The Beauty and the Beast (Seventeen Meanie story)

Chapter 18 - Reunited

A/N: HAPPY SEVENTEEN DAY!! I can't believe my babies have been around for 9 years already!

Anyways, hi, I'm back!! Thank you so much for your patience with me for not updating last week, my exams were really a handful these days. Actually I have one tomorrow too, but I think it will be easy to pass. But enough of that, I know y'all aren't here for me, so let's continue our story!

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Seungcheol was stumbling forward in the cold and dark forest. His limbs felt numb, he was barely able to keep walking. He was freezing and he also started to feel the pain in his leg. He knew Jisoo was right. His injury didn't heal yet.

Where's he exactly? Where's he going? Why is he here again?

Suddenly he stumbled over a root on the ground and lost his balance. He couldn't prevent himself from falling forward, landing in the snow. His hands felt numb from the coldness, and as he tried to push himself up, he just couldn't move his leg. His vision got blurry, but he knew he has to keep going.

'Wonwoo-yah' he exhaled, thinking of his brother. His breath made a white puff in the cold night air. He has to save his brother from the beast. Whatever it takes.

He tried to move forward again, but his arms and legs really were on the verge of giving up. As he lifted his right arm, he lost his balance and fell forward in the snow.

Through his almost closed eyelids he could see a shadow come towards him and he heard a muffled voice call his name.

'Wonwoo-yah' he whispered before everything would've went black.

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'Cheol hyung!!' exclaimed Wonwoo jumping off Philippe's back and running up to his brother's lifeless body. The older was lying on the ground and wasn't moving.

Wonwoo quickly grabbed his hand, feeling him all frozen. He took off his cape and covered Seungcheol with it, looking back towards his horse. He needs to get Seungcheol on Philippe's back somehow, but he can't risk to injure him even more. He can't do this alone...

'Seungcheol!! Seungcheol, where are you?!'

'Ah, something pulled me back!'

'Dummy, your cape got stuck on a branch, wait-'

Wonwoo looked up with wide eyes hearing the voices and let out a sigh of relief once he saw Seokmin and Jisoo stumble out from between the trees.

'Guys!! We are here!' he called out. The two boys gasped and letting go of each other's hands (which Wonwoo now had no time to question) they ran up to Wonwoo.

'Wonwoo hyung!! You're alive!' gasped Seokmin.

'What happened?' asked Jisoo worriedly. He kneeled on the ground and began searching for Seungcheol's pulse.

'Let's talk once we are home. He is going to freeze, we need to get him back!' said Wonwoo.

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'Master?'

Mingyu didn't bother turning around hearing Seungkwan's voice from the doorway. He kept staring out of the balcony in the direction he saw Wonwoo disappear. The mantel clock meanwhile waddled inside the west wing, passing by all the destroyed objects and fabrics.

'What happened?' asked Seungkwan cautiously. Mingyu didn't answer. 'We saw Wonwoo storm away and we just...' Seungkwan wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.

'I let him go' said Mingyu quietly. Seungkwan stayed quiet, processing what he just heard.

'But... did you confess to him?' he asked confusedly. The beast shook his head defeatedly.

'Seungkwan-ah... he belongs to his family. I can't force him to stay with me and love me back' he mumbled. Seungkwan felt a pang in his chest... but it might have been the small ding as the mantel clock signaled that it's 11 o'clock. 'Please... I want to be alone now' said Mingyu, turning away from him.

Seungkwan stayed there for a few more seconds before turning around to let Mingyu be by himself, walking back towards the door. He walked through the hallways, down the stairs, until he reached the ballroom where the other objects were cleaning while talking to each other cheerfully.

'What did he say?!' asked Soonyoung excitedly, making everyone else turn to Seungkwan expectantly. Seungkwan gulped.

'Guys... I think he is in love' he said quietly.

'Yayy!! That's good news! Right?!' asked Chan, the teacup. The objects went quiet once they saw that Seungkwan wasn't sharing their happiness.

'He let him go.'

'WhaT?!?!' exclaimed the staff in disbelief.

'He is in love with him and he... he gave his freedom back' said Seungkwan. Silence fell on the ballroom.

'So... he didn't confess?' asked Soonyoung. Seungkwan shook his head. Soonyoung chuckled bitterly. 'Who would've thought this idiot expresses his love by letting the other go?' he mumbled.

'Well... at least Mingyu learned to love' said Jun quietly, but they all knew it won't help on them at all. They barely had an hour till midnight, and then they will all turn into lifeless objects while Mingyu turns into a beast for eternity. Soonyoung looked at Jihoon desperately and his feather duster boyfriend, probably for the first time ever, snuggled up to him, not caring if he gets burned.

'Does it even matter that he can love if he isn't being loved back?' asked Soonyoung, putting his arms around Jihoon, careful not to burn him with his candles.

'He is loved back. I know it' spoke up Jeonghan from the tea trolley. The objects all turned to him, but he looked away, looking out of the window. 'It's only up to Wonwoo if he will come back to Mingyu.'