“Mine!” Younri sighed in relief, his legs trembling a little. He quickly approached Mine, examining his condition. “What happened?”

“Y-Younri…” Mine stammered, his hands were still trembling, and so was his body.

“And you…” Younri glanced at Addai, who hadn’t broken eye contact. He tried to speak, but he swallowed his words. “Forget it. Take Mine and follow me. The streets-”

Younri was interrupted by a shadow crossing his vision very closely. When he looked to the side, Mine had teleported to where Addai was. Addai had him very close, shielding his trembling body with his own.

“Why should I trust you?” Addai sneered.

Younri bit his lips.

He would have to use more tactics than expected if he wanted to conquer a small percentage of trust from that boy, who clearly wasn’t the friendly type.

He hadn’t hit Younri, nor laid a finger on him, but… he felt the restrained intent.

Also, that boy was deadly agile and smart. He couldn’t slip.

Younri sighed and glanced at Mine. He knew what to do.

“Okay, I get that you don’t trust me, but…” he showed his bare hands, then pointed at Mine. “Think about him, please,” he pleaded.

Addai looked at Mine in his arms. The poor boy’s eyes were barely focusing, and he seemed to be as far away as the station. He couldn’t tell what exactly was going on inside Mine’s head, but he was sure of one thing: Mine was horrified.

Addai lightly placed Mine’s head on his chest and looked at Younri.

“Show us the way,” he said, looking at Younri’s eyes.

The elf’s shoulders relaxed, and he sighed in relief.

Maybe that boy wasn’t a threat to him after all.

“Then, follow me,” Younri cheerfully said.

With a flick of his fan, Younri sliced the air in a clean line from top to bottom.

Addai blinked. His eyes weren’t deceiving him.

Younri literally tore a portal open in the air. It was bright, and the people in the streets looked at it with mild curiosity.

Addai slightly wrinkled his nose and carried Mine in his arms. He placed Mine’s head on his chest and turned his face to it. On his back, he carried his and Mine’s bag. Younri softly chuckled when Mine’s bag almost slipped from his arms.

Still, Addai followed the elf without muttering a single sound.

Once they passed the portal line, a beautifully furnished office welcomed them.

There were two very comfortable sofas, and a large table with various papers stacked in one corner, a modern computer in another, and various office supplies meticulously organized.

Potted plants decorated a huge wall, and two taller plants were set at the office’s entrance. They were lush and well-tended – Younri couldn’t help but smile and touch the Monstera’s leaves when he entered the office.

As Addai walked in, his foot caught the edge of the impeccably clean rug in the center of the office. It was wide and its colors were calm and light, matching the place’s vibe.

The office also had a scullery, which had a minibar, a coffee machine, and a drinking fountain, as well as cupboards, counters, and chairs.

…

Was it really an office?

“Take a seat,” Younri waved his hand, showing the couch.

Addai silently nodded and sat on the nearest couch. He placed Mine on his lap and covered him with his coat. Despite Younri not portraying a single sign of threat, Addai couldn’t let go of Mine, so he kept him glued to his body.

No matter how alert he tried to stay, the fatigue from a full workday began to mercilessly kick in. Perhaps the adrenaline was finally wearing off, so the exhaustion hit twice as hard.

“Mine,” Addai called.

Mine slowly lifted his chin to look at Addai. His eyes were barely focusing – hazy and still in that odd shade of pink and blue –, but Addai’s voice made its way to reach his brain.

“It’s… nothing,” Addai sighed and rubbed his nose against Mine’s forehead.

His jaw clenched inadvertently.

He should have paid more attention to Mine earlier and noticed his panic when those people started approaching.

He couldn’t help but feel miserable for not being able to take that stain from Mine and take it for himself instead.

Now, all he could do was hold Mine in his arms.

Younri softly sighed and approached the duo from a safe distance. “Give him some more time and he’ll come back,” he cheered up. “Mine is-”

“Who are you?” Addai cut, his eyes turning sharp while he glared at the elf.

Younri chuckled.

Youngsters were always like that, all mighty and stuff.

“I’m Younri, a humble businessman," he answered, sitting on the couch near them. "And you, who are you?”

Addai seemed pensive, but his gaze slightly softened. “I’m Addai Lee-Hobb. I’m Mine’s friend.”

Sometimes, people act tough – really tough – but when they take a moment to be themselves... It's like seeing someone completely different, another character, another person...

Younri saw that in Addai.

His eyes – once as sharp as a dagger – were now serene and calm, with a hint of melancholy and quiet concern as he stroked Mine's hair. If the elf dared to say something, he’d say that they matched way too well.

Younri fondly sighed and leaned in towards the duo. “The streets around here have been dangerous recently. If you both can avoid walking around here, it'll be much appreciated.”

Addai nodded, swallowing his urge to tell Mine they should have called a cab earlier.

Younri clapped his hands together, startling Addai. “I have something to cheer you two up!” he smiled and sprang.

The elf headed to the scullery and took a sweet treat from the minibar. It was a custard pudding – well, half of it. He took two plates and cut the pudding, placing the dessert on the plates equally.

Then, Younri crouched in front of Mine and rubbed his hand.

“I have something for you,” he smiled.

Mine looked at him, his cheek resting on Addai’s chest.

“It’s your favorite dessert,” Younri smiled even wider.

Mine’s eyes flickered, and the tips of his hair gradually turned yellow. Addai placed him to his side on the couch and fixed his coat around Mine’s shoulders.

Younri took Mine’s hands and placed the plate on them. Mine slightly tilted his head to the side and brought the plate closer. He sniffed it and looked at Addai, who also had a plate of the same dessert in his hands.

