Chapter Text
Park Moondae glimpsed over his neatly polished shoes, the resounding tap tap elicited an occasional misshapen rhythm. He was determined not to stumble stupidly from trying to walk faster. Reaching this point, his slowed pace nearly posed no concern, he had learned enough to be offended and distraught. Still, it left a bitter aftertaste even after the long period he had lived in this new, hopefully temporary body.
Thankfully, the concern for his unbalanced steps could be pushed off for later. What he had in his mind was starting to feel too aggravating. As time passed by, it proved to be difficult for him to do anything on his own, an adult in mind as he was, his body was hardly three years old. And it never takes a genius to grasp his stunted growth, one he secretly learned from these people was possibly intentional.
Another reason was that he decided to play a child, double-edged it may be, but so far had provided him a barrier from any complicated events that could arise. How could he say he was transmigrated at this point, coming from a world vastly different from this one, and with how information that this body existed before was pretty much confirmed?
Those nightmares annoyingly made it both easier and harder for his life. And any denial he previously had been so anguished to turn a blind eye to was, again, a reality. This was not a mere daydream, and he certainly was never supposed to ‘have fun’.
His gaze landed on his sides, then. Blinking to his hands that were grabbed by Ohn and Hong. Raon hovering close by at arm's length, busy chattering in his mind, the words simply jumbled and made no sense with all the shouts. Ohn and Hong’s grips were firm and secure, sometimes a touch of mischief prompted the cat siblings and they lifted and rocked him upwards. So he could ‘walk on thin air’, they would say, the action was trivial, yet it planted his focus on the present. The giddiness blooming afterwards was immense and mind-numbing yet not unwelcome. A happy picture, peaceful and untainted.
Regardless, not so long, a contrast swiftly settled its root in his mind, as is whenever he thought life was going too smoothly. The signs nudged for attention and were no longer negligible for him to focus on his concern of stumbling head-first, or his concern of the prolonged stay in this world, for that matter.
Raon Miru, the young dragon, had been quite tense, obstinate to his cheerful hollers in his mind. He seldom strayed far and appeared ready to do something he deemed a priority, whatever it might be. He's unsure if his time being around said dragon was sufficient to glimpse through the signs to say much, or if this is just a common sense anyone would catch on normally. If possible, he'd like to assume it was a simple worry of meeting new people, of getting to know the parents of his cherished human officially. He'd prefer these possibilities over indications of something grave and alarming that rang loud at the back of his mind concerning these three children’s, especially Raon’s, backgrounds. He'd be happy to know his unease was uncalled for.
(Why has the world always been unforgiving to the young and the weak?)
Raon's chubby front paws were gaudy to spruce up his blue cravat that was secured with an azure gemstone, his breath huffed and puffed in paltry annoyance, almost peeved. He rambles in his mind, again, saying the mighty cravat is not mighty enough for him, and he had to fix it himself since a dragon couldn't be wrong with their judgments. Moondae–now Ershen–was quite overwhelmed to keep up with the tides of doubt and nervousness colouring Raon’s every gait, and his hesitation on what he was supposed to do in this situation.
Ohn and Hong did remotely better at a glance, more or less. For a comparison, however, the better wasn't much different. A subtle sense of duty entrusted upon two pairs of clumsy hands, inexperienced yet determined enough to persevere, pushing through. The smiles and the laughs they offered were rather strained the second time they tried to give him another playful swing. Their smiles hardly reached their eyes, and the slight tremor in their voices was a complicated blend of anticipation and nervousness.
It's a clump of mess rolled atop a snowfield. Growing bigger and heavier.
And it pressed on his mind, witnessing the usually joyful children being more subdued compared to some minutes prior, when they’d expressed their otherworldly purpose of cuteness supremacy. It was one thing to act childish for his survival, but he was, and still is, the supposedly adult figure for these children. In other situations, he might reconsider and take his time to properly calculate if it was even necessary to be this bothered, but the situation was unworthy of such contemplation.
