Archive of Our Own ^beta

In this place, peace reigned. From here, you could hear the sounds of the forest animals, the sound of the wind in the leaves of the trees, the sounds of nature showing no sign of hostility towards unwanted guests. This place was an old ruined chapel set deep in the forest, with a majestic tree at its center. There was a majestic tree whose colorful leaves showed us that it was in good health; the tree was old and you could see it. A little further down, as the tree stood on a small mound of earth due to the unevenness of the ground, water surrounded the old oak. This gave the place an even more magical and almost fantastic appearance. It was not normally advisable to come here, as there were no paths leading past this ancient chapel. The ruin that lives up to its name, and stones could fall on the part of the roof that was still there. But because of the beauty of the place, due to its splendid appearance, and despite the passage of time, Mingi couldn't leave this place. He loved this chapel far too much, and it had become his refuge.

Mingi was a young university student with a passion for anything remotely related to magic. He was drawn to the whole world, to anything fantastic, fanciful or even related to witchcraft. He loved all those imaginary worlds. That was where he had created his refuge. So when he discovered this ruined chapel after a long detour off the beaten track, he decided to make it his world. His physical refuge, a real place of refuge rather than just his books. And despite everything, the atmosphere of the place was so mysterious, and yet so gentle, that from time to time he would take a photo of the chapel and find the same atmosphere in his picture. He doesn't know if he took the photos hoping one day to find an anomaly in them or whether he just took them for the atmosphere. But the most important thing is that his pictures were all magnificent in his eyes, without even needing to be retouched.

Nevertheless, Mingi didn't come here just for the beauty of the place, which from his point of view was linked to a fantasy world, not even just to take pictures. No, what he preferred above all was to take his books and settle down in the only unsubmerged corner of the chapel. Where, even in heavy rain, the water couldn't get in. The little room in question was a little high up, and he sometimes climbed through the window when the rain had not spared the whole lower part of the chapel. It's true that sometimes he does go through the window, but the truth is that there is no window at all; you can only make out there used to be one, when the place wasn't a ruin. What's more, the raised room wasn't that high, that's why he was able to pass through here from time to time and didn't mind taking a little risk or even ending up wet from the moisture on the stones. For him, all this added charm to the place.

In this corner, spared from the water, was a fairly small and narrow room, but large enough in his opinion. It was quite possible to accommodate two Mingis here, without feeling compressed. As the place was never visited, Mingi had been able to store a few small items without running the risk of having them stolen. In fact, many people could have settled here, but the place was too far from the footpaths and far too run-down to interest anyone in their right mind. But Mingi was not a rational person, so he had set up a comfortable place. By comfortable he meant a few cushions, a blanket and a large tarp on the ground to avoid direct contact with it. And, of course, some of his books. At least the tarp also spared some of his belongings from the surrounding humidity. And more, in summer, thanks to the high temperatures, the room's window, as well as the entrance if he passed through the center of the chapel, allowed him to let in some heat and remove some of the humidity. In winter, however, the place was very damp indeed, due to the water in the center of the chapel. He liked to come here to have his own little cocoon, his own refuge, and to settle down in this slightly cozy place he'd been able to create for himself. And finally, when the sun was shining, he'd sometimes take a few flowers, which never lasted long, but it was a sort of temporary embellishment to his little refuge.

Mingi considered himself lucky, as the place was very sunny despite its location deep in the forest, and above all he couldn't see any major cracks in the only part of the roof that had been spared by time. Of course, he knew full well that coming here was not without risk and that one day, the roof might end up cracking or even falling in. But he would always take this risk until the potentially fateful moment, as long as it allowed him to stay in his refuge, and to stay in the only place where he felt truly free to be himself.

This little refuge he had created for himself in the old chapel was known only to his best and at the same time his only friend. Of course, other people knew about this place, but as the place was forbidden due to the danger of the foundations and few people wanted to venture into the woods, nobody came to this side of the forest. This allowed Mingi to be completely surrounded by the sounds of nature, his friend not necessarily wanting to risk his life by going to see this chapel. At least that's what Mingi always implied. Which is why he was a little surprised when, one day in the middle of the afternoon, as he was writing in his notebook, he heard footsteps in the water in the courtyard of the chapel. It didn't seem logical to him at all. Why on earth would you step in the water when you could easily avoid it today if you didn't head for the tree in the center of the chapel?

Not knowing who it might be and, above all, afraid that it might be a forester as the person was bound to have gone towards the tree, Mingi didn't move an inch, hoping with all his heart that the person wouldn't notice the small raised room contained life. The place was off-limits, so he didn't want to run the risk of being fined or otherwise charged for breaking the rules. But when the noises got closer, as if the man had decided to inspect the premises, Mingi put his notebook away as quickly and discreetly as possible in his bag, ready to run if the person turned out to be ill-intentioned. But none of this happened, however, and the stranger headed back towards the center of the chapel, given the sounds of water he could hear. Mingi discreetly poked his head through the entrance to the room to see who it could be and was surprised to see a blond man, probably close to his own age, standing in the center, close to the old tree. He then looked at the stranger, who didn't seem to have noticed his presence.

The young blond put his hand on the trunk of the tree before moving a little closer, finally taking it in his arms and beginning to hum a soft melody. Mingi had no idea why he would do such a thing, except that he had a high blood alcohol level. But the man was singing surprisingly well and in such a beautiful voice that he didn't ask himself any more questions, although he remained just as ready to run if the person noticed his presence. Afterwards, he saw the man speak through the movements of his lips, but he couldn't hear what he seemed to be saying to the tree. Immediately afterwards, he set off again, turning his back on Mingi and walking once more through the water surrounding the old tree without worrying about getting his shoes wet. Mingi remained on the lookout for long minutes for the slightest noise signaling a human presence, before remaining in the chapel without fear of being harmed when he was certain that the blond-haired stranger had indeed left the place.

Several days had passed since the young blond man had been in the chapel. He had not seen the man since, but part of him believed in the fact that the man had indeed returned here. It was certainly strange to think so, but the old tree seemed to him to be even more fabulous than before. As if it had been able to recharge its batteries and regain some of its youth. And Mingi, who is fond of anything to do with the fantastic, thought of an elf, or any other creature that might have a link with nature, which was... a lot of possibilities. He was no fool, and he knows really well that his imagination makes a fuss, but it gave him such pleasure to imagine this possibility! Nothing could be real, which was a bit disappointing for the young man, but Mingi liked to make films in his head, so continuing to do so with this kind of idea that a man with magical or other powers had come here to look after this old oak was so cool and he noted it in his notebook once he was settled in the raised room. This tree seemed to be getting better and nothing short of scientific evidence could take away his imagination that this blond man had something to do with it.

The rain. The gentle sound of it slapping against the water in the chapel courtyard and against its stones was one of the most beautiful sounds that nature could offer. Because when we're not soaked to the bone by the rain, it has the merit of being pleasantly soothing. When it's raining, it's easier to let yourself drift off into your thoughts, and in Mingi's case, lose yourself in your dreams. It's also more pleasant to rest with the natural lullaby that nature offers us. The rain had this characteristic and Mingi loved the charm it brought.

Despite the rain, Mingi had wanted to go to the chapel, so he'd taken three candles to keep the light on without draining the battery on his phone - yes, he hadn't thought of buying a torch or camping light yet. But he'd also taken two other tarps with him to block any water that might seep into the room through the entrance and the window. That way he would be visible if anyone came. There was no doubt that someone was using the place when it was raining, as the tarps could be seen from outside the room. But having never been seen by anyone before, he couldn't see why today would be any different. He didn't know many people who were going to walk in the forest, off the paths on a rainy day.

As the rain intensified, he suddenly heard rapid footsteps, as if someone was running. And he was not happy to hear these footsteps in the inner courtyard of the chapel. The person wasn't avoiding the water, which was understandable given that the rain filled this little courtyard quite quickly, but the footsteps were heading towards the room where Mingi was. So naturally, hearing these noises, Mingi grabbed the only thing he had to hand, one of his books, which had taken up the most space. He couldn't run because of the tarps he'd put up, and if he had to defend himself he'd do it with his only weapon of defense.

But when he saw a hand manage to open the little barrier against the rain and quickly close it behind him, he was stopped in his tracks when he noticed the young blond man from last time was now standing right next to him in his little refuge. The man seemed slightly taller than him, or maybe it was the shoes he was wearing that gave him this impression. In any case, the young man was completely soaked and when he finally noticed Mingi's presence in the room, he stepped back, which reassured Mingi because the man didn't seem to expect anyone else to protect themselves from the rain here. But it also allowed him to see the young blond man put on his guard after he had observed, with his hazel-black eyes, the book Mingi was holding.

The two young men exchanged no words for what seemed like an eternity. They didn't dare move and just stared at each other until Mingi lowered his book and reached into his bag to pull out a towel, which he handed to the blond-haired stranger. The man took it, thanking him with a nod, and began to dry his hair, the drops of water falling on the back of his neck. Mingi didn't want to let this stranger get his whole refuge wet, dripping like that from the rain he'd caught. But fortunately, the man had the reflex to fix the tarp behind him. They remained in a silence that was strangely unburdensome. A rather surprising silence, according to Mingi, because it was calm and their breathing showed no signs of anxiety.

When the stranger had finished drying his hair and his own clothes as best he could, he put the towel on the floor and sat down on it before looking at Mingi who was putting his book away next to the few other books in the room. And although he hadn't expected anything, he was rather surprised to hear the blond man talking to him.

"Thanks for the towel."

The young blond had just broken the silence that had prevailed since his arrival in the room and this disturbed Mingi a little, who had perhaps hoped not to have to argue. But despite everything, the words didn't bother him that much. Firstly, because the man was at least polite, but also because there was something about the tone of his voice. Something that Mingi couldn't explain rationally. This voice had a very deep tone and at the same time was full of tenderness that inspired confidence. It was surprising but not unpleasant to hear.

"Oh it's nothing I… I wasn't going to let you catch a cold when I had a towel in my bag." 

