Chapter Text
When I was little, my father would always tell me this story before I went to bed. My mother would scold him for telling such scary stories to me, saying that I would get nightmares but I was fascinated by it.
When I was tucked in bed, holding my plush orange and urging my father to tell the story, he would chuckle at my eagerness.
It always begins like this...
Once upon a time, there was a curious young prince whose gaze was constantly drawn to the mysterious and dark forest near the palace.
His father, the king, had warned the curious boy not to go near those woods.
Any treasures or gifts given to him, as well as charming voices calling for him, are all tricks played by an evil danger.
Unfortunately, the young prince took his father's cautious advice as a challenge, as later in the dead of night, he sneaked out through his bedroom window using a makeshift rope made of jumbled-up fabrics and went into those woods.
When he arrived in the dark woods, he encountered a mysterious cloaked figure, who smiled and gave him a red cloak.
The stranger then spoke to him.
"Never take off this precious cloak or your fate will be in the hands of evil souls."
The young prince thanked the stranger as he happily took the cloak and rushed back to present it to his father, unaware that the stranger had vanished among the shadows below.
But...
When the boy showed his father the gift, he was met with terror, not happiness.
The kind stranger he met was actually a demon in disguise.
And the gift was actually—
"YOUNG BOBOIBOY!"
Boboiboy was startled out of his daydream by his teacher's loud echoing voice and nearly fell off his seat as he stared at his teacher's disappointed expression.
He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, giving an embarrassed smile.
"Heh, yes, Teacher Papa...?"
Teacher Papa let out a dramatic sigh and slammed his hand on Boboiboy's desk, shouting in front of his face.
"DAYDREAMING IN MY CLASS? HAVE YOU NO SHAME, BOY?" He scolded as he adjusted his red mask, then took a paper from his coat and placed it on the table again. "When school ends, I want you to write me an apology essay."
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND, YOUNG BOBOIBOY!?"
Boboiboy's eardrums were about to bleed from his teacher's voice, so he quickly nodded back, "Y-Yes, Teacher Papa!" He hoped this would please his teacher, and it did, as the teacher hummed in satisfaction before continuing with the lesson.
He slumped back into his seat, letting out a sigh of relief, before glaring at his deskmate or friend, Gopal, who was snickering. "Hey, stop laughing, Gopal," Boboiboy said in annoyance, clearly embarrassed by what had happened earlier.
Gopal simply wiped an imaginary tear away while trying to hold back his laughter.
"Man, you should know better than to pay attention in Teacher Papa's class.
"You're still dreaming about knights and magic?" Gopal teased him with a subtle smirk, prompting Boboiboy to roll his eyes.
"No..." He denied it, but Gopal saw right through him.
"Are you sure? Your cheeks are a bit red there, bud." Gopal pointed out, and Boboiboy let out a small groan. He will never be able to escape his friend's tentative stare.
'Whatever, I'm just going to ignore Gopal,' Boboiboy thought to himself as he looked out the window, hoping to clear his mind and pass the time in this seemingly boring class.
When the bell rang, today's class came to an end.
Boboiboy was on his way to the cafeteria after class to meet up with his three other friends, Yaya, Ying, and Fang, who had different classes. Yaya and Ying were in biology class together, while Fang was in language class.
Each of them was extremely busy this month because their graduation was just around the corner, so this was their only chance to hang out together, aside from when school ended.
And it also looks like Gopal arrived before him and told them about what happened beforehand, judging from how much they were trying to hold back from bursting out of laughter.
"Daydreaming in Teacher Papa's class? That's a first for you, dude," Fang teased, clearly amused by the whole thing, earning a glare from the brunette who sat down across from him. Yaya and Ying couldn't back their giggles either, but then their expression turned serious and Boboiboy had a bad feeling about it.
"Just because we are about to graduate doesn't mean we could slack on classes, Boboiboy." Yaya lightly scolds him, with Ying nodding in agreement as she turns to him. "Exactly! This is why you need to pay attention in class or—" and there those two go, lecturing him again.
