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hanji-cafe · 2 years

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Little Briar Rose

Hello!! Oh my... it’s been forever since I’ve posted. I hope all that follow my writing enjoy this piece that I’ve been working on for months on end. Hopefully, after finals I’ll be able to post parts of The Little Mermaid and some others as well! Please enjoy :)

Warning: Grooming, Kidnapping (No NSFW for this fairytale however)

Word Count: 4.9k

Fairytale Masterlist

Part One - True Loves Trick

In a far away land, long ago, lived a king and his fair queen. Many years they longed for a child and finally their wish was granted. A daughter was born and they named her after the dawn: Aurora. A great holiday was proclaimed throughout the kingdom, so that all of high or low estate might pay homage to the infant princess.

Thus on this great and joyous day did all the kingdom celebrate the long awaited royal birth and good King Chan and his Queen made welcome their life long friend, King Changbin. These monarchs had only dreamed of one day uniting their kingdom, thus this day would they announce that the princess, Aurora, and the Prince of Changbin, Jisung, would one day be betrothed.

That day, all the guests gathered in the throne room, each passing by to catch a glimpse of the beautiful and calm infant. Each guest was to bring one singular gift each, no more and no less. Many citizens, lords and ladies, fae and wizards, brought along the best they could afford.

Prince Jisung, only a few years old, could barely even peek inside the crib where, unknowing to him, his future betrothed lay. He placed a small gold locket in the crib, just beside the infant, and Aurora giggled, grabbing the locket happily.

The next to grant their gifts were the king's three most trusted faes, Minho, Hyunjin, and Felix. Minho granted her the gift of beauty, and Felix granted her the gift of song, but before Hyunjin could grant his gift, the doors were bombarded open by a great and cold wind.

Unwelcomed arrived an immortal sorcerer, Seungmin, all powerful and wicked. The King panicked, for the man was not invited after considering the horrid ways he used his magic. Unwanted and shunned away, the man grew in rage and retaliation, wanting the princess for himself, and so he sought out to curse the infant.

When the princess matures, she will grow in grace and beauty, but if she is not granted to me by her nineteen birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into an unawakenable sleep.

Though King Chan attempted to stop the man, imprisoning him, the castle security failed to capture Seungmin, the sorcerer disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Hyunjin, being the only person who had not granted the girl a wish, knew he couldn’t do much to go against Seungmin, so he made a small alteration. If the princess indeed pricked her finger, she would fall into a sleep, but could be awakened by a true love's kiss.

Still in fear of his daughter’s fate, King Chan burned every spinning wheel in the kingdom, and forbade spinning until the princess passed her nineteenth birthday.

Not knowing how else to keep her safe, King Chan sent his daughter out to be raised in the muted countryside, where Seungmin wouldn’t even dare to look. His most trusted fae would look after her, keeping her true identity secret from herself. And so King Chan watched with a heavy heart as his most precious possession, his only child, disappeared into the night.

👑

It was at a young age when Seungmin first approached you. Despite all the precautions, Seungmin was a brilliant wizard, and when you went out to collect berries and fruit, Seungmin would approach you as a wolf. He wasn’t feral or rabid, but rather a gentle animal that would act as your companion as you walked the woods alone.

After all, he didn’t want his precious bride, Aurora, harmed.

But as you got older and began to mature, Seungmin visited you less and his desire to stay as a wolf declined. After your 14th birthday he finally revealed himself to you. As he walked with you, his body transformed into a handsome young man, taking you by surprise.

You cried out of fear, feeling betrayed, and ran back to your cottage.

“Uncle Minho!” you cried out, running into the cottage.

“What is it, my rose?” Minho asked you, addressing you by your pet name, as you ran up to him, rather distraught.

“There was a wolf in the woods that frightened me! It turned itself into a man!”

Minho’s eyes darkened at the mention of the wolf, knowing almost certainly that it was the sorcerer. All their endeavors to keep you hidden? That has failed you? When you had gone to bed, he gathered together Felix and Hyunjin, to decide what exactly to do.

“Are we sure that it’s Seungmin?” Felix asked gently.

“Of course it is! Who else would turn themselves into a wolf?!” Hyunjin snapped.

“It is peculiar that he hasn’t followed her home,” Felix agreed.

“It must be the boundary. Surely his dark magic cannot make it past our enchantment,” Minho decided. “But it's still rather worrying. Starting tomorrow, one of us should go out with her to gather.”

They both nodded, agreeing, and the next three years they didn’t spot a wolf or man once.

👑

It was on your Eighteenth when Seungmin revealed himself to you once again. Your uncles had finally let you roam the forest alone, after all you were an adult now, but what they weren’t wary of was the chance that Seungmin might show up again.

You grew paranoid when first spotting the familiar black wolf, and you turned to return to the cottage when, in a rush, Seungmin transformed and cut in front of you dressed in a black fur jacket.

You wanted to cry out, but Seungmin pressed his hand against your mouth, hushing you. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

You only nodded, holding your breath. “Y-your the man that I saw on my birthday,” you pointed out, letting out a gasp. Seungmin nodded.

“Think of me as your guardian,” Seungmin smiled, releasing you from his arms. “I watch over you so nothing happens to you.”

“But there is no danger in these woods!” you argued, shaking your head, and Seungmin smiled proudly.

“That’s because these woods are mine, and I keep any dangerous thing away from you.”

“Who are you?” you ask gently, looking up at him with wide innocent eyes. “My uncles tell me that you’re a bad man, that you want to hurt me.”

“Nonsense,” Seungmin assured, shaking his head with a chuckle. “If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so already,” he said, gazing at you lustfully.

His gaze so intense and passionate unsettled something deep inside of you, and you took a step back from him. “I don’t want any trouble, Mr. Wolf.”

“And I will not give you any,” he says, “I simply want to accompany you as you gather your fruit.”

And so Seungmin followed along, watching closely, as you harvested what you could and sang along with the birds.

Seungmin had been lonely and desperate for any companion to keep him company. His banishment was a worse punishment than death, and visiting you in the woods only made his desire to keep you grow. You were fair, gentle, and kind. Your voice was as sweet as the ripest strawberry and your face was as beautiful as a goddess’s. What else could he ask for in a companion?

And so over your eighteenth year he became familiar to you. As he walked with you he came to know you well, and though he would withhold any information that could startle you, day by day you came to know him as well. As days ran out until that final decision, Seungmin became more desperate, and he would be sure to tell you who he really was on your birthday, but to you who he was remanded simple.

He was a friend.

👑

The Morning of your Nineteen Birthday was started by a beautiful sunrise. The birds chirped outside your window, slowly waking you up, and you quickly got dressed.

The chill of the spring morning set into your skin, making you shiver as you stepped out into the forest. Dew and a morning frost still resided on the grass beneath your feet, and you felt the forest breath around you.

With your basket in hand and your fearless demeanor, you set out to collect what you could. Since it was spring, you knew that turnips and carrots were readily available around you, and you began searching for the food.

Of course your dear little animal friends would follow you. A rabbit, some birds, and a few squirrels here and there. The squirrels had just come out of hibernation and were always searching around for the nuts they had skillfully buried a few weeks before the snow. You enjoyed their company often, having someone with you besides your overbearing uncles… and that strange wolfman. Whenever one of the fae would follow a little too close, the animals would scurry away in a panic, but today there was nothing to scare them away, or so you thought.

It was when you were playing with a rabbit that the loud sound of horse gallops could be heard approaching you. Never have heard the sound before, you didn’t know what to do, only hiding behind a tree and hoping they wouldn’t spot you, but as might be expected it didn’t work out too well.

You clutched the bark of the tree tightly before you heard the sound of the hooves against the wet ground halt just a few feet away. You tried to steady your breath, inching around the tree to run, when suddenly you knocked right into a man who looked close to your age.

You let out a gasp, taking a slow step back. This man was more beautiful than you’ve ever seen before. He had large eyes like a bear cub, and a round face like a chipmunk. His skin was as colorful and soft as wheat that grew in the field in the other directions of your cottage. He towered over you, much taller in height, but he didn’t look menacing like the familiar man you had come to know, instead he looked gentle and kind. His eyes… sparkled.

“I’ve never seen you before,” he said, admiring your features. You were more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

“I-I uh…” you gulped, backing up, your back hitting the tree. “I…”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

You didn’t know what it was about his eyes, but staring into them you could only breathe out, “Rose…”

You had never had someone take your breath away like this man, and against everything your uncles had taught you, you wanted to learn more about this man, anything.

“Where are you going?” you asked curiously.

The man chuckled, and the sound tickled your ears pleasantly. “My father requested me to meet the king of the neighboring country. I was only on my way through the woods when I caught a glance of you.”

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” you said, glancing away.

“I have a feeling that we’ve met before…”

You shook your head.

“No?” he chuckled. “I suppose I would remember such a beautiful face,” he nods, causing you to blush a bright pink. “Perhaps, upon a dream?”

You let out a cry of surprise as suddenly the man's horse pulled a carrot out of your basket, causing the man to chuckle. “I apologize. Samson loves carrots,” he explained as the horse ate one of your harvested carrots.

You gulped, nodding. “What’s… your name?” you asked hesitantly.

“Mine? My name is Jisung,” he answered with a smile.

“Jisung,” you hummed, before shaking your head and pushing him away gently. “Oh! I’m really not supposed to talk to strangers, though.”

“Not even a little dancing with them?” Jisung asked, following. “A simple waltz?”

“My uncles would be furious, really-” you let out a gasp as Jisung took your hand, spinning you around gracefully.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to dance, Rose…” he teased, causing you to blush again. “I can show you,” he assured. One foot at a time, he led you to dance. One foot, and then the other, and before you knew it, you and Jisung were dancing among the trees as the morning faded and the sun rose into the sky. He held you as you spun and swayed with him. It felt like nothing you had ever felt before. Dare you say that it felt like magic- true love… until suddenly-

“Rose?!” you heard Minho call out, and you gasped pushing against Jisung’s chest.

“You must go,” you assured him, pushing him back towards his horse, grabbing your basket.

“Come with me,” he offered, “to the castle.”

“I can’t,” you refused, shaking your head.

“Will I ever see you again?”

“Never!”

“Never?!” Jisung cried out.

“Well… meet me here, tonight!” you said to him, “right after dusk.”

Determined, he agreed. “I’ll be here.”

You nodded before giving him a final push, and he sadly mounted his horse, galloping away as you ran back to the cottage. Appearing to Minho, basket in hand, full of turnips, you supplied a hopeful smile.

“Good Morning, Uncle Minho,” you said, offering the basket.

Minho was not pleased, giving you a dark glare before ushering you into the house. “What did we tell you about leaving without telling anyone? It’s dangerous!”

“But Uncle! I didn’t even see a wolf in the woods!” you argued, though you knew the truth about that man. “It was peaceful, only the birds and the rabbits, a-and-”

“Enough,” he said. “Come inside so we can begin to cook the stew,” he explained, taking the basket and closing the door behind you.

Unbeknown to any of you, a raven had caught sight of you with the prince along with where exactly you had gone, and he flew back towards the towering black castle in the west.

Made out of black brick and engulfed in heavy smoke and fog, sat Seungmin’s castle. Around it, the terrain was rocky and covered in shambles of thorns and prickers. The raven flew gracefully above, through the clouds of smoke, and landed just beside where Seungmin sat on his throne before transforming himself into a young man.

“What did you find, Jeongin?” Seungmin asked.

“She’s found the prince, sir,” Jeongin reported. “Everything is falling into place.”

“Wonderful,” Seungmin said, a wry smirk growing on his face.

It was then that they would ambush the prince and take him captive before letting you fall into your trance. If the King wouldn’t give him what he wanted, then Seungmin would be sure to make him pay for the rest of eternity. Afterall, how were you supposed to be awakened or freed if your true love was dead?

👑

“You seem awfully happy today,” Felix notes cheerfully.

“Oh yes! I-” you stop, blushing a bit. “You can’t tell Uncle Minho…”

“My lips are sealed,” Felix assures. “Well today… I met a man in the woods-”

Felix’s eyes widened in panic before you shook your head.

“He wasn’t the man from before!” you assured. “He was softer, prettier,” you said dreamily. “He showed me how to dance. I met him… once upon a dream…” you giggled, “I-I think I love him, Uncle Felix.”

Felix gave you a pitied look. “That is wonderful, except for the fact that- well I know we haven’t told you but- you're betrothed.”

“Betrothed?!” you cried out in horror.

“To a prince!”

“A prince? I can’t marry a prince then that would make me-”

“A princess!” Felix answered happily. “Princess Aurora. Tonight, we're taking you back to your father, King Chan! I know it’s abrupt, but it was only to protect you,” Felix assured, but you turned your head, upset and confused.

“W-What did you say?” you stuttered, processing all the information that was just thrown at you. “N-no… Uncle. I’m only a girl raised by her uncles. I can’t be a princess! That would mean…” tears began to form in your eyes. “You lied to me?!”

“Now, Rose… you must not be upset,” Minho spoke from behind. Hearing Felix begin to blurt all the secrets, Minho had rushed upstairs.

“You! You’ve been lying to me too!”

“You have to understand that it was to protect you darling,” Minho assured as Felix reached out for you.

“Don’t touch me!” you snapped, pulling away from his touch. “It doesn’t matter! You lied! My name isn’t even Rose?!”

“That wolf!” Minho snapped. “That wolf isn’t a wolf! He’s a m-”

“Man! I know!” you blurted. “He already revealed himself to me.”

“Seungmin revealed himself!?” Minho roared, making you shake your head.

“At least he has been truthful!”

“Rose, I assure you that he hasn’t,” Felix said, desperation in his voice. “He’s a wicked warlock! One that was banished for his wrong doings. He has cursed you!”

“No! I don’t want to hear it!” You sobbed, pulling away from the both of them. “Please leave me alone, Uncle.”

“Rose-”

“Please!” you cried. “Please, just both of you go! Just go.”

Hesitantly Felix agreed pushing Minho back out of the room, before leaving your room to let you gather your thoughts.

Laid out on your bed you cried and cried until you had no tears left.

👑

When Felix had told you that you were betrothed to a prince and that you could not return to meet the man of the dream, you were distraught. There wasn’t much they could do for you, regretfully escorting you to the castle, making sure that you didn’t wander off into the woods. Afterall, it was your nineteenth birthday, and they suspected that Seungmin would be on the lookout for you.

Having you enter the castle, they gifted you a crown and a beautiful dress, but you only burst into tears once they placed it on your head. It was a reminder that you would never get to marry who you chose, and sadly your three uncles left you alone, guarding the door from the outside.

In a fit of tears and distress, you laid on the bed. You couldn’t get over the way the man had led you along the grass in his arms so gracefully and how perfect your hands fit together.

It was only when you heard your voice being called that you noticed another door in the room, one not being guarded by your uncles. Whispers of your name would be heard from the open doorway, a draft making you shiver and if in a trance you made your way towards it.

You shivered, hugging yourself as you hesitantly began to climb the stairwell. Once you reached the top, your heart began to beat out of your chest. There stood the man, the one that had followed you all those years, and had made himself familiar to you in those woods.

Seungmin.

“What have they done to you, Darling,” he said as you moved to take a step back, but the steps were no longer there, but instead a blank wall. Seungmin approached you, reaching to take your face in his hand. “I knew I should have visited you this morning.”

“You knew who I was and you lied,” you cried softly.

Delicately, Seungmin cradled your face with his hands. “If I had revealed the truth to you, those faes would have taken you away from me. We would have been separated, darling.”

You whimpered, nodding as you melted into his hands. “I-I don’t want to be here,” you whimpered, feeling as if Seungmin could take away your sorrows. You leaned farther into his touch, seeking comfort in the affection.

“I can take you away from here,” he assured. “I can help you leave without them noticing.”

“Really?” you asked with wide eyes. “You can take me to the woods? I-I would do anything!”

“Yes,” Seungmin lied. “Where you met that man.”

“You saw?” you asked bashfully. “Me and the prince-

Seungmin nodded. “I told you. Those are my woods, and I see all that go on in them.”

“Oh! We danced all morning,” you said dreamily, pulling away softly to spit around in happiness. “I trust you, Mr. Wolf… take me to the woods please. To the prince.”

Seungmin nodded, taking you into his arms before another door appeared. When you walked through the threshold, you both appeared in the woods, but in front of his large castle. Your eyes widened at the sight, the view menacing.

Your stomach dropped as you realized that you had been tricked.

“Mr. Wolf! T-this isn’t my cottage- My Uncles were right!”

“Come,” he said, his grip on you firm like steel. “Let me show you all that I rule.”

Your breath hitched in your throat as you walked over the dark soil beneath your feet. A dark and old jawbridge laid before you, and you carefully stepped along it, clinging to Seungmin for support. Under laid shambles of sharp thorns and piercing rocks. The sight only made you more desperate to cling onto Seungmin. You jumped hearing the timber wolves in the forest howl and the sound of a raven circling above you.

When you finally reached the far side, slowly the jawbridge began to rise, and Seungmin led you into his palace slowly, ushering you up the stairs, and towards the top of the castle.

It was there, in his chambers, where you would be staying with him.

👑

When the three fae realized that they could no longer hear your cries they rushed to open the door, only to see that you were nowhere to be found. Frantically they searched for you, under the bed, behind the curtains, anywhere possible, but you were gone, and they knew where you had been taken.

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin snarled. “That man and his tricks.”

“Enough of that,” Felix argued. “What will we tell the King?!”

Minho only shook his head. “We won’t be telling him anything.”

“But he will find out eventually!” Hyunjin argued.

“No, we will cast a spell on them. If what we know is true, Seungmin will have Aurora prick her finger, and she will fall into that deep sleep. If we cast this spell, they will sleep with her until we can find that man she mentioned and have him kiss her. Only then will her parents and the whole kingdom awake with her.”

“Will that work?” Felix asked unsure.

“I will make sure of it.”

👑

Seungmin’s palace was dark and cold. Your body never seemed to stop shivering, even when Seungmin had given you many wolf pelts. You still shivered under his cold gaze. Though he had been following you for your life, you still knew nothing about the man was true, and that made it uncomfortable. That and the fact that he had tricked you.

“Don’t be mad at me, love…” he hummed. “I know you better than anyone.”

“You tricked me.”

“For your own good,” he explained, approaching you. “That measly prince can’t give you much compared to me.” You flinched as he approached you, and he felt dejected before grabbing your waist and pushing you on the bed.

