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When Felix had stepped outside for fresh air that morning, seeking the peace of birdsong and the gentle breeze shaking the branches of the great trees in the woods, he could tell it would be a sunny, warm day. The perfect day for gathering ingredients instead of buying them. Sure, some ingredients for some more mainstream ingredients could be bought from the village not far from his and his brother’s cottage, but others, some of his own specialities, had to be specially collected.
Stomping upstairs, he throws open the creaky door to Jisung’s room, letting it slam against the wall as he bursts in, clearing his throat as he watches the duvet slide off of Jisung's limp body on the bed, rubbing his eyes and groaning. He shouts at Jisung’s still half asleep brain in a sudden rush of adrenaline. “Hey, Jisung. I’m going out to collect ingredients!” He yells, receiving nothing but a groan and a wave of a hand in response.
Nobody else lives here- So Felix has no reason to get ready, truly. He runs a quick comb through his platinum golden hair and pulls on his lace up brown boots and his wicker basket from the kitchen before stepping out into the warm summers day, a gentle breeze running through his hair as he stares up at the blue sky, barely a cloud in sight, a small smile twisting his face as he holds up his hand to shield his eyes from the glaringly bright sun.
By the time Jisung finally gets out of bed Felix is long gone. He’d left a note on the countertop, scribbled in the bad handwriting that Jisung always teased his brother for, even when they were kids. Jisung can just about make out the words, “Collecting ingredients. Will get Cryofolia and Cinderbloom. Jisung taps his chin in thought and tips his chair back to peer through the pantry door, craning his neck and squinting to try and make out the jar labelled “Cryofolia”. And he’s not wrong. The jar is empty, despite it being an ingredient that both of the brothers aim to keep at all times; It’s a vital ingredient in one of their best healing formulas, that their uncle had taught Felix when they were kids.
And, he wasn’t wrong about the Cinderbloom either. Opening the tin where they keep the flowers, Jisung tips it over his strainer to use just the remnants of the flowers in his tea that morning, with a defeated sigh. The map that Jisung had created months ago and left by the door was gone, as it always is whenever Felix goes out to forage. Being the brother gifted with the ability to see ingredients and magical properties, he’d always stuck around Felix… who had the ability to use it. The agreement had lasted years; Jisung would locate the ingredients, spot any unnatural injuries or symptoms on customers or patients and locate the safest and most dangerous regions of the country, where magic swam in the wrong hands and rushed through the hearts of demons. And, while this was his job… Felix would harvest ingredients, use them in medicines and heal any patients or customers.
And somehow, Jisung never felt like he was in his brother's shadow. In fact, he enjoyed the peace and quiet when the house was empty except for him, when he could study the various ailments and symptoms documented in the hundreds of books that his aunt had given him when he moved in with Felix. And so, he yanks a random hardcover book from the shelf behind him, leans back in his chair and flicks through the dusty leatherbound book like a magazine, sipping at the now steeped tea, the window open to allow the gentle melody of birdsong to filter through, the wind fanning out the thin blue curtain at the window.
Staring out of the window at the fields leading to the woods, there’s a boy standing on the path just outside the cottage. Jisung frowns and leans forwards, finishing off his tea while examining the boy. Already, Jisung can tell he’s not from the village, even by just looking at the top of his body. Mainly, because he’s holding up a map to the sun, a puzzled expression on his face as he peers at it.
The boy, who upon closer inspection, looks around the same age as Jisung and Felix, sighs in defeat, his shoulder length hair falling over his face. Jisung inches closer slowly, to examine him in full. And if he’d been curious about the boy before, well he sure was curious now. His eyes widen and eyebrows raise simultaneously as he leans down, peering down at the faint red line through the window, attached to the boy's hand. The line, now visible as a thin thread, leads right into the woods. And it couldn’t have been placed by him, because it was floating in midair, seeming to lead on into the woods forever. And it didn’t seem like he had come from the woods, either way.
Suddenly, his eyes dart towards the cottage, or more specifically, towards the window where Jisung was standing, staring in broad daylight. He buckles his knees and drops to the floor, pressing himself against the kitchen cabinet before he can be spotted. The man knocks on the door rhythmically, and Jisung scrambles off the floor and dusts himself off before approaching the door in the hall. He reaches cautiously towards the door handle, hesitating as he ponders his next move. Should he ask him about the thread? Try to subtly find out? Or should he wait and research later? The latter, he thinks.
He opens the door with a bright smile. “Welcome. You interested in buying anything?” He chirps. The man at the door smiles and fiddles awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. “Oh, this is a shop…?” He says shyly. “I thought it was a house.” Jisung nods in response. “It’s both. Let me guess…” He gestures towards his map. “You’re lost?” He tilts his head up, raising his eyebrows, trying not to look at the now obvious thread attached to his hand. The man laughs. “Yes, exactly that. I’m looking for Devotio village. Am I in the right place?”
Jisung nods again. “You are. It’s that way, just past the poppy field.” But he can’t help it. His eyes are naturally drawn to the unusual sign of magic. The man frowns. “Is something wrong?” He lifts his wrist, examining his hand, where Jisung was staring. He doesn’t appear to see it. So Jisung’s suspicions were correct, that this boy has been tainted by magic. He laughs awkwardly, as the man rolls up his sleeve to check his forearm, too. “No, I’m sorry. I was just-” His eyes widen, as they land on the visible wound on the man's arm. Instinctively, he grabs his wrist, as he lurches forward. “Hey-!”
