the sound of water. “Mydei, I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! Oh, holy Oronyx, Mom! Mom!” 

“Snowy, we should get water out of his lungs!” 

“No, no, get off!”

“We could try—”

“MOVE, CAE!” 

Mydei didn’t know what happened. But he was shaking violently, and he was moving fast, despite his feet being off the ground. Mydei was still coughing up saltwater when a roof shielded him from the golden sun, and he lay on something soft. A sofa? A bed? He didn’t know. His senses were filled with pain and seawater and the absolute need for oxygen.

“Mom!” The voice was so loud, so desperate that even in the middle of his pain, Mydei couldn’t help but pick it up. “Mom, help me! Mydeimos drowned! Mom! Dad! Cyrene! Help!”

Mydei heard more voices. A man asking something, a woman replying. And Snowy’s voice— Phainon— was heard. High, panicked, breaking. Mydei could hear a sob between the ringing in his ears. He couldn’t see. His eyes were full of salt and tears.

Then, there was pressure on his chest. 

Once. Twice.

He convulsed and vomited seawater, choking on the taste.

Once. Twice.

More seawater spilled out of him. His chest loosened; it felt lighter, but it didn’t ease the sharp jab of pain all over his lungs.

Once. Twice.

His body retched even when no more water came up, just empty air. His ribs screamed. His lungs burned. He squeezed his eyes shut. Light hurts. Breathing hurts. Swallowing hurts. Everything hurts.

“... stupid. I’m so stupid,” he could hear a voice sobbing next to him. “I thought he just dived. He didn’t come up for air. I’m so stupid. I’m so stupid.”

The voice wailed now, calling Mydei’s name multiple times in a display of total sorrow. There was a gentle, soothing hush around him. But he was still sobbing.

“... not your fault, Phainon.”

Phainon.

Snowy.

Phainon.

The boy who had filled his imagination and his dreams. The boy he thought about all year. The boy whose approval he'd been seeking since he was eleven. 

Phainon.

Mydei cracked his eyes open. His eyes were still blurry, but when he blinked the seawater and his tears away, he could see Phainon’s face; all red from tears and the sun. A line of snot ran from his nose, his lips twisted, half bitten in an apparent attempt to muffle his sobs. He was the one who wailed.

He looked so ugly, crying his eyes out like that.

And yet, Mydei’s heart ached with want.

Mydei didn’t even know what he was doing. He was delirious, he was crazy, he was brushing with death, and he was not in his best senses. Perhaps he was dreaming. Maybe he was dying, and heaven looked like a snotty Phainon ugly crying. Mydei could feel his lips tugged into a weak smile. 

He raised his arms, pulled Phainon closer, and kissed him. 

He didn’t know where the salty taste came from: the seawater, his tears, or Phainon’s. He still didn’t know where he was. He used the remaining of his strength to land another peck to Phainon’s chin. 

Then, he allowed darkness to consume him.

Mydei remembered everything when he came to, even before he cracked his eyes open.

He remembered being brought to a house. He remembered Phainon calling for his mom, dad, and sister. He remembered getting first aid to get the seawater out of his chest.

He remembered kissing Phainon in his delirious state, with his whole family in the room.

He was so fucking embarrassed, Mydei wished he could just die from drowning. 

He didn’t open his eyes. He listened to the voices around him. It was quiet, too quiet, with the chimes of the bell that sounded too much like the inn he usually stayed in. He smelled ammonia mixed with an artificial smell of jasmine. He smelled the wheatfields from the breeze. 

He was probably in a clinic. 

Then, he heard his father’s panicked voice, with Kremnoan curses that weren’t supposed to be spat out in such a public area. He heard his mother crying, and when he opened his eyes, his mother gasped. 

“Mydeimos! Are you okay?” she rushed towards Mydei, crying uncontrollably. “Oh my baby, my sweet, sweet, little baby.”

“Mother,” Mydei managed to croak. He grabbed his mother’s hair, still stiff from hairspray from the show she probably dropped. Mydei felt guilty. His father still wore his business attire. Mydei felt guilty. He thought about ugly crying Phainon, the boy who was perhaps in love with the strawberry-blonde-haired girl with red lipstick, got kissed by a middle school boy in front of his whole family. 