Boboiboy just listens to the two in silence, but he can't really blame them for worrying.
He was, after all, imprisoned in his own world, where magical monsters and valiant heroes would undoubtedly not exist.
Right?
As soon as school let out and he handed Teacher Papa's letter of apology, Boboiboy made the decision to walk home by himself. This time, he said goodbye to his friends and entered the bustling but lively streets of Pulau Rintis.
His mind wanders again when he sees a cat...wait, what the heck is that?
He paused his steps and looked at the creature that resembled a cat with confusion.
It was fluffy and yellow, and did it have a bell around its neck? Boboiboy was bewildered until the creature turned to face him.
"Nyah?"
He gave it a nervous "Hi?" wave while gazing into the creature's large blue eyes, which reflected his own brown eyes.
The two had a staredown before walking up to him with curiosity and sniffing him.
Boboiboy didn't think twice and let the creature examine him.
Until the creature stole the bracelet his father had given him before he moved to Pulau Rintis with his grandfather.
"H-HEY, GIVE IT BACK!" He exclaimed before chasing the creature down the alleyway until he came across an unfamiliar street.
Breathless, he searches the area for the creature and notices the sign close by.
"Willow Street?" he uttered in surprise. "How come I never heard of it before?" He mumbled before he spotted a tuft of yellow fur enter through a door and he gave chase.
It was a cafe with an alluring and cosy vibe to it, and once he entered, he looked around the place to find the little thief before a calm voice spoke up.
"Welcome..."
"Is this your first time here?"
Boboiboy looked up and saw... an angel?
He felt his jaw go slack, stunned by the sight in front of him.
It was a man in his early twenties, with gorgeous brown hair and blue and yellow heterochromic eyes.
He even looks good in the simple barista uniform, damn it.
The round glasses added a nice touch to his already angelic face.
This guy is insanely hot!
He thought, but not in a gay way, because he was definitely straight, and how can a guy be both pretty and good-looking?
The barista gave him a warm smile and then chuckled.
"Are you still with me, young man?"
Boboiboy blinked a few times, feeling blood rush to his cheeks as he realised he'd been caught staring.
"S-Sorry!"
"I-It's just—" DAMN IT, GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, BOBOIBOY! Now this pretty stranger thinks you are a weirdo now.
Fortunately, the stranger waved it off, saving him from more embarrassing moments.
"It's alright."
"You are not the first customer to react that way," the man said lightly as he rested his arms on the counter, the same assuring smile on his face.
"Sopan at your service."
...
...
What?
Did this man really say that his name was Sopan?
Jeez, he thought his name was unique; guess he was wrong
"Umm, may I ask you something, Mr Sopan?" BoBoiBoy cleared his throat. Sopan hummed in response.
"Did you see a yellow, fluffy-looking creature enter earlier?"
He questioned Sopan, who, unfortunately, shook his head. "I'm afraid I haven't."
"Is it impolite of me to question why?"
Boboiboy explained to Sopan that the creature and about his bracelet that his father gave him. Sopan nodded and looked at him with pity.
"To be honest, young boy, I'm not much help." Boboiboy was about to accept his fate and go home after losing his bracelet when Sopan offered him something else.
"How about I offer you some refreshment, hmm?"
"Must be hard for a young boy like you to come all this way after all."
Boboiboy was about to refuse, but Sopan insisted and told him to take a seat while he made his drink.
Boboiboy sat down at a table and waited patiently until his gaze shifted to the customer at the table next to him.
He couldn't help but stare at the customer, who was sketching something in his notebook, and it looked great. He couldn't help but be curious and tried to get a better look.
His eyes unintentionally met the customer, and he quickly looked away in shame.
"Curious, aren't you?" the stranger muttered, slightly amused. "Do not be shy; I don't mind."
As he took a closer look at him, he noticed how strangely similar this man appeared to Sopan.
Both of them had brown hair and yellow-blue heterochromic eyes, but this man's eyes were a paler shade than Sopan's, and he had a ribbon tied at the side of his hair with a tiny yellow hairclip.