Mingi didn't really know how to react, he wasn't the type to have had much close contact with people, and then the man in front of him was the one who in his imagination was a being worthy of a fantasy story so it was rather difficult to act without feeling embarrassed for having such stupid ideas. What's more, the man was exuding a certain aura, a certain charisma, not only because of his clothes and wet hair, but also because of the way he took off his long, light coat, perfect for this early autumn. The blond laid his soaked coat delicately at his side. And you could see how much heavier the rain had become, given that a light coat couldn't protect a black t-shirt from the rain. The man leaned against the wall and looked out. The two men were good at waiting for the rain to stop by sharing the same space.

"Did you design the place? If so, it’s nice." The young blond smiled at him as he said this.

Mingi hadn't expected to see the man smile, and compliment him on the way he'd done the place up. Slightly embarrassed, he nodded as he fidgeted with his cardigan.

"Yes hmm… thank you", he finished his sentence with a little whisper. 

It was all he could say. How embarrassed he was to have to talk to a stranger, who turned out to be the fantastic creature he'd made in his head, so it was even more embarrassing. But what really bothers him is the fact that the man has a lot of charisma, so he's more than a little uncomfortable being around such a classy man. 

Mingi isn't the most sociable person, he only has one friend, he prefers to live in his books and his imagination because reality is frightening for him. That's why he's created his own little cocoon in the chapel, because it's the only place where he feels free. Close to nature and far from all the social interaction he'd have to endure when out in the city, or any reproaches he might hear about his passion for fantasy. It has often been, and still is, a sign of mockery in those around him. But it would seem this little answer was enough for the stranger. He asked no more questions and simply listened to the sound of the falling rain.

Mingi took advantage of the silence to sit back down and continue his reading, the time passed slowly, the rain continued to fall and the young blond seemed to doze off in front of the soft sound. In his place, Mingi would have been unable to sleep, he would have been far too stressed at the idea of being stuck in the same room with a stranger. And when he saw the young man jump as if he'd just woken up, Mingi concentrated his gaze on the text of his book, not wanting the stranger to think he was watching him. God, he was weird acting like that! If he could, he would have turned into a mouse and hidden in the room.

In any case, the stranger ended up picking a book on the floor and reading one of Mingi's books, which talked about elves, naiads, nymphs and other mythical and fantastic creatures. But this didn't seem to bother the young man, who was able to fill his time by reading. 

But it wasn't this young blond stranger who broke the silence, but Mingi, who was wondering who this man was, whom he had never seen hanging around here before.

"Hmm, well is it possible to, um... could I know your name? And I've never seen you here before. Have you known about this place for long?"

The blond lifted his head from his book and offered Mingi a small smile, one that couldn't have been ill-intentioned.

"Oh sure! My name is Yunho and yours? While for the second question, I've known about this place for a long time now, I'd been itching to return after so many years away from this chapel. Given your layout, it seems obvious that you took this small, untouched room as a refuge! Well, at the time it was my refuge here too", he says with a radiant smile, "but due to its condition, which was becoming increasingly dangerous, I had to find a little cocoon elsewhere. That's it", he says, ending his sentence with a chuckle.

"Oh? You used to live here? It's strange, I've known about this place for a while, but I've never seen you before. And if this was your refuge we couldn't believe someone had such use for it when I decided to settle here. And my name's Mingi."

"Hmm? But I’ve lived here. I'd say it's been since I was fifteen? Yes I must have left when I was fifteen or sixteen? I can't remember exactly how old I was at this time. And nice to meet you Mingi." He said with a pretty smile. 

The stranger seemed to be telling the truth, and he tilted his head as if wondering why Mingi was suddenly saying nothing. At the same time, the poor man couldn't understand how he could never have seen this man before. Fifteen years old. The blond only looked twenty, twenty-two at the most! So it hadn't been that long since he'd left this place, five or seven years. It's true that Mingi only discovered this place four years ago. But what really disturbed him was that the research he'd done on the place showed that access to it had been forbidden for over thirty years because of its increasingly dangerous condition. And of course, the chapel has been abandoned for years now. So if this man had left because of the dilapidated state of the site, he should have left more than thirty years ago! That's where things went wrong. 

"You're dodgy," he said, giving the man in front of him a dirty look. 

One of the problems with Mingi's severe lack of social interaction was that he often forgot to think before he spoke or said things a little too curtly, which had caused him a lot of problems when he was younger.

"It's better than saying I'm mad, I'd say? I'd love to tell you more about this place, but you'd really think I was crazy. I assure you I'm not lying when I say I left when it started to fall into disrepair. This chapel was like a second home, you can understand that, can't you? You made it your own little personal refuge after all."

The stranger remained calm despite the fact that Mingi had just called him suspicious. It was also disturbing to hear that he had left when the chapel had started to fall into disrepair. Would he really have left as soon as certain parts of the abandoned chapel began to collapse? If so, then it was even longer than thirty years ago. But what was this man talking about? There was no doubt in Mingi's mind that this blond was a strange man and certainly not in his right mind. But one thing that made Mingi quite anxious was the silence, which had previously been calm, was suddenly filled with unease and fear, but above all, it seemed to Mingi that he could no longer hear the sounds outside, only those in the room, which seemed to be getting louder and louder in his ears. He had no idea what to do. Should he run due to this situation? But even if he wanted to, he was paralyzed and far too disturbed not to be able to make even a single sound or move even a single finger.

It was a gentle, relaxing song that instantly stopped Mingi's torment. His eyes full of panic and his face closed in fear, his body tense and his breath unconsciously cut off, everything returned to normal as if he hadn't been in the middle of an inner dilemma just a few seconds ago. The stranger was singing. It was so delicate and it allowed Mingi to hear the rain become an almost imperceptible yet very present background sound, the rain that he had no longer been able to hear had returned but it was a mere noise compared to the voice of the man in front of him which was so harmonious and reassuring at the same time.

But that wasn't the only thing that calmed Mingi down, no, what he saw at one point really touched his little magic-loving heart. After a while, during the singing of the stranger, he saw little white flowers appear, which seemed to float in the air, and one of them came to rest on his hand, and Mingi couldn't believe his eyes. Was he dreaming? Yet the little white flowers seemed so real to the touch. How was it possible to make flowers appear like that, the man must have been a magician. But could it be a hidden camera? No, impossible, in which case how could a magician make flowers appear and fly like that? Nothing rational came to Mingi's mind. All he could think about were his fantasy books. And as far as he was concerned, he had just experienced something that had nothing to do with humans or human magic.

So when the young blond finally finished his song, Mingi watched the flowers fall delicately to the ground, each as sublime as the next, with its pure soft white color. He looked at the stranger with wide eyes. 

"I… I… How?" he asked, completely confused by what he had just experienced.

The blond-haired man gave a small laugh before answering without giving any real information. 

"You know, songs have virtues that many people are still unaware of. The important thing is that you no longer seem to be in the grip of an anxiety attack." 

The young man was still smiling at him warmly and kindly. Mingi still didn't speak, he was still so stunned by all of this. 

"So... So that means I wasn't dreaming. The big tree! The… the big tree in the chapel looks more majestic than it did before and… and… so it is magic!?"

This question, asked as faintly as a whisper, went well with the atmosphere that had settled in the room, since the end of the song, the two young men had been chatting softly, faintly, as if neither of them wanted to rush the other or spoil the calm sound of the rain. 

"In a way you could say yes. It is a certain way of magic yes."

An evasive answer. It was often annoying and yet on this occasion it didn't bother Mingi, who loved the fact that this man might well have a secret related to the magic from earlier that he couldn't tell him. His love of fantasy was really getting the better of his earlier state of panic.

"I can't know the truth when I've seen you make these little white flowers? You have the right afterwards if you're a real magician. But it's a shame in that case, it would spoil the magic if you really are just a magician...", he said with a small pout forming on his face.

"Oh it's true that judging by the few books here, I'd be allowed to tell you the truth. But I'm the kind of person who likes to tease others from time to time. I know you love magic, the real thing! So why not try to find the answer by yourself?"

The man had a rather proud, laughing smile, but nothing wicked. His smile remained warm and as gentle as ever. But that was just a detail. Had the stranger really just said he wasn't just a magician but a supernatural being? Oh my God, he knew he shouldn't believe such nonsense, but it was so tempting and, even if it wasn't true, the young blond had sung and performed a trick to help him calm down when he could very well have let him continue to panic. It shows he's not a bad person, doesn't it?

"I can see that this is working on you more than I thought. Why don't we meet again tomorrow? I'll give you something to think about and if you just who knows? I might tell you that what you've got in your books might not be pure fiction?" 

The man got to his feet with a smile plastered on his face as Mingi sat there watching him. He hadn't realized the rain had just stopped. 

"I'll find out what you are if you swear to me that you're not just a magician." Mingi was determined to find out which creature it was.

He could still hear the stranger's laughter as he asked him to take a good look at him. 

"I'll give you just one proof that magic is real and that I'm not just a magician. Look me in the eye, will you?"

He nodded even though he couldn't see what proof he might have, but that was before he saw the stranger's eyes change from an abysmal color to a jade green color without the man blinking.  

"See you tomorrow, young stranger and lover of fantasy. I have a feeling you're a good man, plants don't make mistakes after all."

And so he left, leaving Mingi still surprised by what had just happened. And when he realized the man really left the place, he picked up his books and hurried home ready to do his research. Magic really did seem to exist and he didn't care if it was a prank, the man didn't seem ill-intentioned and, on the contrary, if he was allowed to believe a little more in magic, even if it was all faked, he would of course fall for it. 

So, once he got home, he began to read everything he could find on the various beings belonging to the fantasy lexicon.

It was only three days later that he was able to see the famous Yunho again, making flowers appear while singing. He had returned to the chapel each time, but there was no trace of the other man. Mingi had done his research and only one of them seemed possible. It was completely ridiculous to think this man was in fact a normally imaginary creature, but... Mingi remained in love with magic and the world it brings around it. 

It's true, however, he definitely thought it was a prank when he hadn't seen any trace of the man in the last three days. If the man had openly mocked his passion and his more than unlikely beliefs, he risks trusting the people around him even less and of closing himself off more and more into his own bubble so as not to be hurt by anyone.

