Chapter Text
EPISODE ONE: WE MEET AGAIN
When Leehan obtains everything he needs at the only convenience store of Good village, his arms blanketing the grocery bag containing dinner for tonight, the luminous sun sinks below the horizon and he feels close to boiling alive inside the old hoodie he currently has on.
Leehan stares at the orange sky and swallows hard, a thick dread clambering up his throat. Before long the radiant sun will settle, and as soon as the skies darken, it's less safe out.
And while Leehan hasn't confronted any particular miscreants in Good village, once stars populate the sky, shadows lurk and heavy footsteps linger, and Leehan's uncle has always warned him since childhood to be wary of strangers.
Leehan flashes a strained smile at the cashier Jeemin who wishes him a good rest of the day, the breeze making a mess of his longer hair the moment he steps out of the store. His phone buzzes inside his pocket, the simple thing glinting in the sunlight when Leehan hastily fishes it out, frowning. It's most likely his uncle. Apart from the ranch owners close by and the few friends he plays soccer with once in a blue moon, Leehan contacts the man through the phone the most.
uncle: leehan where are you
[sent 6:05pm]
uncle: it's getting late
leehan: im on my way
Leehan starts moving, knowing he should hurry. He already had to struggle to get his uncle to agree to him leaving the house today. It's summer and as a result the entire neighborhood had been unbearably hot, their home even more so, that even switching on the fan did little to help. And Leehan's uncle has a thing about summer. He becomes more wary – paranoid – which sucks because Leehan dreads being cooped up in one place for too long.
Leehan's aware there are things his uncle is hiding from him. The man says they're for his own good, and while Leehan has always been far too curious, he knows that sometimes, there are some things you don't question. That sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
Leehan speeds down the dirt path, happy he'd swept his hair into a loose bun instead of leaving it as it is. Now past his shoulders, it's often a nuisance getting it out of the way while buried in household tasks, or as he helps out his neighbors when he isn't busy finishing up his assignments. But Leehan's gotten too used to the length to give it up now.
The muggy wind plays with the dark strands that have managed to escape his hair tie just as Leehan passes the comic book store barely anyone visits once the sun sets.
Harsh scraping of feet. Crumpling of metal.
From the moment he became self aware, Leehan had been able to accurately discern sounds even from far distances, much to the dissatisfaction of his uncle who wanted him to behave like all the other kids, hide every special ability. It wouldn't bode well for him, the man had always said, and Leehan, under his care and not wanting to disappoint him, conceded.
Deep intakes of breath. Rough pushing and shoving.
Leehan's phone buzzes inside his jeans pocket, but he chooses to ignore it. His senses are piqued, he's on edge, eyes focused on the narrow alley towards the left. The sun continues its descent beneath the peachy horizon, chills scurrying up Leehan's spine.
Leehan's grip on the grocery bag tightens at the sharp, pained grunt he hears right then. He follows the noise, footfalls quick and heavy.
Orange. Everything's washed with it, including the figure pinned against the filthy walls of the alley by two hooded men, the third imposing with a rugged bat in hand.
Leehan's heart stops at what he sees next.
The person who's mounted – a guy now that Leehan's closer – looks his age, tall and lean and dressed in just a wrinkled shirt and slacks, which have now been soiled with bloodstains, to Leehan's horror.
Then the boy turns. His white hair catches in the golden light and the dark half follows suit, and Leehan feels his breath getting knocked out of him. He remembers that face from his elementary school years – especially his bright eyes, and the way his knuckles split open as he defended his friend from a horde of conniving classmates who were up to no good. Leehan also remembers the bullies' purpled faces, how the boy had hesitated on picking a rock first…
The stranger's eyes widen briefly, recognition also sparking inside those light irises of his. In a split second, he grabs the shoulders of the first hooded man and hurls him at the ground. The man with the bat moves to attack, but the boy leaps into the air and spins, delivering a kick to the face so brutal Leehan hears the tell-tale sound of bones crunching.
His actions are fluid, precise, even with how bruised he is, making it look like he doesn't need any help. But then the third perpetrator exposes a long dagger once his back is turned.
Leehan doesn't even have to think about it. He drops the grocery bag, fingers spread wide, even though he knows it's forbidden. A moment later the man trips, yelling in shock as one of his legs is gobbled up by the cracked earth.
His pained shouts snap Leehan out of his reverie. Did I really do such a thing? Did anyone see?
Loud footsteps dash at Leehan a moment later, a shadow looming over him.
“So, we gotta go,” the blond exhales, impatient, grey eyes now reflecting the indigo swirling across the sky. Something thin adorns his right cheekbone, the shape of a star.
“Han Taesan,” Leehan says unhelpfully.
“Yes, it's me, but we gotta go.” Taesan grabs Leehan’s wrist, grip firm but not rough, and then they're running off into one of the many fields that grace Good village, the ocean of grass brushing past their ankles.
“Wait –” Leehan swivels back, sees the blurry men in the distance. “The – the groceries –”
“The what?” Taesan whisper-yells, letting him go to smoothly climb over a chain link fence.
“The grocery bag I had with me!” Leehan can't resist yelling back, gripping the metal of the fence so tightly his knuckles paled. “Don't know if you knew this, but I just left a convenience store with things I needed for dinner for my uncle and I when I saw you getting beaten up by, I dunno, a bunch of hooligans!”
“Dude, keep your voice down!” Taesan glares at Leehan, already at the top. He reaches for him, half of his hair translucent under the moonlight. “Hurry up – they're gaining on us.”
Leehan grabs his hand, disgruntled. He won't be surprised if his hair currently resembles a bird's nest.
Every thought he has about the state of his appearance dissolves the moment furious voices echo in the background however, and they jump. Leehan isn't prepared for how high up they actually are, staggering once his feet hit the ground.
“You okay?” Taesan questions.
“Coping,” Leehan wheezes.
Taesan, all of a sudden, drags him to the pharmacy a couple steps ahead and moves behind him. Leehan is only aware of what Taesan's done when his hair falls around him like a curtain, effectively blocking his eyesight.
“Just to be clear: I wasn't getting beaten up. I was doing the beating,” Taesan says.
Leehan balks, shoving his hair out of his face. “What are you doing –”
“I’m giving you a chance to escape,” Taesan continues like he hadn't been interrupted, Leehan's hair tie now around his wrist. “I think it was pretty obvious, but those men were trouble, and I'm going to deal with them myself. They didn't get a good look at your face, and you look… different with your hair down, Kim Leehan.”
With Taesan's eyes trained on him like that, the color of brooding clouds about to rain, Leehan nearly forgets the fact that Taesan just called him by his full name.
Crinkling of paper.
Leehan looks down, and there they are, his groceries in between Taesan's arms. Taesan smirks as he wordlessly takes the bag.
“How…” Leehan begins, only for his words to die in his throat when Taesan’s eyes seem to sparkle.
“A magician never reveals his secrets,” says Taesan, tipping an imaginary hat, and it dawns on Leehan right then.
“You're an Other, aren’t you?” Leehan can’t help but blurt. “An Element User.”
Taesan doesn't say a word, but he doesn't need to. He just takes a step back, his hair still glowing in the low evening light, waves then vanishes. Just like the way he had after he fought with those bullies.
It takes a second longer than it should for Leehan to realize that Taesan still has his hair tie.