He could feel tears brimming in his eyes. 

The guilt. The shock. The shame. 

He wanted to go home. 

“Mother,” he croaked. “Home…”

“Let’s go home, baby,” his mother whispered in between her sobs. “I’ll carry you home.”

 

-

 

By the time Mydeimos turned fifteen, he stopped asking for another trip to Aedes Elysiae. 

He missed Phainon so much. He wanted to talk to him. To apologize. But he didn’t feel like he still had the right to be around him. Phainon was probably disgusted by him—Phainon and his family, and probably the whole Aedes Elysiae. 

It was a small village that still upheld traditional customs and ceremony. Word about that incident must have circulated fast, and if Mydei set foot in that village again, he might be stabbed by a stake.

Mydei had spent the better part of the year crying, regretting his stupidity. He didn’t just lose Phainon. He even lost the brass bracelet Phainon gifted him. 

The weight in his chest was so unbearably heavy that he had to talk to someone. 

Anyone. 

And so, he talked to Castorice.

“... and that might be my punishment,” he ended his story quietly. “That might be the universe telling me to get over him.” 

Castorice hummed. “I don’t know,” she said quietly. “I think that might be the universe telling you to go back and reclaim it.”

Mydei didn’t believe her. Castorice was a hopeless romantic. She believed in miracles and happy endings.

Mydei didn’t. 

And he wouldn’t press his luck. He had already embarrassed himself enough.

So that year, he asked for a new guitar and a trip to a metal festival in Jarilo instead.

He's grown much stronger now. Strong enough to carry even a Gibson.

And he thought that Serval Landau was kind of cool.

Not his favorite rockstar yet, but almost. 

 

-

 

By the time Mydeimos turned sixteen, his band went viral. 

The same band that had won the National Art Competition in middle school. The same bandmates who had gone with him to Jarilo for the metal festival. The same people with whom he wrote songs during long flights and in cramped hotel rooms. They were signed to a huge label. Their songs were played on the radio all around Amphoreus. They were the opening act for Serval Landau for her world tour.

Mydei still had dreams about golden wheat fields and a reading area that resembled a tatami room. He still had visions about brass bracelets and a gem the color of the summer sky. He still had nightmares about the beautiful, sparkling sea surface that looked like a field of diamonds; its lazy waves promised a painful death. 

In his quietest moments, Mydei still fantasized about a boy with hair in the color of the snow of late winter, with the warmest grin and the gentlest of hearts. 

 

-

 

When Mydei turned nineteen, he had everything boys his age ever dreamed of. 

A successful rock and roll career, two Penacony Music Awards trophies, headlining a world tour, a limited-edition sports car with his name written in golden ink, and an equally successful boyfriend, one of the most prominent actors who had just won Grady Awards for his movies. 

Mydei had gotten over the shameful, painful heartbreak of his first love. 

“And yet, you’re dating a man with silver snow hair color and looks somewhat like your childhood crush,” Castorice had pointed out one time, when they caught up on a random Saturday where they both were somehow free. She munched the Chimera-shaped jelly candy, flipping over the tabloid that had Jing Yuan's photo as the cover. Mydei had bought that in support of his boyfriend. 

“That’s a very rude thing to say, Castorice,” Mydei said. “You’ve never seen him.”

“A slightly older man with silver snow hair, broad shoulders, who hailed from a small village?” Castorice deadpanned. “I’ve heard enough to match the picture.”

Mydei ignored her. 

 

-

 

Twenty-year-old Mydeimos was starting to stop dreaming about Aedes Elysiae. 

The golden wheat field in his vision blurred at the edges; the image he once thought was vivid and bright was now fading into sepia. He only vaguely remembered the library and the mills where he used to spend his summer running around, forgetting how the weight of carrying sacks of wheat grains felt. 

Voices, images, and smells of Aedes Elysiae… 

It didn’t matter how hard Mydei tried to hold on; they were still slipping through his memories.

In his desperate attempts to preserve what’s left of his first love, Mydei wrote a whole album about it. A memento of his first love, a tombstone of a drifting presence, a last tribute before the hands of time dragged him further away from the summers full of golden hues and sky-colored eyes that still haunted him in his waking hours.