But no, the man was there on the third day, sitting against the big old oak tree in the heart of the chapel, and when he heard Mingi's footsteps he raised his head towards him, which made Mingi speed up so as not to keep him waiting. And by the way, why was it he who didn't want to keep him waiting when it was that blond head who had kept him waiting for three days? Anyway, it didn't matter any more once he arrived in front of the stranger, who was no longer so unknown as he knew his name.

"Hello there! What do you think? Do you think you've found out what I am?” The man had a big, playful smile on his face, which left Mingi with a slight doubt.

"I had several hypotheses. You made flowers appear, so I would have automatically said you're someone with a strong connection with nature . I first thought of fairies, but from what I've read they're petty and small, and they don't necessarily like to help humans without getting something in return. But you helped me without wanting anything in return, so I deduced that you weren't a fairy. I then looked into creatures linked to trees, which led me to the dryads! But normally they can't leave the tree to which they're attached, whereas you… You're perfectly capable of moving wherever you want in the forest. So I've come up with my final idea, which is that you are in fact a nymph! Now, how strange would that be? Everything I've found talks only of women and never of nymphs being men. It could be that my reasoning is completely wrong. But you seem to be in love with this tree, you've made plants appear and it's said that the nymphs have soft voices, a bit like when you sang. So yes, I think you're a nymph!"

Mingi finished his little monologue with a big smile, but the lack of reaction from the person in front of him worried him a little. It was only when a small smile and a nod from the blond appeared that he felt more at ease with what he was saying. 

"I didn't think it would be so easy to find. It seems that in these years, humans are much better informed about us. You know, if I didn't come the previous few days, it was because part of me was afraid of you. I had helped you to calm down without even suspecting the books in the little room. But after talking to some of the little creatures in the room, I thought I should trust you and trust them. None of them said anything bad about you and you don't give off a bad aura. So congratulations, you've done the right thing! I’m a nymph, a creature of the forest who helps take care of her."

Was it too good to be true? Had this man really just told the truth? No, come on, it's absolutely impossible to admit something like that without paying the price! And what did he mean by telling little people? Who would these little people be? His human friends who also wanted to make fun of him? Or, if we're talking about fantastic creatures, fairies? 

"Mingi, your face says a lot about your thoughts. I'm not making fun of you. I can even prove it to you, it's only fair..." Yunho looked around while touching the ground beside him as if he could perceive their surroundings. "It's just that I was afraid people would see us. Will you believe me if I prove to you that magic does exist? And... if I ever do, can you promise me you'll never say anything to anyone? If you do, I can assure you that you will suffer the wrath of a nymph, and that's not an experience you ever want to have in your life".

The blond then looked at him with a more closed face as if he were really warning him. But who on earth would believe him if he announced without any context or proof : Hey, I've discovered the existence of a nymph in the forest! 

Of course everyone would think he was crazy and he'd be sent to a psychiatric hospital. So, not really knowing what to say, he just nodded to show he would never say anything to anyone. Yunho then seemed to relax and, unexpectedly, he saw the blond's hair grow longer and stop at shoulder level. But what surprised him most, even if, by God, the dead would be turning over in their graves, was to see hair grow so quickly. It was incredible enough, but to see the blond's abysmal eyes take on a pretty little jade-green color was quite simply .... Magnificent. Yes, he'd seen it a few days during the clue Yunho gave him, but Mingi had never really looked into another person's eyes, the color was sublime and it was hard not to want to look at it for longer. You could see little shimmering reflections, even silver ones, from the sun reflecting off them.

So magic really exists, the real magic he had always dreamed of! The magic he loved, the magic he was passionate about! He couldn't believe it could be real, it was like living in a daydream. The man with the now half-length hair laughed a little when he saw Mingi's flabbergasted face. He then hummed a little tune that caused small purple flowers to appear, which he took in his hands and held out to Mingi. Mingi accepted the little flowers, holding them delicately in his hands as if they were the most precious object that had ever existed on Earth. 

"It's beautiful, the flowers are beautiful.” Mingi whispered this sentence in complete admiration of such flowers, of everything that had happened in just a few seconds. If this had ever been a dream, he hoped he would never wake up again. It was so good to see magic, real magic, the real world could disappear, he would be sad only for the loss of his only friend.

"Mingi? To make it easier for you to understand, I have to be honest. I'm a forest nymph, which is pretty obvious given that I'm a nymph. And yes, a male nymph does exist, even if it's rare. I used to live in this chapel a long time ago, but I had to leave when it started to fall apart. And when I came back here a few weeks ago, I didn't think I'd come across anyone. I thought I'd find a place empty of any trace of life. I gave a bit of energy back to this old tree that I'd been able to see grow, it was the tree that I took the greatest care of at the time and I have to admit I couldn't believe my abilities would have allowed it to survive for so long in such good condition. What's more, plants can tell us great secrets if we know how to talk to them", the blond man smiled. "He's the one who told me you often come here. So when I came here the other day, I didn't really think I'd run into you. And even less noticed your love of fantasy."

It seemed to make more sense now that Yunho had left this place when he was fifteen. Nymphs don't live forever, but they do live a lot longer than ordinary humans. In any case, that didn't stop his fascination. He was standing next to a creature of nature: a nymph. He was standing next to a nymph! And for real! This could explain even more things, this man's voice, which was already so soft when he sang, and his physique. Female nymphs, at least, were known for their beautiful curves and the delicacy of their features; nymphs were sublime beings among the various mythical creatures that existed. Yunho was certainly a man, but it wasn't hard to see he had beautiful curves under his clothes and above all a pretty, radiant face.

"So, are you... are you... Nah, it's a stupid question, you really are a nymph, but I... I didn't think it could be true..." His confused expression made Yunho smile and place a flower, fresh from the palm of his hand, on Mingi's head.

"The books you read all contain some truth in them. In every myth and legend there is a piece of truth, a part of the truth that we have all decided to hide in order to protect ourselves. It is in this way our existence has become legend and myth in the eyes of humans." 

"I… I understand it's true that humans are perhaps not the kindest to people who are different from them.. I-in that case, wasn't it a sacrifice to have to leave your forest? Nymphs are normally attached to it, aren't they?" Mingi felt his heart clench at the thought of Yunho having to leave this forest, his refuge. There's nothing worse than leaving the place where you feel comfortable.

The only response he received was a nod. He could not find out the real reason why Yunho left this place. He didn't know it wasn't because of the state of the chapel, but because Yunho had wanted to put his trust in someone who, on learning of his existence, turned out to be an evil being. But he had given this forest enough energy to last for a long time without the help of a nymph. It was his territory, the tree in the chapel was proof of that, and through it he was also able to learn that few nymphs had sometimes stopped off at his place and given a little energy so as not to let the place die. It was a rule in their culture. If a nymph passed through a territory other than its own, whether or not the local nymph was present, it was obligatory to give a little energy to the place. This was a way of showing our presence and thanking the owner for letting him spend some time on his territory.

The young blond man, or at least the man who looked like a young man, watch Mingi's sad little face and knew he had done well to not tell the whole truth. Mingi radiated such purity and kindness that he would have just made him sad. And he couldn't do that to the man who had continued to occupy the place. What's more, unlike that man from a few years ago, Yunho felt in the fact Mingi wouldn’t hurt him. This passion for fantasy that Mingi loved was not going to cause him any harm.

"Mingi? You don't have to feel sad, you know? These things happen. Nymphs have to leave their forest sometimes. But I'm back now so there's no need to make this face. I'd rather see you smile when you look at the plants I make appear", he smiled as he said this, hoping to see a smile again on the younger man's face.

"As for the flowers, can I keep them?" Mingi spoke in an almost faint voice, shy at the thought of asking this. 

"Of course, I made them appear for you, so they are yours."

Yunho stood up at this point and turned his blond hair back to normal, which was shorter, as well as his eyes, which became dark again rather than that beautiful jade color.

"Are you leaving? Shall we… shall we see each other again?"

He got a smile from the blond after that question. 

"Who knows? Wherever you are, the plants will tell me exactly where you are. It won't be difficult for me to see you again."

"Please, I'd really like to be able to see you again, don't you have a number to give me?"

Mingi straightened as he saw Yunho start to leave. 

"I will come back Mingi, I have returned to my forest, I intend to care for her again. And I've just told you, I'll know where to find you from the plants around us. We’ll meet again. See you soon!"

Mingi saw Yunho leave after giving him a huge smile. He still couldn't believe everything he'd just learned, but he was really looking forward to seeing the young blond again! He left for home, keeping the purple flowers preciously in his hand, which ended up on his desk not far from the few white flowers he'd picked last time, which had already started to dry but were still as beautiful as ever. 

This is how the two men met. Mingi continued to come to the chapel quite regularly to find his little cocoon, but a blond head liked to intrude. Yunho spent much more time in the chapel now that Mingi knew his secret, and the two young men got on quite well. Sometimes the blond's visits were silent, as he let Mingi read his books, but whenever he had the chance, Yunho would take a book from the younger man and loved to contradict the truths in it. This was enough to fill the eyes of the youngest magic lover with stars.

Indeed, when they weren't spending time in the books, Yunho let Mingi watch him work, the latter asking how to look after the plants and other subtleties of the forest, which the blond always answered with passion, and the smile on Mingi's lips only grew with each new piece of information. Seeing Yunho take care of this chapel that he has loved for so long, watching him make different plants and flowers grow, it was breathtaking. Magic in front of his own eyes, of course he would find it fantastic, incredible and extraordinary, and words failed him because his emotions were so strong.

The two young men got to know each other little by little during this time, Yunho sometimes being able to show Mingi little spells that he had mastered but which, of course, no human could perform. What Yunho loved about talking so carefree was really the younger man's eyes, it reminded him of his time when people like him were still respected and loved before they had to go and live hidden from everyone. 

All this had taken time, but there was another important reason for their meeting at the chapel, and that was the fact that Yunho had been able to get a job as a forest ranger. Of course, the forest was already his, but now he could be there legally and look after it completely legally too. Few people came to the forest, which meant that their commune did very little maintenance. But the young blond was so committed to his work that he was allowed into the old house of a very old forest ranger a little further back at the entrance to the forest. The house had to be refurbished, but for the nymph it was the greatest gift humans could have given him, to be allowed to live in his forest and look after it.