He offered an encouraging squeeze for Ohn and Hong, who were quick to squeeze back, their fingers interlocking with his. He hoped they couldn't see the way his lips tightened at the exertion of strength, he hoped his smile did not reflect his discomfort as he reciprocated theirs. And the way his skin struggled to stretch and the stiffness growing thick and numb on his fingers for the sake of focusing on something worth more of his attention was at least useful (he hoped they might feel better). He did not know how to properly comfort children; what he got was sugar-coated and honey-dripping words loaded with misplaced expectations from his childhood, still, he learns that the moment he falters, the tense atmosphere will most likely remain.
So he'd pushed back his increasingly vociferous and frantic thoughts, and thought of something else. Now that the cat siblings had relaxed their shoulders at some point, he had to do something for Raon.
‘...What did Ahyeon say back then…?’
The best practice was one that suited the child in question…–something along that line. It was odd to find such slipshod fun facts and tips Ahyeon once shared on leisure would come in handy like this. Nonetheless, it was to his advantage, and he'll stay put in the least amount of respect he could afford to give.
Raon was impish, he's largely candid with his feelings and connotations. His ideas may sound out of the blue without context, but he was thoughtful and conscious of what exactly the people around him would take satisfaction in doing together, leaving out his poor attempt to play it cool and subtle at times he failed to lie. So what he could do was be just as candid and spontaneous.
“Waon ‘Yuung, afp-aed?”
((tl: “Raon Hyung, afraid?”))
He called out with an indignant squint, challenging yet bearing no real intent. Ron and Vicross observing behind them gave him a light pat of reprimand. It quickly became another session of ensuring the four of them (Raon’s pitiful cravat, particularly) were all presentable in any way, it was fortunate that they were preoccupied enough to remain unbothered and continue to trudge along the hallway.
Raon took offence to his question, he pouted and harrumphed, both wings flapped and from how wind gushed out quite noticeably, his displeasure was crystal clear. His frown was identical to a certain young master. “Of course not, Sillyhead! This Hyung of yours is just minding his own great and mighty business!”
As for that. He's sorry to let him down, but he is not a sillyhead, and he is older.
And that's not convincing. Despite himself, Raon did poorly maintaining focus as they made eye contact, his eyes steady with more effort than needed, the subtle twitch of his front paws and wings resembling a guarded front of a triggered fortress. He now even stayed silent–not saying anything in his mind, which he rarely did.
If he decides to press further, he's certain there is something more than what meets the eye. Ohn and Hong beside him, as well, they’re normally relaxed and playful, but when it comes to adult figures and new people they have yet to become acquaintances with, a looming tension would weigh them down. It’s mostly less apparent when Cale Henituse or the Molrans were nearby, and yet….
Through the glimpses he chanced to see, the Henituses were not even scary.
They appeared more curious and intrigued if anything.
That's why he wanted to say it's okay. These people are kind, much kinder than he ever expected, and they have been with them longer than he did. If any circumstances were to occur, it only logical he'd be the cause and therefore had to take responsibility for whatever they're anxious about.
Regardless.
Funnily enough, whether it was caused by his already complicated mind or this underdeveloped body, the bizarre sense of unease contributed to his tensed shoulders had given him little chance of consolation for these children, he'd sound anything but trustworthy even if he did say something. Neither his experience as the TeStar's Park Moondae nor the twenty-nine-year-old Ryu Gunwoo managed to save even him at this moment he'd both been expecting and dreading.
He had a lot of fans, indeed, he'd meet a lot of people and socialize more than what his lifespan would implore to handle but none of them comprised a meeting with the parents of his fans. He wondered if it would be identical to this uneasiness of meeting the potentially disapproving parents of Cale Henituse, right now. Even if Cale quite rarely saw his parents, he appeared to listen to them well enough to merely toss him aside had they wished for it. Overreacting as it may be, one should never let their guard down so easily.
‘Ah.’
