FIRE / GOLD

“your lack of sympathy is astounding, oppa. absolutely stellar. no wonder half the girls at school have a crush on you.” there’s a trickle of accusation that lacks direction (because who’s really at fault here, his googly-eyed admirers or mister jo daehyun himself?) or the proper amount of contempt. typical haewon.

“it’s simple arithmancy. just because this-” cue vague, back-and-forth hand-flapping, “isn’t a thing doesn’t mean i won’t be offended if there wasn’t at least a 1% possibility.” maybe he’d take her more seriously if she wasn’t giving him a half-hearted squint. intimidation isn’t one of her strong points.

“maybe later! romance doesn’t exactly contribute to my career goals.” or anyone’s really. the thought hasn’t exactly crossed her mind, though it sets off a pinprick of curiosity– and an inkling of suspicion. “have you?” a lovestruck daehyun sounds absurd. “why do you think i’m always doubled up on desserts? and i’m too tired today.” she fakes a yawn for emphasis and veers off course, purposely bumping into his side. 

“i thought you were joking.” which is a fair assumption. but this is as good as the opportunity will get, shoulders perking considerably at his last comment. she shifts her feet, easily walking backwards, hands at his wrists to pull him along. “pick up the pace! i need to discuss some extremely important matters with you.” (not really.)

 “yeah, it’s almost like my looks and the chollimas buffer has nothing to do with it.” there’s a sense of flippancy there. hint of annoyance. as if he’s ever cared about his his “popularity” to begin with. don’t take him wrong, it’s nice to be liked. but there’s something else about being favored only for surface level things.

“oh, okay, i’ll keep that in mind next time i consider taking someone out friday night.” he speaks dryly, spares a small teasing grin at least. not that it’s ever likely, but at the end of the day they both know that.

“what are your career goals again?” he questions absently, parts curious. if he’s honest, there is a degree of curiosity that surfaces around people like haewon. girls that haphazardly switch from one path to another—seemingly. like a crackhead. “date?” duh? his brow arches, smile slipping back into one more civil than welcoming. “what do you think?” as if he’d tell. “isn’t it just a matter of smiling at the right person?” doesn’t much budge at the bump, though he does  offer a little nudge back.

“did you see me laughing?” he eyes her carefully, head tilting. it’s far too easy to fall under a pace like haewon’s, he knows it well. would avoid it normally but—what was the harm here? “you and i probably have different definitions of important.” daehyun mutters, taking a beat before he twists his wrists to grasp onto her hands once they’re out of the exit; apparating them with ease to his usual lunch spot.

“uh-huh.” a neutral response lest she invoke his wrath and lose her mooching privileges. several pats allow her to disentangle herself and land gracefully on both feet, though she doesn’t drift too far, either. haewon keeps one hand on the back of his shirt to keep him from making a quick getaway with those unnaturally long legs of his. 

“i know we’re friends, but you know i’m a girl too, right?” not that it’s personal, but she’s mildly offended and it shows. (no pouting to be seen here, just a very aggressive 😠). “i have feelings too,” hmph.

there’s probably a positive correlation between decent-looking boys and how dense they can be. she’s pretty sure most of the girls at yosul can attest to that. 

“me, flirting?” her voice rises in feigned indignation, as if she hadn’t just wheedled a frazzled worker for an extra tart the other day. “and what’s that got to do with my future? i don’t think i can flirt dark wizards to death, though that’d make the job loads easier.”

speaking of- as soon as they’re out of eyesight she turns to him, shamelessly unleashing a wink in his direction. “think it’d work?” knowing full well it’ll prompt the opposite effect that it tends to have on her other recipients, she skitters back several steps, then continues on her way as if nothing had happened at all.

“gosh, you really don’t want to pay, do you?”

     “and?” he continues the trek forward even with her release. well aware of the grip on his shirt yet fully willing to ignore it. for now. there was never a day that he could recall where getting nit-picky with haewon was going to do him any good anyway. still, a quick glance over to the smaller girl draws a quirk to his lips, head cocking to the side slightly in question. 