“Seriously, this is deep, how’d you get this!” He glances at the open wound on his arm, then at the thread. Then at him. Jisung sighs. “Come in. I’ll find something to patch you up.” His eyes widen as Jisung walks away. “Uh, are you sure? As long as you don’t-” He follows Jisung inside, who disappears into the pantry, shouting through the door while glass jars clink together. “I don’t mind. I’m Jisung, by the way.” The man shouts through, standing awkwardly in the living room like he’s too scared to sit down. “I’m- I’m Hyunjin.” The sound of a chair being dragged along the floor follows as Hyunjin perches next to the table.
Jisung continues rifling through boxes, searching the shelves, holding a jar of Sun-Spark Elixir in one hand, with a glove on to protect from the heat, and searching box after box for any hidden Cryofolia that he couldn’t see before, mumbling and groaning in annoyance. Hyunjin swallows. “Do you need any-” Jisung cuts him off quickly. “No.”
And as if on cue- The front door opens. Jisung rushes out of the pantry. “Perfect timing, Felix.” He grins at him, who is standing and staring at him in confusion, glancing in between him and Hyunjin. Felix raises his eyebrows. “Yeah?” But Jisung doesn’t continue. He’s frozen in place, staring at the two boys, or more specifically, staring at the thread now stretched across his kitchen, connecting the complete stranger with the wound sat at his table and his twin brother.
Before he can lose himself in thought even more- Felix snaps his fingers in his face. “Hello? Wake up? What is it?” He cocks his head, raising his eyebrows. Jisung laughs awkwardly. “Ah- Yes, Ha-” He clears his throat. “This is…” He gestures to Hyunjin, sitting at the table innocently, unable to take his eyes off the thread that neither of them can see. “This is Hyunjin. He’s lost, heading for the village, with a wound.” Felix nods in understanding. “Got it, got it.” He turns to Hyunjin with a smile. “Thanks for filling me in, Jisung. I’ll take it from here.”
He takes the Sun-spark elixir from Jisung’s hands with gloves on and pulls up a stool next to Hyunjin, fumbling with the wicker basket for the Cryofolia. He holds out his hand expectantly, gesturing towards Hyunjin’s arm, not even flinching as he sees the deep wound on his forearm. Hyunjin stares at Felix while his head is down, examining the wound, he glances left, at the table, where Felix has placed the jar of elixir, swallowing nervously. “Uh… Felix, was it? What- What is that?” He laughs nervously.
Felix doesn’t look up. “My uncle called this Sun-Spark elixir. It’s a weird name, I know, but we were kids. It’s for healing. Specialists will collect extract from sunlight…” Hyunjin’s eyes widen and Felix continues, laying the Cryofolia down on his wound. Hyunjin winces at the sudden piercing cold emanating from the thin leaf, so thin it’s almost translucent. “The intense heat increases activity of white blood cells. It’s combined with…” He smiles. “Raw honey. Kills any bacteria. And all together, makes wounds heal faster. The leaf is so the substance doesn’t burn your skin off.” Hyunjin stares at him in awe. “Still hot, though, so brace yourself.”
Hyunjin grimaces as Felix pours a few drops of the substance over his wound carefully, from the jar that Hyunjin assumes is specifically made to hold high temperature substances. And Felix wasn’t wrong. The freezing sensation on his arm is quickly replaced by one of intense heat. Hyunjin shuts his eyes, trying to hide the sudden pain. But, as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Hyunjin opens his eyes to see Felix screwing the lid of the jar back on, and stepping back. “All done.” He smiles. “Oh, let me-” He steps forward again, carefully peeling back the Cryofolia leaf from Hyunjin’s arm and dumping it in the bin.
Hyunjin’s eyes widened. The wound on his arm has completely sealed and only a subtle scar remains in its place. He stares up at a sheepish looking Felix in front of him in awe, mumbling. “Are you an angel…?” Felix frowns. “Sorry, what was that-?” Hyunjin quickly shakes off the feeling and looks away. “Nothing. Just, uh- Thanks.” Felix beams at him. “Anytime. Just my job.” Hyunjin’s eyes widened. Felix brushes him off quickly. “Don’t worry. For this we ask for small donations. Every ingredient except the sunlight extract is just collected by us.” Hyunjin rifles through his pockets and pulls out some cash, which is quickly collected by Jisung.
Hyunjin frowns. “Wait, if you guys only ask for donations… How do you make a profit?” Felix shouts from the pantry. “You only used a few drops of it on your wound. We make a profit from selling full vials of the stuff. And other medicines that we make. Why, you interested?” He laughs. Hyunjin smiles, leaning back to look at him in awe, rifling in the pantry. “Nah. Just curious.”
Hyunjin is slightly self conscious by how Jisung is examining him like he’d just grown another head. And had been, since Felix first walked in. Yes, he was aware that he’s vulnerable to pretty people like Felix. So could Jisung see the faint dusting of pink on his cheeks, there since he first saw Felix, with his golden blonde hair and freckled skin. He looks away awkwardly, ready to quickly defend himself if Jisung ever questions him.