… Maybe this is it. These children must be feeling the same way, even if the logic (wounds) behind it were different. It must be, right? They might be doing even better than what his inexperienced social makers make it out to be. After all, if they found him too young or too distrustful to share their pasts, all he could do was play along and offer what little assurance he could give.
“Humm wellie?” he said instead, attention rotating back to Raon,”‘Yuung ‘sh henshomm, n-ou nidh tu wollie.”
((tl: “Hmm really? Hyung is handsome, no need to worry.”))
Although he knew it was not what Raon was fretting about, in the end, it was the correct response.
He lightly swung both of his hands, a little bounce on his feet against the growing image of a white, silverish door. The door itself was such a sight to behold. It was rather difficult to describe with his limited understanding of furnishings and sense of aesthetics; his home in the Ryu household was crafted in a more Korean traditional form of housing, not European, let alone the run-down apartment he got to use as Park Moondae. He did not read a plentiful amount of history, nor did he read fantasy fiction stories to match Bae Sejin's knowledge in medieval settings to properly encapsulate the grandiose presence this specific door presented compared to the innumerable doors within the west wing of Henituse Manor so far. There may be more doors like this he had yet to know, but if its eye-catching appearance was a sign of its significant purpose… he'd preferably not.
His following inhale was a bit sharper, nearly close to a sniffle from indignation, done so to make it look like he merely stating the obvious in his words. It did some mercy to his ever-conflicting sentiment and boosted someone else to chime in.
“Our Ershen is right, the great and mighty Raon is handsome already!” Hong cheered, his grip tightening in a newfound opportunity to unfreeze his nervousness and support Ershen's remarks. A lighter shade of golden shone bright, giving a soft ambience mirroring their oldest sibling's.
Ohn hummed, affirming, her slightly raised chin highlighted her half-braided hair. “Indeed,” she added with a nod, “Grampa Ron chose it excellently. You are indeed a gentleman today.”
As Ron and Vicross silently offered pats on their heads, they successfully retained any bits of determination right in time for them to reach the forefront of the door.
(... If only he could stop feeling so ashamed for being a part of it. His concerns were based on justified reasoning, yet he couldn't cease feeling upset.)
“Ahem, hem! I am indeed a handsome gentleman!” Raon placed his paws on his waist, chest puffed out to proudly present his cravat along with his chubby and chunky belly. “Great and mighty gentleman!” he put on a perfect closing remark, not missing a beat.
It drove laughter to echoes, and Ershen no longer found it as hard to follow along now that the pressure on his chest notably lessened, his laughter shy away but recognizable a bit too much.
A moment of laughter, and another pat on their heads, before Ron and Vicross opened the door.
It played in slow motion. High-vaulted ceiling instantly caught his attention. If he lowered his gaze, the entire expanse was overlaid in coalescence of red, silver, ebony and gold. The magical interference was noteworthy, this whole place exclaimed its recent transformation proudly, served with today's agenda in its deliberation to assume it had been built this way from the beginning. Super Rock Villa was grandiose in itself, design-wise it was more practical and minimalistic in comparison to this dining chamber that prided itself on feeding the eyes who bore witness to every detail and beauty.
In the centre was a long mahogany table, its glazed form reflecting the light from the chandelier above, accentuating its pristine surface. Seated on the innermost chair was the head of the Henituse family, Count Henituse. His face rested in a practised front, honed from experience, it goes without saying that the Count put forth a smile the whole time he, and possibly his other three siblings who had gone silent at some point–had been too enthralled admiring this magnificent sight–to notice. He was now certain this room was tailored based on the four ‘main characters’ of the… introduction.
He willed himself not to release a deep sigh of relief, he dared not imagine what would happen had he been the only one to be introduced.
It would have been best had his life not been smashed with pebblestone delivered right to his face, too.
“Dongsaeng, it's okay.”
Hm…?
He raised his head to see Ohn smiling gently to his confusion, “They are good people.”
