Chapter Text
Han wanted more.
The boy didn’t want to be the same boring lawyer as his parents, to grow up, study, and then, just like them, lecture his children and nag them constantly? No. He didn’t want that.
That’s why he was now wandering through the night park, talking to his pocket rabbit, Kiko. In truth, arguments with his parents had been a constant occurrence in Han’s life over the past few years, but they had never gone this far before.
"Yeah... running away from home at midnight wasn’t as brilliant an idea as it seemed," the boy muttered and yawned. No matter how much he argued with his parents about his future, he still studied diligently—and tonight was no exception, as he’d been buried in textbooks until late, just before his parents came and started getting on his nerves.
"Ughhh, if only a million fell from the sky right now, I wouldn’t have to study anymore," Han groaned.
Suddenly, there was a rustle in the branches above him, and something fell directly onto his forehead—a pendant with a large red gemstone.
"Ahhh!" Han yelled again and began complaining about his life, kicking the object far away. "Does this look like a million? I nearly lost an eye!"
The small blue rabbit hopped over to the pendant and began inspecting it. Curiosity got the better of Han, and he, too, approached to take a closer look at the gemstone, shooing the nosy rabbit away. Han never questioned why his ordinary rabbit behaved so cleverly and obediently, almost as if it understood him.
As Han examined it, he realized the pendant was actually quite beautiful. The base and chain were made of silver and adorned with a large red gemstone in the center. Upon closer inspection, he noticed tiny black and red stones embedded around the main gem. Something about the pendant mesmerized Han. He reached out his hand, and suddenly, everything went dark.
When he came to his senses, he groaned and looked around. The park no longer seemed as familiar as before, and the sun was shining brightly overhead.
"Strange things are happening," the boy thought, clutching the rabbit in his arms tighter until it squeaked and wriggled free. Kiko began darting into the forest as if something was pulling him there.
"Kiko, stop! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... Kiko, wait!" Han shouted, running after the fluffy creature. Just as he caught the little runaway, he stumbled and nearly fell. "And where exactly were you running, little troublemaker?"
Boom. Bang.
"Ahhh!"
Han heard explosions and screams and ran toward the sounds, thinking, "Maybe Kiko has super-hearing and brought me here... haha."
When he arrived, he was stunned. Before his eyes was a scene of chaos—a fiery young man in a shimmering costume with wings was surrounded by numerous icy monsters, flying and fending them off with beams of light.
Han stepped back and rubbed his eyes. The scene before him didn’t change. He opened his mouth and watched the events unfold in astonishment.
In the next moment, the monsters grabbed the poor winged boy by his arms and legs. Han felt the pendant in his hand heat up, and lifting it, he saw it glowing. Acting almost on instinct, Han threw the pendant around his neck and moved forward, yelling, "Back off, beasts! I’ll show you now—haaah!"
To his surprise, it worked. He released red beams from his hands that struck the monsters, melting them instantly and freeing the boy with wings.
"Are you okay?" Han asked, extending a hand. The fairy accepted the help and got to his feet.
"Thanks! But get ready—this isn’t over yet!" he shouted.
Standing back to back, the boys fought off the creatures, taking them down one by one. Finally, the winged boy defeated the last one. Looking around and seeing no more enemies, they decided to sit down and rest—though, in truth, it was more like their legs gave out on their own.
"Ha... ha... what was that?!" Han managed to say between gasps, trying to steady his breathing. His eyes were still scanning the area for any remaining ice monsters, which had literally dissolved into thin air.
"Oh, that was just..." began the boy with golden wings, wiping the sweat off his brow. "A witch decided to have some fun. She summoned these creatures after me, probably thinking she could catch me."
His voice grew quieter, and Han barely caught the last words. Instead, he suddenly realized just how close he was sitting to the half-dressed boy. The other leaned forward slightly, trying to remove something from his wings, and the angle gave Han an even better view.
The boy looked enchanting: his light, wavy hair was tousled; his large yellow eyes seemed to glow, even under the shade of the trees. His delicate face was dotted with freckles, making him look even cuter. Han felt his throat go dry. He swallowed hard, trying to tear his gaze away.
"I'm Lee Felix," the boy suddenly said with a wide smile, snapping Han out of his trance. Han quickly looked away, worried that he'd been caught staring.
At that moment, Felix’s body began to glow softly with a golden light. His wings vanished, and the shimmering costume disappeared, replaced by ordinary clothes—a stretched-out hoodie and jeans that looked completely casual, almost like Han’s own.
"I... uh, I'm Han Jisung," he stammered, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
"Nice to meet you! Are you heading to Alfea too?" Felix blurted out, his words tumbling out in one breath as he looked at Han with bright curiosity.
"Alfea?" Han repeated, frowning in confusion.
"Yeah, the school for people like us!" Felix continued cheerfully, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I’m in my second year, but I haven’t seen you before. Are you new? Just arrived?"
Without thinking, Han blurted out,
"Y-yeah!"
"That's great!" Felix’s smile grew even wider. "My roommate just moved out. Want to room with me?"
Han blinked in confusion, trying to figure out if this was a question or an already-set plan. But Felix didn’t give him a chance to answer, grabbing his hand:
"Come on, I’ll give you a tour! You’re going to love it here!"
They set off, and Han, feeling himself being pulled along like a toy, could only focus on keeping up.
By the way, how old are you? When is your birthday?" Felix suddenly asked, turning over his shoulder.
"I'm seventeen... I'll be eighteen on September 14th," Han replied.
"Ahh! It's fate!" Felix exclaimed, stopping and turning to face Han. "I was born in September too, on the 15th! We're almost twins!"
Felix suddenly hugged Han so tightly that Han froze for a second, not knowing where to put his hands. Felix quickly pulled back, smiling:
"This is just amazing! We're going to be best friends!"
And, like a small whirlwind, he dragged Han along again.
Climbing up a hill, Felix stopped and pointed ahead:
" Look, this is Alfea!"
In front of them opened an amazing panorama. At the top of the hill stood enormous buildings in shades of pink and blue with tall towers, surrounded by gardens. They looked both grand and magical.
Han froze, forgetting everything around him for a moment. This place seemed unreal.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Felix said with a smile. "Come on, let’s go, I’ll show you everything up close!"
On the way to the gates, Felix talked non-stop about studies, teachers, classes, and the adventures that awaited Han. But Han could barely hear the words, trying to process everything that was happening.
✧*.✧*.✧*.✧
When they reached the entrance, a strict female voice stopped them:
"Who are you and where are you from?"
Han jumped in surprise, meeting a woman who seemed to be able to see right through him.