Jisung walks over, opening his mouth to speak and Hyunjin swears his heart stops for a second. If there’s anyone he doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of, it’s the brother of the boy he nearly turned into a stuttering mess in front of. But Jisung smiles. “So. The village, huh? Are you visiting someone? Any, uh…” He glances down again, at the thread, which upon closer inspection, he can see is attached to Hyunjin’s pinky finger. “...Spellcasters, maybe? The village is riddled with them, but none of them can make medicine. They always come here.” Hyunjin shakes his head in response.
“No, it’s my cousin. She recently got married. I’m going to stay with them for a few days.” Jisung laughs a bit too energetically, leaning on his hands and smirking cheekily. “Well, isn’t that nice.” Suddenly, he raises his voice, and Hyunjin flinches, curling in on himself slightly. “Hey! Felix! Walk Hyunjin to the village, would you?!” Hyunjin quickly sits up straight. “There’s really no need-” Jisung cuts him off with a finger to his lips, shushing him with a smile. “How do you know you won’t just get lost again, hm?”
Hyunjin nods reluctantly, curling up again and looking away. Felix strolls lazily out of the pantry, raising his eyebrows expectantly. “I needed to go out, anyway.” His mouth curves into a warm smile. “Come on, then. Get your stuff.” Hyunjin turns around, glancing at his bags that he had dumped carelessly at their door when Jisung had first led him into the cottage. “R-right.” He’s still a nervous wreck around Felix. Always weak to a pretty face. And in the corner of his eye he can see Jisung smirking as they leave, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Coincidentally, he can feel all of his anxiety leave his body the moment they step out of the cottage. Or, more specifically, the moment they step away from Jisung.
Unbeknownst to them; Jisung has the exact same thought process. The moment the door slams shut with a thud, he scrambles out of the kitchen and up the stairs for the rest of his books. Bursting into his bedroom, he drags the heavy hardback books from the shelf of his room, heaving them back downstairs a grunt, stumbling down the creaky stairs. He slams the books on the table, watching with a small smile as the cloud of dust erupts from the cover.
It had been far too long since he had found what his aunt had labelled when he was a kid “Mysteries of Magic”. And a strange red thread attached to his twin brother and a random stranger who appeared in their house this morning definitely fits the criteria. Of course, it’s possible he’s hallucinating. It’s also possible that Hyunjin and Felix are spiritually tied together in some way. And either way… he should still get reading. Because hallucinations and spiritual ties are equally concerning.
He opens one of the books, blowing away a puff of dust from the inside cover and laughing in glee, before flicking through the pages, searching desperately for any mention of a red string, connecting two people.
Meanwhile, Felix and Hyunjin walk down the hill, along the poppy field leading up to the village. Felix turns, frowning at Hyunjin. “Hey. Any reason you’re coming here?” Hyunjin can’t even look at him as he replies, scared he’ll get too flustered, and stumble over his words. “My cousin got married… I’m staying with them for a bit.” Felix’s eyes widen, and he smiles. “Ah! Congratulations to them.” Hyunjin smiles back, but still refuses to look him in the eye. “I’ll pass that on. I didn’t go to their wedding, so… I’m dropping off their gift today.”
Felix suddenly freezes. Hyunjin turns around, accidentally making eye contact for a split second, and blushing like a maniac, before looking away. Felix folds his arms. “Can I see it? Your present, I mean.” Hyunjin’s eyes widen, his heart rate quickening. A mixture of excitement, gratitude, and awe. “Of course!” He blurts out a little too excitedly, shrugging off his backpack and pulling out a canvas. Felix frowns. “That’s…?” Hyunjin smiles as he admires his own canvas. “I based it on an old photo of them, from when they first met.” He spins the canvas round, revealing an oil painting of a man and a woman, smiling and holding each other. Hyunjin’s cousin, and her husband.
He smiles sheepishly, looking away. “It’s not my best work, but-” Felix guffaws in shock, his eyes widening. “Are you kidding?! It’s so pretty!” He laughs. Hyunjin feels his own cheeks heat up, and suddenly he can’t talk. “Ah- Uh- Yeah- I-” He doesn’t even try anymore, while Felix cuts him off. “Hey, you’re incredible. You do commissions?” He laughs. Hyunjin nearly stops breathing. “Ah, shit… they’re gonna love it, I promise.”
Hyunjin packs away the canvas, back into his bag, refusing to look at Felix. He convinces himself that it’s just his… usual symptoms. Always flustered around anyone pretty. But something’s different this time. He can’t accept that he’s developed a crush on someone he met barely an hour and a half ago… But who can blame him if he had? Not only is he the prettiest person Hyunjin had ever laid his eyes on, he also managed to heal a deep wound in Hyunjin’s arm with nothing more than a simple flick of his wrist and a few droplets of a liquid he’d only ever heard about in books. Brains and Beauty.
“Are you coming?” He’s snapped back to reality in a flash, gazing out, wide eyed at how Felix is standing expectantly in front of him on the path in the middle of the poppy field. Hyunjin nods and quickly catches up with him, jogging over after slinging his backpack carelessly over his shoulder once more.