You gasped in surprise before he was pressing his lips against yours, kissing you deeply and corrupting something inside you. Though the kiss lit a fire in your stomach, you found the power to resist, helpless pushing him away.

“No, please!”

“You don’t have to be scared of me,” he said, his hand gently caressing your cheek. “I won’t hurt you. I only want you to be by my side. To accompany me from now on.”

“I want to go home.”

“I want you to marry me,” he confessed, a ring magically appearing in his grip.

A shocked gasp left your lips as you frantically shook your head. “No!” you cried.

Seungmin tensed. “No?” he took your hand, attempting to force the ring onto your finger. Despite you pulling and curling your finger, he managed to get the band on your ring finger. “I’ve protected you all these years, accompanied you for all this time. You dare reject me?!”

“Please,” you cried, pulling on the ring, but it was no use, the metal was enchanted. “I-I don’t want this.”

“Fine,” he said, snapping his fingers, and suddenly a spinning wheel appeared behind his figure. “Then you’ll prick your finger.”

“W-what will happen?” you asked hesitantly.

“You’ll fall into a deep sleep, and only a kiss from your true love will be able to wake you,” he explained honestly. “But- are you so sure that man in the woods is your true love?” he questioned harshly. “Are you sure he will be able to find you in such places?”

“Don’t make me do it,” you pleaded.

“I won’t make you do anything,” Seungmin explained. “It’s your choice. The only thing you must do is choose.”

You looked at him, the man that had kept you safe for all these years, and though you were unsure if that man in the woods was really able to break the spell, you knew that you couldn’t spend the rest of your life with Seungmin in this castle. And so you pricked your finger on the spinning wheel, and into a deep sleep you fell indeed.

👑

When your motionless body appeared in the bed of the room where Seungmin had tricked you, the fae’s worst fear indeed proved to be true. There you laid, your eyes peacefully fluttered shut on the bed. Seungmin had nearly placed your hands together above your naval as if you were dead, and Felix approached you with sad eyes.

“What do we do, Minho?” Felix asked sadly, stroking your hair gently.

“Oh that Seungmin! I’ll kill him! Let me at him, and I’ll turn him into a rock and throw him off the highest cliff into the deepest ocean!”

“No, Hyunjin we can’t,” Minho urges.

“We first need to decide what we're going to tell the king… He’ll be furious!” Felix cried. “All these years… no- he’ll be heartbroken…”

“They aren’t going to find out,” Minho pointed out.

“They aren’t?” the other faes asked.

“Like I said, we’ll put them all to sleep with Aurora. When she wakes, they will as well.”

Hyunjin and Felix looked at each other. “You think that will really work?”

“I know it will. Come.”

And so the faes flew around the castle, casting a strong spell on each and every inhabitant in the castle. The Queen, King Chan, King Changbin… and all the rest, but just as Felix moved to place King Changbin into sleep, his eyes fluttered shut with the words, “Falling in love with some peasant girl… hmph!”

Felix halted. “Peasant girl, your majesty?!”

Changbin’s eyes fluttered open and shut slowly, “peasant girl…” he mumbled. “Once upon a dream…”

“Minho!” Felix cries, flying off just as the King’s eyes fell permanently shut.

“What is it, Lix?” Minho asked curiously.

“Once Upon a Dream!”

“What is the world are you talking about?” Hyunjin hissed.

“Rose came to me and told me that she had met a man in the woods once upon a dream! But King Changbin- he- well he said that Jisung had met a girl once about a dream!”

Minho’s eyes grew wide. “We must find him before Seungmin discovers the truth!”

Hyunjin’s face fell into a grave expression. “Let’s hope he hasn’t already…”

👑

Jisung couldn’t help but feel nervous. Had he been stood up? He abandoned his fathers wishes of marrying the princess to marry a maiden girl that didn’t even bother to show… He was just about to mount his horse and apologize to his father and King Chan when suddenly he heard movement in the brush of the woods.

He turned to see what the sound was when suddenly a raven was swarming around his face. Jisung let out a yelp of surprise, swatting the bird away before suddenly ropes were wrapping around his whole body. His hands, arms, legs, and feet tightened together though no figure could be seen in the moonlight except the raven.

The ropes tightened, burning his skin, until a dark figure appeared to him.

As Seungmin revealed himself, Jisung was on high alert. “What kind of trick is this?!” Jisung yelled.

“You already fell for the trick, little prince,” Seungmin laughed. “You thought the princess would meet you here? No, she’s mine.”

“The princess…?”

“Look how puzzled you are, picking up the pieces of the puzzle,” Seungmin laughed with a playful tisk. “Your fair maiden is indeed not a peasant woman as you told your father but rather the very princess you were destined to marry.”

“Let me go!” Jisung snapped, pulling against the rope, causing them only to tighten.

“I don’t think so,” Seungmin seethed. “I have better plans for you.”

👑

“We’re too late,” Hyunjin said sadly as they reached the woods surrounding the cottage. “He’s nowhere to be found.”

“Then we know who did this,” Minho nodded. “And we know what we must do.”

“Oh, you don’t mean… go to his palace, do you?” Felix asked with wide eyes.

“It’s the only way, Felix,” Minho nodded. “We have to face Seungmin.”

The other fae nodded sadly. What once started as a misunderstanding somehow grew into such a catastrophe.

As they made their way through the woods, the purple fog began to grow darker and darker. Once the fae reached the old jaw bridge, Felix could feel the nerves in his stomach. “This is a bad idea.”

“We must save the prince so he can awaken Aurora,” Minho urged. “We have to.”

The others nodded nervously before they flew across, not daring to step foot on the rotting wood of the jaw bridge. On the other side, enchantments were placed at every door, guarding the prisoner somewhere inside.

[Tag list: @hyune-bun @hannie-squirrel00 @cb97zone @corruption-skz @bearseungmin-events Please let me know if you want added!!!]

#stray kids #skz #fantasy #fairytale #skz fantasy #skz fairytale #stray kids fantasy au #stray kids fantasy #stray kids fairytale #stray kids fairytale au #han jisung #kim seungmin #prince han jisung #evil kim seungmin #stray kids prince #stray kids evil

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tasteleeknow · 2 years

Text

masterlist

my fictional original works are intended for entertainment and do not represent any real person in any way. they contain content that is not suitable for minors.

to see all my writing, make sure you change your content settings to show posts marked with sexual themes.

s = smut | f = fluff | a = angst

OT8

hurt/comfort with skz | 4.6k f, a

inner child with skz | 4.5k f

CHAN

sweet | 4.1k s ↳ brothers best friend.

koala | 4.3k s, f ↳ roommates to lovers.

push, pull | 3.1k s, f, a ↳ established relationship.

between | 5k s, f ↳ established relationship. poly. [minho]

⇢ drabbles

LEE KNOW

taste | 4.3k s, f ↳ established relationship.

addicted to you | one week, homecoming | 3.1k s, f, a ↳ established relationship.

bridges and storms | 3.2k s, f, a ↳ established relationship [husband!minho].

watermelon | 2.4k s ↳ established relationship [husband!minho].

bunny | one, two | 12.7k s, f, a ↳ stangers to lovers, neighbours!au.

horror house | 6.2k s, a ↳ enemies to lovers.

make a wish | 3.9k s, f ↳ established relationship.

lovely & sweet | 6.3k s, a, f ↳ virgin!reader.

goddess of lust | 3k s ↳ enemies to lovers.

camping | 2k s, f ↳ established relationship.

hello stranger | approx 50k s, f, a ↳ soulmate!au.

iridescent | 4.8k s, f ↳ fairy!minho, fantasy!au.

good kitty | 2.8k s ↳ established relationship.

spiderweb | 7.4k s, a ↳ roommates to lovers, brothers best friend.

strawberries | 5k s ↳ established relationship [minho]. boyfriend’s best friend [jisung]

warm | 2.8k s, f ↳ established relationship.

zipper | 9.8k s, f, a ↳ established relationship.

everything and no one | 14.3k s, f, a ↳ royal!au, prince!minho, maidservant!reader, forbidden love.

call of the siren | 5.7k s, f ↳ fairytale au, siren!minho.

feast | 2k s ↳ established relationship.

between | 5k s, f ↳ established relationship. poly. [chan]

honey | 3k s, f ↳ established relationship. poly [seungmin].

10 billion years | 5.2k s, f, a ↳ hurt/comfort. insecurities. jealousy. obsession. established relationship. body worship. consensual somno.

⇢ drabbles

CHANGBIN

lift | 2.9k s ↳ established relationship.

HYUNJIN

lollipop | 4k s, f ↳ roommates to lovers.

⇢ drabbles

JISUNG

given | 4.5k s, a ↳ succubus!reader.

strawberries | 5k s ↳ established relationship [minho]. boyfriend’s best friend [jisung]

FELIX

⇢ drabbles

SEUNGMIN

honey | 3k s, f ↳ established relationship. poly [minho].

JEONGIN

⇢ drabbles

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wa-wandavision · 8 months

Text

MY SKZ MASTERLIST

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Bang Chan ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Imaginary

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Lee Know ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Guardian Angel

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Seo Changbin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Coming Soon

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Hwang Hyunjin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Insecurities

I love you

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Han Jisung ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Coming Soon

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Lee Felix ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Bad Days

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Kim Seungmin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Forbidden

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ Yang Jeongin ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Solar Eclipse Solar Eclipse (rewritten vers)

SKZ SERIES MASTERLIST

Drafts!

Kittens, Lee Minho

You bump into a cat dad while dealing with a little situation. Maybe he can help you.

Fan meetings, Han Jisung

your best friend forces you to go to a stray kids fan meeting.

Ongoing Stories!

Solar Eclipse, Yang Jeongin — series

You and Jeongin fall in love all over again

Guardian Angel, Lee Minho — series

God assigns one of his workers, Lee Minho, to watch over you.

Favourites

Captain save-a-hoe!

Hotel check-ins

Fair and square

Sandcastles

Finding home in your heart

Read Later

Best friend han x reader

Cold as Ice

Snitch

Good hair day

Say you want me

Tuesday Chris

Instead of you

Morning texts

Just for a moment

Marooned

Morning Photographs

Sex on the beach

Sweeter

How I see you

On your knees

Pull over

It's so tasty, come and Chase me

B. C

I.N

B.C

H.J

Jisung

Felix

Jinnie

Skz

Channie

Skz

Can I be your favourite

Strange weird and wonderful

No prejudice

Jisung

9 56 pm

actions that speaks

Make you a mommy

Queenmaker

My dear

Bath water

Blackholes

Felix

A modern love story

Movie date

Hyunjin

Minho

Pearl necklace

Chai latte

Muse

Jisung

Magazine photos

Wrong number

By my side

Look up to the stars

Channie

Drunken idiots

Morning sex

Sunsets in Sydneys

Cat in heat

Sick days

Date on ice

Bath water

Birthday suprises

Happy place

Race my heart

Reunions embrace

Love language

Wanting

Go live

Hyunjin

To do what I can do

Shark week

We can't be friends

Your fault

Small moments

when you know, you know

idolstruck

Blueberry muffin

Fairytale

Whispers

The drifter: the sea kind curse

Stray kids royal au

Girl code

Breath

Ice on whisky

Phobia

REQUESTS

╰┈➤ OPEN

#hwang hyunjin x reader #lee yongbok x reader #seo changbin x reader #bang chan x reader #kim seungmin x reader #lee minho x reader #han jisung x reader #yang jeongin x reader #stray kids #skz #skz x reader

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findroleplay · 2 months

Note

hi! i’m f21+ looking for a few pairings to write!

kevin day & jean moreau (#aftg)

qimir & osha (#star wars)

gamora & peter (#mcu)

han & minho (#skz #stray kids) **for au’s or to build up oc’s and use them as faceclaims 🫶🏽

interested in canon divergent themes and aus! for example, fairytale/royalty, arranged marriage, soulmate (sense8 inspired themes). willing to do others too!

my discord is @damiansbff so feel free to add me if you’re interested or interact with this post so i can reach out, thank you🫶🏽

#rp #roleplay #aftg rp #star wars rp #mcu rp #skz rp #stray kids rp

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nightmare13 · 2 years

Text

Han Jisung

Back to: skz navigation

One shots

The Boyfriend Plan

Synopsis: han jisung was your brothers best fiend, a lyrical genius, and amazing at coming up with ideas for new songs and music. however those skills didn’t transfer into real life situations, and maybe you should have thought about that before agreeing to his ridiculous plan.

Genre: fakedating!au, highschool!au, fluff + angst

Word count: 13.5k

Love In Cheese

Synopsis: After a long tiring day at college, all you wanted to do was lie on your couch and curse the world for being so unfair. However, your luck drastically changed, all thanks to an empty fridge, a cheese pizza, and a cute yet very clumsy delivery boy - that stole your heart without you even noticing it.

Genre: fluff, delivery boy!jisung

Word count: 4.2k

Sorry, I Love You

Synopsis: Jisung knew that being in love with his best friend was a bad idea. It was cliché, but he’d rather suffer in silence than risk losing what you both had. However, everything suddenly changes thanks to one date that went wrong.

Genre: just tooth-rotting fluff, best friends to lovers

Word count: 2k

Rule Number One

Synopsis: Landing her dream job as a producer at the country’s top, multi million entertainment company straight out of college, fascination and excitement isn’t all that Y/N found herself in that day. After her newly found companion makes her aware of the rules and regulations all employees and artists there ought to follow along with a rather absurd one highlighted for all, Y/N makes a strong comment, rather statement, she might find herself questioning about later that day when she reads out the last box on her schedule, marked as an introductory session for rather special artists she finds herself fond of.

Genre: Fluff with a lotta suspense

Word count: 5.1k

State of Grace

Synopsis: You’re a musician who has written State of Grace (full creds to Taylor) and have called upon your friend Chan to help record it, but he brings a couple of others along to the studio.

Genre: Fluff - Friends to Lovers

Word count: 2384

Falling Over Night

Synopsis: Y/n escapes from a boring party at a Saturday night, feeling empty and lonely. Not having where to go, she roams around the busy streets of the night, until she meets him. A charming street musician with a captivating voice that hypnotized her to sit next to him and watch him singing and playing his guitar. Falling for someone over night, only happens in fairytales. But why do they find themselves falling for each other?

Genre: fluff, strangers au, street musician

Word count: 2.8k

Dance With Me

Synopsis: All you want to do is dance and be the best. That’s currently your only goal. That is, until Jisung makes you an offer that changes everything.

Genre: one-shot, angst, fluff, dancer!au

Word count: 9.5k

Bloom.mp3

Synopsis: when linkin park enthusiast, soundcloud rapper j.one begins to write love songs, han jisung knows it’s over for him.

Genre: college!au, soundcloud rapper!au, idiots to lovers!au, frat boy!au; fluff

Word count: 15.8k

The Best Life

Genre: arranged marriage AU, toxic family

Word count: 3.3k

Even if Things Were Different

Synopsis: You and Jisung get into an arranged marriage, but he hasn’t given up on love quite just yet.

Genre: fem!reader x Han Jisung

Word count: 8.6k

Enemies-to-Lovers!

Genre: enemies-to-lovers!au, college!au, roommate!au, tattoo apprentice!jisung lol (fluff, a bit of angst)

Word count: 18k

Radiant

Synopsis: you’ve made a mental note to yourself never to make dumb bets with J.One again because who knows you’ll fall for Han Jisung over two cups of boba?

Genre: college!au ; love-hate relationship!au ; frenemies to lovers!au ; fluff

Word count: 10k

Series

Completed

Rule Breaker

Synopsis: Han Jisung only wants one thing: to get his ex back. And for that, his best plan is to get a fake girlfriend, choosing Y/N as the one. Although she is not very happy with this idea, she knows she also has something to gain from this. She agrees with one condition: they must follow her list of rules. However, a simple list of rules cannot prevent one from falling in love and the other from getting their heart broken.

Genre: fluff, romance, angst, fake dating!au, college!au, series

Word count: 85.6k

A love like silk

Synopsis: Silk, one of the softest fabrics on the planet. It’s breathable and comfortable. Just like how he was to you. He gave you space to breath. He always made sure you were okay. Yet why, do people say he’s bad to you? He gave you a love that’s soft and tender. A love that involves soft touches, tight hugs for comfort and sweet talk, smooth like silk.

Genre: Han Jisung!Bad boy AU

Word count: 48.3k+

Social Media AUs

Completed

Intimidating

Synopsis: y/n is a computer science prodigy hired by jyp entertainment to make an app for the group Stray Kids. she’s excited but scared, seeing as she’s never had a steady job before, only working on a project basis in the past. han jisung is excited for the app but intimidated by y/n due to her intelligence. those are the perfect conditions for falling in love, right?

Genre: fluff, smau, strangers to lovers

#stray kids #kpop #fic rec #fic recommendation #fanfic rec #han jisung #han jisung x reader #han jisung fic #skz #skz x reader

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seospicybin · 10 months

Note

omg would you ever consider doing a skz x Disney Princess au..

i’m giggling just thinking abt it. I think this thought was enhanced because I’ve been in my Disney princess marathon 🤭🤭 LIKE IMAGINE CHAN BEING LI SHANG… ODKOWKSOW and watching Anastasia.. holy Anya and Dimitri’s dynamic is so cute, just thinking abt a skz member being Dimitri got me. AND OMGGG PRINCESS AND THE FROG NAVEENNNN ARGGHGR

HEHEH

I LOVE YOU BAEE

Like skz x disney fairytale?

I think I've seen that somewhere but who knows? Maybe I'd do it, depends if it triggers my interests enough or not but I'm not saying no, not saying yes either hehehe

A good idea indeed. I love it 👍🏻😊

And I LOVE YOU TOO *said aggressively*

#spicy mail

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redloftwing · 9 days

Text

Start of a new thing (?)

I've had the idea of making a SKZ AU for a while now and after many years of revising I've got some designs I like and will be posting them eventually (I've got the first one ready to go)

The main premise is that the kids live in a world where magic is controlled by music and music can be found anywhere if you look hard enough. The trees groan like violins in the wind, the earth provides a steady beat, the water like chimes sometimes soothing or clashing. After being defeated in war 100 years ago, demons have become a rare sight in the capital and haven't been seen set foot anywhere near the faeries. Although never having encountered one, Felix seems to keep seeing the same wood demon in his sleep visions.

