Long Journey || ATEEZ

Of Fairies And Holin

"Today's lecture is about fairy Magik."

The class chuckled mockingly, eyeing their fellow fairy classmates as they shrunk in on themselves, wanting nothing more than to disappear into a little teardrop of nothingness – and for all of this to be over.

"Now now, guys. I know pretty much everyone looks down on fairies—" Mingi hung his head with a familiar shame, "—but what I'll talk about today will surprise you, actually," the professor said enthusiastically, his light brown, fluffy hair bouncing as he paced up and down in front of his students. "Because fairy Magik actually works extremely similarly to demons – their Magik comes from and flows around channels within their bodies, like demons' Dark Energy does so. The only problem I'd say is, that unless they're a prodigy, they can't control it well, and have to channel it through a wand."

"But Professor, I don't see how that makes a difference," Jahee said with a smirk, glancing over at Mingi snidely. "Fairies are still pathetic."

"That's not a very nice thing to say," the professor frowned.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's the truth," Jahee shrugged in a way that made Yunho want to stick his fist straight into his nose.

The shapeshifter growled quietly underneath his breath as Mingi squeezed his arm, shaking his head silently. Don't, his expression said. He isn't worth your time. Yunho huffed, but his shoulders relaxed and he slumped back in his chair. His foot began to tap out an irritated rhythm against the floor as the lecture continued.

* * *

As the fresh air hit them and they left the building, Yunho let out some kind of strangled, frustrated cat-noise resembling sound.

"For fuck's sake! He's so goddamn annoying!" he fumed, shaking his fists as a way to let off his frustration.

Mingi chuckled nervously.

"It's fine, Yunho," he said encouragingly. "I'm fine, see?" He swung his arms as a way of emphasising this.

"It still annoys me though," Yunho grumbled, folding his arms. "The way he looks down on you just cuz you're a fairy, and just cuz you're a bit of a pushover. No offence, of course," he added afterwards, holding up his hands.

"None taken," Mingi smiled. "But please," he said, "don't go off and beat him up again – I don't want you to get into trouble again because of me," he begged.

Yunho frowned.

"Fine," he said. "I won't."

Mingi let out a sigh of relief.

"Unless he says something to you again."

Mingi groaned.

"But why?" he whined.

Yunho sighed.

"Isn't it obvious? That prick'll keep saying things to you, so if I keep beating him up, maybe he'll get the message," Yunho shrugged. "Even if he doesn't, at least I still get the satisfaction from causing him pain."

"But can't we just tell the teachers here or something? Then we can resolve the issue without violence."

"Ugh, remember high school?" Yunho replied, rolling his eyes. "The teachers didn't do shit back then. So I don't see why they would now."

Mingi pouted, sighed, and slumped his shoulders.

"Fine, fine, you win," he said in a defeated tone. "But promise me you'll only do...the thing...if Jahee says anything that actually hurts me?"