     “i don’t remember saying you didn’t? or does it hurt your feelings that i don’t think it’s a date?” highly unlikely. but he wasn’t going to pass up a chance to tease her otherwise. not when haewon has taken no hesitations in the decisions made that directly impacted his life. most times more negatively than otherwise.

     “well you plan on dating, don’t you?” he checks his watch, mind drifting for a handful of seconds till she speaks again. appears by his side and demands attention. as per usual. and for what? a wink? whatever the expected reaction was, it wasn’t any in particular that daehyun was keen on giving. wasn’t anything else beyond the standard curve to his lips. appropriately civil. “you can try it?” daehyun chuckles, carding his fingers through his hair in thought. never mind that that was probably the first and last he ever wants to see it.

“i’m not the one with an image to uphold.” which is a good point considering her current state. only a couple of freshman gawk, as if they haven’t seen a devil’s snare do the very same thing to its considerably less agreeable victims. haewon passes on the choking aspect and lets her arms dangle instead, chin notching into his shoulder. 

“stingy, stingy! you wouldn’t be complaining if this was a date now, would’ya?” nevermind that a date wouldn’t involve the other party hanging onto his back, and more importantly, involve her at all. but that’s not the point!

“your good looks and charming wit-” excuse her deadpan, “could be put to good use.  i heard flirting is very good currency for the best desserts around here.” not that she knows through first-hand experience. she dons a cheery grin, blissfully unaware of his phone’s near-death-experience.

“or so i’ve heard.”

     "i happen to think i’m doing a rather good job upholding it right now.” if not, he would’ve dropped her by now. but daehyun supposes for the sake of appearances and the team (she’s second string, but you’ll never know.), he’ll allow the 20 (20? really?) something to cling to him like something akin to a parasite.

     “mm,” she’s not wrong, though. he hums in faux contemplation, regardless, finally speaking once he tucks his phone back into his coat; on the move once more. “this feels more like a hostage situation than it would a date, haewon.” 

     but he’s sure he didn’t need to tell her that. she’s not stupid. just thick skinned. 🙄

     “thank you,” daehyun can’t help but shoot back, tone equally as flat. “but i have enough money for myself. why don’t you try flirting for a good change?” he makes a turn toward the exit, finding earlier’s ease to have completely bypassed him with the growing amount of gazes their way. quiet whispers and that of the sort. no thanks.

it’s not being annoying if you give consent, @mmdaehyun​

the undercurrents of conversations billow out from opened doors, students spilling into the hall and jostling one another in the process. haewon barely manages to avoid a poorly-aimed elbow and silently curses appa oh’s lanky genes for failing her.  (at least he’s blessed her with nimble feet– the easier to squash the perp’s left foot with!) hyunwoo grunts in pain, but she’s too far ahead at this point to acknowledge him. 

serves him right. 😤

at precisely 12:30, her stomach utters a plaintive growl. a chock full of morning classes haven’t been optimal for her speedy metabolism. with hastened steps, she begins her hunt until her gaze lands on the appropriate target. it takes her approximately three slides across the well-polished floor to leap up and latch onto his back.

“i’m starving, cap! lunch on you?” 

at 12:27 somewhere, jo daehyun is otherwise preoccupied. mind busy with today’s plans for lunch, course work, training and the works. isn’t he always busy as of late, anyway? but first, sustenance or something like that. 

the trek to the canteen is slow, attention split between the weaving crowd (not that they ever bump into him, there are perks after all to be at his height and build) and the phone in his hands. daehyun is entirely unsuspecting of the “danger” that lurks near—and damn well drops the device in his grasp with the sudden impact and added weight.

and the voice—he audibly sighs, arm winding to steady her. “why would it be on me?” the question is fitted to be casual enough, leaning over to pluck his phone off the marbled floors, checking briefly for damage. lucky. 