I may or may not expand on the worldbuilding depending on if I think it would give spoilers to an eventual story, but here's where the faeries live. Just concept art for now but will post a more finalized piece if I feel like it

#SKZ Fairytale AU #that'll be the tag for this stuff #skz fanart #stray kids fanart

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crispy-chan · 3 years

Text

misjudged ↷ bang chan

❛❛ secrets are revealed, and memories are brought back when you find out why the lonely boy was cast away by the villagers. it all seems to be rooted back to the fateful day, almost a decade ago, when his mother saved a young man's life.❜❜

↷ pairing: bang chan x gn.reader

↷ genre: fantasy, fluff, angst, little red riding hood retelling

↷ warnings: lots of talks about being shunned/ignored, judgmental people, death (by fire, during a flashback, not the main pairing), witchcraft, some blood (not in detail), mention of alcohol (brief, not by the main pairing)

↷ word count: 7k

↷ note: this is for the tales as old as time collab by @wavesmp3 (tysm for being so kind and responding to all my stupid questions !!). it's a retelling of the classic tale with a little twist. honestly, this is not my best work, but it was fun playing around with the concept before I fully delve into the fairytale genre. also - this isn't exactly a red riding hood au, more so the elements of the original story are there so I hope that's okay. hope you enjoy :)

|| masterlist ||

For the hundredth time, you sigh, nodding your head as your mother reminded you of the one thing she had been drilling into your mind since the day you could walk.

Avoid the lone wolf.

Wolf was just a nickname the villagers have come up with for the lonely boy from the forest. Nobody knew his name, only that he didn't speak much and occasionally wandered out of the woods onto the main road, picking flowers from the field.

Nobody has ever spoken to him. Instead, they chose to cower in fear whenever he approached, the words he was about to utter getting stuck in his throat as he watched the people run away. With a sigh adorning his pouty lips, he looked up at the sky, calling to the clouds and imploring: why wouldn't anyone ever talk to him? Was he really that scary? He was just a boy for god's sake. A lonely boy at that, a boy who craved some company.

All he wanted was a friend.

Yet it seemed like that was too much to ask for. The simple wish for a companion was something the universe could not grant him. He wanted to scream with all the frustration welling up in him.

Why was everyone so judgemental?

“Yes, mama. I promise I'll avoid him. I won't pick any flowers and I won't stray from the main road,” you promised in a monotone voice, hoping to silence your mother into not giving you orders all the time. She, not unlike the rest of the people in the village, believed that the so-called lone wolf was nothing but trouble. Despite having never even spoken to him, she still preached that you should be cautious and avoid him at all costs.

You felt that it was a bit unfair.

You too however have never exchanged more than a few glances with the forsaken boy, but with the way he looked at everyone, it was evident he sought some company. You truly doubted that he was any harm, and yet you still have never approached him.

The power of peer pressure.

It could turn the kindest man into a cruel monster.

“Okay, don't forget to take the basket,” your mother chided while buttoning up your blouse. “I made beef roast, apple pie, and a jar of fruit compote. Oh- and there's also a bottle of wine in the cellar, so if you could grab it too…”

You nodded your head, gaze trailing to the staircase that led to the cellar. You absolutely hated that place, the air was too thick, there was no light and it smelled like rotten socks. Yet you knew better than to defy your mother when she was on edge like that. It would only result in another one of her annoying lectures so you decided to put your tendencies away for a few seconds and stumble down the stairs.

Navigation through the dark cellar was difficult enough, even without your usual fears. In the day, at least a sliver of sunlight reached the room from the only window in the room which was at ground level. That precious ray of sunlight was your only guide down in the dark and you used it to navigate down the steep cold steps made out of stones.

“Damnit-!” you cursed out loud when you almost tripped down the staircase, hand shooting to the side to steady yourself. By sheer luck, you had managed to evade toppling down, which would most definitely result in an injury, not to mention the scolding you would receive. After you were properly on your feet, you skipped down the last few steps, urge to leave steadily rising. Spotting the wine bottle on the wooden rack, you made your way to it, palm clutching around the glass and yanking it from the shelf.

With the bottle now in your hold, you quickly race up the staircase to escape the scary cellar. You release a sigh once you finally emerge on the surface of the cottage. You always felt safer when firmly grounded, the fact that you were under the Earth’s initial surface irked you to the bones.

“Is everything alright? I heard a thud…” your mother asks with concern lacing her tone. You quickly nod, straightening your head and wishing her a good afternoon as you grabbed the basket laying at the door. “Bye, sweetie. Don't forget to watch out for the w-”

You slammed the door behind you, not giving her a chance to finish her sentence. And off you go…

The dark forest was really pretty. As much as it radiated a mysterious aura, you weren't one to deny that it allured you. Lush trees huddled in clusters casting shadows over the pebbled path, emerald bushes full of ripe fruit, and most importantly; the shuffle that never seemed to quiet down. It accompanied anyone who dared to set foot on the sacred piece of land, reminding them of the unrelenting presence of the lone wolf. Almost as if he was always there, watching you, judging you for the disapproval he received from the common folk.

This was his turf.

You softly hummed to yourself, skipping every other step. You weren't sure why you were in such a good mood, perhaps it was the knowledge that you would soon spend time with your grandma. She was a lovely person with a very loving and caring personality. Whenever you were with her, you felt free, knowing that she wouldn't judge you. She liked to keep an open mind when it came to people, knowing firsthand exactly what it felt like to be misunderstood or misjudged.

As you were walking, you couldn't help but get distracted by the pretty flowers that bloomed alongside the path you were walking on, ranging in every color, shape, and size. Daisies, poppies, mini sunflowers, bellflowers, and bluebells. Like a true nature cocktail. Placing the basket on the side, you carefully looked around to confirm that the coast was clear, before bending down and picking some of the flowers.

But of course, you couldn't just stop at a few. Before you even realized it, you had already managed to make a small bouquet of wildflowers. You admired the flowers in your hold, each petal like a drop of color on a fresh canvas.

It was so pretty.

While you were so engrossed in your own little world, you didn't hear the rustling of the leaves, nor did notice the figure looming in the shadows. Eyes glued to the petals, you smiled with glee. Granny will definitely love them! She always had a soft spot for anything that had to do with nature, especially if it was from her beloved grandchild.

As you were spinning one of the daisies between your fingers, you suddenly felt a heavy presence behind you. With a squeak, you whipped your head around, eyes landing on a young boy. His eyes were blown out wide, glancing at you with unfiltered curiosity as he raked over you. A soft smile was present on his lips, yet a hint of uncertainty has managed to surface when the corner of his lip twitched.

He was waiting, that much was obvious. Staring at you and waiting for your reaction.

And you immediately knew who he was.

The lone wolf.

You thought the name did him dirty. He didn't seem like someone you should avoid, let alone cast out of the community. His soft doe-like eyes, still blown out wide, were staring at your form as he fiddled with the hem of his cream-colored bouse. Paired with the simple cotton trousers, he almost looked like any other villager, maybe just prettier, but with a quick glance, you could see the dark circles under his eyes.

And then it suddenly hit you...where does he even live?

He lived in the forest, or did he? Definitely not in the village. But did he own a house? Was he there alone? Where were his parents?

With all these questions running through your mind, you almost forgot that the boy was still standing in front of you. His mellow cough stirred you from your trance. You glanced back at him, a question at the tip of your tongue but he beat you to it. “You...you didn’t run away?” he whispered, stating it more as a question than a statement.

Your eyes widened in shock at the softness of his voice. Unsure of how to respond, you settled on simply nodding your head, indicating that you weren't going run from him as everyone else did.

The joy that erupted could be only described as adorable and childlike. It warmed your heart when you saw the cheeky grin spread across his face as he scanned you over, with even more curiosity than before. You were a special one.

“You know, you're the first person that even let me finish a sentence in ages,” he continued when you stayed rooted to your spot. Your gaze fell down to your boots before you found it in yourself to answer him, “y-yeah? Well...the villagers tend to be very judgmental-”

“Definitely! They seem to think I have the plague or something,” he halfheartedly chuckled, but you could sense the underlying pain in his tone. The more you observed him, the more you felt like people were monsters. Of course, you didn't exactly know him well, but just the fact that you were one of the only people to ever hold a short conversation with him spoke in volumes.

“I'm Chan, by the way...and you are?”

“Y-Y/N. I'm Y/N,” you quickly responded, regaining your voice back. “Y/N...sweet! That's a beautiful name,” he smiled sincerely, and at that moment, you were convinced that everyone had read him wrong. There was no way that this kind human deserved to be cast aside like that.

“Chan,” you whispered, almost tasting how the name felt on your tongue. You decided you liked the way it sounded. “That's a lovely name too…”

Chan could only smile in response, his eyes crinkling into small crescent moons and dimples appearing on his cheeks. His eyes shone brightly, despite the dark circles, and you found yourself wishing to be the reason he smiled like that.

“Thank you. Where are you going, by the way, Y/N?” he questioned with a curious glance. “Oh, I'm going to visit my grandmother,” you responded swiftly, hand reaching for the basket that was till now just laying on the side. As soon as Chan saw you struggle with it, along with the bouquet that you were carefully trying to hold on to, his hand shot out, grabbing the basket from you. “Here, let me help. I can carry it,” he smiled, holding the weaved vessel as if it weighed nothing at all.

“T-Thank you.” Your lips pursed, but there was no denying that you felt the relief. Your hand had begun to cramp prior to you stopping on the sidewalk to enjoy the flowers so you were infinitely grateful that Chan had decided to help you out. The dimpled boy let out a chuckle at your shyness before his gaze returned to the landscape in front of him.

“So where are you headed, Y/N?” Chan grunts, transferring the basket from one hand to another to lessen the ache. Oh right. You almost forgot the purpose of your trip in the first place with everything that has happened. “I'm heading to my grandma’s.”

“Hmm, and where does she live?” he quizzed, “we're walking in the direction of the forest. If we don't turn, we'll be walking straight into the den of the bears…”

For someone who never got to talk to people, Chan sure seemed to talk a lot. Yet you wouldn't have it any other way. You found his voice incredibly soothing, not to mention the sweet smile he exhibited once you gave him just the tiniest bit of attention. He truly was a lone soul, robbed of the fruit we call life.

No human can live without contact with others. No one can survive without at least occasionally talking to others. And it made you wonder, just who exactly did this boy talk to when no one was there for him? Just how hard had he taught himself to stay sane while everyone ran away from him?

Your inner monologue was soon interrupted when Chan started to hum a tune in a rather obnoxiously loud voice. You couldn't suppress the burst of laughter which made him instantly turn to you, a question balancing at the tip of his tongue, but when he saw your cutely scrunched up face, with your cheeks bunching up, he couldn't help but laugh too.

Both of your melodic chuckles echoed through the land. Chan hasn't laughed like that in a long long time, he realized. Scratch that, he has barely ever laughed, let alone with another person. It felt oddly liberating, almost as if he wasn't alone anymore. Like he didn't have to face the world on his own. If this is what it felt like to have a companion, not even a friend, a companion, Chan prayed that he could keep you by his side forever.

And not in this weird possessive way. No. A way more gentle type of want blossomed in his chest. He longed to see you every day, laugh with you, hold quiet nonsensical conversations, pick flowers...Anything but this solitude he had to deal with daily. It was hard, very hard to face the world on his own. Whenever things got bad, he had nobody to rely on, no shoulder to cry on.

He didn't want to be alone anymore. Not after he got a taste of what it feels like to have a friend.

“Are you sure it's this way?” his voice rang through the place, almost making you jump in your own skin. “I'm telling you, the bears’ den is just up ahead.” You chuckled, nodding your head in agreement. That's what most people thought, but you knew of the small path hidden behind rustling trees that lead your grandmother's cottage.

“Do you know of the woodpecker’s cave?”

Chan stared at you, confusion visible in his eyes as he glanced around, almost as if trying to find a lead on the mysterious woodpecker's cave you were talking about. He was surprised he had never heard of it, as he prided himself on the vast knowledge of the forest he possessed. It wasn't often that he came across something he didn't know. “I- where is it?” he sheepishly trailed, not wanting to admit his lacking knowledge in the area. “It's right behind the big oak tree, you know — the one where the summer celebrations take pl-”

Oh.

You almost forgot. He has never been there. Nobody has ever invited him to the annual summer festival. You panicked, apologies spilling from the tip of your tongue but Chan interjected, letting a small chuckle escape his pursed lips.

“It's okay. I've never attended the festival, but I've watched from afar.” you could see the saddened smile and you felt a pang of guilt in your heart. But Chan quickly recovered, turning back to you with his curious gaze as he implored, “so where does she live? I mean — I doubt that she lives in a cave-”

“-of course not, you dummy,” you swatted his arm, making him fall into another fit of giggles. “Behind the cave, there's a hidden passageway. If you take it, it will lead you to an open field. Granny’s house is there.”

His lips formed an O as he nodded, partially shocked that there was anything like that he didn't know of. “Does she live alone?” “She does. My mother has offered her to move in with us many times but she keeps refusing. I think she feels attached to this place,” you pushed a branch out of your way, “and also...I think she likes the freedom that she has here. My granny is free spirited, kind, and she doesn't appreciate judgmental and overbearing people. She likes to make her own opinions on everything.”

“Oh,” Chan breathed out in surprise, “she sounds like an amazing person.” You nodded, eyes crinkling in response and forming little crescents on your face. At that moment, Chan thought you were the most amazing and beautiful person to walk on earth. As stupid as it sounded, the short conversation you had with him opened his eyes and showed him the best things life could offer. Quite literally. It showed him the importance of bonds between humans. Except, Chan still wasn't sure if you could be called friends, having only known you for less than an hour, but if he could go ahead and guess, bonds like these were called friendship.

“Granny really loves flowers too, that's why I decided to pick her some,” you mused, still holding onto the bouquet of wildflowers. Hopefully, she'd like them just as much as you did.

Liked flowers? Hmm.

This was new. As much as Chan didn't know much about the other villagers, this sparked a flame of recognition deep down inside of him. He remembered seeing this person on many occasions, but after the fateful night, the night he would always remember as the worst moment of his life.

But could it really be them?

The question was at the tip of his tongue, he was about to ask you if your grandmother was the owner of the flower shop on the main square. He remembered visiting that place a few times when he was younger. When he wasn't alone. But he couldn't handle asking you. At least not yet.

He had to first check for himself.

Make sure it was the same person. He wouldn't dare get his hopes up, just for them to be squashed down like a fly. Not after all the heartache and disappointment he's been through.

“Y-Y/N?” he slowly asked, turning around and looking ahead with a blank stare. You hummed in response, tugging on your fitted sleeve and wiping off nonexistent dust from your attire. Chan's pupils momentarily dilated, as he carefully weighed out his words. “I-I… I'm sorry, but I think I have to go. I j-just realized I have to-” his voice rose a pitch, turning into an apologetic squeak, as he struggled to speak.

“-Chan,” you softly spoke, hand reaching out to graze over his which was tightening onto the basket, knuckles turning white. Chan looked up, afraid of your reaction. What a friend he was (or at least almost-friend). He just met you and offered to help you with the heavy basket, only to abandon you moments later. But to his utter surprise, you didn't seem to mind. Or that's at least what your eyes were saying. You opened your mouth to speak, “it's completely fine. Don't worry about it,” you tried your best to calm him down, his distress breaking your heart. “You've already helped me a lot so don't fret. Now go on-” you motioned for him to go with a grin, “-go ahead and do whatever you have to.”

With the reassurance, Chan finally handed you back the basket, his warm hand brushing over your cold one. After the swift exchange, he braced himself for the next words he was going to utter.

“See you soon, Y/N,” he smiled brightly, waving before eventually running off into the deep forest.

You enthusiastically waved back, but you never would have expected his predictions to come true so soon.

Right after you parted, Chan's plan fell into motion. He ran as fast as he could, a skill he has learned as a child after the horrible tragedy that made him an orphan, skipping over rocks, fallen trees, and virtually anything that stood in his way. He recalled the information that you told him mere minutes ago. A cave. He was looking for a cave. But after minutes have passed, he has still yet to find the mysterious woodpecker's cave.

He had to find it. And soon.

He wasn't sure exactly how much time he had, but he knew that not much. It was only so long that you would be picking flowers along the path. He knew he had to speed up. Finally, after around ten minutes had passed, he was sure he found it. The cave itself was small, only a few meters deep, and to his surprise, there wasn't anything there. Only a few rocks and pebbles covering the earthy ground, nothing more, nothing less.

He looked to the right from the cave, hands held in front of his face to swat out any stubborn branches. And there he could see it, a small red ribbon, tied to the trunk of a big oak tree.

Heureka.

With a little bit of further inspection, he realized that there was a path there, indeed, that led to a massive flower field. If it weren't for the ribbon, he would have entirely missed it. Breaking into a light jog with a clear goal in mind, Chan set off to find your grandmother so that he could hopefully seek answers.

In the meantime, the recollection of the horrible afternoon, almost exactly a decade ago which left him alone in this world, rang through his mind like a fever dream.

Back then, Chan was still a young child. A child stranger to the cruelty of the world, and yet he was at least a happy child. He lived with his mother in the woods, and despite that they were the only ones to live outside the village, most people still treated them with respect. But Chan knew, even at such a young age that his mother was different from all the other people.

She was gifted with the ability to cast simple spells.

Some would call it magic, but Chan knew at the time that his mothers' craft required more than just a few gibberish words. It was in a sense a form of art, which meant that it couldn't be made out of thin air. It was something that had to be practiced for years, skills polished to perfection, and only then could you truly call yourself a wizard or a witch like his mother.

She spent hours upon hours studying different spellbooks, plants, and old scrolls, not to mention how much wielding magic drained her energy. It was her passion that she poured her entire heart into, but people never took too kindly to magic, didn't they…

It was a spring morning, nothing unusual. Chan's mother was headed to the village market to sell what their crops produced. It was their only way of making money, yet Chan never found himself unhappy about it. The harvest wasn't bad this year, and they were left with a lot of food to spare. His mother would usually set out at the crack of dawn, woven basket on her back heavy with the produce she would later sell on the market to the other villagers.

Overall, it was a normal day for them, nothing unusual, no signs of the tragedy that was about to occur. To this day, Chan wishes he had gone with his mother. Maybe if he was there, he could prevent her premature death.

“I'm leaving, Channie,” his mother called to him at the door, a sweet smile present on her lips. “I promise I'll bring back some cherries since you love them so much.”

