"I'm not on Youjin's side. But neither am I on the fae's one. Or yours for that matter. I define as a completely free and independent spirit."

Yongguk proved to be difficult to get answers from. While he did not seem hostile towards Hongjoong, the human still got a feeling that the man kept a lot of secrets. He constantly seemed way too knowing for Hongjoong's liking. Knowing what? If it had to do with Hongjoong he wanted to know!

At least he entertained Hongjoong's questions about him being a witch. Hongjoong learned that anybody could become a witch but fae had less complications as their magic was way stronger than the one of a human or elf. Yongguk himself seemed to swim in it, hence his strengthened powers.

And also, and that was the most curious thing, Yongguk asked Hongjoong if he wanted to be taught. Really, who was Hongjoong to say no? It could save his life.

And so the training started.

Hongjoong learned everything about different kinds of plants, spending hours in the freezing air outside to search for them in the piled high snow. He got to know the lunar and solar cylces and when it was best to use their magic. He learned about magic enhanced gems and cystals and struggled to reach their core with the sheer power of his mind.

Every day was accompanied by migraines and every night his sleep was so deep not even a rabid bear would have woken him.

Winter passed and the snow outside started melting again, giving way to new material to study tirelessly. Hongjoong did not tire and grew more powerful by the day.

Yongguk was impressed with Hongjoong's willigness to learn and gained motivation out of it too, teaching him expertedly. They discovered new connections together, mixed unfamiliar potions and Yongguk documented it all for future reference.

Hongjoong's magic itself might have been weak before but in this realm it was easy to access through it's general quantity. Hongjoong constantly had to remind himself that all he was able to do here, healing, levitating, cooking potions, he would never known if he had stayed at home.

And if he was being completely honest with himself - he did not regret it anymore. He was glad he came here, met Yongguk and started learning.

So when spring came around and Hongjoong had made huge progress in creating spells, Yongguk had another peculiar offer for him.

"I can turn you into a fae, you know? There is a way. But it is connected to your magic so you will constantly have to nurse yourself through it. It would give you the safety you did not have until then in this world."

And Hongjoong cried.

He had thrown himself into Yongguk's arms, completely diregarding the other man's discomfort with physical contact and sobbed into his chest. Yongguk relented somewhen, hugging Hongjoong softly while humming soft praises into his hair.

It would not have been possible if not for Yongguk. And Yongguk would have never offered if Hongjoong had not studied as diligent. Hongjoong felt lucky for once in a long time.

The ritual was painful. While it was not hard to fuel Hongjoong's power into nature and make him a full winter fairy, it was harder for him to grow wings. They actually had to grow first and the process was everything but comfortable.

"We can do this because fae are beings of pure magic. They derave from strong magic in nature, that is why you see them in your world too, if seldomly. An elf is a born and raised being. This is why if you kill an elf, it's murder. Kill a fae and it does not matter."

"But the fae still dies. Even if they return, they are not the same person anymore, right?"

"I never said it was just. It's one of the main reasons why marriage and such are strictly forbidden between both races. It would ask for both parties to work together for once to declare new laws. They are too content as it is for that."

Yongguk himself had no lover, he was completely alone and while Hongjoong sometimes thought it was pitiful, he also understood perfectly well. The life of a witch was a lonely one and the halfling himself did not belong anywhere truly.

Just like Hongjoong.

It was nearing the fifth moon of the year when Hongjoong's wings were finally fully developed. They were beautiful, the tall and deep black wings of a black swallowtail and had blue and orange accents towards the tips. He could not yet fly with them, but he was trying already, levitating in the living room and flapping them softly to get them to hold him up.

But Yongguk also had an idea for this case. Hongjoong started to adore his mentor even more with each passing day.

"Go back to their village. They promised to teach you, did they not? If you don't stay for longer than two moons you will not get sick. Remember that you are a fae now. You need to eat. Snow fae do not eat fruit except berries."

Hongjoong bid him his goodbyes in front of Yongguk's little hut (much more spacious on the inside) and the familiar crooked grin on the other's face made him go full of hopes. He would return.

He was one of them now.

He belonged here.

He travelled for about a week, bathing in cool streams and living off berries that seemed to sustain him absolutely well.

When he arrived in the village finally it was first the women he had met a long time ago with Youjin at the fields, that recognized him.

"Is it truly you? Hongjoong?"

And he was smiling wetly already, his heart contracting painfully because he had missed this. He had missed the fresh smelling meadows and colourful houses, had missed all those smiling faces and playful children.

One of them was hurrying towards the huts immediately after seeing him, conveying the happy news to the kings while Hongjoong was bombarded with questions from the remaining few, their curiousity concerning his wellbeing, his wings and his absence. He felt obliged to answer to everything, laughing when their zeal became too much.

It was Jinyoung himself who had to break them up, greeting Hongjoong with fond eyes.

"There you are, I knew everything would work out! Yongguk is the best healer in this realm."

Yongguk was certainly the best healer as his powers were able to pull the dead out of their graves. But Hongjoong did not tell them that.

This time he visited Yeosang and Jongho first, asking the ladies to tell Wooyoung and Mingi to meet him there. Yeosang seemed elated that Hongjoong did listen to him at the end while Jongho was quite indifferent as per usual. He politely complimented Hongjoong's wings too though.

Wooyoung and Mingi were to be heard before they were seen. They yelled at the other for being too slow and were also shouting threats about harsh punishments ("I'm going to steal your pillow!" "Don't you dare, I will glue your wings together in your sleep!"). Both of them wanted to hug Hongjoong first it seemed and he was quick to steel his feet against the ground in preparation, ready to catch both of them.

Maybe, just maybe, he had overestimated himself though because as soon as the both fae entered the clearing they started yelling Hongjoong's name and about his wings and before he could regain his senses lost due to the sudden onslaught they were already crashing into him. Mingi's tall body toppled the two smaller fae over, making Hongjoong cry out as he fell onto his wings.

More yelling, more scambling, Jongho buried his face in his hands while Yeosang threw grass at them laughingly.

At the end they were all seated in a diplomatic cirlce, Jongho forced to join and tried to talk like normal adults.

Hongjoong wanted to answer their questions with as much truth as possible, declaring Yongguk to his saviour in every sense and telling them about his newfound wisdom.

Wooyoung was on fire with wanting to help Hongjoong with flying again and Mingi dreamily suggested them going on a picnic down to the lake a few days after. Jongho and Yeosang could join for a day. Jongho was going to be forced to come again.

They were sharing laughter and stories about the cold winter, relaxing completely. Later Hongjoong was laying happily with his head on Mingi's stomach, the fae sleeping soundly beneath him, that he looked up at the sky between slowly blooming cherry and apple blossoms. Their hypnotic sway in front of the light was lulling, making Hongjoong feel drowsy.

He felt content with this life. Living with Yongguk, visiting his friends sometimes. He knew there were two people he still had business with and he had found his thoughts drifting to them a lot in this time far from them.

However this one moment? It was peaceful and he did not need to worry about anthing.

A smile curled his lips, as he closed his eyes.

Hongjoong did not want to go home anymore. He was at home here now.