Chapter Text
Jimin drank from his cup before he started retelling what he remembers.
“Minho was around five when I first meet him, he just suddenly entered my shop, it was quite a scene, a five year old boy just bursting through my shop doors, most humans wouldn’t dare do that,” Jimin said with a nostalgic smile.
“What kind of shop is it though?” Felix asked as his head canted to the side.
“Oh! Well I was the witch in story you see and it was my shop where all beings could avail of potions and charms, and all such forms of magic, but I’d rather be called a Moonchild, that’s my proper title anyway,”
“A moon-what? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that term before,” Felix scratched his head.
“It’s moonchild, they’re from a pagan religion based here in Korea,” Jisung answered.
“You seem to know quite a bit about us?” Jimin smiled, a glint of something dark in his eyes.
“Yeah, a family member of mine is a follower of it,” Jisung quips.
“Sung, you mean your cool aunt that you said was part of that weird cult?”
“Yes, I mean no, Felix, it’s not a cult, but it is that aunt.”
“But you sai-“
“Children it’s fine, the religion isn’t that prominent anymore, so I don’t really mind. Anyway, where were we.
Ah! Minho burst into my shop demanding that his wish be granted. And he just gave the cutest wish, claiming that he wanted a family, I asked him where his old one was, he just replied that he didn’t have one, oh he was such a precious child.
Anyway, I told him that I didn’t need my magic for that, but he said he doesn’t care, as long as his wish came true. So, I adopted him from the orphanage, it was a little tricky since me and my husband were well, not entirely human. But we had our ways,” Jimin smiled as he looked in Minho’s room.
“We were quite a loving family; we were happy, a luxury back in the day. I thought him magic, his other father took him around the world, and his uncles gave him everything he wanted.
But puberty came and went and he became quite hormonal, forming relationships here and there, almost everyone in town was in love with him. So, he came to me and asked why he wasn’t able to truly love anyone of the people he had relationships with, his feelings were only ever familial or sexual never romantic.
And that was when I made one of the biggest mistakes in my life,” Jimin said as he stared at the liquid in his cup, “I peeked at his love line and told him the truth, mortals aren’t supposed to know such things, because they have too much greed in their hearts. And greed Minho’s heart did have. When he learned that the person he was meant to be with was in the distant future, he asked his other father to take him to there.
But bringing him to the future also meant that he would continue aging so his other father said no. When his father didn’t agree he became depressed and became the shell of the happy child that he once was, we were heartbroken.
So, I did what I do best, I granted his wish, I told him how he could meet his soulmate, a way where he wouldn't age but would still be able to get to the future. and he agreed. And that was how I lost my precious boy for almost seventy years,” Jimin finished as he looked up at the ceiling blinking rapidly.
“I’m very sorry about everything that happened but how exactly do we know that this isn’t all made up? And that all of this is real? Because last I heard magic isn’t real and now, you’re claiming all these things,” Jisung shook his head.
“Well you just have to wait for it, the only real way to know is either by talking to Minho, or by talking to my husband, and both are currently preoccupied,” Jimin snapped as he tried to calm himself down.
Jisung and Felix sat there not knowing what to do.
They could leave and just pretend all of this never happened, but they wouldn’t know what the truth is.
Or they could stay and satisfy their curiosity, but they could probably be scammed or worse.
The two friends looked at each other, as though they were able to talk telepathically and just nodded.
“We’ll stay, we’ll see through it,” Felix answered for the both of them.
“That’s good, considering Minho seems to be waking up now,” Jimin said as he wiped at his face, standing up and walking towards Minho’s room.
The two of them followed inside.
Jisung took a good look around the room, just now noticing the different trinkets strewn about the room. Objects from different places in and out of South Korea. But there was one thing that was constant with all of the items. They were all clean, as though it was dusted off every day.
Jisung looked right in front of him when he heard movement. The cat was now on the boy’s side as he slowly woke up.
Minho opened his eyes and looked straight at Jimin, he sat up and tried to talk but only coughs were heard when he opened his mouth, Jimin then produced a glass of water from who knows where and proceeded to make Minho drink.
When he was finished drinking, he looked at the cat and Jimin, then started crying. He held onto the two while sobbing. Jimin calmed the boy down while the cat snuggled him.
There was some incoherent mumbling of apologies and words of forgiveness. Jisung felt like he should leave, and that he wasn’t truly a part of this.
By the time he decided to leave, the trio had finally stopped. And Minho had quite considerably calmed down. And he was now looking straight at Jisung, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Hi, I’m Minho,” The boy said as he offered his hand to shake. Jisung accepted and shook it. Upon holding it though he felt the hairs on his nape rise.
“I’m Han Jisung nice meeting you,” Jisung replied, looking at the boy.
Someone’s throat was cleared then “And I’m Lee Felix by the way,” Felix waved.
Minho smiled at both of them. And looked down at his and Jisung’s hand which were still intertwined. Jisung let go, missing the warmth the hand had offered, and felt himself go red, it was a new feeling for Jisung.
“Are you my soulmate?” Minho asked.
And that was when reality hit Jisung.
He didn’t believe in love, he was probably just charmed, and if magic was actually real then all of this was a lie, because love wasn’t true, and it never will be.
“No,” Jisung answered.
“What?” Minho answered as his eyes started to glisten.
“No, no, I’m sorry. Felix, we need to leave,” Jisung said as he went to the living room and collected their things. He looked towards his friend who gave him a look of disbelief at what he was doing.
“Just please Lix, trust me,” He pleaded to his friend.
Felix shook his head then took his bag from Jisung. He apologized to the others for their behavior.
And as Jisung was stepping out of the front door he heard a wale from the next room, he felt a sting in his chest, one that he hadn’t felt in a while.