Little Chan could only yell in excitement, the sweet taste of the expensive fruit already lingering on his tongue, causing a little drool to spill from the side of his mouth. “Wipe your mouth, son,” his mother chuckled, “I'll be back at noon.”

That day, the worst tragedy of his life would occur, yet little Chan had no idea. He was lulled in blissful ignorance, daydreaming about cherry pie topped with a dash of mint, and perhaps, but only if they were lucky enough, a dollop of whipped cream. It has been a long time since he's had a sweet treat. A really long time.

Chan's mother was a caring person if that wasn't obvious, so even after the hour long trek to the village when she was covered in sweat and wanted nothing more than to open her stand and sell all her produce as soon as possible, she couldn't help but approach the commotion that was in front of the baker's house.

She didn't think twice before dropping her basket and rushing to the scene, pushing away all the people in her way. In the middle of the circle sat a young woman, holding onto a man, likely her husband. She was shivering, sobs were racking her throat and tears were streaming down her face, staining her cheeks. The man was...to put it nicely, he was bleeding. A lot. There was a big gash on his temple, it almost looked like he hit himself on the corner of a table or fell down the stairs.

His wife was desperately sobbing, clutching onto him and peppering his forehead with kisses. It seemed like she, along with the rest of the people thought his fate was sealed. He was rapidly losing blood and they'd never get him into town quick enough. The village's doctor was currently on a trip so there wasn't anyone qualified to help him.

Or at least that's what they thought.

“Move! Please — I think I can help him-” she shouted, kneeling beside the dying man. She ripped off a piece of her skirt, ignoring the shocked looks of the villagers, but the weeping woman was too far gone to care. She nodded profusely, wiping off her tears and whispering a quiet ‘thank you’.

After she pressed the cloth to his wound, she started quietly chanting the spell. It was a complicated spell that required a lot of concentration and drained a lot of energy. She was lucky she even ate breakfast this morning or she wouldn't have enough strength to continue.

By now, most people around her have realized what she was doing. She was casting a spell.

She was wielding magic. In other words, she was a witch.

Murmurs and whispers could be heard, many without a doubt talking behind her back and spreading rumors, yet she couldn't find it in herself to care. All that was on her mind was to save this man's life. If she could prevent his death, she could save the entire family. From the corner of her eye, she could see a young child, around the age of her son, standing by with tears in their eyes. They were clutching onto a small plush rabbit, watching their father with worry.

She had to save him.

After a few agonizing minutes, the wound started to slowly heal, flesh coating the bloodied spot in a matter of seconds, almost as if awakened by the dance of her fingers and the symphony of her voice. She had managed to save him.

The man coughed a few times, chest heaving up and down before his eyes opened. His wife and child immediately hugged him, throwing themselves onto him, tears of pure happiness trailing down their faces.

The woman smiled, gathering all her things back and strapping the basket on her back. When she turned to leave, letting the family rejoice peacefully, she heard a faint whisper. The young child, which couldn't have been a day older than her own son, was boring their innocent sparkly eyes into her. “Thank you,” they whispered.

The wife turned around too, her sobs having diminished into hiccups, “please, stop by when you return from the market. You can have as much bread as you want from our shop, on the house, of course.”

The woman nodded, setting off to the market. She was glad she used her powers to help somebody. To save a life.

Her happiness was short lived, however. Once she turned around the corner of the street, she was ambushed by two men; the ‘mayor’ and the butcher.

“You are under arrest for practicing witchcraft,” he grumbled, holding both her hands together. “No-no! Please! I have a son! I have a small boy to feed-”

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. The two men dragged her to the village guildhall which also served as a prison. They threw her into a cell and locked her up. They treated her like a criminal, with the same attitude as the one they'd use if they were dealing with a murderer or thief. And she was neither. She just wanted to help, yet they insisted on tying her hands together and gagging her with a piece of cloth so she couldn't perform any spells.

She knew what was coming. In a few hours, they'd burn her at the stake.

Meanwhile, Chan was getting impatient. His mother was supposed to be back a few hours ago and he couldn't help but worry. She would scold him for disobeying her like that and leaving on his own. But something must be wrong for her to not return like that.

Everything after was like a blur, and Chan could only remember bits and pieces. He left their cottage in a hurry and trekked to the village.

But nothing could prepare him for the sight. He stumbled onto the main square, shock written all over his face as he watched the gruesome scene in front of him. He saw the flames, the burning, bright red flames that were licking away at her. She was tied to a wooden pole, left there to die as the fire consumed her body.

Chan felt sick. Tears started to obstruct his vision, making everything seem like a blur. He ran back to the forest, tripping over numerous branches as he rushed to get back home. Away from all of this. On his way, he had to empty his stomach, ridding it of his breakfast.

He desperately hoped this was all a dream, that he would wake up from this nightmare to find himself sitting up in his bed with his mother in the room next door.

But that never happened.

He had to accept the cold harsh truth, that he was alone now. Nobody would help him. They'll probably avoid him like the plague. More tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He stumbled back inside the cottage, the once small space feeling way too big.

Chan was running, running like a madman. He had to find her, for only she could provide him with answers. He thought she had died, or perhaps moved away (which he was right, she did, just not as far as he expected her to). She was the only person that wouldn't scream at him to go away, or at least he hoped.

She was the only person that could hopefully provide him with answers.

After a few minutes, a small brick cottage finally came to view. This must be it, Chan thought. Adrenalin was pumping in his veins, yet he still felt nervous. Was she even the right person?

But there wasn't time for doubt, he was already there. The big wooden door with a small peephole greeted him with a sneer, reminding him that he still had to knock and introduce himself. His hand curled into a fist, knuckles coming into contact with the wooden surface three times.

“Come in.”

You were walking past the woodpecker's cave, a steady bounce to your step. In your left hand, you clutch the flowers, while in your right, you hold onto the heavy basket. You didn't get to tell him that since he ran off so quickly, but you were insanely grateful for Chan carrying the basket for so long. He was such a nice boy, you genuinely hoped to meet him again soon, but you wondered out loud, when would you see him again? You didn't even know where he lived, who he lived with, what he enjoyed. You didn't know anything.

And that hurt the most.

Did anyone know what his favorite color was? What was his comfort food? What was his favorite song?

The answer was probably no. He had lived in isolation for so long and you started to feel guilty that you haven't talked to him earlier. You were always warned to stay away from him (for what reason, you didn't know) but you never actually properly met him.

You passed the oak tree with the red ribbon that led to your granny's flower field. Oh, how you couldn't wait to share the beef roast and apple pie with her. You haven't eaten since breakfast and it was nearing midday now.

You could see the small cottage materialize as you walked closer and closer. Your hand was aching, but you found comfort in the fact that you were almost there. Just a few more minutes and you'd be there, you tried to tell yourself.

Finally, you were just a few meters away, only a few more steps and you'd be there. Your hand reached for the door, knuckles tapping at the wood exactly three times.

“Come in!”

You let yourself in, delicately placing the basket on the ground and slipping off your shoes. Peeling your eyes from the ground, you were met with dark brown orbs that were staring at you from the side of the bed. Your gaze flickered between your granny and the second person.

“C-Chan?”

The boy chuckled, looking back down to his lap. He was glad to see you again, despite the fact that you saw each other just recently, he already found himself missing you. “Come have a seat, Y/N. We have a lot of explaining to do,” your grandma proclaimed, smoothing out the sheets on her bed. “O-Oh, sure...let me just prepare the food…”

You ran to the kitchen to grab some plates so you could set the table for you all to eat and although your mother had only prepared for two people, her portions were usually massive. You were thankful, for once. Still trying to process what just happened, you start pulling out plates, Chan joining your side and taking out the silverware.

“I'm sorry, Y/N...it's really complicated, and I think your grandma is the only one who can give me answers to what happened to my only family.”

You nodded in understanding, it's not like you were angry at him in any way, shape, or form, more so confused, but not angry. “It's alright, Chan. I'm not upset, just a little surprised. Let's first eat lunch and then we can discuss whatever you came here to find out.”

“Thanks.”

After setting the table, you and Chan help your grandmother sit on the chair, she is on the older side after all and requires a tad bit of assistance. Everything goes smoothly, you get to enjoy the tasty meal and down it with some of the fruit punch you found in her cabinet while she sips the wine you brought from home.

It is calm before the storm.

Swallowing a piece of the delicious beef roast, she turns away to look at you and Chan. You have yet to be told why he suddenly showed up here, and the curiosity is getting the better of you. You peer at him through your eyelashes, trying to be as discreet as possible but Chan notices. After all, years have passed since other humans were paying attention to him, so he has learned to feel every gaze on him. Natural instinct, if you will.

He reciprocates your curious stare with a rather awkward smile, flashing his dimples as he chews down the piece of pie. “Granny—” you mumble, wiping at your mouth with a napkin, a nice cream napkin with a flowery stitch detail. “—I think you could maybe start explaining-” you take a deep breath, “-explaining whatever is going on here. Like what's he doing here,” you point to your companion but quickly add, “-of course I don't mind at all, Chan. It's a pleasure to have you...but you know, it's just a bit—”

“—it's fine,” Chan reassures you, placing his palm on top of yours and smoothing his thumb over your knuckles. His hands are soft, really soft, you realize.

“Well,” your grandma takes a deep breath, readjusting the glasses on the top of her nose, “Chan's will live with me from now on!” she exclaims joyfully as if she was simply stating what she had for breakfast.

Your eyes bulge out of your sockets and you look over to Chan, who to your surprise looks just as shocked as you are. “I-I will do what?!”

“You will live with me,” she smiles, “of course, only if you want to, but let's save that for later. I should start the explanation, it's the least I can do.”

Now you were confused. Dropping your fork, you focus your gaze on your grandmother, the gears spinning in your head at full speed. What was she even talking about? What did she owe Chan, and more importantly, how does she know him?

“It's a long story, you should buckle up, kids,” she heartily chuckles, placing her utensils neatly down on the plate. “It all started when I met her on the market one day. We immediately clicked, so I invited her to my flower shop for some tea…”

“I—I can't believe it— I mean… Chan's mother-”

“-yes. Chan's mother saved your dad, sweetie. If it wasn't for her, you would have grown up without a father. It was a noble act on her side, but an act she paid dearly for.”

You were still overcome by the shock, staring down at your lap when you heard quiet sobs. Quickly whipping your head to the side, you saw Chan whimpering, hands fisting at the table cloth as he tried to muffle his cries. It broke your heart to see him like this, to see someone so kind, yet scared and unjustly treated, finally let it out. He must have been in so much pain all these years, mourning the sudden death of his mother, his only family, but you couldn't imagine how much more it stung knowing that she was persecuted for saving someone's life.

It was absolutely infuriating.

And you could sense how much Chan tried to hold back, not wanting to cause a scene. “I should probably go get some fresh air,” he mumbled while abruptly standing up from his seat and walking to the door.

You were left inside with your grandma, along with a thick layer of sadness and guilt. It wasn't your fault, you knew that, yet you still couldn't help but feel partially guilty for what happened to his mother. It ate away at you from the inside, the cruelty some people possessed.

“I should probably go check on him,” you whispered, standing up and heading for the door, just like he did a few minutes ago. Your grandmother nodded in agreement, her eyes shining brightly, yet you could still see how the corners were a little moist.

Swinging the door open, your eyes landed on Chan's slumped up body that was splayed against the porch, knees pressed to his shoulders as he gazed at the sun. The wildflowers flowed in the air, tousled by the afternoon breeze, painting an almost idyllic picture of a situation that most certainly wasn't that.

After a few seconds of self-contemplation and voices screaming in your head, you finally slid down next to him, eyes locked at the view.

“Some people really suck, don't they?”

Chan tried to discreetly wipe his tears off with the sleeve of his shirt before replying, “yeah. They can be quite the bastards.”

There is a bitter edge to his voice, but it was different than it was back in the house, the anger seemingly evaporating from his being, leaving only grief and hurt.

Your hand instinctively reaches out for his, clutching onto his calloused fingers, “I'm sorry, Chan, I really am. This was something tragic and cruel. It should have never happened. It's not much but...if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you, okay?”

Chan wordlessly nods, eyes still trained at the horizon but you can feel his hand clutching yours and tightening its grip. “I-If you want, you can move in with granny. A-And I'll visit you every day, okay?” you squeak out making Chan softly chuckle.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. I really do. C-Can I hug you?”

Your breath hitches in your throat and your eyes widen. “Of course.”

epilogue

“Wait up, Chan! I- I'm not as f-fast as you are,” you panted heavily while trying to catch up to the boy. He was running a few yards ahead of you, clutching onto a picnic basket that your grandmother prepared. She filled it with many delicious treats and a small bottle of grape juice.

“Well you're gonna have to catch me-!” he giggled, hiding behind a tree as you frantically looked for him.

“Boo,” he shouted, making you yelp. He burst into another fit of giggles while dragging you to the spot you two always went to. It was your secret little hideout.

It was here that you met Chan for the first time exactly three years ago. And you couldn't be any happier that you decided to disobey instructions and pick those flowers near the road...

a/n: hello!! if you read all of this (mess), I can't thank you enough <3 let me know how you felt reading this dumpsterfiretruck of a fic :b

network tags (cause tumblr tags rarely work): @kpopscape @kdiarynet @k-dinernet @kwritersworld @ultkpopnetwork @newskynet

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sleepylixie · 4 years

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Genre: Romance (Fluff/Angst), Fantasy AU, Retelling of Cinderella

Pairing: Crown Prince! Seo Changbin X Assassin! Fem Reader.

Event: Twisted Fairytales series.

Release Date: 11th March 2021

Warnings (for the fic): Swearing, Minor mentions of injury and blood, minor physical fights/roughing up.

“I thought the Opal House was known for being….inconspicuous.” The voice belonged to a gallant-looking young man dressed in the trappings of a prince, his blond hair mussed over the planes of his face. You had given him nary but a once-over when he entered your private balcony, allowing the shadows of the curtains, the cloak and mask hide your features. His voice was a smooth tenor, court-born and court-raised. Your gaze skirted over the balcony railing into the group of people milling about the ballroom, dressed to the nines. There were ladies adorned in dresses made of gold feathers, men with rubies encasing their necks, maids winding their way between the aristocrats in their gold-and-black uniforms. It was a night for revelry- but here you were, with intentions of the definitively nefarious kind. “The chief has 7 of our people tailing yours in the crowd. I’d interest you in trying to find them, but that would be a losing game on your behalf, Prince Han Jisung.” A quirk of Jisung’s eyebrow and a smirk twitching his lips was all you needed to continue. “I’ve been led to believe you’re here for business negotiations and not a skill assessment?” “Are you the chief, my lady?”

Ah, so the princely brat did have some brains after all. “I have taken up responsibility for this negotiation if that’s what you wish to hear, Prince.” “You must have been Fae in your previous life, my lady,” Jisung sketched a bow to you, a glint in his eyes shining bright as he rose. “You weave the truth to your liking too well to be mortal.” “Take a seat, sweet prince, and tell me more about your proposition.” And so the fair prince sat next to you, sipped on expensive wine with you as he spilt secret after royal secret in the last, desperate bid for endless power- little did he know, he was only feeding poison to a cobra. Behind your mask, a small smile slithered up the contours of your face. Oh, this game would be beyond delicious.

Tagging: @decembermoonskz @aliceu @popisdead @cuokka @kisskissbanggang @fylithia @cotccotc @soya-zz @delicatewerewolfsoul @jl-micasea @illicit-roses @stellarmonsterr @sungieshines @lavenderbexlatte @chogiwow @wingkkun @blueprint-han (drop me an ask if you want to be tagged~)

Network tags: @inkidz @kpopscape @districtninewriters @stayracha-net @fluffyskzclub @angstyskzclub

#stray kids #skz #stray kids imagines #skz fluff #skz imagines #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #stray kids fluff #seo changbin #skz changbin #skz x reader #stray kids angst #stray kids au #twisted fairytale: take my heart #ellaskz

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hanji-cafe · 2 years

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Alice in Wonderland (Preview)

Down the rabbit hole indeed. Around you stood a vast variety of characters. Some, like the king of hearts, was cruel and ruthless, others, such as the mad hatter, were silly and entertaining. When you had tripped on that uneven tile on the street, and hit your head, you would have never guessed to end up here. Were you dead? In a coma? Or did you really fall down the rabbit-hole and into a world full of nonsense and riddles?

#Mimi Fairytales #stray kids #skz #fairytales #stray kids au #fairytale au #red heart hyunjin #king of hearts hyunjin #had matter Jisung

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starseungs · 2 years

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➳ written on paper. lmh

pairing: (skz) lee minho x fem!reader

As the daughter of the previous Snow White, your story requires an evil witch to take the antagonist’s spot—someone who would help lead you towards your happily ever after. That was where Minho’s role comes in.

genre/s: fantasy au, storybook/fairytales next generation au, forbidden lovers(ish), angst, fluff, drama in general, a dash of humor, son of the evil queen minho x daughter of snow white reader, kinda ever after high au but with a twist

warning/s: mentions of death (no actual dying), themes of bullying & discrimination (story roles), mentions of cheating (its not minho dw), political(?) corruption & deception, swearing, crying... lots, hyunjin is kinda an asshole for a while im so sorry

wc: 16.6k

note: tysm for the people who took interest in the teaser! i hope this makes the wait worth it <3 also this is my first time writing a fic this long, so feedback would be greatly appreciated^^

2022 ⓒ starseungs on tumblr. do not steal, repost, or edit.

Legacy Day.

A momentous event where the students of Storybook High pledge to all of the magical world to follow in the same footsteps as their fairytale parents. In this school, the students range from the offspring of protagonists to mere side characters—the sons and daughters of antagonists are here too.

You see, when children of this magical world turn eleven, they are sent to study at Storybook High to learn more about the realm and the stories that led to its establishment. One is expected to complete the full nine-year curriculum and sign the Book of Legends on the first day of eighth grade, sealing their fate forever. This day is called "Legacy Day."

The process of signing one’s fate has been followed for many years. Some were less willing than the others, of course—but at the end of the day, no one had ever dared not to sign. This was greatly influenced by the saying that if you don’t, then your story will disappear along with you. As one would have already guessed, that belief sparked a heated debate about whether it was true or not. After all, there were a lot of fairytale children that despised their so-called "fate".

And that leads us exactly to our current event.