And due to this house, the two young men spent even more time together. Mingi couldn't accept the fact that Yunho had to do the work on his own, so he had volunteered to help him on the site as soon as he had finished his courses at university. It took several months of work before they finally ended up with a perfectly renovated house. Even though the two young men seem to deny it, they both feel the bond that unites them. 

Mingi feels his heart pound with excitement at the idea of spending time with the older man. Some evenings he can't sleep at night, thinking too much about the blond beside him. He likes him and they get on well, but part of him is wary of what he's feeling, preferring to tell himself that it's certainly a form of obsession, given that Yunho is the first fantastic person he's met in his life. As for the blond guy, well, he loved smiling and making Mingi smile, and if he could, he loved teasing him, which had already been the case from the start, but he loved seeing the brunet's reactions and especially seeing that little sulky pout he sometimes made. Yunho was not at all embarrassed to know that he liked Mingi enormously, but was he still ready to tell him everything? Part of him was afraid of breaking the youngest's innocent heart.

However, despite their mixed feelings, the two men kept seeing each other, the weather getting cooler and cooler as the months went by and the winter finally arriving took them by surprise. Although the festive season had already passed, the real, cold, snowy winter didn’t arrive until the very beginning of February, taking most of the inhabitants by surprise. Their meeting at the chapel could no longer take place due to the snow, so it was by mutual agreement that Yunho invited Mingi to come to his house when he finished his lessons at the university for a nice hot chocolate with that hint of cinnamon the younger man was so fond of. 

And so, sitting on Yunho's sofa with the plaids over them, Mingi again showered the young blond with questions. At the same time, he couldn't help but have some, in all that time, he could never talk about his passion without people looking at him sideways. He was really happy to be able to discuss it without being judged and to be able to continue learning the real truths, not those that might exist in his books.

"Wait a second. Did you just say there are fairies in the old oak tree in the chapel?"

Mingi looked at him with his mouth wide open and his eyes sparkling with joy at this new discovery, if he wasn't cold it would have been very likely that his cup of chocolate would have slipped from his hands. But that wasn't the case, and before Yunho even had time to reply, he started again, even more excited than usual in the timbre of his voice. 

"It's true, isn't it? So fairies really do exist? Why haven't you told me yet, oh my god, fairies do exist !!!!"

The blond's laughter was heard and Mingi's excited little cry finally died down as he blushed a little, embarrassed at sometimes behaving like a child.

"Oh you can shout your joy, I understand it. But yes, fairies do exist. They had left the forest because there were no longer any owners living there. They can't live in a place that isn't tended by a nymph, because good human care isn't enough for them. It's thanks to the magic that the nymph brings to the forest that the fairies can recover enough energy from the place to make the forest even more beautiful. Without them, these majestic places would be even less so.”

Seeing the big smile on Mingi's face, Yunho couldn't help but smile back, and he wasn't even surprised to find himself once again inundated with questions due to his answer. In the end, they diverged onto a completely different topic of conversation, always related to fantasy. It's hard to make a change of register with such an enthusiast, in the midst of discovering the immense world that was still far too unknown to him just a few months ago.

"Do demons exist? I don't know if I should worry about that now..." The grimace on Mingi's face made Yunho laugh very softly. 

"Mingi, don't worry, demons aren't like you think. They're absolutely not horrible beings like the books you've got say. On the contrary, they're even very nice to humans, it's just different reasons that have turned them into so-called evil beings or blablabla the devil is here to kill us. But that's not true."

"And what are these reasons in this case? Everywhere it's said that demons are, as their name suggests, demons, so they're beings you don't want to get mixed up with."

"Oh, I know what humans say about it. But it's just that, far too long ago now, we had to find something to terrify other people. You know, a bit like parents who say that singing at the table will get you married to a madman, or that if you don't eat your meal, someone will come and beat you up. Well, back in the good old days, that's how it was, and unfortunately it happened to the demons due to their sometimes… unattractive appearance. But they never asked to have their existence reduced in this way when, on the contrary, they are the most helpful people I know."

"Helpful perhaps but do they ask for anything in return at that point?" Mingi was really skeptical about this one. It was hard to believe a demon was nice. Especially given the collective imagination that surrounded demons. 

"Yes, Mingi, without asking for anything in return, they would be the angels that some people describe. Just .... less white and pure in their wings and horns. It's a delicate subject, I don't really like talking about it, but all this is to tell you that yes, demons do exist and no, they're not evil at all. I have a demon friend and I can tell you that sometimes he has a stern look on his face, but he's the most adorable little guy in the universe. After you, of course", he said, smirking. 

Mingi's face took on a hint of red at this last sentence and he nodded, finding it hard to contradict the man who knew so much more about this universe than he did. 

"Ok right. But you're not going to change the subject like that! If it makes you too uncomfortable, then I won't ask any more questions, but angels? Do they exist too?"

"Oh...That's the question I was dreading. I'm going to answer you anyway, so hmm... What can I say... demons, some of them look like what you call angels. But in fact they're all demons because they're both the same thing: they help humans. It's just that for humans, black equals evil and white means purity and good. Angels and demons, as you say, are all the same and even if some of them are seen as good beings that doesn't stop the two classes from getting on just as well and having fun together. I know it's a sensitive subject in your society so I'll understand if for once you find it hard to believe me..." 

It's true that hearing angels and demons are just a difference in name made by humans who judge them by their physical appearance and not their similar actions, was quite surprising and so representative of how humans are. Humans are always creating boxes for everything and for nothing, when in fact they are simply the same species. Mingi wasn't angry with Yunho for what he'd said. He’s not religious, so he had no reason to take offense, even if the fact that Yunho felt uncomfortable about this subject was perfectly understandable. In any case, when he saw the blond's worried face, which was quite rare to see, he came closer and took his hand over the plaid, putting his now empty cup on the coffee table before doing so, and smiled to reassure him.

"I believe you, Yunho. I'm just disappointed to see how much human stupidity has existed for hundreds or even thousands of years. I'm not religious, so don't worry, OK? On the other hand, now I'd really like to meet your demon friend”, he laughed and was delighted to hear the blond's infectious laughter embellish the room. 

"I can arrange for you to meet him one day, his boyfriend is a human. Of my two friends, one is a human dating a vampire and my single friend is also a vampire."

"Vampires? Wow San would love to see a vampire! Firstly because he loves Halloween just like me. But above all he really likes vampires! Of all the fantasy worlds, he loves vampires the most! Their teeth, their strength and speed and especially their red eyes, which he loves way too much!" 

"Oh? In that case I'll let you meet them on one condition, young man."

Mingi looked up into Yunho's jade-coloured eyes, wondering what this condition could be that Yunho wished to tell him. He was watching the young man in front of him, who was twenty-five years old in human terms, whereas he was only twenty-two. Mingi hadn't yet tried to find out Yunho's real age, but from what he was saying, he thought that he must be very, very old. When the blond's eyes turned black again, Mingi lost himself for a moment in the little caramel sparkles in them before concentrating on the blond's words.

"My condition is that I also meet your friend. You've already told me about him but I haven't had a chance to meet him yet. So, if I have to introduce you to my people, I refuse not to be able to introduce myself to your best friend," the big smile on his face made Mingi roll his eyes. 

"I'll do it, yes. I accept this condition. But are you sure I can really meet them? I won't annoy them? You accept all of my questions but… it's not certain that they appreciate this aspect of me too..." 

This was something Yunho had noticed over the months he had spent with the younger man. Mingi had very low self-esteem. Admittedly San was his only friend from what he had understood, but he wondered if, due to the harassment he had suffered because of his passion, which was considered strange, Mingi had not ended up thinking he was simply an embarrassment for the others. Seeing him with his head tucked into his shoulders and looking so tiny despite his build broke the nymph's heart. So he began to sing a song in an unfamiliar language as he gently took the youngest in his arms, trying to calm him with his voice. It was only when he felt Mingi relax that he was able to caress the youngest's cheeks with his fingertips.

"Mingi… I'm sure my friends will like you. I've already told them about you sometimes, and two of my friends are humans like you. They've accepted us despite our differences and they're now part of our family. We've taken them under our wings and answered countless questions. So yes, I'm sure they'll appreciate you for what you are."

Yunho spoke in a quiet tone, preferring to keep his tone of voice soft so as not to risk worrying Mingi again.

"So… they won't find me annoying?" 

"Nah, silly little human," he laughs a little, "you're not annoying and you're even less annoying to me." 

Yunho tucks a small lock of hair neatly behind Mingi's ears before kissing his forehead. Time goes by and by, and even though the physical contact is becoming more and more frequent and he seems to be openly flirting, Mingi prefers to continue thinking that the blond's words and gestures towards him are just those of a close friend.

Part of him was afraid of the consequences that a real rapprochement might create.

The days passed but the winter was still with us when Mingi, during a card game in which he was always the loser, asked Yunho this question. 

"Yunho? I know we're getting closer and closer, and that despite the months we've spent together you're never going to tell me your real age, but... There's one thing I'd like to know. You said you left when you were fifteen due to the state of the chapel, but I refuse to believe that you wanted to live in a place that had already been weakened by time. So could there be another reason why you had to leave your sanctuary?"

Mingi wasn't sure if he was allowed to ask this question, and from the look on the older man's suddenly tense body, he suspected he'd probably made a mistake. But on the contrary, the answer he received wasn’t so negative.

"To tell the truth… yes. There must be another reason. One thing's for sure, I'd never dare tell you my nymph age, I'd go on with my human age, but there is really a reason why I had to leave the chapel. It was my fault that we had to leave..."

Yunho's dark face made Mingi's heart ache and he put down his pack of cards so he could get closer to the blond who was leaning against the sofa, both of them with their plaid on their laps. 

"Yunho... if you don't want to talk about it I'll totally understand, you know? Especially if it brings back a painful memory, it's just… you know a lot about me and my moments of harassment due to my big passion for magic. So… so if you've also been through difficult times, it's normal to talk about it and be supported, even if it's in the past. Some things from the past are still difficult to completely forget." 

"Oh no, it's nothing Mingi, don't worry. I wanted to tell you the truth anyway, it's just that I didn't expect you to suddenly ask that question during a card game..." 

