Jeonghan didn't get the chance to question Joshua about his secret affair since Seungcheol apparently felt worried about his little lover, and they both returned to the dorm, leaving Jeonghan and Mingyu awkwardly standing on the gloomy street together.

Mingyu glanced at Jeonghan's clothes and every bare inch of his skin. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed no blood or scars. But before Mingyu could open his mouth and ask to take Jeonghan home, the ex-boyfriend abruptly cut him off.

Jeonghan stated, "I will walk."

That lead Mingyu to follow Jeonghan's first steps with a frustrated look on his face. He knows that Jeonghan is stubborn and will do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Mingyu would never stop him as long as it makes Jeonghan happy. But, given the dreadful event that has just occurred, the boy adds patiently:

"It's not safe. Let me make a transit gate to your dorm."

Jeonghan gave a faint smile.

"I can do it on my own. Thank you."

Mingyu grabbed Jeonghan's arms on the spur of the moment to stop him from walking away. He looks Jeonghan in the eyes, making them both face each other. Jeonghan then saw a hint of the truth — a tiny glimmer of emotion that Mingyu had been wanting to show him for months. It's only a little, yet it makes Jeonghan's heart race.

"Then go ahead and do it. Do it in front of me," Mingyu said, "Let me see that you return safely, or you'll have to go with me."

Jeonghan struggled to free his arm from the grip. Mingyu is just too strong. Obviously, he could never beat the boy bare-handed.

Jeonghan looked away, pointed his wand at a door, and said:

"Portaotis."

Mingyu finally freed Jeonghan from his grasp. But how bittersweet it is, Jeonghan caught a glimpse of regret when the boy let go of his arm. It was such an unnerving moment that Jeonghan had to turn his head away, grind his teeth, and speak faintly to Mingyu, almost as if they were strangers:

"Thank."

And it broke him. Deep down, he knew that all of these bland attitudes were unfair to Mingyu. He did not deserve it.

"How come you're still running? Why won't you talk to me?"

Mingyu speaks up without any expectation to receive an answer from Jeonghan. He asked the same questions a thousand time. It imprinted in every corner of his mind. Day by day, he kept giving his heart out until his consious became wiser and started to ask himself: what if Jeonghan hate him? Eventually, he stopped sending letter and gave them both time to heal after breaking up. He doesn't want them to be this awkward.

But why, why Jeonghan is still running?

"I thought I made myself clear."

"You did, after all. And we broke up. But we're not done if you keep running away from me as if I'm nothing. Like we were nothing. I need an explanation, Jeonghan."

Although he went through a healing process, it didn't help him forget about Jeonghan and their priceless time together, nor did he want to forget. He treasured every moment.

"It's not about the breakup."

Mingyu finally pushed Jeonghan to speak up about their situation after six months of silence. Despite he weren't prepared himself enough for the truth or anything Jeonghan was about to say, he wishes to hear it.

However, Mingyu quickly regrets it after seeing Jeonghan sweating and hardly breathing. He noticed a hint of uneasiness and panic on Jeonghan's face. So he took a short step back, removed the keen, and reflected on how selfish he was to push Jeonghan to confront him about the truth.

"I'm sorry. This is not the right time." Mingyu said. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll stop and never ask again."

Just like that, the conversation ended.

Mingyu's fists began to clench as he turned away to another destination. Jeonghan has all the goodnight/goodbye holds on his lips, but he can't make a sound.

Once again, one was forced to stand and stare as the other walked away.

-

Joshua's magic was imprisoned, much like a mouse in a lab. It was crawling around in a circle until someone broke down the cage and set it free. However, because the mouse had not yet used to the new environment, it was taken aback.

Joshua was lost in the sequelae after using a lot of magic. Seungcheol had to carry him to his room as fast as possible and helped the youngster in getting comfy on the bed. Unfortunately, the room is much colder than it was on previous nights.

As Seungcheol put the blanket around him, Joshua tightened his grip even more. He's shivering and groaning in his throat as every inch of his flesh stings. His heart rate is getting higher. For a Foreign-blood who hasn't discovered magic in 15 years, the unexpected fight with the black-coat lady costs a lot.

According to every book about wizard beginning, the outcomes are predictable. Still, this type of magical trauma is uncommon.

"C-cheol." He said shakily in a little voice, "I-I'm..."

A monotonous sound clings to his ears, so unpleasant that he couldn't put it into words. It feels like magic is raging inside of him, begging to be let out.