Silence wraps the massive hall as all eyes are fixated on one person standing on top of the tall stage. Tension hung heavily in the air, a result created by seeing who was facing them all. You couldn’t help but gulp in anticipation, finding your hands clasped while your eyes were glued on Minho—who was nervously staring at the book in front of him.

Minho was what they could classify as your partner. Not in a romantic way (you suppose), but more so with your stories. As the daughter of the previous Snow White, your story requires an evil witch to take the antagonist’s spot—someone who would help lead you towards your happily ever after.

That was where Minho’s role comes in.

"I am Minho, son of the Evil Queen. And," he takes a shaky breath. "I pledge..."

Everyone watching is on the tips of their toes. Minho was most well known as the person who hated their fate more than anyone else. He was practically the face of the "rebellious teens," as the others called them, who claimed they would write their own stories instead. Being the son of the Evil Queen—the same person who poisoned your very own mother and got herself locked up inside the mirror prison, his story calls for him to do the same to you.

Surprisingly, Minho was far from what you would’ve expected as the next Evil King.

From the moment you got your acceptance letter, your parents had already warned you to never befriend Minho. They said that he’d be mean, despicable, a rotten apple, and basically evil as a whole. "Mind your own business in the dorm room, sweetheart," you remember your mother telling you as she smoothed out your dress in the carriage. "Your roommate will be the enemy. I know it sounds scary, but it’s only natural. Both of your fates are tied together. However, do not worry, my love. It’ll be over as soon as possible," she comforted you.

Well, it turns out your parents were very wrong.

Minho was nothing short of sweet and caring. Sure, he was a bit cold at times, but his frosty exterior did not speak for him the same way his heart did at all. He was fun, playful, and easy to get along with. You found yourself forming a friendly dynamic with him sooner than you expected.

"I pledge," Minho visibly gritted his teeth to force out the words he feared for the longest time. Eyes shifting, he looked at you—wordlessly pleading for you to help him escape. But, having nothing much you could do, you could only give him a small smile of encouragement. He had to do this.

There was no other choice.

Feeling defeated, he took the quill and stopped below the page. This was it—he’s expected to sign any second now, you thought bitterly. Even if one despised their fate, it was the only way to live in this world. The harsh truth that all of you had to endure.

Yet just when you were about to relax, Minho’s eyes suddenly changed from hesitant to determined. Your eyes automatically widened in horror. As his friend and roommate for the seven years you’ve been at this school, that look was something you knew very well.

He can’t be thinking of—no way!

"No," he spat out strongly. The crowd collectively gasps at his words. "I’m not signing this bullshit."

In one quick motion, the book was slammed shut.

The sound of distressed reactions took over the hall as the magic mirrors showcasing the event shattered one by one. Fear quickly spread amongst the mass of people, the emotion emphasized by the now dimming lighting. Your body froze in shock and disbelief at what Minho had just done. This—this can’t be happening, right?

Your eyes closed instinctively as you shook silently beneath the stage. You two can’t just disappear like this! What on earth was Minho thinking? Sure, you had already signed your story, but without Minho, would it even still exist? Both of your fates are broken now—if there even is one by the end of this.

You hoped the disappearing process would be painless because you really weren’t ready to experience suffering for something you didn’t ask for in the first place. A few seconds passed by as you waited for the inevitable.

But it never came.

Instead, you found yourself feeling nothing that was out of the ordinary. As you slowly raise your head to look at the situation, your eyes catch sight of Minho’s disapproving ones. In the short minute that you had that small breakdown, he had already stepped off the stage and was now proceeding to head away from the hall.

The look he gave you made your eyes burn in hot fury.

Is he serious? Why is he even disappointed? Can he really blame you for getting scared when he’s the one who put both of your lives in danger? You signed the book—you even signed it for him! All in an effort to make sure that both of your stories won’t vanish into thin air.

So what made him betray you like that?

Your clicking heels echoed loudly throughout the hallway as you walked briskly to follow his speedy figure. "Minho!" you called out to him, tone filled with frustration. Luckily, that seemed to halt his steps.

Finally catching up, you stopped just a few meters behind his back. The air was cold and lightly frosted over your warm skin. The once lively corridor was now bleak and seemed very unwelcoming. There was an unspoken hostility felt between you and Minho, as the two of you stood there for a moment—not saying anything. Something you had already expected.

What can you even say after all that?

Minho sighs in exasperation before turning around and facing you. His eyes were glassy with unshed tears, refusing to venture to his face, which was carved with torment. You tried to reach your hand out to touch him, but he swatted your hand away gently. "...What do you want?"

You found your mind blanking for a moment after finally getting a better look at him. Minho looked ethereal at that moment, even through the show of his obvious pain. The moonlight suited him, you thought. It framed his whole being in its sparkling glow.

Nevertheless, it wasn't long until you remembered why you were in front of him in the first place.

"...Why?" you rasped out. All the previous events and emotions begin to flood back, overwhelming you beyond belief. "Why would you do that!?" you shrieked at him. Minho clenched his jaw at your words.

"You... you could've disappeared! I could've disappeared! What were you thinking—"

"But we didn't!" he yelled back. Your words immediately clumped up and stuck in your throat, unable to get out. "We didn't disappear! So I'm asking you now Y/N, what do you want?" Minho seethed.

What did you want? What else could you possibly want? All you wished for was to live properly and survive. But to achieve that in this world, he had to—

"Sign the book," you pleaded desperately. And even through the hurt gaze he set on you, you continued to try and reason with him.

"Please just sign the book. I'll do anything you want. You want to change your destiny, right? We can make it work! Do you perhaps want a throne? I'll give you mine willingly. You don't have to be thrown into the mirror prison," your voice was becoming shakier by the second from the intensity of the situation. "See? It's not really that hard, Minho! You could still change the events even if you signed the book. I know you're scared to live a life you don’t want, but—"

"When will you understand that it's not about me!?" he cried out.

The sheer amount of emotion in Minho's voice takes you by surprise. It was raw, and undoubtedly broken. His words pierced your heart sharply, and you inwardly winced as you felt the imaginary arrows sink deeper. Through the ache, you forced out a reply, "...Pardon?"

Minho hastily wiped the few tears that managed to escape, and said, "I don’t want a throne, and I'm not scared of going to that prison. In fact, with what they're expecting me to do, I really do deserve it! Just—just like my mother..."

He's... not? Then why go through all this trouble for a rebellion? He even appears to be willing to poison you—

"But I'm different from her. I don't want to hurt you," he added weakly, "Ever. I could never bring myself to do it, Y/N. And I knew if I signed that damned book, fate would somehow find a way for me to fulfill the story, even against my wishes. And... I can't have that."

"But what about the story now? If it disappears, we—"

"Oh please, Y/N. What are we doing right now, huh? Talking! We didn't disappear like all the legends used to say."

"But we still could!" you stubbornly retorted.

Minho huffed and rolled his eyes, "So what? I'd rather that happen than my story."

The frigid tension that formed between the two of you engulfed the whole space. At this point, you were sure that if someone were to walk in on the two of you, there was a good chance they would end up coughing ice.

"You don't mean that," you warned, glaring at him. "I know well that you aren't implying that you'd rather die than... live?" The words you uttered weighed heavy on your tongue.

He simply shrugged casually in response, "Why not? I have nothing to look forward to in my supposed future anyway. Unlike your kind who get all the happy endings, we're just here to make you guys look good—what? Don't look at me like that. You know damn well it's true," he scoffed venomously. "A lot of us don't even like our stories, but look at how we're forced to do it for you to live happily ever after."

His words set fire inside of you once again. How dare he assume you had it easy too? Maybe on paper it did—you could admit that. You were a protagonist and a royal, after all, destined to have a happy ending and live a lavish life. But you knew that if you closely examined the cards you'd been dealt with, it was far from the ideal storybook ending people made it out to be. You couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

"Do you really think I like my story too?" You questioned him with a wry chuckle. "Do you really think I want to be poisoned? Then get rescued by a prince who, mind you, doesn't even love me! And then say I have to marry him too? It's bad enough Hyunjin openly displays to the public that he doesn't have an ounce of care about my well-being, but he's even shoving it into my face that he already likes someone else! Tell me who in the world wants to be a second choice, let alone be cheated on?"

"Then you shouldn't have signed it."

His blunt words hit you like a truck. Finally feeling the crash of all the events that happened, you broke out into tears. The moonlight you praised him in earlier now serves as a humiliating reminder of what’s to come. Minho stares at your sobbing face one last time before walking away.

And all you could think about was how he could be right.

The bustling crowd of the school cafeteria is loud as always—but this time, there was a glaringly obvious tense atmosphere that followed everyone. You couldn’t help but sigh at the troublesome situation.

It's been a tough week for you in terms of your social life. The number of pitiful looks you've received, as well as "You can get through this," greetings from your fellow peers who played as protagonists, was astounding. On a normal day before, they would never have spared you a single glance unless they needed something. But now, you’ve practically become the center of their conversations.

And even at the very moment, you’ve got all their attention. One would think their stares were due to you wearing something obnoxious—but you were literally just trying to eat. You roll your eyes in annoyance.

So much for a good lunch.

"Maybe if you weren’t in such a critical situation right now, then they wouldn’t be eyeing you like a display," Seungmin commented from across the table. You threw some grains of rice towards him.

"Or, I don’t know, they could mind their own business?"

"As if that would ever happen," the son of the Queen of Hearts muttered. "They’d rather watch the world explode than pass on drama."

In a way, he was right. Storybook High was not just any normal school—it was also the center of gossip throughout the entire realm. As you were the next generation of citizens, the spotlight currently shines brightly on your generation.

Felix chuckled. "It’s funny to see how different the two sides view you." The reminder of the current unity status of the student body from the next Hansel (his mother is actually Gretel, but Felix’s cousin was a girl, so they agreed to switch) immediately sucked all the remaining life from your body. "The Royals pity you, while the Rebels are curious about where you stand."

The Royals and the Rebels.

Division between the student population had been at an all-time high ever since that little stunt Minho pulled on Legacy Day. What was once a peaceful crowd quickly developed into a dangerous war zone. Granted, the people’s divisions already existed even before the school was founded. The most obvious one was being sorted into "Protagonists," "Antagonists," and "Side Characters." But it looks like with the current rise in rebellion of teens who aren’t satisfied with their fates, a new division has arisen.

And it worsened with Minho’s refusal to sign his story.

You see, after the both of you left the hall to have your little "chat"—many of those who wanted to write a new destiny for themselves also refused to sign. These people, including Minho himself, are now classified as "Rebels." This placed them on the bad side of the (now called) "Royals", who wanted to follow their predetermined happily ever afters.

Not everyone opposing the Rebels is actually royalty, but the majority of them are. This was what earned the group's generalized title as "Royals." Although, some of the non-royalty protagonists took advantage of the opportunity to act like one. One of them is Yeri, Goldilocks' daughter—

"Hey Y/N!" You hear a familiar voice call out. Well, speak of the devil. Yeri happily rushes over to your current table, an action Hyunjin clearly did not appreciate. Oh, did you mention you were eating lunch with him? No? Good. He’s not that special anyway.

Deciding to be a decent person, you turned around and greeted the girl, "A pleasant day to you too, Yeri. What can I help you with?" Seungmin and Felix quickly followed up with their pleasantries, while Hyunjin only grunted as his greeting. If this jackass—

"Oh, yes certainly," she chirps joyfully. You kind of envy her personality. For being the next Snow White, you were nowhere near being as positive as your mother. You lightly smiled at Yeri for her to continue, "Well, you see, I’m writing a new scoop for my blog about Legacy Day! Could you be a dear and tell me what you think of what happened?"

Your smile vanishes in a flash.

Is this a joke? Why are they asking you, of all people? It’s either she’s completely clueless or this is a sick way of putting you down. The nerve of them to attempt to humiliate you like this.

Felix tries to intervene, seeing your reaction. "Yeri, actually—"

A sudden mocking laugh rang through your ears, successfully cutting Felix off. "Please, Yeri. You can interview me instead. Let’s leave little Snow White alone, yeah? She’s already dealing with so much!"

Seungmin didn’t even try to hide his distaste for the new face that entered the scene—a contrast to Hyunjin, who finally cracked a smile for the first time since he sat at the table.

Of course he would. The voice belonged to the one and only Mina. The daughter of the Swan Princess, now the Swan Queen.

Just great. What does she want now? You never knew what her problem was. She has always had a personal vendetta against you and is hellbent on making your life as miserable as possible. Not very successful, but bothersome nonetheless.

Right—she’s also the one dating Hyunjin. The awfully paired Prince Charming to your Snow White.

Your friends used to say that she was just jealous of you. And while there was a good percentage for that to be true, you personally think she’s just a shitty person in general. Her not-so-best reputation among the student body certainly backed that up. Her and Hyunjin suit each other, you thought to yourself.

"I’m so sorry, Y/N! I swear I didn’t mean to offend you," Yeri quickly apologized. Your head was slowly starting to hurt from all this dramatic nonsense. And unfortunately for you, Hyunjin finally decides to speak up, "Mina is right. Y/N must be having such a hard time, especially knowing her story might not happen anymore."

What the fuck. Is he for real?

Apparently he is, because he chose to leave your group at the table and walk away with the other two girls. Oh—would you look at that. Totally expected of him. You groaned as you rested your head on the lunch table.

"Why does he even decide to hang around us?" Seungmin scowled at Hyunjin’s retreating figure. "It’s not as if he likes any of us."

You poked at your tray with a spoon, "His parents probably forced him to because of me. Who knows, maybe they’re scary."

Hyunjin was… not necessarily a bad person. In the eyes of other people, he really wasn’t. He had a good reputation amongst your peers (a stark contrast to his girlfriend), and was often called the "ideal prince." Yet, for some reason you can’t understand, he was nothing less than a pain for you and your friends.

"Until now, I don’t get his issue. You haven’t been treating him half as bad as he does to you," Felix sips on his juice. "Is the idea of kissing you in a casket that nightmare inducing for him? You’re literally the one dying, Y/N."

From the very start, you knew Hyunjin did not like that he was the assigned prince to you. He never explained why though, and you always thought it was because, ironically, he likes apples. You’re honestly surprised he even signed his story! For the longest time, you believed he was going to end up siding with the Rebels.

Well, to be fair, he is still a prince destined for a happy ending—no matter the partner assigned to him. Maybe he also couldn’t give up the luxury. Or like you, believed that he would disappear too. All valid reasons in your book.

Speaking of Rebels, you lifted your head to look at Minho’s direction. You’ve noticed him sitting near the window since lunch started, and the sight of him alone made your heart ache with worry. From what you’ve seen, people have been avoiding him like the plague ever since the Legacy Day incident happened. Aside from when he was with his friends, all others who refused to sign their stories, Minho was seen on his own for the most part.

You were well aware that a lot of Royals had been badmouthing him intensely too. The complete opposite to the pity treatment you’ve been receiving, even though you knew they could care less. And to be honest, it’d be better if they actually acted that way instead.

"Jeez, look over there," Felix whispered. "A Royal table and a Rebel table are arguing."

How amusing. It looks like you really owe Minho an apology. He was right about most of the Royals. One of the only exceptions would probably be your friends and Jisung. He was genuinely worried enough to tell you that he was willing to be your prince instead, if Hyunjin (his best friend, by the way. How that happened, you would never know.) was ever planning on flaking out. You politely declined him, though. Your stories would clash too much. After all, he was the main protagonist of his own story too—being the son of the Frog Prince and all. The poor guy also had a massive hopeless crush on Pinocchio’s daughter.

Back to Minho, the two of you haven’t spoken for the past week. The dorm room both of you shared became too quiet, not a single word being uttered throughout the hours it was occupied. And whenever you did try to talk to him, he would simply ignore you, even leaving the room if it wasn't yet past curfew.

Maybe you should try it now?

"Hey," you tried to get your two friends’ attention, "Should I talk to Minho?"

Seungmin peeled his eyes away from the fight that was occurring a few tables away. "Go for it? You’ve been all mopey and sad for the past week. It’s about time you and him made up." Felix agreed with a short nod.

"Alright, wish me luck."

Deciding to test the waters, you stood up from your seat. The nerves are starting to form, and the words you wanted to say are lost in the sea of your thoughts once again. Taking a deep breath, you told yourself you could do it.

It was just Minho, after all. You two are close friends, right? Even though you’re supposed to be enemies in front of everyone else, of course. Talking to him shouldn’t be this hard. It’s all in your head, Y/N. You can do it.

Now—okay, maybe not.

As soon as you finally get the courage to move, you spot his friends approaching him. It looks like you lost your chance again. He would surely use his friends as an excuse to avoid you. Running your hand through your hair, you backed out of your plan right away and sat down.

Felix snorted, "Too late, huh?"

You’ll just have to talk to him soon.

Minho was not in class.

Normally, this fact wouldn’t bother you too much—but it was currently culinary class. His favorite class out of them all.

Other students knew of this fact too. And while they used to think it was because he was secretly determined to successfully poison you in the future, you knew that it was just because he genuinely liked cooking. So the mere fact that he wasn’t anywhere to be seen at that moment concerned you greatly.

Chan, your cooking partner for this session, took notice of your fidgety actions. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You look really anxious. Is it perhaps because of me?" His question surprised you.

What? Why would you be—oh. Chan was someone who sided with the rebels. He was good friends with Minho too, the two of them sharing the same sentiment of not wanting to be antagonists in anyone’s lives. You knew being told to be the next Big Bad Wolf hadn't been an easy task for him. And because you're technically a royal, he might be thinking you despise his guts as well.

"Oh, not at all! I’m so sorry... I’m just concerned about Minho," he hums at your answer. Taking out the chopping board, he replies, "Is it because he’s not here? Yeah, I could totally relate to your thought process. Shocked the heck out of me too, actually."

You nod aggressively, "Exactly! He never skips culinary class. There was this one time when he was having such a bad headache, yet still insisted on attending this class for that day."

In general, it was quite unlikely for Minho to skip any classes at all. He was someone who valued education and was very vocal about it. That, and something about not wanting to act like his mother when she was still in school. Minho was determined to be a model student, proving to others that he was nowhere near evil.

"Yeah, it sounds like him alright," Chan says, laughing. "Who knows? Maybe he’s just really tired today." You think carefully about his words.