“You’re a painter, huh?” Felix questions. “I bet you could paint this field pretty nicely. How long are you staying with your cousin?” Hyunjin taps his chin in thought. “Uh, I’d say… about a month?” Felix’s eyes light up. “That’s plenty of time, then!” Then, he hesitates. “It… is, right? Sorry, I don’t know how long it takes to do one painting…” He rubs his neck sheepishly, looking away.
Hyunjin laughs, finally able to turn to him without burning up. “No, it is. You’re right.” He’s staring right at Felix now, who is looking out, away from him, at the seemingly endless fields of poppies, and in the distance, flowers of other colours running up the hills, like tulips. “I could. Could make paint from the petals, probably. But, I… have something prettier than I want to paint first, though.”
Felix suddenly snaps his head up to look at him questioningly, and Hyunjin turns his head away like he’d been burned, suddenly red from embarrassment. “C’mon, really? What could possibly be prettier than this, huh?” And, still looking away, Hyunjin can’t help but smile at his words, mumbling, “You’d be surprised.” They keep walking, and Hyunjin walks a little slower than normal, making a mental image of the sight of Felix walking through the field. A nice contrast between the golden blonde of his hair and the fiery red of the poppies. He’s like sunshine incarnate…
Hyunjin shakes his head to snap away those thoughts. It’s creepy, uncomfortable. He shouldn’t be thinking like that. But part of him is relieved that he’s staying with his cousin for so long. Maybe he’ll purposefully hurt himself just so he can walk to their cottage from the village and see him again. Just as an art reference. No other reason.
Felix shouts a question to him, still ahead of him slightly. “Tell me, Hyunjin. How did you get a wound that deep?” Hyunjin laughs almost sheepishly. “Ha… uh. My, uh… Stitches reopened.” Felix whips his head around in shock. “I got off my train and was walking through the woods to get here- Different woods, not the woods behind your place- And the thread snagged on a branch. Opened the wound right up. I could only put pressure on it and hope there’s a doctor in the village.”
Felix smiles, jabbing his shoulder lightly. “Good thing you ran into us, then.” Hyunjin smiles and nods. “Yeah. It’s a good thing.” Hyunjin is suddenly hit with realisation. If he hadn’t got confused with a map just outside their cottage, Jisung would have never invited him in, and he never would’ve met Felix. He sighs almost wistfully. Maybe it was fate that they met.
They continue walking through the field together. Meanwhile- Jisung punches the air victoriously back at the cottage. With seven bulky books down, he’s found a page titled “Red string of fate”. The drawn diagram in the old fashioned book depicts exactly what Jisung saw attached to his brother.
He lifts the heavy book up with a wince, blowing away any excess dust blocking the writing on the page and squinting to read the cursive, mumbling the words as he reads. “Red string of fate… appears as a thin thread attached to the pinky finger of two people… Ugh, blah blah… Appears to those few with the second sight- Ha, that’s me- Once these two people are within a one mile proximity with each other…” He sighs in annoyance, collapsing down onto the armchair in the living room. He suddenly sits up straight.
“Ah, here we go-! The red string of fate is a line connecting the hands of two soulmates- Hold on.” He bounces out of the chair, and blinks, adjusting his vision. “Soulmates-?! Huh?! Wait-” Jisung drops the book on the floor with a colossal thud and runs his fingers through his hair. That boy… is his brother's soulmate. His brother, who, when discussing it with him, has “No time for love, only friends and family” and who hates seeing “lovey-dovey” couples in the village but still enjoys a romance novel.
Jisung feels giddy. His brother who’d never made an effort with anything like this had it given to him on a silver platter. His aunt had told him about soulmates, but never about the red string. She said that most commonly, a person will meet their soulmate but never know that the person they are with is truly their soulmate, and will often meet in later life. Soulmates will rarely meet and know about it, and most of the time, nobody will know about it. And, coincidentally, it’s happened to his own brother, Jisung’s brother, and he knows about it! And it’s no surprise that he’s only spotted it this time. Even if two people in the village were soulmates, the market is always so bustling that he’d never notice either way. He kicks himself for his own naivety… for never spotting something so obvious before.
But he can’t help but smile victoriously, leaning his head on his hands and beaming at nothing but a feeling of happiness on his brother's behalf. And it’s not like he would tell him. He couldn’t go to his brother and say, “Hey. That boy who you healed and walked to the village with? Yeah, he’s your soulmate.” It would not only scare Felix, it could change the entire trajectory of his life. If soulmates are drawn together by fate, there’s no need for him to interject. But what if Hyunjin moves back home too fast, and they never-
He prods at his forehead, forcing the thoughts out of his head. He’s thinking too deep about it. Worrying too much about his brother. Worrying too much about something that’s entirely up to Felix. And Hyunjin, for that matter. He wonders if they’ve reached the village yet, wonders if Hyunjin has introduced Felix to his cousin and cousin in law, wonders if his future in-laws are nice-
In the village, Felix carefully leads Hyunjin through the crowded market, where vendors sell everything from fruits and vegetables to ingredients for spells. Felix is one of the main customers, being the only person within a mile diameter of the village who can make medicines with magical properties.