One last attempt to prove it had been real.

Mydei didn’t hold back. He whispered every sorrow into words, screamed every yearning into slow, haunting echoes of pianos, synths, and drums. He painted the ambiance of shame, guilt, burnt bridges, and the suffocating years of loneliness that matched the salty seawaters into ten tracks of the album, mixing it up with a haunting nostalgia of a sun-bright grin of a boy he adored, bright days with windchimes, and nights full of cicadas. The warm spirit that breathed life into him.

He poured everything.

The album brought him a platinum record…

And the first taste of scandal. 

It was so successful that fans and critics had dissected it to every last note. 

“Sweet Summer Child” was a fresh approach to a ballad album that a rockstar could make. ‘Midnight Sun’ sounded like a track to mourn over a belated love confession everyone’s lived through at least once, Rolling Stones critics had called it. 

A rocking breakthrough that felt nostalgic and reminded everyone of the bittersweet taste of first love, Alt Press had dubbed it. 

But then, they started to dissect the lyrics, and Mydei didn’t even know what or how it had started, but people started calling him out for cheating on his boyfriend… with a spectre of his past.

He sounds so in love. It’s very rude to release this song when he’s taken. 

Have you seen the lyrics? This is a man publicly stating that he’s not moving on without any respect for his current partner. 

The Brass Heart track is a public humiliation to Jing Yuan. Brass bracelets are often stated as a cultural symbol of love declaration in the Northern Hemisphere. There’s no way someone as intelligent as Mydeimos doesn't know that!! 

#YuanDeservesBetter #SaveYuan #Ditchdeimos

That was not true. 

They had broken up on good terms. Kind of. They had realized they admired each other, but they weren't suited to be in a relationship together. It happened quietly, long before the release of Sweet Summer Child. Jing Yuan even refused to comment on anything about Sweet Summer Child. He had a new boyfriend and asked people not to mention Mydeimos to him ever again. 

But perhaps it was that refusal, combined with the old clip that resurfaced, where Jing Yuan made a vague mention of competing with the ghost of Mydeimos’ past, that accidentally started the rumor. It was a statement Jing Yuan made jokingly during their interview when they first announced their relationship publicly. It wasn’t supposed to be harmful.

And yet, it spread like a wildfire.

Multiple tabloids' headlines painted him as the bad guy, as the asshole rockstar who just does whatever he wants, ditching everyone who had cared about him. They brought up his band’s early years, choosing to become an opening act for Serval Landau instead of Queen Gorgo, his own mother, and words and rumors overlapped on top of each other, and nothing was true.

Some girls and guys showed up on podcasts and Twitter threads that Mydeimos slept with them or harassed them, even when he was still officially dating Jing Yuan. 

There were roadies and backstage crew who called him out for being an asshole-drunk, trashing everyone who tried to help him.

None of them was true. 

But at that point, no one cared about the truth anymore. 

Everyone was already eager to cancel him.

His label had postponed the tour for Sweet Summer Child. They told him to go take a break. Go on vacation somewhere until the rumors subsided. The PR team announced that Mydei needed to take a break for his mental health before continuing the tour. 

It was also not true. 

Mydei was fine. 

Rumors never fazed him.

But no one cared about the truth. 

Uncle Krateros booked him a flight home to calm himself down. He bought him a hat, a shade, and a face mask to cover up. 

“Don’t let anyone know it’s you,” he said as he pushed the airport trolley to the Gate. “The first class is empty. We already demanded that people respect your privacy and leave you alone. Calm down. Don’t make a scene.”

It was eleven at night. Only a handful of people were at the airport. There weren't enough people to witness Mydei making a scene.

Besides, why would he do that? He’s completely stable. He’s mentally fine. His mental breakdown was just a PR cover story.

But perhaps the lie was so smooth and convincing that even the person closest to him began to believe it. 

And as he sat in the spacious, overly lavish First Class seat with a claustrophobia-inducing partition, Mydei gazed at his own dull reflection on the matte surface of his overly large TV screen. 

He looked messy.

Maybe the PR team was right. Maybe he was losing his mind. 

What did he even think, releasing such a raw and honest album?