Ershen belatedly registered his right hand clutching a fistful of Ohn’s gown, his eyes blinking in bewilderment, finding himself caught off guard. Since when? He must've unconsciously scooted closer to Ohn's side while tugging Hong along. The boy could be seen prodding the nervous Raon to stop the younger from fiddling with his cravat (once again).
…Was he actually that nervous, or was it simply this body’s usual shenanigans messing with him? He held back a grimace.
… He's three. He's three. At the moment he’s merely a child, not an adult. This was not embarrassing at all.
The Count's smile widened, and he could not stop himself from scooting even closer behind Ohn's taller stature on the now dawning shame. He could feel his cheeks heat up and burn, and the urgent need to hide rapidly grew in seconds. He freed his left hand from Hong’s hold in favour of sticking close to Ohn's side with all his might, hiding himself entirely from the view to conceal his tensing shoulders and the familiar itch on the edges of his eyes that signified crying was imminent. He would not encourage the idea of gasping for breath from crying if he could help it, this body’s lung capacity was too small that the act itself hurt.
“... Buu't…,” he weakly tattles on, muffled and incoherent, unfortunately still loud enough to reach the Count's ears just fine. ” …‘mae-il weilld.”
((tl: “... But… smile weird.”))
Foolish reason, idiotic even, he knew. He just needed something to take the blame on and justified his action to not be a laughingstock.
Fortunately, Ershen did not get to see the way everyone's lips twitched with suppressed chuckles. How the Countess lightly hit her fan to her husband to prevent the scandalous gasp the Count almost hollered out loud at the mention of his surely charming smile. How the two younger Henituses had been sitting on the edge of their seats and earnestly looking at the four new family members they were about to know. How Cale Henituse's subtle amusement could be seen from the sparks dancing in his eyes and his posture as he leaned forward… or how Raon patted his head in reassurance while being hugged by Hong himself.
– We got this, Fluffy Dongsaeng!
Now he's back, talking in his mind like usual. Thank you for grinding his demolished pride even further with that innocent cheer. Thank you. It's very much welcome, anyway.
He reluctantly let go of Ohn's gown, feeling regretful at the crumpled cloth, although the magic cast on the gown activated quickly before he could point it out. He eyed in rapt marvel when Ohn's previously crumpled gown looked anew, Unseeing of the knowing smiles he got as he consciously poured his attention into closing his gaping mouth.
This couldn’t go on. He should stop getting distracted.
He steeled himself, counting one to ten, deep breaths and rapid blinking before he felt composure was within his grasp to pull himself out of what little hide-out he found comfort in.
It served as a signal for Ohn to volunteer and carry him in her embrace, the act itself was flawless and held a considerable familiarity that undoubtedly originated from her experience with Hong and Raon. She held her head high and ground her siblings in a way Ryu Chungwoo would lead his members on stage, her hold oddly equivalent to Ron’s vip level of comfort he instinctively melted deeper with a content sigh despite himself.
What flustered him more was the next moment he fixed his gaze forward, the Henituses were now standing side by side in front of them, leaving only a three meters gap in between. Huh, he blinked in puzzlement, again. When did they move? … And so suddenly? Are all people in this world simply proficient in stealth from birth? Or was he so out of it for not realizing the four of them had approached the table for quite some time when he was sure they were supposed to remain by the door in the meantime? Upfront, among the five Henituses, the youngest one was visibly excited as she tugged on the Countess’ gown with a bright smile.
Everyone was dressed formally for today's occasion, if he had to point out one peculiarity in this room, it would be the wooden sword secured on the youngest Henituse’s waist. The sword was rigged from overuse, a clear display of the diligence its owner had been maintaining. She had been looking intently at Ershen and Raon who were respectively carried by Ohn and Hong.
It was then, for the first time, something properly registered in his mind.
‘... Oh.’
The overall picture was… utterly cute. He blinked slowly to the Count and Countess, clutching tighter to Ohn’s embrace so he could create a passable impression of a guarded, but curious, toddler.