It was a reasonable guess, but Minho? Too tired to cook? Unheard of! Unless he’s really sick and can’t attend the class because of the health protocols. He seemed okay this morning, though? Sure, you can’t really tell since the both of you haven’t interacted in a while (you should really try talking to him again, it’s been 3 days since the cafeteria attempt), and you only had this class together for this year—

Wait a minute.

You only shared culinary class with him this year? He—he couldn’t have avoided this class because it was the only class you two had together, right? He wouldn’t go as far as skipping his favorite class just to avoid you?

News flash, Y/N. He totally could. And that’s most likely what happened.

You huffed at the pettiness of the idea. If he doesn’t want you to convince him to sign the book that badly, then you won’t! Like it’d even matter at this point. Too much damage has already been done.

The look on your face must’ve been clear as day, because you hear Chan sigh from beside you. You flushed in embarrassment. While chopping the carrot, Chan decides to break the silence. "You think he’s avoiding you, huh?" he said, as you gave him a short nod. "Did he tell you that?"

"No, not really," you awkwardly responded. "We—we haven’t been talking."

Chan starts aggressively chopping, "Minho, that idiot. I told him to talk to you!" You stopped steering the soup you two were working on. The volume of his sigh worsened. You couldn’t help but snicker at his obvious stress.

"That guy really," he said, finishing up. "Don’t worry, Y/N. He’ll come around soon. He just needs more time to think."

Time to think... He had a point. Maybe you needed time to think too.

For the past few days, you’ve been really preoccupied with the relationship between you and Minho, along with the growing suspicion that the Royals were starting to outcast you (their pity phase must be over now). Because of that, you haven’t had the luxury of really thinking about everything. From the events that happened on Legacy Day to figuring out what you actually believed in—there was still a lot to unpack.

But before you could completely immerse yourself in your mind, panicked squeals diverted your attention to the cooking booth right beside Chan and yours—where two of your classmates were rummaging around in an attempt to stop the boiling pot from spilling over.

"Uh, hey Chan, can you help?" Changbin, the Mad Hatter’s son, awkwardly calls out. Right beside him was a malfunctioning Jeongin, seemingly under more stress than the former. Chan’s eyes widened, "What did you even do?"

"It was Jeongin’s idea!" Changbin whined to your partner. The mentioned guy protests, "It was clearly a joke! I didn’t think you would actually do it!"

Ah—the son of the Cheshire Cat causes mischief once again.

Groaning, Chan turns to look at you. "Sorry Y/N, can you handle the soup first? I’ll just help them real quick," you give him a thumbs up, "Thanks. Just put the ones I chopped in the pot, then stir until cooked." You did exactly as you were told. While waiting for the soup to cook, you decided to take the opportunity and start what you should’ve done earlier.

First of all, Legacy Day.

At first, you were terrified that Minho had finalized his stance that he wouldn’t follow his story. All your life, you were led to believe that following one’s destiny was the only way to continue living. You never questioned it as a result—it was quite straightforward anyway. Signing the Book of Legends was a life or death situation. And as a young child, disappearing so early in life was not the most appealing concept.

But that belief was shattered on Legacy Day, along with the magic mirrors that surrounded the hall. You and Minho didn’t fade away. Heck, even Hyunjin didn’t fade away, and he was supposed to be tied to both of your stories too!

So what does that mean to you?

Simple. Your life was a lie.

The whole "follow the destiny given to you" was full of crap, and you can’t believe you let yourself be trapped in that mindset for too long. In the first place, you never even wanted to be the next Snow White. No matter how many times your parents made the concept sound appealing, you just never understood the reason why you had to be poisoned and then saved by a prince. With a kiss too? Magic existed here, yes, but was that really enough to get rid of literal poison?

Plus, if the kiss needed to be from true love, then you were damned from the start—there was no way Hyunjin would end up loving you enough for that to work. And you’d really rather not touch his plump lips. If you did, Mina just might stab you in your casket, successfully killing you for a second time in a row.

It’d be "Snow White: Bad Ending" for that one.

If you really thought about it, the only other reason you signed the book was for Minho. Aside from your own life, you cared a lot about his too. Minho was your best friend, your partner, and an overall important person to you. If him living meant you had to throw away your freedom, then so be it. You won’t let Minho vanish from this world wrongfully.

You loved him too much for that.

Love. Certainly, a strong word. You still don’t know what kind of love you held for the son of the Evil Queen exactly, but you knew you did love him. Did he feel the same too? You hoped so. If his words from Legacy Day spoke any truth, then he did care about you a lot. What he did contradicted your survival plan for the both of you, but from his point of view, it was also his way of protecting you and him.

So then, where do you stand?

It’s—it’s hard to decide at the moment. On one hand, you had the life you were conditioned to have growing up, and on the other hand, it was where you could be free. Saying it was comfort versus your dream would be an understatement. And while you wanted to dream as much as the Rebels did, that life hasn’t been proven to be very stable yet in your eyes.

Maybe you could just wait a bit more to choose. You wanted to talk to Minho first and see what he had to say. But so far—you think you might be on the verge of regretting ever signing your fate.

"Uh... Y/N," Chan said, tapping your shoulder and jolting you out of your thoughts. "The soup might be cooked already."

You gasped, "Oh, right! My bad, Chan." He waved away your apology, "Nah, it’s all good. Just turn the fire off and I’ll plate the soup." He started placing the bowls down.

Glancing over at Changbin and Jeongin’s side, you just now realized they were gone. "What did they go?" you ask. Chan grimaced at his friends’ situation. "Got called by the teacher. They’re probably getting scolded outside." You cringed.

"That’s… unfortunate."

Culinary class ended not long after.

The regret of having signed the book was getting stronger, alright.

Walking down the school corridors, the difference between the Royals and the Rebels suddenly seems more evident to your observing eyes. It was the hour right after the last classes ended, meaning everyone would be gathered in the halls. Students were all leaving classrooms, organizing their lockers, and conversing with friends—something you couldn’t do because Seungmin had choir practice, while Felix was off to the library.

In all your eighteen years of living, never once have you felt as painfully uncomfortable as at this very moment. It was like someone had pulled the blindfold that you had been forced to wear all the way back to when you were still a kid.

So what was this jarring difference between the two sides, you asked?

The Royals were unapologetically shitting on the Rebels while the latter minded their own business. How surprising, right? And even with people hovering over their backs for the most part, they were still the ones with wide smiles and exciting chatter—meanwhile the opposite side that was too busy pampering themselves, still found the time and need to sneer at any Rebel who passed by. You winced at their actions, genuinely ashamed.

God forbid that you had acted like they did before. Even though you knew you weren’t half as bad as them because of befriending Minho, there was still a big chance you had those moments unconsciously. And you hated that thought. It’s absolutely detestable! Downright vile! The Rebels just wanted their chances of living happily ever after too. What was so wrong with that?

It was at that moment that you realized that the influence ran deep. That there was some sort of ‘worthy’ and ‘not worthy’ mindset that plagued the protagonists’ side of the division—even through the peace that you thought the school had before. As someone who was also exposed to that lifestyle since you were born, you could see where they were coming from, but at the same time, you were highly repulsed by the thought. The list of things you wanted to tell Minho grew longer by the second you stayed in this hallway.

You sped away from the scene, deciding to head to the school balconies. You figured studying with a good view would keep your thoughts at bay for a while. If you spent another minute in the midst of all that, you would probably end up choosing to resign your crown at the next possible moment. And you didn’t want to do something too life-changing impulsively. Turning the corner to reach your destination, the sudden sight caught you off guard.

It was Hyunjin and Mina. Making out in broad daylight, without shame.

They were hidden by the pillars that stood as support for the entryway of the balconies. But you could still see them very clearly from where you stood. You doubt they could see you, though. Whether it was because you were well hidden, or they were too engrossed in sucking each other's faces—you really didn’t want to know.

Admittedly, there was a part of you that wanted to earn Hyunjin’s affection. He was to be your husband, after all. It was only natural to want a marriage with love, or at the very least, respect. But out of everything, you could never blame Hyunjin for liking someone else. You even supported him, even if his girlfriend was someone who you could never stand to be in the same room with. Anyone should be able to love who they want to, as well as marry who they want to, responsibly. Not some nonsense book about those who came before you—

Holy shit. Your life is so fucked.

You were the one being told who to love and marry by that book. The one whose life is to be lived and told through a script. The situation you were trapped in had never been clearer than at this very moment, and it crashed on you like that one little pig’s pile of bricks.

Silent tears flowed out of your eyes as you thought of the future. Happily ever after, your ass. You're going to be married to an asshole who can’t even respect you as a prospective wife who’s in the same boat as him, and would rather choose someone else over you! Not to mention, he has to bring you back from the dead first—what if he takes the chance and just leaves you to rot? Where's the happy ending in that?

Through a watery vision, you noticed your sight suddenly dimming as you felt a hand softly wrap around your eyes, blocking your view of the couple. The sudden force caused your back to collide against a strong chest. A sudden action, but you didn’t scream. Because you recognized that scent right away.

"You big baby. If you hate it that much, why’d you sign the book?"

It’s Minho.

God, you missed his voice. It feels like it’s been forever. Feeling the relief of having him close again on top of your devastation for the future, you felt yourself starting to cry harder. He sighed at your tears, deciding to drag you away from the balconies.

"Seriously, Y/N. You have to stop pining after him. It’s not even worth it," he snarkily comments. While messily wiping your tears, you let out a small laugh. "I’m not." You both came to a stop in the middle of an empty corridor.

Finally, he turns to face you. Rolling his eyes playfully, he started wiping the remaining tears from your face. "You are such a big baby," he says, to which you slap his chest lightly, "I’m not!"

He squished your cheeks in response to your protest. "Look at you, saying the same thing over and over again like a child," he cooed. Slapping his chest more strongly, he coughed out a wail of complaint.

"What? So you're finally deciding to talk to me now?" You glared at him. Those words seemed to get through to Minho, because he started rubbing the nape of his neck awkwardly.

Diverting eye contact, he replies, "Yeah, about that—I’m really sorry."

You looked at him, not convinced in the slightest. "Did Chan talk to you?" you asked. The guy did say he told Minho to talk to you. Maybe Minho finally took his advice after another round of suggestions.

It turns out the answer to your question looked like a no, because he seemed genuinely confused at what you said. "... No? Why?"

Shaking your head, you waved him off. But Minho, being Minho, decided to dig deeper into the topic. "Did you two talk about me? What did you say?" he pressed further. Glaring at him, you pushed past him and started walking down the corridor. He trailed you like a lost puppy.

"Y/N, come on," he says, grabbing your waist and pulling you both to a halt. The gesture left you absolutely speechless. "What’d you say about me, hm?" he whispered in your ear.

Feeling steam rushing out of your ears, you immediately pulled away. He laughs at your flustered face. "Why would you—what?" You started rambling more random words, "Minho!"

"Yes, that’s me," he jested. After seeing the amusement on his face, you quickly composed yourself. What is up with him today? Sure, he was normally playful, but not like this! You don’t think this Minho was good for your heart—if the way it was racing indicated anything severe.

Minho crossed his arms, frowning a bit. "Why are you so secretive about it? Did you both talk shit about me?" he raised an eyebrow in suspicion. You shook your head to deny his claim, "Not at all. We just talked about why you weren’t in culinary class earlier." His shoulders seemed to sag in relief.

It's not like you’d ever talk bad about him in the first place.

"Ah that," he started, "I was called to the principal’s office." The revelation has you startled. Why was he called in there? Are they expelling him? No way! They can’t do that! That’s absurd—

At your alarmed reaction, he immediately grabbed your shoulders and assured you, "Hey, hey. It’s not anything bad, I promise, okay?" He waited until you were able to compile your thoughts. You gazed into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth. And just as he said, his pretty eyes held no lies.

"Then... why were you called then?" you asked. He visibly cringed at the question. Upon seeing his response, you quickly connected the dots and trapped him in a tight hug. Minho was not someone who made a big deal of most things that happened, so earning this kind of reaction from him could mean one thing: "Did—did they make you talk to her?"

His head dipping into the crook of your neck weakly was enough to tell you that your assumption had been correct. The school had pulled out the mirror that the Evil Queen was imprisoned in and made him talk to her. This now showed the school’s stance on the issue to you.

They were not taking Minho’s rebellion positively in the slightest.

Pulling him closer, you comforted him in the same way you’ve done multiple times before. As one would have deduced from seeing this side of Minho, he and his mother did not have a good relationship. She was the face of evil, someone who was truly rotten to the core. Minho wanted to be nothing like her. And he damn made sure of that. Unlike her, Minho was determined to live as a good citizen of the magical world. That alone made him stronger than most of the heroes you knew.

He started shifting in your embrace. You instantly knew he was about to say something. "Y/N, can you answer me seriously?" he asked softly. Nodding, you kept holding him. "Why did you actually sign the book?"

You paused for a moment, thinking about your true answer seriously. The two of you had to have this talk sooner or later. It was the main source of your conflict, the reason for all the days spent avoiding each other. Not addressing it would just be pushing aside the topic until it explodes again. So you prepared yourself for what's to come.

"I didn’t want to lose you."

Your honest words infuriated Minho, "So you’re willing to live a life you don’t want just so I won’t disappear!?" He pulled away from your embrace. You could only look at him with blank eyes. What could you even say to that? Correcting him would not do anything.

Because he was completely right.

"Why are you mad? You’re also the one who refused to sign the book because you would rather die than hurt me," you pointed out the hypocrisy behind his words. "You were so willing to sacrifice yourself so that I could live safely. So why can’t I do that too?"

"Y/N, that’s not the same—"

"I told you we could have still made it work even if we both signed the book. You know that too."

"You know I can’t—"

"Why?" you whimpered, feeling the dam of your tears starting to break once again. This was way too many mood swings in a day for your liking. You don’t think you could take any more crying after this. "Just like you’re afraid of fate tying you to end up hurting me, I’m scared of it taking you away from me too! So tell me, what exactly is the difference, Minho?"

This got him to think for a second, the gears in his head turning and twisting to make sense of what you had just uttered. And when he finally reached a conclusion, his eyes widened in shock. It looks like you have both finally reached common ground.

It was his turn to hug you tightly now, frantically apologizing for the way he acted. "You're such an idiot," you muttered into his chest. He simply agreed with you. "I’m sorry too."

"I know. I already forgive you."

"And I’m sorry for Legacy Day. The thought that you could disappear at any moment and I’d never see you again blinded me. I wasn’t even thinking twice about what I was saying at the moment. I—I also didn’t want to go," you sniffled. "It’s just that I really believed that we had to sign to—"

"You don’t have to explain. It’s okay, I understand now." Minho shushed you. "I was in the wrong too. Emotions just got to the best of me, so I lashed out. I’ve had time to think though, and you just gave me another realization earlier too."

The both of you simply wanted the best for the other in the only way you knew how. Unfortunately, your methods were completely different. But that doesn’t change the fact that all you both wished for was each other's safety, and this was just one big misunderstanding.

"Are we okay now?" You asked hopefully.

"Yeah."

And that was all you needed to hear.

The same night Minho was called to the principal’s office, your parents contacted you through your mirror phone—demanding that you convince Minho to change his mind. You were so tired from the flurry of emotions you went through for the day that you merely responded that you would, not even meaning what you said.

That seemed to please them, though, since they immediately said goodbyes with their usual overly affectionate tone—which, after your big realization, sounded a lot more artificial than you remembered.

Great. Now you’re even questioning your own parents’ love.

Your exhausted groan simply received a raised eyebrow from Minho, who was minding his own business at his side of the room. "Looks like you’ll be back to convincing me to be your Evil King again?" he snickered in the background.

Flopping (not-so-gracefully) on your bed, you let out a whine of annoyance. "No, but I don’t want to deal with them right now."

Minho hums in agreement, "I don’t blame you. Seeing as you cried two times in the span of 30 minutes earlier," his joking tone was not lost on you, however, so you just laughed the comment off.

"Fuck you, really."

He lets out an exaggerated gasp. After directing an eye roll towards him, you stood up to enter the bathroom. "Since when did you curse?" he inquires excitedly, like a kid asking if they could buy something. You reached for the toothpaste, "I actually curse a lot in my mind. I just don’t use it out loud because they told me that it was unbecoming of a princess to do so." He couldn’t see you, but you were making that air quote gesture.

"Use it more around me, it sounds nice."

"It's foul words, Minho," you said, voice muffled by the toothpaste foam, "And I doubt it actually sounds nice."

When silence was all you got back, you scoffed in annoyance. He was so petty at times. You took a bit more time in the bathroom, doing what was needed for your night routine. Minho hasn’t made a noise for a while now, so you let yourself think he’s knocked out cold. After rinsing your mouth one last time, you get ready to leave the bathroom.

You really should’ve seen what was coming.

"Boo," Minho says, suddenly appearing right beside you. You quickly suppressed the urge to scream in consideration of the rooms right beside yours. Irritated, you yell, "What the hell!"

Unbeknownst to you, that was his plan all along.

"Another swear!" Oh, of course he would. You wanted to be mad, but found your anger dissipating instead. The sparkle in his eyes, hearing you curse once again, was too adorable for you to stand.

Minho spent the rest of the night teaching you more swear words. It was unnecessary, but you let him do it. You have been waiting to talk to him for days now—and you surely won’t let this go to waste.

The next couple of days were an absolute nightmare, though. Good things come with a price, you guess. This had to be the world’s way of making you pay back the luck you spent in trying to reconcile with Minho.

Mina has been constantly going after you again, with a passion to humiliate your whole being. Other Royals have been pulling you aside to ask for updates on Minho’s decision to sign the book, to which you only politely smiled at them and left. Oh, if you could only sneer back at them like they’d been doing to him. But with the little restraint you had left, you remembered that most of the student body didn’t actually know you and Minho were good friends (it was Minho’s idea back in second grade—something about you not getting targeted).

And above all that, you had your parents spamming your mirror phone every hour of the day to remind you about the task they gave you. No matter how many times you told them that Minho would not be changing his mind, they kept on insisting.

"No one would say no to you, Y/N! You’re the next Snow White!" your mother states, as if that would change anything at all. Your eye felt the need to twitch as her reminder. "He won’t. Plus, you’re the one who told me not to befriend him. Now you expect him to go along with what I say?" you reasoned.

"This isn’t a yes or no situation, darling. He has to do it."

No he doesn’t.

"Enough, mom. It won’t happen," you tried to keep your tone as respectful as possible. "I have a class soon; let’s talk some other time."

"Applebun—" you hung up the phone.