Luckily, Seungcheol is all too aware of it and casts a spell to lessen the symptom.

"Morphindo."

It won't stop magic from running wild within his core, but it may help Joshua sleep well tonight.

Despite the fact that Joshua's entire body is drained, Seungcheol's painkilling magic spell comes in handy, speeding up and smoothing the treatment. When the warmth returned to his core, Joshua felt at ease and went sober after one minute. He then slipped into a comfy spot on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

After a long, quiet hour, Joshua awoke and was able to fully open his eyes. The first thing he did was search for his boyfriend in the tranquil room.

Seungcheol, thankfully, was seated on the sofa with a book in his left hand. The light was magically cast on each page and reflected on his face. It was then that Seungcheol's facial lines drew Joshua's attention. He had a desire to savor this moment, like a wonderful frame, the kind of art you admire rather than touch. He chose not to interrupt by calling Seungcheol and preferred to remain motionless, only to watch his boyfriend in the faint light.

Joshua paused for a while to observe, convincing himself that Seungcheol was still alive and well, and that he wasn't far away.

An earthy, mellow aroma of cinnamon lingered in the air. It's a little bit of something slightly fruity, peppery, and vanilla-like. Joshua knew it was an effort by Seungcheol, who tried to ease his pain. Just thinking of it, his lips drew a gentle smile.

Seungcheol eventually saw Joshua had awakened and turned to face him. He then set the book on the table, rose from the sofa, and approached the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He laid a gentle touch on Joshua's head.

"Better. But my body still feels like it's falling apart." Joshua admitted as he enjoyed the warmth of Seungcheol's hand.

"Don't worry. It'll pass in a few days, perhaps tomorrow."

Joshua blinked and inhaled for the cinnamon scent flowing through his nose and down his throat. Seungcheol then exhaled a sigh of relief and raised his fingers to fix Joshua's messy hair.

But it was only a matter of seconds before Joshua regained his curiosity and asked:

"I know you and Mingyu are cousins, but how can you get the prince to drink at this hour? Shouldn't he stay in the dorm with the royal guards?"

The questions did not surprise Seungcheol. Everyone expects that the prince will be safe, especially because the Queen deployed a full army to their school to protect her son.

"He heard you and Jeonghan planning going out tonight. And he saw what happened between Jeonghan and that Howling boy."

"So... you guys followed us?"

"It wasn't my idea." Seungcheol stated. "But I'm glad I was there."

His fingers lingered on Joshua's hair before moving down to the youngster's cheek and gently touching it. Among the fondness and caring in his eyes was a trace of despair. Joshua knew that Seungcheol was trying to hide his fear and stayed calm. Even so, the youngster was aware of their circumstance and eventually asked more questions.

"And what about the spell? The one you cast on that lady?"

"Am I a suspect who is being interrogated?" Seungcheol stated with a smile.

"Well, you are, until you give me a reasonable, logical explanation." Joshua was curious and it didn't sound like a joke to him.

"I'm aware of the Vexior spell, Cheol. I understand what it is. I know it's outlawed on a daily basis, and only the Protectors can use it under specified conditions." Joshua added.

Seungcheol looked at his little lover with adoring eyes, remembering how much he enjoyed it when Joshua expressed his interesting thoughts and began questioning everything like a child. He lowered his head and kissed Joshua's lips. It was a sweet kiss that seemed to be a reward for Seungcheol.

"You still can't get away with this." Joshua frowned.

"I kiss you because I want to, not to get away with anything." Seungcheol shook his head.

"And?"

""Fine." Seungcheol finally gave up. "It was my parents who taught me."

"I knew it." Joshua smirked, but then he grabbed Seungcheol's cuff and made him to answer more questions. "Why did they teach you that spell? There must be a reason. It can't be a typical day when they drag you out of the room and say, 'Let's learn an outlawed spell, my son.' I refused to think that way."

Seungcheol nodded, then spoke frankly.

"I learned a lot; mostly spells that you don't learn in school."

"Such a privilege." Joshua abruptly added.

"Hey, that's mean." Seungcheol stroked the boy on the cheek.

Thankfully, Joshua was satisfied with the explanation. He instantly felt drained afterwards, which made him want to sleep longer and possibly skip class the next day. Seungcheol had no intention of leaving, so he climbed into the bed, lied down and hugged Joshua tightly. They both never forgot to say goodnight.

Clearly, there were a lot of things going through their heads, but no one had the strength to talk about them further.