Jaemin woke up to something poking his cheek. He reluctantly opened his eyes and was greeted by the kids' confused expression.
"Where's Hannie?" Mark asked as he finished looking around the cottage. He carried a sleeping Jisung on his back as he didn't want to leave him behind. "She wasn't there where Renjun needed to potty."
"What?! Did Renjun pee the-"
"Hyuckie helped me." The said boy cut answered shyly. Jaemin let out a sigh of relief and sat up. His eyebrows furrowed once he realized that he had a blanket and pillow with him.
He originally planned on sleeping in Doyoung and Taeyong's cottage but was too worried about leaving Haneul and the kids alone.
"You kids go to the function hall we always eat at. I'm gonna go get changed." Jaemin instructed. He unlocked the door for the kids. "What's the rule when going outside without an adult?"
"Hold hands so no one gets left behind." Chenle answered, fingers already intertwined with Jeno's.
Jaemin watched the kids leave before heading into the shared room and getting ready for the day. His eyes caught sight of a severed ponytail resting on top of one of Renjun's books.
He took the book and recognized Haneul's peachy shampoo on the cover. Something didn't sit right with him as he decided to read the book.
"The Cursed Princess?"
One rainy evening, a traveler had lost his way in the forest between kingdoms. He stumbled upon a beautiful cottage in the center of a small lake. He decided to ask to spend the night for her could no longer continue to travel in the horrible weather.
Upon arriving to the door, he found that it was unlocked but still knocked. The door creaked open, revealing one of the prettiest girls the traveler has ever seen.
"Get lost." She said with a scowl.
Despite her strong rejection, he still decided to ask. "I'm sorry for the sudden burden, but may I stay in your lovely home for the night? The weather is just too much and I have lost my way."
She felt bad for him and reluctantly let him into her home. He made himself comfortable, unknown to him he was being watched the whole night. He left early in the morning to go home.
Since then, the traveler would return with a basket of goods. He visited frequently despite her cold demeanor towards him. He came everyday with a fresh smile on his face.
One day, the girl finally seemed to snap as she questioned, "Why do you keep returning here even if I'm being so cold to you? What do you want from me?"
He looked down to the water that nearly entered the home."Because you're lying when you want me to leave. You don't have friends do you?"
The girl said nothing more and closed the door on him. Since then, she didn't even bother to open the door or respond to him no matter what he apology he offered. She wasn't angry at him because she was offended, she was angry with him because he was right.
She wanted to have friends but couldn't make any for a curse put on her will end up hurting anyone she cared for. The tears she cried had been made into the lake that surrounded her home and continued to grow the more she did.
It frustrated her more that only she could break the curse but she didn't know how.
The traveler refused to give up and continued to approach her. He would even stay late nights in hopes of her opening up.
One night, another storm hit before he could return to the shore. It tipped his boat over and he drowned in the lake of tears. The only thing left of him was a pocket watch that was left afloat.
The girl was devastated when she found out about the traveler's death the following morning. She created a garden where he would be laid to rest. As she was working, the witch who had cursed her passed by.
She felt angry and shouted to her, "because of your curse I harmed another person!"
"My dear I did not curse you, only you thought I did." The witch explained. "I had even helped you by having the prince discover your cottage."
She realized her wrong of trying to avoid the problem and regretted it deeply. Had she fixed her mindset he wouldn't have died. To this day, the cursed princess wanders the world in order to help those who need to break their curse.
Millions of thoughts ran through his head as he realized the character in this story seemed to be Yeojeong as the fairy book author had also written this.
"This is why Yeojeong did this to Haneul." Jaemin realized what they had been seeing wrong. "She didn't want her to make friends. She wanted her to break free from her own trauma before she makes the same mistake."
He fumbled with his phone as he checked what day it was and felt his heart drop into his stomach. He stared at his wallpaper of him and Haneul wearing a sheet mask, hoping it could calm him down.
It was Saturday today, the same day Damien asked to meet up.
In a panicked daze, he ran bolted out and looked for her in every cottage NCT had rented up to the beach. His vision seemed to blur as he desperately searched for her.
"Lee Haneul." He muttered as he entered the function hall where everyone us. "Has anyone seen Haneul?"
Jaehyun, although confused, raised his hand. "I saw her leave earlier this morning while I was jogging around."
"Fuck!"
"I don't like where this is going." Mark whispered to Donghyuck.
"Because you're a pacifier." Donghyuck teased.
"It's pacifist you dumb dumb." Renjun corrected. The boy gasped as Donghyuck angrily took his candy as revenge. Sicheng who witnessed what could be the most horrible crime to the five year old.
"You can have my candy." He offered, successfully preventing a war from breaking out.
"Language sir." Taeyong warned as some of the members were quick to cover the kids' ears. "Calm down tell us what's going on first."
"Haneul went to confront the scumbag Damien and I have no idea where she is. Hell, I don't even know where to start looking." Jaemin explained. A chuckle from Ten made everyone visibly gulp.
"What are we waiting for my dear friends? We have an ass to kick and an ass to save."
A/N
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!
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I still haven't finished the fanart since the hair is killing me but I'll finish it in time for the story ending!
