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Things you learn at a young age stay with you the longest. Sungchan couldn’t remember any math he learned in school, or even the name of the math teacher, but he remembered the rules he read in that one tale that talked about faeries.
The rules were listed by the dumb character’s smart wife, and if Sungchan had known anything about tales when he was five, it was that wives and mothers always gave the best advice, especially when it came to magical things.
Rule one: Speak not of thy name, for a name is power.
Sungchan had more or less failed that one immediately. The faerie looked down at him with a smile, and he blurted his real name out, even if only half of it. He knew that if he was asked to tell his full name instead, he would do so without thinking.
The exchange went smoothly - Sungchan for a briefcase full of money, - and then Sungchan was led out of the building, through the dark, cold night and into the car, that was warm and smelled surprisingly good - mint and pine needles. Winwin and his two - assistants? bodyguards? - exchanged some words in what was most likely Chinese.
Winwin, Xiaojun, Hendery - none of those sounded like real names. These people clearly knew that names held power, and didn’t wave them around for everyone to see.
When the car started, Winwin secured Sungchan in place with a seatbelt. In the yellow lamppost light Sungchan could see his hands with long, delicate fingers, covered in tiny scratches. Up close it was easy to smell grass and flowers on him, the iron still there, but less apparent.
Faeries didn’t exist, neither did mermaids, and werewolves, and fox-demons, and all the other fairytale folk. But there was a golden glint in Winwin’s eyes, and his features were so delicate, carved in ivory by an ancient master, and he smelled the way humans generally didn’t, and Sungchan was losing his goddamn mind.
Rule two: Trust not the smiles and kindness, but do not disregard it.
“You must be so scared,” Winwin said slowly, gently, after they left the parking lot, “Now is not the time to explain to you everything that’s going on here, but I want you to know that you’re safe with me. Nothing bad is going to happen to you now, alright? You’ll just stay at my place for a bit, while my friends finish their work, and then I’ll take you home. Do you wanna go home, Channie?”
Sungchan nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat.
Did he want to go home? More than anything in the world! But something in him was very sure, that home was just as far away, as it was yesterday. Maybe even further.
“Of course you do. I’m sure your family will be so excited to have you back! You’ll probably have to do a lot of catching up… Are you still in school?”
Sungchan shook his head.
“Home-schooling? Or did you graduate already?”
Fuck, that one he had to answer verbally.
“I’ve graduated already,” he said, staring down onto his own hands.
“Well, that’s nice. Means you didn’t miss anything important.”
…except for god knows how many practices with the team, and probably his only chance to join the league, but other than that - no, nothing important.
As if on cue came a painful sting to his bad shoulder. Sungchan winced, fighting the urge to undo the seatbelt and bring his knees to his chest to ease the pain.
It would go away after a bit, he just had to breathe through it. Being transported in a small box definitely didn’t do him any good.
“Are you hurt, dear? You need to tell me if you are.”
Rule three: Lie not, the fair folk hate those who lie.
“...it’s not that bad,” Sungchan said, voice strained, “It’s, uh… It’s nothing new.”
For a long moment Winwin studied his face in the uneven light of passing lamp posts.
“I see,” he said then, and Sungchan wondered what it was that he saw.
Maybe it was Sungchan’s twice broken nose, that didn’t look quite as straight as it used to. Or the way his horns had scratches on them from all the times he ran head first into the side of the skating rink - all signs of years of being in a violent, competitive sport.
Or maybe he saw the way Sungchan had his ears pressed down, the way he was shaking like a leaf, or how he bit his lips almost to the point of drawing blood.
“Is it your back?” Winwin asked.
“No, uh… It’s my shoulder.”
“Do you need anything for it? Medicine? We can pick something up on the way.”
“No, thank you. It helps to just… Lay down.”
“Of course. Well, that won’t be a problem. It’s way past midnight, you probably should lay down as soon as we get home anyway. I have a guest bedroom you can take, and we can probably find something… More comfortable for you to wear,” he motioned to Sungchan’s thin pastel attire and gave him a sympathetic look, “Doesn’t seem very practical to me. Or warm.”
“Oh, it isn’t,” Sungchan said wholeheartedly.
It was warm in the car, but the memory of curling up in his sleeping bag in the cold container was still very clear in his head. Probably because it hadn’t even been half a day since he left, even though it felt like a whole other lifetime.
“My husband’s a little broader in the shoulders than me, I think his shirts should fit you just fine. The pants might be a little short, but that shouldn’t be too big of a problem, we’ll get you something of your size later anyway. And shoes, definitely. I feel cold just looking at you.”
Sungchan looked down at his naked feet in embarrassment.
He had an idea why they were denied shoes - you can’t run too far without them, or at least do so comfortably. In the prior weeks he got so used to walking barefoot he almost forgot about it.
“Think you can eat something before going to bed?”
Rule four: Eat not what they offer.
“I made chow mein earlier today. No meat, just some tofu and veggies, so I think it should be fine for you.”
…well, that was just unfair.
Sungchan was going to say no, he really was, but just the thought of hot, spicy noodles with savory sauce, after weeks of bland porridge with occasional scoops of rice, was making his mouth water.
He swallowed, and Winwin grinned knowingly.
“Wonderful. And if you finish it up, I’ll start on some stir-fried mustard greens in the morning. Do you like garlic? My husband likes it when I put a lot in.”
Sungchan couldn’t even feel bad for ignoring the “eat not” rule, because the stupid main character in the original story had also failed at it. Except that he was offered some sacred wine, or magical bread, or whatever. Sungchan would take a good veggie meal over literally any of those.
“Oh, dear,” Winwin sighed, noticing the faraway look on Sungchan’s face, “You’re in a dire need of a good dinner, aren’t you? Let’s not talk more about it, then. We’ll be in my place very soon, I promise. For now… Do you have any, uh, urgent questions? Something you would like to know right now, before we get there? I’ll do my best to answer everything tomorrow, but if there’s something you need to know right now - please, be my guest.”
Sungchan had to think about it carefully.
Because, well, you don’t want to be the idiot who speaks rudely to a faerie and gets his entire bloodline cursed. Faeries live long lives, and hold their grudges for even longer.
Are you human? is too straightforward and just plain disrespectful.
What are you? is simply a weird thing to say.
What are you going to do to me? When can I go home? is whiny and implies that Sungchan doesn’t appreciate the hospitality.
His shoulder was on fire, and the pain seemed to be slowly sipping into his spine and climbing up his neck.
He had to focus. The right question was out there somewhere, he just had to find it.
“Are you my master now?” he blurted out to his own surprise.
Winwin looked at him, amused, and then clicked his tongue.
“I’m not quite sure myself,” he answered with a smile, “Guess we’ll have to figure it out together, Channie.”
Sungchan smiled back, uncertain, chest tight. Something in him, something older than his exhaustion, rooted deeply into his being, was trying to get the attention of his foggy mind.
Rules. Rules. There were more rules he had to revise. Which one was next? Don’t promise your first born child, don’t drink from their wells, don’t-...
Ah. Of course.
Rule five: Fall not in love with them, for they feel not the same love.
Sungchan had a feeling this one would be especially hard to follow.