The nymph took Mingi's hand and moved closer to him, pressing his shoulder against his and finally resting his blond head on the younger boy's brown head.

"To tell you the truth, I was well and truly fifteen when it all happened, but it wasn't at all in the century you know. I'd met a young human around my own age and helped him to free himself from the brambles he'd fallen into. Come to think of it, he wasn't the most gifted", he laughed, probably at the memory of this young teenager trapped in brambles. "We both got on very quickly, a bit like you and me in a way. And unfortunately... one day I... I wanted to show him how special I was, shall we say? I made his favorite flower, purple pansies, appear in front of him and I still remember how surprised and smiling he was! I thought he'd love it and take it in his stride. But I was naive. That evening, some villagers came to the chapel where me and some nymphs lived together. They set fire to it and destroyed the doors, but the damage wasn't too bad, they themselves had already brought buckets of water with them to prevent the forest from burning down too..."

"Oh Yunho... I'm sorry I... I know it was an old time but... it must have broken your heart to see your home destroyed like that..."

Mingi felt so bad that his favorite blond had to experience such betrayal from someone he considered a friend. 

"Arrrg my favorite sensitive human, that's why I didn't want to tell you about it in the first place. But well... I actually knew the chapel wasn't completely destroyed because the next night, I went back there discreetly to check the state of my tree, the famous old oak in the chapel. And when I looked at it, I could see part of the roof was still intact, but above all my tree was fine, and that was the most important thing for me at the time."

"Your tree? Well, I know your tree is the old oak, but I don't understand this link you have with it. Why is it yours and not one of the other nymphs?"

"It's true that I still haven't explained it to you. When each nymph reaches the age of three, she is given a tree to care for. This tree then acts as a second source of life. Unlike dryads, who live in their tree and burn with it if it catches fire, nymphs live as long as their tree remains alive. That's how they stay young. When our tree dies, despite our care for it, we end up growing little by little and becoming mere mortals. We are half-mortal beings. When I was three years old, I took care of this oak tree, so it's important to choose our tree carefully, because some nymphs die very early due to bad weather or forest fires. My tree, rather than being outside, is inside the chapel, as I had wanted to plant a seed in the space of earth visible between the stones when I was younger", he laughed as he said this, "when the fire broke out, I must admit that it hurt to feel the heat in my body as if the end was near, but the nymphs present and I, who had lived here for a few years, had been able to put enough magic into protecting my tree. Because this old oak wasn’t just a tree to which I am connected. It is the official meeting tree in the forest, due to its location. That's why this forest has become my forest, and why all the nymphs who visit here spread a little magic through this oak and no other tree. And anyway, the nymphs I was with when I was younger have gone to live elsewhere and others have long since left us... So this forest has become even more my property."

Mingi hadn't expected all this information. The nymphs were neither mortal nor immortal and he knew this very well. But he didn't know that they were linked to a tree in order to obtain their semi-immortality. Above all, he was surprised that Yunho was really linked to the old oak tree in the chapel, but at the same time, given his current state, he thought that Yunho still had a long time to live without growing old. So even though he wasn't going to say how he felt about the subject, he was nevertheless reassured to know that his blond friend was going to be able to live a long and healthy life.

"Are you all right, Mingi...?"

Mingi raised his head to look at the older man whose face was far too close to him, and it was with a slight jolt that he felt Yunho's hand on his cheek to wipe away tears he hadn't even felt fall.

"Mingi... it's all in the past, you don't have to cry over something so far away. And I'm alive, my tree's fine, I'm not about to die now, especially as the fairies have returned and are taking even more care of it."

"I know... but you could die one day and I find it hard to think that you might not be here anymore...", Mingi said with a little sad look on his face. 

"Ooooh my fragile little human, come here so I can give you a big hug and then we can go and have a nice hot chocolate in front of the television, ok?" 

Mingi nodded in response, while his thoughts couldn't help but return to a scenario running on a loop in his head. Would it really be possible, or was it too much to hope that such a thing could happen?

It was only a few weeks after the arrival of spring that Mingi finally decided to arrange for San to meet Yunho. During the cold winter period he had been able to meet the blond's friends and they had all been very kind and understanding to his thousand questions. The two humans in the group had even willingly answered his questions to find out if it didn't make them feel strange to be aware that they were dying long before their friend and, in the case of these two, long before their boyfriend. But that didn't seem to be a problem, even though Mingi didn't really have an answer. If you don't know the subject you're dealing with, isn't that better than wanting to know the truth that frightens you?

That said, it was time for San to meet Yunho, which is why he gently asked him if he was ready to meet the man he'd been talking about for several months. 

"Wow, seriously? I'm allowed to meet my best friend's boyfriend? I thought that day would never come, given your undisputed love of magic." San laughed a little as he said this, knowing full well that his sentence would make Mingi react.

"Hey, it wasn't my passion that stopped me from having a friend! And what do you mean by lover? He's not my boyfriend San. He's a friend nothing more and there'll never be anything more!"

But the blush on his cheeks couldn't fool San's sharp gaze and he decided to pretend he hadn't heard anything. 

"Well then if you say it, but in that case, if I'm going to see him, you'd better come and have a coffee at my work. Who knows, why don't you come with him? Or with one of his single friends?" he said with a smirk. "Come on, you've never come to see me at work. I can only meet him if you can make me that promise. Is that understood? And finally, if he really does grow plants, you've definitely found the perfect man!"

"Oh you don't care about me, come back here you little idiot!"

That's how the two of them went on a mini chase, laughing uncontrollably and really enjoying teasing each other. It was during these moments that they understood why they got on so well together. The remarks were not remarks, they were their proof of affection for each other and San loved the supernatural just as much and he was the only one who believed in what others might call Mingi's madness. If Mingi, this adorable young man, said he had met a nymph and other supernatural creatures, he would obviously believe him. And deep down, San was looking forward to meeting the famous Yunho that Mingi kept talking about with great interest.

And so it was how the two friends found themselves on their way to the chapel, the air mild but the jacket still important if they didn't want to catch a cold from the wind. And while San was impatient, Mingi was ready to die as they went along. The reason? Well, San had managed to get him to promise to come and see him at work. And so, in the morning, he sat in a café, watching San serve numerous women customers, as well as a few customers with piercing gazes, observing his best friend in his handsome waiter's outfit. It's true that the suit fit him perfectly, and he even looked like a prince. But no, San was just a waiter with a fucking beautiful outfit. The worst thing was that this idiot knew how to get customers to come and play to get more tips, and Mingi was particularly proud to see his friend acting like this, even if it was quite funny in itself. And San had succeeded in doing just that, especially as he was able to burst out laughing as he left the café, teasing Mingi that he'd never seen him so red in his life.

On the way, San didn't ask too many questions; he was already happy enough in the early afternoon, his morning was perfect and, what's more, he was going to meet Mingi's new friend with permission to go to the chapel. For so long, it had been a place of Mingi's intimacy that San had preferred never to come without his permission. Even if the chapel remains a place accessible to all, despite the risks that forbid access in truth. In San's eyes, the chapel was associated with Mingi and his little cocoon. So when he saw the place, this beautiful old chapel, ravaged by time but with the facade and some of the walls still standing, it really had a lot of charm. All the more so with the old oak tree that took its place inside, giving off a gentle harmony, an almost immediate sense of calm. San suddenly didn't feel like acting as openly as he could with Mingi, he had calmed down, he almost felt like whispering as if he was afraid of disturbing someone who didn't exist in front of his eyes, he's not a believer, but he felt as if souls were living in peace here.

But he wasn't the only one suddenly disconnected from reality. Oh no, Mingi couldn't have missed the blond's appearance behind the tree when he arrived. How could he miss it when he was always looking for Yunho when he found himself alone in the chapel. And seeing the older one dressed like that made him stand still. Yunho was standing there with his back to him, his blond hair as long as his shoulders and his outfit... Yunho had told him about his nymph-like appearance and the usual clothes they sometimes wore when they didn't want to hide amongst the humans. But Mingi hadn't expected to find the blond with wild flowers stuck in his hair to dress it up, and even less that such an outfit would suit him perfectly! This tunic, the top of which had a fabric at the back that fell to the small of his back, revealing his muscular frame. The lower part of his body was covered by trousers, the material of which he couldn't say, but the fabric seemed light, while the green tint, turning to white at the ends of the lower part and on the sleeves of the upper part, matched the nymph perfectly. It gave Yunho a soft, delicate look, as he had always been, especially with Mingi. But it also made him almost ... pure. That was the best word Mingi could come up with at the moment. Yunho seemed as pure as a lily leaf.

So when the blond turned to face the two new arrivals, one thought he was hallucinating when he saw that the stranger his friend was talking about was actually very good shape! And the other thought he was going to have a heart attack at seeing a sight he'd never thought he'd see in his life. Yunho was simply breathtaking, and magnificent in his nymph clothes. What really lost Mingi even more was the top of the tunic. It was covered in flowers and a few leaves, which looked like embroidery from a distance, but Mingi knew that nothing was embroidered and that nymphs wore real plants all the time, apart from a single fabric as the base of their garment. And the jewels, as resplendent as gold, added to the whole. It was the final touch. The sleeve of his arm was raised for their sign, revealing a jewel encircling Yunho's arm, some of the leaves melting into his skin.

Mingi remained lost in thought before melting like ice in the sun despite the cool wind at the start of the season, all due to Yunho's warm hand on his cheeks. 

"Mingi? Are you alright? You’r red… are you cold?" Yunho's voice showed his concern, he didn't want Mingi to be ill.

"No no I'm fine thank you. It's just... You told me about your nymph outfits when the sun came out and I didn't expect them to fit you so well." With his face flushed and his throat dry, Mingi reassured himself that he'd still be able to speak without stammering. 

"I'm delighted you like it. Our outfits mean a lot to us," he smiled at his little fantasy lover before turning to San, "I presume you're San. I'm Yunho and I'm happy to finally meet you."