Gripping the device tightly, you let your locker close with a bang. Multiple eyes turn in your direction. You gave them an apologetic gesture. Shoot—if you don’t control your emotions soon, it’s going to affect you in class.

"Oh? Did little Snow White just have a tantrum? How disappointing that I missed it," Mina’s shrill voice rang through the halls. Her heels are loudly clicking against the floor, cutting you from your thoughts. She really never misses a beat, huh? It was annoying, but you had to praise her for her consistency.

Pasting on a practiced grin, you faced her. "Good day to you too, Mina. Looks like Hyunjin isn’t with you right now," you commented. "Did he finally get tired of you?"

You fought the urge to snicker as soon as you saw the effect this had on her. With a huff, she replies, "He has something to do right now but will meet me for lunch. Right, did he not tell you? We’re eating lunch together from now on. He doesn’t really want to be seen with you anymore." Oh, a decent insult!

Deciding to keep the retort to yourself, you just shrugged it off nonchalantly. "Good for both of you. Have fun!" you cheerfully responded, before walking past her.

"Wha—you!"

Y/N-1, Mina-0. You mentally counted.

Turning the corner, you spot Minho leaning against the wall, back hunched from silently wheezing. "Seriously," you exhaled, "Why are you suddenly everywhere now?" After finishing his quick laughing fit, he turned to look at you.

"She deserved it," he commented. You stared at him, unamused. "Of course you would think that." You felt a few gazes directed at the two of you.

Right, this might be an odd sight for them.

If you think about it, what's the point of hiding now? Minho won’t sign his fate, so yours might have been changed. So, does that mean you can be friends in public now too? Should you test it out?

"Y/N, are you alright?" Minho worried.

You eyed your surroundings carefully. This could end up badly if you don’t do it correctly. There was a big chance either that Minho’s reputation could worsen, or the Royals would decide to hate you—ah fuck it.

They can go cry about it if they want.

Grabbing his hand, you started leading the both of you down the halls. He looked at you in shock, "Wait, what are you doing?" The Royals, who saw your exchange, left their mouths open like a gaping fish. On the other hand, you noticed the Rebels' eyes light up with interest. Minho also spotted this, but before he could say anything else, you dragged him away faster.

"Don’t mind them. Let’s just head to class. It’s culinary."

And while you felt significantly lighter at that moment from the burden of hiding your relationship with Minho being off your shoulders, the consequences followed up soon after.

By the time the moon said its greetings, your parents had already heard of what happened. Whoever snitched worked fast. But at least you now have the opportunity to tell them the truth about you and Minho.

Your parents’ lectures engulfed the whole room while Minho sat beside you for emotional support. "What are you doing, making friends with the enemy? Do you have any ounce of shame!?" Your father’s booming voice was heard.

Maybe you really don’t have any shame. You were so grateful that they even chose to voice call instead of a video chat—if your parents saw Minho holding your hand beside you whilst glaring at the window in an attempt to still leave respect for them, they would have freaked past no return.

"I knew the school shouldn’t have placed both of you together in one room. Nothing good was ever going to come out of that situation," your mother ranted. Is she really saying that now? She was the one who told you it was natural to be dormmates with Minho back then. Then again, it wasn’t the first time she changed her mind when the result didn't benefit her.

After a short pause, she spoke up again, "What? So you’re not answering now? Oh, honey! That guy is such a bad influence. How did we let this happen?"

Could they not? They talk as if they’ve already met him!

Feeling Minho give your hand a squeeze, you got the courage to speak up. "...You don’t know him. He’s nothing like his mother, so stop saying that," your unsteady voice spoke. Answering back to your parents was never an easy thing for you to do. "Minho’s a great—uh, friend. He helped me realize that there was so much more than just trapping yourself in a predetermined future. I actually—I don’t even want to be Snow White..."

Your parents were silenced by what you had just said. "What do you mean you don’t want to be Snow White? Why not? Your life is already set for you! You’ll marry Hyunjin too—"

"Hyunjin already has a girlfriend. I’m not sure how you two never knew that, but he doesn’t even like me! Like, at all! Good for you that your pairing worked out well, but I’ve tried for years to get him to respect me even as a friend—but it never happened, and probably never will," you desperately explain.

"At this point, I’d rather marry Minho!"

The person mentioned visibly stiffened up beside you, the hand holding yours tightening. You felt your face flush in embarrassment. In the heat of the moment, you blurted out your thoughts carelessly. You hoped this wouldn’t cause a rift in your relationship with him again, because you’re not too sure if you can handle another week of Minho ignoring you.

But you meant what you said.

That’s right. You would rather marry Minho than some ‘ideal prince’ who can’t even treat you like a decent person.

In fact, married life with Minho doesn’t sound bad at all! If anything, you were actually willing to do it if he agreed. It was something you had considered before—a few years back, when you had a massive crush on him. Perhaps the crush never even went away like you had thought. You might have just gotten used to him to the point that what you felt evolved from just a crush to comfort and trust. Who could blame you, really? He’s kind, fun, knows you well, can cook, and is even handsome. He could easily be one of the top Prince Charmings in this school if given the chance.

"I know you just want the best for me—or even if you don't, I can’t find myself caring anymore. But basically, what I think is best for me is not marrying Hyunjin, or being Snow White," you spoke. "I’m already eighteen. Can I please have the chance to choose for myself? Minho won’t sign the Book of Legends either way, so my story might not even turn out the same."

"Choose your own destiny? You already have a good one—"

"Honey," your mother interjects, "It's a scary world out there. There will be lots of people who want to hurt you!"

You sigh, "Yes, Mom, I know. And I’ll figure something out along the way. But can’t you stop to think that maybe those same people didn’t have any other choice because they were bound to the fate they signed? They deserved the right to choose who they truly wanted to be too."

There was the sound of shifting from the other line. You knew your parents would be hard to convince, but it was worth a shot. This was for the better. It would be great if they managed to spread awareness to the older generation as well.

"Your father and I will think about it," you hear your mother cough. Hope sparked inside you. "Thank you, Mom."

"Sure, sweetie. Talk to you soon."

The line falls flat after that.

Exhausted from the mental gymnastics you had to perform, you immediately melt into Minho’s shoulder. When he doesn’t say anything, you finally realize that he hasn’t moved an inch since you said you’d rather marry him than your assigned prince. "Minho?" you nudged.

He finally snaps out of the trance he trapped himself in, but chooses to stare at you silently. You tilt your head in confusion and ask, "Are you alright?"

"... Marriage?" he squeaked out.

Oh. Does he not like the idea of marrying you?

You sulked. Sure, you weren’t exactly what they called wife material. Growing up as royalty meant you had other people to do things for you. However, you also prided yourself on being a quick learner. If Minho wants someone that knows how to do house chores, then you are more than willing to learn!

He must have noticed your mood going down, because he started panicking. "No—I, uh, didn’t mean it... like that," he reasoned, "I was just caught off guard! People don’t really look at me and think that I’d make a good husband, y’know?"

You slapped his arm harshly. He complained almost instantly at the pain.

"You absolute liar! You’d rival Hyunjin’s rank easily if you were classified as a Prince Charming," you huffed in protest. He turns red at the compliment. Feeling accomplished but wanting to mess with him more, you decided to add: "Don’t sign up for Prince classes though."

Offended, he retorts, "Why not? You just told me I’d be a good prince!"

"I want you to be my prince only," you replied in a casual tone.

Minho’s face burned even brighter.

There was definitely a difference in the way the Royals treated you the next day. Word travels fast, but their attitudes switch up faster. It wasn’t like you really cared. Most of them chose to avoid you completely, while some were very vocal about their newfound hatred towards you.

And as you predicted, Mina was the ringleader of the latter group.

"How interesting, isn’t it, Y/N? Snow White and the Evil King, together?" She approached you at your locker, "Do you have a death wish or something? Or maybe your standards have just fallen so low?"

You didn’t want to waste your words on her, so you preoccupied yourself with fixing your textbooks. It’s no use anyway. Anything you say will just go in one ear and out the other when it comes to her. However, that reaction didn’t seem to satisfy her enough because she poked at you further.

"So we’re right then? Ah, but I must say, you two make such a great couple! Two poor souls who lost their stories. How tragic," you clenched your teeth to avoid accidentally laying a hand on her, because that would just cause unnecessary drama. "You’re still lucky to be alive. I wonder how long it’s going to take before life gives up on both of you—either way, it looks like fate already did."

You slammed your locker closed, making a startling noise. Mina jumped at your actions before quickly composing herself to appear more confident. You’ve had enough of her antics.

"Did anyone ever tell you how annoying your voice is? No? Oh, well. Can you just do us all a favor and shut up? You never even say anything important, so just save your breath for something that’s actually worth it."

"I’m sorry?"

"Not forgiven. But it’s about time you apologized," you sassed.

Mina’s face flushed with anger. Threateningly raising her arm, she aimed to hit you. "You’re nothing now, Y/N. So learn your place—" you shut your eyes instinctively, waiting for the impact.

As much as you wanted to fight back physically, you were currently at a major disadvantage with the school now that you’ve exposed your friendship with Minho. They’ve most likely classified you as a threat now too. It was better to take the slap and leave Mina with the bigger accountability to deal with.

You waited for it, but the slap never came.

"Mina, you are so pathetic. Do you know that?" A voice you knew very well spoke. "Have some shame and look at your actions, will you. Is all of it worth it?" You opened your eyes.

"Get your hands off my girl, Minho," Hyunjin arrived growling while trying to get in between the two. Minho released the grip he had on Mina’s arm. Scoffing, he responded, "Now you’re here too? Tell us, won't you, Hyunjin? How long will you keep defending her actions? She’s going to end up severely hurting someone if this continues." Hyunjin started shifting uncomfortably.

He should know better than to let this continue. Mina isn’t a notorious bully, but she should learn to be more responsible for her actions. Sooner or later, her attitude might be her greatest downfall. Mina glared hotly at Minho, absolutely livid.

In the midst of the two’s humiliation, you noticed a crowd around the four of you. You were glad to know that they have nothing else to do than eavesdrop on any kind of drama. But before you could speak out to the impromptu audience, a blinding flash suddenly stole all the attention. You spotted Yeri standing in the front of the group, shaking with wide eyes while holding her mirror phone up.

Did she just take a photo?

Quickly realizing the situation, Hyunjin dragged a still fuming Mina away. Minho noticed this and yelled, "Get back here!" You quickly pull him back before he ends up chasing after them. "What—Y/N!"

"Leave it."

"What do you mean leave it—no? They’ve crossed so many lines," he seethed in anger. Seeing the crowd still present, you decide to escape as well. "We’ll deal with it some other time. But first, let’s get out of here."

You found yourself dragging Minho down the hall again like yesterday. Only this time, he was burning with fury. It wasn’t always that you got to witness him being this mad. Normally, he calms down faster than he becomes agitated. You were embarrassed to admit that you found Minho's rage attractive.

The two of you entered the lawns of the school garden, where you decided to stop and let him cool down. Minho was still huffing in quiet anger at the two schoolmates you encountered earlier.

"Stop frowning," you said, pinching his cheeks. Minho growls, not appreciating the gesture. It looks like he’s still in a bad mood. Not wanting to make it worse, you slowly let go of him.

Turns out he did not like that, though, because he quickly catches one of your hands and presses it back to the side of his face. "Why did you not fight back? You handled her so well before." The gesture made your heart swell.

"If my parents are now aware that we’re not actually on bad terms, then the school must be too," you sighed, "Adding the fact that I’ve already told them I don’t want to follow my story, if things escalated to the point where we had to be called in earlier, they’re definitely going to side with Mina."

"Is this about me again? You signed the book; it was me who didn’t—"

"I regret it."

Minho spluttered at your words, "Wait, what?" You avoided his surprised eyes. This was something you hadn’t told him yet. Well, anyone yet—you only came to the conclusion last night while talking to your parents.

"I know you said you didn’t want to be Snow White, but you never said you regretted signing," he says. You hugged your arms, "I never said I really wanted to either. It was just something I thought was a necessity. But now that it’s been proven the whole sign or die thing was a big hoax, I wish I hadn’t."

You looked at Minho, greatly troubled. "Honestly? I’m scared. I know I’ve been saying that since you won’t sign anyway, my story won’t happen the way it was supposed to—but just like everything else, we don’t know if that’s even true too," you bit your lip in distress, "What if fate just replaces your role with another person? Did I really trap myself in a scripted future?"

All the flaws in your previous plan started to surface without mercy. It could work in another timeline, one where Minho had signed the book. But seeing that he hasn’t, what happens to you now? Would the legacy just adjust and take Minho out of it completely? Is that what they actually meant by your story disappearing?

Will you somehow end up forgetting Minho?

The mere thought of that alone terrorizes you. A life without Minho would be meaningless by your standards. He was the person who brought color to your monochrome life of royalty and bettered you as a person. Forgetting him would be equivalent to going back to that way of living.

"Y/N," Minho called out softly. The sea of your thoughts were raging with all sorts of negativity, making his heart ache for you. "Like you said, we’ll find a way even if you sealed your fate, okay? I’ll be here with you every step of the way."

"But what if—"

"None of that," he said firmly. "I’m not leaving you alone, whether you like it or not."

You exhaled, trying to calm yourself. He’s right. The two of you can still be together if you really want to. Fate can just suck it up and deal with it.

Fuck being Snow White anyways.

"I hate apples," you grumbled. Minho laughs at your remark, knowing exactly what you meant. "I know. So you don’t have to be Snow White around me," he cups your face gently.

"Just be my Y/N."

"What do you mean the Book of Legends was stolen!?" A loud yell full of disbelief was heard throughout the entire cafeteria. The whole area went dead silent faster than the prideful hare. You stopped scooping up your food midway, watching as Seungmin and Felix both look at each other with wide eyes.

What?

"Changbin, seriously!" Jeongin’s mortified voice echoed in the quiet room. The students were all frozen in their respective spots, trying to process the information that had just dropped on them. What was supposed to be a normal lunch suddenly transformed into a time of anxiety.

"... Are you for real?" Someone asked the two troublemakers. "This isn’t another prank, right? Cause that’s not a good thing to joke about," they said icily.

The Book of Legends is missing? What madman would have the courage to do such a risky thing? That book is the center of this world—a relic if one must say. To harm it would most likely result in a mass extinction of people!

A crash was heard a few meters from where you sat. Someone had fainted and knocked the whole table over. Multiple people were trying to help the unconscious student out of the mess.

"I—uh, well..." Jeongin started. All eyes were on the guy as he stood there, fidgeting nervously. Deciding to get it over with, he cleared his throat and continued, "I was passing by the Principal’s office and overheard it..."

Cue chaos.

Murmurs of panic covered the whole cafeteria. Everyone was worried about what could possibly happen if the book was ever in the wrong hands.

It was a powerful object that could change lives in an instant. Fate and legacy are strong concepts in this world, after all. They're literally the foundation of your society.

"Is this really happening?" Felix said, looking very queasy. Seungmin scooted away from him instantly. "Control yourself, Felix. You don’t want to puke right now."

"Who could have done it?" You thought out loud, "And why? There’s nothing to gain from taking the book, right? Unless you’re a psychopath who wants to destroy the world."

Seungmin looks at you appalled. "Why are you thinking about mass murder?"

"I don’t know! There’s literally no other reason to steal the book! It’s not as if you can erase the signatures of those who... signed…" A realization hit the three of you.

Felix gasped in shock. "Is that even possible?" He questioned. Seungmin considered the idea. "There’s magic here, Felix. Technically, anything is possible."

"But the worst thing is that it might not even stop there," he added. "There may be a loophole in which you can sign another person’s story and make it yours." The idea concerned you heavily.

Could that actually happen? So then what would happen to the ones who got their original story stolen? Wait, if this is allowed, then that would make the entire concept of having a story assigned at birth useless—you could literally just pick one to sign at Legacy Day!

There must be more to this than you originally thought. And it wasn’t looking too good. "It’s not lining up," you muttered.

"What isn’t?"

"The Book of Legends," you lowered your voice, "I’ve never thought of it like that before, but you might be onto something Seungmin."

Felix gave you a confused look. "Like he said, it really is technically possible for someone to follow another story than theirs. If that’s a thing, then why have an assigned destiny for each one of us in the first place?" You pointed it out to them.

The two were startled by the revelation. You were right. There would be absolutely no need for an assigned fate if anyone could just choose what they wanted—heck, the Book of Legends might not even be needed at all.

The right to choose what future they wanted for themselves has been the main thing the Rebels fought for, and knowing the school was against it (basing off the actions they took against Minho), the same place the Book of Legends was kept and handled, what could this mean for the truth?

The pressing question now is: what exactly is the Book of Legends, and why are we told to follow only those stories that are in the book?

"This is making me doubt everything," Seungmin mumbles. You gulped as you looked at the still fear-stricken cafeteria.

"You should."

Later that night, you found yourself unable to sleep due to the plaguing thoughts from events that unfolded earlier. There had to be an explanation for all this, you thought.

The white ceiling on your side of the room looked very interesting to you at that moment. It was also very useful, seeing as you could make an imaginary conspiracy board on it. You don’t know what time it was currently, but you found yourself unable to care.

A messy rustling of sheets was heard over on Minho’s side of the room. You decided to look over in mere curiosity. Like you, he was also comfortably tucked in bed, staring at the ceiling. It looks like both of you can’t sleep.

"A lot on your mind?" He starts the conversation. You nod against your plush pillows. "Thinking about lunch earlier this day..." Minho hummed at your answer.

"Care to share?"

"I don’t know… I’m not too sure about it yet. Jumping to conclusions wouldn’t do me any good," you sighed, exhausted from thinking. You wanted to avoid spreading something that was untrue—and to do that, there were a lot of things you still had to consider carefully. There were sounds of movement coming from Minho’s location. "Do you want to take a breather? You might drown in those thoughts again."

You sat up, glancing over at him. There he was, pulling a warm hoodie over his head. "Where are you going?"

"We. Where are we going," he walks over and throws another hoodie at you. It smelled nice. The scent was from the same soap he used to wash his clothes. You caught yourself smiling unconsciously. Pulling you up from your bed, he grins at you.

"We’re going out."

And that's how you found yourself sliding down a sturdy rope from your dorm balcony to the ground below.

Curfew had already commenced a couple hours ago, which only really hit you once you saw the unfiltered darkness of the night. You could clearly hear the crickets loudly chirping around you—something you didn’t get to hear that often because of the soundproofing spell cast on the school’s walls.