♡ written w love for @mmdaehyun.

ju jak commons energy was off the charts. it rapidly became a colloquy in anarchism when the number of first through third years started to outnumber sunbaes who just wanted peace and quiet for their YSAT studies. throw in the random garnish of other houses who had snuck in yet looked right at home here and it’s a damn party. of usual, chan enjoys room reading. hey, nothing feeds the cards like utter chaos. flip a card look up and find a fortune, it’s fools gold. but reading the cards to the sound of chaos when his arithmancy was screaming at him from the back of his mind ? that’s when being a divinist becomes the worst imaginable thing ever and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone. when you’re enjoy yourself. reading some poor kid’s relationships drama energy through the cards. and all of a sudden things get passive aggressive. flip a card and he double takes because oh. that one was for him. KNIGHT OF SWORDS reversed + unfocused and he stares down offended. PAGE OF PENTACLES, also reversed + awareness that you’re off track, + procrastination . well he’s fucking trying to. it only takes one more flip before he sighs into the open air and scoops up his cards like an angry kid called home from a party early. stupid responsibilities, stupid divination. can’t even procrastinate in peace without realizing the consequences and being self aware.

but apparating out and into the open air is good for him, he has to admit. the expanse of vivid, sultry blue and undying orange from the peeking horizon that the buildings of yosul and seoul block, turned down to dim in late evening. the fresh air helps too, he strolls and thinks, ju jak commons was too loud for the kind of constructive thinking that’s good for convergence. but then he thinks on it. stews it, turns it and over like pulling glass noodles until something digestible comes out of his recollections and mental churning. the commons was bustling, even hyeon mu and baek ho there. against regulation and all that. but there was one person missing. at this point, he isn’t surprised. but he is centered again. a wand wave and the useless thing sends him to just outside the field. the quidditch pitch seems more distinctive beneath the blazing glow of evening tide washing it in blood orange and blue. his shoulder propping against the metal of a bleacher as sure enough, lo and behold, daehyun the nearly permanent fixture here.

he’s a quidditch training infomercial, on loop even when no one watches, selling something that makes chan sigh. a gripping acknowledgement of hard work and dedication? the potential of burn out. probably. chan doesn’t know, all these years he’s known daehyun, daily discussions, even different intonations in the buckle of their banter and chime of daehyun’s laughter when it doesn’t fill the room. six years and he’s fully aware of the hair pulling frustration he’s about to go through in the event he tries to pull daehyun down from that training. yet, he approaches. it’s unyieldly really, this spirit of his. what entitty of fate took a look and thought: yes him, give that one the ability to read energy and the probabilities of the universe. he’s going to handle that just fine. chan encroaches the field with a loud yell of nondescript greeting and then plops himself right down into the grass. not sidelined as usual during games, but right in the middle, in what is likely danger zone. throwing his bag around to extract his arithmancy homework and start it up.

he waits until daehyun strays low and close enough that he doesn't have to yell this time. ❝come here often ? ❞ his smile and voice are a lilt of friendly informality, ❝more importantly. wanna do math with me ? ❞he wiggles his brows, turns the sentence into a pick up line but his expectations are in the gutter. doesn’t even need to ask the cards this time.

the norm never changes. the sun rises, the potions professor croaks, the 4th year girls stutter their good mornings. noon, same thing. night, when the sun sets and night blankets the city of seoul, jo daehyun is all that remains; out in the field, fluorescent capturing the white of his skin, sheen of his hair, and red of his shirt as he whizzes by on his broom, bludgers hot on his tail. 

it’s not approved. not even advised. but what’s a little risk of injury in the face of an adrenaline rush? by now, daehyun has mastered the spell in controlling them. illegal? maybe. doesn’t matter. it isn’t as if he uses it for anything else beyond needed improvement in his speed and even beyond that, honing his beater skills. for? no particular reason. nothing beyond a self imposed sense of duty. daehyun places it on his chest, weighs heavy, the need to excel as captain. to better help his teammates. isn’t it best then, to have experience in every position?

tonight, it’s a bit of both. kind of a toss up. a leave it up to god sort of situation. in which our captain wants to fixate on nothing else but the air rushing in and out of flushed lungs, ache in his wrist, numb of his fingers wrapped around the beater’s bat. then, the slow in motion. notions of fatigue, increasing heaviness of the bones, ache in his muscles—and out of the corner of his eye, a thick tuft of black hair, long limbs. ah.

his body moves on its own accord, muscles screaming in relief now that the mind is finally willing. it would be rude otherwise not to say hi. a casual wave of his hand has the bludgers redirecting, whizzing back and forth aimlessly between the field as intended while he himself lowers, tired smile in place, mumbling a spell to summon his water bottle.

