"You'll never have to chase
what wants to stay with you,"

-

Gaeul was more than surprised at why Mingyu was in front of her door, his school uniform drenched in rain.

She eyes him from head to toe, "Hi…?"

"You didn't go to school."

Gaeul gulped.

"I was- I was sick-"

"For two whole weeks? Really Gaeul?" Mingyu hits the top of her head and even though he was uninvited, lets himself inside her house as Gaeul stares at him blankly.

"What, you don't want me here? After I ditched my driver and cram school and completely soaked my uniform? Geez fine I'll go-"

"Nobody said that, idiot, now stop complaining and just get inside." Gaeul rushes to get a towel for him. Mingyu stood by the door, freezing, but he didn't want to dirty her carpet either.

He liked how Gaeul seemed to be opening up with him even more. After everything that he's done to her, she seems to like having him as company, even though she doesn't even spare a glance at him when they're at school.

"Now take off your clothes and let me clean them. Here's a change." Gaeul shoves a few pieces of folded fabric at Mingyu, "everything off except your underwear."

"Why won't you dry my underwear too?"

"Who do you think I am? Your mom?"

"My mom doesn't do the laundry."

"Just hurry up and get changed."

Once Mingyu was done, Gaeul already had two mugs of hot liquid prepared for them in the living room. Mingyu sat himself down and wanted to open his mouth to complain about the slightly fitting clothes, but closed it when he noticed the big changes in her house.

"Where did all your furniture go?"

"Aunts took them," Gaeul replies as if it was nothing "I'm fine with just a couch, really."

"Okay this is really too much," Mingyu huffs, scratching his head "did they sell them? Did you get the money?"

"They did, but I didn't." Gaeul answers "I'm grateful one of my cousins sneaked some for herself and gave some to me. It's enough for the school fee debts."

All Mingyu wanted to do right now was drag her to the furniture store and buy her new furniture. Pay all her school fees for her for the rest of her life, or just let her live with his family. He wanted her to feel like she was in a family. It hurt him to see her like this.

It hurts Jisoo even more.

"So…why didn't you go to school?"

"I told you i was si-"

"Gaeul, please don't give me that shit."

Gaeul was taken aback at how he didn't buy her lies. They haven't really talked much, or seen each other much but she was amazed at how he could easily read her. What if he came because he pitied her for looking so pitiful? What if he came here because he felt sorry for her? What if-

"I'm asking because I'm worried." Mingyu adds. He could easily read her expression. She was so transparent. Gaeul seemed a little relieved after hearing his words.

"You know, I'm kinda planning to drop out of school."

Mingyu's eyes widened. Gaeul just smiles.

"I haven't got the money, you know. I got here by scholarship, and since we never have enough money to let me go to cram school or have proper reference books it seems like I'm getting worse."

Mingyu wondered how she could put on that smile so easily. He didn't like how she was flashing him her fake smile. Why was she still lying to him? Why can't she be honest? Why is she still pretending to be okay?

"I guess this might be the last time you'll see me." Gaeul mumbles. Mingyu clenches his teeth.

"Why can't you be honest?" Mingyu asks, staring at the untouched mug of hot chocolate in front of jim.

"Why can't you really tell me how you feel? I'm not stupid, Gaeul. You're really easy to read and you can't lie to me. I know it's painful for you to keep acting like this so please, just stop."

"Tell me what you really feel. If you're sad, cry. If you're angry, say so. Why is it so hard for you to do that?"

Gaeul was silenced. Mingyu sighs, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he said too much. He was ready to hear her yell back at him for being too much and shut the door right at his face.

Instead, Gaeul was still smiling at him, "I don't know, Mingyu."

"I really don't know." Her lips quiver, a shaky smile plastered on her lips as a tear rolls down her freckled cheeks.

+++

"Seokmin, explain."

The younger boy looks up with guilt in his eyes. Nothing could hide his frightened expression ; not even the silly costume or his ridiculously painted face could hide his guilt. Hoshi sighs.

"You got Moon hyung into trouble, now tell me, what did you do." Hoshi asks with a firm tone, making Seokmin squeak in fear.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm really really sorry the words just slipped out i swear I was drunk and I thought the King was drunk too so i just accidentally- everything came out of my mouth like a blur and when I stopped laughing the King was staring at me with wide eyes and-"

"Enough you fool," Hoshi cuts him off, not being able to bear hearing anymore of his excuses. Hoshi trusted the boy, and he knew it was a mistake, knowing that Seokmin himself, as the palace's royal jester took everything as a joke.