Wouldn't they… painted an irresistibly adorable sight this whole time? So things… worked out in the end?
It felt like his mind was unable to focus, and whatever plans he had agonized for today vanished with little resistance.
‘Just, just follow along for now.’
Compared to before, the Count’s composure notably wavered, and the dignified image was demoted to a simple ahjussi neighbour. Eager to strike up a conversation yet awkward and unsure, now, he could see the resemblance of his eagerness with his youngest daughter, the latter was firm with determination and confidence that he lacked in comparison. The Henituse sons took after the Countess, with Cale Henituse exuding an air of nonchalant and the other shared the same level of distinctive scrutiny with the Countess, both of them keen in observing every move of him and his siblings.
“Shall we start?” the Countess motioned with her handheld fan, her voice steady and soft, “Lest we delay our lunch for much longer.”
Whoever initiated it, the unfolding situation was quite humorous. Ershen visualized the first day at school, each student would introduce themselves in succession. The first to take a step forward was the Count, it was admirable how his once awkward gaits now abound with confidence and dignity when it's due. There was a reason why he was the Count.
He knelt on one knee. Ershen could feel Ohn’s grip slightly tightening in response, Hong’s muted gasp at the unexpected actions, and Raon's dramatic gasp in his mind. The Count’s voice burst, it was by no means steady in the way the Countess would nor loud, it gave weight and honour in a playful burst of bubbles, just like one he had fun with during bath time prior.
“I’m Deruth Henituse.” He declared briefly, his right hand positioned atop his chest implying experience in knighthood. “Feel free to call me grandfather, however. You can take your time, I just want all of you to know that you are now a part of the Henituse family.”
He took out several items and presented them to them.
“Gold!”
Raon and Hong cheered with unabashed glee, their nervousness loosening, and Count Deruth smiled. His smile was unbound, sincerely revealing how pleased his heart was at this moment.
There were four golden tokens, each of them unique in design. Carved on each surface were their figures. Seated on her hind legs, Ohn's cat form was depicted with the graceful flow of her tail and her dignified pose, the Henituse golden turtle in the background is similarly upright and brimming with confidence. Hong, likewise in his cat form, had a more puckish nuance as he put his front paw on the turtle's face, the turtle looked down with tenderness. Raon's was a bit different, the Henituse turtle could be seen lowering its stance and closing its eyes in a profound bow, Raon was perched atop the turtle shell, and his wings expanded in pride.
Ershen focused on his token when Count Deruth handed it to him last, both hands wrapped around it preciously in fear of dropping it if he's not careful, the enthusiastic squeal of Hong and Raon, as well as the gentle kiss on his head from Ohn, waned into white noise. Contrary to his expectation of it being carved with his fox plushie's form, it was carved with his face instead. His hair emerged fluffed and soft, smiling so unbidden he genuinely wondered if this was what these people saw every time he smiled. The Henituse turtle's head gently leaned closer in contented smile was another point to note.
‘....’
There was a pinprick on his conscience. He did not know which reactions he should express. His silence may be odd, but the happiness radiating around him made it seem like a childlike daze and awe rather than guilt. Unquestionably, that would be the best outcome he could hope for.
Then, Count Deruth’s voice was heard.
He gestured to the four Henituses behind him, standing up in the process, “We welcome you to this family.”
::
::
::
It was interesting to get to know this family during mealtime. You could see how distinct each of their personalities was, and yet they took after each other all the same. Countess Violan, to start, as he rested comfortably on her lap and obediently opened his mouth whenever she fed him a piece of meat she had cut for him, was truthfully a wonder of sophistication herself. She's primarily left-handed, he later found out, and her feeding him with her right hand implies the undertone of her emotions. He paid no mind to the slight hesitation of her holds, because she's a mother first and foremost, and the weight she held in her eyes was so painfully warm and comforting and screamed for safety that he had no choice but to stop worrying.