The two boys stop just outside of the crowd walking down the centre of the market, carrying wicker baskets just like Felix’s, holding onto children and haggling with vendors. Felix turns to Hyunjin. “Wherever you’re from… is it very crowded there?” Hyunjin turns back. “It depends on the day. I’ll handle it.” Felix nods in understanding. “Mhm, makes sense. I’d always grown up just outside of the village and the crowded spots, so the crowds always bothered me when I was younger. Don’t get separated, c’mon.” Hyunjin starts walking. Felix had let him go first, the intention being that since he was taller, it’d be more noticeable and they could get through easier.
Felix grips onto the corner of his grey linen shirt and Hyunjin’s brain short circuits as they walk through the crowd. Felix yells out through the chatter, “Do you know where your cousin lives?!” Hyunjin shouts back, murmuring “Excuse me” every second in order to get through. “Yeah. Roseus Lane?” Felix hums in response. “I’m familiar. It’s a nice street.”
They squeeze out of the tightly packed crowd and into a more open space, directly opposite a fountain in the centre, where a group of children are playing together on the edge. Felix smiles warmly as Hyunjin leans down just enough to mumble in his ear. “Isn’t that dangerous?” Felix can feel his breath on his neck, on his ear, before he turns to face him, to reply.
Suddenly face to face with Felix, smiling, Hyunjin lurches back like Felix’s warm gaze had given him an electric shock. “Yeah, but it’s all part of being a kid, I think. Don’t you agree.” Slowly, Hyunjin nods. “...I suppose?” Felix beams. “Right?! Anyway, Do you, uh…” He tips his head disbelievingly, swallowing as he stares at Hyunjin. “...Know where you’re going? I… Don’t want a repeat of this morning.” Hyunjin laughs. “I’ll figure it out. There’s people here, anyway. Don’t get lost in the crowd, Felix.” Felix makes his way back to the crowd with a wave of his hand, before disappearing into the sea of faces.
Hyunjin feels a pang run through his heart, the sparkle in his eye fading slightly. What if he didn’t go for a walk with his cousin like they originally planned, and Felix gathers his things, and goes back home? What if Hyunjin doesn’t see him again? He brushes himself off, catching his breath with a hand over his heart, before making his way along the pathway, directed by an arrow atop a signpost labelled “Roseus Lane”, his eyes peeled for the house labelled “8” next to the doorway.
Felix navigates the packed market, uncomfortably squeezing through gaps between strangers, aiming for the few vendor stalls selling ingredients with magical properties. It shouldn’t be difficult to buy the ingredients once he had forced his way through the group- because many of the villagers avoided it like the plague. Many villagers avoided him and his brother like the plague. Previously, he had watched a mother carefully lead her son, who could’ve been no older than nine, away from him when they saw him relaxing on the bench next to the fountain. He had heard her mutter, “Avoid people like him, Casper. They’re witches.” Felix had gone home and laughed about it with Jisung. Some people were just like that. But deep down he was hurt. He didn’t want children to think he was evil. Nobody wants that, right?
And, it was as he suspected. The older lady at the counter smiled as he walked towards her, fumbling in his pockets before producing a crumbled list of ingredients that Jisung had made for him a few days before, in neat handwriting, unlike his own. The lady at the counter smiles at him. “Back again, Felix? Don’t think I’ll be able to read that list, if you’ve written it again…” Felix laughs. “No, don’t worry. Jisung wrote it, and it’s only two things, anyway.” He clears his throat, but frowns at how she seems distracted. “Is something… wrong?” He follows her gaze to his hand, staring in confusion at his hand and wrist. Unaware that she too has the second sight, just like his brother.
She looks up again, beaming. “Nothing, honey. What is it, then?” His eyes narrow in suspicion as he reads the list. “Uh… Do you have Aulameg or Lunamicato?” Aulameg was a nut used as a hallucinogenic when grated, and Lunamicato was a powder extracted from the moon and used as a home remedy for insomnia. Often brewed into tea. She spins around and stretches her arm to reach for a jar labelled “Aulameg”, and places it on the counter in front of him.
“No Lunamicato I'm afraid, honey.” She peers over her half moon glasses and points with a spindly finger, as Felix follows her gaze. “I believe he has some, though.” Felix whips his head around again, before leaning in and whispering to her. “Cain…?! Ma’am, with all due respect, he is creepy…” The woman laughs in response, tipping her head back. “You can handle it, Felix. You’re older now.” Her face softens. “I remember when you were only little, and your uncle would send you and Jisung down here to buy ingredients-” Felix cuts her off with a short smile and a wave of his hand, brushing a hand awkwardly through his hair and looking away, embarrassed. “Alright, no more-” He drops some cash on the counter in front of her, grabs the jar and walks away before she can continue.
He inhales slowly, squeezing through the crowd once more, bracing himself for the inevitable “Hiya, Darlin’” or “Hey pretty boy.” That will leave Cain’s mouth the moment Felix sets foot anywhere near his stall. Bracing himself for the possible passing comment of “You’re so girly and pretty” that he’d endured since he was a kid.
He reaches the stall, placing his hands on the wooden counter and avoiding looking directly at Cain just as he turns around. In the corner of his eye, he can see his mouth curve into a smirk and his gaze stare down at him. “Hiya, Darlin’” He slurs. What did I just say? Felix laughs nervously. “A-Afternoon, Cain.” He swallows. “You got Lunamicato on that shelf of yours?” Cain spins around suddenly. “Sure do, honey.” See, it’s only creepy when you say it, Cain. He slides the jar across the counter towards him, and leaves his hand open on the counter, resting there, the light reflecting off the silver rings on his fingers. “Pay up.”