He took a deep breath, draping the thin plane blanket over himself, fastening his seatbelt, popped up some pills the PR team gave him, and as the pilot’s name echoed through the intercom—‘Captain Phainon’—Mydei smiled bitterly and closed his eyes.

Yeah. He was losing his mind.

The flight to Castrum Kremnos was anything but smooth.

Violent turbulence jolted him awake again and again, each jolt splitting his head open. Time seemed to move ever slowly. Mydei gave up on sleep and decided to request a glass of champagne to calm his nerves.

And another.

And another. 

And another. The flight attendant looked worried, but she knew better than to refuse service for a first-class passenger.

Mydei started to feel airheaded. 

Yeah, mixing pills with alcohol was definitely not a good idea.

He didn’t know how some people could live with this aching spin in their head. 

When the first ray of the dawn peeked from the sea of clouds outside of his window, a flight attendant knocked on the door of his compartment, very politely and gently asked for his attention. Mydei opened the door, and with a bright smile, she placed a tray with a white box featuring the airline's logo on Mydei’s table.

“Good morning, Sir. Have you decided anything for breakfast?” 

Mydei only grunted. “Anything warm and easy to make is fine.”

She nodded politely. Then, she lowered to her knees, placing the tray she carried on Mydei’s table. “A gift from the Captain, Sir,” she said quietly, in an overly polite tone.

Mydei only hummed, nodding a lazy thanks before she got back up on her feet, closing the door of the compartment. 

It was not unusual for the airlines to gift First Class passengers with souvenirs and gimmicks upon landing, and calling it a gift from the Captain. It was just their usual way to stroke the passenger’s ego. The Captain of the flight probably gave no shits about who boarded their aircraft. 

But he had nothing more interesting to do for the rest of the flight, anyway, so he opened the overly neat small box that had the logo of the flight embossed on it, completely expecting some generic merchandise embedded with the airline logo…

Only to see the brass bracelet with a blue gem. 

Mydei swore his heart stopped for a moment. 

There was a piece of paper tucked alongside the bracelet. A neat handwriting that read,

I believe it’s yours, oh sweet summer child.

Mydei was jolted entirely awake from his hazy state. He pressed his finger on every corner, every carving… even the inner engraving was still there.

Phainon Salutes Mydeimos. 

He ran the tip of his fingers on it once again. The brass is cold against his skin, but it's rapidly warming.

No. 

That can't be. 

He was losing his mind. 

Mydei quickly got up, walking down the narrow hall until he met one of the flight attendants. She smiled politely, but Mydei interrupted her before she even said anything. 

“The captain of this flight,” he demanded. His words were slurry, and he talked too fast, and he most definitely sounded insane. “What’s his name?” 

“Oh, um… Captain Khaslana?” she asked, looking puzzled. “Captain Phainon Khaslana?”

Phainon.

Phainon Khaslana.

He was a pilot now? He wasn’t a farmer of golden wheat fields? 

What happened?

Mydei swallowed. His mouth felt dry. He wanted to cry. The feelings he carefully kept in the deepest corner of his heart blew up in his face. He bit his lips. He was sure that he was losing his mind. 

“... meet him?” he asked, choking on his own words. “Can I meet him?” 

“Sure,” the flight attendant said. “But not right away. The airlines forbid passengers to go over to the cockpit during the flight, but I can arrange…”

—yada yada Mydei tuned her out, but he got the memo. He could meet the captain upon landing. 

So he went back to his seat. 

Mydei was completely losing his mind. 

This was the longest flight of his life. 

When the plane landed and finally parked at the gate, he finally ran down to the cockpit, gripping the brass bracelet in his hand like his life depended on it.

And with each step, a question emerged in his scrambled mind. 

How did Phainon even know he was on this flight? What if he didn’t want to see him again? What if he still hates him?

But he moved forward, regardless. 

He had mourned for years, poured the remnants of his feelings into a full album. 

Besides, he had already lost Phainon once. What more could the universe possibly do?

He halted his steps in front of the half-opened cockpit door, and his breath along with it. His heartbeat slowed in the face of broad shoulders. 

He might be mistaken. The golden tattoo on his neck was probably a coincidence. His hair was a shade lighter than dirty snow at winter’s end. He was not as tall as Mydei remembered. He—

He turned around and smiled. 