Count Deruth and Lily Henituse eagerly compete to feed Hong and Raon, something along the lines of who can give them more food, which the younger cat and dragon happily indulge in their enthusiasm. Empty plates were simultaneously changed with ease by Ron, while Vicross brought over a new set of meals ready to be served whenever required.
Ohn was on Cale’s lap, familiar and comfortable, and the one who gently fed her despite her initial reluctance was Basen Henituse. Their sides were especially awkward, maybe it's even more so for Basen and Ohn. It was simply what happened when an introvert (Cale) tried to introduce you (Ohn, an introvert) to another introvert (Basen).
Although he couldn't fault them for that. And he understood why he was best put with the Countess. Still, he's starting to feel too stuffed and bloated already.
“Gwamma Vii, n’ou eeth? N’ou hunggie?”
((tl: “Gramma Vi, no eat? No hungry?”))
So he somewhat forced her to eat, a clumsy fork placed in front of her mouth, waiting above petulant frown and tugged lips. Any more and he can guarantee he'd only feel nauseated and not satisfied. He couldn't waste such incredible food either, so she should eat more.
Fortunately, the Countess relented. “Thank you,” she said, even with sauces from his poorly grabbed fork that couldn't stay still had caused a mess to her face. The next moment consists of him feeding her in return, “Eet mo’uw! Fudh gudh!”
((tl: “Eat more! Food good!”))
“Fluffy Dongsaeng, that’s cheating!” Raon immediately chimed in, still proceeding with his rambles even when Count Deruth took on a handkerchief to wipe his sauced face. He added a reprimand to swallow his food first before talking.
“Nya, this won't do. We also have to win!”
“I see, then, Basen Oraboeni, please allow me.”
… This is not a competition.
::
::
::
Supposedly, that should mark the end of the day.
So why did he, no, they, teleport in the middle of the night to what seems to be something similar to an actual palace???
It was indeed the palace of Rowoon. And the room they had entered unannounced was the Crown Prince’s, Raon happily shared in his mind. Grand and magnificent as it can be, the room reeks of the smells of ink and paper. Piled and organized roughly to the side, yet even then what's on the table did not seem to decrease.
‘... Paperwork.’
No matter what kind of paperwork, it would always have this inherent nature to multiply tirelessly.
“Ah, Young Master Cale, our brightest hope and token of freedom, what could have incurred your attention to visit me in this joyous hour?”
‘.....’
To say that without bothering to look up, it was clear this guy was a close companion too. He could not exactly put his words to describe it, regardless, what came out from the graceful blonde hair and serene blue eyes was a string of words withholding sarcasm and false flattery.
“Certainly, my humbled presence could dare not be compared to your magnificent light and grace, Your Highness–”
“Stop.”
“Alright.”
Who are you? He wanted to say it out loud. Goosebumps thick to his spine, still in disbelief at what he just watched and heard. That was the moment Ershen realized why he'd been so bothered by the Count’s smile. These two people, and that awkward ahjussi neighbour, shared the same smile all along.
And he'd be damned if he had forgotten what that smile brought to his face in his world.
– I'll undo the invisibility spell!
“So what do you want—”
They were standing not so far away, Ohn and Hong still in their human forms and at some point he was carried by Cale, with Raon familiarly perched on his shoulder.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince Alver Crossman, I wish to inform you on this joyful occasion,” Cale smiled even wider before adding, “They are my children.”
He had to suppress the instinctive urge to beat that smile out of his face. No, witnessing such eerie smiles even in another world was too much.
“... What?”
“They are my children.”
“What?”
“This is Ohn, Hong, Raon Miru and Ershen Miru Henituse.”
The Crown Prince did not say anything for a while, unblinking, especially towards Raon. He had abandoned his paperwork and stood in shock. Now that he has a clearer view, it was no wonder he seemed to not be in his right mind.
“... Pha’dda.”
((tl: “... Panda.”))
It's a good thing that pandas exist in this world, even if they are beast monsters, but his point stands. He looked pitifully sleep-deprived.