Yunho's smile surprised San for a moment; he was prepared for the man to smile, but he didn't think a smile could show so much kindness and warmth. He introduced himself in return, and the three settled into the sheltered room in the chapel where Mingi had created his cocoon. San was very attentive and took great care not to accidentally destroy his friend's most important place. San and Yunho were able to get to know each other and the feeling passed between them. They chatted for a while, allowing Mingi to recover from the surprise Yunho had caused by dressing up like that, and to immerse himself into his books to occupy his mind. It wasn't until San left that it was hard not to feel Yunho's gaze on him. 

"Hmm… well, what do you want so much to tell me?" He put down his book to look at the tall blond head with the beautiful jade eyes.

"Mingi, you've hardly looked at me all day! I made an effort when I felt I could put on a nymph outfit today, my ears are longer and so is my hair, but it didn't seem to arouse your usual curiosity…" He says with a little pout on his face.

"Oh Yunho… don't talk in such a small voice. I just don't know what to say. You look beautiful in that outfit and that's what I said! Hmm... okay, maybe not necessarily in the same terms... As for your haircut, it's a success and I really like the fact you put flowers in your hair, your jewelry, everything is splendid. And if you want an honest reaction, I'm just embarrassed! You're basically very handsome and that's even more the case when you're dressed like that. And of course I've seen your nymph ears, which are shorter than elf ears but longer and thinner than human ears. I… Yunho, I'm terrible with words, so… Yes, you're beautiful, and no, I didn't know how to act like usual because... well, it's not usual." 

Even though Mingi had ended up lowering his head rather uncomfortably at his little monologue, the blond had regained his mischievous smile and moved closer to the younger man without hesitation.

"Would you like this to become a habit? Because if so, you should know that I have a large wardrobe concerning my nymph clothes, even if each of these clothes requires a new assembly of flowers on them every year. So Mingi, if this is what you wish, know that I will come more often dressed as a nymph to the chapel!”

He didn't know how to act, but his heart had increased in rhythm, his breathing was stronger, his eyes were wide with Yunho's words and above all, his face was turning crimson at the mere thought of seeing Yunho in other nymph clothes. He was in danger of going mad if he stayed in such company, which was bad for his heart. So after a few brief exchanges about San's meeting with Yunho, Mingi ended up leaving, but not without admitting out loud that yes, fuck yes, he wanted to see Yunho again in this kind of outfit. 

As for the beautiful blond nymph, he couldn't help but smile as Mingi left, as his maneuvers to get the younger boy to react had finally worked. Perhaps soon his little human would finally react to his advances, which in his eyes were not the most discreet.

July was fast approaching, the weather was getting warmer and the evenings were pleasant at this time of year. And over the last few months, Yunho had made numerous attempts to win the younger man's heart. He had worn several typical nymph outfits to see Mingi's flushed face and evasive gaze, he had become more and more tactile and he loved to feel the warmth emanating from his little human. He kept saying sweet nothings to him, saying little things that always made Mingi as red as the flowers on a bougainvillea. He knew that Mingi felt something for him too, he could feel it in the depths of his heart that his feelings were mutual. 

So when, on that summer evening, the answer wasn't what he'd hoped for, his hopes were dashed. The soft flowers he had tucked into his beautiful blond hair withered so quickly that it was only then that Mingi realized the mistake he had made. 

"Y-Yunho...please try to understand..."

Mingi spoke with a trembling, unsure voice. He had never seen such an expression on Yunho's face. He'd never seen him so downcast by words. His face looked as if it had gone blank and lost in emptiness. But when he tried to hold the older man's hand, that's when Yunho stepped back quickly and looked at Mingi with a dark expression. Her jade-coloured eyes could pierce his body if they had the capacity to physically harm someone. His eyebrows furrowed and his fists clenched, ready to make his palms bleed from his fingernails. Yunho was so angry that Mingi didn't even know what to say. He'd never thought he'd ever see such a smiling, vibrant man looking at him with such animosity.  

"Y-Yun-"

"Shut up! Don't! Don't! I don't want to hear you! Get out of my forest!" Yunho's loud voice startled Mingi, who had never heard him raise his voice before. But despite his anger, Mingi could see Yunho's little tremors. He was hurt. Hurt by his refusal.

"No, Yun, please... You know very well why I'm saying this. Why then? Why did you keep flirting with me? Why did you confess your feelings?" Mingi was afraid of what the blond might have done in a state of anger, the latter having warned him from the moment they met that it was better not to suffer the anger of a nymph. But even though he was worried about Yunho's actions, he was also terribly devastated to see Yunho acting like this because of him. 

"Song Mingi, I don't want to hear any more from you! Get out of my forest! I'm not going to repeat myself! Get out of here now!" His tone of voice became even more threatening as brambles began to appear not far from him. 

The fairies, who lived in the old oak tree, stood between the two men as if hoping that Yunho would calm down. But the little creatures' hopes were in vain.

So it was with a broken heart that Mingi collected a few things that belonged to him before running out of the chapel room. He should never have answered like that. He should have kept his mouth shut, he was just a poor fool, but his answer was clear. And Yunho could understand it, so why didn't he try to listen to him? With one last look at the blond, Mingi grabbed his things firmly in his arms and ran to the edge of the forest as he heard Yunho's heart-rending cry behind him. 

If only Yunho hadn't asked Why? If only he hadn't looked any further. If only the two of them hadn't succumbed to each other's charms. If only... If only they were the same....

"Yunho... You're half mortal. I'll grow old before you, I'll lose my life little by little, while you'll keep this youth that your nymph body offers you. I... I can't live like that. I can't enter into a relationship knowing that the other person will have to live and suffer my death for years... We're not compatible Yunho, I'm sorry ...."

This answer was what had destroyed the hearts of both men. And Mingi, without a backward glance, began to cry as he continued on his way out of the forest. He felt so bad, so bad to have broken the heart of the one he loved. So bad for taking that sweet smile away from his loved one. He wanted to hate himself for committing such a crime! He hated himself for doing it. But he hoped that Yunho would understand his point of view. But he didn't know how serious it was to destroy the heart of a nymph. None of this was written in his books, and Yunho had never mentioned it to him. 

So that's how the two young men said goodbye to each other. One ran off despite the tears rolling down his face and his heart full of regret, while the other, whose heart was wounded, stayed by his oak tree surrounded by the fairies who tried to give his eyes a tiny glimmer of life.

Weeks went by and Mingi had never returned to the chapel since this statement. He, who had got on so well with Yunho over all those months, had just ruined everything by saying something like that about his refusal. It was stupid to refuse the love of someone you love. Who on earth wouldn't be delighted to know that their feelings were reciprocated? Mingi was, Mingi was because dating someone who would see you die while he stayed young was... It was just painful for Mingi. He couldn't put Yunho through that. He couldn't make him live with the loss of a loved one for years or even centuries. Despite his love of magic, going out with Yunho seemed impossible.

Despite everything, he had ended up sad and hurt. He had never wanted this, and he had seen over the last few months that Yunho was beginning to act more and more in the hope of attracting his attention, but he thought the nymph had understood. He thought the nymph had understood that there could never be anything more than glances at each other. He thought Yunho had understood that his love was mutual but that nothing would be revealed until the end.

But Yunho hadn't decided that. And now Mingi was so angry that he had nightmares about it every night. His mind was full of regret and when he approached the forest he didn't dare enter, preferring to turn back because he couldn't see how he could be forgiven. He didn't even know if he could be forgiven. How could he ask for forgiveness after leaving the forest several weeks ago, how could he break the order Yunho had given him?

So it was that, trapped in his room, with his face turned towards the window, Mingi shed more tears. Of course Yunho, with his long life expectancy, also wanted to have a love life to make up for his loneliness. Of course, despite having his friends around him, he too wanted to experience love. Especially as his demon friend and one vampire both had a human as a companion. But unlike the two of them, Mingi wasn't that strong. His heart was as fragile as his mind. He couldn't date someone whose life expectancy exceeded the norm. Hongjoong could always one day turn his boyfriend into a demon like himself, or he could ask their vampire friends to do it. And Yeosang could quite easily turn his companion into a vampire. So despite their different life expectancies, there was nothing to stop them from becoming immortal beings too. But... nymphs don't have this power, they remain semi-mortal. And Yunho could never transform Mingi to become like him.

So he waited for time to pass, for the holidays to come to an end. That one day he would have the courage to return to see Yunho in the chapel. That his cocoon, which used to be the chapel, would transform over time and become simply a presence. The young blond's presence allowed him to forget his worries and to no longer be alone in this place. But he couldn’t be sure that Yunho had not left the forest. So he hoped... and kept hoping. Because that was all he could do now.

It was in a totally unexpected way that Mingi found himself at the entrance to the forest. He had thought he was simply going out with San, who had asked him to join him to help him take his mind off things, but he hadn't been told that Yunho's friends had contacted San to set a trap for Mingi. So when all of a sudden, on the path he was taking with San, he saw some familiar faces, he understood what was going to happen. The group then headed towards the forest in a heavy silence. 

"Mingi, I know you don't know the whole truth about nymphs. That you don't yet know all the secrets of this world. But we beg you, go back to him please. Go and talk to him." It was Hongjoong who had just spoken calmly as if he didn't blame Mingi for having made such a choice.

"I'd like to, but he asked me to leave his forest, I can't get into it that easily... And I don't even know if I'll be able to talk to him..."

"Mingi?" It was Seonghwa who spoke up, "Mingi, I'm sure I know why you're in this situation. But please... A nymph is a very sensitive person. Much more so than Yunho lets on. He never wants to show the sensitivity that is typical of nymphs. But Yunho... when we were all together, he was always talking about his human who's madly in love with magic, his little human who's adorable and who he loves spending time with. We've no doubt what's going on with the forest and about what he's told you. But Mingi, Yunho is like an open book, you're both easy to read. But it's not us who can stop Yunho destroying himself. It's only you who can. So please go and see him. Even if it means going against his words, go into that fucking forest and come back with good news." Seonghwa wasn't really reproaching. He's human too and he understood very well how Mingi must have felt. No one had any real grudge against Mingi, they all just wanted to help their friends to get better, and San for his part wanted to help Mingi to smile again.

"How do we know that Yunho hasn't left? That he didn't leave the forest because of me?" Mingi really feared that this was the case. He didn't want Yunho to leave… Not after leaving each other over an argument.