Felix forces a smile and drops the cash into his palm- and Cain quickly pockets the cash before taking Felix’s fingers in his, yanking his hand towards him to the point that he feels himself stumble forwards. Cain smirks. “Mind if I read your palm, pretty boy?” And after one too many times that this has happened, Felix knows better than to say no, nodding in annoyance, holding the jar of Lunamicato in his other hand. He only nods in agreement, not even looking at Cain, a bored look on his face. If Jisung was here, he’d see him out of the corner of his eye, seeing him trying to hold in his laugh, and would nearly burst out laughing in response.
But, before Cain can open his mouth to speak, someone pries the jar from his hand and grabs his wrist, yanking him backwards. He slams violently into Hyunjin, standing behind him, who smiles at Cain, saying in a sing-song, cheery voice, “Sorry, we’re really busy. Next time, eh?” Before he’s dragged away without another word. Felix just sees Cain’s irritated glare as he sighs in defeat and stands up straight from where he’s leaning flirtatiously against the counter.
By now, Felix is laughing quietly and Hyunjin can feel his heart pounding as they force their way through the crowd, still gripping onto Felix’s wrist so tight his thumb presses against the vein in his wrist, where he can almost feel his pulse. The two of them practically crawl out of the crowd into the town square once more, stopping in front of a couple Felix doesn’t recognise, still giggling. He composes himself suddenly, standing up straight as he sees the couple staring at him. Hyunjin quickly drops his hand, and it flops back to his side as he blinks in confusion at the couple.
Hyunjin quickly chips in before the overwhelming situation can become even more awkward for him. “Uh… Felix, this is my cousin, Haeun. And this is my cousin in law, Minjun…” He looks directly at the couple. “This is Felix… He’s the one who healed me after my stitches came undone.” The two of them whip their heads around and stride towards Felix, Haeun shaking his hand and beaming at him. “Impressive! I think I’ve heard about you, actually. You live in that cottage?”
Felix grips her hand as he shakes it, smiling back. “I do. And thank you.” He’s blushing slightly from the compliment, and Hyunjin looks at him out of the corner of his eye, his eyes soft as he smiles slightly. Hyunjin clears his throat, swallowing. “Uh… I really just wanted to introduce you both. But maybe we could take a walk?” Haeun nods excitedly, taking her husband's hand again as they walk through the square.
Felix leans in, murmuring in Hyunjin’s ear, standing on his tiptoes to reach as Hyunjin tilts his head. “They’re a cute couple. Your painting is spot on. Did you give it to them?” Hyunjin smiles. A part of him feels giddy about how Felix remembered it so well, silently giggling with glee. But he feigns nonchalance. “Ah, thanks. Nice of you.”
Subtly, Minjun turns around, and Hyunjin’s eyes darken with a sudden fear when he sees Minjun smirking at him and raising his eyebrows. And Hyunjin knows what that look means. It’s a look that wordlessly screams “I know what you’re feeling. Because I felt it for your cousin.” He remembers the way Minjun looked at Haeun before they were lovers. And he hasn’t seen himself in the mirror. But he can feel it in the way his face twists, in his own soul, his own heart. And he shrugs it off. It’s a simple crush. Nothing more than a simple, sweet, young crush.
It’s unrealistic, sudden, unnatural. And it should, it will, stay that way. And if it doesn’t… Minjun will tease him for the rest of his days about it. He glares at Minjun’s back, rolling his eyes as he can feel his heart pounding. Felix looks up suddenly. “Everything alright?” He questions. “You’re red. Not a side effect from the elixir, no?” Hyunjin clears his throat and desperately tries to force the redness and the blush from his face, as if sheer will and determination could stop it from clouding the skin on his cheeks. “I’m alright. I’m just, uh- I’ve got hayfever.”
Felix nods. “Ah, understandable. I think it’s high pollen today.” And Hyunjin silently thanks the skies for blessing the day with pollen. They turn the corner into the park of the village, following the stone path up to the lake. Haeun and Minjun had told him there was a bench just next to the vast blue lake where they’d have picnics and dates together.
And once they reach the lake, where they can see tiny specks of people on the other side, walking along the path next to the woods, the four of them squeeze onto the bench together, watching the sun sparkle against the water. But Hyunjin isn’t looking at the lake. He’s leaning back, his neck draped over the backrest of the bench, staring right at the back of Felix’s head. Looking right through him. Before his eyes drift further left and he catches the eye of Minjun again, lurching forwards with a red face, awkwardly brushing his hair out of his face as he hears a low chuckle from Minjun.
Staring out at the lake, Felix might suggest that this would be a good thing to paint. And he’d agree, thinking about how he could capture the deep blue of the water with a paint mix, and the white sparkle from the sunshine with a pure white. But all he can think about is how pretty he is, how pretty Felix would look on a canvas, painted by his hand.
The four of them sit on the bench, squeezed together tightly, With Felix’s and Hyunjin’s hips pressed closely together, making his cheeks heat up. He wonders what Felix is thinking about. Maybe new ingredients he needs, or a new recipe he’s making. Does Felix make food with magical properties? It takes him a moment to realise that he’s staring again. Unable to look away.