"I can’t believe I’m doing this," you squealed joyfully, enjoying the feeling of thrill. In your peripheral vision, you saw the tips of Minho’s own lips twitch upwards.

Light footsteps from the two of you permeated the area as he led you towards the entrance of the forest near the dorm building. "Is this the first time you’ve snuck out?" He asks at a low volume, trying to avoid the threat of getting caught.

"Yes," you reply. "I've never had the chance to do it before. Have you?"

He chuckles at you. "Plenty. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed how I sneak out at night sometimes." You blinked at his confession. Racking your brain for any memories of Minho mysteriously disappearing in the cold hours of the night, you came up with nothing. "No?"

"It's probably because you're already asleep when I leave," he says as he leads you two down a narrow path. The area you were heading to must be surrounded by trees, somewhere deep in the small forest. "Why have you never invited me?" You approached him with your complaint.

"Again, you were literally dead asleep."

"Just wake me up. I’ll catch up with a nap after getting poisoned," you joked. Minho clicks his tongue at the reminder. "Not happening. Ever."

Seeing his face twist grumpily, you poked at his side. Minho pushes your hand away, feeling ticklish.

After another minute of walking, you finally reached a large clearing. Minho stepped aside to give you a good view, as if proudly presenting the location. You gasp, amazed at the sight before you.

It was a big lake, something you never thought of the school having before.

The scenery was beautifully surrounded by large bushy trees, forming a wall-like barrier around the body of water. That must be why it wasn’t easily seen from the outside. You noticed that the trees had a blue-ish glow, a result of the moonlight bouncing off the lake’s water. It helped give off a peaceful ambience, one where you could feel your worries dissolving in the chilly night.

You look around in wonder. "I didn’t know they had a lake here!" Minho heads over closer towards the lake’s shore to sit. You sped up when he called you over.

"I found this back in third grade," he explains while picking up a rock near him. "It wasn’t on the school map, so I was surprised to see it too."

The water was certainly not lacking in appeal either. It was so crystal clear that you could see all the different kinds of rocks littered underneath it. As you looked further, you realized the lake was quite deep in the middle because you couldn’t see its floor anymore.

"This place is very therapeutic, huh?"

Minho examined the rocks he was holding and responded, "Yeah. I come here to relax whenever I’m really stressed." He stood up and threw one of the rocks towards the water. You both watched as it skipped a few times before sinking. "I actually went here after the Legacy Day event."

Right. That must’ve been after your fight.

You let a comfortable silence take over your conversation, simply enjoying the company of one another. In the span of a few weeks, a lot has happened to the two of you. From misunderstandings that led to a fight, to making up and thinking about the future—you could say that those events really helped your change as a person, even in a short amount of time.

But there was another thing that bothered you at the present.

"What do you think about what happened to the book?" You asked Minho. He continued skipping rocks. "You mean the Book of Legends?"

"Yeah."

"Shocking," he chuckled. "I never thought someone would ever have the balls to do such a stupid thing."

Stupid was one way to say it. The Book of Legends was a highly secured item that only a select few people had access to. For someone to get past security, they had to be really stealthy to the point where you couldn’t notice them—that or not be classified as a threat.

"Why do you think they did it?"

Minho shrugs. "Maybe as a prank. I mean, what else can you really do with that book anyway?" He turned around to face you and asked, "Why?"

Should you tell him? It’s not even a confirmed theory, and there was a chance that you couldn’t actually erase the signatures, let alone steal another person’s story. However, Minho was someone who knew magic very well and could be a useful source of information.

"Me, Seungmin, and Felix were talking about it at lunch and thought that maybe there was a way to remove a signature from a signed story, or steal it as your own?" Minho dropped the remaining rocks.

"Wait, are you serious?"

You bit your lip. "It’s not yet confirmed, but Seungmin said it could be possible. We have magic and all that. As a magic user though, do you think it's possible?"

He thinks about it carefully. Magic was a complicated subject to dive into because it has so many layers. And because of that, Seungmin was correct that anything could be done technically with the help of magic.

"It... might be a thing," Minho considers. "It’s quite a possibility. This is really bad though, because it would mean the book being stolen could potentially cause major damage to our world." With his insight, the situation becomes so much more frightening to think about the outcome.

Is that what the person who stole the book planned to do?

"That book is causing so many problems," he sighs tiredly. You had to agree with him. The Book of Legends has literally been the source of most of your problems, especially knowing that the way your world works is because of the stories within it.

Minho sat back down beside you. "I wish that thing just never existed," you muttered under your breath. He stares at you, amazed at what he had just heard.

"Your way of thinking has really changed."

"How could I not?" You said, feeling agitated. "There’s a ton of stuff that doesn’t make sense in the beliefs I had before. I’m kind of ashamed that I’ve only noticed it recently."

Minho pinches your cheek. "It’s never too late," he teased. "At least you’re willing to admit your shortcomings. I like that about you."

"Don’t fall for me too much," you joked. When he didn't retort, you glanced at him. However, instead of the annoyed reaction you expected, he was giving you a soft look.

"What if I already did?"

Your brain immediately short-circuited. Wait, he does? Does Minho actually like you? This isn’t a dream, right? Maybe you fell asleep earlier, and this was just your brain playing tricks on you—

"It’s real, Y/N," he pulls you out of your doubts. "Don’t be pressured to give me an answer. It’s fine if you just see me as a friend." You catch the tips of his ears turning red.

Oh God, you think you’re going to pass out.

This was Minho. Your partner in crime, Minho. The ideal man of your dreams, Minho. Once upon a time, you had a massive crush on him, Minho. And here he was telling you he liked you? Like, romantically? What can you even say to that?

If only your parents could see you two now. You’d love to rub it in their faces that he turned out to be so much better than Hyunjin.

At your extended silence, Minho looked away. He looks really embarrassed, so you decided to end his suffering.

"I did also have a crush on you a few years back," you admitted shyly. He snaps his head towards you. "A few years back? What about now?" He asked.

You shrugged, trying to mess with him. "I don’t know," you replied. He dramatically wilts at your words. At his endearing reaction, you couldn’t help but break the act. "But I’m willing to try."

His soul comes back to him at the snap of a finger. "Really? Are you for sure?" He giddily looks for your confirmation. When you nodded at him with a smile, he almost jumped from joy. "I could literally kiss you right now," he announces, feeling breathless.

"Do it."

You didn’t have to tell him twice. It was like living fifteen-year-old you’s greatest dream, except this time, you were actually going to kiss Minho. The peaceful vibe of the area turned romantic as the two of you got closer. But just when you were about to close the gap, a movement in the woods caught your eye.

"Jisung?"

"Are you really saying someone else’s name while you’re about to kiss me?" Minho says, dumbfounded. You hastily waved your hands in denial. "No! I mean that it’s literally Jisung!" You pointed behind him.

Once Minho turned towards the direction you told him, the two of you saw Jisung, frozen in his tracks. You looked at him, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uhm... What are you doing here too?" He squeaks out, sounding frightened.

Jisung was trembling like someone had just caught him in the act of doing something illegal. Something you didn’t understand because he’s literally the one who caught you and Minho almost kissing.

"Are you—" The words you were about to say dried up completely after your eyes traveled down to the object he was currently clutching with his whole strength. Hold on.

Is that the Book of Legends?

You choked on air. "Did—were you the one—" Your eyes stayed fixed on the supposedly missing book. Jisung panics and quickly hides it behind his back, as if that would erase both yours and Minho’s memory of ever seeing it on his hands. Minho abruptly stood up.

"Jisung, what have you done?" He stepped forward, scaring the poor guy even more. "Do you even know how big of a deal this is?"

Then, the unexpected happens.

"And what if I do!?" Jisung snaps.

You were taken aback. This was a side of him you’ve never seen before. Well, the two of you aren’t exactly close friends, but you’ve always seen Jisung as having a cheerful personality. The case of him getting angry, let alone annoyed, seems so foreign to you. Minho's eyes narrowed at him.

"...Please tell us you aren't planning something bad," he slowly said, attempting to approach Jisung. But the latter takes a few steps back.

"This book is a curse!" Jisung reasons, pointing at the book. He looks at it with such hatred that you never thought would be possible to come from him. "Don't you see it? Everyone is getting torn apart just because of this damned book! The school is a mess, my friends are all fighting, and the person I like won’t even give us a chance, all because of this—this thing!"

It was as clear as the lake's water that Jisung was hurting. You could see the unshed tears piling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He was determined to get his point across: the book had to be disposed of. And he was the martyr; volunteering to do it himself.

"Jisung, just think for a moment—"

"How easy for you to say, Minho!" He scoffed in disdain. "You haven’t signed yet. You’re still free to do everything you want without anything tying you down—"

"And that almost cost me my life!" Minho reminds him. "If the saying was true, I wouldn’t even be here talking to you right now, Jisung."

You decided to speak too, "Jisung, please. We don’t know the extent of the importance that book holds. It could literally end up destroying the world in the worst case scenario."

He looks at you in disbelief, not believing his own ears at what you had said.

"Why are you even defending it? I know you don’t like your story either, Y/N. If we just get rid of it, then we can be free," Jisung appeals, trying to get you on his side. You shook your head. He was a bit too far gone. "Jisung, we could literally die."

"I know, okay!?" He wails. "But I’ve gotten this far already. This isn’t something I can just undo!" Jisung falls roughly to the floor, greatly distressed.

His desperation was evident in his sobs. The more you thought about it, the more it made sense. Jisung was Hyunjin’s best friend, as well as his roommate—but Jisung was also close to Changbin and Jeongin. The whole Rebel and Royals thing must have been devastating for him. He was also one of the people who signed the book before Minho’s outburst back on Legacy Day. Something you knew he only did because there was no other choice, just like what happened to you. Jisung also had the ability to turn into a frog at will, a trait that evolved for the line of the Frog Prince. He must’ve snuck through security as one to reach the chamber they placed the book in. How he got through the magic barriers, though, was beyond you. But that didn’t matter at the moment.

Minho walks over and grabs Jisung’s shoulder, lightly squeezing it. "You can still return it... We won’t tell on you as long as you don’t get caught," Minho turns to you. "Just promise us you’ll return it, okay?" You nod your head in agreement. Jisung manages a confirmation through his sniffles.

"Let’s head back. You can return it early in the morning, Jisung."

A loud bang abruptly woke you and Minho up. Feeling distraught, you sat up to find the source of the disturbance. You didn’t know what you were expecting, but what you saw was not what you expected at all.

"Did you seriously sleep in one bed?" Hyunjin asks, looking at the two of you. "And you called me and Mina bad."

What the hell was he doing here?

Like reading your mind, Minho pulls you back towards his chest. "What the hell are you doing here?" He sleepily glares at the intruder.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes at Minho’s reaction. Instead of finally leaving, he shuts the door he flew open and sits on your sofa. You and Minho watched as he made himself comfortable, completely ignoring both of you in your current intimate position. Hyunjin stares back, unamused.

"So I can’t be comfy too? Have some hospitality, geez."

You pinched your nose bridge before asking, "So? What’s your business here?" Hyunjin had a visible lightbulb moment. Is he serious—

"I have news!" He announces. "About the Book of Legends."

You light up. "Oh! Did Jisung manage to return it—" Minho clasped a hand over your mouth to shut you up. Fuck, you forgot that Hyunjin might not be aware. You both eyed him awkwardly, looking for a way to cover up your mistake. Hyunjin snorts at the comical scene.

"Don’t worry, I already know. I helped him return it earlier."

You let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God. I thought Jisung was toast now." Hyunjin grabbed a sofa pillow to hug. Is he planning to stay here or what? "Do you have anything else to say—"

"It’s fake."

Minho, who finally came out of his sleepy spell, gave Hyunjin a confused look. "What’s fake?" The former pursed his lips, obviously conflicted about what he was about to say.

"The Book of Legends is fake."

Did Jisung steal a dummy? Wait, does this mean he got caught? You are now alarmed at the possible indication. "Is Jisung okay?"

To your relief, Hyunjin confirmed that the other prince was indeed safe. You don’t know what you would do if he was ever found out to be the one who attempted to steal the Book of Legends. That was a crime worth getting expelled and imprisoned for, even worse than Minho disrupting this year’s Legacy Day event.

"How’d you find out it was fake?" Minho asked.

"We were passing by the principal’s office after returning the book to the chamber. The door was slightly open, and we heard him ordering another to this person over the phone. At first we thought it was for a dummy until the actual one was back, but it turns out the book wasn’t even this all-powerful relic! It’s literally just an enchanted book to make those fancy visuals—"

"Hold on, you mean the whole concept of the Book of Legends is fake? Not just the one Jisung stole?" You yelled at the unexpected revelation. "Then what the fuck is the Book of Legends for then?"

Hyunjin looked shocked. "You curse?"

"Answer me!"

He raised his hand up when you attempted to launch at him. Minho quickly held you back. "Calm down, woman. And you ask me why I don’t want to marry you." Minho gave him a pointed look.

"Let’s not go there right now."

"No need to get all possessive on me, loverboy. I have no plans to take her away." Hyunjin tells Minho. The latter only snarls sourly. "You better not."

"Hello? Are we just going to brush off that the Book of Legends isn’t true?"

Hyunjin retorts, "It’s real. Just not in the way we believed it was. It’s literally just a book filled with stories enchanted with magic to make it look fancy." You stared daggers at him.

"Get Jisung. You’re so useless."

He whined. "It’s not my fault! I don’t know much else other than that either! Jisung went straight to Yeri to see if she could post the news. We’re hoping to get the issue investigated professionally."

"How are you so sure they aren’t in on this too? Maybe we’ve been living under the control of the officials for so long!" Minho stroked your hair, in an attempt to calm you down. "Isn't that the point of a government?" shrugs Hyunjin.

You threw a pillow at him.

"Can you not!?" He shrieked. Minho groaned at the chaotic scene. "Thank you for the news, Hyunjin, but this could really wait until lunch or something," he locked you in place so that you wouldn’t attack the poor guy any more, "Unless you have anything else you want to say?"

Hyunjin went silent. He placed the pillow back to rest on the sofa, and sat properly. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke.

"I wanted to say sorry to Y/N," he admits. "There isn’t an explanation I can give you for why I treated you the way I did other than I was immature and hated the idea of not being able to choose who I married—which is a bad excuse because it’s not like you liked that either. Compared to the two of us, you treated me much better than I did to you, even if we were in the same boat." You blinked.

"I’m working on myself, and Mina is too. So I hope you can forgive us someday. You don’t have to like us, though. We'd understand that much."

Well, this was unexpected. Hyunjin and Mina weren’t total bullies, but they still had a hand in the multiple times you were hurt. It would be hard to forget, but you think you could manage to forgive them in the near future at the very least. If they were willing to change, that was enough for you.

"I’ll think about it," you replied to him. The simple positive response was enough to make him smile. "Thanks."

Hyunjin stood up and headed towards the door. "I’ll leave you two lovebirds now. School starts in two hours, by the way. Might as well get ready; there’s bound to be lots of people in the cafeteria soon," he bids, closing the door not long after.

You lay back down, covering yourself with the blanket. Minho laughs and joins you.

"Thirty more minutes."

A day after the shocking truth of the Book of Legends came out on Yeri’s blog, an investigation was launched into the case. And just a mere two days after that, Jisung and Hyunjin’s finding was confirmed—which appalled the whole realm.

It turns out, there was so much more to the fake Book of Legends. Storybook High’s current principal comes from a long line of people who were all high-ranking officials in this world. It was also from this family that the concept of stories was traced back to: the Grimm Family. After careful investigation, they found out that one of their first ancestors responsible for the stories was a very ambitious writer, who wished for his works to come to life. With the help of his older brother, who was a strong magic user, he learned magic with his goals in mind. And with the magic he had gained, he made the legitimate Book of Legends.

It was a book containing all of his stories, with different parts dedicated to all of the characters. But there was a curse embedded into the book; if one signed a character’s story, they would end up living the same life as them.

Satisfied with his work, the Grimm ancestor went around towns, trying to find people to trick into signing the pages under the guise that it meant they liked the story. As one could have probably guessed by now, you were the generations that came after those victims.

That didn’t mean your Book of Legends had the same curse, though.

Apparently, the original book has long since disappeared, only really affecting the first generation of those who signed it. The Grimm ancestor did not live long enough to make another one for his victims’ offspring, though, and in an effort to save their father’s work, his children vowed to continue the stories no matter what—which was still the Grimm Family’s main goal in the current time.

The truth wasn’t uncovered earlier because the Grimm Family quickly took over the world’s power positions and buried the information—making it only accessible to those in on the plan. Following this, they also found out that the current Grimm governing the school had a brother who they locked up in prison wrongfully because he opposed their family’s plans.

What a ride.

"This is so messed up," Chan gasped from across the table, setting down his mirror phone that had the news displayed. "I knew it was sketchy, but not this sketchy!" Felix agrees with him, reaching over Seungmin’s tray to grab his brownie.

Yours and Minho’s friend group (plus Hyunjin and Jisung, who were connected to Changbin) were currently seated at one table, eating their respective lunches. The full result of the investigation just came out earlier this morning, and many were still processing the bomb that just dropped.

"It’s great to know we’ve been living a lie all along," Jeongin chirps sarcastically. Jisung smiled at the group. "But at least now they've abolished it, right? We’re all free now!"

Oh, that was another thing that happened. After the arrest of the remaining Grimm Family members that were involved with the scheme, the new officials completely tore the "follow your story" concept apart and encouraged everyone to write their own destinies. As a result, many of those who heavily sided with the Royals division apologized for their actions and were now working to improve themselves.

"Took them long enough," Minho said, placing an apple on your tray. You pinched his arm. "Ouch!" Seungmin had the audacity to look disgusted.

"Can you two flirt somewhere else?"

"Fine," Minho said, standing up and dragging you along. Gagging noises were heard from the table as the two of you left. You laughed, very amused at their reactions. When Minho stops the both of you in an empty corridor, you joked, "Why do we always end up in a hallway?"

He chuckles at your comment. "Who knows," he stepped closer, "But I know I haven’t gotten that kiss yet." You rolled your eyes at his suggestion. "I can’t believe we ended up together. We're literally supposed to be enemies," you said as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

Minho snickers. "That’s only written on paper anyway," he leans forward.

"Paper can easily be torn."

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