“Go ahead,” Addai nodded.

Mine then looked at Younri.

“Eat it,” Younri smiled.

Mine slightly nodded and cut a small piece of the pudding. He brought it to his mouth and slowly munched the dessert. Even if his face was still, his hair colors made sure to say his emotions were way lighter.

Addai smiled slightly, and Younri couldn't help but notice how good he looked when he smiled.

Who would have thought that, after everything he’d seen earlier, a smile like that could appear on the face of that young boy – who gave Younri quite the scare.

As time passed, Mine started turning a little more active, responding with small nods or murmurs to what Addai said.

A sweet treat is always welcome, right?

The dark circles under Mine's eyes were still clearly visible, as well as the redness in the same area and on his nose. Even though he was eating the sweet treat, his speed was somewhat slow but constant.

While he ate his sweet treat, Addai's eyes began to scan the environment, and Younri, noticing this, began to follow the trajectory because he remembered that poster on his wall!!!

It was small, but still!!!

He needed to get that boy's attention!!

“Ahem, ahem,” Younri coughed, and Addai briefly looked at him (phew!). “What do you work with, Mr. Addai?”

“Ah, I'm a teacher,” Addai replied, wiping the custard's caramel from Mine's lips.

“Oh~ that’s so cool~” Younri smiled and waved his fan, temporarily changing the poster image with a spell. “You’re so handsome. I thought you were a model or something like that.”

Addai was a little confused, and surprisingly, his cheeks turned red. “I'm too shy for that,” he meekly answered.

Maybe his nervousness towards such a compliment made him messy and too honest.

“Such a handsome young man like you… shy?!” Younri gasped, almost dropping his fan. “I'll surely make my things if you'd like to become a model one day. I know a few people from famous magazines, and they could help your modeling career… hmmm,” he approached the flustered Addai.

Mine looked at them, his eyes regaining a bit of life.

Addai no longer knew where to hide with such closeness and so much praise for his person, so all he could do was become redder and redder.

“Look at these fine facial features... these moles... these soft lips...” Younri listed, shamelessly examining Addai’s features. “And this hair that can be fixed...”

“Fixed?” Addai gasped, looking at Younri, slightly offended.

“Yeah! We can cut a few spots to make it even. It's terrible on the back,” Younri smiled, and Addai frowned.

“Pfffffff…” Mine softly chuckled after a long time in his shell.

“Right, Mine? Lend him to me, and I'll make him even more handsome!” Younri posed proudly, and Addai couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

“It would be fun,” Mine faintly smiled.

“See?” Younri looked at Addai and dramatically opened his fan. “Do it for him~” he winked, and Addai's cheeks turned reddish again. “We'll also fix your style! You're too basic! Nuh-uh, I'll certainly fix you,” he promptly said and noisily closed his fan, startling Addai.

When Younri went to get a paper from his desk to give to Addai, someone knocked on his door. He found it strange.

No one had scheduled anything, and his cell phone was quiet that night, which meant no calls, problems, or requests.

Mine quickly looked at the door when the back of his hand started to glow with that usual symbol – the diamond. That alone was enough for Younri to feel thoughtful about opening the door.

Someone knocked on the door again.

Two knocks.

“Who could it be?” Younri frowned and approached the door. “Don't worry. I'll take care of it,” he held his fan and opened a small opening on the door, peeking outside.

A voice made Mine drop the plate on the floor.

Addai looked at him, confused at the sudden change in his behavior.

Mine knew that voice.

“I warned you to not lay a foot in my Pub. Go away," Younri's voice seemed stern.

“It’s a quick business,” the person outside said. “It’s about Star’s performances and debt. The boss-”

Mine could no longer hear whatever that man and Younri were saying. His stomach immediately began to turn, and the dessert – which had gone down so well – felt strange inside, as if it needed to be expelled in every way.

Feeling his mouth water, Mine turned pale.

His breathing turned rapid and choppy as he tried to search for lost air.

His vision was becoming darker and darker... dangerously darker.

“Mine?!” Addai worried. “What’s up?”

His lungs were tired from the earlier commotion, but they still needed to work even more because the person tried to open the door forcefully.

The adrenaline was running wild inside Mine's body.

If it wasn't for Younri's fan slash, the person could have entered the room and faced someone even worse than him: the person beside Mine, whose eyes were glowing in crimson.

A piercing screech crossed Mine’s ears.

Something fell on the wooden floor.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

It made flesh-like noises before rolling mutely on the rug, staining the rug with crimson ruby.

Mine looked at that, and his breathing intensified. He would soon turn into a statue, but a loud screech made his body shiver and-

“Mine!” Addai shouted, covering Mine's ears right after. “Don't look at it!” he urged, turning Mine's head to him.

Addai's voice was so muffled that Mine could only feel the vibrations from his voice, while another sound in the background was too messy to hear clearly.

Addai's eyes were locked on the door. His eyes were alert, as well as his posture.

Mine attempted to talk, but his mouth couldn't form words. Only wobbly babbles could be heard, and it was so frustrating.

His hands were trembling again, and he wanted to know what happened to that guy outside and what Younri was talking about. So, he tried taking Addai's hand off his ears, but he was too weak for that.

His teeth could no longer clench without hurting.

His mouth felt moist.

His stomach could no longer twist and twirl.

Addai looked at him and quickly turned Mine's body to the side, making sure whatever could come out would hit the rug.

The dessert now felt acidic.

He was burning on the inside.

Addai held Mine's hair, and Mine coughed.

His own noises covered the screech outside.