"He's still here, Mingi. I went looking for him when I didn't see him in his house. I went as far as the chapel and it was on the way that I realized I couldn't talk to Yunho because the path was no longer accessible to me. Mingi... He's currently destroying his forest from the chapel... And I think you can imagine how important the state of a forest is for a nymph. So all we want is for you to go and see him. Try to understand each other. Our differences may be difficult for a relationship but your hearts will only suffer if you stay in a situation like this."

Mingi watched Hongjoong talk to him, and with a nod he finally agreed to go and see Yunho. Everyone watched him enter the forest, hoping that he could calm Yunho down. And Mingi didn't want to lose his favorite blond either. So as he walked, his fear of losing the person he loved grew stronger and made his steps quicker until his body was running while his mind was afraid he would never see his blond again, never see his smile again, never hear his laugh again. He was so afraid he wouldn't be able to repair the wound he'd inflicted on him. He was so afraid he'd never be able to tell him his words. He was afraid of everything, of Yunho's reaction, of how this meeting would end. He was afraid of how their relationship would develop when he was growing so old so fast, even if he could be forgiven, even if they shared their feelings, Mingi knew that no matter how much time passed, he would always love this nymph with his beautiful smile and dazzling life.

As he ran through the forest, risking tripping and getting branches in his face, he continued on his way until he was breathless; he had to get to the chapel! And it was when he reached the chapel that the state of the forest struck him. The grass was disappearing in a disastrous state, the trees around the chapel had almost all lost their leaves, which was far too early that it was still only August. Everything was dying. Yunho was destroying the forest, in the chapel, where his oak used to be. Yunho was killing himself! 

Quickly approaching the entrance, he saw the old oak who looked terrible. Its complexion was dull, its leaves had almost all disappeared and its magnificence was gone. Tiny sparkles came towards him. The fairies were so small that Mingi couldn't make them out properly, but he knew they were there because they were worried. So he followed the path they seemed to indicate, and that's how he found himself in front of the untouched room in the chapel. He entered his old cocoon in silence and found some of his books on the floor, the ones he hadn't been able to bring back with him, covered in dirt. But it was not the state of his books that destroyed his heart, but the sight of the nymph in the room.

This beautiful nymph, with his usually sublime, warm colors, was now as dull as autumn leaves. His clothes were covered in wilted leaves and flowers, and his hair had gone from sparkling blond to as dark as a raven's feather. This nymph, whose role was to give life back to plants, now seemed to be taking it back from everyone around his sanctuary. And Mingi couldn't hold back a tear as he realized the grief and violence of the rejection he had inflicted on someone as gentle and kind as Yunho.

So, slowly, he came and sat down opposite him, making himself a little space in his shabby cocoon and looking at the old blond who wasn't moving. He could see his face from where he was, and he could see that Yunho wasn't asleep, on the contrary, he was perfectly awake and looking at Mingi with his dark eyes. Even their brilliant jade glow had been transformed into an opaque complexion. His sublime green eyes were extinguished of joy and life. And despite the hope of a potential smile, it was a closed face that greeted him. Yunho was annoyed to see him here, but he did nothing to show that he was against his presence. So even if Mingi didn't know if it was a good idea to be near someone who was taking the life of the plants around him, he preferred to stay. After all, they had to talk, and even if he wasn't too happy about it, he ended up speaking.

"Yunho? I know I shouldn't be here. But I need to talk to you. We need to talk. At least for the sake of your forest, please..." Even though Yunho didn't let out a sound, he simply nodded very slightly, ready to listen to the younger man.

"Thank you... well... I wanted to apologize for what I might have said to you but I'm scared Yunho. I'm afraid of hurting you if we go out together. I'm scared of this relationship because I'll die much sooner than you. And don't think I never felt anything.. On the contrary, all the time I’ve spent with you has been wonderful, your presence soothes me and I don't feel strange around you. I'm just a normal person. Your laugh is also the most adorable and communicative laugh I've ever heard, your smile is so bright and your cheeks are so cute that we love to pinch them gently. Yunho, I knew you loved me, your advances weren't discreet and I know you were doing it on purpose. But this future together terrified me. Knowing that I'd leave a void in you when I left was... frightening. I know that even if we'd had the same life expectancy, I could just as easily have died sooner, for whatever reason. Because we don't know when we're going to die, but knowing that the pain of the death of a loved one could last for years, for centuries… Is much more terrifying than if the loved ones are similar... I thought that we would continue to stay close without ever admitting our feelings for each other, I thought... that you would understand how I feel even if I never said it. And I'm sorry I wasn't able to understand you. I'm sorry when, thinking I was protecting you, I was the one who hurt you. Yunho... my feelings for you are so strong... I can't extinguish them, I can't do it. I dream of saying these words to you, but I'm still afraid... I don't know if you'll be able to forgive me, but I wanted to tell you that I'm deeply sorry for hurting you so much..."

His hands were clenched and his gaze had fled to the ground, not daring to look at Yunho. He was panicking at the thought of Yunho really never wanting to see him again. So when he felt a cold hand rest on his, he suddenly raised his head to look at the man in front of him. 

"Mingi, I don't care if you die before me. I just want to enjoy the moment, I don't want to live with the regret of my semi-immortality. I... I heard what you had to say. I let you in because I wanted to hear your words. Now please go..." His voice was gravelly, a sign that he hadn't spoken to anyone since that evening. But his gaze had softened.

Mingi didn't know if Yunho had been able to take the time to understand his point of view, but even if the answer was yes, Yunho hadn't been able to pull himself together to put the forest right. And Mingi hoped that his words would help him to recover. Surrounded by this silence, Mingi looked at the man in front of him for a long moment before getting up to leave the room. But before he could leave for good, he heard Yunho speaking again.

"I'll come when I feel ready. You are no longer allowed in my forest until that day comes, next time I won't ask the plants to leave the path accessible to you."

His message was clear, but despite everything, there was still some positivity in it. It would probably take time, but Yunho would get over it, and even if they weren't to be together in the end, what mattered to him was that Yunho should become the man he was before. As he looked at the old oak tree, he hoped that Yunho would soon regain his strength so as not to destroy his tree. So when he set his feet on the street again, and found himself facing the group waiting for news, Mingi felt his heart grow even heavier. A nymph wouldn't risk destroying his tree for no reason. And that reason was him. He was the reason Yunho took the risk of destroying his tree, and it broke his heart.

Now he had to wait. He had to wait for Yunho to come back and see him. And despite his heart tearing him up inside, preventing him from breathing properly, he begged Yunho to get back into shape, knowing that Yunho could hear him thanks to the trees in the forest right behind him.

Time had passed, and autumn seemed to come and go with a slowness that burned Mingi's spirit. As the leaves fell from the trees to make way for winter, Yunho had not appeared. And now that winter had filled the town with that poignant wind and that little snow, Mingi was losing hope. His words hadn't been enough to bring Yunho back. He hadn't been able to make Yunho forgive him.

"Mingi? Are you coming with me to get some milk? We've run out to make a cake." 

San had welcomed the younger boy into his home. The latter having lost the place he considered his cocoon as well as the man who filled his heart with joy, San had preferred to allow Mingi to take his place in his guest room. And he didn't like seeing Mingi going back and forth between the faculty and his house. To see his friend no longer pursuing his passion, no longer living off his passion. But it was above all the sad face Mingi wore every day that saddened him. He couldn't fully understand his friend's feelings. But he understood that not being with the person you love is painful. So he did his best to help Mingi not to get depressed. After all, he was his friend! And he couldn't see himself leaving Mingi to fend for himself. 

"San? Do we really have to go now? The shops are almost closing..." Mingi's pout didn't change San's mind. 

"That's just it! All the more reason to hurry! Come on, get your butt out from under that plaid and come with me before we can't make our cake in time!"

"Your cake. I'm sure you want to make one so you can give a slice to Wooyoung and he can judge your pastries."

San's little blushes and muffled sound brought a slight smile to Mingi's face.

It's true that since the last discussion he'd had with Yunho, the latter's friends sometimes dropped by to see how he was doing, as it seemed that Yunho didn't allow them access to his forest, they being blocked in their path by the plants that Yunho used so that they couldn't come and see him. In a way, this reassured Mingi. At least he knew that Yunho was alive. But what worried him was his condition. Was he better? Was he blond again? Had he regained his color? He didn't know. All he knew was that Yunho's friends weren't even allowed to talk to him and it worried him that Yunho had remained isolated from the others for so long.

During these meetings, San had met the second vampire in the group, Wooyoung, and had fallen in love with him at first sight, even though he didn't dare admit it. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. He's cute but there's nothing going on between us. Anyway, hurry up or we won't have any cake tonight and I don't want to miss anything when we've got guests."

Mingi got up and followed San to do the last shopping of the evening. They had both invited Yunho's friends to join them for the festivities. And Mingi had spoken in front of the forest, inviting Yunho to join them, but there had been no reply. There was no sign that the nymph had heard his invitation. 

So once the shopping was done, the two friends went into the kitchen to prepare the meal before their guest arrived. Despite the group that had formed as a result of the situation between Yunho and Mingi, this group complemented each other in a certain way by all being in the same situation, which meant that they were in the absence of the blond's presence. It was a special bond, but it had enabled them to learn more about each other and, above all, to get to know each other better.

While Mingi finished setting the table, San had gone to open the door for their guest, who was smiling stupidly as he greeted Wooyoung. And despite the polite smile Mingi was trying to contain, it disappeared when he realized that the person he was most looking forward to meeting had not replied to his invitation. He was doing his best not to show his current state, not to show what he was feeling, but despite all his efforts Seonghwa had clearly seen his gaze and he felt it come to take him in his arms.  

"He'll come... I'm sure he'll come." He whispered in his ear.

And even though Mingi didn't believe a word of it, he nodded and took it upon himself to remain in control despite his tight throat. He had definitely ruined everything. Yunho wouldn't be coming to meet him. He seemed to have made his choice, and even if he understood it, it still hurt. It was hurtful, yes, but it was he who had put himself in this situation. He deserved it...  