He’s transfixed. Every word that leaves Haeun’s and Minjun’s mouth drones on and his responses are monotonous, empty. But every time Felix speaks he feels his eyes light up, feels the weight on his shoulders get just a little lighter, feels his heart burn. Do I love him?
The sky slowly begins to darken as the day drags on into late afternoon, the sun slowly disappearing and setting a peach and orange glow across the lake and the forest as the sun begins to fade behind the towering trees. The newlyweds stand up, brushing themselves off and taking each other's hands again. “It looks like it’s getting dark… Hyunjin, we were going to eat dinner soon. I wanted to cook for you properly on your first night here.” Hyunjin stands up, an appreciative smile on his face as he nods at Haeun. “That’s so sweet of you, thank you…” But his smile fades slightly as he sees, in the corner of his eye, Felix backing away from him slightly, taking a few steps back, back down the path, in the opposite direction to the way Hyunjin would be walking. His eyebrows droop slightly, and he clenches his fists to force himself to not reach out.
Felix looks away, his hair falling over his face, the sun behind his head making him look truly angelic in Hyunjin’s eyes. “I’d… better get home.” Minjun peeks out from behind Hyunjin, smirking and talking before Hyunjin can desperately clamp a hand over his mouth. “So soon? Are you sure you don’t want dinner, Felix?” But for once, he doesn’t scorn Minjun for his words. He turns to the side to look at him in surprise- Minjun, saying something smart and not condescending? The world must be ending. He turns back to Felix, a hopeful sparkle in his eyes- But Felix looks away. “I’d love to, but… my brother will worry. I’ll get home before it gets dark.” Hyunjin’s shoulders droop but he quickly picks himself up and rushes towards Felix.
He smiles, standing almost sheepishly in front of him with his hands in his pockets. “I’m relieved I'm here for a whole month. I want to get to know you better…” Felix folds his arms and raises his eyebrows, and Hyunjin’s face reddens. “I mean- Just-” Felix cuts him off. “I agree, Hyunjin. I want the same thing.” And Hyunjin feels his heart skip a beat, before his brain stops working. He means it platonically, right? Yeah, obviously. But what if he just thought I meant it platonically, and he actually feels-
“Hyunjin? Hello? You’re spacing out.” Felix snaps his fingers in his face and backs away. “I’d better get home before it gets too late.” Felix smiles, a strange, unfamiliar warmth deep in his heart, in his stomach, his stomach swimming like he’d eaten something bad. But it’s different. It feels nice.
“Yeah… Bye, Felix.” Hyunjin smiles at him and backs away. “I’ll, uh… see you around?” Felix nods, and gives a simple wave and yells “Bye!”, and is gone before Hyunjin can say another word. As much as he would usually scorn such a careless goodbye, Hyunjin suddenly feels a sense of endearment about how Felix is suddenly gone. Always in a hurry. He stares at the space where Felix had just disappeared behind the trees fondly, replaying Felix’s passing comment of “I want the same thing” repeatedly in his head like a broken record.
He drowns in the thoughts, drowns in his mind, until Minjun and Haeun place their hands on his shoulders, leaning in and talking right in his ear. “Ah, you’re hopeless, little cousin.” Hyunjin whips around to face Haeun. “What are you talking about?!” But his gaze is snapped to Minjun, who also whispers in his ear. “I know love when I see it.” Hyunjin goes bright red. “What were you thinking saying ‘See you around’, huh? Should’ve asked him out.” Hyunjin scoffs but silently agrees. “Yeah, whatever, as if.” He pulls away from the pair and rushes in front of them, walking back to their house, trying to avoid their prying stares. “Leave me alone-!”
Meanwhile, while Felix walks home, the sunset in the distance and the sound of the birds slowly quieting down and “turning in for the night” as his aunt would say makes him relax even more than he already was. After leaving the group behind to walk home, his purchases from the market in tow, he’d had a bright beam of a smile on his face. Unable to place his finger on why, unable to shake it off. He supposed that sometimes, you’re just happy for no reason. And he wasn’t complaining. His body felt light.
He slowly opened the door to the cottage with a creak, where Jisung is sitting in the armchair, a smirk on his face. Felix raises his eyebrows. “What happened? What’s with that look?” Jisung waves him off and stands up. “Oh, nothing, nothing.” He strides towards the kitchen to get dinner and stands with his back to Felix to hide his grin. “You, uh… hangout with Hyunjin?” Felix feels his smile brighten and doesn’t know why. “I did. He introduced me to his cousin and cousin-in-law. They’re nice.” Jisung laughs to himself. “Good… Good thing they’re nice.” Felix cocks his head. “You’re being weird.” Jisung laughs again. “I am…? Oh, my bad…”
And even when dealt with the confusing level of joy emanating from his brother, and the sudden joy he’s feeling, deep in his heart, Felix isn’t complaining. After all, he hasn’t felt so relaxed in a long, long time.
2 WEEKS LATER
A few days after they’d first met, Hyunjin had been peer pressured by the calamities that he lives with to “accidentally” bump into Felix at the market and ask him when his planned market days were “out of curiosity”. The two boys started shopping together every Tuesday and Saturday, often eating lunch together by the lake. And it only gave Hyunjin more and more inspiration. He’d hide away in the room that his cousin had set out for him and secretly paint, hiding it under the bed in a desperate attempt to escape the inevitable teasing from Minjun, and Haeun, who had been influenced by him and his antics.