And Mydei thought that he had been teleported back to the first summer he visited Aedes Elysiae. To the kids’ reading room of a too-quiet library, with only the two of them as the only occupants. 

The sky-blue pair of eyes softened in his presence, watered down by a fresh wave of tears that reminded Mydei of the last day he ever saw Phainon. 

“Hello again, Mydeimos.”

 

-

 

The morning Mydei turned twenty-one, he found himself face-to-face again with an angry-looking Phainon of Aedes Elysiae. 

Only this time, they were in the quiet corner of Castrum Kremnos airport, in front of the windows that showed runways instead of wheat fields. Phainon was older, but the furrow of his brows still painted the image of a know-it-all kid who thought that storybooks were far more appropriate for eleven-year-olds. 

“I can’t believe you thought you could just kiss me and run away!” he crossed his arms on his chest. His eyes were still red from the tears he suppressed. “After I spent two full weeks carving your bracelet! After I took you to the Elysian Festival! I literally call our meetings a date twice! I couldn’t be more obvious!” 

“Maybe try being more direct about it, you doofus!” Mydei scoffed. “I was younger than you! And I didn’t know anything about your customs!”

“I learned the Kremnoan language! You spent how many summers in Aedes Elysiae and didn’t pick up anything at all?” Phainon shook his head. “Skill issue.” 

Mydei winced. Okay, he deserved it. “Well, maybe I would pay attention if you’re not too busy flirting here and there?” 

Phainon gaped now. “Flirting?” 

“That girl with red lipstick,” Mydei pressed his lips. He felt so silly, but this is Phainon. Everything about him was silly. “And… Caelus.”

Phainon’s jaws dropped even lower. “Dude! Egla is my cousin!” he said. “And Caelus is my best friend! He had a boyfriend! Even if he didn't, I would not be caught dead dating him. Ew. He’s like a brother to me!” 

Mydei’s jaws dropped. He blinked once, twice, and…

“Were you… Were you jealous?” Phainon asked, softer now. “Mydei… did you break my heart because of Egla and Caelus?”

Mydei turned away. “I didn’t know I was jealous,” he said. “I saw you with Egla and Caelus, and I thought, you’ve never acted like that around me. She gave you a bracelet, too. And you and Caelus looked inseparable. I didn’t know. I didn’t want to ask. I…”

He didn’t know what else to say. He was too much of a coward. Too prideful. Even now.

But he was honest one time, when he was writing a song. And if he could be honest to the music he wrote, he could be frank to Phainon, too, now.  

“... I’m only a boy you met in the summer. I didn’t think you’d like me enough to stay forever,” he said, whispering the lyrics of Brass Heart.

“Dude! I cried the first two years you didn’t come back to Aedes Elysiae. I thought you hated me. And I really want to visit you in Kremnos to apologize, but you’ve become famous, and then you started dating someone even more famous! And I thought I’d lost you, Mydeimos. If only I hadn’t heard your songs in the new album, I would have thought that you’d already forgotten about me. I thought…” Phainon pressed his lips; a fresh wave of tears began to dawn on either side of his eyes. 

“I thought I'd lost you forever that last summer.”

He added, quietly. Painfully.

He pressed his eyes shut, like bracing himself from the heartbreak he still experienced.

And Mydei was old enough, close enough, sober enough, and knew enough to reach for Phainon now.

He placed his hand on Phainon’s cheek. He was still ugly crying. Mydei was still a little hazy from the lack of sleep, the champagne, the pils, and the sheer whiplash of having his childhood dream sitting right next to him.

He leaned in, quietly asking for permission. Phainon met him halfway, lips trembling, wet with tears, a little swollen from biting back sobs.

The kiss was still kind of awkward and delirious.

But it felt right, this time.

And when Phainon reached to hold his hand, Mydei’s fingers brushed against something on Phainon’s wrist. The brass bracelet he made all night with just super glue. A brass loop, shaped like infinity.

Only then did he understand what it meant.

It felt like the dawn of forever.

Notes:

This work is also heavily inspired by Rosedale's "Eldorado Park" and Cassadee Pope's "Eleven".

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it!
And especially for anon, I hope this meets your expectations! :D