The party went off without a hitch, but Mingi wasn't really there. He watched the hours tick by, hoping to hear a doorbell ring to signal the arrival of the man he was most looking forward to. But the more time passed, the colder his heart became. As cold as ice, as heavy as stone. He felt his chest locked in a leaden cage. Nothing would change. He had hurt the one he loved and he wasn't going to forgive him. 

"Hongjoong! For God's sake, you can't be so clumsy! How did you manage to break the bottle?" 

"Hey! I didn't do anything! It was you who appeared right behind me and startled me." he said, puffing out his cheeks. 

Snapping out of his trance at the sound of glass and the bickering of the couple, Mingi watched them as Seonghwa grumbled when the older man's gaze finally turned in his direction.

"Mingi will you come with me to buy a bottle? I don't trust those and I don't trust Hongjoong any more." 

Him? Why him? He looked at the others rather puzzled but finally agreed as no one seemed to be offering. So once again he found himself outside, looking for a shop that was still open on the evening of the festivities so he could buy a bottle of alcohol. He didn't talk to Seonghwa on the way. He just couldn't wait to get back into the warmth and... lock himself in his room. It was late at night and finding a shop was difficult, but fortunately there was one. The bottle they bought wasn't necessarily the best alcohol on the market, but the two young men were able to make their way back and just as Mingi was about to take out his keys, they were stolen from his hands as Seonghwa opened the door and left him there, locked out without understanding why.

"Seonghwa? Hey, open the door, it's not funny, it's cold." Mingi wasn't in the mood and being locked out didn't make him happy.

He saw the older man gesture for him to look behind him, before seeing him leave to take the lift. Mingi didn't understand why he had to be out in the cold when he'd arrived at San's house. All he wanted was to get back into the warmth. He was about to use the doorbell to get his friend to open the door when he heard his name. 

"Mingi?" 

That voice. That voice made him lose his breath. Was he dreaming? No... No he wasn't dreaming or Seonghwa wouldn't have cowardly abandoned him in the street. So... So why couldn't he turn around? Why couldn't he face the man he'd been waiting for months and had been waiting for since the beginning of the evening? He couldn't face him because he was afraid of what he might hear. Afraid of the blond's presence. But he had to turn around. He had to look at him. See how he was doing. See if he'd recovered. So, despite his clenched heart and shortness of breath, he dared to face Yunho. And when he saw Yunho with his beautiful short blond hair and his beautiful hazel eyes, he thought the world was laughing at him. That it was just an illusion created by Hongjoong to give him hope. But that hand that came to rest on his face was so warm it was impossible to dream. And that jade color in the blond's eyes was impossible to copy.

"Sorry to have taken so long... I had to think and restore the forest..."

Yunho was speaking to him in a faulty voice, but he wasn't the guilty party in all this. It was Mingi who had created this situation. And he didn't want Yunho to feel guilty about anything. 

"Y-Yunho... no, it's not serious, I acted badly, it's normal that it took you some time. I'm... I'm really glad that... that you came..." 

The last word came out like a whisper in his ears. And when Yunho took him in his arms he didn't know what it really meant. 

"Come with me. I've got something to show you." 

Yunho didn't seem to mind then... even if he didn't know what was going to happen. Even if he didn't know if at the end of the day their relationship would improve for good. He felt he had to follow him. He felt that if he didn't he would regret it forever. So, with a nod, he followed Yunho into the forest, tucking his hands into his coat pockets to keep warm.

The way seemed long, as the two men exchanged no words. But being able to walk through the forest again gave him a feeling of well-being. He felt like he was coming home. There was no guarantee that he would be able to return there soon. So he preferred to look at the snow, which had filled the place up a little, and above all to see that the forest had indeed regained its lost beauty. 

Mingi took the time to look at Yunho when he felt a tension building up as they made their way towards the chapel. He was tense. He wasn't as calm as he'd been earlier, his tense body showing the anguish deep inside him. And Mingi was beginning to fear what the older man wanted to show him. And he was right to be worried. Because what he saw when he reached the chapel broke his heart. 

The oak tree. The old oak tree was gone. 

It had disappeared entirely, only a new little tree trying to survive despite the cold.

"I've heard you and understood your point of view. I myself couldn't bear to lose you and go through this for years. I've lived long enough. I don't need this semi-immortality any more. So even though it was complicated, I entrusted the fairies with the life of this new tree. This new oak. Mine having disappeared for good. And I... I know what I did was dangerous. When I destroyed my tree, I destroyed the thing that kept me alive for so long. But now... now I'm human like you. Now there is nothing that creates any difference between us apart from my powers."

He couldn't believe it. It had to be a lie. Yunho couldn't have destroyed his second life like that. For his sake? No... no... He had destroyed this man's life expectancy. He had condemned him through his own fault. By their feelings destroying each other. And the tears he was shedding didn't even make a sound as they hit the snow beneath his feet.

"Mingi... I want to live by your side. And I... I swear I have lived many years. I no longer have the strength to continue this lie about my age as the centuries pass... I no longer have the strength to hide constantly at the risk of someone discovering the truth. I wanted to become mortal. I've lived long enough to wish for that."

No... Yunho couldn't say such a thing. He had killed him. He had killed his nymph. He had put him to death. 

"Yunho... Yun sorry. I'm so sorry, I should never have said that. You... your tree... your oak... I made you destroy your oak..." Mingi felt so bad. He had a horrible feeling that he had become a murderer.

"No... Mingi you didn't. I've been thinking about it for a while. The real reason I was here was because I wanted to destroy my tree. I consider that I have lived long enough. You had nothing to do with it, I swear. On the contrary, falling for your charm and hearing your point of view has given me even more reason to wish to become mortal. You've done nothing wrong. I brought you here so that you'd understand there's nothing stopping us from being together. And I must admit, I was afraid you'd react like this. But I promise you it's not your fault. That this decision was there even before I fell in love with you. If I hugged this tree on my way back, it was to say goodbye, to prepare him for his death. But you were so attached to this place that I was afraid you would be sad to see this old oak destroyed. And even more so since you knew what it meant to me."

The arms around his body held him as he fell. If Yunho was telling the truth, that meant he wasn't the cause of all this. Even so, he ached at the thought of Yunho deciding to become a mortal person. 

"Yunho... now you can die of a human disease. You can die from an accident. Nothing will allow you to heal quickly. I didn't know you wanted to die, or at least become mortal, but why didn't you say so before? Why only tell me now?"

"Because you were so happy that I couldn't tell you that my presence in this place was to break my semi-immortality..." Yunho's voice was calm, without sorrow or anger, just a soft, almost whispering tone so as not to risk hurting the youngest. 

Mingi didn't know what to say. He couldn't see the blond man's face behind his back. He still couldn't believe that he had become mortal. That it had taken him so long to come and see him because he was worried about his reaction. He couldn't stop crying and the warmth of Yunho on his back was doing him a world of good. He felt that Yunho would stay with him. He felt that this embrace was a sign he would never again go away and leave him alone, as he had done over the last few months.

"Yunho... I... I have to say these words to you too. I-" A hand on his lips prevented him from continuing his sentence.

"No, not right now. I've got something else to show you first." 

Something else? Was this more reassuring than the news of his destroyed tree? He felt Yunho's arms leave him as his hand took his before guiding him to the untouched room in the chapel. Inside, his books had been placed against part of the floor, the tarp on the floor had been cleaned and, above all, a small light had been installed in addition to the cushions and large plaids in the room to keep out the cold. 

"I'd prefer it if we spent the rest of the evening here. I've even got a thermos of cinnamon hot chocolate that you'll love so much!" He said with a big smile. 

"Were you late because you were preparing all this?" 

Looking at Yunho, he saw him rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. He didn't think Yunho wanted to fix things. To think that he had only been able to invite him to come tonight. Yunho had prepared a little cocoon just for the two of them. And that warmed his heart.

"It's wonderful. Yunho it's really beautiful. I… thank you for doing all this but please let me tell you-"

Once again, Yunho cut him off by placing his fingers on Mingi's lips.  

"No, not now. Let's drink first and enjoy our reunion." 

He didn't understand why the older man was stopping him from saying those three words. Then he simply nodded his head so as not to fill his mind with too many complex things..

The rest of the evening was spent in the chapel, drinking hot chocolate under the warm and cozy plaids next to Yunho. He loved the atmosphere and what he enjoyed most was the chance to hear the blond man's voice when he began to sing. He could see little gladiola flowers appearing. And Mingi knew this flower. It was his birth flower, the one that wanted to convey the message that the heart of the person offering it to you is pierced by love like love at first sight. With this song and the flowers, Yunho had just revealed his feelings to him once again. And when he looked at him once the song was over, he couldn't get over the beautiful jade color that was watching him. 

"I know you understood my message. But let me say it again, I love you, my little magic-loving crazy human. I love you so much that these words are not enough. You've made me want to become even more mortal. You've made me want to live out the rest of my life with the one I love. So let me ask you this, Mingi, will you be my boyfriend?"

This time he intended to say what he had wanted to say the first time. 

"Yes. Of course I want to. I was stupid last time, so forgive me. But you know... I didn't mean it. Deep down I was so happy that you felt the same way, that you told me how you felt. And now it's my turn to say it. I love you Yunho. I love you so much and those months away from you were the most painful of my life. I had lost my cocoon. I'd lost the one that made me feel normal. I'd lost the smile of that nymph who made me laugh so often and who accepted my countless questions about his world. So yes... yes, I want to be your boyfriend Yunho."

The smile Yunho gave him was the most beautiful of all. And even if the blond still had his powers, they would have to tell their friends about his new mortality. They didn't know how their friends would react to all of this. About the main reason why Yunho came back here. About the fact that he already wanted to be able to live his last life by not being able to live for centuries thanks to his tree. But what mattered for the moment was that they were together, that they shared the warmth that surrounded them. That they could discover each other in a new way. 

Because all those years of solitude, all those centuries spent in hiding. Constantly lying about his identity, constantly lying about his life, not being able to live truly free. It was all becoming heavy, empty, meaningless. He could no longer see an ounce of happiness in the idea of having to live for several more years. All he wanted was to live a normal human life. And that was finally allowed.

And the fairies of the forest enjoyed watching their nymph kiss the one he loved. 

Allowing the two men to share their first memory of this mortal existence.

END