Perhaps they were related in some way?
The brown apron flowing over his body and the headphones around his neck give his casual yet stylish ensemble a strong artistic vibe.
"What's your name, young man?" the stranger asked, catching him off guard.
"I'm Boboiboy, umm sir."
The man smiled at him as he shut his sketchbook.
"Glacier"
Alright, so who is in charge of giving these guys names?
First, Sopan, and now Glacier!
Boboiboy gave him a tense little smile, a little uneasy after seeing two attractive guys.
"N-Nice to meet you too, Glacier."
He shifted around in his seat, unable to begin a conversation until Glacier spoke up.
"You look young, and judging by your uniform, you are a student, correct?"
Boboiboy nodded, gripping the strap of his slingbag. "Yes, I am, and I'm about to graduate, too."
Slowly, that small talk became a full-fledged conversation, and he felt comfortable chatting with him.
He failed to notice that Sopan had completed preparing and serving his drink in front of him, as he was too engrossed in his conversation with Glacier.
"I see, you two are getting along just fine after all." Sopan muttered, causing them to stop and turn their attention to him.
"Umm, how much is the drink?" Boboiboy was about to take out his wallet when Sopan's hand stopped him.
"It's free, it's just me," Sopan replied, his smile still unravelling.
Boboiboy was about to insist when Glacier said
"Don't decline it, Boboiboy."
"It is not often that Sopan gives something away for free."
Boboiboy noticed the two eyes briefly meet before returning their attention to him.
He couldn't help but feel anxious about it.
Soon, Boboiboy had to return home before his grandfather became worried, so he bids farewell to Sopan and Glacier as he left through the door, still feeling their gaze on him.
As he walked down the street, he felt his stomach turn suddenly and froze in the corner of his eye.
A bunch of men with large tails and horns were in the alleyway, and one of them was grasping the squriming creature by its tail as it cried in pain.
The next thing he knew,he was pushing the man away with all his strength,seizing the creature in his arms and glaring at the man
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT IT!"
The horned man staggered and snarled"Big tough guy,huh?"
"Not so tough when I murder you first!"
The man ran towards him with his sharp claws directly in front of him of his eyes,inches away from his skin
He was too quick and Boboiboy was too slow to react.
This was it
This is how he dies,right?
He closed his eyes,ready for the hit but it didn't come
Confused,he took a peek and saw..
"S-SOPAN?!"
Boboiboy gazed at him stunned, and worse,Sopan appeared to have wings now!
Merely blocking the man with a hand fan,smiling but there wasn't a hint of warmth or kindness.
"My,it seems like some bugs have intruded my territory and harm an innocent helpless boy
"I think it's time to teach you a lesson"
Then, a sudden breeze tore through the alleyway and in a blink of an eye,the horned men were on the ground,knocked out and Sopan stood there,alone, unharmed and not a single mark on him.
He turned slowly,his gaze was sharp and unnervingly calm before he spoke,his tone carried no anger but quiet authority.
"I believe I told your people"Sopan shuts his fan with a sharp snape,his gaze directed to the person behind him"to not make a mess in my territory"
Then,a familiar name left his lip like a warning
"Glacier..."
A shiver crawled down Boboiboy's spine as the air suddenly grew unnaturally cold and then footsteps lightly echoes on the ground.
He turned and saw Glacier..but he looked different.
The same curved horns.The same tail and a black umbrella rested on his hand,shielding him from nothing by soft snowflakes.
Glacier's gaze flickered briefly to him,a glance that almost fleeting that it felt imaginary before he turned back to Sopan and offered a faint polite smile
"Forgive me, Sopan"Glacier said calmly
"I'll discipline them later,But for now..."
His gaze sharpened
"We have another problem to deal with"
"A certain human.."
Both of them looked at Boboiboy
Under the weight of their silent stares,Boboiboy felt impossibly small as he walked into a predator's den.
He gulped,feeling the tension between him and the two men
H-How did it end up like this?