“did you get nudged out of the common room?” why would he be here otherwise? daehyun flashes a quick grin, lowering just enough to ghost his fingers over the top of the other’s head playfully in greeting. “not particularly,” but he’s sure seonchan saw that coming as well. with or without his flashy little cards. “i still have maybe about a half hour left.” his body brings about a bout of jitters, thrumming with a steady pace of adrenaline. “but maybe after?” ah, that’s new. a rare sign of mercy (for seonchan? for himself? we’re not sure). but daehyun knows he’ll take it, regardless.

it’s not like yuanlan has any problem with sharing the field, but… well, she guesses she would probably feel more at ease if it’s someone else. because now on top of practising, she’s also going to be worried about how she performs in front of a team member. admittedly, she shouldn’t feel awkward since they’re going to work together later. it’s her own fault for always feeling compelled to make good first impressions — perhaps a sense of duty, to herself? she has known that her pride would be her downfall.

yuanlan nods in affirmation as he speaks, seeming like he has a vague idea of who she is. she smiles at his laugh, and nods again ( before feeling like she might be nodding too much ). ‘yeah yeah, we can definitely do that.’ deciding to just warm up a bit first, she moves the box aside and mounts her broom to fly around the pitch. as she ascends, she can feel tension slowly seeping out from her. in the sky, she doesn’t have to be self-conscious; problems and worries can’t reach her. that’s the thing she loves about flying, it’s the only place where she finds both calmness and excitement.

zipping around in a somewhat relaxed manner, she allows her mind to wander for a moment. truthfully, she has heard plenty about daehyun before she considered getting into the team. the golden boy, you know. nice grades, nice quidditch skills, nice to look at — what’s not to like? when girls at the dorm talk about the popular boys around, the name daehyun came up a few times. but yuanlan, she’s just curious. no one’s perfect, and she thinks she’s heard something about how only broken people feel the need to fill their cracks with melted gold. or something like that.

after a while of getting in the zone, she descends to check what he’s doing. 'you know, since we’re going to play in the same team and all, what do you say about doing some drills together? just to, get to know how to work together. and stuff.’ ( and stuff? very eloquent, yuanlan. )

     he offers nothing else beyond a lazy, goodnatured salute. on the move once the younger moves to mount her broom, daehyun himself takes his time to step on the track. soles of his shoes dragging, will halved between his usual regime and the aching need to crawl back into bed. now he remembers why he never comes out here early morning to begin with. jo daehyun? definitely not a morning person.

     but there’s little reasoning to bitch and moan now. not with the zip of the girl flying by overhead. he’s already agreed to sharing. and no doubt will be giving out pointers and such later on. as a captain should, anyway. 

     so, well aware and fully(ish) convinced by his reasoning, daehyun starts on his run. picking up speed with each passing lap. by the 5th, he’s ready to stop. heart pounding with the steady rise and fall of each breath, pace slowing to a jog when the beater descends, hovering by his side. “ah—” daehyun wipes at his forehead absently, pulling the hood off. “sure, we can do that—uh—” his mind struggles to catch on to the tremble of adrenaline, extending an arm out to summon his broom.

     “is there any particular drills that you want to run?” he questions absently, sliding his fingers around the broom once it flies into his grasp. “i’m not too good of a beater, but if you need someone to practice with, i can try my best.” daehyun flashes a quick reassuring smile, taking a moment to mount the broom while he shifts, peeling off his hoodie to slip onto the floor with a quiet thud. morning chill forbid, he was running way too hot right now.