"Now, you listen to me. You're going to hold your breath and go to Moon hyung, kiss his cold ass feet and apologize, y'get that?"

Seokmin nods. Hoshi has never looked scarier. Ever.

"Good." Hoshi snaps.

Without warning, the boy in green grabs Seokmin by the collar and started floating, going higher and higher into the air till Seokmin started to scream. Hoshi kicked the younger boy's stomach with the attempt to shut him up, but being the scaredy cat he is, screams even louder.

"For heaven's sake shut up!" Hoshi snaps, but the younger boy started crying, his painted face started to run. Little did Hoshi know that the paint didn't run but the black star painted around his eye shifted into a teardrop.

"Does that happen often?" Hoshi asks.

"It kinda portrays my emotions," Seokmin answers, Hoshi looking at him with a confused face "well ya can't be a jester without being funny can you? The king casted this spell on me. It's only more than natural."

Hoshi ignores him and drags him higher, till Seokmin couldn't even see the houses or the mountains.

"How do we breathe in space?"

"Pixie dust. And no, you won't die."

Seokmin closes his mouth and shuts up. He doesn't look down. Being a jester, he still had his own neutral emotions, even if he pulls jokes for a living.

When Seokmin finally felt the ground beneath his feet, he opened his eyes. A rocky, frigid surface, something he couldn't describe. It's a first for him, the surface of the moon.

"Hyung, it's cold." The jester complains, wrapping his own arms around himself.

"Bear with it," Hoshi replies as if he was used to it, and he was, "let's find Moon hyung."

As Seokmin walked, the ground beneath him was sometimes solid and sometimes soft like dough, his eyes wandering at the awkward surface.

"Moon hyung!" Hoshi yells "I brought someone!"

When Jisoo heard Peter's words his mind started wandering, his heart was racing. Who was that someone? Was it Gaeul?

Racing out of his house, his heart dropped when he saw a jester in a ridiculous pink ad yellow costume, his face painted white with other details on his face. Jisoo gives a questioning look.

Hoshi drags Seokmin and pushes him towards Jisoo, standing next to him as he puts his hand on the back of Seokmin's head, tilting it downwards, "Apologize."

"Moon hyung, I'm sorry about everything." Seokmin had a slight crack in his voice, and well, Jisoo wasn't sure if it was because of the shivering cold temperature or Hoshi's glare that felt like a hole was burning at the back of the jester's head.

"He's the culprit." Hoshi chirps when Jisoo shows an even more confused look.

"I accidentally blurted out about you and Hoshi hyung and the girl to the King. I'm sorry. Really. Look I'd really like to bow down and kiss your feet but the ground's too cold so-"

"No, you don't need to," Jisoo smiles, patting Seokmin's back. His touch was ice cold and Seokmin flinched a little, apologizing.

"Should I do anything to make up for you?" Seokmin asks.

Jisoo just shakes his head in reply, "No, it's alright, you don't need to. What's happened has happened." He walks back to his home, the same, ugly looking box that he calls home.

"Maybe you were right, Hoshi. I should've listened to you." Jisoo smiles, the smile falters almost immediately as he mutters softly "maybe I should've not broke the Oath after all."

When Jisoo disappears from sight, the two boys were left dumbfounded and silent, unable to say anything. They were just filled with regret, guilt, and the pity for the Moon who was apparently banned from seeing a human ever again.

"Idiot," Hoshi breaks the silence by knocking Seokmin's head, then sprinkling some pixie dust ob top of the jester's head "now learn to fly on your own."

As he leaves the younger boy alone, struggling and trying to maintain his balance while floating, Hoshi's mind was filled with thoughts and confused feelings.

He didn't want to break the Oath, but somehow he felt like he needed to fix their relationship. To let Jisoo be happy again.

He was bothered by how Gaeul was doing without Jisoo, in that situation, without a family and all alone.

--------------------------

Ok so here's an early spoiler: neverland has a king

Yeah well technically yall are like "omg wtf neverland doesnt belong to anybody!!" But hey, let me do it my way, okay, im sorry for ruining your childhood or something

Anyway i really need to continue writing this bc man in the moon has a loooong ass journey to go

Have a nice day everyone <3

-  Cee