He’d tried, hard, to capture Felix in his work. But it wouldn’t work out, in the end. He accepted after about a week that no ink could capture Felix on a page. And the main thing holding him back was his distinct lack of interaction with Felix. No amount of pressure from his cousin could change that. But, he had made something. It wasn’t perfect. But it was as close to Felix as a painting could get, Hyunjin told himself.
Felix woke up one morning to the sun glaring through his curtains, stretching as he sat up straight. Jisung was staying at a friend's house, so there was no need for Felix to charge into his room to wake him up like normal. In fact, Jisung was staying with his “friend” Minho, who Felix suspects is everything but a friend to Jisung.
Rubbing at his tired eyes, Felix almost misses the gentle rap at the door, stumbling downstairs after wrapping a gown around himself, assuming it’s Jisung returning from his date disguised as a hangout with Minho. If that’s a customer, I’m dead…
But, opening the door just slightly with a quiet squeak, he peers out, seeing nobody. The only thing there is a large envelope, thick with something forced inside it. Frowning, he bends down to pick up the envelope, pulling off the note stuck to the outside carefully. All it says is “This is what’s prettier”. Felix’s brow furrows as he opens the envelope and pulls out the contents, leaning against his counter, opening it before he even bothers to get changed. He blinks the sleep from his eyes… finding a canvas. And spinning it around to see the painted side- his heart stops.
It’s a painting of the lake. Captured in all its glory, sparkling with the sunlight. But standing in front of the lake is a figure. A figure with golden blonde hair. In the painting, the figure is facing away, facing the lake. But the frame of the mystery person, the hair colour, the hairstyle- Oh my god. Is this-?
But what Felix notices most about the unmistakable painting of himself is the style. It’s clearly, unmistakably, the same style of the painting Hyunjin had shown him, of what he painted of Haeun and Minjun.
He doesn’t think. He just thinks about the painting that he hastily placed onto his countertop before slamming his feet into his shoes and dashing out of the door. He doesn’t close it, doesn’t lock it. Just runs. It’s an isolated region, after all. He runs like he’s being chased. Runs faster than he ever has before, until he turns the corner into the poppy field, his eyes landing on the familiar figure, walking through the fields, walking away from Felix.
Felix doesn’t even take a minute to catch his own breath, a stitch in his side and his chest aching from the sudden movement. Well, that’s one way to wake myself up in the morning…
He breaks into a sprint again, hurtling down the slight slope of the field towards the figure, still in his pyjamas and nightgown. And, apparently, Hyunjin can hear his frantic breathing and footsteps- because he turns around, letting out a quiet scream just as Felix slams into him, sending them both careering to the floor, Hyunjin’s body cushioning Felix’s fall as he winces.
Hyunjin lifts his head up, staring at the blonde boy currently laying on top of him. “Felix…?! You’re- Hey, you’re in your pyjamas-” Felix cuts him off. “I don’t care. I couldn’t care less. That…” He stares right at Hyunjin’s wide eyes and red face beneath him. “That… That painting.” He points back at nothing, the cottage no longer visible. “Did you… Did you do that…?”
Hyunjin smiles cheekily, his shoulders pressed to the floor by Felix’s hands. “Of course I did. Who else paints like that?” He giggles slightly, looking away for a split second before Felix forcibly grabs his chin and forces him to look back at him. “Hyunjin, I… I don’t know what to say- I-I mean- Thank you, it’s- It’s beautiful…” Hyunjin beams up at him. He doesn’t care that he’s being uncomfortably pressed against the floor by someone as long as it’s Felix. “You’re welcome. Any time, Felix. Really.”
Felix’s whole face softens, his eyes nearly watering in appreciation, shoving his thoughts away, shutting his eyes. He doesn’t say another word for a moment, fearing the way his voice will shake if he dared to open his mouth.
Felix opens his eyes after a few moments and Hyunjin feels himself developing a crush all over again. It’s that gaze. It’s not just the way his eyes look. It’s his whole gaze. The way it makes him feel. The way he prays it makes Felix feel. A choked sound leaves Felix’s lips before he visibly swallows, still pressing Hyunjin to the ground after colliding into him.
“Hyunjin.” Felix begins, his eyes as soft and as fond as Hyunjin’s now. Maybe even more, his whole body shaking.
“Hyunjin, I’m going to kiss you now.”
His heart stops and he turns as red as a tomato, suddenly sweating buckets. “Y-You mean it-? I mean- Only if you… Only if you want to…?” Felix stares down at him, his eyebrows raised in disbelief, fondness seeping through nevertheless. And Hyunjin relaxes instantly.
“...I would like that very much.”
Felix leans down, almost cautiously, his hands sliding off of Hyunjin’s shoulders and onto the grass beside his head as he closes his eyes softly, pressing his lips against Hyunjin’s gently and carefully. As if he’s scared of burning him. It isn’t until Hyunjin’s hands reach up and cradle the back of Felix’s neck in response that Felix wraps his arms around him, still laying on the grass, and smiles against his lips.
And for once, for just a moment, Felix isn’t worried about a thing.