     “or...if you want to practice some scoring, we can do that too. since you’ll never know on the field...” he has the decency to offer some options, patient in the way he waits for a reply, fingers plucking and smoothing out his undershirt. “what do you think?”

when you really pause to think about it, all that fate had ever done was deliver exactly the best, and worst thing, at once. that was all jungmi had ever known in most ways, like chasing down a bitter medicine, just that one thing that made it a little more tolerable ( read: deadbeat dad / overbearing mother? siblings. shitty school life? choa. terrible love life? ….oh, well that one stayed bitter with a shiver down the spine. getting stuck in a window trying to sneak into yosul for the fifth time this month? daehyun. ) so it’s with a jolt of excitement when she hears the voice, something satisfying in the way ❜ sunbae ❜  bounces against her ass-first awareness because; that’s a voice jungmi can’t forget, even it it had been months since she’d heard it. “oh thank god,” ( in hindsight, why had she been so excited in the first place, knowing who this is ) “i━ heh, yeah, maybe i’ve been caught, it’s, not necessarily as bad as it looks” she speaks down the hallway and listens for noise from the other side of the the wall and through the window behind her. “i can’t even make excuses just━ ” she lamely kicks her feet like a fish flopping around helplessly, because why is she still in this damn window, “can you get me down now, and i’ll tell you all about how i’ve been?”

there’s so much that becomes immediately recyclable in her mind, not quite playing like a picture, there was too much going on, but it’s like pulling up a web page and leaving it there. the click in her mind, the flashes of she and daehyun in her glory days ( also read: the best and worst days ) dragging him by the palm and sometimes the seat of his ass, through her misdoings. and the proceeding fallout when the illuminating end comes in a blinding lumos, suspicious squints, and the repercussion ( ‘figures it would be you, jungmi’ and she doesn’t have the sense to expect to be alone, a glance over her shoulder and daehyun is gone ) (( in hindsight inception, she should have expected that too; ‘yep… it’s me━ my bad?’ she had said when looking back to them, resisting the urge to scan for daehyun, see if he was watching or had the good sense to bolt all the way without looking back )) she had taken the fall that night without a second thought, a roll of her eyes the only payment she could think to pay, when he had risked so much just to make her happy. 

“i’ll buy you an ice cream to not leave me here,” she adds, the pinch at her pelvis now a dull throbbing and man this is fucking uncomfortable. the things she does for ~ the story ~ ( at least daehyun won’t leave her this time, right? ) “do it for ju jak,” she adds with a chuckle that’s both awkward, genuine and suffering all at once.

     the trickle is slow, steady in the way nostalgia fills, gently urges his mind back to the year prior, years way before. dynamics between the two have always carried a sort of ease. but that’s expected with longtime teammates, people he’s trained with, eaten with, shared a sense of camaraderie unfound anywhere else on campus. so to say that there was a quiet stir of fondness in his chest wouldn’t be too far off. 

     ( but, i wouldn’t be too happy if i were you. fondness has never and possibly will never equate mercy. )

     it’s fun to watch her flail. daehyun only regrets that he’s unable to look to the other side of the wall, certain that jungmi’s face would’ve turned some sort of delectable shade by now. “i didn’t ask,” he starts, deep timbre of his voice passive and unreflecting of the slightest annoyance that flickers across his face at the kicking. “about how you’ve been.” daehyun finishes, sardonic smile in place while he reaches out, sliding his fingers around the thin of her ankle to lower them; subtle hint to stop.

     honestly it was more of a jab than anything. though by now, he’s certain the sense of urgency in her voice signified that she cared little about his little snide remarks. not that it would’ve been reason enough for him to stop, at least. hasn’t he always tagged along by her side, making these comments to begin with? “don’t want ice cream,” this exchange grew increasingly childish by the minute, he’s aware. can hear it in his voice just as clearly. but for the time being, daehyun couldn’t be bothered to care. carefully tailored image or whatever, as if jungmi hasn’t already seen what lies beyond that. 

     “what about ju jak? you’ve already graduated, i think our so-called house relations, camaraderie, so on—ended there.” 

     he sports a playful grin, unseen, opts instead to pull out his phone, scrolling absently through notifications. for the time being, it doesn’t seem as if they’ll go anywhere soon.